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Bangkok bomb: Deadly blast rocks Thailand capital

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blast Thailand

by BBC

Bangkok: A bomb has exploded close to a shrine in the centre of the Thai capital, Bangkok, police say.

Local reports suggest at least 12 people have died and at least 20 more have been injured.

The BBC’s Jonathan Head, who is at the scene, says there is a huge amount of chaos, with body parts scattered everywhere.
The attack took place close to the Erawan Shrine in the capital’s central Chidlom district.

The explosion occurred at about 19:00 local time (12:00 GMT), with police saying it may have been caused by a motorcycle bomb.

‘Burnt motorbikes’

Our correspondent says this a very well known shrine in the centre of Bangkok, next to a five-star hotel.

He says people around the shrine were hit by the full force of the blast.

There are burnt motorbikes on the main road, with paramedics and police trying to take the injured away, he says.

The shrine is to the Hindu god Brahma but is also visited by thousands of Buddhists each day.

National police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri told Agence France-Presse news agency: “I can confirm it was a bomb, we can’t tell which kind yet, we are checking.”

The explosion was on the Ratchaprasong intersection, which has been the centre of political demonstrations in recent years.

Our correspondent says bomb attacks in Bangkok are extremely rare.

Jwala-Ashwini seeded No.1 at Vietnam Open

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jwala-gutta

Ho Chi Minh City: Top Indian women’s doubles shuttlers Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa have been seeded No.1 for the $50,000 Vietnam Open Grand Prix to be held at the Nguyen Du Stadium here from August 24 to 30.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallists have lately been in form, which has also helped them to reach their current, career-best ranking of World No.12. Jwala and Ashwini reached the finals of the US Open Grand Prix Gold and followed it up with a title win at the Canada Open Grand Prix in June.

They also reached the quarterfinals of the World Championships last week in Jakarta but faltered a step short of repeating their 2011 Worlds performance when they clinched a bronze.

The two will open their campaign here against a qualifying pair in the first round.

Apart from Jwala and Ashwini, Pradnya Gadre and N. Sikki Reddy have been seeded seventh while Aparna Balan will partner Prajakta Sawant in the same category.

Akshay Dewalkar and Pranaav Chopra, who also took part at the World Championships, have been seeded third in men’s doubles and will take on Canadian pair of Adrian Liu and Derrick Ng in their opener. Arun Vishnu and Alwin Francis is the other Indian pair in the category.

There will be four Indian pairs taking part in mixed doubles. Ashwini will partner Chopra, Vishnu with Aparna, Dewalkar will team up with Prajakta while Sikki will partner Tarun Kona.

In men’s singles, Mumbai’s Ajay Jayaram is the highest seeded Indian at No.4 while B. Sai Praneeth is No.5 and 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist R.M.V. Gurusaidutt at No.13. Anand Pawar, Subhankar Dey and Sameer Verma are unseeded in the category.

P.C. Thulasi and Saili Rane are the only Indians taking part in women’s singles.

(IANS)

Indonesian plane ‘was carrying nearly $500,000 in cash’

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Search plane spots debris believed from crashed aircraft with 54 people on board, as rescuers prepare search.

The debris thought to be from the Trigana Air Service plane was sighted in the heavily-forested Bintang Mountains region [EPA]

The debris thought to be from the Trigana Air Service plane was sighted in the heavily-forested Bintang Mountains region [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

An Indonesian passenger plane that crashed at the weekend in Papua was transporting about 6.5 billion rupiah ($470,000) in cash to distribute to poor families in the eastern province, a post office official has said.

“Four of our personnel were escorting the funds,” said Haryono, the head of Jayapura post office, who goes by one name. The money was in four bags, he added, according to the AFP news agency.

An Indonesian search and rescue plane spotted debris believed to be from the aircraft that went missing on Sunday with 54 people on board in Papua province.

The wreckage thought to be from the Trigana Air Service plane was sighted on Monday morning in the heavily-forested Bintang Mountains region, local police chief Yunus Wally said.

Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen, reporting from Jakarta, said a rescue plane had identified smoking wreckage and another smaller plane was on its way to get a closer look.

