Gunmen attack S Lanka cricketers - National News Updates

At least five members of the Sri Lankan cricket team have been injured in a shooting incident in the Pakistani city of Lahore, a Sri Lankan minister says.

The incident happened when unidentified gunmen fired on a convoy carrying Sri Lankan and Pakistani cricketers.

Pakistani officials said about 12 gunmen were involved and grenades and rocket launchers were recovered from the scene.

At least five policemen have been killed in the attack, police say.

Sri Lanka Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge told the BBC that early reports indicated that the injuries to five players and a coach were minor.

Sri Lankan media reports said two of the players including Thilan Samaraweera, who scored a double century in the ongoing Test match, have been taken to hospital.

"Five [of our] cricketers have injuries, but they are OK. But the players are shocked. They have never gone through anything like this before," former Sri Lankan player Sanath Jayasuriya told an Indian news channel on the phone from Colombo.

The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says the gunmen opened fire on the Sri Lankan team bus which was on its way to the Gaddafi stadium, venue for a Test match between the two sides.

The third day of play in the Second Test was scheduled to begin, but officials said the match has now been cancelled.

"It appears that our team bus was targeted on the way to the match. It appears that four of our cricketers have been injured and taken to the hospital," a Sri Lankan cricket official told an Indian TV channel from Colombo.

TV pictures showed two gunmen with backpacks on the road where the incident happened.

The police said grenades and rocket launchers had been found at the site of the incident.

An eyewitness told Reuters news agency that three policemen and a traffic warden had been killed in the incident.

Shop owner Ahmed Ali said two policemen had been driving behind the team bus when the attack happened.

"It was a very heavy firing and I heard at least two explosions at the time," an eyewitness told Reuters.

Pakistani invited Sri Lanka to tour after India's cricket team pulled out of a scheduled cricket tour following the deadly November attacks in the western Indian city of Mumbai.

Our correspondent says the incident will come as a big blow to Pakistan cricket. India and Australia have pulled out of cricket tours to the country in the recent past citing security concerns.

Firing at cricket stadium at lahore, 7 players injured - National News Updates

In an incident which could have turned many fears to reality, the convoy of Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked by unidentified gunmen at Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. At least 12 gunmen have been reported to be involved in the attack.

Seven players of the Sri Lankan cricket team have been injured. Five policemen who were trying to shield the van carrying the cricketers have been killed in the encounter.

Four of the cricket players are seriously injured - Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakara, Ajanta Mendis and Tharanga Paranavithana.

The gunfire is reported to have continued for 25 minutes. Two bombs were also thrown at the convoy.

The police surrounded the van carrying the cricketers. The gunmen had heavy ammunition including rocket launchers also.

Nine injured as fire engulfs Marriott hotel Islamabad - National News Updates

ISLAMABAD: The five-star Islamabad Marriott hotel, located at the footsteps of the famous Margalla Hills, has caught fire on Thursday.

According to details, the fire engulfed two floors of the building. Rescue workers have shifted nine injured persons to Polyclinic hospital. Eyewitnesses said that explosions were heard before the fire broke out in the hotel.

Four fire tenders of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other departments are trying to extinguish the fire.

The Marriott hotel was completely destroyed on September 20, 2008 when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden truck into barriers at the Marriott hotel's main gate. The hotel was reopened after construction last month.

Source:Geotv

Fire erupts in Pakistan Marriott hotel - National News Updates

ISLAMABAD - A fire erupted at the luxury Marriott Hotel in Islamabad on Thursday, two months after it was reopened following a suicide truck bombing that killed 60 people, the management said.

Firefighters rushed to the area as thick black and smoke billowed out of the flagship building, frequented by wealthy businessmen and expatriates, close to the seat of government in the Pakistan capital.

The blaze broke out on the second floor, where repair work was underway, Jamil Khawar, spokesman for the owner Sadruddin Hashwani, told AFP.

"The fire erupted during the repair work on in the old wing. We are trying to bring it under control," he said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, Khawar said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

A suicide bomber rammed a truck packed with 600 kilogrammes (1,300 pounds) of high explosives into the outer gates of the hotel on September 20, sending shockwaves through the capital, especially in the expatriate community.

Source:channelnewsasia

Fire at Islamabad's Marriott hotel five months after bomb - National News Updates

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Fire broke out at the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Thursday, five months after a suicide truck bomber killed 55 people there.

"We got a phone call that there's fire in two storeys of the hotel. We alerted the fire brigades and they have sent fire engines," said police official Zahid Jan.

The cause was not known, he said.

A receptionist at the hotel said he could see smoke but declined further comment.
The hotel reopened in late December, just over three months after the Sept. 20 bomb attack blamed on Islamist militants. (Reporting by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel and Sanjeev Miglani)

Source: Reuters

Chennai row: SC orders judicial probe, transfer of cops - National News Updates

New Delhi, Feb 26: Terming the Madras High Court violence as "serious" and "sad", the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the state government in Tamil Nadu to transfer four top cops responsible for the police’ excesses against Lewyers while ordering a judicial probe.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan also appointed a retired apex court judge Justice B Srikrishna to inquire into the clash between lawyers and police in Madras High Court.

The B Srikrishna committee will submit its interim report within two weeks to the apex court.

The apex court, while trying to restore calm among the agitating lawyers’ community, directed the state government to transfers the Joint Commissioner of Chennai and three Deputy Commissioner of Police for their role in the clashes.

However, the bench stopped short of ordering the suspension of the top cops citing that it would be against the morals of bureaucracy.

The bench allowed the two committees set up by the High Court to assess the damage to the vehicles and the properties of the Court and to look into the injuries caused to the lawyers to function.

The Supreme Court asked the lawyers, who are on a strike since January 29, to withdraw their agitation at the earliest.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on March 3.

Appealing to the agitating lawyers to maintain decorum and discipline in the court, the Bench said they should not hold meetings and shout any slogans in the Court corridors.

The apex court had on Wednesday given a 24 hours deadline to the Tamil Nadu government to inform at whose instance the police had entered the Madras High Court premises on February 19.

The advocate body from Chennai had objected to the setting up of the committee by the Tamil Nadu Government.

The court had earlier ruled out setting up of a judicial inquiry under a sitting judge.

The bench said the incident was serious in which the judges and lawyers became victim of the clash and there was a lot of destruction of property.

The apex court said that the state should generously consider offering financial assistance to the lawyers whose vehicles were damaged by the police in the court premises.

The court said that for those lawyers who were injured in the clash, the state will bear the expenses for their treatment.

The judges also asked the government to remove the police station inside the court premises.

DA raised by 6% for govt employees - National News Updates

On last day of the Parliament just before the elections, the government has gift for its employees. The Cabinet has announced a six per cent hike in the Dearness Allowance for all its employees.

This increase will become effective from Jan 1 2009. There is also a possibility of a cut in fuel prices that could be announced later in the day.

So the UPA is clearly in the election mode now.