WASHINGTON, July 30: The Pentagon has said Russia was supplying air defense system to the Ukrainian separatists believed to have shot down the Malaysian airliner earlier this month killing all of the nearly 300 people on board.
“We do believe that some of the air defense systems that continue to flow up to the border and then across the border are of sufficient range and equivalent capability as to what we saw shoot down the Malaysia airlines flight,” Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.
White House and Pentagon officials had previously charged that a Russian surface-to-air missile system fired by the separatists in eastern Ukraine brought down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17.
“It is not an insignificant capability that we continue to see flow into the hands of the separatists,” Kirby said, demanding Russia to stop supporting the separatist movement.
He said Russian military personnel, around 10,000 in number, continue to gather at the border with Ukraine.
“These are combined arms-type battalion tactical groups. They are capable across a wide spectrum of military operations, so it’s not just infantry. It’s artillery. It’s air defense. And in some cases, you know, armoured capability,” he said.
“These are very capable, very ready forces,” he added.
Kirby claimed that advanced weapons systems, including multiple rocket launchers, artillery weapons, tanks, and air defense systems, continue to move across the border.
“We continue to see that movement across the border, ostensibly to support the separatists,” he said. (PTI)
Russia supplying air defense system to separatists: Pentagon
Guargum futures plunge 3.96 per cent on subdued demand
NEW DELHI, July 30: Extending its losing streak, guargum prices plunged by Rs 590, or 3.96 per cent, to Rs 14,320 per quintal in the futures trading today as speculators engaged in reducing their positions amidst weak spot and export demand.
At the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange counter, guargum prices for delivery’s in August month contracts plunged by Rs.590, or 3.96 per cent to Rs.14,320 per quintal, with an open interest of 11,526 lots.
On the similar lines, delivery in October month contracts plummeted by Rs.620, or 3.94 per cent to Rs.15,120 per quintal, having an open interest of 5,669 lots.
Marketmen said sentiments remained distinctly weak with guargum prices falling further due to weak domestic and export demand against increased supplies. (PTI)
Cate Blanchett was desperate to play dwarf in ‘The Hobbit’
LONDON, July 30: Cate Blanchett, who plays ethereal elf Lady Galadriel in ‘Lord of the Rings’, instead wanted to be a dwarf on the movie adaptation of JJR Tolkien’s books.
The 45-year-old ‘Lord of the Rings’ reprised her role in ‘The Hobbit’. Blanchett, however, said she was disappointed for not getting a chance to dress up as one of the hairy mythical creatures in the film trilogy, reported Contactmusic.
“I was so desperate to play a dwarf. The facial hair. You go into the wig room. Oh my god. The beard,” she said. (PTI)
6 die when swept away by swollen river in Mexico
HERMOSILLO (Mexico), July 30: Six people have died and four are missing in northern Mexico after their vehicles were swept away by a swollen river near the US border.
A statement from officials in Sonora state says more than 200 rescue crews were searching yesterday for those missing in and around the Cabullona River in the municipality of Agua Prieta, which is across the border from Douglas, Arizona.
It says a group of about 35 people in 4-wheel drive pickup trucks and ATVs were leaving the area Sunday when one of the vehicles got stuck in the river. When people in other vehicles tried to help them, the river swept them away. (AGENCIES)
North Korea ship damaged Mexican coral reefs
MEXICO CITY, July 30: A North Korean cargo ship damaged nearly an acre of coral reefs off Mexico’s eastern coast when it ran aground two weeks ago, Mexican authorities have said.
The MU DU BONG freighter was heading to the port of Tuxpan when it hit 250 coral reef colonies in the Gulf of Mexico on July 14, the environmental protection prosecutor’s office said yesterday.
One of the habitats included Elkhorn coral, or Acropora palmata, an at-risk reef-building species shaped like elk antlers, the agency said in a statement.
Seven other species were struck by the vessel, including coralline rock on a protected list.
The accident was apparently due to a navigational error by the captain as he guided the ship toward Tuxpan, where the vessel was due to pick up cargo bound for Cuba.
Rescuers removed the 6,500-tonne ship on Saturday, using underwater cameras, buoys and other special equipment.
The environmental prosecutor’s office said the North Korean embassy has pledged to reimburse the costs of the rescue. (AGENCIES)
At least 20 dead, dozens missing in shipwreck off Libya
TRIPOLI, July 30: More than 20 migrants have died and dozens are missing after their makeshift boat sank off the Libyan coast, the navy has said.
