India: 32 Dead as Bodo Militants Unleash Targeted Killing of Muslims in Assam

Indian security personnel patrol the attack-hit area of the Balapara village in the northeastern Indian state of AssamReuters

More bodies have been discovered in India's north-eastern state of Assam, where tribal militants unleashed targeted attacks on Muslim settlers in the aftermath of the national elections.

With security forces finding nine more bodies from the communally sensitive district of Baksa district on Friday night, the toll has gone up to 32, local media reported.

Suspected tribal militants from the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) stormed Muslim villages, opening indiscriminate fire on people, including women and children.

Late on Friday militants carrying AK-47 assault rifles killed 12 people in the remote villages of Narayanguri and Khagrabari near the Manas National Park in Baksa district.

The attackers burnt village houses made of bamboo and straw and threw the bodies of the victims into the fire, police said.

Earlier on Thursday, about 25 tribal rebels from the NDB had attacked Balapara village in Kokrajhar district, killing several people. In a separate attack in Baksa, three members of a family were shot dead by Bodo militants.

Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts, where the worst violence took place, while curfew has been imposed in Chirang district. All these districts come under the Bodoland Territorial Administration Districts (BTAD).

Assam government officials said security reinforcements have been sent to the volatile districts and army flag marches are being held to restore order.

Various factions of the Bodo tribe have been fighting for more autonomy or secession from India. The Bodos accuse Muslim settlers, most of them illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, of encroaching on their ancestral lands.

In 2012, a spate of attacks on Muslims by Bodo militants left more than 200 people dead and displaced more than 400,000 people.

The repercussions of the sectarian clashes were felt across the rest of the country, with people of north-eastern ethnicity being targeted in other parts of India in revenge attacks.

The latest burst of violence in the Bodo region, which has a troubling history of ethnic strife, is reportedly related to the ongoing elections.

"It seems the Bodos wanted to teach the Muslims a lesson for supporting an outsider," a state intelligence officer was quoted by Reuters as saying.

After polling in the Bodo region ended on 24 April tensions have prevailed as Bodos feared that the Muslims supported an external candidate.

One Direction's Liam Payne Fuels Speculation of Love Split after Posting Cryptic Tweets

Liam Payne. Credits: Facebook/Liam Payne

One Direction star Liam Payne appears to be heartbroken after the singer tweeted a series of cryptic messages on Twitter.

The tweets have fuelled speculation that he has split from girlfriend Sophia Smith.

The 20-year-old singer, who has been in a relationship with Smith for nine-months, appeared to be expressing his sadness at a break-up.

Tweeting in the early hours of the morning following the band's concert in Santiago, Chile, he wrote: "Can't be without you ... Worse thing I ever did was let you go... No (sic) all I got left is the thought of you."

The couple, who went to school together at St. Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton, went public with their relationship last August.

Months earlier Payne had split from long-term girlfriend Danielle Peazer, 25, a dancer who he had met on the X Factor in 2010.

Smith was spotted at the One Direction concert in Los Angeles, where she was sitting in the audience with the singer's parents, Geoff and Karen, and his two sisters, Ruth and Nicola.

The couple were last photographed together at a book launch in London just over five weeks ago.

With One Direction kicking off their seven month long world tour last week, the couple would inevitably be spending long periods of time apart.

The Where We Are tour kicked off on April 25 in Colombia and is due to finish in October after taking in 69 dates across South and North America and Europe.

The band are due to travel to Argentina this weekend ahead of their gig in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Why Pakistan Needs a $12bn Loan

Usman Ghani, 37 checks an energy saving bulb at his stall in Karachi(Reuters)

The World Bank approval of a $12bn loan to Pakistan has been welcomed with relief from Islamabad to Karachi.

Perpetually on the brink of chaos, Pakistan's energy sector is in dire need of massive investment to cope with ever-rising demand.

But, it wasn't always like this. Pakistan used to produce half of its energy needs via hydroelectric dams, but consistent government's neglected this valuable source of energy self-sufficiency.

Pakistan's complacency saw them relying on imports of oil from the Gulf to feed their booming energy demand as the economy grows. It's an expensive habit that cannot fulfil its needs but has proved hard to kick.

Moreover, Pakistan's domestic energy policies may are designed by governments to keep themselves in power and with little sympathy for the country's impressive private sector.

Other than Japan, Pakistan is the most expensive country in Asia to when it comes to energy costs. It's a reflection of government allocation policies that result in Pakistan having the world's highest number of cars running on compressed natural gas, with a hefty government subsidy built into the fuel price.

The fuel-starved private sector has to import power, pushing up costs and sucking foreign exchange reserves from the country.

Businesses suffer from frequent power cuts, which disrupt everyone from street vendors to conglomerates. They have become a national frustration, leading to political protests throughout the country. Doomsday images of burning tyres and mass anger are common on the nation's many television news networks.

Pakistan's over-reliance on oil-based electricity has worsened over recent years. In 2005 it accounted for 16% of total output but by 2010 that had grown to 38%.

