| Pak
Govt bans JuD, Jaish and Lashkar Islamabad:
In a major development, the Government of Pakistan on Wednesday banned 25 religious
and other organisations, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashker-e-Toiba.
India has been demanding action against the JuD, LeT and JeM, which it blames
for carrying out several attacks on Indian soil, including the Mumbai attacks
and the 2001 assault on the Indian Parliament. The Pakistani Government has linked
a majority of the outlawed groups to terrorist attacks and suicide bombings in
Pakistan. While presenting a list of the banned organisations in the National
Assembly, the lower house of Pakistani Parliament, the Interior ministry stated
that the Sunni Tehrik had been put on a watch list. The list of organisations
included in the list of outlawed groups Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD), Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT), JeM, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah
Muahammadi, Al-Akhtar Trust, Al-Rasheed Trust, Tehreek-e-Islami, Islamic Students
Movement, Khair-un-Nisa International Trust, Islami Tehreek-e-Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Islam,
Balochistan Liberation Army, Jamiat-un-Nisar, Khadam Islam and Millat-e-Islamia
Pakistan. Pakistan banned the JuD after the UN Security Council declared it a
front for the LeT in December last year. The LeT and JeM were banned by the country
in 2002. "The list was submitted in a reply to a question raised in the Lower
House regarding the banned organisations. The Ministry of Interior presented the
whole list of banned organisations that have been retricted from activities from
time to time. This is a whole list and contains the recent ones as well which
have been banned by the present government for some evidence of them having been
involved in anti-state activities," a CNN-IBN news channel report quoted Hasan
as saying on Wednesday over the revelation by the Government of Pakistan on ban
on various organisations. Recently, the Government of India has expressed serious
concern over the released of Jamaat-ud-Dawah Hafiz Saeed's release by a Pakistani
court, who is wanted by India as he is alleged to be the mastermind behind 26/11
Mumbai terror attacks. Hasan defended that it was not a deliberate action by the
Pak government. "Well. I am sure that you know that he (Hafiz Saeed) was released
by the Supreme Court (of Pakistan) and rather the High Court of Lahore. There
was no evidence produced against him and all the evidence produced was against
the organisations. He is no longer the chief of the banned organisations. You
cannot restrict a man released by a court." Another
student tests positive for swine flu in Pune Top Pune:
Another confirmed case of swine flu was reported in Pune on Wednesday after a
student of St. Anne's school tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus
here at a local hospital. According to reports, the class Xth student of the school
is second confirmed case following the death of Rida Shiekh, 14-year-old girl,
who died of the virus on Monday. Meanwhile, authorities of the St. Annie's school
have decided to keep the school shut for eight days. Indefinite
curfew imposed in Imphal Top Imphal:
Indefinite curfew has been imposed in Manipur following a social organization's
protest against the killing of a youth in a fake encounter. The curfew however,
has been limited to the Imphal city limit. On Tuesday, effigies of Manipur Chief
Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and police commandos were burnt at several places by
agitators. Police fire teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the agitators,
two of whom were injured. Four persons were arrested. Protestors blocked roads
with burning tyres, nails, broken bottles and uprooted trees. They also attacked
police personnel in several parts of the state. Earlier, the Apunba Lup (A L)
had called for a 48-hour general strike to protest the killing of 27year old Chungkham
Sanjit in a fake encounter. Manipur Police maintains that Sanjit was a militant
and was killed in an encounter by police commandos on July 23 in the Imphal market
complex. 9
militants killed during six encounters in Jammu and Kashmir Top Srinagar:
Security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir killed nine militants including a Hizbul
Mujahideen commander till Wednesday evening during six separate encounters which
started near Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday. Five infiltrating militants were
killed in four separate encounters with security forces in Kashmir valley, while
a self-styled section commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and an infiltrator were killed
in Jammu region since last evening, said a Defence spokesman in Srinagar on Wednesday.
