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Gunfight shatters Easter truce in Ukraine
UK charity watchdog warns of Islamist threat
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Judicial panel to probe attack on Pak
Scribe
Transcript reveals confusion over ferry evacuation
The South Korean ferry that sank was crippled by confusion and indecision well after it began listing, a radio transcript released today showed, suggesting the chaotic situation may have added to a death toll that could eventually exceed 300. A child takes part in a candlelight vigil for missing passengers, at a park in Ansan on Sunday. Reuters
4 French journalists home after 10-month Syrian ordeal
Missing Flight MH370
Airlines to give aid to victim’s kin
Attack on Sikh prof: US man charged with hate crime
SA may join Lanka’s reconciliation efforts with Tamils
Survivors recall Everest avalanche horror US schools register 32% jump in graduate applications from India
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Gunfight shatters Easter truce in Ukraine
Slaviansk (Ukraine), April 20 After the deaths, Russia questioned whether Ukraine's Western-backed government was complying with the agreement, brokered last week in Geneva, to end a crisis that has made Russia's ties with the West more fraught than at any time since the Cold War. The separatists said gunmen from Ukraine's Right Sector nationalist group had attacked them. The Right Sector denied any role, saying Russian special forces were behind the clash. Failure of the Geneva agreement could bring more bloodshed in eastern Ukraine, but may also prompt the United States early next week to impose tougher sanctions on the Kremlin, with far-reaching potential consequences for many economies and for importers of Russian energy. The deal signed in Geneva last week by the European Union, Russia, Ukraine and the United States agreed that illegal armed groups would go home. So far, the pro-Russian militants have shown no signs of budging, though there was some hope of progress after Kiev said it would not move against the separatists over Easter, and international mediators headed to eastern Ukraine to try to persuade them to disarm. But the shootings near Slaviansk — already a flashpoint for tensions between Ukraine's rival camps — are likely to make that task even harder, hardening the view of pro-Russian sections of society that they cannot trust Kiev. An angry Russia demanded that Kiev de-escalate tensions in southeast Ukraine. "The Easter truce has been violated," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. "This provocation testifies to the lack of will on the part of the Kiev authorities to rein in and disarm nationalists and extremists." Right Sector spokesman Artem Skoropadsky said it was a "blasphemous provocation from Russia: blasphemous because it took place on a holy night for Christians, on Easter night. This was clearly carried out by Russian special forces." Separatist militiamen near the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk told Reuters a convoy of four vehicles had approached their checkpoint around 2 am (2200 GMT) and opened fire. “We had three dead, four wounded,” one of the separatist fighters, called Vladimir, told Reuters at the checkpoint, where there were two burned-out jeeps. He said the separatists returned fire and killed two of the attackers. — Reuters Ukrainian forces accuse Russia of shooting
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UK charity watchdog warns of Islamist threat
London, April 20 "The problem of Islamist extremism and charities... is not the most widespread problem we face in terms of abuse of charities, but is potentially the most deadly. And it is, alas, growing," William Shawcross, who took on the role at the Charity Commission in 2012, said. "I'm sure that in places like Syria and Somalia it is very, very difficult for agencies always to know what the end use of their aid is, but they've got to be particularly vigilant," he said. "It is ludicrous that people with convictions for terrorist offences are not automatically disqualified from serving as charity trustees," Shawcross told the Sunday Times. The regulator is currently investigating a number of charities raising funds for causes in Syria. He said he has written to Cameron to ask for changes to the law. British security services have been tracking Britons travelling to Syria for several years and, with concern growing, are now devoting more resources to this. There have been only a handful of arrests so far; the most serious relates to an alleged plot, while others are for allegedly attending training camps in Syria. — PTI Britain to act against ‘extremist’ school heads
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Judicial panel to probe attack on Pak
Scribe
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday decided to form a three-member judicial commission to inquire into the attempt on the life of leading TV journalist Hamid Mir and also announced a reward of Rs 10 million for information leading to the arrest of the culprits.
