Monday, March 26, 2012

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Aus drug lord setting up super laboratory in India: reports

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One of the most wanted drug lords of Australia, Hakan Ayik, is being suspected of setting up a "super" drug laboratory in India, media report said.

It is the second example of Australian bikie groups setting up operations in South Asia, where the precursor chemicals needed to make amphetamines can be legally sourced in large quantities in a bid to facilitate crime, according to a report in 'The Age' newspaper.

The laboratory, capable of exporting tonnes of methamphetamine globally, was probed by US Drug Enforcement Administration, Australian and Indian authorities in 2010.

The agencies suspect it was designed to facilitate industrial-scale illicit drug production. The report further said that Law enforcement officials also believe that one of Melbourne's most notorious organised crime bosses, who is associated with the Black Uhlans outlaw motorcycle gang, has established links in Pakistan, including a senior government official, as part of plans to import drug or engage in money laundering.

The links in Pakistan also give associates of the crime figure access to lucrative Pakistani government contracts.

Meanwhile, Victoria Police acting Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer had earlier warned that Australian bikie clubs were expanding aggressively overseas, including in Spain, Thailand and Indonesia.

The report said that the US Drug Enforcement Agency and Indian authorities gathered intelligence revealing that Ayik had travelled in early 2010 to India, where he sought to buy an industrial pharmaceutical factory able to produce half a tonne of methamphetamine every week.

He is also suspected of having sourced from Indian suppliers large amounts of precursor chemicals that could be used to make a multimillion-dollar shipment of methamphetamine.


Sizzling show by Sahara Force India

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Sahara Force India drivers Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg were happy with their top-10 finish in the Malaysian Grand Prix here yesterday.


Force India drivers Nico Hulkenberg (left) and Paul di Resta

Sahara Force India came through the rain showers to pick up eight championship points as Di Resta raced to seventh place ahead of Hulkenberg, who finished ninth. Di Resta said the start of the race was a bit of a mess and it was all about trying to stay on the track and stay out of trouble.

"We were a bit lucky with some of the issues for cars ahead, but in races like this you need a bit of luck and given where we started I think we can come away from here very happy with this result," said Di Resta.

Hulkenberg said: "I'm very happy to pick up my first points of the season. It was quite a complicated race and the rain certainly helped mix things up, but we made the most of our chances and made good calls on the strategy."


Swiss jeweller unveils world's first 150-carat all-diamond ring

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The shiny bauble is valued at Rs 360 crore

Now that's a ring with some serious bling! The Swiss jeweler Shawish has created an eye-popping ring that's made entirely out of one 150-carat diamond. No gold band. Just an ounce of pure ice. The ring, valued at approximately $70 million (Rs 360 crore), was unveiled last year in London to gasps of awe.


Brilliant bling: The jeweller took one year and unique laser equipment
to create the enormous ring

"A ring made entirely of a faceted diamond has always seemed like a fantasy," said Mohamed Shawish, president of Geneva-based Shawish Jewellery. "To create the perfect diamond ring is the epitome of art."

Conceptualising the ring was easy -- building it was the hard part. Shawish said it took a year to get the copyright for the design and then the company had to purchase a special laser to cut the diamond into the perfect circle for the band.

"Diamonds are made of carbon and molecules that can change. Even the colour can be altered when attempting to cut it," he said. The question now is, who will drop that much money on a diamond ring?

Rock stars
>> The Cullinan Diamond discovered in 1905 at 3,106 carats was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. Cullinan I, or the Great Star of Africa -- at 530 carats formerly the largest cut diamond -- was one of the 105 gems cut from it.
>> The Kohinoor is part of the British crown jewels. It originated in India but seized by Britain as a spoil of war in 1849.
>> The Hope Diamond is a large (45.52 carat), deep blue diamond. It is legendary for the curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses it. Previous owners include Kings Louis XV and XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend
The dazzling piece of craftsmanship has completely shown up the biggest celebrity rocks on record.
>> Elizabeth Taylor's 33.19-carat diamond ring fell well short, blowing Beyonce's recent 18-carat engagement ring by Lorraine Schwartz out of the water.
>> Kim Kardashian's 20.5-carat ring by the same jeweler may as well have been a cubic zirconia in comparison to Shawish's handiwork.


Queen Gatecrashes Couple's wedding

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Newlywed couple who met the Queen when she dropped in during their marriage have said it was 'one of the best presents you could wish for'

A delighted couple have told how their wedding day was given the royal seal of approval when the Queen walked in on the ceremony. John and Frances Canning could hardly believe their eyes when her Majesty accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh walked into the room moments after they had tied the knot at Manchester Town Hall.


Royal wedding crasher: The Queen stunned John and Frances Canning
when she showed up at their wedding and posed for photographs.
John Canning described the unexpected visit as the 'icing on the cake.
Carrie described it as 'phenomenal'. pic/AFP

The royal couple had been attending a lunch with 200 local volunteers in an adjacent room, and the Queen had asked if she could pop in to congratulate the bride and groom. The Queen and the Duke then spent about five minutes talking to the newlyweds and even agreed to pose for a few photographs.


Frances Canning

Delighted bride Frances said "It was bizarre that she knew our names. She said, 'Hello John, Hello Frances'."
Around 40 guests watched in amazement as the Queen, Prince Philip, and several royal dignitaries lined up to congratulate the couple.

