Pak parl passes resolution against 'Charlie Hebdo' cartoons

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan parliament today adopted a unanimous resolution against blasphemous caricatures published by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, saying it is a deliberate attempt to "widen misunderstandings among civilisations" and incite violence.
 

The resolution tabled in the National Assembly or the lower house said: "These cartoons are a conspiracy to widen misunderstandings among civilisations."
 

It also said ridiculing of religion is "condemnable" and termed it against the freedom of speech.
 

The resolution called upon the international community, particularly the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU) and the United Nations community to take action against publishing such material.

 

Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique later led lawmakers outside parliament in protest, chanting slogans. Dozens of parliamentarians, including women, participated in the march.

 

Two gunmen killed 12 people in an attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine that has often angered Muslims over offensive cartoons, in Paris.

 

Undeterred by the attack, the weekly yesterday carried another such cartoon on its cover.

Some religious organisations have announced protests tomorrow against the magazine.

Police quizzes flight crew in which Sunanda, Tharoor fought days before her death

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NEW DELHI: Delhi Police's SIT, probing the death of Sunanda Pushkar questioned the crew of a flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi in which former union minister Shashi Tharoor and his wife had allegedly fought on January 15 last year. The SIT may also question a senior Congress leader, who was on the same flight, about what was the fight all about and what triggered it, said a police official associated with the probe. "The members of the flight's crew were also questioned on these lines," the official said. During his questioning, Tharoor's domestic help Narain Singh had told police that after landing at Delhi, Pushkar had called their family friend Sunil Trakru who had taken her to the five star hotel where she was found dead later. Earlier in the day, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said that the SIT probe is on at full swing. Some of those questioned in the case so far include Narain Singh, Tharoor's family friend Sanjay Dewan, the hotel doctor who pronounced her dead, hotel's staff including its manager. The official also said that police will question in a day or two a woman journalist with whom Sunanda had spoken before her death and Tharoor's PS Abhinav Kumar who had informed the then SHO of Sarojini Nagar police station about the death. After Tharoor alleged police torture on one of his aides for "getting a confession" that he along with the Congress MP killed Sunanda, the SIT is taking precautions before questioning anybody in the case. "People are contacted late in the night that they have to come for questioning tomorrow. They are also instructed not to inform anybody, especially media about it.” "Police also gets a medical examination done of the person before questioning him or her so that any allegation of torture can be ruled out," the official said. "They are called at a spot from where they are taken to a different location. They are not allowed to use mobile phones and the SIT operation shifts base every day," he added. 51-year-old Sunanda was found dead in her suite at a five-star hotel in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014, a day after she was involved in a spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar on micro-blogging website Twitter over the latter's alleged affair with Tharoor.

Censor Board chief Leela Samson quits over Dera chief's controversial film

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NEW DELHI: Amidst reports that controversial film "Messenger of God" featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in lead role has been cleared by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), Censor Board chief Leela Samson said on Thursday night that she has decided to resign.

Asked if she was aware of media reports that the nod has been given by FCAT to the film's screening, Samson said, "I hear so. Nothing in writing yet. Yet, it is a mockery of Central Board of Film Certification. My resignation is final. Have informed the (I&B) Secretary".

There was, however, no official word on the decision, if any, of FCAT.

The Censor Board had referred the issue of clearance to "Messenger of God" to FCAT. The film was slated to hit the screens on Friday.

Asked why she has decided to quit, she did not specifically refer to the reported clearance to the film but said the reasons cited are alleged "interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organization who are appointed by the ministry."

According to Samson, "...having to manage an organization whose Board has not met for over nine months as the ministry had no funds to permit the meeting of members."

She said the term of all the members and the Chairperson of the Censor Board "are over. But since the new government failed to appoint a new Board and Chairperson, a few were given extension and asked to carry on till the procedure was completed."

"However, recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the ministry, through an 'additional charge' CEO, and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values that the members of this Board of CBFC and Chairperson stood for," Samson alleged.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of Sirsa (Haryana)-based Dera Sachcha Sauda said "as per our information, FCAT has cleared the movie for release. But a written order is awaited."

