Syrian opposition condemns al-Qaida militants

Beirut: Syria's main Western-backed opposition group has warned that the expanding influence of al-Qaida-linked militants in the rebel movement is undermining its struggle for a free Syria.  The warning came yesterday as a cease-fire ended fighting near the Turkish border between the mainstream rebels and fighters belonging to the al-Qaida offshoot known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. During the battle, the jihadis overran the town of Azaz.  As the cease-fire took hold, al-Qaida militants fought heavy street battles against Kurdish gunmen in northern Syria.  The infighting was some of the worst in recent months between forces seeking to bring down President Bashar Assad, and it threatened to further fragment an opposition movement outgunned by the regime. 

The Syrian National Coalition, the main opposition group, condemned ISIL in a strongly worded statement, saying the jihadis' push to establish an Islamic state goes against the principles of the Syrian revolution.  "ISIL no longer fights the Assad regime. Rather, it is strengthening its positions in liberated areas at the expense of the safety of civilians," the statement said. "ISIL is inflicting on the people the same suppression of the Baath party and the Assad regime."  Al-Qaida-linked fighters in Syria have been some of the most effective forces on the battlefield, fighting alongside the rebels' Free Syrian Army against government forces. But the two factions have turned their guns on each other, and turf wars and retaliatory killings have evolved into ferocious battles that have effectively become a war within a war in northern and eastern Syria, leaving hundreds dead on both sides. 

Late Thursday, fighters from ISIL and the Free Syrian Army agreed on an immediate cease-fire in Azaz, activists and opposition groups said. The two sides also agreed to free fighters captured by each side, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.  The deal calls for setting up a checkpoint between the two sides. They also agreed to take disputes before an Islamic council that would soon be established.  The fighting in Azaz and the prospect of al-Qaida militants so close to the frontier prompted Turkey to close a nearby border crossing.

Syrian opposition condemns al-Qaida militants

Beirut: Syria's main Western-backed opposition group has warned that the expanding influence of al-Qaida-linked militants in the rebel movement is undermining its struggle for a free Syria.  The warning came yesterday as a cease-fire ended fighting near the Turkish border between the mainstream rebels and fighters belonging to the al-Qaida offshoot known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. During the battle, the jihadis overran the town of Azaz.  As the cease-fire took hold, al-Qaida militants fought heavy street battles against Kurdish gunmen in northern Syria.  The infighting was some of the worst in recent months between forces seeking to bring down President Bashar Assad, and it threatened to further fragment an opposition movement outgunned by the regime. 

The Syrian National Coalition, the main opposition group, condemned ISIL in a strongly worded statement, saying the jihadis' push to establish an Islamic state goes against the principles of the Syrian revolution.  "ISIL no longer fights the Assad regime. Rather, it is strengthening its positions in liberated areas at the expense of the safety of civilians," the statement said. "ISIL is inflicting on the people the same suppression of the Baath party and the Assad regime."  Al-Qaida-linked fighters in Syria have been some of the most effective forces on the battlefield, fighting alongside the rebels' Free Syrian Army against government forces. But the two factions have turned their guns on each other, and turf wars and retaliatory killings have evolved into ferocious battles that have effectively become a war within a war in northern and eastern Syria, leaving hundreds dead on both sides. 

Late Thursday, fighters from ISIL and the Free Syrian Army agreed on an immediate cease-fire in Azaz, activists and opposition groups said. The two sides also agreed to free fighters captured by each side, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.  The deal calls for setting up a checkpoint between the two sides. They also agreed to take disputes before an Islamic council that would soon be established.  The fighting in Azaz and the prospect of al-Qaida militants so close to the frontier prompted Turkey to close a nearby border crossing.

High-speed suburban corridor mooted

Thiruvananthapuram: The UDF government in Kerala has decided to tie up with Railways to develop a Rs 3500-crore high-speed suburban corridor stretching some 100 km north of the state capital.  The state cabinet Friday cleared the proposal chalked outduring discussions with senior officials of Railways and Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters Friday. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) would be formed for implementation of the project and MRVC would be entrusted with the task of preparing a detail project report within three months at a cost of Rs 10.99 crore.  The railways and the state would bear 50:50 stake in SPVand the project would be carried out by utilising the existingdouble-line track from Thiruvananthapuram to Chengannur and Kayamkulam to Haripad. 

"The greatest advantage of the project is that it would not require land acquisition as it could be materialised by utilising the existing double-line in the stretch," Chandy said.  The vital component of the project would be automation of the signalling system which would enable operation of as many as 10 MEMUs (Mainline Electrical Multiple Units ) in the stretch without upsetting the current traffic, he said. Modernisation of some important stations would also be part of it.  This particular stretch in south Kerala was selected as the tracks in the area were entirely doubled. Also, this was an area where passenger density is higher compared to other parts of the state.  In the case of central and north Kerala, where the track doubling was yet to be completed, Railways had promised to introduce a few high speed trains.  One such service would be between Ernakulam and Kannur, Chandy said. 