“A navy patrol on Monday rescued 22 clandestine migrants who were clinging to debris from their boat,” spokesman Colonel Ayoub Kassem told AFP yesterday, adding that more than 20 bodies were plucked from the water.
Survivors said some 150 people had been aboard the vessel, which sank some 100 kilometres east of the Libyan capital Tripoli.
Search operations for possible other survivors continued today.
The migrants from south of the Sahara desert had sought to reach the Italian coast or nearby Malta after crossing restive and lawless Libya.
Hundreds of would-be immigrants die in the process every year, while others are detained by Italian police once they reach the southern EU member’s territorial waters or the islands of Sicily or Lampedusa.
This year nearly 80,000 migrants have landed in Italy so far, many more than the 2011 record of a total of 63,000, according to authorities in Rome. (AGENCIES)
Cabinet writes off Rs 59.74 cr interest to be paid by J&K Govt
NEW DELHI : The Cabinet today decided to write off Rs 59.74 crore interest amount to be paid by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to the state-run FCI for purchase of foodgrains on credit way back in 1999-2002.
“The Cabinet cleared the Food Ministry’s proposal to write off interest amount of Rs 59.74 crore to be paid by J&K to FCI,” sources said.
The interest amount accrued as on October 1, 2013 has been waived off for the State Government, while the State had demanded the complete waiver of Rs 70 crore, sources added.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) had supplied foodgrains on credit between 1999 and 2002 to J&K. The State Government has already paid the cost of foodgrains and had requested the Centre to write off the interest payment.
Early this month, State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had met Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan seeking complete waiver of Rs 70 crore interest on payment due to the FCI.
The State is implementing universal public distribution system. (AGENCIES)
Raha takes over as new CoSC
NEW DELHI: IAF chief Arup Raha today took over as the Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee from incumbent Gen Bikram Singh who is retiring tomorrow.
The Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee is the senior-most military officer in the country.
Raha was handed over the baton of the COSC by Gen Singh at a ceremony in South Block, Defence officials said.
Raha, 59, will hold the office for a period of 29 months and would probably be the longest-serving officer in the chair.
He has got the long tenure because of the resignation of former Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi in February after a series of mishaps involving naval warships.
Raha will continue in office till December 2016 and is expected to push for increasing jointmanship among the three services as the CoSC.
He is also expected to push for the creation of three new tri-services commands including Space, Cyber and Special Operations.
The proposal for raising the three new formations is with the Government for quite some time now and deliberations are being held between all the stakeholders for an early decision on the issue. (AGENCIES)
17 dead in Pune landslide, 400 NDRF men mount rescue effort
PUNE: At least 17 people were killed when torrential rains triggered a landslide at a village in Maharashtra’s Pune district today, burying over 160 as 400 NDRF personnel looked for survivors and bodies in the mud-and-rock debris battling inclement weather.
Officials said the death toll could go up. 14 injured survivors have also been pulled out of the rubble and admitted to a primary health centre nearby, sources at an emergency control room set up at Khed-Manchar told PTI.
An earlier report had said 15 persons were extricated from the debris alive.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said over 160 people were believed to be trapped in the 44 houses buried under the rubble after large parts of a hillside collapsed on them early this morning.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to visit Malin village, the scene of the tragedy, in Ambegaon taluka of the district, some 120 km from the district headquarters, tomorrow, according to a BJP spokesman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the tragedy and asked Singh to rush to Pune to take stock of the situation.
“The Prime Minister has condoled the loss of lives in the landslide and directed all possible efforts to help the affected people,” a PMO statement said in Delhi.
Large earth-moving machinery have been pressed into service but the rescuers are moving slowly to avoid causing harm to the possible survivors, Pune collector Saurav Rao said, adding the operation to clear the rubble was on.
Crowds have gathered at the spot and villagers could be seen moving fallen trees and rocks with bare hands to assist 300 National Disaster Response Force personnel in rescue efforts.
Scores of JCBs, dumpers and ambulances have been pressed into service to clear the rubble and shift the dead and survivors to hospitals, Rao said. (AGENCIES)
Heroin worth Rs 20 crore smuggled from Pak seized
ATTARI (AMRITSAR): The Border Security Force seized four kg of heroin with a street value of Rs 20 crore, which was allegedly smuggled from Pakistan, near the international border here today.
BSF DIG R P S Jaswal said jawans were on high alert at Border Outpost Pulmoran in Amritsar sector following inputs regarding possibility of smuggling of heroin from across the border.
A special search operation was launched during which four packets of heroin were found at a place 150-mt from the border, he said.
The value of the heroin was estimated at Rs 20 crore in the street market, the DIG said. (AGENCIES)