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Death toll rises in deadly 24 hours in Afghanistan

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Attacks on military base and other areas in Kabul kill at least 40, including NATO soldier

Afghan security staff inspect the site of a truck bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday, August 7, 2015. (Photo: Rahmat Gul/AP)

Afghan security staff inspect the site of a truck bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday, August 7, 2015. (Photo: Rahmat Gul/AP)

by Nadia Prupis, Common Dreams

As of Saturday, a deadly 24 hours in Afghanistan has seen more than 44 people killed and hundreds wounded in a wave of attacks on a military base and other sites in Kabul.

Among those killed were dozens of civilians and service members, including one NATO soldier. The attacks targeted a police academy, a residential area, and the military base Camp Integrity, all in Kabul.

The nationality of the NATO soldier has not yet been released. One international service member and eight Afghan contractors were killed in the attack on Camp Integrity, with several others wounded. The bombing of the police academy killed at least 20 and wounded 24, when a man dressed in a police uniform reportedly detonated an explosive vest as recruits lined up for classes.

The Guardian reports:

While the truck bomb exploded outside a Ministry of Defence base, the exact purpose remains unclear, and the timing of the attack [at 1am] was unusual. According to a security source speaking to the Guardian, the US military frequently visits the Afghan army base in Shah Shaheed, which also contains a facility housing several high-level detainees.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahed, said the group was responsibile for the attack on the police academy, but no one has yet claimed the truck bomb attack or the assault on Camp Integrity.

Reuters adds:

Previously seen as open to reviving peace talks, the Taliban have since pledged to press on with the insurgency that has killed and wounded thousands this year.

….The conflict between the Western-backed government and the Taliban has intensified since the NATO combat mission ended last year, but Afghan security forces and civilians have borne the brunt of the violence.

There have been almost 5,000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first half of the year, U.N. figures show.

No death penalty for Colorado theatre massacre gunman

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Jury fails to agree on capital punishment, meaning James Holmes will serve life in prison without parole for 12 murders.

Prosecutors argued Holmes deserved to die because he methodically planned the 2012 assault [File: Reuters]

Prosecutors argued Holmes deserved to die because he methodically planned the 2012 assault [File: Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

United States theatre gunman James Holmes will be sentenced to life in prison without parole after a jury failed to agree on whether he should get the death penalty for his murderous attack on a packed movie premiere in Colorado in 2012.

The nine women and three men said on Friday that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on each of the murder counts. That automatically eliminates the death penalty for the failed neuroscientist, who blamed his calculated murders of 12 people on mental illness.

Prosecutors argued Holmes deserved to die because he methodically planned the 2012 assault at a midnight screening of a Batman movie, even blasting techno music through ear phones so he wouldn’t hear his victims scream.

The same jury had rejected his insanity defence, finding Holmes capable of understanding right from wrong when he murdered 12 people and tried to kill 70 others.

But the defence countered that his schizophrenia led to a psychotic break, and that powerful delusions drove him to carry out one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings.

There was never any question during the gruelling, four-month trial as to whether Holmes was the killer.

Holmes surrendered outside the theatre, where police found him clad head-to-toe in combat gear.

The trial hinged instead on the question of whether a mentally ill person should be held legally and morally culpable for an act of unspeakable violence.

It took jurors only about 12 hours of deliberations to decide the first part – they rejected his insanity defence and found him guilty of 165 felony counts.

The defence then conceded his guilt, but insisted during the sentencing phase that his crimes were caused by the psychotic breakdown of a mentally ill young man, reducing his moral culpability and making a life sentence appropriate.

The jury’s final decision came after days of tearful testimony from relatives of the slain.

Palestinian baby’s father also dies from settler attack

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Saad Dawabsheh, the father of Ali, dies from severe burns caused by firebomb attack, his brother tells Al Jazeera.

