Prawn tycoon in trouble for donating to the Tories
London: Seafood tycoon Iqbal Ahmed has been accused of making a £12,000 donation to the Conservative party and then seeking to claim it back on expenses. Ahmed, who made millions importing shrimp, allegedly asked the British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce to refund the sum during his year as chairman of the group in 2011. Members of the organisation said they were in “shock” at his request, which was refused on the ground that the group is strictly non-political. They wrote to George Osborne, the chancellor - who in 2007 appointed Ahmed to a think-tank - asking him to investigate.
Govt plans to scrap fine for late tax returns
London: The Cameron government is planning to scrap £100 fines for people who fail to meet the deadline to file their tax return. They are now planning to introduce alternative measures for those who miss the January 31 deadline “by a day or two”, such as charging higher interest rates on their debts. A system of penalty points could also be used for persistent offenders, according to a consultation which will be open for comments until May.
Meat inspectors being threatened
London: Vets and inspectors were being threatened when they try to expose animal cruelty and poor hygiene in slaughterhouses, according to a union. A meat inspector was also threatened with a knife when he tried to stop a slaughterhouse production line after seeing animals covered in faeces, according to Unison, which represents vets and inspectors working on behalf of the FSA.
Taiwan plane crash kills 31
Taipei: At least 31 people were killed when a TransAsia Airways plane crashed in Taiwan. The flight, en route to Kinmen from Taipei with 53 passengers on board, crashed in the Keelung river after its wing clipped a taxi on an elevated freeway 10 minutes after takeoff. According to official reports, 31 people have been confirmed killed, 15 injured and 12 others missing. Besides those on the plane, a driver and a passenger in the taxi clipped by the plane before it plunged into the river were also injured. The dead include 16 passengers from China, five fron Taiwan and the captain and two co-pilots.
Khaleda Zia charged with inciting violence
Dhaka: Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia was charged by the police with ‘instigation’ of the fire-bombing of a bus that left 7 people dead amid escalating political crisis in the country that has claimed 60 lives within a month. At least seven passengers, including two women, were charred to death earlier when suspected opposition activists hurled petrol bombs on a packed bus in eastern Bangladesh, the worst attack during the current spate of political unrest. “She has been named as an instigator of the attack,” district police chief Tutul Chakrabarty said. Former Comilla MP and central Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has also been accused in the case, Charkavarty was quoted as saying. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Zia has already been named as the instigator in two incidents of arsons, including the one at Dhaka’s Jatrabarhi, which left one dead and 30 others injured. A total of 56 BNP and Jamaat activist have been accused in both cases.
Obama appoints Indian-American to key position
Washington: US President Barack Obama has announced he will appoint top Indian-American CEO Ajay Banga to a key administration position. Banga, chairman of the US India Business Council, has been appointed as member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the White House said. The announcement came along with several other appointments to key administration posts. "The talent and expertise these individuals bring to their roles will serve our nation well. I am grateful for their service, and look forward to working with them," Obama said. Banga, an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad, is president and CEO of MasterCard, a position he has held since 2009.
Obama calls Dalai Lama 'good friend'
Washington: US President Barack Obama warmly acknowledged the Dalai Lama but did not meet him directly at a religious event in Washington closely watched by China, which has warned against any exchange with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader. Obama and the Dalai Lama were both at an annual prayer breakfast where Obama spoke about the importance of religious freedom. Obama greeted the Buddhist monk with a bow-like gesture and called him "a good friend" and "a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion and who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings." The Dalai Lama was in the audience at a table in the front row across from the president along with senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, a signal of White House support.
Obama nodded and smiled at the Dalai Lama, waving after clasping his hands to greet the spiritual leader as the event began. Organizers also recognized the monk, prompting applause.
In a move that will irk India, Sri Lanka backs big China port deal
Colombo: Sri Lanka's cabinet said it would allow a $1.5 billion "port city" deal with China to go ahead, dropping a threat to cancel the project which had been approved by the previous government. India has raised concern over security threats posed by Chinese ownership of the freehold of 20 hectares of land next to the main commercial port in Colombo. India uses Colombo as a trans-shipment port. Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the project, which will be built on reclaimed land, when he visited Colombo in September. India has become increasingly worried about China's influence in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said before last month's presidential vote he would cancel the deal if his party came to power because no environmental impact assessment (EIA) or feasibility study had been presented to parliament.
Lanka bans alleged killer of Rajiv Gandhi from travelling abroad
Colombo: A Sri Lankan court barred former Tamil Tiger rebel leader Kumaran Pathmanathan, wanted by India in connection with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, from travelling abroad, a lawyer said. Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister when he was killed in May 1991 by a suicide bomber at a public meeting in Tamil Nadu. Pathmanathan, who became leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009, after their defeat by the Sri Lankan army, is also on Interpol's most wanted list on charges including arms smuggling and criminal conspiracy. "The Court of Appeal issued an order to the Controller of Emigration and Immigration to prevent him leaving the country," said Sunil Watagala, a lawyer who had sought Pathmanathan's arrest.
Pak vows support for Kashmiris' freedom struggle
Karachi: Hailing a free Kashmir, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly vowed to support the people of the state in their struggle for freedom and right to self-determination. While addressing the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on the occasion of Kashmir Day, Sharif called for a "fair resolution" to the conflict that would ensure lasting peace in the region and urged the international community to play a role in this regard, reported the Dawn. Expressing solidarity with Kashmiris and reaffirming his support for the Kashmir issue, Sharif talked of having an association with "Azad and occupied Kashmir since childhood" and vowed that the nation will continue efforts to resolve the conflict.
