Yemen accuses rebels of kidnapping oil workers

July 10 (Reuters) – Yemen accused Shi’ite rebels on Saturday of kidnapping five oil workers this week and said it had foiled an attempt to blow up an oil pipeline.

Yemen is struggling to curb a separatist movement in the south and cement a ceasefire with Shi’ite rebels in the north, and is under pressure to combat a resurgent al Qaeda wing.

The Interior Ministry said that five employees of a state oil company were kidnapped by the rebels on Thursday.

“The Houthis captured five staff from an oil company in Marib along with their car when they were inspecting fuel stations in the directorate of Barat in al-Jouf province,” it said in a statement.

“The security forces … are using all measures to ensure their release.”

A Houthi source denied any link to the incident, saying the kidnap was a result of a tribal dispute.

In a separate statement, the government said security forces had foiled an attempt to sabotage an oil pipeline in Marib in the northeast of the country. The pipeline is used to transport oil to ports on the Red Sea.

It said that “unknown people” were forced to flee by security guards during the incident. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Jason Benham; Editing by Maria Golovnina)

Indonesian magazine firebombed after graft report

July 6 (Reuters) – Two men in black threw petrol bombs at the office of a prominent Indonesian investigative magazine early on Tuesday, its editor in chief said, a week after it published a cover story on police corruption.

The case underlines the high stakes in exposing and tackling graft in a country that is attracting a surge of interest from investors but is considered one of the most corrupt in Asia. Tempo’s editor in chief Wahyu Muryadi said the magazine’s security guards saw two men pull up on motorcycles at the Jakarta office at about 2.30 a.m. (1930 GMT).

“They then threw three Molotov bottles, bottles with petrol inside. Two of them blew up and then they disappeared on motorcycles,” he said, adding no one was hurt and there was no significant damage to the building.

Police had sent a team to investigate, he said, while declining to speculate on the motive.

“I believe the police will do their best to investigate it. We are still working as usual and we are not in fear.”

A police spokesman said the investigation had begun.

“The motive will be known after we capture the perpetrators. It’s difficult for us to speculate on the motive,” said spokesman Boy Rafli Amar.

Tempo has earned many powerful enemies through its reports on cases of suspected corruption involving politicians, businessmen and law enforcement officials.

The magazine is the subject of a defamation case lodged by police over its June edition, which features a cover story on police graft titled “The fat bank accounts of police officers”, accompanied by a drawing of a policeman leading three piggy bank money boxes on leashes. [ID:nJAK49105] The English-language Jakarta Globe newspaper reported on Tuesday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had instructed the national police chief to investigate the Tempo report. (Editing by Neil Chatterjee)

Security guards drugged in $5 mln Iraq bank robbery

Robbers in Iraq stole 6.5 billion Iraqi dinars ($5.5 million) from a state-owned bank on Friday, assisted by a security guard who spiked his colleagues’ tea, police officials said.

“According to the information available to the security forces, one of the guards drugged his colleagues by putting a drug in their tea,” Najaf province security committee head Louai al-Yasiri told Reuters.

After the drinks were spiked, armed men entered the Rafidain bank in the town of al-Mishkab, Najaf province, shortly after midnight and made off with the loot, said Yasiri.

The drugged security guards have since recovered and no other casualties were reported.

The bank robbery followed a gold heist on Tuesday in Baghdad, when gunmen shot dead 14 people and stripped a row of goldsmiths of gold and cash in a bustling trade market normally heavily guarded by police.

The Iraqi government blamed the gold robbery on Sunni al Qaeda insurgents, trying to finance their operations.

Security officials say there are strong links between organised crime and the diminished but adapting insurgency.

Despite sectarian violence at a low ebb not seen since late 2003, shootings and bombings by militants and criminal gangs remain common.

Yasiri said police had evidence suggesting who might have been behind the bank robbery and the investigation was ongoing.

(Reporting by Khalid Farhan in Najaf, writing by Muhanad Mohammed; Editing by Michael Taylor)

FIFA bars Capello from players’ session with referee

London, May 23 (IANS) England manager Fabio Capello received a set-back after FIFA prevented him from arranging a special session between his players and referee Howard Webb ahead of the World Cup.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the England manager wanted Webb to go through the new rules and regulations with his players at their training camp, but the world governing body’s rules prevented it.

