11 killed, 36 wounded in Istanbul car bombing attack

As many as 11 people, including seven policemen, were killed and 36 others wounded in the bomb attack that targeted a police bus in the central Beyazıt district of Istanbul, near the city's historic quarter, Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin said.

 

He said three of the wounded people were in a critical condition.

Tuesday's explosion occurred as a police vehicle was passing in the area. Gunshots were heard following the explosion.

The wounded were taken to Çapa and Cerrahpaşa Hospitals close to the scene.

There is no immediate claim of responsibility. Details Here ...

70-year-old woman gives birth to first baby in India

New Delhi, India: A woman who gave birth at the age of 70 said Tuesday she was not too old to become a first-time mother, adding that her life was now complete. Daljinder Kaur gave birth last month to a boy following two years of IVF treatment at a fertility clinic in the northern state of Haryana with her 79-year-old husband

Kaur said the couple, married for 46 years, had almost lost hope of ever having a child. "God heard our prayers. My life feels complete now. I am looking after the baby all by myself, I feel so full of energy. My husband is also very caring and helps me as much as he can,"

SEE ALSO: Hindu turned Muslim Man has converted 108000 people to Islam

Kaur said from Amritsar. "When we saw the (IVF) advert, we thought we should also give it a try as I badly wanted to have a baby of my own," she said. Kaur put her age at about 70, a common scenario in India where many people don't have birth certificates, while the clinic said in a statement that she was 72.

The baby was conceived using the couple's own egg and sperm and was now "healthy and hearty" after weighing just two kilogrammes (4.4 pounds) at birth on April 19, the National Fertility and Test Tube centre said. Kaur's husband, Mohinder Singh Gill, who owns a farm outside Amritsar, said he was unfazed about their age, saying God would watch over their child whom they named Armaan. "People say what will happen to the child once we die. But I have full faith in God. God is omnipotent and omnipresent, he will take care of everything," he said. READ MORE HERE ...

Muslims are part of Germany, but Islam is not, says senior German politician

Muslims are a part of Germany, but Islam is not, a senior German politician and close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

Volker Kauder, of the Christian Democratic Union, was interviewed by local newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung in response to earlier comments by former president Christian Wulff, who asserted that Islam was a part of Germany.

SEE ALSO:  French PM calls for ban on Islamic headscarves at universities

Kauder said the statement, while "well-intentioned", was not factually correct.

"Just so there is no misunderstanding: the Muslims themselves are part of Germany, no question about it."

However, he said, Islam has had no role in shaping Germany "historically and culturally" and so cannot be considered an integral part of the country's culture.

Kauder also argued that, since Islam does not take one homogenous form, it cannot as an entity be said to be part of Germany.

He said that, as a diverse religion, Islam sometimes takes on forms "that we can never accept in Germany".

However, he Kauder warned against excluding Muslims, as he accused far-right populist parties of seeking to do. "It is, of course, permissible to build mosques with minarets," Kauder said. READ MORE HERE ...

Apple loses fight over iPhone trademark in China

Apple has lost a trademark fight in China, meaning a firm which sells handbags and other leather goods can continue use the name "iPhone".

The Beijing Municipal High People's Court ruled in favour of Xintong Tiandi Technology, said the official Legal Daily newspaper.

SEE ALSO: Smelling Farts could work wonders for your Health: Science

Xintong Tiandi trademarked "iPhone" for leather products in China in 2010.

Apple filed a trademark bid for the name for electronic goods in 2002, but it was not approved until 2013. 

The Legal Daily (in Chinese) is widely recognised as the official mouthpiece for the country's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Its report came out in late April but has only just been widely circulated.

China is the second biggest market for Apple products in the world

 Xintong Tiandi sells handbags, mobile phone cases and other leather goods branded with the name "iPhone" and the "R" registered trademark symbol.

Apple first brought the case against the company to the Chinese trademark authority in 2012, then when that failed, filed a lawsuit in a lower Beijing court.

But both ruled against Apple, so it appealed to the higher court.

The higher court ruled that Apple could not prove it was a well-known brand in China before Xintong Tiandi filed its trademark application in 2007.

Apple iPhones first went on sale in China in 2009. READ MORE HERE ...

