Blast in northern Nigeria kills 10: police

KANO: An explosion in the red light district of northern Nigeria´s Bauchi city has killed 10 people and injured 14 others, police said Saturday. The cause of the late Friday blast was not immediately clear, but Boko Haram has attacked Bauchi repeatedly during their five-year uprising aimed at creating a strict Islamic state in the north. Bauchi state police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the targeted building in the Bayan Gari neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city was widely known as a brothel.

"Ten people were confirmed dead, while 14 others sustained various degrees of injury," Haruna said, adding that the explosion went off at roughly 10:00 pm (2100 GMT). "The entire area has been cordoned off and (the) scene secured," Haruna said. Bomb attacks on targets which Boko Haram has branded sinful - including bars, churches and schools teaching a Western curriculum - have formed a major part of the insurgency.

Nigeria has estimated that more than 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2009. The violence has escalated in recent months, with more than 2,000 deaths recorded since the start of the year. The capital Abuja has been hit with three separate bomb attacks since mid-April, most recently on Wednesday when 24 people were killed in a blast at a popular shopping plaza in the heart of the city. Police had initially given a death toll of 21 for the attack, but the health ministry revised those figures upwards on Saturday. In Kano, the largest city in the mainly Muslim north, a bomb planted in the parking lot of a public health college killed eight people on Monday. The Islamist extremists have received unprecedented international attention in recent weeks following their April 14 abduction of more than 200 teenage girls from the town of Chibok in the northeast. The gruesome mass abduction has drawn condemnation from governments and prominent people worldwide and offers of military help from major world powers to boost Nigeria´s counter-insurgency effort.

10 killed as stranded Pakistanis’ camp attacked in BD

 

DHAKA: At least 10 people were killed on Saturday in a clash at a stranded Pakistanis refugee camp over firecrackers exploding during a religious event in Bangladesh, police and witnesses said.
The dispute arose after morning prayers at a camp in Mirpur, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka. Using firecrackers during Shab-e-Barat, a Muslim festival, is prohibited in Bangladesh. “Nine people, including two children, were burnt to death after the houses were set on fire during the clashes,” local police official Imtiaz Ahmed told reporters. An angry mob also clashed with police and pelted stones, forcing the security personnel to fire bullets and teargas to disperse them, witnesses said. Another man, who was hit by bullets, died in a hospital and several others were injured, doctors said. An investigation into the clashes has been launched. Thousands of stranded Pakistanis have been living in refugee camps in Bangladesh since the 1971 independence war to break away from Pakistan. They want to go over to Pakistan but Islamabad has refused to take them.

FC kills 10 BLA militants in operation

 

QUETTA: Ten militants, belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were killed in an operation by the Frontier Corps (FC) in the Kandiari area, bordering Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, on Sunday. Three hideouts of miscreants have also been destroyed.
The security forces also recovered explosives, IEDs and landmines from the possession of the miscreants.According to the IG FC, the militants were involved in attacks on Sui-gas installations and the railway track. He vowed that the operation would continue against the culprits till its logical end.

According to another report, some armed persons gunned down a man in the Sariab area of Quetta on Sunday morning.Rescue sources said that unidentified armed motorbike riders targeted a man standing beside the road and opened fire at him grievously injuring him. The injured man succumbed to his injuries, while Edhi volunteers were shifting him to the hospital.

The motive behind this target killing could not immediately be known, as further investigations are in progress.Meanwhile, unidentified armed men attacked a Nato oil tanker near the Lal Shah area of Dera Murad Jamali on Sunday. However, no loss of life was reported.

According to reports, the Nato tanker was heading to Afghanistan from Karachi when armed men attacked it near Lal Shah with indiscriminate firing. Flames soon engulfed the tanker.When informed, security forces, police and rescue teams reached the spot. Fire fighters had to face difficulties in extinguishing the fire due to its intensity.Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Noor Muhammad said the police had cordoned off the area to go after the culprits. However, no arrest had been made so far, added the DSP.

10 year old raped and killed in Muzaffargarh

MUZAFFARGARH: A ten year old girl was raped and strangled to death here on Saturday morning.

