Taliban return to Afghan town that rose up and drove out its leaders

Insurgents now control about 80% of Gizab district in Uruzgan province four years after successful revolt, sources say

Gizab residents gather to watch helicopters from the 82nd Airborne Division bringing supplies to Australian and Afghan soldiers and police. Photograph: LT Aaron Oldaker/Australian government department

Sune Engel Rasmussen in Tarin Kot-Monday 27 October 2014 

When the people of Gizab district rose up and ousted their Taliban rulers four years ago, international forces touted the district as a success story of civil courage and a milestone in the decade-long war. But now the district in Uruzgan, central Afghanistan, is about to fall back under the control of the insurgents, according to officials and community leaders.

The insurgent offensive comes a year after international troops withdrew from Uruzgan, and as UK troops are closing their largest base in Helmand, another embattled province in the south. A month of intense fighting in Gizab has displaced up to 500 families, and Taliban fighters are forcing residents to provide them with food and transportation and threatening people to stop them cooperating with the government, elders from the area said.

“The Taliban are using people as shields and are firing on security forces from civilian houses,” said Haji Abdur Rab, head of Gizab’s development council.

Wedged into the top corner of Uruzgan province, Gizab lies about 62 miles north of Tarin Kot, the provincial capital. Roads leading here are unpaved, making the transfer of food and weapons and the evacuation of the wounded difficult. To add to the troubles, the national army only has three helicopters, one of which is currently defunct, to support Uruzgan and three other provinces. According to Colonel Rasul Kandahari, commander of the Afghan national army’s 4th brigade in Uruzgan, the helicopters have little capacity beyond airlifting bodies from the battlefield.

After insurgents cut off all roads to the district capital, security forces now await air support from the government. So far, however, the unrest in Gizab has failed to trigger a reaction from Kabul.

Estimates of casualties vary widely. While the police chief’s office in Tarin Kot claimed only a couple of people had been wounded and killed, the provincial governor, Amanullah Khan Timuri, said non-civilian casualties had reached 70, distributed equally on each side.

A western official familiar with security in the region, who is not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said Gizab was the most insecure district of Uruzgan. More than a third of clashes in Gizab this year have reportedly occurred within the past month.

Iraqi security forces and Kurds gain ground against Islamic State

Shi'ite fighters and Iraqi army members ride in vehicles during a patrol in Jurf al-Sakhar October 25, 2014. 

 A Shi'ite fighter aims using a sniper rifle during a patrol in Jurf al-Sakhar October 25, 2014. 

BY AHMED RASHEED AND ISABEL COLES-BAGHDAD/ARBIL Iraq Sat Oct 25, 2014

(Reuters) - Iraqi government forces and Shi'ite militias seized control of the strategic town of Jurf al-Sakhar near Baghdad from Islamic State on Saturday and Kurdish fighters made gains in the north after heavy coalition air strikes against the Sunni militants.
Iraqi Security Forces and Kurds Gain Ground Against Islamic State by Thavam Ratna

Suicide Bomber Kills 27 Shi'ite Militiamen In Town Near Baghdad: Police

Monday, 27 October 2014 (6 hours ago)

Army and police sources said, a suicide bomber killed at least 27 Shi'ite militiamen on the outskirts of the Iraqi town of Jurf al-Sakhar on Monday, a day after security forces pushed Islamic State militants out the area. The attacker, driving an army vehicle packed with explosives, also wounded 60 Shi'ite militiamen, who had helped government forces retake the town just south of the capital.



Suicide car bomber strikes Iraqi town after battles to drive back Islamic State

By Brian Murphy October 27 at 7:52 AM

A suicide attacker driving an apparently looted Humvee triggered a blast Monday outside an Iraqi town where government forces recently drove back Islamic State militants, reports said. At least 24 people were killed and dozens injured.

The town, Jurf al-Sakhar, about 40 miles southwest of Baghdad, has been the scene of heavy battles for several days against entrenched Islamic State fighters, who had held the area since July as another foothold close to the Iraqi capital.

The area also is a critical route ahead of annual Shiite religious pilgrimages. The Islamic State, which considers Shiites apostates, is expected to attempt to target the observances that culminate in nearly November.

Iraqi military units — backed by Shiite militias — said they reclaimed the town after offensives began late last week. The Islamic State fighters, however, appeared to strike back Monday with a bomb-rigged Humvee, reports said.

