Month: May 2019
Gunmen storm five-star hotel in Pakistan, killing at least one
Pearl Continental Gwadar
QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) – Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Pakistan’s southwestern port city of Gwadar on Saturday, killing at least one guard and battling security forces inside, officials and the army said.
Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove said most guests were evacuated from the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel, which helicopters circled as fighting was under way. Police said that in addition to the guard killed by the attackers, at least two other people were wounded but there was no final casualty total.
The military said at least three gunmen killed a guard at the entrance to the hotel when they entered. Security forces cordoned off the area and cornered the attackers in a staircase leading to the top floor, the military said in a statement.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, a group fighting for greater autonomy in Pakistan’s poorest province whose resources it says are exploited for outside interests, claimed responsibility in an emailed statement that said the attack was aimed at “Chinese and other foreign investors”.
A Twitter account apparently run by the insurgents said the attackers had “achieved all their targets” but there was no official confirmation that the fighting was over and officials said security forces were ensuring no surviving attackers remained concealed.
Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a statement condemning the attack. “Such attempts, especially in Balochistan are an effort to sabotage our economic projects and prosperity,” he said.
Gwadar is a strategic port on the Arabian Sea that is being developed as part of the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is itself part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure project.
The Pearl Continental Hotel, on a hillside near the port, is used by foreign guests, including Chinese project staff, but there were none in the building at the time of the attack, Langove said.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack and said “the heroic action of Pakistani army and law enforcement agencies is highly appreciated”.
Pakistani officials have said the security forces were on alert for attacks during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began in early May.
Security across most of Pakistan has improved over recent years following a major crackdown after the country’s worst attack, when some 150 people, most of them children, were killed in an assault on a school in the western city of Peshawar in 2014.
But Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, remains an exception and there have been several attacks this year, with at least 14 people killed last month in an attack on buses traveling between the southern city of Karachi and Gwadar.
The province is rife with ethnic, sectarian and separatist insurgencies, with several militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban group Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army and the Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
Saturday’s incident follows a bombing this week that targeted police outside a major Sufi shrine in Lahore, in the east of Pakistan, that killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 20, officials said.
Source : Reuters
Latest Sri Lanka arrest throws spotlight on Wahhabism in eastern hotbed
KATTANKUDY, Sri Lanka (Reuters) – Sri Lankan authorities have arrested a Saudi-educated scholar for what they claim are links with Zahran Hashim, the suspected ringleader of the Easter Sunday bombings, throwing a spotlight on the rising influence of Salafi-Wahhabi Islam on the island’s Muslims.
Mohamed Aliyar, 60, is the founder of the Centre for Islamic Guidance, which boasts a mosque, a religious school and a library in Zahran’s hometown of Kattankudy, a Muslim-dominated city on Sri Lanka’s eastern shores.
“Information has been revealed that the suspect arrested had a close relationship with … Zahran and had been operating financial transactions,” said a police statement late on Friday.
The statement said Aliyar was “involved” with training in the southern town of Hambantota for the group of suicide bombers who attacked hotels and churches on Easter, killing over 250 people.
A police spokesman declined to provide details on the accusations.
Calls to Aliyar and his associates went unanswered. Reuters was unable to find contact details for a lawyer.
The government says Zahran, a radical Tamil-speaking preacher, was a leader of the group.
Two Muslim community sources in Kattankudy told Reuters his hardline views were partly shaped by ultra-conservative Salafi-Wahhabi texts that he picked up at the Centre for Islamic Guidance’s library around 2-3 years ago. The sources are not affiliated with the center.
“I used to always run into him at the center, reading Saudi journals and literature,” said one of the sources.
During that time, Zahran started criticizing the practice of asking God for help, for instance, arguing that such pleas were an affront to pure Islam.
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“That kind of teaching was not in Sri Lanka in 2016, unless you read it in Salafi literature,” the source added, requesting anonymity to avoid repercussions in Kattankudy.
Salafism, a puritanical interpretation of Islam that advocates a return to the values of the first three generations of Muslims and is closely linked to Wahhabism, has often been criticized as the ideology of radical Islamists worldwide.
Wahhabi Islam has its roots in Saudi Arabia and is backed by its rulers, although Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has committed the kingdom to a more moderate form of Islam.
Other than the fact that Zahran visited the center, the sources in Kattankudy said they did not know of any personal ties between him and Aliyar.
Aliyar founded the center in 1990, a year after he graduated from the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, in what one resident said marked a key moment in the spread of Salafi doctrine in Kattankudy. The center was partly funded by Saudi and Kuwaiti donors, according to a plaque outside.