Police said the ten year old along with a three year old girl were kidnapped. Police have arrested an accused and recovered the three year old. The accused is a relative of the victim.

A post mortem has been conducted at a local hospital while police have sent DNA samples of the victim to Islamabad for testing.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and summoned a report from the DPO.

Pindi Bhattian police book PTI 28 activists, arrest 10 for misbehaving MPA Farzana

c son and nephew of newly elected PTI MPA Nighat Intasar for misbehaving with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Farzana Butt, Geo News reported.

PTI activists during the Hafizabad PP-107 by-poll on May 29 had mobbed the car of PML-N MPAs Farzana Butt and Salma Shaheen, dragged them out of the car, pushed, shoved, shouted and abused them at the Government High School no.2 Pindi Bhattian polling station. Some of the activists also tried to snatch Farzana Butt’s purse.

The Pindi Bhattian police taking action against this rowdy behaviour of PTI workers registered a case against 13 nominated including Nighat Intasar Bahtti’s son Aoun Jahangir, nephew Azm Jahangir and 15 unidentified PTI workers, while 10 accused have thus far been arrested.

Car bomb kills at least 10 in central Syria

BEIRUT: A car bomb struck a pro-government neighborhood in the central Syrian city of Homs on Sunday, killing at least 10 people, setting cars on fire and sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky, activists and a government official said.

The blast in the Zahra district, sent tremors through Homs, where rebels and the government have struck two cease-fire deals this month that have restored at least a semblance of peace to the shattered city.

The provincial governor, Talal Barazi, said the attack targeted such reconciliation efforts.

An official in the Homs governor´s office said 10 people were killed in Sunday´s explosion and more than 40 were wounded.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

The director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group, Rami Abdurrahman, put the death toll at 12. He also said more than 40 were wounded.

Casualty figures frequently vary in the immediate aftermath of attacks in Syria. (AP)

10 militants killed in operation on Panjgur-Awaran border

QUETTA: Security forces killed at least 10 separatist militants in the adjoining areas of Awaran and Panjgur on Monday.

Several militants’ hideouts were destroyed and heavy arms were recovered while three soldiers were wounded in the incident.The militants belonged to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Balochistan and Baloch Liberation Front.

The FC Special Wing, Awaran Militia and Panjgur Rifles took part in the operation in which a helicopter was also used. A spokesman of the Frontier Corps (FC) said that three hideouts of the militants and two vehicles were destroyed.

The FC said it launched an operation against the militants’ hideouts in the mountainous Panjgur district on Monday morning. “Ten militants were killed in heavy exchange of fire this morning,” said FC spokesman Wasay Khan.

The operation took place after Latif Johar, a member of the separatist Baloch Students Organisation (Azad), went on a hunger strike 11 days ago to demand the release of the group’s chairman and more than 100 detained members.

In the past three years, bodies of hundreds of members of Baloch political parties, student groups and poets have been discovered across the province, and many more are still missing.Baloch activists say the bodies are evidence that the army is pursuing a systematic ‘kill and dump’ campaign to crush the separatist movement — a charge the army has repeatedly denied.

Passenger train derails in India; at least 10 dead

NEW DELHI: A passenger train derailed in western India on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 57 others.

The engine and four coaches jumped the tracks near Roha station, 110 kilometers (70 miles) south of Mumbai, said police officer Ankush Shinde.

The rescuers used gas cutters to open the derailed coaches to reach those trapped inside. Big cranes were deployed to remove these coaches from the rail track, Shinde said.

Two of the derailed coaches tilted on one side, said railway spokesman Anil Kumar Saxena.

Shinde said that 57 injured passengers, some of them in serious condition, were taken to a hospital.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

Train movement in the area was suspended as the derailed coaches and the rescue operation blocked an adjacent track as well.

Railway accidents are common in India, which has one of the world´s largest train networks and serves 20 million passengers a day. Most accidents are blamed on poor maintenance and human error. (AP)

Egyptian court jails 102 Brotherhood supporters for 10 years

CAIRO: An Egyptian criminal court has sentenced 102 defendants it describes as Muslim Brotherhood supporters to 10 years in prison each on charges of violent rioting in a Cairo neighborhood and possession of weapons.

