Venice is hit by serious flooding

Venice has been hit by the biggest flood in more than 20 years, with waters rising 1.56m (5ft) above normal.

Many of Venice’s streets, including the famous St Mark’s Square, were submerged, before the high waters began to retreat.

The lagoon city in the Adriatic suffers some level of flooding for about 200 days every year.

The authorities are planning to complete the building of an underwater dam to protect the city by 2011.

Mayor’s warning

Driven by strong winds, the sea level rose to 1.56m above normal on Monday, submerging nearly all of the city, including St Mark’s Square, officials said.

It was the highest “acqua alta”, or high water, since it reached 1.58m in 1986.

A system of elevated wooden walkways was set up, while sirens and loudspeaker announcements reinforced the flood alert for the city’s residents and tourists.

Mayor Massimo Cacciari urged residents to stay at home, and warned tourists thinking of coming to Venice to “think again”.

“It’s an exceptional ‘acqua alta’, and unless you absolutely have to, don’t go out,” the mayor said in a statement.

BBC News website reader Hannah McShane said she could not leave her second-floor flat.

“The residents who live on the ground floor are pumping out the water from their houses with buckets. The water is highly polluted and is beginning to smell, as well as leaving behind rubbish of all kinds on the street as the water levels decrease,” she said.

The situation was complicated by a transport strike affecting the city’s “vaporetto” water buses.

Earlier, Venice’s Centro Maree, which monitors water levels, warned that the flooding could reach as high as 1.66m above sea level.

However, the waters began subside after a sudden change in the wind’s direction.

The last time the waters passed 1.6m was in 1979, when they reached 1.66m.

In 1966, some 5,000 people in Venice were left homeless after an even higher flood – 1.94m – hit the city.

 

टकराव के रास्ते पर धोनी!

परंपरावादियों को शायद मौजूदा विवाद पर हँसी आए, लेकिन उस रिपोर्टर पर तो ईर्ष्या हो सकती है जिसे यह समचार मिला और लोग जानना चाहते हैं कि सच्चाई क्या है.

सच्चाई उस ख़बर की, जिसमें कहा गया था कि आरपी सिंह को टीम से बाहर किए जाने से नाराज़ कप्तान महेंद्र सिंह धोनी ने इस्तीफ़े की पेशकश की है.

अब चयन समिति की बैठक में क्या हुआ, इस पर भले ही अलग-अलग मत हो सकते हैं. लेकिन इस तथ्य से इनकार नहीं किया जा सकता कि ऐसी ख़बर लीक किए जाने को लेकर कप्तान धोनी ने जिस तरह प्रतिक्रिया दी, उससे तो यही लगता है कि वे कई मुद्दे को लेकर टकराव मोल रहे हैं.

ख़राब और असभ्य जैसे शब्दों का इस्तेमाल कप्तान नहीं करते, ख़ासकर भारत में. और बात उस समय और भी गंभीर हो जाती है, जब इन शब्दों का निशाना वे लोग हो जो प्रबंधन में बैठे हों.

लेकिन ऐसे भारी-भरकम शब्दों का इस्तेमाल करके धोनी ने स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि उन्हें हल्के-फुल्के में नहीं लिया जा सकता है.

शंका

धोनी ने यह भी स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि वे भरोसे वाले व्यक्ति हैं और खिलाड़ियों के लिए खड़े होने की उनकी भावना को लेकर कोई शंका नहीं जता सकता.
अब चयन समिति की बैठक में क्या हुआ, इस पर भले ही अलग-अलग मत हो सकते हैं. लेकिन इस तथ्य से इनकार नहीं किया जा सकता कि ऐसी ख़बर लीक किए जाने को लेकर कप्तान धोनी ने जिस तरह प्रतिक्रिया दी, उससे तो यही लगता है कि वे कई मुद्दे को लेकर टकराव मोल रहे हैं

और इसकी राह में अगर उनकी कप्तानी आती है और चयन समिति की बैठक में उन्हें गंभीरता से नहीं लिया जाता है तो वे कप्तानी भी दाँव पर लगा सकते हैं.

इससे यह भी साबित हो जाता है कि धोनी किस मिट्टी के बने हैं. रविवार को संवाददाता सम्मेलन में धोनी ने कप्तानी छोड़ने की पेशकश वाली ख़बर से इनकार नहीं किया, कुछ लोग ये भी कह सकते हैं कि उन्होंने इस ख़बर की पुष्टि भी नहीं की.

प्रेस कॉन्फ़्रेंस में ख़बर लीक किए जाने को लेकर धोनी का ग़ुस्सा ये तो साबित कर ही रहा था कि इस ख़बर में कुछ तो सच्चाई है ही.

धोनी की नाराज़गी ये भी बताती है कि वे टीम भावना की कितनी कद्र करते हैं और वे यह भी नहीं चाहते कि कोई खिलाड़ी ये महसूस करे कि वो टीम के लिए ज़रूरी नहीं है.

कम शब्दों में कहें तो किसी भी ऐसे नेता की तरह जो दूसरों की परवाह करते हैं, धोनी नहीं चाहते कि ये संकेत जाए कि वे अपने पसंदीदा खिलाड़ियों को मौक़ा दे रहे हैं.

ये बात को समझ में आती है कि जब 15 खिलाड़ियों का चयन करना होता है तो इस पर गंभीर बहस होती है. कई बार किसी एक नाम पर बहस कटु भी हो जाती है.

