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Archives for September 2015

Veteran leftist MP Corbyn voted leader of UK opposition

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Jeremy Corbyn, critic of austerity and military intervention, elected to lead Labour Party with 59.5 percent of ballot.

Corbyn has been an outspoke critic of the British government's austerity policies [Reuters]

Corbyn has been an outspoke critic of the British government’s austerity policies [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The UK’s opposition Labour Party has elected veteran left-wing MP Jeremy Corbyn to be its new leader, in one of the most controversial leadership votes in recent British political history.

The announcement of Corbyn’s success brings to close a bitterly fought contest, which could herald the start of renewed divisions within the party between those in support of his anti-austerity platform, and those advocating a further shift away from the left.

Corbyn won the vote in the first round, picking up 251,417 or 59.5 percent of votes cast.

In a speech delivered after the announcement of his victory, Corbyn said his first act as leader of the party would be to attend a protest demanding better treatment of refugees.

“They are the generational victims of war, who end up in desperation, end up in terrible places, end up trying to get a place of safety … they are human beings just like you, just like me,” Corbyn said.

“Let’s deal with the refugee crisis with humanity, with support, with help, with compassion … we cannot go on like this with grotesque levels of global inequality.”

Corbyn said he would take the ruling Conservative Party to task for its cuts to welfare payments and public services, which he blamed for rising poverty in the UK.

“The Tories (Conservatives) have used the economic crisis of 2008 to impose a terrible burden on the poorest people in this country … it’s not right, it’s not necessary and it’s got to change,” Corbyn said.

The MP for the London constituency of Islington North, also thanked a number of trade unions for their backing during his leadership campaign.

Corbyn’s support base derived largely from left-leaning members, and from new members who joined the party after its crushing election defeat in May.

Labour’s new leader also slammed coverage of his campaign by the British press, many sections of which have cast him as economically dangerous.

Andy Burnham, Corbyn’s nearest competitor, received 19 percent of the ballots cast. MP Tom Watson was elected Corbyn’s deputy.

Leander Paes clinches 17th Grand Slam with US Open mixed doubles title

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Paes now has nine mixed doubles titles, one more than Mahesh Bhupati

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes kiss the trophy after winning the mixed doubles title at the 2015 US Open. Photo Courtesy: US Open website

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes kiss the trophy after winning the mixed doubles title at the 2015 US Open. Photo Courtesy: US Open website

New York: Indian tennis ace Leander Paes clinched his 17th Grand Slam crown by winning the US Open mixed doubles title with Swiss partner Martina Hingis here.

The fourth seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in a tricky final, which lasted for one hour and seventeen minutes on Friday.

Paes and Hingis broke their opponent at love to take a 2-1 lead in the opening set as the Swiss hit a forehand passing shot to secure the break. That bit of momentum was all they needed as Paes easily closed the set out at 5-4 when Hingis hit a volley winner.

A lone break of serve also decided the second set, as Mattek-Sands hit two straight winners to break Hingis’ serve as the Americans led 3-1. Hingis saved three set points on her serve at 2-5, but Querrey easily held in the next game to send the contest into a deciding super tiebreak.

The unseeded Americans were cruising as they created a 4-1 cushion when they won both points on Hingis’ serve to grab the first mini-break. But the Indo-Swiss pair took the mini-break back on Mattek-Sands’ serve at the next opportunity.

The crucial point of the match came at 7-7, when Paes blocked Querrey’s serve for a clean passing-shot winner. He then won both points on his serve to close out the match, hitting an overhead winner on their first championship point.

42-year-old Paes now has nine mixed doubles title, surpassing compatriot and former doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi, who has eight. Paes has eight men’s doubles titles.

It was the third mixed doubles crown of the year for Paes and Hingis, who defeated Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic in the Australian Open final and beat Alexander Peya and Timea Babos in the Wimbledon title match.

They are the first team since 1969 and second in the Open Era to capture three of four Majors in a calendar year.

“Hingis said something that was quite interesting. She said you have to have the guts to go after something, and I don’t believe that I personally have the technique or the caliber of talent that Hingis has,” Paes told the US Open official website after the match.

“One thing I do have is the guts. I will go for it. My whole life is about perseverance, just trying to find a way to succeed. I know if I can keep Hingis happy, if I can keep her relaxed, the tennis I don’t even have to worry about. This young girl is phenomenal on the tennis court and off of it. We actually have our best times when we are on the practice court. I learn a lot from her,” the 1996 Olympic bronze medallist added.