On January 12, Samson had said "it has been unanimously decided to refer the film to FCAT".

The Dera spokesman said the movie "is against drugs and there is nothing objectionable" in it.

The Union Home Ministry has been concerned that the release of the film may evoke protests from some quarters as certain Sikh organisations have been opposing the movie.

The Home Ministry had sent an advisory to states that "various Sikh organisations and individuals are opposing the movie on the ground that its release would disturb the communal harmony and law and order. They also opine that glorification of DSS chief, facing serious criminal cases, should not be allowed".

The Home Ministry said tension between DSS followers and Sikhs always remain a potential flash point in view of ongoing rivalry between Sikhs and the Dera followers.

Fifty more bodies found in the Ganga river

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Unnao: Fifty more bodies were today recovered from the river Ganga in Safipur area of the district even as sanitation workers of Nagar Palikas have refused to further take them out from the river.

So far 80 bodies have been taken out from the river near Pariyar ghat, District Magistrate Saumya Agarwal said.

The body count is said to be more than 100.

The sanitation workers have refused to take out the bodies from the river as they are in a very bad shape, an
officer said.

A team of doctors led by Chief Medical Officer Geeta Yadav is taking forensic sample of the bodies.

The DM said that as per the opinion of the doctors post mortem was not possible, instead sampling was being done for
DNA testing.

She said that as bodies were still being recovered it was not possible to tell the exact number as of now.

Meanwhile, BJP alleged that the bodies were being buried with the help of JCB machine.

State president Laxmi Kant visited the spot last night and demanded proper cremation of the bodies after post mortem.

He also demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter. IG (Law and Order) A Satish Ganesh had yesterday said that bodies which were ostensibly disposed of in the Ganga river as part of last rites by their kin, surfaced after the water receded near Pariyar ghat.

Till yesterday around 25-30 bodies were recovered. 'During preliminary investigation, local residents informed that instead of cremating the bodies of unmarried girls they are set adrift in the Ganga river,' the IG had said.

'Most of the bodies were badly mutilated so it was difficult to ascertain their gender,' he said. PTI

SC grants 3 months extension to Italian Marine in his country

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court today granted three months extension to Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre, accused of killing Indian fishermen in 2012, to stay in his country on medical grounds.

A bench headed by Justice A R Dave allowed the plea of the Marine, who had recently undergone heart surgery in Italy
after the Centre said there was no objection to allow his plea on humanitarian ground.

The bench also comprising justices Kurian Joseph and Shiva Kirti Singh permitted a plea of the Marine after Italian
ambassador gave an identical undertaking which was given by him on September 12, 2014, when Latorre was allowed to go to
his country last year for four months for medical treatment after he suffered a stroke here on August 31.

Additional Solicitor General PL Narasimha told the bench that he has an instruction that the Marine be considered for
his plea provided the Italian ambassador furnish the identical undertaking.

Senior advocate Soli Sorabji, appearing for the Marine, said that the ambassador is ready with the undertaking on the
same terms and conditions. PTI

Nigeria: 150 killed in Boko Haram clashes in Baga

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Abuja: Nigeria's military said on Monday that at least 150 people had been killed in clashes with Islamists in the northeastern town of Baga, giving a rare official death toll a few weeks before presidential elections in which security is a big issue.

Defence spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade was reacting to reports that some 2,000 had been killed by Boko Haram insurgents who took control of Baga and the surrounding area 10 days ago. The military is fighting to reclaim it.

Scores of civilians were killed when the militants, who are fighting to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, raided Baga and a nearby military base. The base is also the headquarters of a multinational force with troops from Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Witnesses who escaped to neighbouring towns and Borno state capital Maiduguri said the insurgents razed buildings and homes and killed dozens of civilians in subsequent raids last week.

Thousands of refugees have fled Baga to neighbouring Chad or been displaced within Nigeria.

"Terrible atrocities have been committed against innocent Nigerians in Baga by the rampaging terrorists who attacked and have been operating in the town since 3 January," Olukolade said at a news conference.

