Asia Wednesday, April 17, 2019 09

Pakistan forces blow up building after gunfight with militants Philippines considers legal action AFP side and bringing the building Peshawar, Pakistan crashing down. The blast came after secu- against China over giant clams An entire three-storey building rity forces had fought the mili- was blown apart Tuesday as Pa- tants for 17 hours, authorities dpa giant clams” from Scarbor- Philippine and Chinese gov- kistani security forces detonat- said. In the moments before the Manila ough Shoal. ernment ships in April 2012. ed a huge amount of explosives explosion in the video footage, “We just caught them China later took control of the hidden inside, after a bloody, bullet holes can be seen across The Philippines is consider- doing that recently, filed a area, often chasing away Fili- hours-long gun battle with mili- the building’s facade. ing legal action against China diplomatic note, and will be pino fishermen. The incident tants holed up in a crowded city. “During exchange of fire, for allegedly harvesting giant taking legal action,” Locsin prompted Manila in January Video footage at the scene Pakistani security officials inspect the scene where five suspected five terrorists have been killed,” clams in a disputed shoal in the said in a tweet. “With our le- 2013 to file an arbitration case shows the building collapsing terrorists were killed during an operation in Peshawar, Pakistan, on the Pakistan military said in a South China Sea, the country’s gal department now.” Scar- against China, questioning in the blast, with a cloud of dust Tuesday. (EPA-EFE) statement, adding that one po- foreign minister said Tuesday. borough Shoal - also known Beijing’s sweeping claims to and debris rising from the fall- lice officer was also killed. Foreign Secretary Teodoro to the Chinese as Huangyan the disputed sea. en structure. Officials said the Shafqat Malik, chief of Pesha- sives throughout the structure. Qazi Jamil, police chief for Locsin Junior said the govern- Dao or Democracy Reef - is In July 2016, the Hague- militants who have not yet been war’s bomb disposal squad, said Officers from the bomb Peshawar city, told reporters ment had filed a diplomatic located 230 kilometres from based Permanent Court of identified had used the build- the militants had planted a mo- disposal squad carried out a that militants opened fire on protest after Filipino fisher- the Philippines’ north-west- Arbitration ruled Beijing has ing, in a residential area in the torcycle bomb at the gate of the controlled detonation of the security forces with automatic men reported that Chinese ern coast. The shoal was the no legal or historic basis to its northwestern provincial capi- building, and linked it to more motorcycle device, Malik said, guns, and also used mortars vessels were “mass harvesting site of a stand-off between claim over South China Sea. tal of Peshawar as a hideout. than 50 kilogrammes of explo- triggering the explosives in- and hand grenades.

At least 11 people killed in Pakistani Act against Modi over road accident Islamabad: At least 11 ’s top court agrees people including women and model code violation, children were killed on Tues- day when a van rammed into a lorry in south-western CPI-M urges poll panel Pakistan during heavy rain- to rule on plea for entry fall, an official said. Local IANS police official Abdul Malik New Delhi said the accident, which took place in Mastung dis- The CPI-M on Tuesday urged trict of Balochistan, also left of women in mosques the Election Commission to take 10 other people injured. “immediate appropriate action” Flash floods and storms against Prime Minister Naren- left nearly two dozen people dra Modi for flagrantly violat- dead in several parts of Pa- ing the model code of conduct kistan overnight to Monday. (MCC) on the Sabarimala issue. More rains are expected Nilotpal Basu, a leader of the during the week. Road Communist Party of India-Marx- accidents are common in ist, wrote to the Chief Election Pakistan as a result of a lack Commissioner regarding Modi’s of adequate infrastructure, remarks on Sabarimala temple, Indian PM . poorly maintained vehicles at his election rallies, which the and careless driving. (dpa) Marxist alleged was aimed at CPI-M protests, “communal polarisation”. demands repoll in Basu said that Modi was vitiating the atmosphere by im- 464 Tripura booths porting polarizing issues. New Delhi: The CPI-M on Tuesday He quoted Modi as telling held demonstrations in New Delhi News an election rally at Theni in Ta- and Agartala demanding repoll in in brief mil Nadu that the Communists 464 of 1,679 polling booths in and the Muslim League were Tripura West Lok Sabha constitu- playing a dangerous game on ency, free and fair poll in Tripura Chinese loan data Sabarimala “to strike at the root East seat on April 18. Communist shared with IMF, of faith”. Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Gen- says Pakistan FM Modi added: “As long as eral Secretary Sitaram Yechury there is BJP, none can destroy on Monday visited the Election KARACHI: There was a lot our faith.” Basu said: “This is a Commission and submitted a of talk about Chinese debt clear example as to how Modi is memorandum with videos and and when the International not only violating MCC but also photographs in support of their Monetary Fund (IMF) mission implicitly challenging the order demand. He was accompanied came to Pakistan we shared of the Election Commission to by party candidate for the Tripura data on the very first day, refrain from using Sabarimala West Lok Sabha seat Sankar said Finance Minister Asad temple and Lord Ayyappa in the Prasad Datta and other leaders. Umar. “There is nothing really election campaign. Former Tripura Chief Minister to hide. It is less than 10% of “To recapitulate, the LDF Manik Sarkar said it was now up the public debt of Pakistan,” government has, time and to the EC to ensure that democ- the minister said in a video again, reiterated that it does not racy was protected. (IANS) interview with Bilal Lakhani. stand against faith; but was con- Responding to a question fining itself to implementing the cusing the LDF government in on whether Chinese loans Supreme Court order (allowing Kerala, the Prime Minster was were an issue in IMF meet- A view of the Supreme Court of India. entry to all women). “Bringing trying to appeal to the people ings, Umar said discussions in the question of faith and ac- belonging to the faith.” were on policy measures and dealing with the extreme Women are not allowed inside most mosques in India although a few have balance of payments crisis. separate entrances for women to go into segregated areas to offer prayer (tribune.com.pk) I-T raid on DMK leader Kanimozhi’s house India acts against Reuters have the constitutional the majority Hindu commu- two days before polls draws a blank Tiktok app over NEW DELHI rights to offer worship ac- Sensitive time nity. Some members of Prime obscenity concerns cording to their belief,” they The petition comes at Minister Narendra Modi’s NDTV blank. No case has been reg- India’s Supreme Court said in their petition. Hindu nationalist ruling party istered. “Crores and crores of New Delhi: The Indian agreed on Tuesday to con- “There should not be any a sensitive time for have been accused of stirring rupees are kept in the house government on Tuesday sider a petition from a Muslim gender discrimination and relations been minority communal animosity as the Amid allegations of a huge of Tamilisai Soundararajan’s ordered tech giants Google couple to allow women into allow Muslim women to pray Muslims and the major- party seeks a second term in cash-for-votes racket in Tamil (state BJP chief) residence, and Apple to take down the mosques, seeking to overturn in all mosques,” they said. ity Hindu community. a staggered general election Nadu, officials of the Income why no raids there? Modi is Chinese-owned Tiktok video a centuries-old practice that The court last year lifted Some members of Prime now underway. Tax department visited the using IT, CBI, judiciary and app after a court expressed largely bars women from the a ban on the entry of women Minister Narendra Modi’s Supreme Court judge S.A. house of DMK leader Kani- now Election Commission to concerns over the spread places of worship. of menstrual age at a Hindu Hindu nationalist ruling Bobde said the court will ex- mozhi this evening to “ver- interfere in the elections. They of pornographic material, Women are not allowed temple in southern India party have been accused amine the couple’s request at ify allegations of cash being are doing this as they fear los- sources said. Tiktok has inside most mosques in India saying it was a violation of of stirring communal length. stashed there,” sources said. ing,” DMK chief Stalin said. already been banned in although a few have separate their right to worship. animosity as the party The court in 2017 ruled as Kanimozhi, DMK law- Elections for the state’s neighbouring Bangladesh entrances for women to go The Muslim couple