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US government installations receive suspicious packages

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Several US government installations near Washington, including three military sites, received suspicious packages in the mail, the FBI reported on Tuesday.

Besides the military installations at Fort McNair and the Anacostia-Bolling naval base, both in Washington, the headquarters of the CIA, Fort Belvoir and the Naval Surface Warfare Center — the latter three in Virginia — also received suspicious packages, Efe reported.

“The FBI responded to multiple government facilities today for the reports of suspicious packages,” the FBI said in a statement. “Each package was collected for further analysis by the FBI.”

The FBI also said that the packages had been determined to contain “potential destructive devices,” adding that they were apparently mailed from Seattle and announcing that one suspect has been arrested.

The man, identified as Thanh Cong Phan, 43, “was taken into custody by FBI Seattle and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office at his residence in Everett, Washington,” the bureau said.

Authorities warned, however, that it is possible that the suspect sent other package bombs that may not yet have arrived at their destinations, and so it is working with the US Postal Service to either locate such packages or rule out the possibility that they are in the mail.

Despite the fact that no official details have been released about the mailings, it is known that at least one of the objects, the one received at the National Defense University at Fort McNair, contained a black powder – which could be gunpowder – a fuse and a GPS device, although authorities rendered it harmless.

As a precaution, one of the buildings at the military installation, located in southern Washington, was evacuated, ABC News reported.

The sending of these packages comes at an especially delicate time, after Mark Anthony Conditt, 23, sowed terror for several weeks in and around Austin, Texas, by sending at least five package bombs to various locations, causing the deaths of two people and injuring five others.

Last Wednesday, as authorities were closing in to arrest him, Conditt detonated a bomb he had with him, killing himself.

(Ians)

Angry Russians protest over shopping mall fire

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Thousands of angry Russians took to the streets in the Siberian city of Kemerovo demanding a full investigation into a shopping mall fire that claimed the lives of 64 people — 41 of them children.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who flew to the city to offer his condolences to the victims’ families, declared three days of national mourning beginning on Wednesday. He blamed the blaze on “criminal negligence” and promised that those responsible would be held accountable, Sputnik news agency reported.

Deputy Emergencies Minister Vladlen Aksyonov said that rescue workers recovered the bodies of all 64 victims and they were handed over to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

However, relatives said as many as 85 people were still missing, most of them children, according to Interfax news agency.

The deadly blaze swept through the four-storey Winter Cherry shopping mall on Sunday, the first weekend of school holidays, trapping many families who had gathered at a children’s play area and cinema hall there.

Russian investigators said the mall’s fire exits were blocked and a fire safety technician at the complex “switched off the alarm system” after being alerted about the fire.

The cause of the fire was not yet known, but Russia’s Investigative Committee spoke of “serious violations” at the shopping mall.

It said a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire had begun, although reports suggested that it could have been started by a child misusing a cigarette lighter or malfunctioning electrical wires.

A video released by Putin’s press office showed him laying roses at a makeshift memorial scattered with candles and toys. “What is happening here?”, Putin said after laying a wreath at the scene. “This is no battle or an unexpected methane outburst in a mine.”

“People, children came to relax. We are talking about demography and are losing so many people because of what? Because of criminal negligence, sloppiness,” he said.

Putin did not meet with demonstrators in Kemerovo, who had gathered in front of the local administration office to call for a full probe into the fire. They also demanded that officials be sacked over the fire safety shortcomings.

Members of the distraught crowd cast doubt on the official death toll and demanded that the Forensic Examiner’s Office verify the number, TASS news agency reported.

Footage from the scene showed riot police standing between protesters and the municipal building. “A lot of children died. They died because of irresponsibility of management,” said one protester Svetlana Shestakova.

The main slogans were “Truth!” and “Resign!” — directed at local officials. Dozens of people vowed to stay on the square until Kemerovo’s Governor Aman Tuleyev resigns.

However, Putin said “it was not right to apportion blame right away.” He added that officials at every level will be closely investigated.

Out of 64 bodies, 25 were identified which included 13 children. An official in the emergency services said that another 68 people were injured and poisoned with combustion products. Putin also visited the injured in Kemerovo’s regional hospital.

Meanwhile, the head of the city’s fire department Sergei Yakovlev said that the blaze had spread via flammable thermal insulation that complicated the process of extinguishing the inferno.