Hingis, 34, too heaped praise on her partner Paes.

“I mean, it’s awesome. Once we started the year and, you know, to walk away with three Grand Slam titles this season. So it’s incredible. I mean, I’m so lucky and fortunate to have Leander as a partner on my side. I know he has my back all day long,” Hingis said.

“I have never had a partner as thoughtful of me, backing me up, as Paes. It’s amazing the understanding we have for the game, like for each other, how we cover the court at the net, baseline, whatever works. Even one thing doesn’t work we come with plan B or C like it was today,” the Swiss veteran added.

Hingis also has a chance to add another in the women’s doubles final with India’s Sania Mirza on Sunday.

(IANS)

AIMIM to contest Bihar elections from Seemanchal: Owaisi

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Asaduddin Owaisi

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) today said it will contest the upcoming Bihar State Assembly elections from Seemanchal region.

MIM chief Assaduddin Owaisi said his party will contest the election but will limit itself to Seemanchal region, which comprise mainly four districts – Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, Katihar.

“We are limited to Seemanchal area of Bihar. We are realistic about our chances of winning. We know our strengths and weaknesses. It is in the interest and justice of Seemanchal region we are contesting elections there,” Owaisi said without disclosing the number of seats his party will contest.

He replied in the negative when asked about the pre-poll alliance with other parties.

“Bihar’s development parameters are bad. But when it comes to Seemacnhal it is worse. That’s why we want the government to set up a regional developmental council under Article 371,” he said.

Owaisi held Congress, BJP, Nitish Kumar and other parties as responsible for the underdevelopment of the region.

When asked about the division of votes when the party contests without any alliance, the MIM leader said the NDA won with great majority even when his party was not in the poll fray in Jammu and Kashmir and local body elections of Rajasthan.

“Did I contest in Delhi elections? Did I contest in J&K elections. Did I contest in Municipal elections of Rajasthan? This is a wrong allegation which has no relevance. So-called secular parties have lost their credibility,” he said.

MIM, which has two seats in the Maharashtra assembly, has appointed Akhtar Imam as president of AIMIM’s Bihar unit.

(Agencies)

Policy of regression: Haryana bans meat on Jain festival day

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chicken kabab

Chandigarh: It appears that all the BJP ruled states are joining the meat ban wagon. Haryana is the fifth in line to do so. In its order, the state’s urban local bodies department ordered all slaughter houses to be closed from September 11 to September 19 in view of the Jain festival of fasting, Paryushan. The minister heading the department interestingly, belongs to the Jain community.

On Friday, Chattisgarh banned the slaughter and sale of meat till September 17. A meat ban has also been enforced in Rajasthan and Gujarat, both ruled by the BJP.The Rajasthan government has prohibited the sale of meat and fish on September 17, 18 and 27 on account of various festivals, including that of the Jains. The ban has been enforced since 2008 in the state, both by the Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje governments, but this year, it has been extended by one day, which has angered some groups. In Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha has ordered a ban on the slaughter of cattle like cows and goats for a week during the Jain fasting period. The state enforces the ban every year.

The Haryana announcement came on a day when a similar ban in Mumbai was challenged by mutton traders and opposed by many political parties including the ruling BJP’s ally Shiv Sena. Mumbai’s civic body has, in the wake of the protest, cut short the ban from four to two days.

The Bombay High Court said the ban was “regressive”. “We understand the sentiment part but purchase is an independent choice,” said the judges.

“It is alright to have a two-day ban, but anything beyond that is unacceptable. It affects people’s livelihood… if the ban is beyond two days, people should be compensated for loss of livelihood,” said Salim Engineer, a member of the Forum of Democracy and Communal Harmony.

(Agencies)

Karnataka: 2 killed, 8 injured in train derailment

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Train Accident Kalburgi

Kalburgi: At least two persons were killed and eight others injured when nine coaches of a Mumbai-bound train derailed near Kalburgi in Karnataka early Saturday.

The incident took place at Martur village station, about 20 kilometres from Kalburgi. Two persons were killed and eight injured in the mishap, Amit Singh, Kalburgi Superintendent of Police, said.

“Two people died and eight others are injured after Mumbai-bound Lokmanya Tilak Express from Secunderabad derailed at Martur station,” he said.
Singh said nine coaches of the train derailed between 2.15 AM to 2.20 AM.