ऐसा पहले भी हो चुका है और आगे भी होता रहेगा. लेकिन शायद ये पहली बार हुआ है जब किसी कप्तान ने कप्तान ने यह कहते हुए कप्तानी छोड़ने की धमकी दी हो कि उसे वो खिलाड़ी मिलना चाहिए, जो वो चाहता है.

कुछ लोगों को इस पर आश्चर्य हो सकता है कि कोई कप्तान ऐसा क्यों करना चाहेगा, वो भी एक ऐसे खिलाड़ी को लेकर, जिसका कोई बहुत अच्छा रिकॉर्ड नहीं रहा है और न ही वो खिलाड़ी हमेशा 11 खिलाड़ियों में जगह ही पाता है.

इस तर्क में थोड़ा-बहुत दम हो सकता है लेकिन इस मामले में मुद्दा ये नहीं है. दरअसल इस मुद्दे पर पहले भी काफ़ी बहस हो चुकी है और ये मुद्दा है चयन के मामले में कप्तानों को कितना दखल होना चाहिए.

फ़ैसला

हममें से ज़्यादा लोग यही तर्क देंगे कि निर्णायक फ़ैसला कप्तान का ही होना चाहिए ख़ासकर उस स्थिति में जब दो खिलाड़ियों में से किसी को चुनना हो.

ख़बर है कि आरपी सिंह को लेकर हुआ विवाद

आख़िरकार कप्तान ही तो ये बात सबसे अच्छी तरह जानता है कि उसे किस माहौल में मैच खेलना है और उसे वही खिलाड़ी मिलने चाहिए, जो वो चाहता है.

इसलिए पसंदीदा खिलाड़ी न मिलने पर धोनी का ग़ुस्सा समझ में आता है. धोनी को आपत्ति उठाने का पूरा अधिकार है. और अगर वो इस मामले को इतना गंभीर है तो कप्तानी छोड़ने की धमकी भी समझ में आती है.

ऐसे उकसावे वाले बयानों का हमेशा ये मतलब नहीं होता कि जो इरादा ज़ाहिर किया जा रहा है, वैसा कर ही दिया जाए. लेकिन इससे ये ज़रूर दिखता है कि धोनी अपनी तरह के व्यक्ति हैं और ये भी हो सकता है कि व्यवस्था के साथ उनके ख़राब रिश्ते की ये सिर्फ़ शुरुआत हो.

ये दुनिया अपनी व्यवस्था के भीतर किसी ‘विद्रोही’ को पसंद नहीं करती. ज़्यादा बोलने की क़ीमत पूर्व कप्तान सौरभ गांगुली को भी चुकानी पड़ी थी.

इस समय महेंद्र सिंह धोनी भारत के पसंदीदा खिलाड़ी हैं. ख़तरे की घंटी के बावजूद प्रबंधन धोनी से टकराव लेने से पहले इस मामले से सावधानी पूर्वक निपटना चाहेगा.

(लेखक हिंदुस्तान टाइम्स के खेल सलाहकार हैं)

 

US aid worker killed in Pakistan

Gunmen in Pakistan have shot dead an American aid worker and his driver in the north-western city of Peshawar. The men were killed just outside their office in the University Town area. It is not clear who the attackers were. Violence has surged in the north-west in recent months with a wave of attacks blamed on Islamist militants. A number of missile strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas by US troops based in neighbouring Afghanistan have fuelled anti-American sentiment. The BBC’s Mark Dummett in Islamabad says that the security situation across Pakistan has steadily worsened over the past few years, with Taleban militants holding sway over a large stretch of North West Frontier Province (NWFP). But our correspondent says attacks of this kind on foreigners in Pakistan are rare. Across the border in Afghanistan aid workers and other foreigners have increasingly been targeted in recent months. Gunmen attacked the car of a US diplomat in Peshawar in August, but she survived unhurt. Our correspondent says that it is more common for militants in Pakistan to launch suicide bomb attacks against military or government targets. ‘Under investigation’ The US embassy has refused to identify the man until his next of kin are informed.

But an embassy spokesman confirmed that the victim was an American. He said the dead man was not a diplomat nor was he travelling on an official assignment. US media reports identified the aid worker as Stephen Vance. Earlier reports had given his name as Stephen David. Police say the American worked for a US-funded project to help develop the troubled tribal belt – a large swathe of which is now controlled by militants. Eyewitnesses say the aid worker and his driver were shot by a group of masked gunmen as they drove to their office in University Town, a wealthy suburb of the main city in north-west Pakistan. The attackers blocked the men’s vehicle in a narrow street with their own car before opening fire with automatic weapons, officials said. “Several bullets hit them, and they died in the vehicle,” police official Arshad Khan told the Associated Press. Bombings Meanwhile, two Pakistani security officers were killed and several others were injured in a suicide attack in north-western Pakistan, officials said.

Peshawar was hit by a suicide bombing on Tuesday

The suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into a temporary security forces camp in Shabqadar area of Charsadda district, 25km north of Peshawar. Areas close to Peshawar – the biggest city in north-west Pakistan – are known to be Taleban and al-Qaeda strongholds. The region has been hit by several bombings and suicide attacks recently. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber walked up to the gate of a stadium in Peshawar and blew himself up. The attack happened as the governor of North West Frontier Province left after a sports tournament. He was unhurt but at least one man was killed and three people were injured.

