W O R L D

Russian missile deployment raises alarm
Moscow, December 17
Washington has joined Russia's neighbours in voicing alarm after Moscow revealed that it had moved nuclear-capable Iskander missiles closer to EU borders in response to the US-led deployment of a disputed air defence shield.

The advanced version of the Russian missile has a range of 500 km and could potentially be used to take out ground-based radar and interceptors of new NATO shield. A file photo

Singapore to deport 52 Indians over Little India riot
Singapore, December 17
Singapore today said 52 Indians will be deported and it will pursue criminal charges against 28 alleged rioters who actively participated in the country's worst outbreak of violence in over 40 years, sending a tough message to trouble-makers.

US warns China against imposing South China Sea air zone
Manila, December 17
US Secretary of State John Kerry warned China today against imposing an air defence zone over the South China Sea, similar to one it declared over disputed islands in the East China Sea. “The zone should not be implemented and China should refrain from taking similar, unilateral actions elsewhere in the region, and particularly over the South China Sea,” Kerry told a news conference in Manila.

No proof Diana was murdered: Police
London, December 17
The Scotland Yard today said, "It has found no credible evidence to support a claim that the British special forces were involved in the tragic death of Princess Diana in the 1997 Paris car crash. Britain's Metropolitan Police had received material in August about the deaths of the Princess of Wales and her partner Dodi Al-Fayed in the car crash, which media reports suggested related to claims the Special Air Service (SAS) was involved. New material had been reportedly passed to the police by an Army source after the allegations were made by the former wife of an SAS soldier, named only as Soldier N. The police said having conducted a "scoping exercise" there was no basis to open a criminal investigation. Princess Diana, former wife of the Prince of Wales and the mother of princes William and Harry, was 36 when she died in the crash with Al Fayed, 42. — PTI

NSA spying is illegal: US judge
Washington, December 17
In a setback to the Obama administration, a judge today ruled that the controversial mass surveillance of phone records by US intelligence was "arbitrary" and "indiscriminate", raising a question mark on the spy programme intended to prevent terrorist attacks. Federal District Judge Richard Leon said the National Security Agency's practice, which came to light following leaks by fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden, was an "arbitrary invasion" of American citizens' privacy. The agency's collection of "metadata" was exposed by ex-CIA analyst Snowden, who fled the US to avoid prosecution. — PTI

Indian among 11 held on drug charges
Kuala Lumpur, December 17
An Indian national is among 11 people arrested by the Malaysian authorities for alleged involvement in an international drug syndicate, officials said today. Some customs officers were also among the arrested persons. The authorities recovered drugs with an estimated street value of 14 million ringgit from the detained persons. “Following a series of raids in Klang Valley and Nilai, one Indian national, four Nigerians and six locals were nabbed,” said Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammed Bakri Zinin. Malaysian Customs officers were collaborating with international drug syndicates to smuggle drugs into the country, he said. — PTI

66 soldiers dead in South Sudan clash
Juba, December 17
At least 66 soldiers have been killed in battles raging for the past two days in the South Sudanese capital, a military hospital doctor said on Tuesday. "So far we have lost seven soldiers who died while they were waiting for medical attention and a further 59 who were killed outside," doctor Ajak Bullen said on Miraya FM radio, adding that the men would be given a mass burial. Another medical establishment, Juba Teaching Hospital, had earlier reported 26 dead, a mixture of civilians and military. It was not clear whether there was any overlap between the figures. South Sudan's hospitals, for a variety of logistical and cultural reasons, suffer from a shortage of blood, meaning that many patients in need of a transfusion die. — AFP

An injured civilian rests at a medical clinic inside the United Nations compound on the outskirts of Juba in South Sudan on Tuesday. Reuters

Russian missile deployment raises alarm

Moscow, December 17
Washington has joined Russia's neighbours in voicing alarm after Moscow revealed that it had moved nuclear-capable Iskander missiles closer to EU borders in response to the US-led deployment of a disputed air defence shield. The advanced version of the Russian missile has a range of 500 km and could potentially be used to take out ground-based radar and interceptors of the new NATO shield. Moscow's announcement prompted concern from the US as well as neighbouring Poland and three Baltic states - Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

"We've urged Russia to take no steps to destabilise the region," State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in response, adding that the US had also passed on to Moscow its neighbours' concerns.