England’s players will now be briefed by an official FIFA delegate who will give them a presentation on rule changes, the most high-profile of which is that players will now be cautioned for feinting in the run-up while taking a penalty.

FIFA has strict rules on officials, after its integrity unit identified referees as the ‘weak link’ in the defence against match-fixing. But there was no question about the integrity of Webb or the motivation of the England camp in trying to set up the meeting.

According to reports, referees will be kept in isolation during the competition and security guards will be posted outside referees’ hotels and no direct outside calls will be allowed to their rooms.

Jonas Brothers spent more than 30mins trapped inside elevator

New York, May 20 (ANI): The Jonas Brothers and one of their bodyguards found themselves trapped in an elevator for almost an hour after their sold-out LA concert at The Grove, it has emerged.

“For the first 15 minutes they thought it was funny, but after 30 they started to worry,” the New York Post quoted an insider, as saying.

The source added: “Security guards finally managed to pry open the doors. The elevator was between floors. The brothers are skinny and easily squeezed out, but it was tougher for their giant bodyguard.”

A rep for the band said the singers got stuck for 30 minutes and added, “Everybody got out fine.” (ANI)

Zero tolerance policy ineffective in schools: Study

Washington, May 11 (ANI): Zero tolerance policy is ineffective in schools, according to a new American study.

According to two Michigan State University researchers, strategies adopted by schools that mandate automatic punishment for weapons, drugs, profanity and various forms of disruptive behaviour are failing to make students feel safe.

The policy, established in the mid-1990s to address gun violence in schools, has become plagued by inconsistent enforcement and inadequate security, the study points out.

Laura McNeal, assistant professor of teacher education and lead researcher, said: “Zero tolerance policy represents what happens when there is a disconnect between law on the books and law in action,” said McNeal, who has a law degree. “We need to reform existing policies such as zero tolerance to ensure every child receives a high-quality education in a safe and supportive learning environment.”

For the study, McNeal and Christopher Dunbar Jr., associate professor of educational administration, interviewed and collected data from above-average students at 15 urban high schools in the Midwest.

While much has been written about students punished under zero tolerance, this study is one of the first to bring in the voices of well-behaved students, the researchers said.

Zero tolerance is a result of a 1994 federal law that requires all states receiving federal money to require school districts to expel for at least one year any student found to have brought a weapon to school.

School districts across the nation installed zero-tolerance policies that sometimes went further – expelling students for cursing, defiant behavior and bringing over-the-counter medications, for examples.

McNeal said zero tolerance has been starkly criticized by the media, educators and parents for failing to improve school safety.

The students surveyed in this study said zero tolerance is rife with problems, including too few security guards; security guards who are underpaid, lazy or corrupt; nonworking metal detectors; and administrators who show favouritism.

The study has been published in the May issue of the journal Urban Education. (ANI)

Florida cops taser drunk golf fan of Woods

New York, May 8 (ANI): Florida cops had to taser a drunk fan of ace golfer Tiger Woods after he refused to stop his heckling during the The Players Championship.

Travis Parmelee, 36, of Jacksonville, was charged with disorderly intoxication and for resisting arrest, officials said.

Security guards at the Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, told Parmelee to stop yelling several times before calling in the sheriff, who asked his deputies to make an arrest, The Daily News reports.

Captain Dave Messenger said the officers attempted to calm Parmelee down, but when he became more combative, had to tasered him.

Captain Messenger said Parmelee had been drinking.

Meanwhile, Woods made the cut after the second round of the Players Championship, shooting a 70 the first round and a 71 the second round. He is nine strokes back from the lead. (ANI)

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan”s father hails Kasab”s death sentence

Bangalore, May 7 (ANI): K. Unnikrishnan, the father of late Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was martyred during the 26/11 Mumbai attack, has termed the death sentence awarded to Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab, as a symbolic punishment and wished the sentence is executed at the earliest.