"From all available evidence, the number of people who lost their lives during that attack has so far not exceeded about 150 ... including ... terrorists who were bearing arms and got killed in the course of ... battle with troops."

The military has a habit of understating death tolls, while local politicians tend to overstate them.

"Many residents have left, leaving the population in the town almost seriously depleted," Olukolade said.

Boko Haram has killed thousands in a five-year-old rebellion which is seen as the biggest security threat to Africa's top oil producer and is a headache for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of what is likely to be a closely fought vote on Feb. 14.

A southern Christian, he faces Muhammadu Buhari, a northern Muslim and former military ruler regarded as tough on security.

100,000 Germans march against anti-Islam protests

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Supporters of anti-immigration movement PEGIDA hold flags during a demonstration in Dresden (Reuters).

Dresden: A record 25,000 people joined an anti-Islamic march in Germany on Monday, claiming their stance was vindicated by last week's Paris jihadist attacks. However, the impressive turnout was dwarfed by 100,000 counter-demonstrators calling for tolerance nationwide.

Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier stressed that "Islam belongs to Germany" and announced she would on Tuesday join a Muslim community rally in Berlin against extremism, along with most of her cabinet ministers.

Undeterred, supporters of the self-styled Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident, or PEGIDA, gathered for their 12th rally since October in their birthplace of Dresden in former communist east Germany.

The marchers waved the German national flag and held up placards that read "Fight Islamisation, stop the flood of foreigners now" and "Stop multiculturalism. My homeland will stay German".

Following last week's deadly Islamist attacks in Paris, they held a minute's silence and many wore black armbands.

Some carried French flags and signs that read "They can't kill our freedom" and "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie), claiming solidarity with those killed in the attack on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

These terrorist attacks "can happen everywhere," said protester Juta Starke, 70, who added that she immediately thought "it is Islam, it is the political ideology of Islam" when she learnt of the shootings.

Political leaders had urged PEGIDA to call off their latest rally, saying it had no right to whip up hatred against Muslims in the name of solidarity with terror victims.

"It is simply disgusting how the people behind these protests are trying to exploit the despicable crimes in Paris," said Justice Minister Heiko Maas.

PEGIDA meanwhile spawned its first spin-off abroad Monday, when 200 people rallied against Islam in Oslo.

Activists have also announced plans for PEGIDA-style protests in Switzerland and Austria, while other European far-right groups have voiced support for the movement.

Across Germany, however, revulsion with PEGIDA's xenophobic message has sparked growing counter demonstrations, which Monday dwarfed the anti-foreigner movement and its regional clones.

Anti-PEGIDA rallies drew over 8,000 in Dresden, 30,000 in Leipzig, 20,000 in Munich, 17,000 in Hanover, 9,000 in Saarbruecken, 5,000 in Duesseldorf, 4,000 each in Berlin and Hamburg, 2,000 in Rostock, and smaller crowds in other cities, national news agency DPA reported.

In Dresden, one PEGIDA protester carried a picture of Merkel wearing a Muslim facial veil, mocking the chancellor who has urged citizens to stay away from PEGIDA marches. Merkel earlier Monday stressed that "Islam belongs to Germany", adding that: "I am the chancellor of all Germans".

She said she would attend a vigil at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, organised by the Central Council of Muslims in Germany under the banner "Let's be there for each other. Terror: not in our names!"

President Joachim Gauck will address the event, which Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and other top officials will also attend.

Merkel thanked leaders of Germany's four-million-strong Muslim community for quickly and clearly condemning the violence committed in the name of their faith in last week's bloody attacks in Paris.

"Germany wants peaceful coexistence of Muslims and members of other religions" and Tuesday's vigil would send "a very strong message", she said at a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Merkel and Davutoglu had on Sunday joined French President Francois Hollande and other world leaders at a huge Paris solidarity rally in the wake of the massacre of 17 people by Islamist gunmen.