The UN says at least 120 attacks by Israeli settlers have been documented in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2015 [Reuters]

The UN says at least 120 attacks by Israeli settlers have been documented in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2015 [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The father of the Palestinian 18-month-old baby boy who died in last week’s settler arson attack in the occupied West Bank has also died from his wounds.

Saad Dawabsheh, the father of Ali, died early on Saturday, his brother told Al Jazeera.

The 32-year-old died in Soroka hospital, where he had been treated for second-degree burns to more than 80 percent of his body.

Al Jazeera’s Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from West Jerusalem, said Saad’s wife, Riham, and four-year-old son Ahmad remain in critical condition, in Tel Hashomer hospital.

“His mother and brother also remain at the hospital. They both remain in very serious condition.

“In fact the mother’s condition for several days was thought to be worse than the father’s so the fact that he succumbed to his wounds raises alot of concern about her,” Tyab said.

Early last Saturday morning, a firebomb was thrown into the family’s bedroom in a suspected settler arson attack, setting the house alight.

A funeral is expected to be held later on Saturday in Duma, where last week’s attack took place.

The Palestine Liberation Organization has said it holds Israel’s government “fully responsible” for the death of the 18-month-old baby and will lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The attack was roundly condemned around the world, including by Israeli leaders, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ringing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and saying they must fight “terrorism” together.

The US state department condemned the “vicious terrorist attack” in “the strongest possible terms”, urging Israel to “apprehend the murderers” and calling on both sides to “avoid escalating tensions”.

According to the UN, at least 120 attacks by Israeli settlers have been documented in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2015.

A recent report by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organisation, showed that more than 92.6 percent of complaints Palestinians lodge with the Israeli police go without charges being filed.

DomainX™ 2015 becomes the first Live-streamed domain name conference internationally

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DomainX

Bangalore: DomainX™, the 1st dedicated international domain name conference that was held today in Bangalore, was a great success with over 600 participants from diverse domains attending the event that was held over two days of inspiration, networking and knowledge.

Mr. Ron Jackson, Publisher of DNJournal.com from Tampa Bay, Florida, presided over the event as the chief guest.

DomainX™ not only educated the participants about the thriving global domain name industry and its various facets but also facilitated an impactful interaction of prominent investors, successful entrepreneurs, tech-savvy innovators and domain name investors to open a spectrum of business opportunities for all involved.

DomainX™ created a history of sorts with becoming the first Live-streamed domain name conference anywhere in the world. DomainX™ was applauded for bringing together a galaxy of international industry experts to a common platform.

Ron Jackson, founder, editor and publisher of Domain Name Journal; Nidhi Hola, Director – Marketing of Godaddy India; Samarth Kholkar, Business Development Leader for IBM Cloud Business; Rodney D Ryder, Advisor to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India; Anirudh Suri, Founding Partner at India Internet Fund were some of the eminent speakers amongst others.

The keynote address on domain names as an investment class was delivered by DomainX™ Brand Ambassador Mr. Deepak Daftari who showcased through his keynote the appeal of domain names to investors across the world and the impending growth on the horizon of the domain name industry.

Zak Muscovitch, Founder of DNAttorney.com discussed UDRP, URS & INDRP issues in an enlightening panel discussion moderated by INDRP Arbitrator Ankur Raheja.
Veteran domain name investor and mentor Deepak Daftary hosted a fireside chat with Ned O’Meara and Martjin Schneider to explore domain name markets in countries such as Australia and the Dutch market.

The event emphasised the ambition of DomainX™ 2015 to deliver ‘two days of inspiration’ with a business networking session on 7th August which connected global experts and key domain name investors in an intimate environment where knowledge was shared freely and key business ties were forged.