 

Somalis grow fearful of Islamists

By Mohamed Mohamed BBC Somali Service

Public anger at the recent stoning of a 13-year-old girl in Somalia shows the growing resentment towards radical Islamists who have gained control of much of the south and centre of the country. Insurgents from the militant group al-Shabab are seen as authoritarian and unaccountable – unlike the Islamists who were in control of the capital, Mogadishu, in 2006. Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow was stoned to death for adultery in the southern port city of Kismayo, which was taken control by al-Shabab and its allies in August.

I don’t know what crime she committed other than being raped – and I was not even allowed to see her body Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow’s aunt

Her 62-year-old aunt told the BBC that the teenager had in fact been raped by three armed men – and she took Asha to the police station to report it. Several days later, after two suspects had been arrested, she was asked to return to the station with her niece. To her surprise the girl was taken into custody too. “I tried to speak to the police but they said they were not talking,” she said. Three days later, after Asha had been tried in an Islamist court, she was stoned to death. “They said that the girl had chatted up these men and had confessed to adultery,” she said. But the aunt said the authorities clearly failed to notice her age, how mentally disturbed she was by her experience, or her history of mental illness. “She was only 13 years old. I have got her card from Hagarder refugee camp which has her age on it. She might have looked a bit older, but you could tell her age by talking to her,” she said. Law and order Other critics point to the lack of lawyers, witnesses or appeal process. The Islamists were reported to have announced their verdict the day before the stoning from cars with loudspeakers. But Asha’s aunt was not informed of the court’s decision – despite repeated visits to the police station.

A public flogging in Mogadishu Enlarge Image

“I was not even told that she was to be killed, I just heard it from people after it happened. “I don’t know what crime she committed other than being raped; and I was not even allowed to see her body,” she said. Al-Shabab in Kismayo has refused attempts by the BBC to discuss the stoning. It is almost two years since the Ethiopian-backed interim government ousted the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which had ruled much of Somalia for nearly six months. In 2006, the UIC was generally welcomed for the law and order it brought to a country bedevilled by more than a decade of civil war and clan fighting. UIC fighters launched an insurgency following what many Somalis regarded as an Ethiopian invasion. Its youth and military wing, al-Shabab, gained notoriety for its determination, despite its much smaller numbers. Fear The group, which is on the US terror list and is said to have links with al-Qaeda, has since split from the UIC, angered by its current peace negotiations with the government. It does not work against the UIC, but it favours co-operating with other groups including: • The Kaanboni, led by Hassan Turki, who is also on the US terror list • The Islamic Front, a new group about which very little is known. For example, since mid-August, when they captured the Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo regions from local clan militia, they now share the administration with existing officials.

According to well-informed sources in the regions who requested anonymity, these groups instil fear among the local population. “You keep quiet and follow the commands of the Islamists, or emigrate to neighbouring countries, or simply die and leave this world,” one of them said. In Mogadishu, al-Shabab insurgents are said to move around the city freely – often in vehicles captured from the government. The government forces and troops from Ethiopia and the African Union are limited to the airport, port, presidential palace and a few military camps. Besides the central city of Baidoa, these are the only areas government forces now hold. When they attempt to move between these points, they are often ambushed by the Islamists. A few weeks ago, al-Shabab held a military parade in a former military camp in the capital, where they carried out a public flogging of two men sentenced by an Islamic court over a family dispute. The flogging took place in front of crowds of local residents, and was orchestrated to show just who is running the show. Death threats Al-Shabab insurgents have a countrywide organisation, threatening anyone they perceive to be supporting the government with text messages.

They are wrong if they committed a kidnap. They will have to be punished under Sharia law Hiiran’s al-Shabab Chairman Sheikh Ali Dheere

One human rights activist outside the capital told the BBC that he was ordered to close down his offices. He said he began receiving quite frequent threatening messages on his mobile. So he stopped using his phone. Eventually a relative brought him a stern message from al-Shabab. It said if he did not stop his work, he would be killed. As the government has lost ground over the last five months, the number of attacks on civil society activists, local non-governmental workers and international aid workers has increased. Some have been shot dead point-blank; others have been kidnapped and are still missing. Most suspect that those behind the attacks are al-Shabab insurgents, even if no-one dares say so publicly. In the central Hiiran region, where most towns have seen a presence of al-Shabab and the more moderate UIC since July, people have been more vocal in their complaints. ‘Not Islamic’ A former army engineer and political activist detailed examples of those targeted because of their association with Ethiopia or the West. “They have killed 17 civilians without reason or due process including two teachers and a well-known traditional elder, Da’ar Hirsi Hooshow,” the man, whose name is being withheld for his own safety, told the BBC. The teachers worked at a school that taught English and employed foreign staff. The shooting of Mr Hooshow, who was known to be holding talks with Ethiopian troops before he was shot dead on 10 October, prompted angry scenes in Beled Weyne. Town residents stoned al-Shabab centres believing them to be behind the killing. And while the UIC may share al-Shabab’s aim to see the Ethiopians leave the country, it has distanced itself from its former allies. On Monday, UIC authorities in Beled Weyne arrested nine al-Shabab members for allegedly kidnapping an official over the weekend “We didn’t ask them to do any operation at all,” Hiiran’s al-Shabab Chairman Sheikh Ali Dheere told the BBC. “They are wrong if they committed a kidnap. They will have to be punished under Sharia law,” he said. But many fear that law and order is not al-Shabab’s priority. “They are holding this region with the barrel of the gun, and it has nothing to do with Islam,” the Hiiran political activist said.