The slain militant commander identified as Noor Mohammed alias Mansoor was gunned
down in a gun-battle in Doda district. One AK-47 rifle and three magazines were
recovered from the killed militant. Two more militants were killed in an ongoing
gun-battle between ultras and security forces at Furkhan near Trehgam, 150 kilometres
from Srinagar on Wednesday morning, the spokesman added. Two infiltrators were
killed in Keran sector, in Kupwara district last evening. In the valley, a group
of heavily-armed militants from across the border sneaked into Tangdhar, 130 kms
from Srinagar, in the wee hours, but the Indian Army troops confronted them and
in the ensuing fire-fight, which is still continuing three militants were killed,
the Spokesman further added. Armed
bouncers for women's security in Bangalore pubs Top Bangalore:
In a bid to stop hooliganism by mischievous characters, liquor-serving joints
in Bangalore have now provided licensed arms to their deputed bouncers. The measure
comes after the Karnataka High Court's verdict in September 2008 permitting women
to work as bartenders. Owners of such bars and restaurants have taken the step
as an initiative to ensure proper security to women bartenders. These bouncers
keep a vigil on every movement of the customers entering the restaurant. And,
the security of women bar tenders is their utmost priority. Sanjay Singh, a bouncer
in one of the bars of Bangalore city said that they have been directed to use
these weapons if required. "From the security point of view, we have been directed
to keep an eye on every customer visiting this bar and if the need arises we have
been armed with licensed pistols and weapons. Moreover we have been told to prevent
any one form misbehaving with the artistes," said Singh. Moreover, the arming
of bouncers have also generated a sense of security among working women in the
liquor serving bars or restaurants. Owners are aware that if any unpleasant incident
with women bar tenders takes place, it may lead to their license cancellation.
Sanjay Kochar, owner of the restaurant in Bangalore city said that bar owners
have their own security set up to prevent any ugly incident from happening. "We
have bodyguards in the bars they go with the bar girls and drop them to their
homes after their shift. All the bar owners have their own security set up to
prevent any ugly incident from happening," said Kochar. At least four girls in
the pub were chased out and hit by a moral-policing activists of Sri Ram Sena
in Mangalore city in February this year to express their opposition to the western
culture in India. Five
killed in Pennsylvania shoot-out Top Bridgeville
( Pennsylvania, US): At least five people were killed after a gunman opened
fire on a dance class in a gym here on Tuesday. Local television station WTAE
reported four people being killed - the gunman and three others - in the shooting
at a Latin dance class. But CNN television said five have been confirmed dead
after the attack on the LA Fitness Gym in Bridgeville, near Pittsburgh . Emergency
services told WTAE up to 15 people might have been hit. One hospital representative
told the channel that five women are being treated for multiple gunshots and are
in a critical condition. The killer walked into an all-female dance class carrying
a bag, turned off the lights, and opened fire from at least one firearm, a witness
said in an interview with WTAE. Sky News quoted a witness named Nicole, as saying:
"People everywhere were screaming. It was horrible." Nicole said about 30 women
were in the dance room at the time but WTAE's reporter said in total there have
been closer to 100. Ambulances and police cars have flooded into the area, which
is part of a shopping center. The number of casualties or the status of the gunman
has yet to be confirmed. Prachanda
threatens to launch fresh stir Top Kathmandu:
As the Maoists' four-day ultimatum to the government to address 'civilian supremacy'
near, Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has said the party has announced the
two-month long nation-wide stir for timely drafting Constitution and taking the
peace process to a conclusion. Inaugurating a conservation project here, Prachanda
reiterated his earlier claim that 'foreign elements' are derailing the peace-process
and the Maoists are organizing the fresh protests to defer that possibility. He,
however, vowed that the party will face all kind of challenges but will never
surrender before any international power. Claiming that a Maoist-led government
will soon take shape, Prachanda said that the current government led by UML would
not survive for many days. On Tuesday, the Maoist had claimed that the current
government will be forced to step down and a new national government led by the
Maoists will replace it with the power of 'third people's movement'. Meanwhile,
the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has expressed concern over the Maoist
nation-wide stir. In a meeting with top Maoist leaders, UNMIN representatives
reportedly expressed deep concern over the Maoist threat to take to the streets
and obstruct parliament over the issue of civilian supremacy, nepalnews reported.
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