“At the same time two teams have gone overland but it’s a very mountainous area and they’re not sure how long this journey is going to take to get there,” our correspondent said.

A helicopter may also be sent – depending on what the smaller plane finds – to see if it is possible to land near the crash site.

The Trigana Air Service ATR 42-300 plane’s disappearance is the latest in a string of aviation disasters in Southeast Asia.

The passengers on the plane, reported to be an ATR-42 model, include 44 adults, two children, three toddlers and five crew members.

Hours after the plane’s disappearance, villagers in eastern Indonesia’s Papua region claimed to have found the wreckage, the transport ministry’s director-general of air transportation, Suprasetyo, who goes by one name, said.

“The plane has been found [by villagers]. According to residents, the flight had crashed into a mountain. Verification is still in process,” Suprasetyo said.

According a tweet by Indonesia’s National Agency Search and Rescue agency, the aircraft lost contact while flying over the remote eastern Papua region at 2:55pm local time.

The plane had been scheduled to land at a small airport in Oksibil around 3pm local time (06.00 GMT).

Oksibil is a remote town near the country’s border with Papua New Guinea.

Our correspondent said reports indicated that “the weather was very bad” in Papua at the time the plane was in the air.

“It is also known as quite a spooky area to fly in and planes go missing there.”

On Wednesday, a Cessna propeller plane operated by Indonesian company Komala Air crashed in Papua’s Yahukimo district, killing one person and seriously injuring the five others on board.

Officials suspect that the crash was caused by bad weather.

 

ITRAF – Think tank for International Tax Research Launched

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ITRAF

Bangalore: International Tax Research and Analysis Foundation (ITRAF), led by Eminent Economists, Leaders from industry, and Experienced Tax Professionals was launched today to carry out research and analysis in international taxation to ensure superior tax policy and effective tax administration in India. ITRAF will act as a key enabler for Indian economy to attain its full potential globally as Indian business increases its share of global trade and commerce. ITRAF will conduct extensive research on the present international tax regulations, benchmark them with global standards, practices and experiences and make appropriate recommendations to policy makers.

ITRAF stands for 4 Is – Independent Thoughts, Insights based on Research, Impact and International orientation. ITRAF will provide a neutral forum for public debate on its research reports and impact–analysis to recommend technically sound and field–tested tax policies. ITRAF will also engage and socialize with all stakeholders for effective implementation.

ITRAF’s Chairperson is Dr. Parthasarathi Shome, the former Chairman of the Tax Administration Reforms Commission. The other founder members include Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education; Suresh Senapaty, former Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board, Wipro Limited; V Balakrishnan, former Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board, Infosys Limited, Mukesh Butani, Managing Partner, BMR Legal; K. R. Girish, Senior Partner, Leap Ridge Advisors LLP; Padamchand Khincha, Partner, M/s H. C. Khincha & Co, Chartered Accountants; S. Krishnan, Former Head of International Taxation, Infosys Limited; Indraneel Roy Chaudhury, Partner, Tax & Regulatory Services; PricewaterhouseCoopers, K. R. Sekar, Partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells; and P.V. Srinivasan, Former Head of Taxation, Wipro Limited.

It is the firm belief of the founding team that India has the potential to be the most attractive destination for investments globally. For this to happen, India needs effective policy inputs based on research to develop a best–in–class tax system focused on certainty and stability for global investments to flow in and for Indian business to grow globally. This needs extensive economic research on the impact of international taxation on our economy and to participate in global forums on the architecture of international tax systems, as for instance with the OECD. ITRAF is set up with a strong view that an apolitical think tank, free from any corporate or sectoral bias can play a critical role in supplementing the Government’s effort in a very progressive framework based on fundamental research and analysis in the backdrop of increased globalization and changing business models due to technology disruption.

This forum is a conglomeration of the best of talent – both in Governance and Research and will leverage the extensive repository of research and global best practices available, to come out with an in–depth analysis and recommendations to the Central and various State Governments.