 

Obama wins

Obama addresses jubilant crowds in Chicago

Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected the first black president of the United States.

“It’s been a long time coming, but tonight… change has come to America,” the president-elect told a jubilant crowd at a victory rally in Chicago.

His rival John McCain accepted defeat, saying “I deeply admire and commend” Mr Obama. He called on his supporters to lend the next president their goodwill.

The BBC’s Justin Webb said the result would have a profound impact on the US.

“On every level America will be changed by this result… [it] will never be the same,” he said.

McCain: ‘We must work together’

Mr Obama appeared with his family, and his running mate Joe Biden, before a crowd of tens of thousands in Grant Park, Chicago.

Many people in the vast crowd, which stretched back far into the Chicago night, wept as Mr Obama spoke.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer,” he said.

He said he had received an “extraordinarily gracious” call from Mr McCain.

He praised the former Vietnam prisoner of war as a “brave and selfless leader”.
OBAMA GAINS
Ohio
New Mexico
Iowa
Virginia
Florida
Colorado
Nevada

“He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine,” the victor said.

He had warm words for his family, announcing to his daughters: “Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.”

But he added: “Even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. But America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.”

Hours after Mr Obama’s victory was announced, crowds were still celebrating in Chicago and on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.

From red to blue

Mr Obama captured the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, before breaking through the winning threshold of 270 electoral college votes at 0400 GMT, when projections showed he had also taken California and a slew of other states.

I find myself strangely emotional about this. I want to go wake up my neighbours and hug them
Amy Scullane, Boston

Then came the news that he had also seized Florida, Virginia and Colorado – all of which voted Republican in 2004 – turning swathes of the map from red to blue.

Several other key swing states are hanging in the balance.

In Indiana and North Carolina, with most of the vote counted, there was less than 0.5% between the two candidates.

However, the popular vote remains close. At 0600 GMT it stood at 51.3% for the Democratic Senator from Illinois, against 47.4% for Arizona Senator Mr McCain.

The main developments include:
Mr Obama is projected to have seized Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Florida, Colorado and Nevada – all Republican wins in 2004.
He is also projected to have won: Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon.
Mr McCain is projected to have won: Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota.
Turnout was reported to be extremely high – in some places “unprecedented”.
The Democrats made gains in the Senate race, seizing seats from the Republicans in Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Colorado. They also increased their majority of the House of Representatives.
Exit polls suggest the economy was the major deciding factor for six out of 10 voters.
Nine out of 10 said the candidates’ race was not important to their vote, the Associated Press reported. Almost as many said age did not matter.

Several states reported very high turnout. It was predicted 130 million Americans, or more, would vote – more than for any election since 1960.

Many people said they felt they had voted in a historic election – and for many African-Americans the moment was especially poignant.

Congratulations… You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life

President George W Bush

John Lewis, an activist in the civil rights era who was left beaten on an Alabama bridge 40 years ago, told Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church: “This is a great night. It is an unbelievable night. It is a night of thanksgiving.”

Besides winning the presidency, the Democrats tightened their grip on Congress.

The entire US House of Representatives and a third of US Senate seats were up for grabs.

Democrats won several Senate seats from the Republicans, but seemed unlikely to gain the nine extra they wanted to reach the 60-seat “super-majority” that could prevent Republicans blocking legislation.

ओबामा की ऐतिहासिक जीत

अमरीका के राष्ट्रपति चुनावों में इतिहास रचते हुए डेमोक्रेटिक पार्टी के उम्मीदवार बराक ओबामा अमरीका के पहले अश्वेत राष्ट्रपति बनने जा रहे हैं. रिपब्लिकन उम्मीदवार जॉन मक्कैन ने हार मान ली है.

अमरीकी राष्ट्रपति चुनने के लिए 538 इलेक्टॉरल कॉलेज मतों में से 270 की आवश्यकता होती है. चुनावों के ताज़ा रुझानों के मुताबिक ओबामा को इससे ज़्यादा मत मिलेंगे. इस बारे में आधिकारिक घोषणा में कुछ समय लगेगा.

मैक्केन के हार स्वीकार कर लेने के बाद, अपने भावुक समर्थकों को संबोधित करते हुए ओबामा ने कहा, “अमरीकी लोगों ने घोषणा की है कि बदलाव का समय आ गया है. अमरीका एक शताब्दी में सबसे गंभीर समस्याओं से जूझ रहा है मैं सभी अमरीकियों को साथ लेकर चलना चाहता हूँ – उनकों भी जिन्होंने मेरे लिए वोट नहीं डाला….ये नेतृत्व का एक नया सवेरा है. जो लोग दुनिया को ध्वस्त करना चाहते हैं, उन्हें मैं कहना चाहता हूँ कि हम तुम्हें हराएँगे. जो लोग सुरक्षा और शांति चाहते हैं, हम उनकी मदद करेंगे…”
अमरीकी लोगों ने घोषणा की है कि बदलाव का समय आ गया है. अमरीका एक शताब्दी में सबसे गंभीर समस्याओं से जूझ रहा है. मैं सभी अमरीकियों को साथ लेकर चलना चाहता हूँ – उनकों भी जिन्होंने मेरे लिए वोट नहीं डाला….ये नेतृत्व का एक नया सवेरा है. जो लोग दुनिया को ध्वस्त करना चाहते हैं, उन्हें मैं कहना चाहता हूँ कि हम तुम्हें हराएँगे. जो लोग सुरक्षा और शांति चाहते हैं, हम उनकी मदद करेंगे…”

डेमोक्रेट बराक ओबामा

रिपब्लिकन पार्टी के उम्मीदवार जॉन मैक्केन ने रुझानों के आधार पर ही अपनी हार स्वीकार कर ली थी और इसे ‘अमरीका के इतिहास में अश्वेत अमरीकियों के लिए इसे एक महत्वपूर्ण क्षण’ बताया था.

