Army’s role in Kashmir to be decided today

SRINAGAR: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet today (Monday) to decide on the partial withdrawal of a special law that gives sweeping powers to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir during anti-insurgency operations.

The key question before the CCS headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be whether or not to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain parts of the Valley as a confidence building measure after months of unrelenting protests.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who backed the proposal to partially withdraw the AFSPA, met Home Minister P Chidambaram and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi ahead of the CCS meeting.

Curfew was clamped in more areas of the Kashmir Valley on Monday as a precautionary measure ahead of a protest march called by the separatists.

Curfew

Turkey referendum win puts Erdogan in pole for 2011

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s ruling AK Party on Monday celebrated victory in a referendum on constitutional reform that was seen boosting its chances of winning a third term of single-party rule at an election due within 10 months.

No sooner had Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan declared victory than he stoked hardline secularists’ worst fears by serving notice that his AK party, whose roots lie in political Islam, would start work on a brand new constitution.

The High Election Board is expected to announce the official results on Monday, but television news channels reported the government scored a “yes” vote of 58 percent versus 42 percent for the “no” camp. The turnout, among an electorate of just under 50 million, was put at 77 percent.

‘Yes’, but it is not enough,” said a headline in the liberal Radikal daily, saying the result showed enthusiasm for change and the

BP sees oil spill claims below $20bn: analysts

LONDON: BP believes compensation claims related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill will be less than the $20 billion the oil giant has put into an independent claims fund, analysts at Citigroup said, following a meeting with incoming Chief Executive Bob Dudley.

“He added that given current estimates of claims the $20 billion Independent Claim Fund (ICF) that BP established probably exceeds calls,” Citigroup said in a research note.

Dudley added the $32 billion provision BP made for the total cost of the disaster remained a reasonable indicator of eventual cost.

Dudley also told the analysts that claims by Gulf states for lost tax revenue related to the spill “should not be too high” as any tax drops due to lower economic activity following the spill would be offset by the economic stimulus of the response effort.

Citigroup said that, following the

Three more gunned down in Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Three more people were shot dead in Ranchor Line and Li Market areas, Karachi, as targeted killing spree still continue in the metropolis, said sources on Monday.

According to police, some unknown gunmen shot dead a 25-year old man named Asif in Li Market area of Lyari.

Separately, a 24-year old youth and another unknown man were killed in Ranchor Line.

“All three incidents are the result of targeted killing and we’ve started investigation,” said police. SAMAA

Train-rickshaw collision kills 5 in Multan

Staff Report

MULTAN: At least five people were killed as train crashed into a rickshaw in Shujabad area of Multan, SAMAA learnt Monday.

According to sources, a Multan bound Alam Express hit a rickshaw when it was crossing railway line near Basti Dad in Shujabad, as a result, five passengers including three women were killed. While two children jumped from rickshaw to save their lives.

Dead bodies have been shifted to District Headquarter Hospital, Shujabad, SAMAA

Two children recovered from Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: After conducting a raid, the Anti Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) has recovered two children from Pak Colony, Karachi and arrested a suspect on Tuesday.

The recovered children include Huzaifa, 9 and Ahmed, 14. Both were kidnapped from Gulshan-e Iqbal and Clifton on August 27.

The family of the kidnapped children was asked for a ransom of Rs. 20 million.

Police has started investigating the arrested kidnapper. SAMAA

Blast In Quetta 2 Children Injured In Quetta

TrendPK.com Blast In Quetta 2 Children Injured In Quetta
:Quetta: The explosion hit the city near Kali Gul Mohammad area on Saturday.
The Blast has caused two children injured. The police has cordoned of the area. The relief workers have reached the place of the explosion, Continue Updating :The Newspk.com