High-speed suburban corridor mooted

Thiruvananthapuram: The UDF government in Kerala has decided to tie up with Railways to develop a Rs 3500-crore high-speed suburban corridor stretching some 100 km north of the state capital.  The state cabinet Friday cleared the proposal chalked outduring discussions with senior officials of Railways and Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters Friday. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) would be formed for implementation of the project and MRVC would be entrusted with the task of preparing a detail project report within three months at a cost of Rs 10.99 crore.  The railways and the state would bear 50:50 stake in SPVand the project would be carried out by utilising the existingdouble-line track from Thiruvananthapuram to Chengannur and Kayamkulam to Haripad. 

"The greatest advantage of the project is that it would not require land acquisition as it could be materialised by utilising the existing double-line in the stretch," Chandy said.  The vital component of the project would be automation of the signalling system which would enable operation of as many as 10 MEMUs (Mainline Electrical Multiple Units ) in the stretch without upsetting the current traffic, he said. Modernisation of some important stations would also be part of it.  This particular stretch in south Kerala was selected as the tracks in the area were entirely doubled. Also, this was an area where passenger density is higher compared to other parts of the state.  In the case of central and north Kerala, where the track doubling was yet to be completed, Railways had promised to introduce a few high speed trains.  One such service would be between Ernakulam and Kannur, Chandy said. 

US supporting Al Qaida: Syria

Damascus/Moscow : The Syrian foreign ministry Thursday accused the US and its Western allies of supporting the Al Qaida in Syria as 19 people were killed in blasts that ripped through two buses in the strife-torn country.

In a letter addressed to the UN, the ministry alleged that the US was funding and arming the Al Qaida-linked groups in Syria against the administration of President Bashar al-Assad, Xinhua reported citing state-run TV.

The ministry complained that 'Washington, France, Britain, Turkey, and some other countries' funding and arming the terrorists in Syria constitute a flagrant violations (sic) to principles of the international law and the UN Security Council's laws pertaining combating terrorism'.

Relations between Washington and Damascus are at the lowest since the eruption of crisis in Syria as Washington projected itself as an advocate of the exiled opposition, repeatedly asking President Assad to resign. The relations got further icy when Washington accused Damascus of using the nerve agent, sarin, in battles against the rebels, particularly Aug 21 in the countryside of Damascus.

Damascus has rejected the accusations.Meanwhile, at least 19 people were killed and four others were wounded Thursday when blasts ripped through two buses in the central Syrian province of Homs.

The explosive devices, planted on the road between the towns of Jaburin and Akrad al-Dafnieh in the countryside of Homs, went off Thursday morning, burning two buses and a car, according pro-government media.

The Syrian troops have been advancing in Homs in the past couple of months, infuriating the West-backed rebels who have lost several key positions in the province.

In another important development, President Assad has stressed his country's commitment to the chemical weapons treaty as part of a broader deal between Russia and the US to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

In an interview with Fox News of the US, Assad reiterated Syria's abidance by the chemical weapons treaty, which his administration joined last week, in terms of its conditions that prohibit manufacturing, stockpiling and distributing chemical weapons.

He said, according to the estimates he received, destroying the stockpiles would cost $1 billion and would take roughly a year.

Also, he noted that Damascus's abidance by the treaty had nothing to do with the threats of the US administration.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov Thursday said his country was ready to hand over evidence of chemical weapons use by Syria's 'irreconcilable opposition' and it might be done even before the end of the day, ITAR-TASS reported.

'We hope to do it as promptly as possible, either tonight or tomorrow,' Bodganov said.

He said the Syrian government was preparing data on its chemical weapons that would be submitted to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The Russian deputy minister said it was 'important to wait for the experts to publish the assessments that should rely first and foremost on the information the Syrian side is preparing for transmission to The Hague so that its data would lay the groundwork for estimates and further practical steps by the OPCW'.

He said Russia was ready to organise in Moscow contacts between 

US supporting Al Qaida: Syria

Damascus/Moscow : The Syrian foreign ministry Thursday accused the US and its Western allies of supporting the Al Qaida in Syria as 19 people were killed in blasts that ripped through two buses in the strife-torn country.

In a letter addressed to the UN, the ministry alleged that the US was funding and arming the Al Qaida-linked groups in Syria against the administration of President Bashar al-Assad, Xinhua reported citing state-run TV.