(Ians)

CM instructs cabinet colleagues against courting unwanted controversies

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Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, being a seasoned politician, took time to brief his ministerial colleagues how to conduct themselves till the assembly election is held and stay clear of unwanted controversies, in view of the fact that election model code of conduct has come into force.

The cabinet meeting on Tuesday was expected to approve certain projects. In view of the announcement of the election by the commission, the meeting confined itself to just ratifying the decisions taken at the earlier meeting.

Siddaramaiah, while exuding confidence that Congress will spring back to power in Karnataka, gave some suggestions to the ministers. He told them about the necessity to be very choosy and careful when delivering speeches or issuing statements. He asked them to desist from making any controversial statements which could harm the party’s chances in the election. He also wanted issues between party leaders to be settled among themselves instead of referring them to state level leadership.

The chief minister is learnt to have told his colleagues that anti incumbency factor is not in play in Karnataka now. He asked the ministers to remain upbeat and spread awareness among the people about the people-friendly programmes of the government. He said that district in-charge ministers will have the responsibility to ensure that the party comes out victorious in as many constituencies as possible in their respective districts. He wanted revenue minister, Kagodu Thimmappa, and rural development and panchayat raj minister, H K Patil, to convene a meeting to assess about the drinking water situation in the state in view of increasing temperature and summer season.

Addressing media persons later, law and parliamentary affairs minister, T B Jayachandra, stated that several ministers discussed the issue of worsening drinking water situation in different districts. He mentioned that the issue of drinking water does not fall under the ambit of model code of conduct. He said that the meeting wanted to assess the fund needed to attend to water requirement like supply of water and digging of borewells. He added that the government has also taken up with the centre the need to grant four month extension to state chief secretary, Ratna Prabha, as she is scheduled to retire on March 31. He said that if the centre does not permit extension of her service, then alternative measures would have to be looked into.

S. Africa to investigate Indian family’s citizenship

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South African Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs said on Tuesday it will institute a full-scale inquiry into the Indian Gupta family’s citizenship.

Terms of reference for an inquiry will be drawn up once all information has been gathered from the Home Affairs Department and Parliament, said Acting Committee Chairperson Donald Gumede, Xinhua reported.


Members of parliament prepare to vote for or against the motion of no confidence against South African president, Jacob Zuma in the South African parliament, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, in Cape Town, South Africa. While the president has survived several such votes in the past, this is the first to be conducted by secret ballot. (AP Photo/Rodger Bosch Pool Photo via AP)

“The decision really is to collect all information to decide whether we need a full investigative inquiry or not. In principle, we are not against it,” Gumede said.

This decision drew immediate applause from the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA).

The DA had requested that the committee launch an investigation into the controversy surrounding the naturalization of the Gupta family, which is accused of collaborating with former president Jacob Zuma and some senior government officials in looting from the state coffers, known as state capture.

South African police have launched a manhunt for some of the Gupta family members, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The DA reveals that more Gupta family members have been granted South African citizenship than previously known.

This information was never revealed or reported to Parliament, as is required by law, the DA said.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and his department only explained the circumstances surrounding the naturalization of five Gupta family members granted South African citizenship and registered as voters on the Independent Electoral Committee database, according to the DA.

The DA will ensure that Gigaba and the Guptas have no opportunity to dodge accounting to Parliament, said Haniff Hoosen, DA Shadow Minister of Home Affairs.

“We look forward to this inquiry and ensure that those found guilty of any corruption will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Hoosen said.

Also on Tuesday, Gigaba refused to take the responsibility for granting citizenship to the Gupta family members.

He told MPs that former ministers of his portfolio should also go to Parliament to account for the naturalization of the Guptas.

The Guptas entered South Africa in the early 1990s, therefore the ministers of home affairs at that time should be called here to answer what were the reasons provided to grant them citizenship, Gigaba said.

The Guptas were naturalized between 2002 and 2006.

The ministers of home affairs at that time must come and answer questions about what were the conditions at the time, said Gigaba.

Gunfight starts in J&K’s Rajouri district

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A gunfight started on Wednesday between the security forces and militants in Sunderbani area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, official said.

“Following suspicious movements in Sunderbani area on Wednesday morning, a search operation was launched by the security forces,” police said.