Poland's foreign ministry called the planned missile movement "disturbing".

"This is a matter for NATO and we can expect possible consultations and action... at the NATO and EU level," the ministry added in a statement.

Latvia's Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said, "Several Baltic cities were threatened by the move."

"It is clear that it is alarming news as it is one of the arguments changing balance of powers in our region," he said, according to the Baltic News Service.

Germany's Bild newspaper first reported over the weekend that Russia had deployed about 10 Iskander systems in its Kaliningrad exclave — wedged between Poland and Lithuania — at some point in the past one year.

A top Russian defence official said in response to the report that several Iskander batteries had been stationed in Russia's Western Military District.

"Iskander operational-tactical missile systems have indeed been commissioned by the Western Military District's missile and artillery forces," Russian news agencies quoted defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying.

He added that Russia's deployment "does not violate any international treaties or agreements" and should therefore not be subject to protests from the West. — AFP

Singapore to deport 52 Indians over Little India riot

Singapore, December 17
Singapore today said 52 Indians will be deported and it will pursue criminal charges against 28 alleged rioters who actively participated in the country's worst outbreak of violence in over 40 years, sending a tough message to trouble-makers.

"We have taken strong and decisive action to charge and to repatriate those who took part in the riot to send a strong signal that we will not tolerate actions by anyone which threaten law and order in Singapore," Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean told a news conference.

The police said it had completed its investigations into the riot on December 8 in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where most of the South Asian workers take their Sunday break.

The trouble started after a private bus fatally knocked down an Indian pedestrian, 33-year-old Sakthivel Kuaravelu in Little India. Some 400 migrant workers were involved in the rampage that left 39 police and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles — including 16 police cars — damaged.

Singapore previously witnessed violence of such scale during race riots in 1969. A total of 28 individuals, all Indians, have been charged for their involvement as "active participants", 53 will be repatriated for being participants and 200 will be issued police advisories, police said.

Earlier, 33 had been charged for alleged role in the rioting but seven were acquitted today and two others were arraigned bringing the number of those charged in the violence to 28.

The 53 individuals, 52 Indians and one Bangladeshi national, who will be repatriated, will be interviewed by the Committee of Inquiry before they leave, the police said. No more arrests or repatriations are expected, Teo said. He said the government will review the ban of consumption and sale of alcohol and will announce revised measures in next few days.

Teo said these measures are likely to remain in place for the time being. — PTI

US warns China against imposing South China Sea air zone

Manila, December 17
US Secretary of State John Kerry warned China today against imposing an air defence zone over the South China Sea, similar to one it declared over disputed islands in the East China Sea. “The zone should not be implemented and China should refrain from taking similar, unilateral actions elsewhere in the region, and particularly over the South China Sea,” Kerry told a news conference in Manila.

The Philippines had warned that China's announcement of an Air Defence Identification Zone in the East China Sea raised the prospect of it doing the same for the South China Sea. The Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims to parts of the strategically vital and potentially resource-rich South China Sea.

“Today, I raised our deep concerns about China's announcement of an East China Sea air defence identification zone,” Kerry said.