The ministry complained that 'Washington, France, Britain, Turkey, and some other countries' funding and arming the terrorists in Syria constitute a flagrant violations (sic) to principles of the international law and the UN Security Council's laws pertaining combating terrorism'.

Relations between Washington and Damascus are at the lowest since the eruption of crisis in Syria as Washington projected itself as an advocate of the exiled opposition, repeatedly asking President Assad to resign. The relations got further icy when Washington accused Damascus of using the nerve agent, sarin, in battles against the rebels, particularly Aug 21 in the countryside of Damascus.

Damascus has rejected the accusations.Meanwhile, at least 19 people were killed and four others were wounded Thursday when blasts ripped through two buses in the central Syrian province of Homs.

The explosive devices, planted on the road between the towns of Jaburin and Akrad al-Dafnieh in the countryside of Homs, went off Thursday morning, burning two buses and a car, according pro-government media.

The Syrian troops have been advancing in Homs in the past couple of months, infuriating the West-backed rebels who have lost several key positions in the province.

In another important development, President Assad has stressed his country's commitment to the chemical weapons treaty as part of a broader deal between Russia and the US to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

In an interview with Fox News of the US, Assad reiterated Syria's abidance by the chemical weapons treaty, which his administration joined last week, in terms of its conditions that prohibit manufacturing, stockpiling and distributing chemical weapons.

He said, according to the estimates he received, destroying the stockpiles would cost $1 billion and would take roughly a year.

Also, he noted that Damascus's abidance by the treaty had nothing to do with the threats of the US administration.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov Thursday said his country was ready to hand over evidence of chemical weapons use by Syria's 'irreconcilable opposition' and it might be done even before the end of the day, ITAR-TASS reported.

'We hope to do it as promptly as possible, either tonight or tomorrow,' Bodganov said.

He said the Syrian government was preparing data on its chemical weapons that would be submitted to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The Russian deputy minister said it was 'important to wait for the experts to publish the assessments that should rely first and foremost on the information the Syrian side is preparing for transmission to The Hague so that its data would lay the groundwork for estimates and further practical steps by the OPCW'.

He said Russia was ready to organise in Moscow contacts between 

Pakistan arrests 58 Indian fishermen

Karachi:Pakistan's maritime security agency has arrested 58 Indian fishermen after they allegedly strayed into the country's territorial wate

"Despite several warnings the Indian fishermen remained inside our territorial waters leading to their arrest and seizure of boats," Maritime Security Agency spokesman Commander Muhammad Farooq said yesterday. 

Nine boats belonging to the Indian fishermen were also confiscated, he said. Last month, Pakistan had released 337 Indian fishermen, including eight juveniles, in a goodwill gesture. 

Human rights bodies and the Pakistan fisherfolk forum have actively campaigned for the release of poor Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails. 

At present, according to the forum, there are still 97 Indian fishermen and three other Indian nationals, including a juvenile, languishing in jails in Karachi. 

Pakistan arrests 58 Indian fishermen

Karachi:Pakistan's maritime security agency has arrested 58 Indian fishermen after they allegedly strayed into the country's territorial wate

"Despite several warnings the Indian fishermen remained inside our territorial waters leading to their arrest and seizure of boats," Maritime Security Agency spokesman Commander Muhammad Farooq said yesterday. 

Nine boats belonging to the Indian fishermen were also confiscated, he said. Last month, Pakistan had released 337 Indian fishermen, including eight juveniles, in a goodwill gesture. 

Human rights bodies and the Pakistan fisherfolk forum have actively campaigned for the release of poor Indian fishermen languishing in Pakistani jails. 

At present, according to the forum, there are still 97 Indian fishermen and three other Indian nationals, including a juvenile, languishing in jails in Karachi. 

Government to pump more money into KSRTC

Thiruvananthapuram: The KSRTC, which is facing a financial crisis, is to receive a capital injection of Rs 10 crores from the government. 

The emergency fund is to be provided by the government to help the corporation run its services for a week. The government made the move as the financial crisis in the corporation attained serious proportions.

The cabinet, which approved the emergency funding, also approved a move to let out diesel pumps in 67 depots of the corporation to the Civil Supplies Corporation.

Next week, the cabinet is to discuss in detail debts and the financial crisis of the KSRTC.

Government to pump more money into KSRTC

Thiruvananthapuram: The KSRTC, which is facing a financial crisis, is to receive a capital injection of Rs 10 crores from the government. 

The emergency fund is to be provided by the government to help the corporation run its services for a week. The government made the move as the financial crisis in the corporation attained serious proportions.

The cabinet, which approved the emergency funding, also approved a move to let out diesel pumps in 67 depots of the corporation to the Civil Supplies Corporation.

Next week, the cabinet is to discuss in detail debts and the financial crisis of the KSRTC.