Malappuram passport officer removed

Thiruvananthapuram: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday issued an order removing K Abdul Rasheed, Malappuram Regional Passport Officer, from the post on account of cases filed against him by the CBI. The Ministry issued the order citing that Abdul Rasheed's tenure as Passport Officer at the Regional Passport Office had been expired on August 4.K Vijayakumar will take charge as the new Passport Officer at the Regional Office, sources said

Malappuram passport officer removed

Thiruvananthapuram: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday issued an order removing K Abdul Rasheed, Malappuram Regional Passport Officer, from the post on account of cases filed against him by the CBI. The Ministry issued the order citing that Abdul Rasheed's tenure as Passport Officer at the Regional Passport Office had been expired on August 4.K Vijayakumar will take charge as the new Passport Officer at the Regional Office, sources said

US Open: Fourth seed Errani ousted

New York: It wasn't a lucky day for World No.5 Italian Sara Errani as she lost her second round match to compatriot Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-1, becoming the first among the top 10 singles players to be knocked out of the US Open.'I don't know. I think it was the pressure. Everything was difficult for me,' Xinhua quoted Errani as saying after the match Thursday. Errani, who moved up to the fourth seed because of Maria Sharapova's withdrawal, admitted that she was influenced by the move. 'I know all the players expecting from me and I would like to know how to do it. But you have to pass it on yourself and it is never the same that somebody is telling you and not that you are passing the moment,' said the fourth seeded Errani. The 83rd-ranked Pennetta wasn't an ideal opponent for Errani as the 31-year-old had won three of the previous five meetings.

The match went in rhythm for Penneta from the first game where Errani made too many unforced errors. Errani broke back in the second game but Pennetta won four straight games to establish a 5-1 lead and took the first set 6-3. Errani was unable to recover in the second set, dropping five straight games after 1-1 to lose the match. 'I'm not the kind of player who can go there and score aces and winners. If the ball is going in then I'm doing good. For me it is to go there and fight. If I feel that I'm not fighting good because of too much pressure or not feeling good with myself then I won't play,' said Errani about her play style.

Most other seeds did well in their matches. Top seed Serena Williams, second seed Victoria Azarenka, sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki and several others won easy matches to reach the next round. China's 27-year-old Peng Shuai had a tough match against former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 1-6, 6-4, 4-6 to miss the third round. Peng met trouble at the beginning of the first set, finding herself 0-5 down before claiming her first game. The 27th seeded Russian held serve in the seventh game to knock down the first set 6-1.

The Chinese seemed to have become a different player in the second set. The two players had eight close games in which neither was able to break. Peng finished an important break in the ninth game and then served out the set 6-4. The final set went on (2-2) and Peng took a chance to break once but Kuznetsova broke back in the following game to level the scores.  Peng had an unfortunate injury when she was down 4-5. The Chinese couldn't recover from the injury, losing the set 4-6 after saving one match point. In the men's singles, both second seed Rafael Nadal and seventh seed Roger Federer were able to advance to the next round.

US Open: Fourth seed Errani ousted

New York: It wasn't a lucky day for World No.5 Italian Sara Errani as she lost her second round match to compatriot Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-1, becoming the first among the top 10 singles players to be knocked out of the US Open.'I don't know. I think it was the pressure. Everything was difficult for me,' Xinhua quoted Errani as saying after the match Thursday. Errani, who moved up to the fourth seed because of Maria Sharapova's withdrawal, admitted that she was influenced by the move. 'I know all the players expecting from me and I would like to know how to do it. But you have to pass it on yourself and it is never the same that somebody is telling you and not that you are passing the moment,' said the fourth seeded Errani. The 83rd-ranked Pennetta wasn't an ideal opponent for Errani as the 31-year-old had won three of the previous five meetings.

The match went in rhythm for Penneta from the first game where Errani made too many unforced errors. Errani broke back in the second game but Pennetta won four straight games to establish a 5-1 lead and took the first set 6-3. Errani was unable to recover in the second set, dropping five straight games after 1-1 to lose the match. 'I'm not the kind of player who can go there and score aces and winners. If the ball is going in then I'm doing good. For me it is to go there and fight. If I feel that I'm not fighting good because of too much pressure or not feeling good with myself then I won't play,' said Errani about her play style.

Most other seeds did well in their matches. Top seed Serena Williams, second seed Victoria Azarenka, sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki and several others won easy matches to reach the next round. China's 27-year-old Peng Shuai had a tough match against former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 1-6, 6-4, 4-6 to miss the third round. Peng met trouble at the beginning of the first set, finding herself 0-5 down before claiming her first game. The 27th seeded Russian held serve in the seventh game to knock down the first set 6-1.