A formal request will be made to the Supreme Court Chief Justice to nominate three members of the commission, the Prime Minister's Office said. Mir, 47, who faced threats from multiple quarters here including the Pakistani Taliban, was yesterday shot at in Karachi by four unidentified gunmen near Natha Khan bridge soon after he left the airport for his office. Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon visited Mir in hospital and said an FIR would be registered once he was fully conscious. |
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Transcript reveals confusion over ferry evacuation
JINDO, April 20 About 30 minutes after Sewol began tilting, a crew member asked a marine traffic controller whether passengers would be rescued if they abandoned ship off the southern coast. The crew member posed the question three times in succession. That followed several statements from the ship that people aboard could not move and another in which someone declared that it was "impossible to broadcast" instructions. Many people followed the captain's initial order to stay below deck, where it is feared they remain trapped. Fifty-eight bodies have been recovered, and about 240 people are still missing. "Even if it's impossible to broadcast, please go out and let the passengers wear life jackets and put on more clothing," an unidentified official at Jindo Vessel Traffic Services Centre urged at 9.24 am on Wednesday, 29 minutes after the ferry first reported trouble, according to the transcript released by South Korea's coast guard. "If this ferry evacuates passengers, will you be able to rescue them?" the unidentified crew member asked. "At least make them wear life rings and make them escape!" the traffic-centre official responded. "If this ferry evacuates passengers, will they be rescued right away?" the crew asked again. "Don't let them go bare, at least make them wear life rings and make them escape!" the traffic official repeated. "The captain should make his own decision and evacuate them. We don't know the situation very well." The official then said patrol boats would arrive in 10 minutes. — AP
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4 French journalists home after 10-month Syrian ordeal
Villacoublay Airbase (France), April 20 Nicolas Henin, Pierre Torres, Edouard Elias and Didier Francois smiled at a crowd of journalists, some of them colleagues, after descending from a military helicopter at the Villacoublay Airbase southwest of Paris. "It's a great joy and an immense relief, obviously, to be free. Under the sky, which we haven't seen for a long time, to breathe the fresh air, walk freely," veteran Europe 1 reporter Francois said in an impromptu speech at the side of his fellow ex-hostages and Hollande. Henin told reporters they had "not always" been treated well and had been moved from place to place many times by their captors. Visibly moved and flanked by his two young children, he said the hardest part was being separated from his family. "What's the best thing for a father? To have your two kids in your arms," Henin said. — Reuters Assad still using chemical weapons: Hollande We have a few elements of information (on Syria using chemical weapons), but I do not have the proof... What I do know is what we have seen from this (Assad) regime is the horrific methods it is capable of using and the rejection of any political
transition
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Search for black box to end in week
Perth, April 20 A US navy deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), Bluefin-21, is scouring a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean floor for signs of the Flight MH370, which disappeared from radars on March 8 with 239 persons, including five Indians on board. On the 44th day of the search operations, the underwater hunt was narrowed to a circular area with a radius of 10 km around the location from where one of four pings believed to have come from the recorders was detected on April 8, officials said. The huge international search-and-rescue effort for any physical evidence of the plane's wreckage, now in its seventh week, had so far proved fruitless. "Provided the weather is favourable for launch and recovery of the AUV and we have a good run with the serviceability of the AUV, we should complete the search of the focused underwater area in five to seven days," the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) said. Previous reports had suggested the underwater search could take as long as several months. "Early this morning, Bluefin-21 AUV completed mission seven in the underwater search area," the Perth-based JAAC said. — PTI India-bound plane turns back after snag
Kuala Lumpur: A Bangalore-bound Malaysia Airlines plane with 166 people on board had to turn back shortly after takeoff on Sunday night due to problem in its landing gear. Flight MH192 with 159 passengers and seven crew members landed safely at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1.56 am (local time), Malaysia Airlines (MAS) tweeted. — PTI . |
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Airlines to give aid to victim’s kin
Kuala Lumpur, April 20 Deputy Foreign Minister Hamzah Zainuddin, who heads the sub-committee focusing on the next of kin of people on board the ill-fated plane, said that the process to identify those who would receive the assistance started two weeks ago. The assistance would come solely from Malaysia Airlines (MAS), with the Government only stepping in to bear some of the costs if there was a need for it, he said. During a briefing with the families, Hamzah said the families have been requested to submit their own amounts for financial assistance. — PTI |
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Attack on Sikh prof: US man charged with hate crime
New York, April 20 Christian Morales was arrested on Friday night and charged with aggravated harassment and committing a hate crime in connection with the attack on Prabhjot Singh, a professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Morales was produced in court yesterday. While the investigation is still ongoing, he is the only person in custody, the New York Police Department said. Singh (31) was assaulted last September by a group of 20-30 young men while he was walking in the Harlem neighbourhood near here. The father of one had been "brutally attacked" and was rushed to the hospital with severe bruising, swelling, small puncture in his elbow and fracture in his lower jaw. While in hospital, Singh had told the police that his assailants had taunted him and beat him, calling him "Osama" and "terrorist" as they pulled at his long beard. He was repeatedly punched in the face and head. Singh was returning from dinner, dropping his wife and one-year-old son at home before going for a walk. While being attacked, he saw one of the assailants put his arm inside his coat as if reaching for a gun. Addressing a press conference days after the attack, Singh had said he would want his attackers to visit the Gurudwara and interact with members of the community to better understand the Sikh faith. "If I could speak to my attackers, I would ask them if they had any questions, if they knew what they were doing. May be