Search begins for CRPF trooper who faked his killing

RAIPUR – Chhattisgarh police Thursday launched a search for a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper who allegedly faked his own murder to get Rs.4 million in insurance money that is given to cops who get killed in Maoist violence. They have arrested his accomplice.

Police say constable Kanhaiyalal Yadav of CRPF’s 204 Battalion — … Read more >>.

Iraqi police say 6 members of government-allied Sunni militia killed in Diyala province ambush

Iraqi police say 6 guards killed in ambush

BAGHDAD – Insurgents killed six members of a government-allied Sunni militia in an ambush northeast of Baghdad on Thursday, police said, offering no respite to a nation still reeling from a spate of attacks on police and soldiers a day earlier that left at least 56 dead.
Diyala police …. Read the original article  : here.

Rain Worsened the Post Flood Situation in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (GaeaTimes.com) — Another session of monsoon rain has splashed on the upper region of Pakistan only to worsen the condition of the flood-affected nation. A heavy rainfall that started on Thursday add to the pathetic condition of the distressed people still fighting with the aftermath of the horrible flood.
According to Marcus Prior …. Original article  : Rain Worsened the Post Flood Situation in Pakistan.

Sohrabuddin case: top cop Johri appears before CBI

GANDHINAGAR – After ignoring two summons, police commissioner of Gujarat’s Rajkot town Geetha Johri appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here Thursday in connection with the 2005 staged killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and the later elimination of his wife Kauserbi.

This is the second time that she is being questioned by the CBI, the … Read more »»».

3.5 mn Pakistani flood victims drinking dirty water: UN

ISLAMABAD – Some 3.5 million survivors of the worst floods in Pakistan’s history only have contaminated water to drink, which is increasing the risk of water-borne diseases spreading, the UN said.

The floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains a month ago have impacted more than 20 million people. Nearly half of them rely on the assistance … Read : 3.5 mn Pakistani flood victims drinking dirty water: UN.

Tropical Storm Earl Poses Threat to Bermuda

WASHINGTON (GaeaTimes.com) — Tropical Storm Earl has formed in the North Atlantic on Wednesday. Earl is reported to get intensified within next couple of days. It is supposed to follow the track of Hurricane Danielle posing a threat to Bermuda.
Earl is having a speed of 40mph and its direction is traced towards west before moving … Original article on : Tropical Storm Earl Poses Threat to Bermuda.

China airport reopens after plane crash

BEIJING – The airport in northeast China, where a plane crash killed 42 people Tuesday, reopened Thursday afternoon.

An Airbus 320 landed at the Lindu airport in Yichun city of Heilongjiang province at around 12.45 p.m., Xinhua reported.
The exact number of passengers on board the China Southern Airlines flight from Beijing was not immediately …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : China airport reopens after plane crash.

Rescue work on as floods threaten Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH – Work was continuing on war-footing in Haryana and Punjab Thursday to plug fresh breaches in the Satluj and Yamuna rivers and people were evacuated to safer locations from inundated farmlands and villages.

In Haryana, the administration was also taking the help of the Indian Army to plug the breaches that emerged in … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Rescue work on as floods threaten Punjab, Haryana.

Mumbai diamond heist: Thieves brought from Dubai

MUMBAI – Four thieves who carried out the diamond heist of over Rs.6.6 crore from a jewellery show here and fled to Dubai were brought to Mumbai early Thursday, a senior official said.

“We have brought them here. We will present them in the magistrat’s court in the afternoon,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Deven …. Original article  : Mumbai diamond heist: Thieves brought from Dubai.

18 years of captivity still haunts US woman

LONDON – A young woman in the US, held captive for 18 years by a paedophile who fathered her two daughters, is still trying hard to recoup from the ordeal as she appreciates “the fresh air and open spaces”.

A year after she was rescued in August 2009, kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard and her two daughters …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Four kids killed in house collapse in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW – Four minor siblings were killed and their mother received critical injuries when their mud house collapsed in Uttar Pradesh early Thursday, police said.

