ISLAMABAD: Northwest Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir faces major damage as rains and floods have taken over the area. Flash floods claimed the lives of at least 57 people, injured 27 and swept away houses in two regions. Sources said Shangla district is the worst affected as 14 people lost their lives. Kohistan and Swat regions reported 12 and 8 deaths respectively, and PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan lost 8 lives, including 5 children. Pak President Mamnoon Hussain while expressing grief over the loss of lives and property, directed authorities to take all measures to help the affected.
Khaleda Zia gets bail in five cases
DHAKA: Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia surrendered before courts on Tuesday and was granted bail in five cases related to violence, graft and sedition. The former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief appeared in several courts in connection with different cases. Khaleda appeared before the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court, accompanied by BNP leaders and activists and left the premises after getting bail. The same court had on March 30 issued an arrest warrant against Zia and 27 others for an attack on a bus in which one person was killed and 30 others injured, although Khaleda was not physically present when the incident took place.
Brazil's biggest party quits coalition, Rousseff isolated
BRASILIA: In a move that subsequently cripples President Dilma Rousseff's fight against impeachment, Brazil's largest party announced it was leaving the governing coalition and pulling its members from her government. The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party decided unanimously in a packed leadership meeting that its six ministers in Rousseff's Cabinet and all other party members with government appointments must resign immediately. The loss of Rousseff's main coalition partner may prompt smaller parties to abandon the government, leaving Brazil's first female President increasingly isolated as the impeachment process nears a vote in the lower house, expected in mid-April.
Woman cuts lover's heart in Bangladesh
DHAKA: A young woman has been sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court for cutting her lover's heart out and slashing his throat. Fatema Akhter Sonali, 21, took revenge from the man who refused to marry her and secretly kept recordings of the couple having sex. Prosecutor Quazi Shabbir Ahmed said, “It's rare for a woman to be sentenced to death. But her case was exceptional.” In her confession, woman said she spiked soft drink with 20 sleeping pills and gave it Shipon, a 28 year old, part-time lift attendant at a hospital. After he fell unconscious, she tied his hands and feet before killing him by slitting his throat. She proceeded to cut open his chest and removed his heart. “She told the court that she was curious to see how big his heart was. She said a man must have a big heart to carry out such audacious crimes,” Ahmed said.
Pak detains over 5,000 people after Easter blast
LAHORE: Pakistan's Punjab government said security forces have rounded up over 5,000 people with more than 200 still in custody, on the backdrop of the Easer Sunday bombing. Punjab province law minister Raan Sanaullah said, “In the past 24 hours, Punjab police had conducted 56 operations, the counter terrorism department 16 and intelligence agencies in collaboration with the local police carried out 88 raids in different parts of the province and rounded up a total 5,221 people.” Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban faction - Jamaatul-Ahrar - behind the bombing warned that the terror attack was a “message” to the government about their “arrival” in Punjab. “Nawaz Sharif should know that war has reached his doorstep, and God willing the mujahideen will be the winners in this war,” the group's spokesman said.
Sikh soldier allowed to wear turban and sport a beard
WASHINGTON: Amongst pending Sikh soldiers pleas, the US military has granted decorated Sikh-American officer a long term religious accommodation, which means, he can continued to serve while maintaining his articles of faith. Captain Simratpal Singh, 28, has become the first active duty Sikh soldier to receive approval to maintain his beard and turban while serving in the US Army. He had sued the Defence Department last month in a first of its kind lawsuit, saying he was being subjected to “discriminatory” testing because of his turban and beard. He said he was being asked to undergo additional testing for his helmet and gas mask. The Army granted the permanent accommodation, saying in a court document that it would only be revoked if the beard and turban affected “unit cohesion and morale, good order and discipline, health and safety.” 3 Sikh soldiers sue defence dept: Three Sikh soldiers, meanwhile, have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defence seeking to serve in the United States armed forces without having to compromise on their articles of faith. Specialist Kanwar Singh, specialist Harpal Singh, and private Arjan Singh Ghotra demanded that the army accommodate their religious articles of faith, including turbans, unshorn hair and beards, so that they can begin basic combat training with their various units in May.
