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‘Barrel bomb’ raids in Syria kill 76
Bangladesh celebrates Victory Day amid violence
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Clash in China’s Xinjiang leaves 16 dead
Pak army needs TV channel to counter Indian propaganda: Paper
Bomb scare at Harvard, 4 buildings evacuated
Judgment reserved on Musharraf’s travel ban
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‘Barrel bomb’ raids in Syria kill 76
Damascus, December 16 The bombardment, which activists described as “unprecedented”, came as the United Nations said the number of Syrian war refugees in the Middle East was likely to double to 4.1 million by the end of 2014. The number of people slain in yesterday’s bombing of Aleppo "with explosive-packed barrels... rose to 76," including "28 children and four women," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, updating its previous toll of 36 dead. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said it was "one of the heaviest tolls from air raids since the beginning of the war" that flared after a brutal regime crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired democracy protests that erupted in March, 2011. Explosive-laden barrels were dropped on six rebel-controlled districts in the east, including Sakhur, Ard al-Hamra and Haydariyeh, Abdel Rahman said. The Observatory and activists said government forces frequently drop the barrels filled with TNT on rebel-held areas of the war-torn country from helicopters and warplanes. "The barrels of explosives are not like bombs. Their impact is not accurate as they are dropped without any guidance system, and that is why they cause a large number of victims," said Abdel Rahman. The devices are made up of metal barrels that have a layer of concrete inside them "so that they cause as much destruction and death as possible," according to Abdel Rahman. There are two types of barrel bombs, one of which is home-made, and the other of which is made in factories. A Syrian security official said the army prefers the TNT-packed barrels because they are cheaper than regular bombs, which need to be imported from Russia. The Aleppo Media Centre, a network of activists on the ground, called yesterday's raids on the northern city "unprecedented". "Everyone is looking up at the skies and watching the planes. But there's nothing to be done," AMC activist Mohammed al-Khatieb said. Aleppo, Syria's second city and pre-war commercial hub, is now divided between areas occupied by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebel fighters. Fighting that erupted with a rebel offensive in July last year has caused massive damage to the historic city.
— AFP Syrian refugees to nearly double by end 2014: UN
Geneva: The number of Syrian refugees in the Middle East will nearly double over the next year to exceed four million, the United Nations said on Monday as it launched its appeal for funds. Another 9.3 million people are expected to be in need of aid inside the war-ravaged nation by the end of next year, with millions displaced from their homes, the UN's humanitarian agency (OCHA) said.
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Bangladesh celebrates Victory Day amid violence
Dhaka, December 16 The police said five “terrorists” were killed overnight in shootouts with law enforcement agencies in southwestern Satkhira. However, media reports described them as Jamaat activists. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from across the country, but patrols by paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) troops and aerial vigil by elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) helicopters prevented the rioters from coming out on the streets in major cities. At least 30 persons have been killed in the clashes since Thursday night, when fundamentalist Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah, known as the “Butcher of Mirpur”, was hanged for atrocities committed during the liberation war. Mollah, who was executed after the Supreme Court rejected his review petition, became the first politician to be put to death for war crimes. The violence erupted at several places soon after his execution, which the Jamaat described as a "political murder” even as it vowed to take revenge. World’s largest
human flag formed
Bangladeshi volunteers on Monday formed the world’s largest national flag as the country commemorated its Victory Day. A total of 27,117 volunteers stood with arms raised holding red and green blocks to form the national flag of Bangladesh at the National Parade Ground. Opposition calls for
72-hour blockade
The BNP today announced a 72-hour nationwide blockade from tomorrow, demanding cancellation of the January 5 general elections.
— PTI Saeed leads prayer for executed Jamaat leader
Lahore: Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed on Monday led a funeral prayer in absentia for Jammat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah, who was hanged in Bangladesh last week for genocide during the liberation war of 1971. Saeed, founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, said, “The Pakistan government should have registered a strong protest with Bangladesh over the execution.”
— PTI
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66 dead in attacks across Iraq
Baghdad, December 16 The killing of the pilgrims underscored the danger of sectarian violence in Iraq, while the attacks on the city council and police station in Salaheddin province showed the impunity with which militants can strike even targets that should be highly secure. Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when the country was emerging from a period of brutal sectarian killings, and has raised fears it is slipping back into all-out conflict. In the Rashid area south of Baghdad, two car bombs targeted Shiite pilgrims, killing at least 22 people and wounding at least 52, security and medical officials said. Sunni militants including those linked to Al-Qaida frequently target members of Iraq's Shiite majority, whom they consider to be apostates. In the city of Tikrit, militants detonated a car bomb near the city council headquarters and then occupied the building, with employees still inside. Iraqi security forces surrounded the building, and then carried out an assault that Counter-Terrorism Service spokesman Sabah Noori said freed 40 people who were held inside. "We freed all the hostages" and killed one suicide bomber, while two others blew themselves up, Noori said.
