LOS ANGELES: Two Muslim women were escorted off a plane in United States after a member of the cabin crew accused them of “staring” at her. With the rise of Islamophobia, these incidents occur on a regular basis. The women who flew from Boston to Los Angeles without incident were singled out after the JetBlue plane landed. Passengers said they had heard a member of cabin crew tell a co-worker that she “did not appreciate” being stared at. One of the passengers, a Sharon Kessler wrote on Facebook, “It was a terrible moment-honestly-these women sat quietly, watched movies- it felt like overkill from this flight attendant.”
Murdered Pak guv's son found after 5-year captivity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces have recovered slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer's son, Shahbaz after almost five years of captivity. Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Khan briefed the Pakistani parliament on National Action Plan against terrorism. “I have some good news. I just received information regarding the recovery of Salman Taseer's son.” An intelligence input about his presence in Balochistan's Kuchlak area helped the military recover Shahbaz. Baloch counter-terrorism department head Aitzaz Goraya said, “We surrounded a compound and raided it. We did not find anyone except a single person there. He told us his name is Shahbaz and his father's name is Salman Taseer.” Shahbaz's recovery follows the execution of his father's assassin in Rawalpindi
Woman held at airport over gun-shaped heels
WASHINGTON: A female traveller carrying a pair of gun-shaped high heels and two bracelets that were lined with realistic-looking bullets in her carry-on had to delay her flight and leave behind the 'dangerous items'. Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said the woman at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was delayed when agents discovered the gun shoes in her carry-on bag. “Shoes and bracelets that are less than ideal to wear or bring to a @TSA checkpoint. These delayed a traveller at BWI,” she tweeted. “Friendly reminder from @TSA: Realistic replica firearms and ammunition are not permitted past TSA checkpoints,” she said.
Asked not to use smartphone, Chinese kid cuts off own finger
NEW YORK: In a bizarre incident, an 11 year old boy from China cut off his own index finger following an argument with his parents who asked him to keep his hands off a phone. A report said, “In the case of this kid, he woke up and instantly grabbed his phone, which resulted in an argument with his mother when he wouldn't put it down. This was followed by a later argument with his father over the same problem.” The conflict with his parents upset the boy so bad, he went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and sliced off the end of his own index finger. He was rushed to the hospital along with the severed part of his finger and surgeons spent three hours reattaching it.
Modi, Sharif may meet in Washington: Sartaj Aziz
WASHINGTON: A top aide to Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the premier may meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi this month on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit. Foreign Affairs Adviser to Sharif, Sartaj Aziz, confirmed the speculation saying, “There are chances of meeting between the two. There are possibilities, when they are here. They would interact with each other. Whether there would be a structured meeting I do not know. Depends on...Chances are there.” He added, “We do not know (when foreign secretaries would meet). He (Indian Foreign Secretary) has to come to Islamabad first. We are hoping that now.”
US woman dumps `rude' 8-year-old son
LOS ANGELES: A woman in the US faces charges for child abuse after dumping her 8 year old son at a hospital with a note that said she did not want him any more. The child was left at the Jordan Valley Medical Centre last month with nothing but the clothes on his back and a note that read, “This kid is rude and ungovernable! I do not want him in my house at all!”
Two stolen Indian statues seized before auction in NY
NEW YORK: Two stolen Indian statues dating back to the 8th and 10th centuries and valued over $4,50,000 were seized from auction house Christie's just days before an auction next week. Authorities said they had begun the search for the arti facts in 2012. The auction house said it had no knowledge the items were stolen and described them as a 10th century sandstone column of Rishabhanata and an 8th century sandstone panel of the equestrian deity Revanta and his entourage. Subhash Kapoor, a former Manhattan gallery owner is the subject of an international investigation after allegations emerged of him running one of the biggest antiquities smuggling operations ever uncovered in the States.
Dhaka court upholds death penalty of Jamaat leader
DHAKA: Bangladesh Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of top Islamist leader Mir Quasem Ali, making way for his execution. In a major blow to the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha announced the verdict saying, “The sentence is maintained,” to a crowded courtroom. The decision comes 16 months after the country's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced 63 year old Ali to death for the atrocities committed during the liberation war in 1971. Ali was sentenced for charges including mass killing and tortures, running a militia torture cell.
US, South Korea stage assault drill; North threatens to wipe out enemies
SEOUL: US and South Korean troops staged a massive landing exercise amid high tension and threats from the North. The landing and assault drills on the east coast of South Korea were the part of eight weeks of joint exercises between the allies. Denouncing the exercises as “nuclear war moves”, North Korea has threatened to respond with an all-out offensive. US military based in South Korea said before the exercise, “They will penetrate notional enemy beach defences, establish a beach head, and rapidly transition forces and sustainment ashore.” Norths' military said it has prepared to counter the US and South Korean forces “with an ultra-precision blitzkrieg strike of the Korean style.” The United States has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.