Egypt´s state news agency said the Saturday ruling puts the defendants under police surveillance for a period of five years after the end of their prison sentences. Two other defendants were jailed for seven years in the case.

The ruling is linked to demonstrations staged to protest the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in July.

Morsi´s ouster followed days of mass demonstrations demanding his resignation.

The prosecutors charged the defendants with gathering illegally with intent to inflict material and moral harm to others and public property, which led to one death. (AP)

102 Muslim Brotherhood supporters jailed for 10 years

An Egyptian criminal court on Saturday sentenced 102 defendants it describes as Muslim Brotherhood supporters to 10 years in prison each on charges of violent rioting in a Cairo neighbourhood and possession of weapons.

Egypt’s state news agency said the ruling puts the defendants under police surveillance for a period of five years after the end of their prison sentences. Two other defendants were jailed for seven years in the case.

The prosecutors charged the defendants with gathering illegally with intent to inflict material and moral harm to others and public property, which led to one death.

10 killed in northeast of Baghdad twin bombing; officials

BAQUBA: Twin bombings at a market in a town northeast of Baghdad killed at least 10 people and wounded 20 others on Tuesday, security and medical officials said.

The 10:00 am (0700 GMT) blasts in Saadiyah came a day after a suicide bomb in the nearby town of Khanaqin killed 30 people, with Iraq due to hold its first parliamentary elections since 2010 on Wednesday.

Saadiyah lies in eastern Iraq, along a tract of disputed territory that the country´s autonomous Kurdish region wants to incorporate despite Baghdad´s objections. Militants frequently capitalise on poor communication between Kurdish and Arab security forces in the disputed areas to launch attacks.

Iraq is embroiled in its worst protracted period of bloodshed in years, with nearly 3,000 people killed already this year.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who hails from Iraq´s Shiite Arab majority and is accused by critics of monopolising power and targeting minority groups, is seeking a third term in Wednesday´s election.

Dar hints at 10 percent raise in salaries

 

ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that the government was considering increasing employees’ salaries by ten percent in the upcoming budget.
According to a private news channel, the finance minister said the PML-N government had also decided to continue the BISP and a sufficient amount would be allocated for the programme.

A meeting of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC), held with Ishaq Dar in the chair, discussed all aspects of the national economy. The economic Advisory Council recommended various measures to bring about an improvement to different sectors of the economy.

The sub-group on energy presented its proposals related to the oil and gas sector with the aim of achieving lower cost of energy and to become self-sufficient in national needs.

The sub-group on industry and trade recommended diversification of the export base, moving away from the prime focus on textiles and rice and for promoting a non-agriculture based export industry. The sub-group on food security recommended establishment of a special task force on social safety nets.

The sub-groups on resource mobilisation and expenditure management and the social sector also submitted their recommendations to the council.

Speaking on the occasion, the finance minister said the social safety net was an area of priority for the government.

He said that 50 percent of the country’s population was living below the poverty line.

Gunmen attack Iraq military base, kill 10 soldiers

BAGHDAD: Militants launched a brazen attack on a military base in a restive area in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing at least 10 soldiers and wounding 12, officials said.

The morning attack at the base outside the city of Mosul, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, started with a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives-laden truck at the gates of the facility, an army officer and a police officer said.

A group of gunmen then opened fire from apparently commandeered military Humvees and a shootout ensued. At least 10 troops were killed and 12 were wounded, the officials said.

Eight militants were also killed in the fighting.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media. (AP)

 

Indian tourists to U.S. to cross 10 lakh in 2015

The number of Indian tourists visiting the U.S. is likely to cross 10 lakhs in 2015 and Indian visitors will register the third fastest growth after Chinese and Columbians from 2013 to 2018, a U.S. report has said.

The Department of Commerce in its latest report on international visitors and their projections, said 69.8 million international visitors travelled to the US in 2013, generating a record USD 181 billion in receipts.

10 more killed as Taliban clashes rage in SWA

 

PESHAWAR: Ten more militants were killed and six others injured in clashes between two groups of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Tuesday in the Shaktoi area of South Waziristan Agency (SWA)
Taliban sources said that fighting between two militant factions started on Monday after militant leader Kasheed Mehsud, along with his four bodyguards, was gunned down by unknown armed men in Shaktoi.