उनका कहना था, “मैं सीनेटर ओबामा का प्रशंसक हूँ. मैं आप से अपील करता हूँ कि अगले चार साल आप उन्हें सहयोग दें. लाखों अफ़्रीकी अमरीकियों के लिए एक नया दौर शुरु हुआ है. अमरीका दुनिया का सबसे महान देश है. ओबामा ने ये साबित कर दिया है कि अमरीका सभी लोगों को अपने सपने साकार करने का बराबर का अवसर प्रदान करता है.”

कई राज्यों में पछाड़ा

ओबामा ने ओहायो, न्यू मेक्सिको और पेन्नसिलवेनिया जैसे महत्वपूर्ण राज्यों में अपने रिपब्लिपन जॉन मैक्केन को करारा झटका देते हुए पछाड़ दिया. दक्षिणी राज्यों में मैक्केन को कुछ सफलता मिली लेकिन ये पर्याप्त नहीं था.

अमरीका में चुनाव: बीबीसी हिंदी विशेष

महत्वपूर्ण है कि केलिफ़ोर्निया में अभी मतदान ख़त्म ही हुआ था कि मैक्केन ने अपनी हार स्वीकार कर ली.
मैं सीनेटर ओबामा का प्रशंसक हूँ. मैं आप से अपील करता हूँ कि अगले चार साल आप उन्हें सहयोग दें. लाखों अफ़्रीकी अमरीकियों के लिए एक नया दौर शुरु हुआ है. अमरीका दुनिया का सबसे महान देश है. ओबामा ने ये साबित कर दिया है कि अमरीका सभी लोगों को अपने सपने साकार करने का बराबर का अवसर प्रदान करता है

रिपब्लिकन जॉन मैक्केन

इससे पहले अनेक प्रांतों में मतदान केंद्रों पर लंबी कतारें देखी गईं. अनुमान लगाया जा रहा है कि 1960 के बाद रिकॉर्ड वोटिंग हुई.

अमरीका में मुख्य पार्टियों का इतिहास

राष्ट्रपति पद के लिए इस बार चुनाव अभियान लगभग दो साल तक चला और इस प्रचार को अमरीका के इतिहास में अब तक का सबसे महँगा चुनाव प्रचार कहा जा रहा है, जिसमें लगभग लगभग 2.4 अरब डॉलर ख़र्च हुए है.

मैक्केन दक्षिणी में सफल

बीबीसी संवाददाता निक ब्रयांट के अनुसार पेन्नसिलवेनिया और न्यू हेंपशायर को रिपब्लिकन मैक्केन ने निशाना बनाया था लेकिन ये प्रांत डेमोक्रेटिक पार्टी के पाले में गए.

लेकिन मैक्केन को सबसे करारा झटका ओहायो में लगा क्योंकि पिछले कई दशकों में कोई भी रिपब्लिकन उम्मीदवार बिना ओहायो जीते व्हाइट हाउस में नहीं पहुँच पाया है. लेकिन यहाँ भी रुझान ओबामा के पक्ष में रहा.

वर्ष 2004 के अमरीकी चुनाव

वर्ष 2000 में ख़ासे विवाद का केंद्र रहे फ़्लोरिडा में भी ओबामा ही आगे रहे.

ओहायो, पेन्नसिलवेनिया और कई अन्य राज्यों में मैकेन ने ख़ासी महनत की लेकिन कामयाबी नहीं मिली

उधर रिपब्लिकन जॉन मैक्केन ने दक्षिणी राज्यों में ख़ासी सफलता पाई और जॉर्जिया जैसे प्रांत में भी आगे निकल गए लेकिन वे लगातार पिछड़ते ही चले गए.

उम्मीद के अनुसार केंटकी में जॉन मैक्केन आगे रहे, वहीं वरमोंट में बराक ओबामा ने बढ़त हासिल की है.

कई जगह उथल-पुथल

चुनाव में लगभग तीन करोड़ वोटरों ने ‘अर्ली वोटिंग’ के तहत अपना वोट दर्ज कराया था जो कि एक रिकॉर्ड है.

जहाँ ओबामा ने अपने गृह प्रांत इलिनॉय ने परिवार सहित वोट डाला वहीं मैक्केन ने एरिज़ोना में वोट डाला.

न्यू हैम्पशायर में सबसे पहले मंगलवार को वोट डाला गया जहाँ बराक ओबामा ने अपने प्रतिद्वंदी को पछाड़ दिया. वर्ष 1968 के बाद यह पहला मौका है जब रुझानों के मुताबिक यह शहर डेमोक्रेट के पाले में गया.