Groom John from Prestwich, described the Queen's visit as the 'icing on the cake'. He said, "She commented on how beautiful Frances looked in her dress and wished us all the best for the future." John chatted with the Duke while Frances posed with the Queen for a few photos. He added, "He was lovely man. He even asked where in Italy we were going on our honey moon."

The couple had booked the town hall for their civil wedding last year and were told they would be sharing the venue with an V.I.P..

When they discovered who it was John, jokingly wrote to Buckingham Palace to invite the them to the celebration, but had received a reply politely declining the offer.

But the Palace decided to make their dream come true and got in contact with Manchester City Council to arrange the surprise.

Frances said, "We never dreamt we would be able to meet her. When we had our ceremony, the staff asked us to wait for a moment in the corridor and just a few minutes later the Queen arrived. She knew both our names."

John added, "It was a lovely present from them to us, one of the best presents you could wish for."


One year on, boat lost in tsunami spotted in Canada

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A large fishing vessel swept away by the tsunami that devastated Japan last year has been spotted bobbing in the seas near British Columbia in western Canada. The trawler is part of the 5 million tonnes of debris that were swept into the ocean in March 2011 when a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck Japan.


Swept away: In one year, the fishing vessel has travelled over 6,437
km across the Pacific ocean. Pic/AFP

The 23-feet wall of water struck the east coast of the island nation following a 9.0 earthquake, sweeping everything from cars to houses into the ocean leaving a wake of devastation. More than a year later, a Canadian military air patrol spotted the vessel -- 7,568 kilometre away from where it was originally moored -- floating towards the shore.

It has been determined that the boat has been adrift without anybody at the helm since March 11 last year.
The 50-foot-long (15-meter-long) vessel was recently about 260 kilometres west of Haida Gwaii, islands off the north-coast of British Columbia, slowly drifting toward shore.

A maritime warning has been issued because the vessel could pose a navigational hazard. The Japan Coast Guard identified the owner of the fishing trawler after being contacted by Canadian officials, who were able to provide the identification number on the hull of the ship.

The vessel, which was used for squid fishing, was moored at Hachinohe in the Aomori prefecture when the tsunami hit, said Toshiro Yoshinaga, a Coast Guard official. Canadian agencies are monitoring the ship for possible marine pollution, though there are no reports of leaks from the vessel, the defense department said.
The earthquake was the largest in the country's history.

Thousands of people were killed when the earthquake triggered the tsunami and other giant waves that devastated cities and rural areas. According to the official toll, the disasters left 15,839 dead, 5,950 injured, and 3,642 missing.

15,839 The number of people who died in the tsunami

5 million Amount of debris (in tonnes) that was swept into the ocean


Outrage over 'how to beat your wife' book

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A marriage guidebook written by an Islamic scholar offers men advice on how to beat their wives by hand or stick, withhold money, pull them by their ears

An Islamic marriage guide book has sparked outrage -- by advising men on the best ways to beat their wives.
A Gift For Muslim Couple tells husbands that they should beat their wives with 'hand or stick or pull her by the ears'.


Inciting violence: The book A Gift For Muslim Couple, says that the
husband should restrain his wife with strength and even threaten her
sometimes. Representation Pic

But the book has faced a backlash from moderate Muslims. The 160-page book claims to be a 'presentation for newlyweds' or couples who have been together for some years. It is written by Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi, who is understood to be a prominent Islamic scholar.

What the book says
According to the book's blurb: 'The book... deals with the subject of marriage and after marriage relationship, as well as the various pitfalls of marriage, causes of breakdown and their causes.'

Within the book's opening pages it states that 'it might be necessary to restrain her with strength and even threaten her.'

It continues: 'The husband should treat the wife with kindness and love, even if she tends to be stupid and slow sometimes.'

The author then gives the 'rights of the husband'. According to the book, these include his wife's inability to leave 'his house without his permission'.

She must then 'fulfill his desires' and 'not allow herself to be untidy ... but should beautify herself for him'.
Worryingly, the book advises men that they should scold their wives.

According to the book, they may also beat by hand or stick, withhold money from her or pull (her) by the ears.
It then adds that men should refrain from beating her excessively.

The book came to light after going on sale in a Canadian book store. It is understood to have sold out there.

Reactions
However, it is widely available from Islamic online book stores. Canadian political campaigner Tarek Fatah said that the book should be banned from stores. "I wouldn't say it's hate, but it is inciting men to hit women," he said. "This is new to you, but the Muslim community knows that this is widespread, that a woman can be beaten. Muslim leaders will deny this""It is not like that in our community," added Farzana Baig, a wife of a mosque imam.

"This is upsetting. A wrong thing against our community. My husband doesn't beat me. I haven't heard of this. If it happens it is rare."

"This is totally wrong," said Farzana's husband, who is a vice-president with Sunni mosque Jame Masjid Mississauga, said.

"It should not be and I don't know what to say. This doesn't represent our community and I will look into it. This isn't proper reading and it shouldn't be out there. It makes the whole community look wrong," he said.

Honour killings
on the rise in Pak
Nearly 1,000 women and girls in Pakistan were murdered in 2011 in honour killings, worrying figures have revealed.


Posted by Harshad at 7:19 AM

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