Pakistan has not invested in cleaner alternatives and critics believe a lack of planning and investment in power generation is the reason.

The money from the World Bank should go some way to boost investment, although the bulk of the five-year loan is earmarked for spending to reduce poverty and inequality. Yet, the fact that the World Bank has shown faith in Pakistan's immediate future could encourage potential private investors to look at the country more favourably, something that the country badly needs.

Afghanistan Landslide: 350 Feared Dead and 2,500 Missing as Mountain Collapses

The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in north eastern Afghanistan.Google Maps

More than 350 people are feared dead and 2,500 people are missing after a landslide wiped out an Afghan village, according to a United Nations spokesman.

Ari Gaitanis of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan says the UN is working with authorities on the ground to rescue those trapped under the rubble.

Torrential rainfall caused a section of mountain to collapse and bury hundred of family homes under mud and rocks in the village of Hargu.

Eight people have been rescued so far, according to TOLOnews website but the rescue search is being hampered by a lack of sufficient machinery.

"It's physically impossible right now. We don't have enough shovels; we need more machinery," said Shah Waliullah Adeeb, governor of Badakhshan.

Badakhshan police commander Fazludeen Ayaz said that over 200 people were believed to have been killed in the disaster.

Dozens of families have been displaced as approximately 1,000 houses were affected.

At the time of writing, rain continued to beat down on the region, adding to fears that more landslides are to follow.

Friday is a day off in Afghanistan, meaning that many families were inside their homes when the mountain section caved, leading to more deaths by circumstance.

Last week, around 150 people died in flooding but this disaster is on a much larger scale.

The Badakhshan province is located in the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges that border China and has notoriously poor transport links because of its remoteness.

MtGox's Founder Jed McCaleb Lost $50,000 Held With Bankrupt Bitcoin Exchange

Mock Bitcoin Berlin GermanyReuters

Jed McCaleb, the original founder of bankrupt bitcoin exchange MtGox, said he lost thousands of US dollars held with the exchange as part of its collapse.

In an interview with Ars Technica, McCaleb said he lost around $50,000 (£29,600, €36,000) held in currency with MtGox.

He added that he is no longer involved with the company, which he sold to Mark Karpeles who is heading the company. However, he retains a 12% stake in MtGox, according to a company document.

"I met [Karpeles] I think on bitcointalk.org," McCaleb said.

"The Bitcoin community was very small at that time and I asked him to do some software development for me. He did that task and I was looking for someone else to run MtGox so I could focus on other things. We discussed the possibility of him buying MtGox from me and I ended up selling it to him in 2011."

Japan-based MtGox, which at one point hosted 80% of the world's bitcoin trades, collapsed after reporting that 850,000 bitcoins were stolen in what it claims was the result of a two-year long cyber attack. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan on 28 February and subsequently in the US.

The exchange later filed for liquidating its assets following its failure to restructure its business under the country's bankruptcy protection scheme. Subsequently, it was placed into provisional administration.

On 24 April, a Tokyo court ordered the administrator of MtGox to start liquidating the company's assets to pay back its creditors.

In addition to bankruptcy, MtGox and Karpeles are now facing lawsuits claiming large-scale fraud by the company.

McCaleb is supporting a consortium called Sunlot, which is set up to revive the bankrupt exchange and avoid its liquidation.

Sunlot's plan for the failed exchange includes distributing the 200,000 rediscovered bitcoins to MtGox customers and giving them a 16.5% interest in a revived exchange.

"Although I am proud of how much the community has grown over the years, it saddens me to see the negative impact that Mt. Gox ended up having. Like many [others], I had money in Mt. Gox which I have also lost," the American entrepreneur said.

"The community deserves to find out the truth, and I am going to do what I can to help. Ultimately, with so many new positive projects being launched every day, Bitcoin will be able to show the world that we will not only recover, but grow stronger."

World Bank Approves $12 Billion Loan to Pakistan

Usman Ghani, 37 (L) checks an energy saving bulb, after repairing it for a customer, at his makeshift stall in Karachi's slum(Reuters)

The World Bank has approved a $12bn loan to Pakistan, the country's finance ministry said on Friday.

$1bn of the total will be transferred to Pakistan in the next week according to the ministry, which is set to be used to boost the country's energy sector and reduce poverty.

"Staying on the structural reform path is important for competitiveness of the economy, which in turn is essential for creating jobs and lifting millions out of poverty in Pakistan," World Bank Vice President Phillipe Le Houerou said in a statement.

Pakistan is in the middle of an energy crisis as power shortages continue to stifle economic growth and spur political dissent.

Supplies have failed to keep pace with economic growth in the country and blackouts, which have plagued Pakistan for years, have lengthened as the country's economy expands.

The South Asian nation has sought to attract foreign investment and reduce chronic mass unemployment.

The rest of the $12bn will be dispersed over five years, and will carry a 2% interest rate.