 

फ़लस्तीनियों की आज़ादी का आहवान

ओसामा को पाकिस्तान-अफ़ग़ानिस्तान सीमावर्ती क्षेत्र में छुपा हुआ बताया जाता है

अल क़ायदा के नेता ओसामा बिन लादेन की कथित आवाज़ वाला एक टेप सामने आया है जिसमें यह आवाज़ कहती हुई सुनाई देती है कि मुसलमानों को फ़लस्तीनी ज़मीन को आज़ाद कराने के लिए अपनी लड़ाई जारी रखनी चाहिए.

हालाँकि इस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ की स्वतंत्र रूप से पुष्टि नहीं हुई है.

इससे पहले मार्च में एक टेप आया था जिसमें कहा गया था कि यह बिन लादेन की आवाज़ है.

यह टेप ऐसे समय में सामने आया है जब इसराइल अपनी स्थापना की साठवीं वर्षगाँठ मना रहा है. इस मौक़े पर अमरीकी राष्ट्रपति जॉर्ज बुश ने भी इसराइल का दौरा किया है और दोहराया है कि अमरीका का हर तरह का समर्थन इसराइल के साथ है.

इस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ कहती है कि इसराइल के ख़िलाफ़ लड़ाई जारी रहे और “फ़लस्तीन की इंच भर ज़मीन भी छोड़ी ना जाए.”

अल क़ायदा नेता ओसामा बिन लादेन के बारे में कहा जाता है कि वह पाकिस्तान-अफ़ग़ानिस्तान सीमावर्ती इलाक़े में किसी स्थान पर छुपे हुए हैं.

शुक्रवार को जो ओसामा बिन लादेन का कथित संदेश टेप में आया है वह नौ मिनट का है और यह ऑडियो एक ऐसी वेबसाइट पर लगाया गया है जो आमतौर पर अल क़ायदा इस्तेमाल करता है.

इस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ कहती है कि फ़लस्तीनियों के हित के लिए संघर्ष ही पश्चिमी दुनिया के साथ अल क़ायदा के युद्ध की एक प्रमुख वजह है. यह आवाज़ ये भी कहती है कि इसी मुद्दे ने 11 सितंबर 2001 को अमरीका पर हुए हमलों के लिए आधार तैयार किया था.

मार्च में जो टेप आया था उसे भी ओसामा बिन लादेन की आवाज़ वाला बताया गया था और अमरीकी ख़ुफ़िया अधिकारियों ने पुष्टि की थी कि वह आवाज़ ओसामा बिन लादेन की ही थी.

उस टेप में सुनाई देने वाली आवाज़ ने इस्लाम के पैगंबर मोहम्मद साहब का मज़ाक उड़ाने वाले कार्टूनों के मामले पर यूरोपीय संघ को चुनौती दी थी.

उसके एक दिन बाद आए एक अन्य संदेश में मुसलमानों से इराक़ में विद्रोही गतिविधियों में शामिल होने का आहवान किया गया था और कहा गया था कि फ़लस्तीनियों की सहायता करने का यह सबसे अच्छा तरीका हो सकता है.

 

300 feared dead in Pakistan quake

300 feared dead in Pakistan quake

The army has reached some survivors but thousands still await relief

Officials say they fear that up to 300 people have in an earthquake in Pakistan’s south-west Balochistan province. Up to 50,000 people are thought to be homeless following the 6.4 magnitude tremor on Wednesday. Since the quake, there have been many aftershocks, frightening people in villages and towns across a wide area. Rescuers are still scrambling to reach thousands of survivors who have spent two cold nights in the open. See a map of the affected area The official death toll is 215, but officials fear that more people than that have died, says the BBC’s Charles Haviland in Islamabad. Many people buried their close relatives soon after their deaths, making any accurate count difficult. A health officer in Ziarat has also stressed that some remote villages have not yet been has surveyed. Aftershocks Some survivors say that many villages away from main roads have only slowly and belatedly been receiving food, blankets and tents from the relief teams sent by the government. Military helicopters are being used to reach mountainous and remote locations, where some villages have been cut off by landslides. “The earthquake destroyed our houses, but now the government’s slow response is killing us,” said Moosa Kaleem, a survivor in Ziarat, the worst-affected area, told the Associated Press news agency.

The quake crushed hundreds of vulnerable houses

“We cannot spend another night in this chilling weather, especially the kids.” Several hundred aftershocks have been felt since the main earthquake. “I know these are aftershocks and not new earthquakes, and I also know these tremors may continue for a while but it is hard to convince children that they will be safe,” Amjad Aziz, a teacher in Ziarat who has been sleeping in his car since the quake, told AP. The aftershocks have also been felt in the city of Quetta. There, hospital patients – including people injured in the quake – are lying on the ground or on beds in the open air, as staff do not consider it safe to stay indoors. The shocks are still causing widespread alarm, and some people have left the city for rural areas. Activists with hard-line Islamic organisations were first to reach some of the most remote parts with relief supplies. Among them was Jamaat-ud-Dawa, designated a terrorist group by the US government for its links to Kashmiri Muslim separatists. The same group also helped survivors of a huge quake that devastated northern Pakistan in October 2005, killing up to 80,000 people. Balochistan is home to a long-running separatist movement, but has so far been spared the level of violence seen in the north-western tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. In 1935, Quetta suffered almost complete destruction in an earthquake which claimed the lives of about 30,000 people. Pakistan sits atop an area of seismic collision between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, the same force that created the Himalayan mountains.

