New York: Hindu community leaders in the US have expressed disappointment over a decision by the city administration here of excluding Diwali from its list of school holidays. They have accused the mayor of falling short of his responsibility to equally represent all New Yorkers.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city is adding the Muslim holidays of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as holidays in its public school calendar as "respect for one of the great faiths of this earth" and as an "acknowledgement that in a strong society all faiths needed to be respected". The mayor, however, excluded Diwali from the public school holiday calendar, despite growing calls by the Hindu community to observe the festival given that hundreds of thousands of Indians living in the area celebrate it. Leaders at the advocacy organisation Hindu American Foundation (HAF) expressed deep disappointment with de Blasio's decision to exclude Diwali from the 2015-16 public school calendars. "While the addition of two Muslim holidays is commendable, the Mayor's decision to exclude Diwali, a festival that is celebrated by thousands of Hindu, Jain, and Sikhs in NYC is beyond disappointing," HAF's NYC-based Senior Director Sheetal Shah said
Young Sikh boy racially abused in US
New York: In a shocking case of racism, a young Sikh boy in the US state of Georgia has been called a "terrorist" by a group of school children, with the video of the abuse now going viral on the internet. In the video posted on Inquisitr, the bespectacled Sikh boy is seen sitting in what appears to be a school bus and is surrounded by students. He whispers to the camera: "The kids are being racist to me." A young girl sitting behind him then shouts "terrorist! terrorist!" and points her finger at the boy, who remains calm and even shouts "who cares" when the kids hurl abuses at him
Man slashes face of US envoy in S Korea
Seoul: US ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert underwent two and a half hours of surgery after he was slashed in the face by a Korean nationalist in an attack at a breakfast forum in Seoul to discuss Korean reunification. Lippert, 42, was bleeding from deep wounds to his face and wrist but was able to walk after the attack. Doctors said later his condition was stable after “very successful“ surgery that required 80 stitches in his face. The assailant was caught and identified by police as 55year-old Kim Ki-jong. In 2010, Kim tried to attack the Japanese ambassador to South Korea by throwing a piece of concrete and was given a suspended jail term, according to police. The attack was a protest against joint military exercises by South Korean and US troops, which Kim said interfered with reconciliation between North and South Korea, according to police following an interrogation.
Pak ropes in new prosecutor in Lakhvi case
Islamabad: The Pakistan government has decided to add another prosecutor to deal with Lashkar commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi's case of masterminding the November 2008 Mumbai attacks keeping in mind the fact that the man behind the carnage has stepped up efforts for his acquittal.
According to a report, Misbahul Hassan Qazi, a prominent Lahore-based lawyer, if appointed, would be the third special prosecutor brought in to jump start the long-dragging Mumbai attacks case. “The interior secretary had given approval for the appointment of advocate Qazi as special prosecutor and has forwarded a summary to the law ministry to issue a notification,” a government official said.
Bangla PM narrowly escapes blast
Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina had a narrow escape when several bombs exploded in a busy commercial area in Dhaka minutes after her convoy passed through it. Several crude bombs exploded in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar only 10 minutes after Hasina's convoy passed towards a rally organized by the ruling Awami League in the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan, to mark the anniversary of the historic public address by the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971. One police official received minor injuries. The blasts occurred amid an ongoing transport blockade and a shutdown across Bangladesh.
China to hike defence budget by 10% this year
Beijing: China will raise its defence budget by around 10 per cent this year, a top official said, emphasizing that "lagging behind" leaves the country "vulnerable to attacks". China's defence budget rose by 12.2 per cent last year, riding on a multi-year run of double-digit increases. Fu Ying, the spokeswoman for the annual session of the country's top legislature, announced the hike in the defence budget a day ahead of the Third Session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC). However, it would also be the fifth year in a row of double-digit increases, despite slowing economic growth that fell to 7.4 per cent last year and is expected to further decline in 2015. Fu said as a big country, China needs an army that can safeguard its national security and people. "To tell the truth, there is still a gap between China's armed forces (and foreign counterparts) in terms of overall military equipment. We still need more time," Fu was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Death sentence for Salman Taseer's killer Mumtaz Qadri upheld
Islamabad: A Pakistani court upheld the death sentence for the killer of the governor of Pakistan`s largest province after he had called for reform of a law against blasphemy, media said. The ruling was a surprise to many who had expected the killer`s sentence might be reduced amid growing threats to lawyers and judges hearing blasphemy-related cases. Mumtaz Qadri was a bodyguard for Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and was convicted of shooting him dead in Islamabad in January 2011. Taseer was an outspoken critic of predominantly Muslim Pakistan`s harsh blasphemy law - which carries the death penalty. Qadri is viewed as a hero by many people who thought Taseer himself was a blasphemer by calling for the law`s reform. The killing highlighted a growing gulf between conservatives and more liberal elements in society. Some lawyers threw rose petals at Qadri when he arrived in court days after the killing.
Pak students give protection for Hindus to celebrate Holi
Karachi: Pakistani students formed a human shield for Hindus celebrating Holi at a temple in Karachi to protect and show solidarity with the minority community. The National Students Federation (NSF) formed the shield at Swami Narayan Temple as part of an attempt to promote interfaith coexistence and cooperation among different religious and ethnic groups. A member of the NSF describes the union as a “progressive leftist organisation” dating back to the Ayub Khan era. “When we showed solidarity with Shias at the Imambargah it’s only fair that as a group, we extend the same courtesy to all Hindus in Pakistan who face a lot of persecution of different kinds,” general secretary Fawwad Hasan was quoted as saying. Hasan cited the desecration of Hindu temples, forcible religious conversion of girls and suppression of culture and religious practices as reasons for showing solidarity with and protecting Hindus.
Pakistani man convicted in US for al-Qaida plot
New York: A Pakistani man was convicted in US on charges of participating in an al Qaida plot to attack targets in Europe and the United States. Abid Naseer, 28, was found guilty by a federal jury in Brooklyn of providing and conspiring to provide material support to al Qaida and conspiring to use a destructive device. Naseer remained expressionless as the jury returned the verdict after less than two days of deliberation. He faces life in prison. His lawyer said after the conviction that he would appeal. US prosecutors said Naseer headed an al Qaida cell plotting to bomb a shopping center in Manchester, England, in April 2009.
Saudi Arabia replaces India as world's biggest arms importer
London: Saudi Arabia has reportedly replaced India as the world's biggest arms importer last year as concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions raised tensions in the Middle East. According to the data released by IHS, a leading analyst of the global arms trade, Saudi Arabia's spending rose from 54 per cent to 6.5 billion dollars last year, while India spent 5.8 billion dollars on imports. IHS estimated that the imports will grow by 52 per cent to 9.8 billion dollars this year, accounting for one dollar of every seven dollars spent globally. Ben Moores, the report's author, remarked that the outcome was definitely "unprecedented."
Sri Lanka threatens Chinese firm with legal action
Colombo: Sri Lanka will take legal action against a Chinese firm for not halting work on a $1.5-billion luxury real estate project until a probe is completed, a government minister said. Sri Lanka's new government is reviewing the award of the project to China Communications Construction Co Ltd over allegations the previous administration breached laws and sidestepped environmental rules for the deal. The project, which risks getting involved in a diplomatic row, involves development of a port city on reclaimed land in the capital Colombo, complete with shopping malls, a water sports area, golf course, hotels, apartments and marinas.