Dr. Parthasarathi Shome, Chairman, ITRAF and Head of Research Committee said – “As India embarks on its exciting phase of growth, ease of doing business is going to be a huge differentiator to attract investments. Uncertainty in tax environment is a potential deterrent for global companies planning to invest in India. Good tax policies are backed by research & analysis and are equitable to all stakeholders. ITRAF is an independent Think Tank focused exclusively on tax policy analysis and support through extensive research and seeks to enhance the framing of tax regulations and administration.”

Suresh Senapaty, Board Member and Head of Finance Committee, ITRAF said – “Globalization is resulting in labour mobility, capital fungibility and seamless boundaries. Global competition for capital and location of economic activities is getting intense. A progressive and consistent tax environment in line with global standards is essential for the success of key Government initiatives like Make in India, Innovation India, Digital India and Skill India. ITRAF will engage with a broad range of international organizations to provide appropriate insights to policy makers on key taxation issues across the globe. ITRAF stands for 4 Is – Independent Thoughts, Insights based on Research, Impact and International orientation. ITRAF welcomes support and contributions for advancing a unique cause that would serve national interest.”

Mohandas Pai, Board Member, ITRAF said – “Technology is changing the manner of conducting business and is disrupting established business norms across the globe. We are seeing a proliferation of start–ups in India with global linkages. ‘Start–up India, Stand–up India’ is the new thrust to push growth and employment. The Government is seeking to leverage technology as part of the Digital India initiative to improve governance standards. However, tax laws have not kept pace with the rise of digital economy and emerging business models. ITRAF aims to carry out in–depth analysis to provide inputs to policy makers to keep pace with the changing technology landscape having global ramifications.”

ITRAF will periodically conduct seminars and conferences to discuss and disseminate the various research findings. It will also provide structured training courses to students and professionals on international taxation.

ITRAF is a company registered under Sec 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. ITRAF will not act as a representative for any industry group to reduce tax rates, seek tax incentives or exemptions. ITRAF will provide an opportunity for corporates and professional firms to support this initiative by deputing their employees to provide research support, for various periods of time.

Congress slams Modi for targeting previous govts on foreign soil

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modi-uae

New Delhi: Congress today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his barb on foreign soil that he inherited “lethargy” from previous governments, saying he should have desisted from raking up domestic politics abroad.

“Prime Minister should have maintained dignity of the high office he holds. There is no problem if he targets previous governments when he is in the country. But he should have refrained from doing so on foreign soil”, party spokesman Meem Afzal said.

Afzal said that it was not proper for Modi to rake up domestic politics abroad despite repeated uproar by the opposition for his earlier such actions.

The Prime Minister, who is the UAE, said, “I have got some problems in legacy. I cannot take only the good points and leave aside the problems… Some things were stalled due to the indecisiveness and lethargy of the governments (in the last)… It is my priority to kickstart those things”.

Noting that the Prime Minister had visited the historic Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque, the world’s third largest, during the visit, Afzal said it would be good if he visited a mosque in India too.

Another Congress spokesman Sanjay Jha tweeted, “It is abominable that PM Modi continues his pathetic lowbrow jibes at opposition party when abroad. A huge embarrassment”

The Prime Minister, on a visit to attract investments from the UAE, told the business community there that all leading institutions like IMF, World Bank and Moody’s agree that India is the world’s fastest growing economy.

Afzal reminded the PM that the vast growth in the trade turnover with UAE from 160 million dollars to 60 billion dollars was mainly due to the efforts by the earlier governments, including those of the UPA.

“India receives 10 billion dollars remittances annually from 26 lakh NRIs in the UAE which invests 15 billion dollars in the Gulf country”, he said.

(PTI)

PM Modi offers $1 trillion investment opportunity to UAE

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Modi

Masdar: Inviting investors from UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has an immediate investment opportunity of USD 1 trillion and the government will take urgent steps to address concerns of the businessmen from this country and erase “deficit of 34 years”.

Modi also said his government has got some problems in legacy and his immediate priority would be to kickstart the things which were stalled by the “indecisiveness and lethargy” of the past governments.

“I have got some problems in legacy. I can not take only the good points and leave aside the problems… Some things were stalled due to the indecisiveness and lethargy of the governments (in the last)… It is my priority to kickstart those things,” Modi said while addressing the business leaders from the UAE here at the Masdar City.

Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit UAE in the last 34 years, said India has huge investment opportunities for investors from the UAE in sectors like infrastructure, energy and real estate and urged them to come to invest in India and together make the 21st century ‘Asia’s Century’.

The Prime Minister said all major global institutions such as IMF, World Bank and Moody’s agree that India is the world’s fastest growing economy and it has huge development potential.

“On one hand India is growing fast and on the other hand, the world is looking at Asia. But is Asia complete without UAE? I can clearly see that the UAE should be at the centre of mainstream of things in Asia. UAE’s power and India’s potential can make it Asia’s century,” he said.

Modi said he has been told about some problems being faced by investors from the UAE and he wants to assure them that the government is solving those problems.

“I will send my Commerce Minister to try and find solutions to the problems faced by some UAE investors,” he said.

The investors told the Prime Minister that they need steps like single window clearance and cited cumbersome and complex processes for doing business in India. To this, Modi assured that these problems will be resolved.

In their meeting with the Prime Minister, the businessmen also said that the government needs to be a strategic partner to create a conducive business environment for the investors who need safety of their investments.

The issue assumes significance as a number of investors, including some from the Middle-East region, have in the past faced problems due to taxation and policy related issues.

Modi said he needs investments to build infrastructure for India’s growth and “there is immediate potential for investments totalling USD 1 trillion in India.”

Stating that he is well aware of the fact that USD 1 trillion is a big number, Modi said such investments can very well come to India as it has now got a decisive and stable government.

Talking about no Indian Prime Minister having visited the UAE in the last 34 years, Modi said, “We have lost 34 years. I want to erase the deficit of these 34 years. I want all of you to come to India and make 21st Century Asia’s century.”

Modi said there are 700 flights between India and UAE, but but it took 34 years for an Indian Prime Minister to visit. “I promise this will not happen again,” he said.

Those present in the meeting included members of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, top government officials and Indian origin industrialists including Yusuff Ali, B R Shetty, Ravi Pillai and PNC Menon who have set up businesses here.

Listing out investment areas, Modi said, “We want technology, speed and quality construction when it comes to housing. Low-cost housing is very important for us.

“It is now commonly believed that India is one of the fastest growing economies. There are several opportunities of development in India.

“I feel India is a land of many opportunities… 125 crore people of India are not a market but they are a source of great strength.”

“In the agriculture sector we need cold storage network and warehousing network where UAE businesses have another advantage. Infrastructure development and real estate offer tremendous opportunities for UAE businesses in India.

UAE’s power and India’s potential can make the dream of an Asian Century a reality.” Addressing the roundtable meeting of business leaders at this planned city project in Abu Dhabi, which relies on solar energy and other renewable energy sources, Modi said several sectors including insurance, railways, defence manufacturing have been opened up for foreign investment in India.

Heads of companies like Etisalat, Etihad Airways, Emirates, DP World, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Emaar Group were also present during the meeting.

Modi also talked about renewable energy, port-led development and low-cost housing as sectors with huge investment potential.

Earlier, the Prime Minister was accompanied on an hour-long visit of Masdar City, by senior City officials, who briefed him on various aspects of the project.

Modi also travelled briefly on the PRT (Personnel Rapid Transit) car – a driver-less vehicle which runs from point to point on magnetic strips.

He also visited the Micro-Nano Fabrication Facility and the Microscopy Lab. The Prime Minister also took a brief walking tour of the city’s public spaces and was briefed on the sustainable building methodology and key architectural elements.

Throughout the hour-long tour of Masdar City, Modi was greeted by residents and professionals in the city, which include a large number of members from the Indian community. “Vigyan Jeevan Hai” he wrote, as he signed on a Digital Visitor’s Book at Masdar City.

(Agencies)

Enhanced ex-gratia for 1984 victims from Monday: Arvind Kejriwal

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Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that the enhanced ex-gratia amount of Rs.5 lakh to the kin of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims will be distributed from Monday.

Delivering his first Independence Day speech as chief minister, the Aam Aadmi Party leader also praised Home Minister Rajnath Singh for making efforts to secure the enhanced compensation and said he would request the minister to give away the first cheque. “The first cheque will be distributed on Monday,” Kejriwal said.