 

India explosions death toll rises

India explosions death toll rises

The hospitals in the main city are flooded with survivors of the blast

The death toll in a series of bomb explosions in India’s north-eastern state of Assam has risen to over 70, the state’s health minister says. Himanta Biswa Sarma said 10 people who were injured in Thursday’s blasts died in hospitals during the night. Indian PM Manmohan Singh, who represents Assam in the upper house of parliament, is due in the state. More than 300 others were injured in at least 18 blasts, the majority of them in the state capital, Guwahati. The separatist United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) has denied any role in the blasts, blaming Indian “occupation forces” for engineering them. But a statement issued by self-styled “lieutenant” Anjan Borthakur on behalf of Ulfa’s “Military Council” said Ulfa had been blamed as part of a “disinformation campaign”. Security forces have been fighting separatist rebels in Assam for decades. ‘Desperate for survival’ Security analysts say that the group has been blamed for engineering similar serial blasts in Assam in the past. Analyst Jaideep Saikia told the BBC that Ulfa has been behind 11 in Assam since 2002 with between 10 and 40 people killed in each explosion. (Most of Non Assames but now they killed assamese) Biharies are always on target of ULFA and general people support ULFA in Assam. For the past 10 years, the group has been blamed for bombings targeting gas and oil pipelines, oil depots and areas populated by migrant workers.

Assam violence Q&A

Assam police intelligence chief Khagen Sharma told the BBC that the latest bombings proved that Ulfa was “desperate for survival and does not mind killing even local people indiscriminately”. The group began an armed rebellion against what it describes as colonial rule by Delhi in 1979. Thousands of people have died in the violence. An effort to start peace talks between the rebels and the Indian government broke down in 2006. The rebels are seeking a separate homeland for the Assamese people and demanding that non-indigenous people, particularly Hindi and Bengali speakers, leave Assam. Separately, seven policemen and a surrendered insurgent were killed in an ambush by a group called Black Widow in the state’s North Cachar Hill district late on Thursday, police said. The breakaway tribal rebel group, who have regularly attacked security forces and expatriate workers, is fighting for an independent homeland for the Dimasa tribe. Thursday’s explosions in Guwahati and the towns of Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon occurred within an hour of each other, after 1100 local time (0530 GMT). There have been a number of major bomb attacks in India in the past few months, many of them blamed on local Islamist groups. But local separatists have been held responsible for recent explosions in north-eastern cities. Two north-eastern state capitals – Agartala in Tripura and Imphal in Manipur – saw serial explosions this month. At least 20 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the blasts.

 

‘Human catastrophe’ grips Congo

‘Human catastrophe’ grips Congo

Killings, rapes and looting have been reported around Goma

Fierce fighting between government and rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, the Red Cross says. Diplomatic efforts are under way to end the crisis, which has threatened to spill over into neighbouring Rwanda. A tense ceasefire is holding in the eastern city of Goma, where tens of thousands fled as rebels advanced. But rebel leader Gen Laurent Nkunda has threatened to take the city unless UN peacekeepers guarantee the ceasefire. Killings and rapes have been reported in Goma and aid has not been reaching the displaced. See detailed map of the area Oxfam and other leading international aid agencies have suspended operations in the city, where a main hospital as well as numerous businesses and homes have been looted. The Red Cross’s Michael Khambatta told the BBC the priority now was providing the vast numbers of civilians forced from their homes with food, medical aid, shelter and some sort of security. Overstretched peacekeepers After several days of fighting, Gen Nkunda declared the ceasefire on late on Wednesday, and his Tutsi forces are positioned some nine miles (15km) from Goma – the provincial capital of North Kivu.

While thousands have sought refuge in Goma, many thousands more have fled into the forests, where the militias cannot find them, and the aid agencies cannot help them Peter Greste DR Congo-Rwanda border Eyewitness: ‘Chaos in Congo city’ In pictures: Goma chaos Timeline: DR Congo

He said he was opening a “humanitarian corridor” so aid could reach the thousands of people trapped between his forces and UN soldiers backing up government troops in the city. Much of the looting has been blamed on retreating Congolese troops. The UN is considering redeploying some of its 17,000-strong force in DR Congo – the world’s largest – to bolster around 5,000 peacekeepers in the city. As the tense ceasefire held early on Friday, a multi-pronged diplomatic effort was under way to resolve the crisis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sent envoys to both DR Congo and Rwanda as each accused the other of launching cross-border incursions. The African Union is to hold crisis talks on Friday and EU efforts have been ongoing to bring Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Joseph Kabila together. The EU is also to discuss sending troops to the area to aid the humanitarian effort. Fleeing for the forests Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer has held talks with Mr Kabila in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

Exodus as terror spreads Q&A: DR Congo conflict Country profile: DR Congo

Many in DR Congo say Rwanda supports Gen Nkunda’s forces – something Rwanda denies. In the past two months, more than 200,000 people have been driven from their homes across eastern DR Congo. While thousands have sought refuge in Goma, many thousands more have fled into the forests, where the militias cannot find them, and the aid agencies cannot help them. Gen Nkunda has told the BBC his goal was to protect the Tutsi community from attack by Rwandan Hutu rebels, some of whom are accused of taking part in the country’s 1994 genocide. Correspondents say a race for the area’s mineral wealth is fuelling the conflict as much as ethnic enmities. There are growing concerns for the welfare of 39 wildlife rangers who were forced to flee into dense forest after their headquarters in eastern DR Congo were stormed by rebels.