The Associated Press quoted police and medical officials saying at least 24 people were killed when the vehicle — presumably captured from the Iraqi military — detonated at a checkpoint guarded by Shiite militiamen. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media.

The Reuters news agency, also citing police sources, reported at least 27 were killed.

Jurf al-Sakhar is part of predominantly Sunni territory that runs just south of Baghdad. Shiite pilgrims traditionally past through the area en route to the holy city of Karbala.

Iraqi forces and allied militias — aided by U.S.-led airstrikes — have tried to push back Islamic State fighters from areas near Baghdad as part of wider battles against the militants across Iraq and Syria.

Warplanes from the United States and allies carried out at least four airstrikes since Sunday in Iraq, including Islamic State strongholds near Fallujah, west of Baghdad, and the oil refinery hub of Baiji to the north of the capital, U.S. Central Command said.

In Syria, U.S. airstrike concentrated on Islamic State targets around the town of Kobane near the Turkish border. American air attacks have increased sharply around Kobane in attempts to weaken Islamic State fighters battling the Syrian Kurdish defenders.

Brian Murphy joined the Post after more than 20 years as a foreign correspondent and bureau chief for the Associated Press in Europe and the Middle East. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has written three books.

Children of the Caliphate

The Islamic State is raising an army of child soldiers, and the West could be fighting them for generations to come.

• BY KATE BRANNEN-OCTOBER 27, 2014

They stand in the front row at public beheadings and crucifixions held in Raqqa, the Islamic State's stronghold in Syria. They're used for blood transfusions when Islamic State fighters are injured. They are paid to inform on people who are disloyal or speak out against the Islamic State. They are trained to become suicide bombers. They are children as young as 6 years old, and they are being transformed into the Islamic State's soldiers of the future.
Children of the Caliphate by Thavam Ratna

South Korea ferry disaster: prosecutors seek death penalty for captain

Prosecution tells court Lee Joon-seok should be sentenced to death after more than 300 killed in capsized ferry

South Korea prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Lee Joon-seok, captain of the Sewol ferry that sank in April with the loss of more than 300 lives. Photograph: Park Chul-hong/AP

Reuters in Gwangju-Monday 27 October 2014

South Korean prosecutors have sought the death penalty for the captain of a ferry that capsized in April, leaving 304 people, most of them schoolchildren, dead or missing.

Lee Joon-seok, 68, has been charged with homicide. The prosecution told the court he should be sentenced to death for failing to carry out his duty, before resting its case in a trial that has taken place amid intense public anger towards the crew.

Lee was among 15 accused of abandoning the sharply listing ferry after telling the passengers to stay put in their cabins. Four, including the captain, face homicide charges.

The rest face lesser charges, including negligence. A three-judge panel is expected to announce its verdicts in November. No formal pleas have been made but Lee has denied intent to kill.

There have been no executions in South Korea since 1997 despite several death sentences in recent years.

“Lee supplied the cause of the sinking of the Sewol … he has the heaviest responsibility for the accident,”said lead prosecutor Park Jae-eok. “We ask that the court sentence him to death.”

The prosecutors sought life sentences for the other three charged with homicide, and prison terms varying from 15 to 30 years for the rest.

The Sewol capsized and sank on a routine voyage on 16 April, triggering an outpouring of nationwide grief and sharp criticism of the government of President Park Geun-hye for its handling of the rescue operation. The crew members on trial have said they thought it was the coastguard’s job to evacuate passengers.

India prosecutes "black money" suspects, more to come

BY SUCHITRA MOHANTY AND ADITYA KALRA-Mon Oct 27, 2014

(Reuters) - The government said on Monday that several individuals, including a former director of consumer goods maker Dabur Ltd, were being prosecuted on suspicion of hiding undeclared cash outside the country, a court filing showed.

The government disclosed names of one company, Timblo Private Ltd, and seven individuals suspected of violating tax laws. Two of those named denied wrongdoing, while one director at Timblo said she would react after reading the court filing. Four other Timblo directors could not be reached.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government says it wants to bring back illicit funds deposited by Indians in banks outside the country. Such funds, often hidden abroad to avoid local tax, are widely referred to in India as "black money".

