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More news →Islamic State storms Syrian city of Hassakeh, stages offensive on Kobani
Islamic State militants in Syria stormed government-held neighborhoods in the predominantly Kurdish northeastern city of Hassakeh on Thursday morning, capturing several areas of the city, officials and state media said. The attack came after the Islamic State group suffered several setbacks in northern Syria against Kurdish forces over the past weeks. The city of Hassakeh is divided between Bashar Assad's forces and Kurdish fighters. Redur Khalil, a spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, said IS militants attacked government-held neighborhoods on the southern edge of Hassakeh, and captured some areas. Syrian state TV reported intense clashes inside Hassakeh's southern neighborhood of Nashawi. According to the report, IS fighters killed several people they captured in the city, including the head of a military housing institution. It said the militants sustained many casualties, including the commander of the group who is a foreign fighter. IS tried to storm the city earlier this month and reached its southern outskirts before facing strong resistance from Syrian government troops who pushed them away. Also Thursday, IS staged a new attack on the Kurdish town of Kobani, which famously resisted a months-long assault by the Islamic militants. The attack involved a suicide car bombing that wounded scores. "A group of fighters deployed in some areas of Kobani. We are defending a position now," Ghalia Nehme, a commander with the Kurdish Women's Protection Units, told The Associated Press by telephone from inside the border town. After months of bloody street fighting, the Kurdish forces in Kobani, which lies along the Syria-Turkey border, succeeded in pushing out IS militants earlier this year. That was a landmark victory against the IS, enabled in part by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes. Two Turkish officials said Thursday's attack involved a suicide bomber who detonated his car near the border gate that separates Kobani from the Turkish town of Mursitpinar. The first official, from the local governor's office, said that 41 wounded were taken across the border to a hospital in Turkey. Surveillance footage showed a fiery explosion rocking Kobani in the dim light of dawn, he said, adding that video came from one of the 24 cameras monitoring the border crossing. The second official, who is with the district government, put the number of wounded at 43 and said that sporadic gunfire could still be heard from the other side of the border later in the morning as well. He said one person, a child, had been killed. There was no immediate way to resolve the discrepancy between their reports. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Syrian state TV said the extremists crossed from the Turkish side of the border into Kobani, adding that are casualties. It gave no further details.
Islamic State storms Syrian city of Hassakeh, stages offensive on Kobani
Islamic State militants in Syria stormed government-held neighborhoods in the predominantly Kurdish northeastern city of Hassakeh on Thursday morning, capturing several areas of the city, officials and state media said. The attack came after the Islamic State group suffered several setbacks in northern Syria against Kurdish forces over the past weeks. The city of Hassakeh is divided between Bashar Assad's forces and Kurdish fighters. Redur Khalil, a spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, said IS militants attacked government-held neighborhoods on the southern edge of Hassakeh, and captured some areas. Syrian state TV reported intense clashes inside Hassakeh's southern neighborhood of Nashawi. According to the report, IS fighters killed several people they captured in the city, including the head of a military housing institution. It said the militants sustained many casualties, including the commander of the group who is a foreign fighter. IS tried to storm the city earlier this month and reached its southern outskirts before facing strong resistance from Syrian government troops who pushed them away. Also Thursday, IS staged a new attack on the Kurdish town of Kobani, which famously resisted a months-long assault by the Islamic militants. The attack involved a suicide car bombing that wounded scores. "A group of fighters deployed in some areas of Kobani. We are defending a position now," Ghalia Nehme, a commander with the Kurdish Women's Protection Units, told The Associated Press by telephone from inside the border town. After months of bloody street fighting, the Kurdish forces in Kobani, which lies along the Syria-Turkey border, succeeded in pushing out IS militants earlier this year. That was a landmark victory against the IS, enabled in part by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes. Two Turkish officials said Thursday's attack involved a suicide bomber who detonated his car near the border gate that separates Kobani from the Turkish town of Mursitpinar. The first official, from the local governor's office, said that 41 wounded were taken across the border to a hospital in Turkey. Surveillance footage showed a fiery explosion rocking Kobani in the dim light of dawn, he said, adding that video came from one of the 24 cameras monitoring the border crossing. The second official, who is with the district government, put the number of wounded at 43 and said that sporadic gunfire could still be heard from the other side of the border later in the morning as well. He said one person, a child, had been killed. There was no immediate way to resolve the discrepancy between their reports. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Syrian state TV said the extremists crossed from the Turkish side of the border into Kobani, adding that are casualties. It gave no further details.