Major Sandeep, an officer of Indian Army and deputed to the National Security Guards, the crack commando outfit, died fighting militants outside the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.
“There is no question of satisfaction, but this is a symbolic punishment with a symbolic judgement. We can”t bring any victim back, that”s the tragic thing, and we definitely have to do much more, to at least to have…this is just the first step, second step should be to reduce the time,” said Unnikrishnan.

In Kakra Dubwal, an obscure village in Allahabad district, the family members and friends of Phool Chand, a taxi driver who was shot dead by the Mumbai attackers also welcomed the judgement.

However, Sanju Devi, the widow of Phool Chand said that she would be satisfied only when Kasab is hung.

“I will be satisfied only when I see that he (Kasab) is hanged,” she added.
Judge M L Tahiliyani awarded a death sentence to Kasab for waging war against India, murder, conspiracy to murder, and participating in an act of terror under Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA).

Judge Tahaliyani felt that Kasab”s crime fell under the judicial definition of “rarest of rare” cases.

Judge Tahiliyani also awarded a life term to Kasab on five other counts.

Judge Tahiliyani also felt that having Kasab alive could pose perpetual danger to the nation.

He also added that Kasab was a menace to society.

Immediately after pronouncement of the death sentence, Judge Tahaliyani sent his order for confirmation to the Bombay High Court.

The death penalty will not be implemented immediately as it has to be confirmed by the High Court.

Kasab has the option of appealing to higher courts, and can also file a mercy petition for the consideration of the President of India.

Earlier, Kasab was pronounced guilty on Monday and the prosecution and defence ended their arguments on the quantum of sentence to be handed out on Tuesday. (ANI)

Mumbai court to hear arguments, may sentence Kasab today

New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): A special trial court in Mumbai will hear arguments today from the prosecution and the defence on the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks, Ajmal Amir Kasab, who found guilty of waging war against India.

On Monday, it pronounced the verdict in a courtroom at the Arthur Road Jail here. Judge M L Tahiliyani declared Kasab guilty of all 86 charges filed against him.

The charges against Kasab include waging war against India, murder, abetting to murder, attempt to murder, violation of the Arms Act, Explosives Act, the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) and others.

However, in an unexpected move, the court found two Indian co-accused– Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed – not guilty and said they must be acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence.

For the first time in Indian judicial history, it was established in a court of law that Pakistan was involved in an act of terrorism and of waging war against India.

Judge Tahiliyani said the way the ten terrorists countered the elite National Security Guards (NSG) clearly established that they were trained to fight a war.

Though no direct evidences were mentioned against Lashkar-e Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and Zakir -ur -Rehman, the court found them guilty based on Kasab”s confessional statement.

The court also accepted Kasab”s confessional statement.

The court also said the DNA test conducted on the seven dead terrorists matched prints collected from the boat ”Kuber”.

The court added that the photographs taken were genuine and the witnesses credible, as they had no other intention than to catch a person.

It said the evidence proved that Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte had died of a bullet fired by terrorist Abu Ismail, while it was not established who killed Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and encounter specialist Inspector Vijay Saluskar.

The trial, perhaps the fastest in a terror case in India, commenced on May 8, 2009.

Judge Tahaliyani recorded 3,192 pages of evidence after examining 658 witnesses on 271 working days.

Thirty witnesses in the court identified Kasab as the man who had opened fire on them.

The prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, submitted 1,015 articles seized during investigations.

Nikam had also filed 1,691 documents to support the case.

He had also argued that Pakistan”s security apparatus was used by the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

The prosecution also tabled CCTV footage of the terrorists moving about with guns and firing at people.

The images were captured on CCTV cameras fitted at CST Railway Station, the Times of India building, and the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels.

Photographs of Kasab shot by photojournalists Sebastian D”souza and Sriram Vernekar were also placed before the court.

Kasab is a native of Faridkot, in Pakistan”s Punjab Province.

He along with nine other terrorists, who were killed during the gun battle with security forces in Mumbai have been charged with killing 166 people, including 25 foreigners. (ANI)

26/11 trial verdict is a message to Pakistan: Chidambaram

New Delhi, May 3 (ANI): Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the 26/11 Mumbai terror case judgement should seen as a clear message to Pakistan.