The opposition accuses the government of exploiting the issue for electoral gain, and of waging a vendetta against politicians linked to the last Congress government that was ousted by Modi in a general election in May.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in an Oct. 21 television interview that the Congress would be "embarrassed" by the names of suspects when they are revealed in court. Tax treaties bar the disclosure of names until charges are framed.

"The government will disclose names against whom we have prosecutable evidence," Jaitley told reporters on Monday, referring to other cases still under investigation.

Monday's court filing named Pradip Burman, a former Dabur director; Pankaj Lodhiya, a bullion trader; and Goa-based miner Timblo Private Ltd, along with five directors who share the same family name of Timblo - Radha, Chetan, Rohan, Anna and Mallika.

Prosecution of those named has been launched under the income tax law, the government said in a filing to the Supreme Court that was seen by Reuters.

"Several more cases are under process and the names of persons prosecuted will become public in due course," the filing also said.

LEGALLY OPENED

Dabur denied wrongdoing, saying Burman's account was opened legally when he was not a resident of India. The company's shares fell as much as 8.9 percent before ending with a loss of 3 percent.

Lodhiya told a news channel he had no bank account outside India. Calls to his office outside working hours went unanswered. Radha Timblo, a company director, told a television channel she would issue a statement after reading the court filing. The four other named directors could not immediately be reached.

Illegal deposits abroad cost billions of dollars in lost revenue and Modi had promised his government would change laws or enact new measures to bring back such funds. On taking office, he appointed a panel to investigate the matter.

While there is no official estimate of the amount of money illegally deposited abroad, Washington-based think-tank Global Financial Integrity has estimate India suffered $344 billion in illicit fund outflows between 2002 and 2011.

India has worked with countries including Switzerland to obtain information about its citizens who it believes may be hiding unaccounted money in offshore financial centres. Switzerland has shown willingness to help, the government says.

"This development is very significant. Earlier, the Swiss government had not agreed to provide any information in such cases," the government said in the court document.

(Additional reporting by Manoj Kumar in New Delhi and Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Writing by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Douglas Busvine and David Holmes)

'I didn't attack PM, I just brushed into him' - Leeds runner

MONDAY 27 OCTOBER 2014

A man who appeared to collide with David Cameron, sparking a security alert, says it was more of a case of "brushing into someone while running".

Mr Cameron, who had spoken about the second phase of the £50bn HS2 project, was leaving Leeds civic hall, when Dean Balboa Farley collided with him.

West Yorkshire Police said that there was "nothing sinister" about the incident, adding that the 28-year-old was "just a man in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Chief Inspector Derek Hughes said: "No threats were made, and after the man's details were checked, he was de-arrested and allowed on his way". But the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said it was launching an investigation.

A Met spokesman said: "The man was arrested by local officers and was later de-arrested. The MPS specialist protection command is responsible for the personal protection of the prime minister and will now conduct a review of the incident in consultation with West Yorkshire Police."

Mr Farley, who was pictured wearing a T-shirt with the metal band Tintagel, was reported to have been on his way to the local gym.

On his Facebook page, he said there had been suggestions that he had attacked Mr Cameron, which was untrue. It was more of a case of "brushing into someone while running".

Video showed Mr Cameron apparently brace himself as he was approached at speed, before a bodyguard intervened to grapple with the man.

But Tory MP Mark Pritchard demanded a full investigation into how the Metropolitan Police security team allowed him to get so close to the prime minister.

He called for the Met's commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to launch an immediate internal inquiry.

Mark Pritchard @MPritchardMP

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Met Police close protection officers are some of the best in the world, but what if the protester had been carrying a knife? Inquiry needed

9:52 AM - 27 Oct 2014

He later said in a statement: "With the terror threat level increased, this cannot be allowed to happen again. The Met Commissioner should call an immediate and swift internal inquiry to discover why this happened and implement the necessary lessons learned as quickly as possible."

The Best & Worst Sleeping Positions (Infographic)

Oct 25, 2014

Sleep is very important to all of us. In the past few years, sleep disorder has emerged as a global health concern. It has been reported in the latest study that over 150 million people worldwide are suffering from various kinds of sleep disorders. The Sleeping position of a person is one of the most important causes contributing to a sound sleep. Sleep disorders are contributing to a greater number of people who are at risk of chronic  mental disorders and large health problems which can cause challenges in a person’s daily life and relationship.