The rescue operations are on and the injured people have been rushed to Solapur Government Hospital in Maharashtra, Singh added.

(Agencies)

Two Indians among 107 killed in crane collapse at Mecca Grand Mosque

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collapse Mecca Grand Mosque

Riyadh: At least 107 people died when a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, with scores more injured, Saudi authorities said, days before the annual hajj pilgrimage.

The civil defence agency said on Twitter that emergency teams were sent to the scene after a “crane fell at the Grand Mosque,” one of Islam’s most revered sites.

That came about an hour after it tweeted that Mecca was “witnessing medium to heavy rains,” and pictures on social media showed lightning.

Ahmed bin Mohammad al-Mansoori, spokesman for the two holy mosques, was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying part of a crane collapsed at 5:10 pm (1410 GMT) “as a result of strong winds and heavy rains.”

Abdel Aziz Naqoor, who said he works at the mosque, told AFP he saw the crane fall after being hit by the storm.

“If it weren’t for Al-Tawaf bridge the injuries and deaths would have been worse,” he said, referring to a covered walkway that surrounds the holy Kaaba, which broke the crane’s fall.

The Kaaba is a massive cube-shaped structure at the centre of the mosque towards which Muslims worldwide pray and which has a major role in the hajj.

Pictures of the incident on Twitter showed bloodied bodies strewn across a courtyard where the top part of the crane, which appeared to have bent or snapped, had crashed into the building.

A video on YouTube showed people screaming and rushing around right after a massive crash was heard and as fog engulfed the city.

The incident occurred as hundreds of thousands of Muslims from all over the world gather for the annual hajj pilgrimage expected to begin on September 21.

The Grand Mosque is usually at its most crowded on Fridays, the Muslim weekly day of prayer.

Many faithful would have been gathered there ahead of evening maghrib prayers, which occurred about an hour after the tragedy.

Two Indians killed

The Ministry of External Affairs said that there were two Indians among the 107 people killed in the collapse. Around 15 Indian nationals were injured and were being treated in hospitals, said the statement posted on Twitter.

Pleas to donate blood

The governor of Mecca region, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, has ordered an investigation into the incident and was heading to the mosque, the official @makkahregion account on Twitter said.

Irfan al-Alawi, co-founder of the Mecca-based Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, compared the carnage to that caused by a bomb.

He suggested authorities were negligent by having a series of cranes overlooking the mosque.

“They do not care about the heritage, and they do not care about health and safety,” he told AFP.

Alawi is an outspoken critic of redevelopment at the holy sites, which he says is wiping away tangible links to the Prophet Mohammed.

Online activists created a hashtag on Twitter urging Mecca residents to donate blood at hospitals in the area.

No details were immediately available on the nationalities of the victims.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency, quoting the head of the Hajj Organisation, said 15 Iranian pilgrims were among those injured.

Most of them were treated as outpatients, Saeid Ohadi said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country is home to tens of millions of Muslims, took to Twitter to express his sorrow over the incident.

“My thoughts & prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives in the crane crash in Mecca. I wish the injured a quick recovery” he said on his @narendramodi account.

Britain’s David Cameron also used the micro-blogging site to say: “My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones at #mecca today”.

A massive project is under way to expand the area of the mosque by 400,000 square metres (4.3 million square feet), allowing it to accommodate up to 2.2 million people at once.

Though marred in the past by deadly incidents including floods, stampedes and fires, the hajj has become nearly incident-free in recent years because of multi-billion dollar investments.

These have included transport networks and other infrastructure to facilitate movement of the crowds.

SPA said that almost 800,000 pilgrims had arrived by Friday for the hajj, which all able-bodied Muslims are expected to perform if they have the means to do so.

Last year, just over two million people took part.

(AFP)

Explosion kills 82 at Petlwad town in Madhya Pradesh

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Blast took place around 8.30 a.m. at a store where huge piles of explosive material used for mines were kept.

The blast site at Petlwad town in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday

The blast site at Petlwad town in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday

Jhabua: Eighty-two people were killed and many injured when explosives kept inside a building went off at Petlwad town in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

Earlier, police said the explosion was caused by a cooking gas cylinder kept in the adjacent three-storeyed building housing a hotel.

Both the buildings were extensively damaged in the high-impact explosion compounding the tragedy.