Organised by Domain Name Owners Association of India (DNOAi™), the DomainX™ conference was supported by Godaddy, Escrow.com, IBM, INForum.in, Resello, .Desi & Airfare.in. Godaddy is the world’s leading domain name registrar and provides domain name registration services to individuals and organisations world over. While Escrow.com pioneered the process of online escrow services and is one of the leading providers of secure business and consumer transaction management on the Internet

The organisers expressed their pleasure on the immense success of DomainX™ and said, “We are enthralled at the astounding success of DomainX 2015. It’s very heartening to see realization of our dream to provide a common platform to various stakeholders of the industry. We are sure that this conference will keep pushing the envelope on innovating to contribute to the growth of a flourishing domain name industry in India.” The DomainX™ organizers included Manmeet Pal Singh and Gaurav Kohli..

About DNOAi™

DNOAi™ is the first (in India) privately held association of similar minded domain name owners who have joined hands in order to bring investment, monetization and general awareness towards the domain name sector as well as web development industry.

With experience in domain names and website development, DNOAi aim to grow DNOAi™ into the largest domain name organization in India. Domain Name Owners Association of India™ tries to bring together top brass investors, successful entrepreneurs and tech-savvy innovators in India, to demonstrate and exhibit the impact of our industry on thefinancial market.

For more information visit www.DNOAi.com

Swachh Bharat: Mysuru cleanest city, Bengaluru cleanest capital, Mangaluru bags 11th position

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Swachh Bharat

Mangaluru: Karnataka’s Mysuru has topped the Swachh Bharat rankings of 476 cities in the country based on the extent of open defecation and solid waste management practices, a statement from the Ministry of Urban Development said.

Karnataka has done exceptionally well with another three cities making it to the list of top 10. The coastal city of Mangaluru has secured eleventh position in the list. Bengaluru has emerged as the cleanest state capital among all state capitals in India.

Mysuru leads the pack with minimal open defecation and extensive adoption of solid waste management practices, followed by Tiruchi (Tamil Nadu), Navi Mumbai, Kochi (Kerala), Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru from Karnataka, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Halisahar (West Bengal) and Gangtok (Sikkim) in that order.

Among the top 100 cities, 39 cities were from the South, 27 from the East, 15 from the West, 12 from the North and 7 from the North-Eastern States, the statement added.

North performed poorly accounting for 74 cities in the bottom 100, while 21 were from the East, 3 from the West and 2 from the South, the statement said.

The worst performer was Damoh (Madhya Pradesh), preceded by Bhind (Madhya Pradesh), Palwal and Bhiwani, both in Haryana, Chittaurgarh (Rajasthan), Bulandshahar (Uttar Pradesh), Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh), Rewari(Haryana), Hindaun (Rajasthan) and Sambalpur in Odisha.

The survey conducted during 2014-15 was commissioned by the Ministry of Urban Development as required under the National Sanitation Policy of 2008.

All 476 Class-1 cities in 31 States and Union Territories, each with a population of above one lakh, were surveyed for assessing total sanitation practices covering a set of parameters, including the extent of open defecation, solid waste management, septage management, waste water treatment, drinking water quality, surface water quality of water bodies and mortality due to water born diseases.

Modi government is losing its Sheen: Rahul Bajaj

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Rahul-Bajaj

New Delhi: Top industrialist Rahul Bajaj has come down heavily on the Narendra Modi-led Central government, saying the shine was wearing off it. Speaking to NDTV’s Sreenivasan Jain, the chairman of the Bajaj Group said, “We had an emperor on 27th of May 2014. Very few places in the world in the last 20-30 years (have) a success like that in the history of a nation. I am not anti this government. But the fact does remain, the shine seems to be wearing off.”

Bajaj was also critical of the government’s black money law. He said it was drafted with a vengeance. “I think drafting has been done with a clear presumption, which I feel, I can’t say for the whole group. I have no sympathy for people who did that. So, this has been done with a vengeance,” he said.

The Act, enacted after high-pitched politicking, deals with the menace of black money stashed abroad and provides stringent punishment of up to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and penalty of 90 per cent along with 30 per cent tax for wilful attempt to evade tax on assets held abroad by a resident.