TROUBLEMAKER
Reuters spoke to three members of the center’s board before Aliyar’s arrest. They asked to remain anonymous, citing security concerns amid a backlash against some Muslims.
They said Zahran was a troublemaker and that they had warned authorities about his extremist views. The members said they thought Zahran frequented the library around a decade ago, but had no recollection of him visiting recently and denied that any of its books were to blame for his views.
Funding for the center came from local donations, student fees, and private donors who were classmates of Aliyar’s in Riyadh, the center’s sources said. Reuters was unable to immediately determine further details about the funding of the center.
The Saudi government communications office in Riyadh did not respond to requests for comment on the funding of the center.
Source : Reuters
At least 70 migrants drown off coast of Tunisia after boat capsizes
At least 70 migrants drowned and 16 were rescued after their boat capsized near the Kerkennah Islands off Tunisia’s eastern coast on Friday, according to the country’s state-run Tunis Afrique Presse agency (TAP).
The boat, carrying migrants of sub-Saharan origin, set sail from Libya, TAP said, quoting a regional source.
The number of victims could rise as Tunisia’s Navy continues its recovery efforts, TAP reported. Navy units have recovered only three bodies so far, said Tunisia’s Ministry of Defense, according to Reuters.
TAP said that the bodies of victims will be transferred to the Sfax Habib Bourguiba University Hospital.
Tunisia’s defense ministry said that the boat had left the western Libyan port of Zouara on Thursday, intending to reach Italy, Reuters reported.
“This is a tragic and terrible reminder of the risks still faced by those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean,” said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Mediterranean.”
The UK branch of the UN migration agency International Organization for Migration (IOM) tweeted that at least 50 people had died and that there were only 16 survivors.
According to IOM figures, 443 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year. In total there have been 25,451 attempted crossings, it says.
On Friday, UN refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch called on governments around the world to help, voicing concerns over the lack of boats available to help pick up migrants and refugees, Reuters reported.
Source: CNN News
-Agencies
2013:First Intel on Lankans fighting with the ISIS
Article source : dailylankadeepa
It was in 2013 from Israeli intelligence that Sri Lanka’s Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) first learned that there were locals fighting with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. It took the DMI by surprise, internal sources said. But they now set up dedicated teams to monitor communications.
ISIS publishes a magazine called Dabiq. In it was a photo of a man named Abu Shurayh As-Silani, which was the name given by the movement to a 37-year-old school principal from Galewela called Mohamed Muhsin Sharhaz Nilam. He had left for Mecca in mid-2013 and never returned.
It was found that Nilam’s elder brother went to Syria first. He followed with his wife, six children, wife’s parents and two of his wife’s brothers. Nilam’s brother’s daughter married a Sri Lankan origin Australian named Arush (phonetic spelling) and this man forged a connection with Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel, who also undertook a postgraduate degree at Melbourne’s Swinburne University before leaving the country in 2013.
Initially, there were 36 Sri Lankans from three families in Syria. This later went above 40. Nilam died in an air raid in 2015. Afterwards, Sri Lankan intelligence found an outpouring of support for ISIS among some Sri Lankan social media users. A key player was a man in Aluthgama named Adhil who was a computer wizard. Soft copies of ISIS propaganda was shared mainly on chatting platforms, particularly Telegram. They also created their own applications with secret enclosures within that space.
Adhil, like others in this movement, was young and well-educated. He adopted different personas on the internet. And this was how the grooming predominantly took place, intelligence sources said. They identified associates of the Sri Lankan ISIS supporters in Syria by monitoring who was in contact. It was a small group and not organised at the start. But they were well versed in the caliphate ideology. There were interactions, too, with an Imam at a mosque in Dehiwala but he later distanced himself from their beliefs.
They grouped themselves as one organization: the Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), led by a man named Umair from Colombo 10. They thought themselves different from other Muslims but the group also had moderates who did not want to shed blood. Some JMI members wanted to migrate with their families to Syria. But Umair changed his mind after deciding to study Islam and understand the religion.
Two of the Easter Sunday bombers-the brothers, Mohamed Ibrahim Ilham Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim Inshaf Ahmed–linked up with Jameel because of a business and family connection. Jameel’s father was a tea business with a shop in Old Moor Street, Colombo 12. Ibrahim senior also had a shop there. The children became friends through the parents and started motivating each other.
They were also associated with JMI. But there was a split between Umair’s faction and Jameel’s faction, with the Ibrahim brothers aligning themselves with the latter. They believed they needed to “do something” in Sri Lanka, which the JMI leader opposed.
Another member of JMI then introduced Mohamed Zahran Mohamed Cassim to the movement. They identified him as like-minded. But he was from the East and many of the others were Colombo-based and did not take much interest in him. However, Zahran was against the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath and aligned himself with the breakaway National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ).