The sleeping position is the posture that the body has during or prior to sleeping. The sleeping position has a definite impact on the health and well being  of the person. Research has shown that there is a correlation between the sleeping position and the personality of an individual. It has been noticed that sleeping position also affects the relationships of a person.

Best Sleeping Positions:

The three main sleeping positions that have been identified by sleep specialists are: Sleeping on the side, sleeping on the back, and sleeping on the stomach. The info graphics below show these three sleeping positions assumed by a person.

Each sleeping position has its own set of pros and cons.

Sleeping On The Back

It has been observed that sleeping on the back prevents backaches and neck pain. It minimizes acid reflux. This position also minimizes wrinkles and helps maintain perky breasts in women. On the flip side, sleeping on the back worsens snoring. It has also been observed that sleeping on ones back might also result in sleep apnea, which can cause a regular discomfort during normal sleep hours. Those people who prefer to sleep on their back can make some minor changes to this sleeping position which would allow them a sound sleep. One can place a soft pillow or a rolled up towel under the knee to support the natural curve of the body.

Sleeping On The Side

Sleep specialists mostly ask their patients to sleep on the side. Sleeping on the side is considered extremely good for the overall health and well being of a person. It allows the body to rest in a comfortable position and allows the sleeper to experience uninterrupted sleep. Sleeping on the side prevents neck pain and back aches, minimizes acid reflux, reduces snoring and improves circulation during pregnancy.  This best position to sleep also helps in alleviating insomnia  and chronic deprivation of sleep. On the flip side, it worsens wrinkles and causes sagging of the breasts.

Sleeping On Your Stomach

Sleep specialists do not recommend this sleeping on the stomach position as it increases restlessness and causes great discomfort to the body. The person usually keeps on tossing and turning to sleep soundly.

Sleeping on your stomach reduces snoring and excessive sleep during pregnancy. This good sleeping posture is likely to cause neck and back pain. It is also known to worsen wrinkles and cause the breasts to sag more. One can sleep on the stomach using  an extremely soft pillow so that the head rests comfortably.

Disappeared’ To Be Held Tomorrow

26/10/2014 

Two posters had been pasted in Negombo area and in Colombo , yesterday (25th Oct) night calming that organisers and resources persons of the Remembrance of the Disappeared to be held on 27th in Negomabo are selling the disappeared for dollars. The photos of Victor Ivan ( Guest speaker for tomorrow,) Nimalka Fernando, Herman Kumara, Jayathilaka Bandara , Freddy Gamage, Philip disanayaka and some of Our staff of the Right to Life organisation. Posters have been pasted near the houses of those accused by the posters.

Organisers are expecting disruptive activities by these extreme forces with the support of the Government and military intelligence. The event will go ahead despite these threats, Brito Fernando affirmed in an e mail communication.

Invitation to the event:

Currently, Sri Lanka is ranked the third in the world for having a high number of Disappearances on different grounds. The law is silent in this regard and the aggrieved parties have no redress. There was no party that came forward to have such a Remembrance of the Disappeared until the year 2000. The Disappearances in this country have seen no end till this day

Since there was no discussion or any commemoration of the Disappeared, the Collective of the Families of the Disappeared proclaimed a day to commemorate those who disappeared since 1991. They proclaimed 27th October of every year as The Day of the Disappeared, and in the year 2000 a Memorial was erected for the memory of the Disappeared. The ‘Wall of Tears’ built along with this Memorial contains photographs of 433 Disappeared persons.

The invitation for the 24th Commemoration and the agenda is attached hereto for your information. There will be ten family members from the north and south who will speak about their plight on this day. Among them family members of victims from Mannar, Mullathivu, Vavuniya, Colombo, Negombo, Hambanthota, Anuradhapura and Eastern province will speak about their victimized sons and husbands. So,We kindly request you to cover the 24th commemoration of the Disappeared which will be held on 27th October from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at Seeduwa-Raddoluwa junction near the Memorial for the Disappeared. Also you are invited to cover this occasion and attend the press conference between 10.40 a.m. and 11.40 a.m.

This is organized by the Families of the Disappeared.

