NEW DELHI: India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that the government is following a case with the US police about an Indian man who was shot at in California. In a series of tweets, Swaraj said she has received a report from Indian Consulate in San Francisco that an Indian man identified as Mubeen Ahmed, who was working at a gas station in California, was shot at by a gunman. A gunman demanded money from Mubeen and then fired at him, she tweeted. "He is admitted in the Eden Medical Centre CA. Fortunately Mubeen is now out of danger. We are following up the case with the police," she said. According to reports, 26-year-old Ahmed, a native of Telangana, had gone to the United States in February 2015, to pursue his Masters course in a university. He had completed the course two months ago and was doing a temporary job at a private store.
12 killed in attacks on Parliament, Khomeini tomb in Iran
TEHRAN: At least 12 people were killed when attackers raided Iran's parliament and set off a suicide bomb at the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran last week. The Iranian intelligence ministry said security forces had arrested a "terrorist team" planning a third attack. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. It is the first attack claimed by ISIS, which is at war with Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Iraq. The attacks began in morning when assailants armed with Kalashnikov rifles stormed the parliament building. One of the attackers later blew himself up inside, where a session had been in progress. The attacks, targeting parliament and the shrine of the Republic's revered founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, took place less than a month after the re-election of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate. The attackers opened fire at the mausoleum, wounding several members of the public, Iran's English-language Press TV said.
10 bodies recovered from Myanmar plane crash
Yangon (Myanmar): The bodies of at least 10 people and parts of a Myanmar military aircraft that went missing over the Andaman Sea, were recovered, the country's Ministry of Defence said. Local media quoted the ministry as saying that aircraft debris and bodies of passengers were discovered 23 km off the country's coast. Myanmar's military had sent vessels and planes to the area, in search of the missing aircraft. The main part of the plane has not been found. The ministry said that the plane, a Y-8-200 F, was carrying 122 members, including 14 crew members. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the crash through a tweet.
Japan enacts law allowing Emperor Akihito, 83, to abdicate
TOKYO: Japan's parliament passed a law allowing Emperor Akihito to become the country's first monarch to abdicate in 200 years, but put off a debate over how to tackle the shrinking royal population and whether to allow women to ascend the throne. In veiled language, the 83-year-old emperor expressed his wish to abdicate last August, citing his old age and health. Under the law, his abdication must take place within three years. Current succession rules allow only men from the paternal bloodline to ascend the 2,000-year-old Chrysanthemum Throne. Women, but not men, are forced to renounce their royal status if they marry a commoner. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative government supports male-only succession. Akihito's son, 57-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, is next in line. Naruhito's only child is a girl, and his younger brother, Prince Akishino, has two adult daughters and a 10-year-old son, Hisahito. This means only one of the emperor's four grandchildren is an eligible heir. The last emperor to abdicate was Kokaku in 1817.
70 die in attack on Somalia military base
Mogadishu: Heavily armed al-Shabab extremists have stormed a military base in Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland, killing close to 70 people, officials said. Officials called it the region's deadliest attack in years, highlighting the twin challenges facing security forces from the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab and growing presence of fighters linked to IS. The attack began with a blast at the Af-Urur camp, roughly 100 km west of the commercial hub of Bossaso, before extremists overran the base and killed soldiers, said Ahmed Mohamed, a military official.
3 Chinese warships dock in Karachi for war games
Beijing: Three Chinese warships have arrived at the Karachi port in Pakistan as part of a goodwill and training mission which will also include some naval exercises. Official Xinhua news agency quoted Rear Admiral Shen Hao, the commander of the People's Liberation Army (navy) fleet, as saying that the visit will further understanding and mutual trust between China and Pakistan. Pakistani media said that the fleet was received by senior navy officers, including chief of naval staff, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, who accorded a guard of honour to the visiting fleet. They visited the fleet along with Chinese embassy officials at the Karachi port. The vessels were identified as Chang Chun, Jing Zhou and Chao Hu.
Blasphemy on FB: Man gets death in Pak
Lahore: A minority Shia Muslim man in Pakistan was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court for posting blasphemous content on Facebook, the first death sentence handed for blasphemy on social media in the country. The sentence is the harshest among cyber-crime related sentences handed down so far in the country. Pakistan has never executed anyone convicted of blasphemy. Judge Shabir Ahmed of the anti-terrorism court in Punjab province's Bahawalpur district announced the sentence for 30-year-old Taimoor Raza after holding him guilty of posting derogatory content on Facebook. Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan.
28 killed in Bangladesh landslides
DHAKA: Officials and media reports said that 28 people have been killed in landslides triggered by incessant rains in three hilly districts in south-eastern Bangladesh. Chunks of mud have buried many thatched homes since heavy rain began on Monday morning. It is not yet clear how many people were missing. Officials said on Tuesday that at least 14 people died on Monday and overnight in the worst-hit district of Rangamati. Eight died in Chittagong and the rest in Bandarban district.
Oz cops get more teeth in terror fight
Sydney: Police in Australia's most populous state will be allowed to shoot suspects in “terrorist related” incidents even if the attacker does not pose an imminent threat, under a proposed law, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. This comes after a series of “lone wolf” Islamist-inspired attacks, the most serious of which raised questions about the traditional police strategy of “contain and negotiate” in hostage situations. Under the proposal, which is likely to be adopted in the state's parliament given the support for it, lethal force can be used immediately if an incident is declared “terrorist related” by the state's most senior police officer. Currently, police have to wait until a suspect demonstrates an imminent threat to others.