According to sources, 10 militants were killed and six others injured in the fresh clashes between the fighters of the two groups. The injured militants were brought to hospitals in Mir Ali and Miranshah and were being treated for their bullet injuries.

The Taliban sources said the killing of Kasheed Mehsud had sparked the latest violence in the Taliban-controlled Shaktoi area of South Waziristan.Kasheed Mehsud, 35, was said to be the first militant commander killed for his anti-talks stance.

The Taliban said several militants in the TTP, including Kasheed Mehsud, were opposing the mechanism of talks with the government.Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani, who was a close aide to the TTP founder Baitullah Mehsud, was the first militant commander killed for supporting negotiations with the government.

According to sources, both the militant factions had developed serious differences over the ongoing talks with the government that finally led to a heavy gunbattle between the two sides.TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid confirmed the fighting between the two militant factions but denied that it was due to differences over negotiations.

“It happens and sometime people of one group develop differences over certain issues. But I want to explain that the fighting between the two groups was not over the peace talks,” Shahidullah Shahid insisted.

The Taliban sources said that a delegation comprising members of the TTP Shura or council had been sent to Shaktoi to convince the two warring sides on a settlement.“The delegation has reached there and is trying to resolve the issue between the two sides. I hope they will stop killing each other on the request of Shura members,” a senior Taliban commander said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid claimed that people recently freed by the Pakistani security agencies were neither members of their network nor their names existed in the 800-member list of “civilian prisoners” delivered to the government.

He felt that it was disappointing as, according to him, the government had neither released their “non-combatant” prisoners nor arranged for them a “peace zone” in the tribal areas.“Instead of releasing our civilian prisoners, the government has been carrying out more operations and taking our people into custody. There is no positive signal coming from the government side and that’s very damaging for the peace process,” the TTP spokesman said.

AFP adds: Fresh clashes between two feuding factions of the TTP left 14 more people dead, security officials and militant sources said. A total of 34 people have so far been killed since the fighting broke out on Sunday in South Waziristan Agency (SWA) between the supporters of Khan Said Sajna and followers of Hakimullah Mehsud, they said.

Militant sources suggested that differences emerged after Sajna was rejected for the leadership of the TTP umbrella group, following the death of Hakimullah Mehsud. “At least 12 people have been killed in a firefight between the militant groups in the Shaktai area of South Waziristan. The fighting still goes on,” a security official told AFP in Miranshah, the main town in neighbouring North Waziristan.

In a separate incident, two militants from another faction, the Badar Mansur group, were killed when unknown attackers fired at a car in Miranshah on Monday night.A senior TTP commander said efforts were being made to resolve the differences between the Sajna and Hakimullah Mehsud groups but the former had refused to reach any agreement.

China deploys 10 satellites to help in search for Malaysia Airlines

China has urged Malaysia to speed up the search for the Malaysian plane Flight MH370. (Reuters)

China has deployed 10 satellites to help in the massive air and sea search for a missing Malaysian airliner, the People’s Liberation Army Daily said on Tuesday.
The satellites will use high-resolution earth imaging capabilities, visible light imaging and other technologies to “support and assist in the search and rescue operations for the Malaysian Airlines aircraft”, the newspaper said in an article that was also carried on the defence ministry’s website.
Dozens of ships and aircraft from 10 countries scoured the seas around Malaysia and south of Vietnam as questions mounted over possible security lapses and whether a bomb or hijacking attempt could have brought down the Boeing 777-200ER which took off from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
China has urged Malaysia to speed up the search for the plane. About two-thirds of the 227 passengers and 12 crew now presumed to have died aboard the plane were Chinese.
The Chinese satellites will also help in weather monitoring, communication and search operations in the area where the plane disappeared, the newspaper said.
China will also strengthen the Beidou navigation system’s satellite monitoring capabilities to “provide reliable navigation for the rescue operations and communication support”.