Given the tough provisions of the Act, the government has also provided for a three-month compliance window up to September 30 to declare such assets and income held abroad under Chapter VI and pay tax and penalty of 30 per cent each by December 31 to escape prosecution.

“I declare it and then you say it’s an illegal declaration.” If that is the case, Bajaj says, “I can’t declare. I won’t declare. I will take my chances, go to Supreme Court, and fight it out. In my lifetime, nothing will happen to me.

(Agencies)

Joshna Chinappa loses in Australian Open squash

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Joshna Chinappa

Melbourne: Indian national champion Joshna Chinappa did not spring any surprise against top seed Hong Kong player Annie Au and went down in straight games 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 in the quarter-final of the Australian Open squash tournament here on Friday.

It was never expected to be easy for the sixth seeded Indian against the World No. 11. All it took the Hong Kong champion was just 34 minutes to chalk up a win and book a semi-final berth.

(IANS)

Australia A defeat India A by 119 runs

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India A

Chennai: Following their comprehensive win against South Africa A in the opener, Australia A drubbed India A by 119 runs to take command and go on top of the standings in the 50-over triangular series at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday.

Opting to bat was the perfect choice for the visitors who, based on a 239-run opening wicket partnership between captain Usman Khawaja (100) and Joe Burns (154), guided themselves to put up a formidable total of 334/4 in 50 overs. In reply, India A succumbed to the ever increasing required run rate and folded up for 215 in 42.3 overs.

Khawaja could not have asked for a better start for his side as he with Burns struck the monumental partnership which gave the Australians a brilliant platform to put on a big score on the board, which they eventually did.

While the left-handed Khawaja hammered three sixes and 10 boundaries, Burns smashed an incredible 14 sixes and five boundaries in his 131-ball innings. Both batsmen had scored half-centuries in their previous match on Wednesday against South Africa A.

Towards the end of the innings, wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade also chipped in with an unbeaten 21-ball 34 which included three fours and a six.

India A did not start their chase well, losing four top order batsmen even before reaching the 100-run mark. Though the hosts maintained a run rate of five runs or more, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals which led to their downfall.

Captain and opener Unmukt Chand scored 52 before being bowled while Kedar Jadhav (50) scored a half-century.

Indian-origin Australia A pacer Gurinder Sandhu (4/28) and leg break bowler Adam Zampa (4/49) both picked up four scalps each to knock out the Indians.

Next, India A will take on South Africa A here on Sunday.

Brief scores: Australia A 334/4 in 50 overs (Joe Burns 154, Usman Khawaja 100) beat India A 215 all out (Unmukt Chand 52, Kedar Jadhav; Gurinder Sandhu 4/28, Adam Zampa 4/49).

(IANS)

World Food Program to cut funding for Syrian refugees in Lebanon

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Lebanon is home to some 1.2 million Syrian refugees. (AFP/File)

Lebanon is home to some 1.2 million Syrian refugees. (AFP/File)

by Press TV

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has been forced to cut in half its assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon over a budget shortfall.

The agency slashed its economic funds for Syrian refugees, leaving them with a monthly salary of only $13.50, due to a lack of funds.

“Starting January this year, we had to reduce the value of the assistance we give by 30 percent to make funds stretch over a longer period of time. But in July, the funding shortfall became so severe that we had to decrease the value of the assistance we give by 50 percent,” World Food Program spokesperson Dina el-Kassaby told Press TV.

The WFP, which was forced to briefly halt its assistance to Syrians in Lebanon last December, said it was able to keep the program operating after receiving new funds.

“We do need to continue to have help because basically until a political solution is found and refugees can safely go back home, they will continue to need our assistance,” Kassaby added.

The UN agency provides the refugees with an electronic voucher which allows them to purchase food products at various stores in Lebanon.

Syrian refugees, many living in tents and unable to legally work, say the recent cut in assistance has made their situation worsen significantly.

Lebanon, which has a population of nearly 4.5 million, is currently home to almost 1.2 million refugees.