“I told the foreign secretary that the United States does not recognise that (East China Sea) zone and does not accept it,” he said. Beijing’s East China Sea air defence zone requires aircraft to provide flight plans when traversing the area, declare their nationality and maintain two-way radio communication, or face "emergency defensive measures". — AFP

Japan to boost military spending

Tokyo: Japan today said it intends to boost military spending by 5 per cent over the next five years, with a hardware splurge that will beef up defence of far-flung islands amid a territorial row with China. The cabinet of hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed $240 billion would be spent between 2014 and 2019, including on drones, submarines, fighter jets and amphibious vehicles, in a strategic shift towards the south and west. — AFP

BRIEFLY

Six US soldiers killed in Afghan helicopter crash
Kabul: Six US troops from the NATO mission in Afghanistan were killed and one was wounded in a helicopter crash on Tuesday, with officials saying it was not a suspected Taliban strike. The Afghan insurgents, however, immediately claimed responsibility for the deaths, using their main Twitter account to report that their fighters had shot down the US chopper in the southern province of Zabul. AFP

Four killed in Turkey military helicopter crash
Ankara: A Turkish military helicopter crashed near the capital Ankara today, killing all four of its crew members, local media reported. The S-70 Sikorsky helicopter was on a training mission when it hit the high-voltage transmission cables and crashed into a field 19 km from the city centre, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. AFP

Bea Rose Santiago (C) of the Philippines is kissed by runner-up Nathalie den Dekker (L) of the Netherlands and second runner-up Casey Radley (R) of New Zealand after winning the Miss International Beauty Pageant in Tokyo on Tuesday. AFP

Chinese man’s severed hand saved
Beijing: Doctors in China kept a man’s severed hand alive for a month by attaching it to his leg, before restoring it to its usual position, a report said Tuesday. The 25-year-old, identified by his nickname Xiao Wei, had his right hand sawn off by a drilling machine at work last month in Changde, in the central province of Hunan. AFP

Merkel again elected German chancellor
Berlin: Angela Merkel was today overwhelmingly elected as German chancellor for a rare third term after she struck a hard-fought deal with her centre-left rivals to end months of political limbo in Europe's biggest economy. Merkel's conservatives had secured a stunning hat-trick win in the September 22 elections but failed to grab an outright majority, forcing her to enter into lengthy coalition talks with the rival Social Democrats (SPD). PTI

Elizabeth Hurley, Shane Warne parting ways?
Los Angeles: Model-actress Elizabeth Hurley and her partner Shane Warne are hit with split rumours again after the couple reportedly failed to resolve their personal problems. Earlier, reports suggested that the couple had parted ways after they did not interact with each other on Twitter for over three weeks, reported Hello magazine. Warne had denied split reports in a previous tweet, saying they were not calling it off. PTI

Indian student wins global online contest
Melbourne: A 22-year-old Indian student has won a global online contest of designing a digital postcard explaining how studying in Australia could help them realise their future dream. Delhi IIT student Uttam Kumar, who hails from a small village in Haryana, has been declared winner of the "Win your Future Unlimited" contest. PTI

Hottest November in 134 years
Washington: November was the hottest since record-keeping began in 1880, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today. "The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for November 2013 was record highest for the 134-year period of record," NOAA said. AFP

Four people die due to cold weather in Nepal
Kathmandu: At least four persons have died due to cold weather in Mugu, one of the most remote districts of Nepal, authorities said today. The deaths were reported from Bhiyi village, located in the north of Mugu district. PTI

3 Indians cleared of locking 19 Filipinas in Dubai
Dubai: Three Indian men, accused of locking up 19 women hotel workers from the Philippines in a villa here, were on Tuesday acquitted of the charge. The court ruled the Filipinas were not forced to stay in the villa, Gulf News reported. "The women were not deemed victims as they had shown willingness and consent to stay in the residence," according to the ruling. PTI

Ex-husband of Pushtun singer gets death penalty
Peshawar: A Pakistani court has sentenced the former husband of renowned Pushtun singer Ghazala Javed to death for killing her in a daring shootout that was initially blamed on the Taliban militants. Additional Sessions Judge Swat (II) Mohammad Tariq Pervaiz Baloch yesterday awarded two death sentences to Jahangir Khan for killing his former wife and her father. PTI