Irene moves to Canada, US damage estimate $7b

In the US, the storm claimed at least 19 lives and caused estimated economic damage of up to $7 billion.

Millions of people were without power along the East Coast after the huge storm — now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone — passed over the Big Apple and headed for Canada.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center warned late Sunday of “major river flooding occurring in parts of the northeast,” after President Barack Obama cautioned that recovery efforts would last for “weeks or longer.”

“I want people to understand that this is not over,” Obama said in a short statement in the White House Rose Garden.

“I do want to underscore that the impacts of this storm will be felt for some time… Power may be out for days in some areas.”

The governor of Vermont, Peter Shumlin, said his state was in “tough shape” while New York state s Andrew Cuomo warned of “tremendous flooding” in the Catskill Mountain area north of Manhattan.

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie said roads and rails were “impassable” in some areas, and much of the state had seen “significant flooding.”

Localized flooding occurred in the south and east of Manhattan, with more serious incidents in Brooklyn, where the famed Coney Island amusement park took a battering and outlying beaches were swamped.

There was heavy flooding along the low-lying south shore of Long Island where high tides, rain and ocean surge drove waves right up against expensive beach houses. Floods were also reported far inland after torrential rain.

At least 18 deaths were blamed on the storm, which first slammed into North Carolina on Saturday as a Category One hurricane, before turning north up the coast and weakening.

Initial property damage estimates ranged up to $7 billion.

The youngest victim, an 11-year-old boy, died when a tree crashed through his apartment building in Newport News, Virginia.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced that New York area airports — John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia and Newark — would reopen on Monday. More than 10,000 flights were cancelled across the eastern United States.

The New York Stock Exchange said it was set to reopen as normal Monday morning.

“The good news is the worst is over and we will soon return to restore and return mode,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, announcing that 370,000 people ordered to evacuate could now go back home.

More than a million evacuees in New Jersey were also headed home, Christie said.

City officials however warned that commuting into New York could be a nightmare this week with no firm indication of when public transport would be back on track following an unprecedented shut-down just ahead of the hurricane.

“You re going to have a tough commute in the morning,” mass transit chairman Jay Walder said.

Walder said buses could start running soon, but subway trains needed extensive testing of lines and equipment.

Irene also left swaths of territory without power, including one million in New York state, most of them on Long Island, according to Cuomo.

In New Jersey, 650,000 people had lost power supplies, while in the greater Washington area, nearly two million people lost electricity. In Massachusetts, 500,000 customers were without power.

Virginia s Governor Bob McDonnell told MSNBC his state had seen the second biggest power outage in its history.

“It s going to be days, perhaps a week, before all the power s restored. We just ask people to be patient,” he said.

About 200,000 households have lost power in Canada, officials said.

Some 65 million people live in the urban corridor from Washington north to Boston. More than 4.5 million customers lost power in that area and well inland.

In Atlantic City, a gambling resort on the New Jersey shore, locals started to put their lives back together, while counting the costs of a weekend shutdown during the high season.

“We were expecting to make good money, but you cannot fight with Mother Nature,” said Riaz Rajput as he removed plywood storm screens from the windows of his shop.

On Cape Cod in Massachusetts, waves of up to six feet (1.8 meters) crashed over some coastal roads, but most residents and tourists let out a collective sigh of relief.

“We re having a little bit of a hurricane party,” said T.J. Wolnar, who was confident his beachfront home could withstand the high winds.

“It s good the storm isn t as strong as it was going to be.”

Hurricanes are rare in the northeastern United States — the last major hurricane to hit New York was Gloria in 1985.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center reported that a new tropical storm, Jose, had formed and was approaching Bermuda.

Gaddafi delivers audio message

Libyan rebels in hot pursuit of fugitive despot Col. Moammar Gaddafi claimed to have surrounded his hideout in a Tripoli residential compound but there was no independent confirmation he was actually inside.

At the same time, the man who commanded Libya for nearly 42 years took to the airwaves to deliver an audio message calling on Libyans to “resist these enemy rats” and urging them to “leave your homes and liberate Tripoli.”

However, it was not known when Gaddafi made the recording – his third broadcast since rebels seized his massive home compound Tuesday. He has not been seen in public for weeks.

With a bounty of $1.7 million on his head, and the rebels determined to flush him out and declare a final victory in their six-month uprising, Gaddafi has become, at least temporarily, the world s most wanted fugitive.

A rebel spokesman said Gaddafi was hiding inside a Tripoli apartment building along with an unspecified number of his sons.

The apartment block was near Gaddafi s compound and a “massive” firefight was underway, with heavy resistance coming from the building, however the Pentagon was unable to confirm the rebel claim that Gaddafi was surrounded.

In Washington, a US official said that the CIA was “collecting intelligence about the situation on the ground. The US government, NATO and other foreign partners will continue to gather information to assist the Libyan people with critical security priorities.”

But Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan stressed the US was “not involved in a manhunt.”