Interacting with media here after a Mumbai Special Court had convicted lone surviving Pakistani terrorist of 26/11 attack Ajmal Amir Kasab of all 86 charges, including waging war against India, Chidambaram said that at least now, Pakistan should stop exporting terror to India.

“If they do(exporting terrorism) and we apprehend terrorists, then we will bring them to justice,” Chidambaram said.

For the first time in Indian judicial history, it was established in a court of law that Pakistan was involved in an act of terrorism and of waging war against India.

Judge M L Tahiliyani said the way the ten terrorists countered the elite National Security Guards (NSG) had clearly established that they were trained to fight a war.

Though no direct evidences were mentioned against Lashkar-e Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and Zakir –ur –Rehman, the court found them guilty based on Kasab’s confessional statement.

Chidambaram expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the trial and complimented the concerned agencies for “marshalling evidence and proving guilt beyond doubt”.

He added that Kasab was given all rights of an open trial and the case had ended in a conviction.

“Kasab’s trial reiterated that India is governed by a Rule of Law, “ he said.

Pronouncing the verdict in a courtroom at the Arthur Road Jail here, Judge M L Tahiliyani described the 26/11 attacks as clear act of war against India. (ANI)

Mumbai court charges Kasab with waging war against India

Mumbai, May 3 (ANI): A Mumbai Special Court on Monday found the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks, Ajaml Amir Kasab, guilty of waging war against India, but acquitted the two other Indian co-accused.

Pronouncing the verdict in a courtroom at the Arthur Road Jail here, Judge M L Tahiliyani described the 26/11 attacks as clear act of war.

He declared Kasab guilty of all 86 charges filed against him.

The charges against Kasab include waging war against India, murder, abetting to murder, attempt to murder, violation of the Arms Act, Explosives Act, the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) and others.

However, in an unexpected move, the court found two Indian co-accused– Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed – not guilty and said they must be acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence.

The court said the evidence against the two was weak both in “quality as well as quantity.”

For the first time in Indian judicial history, it was established in a court of law that Pakistan was involved in an act of terrorism and of waging war against India.

Judge Tahiliyani said the way the ten terrorists countered the elite National Security Guards (NSG) clearly established that they were trained to fight a war.

Though no direct evidences were mentioned against Lashkar-e Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed and Zakir –ur –Rehman, the court found them guilty based on Kasab’s confessional statement.

The court also accepted Kasab’s confessional statement.

When the judge was framing him with charges, there was no reaction on Kasab’s face.

Kasab was dressed in a white Kurta-Pyjama.

The court also said the DNA test conducted on the seven dead terrorists matched prints collected from the boat ‘Kuber’.

The court added that the photographs taken were genuine and the witnesses credible, as they had no other intention than to catch a person.

It said the evidence proved that Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte had died of a bullet fired by terrorist Abu Ismail, while it was not established who killed Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and encounter specialist Inspector Vijay Saluskar.

The court did not mention the quantum of punishment, but said the argument and counter argument in that matter would continue on Tuesday. The quantum of punishment is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

Monday’s judgment comes seventeen months after the incident.

The trial, perhaps the fastest in a terror case in India, commenced on May 8, 2009.

Judge Tahaliyani recorded 3,192 pages of evidence after examining 658 witnesses on 271 working days.

Thirty witnesses in the court identified Kasab as the man who had opened fire on them.

The prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, submitted 1,015 articles seized during investigations.

Nikam had also filed 1,691 documents to support the case.

He had also argued that Pakistan”s security apparatus was used by the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

For the first time in the Indian history, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials deposed before the court and gave technical evidence.

The FBI informed the court about the technical data it gathered –that how Kasab and others came from Pakistan using Global Positioning System (GPS) and that they made calls from their mobile phones through Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to stay in touch with their handlers across the border.

The prosecution also tabled CCTV footage of the terrorists moving about with guns and firing at people.

The images were captured on CCTV cameras fitted at CST Railway Station, the Times of India building, and the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels.

