News Network

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- The death toll from a powerful cyclone that hit India and Bangladesh this week has climbed to at least 180, officials said Wednesday.

Cyclone Aila struck eastern India, causing an estimated $8 million damage in one district alone.

In Bangladesh, some 111 people have died and more than 6,600 others have been injured in the storm, said Sultanul Islam Chowdhury from the country's food and disaster management ministry.

Cyclone Aila, which made landfall on Monday, has swept away nearly 180,000 homes and affected the lives of more than 3.3 million people, he said.

In India, the number of storm-related deaths climbed to 69 Wednesday, according to an emergency official.

About a quarter of the total, 20 people, died in landslides triggered by Aila on Tuesday in a hilly region of West Bengal, said Debabrata Pal, a joint-secretary with the state's disaster management department.

Source: cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A well-coordinated attack involving gunmen and an explosives-packed van reduced a police building to rubble in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday.

Amid the confusion and the chaos in Pakistan's second-largest city, various officials offered conflicting casualty counts -- with almost all agreeing that at least 23 were killed. Most were police officers and staffers.

The blast also wounded more than 250, with one hospital -- Sir Ganga Ram, itself damaged by the explosion -- alone treating 128 victims.

Authorities expected the death toll to rise as rescue workers pick through twisted metal and other debris, looking for more bodies. Watch more on the attack »

The attack comes amid a Pakistani military offensive to remove militants from their haven in the northwestern part of the country.

source:cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf

JOHANNESBURG: After being a long drawn festivity breathing effervescence, this IPL 2 gala came to an end. All eyes were set to witness when the curtains were drawn to what has been a uniquely exhilarating experience where sultry siren Shilpa Shetty was supposed to perform with the American R&B star Akon. But she ditched & how!

The southern beauty & co-owner with beau Raj Kundra of the IPL team Rajasthan Royals took a stanch to opt out at the last minute as she was running short of time to set the act in place.

Reports say that at an international platform, she did not wish to present anything less than her best when representing her country India. Due to lack of rehearsals, she regretfully backed out but continued to cheer on as a spectator at the finals.

On the other side, Bollywood bombshell Katrina Kaif, who was also to perform at IPL, represented showbiz firepower in full force, joined reggae music legend Eddy Grant as he sang his anti-apartheid hit 'Gimme Hope Jo'anna'. Alas! Our hopes to watch Shilpa's performance powering quite a punch along with the showbiz bounty were clean bowled this time round!

source:aryoneworld.net

NEW YORK: The UN Security Council unanimously condemned North Korea for testing a nuclear bomb, with major powers vowing new punitive action against Pyongyang for violating the world body's resolutions.

"The members of the Security Council voiced their strong opposition and condemnation of the nuclear test conducted on 25 May 2009 by North Korea, which constitutes a clear violation of (UN) Resolution 1718," council president Vitaly Churkin of Russia told reporters following an emergency meeting of the 15-member council.

Several western diplomats hinted they would seek fresh sanctions against Pyongyang under a new resolution.

"This resolution should include new sanctions in addition to those already adopted because such behavior should have a cost and a price to pay," said French Deputy Permanent Representative Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

"It is important that North Korea pays a price for its behavior, the very serious provocation of this nuclear test."

Lacroix declined to give details on any new sanctions, which he said would be determined through UN Security Council negotiations.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said "the United States will seek a strong resolution with strong measures," calling the test "a grave violation of international law, and a threat to regional and international peace and security."
But she stopped short of mentioning possible sanctions.

"We believe it ought to be a strong resolution with appropriately strong contents, but obviously unless and until we complete the negotiation process, it is premature to say what its contents will be," Rice added.

Japan's UN ambassador, Yukio Takasu, called the nuclear test "a direct threat to the security of Japan and Asia."

He declined to provide details on the contents of the future resolution, although he rejected that it would constitute a "punishment" toward North Korea, saying the resolution would instead provide "consequences" for Pyongyang's actions.

Japan has been involved in stalled six-party talks aimed at shuttering the North's nuclear program.

Even China, the secretive North's closest international ally, expressed "resolute opposition."

Compounding the frustration among world leaders, the nuclear detonation came amid reports that Pyongyang also tested a short-range missile.

UN Resolution 1718, adopted in October 2006 after North Korea's first nuclear test forbids the reclusive regime from conducting any future nuclear tests or missile launches.

The Security Council on April 13 slapped sanctions against North Korea, banning transactions and calling on UN member states to freeze the assets of three business entities of Pyongyang following its April 5 rocket launch.

In response, the North said it was quitting a six-nation nuclear disarmament pact with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. It also said it had stopped cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and reactivated its nuclear installations.

source:aryoneworld.net

SEOUL: North Korea is preparing to test-fire short-range missiles in the Yellow Sea, one day after it staged a nuclear test, South Korea's news agency said.

"North Korea has declared an off-limits area for vessels in the Yellow Sea off Jungsan county in South Pyongan province," it quoted a Seoul government source as saying.

"The North is likely to fire short-range missiles today or tomorrow."

Jungsan is about 40 km (25 miles) west of Pyongyang.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it could not comment on intelligence matters.

The North Monday staged its second underground nuclear test, with an explosive force much larger than the first in October 2006.

It also fired three short-range ground-to-air missiles from locations near its east coast, Seoul's military said.

Several times in recent years, the North has test-fired ground-to-ship or ship-to-ship missiles in either the Yellow Sea or the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The launches are often staged to coincide with periods of regional tension.

North is preparing to launch ground-to-ship missiles with a range of 160 km (100 miles), which use technology based on China's Silkworm missiles.

The South summoned an emergency meeting of top military commanders to review its defence posture, a Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman said.

The meeting would stress the need to heighten vigilance against the North's "militarily provocative acts," the spokesman told.

Source:aryoneworld.net/

According to sources, the assurance was given to a jirga at a joint gathering of local people and Taliban. The jirga representing the people of Asbanr held talks with the Taliban at government primary school.

It urged Taliban to leave the area because thousands of people had been rendered homeless and scores killed or injured a result of their activities and deployment of security forces in Adenzai tehsil.

Sultanat Yar of Jamaat-i-Islami, Khurshid Ali of Pakistan People’s Party and tribal leaders Umar Bacha and Shamsul Qamar attended the jirga.

A member of the jirga claimed the talks had been fruitful. He said the Taliban, who were represented by a cleric from Swat, had promised to start leaving on Thursday.

‘They did not set any condition for pulling out,’ he said. According to the sources, the Taliban called upon people to cooperate with them because they were struggling for the enforcement of sharia, but members of the jirga said their presence in the area had created problems for the populace.

The jirga had been in contact with Taliban for five days and the militants had left Shawa and Kityari villages on its request. Another member of the jirga claimed the Taliban had promised to leave Adenzai by Friday. Members of jirga urged Lower Dir Nazim Ahmed Hassan Khan and Adenzai Tehsil Nazim Mohammad Omar to persuade the government to withdraw security forces and remove checkpoints in the area after the Taliban leave.

They demanded that the government should stop the military operation and pull out troops to restore peace in Adenzai.

Source:dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan