Jakrta bombs blast

Jakarta bomb blast in JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels on Friday, killing nine people and wounding 42 others including foreign businessmen, police said. A car bomb had also exploded along a toll road in North Jakarta, police said. Indonesia's Metro TV said two people had been killed. No further details on that blast were available. The Indonesian government has made considerable progress in tackling security threats from militant Islamic groups in recent years, bringing a sense of greater political stability to the country.


At least nine people, including some foreigners, have been killed in two bomb blasts at luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, police say.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blasts.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has visited the scene and condemned "the cruel and inhuman attack".

Indonesia suffered a number of bomb attacks - mainly linked to the militant group Jemaah Islamiah - in the first years of the century, but has been relatively peaceful since 2005.

President Yudhoyono said Friday's attacks were carried out by a suspected terrorist group, though he said it was "too early to say" if Jemaah Islamiah was involved.

He added: "Those who carried out this attack and those who planned it will be arrested and tried according to the law.

"This act of terrorism... will have wide effects on our economy, trade, tourism and image in the eyes of the world."

source from bdnews24 and bbc

Read more...

China warns Australia not to interfere in Rio ‘spy’ case

AFP, Beijing

China warned Australia Thursday not to interfere in the case of a Rio Tinto executive held on spy claims, after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took a tough line against Beijing.
"We are firmly against anyone stirring up the case and interfering with the independent judicial authority of China. This is not in the interest of Australia," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
Rudd warned Wednesday that China had "significant" business interests on the line in the case of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu and cautioned that foreign governments and international companies were watching developments closely. Hu, an Australian passport holder, and three Chinese colleagues were arrested by counter-espionage agents in Shanghai on July 5.

Read more...

Technical problem seen behind Iran plane crash

AFP, Tehran

A technical problem appears to be the cause of the crash of an Iranian airliner which burst into flames and plunged into farmland, killing all 168 people on board, a top official said on Thursday.
"The pilot could probably not be blamed for this crash and we think it was likely due to a technical problem," Ahmad Majidi, head of the transport ministry's crisis unit, was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.
Iranian officials said three black boxes from the Russian-built Tupolev airliner have also been found, but that two were seriously damaged.
"Because of the severity of the accident two systems linked with the black box have been damaged in such a way that the tapes have come out of the boxes and scattered on the ground," Majidi said.
The plane caught fire in mid-air en route to Armenia and plunged into farmland outside a village in northwest Iran on Wednesday just 16 minutes after take-off, killing all 153 passengers and 15 crew members.
Five Russian experts are due in Tehran on Friday to probe the cause of the crash of the Caspian Airlines Tupolev-154, news agencies reported. The plane had undergone a safety check in Russia last month and had received a flight licence until 2010, Majidi said.
Witnesses said the plane was ablaze before it smashed into the ground and exploded near the city of Qazvin. Television images showed a vast smoking crater littered with debris of plane parts, shoes and clothes.

Read more...

New video shows Jackson’s head catching fire

AFP, New York

A US entertainment magazine has released never-before-seen footage of Michael Jackson's hair catching fire while filming a commercial in 1984, an accident it said led to an addiction to painkillers.
Jackson was filming the advert for Pepsi when fireworks were exploded too early, causing the superstar to suffer severe burns as his hair and scalp were engulfed in flames, according to the video Us Weekly magazine released on its website Wednesday.
The "King of Pop," who died on June 25 from cardiac arrest at the age of 50, at first keeps dancing apparently unaware that his head is on fire. Still images of the accident have already been released but the video had never been shown publicly before. "He was never the same after the accident," Us Weekly said.
"To relieve the second and third-degree burns on his scalp and body (and later to help him tolerate multiple surgeries on the scorched spot on his head), Jackson was prescribed several medications -- which kicked off his addiction to painkillers and obsession with plastic surgery," the magazine quoted sources as saying.

Read more...

Tipaimukh Dam, Asian Highway will bring disaster for BD

Speakers observe at a roundtable

Country's independent, sovereignty, overall trade volume, ecology and agriculture will seriously be affected if Tipaimukh Dam on Barak River and Asian Highway are constructed.
The observation was made by speakers at a roundtable discussion on 'Tipaimukh Dam and Asian Highway' organised by National peoples' Forum at the National Press Club on Thursday.
The speakers said now country's independent and sovereignty are under the threat of aggression. The government is seriously reconsidering its position in respect of signing the Asian Highway network for long-term interest but it will bring disaster as in fact an Indian Highway is going to be constructed in the name of Asian Highway. India will never ever help Bangladesh to achieve its high rate of economic growth because of their economic size and strength. With a view to sucking Bangladesh, India is going to construct Tipaimukh Dam and Asian Highway.
Economist Mahbub Ullah said if the Tipaimukh Dam is constructed, country's ecology, agriculture and environment will severely be affected. It must be resisted through united efforts. Nevertheless, without developing the range and pattern of economic growth with India, the government is going to link up with the so called highway for boosting economy. If it is constructed, country's overall trade volume will be decreased and all sorts of trade will also be regulated by the hints of India unilaterally.
Tareque Shamsur Rahman former University Grants Commission member said proposed Tipaimukh Dam and Asian Highway issues are related with country's national security. The dam is going to be constructed in order to deprive the country of water and for destroying country's overall trade and economic growth, the highway will also be constructed ignoring world opinion. So awareness and national consensus should be raised against Indian aggression throughout the country.
Mahmudur Rahman former power and energy adviser said without conducting environment impact analysis and holding talk with Bangladesh, India started the construction work of the dam violating international river commission law.
About Asian Highway, he said for boosting economic prosperity, the country should be linked up with Asian Highway if it is extended from Bosporus to pacific instead of Indian boundary. "We will be a nation of refugee due to the impact of Tipaimukh Dam and Asian highway if it is constructed intentionally," he said.

source Bangladesh today

Read more...