The Chinese seemed to have become a different player in the second set. The two players had eight close games in which neither was able to break. Peng finished an important break in the ninth game and then served out the set 6-4. The final set went on (2-2) and Peng took a chance to break once but Kuznetsova broke back in the following game to level the scores.  Peng had an unfortunate injury when she was down 4-5. The Chinese couldn't recover from the injury, losing the set 4-6 after saving one match point. In the men's singles, both second seed Rafael Nadal and seventh seed Roger Federer were able to advance to the next round.

Iraq bombings, house raid kill at least 74 people

Baghdad:Car bomb blasts and other explosionstore through mainly Shiite districts around Baghdad during morning rush hour today in a day of violence that killed at least 74, intensifying worries about Iraq's ability to tame the spiralling mayhem gripping the country. It was the latest set of large-scale sectarian attacks to hit Iraq, even as the government went on 'high alert' in case a possible Western strike in neighbouring Syria increases Iraq's turmoil. A relentless wave of killing has left thousands dead since April in the country's worst spate of bloodshed since 2008. The surge in violence raises fears that Iraq is hurtling back toward the widespread sectarian killing that peaked in2006 and 2007, when the country was teetering on the edge of civil war. Most of today's attacks happened within minutes of each ther as people headed to work or were out shopping early in the day.Insurgents unleashed explosives-laden cars, suicide bombers and other bombs that targeted parking lots, outdoor markets and restaurants in predominantly Shiite neighbourhoods of Baghdad, officials said. A military convoy was hit south of
the capital. Security forces sealed off the blast scenes as ambulances raced to pick up the wounded. The twisted wreckage of cars littered the pavement while cleaners and shop owners brushed away debris. At one restaurant, the floor was stained with blood and dishes were scattered on plastic tables.

'What sin have those innocent people committed?' asked Ahmed Passim, who witnessed one of the explosions in Baghdad's Hurriyah neighbourhood. 'We hold the government responsible.' The northern neighbourhood of Kazimiyah, home to a prominent Shiite shrine, was among the worst hit. Two bombs went off in a parking lot, followed by a suicide car bomber who struck onlookers who had gathered at the scene. Police said the attack killed 10 people and wounded 27.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of the Iraqi branch of al-Qaida, which operates in Iraq under the name the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group frequently targets Shiites, which it considers heretics, and carries out coordinated bombings in an attempt
to incite sectarian strife. Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and
Insurgency Center, said the group is increasingly showing 'huge confidence and military capability.' 'Both the increasing frequency, and statistically, the
increasing deadliness of (their) coordinated nationwide bombings in Iraq underlines the extent of their operational reach and the huge depth of their resources,' he said. (AP) 

Iraq bombings, house raid kill at least 74 people

Baghdad:Car bomb blasts and other explosionstore through mainly Shiite districts around Baghdad during morning rush hour today in a day of violence that killed at least 74, intensifying worries about Iraq's ability to tame the spiralling mayhem gripping the country. It was the latest set of large-scale sectarian attacks to hit Iraq, even as the government went on 'high alert' in case a possible Western strike in neighbouring Syria increases Iraq's turmoil. A relentless wave of killing has left thousands dead since April in the country's worst spate of bloodshed since 2008. The surge in violence raises fears that Iraq is hurtling back toward the widespread sectarian killing that peaked in2006 and 2007, when the country was teetering on the edge of civil war. Most of today's attacks happened within minutes of each ther as people headed to work or were out shopping early in the day.Insurgents unleashed explosives-laden cars, suicide bombers and other bombs that targeted parking lots, outdoor markets and restaurants in predominantly Shiite neighbourhoods of Baghdad, officials said. A military convoy was hit south of
the capital. Security forces sealed off the blast scenes as ambulances raced to pick up the wounded. The twisted wreckage of cars littered the pavement while cleaners and shop owners brushed away debris. At one restaurant, the floor was stained with blood and dishes were scattered on plastic tables.

'What sin have those innocent people committed?' asked Ahmed Passim, who witnessed one of the explosions in Baghdad's Hurriyah neighbourhood. 'We hold the government responsible.' The northern neighbourhood of Kazimiyah, home to a prominent Shiite shrine, was among the worst hit. Two bombs went off in a parking lot, followed by a suicide car bomber who struck onlookers who had gathered at the scene. Police said the attack killed 10 people and wounded 27.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of the Iraqi branch of al-Qaida, which operates in Iraq under the name the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group frequently targets Shiites, which it considers heretics, and carries out coordinated bombings in an attempt
to incite sectarian strife. Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and
Insurgency Center, said the group is increasingly showing 'huge confidence and military capability.' 'Both the increasing frequency, and statistically, the
increasing deadliness of (their) coordinated nationwide bombings in Iraq underlines the extent of their operational reach and the huge depth of their resources,' he said. (AP) 

Russia sending warships to the Mediterranean amid Syria crisis: Report

MOSCOW/DAMASCUS: Russia "over the next few days" will be sending an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the Mediterranean as the west prepares for possible strikes against Syria, the Interfax news agency said on Thursday. "The well-known situation shaping up in the eastern Mediterranean called for certain corrections to the make-up of the naval forces," a source in the Russian general staff told Interfax. "A large anti-submarine ship of the Northern Fleet will join them (the existing naval forces) over the next few days. "Later it will be joined by the Moskva, a rocket cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet which is now wrapping up its tasks in the northern Atlantic and will soon begin a transatlantic voyage towards the Strait of Gibraltar." In addition, a rocket cruiser of the Pacific Fleet, the Varyag, will join the Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean this autumn by replacing a large anti-submarine ship.

However, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited a high-ranking representative of the naval command who said the changes to the country's forces in the region were not linked to the current tensions over Syria and called them "a planned rotation." UN chief awaits Syria report  Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday his investigating team would report back this week on the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria as embattled President Bashar al-Assad vowed to resist any US strike. US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he has yet to make a decision on hitting Syria over horrific attacks last week that activists say killed hundreds of people and threatened to draw the west into the brutal 29-month conflict.

A western bombing blitz had appeared imminent earlier this week, but US allies were increasingly reluctant to act before hearing the results of a UN chemical weapons probe. Ban said the UN experts — on a third day of inspections of alleged attack sites near Damascus — would leave Syria by Saturday and report to him immediately. He appealed to divided international powers to work together to head off military action against Syria, where the UN says 100,000 people have been killed and several million made homeless since the conflict erupted in March 2011

Russia sending warships to the Mediterranean amid Syria crisis: Report

MOSCOW/DAMASCUS: Russia "over the next few days" will be sending an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the Mediterranean as the west prepares for possible strikes against Syria, the Interfax news agency said on Thursday. "The well-known situation shaping up in the eastern Mediterranean called for certain corrections to the make-up of the naval forces," a source in the Russian general staff told Interfax. "A large anti-submarine ship of the Northern Fleet will join them (the existing naval forces) over the next few days. "Later it will be joined by the Moskva, a rocket cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet which is now wrapping up its tasks in the northern Atlantic and will soon begin a transatlantic voyage towards the Strait of Gibraltar." In addition, a rocket cruiser of the Pacific Fleet, the Varyag, will join the Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean this autumn by replacing a large anti-submarine ship.

However, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited a high-ranking representative of the naval command who said the changes to the country's forces in the region were not linked to the current tensions over Syria and called them "a planned rotation." UN chief awaits Syria report  Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday his investigating team would report back this week on the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria as embattled President Bashar al-Assad vowed to resist any US strike. US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he has yet to make a decision on hitting Syria over horrific attacks last week that activists say killed hundreds of people and threatened to draw the west into the brutal 29-month conflict.

A western bombing blitz had appeared imminent earlier this week, but US allies were increasingly reluctant to act before hearing the results of a UN chemical weapons probe. Ban said the UN experts — on a third day of inspections of alleged attack sites near Damascus — would leave Syria by Saturday and report to him immediately. He appealed to divided international powers to work together to head off military action against Syria, where the UN says 100,000 people have been killed and several million made homeless since the conflict erupted in March 2011

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un 'executes' ex-girlfriend over porn scandal

SYDNEY: The North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's former girlfriend has been reportedly shot by firing squad over alleged involvement in a porn scandal. 

Kim Jong-un's singer ex-girlfriend Hyon Song-wol was gunned down in front of her family just three days after being arrested for breaching North Korean pornography laws. 

According to News.com.au, Hyon, was among a dozen well-known performers executed with machineguns as they were accused of filming themselves having sex and selling tapes. 

A source said that the accused were executed with machine guns while the key members of the Unhasu Orchestra, Wangjaesan Light Band and Moranbong Band as well as the families of the victims looked on. 

The families of the executed have allegedly been sent to prison camps under the country's notorious guilt by association laws. 

The report said that Kim and Hong dated until his despot dad Kim Jong-il ordered their relationship to end. 

Another source said that Kim Jong-un has been viciously eliminating anyone who he deems a challenge to his authority adding that the executions show that he is fixated on consolidating his leadership, the report added.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un 'executes' ex-girlfriend over porn scandal

SYDNEY: The North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's former girlfriend has been reportedly shot by firing squad over alleged involvement in a porn scandal. 

Kim Jong-un's singer ex-girlfriend Hyon Song-wol was gunned down in front of her family just three days after being arrested for breaching North Korean pornography laws. 

According to News.com.au, Hyon, was among a dozen well-known performers executed with machineguns as they were accused of filming themselves having sex and selling tapes. 

A source said that the accused were executed with machine guns while the key members of the Unhasu Orchestra, Wangjaesan Light Band and Moranbong Band as well as the families of the victims looked on. 

The families of the executed have allegedly been sent to prison camps under the country's notorious guilt by association laws. 

The report said that Kim and Hong dated until his despot dad Kim Jong-il ordered their relationship to end. 

Another source said that Kim Jong-un has been viciously eliminating anyone who he deems a challenge to his authority adding that the executions show that he is fixated on consolidating his leadership, the report added.