Millions of Syrians have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the ongoing unrest in their country, fueled by ISIL militants.

More than 240,000 people have lost their lives since the unrest in Syria started in 2011.

Series of gruesome child murders shocks Bangladesh

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Within weeks of a 13-year-old boy being lynched, another child was found tortured and murdered, sparking public anger.

Rakib's father said that he sent his son to work to supplement the family's income [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Rakib’s father said that he sent his son to work to supplement the family’s income [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

by Syed Tashfin Chowdhury, Al Jazeera

Dhaka: As air was being pumped into Rakib Hawlader’s body, around the evening of August 3, the boy pleaded to his tormentor to stop, or else he would die.

But his pleas fell on deaf ears, as motor garage owner Omar Sharif, Sharif’s mother Beauty Begum and a man Mintu Mia, continued to pump air into his body.

Although the 12-year-old was rescued and taken to the Khulna Medical College and Hospital, 250km southwest of the capital Dhaka, he succumbed to his injuries on the same night, leaving behind his bereaved family.

Enraged locals who learned of the Rakib’s death broke into Sharif’s garage that night, caught the three suspects and handed them over to the police. People came out on the streets of Khulna demanding justice for Rakib.

The incident was the latest in a series of child murders in Bangladesh, which have shocked the nation and forced the government to take measures to stop them.

“We have arrested all the accused,” Nibash Chandra Majhi, Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner, told Al Jazeera on Thursday.

“[The] investigation is still going on. We hope to file the charge-sheet against the accused by end of this month,” he added.

The details of Rakib’s murder were told to the local media by one of his friends, who was passing the motor garage near the Tutparha graveyard in the Khulna division of Bangladesh.

In an interview with a local news website, the witness recalled how the victim pleaded for mercy from his tormentors.

“When air was being forced into his body [via his anus] with the pump, I heard him saying, ‘Uncle, please stop now, or else, I am going to die,'” the witness said.

Reports said the three suspects tortured the boy after he quit his job at their garage to work for another employer.

The doctor who treated Rakib at the hospital emergency unit said the boy’s intestines were torn apart and his lungs burst due to the pumping of an “abnormal amount” of air into his body.

Rakib’s day-labourer father, Nurul Alam Hawlader, had filed a case with police against the three suspects.

He said that one of the suspects, Begum, used to beat and swear at his son, “for any and every reason”.

Hawlader had moved his family to Khulna from Satkhira three years ago. The impoverished family lived in a shanty along a road in the city. Rakib, a student, was sent to work to supplement the family’s income.

‘Drastic measures necessary’

Child rights experts in Bangladesh pointed out that the deterioration of law and order and the failure to prosecute murder cases of children are sowing the seeds of violence in the country.

According to the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), a child rights group, at least 154 children were killed in the South Asian country between January and June, this year. In 2014, 292 children were murdered while the number was 180 in 2013.

On August 4, just a day after Rakib’s death, three-year-old Sumaiya Akhter died after being beaten by her father and mother, who tried to prove to locals that they are experts at exorcism.

Then on Wednesday, a madrassa student Robiul Awal was beaten to death, after he was suspected of stealing fish.

Children in Bangladesh also become victims of torture, rape, sexual assaults and other violations, according to BSAF.

“We believe that the tendency of torture and killing will decrease in the future, if the accused persons in past incidents are tried under special crimes tribunals and [receive proper] punishment,” Emranul Huq Chowdhury, BSAF chair, told Al Jazeera.

Recently, authorities were forced to act after public outrage was sparked over the killing of a 13-year-old boy in Sylhet district on July 8.

The lynching of Sheikh Mohammad Samiul Alam Rajon prompted protests and activists called for the guilty to be held accountable.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Meher Afroze Chumki, state minister for women and children affairs, said the government is working to “ensure justice” for the victims.

“Drastic measures are necessary now to bring about a positive change in this regard.”

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