She said there was still need for better inter-religious dialogue in Germany but expressed her gratitude to Muslim community leaders who "very quickly drew a very clear line and delivered a clear 'No' to the use of violence" following the attacks.

The latest PEGIDA demonstration came after a firebombing Sunday of the offices a tabloid in the northern city of Hamburg that had reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from Charlie Hebdo.

German police were investigating whether there was a link between the show of support for the French weekly and the arson attack but let two suspects detained Sunday go for lack of evidence.

As a security precaution, Leipzig city, which saw its first PEGIDA-style demonstration on Monday with several hundred marchers, has banned displays of Mohammed cartoons.

Close down all quarries at Mukkunnimala: Vigilance

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance team probing illegal quarrying at Mukkunnimala here has recommended that all the quarries in the hill should be closed down. The Vigilance director on Tuesday handed over a report in this regard to the District Collector. The Vigilance also submitted a report to the state government recommending suspension of four officials who facilitated illegal stone mining there.

The Vigilance' stance is that its probe into illegal quarrying at Mukkunnimala will go on smoothly only if the quarries are shut down.

The Vigilance had in its preliminary report found that 35 quarries, 155 crusher units and an M-sand unit were functioning at Mukkunnimala without necessary papers.

The documents of other quarries need to be examined. However, goons and assailants are disrupting officials from gathering evidence. So, the steps for putting the lock on the quarries should be initiated immediately, the Vigilance department has requested the district collector.

Meanwhile, District Collector Biju Prabhakar said that it is impossible to shut down all the quarries. He added that the Vigilance director should specify the quarries that need to be closed down.

The officers suggested to be suspended are former Pallichal panchayat secretaries Noel Raj and Albert, village officer G. S Ajayakumar and district geology officer R. Gopakumar.

All four of them have been arrayed as accused in the case registered by the Vigilance. The Vigilance director made the recommendations based on the report of Vigilance SP E. Shraffuddin.

Illegal quarrying and related official irregularities were rampant at Mukkunnimala during 2010-14.

Mission accomplished in Afghanistan?

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• Slawek Szefs reports on the long-awaited end of Polish combat operations in Afghanistan

At the close of 2014 NATO officially concluded its 11-year ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

Afghan security officials attend the security transfer ceremony in Laghman province, Afghanistan, 11 January 2015. Afghan national forces took over full responsibility for the country's security 01 January, as NATO-led coalition forces ended their 13 year combat mission and started a new phase providing training, advice, and assistance. EPA/GHULAMULLAH HABIBI

A strong Polish contingent - numbering 2,500 soldiers in the peak of its 7th rotation - had been part of the Alliance's multinational operations.

However, as Slawek Szefs reports, it would be difficult to evaluate their presence and actions in a simple, clear-cut manner.

“Problems are still there to be seen, while for a great number of countries which undertook the tremendous effort the mission is a concrete contribution to the development of Afghanistan,” Poland’s deputy premier and MOD head Tomasz Siemoniak said in an interview with Polish Radio.

tags: Afghanistan, audio main, Polish armed forces

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Polish Pope’s close theatre friend dies

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he eminent actress who shared a close relationship with Pope John Paul II, Danuta Michalowska, has died in Krakow at the age of 92.

Danuta Michalowska Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk

Michalowska performed with Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope, in an underground drama company, the Rhapsodic Theatre, during the Nazi occupation.

They exchanged more than 100 letters, including a final note which she received from the Pope two weeks before he died in April 2005.

She was a member of the Stary Theatre company for several years, but it was in her own solo performances in which she gained spectacular acclaim, presenting selections of religious poetry – including verse by Karol Wojtyla – and her adaptations of such works as Mickiewicz’s ‘Pan Tadeusz’ and Pushkin’s ‘Eugene Onegin’.

Michalowska also taught at the Drama Academy in Krakow for over four decades, serving as its Chancellor in 1981-84. Her students included such famous Polish actors as Wojciech Pszoniak, Olgierd Lukaszewicz, Jan Frycz and Krzysztof Globisz.

In 2008, Danuta Michalowska was granted the honorary citizenship of Krakow. (mk/jb)

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