Photographs of Kasab shot by photojournalists Sebastian D”souza and Sriram Vernekar were also placed before the court.

Kasab is a native of Faridkot, in Pakistan’s Punjab Province.

He along with nine other terrorists, who were killed during the gun battle with security forces in Mumbai have been charged with killing 166 people, including 25 foreigners. (ANI)

Discrimination linked to depression among minority kids

Washington, May 3 (ANI): A new research has shown that children who experience discrimination are more susceptible to becoming depressed.

Lee M. Pachter, co-author of the study and professor of pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine and St. Christopher”s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, and his colleagues surveyed 277 minority children ages 9-18 years to determine the contexts in which they perceive racism and the relationship between discrimination, depression and self-esteem.

Participants filled out questionnaires that included 23 scenarios in which they might perceive discrimination, such as being followed by a store security guard, getting poor service in a restaurant or being accused of doing something wrong at school. About two-thirds of the children were Latino or African American, and 19 percent were multiracial.

Results showed that 88 percent had at least one experience with racism, and nearly 12 percent had experienced racial discrimination in at least half of the situations described in the survey.

The most common forms of discrimination were racial remarks, being called insulting names and being followed by security guards in stores.

Experiences were similar for Latinos and African Americans, boys and girls, and younger and older children.

“Not only do most minority children experience discrimination, but they experience it in multiple contexts: in schools, in the community, with adults and with peers.” Pachter said.

“It”s kind of like the elephant in the corner of the room. It”s there, but nobody really talks about it. And it may have significant mental and physical health consequences in these children”s lives,” Pachter added.

Researchers also administered the Child Depression Inventory and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Questionnaire to 52 minority children.

They found a significant correlation between perceived racism and depression, self-esteem and depression, but not between racism and self-esteem.

Pachter said that the next step is to look at whether discrimination creates stress that leads to racial/ethnic disparities in physical and mental health.

The study has been presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (ANI)

Woods struggles in first round at Quail Hollow

The security guards following Tiger Woods on Thursday never had cause for alarm. The only boos that rang out around the Quail Hollow course were chants of the first name of Boo Weekley, playing in a group behind the world number one.

The huge galleries that turned out to watch Woods play his first regular PGA Tour event since his fall from grace were the golfing faithful, just hoping to see some old magic rather than taunt him about his indiscretions.

For a brief moment, it seemed like old times. When he birdied his first hole, the crowd erupted and one fan yelled out “it’s good to have you back, Tiger!”

Woods acknowledged his supporters with an approving nod but the overriding emotions he elicited from them for the rest of his round were groans and polite gasps of disappointments.

“It was a terrible day to begin with,” he growled. “I just didn’t have it today.”

Woods carded a two-over-par 74, hardly disastrous and featuring four birdies. The problem was he also had four bogeys and a double bogey and his driving was so erratic he twice landed in the water and made a couple of excursions into the trees.

“I didn’t hit the ball very good at all today. I had a two way miss with everything today. Two balls in the water, and pretty much struggled all day,” he said.

“I had my head down struggling. I was dropping balls out of hazards and finding balls in trees.”

After spending five months in self-imposed exile, no-one really expected Woods to be at his best so shortly after his return but his opening round at Hollow Quail was not even close.

Playing the back nine first with an early morning tee off time, Woods gave the early arrivals cause for hope when he birdied the par-five opening hole, but gave the shot back on his third hole when he came up short on his approach.

He was still even par after six holes before his game inexplicably fell apart and he double-bogeyed the par-three 17th, his eighth hole, when he drove into the water.

He bogeyed the next hole after finding a creek to go out in 39, then started with another bogey on the front nine.

“I was struggling so bad today, I didn’t know which way I was going to go, whether I was going left or right,” he said.

“I hit a bunch of balls left, I hit a bunch of balls right, hit a few down the middle, and that was about it.”

Woods did pick up three birdies in his next seven holes but bogeyed the last when he selected the wrong iron and hit over the green to end a dismal day.

A perfectionist, he was brutal in his assessment of his play, but aware that only more time in tournaments will help him get back to his best.