The accident took place in the Nekpurchaurasi area in Farrukhabad district, some 300 km from here.
“Preliminary investigations suggest the house collapsed because of dampness in the wall following the recent … Original source on Gaea Times at : Four kids killed in house collapse in Uttar Pradesh.

10 Vietnamese fishermen rescued after 2 days at sea in tiny traditional basket boats

10 Vietnamese saved after 2 days lost at sea

HANOI, Vietnam – Ten Vietnamese fishermen have been rescued after floating in rough seas in tiny traditional basket boats for two days after a tropical storm sunk their fishing trawler, an official said Thursday.
The men had been missing since Monday when their boat sank during tropical storm … Read more : 10 Vietnamese fishermen rescued after 2 days at sea in tiny traditional basket boats.

Second oldest after Scotland Yard, forensic lab loses identity

SHIMLA – A British-era laboratory here has lost its pride of place as the world’s second oldest forensic institution after Scotland Yard, with the central government deciding to merge it with another lab.

Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD) was set up by the British in 1904 to identify handwritings on secret documents connected to freedom …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Second oldest after Scotland Yard, forensic lab loses identity.

Man who slashed Muslim charged with hate crimes

NEW YORK – A 21-year old man was arraigned Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court, accused of attempted murder and hate crimes on a Muslim taxi driver, New York authorities said.

Michael Enright calmly discussed Islam with the cabbie before slashing him from behind with a utility knife, authorities said.
He faced charges of second-degree attempted …. Original article  : Man who slashed Muslim charged with hate crimes.

Pakistan floodwaters break through river embankment, threatening 3 new towns

Pakistan floods threaten 3 towns as levee fails

KARACHI, Pakistan – Pakistani officials urged anyone left in three southern towns Thursday to evacuate immediately as floodwaters broke through a levee, endangering areas previously untouched by the country’s almost monthlong disaster.
The swollen Indus River broke through the Sur Jani embankment in southern Sindh province late Wednesday, threatening … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Pakistan floodwaters break through river embankment, threatening 3 new towns.

Goan helping hand in Pakistan flood relief work

PANAJI – As help pours in for Pakistan’s flood-affected areas, a small group of Pakistanis of Goan origin is networking to bring hope to some 20 million people affected by the calamity.

Deborah Santamaria’s Goinkars Own Academy (GOA) operating from Karachi has been sending appeals to the Goan diaspora across the world, seeking assistance desperately. Around …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Goan helping hand in Pakistan flood relief work.

Four die as gunmen attack bus in Philippines

MANILA – Gunmen in southern Philippines ambushed a passenger bus early Thursday, killing four people, including two police officers, police said.

The attackers flagged down the bus in the township of Kapatagan and then attacked it, Lanao del Norte province, said an official.
… Read more >>>.

China aviation official says no safety issues at airport where plane crashed, killing 42

China says airport not responsible for plane crash

YICHUN, China – A top aviation official defended the safety of an airport in remote northeast China where a flight crashed while coming in for a night landing, raising questions about the facility’s design, a state news agency reported Thursday.
Forty-two of the 96 people on board the Henan … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : China aviation official says no safety issues at airport where plane crashed, killing 42.

Spies hacked US military computers with a flash drive

WASHINGTON – An infected flash drive put in a US military laptop in 2008 set off the most significant cyberattack ever against the military by a foreign spy agency, according to a top US defence official.

The previously classified incident, which took place in 2008 in the Middle East, was disclosed by Deputy Defense Secretary William …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Spies hacked US military computers with a flash drive.

Trucks set on fire in Chile

Santiago, Aug 26 (IANS/EFE) Hooded assailants intercepted two freight trucks, pulled out the drivers and set the vehicles on fire in a southern town in Chile.

The incident took place Wednesday in Araucania region, where ethnic Mapuche Indian activists have torched vehicles, highway toll booths and lumber shipments on earlier occasions as part of a protest …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Trucks set on fire in Chile.