Crowds attack home of Iranian opposition leader

Tehran, Sept 03: A website supporting Iran's reform movement says assailants have attacked the home of an opposition leader and wounded one of his bodyguards.The report says Mahdi Karroubi's guards had to fire in the air after the crowd broke down the door of the home on Thursday night after days of gatherings outside.  The Sahamnews website says the attackers were members of the plainclothes pro-government militia that has led the crackdown on Iran's opposition since the disputed June 2009 presidential election. The website reports that the attackers beat one of Karroubi's guards unconscious and he had to be hospitalized. Karroubi was one of the pro-reform candidates who ran against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

24 Indians rescued from traffickers in Malaysia

IPOH, Sept 03: At least 24 Indian men who were found locked up in a house in a Malaysian town have been rescued and two Pakistani men allegedly involved in a human trafficking racket have been detained, a media report said Friday. Malaysian police found a clue to the Indian men's detention from an Aug 30 media report from India and rescued the men from Sungai Siput town, 30 km from here, last Monday.Dzuraidi Ibrahim, chief of the criminal investigation department ( CID) of Perak state, Friday said the raid was carried out following a tip-off that the house was used as a transit point for Indian nationals before they were sent to work in a factory in Penang, New Straits Times reported."Investigations revealed that the men, aged between 20 and 30, are from Uttar Pradesh. It is believed they came here via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) four months ago, before being taken by the two Pakistani men to work in a factory in Johor," he said, adding that they had been promised attractive wages. Dzuraidi said that upon questioning, the Pakistanis said they asked the Indians to pay RM300 ($96) each for taking them to Penang. "While the two suspects were sorting out employment for the group, they were kept locked up in the house," he said.He said both the suspects, aged 25 and 34, have been remanded for a week and were being investigated under anti-human trafficking laws."We will go all out against such activities and stern action will be taken against those found involved in this immoral act." Dzuraidi said all the Indians would be kept at the immigration depot in KLIA for 14 days before being sent back to their country.Authorities say Malaysia is a transit point for international drug and human trafficking. Men looking for jobs are brought here for further transfers to other Southeast Asian countries and to Australia.

Filmmaker Vijay Kumar  denied bond, ordered voluntary departure within 90 days

Houston, Sept 03(PTI): Indian filmmaker Vijay Kumar will remain behind bars without bail on federal immigration charges until allegations that he was illegally carrying brass knuckles in his checked airport baggage are resolved, a judge has ruled.The immigration hearing was held on schedule but the judge denied a bond, and ordered voluntary departure under safeguard till he leaves USA.Kumar has been asked to leave within 90 days. Voluntary bond means that his departure as an alien from the United States would be without an order of removal.Kumar is allowed to voluntarily depart concedes removability but does not have a bar to seeking admission at a port-of-entry at any time.However, failure to depart within the time would result in a fine and a 10-year bar to several forms of relief from deportation. And if he does not depart wihin the 90-day period he will be deported. However, his departure primarily depends on his criminal case hearing on Sept 8. Unless the case is dismissed he cannot leave. If his case is resolved within four months, he can leave voluntarily and can ask to return. Till then the judge has asked him to be in immigration custody.Kumar has not yet been charged by immigration judge. Kumar bonded out on Aug 23 and surrendered his passport to Harris County officials as a condition of his bail. When released, Kumar's visa was revoked. He was then detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, because he had neither a passport nor a visa. At a hearing on Thursday, a federal immigration judge refused to set a bail for Kumar. Federal officials would not say why Kumar's visa was revoked.John Connolly, assistant agent in charge of ICE in Houston, said that Kumar is not the subject of a homeland security investigation. Kumar turned down an offer to plead guilty in exchange for time served because he did not want to jeopardise his chances to return to America, Scheiner said.Now he faces the same dilemma. If his case is resolved within four months, he can leave voluntarily and can ask to return.If the case takes longer, he will be deported after it is complete, squelching his chances to return.Kumar, 40, a resident of Malad in Mumbai, was detained at Houston International airport for allegedly carrying brass knuckles and jihadist literature in his luggage and is now in federal custody since last week. Kumar could get a jail term of upto 10 years if convicted.