The temptation to punish himself by spending the rest of the day on the practice range was dismissed without a second thought.

“I’m not going to the range today. (To) hell with it,” he said.

Woman, 52, charged over ‘$100K shoplifting spree’!

Melbourne, April 27 (ANI): A 52-year-old woman has been charged after she allegedly indulged in a 100,000-dollar shoplifting spree.

She reportedly stole items from Westfield Tuggerah.

Security guards approached her after she was seen acting suspiciously.

Police allege she ran from the shopping centre dropping personal belongings when she was asked to show the contents of her bags.

Guards later recovered a set of car keys that led police to search a house at Tumbi Umbi at 3.35am, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Inspector Paul Johnson explained that the raid uncovered clothing, ladies dresses, perfume, bicycles and other retail goods.

The woman was charged with a number of theft offences. (ANI)

Ex-Pak Military Intelligence DG in dock for many crimes

Islamabad, Apr 26(ANI): Pakistan politicians have urged the government to start an investigation against former Military Intelligence Director General, Major General Nadeem Ejaz, who has been accused of a number of crimes including kidnapping of several political activists in Balochistan and Punjab.

According to reports, Ejaz once kidnapped the security guards of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussaina and also picked up the brother of a sitting MPA of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) for settling his personal scores with the then-Punjab Chief Minister.

Background interactions with leaders of these political parties revealed that Ejaz had become a monster in the last days of the General Pervez Musharraf regime.

It is also believed that even after the retirement of Musharraf as Army chief, Ejaz was directly reporting to him bypassing new Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, The News reports.

A recently published UN Commission report on the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto claimed that after the assassination the crime scene was hosed down on the orders of Ejaz.

Though the government has constituted a three-member committee to pinpoint the responsibility for hosing down the crime scene, political circles in Islamabad are of the view that Ejaz’s role was not limited to hosing down the crime scene.

The politicians also claim that he should be investigated thoroughly because he was directly or indirectly related to many other important events like the assassination of Akbar Bugti in August 2006 and massacre in Karachi on May 12, 2007. (ANI)

Ex-Pak Military Intelligence DG in dock for many crimes Ex-Pak Military Intelligence DG in dock for many crimes

Islamabad, Apr 26(ANI): Pakistan politicians have urged the government to start an investigation against former Military Intelligence Director General, Major General Nadeem Ejaz, who has been accused of a number of crimes including kidnapping of several political activists in Balochistan and Punjab.

According to reports, Ejaz once kidnapped the security guards of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussaina and also picked up the brother of a sitting MPA of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) for settling his personal scores with the then-Punjab Chief Minister.

Background interactions with leaders of these political parties revealed that Ejaz had become a monster in the last days of the General Pervez Musharraf regime.

It is also believed that even after the retirement of Musharraf as Army chief, Ejaz was directly reporting to him bypassing new Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, The News reports.

A recently published UN Commission report on the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto claimed that after the assassination the crime scene was hosed down on the orders of Ejaz.

Though the government has constituted a three-member committee to pinpoint the responsibility for hosing down the crime scene, political circles in Islamabad are of the view that Ejaz’s role was not limited to hosing down the crime scene.

The politicians also claim that he should be investigated thoroughly because he was directly or indirectly related to many other important events like the assassination of Akbar Bugti in August 2006 and massacre in Karachi on May 12, 2007. (ANI)

Brit mum chucked out of Disneyland for looking like a princess!

London, April 21 (ANI): A British mother is said to have been left stunned after she was forced by staff at Disneyland to leave because she looked like a princess.

Natasha Narula, who had worn a second-hand wedding dress when she visited the Paris theme park on April 1, was there to celebrate her 35th birthday with her eight-year-old daughter Drew.

But she got the shock of her life when a security guard ordered her to get changed – or get out.

Narula, who works as a dispensing assistant at Superdrug and is from Coventry in the West Midlands, was told that her dress might confuse children who could mistake her for a Disney princess.

She was forced to go back to her hotel and change into the clothes she had worn the day before. Drew was allowed to remain in costume.

“The security guards bustled us out of the queue and one of them said: ”I”m sorry miss, your dress is too pretty”,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

“At first I thought someone was playing a joke on me because it was my birthday and it was April Fool”s Day.