"Awide range of stakeholders including, civil society, media youth, parliamentarians, and federal and provincial governments were consulted. The new strategy is structured to help the country tackle the most difficult, but potentially transformational areas to reach the twin goals of poverty reductions and shared prosperity," said World Bank Pakistan director Rachid Benmessaoud in a statement.

IHG to Return $750m to Shareholders and Will Explore More Hotel Disposals

IHG to return $750m to shareholders and will consider more hotel disposals.Reuters

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has said it will use the sale of two major US hotels to return $750m to its shareholders.

The group will also consider disposing of more hotels owing to strong demand for prime hotels globally, according to an IHG statement.

The latest dividend payout takes the total funds returned to shareholders to $10.3bn (£6.1, €7.4bn) since 2003, including $1.6bn in ordinary dividends, IHG said as it reported its strongest room revenue performance in seven quarters.

IHG, which operates the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and InterContinental brands, said first quarter global revenue per available room (RevPAR) – a key industry measure – grew 6%, buoyed by a 6.6% growth in its core North American market.

Richard Solomons, chief executive of IHG, said in the statement: "...We completed two major asset sales in March and are announcing today a $750m special dividend. This reflects our clear capital allocation strategy whereby we are committed to returning surplus funds to shareholders, whilst maintaining an efficient balance sheet and continuing to invest behind growth.

"In line with our strategy to continue to reduce the capital intensity of the business, and given the strength of the global demand for prime hotel assets, we are now reviewing our opportunities for further asset disposals..."

During the January-March first-quarter, IHG sold its InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco hotel and an 80% stake in the InterContinental New York Barclay for a total $394m.

It bagged long-term management contracts at the hotels in return.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,700 hotels and 688,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. It has over 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline, according to the statement.

Lebanon Politician Walid Jumblatt: 'Legalise Cannabis'

Leading Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt has called for cannabis cultivation to be legalised(Reuters)

Lebanon's leading progressive politician said growing cannabis for medical purposes should be legalised to boost farmers' incomes.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt told a Lebanese television station that economic reforms were not working for Lebanon's farmers and the answer lies in cannabis cultivation.

"Never in my life have I smoked marijuana, but I support growing cannabis for medical use and to improve the living conditions of farmers in north Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley," he was quoted as saying by Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper.

"Let's legalise cannabis and regulate its cultivation," he added.

His proposal follows a global shift in attitudes towards to the drug, which has been legalised for medical purposes in a number of countries and was recently legalised for recreational purposes in some American states and Uruguay.

The fertile Bekaa Valley which straddles the country's border with Syria, has long been used for the cultivation of the lucrative crop. The Lebanese government led a crackdown on cannabis growers in the 1990s, under international pressure.

A programme of crop substitution reforms launched with the backing of the United Nations has failed to make up the difference in incomes and some farmers continue to grow the crop illicitly.

Jumblatt said that others have left their lands and headed for the country's capital Beirut in search of work opportunities.

Lebanon is considered to be one of the most progressive and tolerant societies in the conservative Middle East region. The country made international headlines in March when a judge ruled that sex between a transgender individual and a man was not an unnatural act. In contrast, gay sex is legally punishable by death in more conserative countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Jumblatt is one of Lebanon's most progressive politicians and the leader of the country's Druze community, an offshoot of Shia Islam.

Sellafield Shares Decommissioning Expertise with Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Sellafield and Tepco representative sign information sharing agreementTEPCO

Sellafield, the Cumbria-based nuclear site, has agreed to help Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) in its cleanup at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station which was severely damaged by the tsunami and earthquake in March 2011.

The companies signed an information-sharing agreement in a ceremony at University College London, under which they will assist each other. The ceremony was attended by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting London.

Japan's largest power company Tepco earlier established the Tepco Fukushima Daiichi D&D Engineering Company (FDEC) to take care of the cleaning at the power station.

Sellafield has plenty of decommissioning expertise and manages nuclear waste activities on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). It is owned by a consortium of American, British and French companies known as Nuclear Management Partners.

"I believe this would be a significant event to safely and promptly implement the decommissioning and address water issues at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station," said Naohiro Masuda, head of the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi D& D Engineering Company.

"From now on, we expect to carry out safe and effective decommissioning at each site, by openly exchanging information regarding the similar challenges both sites face."

"We have much that we can help the Japanese with initially, as the move their focus from power generation to cleaning up and decommissioning," said Sellafield managing director, Tony Price.

"There are many similar challenges that we'll be facing on our sites over the coming years and we can share our experiences, access to our supply chains and any advancements that come in the future. This will make sure we are both better equipped to deliver our respective missions."

In March 2011, Japan was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami, resulting in the meltdown of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

In order to prevent leakage into the Pacific Ocean, Tepco has been storing a vast amount of radio-active water in a growing number of containers. The company has struggled with the radio-active water management and has reported a number of leaks last year.

About 300 tons of highly radio-active groundwater seep into the ocean each day due to the disaster, according to the Japanese government.