Smelling Farts could work wonders for your Health: Science

It turns out you were doing your friend a favor when you cupped your hand to your butt, farted, then swiped it into their face. Same with all those times you crop dusted (the act of farting and walking at the same time thus spreading the scent over an expansive area) an unsuspecting crowd at the supermarket. According to a study, the smell of farts, or hydrogen sulfide, can have some incredible health benefits.

The study emanating from Devon, England, states that not only does farting help the farter live longer, but the smell of the farts can quell dementia. In addition to helping people remember your farting around them when they were younger, smelling farts could help with heart disease, diabetes, and even arthritis. The stinkier the better. The scientists say the risk of cancer, heart attacks, and strokes can be reduced by simply farting.

SEE ALSO: Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom 3 injured

This is thanks to the ecosystem in our bowels. When you fart, you’re helping yourself out:

“When cells become stressed by disease, they draw in enzymes to generate minute quantities of hydrogen sulfide.

This keeps the mitochondria ticking over and allows cells to live. If this doesn’t happen, the cells die and lose the ability to regulate survival and control inflammation.

 

Researcher Dr. Mark Wood gives the key quote for you to repeat to anyone in the vicinity of your gas passing (if they have a problem with it ((they shouldn’t if they keep up on their #Science)):

 

“Although hydrogen sulfide is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases.”

 

This stuff should be bottled.
(Via - Uproxx)
 

Ex Army Chief and former President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf is a billionaire: Panama Leaks

ISLAMABAD : Ex Army Chief and former President of Pakistan General Pervaiz Musharraf Owns offshore accounts value having more than 2 Billion, besides having foreign bank accounts, Musharraf has also made huge saving investments abroad specially in Dubai. Special Report

In wake of the Panama Papers leak, the politicians are being grilled for owning offshore companies but no one asks the ex-dictator Pervez Musharraf from where he got billions of rupees which are kept in his offshore accounts. Musharraf, who retired as army chief, till recently was in possession of around Rs 2156 million net cash in his offshore bank accounts besides other movable and immovable property

The politicians are considered children of lesser god when it comes to criticism on any account whereas no one dares to say a single word against the holy cows.

SEE ALSO: Afghanistan says Kabul attack was planned by the Haqqani network in Pakistan

Gen. Musharraf accumulated billions in offshore accounts besides the property that he has already purchased in foreign lands or inside Pakistan but he never mentioned these assets and accounts even at the time of assets declaration while submitting his nomination papers during general elections 2013.

According to the source, besides having foreign bank accounts, Musharraf has also made huge saving investments abroad to earn large profits. The source said that in just one Dubai-based online trading service — MMA — Musharraf had US$ 1,600,000 (Rs 145 million) last year. Musharraf’s account number, according to the source in this company, is AV77777.

In the Union National Bank, which is an investment bank in Abu Dhabi, Musharraf and his spouse Sehba Musharraf, have a joint account No 4002000304, in which the amount mid last year was UAE Dirhams 17,000,000 ( Rs 391 million).

In the same bank — the Union National Bank — they have another joint account No 400200315, which is a dollar account. This particular account last year contained US$ 535,325 (Rs 48 million).

In yet another UAE Dirham account in the same financial institution — the Union National Bank — Sehba and Musharraf had almost UAE Dirhams 7,600,000 (Rs 174 million) last year. The account No is 4003006700. In the fourth account, No 4003006711, in the Union National Bank, the duo had UAE Dirhams 8,000,000 (Rs 184 million). In the fifth account, No 4003006722 in the same bank — the Union National Bank — Musharraf and his wife had US$ 8,000,000 (Rs 728 million). In the sixth account, No 4003006733, Mrs Sehba Musharraf and Mr Pervez Musharraf had UAE Dirhams 8,000,000 (Rs 184 million) last year. In the seventh account, No 4003006744, in the same Union National Bank, the duo holds UAE Dirhams 8,000,000 (Rs 184 million). In their eighth account in the same bank — the Union National Bank Abu Dhabi — the duo had US$1,300,000 (Rs 118 million).

During the initial few months of his taking over as a military dictator following his coup against the Nawaz Sharif government, General Musharraf made his wealth public, which hardly contained any cash but only some plots in different parts of the country. Musharraf claimed to be the Mr Clean of Pakistan. How did he become a billionaire is a million dollar question.

Afghanistan says Kabul attack was planned by the Haqqani network in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan Govt has alleged that a recent deadly attack in Kabul this month was planned by the Haqqani network in Pakistan

On April 19, Afghan Taliban-claimed attack against a security agency responsible for protecting senior government officials and VIPs, which killed 64 people and injured 347 others.