“When I spoke to a manager, she said I looked too much like a member of staff in character and it could cause confusion for the children.

“They said they were concerned children would think I worked there and would want to have their picture taken with me.

“I didn”t look anything like the characters in the park, it wasn”t like I was wearing a big Mickey Mouse outfit.

“How can they say I looked too much like a princess? I was wearing a hideous wedding dress I bought from Oxfam for 20 pounds,” she said.

Disney has a tradition of having princesses in its films, including Snow White, Beauty And The Beast and recently, The Princess And The Frog.

The theme parks use princess characters for shows and to meet and greet young visitors.

“I even rang up the park before we arrived and told them I wanted to come dressed as a princess. The woman I spoke to said it was a great idea and wished us a great time,” Narula explained.

“We saw loads of children on the way and not one asked if I was one of the princesses from the park,” she said.

Narula has written to Disneyland demanding an apology. (ANI)

Poaching continues in Jim Corbett National Park

Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), Apr 19 (ANI): Despite preventive steps being taken by the authorities, poaching continues in Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand”s Ramnagar district.

Security guards and several Forest Rangers are deployed to keep the wild animals safe from poaching.

Ramnagar district shares about 30 kilometres boundary with the park and 90 kilometres of a village adjoins it. Therefore, there is more activity of the locals in this forest area.

“The staff there is more focused on production and protection of forests. They are focused on these two things. Somewhere or the other, the percentage of locals visiting their forest region is more than ours. Our forests are not that affected by the general public coming and going as the adjoining forests are. There is a lot of pressure from the locals there,” said Umesh Chandra Tiwari, Park Warden of Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Forest officials say they are using the available infrastructure effectively.

” In accordance with all these things, we make protection plans and we get a result according to that. This is definitely a challenging job,” said P.K. Patra, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Ramnagar.

Patra claimed that they have successfully handled many poaching cases and many people have been prosecuted. (ANI)

Rajasthan village keeps vigil on water pond

Kharicharnan/Bikaner (Rajasthan), Apr 17 (ANI): Residents of Kharicharnan village in Rajasthan”s Bikaner district are keeping a vigil on a pond, which is the only source of water for them.

They have appointed security guards, who protect the pond round the clock.

“Due to scarcity of water in the pond, village has appointed security guards…and we guard this pond day and night…guard water that no one from some other village takes water from here, so that there is no wastage of water, we have appointed four guards,” said Kishanlal, one of the security guards.

“This is all rainwater (in the pond)…and water is distributed amongst the families according to the number of members, by our security guards. And as our village is at a little height, the help from Jal Board is close to zero,” said Gopal, Sarpanch (head), Kharicharnan.

Locals said that the pipeline fitted by the government Jal (water) Board does not have water and that they are doing nothing to help them.

However, the Jal Board claimed they are arranging for tankers and water would reach the village soon. (ANI)

Footy competitions ban byo alcohol

The days of taking a slab of beer to the local football game may well be over.

Three football competitions in the Mornington Peninsula district in Victoria have banned byo alcohol in the hope it will encourage responsible drinking.

Danny Morgan, of the Dromana Football Club, says specatators can still have a beer and pie, but you cannot bring your own.

“Before this policy was implemented you would have people coming in to the ground with slabs of beer in their car and you had no control over the sale of that alcohol,” he said.

“It’s just about responsible selling of alcohol.”

The league covers three competitions, including more than 30 clubs.

The league supports the ban because alcohol can still be sold from their clubrooms.

But Mr Morgan says it is not about making money.

“The cost of security outweighs the extra revenue we make with the alcohol sales,” he said.

The ban was introduced at a pre-season game last Saturday.

Security guards confiscated just one carton of beer and one young spectator turned away.

Michael Sholly of the Victorian Amateur Football Association believes its no-alcohol policy during game time encourages a more family friendly atmosphere.

“It’s assisted a lot of people including the umpires, respect for players, respect for the opposition,” he said.

“It means that the game’s played in a good even spirit, where temperaments are a little bit more under control.”