“I appreciate Rajnath Singh’s efforts behind the enhanced compensation. I will try to have the first cheque given away by Rajnath Singh,” he said. As per official records, 3,325 people were killed in riots that broke out across the country after two Sikh bodyguards shot dead then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, triggering mob attacks on innocent Sikhs. Of them, 2,733 were killed in Delhi, which was the worst hit in the mayhem. Killings also took place in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan among other states.

In 2006, the UPA government announced a Rs.717 crore rehabilitation package for the riot victims. Of this, only Rs.517 crore was disbursed and the remaining Rs.200 crore got bogged down because of disputes over claimants. An additional relief of Rs.5 lakh was announced by Rajnath Singh in October last year.

(IANS)

Revealed: Pentagon blocking release of cleared Guantánamo detainees

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Exclusive reporting by the Guardian reveals that the U.S. government is intentionally “dragging its feet” on allowing Shaker Aamer, others to go home

Demonstrators call for the release of cleared Guantanamo Bay detainee Shaker Aamer. (Photo: Justin Norman/flickr/cc)

Demonstrators call for the release of cleared Guantanamo Bay detainee Shaker Aamer. (Photo: Justin Norman/flickr/cc)

by Nadia Prupis, Common Dreams

The U.S. Pentagon is blocking the release of Guantánamo Bay detainees who have been cleared to return home through diplomatic deals between the U.S. and UK governments, the Guardian revealed on Thursday in an exclusive report.

Among those detainees is Shaker Aamer, a Saudi citizen and UK resident who has been held at the U.S. military base in Cuba for more than 13 years without charge and has twice been cleared for release. In 2010, the Pentagon itself participated in a federal review of Aamer’s case, as well as that of another detainee, both of whom were deemed to pose no threat to national security and cleared to go home.

But as one official told the Guardian, the U.S. government’s defense secretaries have been playing “foot-dragging and process games” to keep the diplomatic deals that secured his release from going through.

The Guardian reports:

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter, backed by powerful US militaryofficers, have withheld support for sending Aamer back to the UK. The ongoing obstruction has left current and former US officials who consider the detainees a minimal threat seething, as they see it undermining relations with Britain and other foreign partners while subverting from the inside Obama’s long-stifled goal of closing the infamous detention facility.

[….] The transfers have the backing of the US Justice Department, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

But since White House rules depend on full administration consensus, Aamer remains at Guantánamo until Carter and the Pentagon say otherwise.

The Pentagon is also blocking the release of Ahmed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania and Abdul Shalabi of Saudi Arabia. Carter has yet to sign the diplomatic deals already brokered between the U.S. and the men’s home countries which would enable their release.

Aamer’s case has drawn widespread support from human rights groups and peace activists. A campaign for his release, which operates under the banner Save Shaker Aamer, stages regular actions and protests to call attention to his continued illegal detention. According to legal charity Reprieve, which represents Aamer, he has been subject to force-feedings, solitary confinement, and beatings by guards up to eight times a day while in custody at Guantánamo Bay.

Climate change ‘set to fuel global food crisis’

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Global food shortages to become three times more likely due to climate change, according to report by US and UK experts.

Global food

by Al Jazeera

Global food shortages will become three times more likely as a result of climate change according to a report by a joint US-British taskforce, which warned that the international community needs to be ready to respond to potentially dramatic future rises in prices.

Food shortages, market volatility and price spikes are likely to occur at an exponentially higher rate of every 30 years by 2040, said the Taskforce on Extreme Weather and Global Food System Resilience.

With the world’s population set to rise to nine billion by 2050 from 7.3 billion today, food production will need to increase by more than 60 percent and climate-linked market disruptions could lead to civil unrest, the report, published on Friday, said.

“The climate is changing and weather records are being broken all the time,” said David King, the UK foreign minister’s Special Representative for Climate Change.

“The risks of an event are growing, and it could be unprecedented in scale and extent.”

Globalisation and new technologies have made the world’s food system more efficient but it has also become less resilient to risks, said King.