Israel-Palestine leaders meet at US brokered peace talks

Israel, Sept 03: Palestinian and Israeli leaders met in Washington on Thursday under the US brokered direct peace talks after 20 months hiatus, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressing them to forget the long history of failed parleys and overcome "suspicion and skepticism". "The decision to sit at this table was not easy... I want to thank all of you for joining us today to relaunch negotiations," Clinton, who is hosting the talks, told Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Praising the two leaders for their "courage and commitment", she said: "We understand the suspicion and skepticism that so many feel born out of years of conflict and frustrated hopes."Clinton, US Special Envoy to Middle East George Mitchell and other US officials were to work with Netanyahu, Abbas and their teams during an intense three hours of negotiations."A true peace, a lasting peace will be achieved only with mutual and painful concessions from both sides," Netanyahu said, adding "We have to get from disagreement to agreement a big task." Netanyahu told Palestinian President Abbas that just as "you expect us to recognise a Palestinian state as the nation state of the Palestinian people, we expect you to recognise Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people." "Mutual recognition between us is indispensible to clarifying to our people that the conflict between us is over," he was quoted as saying by a newspaper.Speaking in Arabic after Netanyahu, Abbas asked Israel to end fresh settlements in the West Bank on land that the Palestinians seek for a future state.Abbas said that negotiations would face many hurdles, but that the goals were clear and the path to an enduring peace was known to both sides. He echoed Israeli and American declarations that a final agreement could be achieved within one year. "We call on the Israeli government to move forward with its commitment to end all settlement activities and completely lift the embargo over the Gaza Strip," Abbas said.The talks came as Islamist Hamas rejected compromise with Israel, a day after militant group's gunmen killed four Israeli settlers outside the West Bank city of Hebron."Today marks the start of direct negotiations between someone who has no right to represent the Palestinian people and the brutal occupier, to provide a cover for Judaizing Jerusalem and stealing the land," top Hamas leader in Gaza Mahmoud Zahar told media. US President Barck Obama warned Hamas of senseless killings to derail the Middle East peace process, saying "the message should go out to Hamas and everybody else who is taking credit for these heinous crimes that this is not going to stop us from not only ensuring a secure Israel but also securing a longer-lasting peace in which people throughout the region can take a different course."Direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke off nearly two years ago in December 2008 at the start of Gaza war."Success will take patience, persistence, and leadership. The true test of these negotiations will not be their first day and it will not be their last day," Clinton said. "It will be all those long days in the middle, when the path toward peace seems hidden, and the enemies of peace work to keep it obscured. But we are convinced that if you move forward in good faith and do not waver in your commitment to succeed on behalf of your people, we can resolve all of the core issues within one year," she said.

Hurricane Earl weakens but still powerful as it smacks US

Buxton, North Carolina, Sept 03: The last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 110 mph (177 kph) winds Thursday on North Carolina's dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and potentially most destructive stop on the storm's projected journey up the Eastern Seaboard. The hurricane's outer squalls began to lash the long ribbon of barrier islands Thursday night. Gusts above 40 mph (64 kph) made signs shake and the heavy rain fall sideways in Buxton, the southeasternmost tip of the Outer Banks.Hurricane Earl's winds were slowing, from 140 mph (225 kph) early Thursday to 110 mph (177 kph), Category 2 strength, by 8 p.m (0000 GMT). But forecasters warned that it remained powerful, with hurricane-force winds of 74 mph (119 kph) or more extending 70 miles (112 kilometers) from its center and tropical storm-force winds of at least 35 mph (56 kph) reaching more than 200 miles (322 kilometers)out.Earl's arrival could mark the start of at least 24 hours of stormy, windy weather along the U.S. East Coast. During its march up the Atlantic, it could snarl travelers' Labor Day weekend plans and strike a second forceful blow to the vacation homes and cottages on Long Island, Nantucket Island and Cape Cod.

Taliban facing financial crisis: US General

Afghanistan, Sept 03: Noting that the Taliban has been driven to desperation around Marjah in southern Afghanistan, a top US general stationed there has said that the terrorist outfit is facing an acute financial crisis. "We have intelligence that indicates to us that he (Taliban) has got a financial crisis on his hands," US Marine Corps Major General Richard Mills said in a video-briefing from the province to the Pentagon press room.The targeting of the Taliban's opium "treasury" and various steps to undermine the terrorist organisation's opium profits has led to shortage of funds, he said.As a result, Mills said, based in sensitive intelligence, he believes that local insurgency in the Helmand province has less than one-half of what they had last year in operating funds. "He (the Taliban) has a cash-flow problem," Mills said, adding that the Taliban does not have the money needed to buy the weapons needed in order to continue conflicts.The insurgency in the region, he said has been reduced from the use of rather expensive Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to simple bullets, which are cheaper and easier to get. "It's difficult for us to judge specifically how much money he has lost. We believe that the local insurgency here within the province has less than one-half of what they had last year in operating funds. We based that on some sensitive intelligence that we're able to work with and some things we've studied," the general said.

Son of Iranian 'stoning' woman urges global pressure

Iran, Sept 03: The son of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, pleaded Friday for sustained international pressure to save her life. "I urge you, please keep up the pressure," said the son, Sajjad, in an interview published in France's Liberation newspaper."Had you not been there, my mother would have already been dead," he added.The appeal came after a similar plea he made to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in which he said: "Your voice has more weight for the president (Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) than ours."Lula has already tried in vain to convince Iran to let Mohammadi-Ashtiani take asylum in Brazil instead of being executed.Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was given the death penalty for an extramarital relationship.Iran has subsequently said she was also convicted of being an accomplice in her husband's death, though she has denied that was the case.Her plight has prompted protests in Europe and an international campaign to spare her. Tehran has provisionally suspended the death sentence but her son told Liberation that a "suspension does not mean it has been annulled."