Musa Lane building collapse: Victims’ death toll mounts to 33

KARACHI: The death toll of victims died in Musa Lane building collapse has mounted up to 33 as three more dead bodies have been recovered from the debris this morning, TrendPK reported on Monday.

The work for removal of debris of Musa Lane’s unfortunate collapsed building continues on the fifth day on Monday (today).

Earlier on Sunday, the death toll of victims died in the collapsed building reached on 30 but after today’s three more dead bodies recovery now it has climbed to33.

Meanwhile, a local court has handed over three accused, Imtiaz Shah, Abdul Shakoor and Abdullah, including owner of the building to police on physical remand. TrendPK

Iraqi forces end gunmen’s siege, 45 killed in attack

BAGHDAD: The death toll from an attack on the Iraqi provincial council headquarters in Tikrit rose to 45 on Tuesday and Iraqi security forces ended a siege by gunmen in the building, a health official said.

Jasim al-Dulaimi, head of the health operations centre in Salahuddin province, said three provincial council members and seven insurgents were among the dead.

Lahore’s body builder dies in Badin

BADIN: Lahore’s body builder died here before the first day of the body building competition started.

Lahore’s body builder Muhammad Shafiq, 35, died of a heart attack before the first day of the 59th All Pakistan Shahaeed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Body Building competition started. Other 20 members of the deceased’s team excused the administration of the competition for their participation.

Sindh’s Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza is the chief guest on the first day.

The Master of Pakistan will be selected in three day competition. TrendPK

Tunisia Protesters Call for Change

Breaking News TUNIS: More demonstrations are taking place in Tunisia amid reports of police crackdowns on allies of the country’s ousted president.

Police fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters at an anti-government demonstration outside Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi’s offices in Tunis.

Hundreds of protesters spent the night camped out in front of the building calling for Ghannouchi to resign following the removal of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14.

It comes after two high-ranking officials were reported to have been placed under house arrest.

And the head of a well-known private TV station is said to have been detained for allegedly trying to slow down the country’s move toward democracy.

State news agency reported that Larbi Nasri, the president of a TV station, was arrested along with his son on charges of high treason and plotting against state security.

It also reported that former Ben Ali advisers Abdallah Kallel and Abdelaziz Ben Dhia have been placed under house arrest, with police looking for a third man, Abdelwaheb Abdallah.

And the crowds gathering on a daily basis in the capital Tunis seem set on claiming more scalps from the interim government, ahead of planned elections within six months.

Mohmand: Miscreants blew up primary school

The miscreants blew up a primary school at Mohmand Agency, trendpk.Com reported on Friday.

The miscreants blew up Government Primary School Malik Sherzada on Thursday night. Resultantly, two rooms, verandah including the building got damaged. The number of the schools damaged in the last three years in Mohamand has risen to 70.

Bomb squad releases Karachi CID blast report

A mixture TNT and RDX explosives were used in the Karachi CID attack, revealed the final report by Bomb Disposal Squad issued on Monday.
The report said that a mini truck laden with 300kg explosives was rammed into the building. Hand grenades and gun rounds were also found from the site. The experts stated that a mixture of RDX and TNT ate up the oxygen from the site, which averted the fire. Such a huge quantitiy of RDX has never been used earlier in Karachi.

Initial probe report on CID attack prepared

Staff Report

KARACHI: A preliminary probe into the attack on November 11 on CID’s security compound has revealed that attackers were riding two motorcycles, one white Prado and an explosives-laden truck.

According to the reports, armed attackers first opened fire at the main gate and then hurled hand grenades, leading to a power breakdown in the building.

It further mentioned that one terrorist got out of the white-colored Prado and opened the main gate which made way for the explosives-filled truck to enter the compound.

Two bombers were aboard the truck, one was opening fire while the other was driving.

The report said that security alarms did not work due to the power breakdown caused by firing and hand grenade explosions.

An ASI and police constable who were deployed at the main gate suffered bullet wounds.

Blast hit Karachi Police Building; 20 killed

KARACHI, News Trends: At least 20 people were killed and more than 150 injured when a powerful blast ripped through CID police building in highly sensitive area of Karachi.
Defunct Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility of the blast.

The explosion took place close to a police building that is not far from the heavily fortified US consulate in Karachi. The Chief Minister House, offices of the security agencies, five star hotels and embassies are also situated in the red zone.

Officials said the CID police building which was demolished completely was apparently target of attackers.

Officials say it might be a car bomb blast that created a wide pit in the ground. Firing was also reported for 10 to 15 minutes before the blast hit the building.

At least 28 people, most of them policemen, are said to be killed in the incident. The death toll may rise.

TV footages showed bloodied victims leaving the scene and security officers searching through the debris of a building. Huge smoke covered the area.

Ambulances and rescue teams thronged to the spot and transferred the deadbodies and injured to hospitals where emergency has been declared.

More than 80 injured were ferried to Jinnah and Civil Hospitals.

The explosion shattered window panes of dozens of buildings. Several houses around the blast site were badly damaged and shaken up after very loud bang hit the CID police office.

A heavy contingent of police and law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area. Nature of the blast has not so far been established.

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