SEE ALSO:  Pakistan's Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif dismisses 12 senior Military Officers from service over corruption

In a message to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had condemned the heinous attack and called for coordinated approach to eliminate the menace of terrorism

“Investigation is underway but the initial evidence suggests the attack was planned by the Haqqani Network with the help of foreign circles in Pakistan,” deputy spokesperson for Afghan President Dawa Khan Meenpal told Radio Azadi. Read More here ...

Pakistan's Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif dismisses 12 senior Military Officers from service over corruption

RAWALPINDI: In an unprecedented move, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif dismissed 12 army officers, including a three-star general, from service over alleged corruption on Thursday. A major general, lieutenant colonel, five brigadiers and a major are among those dismissed from service, said an intelligence official speaking to DawnNews on condition of anonymity

Sources say the following officers are among those dismissed:

SEE ALSO:  With US no longer trusted, Turkey and Saudi forge new alliance

Lt Gen Obaidullah, Inspector General Arms and Weapons at General Headquarters

Maj Gen Ejaz Shahid

Brigadier Rasheed

Brigadier Asad Shahzada

Brigadier Saifullah

Brigadier Amir

Brigadier Haider

Lt Col Haider, Commandant Chaman Scouts

Maj Najeeb

 

The eight officers named above served with the Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan and have been charged for corruption during their service with the paramilitary force. The others dismissed were junior commission officers who worked with those named above, said the intelligence official.

Following the investigation conducted by Adjutant Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat on the orders of the army chief, the charged officers were asked to return all earnings accumulated through corruption, the official said, adding that all perks and privileges had been withdrawn from the officers except their pensions.

Lt Gen Obaidullah also served as IG FC from 2010-2013, after which Maj Gen Ejaz Shahid was appointed IG FC, intelligence sources said.

There has been no official confirmation regarding the move. Read More here ...

 

Wrestler, entertainer Joanie Laurer aka Chyna is dead at 46

Joan Laurer, the ground breaking female wrestler known as Chyna, has died.

Police in Redondo Beach, California confirm that Laurer, 46, was found dead in her apartment on Wednesday. Police say they were notified by a friend who went to check on her and found Laurer unresponsive. The cause of death is under investigation, but police say there are no signs of foul play.

"It is with deep sadness to inform you that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero. Joanie Laurer aka Chyna, the 9th wonder of the world, has passed away," said a post on her website.

SEE ALSO: Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom 3 injured

After graduating from the University of Tampa, Chyna started training in the world of professional wrestling and in 1996 she was named the "Rookie of the Year for the Women's Championship," according to her website. She wrestled in the Royal Rumble and King of Ring tournaments and became the only undefeated Women's Champion in WWF (World Wrestling Federation) history. Read More ...

With US no longer trusted, Turkey and Saudi forge new alliance

The visit of Saudi Arabia's King Salman to Turkey – in all he will spend five days there including two at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Istanbul - is being seen by the Turkish media as a landmark event. It is certainly a visit on an exceptionally grand scale – the king’s delegation took over an entire high-rise hotel and will have a fleet of 500 Mercedes at its disposal.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, King Salman’s host, signalled the special importance of his visitor by meeting him in person at Ankara Airport and driving back into town together with him. Normal protocol rules would have suggested that the king would be met by a minister and only meet the president in his palace later.

SEE ALSO: Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom 3 injured

President Erdogan was probably responding to a similar honour paid to him when he visited Saudi Arabia last December and was met at the airport by the king. Shortly afterwards photographs were issued of the two heads of state sitting together below a large portrait of Kemal Ataturk, the secularist founder of the Turkish Republic. On Tuesday, King Salman received Turkey’s top decoration.  Read More ...

Attack on bus in Jerusalem, at least 15 wounded: medics, police

JERUSALEM: An attack occurred on a bus in Jerusalem on Monday, Israeli police said, with medics reporting an explosion and at least 15 people wounded.

Police only said there was “an attack” without providing further details.

SEE ALSO: Saudi Arabia threatens to sell off US assets if held responsible for 9/11 attacks 

BREAKING: First reports of an explosion on a Bus in #Jerusalem #Israel

— News_Executive (@News_Executive) April 18, 2016

Rescue service Magen David Adom reported the explosion and at least 15 wounded, including two seriously.