Ukraine says its 10 ships in Crimean port stay loyal

KIEV: Ukraine said on Sunday its navy's fleet of 10 warships in the Crimean port of Sevastopol had not left the port and remained loyal to the government in Kiev.
Earlier, Ukraine said it had withdrawn coastguard vessels from Sevastopol and another Crimean port and stationed them elsewhere.
Russian forces have seized Crimea, an isolated peninsula, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet also has its headquarters.
Several units of Ukrainian troops in Crimea have been surrounded, and Russian troops have urged them to give up arms and support the peninsula's pro-Moscow regional authorities.

10 Historical Buildings Of Pakistan

1.  

Ali Masjid

Ali Masjid is a mosque situated along the Khyber Pass that snakes through the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to the legend, the mosque derives its name from the Islamic caliph, Hazrat Ali; local traditions put that he traveled the area. True or false, the mosque gives a spectacular image and serves as a stopping point along the way, which has served as a gateway to the empires.

2.  

Bab-e-Pakistan

Although not completed, the Bab-e-Pakistan monument seeks to honor the thousands of Muslim families who chose to migrate to the newly-created state of Pakistan in 1947. The monument is located in Lahore and the plan was originally conceived under the military regime of Zia-ul-Haq. Subsequent political tussles couldn't materialize its construction in time and the project is still in process at the moment.

3.  

Minar-e-Pakistan

Literally meaning the “Tower of Pakistan,” the Minar was completed during a span of eight years from 1960 to 1968. The monument is located on the same grounds where the famous Lahore Resolution was passed in 1940. The Resolution demanded separate states for the Muslims of the then-India, thus fusing the creation of Pakistan with the minaret. Such has been its importance that when Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee came to Pakistan, he visited the tower which washed away any misconception of India's reluctance in accepting Pakistan as a state.

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4.  

Pakistan Monument

Completed in three years from 2004 to 2007, the Pakistan Monument is a symbolic representation of the four provinces of the country. Situated in Islamabad at a public park, the Monument attracts visitors who are amazed at its architectural brilliance. The interior of its huge petals is decorated with beautiful Islamic murals.

5.  

Lahore Fort

As the name suggests, this fort is situated in the city of Lahore – in fact, it is one of the prized buildings of the walled-city of Lahore or Old Lahore. Although the origins of the fort are older, the present structure is said to have been built by the Mughal emperor Akbar. The Fort itself acted as a geo-strategic site that met Kashmir, the Afghan areas, and Multan. Decorated with Mughal architecture, the Fort complex includes such architectural marvels as Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) and Badshahi Mosque.

6.  

Shalimar Bagh

Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Shalamar Bagh is one of the most beautiful sites in Pakistan. Its gardens and refreshing fountains attract a large number of visitors. The site consists of three levels of garden terraces which were watered by a canal; which also waters the exquisite marble terrace. It has a total of 410 fountains at all levels and a large variety of fruit trees.

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7.  

Quaid\'s Residency

Situated in Ziarat, a hill station in Balochistan province, the Residency was where Pakistan's founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah spent the last days of his life. The ailing Jinnah was recommended a rest and Ziarat was the best choice for its fragrance and fresh mountain air. There, the Residency, a wooden structure, provided the founder with the perfect retreat.

8.  

Iqbal\'s Tomb

The tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal at Lahore is an important national monument. The tomb is located in the Hazuri Bagh between the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. Set in beautiful red sandstone, Iqbal’s importance to Pakistan renders this building historical significance.

9.  

Islamia College

Situated in Peshawar, Islamia College was established in 1913 by Nawab Sir Sahabzada Abdul Qayyum and Sir George Roos Kepel. The idea of Abdul Qayyum, an educationist-cum-politician, was to build an educational institute that imparts modern education to the Muslims. Later on, the students of Islamia College played an important role in the movement of independence for Pakistan; even Jinnah visited the College thrice.

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10.  

Mazar-e-Quaid

Situated in Karachi, Mazar-e-Quaid is the tomb of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Established in 1970, the tomb is an iconic representation of the city of Karachi. Every year, on national holidays, the site is visited by prominent leaders to pray tribute to Jinnah. Not only the founder, but other prominent leaders, namely Liaqat Ali Khan, Abdur Rab Nishtar, Fatima Jinnah, and Nur-ul-Amin are also buried in the same mausoleum.