Over 13,000 have embraced Islam in Dubai since 1996

Dubai, Sept 03: Dubai has witnessed over 13,000 conversions to Islam over the last 14 years particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, a senior official has said.Huda Al Kaabi, head of the New Muslims Section at the Islamic Affairs Department, said as many as 13,946 people from 72 nationalities have embraced Islam in Dubai since 1996.  "These include 10,450 new Muslims from 2005 to 2009," Al Kaabi was quoted by Khaleej Times as saying."When people come to Dubai, they know better about the bright image of Islam, and how it tolerantly meets man's needs in all places and times," she said. While 3,043 people converted to Islam in 2009, the first half of 2010 saw 1,373 new Muslims -- most of them were from the Philippines, Russia, China and India. "The nationality of most new Muslims differs from one year to another," Kaabi said, adding that more women than men opt for Islam. "This year among the converts, 1,098 are women and 275 men. Likewise, 984 of the 1,365 new Muslims in the first half of 2009 were women, and 576 of the 878 people who embraced Islam in the first six months of 2008 were women," she said. Some 391 people from 35 nationalities converted to Islam last Ramadan. According to her, the New Muslims Section provides fully integrated and free services to Muslims, new Muslims and non-Muslims.

Poudyal determined to stay in PM race amid no clear winner

Kathmandu, Sept 03: Ram Chandra Poudyal, the Nepali Congress candidate for the Prime Minister's post, on Thursday underlined his determination to remain in the race even as no clear winner was expected to emerge in the sixth round of voting in parliament on Sunday. Nepal's lawmakers have rejected Poudyal and his rival Maoist chief Prachanda in five rounds of vote since Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal quit on 30th June amid intense pressure from the former rebels, plunging the country into a deeper political crisis in the absence of a government.  Poudyal, the Nepali Congress Vice president, today said his party will not withdraw from the prime ministerial race.After a parliamentary party meeting, Poudyal said it was decided to appeal for support for the Nepali Congress in next round of voting on Sunday. "We also decided to request all those who were neutral during the election to vote for us," headded. Reacting to Maoist chief Prachanda's statement yesterday that he would make some "sacrifices," if he failed to get elected during the sixth round of election, Poudyal said, "Maoists should not sacrifice anything, if they leave the politics of violence, it would be enough." Prachanda, however, did not elaborate on what he meant by "sacrifices". On 23rd August, 55-year-old Prachanda, a former Prime Minister, had managed to bag only 246 votes, with 111 members opposing him. Poudyal, 65, also failed to touch the magic figure of 301, receiving just 124 votes in favour and 243 against, forcing the House to fix another round of voting for 5th September. Out of the total 563 lawmakers who participated in the voting, 206 members, mostly from CPN-UML and the Terai-based Madhesi parties, remained neutral and abstained from voting.The CPN-UML with the strength of 109 and the Madhesi alliance with the combine strength of 84 and other smaller parties have remained neutral and called for a national government. CPN-Maoist, which ended its decade-long civil war in 2006, is the single largest party with 238 seats in the 601-member Constituent Assembly, while Nepali Congress has 114 members in the House whose two-year term was extended by one year on 28th May.The country has been in political limbo since the 30th June resignation of Nepal, who is currently heading a caretaker government.

Mexico:

Soldiers kill 25 in gunbattle near US border

Monterrey, Sept 03: A shootout between soldiers and suspected drug cartel members in northeastern Mexico left 25 purported gunmen dead Thursday, the military said.A reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted several gunmen in front of a property, according to a statement from Mexico's defense department. When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a gunbattle that killed 25 suspected cartel members, according to the military. The statement said two soldiers were injured but none were killed. Earlier, a military spokesman had said the shootout happened when troops on patrol in the town of General Trevino, in neighboring Nuevo Leon state, came under fire from a ranch allegedly controlled by the Zetas drug gang.The spokesman, who was not authorized to be quoted by name, said the troops returned fire at a ranch, known as "The Stump." Authorities rescued three people believed to be kidnap victims in the raid, according to the statement. The military said troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles. Drug violence has claimed more than 28,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon intensified a crackdown on cartels after taking office in late 2006.The Zetas began as a gang of drug assassins but have since evolved into a powerful cartel. A fight between the Zetas and their former allies, the Gulf cartel, has increased drug violence in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states, according to government figures. The Zetas are suspected of being responsible for the kidnapping and killing of 72 Central and South American migrants in Tamaulipas last week, in what could be Mexico's biggest drug-related massacre.