Those in the JMI who wanted him shared his preaching on social media. “He took Quran verses and interpreted them the way he wanted,” said a key source. Zahran went underground in 2017 March after a clash in Kattankudy town. “What we now believe is that Jameel and the Ibrahim brothers must have established contact with and even helped him during this period for practical reasons,” he said. “I also think the Easter Sunday attacks can neither be blamed on JMI or NTJ because the violent elements split from the main groups. It was Zahran with a few people.”
Intelligence was aware of the threats but towards the end of 2016, the political leadership lost interest in the ISIS and Muslim extremism element of national security. After 2009, the intelligence network flagged to the Government three post-war threats. First was the possible re-emergence of the LTTE terrorism. Second was Muslim extremism (it shifted up from being the fourth priority). Third was human trafficking and drugs or transnational crime. And the fourth was geopolitical developments.
Until 2015, a meeting of the Intelligence Coordinating Committee took place every Tuesday at the Ministry of Defence. On Wednesday, there was the National Security Council (NSC) discussion. After 2016, the NSC meeting dropped to once a fortnight, sometimes once in three weeks. And the focus continued to be on the LTTE bogey rather than more recent dangers.
“Our problem as that we never shifted to post-conflict surveillance mode, away from weaponised mode,” said an official who attended NSC meetings up to October 26, 2018. “Our security was always looked at through a weaponised mode that was essential when we were fighting the LTTE that had identifiable targets. Threats like ISIS and Muslim groups, where the enemy is not readily identifiable, require us to transform to a surveillance mode.”
The intelligence mechanism faced another battle: “national mindset versus liberal mindset”. In 2015, the DMI made a proposal to the political hierarchy. It outlined the present situation along with how the respective groups operate and called for a mechanism with three options.
One was to engage with the protagonists. Second was the introduce laws to reel them in (with a possibility of violence). And the third was a combination approach.
“It was very clearly spelt out,” said an internal source. “When the Government change occurred, none of them were interested. National and liberal policies don’t work together. In this area, you can’t have two fathers. There was a division right from the top. When thinking is divided, action is divided and loyalties are divided. That was the biggest problem.”
Credit : Written by නිල්මිණි විජේදාස
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Weight Loss – Shape Shifting Women – No Relation to Paranormal Characters
Shape shifting is a word that has been in the media quite a bit in recent times, but more in relation to the characters in the Twilight novels than what we are going to discuss in this article.
Shape shifting is something that women over the years have gotten all too familiar with. As women get older and stack on the years unfortunately for many the pounds seem to jump on along with the years. Even those who are fortunate enough to stay reasonably slim can still find changes taking place to the shape of their body.
From having an hourglass figure you may suddenly find you more closely resemble a beer tankard these days, with no waistline in sight. Dr. Pamela Peeke, at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine is quoted as saying, “Aging gracefully becomes a matter of girth control”
Twenties: During their twenties the estrogen production of women rises. All of a sudden instead of being a skinny teen, weight starts to develop on the hips, thighs and breasts. Now is when a woman’s focus should be on developing a strong fitness foundation that can last for life. During this period muscle tone should be built and body fat minimized.
Thirties: Research has established that during this period if you become pregnant whilst you are fit and healthy the chances are that at the end of nine months you will have a fit and healthy baby. However, even if you don’t have children your metabolism is entering a slowing down period. It is recommended that you introduce some resistance training into your routine to keep your metabolism at its peak.
Forties: Now is the time when shape shifting starts to become evident, due mainly to fluctuating progesterone and estrogen levels. You may start to notice the development of a pot belly or love handles. To keep this at bay, increase your physical activities, adjust your lifestyle if necessary and keep on top of the situation.
Fifties+: Don’t worry this isn’t the point of no return unless you allow it. Keep your mind and body active, stay alert and keep yourself as fit as possible. Increase your cardio even if it’s just walking that extra distance, and keep up the resistance training. Don’t forget your objective is to live a long and healthy life, all achievable by making just a little bit of extra effort and being aware of the pitfalls of neglecting yourself.
And let’s not forget those in their sixties where not only can weight gain become critical in affecting their health they don’t have quite the same energy as when younger to tackle weight loss programs. But that’s not to say weight loss in your sixties isn’t achievable.
Weight loss is something that we need to be aware of through most of our lives, and the key factors to keeping your weight and shape under control are to follow a healthy and nutritious eating regime. It doesn’t have to be a strict diet just sensible eating of small regular and well planned meals.
Even if you are not an exercise junkie try to factor regular bouts of exercise into your daily routines even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day, you will reap the benefits of being consistent.