re- seeks a second term in unconstitutional a law which maker and the sister of party 39 Lok Sabha seats and 18 and hit with an enormous into segregated areas. ferred to the temple ruling, allows Muslim men to divorce chief MK Stalin, is the candi- assembly seats will be held fine in the United States for The petitioners, Yasmeen which angered conservative a staggered general elec- their wives simply by uttering date for the Tuticorin seat. It on Thursday, during the illegally collecting information Peerzade and her husband Hindus, as a precedent to sup- tion now underway. the word “talaq”, which means was alleged that “lots of cash” second phase. In the run-up from children. The app, which Zuber Peerzade, said that port their call for women to be divorce in Arabic, three times. was stashed on the first floor to the polls, a string of raids claims to have 500 million women were allowed to en- allowed to pray at mosques. This year, the government of her house in Thoothukudi, have been held in the state, users worldwide with more ter mosques during the time A representative of a ately available for comment. issued an executive order sources said. IT sources, how- in which around Rs. 500 than 120 million in India, has of the Prophet Mohammad prominent organisation of Is- The petition comes at a making instant divorce an of- ever, said later that it was a crore–in illegal cash and been fighting the effort to (PBUH). lamic scholars, the Jamiat Ul- sensitive time for relations fence punishable with up to “false tip” and they drew a gold–has been seized. shut it down. (AFP) “Like men, women also ema-e-Hind, was not immedi- been minority Muslims and three years in jail. Dhaka urged to act against young woman’s killers New York: The Bangladesh Amid intense drought, deadly rain lashes Afghanistan government should thor- oughly investigate the murder AFP them clear up from the deluge. haven’t found any sign of them living along the river to be pre- of a madrassa student and Kabul Sixteen of Afghanistan’s 34 yet,” he said. Extraordinary pared to evacuate their homes fairly prosecute all those provinces were hit in the past scenes played out in the capi- as water levels surged. responsible, Human Rights Torrential rainstorms 24 hours, destroying or dam- tal, where the usually parched Bahaduri said 113 houses Watch said on Tuesday. The have lashed drought-stricken aging hundreds of houses and Kabul River swelled suddenly, had already been partially or murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, Afghanistan in recent days, sweeping away livestock, said bursting its banks in places and completely destroyed in Ka- who was killed after she filed bringing widespread flooding Hashmat Bahaduri, a spokes- swamping surrounding streets bul. In the capital, a univer- a complaint of attempted that has killed at least five peo- man for Afghanistan’s National and neighbourhoods with sity student named Mujtaba rape, should spur the authori- ple and washed away homes Disaster Management Author- about one metre (three feet) of bemoaned a lack of drainage ties to take concerted action including in the capital Kabul, ity (ANDMA). water in places. canals, but others welcomed to combat sexual violence in officials said Tuesday. Hardest hit was Herat prov- Two Afghan men carry their household belongings as they evacuate a Drug addicts who normally the rain. the country. The police said While some welcomed the ince in western Afghanistan, residential area after flash flood in the west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on spend their time in the riverbed “It is a bliss to have all that Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 18, wet weather after the punish- where at least five people were Tuesday. (EPA-EFE) or hiding under bridges could this water and rain, we are was tricked into going to the ing dry spell of recent years, killed when their houses col- be seen openly smoking opium thankful to God to have rain rooftop of a cyclone shelter residents complained about lapsed, Jilani Farhad, a spokes- for 17 people whose minivan Monday, Farhad added. “There at street level as water swirled and get rid of the drought at her madrassa. (IANS) the lack of infrastructure and man for the local said. was swept away by flooding in were women and children in the around them. By Tuesday, au- problems,” Kabul resident government assistance to help Officials were also searching the province’s Obey district late vehicle, we are searching but thorities were warning locals Mansoor Majab said.