Saudi Arabia threatens to sell off US assets if held responsible for 9/11 attacks

The Saudi Arabian government has threatened to sell of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American assets should the US Congress pass a bill that could hold the kingdom responsible for any role in the September 11, 2001 attacks, the New York Times reported on Friday. The newspaper reported that Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir told US lawmakers last month that “Saudi Arabia would be forced to sell up to $750 billion in Treasury securities and other assets in the United States before they could be in danger of being frozen by American courts.”

The bill, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year, would take away immunity from foreign governments in cases “arising from a terrorist attack that kills an American on American soil.”

SEE ALSO: Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom 3 injured 

The New York Times, citing administration officials and congressional aides, said “the Saudi threats have been the subject of intense discussions in recent weeks between lawmakers and officials from the State Department and the Pentagon.” Read More here ...

Google blocked 780M Bad Advertising from its Google AdSense system

In one way it is, as the 49 percent increase in bad ads blocked outpaced Google’s overall advertising growth, indicating that the company has been blocking a greater number of bad ads as a percentage of the whole

Clicks on its ads grew at a slightly more leisurely pace, rising 23 percent from a year earlier in the third quarter last year, the most recent for which figures are available.

When Google tells us it blocked 780 million bad ads last year, is that a sign that things are getting better?

SEE ALSO: Apple offers corporate lease schemes for iPhone SE, other models 

It also blocked advertising on more than 25,000 mobile apps after app developers violated Google’s policies, and it outright rejected 1.4 million apps from websites and app developers who wanted to show Google’s ads but not play by the company’s rules. Read More here ...

French PM calls for ban on Islamic headscarves at universities

The French prime minister, Manuel Valls, has sparked controversy by suggesting the Muslim headscarf should be banned in universities and that a majority of French people think Islam is incompatible with the values of the Republic

The Socialist, under pressure over contested labour reforms and growing street protest movements, reopened the divisive question of whether students could be banned from wearing headscarves at French universities.

In a long interview with the daily Libération, he was asked whether headscarves should be banned by law from universities and replied: “It should be done,” conceding that the constitution made it difficult.

SEE ALSO: Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom 3 injured

But other Socialist ministers immediately contradicted him. “There is no need for a law on the headscarf at university,” said Thierry Mandon, the higher education minister. He said students were adults, and as such they “have every right to wear a headscarf. The headscarf is not banned in French society.”

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the education minister, said she did not support banning headscarves from universities, adding that students were young adults with “freedom of conscience and religious liberty” to do as they please. “Our universities also have a lot of foreign students. Are we going to ban them access because in their culture there’s a certain type of clothing?” she said. Read More here ...

Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom 3 injured

Police constable shows judge how grenade works inside courtroom three injured: A hand grenade exploded inside of court in Karachi’s Anti-Terrorism Courtroom (ATC) after a judge requested a police constable if he knew how grenades worked. The constable, as an alternative of explaining his expertise in weapons and grenade managing to the judge, opted to reveal practically by promptly pulling out the pin from the grenade.

This led to a loud explosion, injuring 3 including the constable and a court clerk. The blast happened even as hearing of a case used to be underway in courtroom-3. 2 policemen and a court clerk were amongst injured and taken to a close-by medical institution for first aid. Court’s continuing was once in brief suspended as a result.

In step with media studies, the grenade in query was once a locally developed bomb which was once brought to the court docket by Investigation Officer Abid Ali as evidence. The bomb used to be, reportedly, not defused ahead of production in the court.

SEE MORE: Afghan Taliban launches spring offensive codenamed 'Operation Omari' 

The police and paramilitary forces in the neighborhood instantly surrounded the area after the explosion fearing a terrorist assault and the safety forces had been placed on prime alert. It is secure to mention that now the whole court docket knows how grenades paintings, together with the curious judge. In step with authorities, the constable who apparently knows how grenades work can be punished significantly after he recovers from his injuries.

Apple offers corporate lease schemes for iPhone SE, other models

NEW DELHI: Apple wants Indian corporates to use its latest iPhone SE and has made, what watchers claim, an attractive offer of leasing the phone for Rs 999 a month for two years.

The Cupertino-based smartphone maker has also offered its existing phones - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S - on similar leasing plans for two years at Rs 1,199 and Rs 1,399 a month, respectively.

SEE ALSO:  Apple offers corporate lease schemes for iPhone SE, other models

The offer advertised through mainstream print media on Tuesday is aimed at getting more enterprises to use Apple devices, as the company has also introduced the offer on all iPad models. Read More ...