“As the security forces closed in on the hiding militants, they fired at the security forces triggering an encounter which is underway,” a police officer said.

Police also said suspicious movements were first noticed by the sentry of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalion headquarters in the area who fired in the air after which army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police started a search operation during which the hiding militants were spotted, police said.

SC junks plea for fresh probe into Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking fresh investigation into the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

The bench of Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice L. Nageswara Rao dismissed the plea by Pankaj Phadnis, who had sought re-investigation of the assassination on the basis of fresh material which he said was not available earlier.

The amicus curiae Amarinder Sharan, who had examined the material brought by Phadnis, too did not favour any re-investigation into the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.

Senior counsel Sharan was appointed amicus curiae by the court and was asked to examine the material produced by the petitioner Phadnis and give his opinion.

India Condemns Missile Attacks on Saudi Arabia

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India today strongly condemned renewed missile attacks targeting civilian areas in Riyadh and other cities of Saudi Arabia, and reiterated its resolve to fight terrorism and violence in all its forms.

According to Saudi authorities, one person was killed after seven missiles were fired from Yemen by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday.

“We strongly condemn the renewed missile attacks targeting civilian areas in the direction of Riyadh and other cities of Saudi Arabia. We are deeply concerned about the escalating situation threatening the lives of innocent civilians. We reiterate our resolve to fight terrorism and violence in all its forms,” the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said.

The missiles were fired at four targets, including the capital city of Riyadh, and all were intercepted and destroyed, said spokesman of the Saudi coalition forces for supporting the legitimacy in Yemen Colonel Turki Al-Malki in a statement yesterday.

Fragments from the intercepted missiles killed an Egyptian resident, the statement added.

Mamata meets Pawar, Sena and TRS MPs

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West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met leaders from the BJP ally Shiv Sena as well as MPs from several opposition parties in the national capital.

Banerjee visited Parliament on Tuesday where she met Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. She also met Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP K. Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

The details of the meetings, which come at a time when opposition parties as well as former government ally Telugu Desam party (TDP), have come together to move a no confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, was not shared.

Banerjee is seen as a key player in a possible grouping of non-BJP political parties ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections

CM recommends CBI probe into MP journalist killing

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the death of a Bhind-based television channel journalist who was run over by a truck.



Sandeep Sharma, who exposed the illegal sand mining in the area through a sting operation, on Monday was killed while he was going on his two-wheeler.

“While analysing the law and order situation, Chouhan expressed grief over the death of the journalist. He said to reveal the truth, the CBI will probe the matter,” an official said. 

The truck driver, Ranveer, was arrested and the truck seized. 

Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare on Monday announced that a special investigation team will be set up to probe the matter.

It is believed that Sharma was killed as he exposed the connection between sand mafia and the police. Sharma, on several occasions, sought police protection and had written letters to the Chief Minister, the Governor and even the Prime Minister. 

Karnataka Assembly Polls 2018: When Amit Shah misspeaks..

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Following the two-day visit to Karnataka BJP president Amit Shah in his address misspoke today and said that “if there were ever a competition for the most corrupt government then the (BJP’s) Yeddyurappa government would come first”.

(AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Shah wasn’t poking fun, but he didn’t mean to utter that either about BS Yeddyurappa (BSY), who is the BJP’s candidate for chief minister in the Karnataka Assembly elections. The BJP president simply told its ministerial candidate is corrupt.

Shah said this at a press conference which was held in Bengaluru, BSY – who was earlier CM of Karnataka – and sitting to Shah’s right, leaned over to him, probably to correct him. Then Shah made corrections what he said – that he meant “Siddaramaiah would come first in a competition for the most corrupt government” – but the smash up had occurred.

The Congress couldn’t pass up this opportunity to denounce Shah and it had a field day doing so.

“Who knew Amit Shah could also speak the truth- we all concur with you Amit ji BSY-BJP is the most corrupt!” tweeted Divya Spandana of the Karnataka unit member of the Congress party.

Spandana said in another tweet that this wasn’t the first time Shah misspoke about BSY.

“This isn’t the first time btw- what exactly are Amit Shah’s feelings towards Yeddyurappa? All are not good in the hood,” she said in the tweet with attaching clip of another time when Shah misspoke.

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