Some of the major risks include a rapid rise in oil prices fuelling food costs, reduced export capacity in Brazil, the US or the Black Sea region due to infrastructure weakness, and the possible depreciation of the US dollar causing prices for dollar-listed commodities to spike.

Global food production is likely to be most impacted by extreme weather events in North and South America and Asia which produce most of the world’s four major crops – maize, soybean, wheat and rice, the report found.

Such shocks in production or price hikes are likely to hit some of the world’s poorest nations hardest such as import dependent countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the report found.

‘Violence or conflict’

“In fragile political contexts where household food insecurity is high, civil unrest might spill over into violence or conflict,” the report said.

“The Middle East and North Africa region is of particular systemic concern, given its exposure to international price volatility and risk of instability, its vulnerability to import disruption and the potential for interruption of energy exports.”

To ease the pain of increasingly likely shocks, the report urged countries not to impose export restrictions in the event of extreme weather, as Russia did following a poor harvest in 2010.

The researchers said agriculture itself needs to change to respond to global warming as international demand is already growing faster than agricultural yields and climate change will put further pressure on production.

“Increases in productivity, sustainability and resilience to climate change are required,” the report said.

This will require significant investment from the public and private sectors, as well as new cross-sector collaborations.”

China orders evacuations as chemical fears grow

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Fire re-ignites at site of twin blasts in Tianjin, as death toll rises to 85, with more than 700 wounded.

china

by Al Jazeera

Residents living close to the site of giant explosions in the Chinese port of Tianjin have been evacuated over fears of toxic contamination as new fires ignited.

Armed police were carrying out evacuations within 3km of the blast site on Saturday after highly poisonous sodium cyanide was found, the Beijing News said.

The blaze ignited again at the warehouse where the blasts struck on Wednesday night, with several small blasts heard by reporters from the Xinhua state news agency.

“Out of consideration for toxic substances spreading, the masses nearby have been asked to evacuate,” Xinhua reported.

Authorities announced on Saturday that the death toll has risen to 85, with more than 700 others still being treated in hospitals, including 25 who are in critical condition and 33 who are in serious condition.

A survivor was pulled from a shipping container on Saturday morning, state media reported. His identity was not immediately known. Television video showed the man being carried out on a sketcher by a group of soldiers wearing gas masks.

A team of chemical experts has been called in to the site to test for toxic gases.

Shockwaves from the blasts late on Wednesday were felt by residents in apartment blocks kilometres away in the city of 15 million people.

Furious residents and victims’ relatives railed against authorities outside a news conference on Saturday for keeping them in the dark as criticism over transparency mounted.

Residents and relatives were prevented from entering the press conference and could be heard shouting outside.

“Nobody has told us anything, we’re in the dark, there is no news at all,” screamed one middle-aged woman, as she was dragged away by security personnel.

The man survived for three days in a shipping container following the blasts [Reuters]

China has a patchy industrial safety record and the disaster has raised fears of toxic contamination after officials said they were unable to identify precisely what chemicals were at the site at the time.

Tianjin work safety official Gao Huaiyou listed a host of possible substances at the briefing, adding that the firm’s recent large exports had included sodium bisulfide, magnesium, sodium, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, and sodium cyanide, among others.

China on Friday defended the work of firefighters who initially hosed water on a blaze in a warehouse storing volatile chemicals, a response foreign experts said could have contributed to the explosions.

The explosions have disrupted the flow of cars, oil, iron ore and other items through the world’s 10th largest port.

The blast sent shipping containers tumbling into one another, leaving them in bent, charred piles.

Rows of new cars, lined up on vast lots for distribution across China, were reduced to blackened carcasses.

Tianjin is the 10th largest port in the world by container volume and the seventh largest in China, according to the World Shipping Council, moving more containers than the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Los Angeles.

It handles vast quantities of metal ore, coal, steel, cars and crude oil.

Authorities have only released limited information about the accident, a criticism often levelled at Chinese officials in the aftermath of disasters, and restricted discussion of it online.

More than 360 social media accounts have been shut down or suspended for “spreading rumours” about the blasts, Xinhua reported citing the Cyberspace Administration of China.

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