Afghan Taliban launches spring offensive codenamed 'Operation Omari'

The Afghan Taliban has launched its annual spring offensive in the strife-torn country. This year's offensive has been codenamed "Operation Omari" after the organisation's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose death was announced in 2015.

The Islamist insurgent group said its offensive will be directed at American and Nato forces for the 15th consecutive year. Just hours before the formal declaration by the militant group, there were attacks in Kabul and Nangarhar province.

A statement sent out to media by the extremist group reads: "Jihad against the aggressive and usurping infidel army is a holy obligation upon our necks and our only recourse for re-establishing an Islamic system and regaining our independence."

It added: "The present operation will also employ all means at our disposal to bog the enemy down in a war of attrition that lowers the morale of the foreign invaders and their internal armed militias." Read More ....

MCB reaffirm their position on Ahmadiyya sect as non-Muslims

The Muslim Council of Britain, who are the largest Muslim umbrella organisation in the UK, have issued a statement reaffirming their position on the Ahmadiyya sect as non-Muslims.

The following statement was issued by the MCB yesterday on their website:

“The Muslim Council of Britain has received requests as to where it stands with regard to the Ahmadiyya community.

 

“The MCB fully subscribes to pluralism and peaceful coexistence and acknowledges the rights of all to believe as they choose without coercion, fear and intimidation.

“We affirm the right of Ahmadis to their freedom of belief and reject any attacks on their property or persons. They have the right to live free from discrimination or persecution. The targeting of Ahmadis for their beliefs is totally unacceptable.

“The Muslim Council of Britain reflects the clear theological position expressed across Islamic traditions: namely that the cornerstone of Islam is to believe in One God and in the finality of the Prophethood of the Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him. We understand that this is not a tenet subscribed to by the Ahmadi community. The MCB Constitution requires our affiliates to declare that Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him is the final prophet and whoever does not subscribe to that declaration cannot be eligible for affiliation with the MCB.  Given this fundamental theological difference with the Ahmadi community, the MCB is not in a position to represent or be represented by the Ahmadi community.

“Despite our clear theological beliefs, we note that pressure is mounting to describe this community as Muslim. Muslims should not be forced to class Ahmadis as Muslims if they do not wish to do so, at the same time, we call on Muslims to be sensitive, and above all, respect all people irrespective of belief or background.

“As with all faith communities, and with genuinely held theological beliefs, we nevertheless extend our hand of friendship and cooperation for the common good of all.

“The MCB believes that all individuals and places of worship must be respected. It unequivocally condemns all forms of intimidation and violence against people of all faiths and none. The MCB condemns all attacks on all places of worship of other religions and beliefs.”

Sources
Muslim Council of Britain 

The Panama Papers: An Introduction

The Panama Papers is a global investigation into the sprawling, secretive industry of offshore that the world’s rich and powerful use to hide assets and skirt rules by setting up front companies in far-flung jurisdictions.

Based on a trove of more than 11 million leaked files, the investigation exposes a cast of characters who use offshore companies to facilitate bribery, arms deals, tax evasion, financial fraud and drug trafficking.



Behind the email chains, invoices and documents that make up the Panama Papers are often unseen victims of wrongdoing enabled by this shadowy industry. This is their story.

• Executive producer: Hamish Boland-Rudder
• Director/producer/audio editor: Carrie Ching
• Animation artist: Arthur Jones
• Report: Will Fitzgibbon
• Narrator: Eleanor Bell Fox
• Supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

If you can‘t activate your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch after installing iOS 9.3

Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update. If you can't recall your password or can't sign in, try these steps.

In some cases, the hint that you see on the Activate iPhone screen might not match your current Apple ID. To make sure that you're entering your Apple ID information correctly, try these steps: See the Details here ...

Brussels attacks: Belgian police arrest six suspects

Belgian police have arrested six people in Brussels as a major investigation continues into attacks that claimed 31 lives in the city on Tuesday

The arrests were made in the Schaerbeek district. There is no word yet on the identities of the suspects or their possible connection to the attacks. Separately, in France, a suspect who was plotting an attack has been arrested near Paris, officials said. The Brussels bombings have been linked to last November's Paris attacks. So-called Islamic State (IS) has claimed the attacks in both Paris and Brussels. BBC Continue Reading ...