Singapore riot: Activists call for probe
Singapore: A group of civil society volunteers on Wednesday called for a full-fledged probe into allegations of police assault against protesters detained following the December 8 riots erupted after foreign workers, including Indians, went on a rampage here. The group ‘Workfair Singapore’ said the allegations were extremely grave and deserve the full investigative weight of the authorities.
Egypt, Tunisia assets frozen for three more yrs
Geneva: The Swiss Government said ton Wednesday it has decided to keep 760 million Swiss francs ($858 million) in Egyptian and Tunisian assets frozen for three more years. Switzerland’s seven-member Federal Council, which includes the president and other ministers, said the decision applies to the 700 million francs held by former President Hosni Mubarak and his aides and another 60 million francs that were linked to Tunisia’s former autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
UK Sikhs approach court to stop meat plant
london: Hundreds of British Sikhs up in arms against the proposal to construct a meat plant right next to a gurdwara in Bradford have taken their fight to the High Court against the city council’s approval for the unit. The food firm Pakeezah had proposed to convert a car workshop next to Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara into a wholesale meat plant, which was given a go-ahead in August despite protests by the local Sikh groups.
four Taliban militants held in Pak’s Punjab
lahore: Four Pakistani Taliban terrorists were arrested on Wednesday from Punjab province with suicide jackets and hand grenades recovered from their possession. Police and crime investigation department made the arrests as part of a joint operation launched at a village on Faisalabad-Geranwala road, some 150 kilometres from here, and arrested four members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Attacks across Iraq kill at least 11: Officials
Baghdad: Iraqi officials say attacks across the country have killed 11 people, including three Pakistani Shiite pilgrims. Police officials say the deadliest among today’s attacks was in the town of Khalis, where a suicide bomber struck a group of Iraqi Shia pilgrims, killing six and wounding 16.
Surge in journalist abductions in 2013: RSF
Paris: Media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Wednesday 71 journalists were killed in 2013, a slight fall from the previous year, but there was a surge in kidnappings. “Syria, Somalia and Pakistan retained their position among the world’s five deadliest countries for the media,” the Paris-based watchdog said.
Govt: 500 reported killed in South Sudan
Juba: At least 500 people, most of them soldiers, have been killed in South Sudan since Sunday, a senior government official said as an ethnic rivalry threatened to tear apart the world's newest country.Some of the victims "were shot in the bushes" around Juba, Information Minister Micheal Makuei lueth told The Associated Press.