 

Raj ka Gunda Raj

The Mumbai police has told the Bombay high court that it has not found any evidence against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in connection with the violent agitation by his party for enforcing Marathi signboards in shops. Joint Commissioner of Police K L Prasad, in an affidavit, has also said the letters written by Raj asking shopkeepers in the city to put up Marathi signboards “do not make out any cognisable offence” as per law and judiciary separtment’s opinion. The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association had moved the high court in August seeking to restrain MNS from indulging in violence over the signboard issue. At the last hearing, the court had asked the government why no action was taken against Raj Thackeray. The hearing of the case has been adjourned till November 29. Earlier, Prasad’s remarks about Mumbai that the city does not belong to anyone’s father had triggered an angry reaction from Raj Thackeray.

The Jewel of Medina, a story of Ayesha, Prophet Mohammed’s third wife penned by American author Sherry Jones in the form of historical fiction, has been objected to by some Muslims in the United States. The book was published in America on October 6 but its publication in Britain has been delayed fearing protests. Muslim groups allege that the book is blasphemous and have branded the author an enemy of Islam. The controversy is getting quite like the Danish cartoon controversy which raised protests from many Islamic countries and India. According to American think-tank Stratfor, “The tone of the book is not the real issue. To many Muslims, not only is it offensive to ridicule Mohammed but it is forbidden and considered a dire insult to portray the Prophet in any way outside the context of Islamic writings. This insult is magnified when Mohammed is depicted having intimate relations with his wife, a revered figure in Islam who is referred to in many Islamic writings as Um ul Mumineen (Arabic for ‘Mother of the Believers’). Because of this, in all probability many Muslims — not just a few radicals — will find the book offensive.” Stratfor quotes an associate professor of Islamic history at the University of Texas at Austin who said Muslims would find the book very offensive. He has likened it to soft-core pornography. However, the author and publisher have argued that the book respectfully portrays Prophet Mohammed and his relationship with Ayesha — in stark contrast to the Danish cartoons that sparked so much protest and violence. Random House scrapped its plans to publish the book in the US because they thought Muslims could find book’s contents offensive. Later, Beaufort Books announced its publication. The book has been published in Serbia where it has drawn criticism. The book was withdrawn from the market in Serbia but, pirated copies are available. On September 27, according to the Stratfor report, three men were arrested outside the house of British publisher Martin Rynja of Gibson Square. They were reportedly forcing a small incendiary device through the front door mail slot of the home, which also serves as the headquarters for Gibson Square publishers. Three men were arrested shortly after the incident and have been charged in connection with the crime. The suspects reportedly have indicated that the attack was indeed related to the publication of The Jewel of Medina. In view of the past experience of controversies over Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses and Danish cartoons, Stratfor thinkers Fred Burton and Scott Stewart argue that “The Jewel of Medina has the potential to cause problems for many years. Though this issue might fade quickly from public consciousness in the West, the subject matter of the book has the potential to inflame Muslim activists again in the future.” Stratfor claims that in the case of the Prophet cartoons, Pakistani religious leaders admitted that they intentionally stirred up emotions connected with the publication of the images after the initial furore died down. It is thus quite possible that The Jewel of Medina will be used in the same way, but this timeframe could span decades. In the case of The Satanic Verses, large-scale protests condemning the book and Rushdie occurred as recently as fall 2007, 19 years after the novel’s publication.” Stratfor writers claim, “We are not necessarily predicting an immediate open season on Sherry Jones or the publishers of the book, but precautions should obviously be taken to prevent them from becoming the next Theo van Gogh [the Dutch film-maker who was killed for making a controversial film on Islam]. And as the ancillary attacks in the Rushdie case (among others) have shown, other people also can become victims, and violence can be channelled in unexpected ways and appear in unexpected places.” On the wider implication of the book the Stratfor report concludes, “When it comes to perceptions of blasphemy and other affronts that some see as warranting death, fatwas often are carried out with extreme brutality — and those targeted have not always been directly associated with the initial offence. Considering past examples and the probable emotions The Jewel of Medina will raise in the Islamic world, revenge for offended religious sensibilities might be brutal, and it might be a long time coming.”

While the downturn in Aviation sector and issue of Jet Airways lay off have become the biggest talk in India, the Air India is reportedly planning to give 3-5 years leave without pay to around 15,000 of its total staff. According to PTI sources, it was confirmed by Air India CMD Raghu Menon on Thursday. Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel later clarified that there won’t be any job cuts within Air India and the employees would be taken back on the same pay if they desire to return after the specified leave period.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray gave an ultimatum to Jet Airways to reinstate all sacked employees within 48 hours. Raj threatened Jet Airways of dire consequences if the airlines fails to comply with his ultimatum. Jet Airways has already fired 800 employees and is planning to sack another 1,100 within a few days. Meanwhile, the ruling CPI(M) in West Bengal has openly supported the sacked employees and decided to block all Jet Airways flights from Kolkata if the airlines does not reinstate the sacked employees with immediate effect. Shiv Sena in Mumbai has also supported the terminated Jet Airways employees. Meanwhile, the Centre has sought a detailed report from the Labour Secretary on Jet Airways lay off issue.