Monday, February 13, 2012

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Israel accuses Iran of attacks on embassies in India, Georgia

Posted:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran and its "protege" Hezbollah of carrying out the twin bomb attacks on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia.

Addressing lawmakers of his Likud Party, Netanyahu said, "In all those cases, the elements behind these attacks were Iran and its protege Hezbollah."

Two people were wounded in New Delhi and the bomb in Georgia was defused before it went off.

Netanyahu said that other attacks in recent months in Azerbaijan, Thailand and elsewhere were thwarted.

An Israeli embassy car in New Delhi exploded today close to the mission in a suspected coordinated terror attack after a car bomb involving an Israeli embassy vehicle in Georgian capital of Tbilisi was defused.

According to initial investigations, two motorcycle borne youths tailed the Israeli Embassy vehicle in New Delhi's high security zone and allegedly placed "something" in the rear of the car when it stopped at a traffic signal.

In the past, Iran has accused Israel of being involved in a series of killings of it nuclear scientists involved in its controversial atomic programme.

Earlier, reacting to the incidents, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has said that his country "will not allow terrorism to affect its agenda". "It just shows that Israel and its citizens face terror inside and outside of Israel," Liberman said. "We deal with it every day. We know how to identify exactly who is responsible for the attack and who carried it out," he added in an apparent reference to Lebanese Shi'ite faction Hezbollah.

"We will not allow this to affect our agenda," he asserted.

Israel's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Yigal Palmor, confirmed the attack saying that the ministry was "looking into the incident and cooperation with local security forces is excellent".

The incident in New Delhi comes a day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah deputy leader, Imad Mughniyah, who was killed in a car bomb attack. The Shi'ite Lebanese faction had blamed Israel for the assassination, vowing to avenge the same. Israel's bureau of counter-terrorism has been constantly warning its citizens and missions abroad around the time of Mughniyeh's death anniversary of a possible attack.

Whitney Houston's autopsy complete, toxicology reports awaited

Posted:

An autopsy in the mysterious death of singer Whitney Houston is complete but the results have been withheld by the authorities pending toxicology report that will determine the cause of her death.

The toxicology report may take six to eight weeks but the officials are not ruling out any causes of death until the toxicology results. Foul play has been ruled out in the 48-year-old's death, whose body was found by a member of her entourage on Sunday.

Whitney Houston
Yes, Jesus Loves Me: Whitney Houston Pic/AFP

Coroner's officials have withheld the information on the Sunday's autopsy at the request of investigators. Beverly Hills Police Lt Mark Rosen said that his agency may release more details about Houston's death, but it will depend on whether detectives feel comfortable releasing any information.

Coroner Ed Winter said Houston was found in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton Hotel room in California. He declined to say whether she drowned.

According to US reports, the autopsy revealed that the singer did have water in her lungs when she died. It is believed that Houston, who had a history of drug addiction, may have fallen asleep or lapsed in unconsciousness in the bathtub and drowned.

The medical examiner needs to determine whether Houston died before she was submerged in the water or after. There is also a possibility that she was dead before she went under the water, TMZ reported quoting law enforcement sources.

The gossip website said Beverly Hills cops retrieved approximately a half dozen pill bottles from Houston's room including Xanax. Another theory is that the singer had been drinking the night before and a combination of Xanax and alcohol could have fatally sedated her.

Houston died a day before Grammy awards where she was to appear. The awards went without Houston but music bigwigs took to stage to pay rich tributes to her musical accomplishments.

Houston, a pop sensation in the 1980s and one of the best-selling artist, had a history of alcohol and drug addiction, which marred her musical success. She also starred in Hollywood hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale." Her last film was "Sparkle", a remake of 1970s release of the same name.

Whitney Houston's daughter rushed to hospital: Police

Posted:

Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina was rushed to hospital suffering from stress, a day after the death of her pop star mother, police and a family friend said.


Whitney Houston. Pic/AFP

"She was taken to hospital and treated for stress," the friend told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity after media reports that the 18-year-old was taken to the Cedars Sinai hospital in Beverly Hills. Bobbi Kristina is Houston's daughter from her stormy 15-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown.

She was taken by ambulance from the Beverly Hilton hotel, where Houston was found dead on Saturday, police said yesterday. "She was having some anxiety and she was transported to Cedars Sinai" hospital, a spokesman for the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) told AFP, giving no further details.

The TMZ celebrity news website reported that various prescription pills were found in Houston's hotel room, quoting family members as saying she used Xanax, which is often used to treat anxiety. The news about Bobbi Kristina came as Houston's family broke their silence on the tragedy, issuing a statement saying they were devastated by the "unimaginable tragedy" of the singer's death.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends," said the statement.

Houston, a superstar in the 1980s and 1990s with hits including "I Will Always Love You," was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton on the eve of the annual Grammys award show Sunday. The star's mother Cissy Houston, a gospel singer, reportedly spoke to her daughter a short time before she died.

Pakistan PM indicted by Supreme Court

Posted:

Pakistan Supreme Court Monday indicted Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in a contempt of court case for failing to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

There was tight security as the prime minister reached the court premises, reported Geo News.


Photo: AFP

Gilani has refused to write to the Swiss authorities to recover money allegedly stashed away by the president, as directed by the Supreme Court, arguing that Zardari enjoys immunity under the constitution.

The prime minister could be jailed if he is convicted. Next hearing of the case has been scheduled on February 27

Will resign if convicted: Pak PM Gilani

Posted:

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said he will resign if the Supreme Court convicts him in a contempt of court case for not acting against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Gilani also said the cases against Zardari are politically motivated and the president enjoys immunity in the country and abroad.

Gilani has refused to write to the Swiss authorities to recover money allegedly stashed away by the president, as directed by the Supreme Court, arguing that Zardari enjoys immunity.

Accused of graft, Zardari had been granted amnesty under the NRO.


Prince William to put military service before royal duty

Posted:

The Duke of Cambridge has signalled that he will extend his RAF service beyond next year, because he hopes to start a family away from the spotlight of royal duties. The Duke appears to be relishing his latest posting to the Falkland Islands as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, but was widely expected to leave the Armed Forces next year to become a full-time working royal.

Now, however, he has signalled that he will extend his RAF career and start a family as a serviceman.


Revealing family plans: Prince William will extend his RAF service
beyond next year, because he hopes to start a family away from the
spotlight of royal duties. File pic

The second in line to the throne is understood to have decided to stay on beyond mid-2013, when his current three-year tour of duty ends.

The move could allow the Duke (29) and the Duchess of Cambridge to begin to raise a family together in the military, away from the spotlight of official royal life.

Break away
Having already served for six years, the choice of an extended career in the Forces would break with recent royal tradition.

A senior royal aide said: "The Duke is very keen on his flying, very good at it, and he wants to continue with his military career. Should the Duke and Duchess choose to have children within the next few years, he is keen to bring them up as children of a serviceman for as long as possible."

He is in no hurry to take up a more prominent role within the Royal Family, and there is absolutely no pressure from the Queen or anywhere within the royal household for him to do so. The Duke is conscious of other members of the Royal Family, including his grandfather, who gave up their military careers to take up greater official responsibilities, but he is not keen to do this if he doesn't need to. When the time comes, down the line, he wants to be able to look servicemen in the eye and say 'I did my time'," added the aide.

Mr Popular
The Duke's decision comes despite a surge in popularity following his wedding last year, which is set to continue with appearances at celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this year.


Posted by Harshad at 7:54 AM

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