— AFP
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Clash in China’s Xinjiang leaves 16 dead
Beijing, December 16 “Several thugs” threw explosives late last night and attacked policemen, who were pursuing suspects in Shufu county, near the city of Kashgar, located close to the PoK. In the clash that ensued, two police officers died and 14 "thugs" were shot and killed, Tianshan Net, the region's official news portal, said. It described what happened as a "terrorist attack". The police detained two suspects and the violence is under further investigation, the report said. The government traditionally blames extremists for the violence, while Uighur activists point to ethnic tensions and tight Chinese control as triggers for violence.
— PTI
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Pak army needs TV channel to counter Indian propaganda: Paper
Islamabad, December 16 The unusual recommendation has been made in one of the strategy papers written for the prestigious “Green Book” of the Pakistan Army that provides rare insights into its ongoing internal debates, The News daily reported today. It said: “Indian media invasion could not be countered during Kargil episode”. The strategy papers, written by uniformed professionals, are part of a special chapter in the Green Book titled “Sub-conventional Warfare”. While slamming the Pakistani media for not countering the penetration of Indian TV and newspapers effectively, Major General Muhammad Azam Asif, who commands an infantry division, has recommended that the Pakistan Army must acquire a television channel as well as a radio station to counter the "Indian propaganda". Asif has claimed that the Pakistani media lacks credibility among the masses due to which the general public is compelled to tune in to All India Radio, the BBC and Indian satellite channels during a period of crisis or whenever an important event takes place, the media report said. Citing the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, he has stated that the "primary aim of the Indian media was to defeat the enemy psychologically and disarm them morally". The strategy paper penned for the Green Book by Asif has stated, "Our adversary (India) has taken big strides in acquiring media power and has been putting it to good use for her benefits." "With a number of television channels and remarkable advancement in the information technology, India has attained a total electronic media supremacy over Pakistan." Therefore, he has called for a brainstorming session between the Pakistani media and the Pakistan Army, saying if the nation is not motivated enough to withstand the aggression, it cannot aspire to preserve freedom. The Green Book is published every two years by the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army as an internal publication which, as a matter of principle, is kept confidential from the general public. An army official said, while requesting anonymity, that the Green Book does not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the institution of the army. Many serving senior army officers have expressed concerns in their strategy papers that Indian TV and print publications (news or entertainment) are available widely across Pakistan through both legitimate means and piracy, the report said. And there is a feeling in khaki circles that the growing penetration of the Indian TV channels has demoralised the Pakistani nation to the extent that India is seen as a formidable foe which cannot be defeated in war, it said. The Green Book has even claimed that the Kargil war of 1999 was lost by Pakistan because of the relentless media barrage praising the bravery of the Indian troops, thus destroying the fighting spirit of the Pakistan Army. — PTI The recommendation
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Bomb scare at Harvard, 4 buildings evacuated New York, December 16 An alert on its website said there were unconfirmed reports of explosives at the Science Centre, Thayer, Sever, and Emerson buildings. “Please evacuate those buildings now,” it said. "The Harvard University Police Department and the Cambridge police are on the scene. Out of an abundance of caution, the buildings have been evacuated while the report is investigated. Harvard's focus is on the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” it said. Authorities with the Cambridge Police Department and school officers descended on four sites at the Ivy League school that included it's science centre and freshman dorms. — Agencies
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Judgment reserved on Musharraf’s travel ban
Karachi, December 16 The High Court reserved its judgment on the plea after hearing arguments. Halepoto said the government included Musharraf (70) in the Exit Control List in the view of a directive from the High Court. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah said the court had not issued any orders for including Musharraf in the list. He told Halepoto to contact the government if he wished to get Musharraf’s name struck off the list. The special court has summoned the former military ruler to appear before it on December 24.
— PTI
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21 killed as bus falls from highway onto van Indian-Americans mark Patel's 63rd death anniversary US pupil suspended for sexually harassing teacher Nepal extends date to submit candidates' names Cameron does not want 'selfie' deleted: Report US mulling amnesty for Edward Snowden ‘O’Toole was much warmer person than believed’ 
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