Tag Archives: entertainment
Sharif upset over border clashes, calls for peace
Sharif upset over border clashes, calls for peace (IANS) / 9 August 2013 Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed “sadness” on Thursday over the border clashes in Kashmir, and said India and Pakistan must take “effective steps” to restore normalcy on the frontier. Sharif told foreign ministry officials here that he was sad over the incidents involving Pakistani and Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. ‘The prime minister said it was imperative for both India and Pakistan to take effective steps to ensure and restore ceasefire on the LoC,’ a foreign ministry statement quoted him as saying. Sharif’s comments came as Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony earlier in the day formally accused the Pakistan Army of killing the five soldiers in Indian territory early Tuesday. Antony’s previous statement blaming ‘heavily armed terrorists’ and others in Pakistani military uniform led to a storm, with the opposition accusing him of trying to take away the blame from the Pakistan Army. Without referring to the death of the Indian soldiers, the statement said the clashes – two Pakistani soldiers were later wounded by Indians – had flared up tensions between India and Pakistan leading to ‘loss of precious human lives’. Sharif, who took power in June, emphasised that existing military-to-military channels could be more optimally used to prevent misunderstanding between the two neighbours. The present crisis, he said, should not be allowed to escalate. ‘Pakistan … is prepared to discuss steps with India for further strengthening of existing mechanisms both at the political and military levels,’ the statement quoted him as saying. This is the first major diplomatic crisis Sharif is facing and it comes ahead of a planned meeting between him and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. Sharif said it was incumbent upon the leaders of India and Pakistan ‘not to allow the situation to drift and to take steps to improve the atmosphere by engaging constructively with a view to building trust and confidence’. He said he looked forward to his meeting with Manmohan Singh in New York, where he hoped to ‘discuss steps to further build trust and consolidate this relationship’. The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to persist in its efforts to improve relations with India ‘through a constructive dialogue on all issues’. Those present at Sharif’s meeting included Information Minister Pervez Rashid and Advisor to the prime minister on National Security Sartaj Aziz. The Tuesday killings of Indian soldiers and the wounding of a sixth have led to calls in India that further talks with Pakistan must be called off. Continue reading
Six rescued from burning building
Six rescued from burning building Nivriti Butalia / 4 August 2013 Six construction workers were rescued when the under-construction building they were working on caught fire, stranding hundreds of commuters as Dubai Metro services halted for several hours. Smoke billows from the building under construction that caught fire in Downtown Dubai on shaikh Zayed road on saturday. — KT photo by Rahul Gajjar The all-male crew were working on the sixth floor of the building, located 200 metres away from The Dubai Mall metro station, early on Saturday morning, when the fire was detected. The commanding fire rescue officer said his men reached the location of the fire in a record four minutes, from the nearby Al Manara station. “We got the call at 5.54am and we were at the site at 5.58.” He said the six men were trapped in the building, on the same floor as the fire and blackened windows with smoke coming out of them were visible to the onlookers down below. “We faced obstacles getting to (the men), as the space was being used as a warehouse, so we had crates and boxes in our way, but we managed to rescue all six.” He confirmed no one was injured in the blaze. Meanwhile, Dubai Metro services between the Jafiliya and the Business Bay metro stations were interrupted for two hours due to the fire which broke out near the Burj Khalifa. The building is located right opposite a car showroom and a RAKBANK outlet. The Roads and Transport Authority rail operation director Ramadan Abdullah, who was at the site of the fire by 7am said this might be the first time Dubai Metro services were interrupted due to a fire. The extinguishing operation continued for about three hours and by 9am the situation was well under control with the fire put out. The metro services resumed by 10am. Due to the interruption in the metro services the usually desolate Business Bay metro station area was clogged with people and metro replacement buses. A flood of cabs from all five Dubai cab companies had been diverted to the area for people to carry on with their respective commutes. – news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Beggar with Dh22,000 one of 72 arrested
Beggar with Dh22,000 one of 72 arrested Staff Reporter / 4 August 2013 As many as 72 people of different nationalities have been arrested by the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Police Directorate for begging, with several found with thousands of dirhams. One of the arrested beggars was found with Dh22,000 on him while another had Dh14,000, the directorate said, noting the pair were both Arab nationals who had gained the large amount in a short period of time. Of the 72 arrested, of whom 64 were males and eight were females, 33 were residing in the country illegally or in violation of the residency law. Their ages ranged between 21 and 71. The clampdown and arrests was due to the efforts of the anti-begging teams during the holy month of Ramadan with the cooperation of members of the public. The Directorate said there would be no tolerance with people found begging. “Begging is absolutely unacceptable and we will strictly confront it by tracking down and arresting the (perpetrators),” said Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Police Director Brigadier Maktoum Al Sharifi. The anti-begging squads aim to raise awareness amongst the members of the society and urge them not to take pity on such people, who use different approaches and methods to gain sympathy and money. “Begging is an open door for committing crime due,” he said, referring to thefts often committed by beggars who gained entry or were invited into others’ houses. He urged Emiratis and expatriates not to allow beggars to enter their accommodation, and not to pity them. Brigadier Al Sharifi said the public were aware of the reality of beggars as a result of the awareness campaigns by police. He urged the public not to hesitate in reporting beggars by calling the Operations Room (999) or any police station during Ramadan and on normal days, round the clock. Meanwhile, Sharjah Police arrested 191 illegals including 56 Arab beggars as part of its campaign targeting those who practice illegal jobs, mobile vendors and infiltrators. The police arrested mobile vendors who walk around in the streets, squares and public areas selling fake products and expired food items. Some of the illegals arrested were gathering and collecting cans and cardboards. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