invite them to the Gurudwara where we worship, get to know who we are... Make sure they have an opportunity to move past this as well," Singh had said. The New York police had released a surveillance video of the suspects believed to be involved in the attack. The grainy clip showed a group of young 15-20 suspects riding their bikes shortly before they encountered Singh as he walking with a friend. Singh, who has lived in the city for 10 years, had said he would not be deterred from his goal of engaging with communities to educate and uplift people to make them become better human beings. There is need to understand "who gave these kids the green light to hate." "These sort of things are not who we are. This is not an America that I recognise," he had said. In 2012, Singh had written an op-ed in the New York Times days after six Sikh persons were killed in a tragic shooting at a Wisconsin Gurudwara in August. "We must do away with a flawed and incomplete assumption of 'mistaken identity' regarding Sikhs; until we do, we will all be the ones who are mistaken," he had written in the op-ed titled 'How Hate Gets Counted.' — PTI Called victim ‘Osama’
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SA may join Lanka’s reconciliation efforts with Tamils
Colombo, April 20 South African President Jacob Zuma's special envoy on Sri Lanka Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to arrive here either late May or June to meet with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Zuma in mid-February announced in South African parliament that he had appointed Ramaphosa as special Sri Lankan envoy to bring about peace and reconciliation in the island. Ramaphosa is to mediate in Colombo's reconciliation efforts with the Tamil minority, 'Sunday Times' said today. The paper said the Sri Lankan Government would use the South African initiative to mitigate the effects of the UN Human Rights Council resolution which called for an international investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. Tamil National alliance (TNA) leaders, meanwhile, have just returned from a visit to South Africa. They met Ramaphosa and discussed the root cause of the conflict. Asked to comment on the South African visit and the Indian response to such a mediation by Pretoria, Rajavayothi Sampanthan, the TNA leader said: "They are aware of all developments. I am sure the South African government will keep India briefed. "We have emphasised to the Pretoria government the importance of India's role. India has for a long time played that role. This will continue in the process," he said. Sampanthan said all matters which could pave way for the peace and reconciliation are to be put on the negotiating table. The efforts would make South Africa the third country in the history of the Sri Lankan conflict to mediate besides India and Norway. The Indian mediation came in 1987 with the Indo-Lanka Accord of July that year. Norway brokered peace deal with the LTTE during 2002 and 2004. Both efforts came a cropper. — PTI Envoy to visit Colombo
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Survivors recall Everest avalanche horror
Kathmandu, April 20 Just minutes before the avalanche hit on Friday, about 60 Sherpa guides had been backed up along the dangerous Khumbu Icefall, the edge of a slow-moving glacier known to calve and crack without warning. They heard the sickening boom of ice breaking above, and then the roar of it coming down around them. As details of the tragedy trickle down the mountain, Nepal's tight-knit climbing community has been left reeling and struggling to make sense of an accident that they say could have happened to any one of them, at any time. "We were sweating, panting, digging for our friends," survivor Cheddar Sherpa said, standing beside his friend's body at the Sherpa monastery in Katmandu. As he helped carry down the injured, he had no idea who might still be alive. "We were terrified," he said. At least 13 persons were killed while three were still missing, though there is almost no hope of finding them alive. All victims were from Nepal's ethnic Sherpa community, which relies heavily on the country's alpine trekking and climbing industry, with many making a living as climbing guides and others catering to foreign visitors by providing restaurants, equipment or transportation. At the time of the avalanche, according to Cheddar Sherpa, dozens of Sherpa climbers were carrying tents and equipment to higher elevations in preparation for their foreign clients to ascend next month, when weather conditions are best. — AP Nepal halts search Nepal on Sunday called off the search for three missing Sherpa guides due to heavy snow fall, two days after 13 persons died in the deadliest accident on Mount Everest. "Following heavy snow falls in the area the search and rescue operations have been halted as we were unable to locate the place where the climbers might have been buried," said Tilak Pandey, an official in the Tourism Ministry. — PTI .
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US schools register 32% jump in graduate applications from India Washington, April 20 According to the CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, the number of applications from prospective Indian students to US graduate schools jumped 32 per cent in 2014. The number of overall international applications, up 7 per cent, probably would have declined, except for eye-popping growth, of 32 per cent, from India. "It's all India," said Debra W Stewart, the council's president. "India is huge." In 2013, Indian applications increased 22 per cent and enrolments were up a whopping 40 per cent, the report said. "While the growth from China has been consistent, Indian numbers have been erratic. One year, first-time graduate enrolments climbed more than 30 per cent, only to plummet 16 per cent a couple of years later," said educational portal Chronicle.com. Stewart cited tightening student-visa rules in Britain. A recent report found that the number of first-time students at English universities from India and Pakistan had halved since 2010, and some of those students, Stewart said, could have opted to apply to institutions in the US instead. “It's very difficult to trace cause and effect,” she said, “but it seems that we’re at least the short-term beneficiaries.” China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada are the top five countries of origin for international graduate students in the United States, the report says. The survey covers in detail seven countries (China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil) and three regions (the Middle East, Africa and Europe). — Agencies
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Doctors advise angiography for Musharraf Abdullah Abdullah widens lead in Afghan Prez vote Drone attacks kill dozens of Qaida suspects in Yemen Twitter blocks 2 accounts on its Turkish network Ethnic Indian lawyer cremated with state honours B’desh bans male docs from examining rape victims Eye on security, Musharraf may be treated at home Russian naval ships on first-ever visit to Pakistan 42 killed in road accident in south Pakistan
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Villacoublay Airbase (France), April 20