Rajapaksa Has Given 20,000 Land Deeds And Permits Unlawfully – M.A. Sumanthiran

HON. M.A. SUMANTHIRAN ON THE LAND ALIENATION BILL-26/10/2014 

The Bill that has been presented in the preamble says that first, it is in furtherance of the development policies being promoted by the Government and in the backdrop of a globally integrated environment that it is deemed expedient and necessary to ensure the prudent use of land which is a limited resource. Now this ideal is most welcome and the Bill as a whole, or at least in the direction that it moves, is a welcome one. But there are several inadequacies in this; several shortcomings in this. During the course of my speech I will endeavour to identify some of those. 

Rajapaksa Has Given 20,000 Land Deeds and Permits Unlawfully – M.a. Sumanthiran by Thavam Ratna

Democracy And Good Governance: The Little Red Riding Hood Of Sri Lanka

By Rajasingham Narendran -October 26, 2014

Dr. Rajasingham Narendran

I remembered the ‘Little red Riding Hood’ story by brothers Grimm, last night, while reading the highlights of  MR’s latest budget , that is a prelude to the next presidential elections.

“She was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open, and when she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling that she said to herself: ‘Oh dear! how uneasy I feel today, and at other times I like being with grandmother so much.’ She called out: ‘Good morning,’ but received no answer; so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange.

‘Oh! Grandmother,’ she said, ‘what big ears you have!’

‘All the better to hear you with, my child,’ was the reply.

‘But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!’ she said.

‘All the better to see you with, my dear.’

‘But, grandmother, what large hands you have!’

‘All the better to hug you with.’

‘Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!’

‘All the better to eat you with!’

And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up Red Riding Hood. “

MR and his government that have stalked and devoured everything decent , principled, constitutional and legitimate in this country and provided the worst governance we have ever seen, and insulted the peoples intelligence,  tested their capacity to bear the cost of living, corruption, nepotism, injustice, lawlessness , pompousness, arrogance, unaccountability and extremely bad governance, have come with a ‘Unstoppable Sri Lanka’ budget.  Will the trajectory that has been set for this country by this government in the past five years be unstoppable?

This budget is designed to deceive and devour the people, like the sweet talk of the bad wolf dressed in old grandma’s garments.  The large ears, the big mouth, the big paws and the hideously large mouth with big sharp teeth and a very long tongue behind this budget are quite visible. We know how we will be devoured, if MR and his government are elected or proclaim themselves elected for third terms.  Will we be the nation of ‘Little Red Riding Hoods’ who went looking for flowers and birds in the present budget as schemed by MR and his government, while the bad wolf that has already devoured the grandmother,  is waiting for our approval to devour us?

As the President proudly pronounced it is a Godaya’s magic that assumes that most Sri Lankans are village mutts (Gam Modayas)!

UNP fully supportive of pushing through JHU’s 19th Amendment

— Ranil 

By Saman Indrajith-October 25, 2014

UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said in Parliament that his party would fully support the passing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution proposed by JHU’s Ven Aturaliye Ratana Thera to reduce the powers of executive presidency if the government brings it as an urgent Bill in November this year.

Wickremesinghe, raising a point of order, demanded to know the government’s position on the proposed 19th amendment to the Constitution. "There were some stories on websites that the Government plans to introduce the 19th Amendment proposed by JHU MP Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera to Parliament next month. The UNP supports this Bill but we would like the government to discuss it with us before it is presented to the House."

He asked whether the government was ready to bring up the proposed amendment next month prior to the forthcoming Presidential polls and wanted to know whether the latter had plans to bring about it as an urgent bill. "If so, I think it is better if the government and we can sit together and discuss about it before it is presented in Parliament. We are also supporting Rathana Thera’s proposed19th Amendment to the Constitution," he said.

Government MPs interrupted the UNP leader and accused him of planting stories in websites and later raising them in Parliament.

Galle District MP Manusha Nanayakkara: "This is a story that you have planted in a news web. Now you raise the same issue here."

Wickremesinghe: "I have not issued or planted any story in any news site. All I wanted to know from the government was whether there is such a move. If there is any move to bring it, we can discuss and pass it in Parliament without wasting time debating it because we are in agreement with most of the recommendations and have decided to support the 19th Amendment proposals.

"I just wanted to avoid unpleasant scenes occurring like when government brought in the 18th Amendment. The Leader of the House is in the chamber and he can respond to me and I don’t know why all other backbenchers got worked up."

Leader of the House, Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the Government would not act on gossip or rumours.  "If we want to introduce the Bill, we will do it. We are not swayed by gossip and rumors that appear on different websites".