Weight Loss – How to Eat More and Weigh Less
No, this is not a trick, it really can be done. It is definitely possible to lose weight without feeling hungry; the secret is to eat the right type of food.
There are some types of food which are really good at making you feel full without stacking up the calories – so you can eat more of these types of food without piling on the pounds. Some foods are so calorie laden that the smallest nibble can show on the weighing scales. It has been proved that we feel full because of the amount of food that we’ve eaten rather than the amount of calories that we’ve eaten, so by eating lots of food which is lower in calories it can help you to feel full without making you weigh more.
Now that I’ve got your attention take a look at the types of food which you can afford to pile on your plate without stretching your waistband;
” Fruit and vegetables – I bet you were expecting that weren’t you? The problem with some fruit and vegetables is in the preparation, if you add fat or butter to your vegetables then they are not so waistline friendly. Raw fruits and veggies are brilliant, steaming is good – just don’t add oil. Particularly great fruit and vegetables to include in your “eating more to weigh less” regime are spinach, broccoli, apples, tomatoes, berries, carrots – blueberry muffins are not good, not even the low fat variety.
” Broths and soups – are a great opportunity to fill up your bowl without piling on the weight just so long as you steer clear of those which are cream based – mushroom bisque is not good, broth with lots of fresh veggies and a few herbs added for flavor are very good. I suppose the basic rule is to not add any cream.
” Whole grains – whole wheat bread, brown rice and pasta are great for filling you up without making you gain weight. These have all of the goodness that nature intended them to have – flour which has been processed and bleached does not have the same benefits but can stack up the calories.
” Peas and beans – are a great addition to the menu if you want to eat plenty of delicious food and fill your stomach without gaining any extra weight. Black beans, green peas, kidney beans – add some to your vegetable broth for a little something extra – just don’t add any cream.
” Lean meats and fish – there are loads of lean meats and fish which you can eat in large amounts without piling on the weight – again you’ve got to make sure that you prepare it properly. Chicken, turkey, lean beef and fish is great. Having said that a fried chicken wing is not good, a grilled chicken breast without the skin is fantastic.
So remember to include plenty of these low calorie options into your daily diet, throw away the frying pan and steer clear of the cream aisle in the grocery store. That should really help you to lose weight without going hungry.
The Top 5 Things You Shouldn’t Do When You’re Trying To Lose Weight
If you want to lose weight in a healthy manner and with long-term results, where you lose weight for good, there are some things you need to do or not do in order to achieve it. Below are some things you should NOT be doing when you’re trying to lose weight.
- Making yourself go hungry
If you do it long enough, losing weight by not eating or eating very little is counterproductive. For one, the body will go on crisis mode and will conserve the energy it has by slowing down your metabolism. When you get back to eating regularly your body, because it’s on crisis mode, lessens the amount of calories that it burns and stores the rest as fat. Other than slowing your metabolism, however, not eating properly is detrimental to your health because it deprives your body of the necessary nutrients to function properly.
- Snacking on processed foods
Processed foods have sodium content that causes your body to retain water instead of expelling unnecessary liquids. You’d be surprised but when you lose water weight, you can actually lose up to two pounds. So, stop eating cookies, chips, spam and other processed foods. If you feel the urge to snack, binge on fruit instead.
- Letting your mind go wild
Your mind can be your own worst enemy when it comes to losing weight. Weight loss takes time and if you don’t quiet your mind so that you’re able to control your eating habits and patiently wait for the results, nothing’s ever going to happen, or you’ll circle around the same cycle of losing weight and gaining it right back. So, relax and meditate and, more importantly, visualize your ideal end results. There are many meditation programs out there like the Silva Method. Try one of them and don’t stop until you see results.
- Constantly weighing yourself
The problem with our culture nowadays is that people want instant results, but this simply isn’t possible when it comes to weight loss. Your body needs time to process your actions to put out the appropriate results. If you’re trying to lose weight naturally by using diet plans, you should be patient enough to wait eight weeks before standing on the weighing scale.
- Not seeking out a support group
Did you know that any goal is more easily achieved when you have a support group? Think of Alcoholics Anonymous and other anonymous groups. Being overweight is a condition that’s being experienced by millions of people, yet people who are trying to lose weight usually do it alone and anguish in the process. Make your efforts more fun, and let others learn from you, by seeking support. Search for a support group online and regularly contribute.
Like anything else, losing weight is a goal worth pursuing. In nature, no animal is ever overweight. That said, the natural state of your body is perfect. Always keep that in mind if you have serious doubts that you can lose weight. Yes, you can, however, you have to do things in a certain way in order for things to change.
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