According to Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Petlawad, A.R. Khan, the explosion took place around 8.30 a.m. at a store in the building where huge piles of explosive material used for mines were kept.

Also, 35 people have been pulled out of the debris and referred to a nearby hospital, Ms. Gupta said.

Many others are suspected to be trapped in the debris, she said, adding that the exact number of casualties will be known once the rescue operations are over.

Senior officials from Jhabua including Superintendent of Police G.G. Pandey besides State Tribal Welfare Minister Antar Singh Arya have rushed to the spot.

State Home Minister Babulal Gaur said a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each to kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for those injured.

Meanwhile, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been dispatched to Jhabua to help in the salvage operations of the collapsed building.

“A team equipped with gadgets to operate in collapsed structures has been sent to the accident site in Jhabua from Vadodara in Gujarat.The team will assist local administration in retrieval operations,” NDRF director-general O.P. Singh told PTI in Delhi.

(PTI)

Saudi crane collapse kills 107 in Mecca Grand Mosque

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Accident which also injured more than 230 people, just weeks before Hajj pilgrimage, blamed on violent thunderstorms.

Saudi crane collapse

by Al Jazeera

At least 107 people have been killed after a crane toppled over at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, less than two weeks before Islam’s annual Hajj pilgrimage.

In addition to the deaths, 238 people were wounded in Friday’s disaster, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence Authority.

The Saudi Press Agency quoted a spokesperson for the two holy mosques as saying that the crane was brought down by strong wind and heavy rain.

Pictures circulating on social media showed pilgrims in bloodied robes and debris from a part of the crane that appeared to have crashed through a ceiling.

Other pictures showed queues of Saudi men volunteering to donate blood for the injured. “All those who were wounded and the dead have been taken to hospital. There are no casualties left at the location,” General Suleiman al-Amr, director-general of the Civil Defence Authority, told Al Ikhbariya television. He said strong wind and rains had uprooted trees and rocked cranes in the area. “The crane collapsed near Al-Salam gate on the upper side of Al-Masaa area, and that caused the collapse of a small part of Al-Masaa and another section of Al-Mataf, the bridge area around the holy Kaaba,” Amr told Saudi state TV.

Official statement

A statement by a spokesperson for the administration of the mosques in Mecca and Medina said the crane toppled in the part of the Grand Mosque where worshippers circle the Kaaba – the black-clad cube towards which the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims face to pray. Al Jazeera’s Hasan Patel, reporting from Mecca, said witnesses told him that the crane fell on the third floor of the Grand Mosque at around 5.30pm on Friday.

He said the mosque was packed even though the incident happened before the 6.30pm prayer.

“Dozens of ambulances headed to the site. The authorities closed off the area shortly afterwards,” he said. “This whole place is already a giant construction site. What made it worse is that around 5.30pm there was severe rain and it was just gushing down the road. “I am surrounded by people who are grieving. The mood here is of sadness.” Saudi authorities go to great lengths to prepare for the millions of Muslims who converge on Mecca to perform the sacred pilgrimage. Last year, they reduced the numbers permitted to make the Hajj pilgrimage on safety grounds because of construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque.

Prone to disasters

The Hajj, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, has been prone to disasters in the past, mainly from stampedes as pilgrims rush to complete rituals and return home. Hundreds of pilgrims died in such a crush in 2006. Saudi authorities have since spent vast sums to expand the main Hajj sites and improve Mecca’s transport system, in an effort to prevent more disasters.

Security services often ring Islam’s sacred city with checkpoints and other measures to prevent people arriving for the pilgrimage without authorisation.

Those procedures, aimed at reducing crowd pressure which can lead to stampedes, fires and other hazards, have been intensified in recent years as security threats grow throughout the Middle East.

Richard Angwin, Al Jazeera’s senior weather presenter, said the autumn period is when half of Mecca’s thunderstorms occur, so “it was no great surprise that there were thunderstorms in the area”.

“The area of low pressure which brought sandstorms across the Levant region moved further south, allowing hot, moist air to develop into thunderstorms along the mountains bordering the Red Sea, and some of those drifted northwards across Mecca,” he said.

Alleged Indian woman ‘recruiter’ for ISIS extradited from Dubai

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Afshan Jabeen

Hyderabad: A Dubai-based Indian woman allegedly recruiting youth for terror outfit ISIS in Syria and Iraq has been extradited, police said.

Afshan Jabeen alias Nicky Joseph was brought to Hyderabad on Friday. There are allegations that the woman, a resident of this city, was recruiting youth online for Islamic State and propagating jihadi literature.

A police officer said she would be examined and arrested.
The woman was extradited as part of the investigations taken up by police following the arrest of a US-returned engineer in January this year at Hyderabad airport when he was allegedly leaving for Syria via Dubai to join ISIS.

Salman Moinuddin had told police that he was in touch with Joseph and they were planning to leave for Syria to join Islamic State.

The 32-year-old techie, who has a master’s degree in electronics from Houston, that he came in touch with her over social media when he was in the US.

Initially it was believed that Joseph is a British national who converted to Islam and known by her Islamic name Ayesha.

According to police, Moinuddin admitted that he was trying to attract youth across India with an intention to take them to Syria and Iraq.

Police claimed that he intended to undergo training in Syria, and after returning wanted to indulge in anti-national activities in the country.

(IANS)

Protest against KSAPS – Irregular funding for HIV prevention programmesa

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ksaps_protest

Bengaluru: Karnataka HIV Sonkithara Sanghatane, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, Karnataka Sex Workers Union along with many representatives of over 22 districts held a huge silent protest with Placards opposite the office of the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) on Crescent Road here on Friday.

Over 200 members of sex workers and sexual minorities participated in the protest for over two hours. Project Director of KSAPS Raveendra assured them that action will be taken against erring Programme Officers who were harassing the HIV workers but gave copies of emails written to NACO requesting early release of funds.

“When approached to present a memorandum, Health Minister UT Khader has asked the leaders of the community members to have a meeting with him and has given an appointment,” said Mallappa Kumbar, State Coordinator, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum.

“The protest marked the beginning of a statewide AIDS Campaign, to bring to the notice of the State Government and KSAPS, the grave concerns of our community-based organizations (CBOs) of sex workers, sexual minorities (including MSM, transgender and Hijras), People who inject drugs (IDUs), people living with HIV (PLHA) and civil society members about the dwindling funds and irregular release of money for HIV prevention programme in Karnataka,” said Parveen, State Coordinator, Karnataka HIV Sonkithara Sanghatane.

“Thousands of sex workers, MSMs, Transgenders, hijras who are working as peer educators and out reach workers (ORW) in the Targeted Interventions (TIs), the HIV prevention programme run by KSAPS in all the districts are suffering for irregular funding and lack of salaries. The cut in HIV funding and irregular release of funds has badly affected the HIV prevention programme jeopardising the lives of many people. HIV prevalence is increasing and the number of HIV deaths in Karnataka is increasing because of these problems,” she added.

Lack of drug stocks, closure of Care Centres, frequent change of ART combinations and vacancies of doctors and para medical staff in ART centres, including at the Centre of Excellence at Bowring hospital has been killing people living with HIV and affected the prevention programme. On the other had HIV workers including sex workers, transgender and MSMs who are working as peer educators and outreach workers (ORW) in the HIV prevention programme called Targetted Interventions are facing severe harassment and hardships from the Programme Officers.

“All the prevention work is done by communities themselves as the frontline prevention workers are sex workers, sexual minorities and drug users, but irregular release of funds is badly affecting the HIV programme. More than 80 per cent of the workers in a TI are community workers like sex workers and sexual minorities. These community members are harassed by programme officers of TSU (consultants who support KSAPS) and forced HIV testing to meet the targets are a common practice,” said Bharathi, Secretary of Karnataka Sex Workers Union.

“The Government has closed all the Community Care Centres and HIV positive patients are suffering because of lack of in-patient services. They are undergoing serious side effects due to frequent change of

combination of ART (HIV medicines) and have nowhere to go as CCCs are closed from 2012. The present Care and Support Centre’s are poor cousins of CCCs with absolutely no facilities for people living with HIV. They are an eye-wash,’’ said Parveen Ahmed, from Davangere, who is waging a relentless fight for the rights of PLHA in Karnataka from 2010. She is living with HIV for over a decade.

“Government’s decision to shrink organisational and budgetary support to the AIDS response and irregular flow of funds has badly affected the HIV programme in the State. This will lead to a reversal of the good work done in the last 10 years and will result in an upsurge of the epidemic among the most vulnerable groups,” said Mallappa, State Coordinator, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum, which works with all identities of gender minorities in 28 districts of Karnataka.

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