City Life' of Venumadhav wraps up shoot
Shooting of 'City Life' directed by Souda and produced by P Venkateswara Rao on the banner of Perfect Visuals, with Venumadhav in the lead was completed recently. Director Souda says, 'The shooting of the film was completed in just 21 days and at the same time we maintained quality all through the movie.' Producer Venkateswara Rao, who had also provided story, screenplay and lyrics for the movie, says, 'We created some curiosity in the film as to why Venumadhav, who settled as a doctor in the US, visit the city every year and organise a big party every year near Peddamma temple. In fact, it is a treatment given by the doctor to the onslaught on the Hindu culture. We moulded the subject in an entertaining way. Aarkay of 'Hyderabad Nawabs and FM'-fame played a negative role as a representative of the international mafia in the city.' Azeez, Gullu Bhai, Siva, Tabar and others are in the supporting lead. Melkote, Gundu Sudarshan, Chandana Chakravarthy, Kautilya, Sonu, Amer, Mohini Patel, Suti Mishra, Rupa Kaur, Sandra, Sandhya, Ramya, Satyam Yabi and others are in the cast. Music is by Pratap Vidyasagar, camera is by RVN Koti, editing is by Venkat, story, screenplay, lyrics and production are by P Venkateswara Rao, while dialogues and direction are by Souda.
Sex in the city: Murder of Uzbek national exposes thriving sex racket in Delhi
New Delhi: The facts emerging in the murder of Uzbek escort Shakhnoza Shukurova alias Shahnaz have turned the spotlight on the thriving flesh trade racket in the National Capital. The 19-year-old woman from Tashkent was allegedly invited by another Uzbek woman, Naaz, to join an escort service being operated by a third woman, Misha, who is said to be the wife of prime accused Gagan. Six persons, according to a senior Delhi police officer, including two women appear to be involved in planning Shukurova’s elimination. The reason: she wanted her 8,000 US dollars from escort operator Naaz. She used to get a nominal amount from Naaz and therefore, she wanted to operate independently. When Misha and Gagan failed to resolve the payment dispute between Shukurova and Naaz, the Uzbek woman was abducted at the behest of Naaz by an Afghan boy and another man. They took Shukurova to Panipat from Delhi, raped and killed her in a car. Her body was thrown in an open field, the office said. The victim’s mother had information about the rift between her daughter and Naaz. When her repeated phone calls to Shukurova went unanswered on 26 September — the day she was murdered — the police was informed and the case was unearthed. The case will take its own course and the guilty will be punished, however, the big question here is will that stop the repeat of such an incident? Just how rampant is sex trade in the National Capital and how does the racket operate? Firstpost sought to get firsthand knowledge from the people directly involved in flesh trade. And here’s what we discovered. Red light areas still exist and people still frequent them, but these are mainly for the underclass. For people seeking secrecy and willing to pay bigger money there are other options. Modern technology, particularly the internet, is making it easy for clients and sex trade operators to interact and difficult for the police to get a whiff of it. The way it works: A simple Google search with key words ‘female escort Delhi’ guides you to multiple cell phone numbers and websites of different escort agencies. The invite generally goes like this: “Feeling lonely and wanna have fun with our call girls in Greater Kailash Okhla, Kalkaji, Govindpuri, Sarita Vihar, Jasola, Badarpur.... Call us now and book independent escorts in Nehru Place to make your day enjoyable and memorable....” Once you dial any number available on the internet, the person on the other side – the pimp – asks for your location and budget. He then gives you the choices in accordance with your affordability. If you are interested and wish to see photographs of the girls available, you get a bunch of pictures through WhatsApp. The women available, according to the pimp, range from housewives, college students and air hostesses, actresses, foreigners to models in the 18-35 age group. The prices vary between Rs 3,000 and Rs 50,000 and even go beyond a lakh as per the woman’s profile and the duration of stay with her. What about the place? “We do not have any office. We operate through cell phones. As per the clients’ choice, we contact our empanelled girls. We take two-three of them to a public place where customer picks any one of them. The payment is in cash once the deal is finalised. All girls work on commission basis. The client can now either take her to his own place or hotel where he is staying. If he does not have a place, we arrange an accommodation in a three, four or five-star hotel, depending on the budget of the client. We have a deal with particular hotels. To avoid surprise raids, we deploy our informers outside these. We have connections which help us evade police action,” a pimp at Nehru Place told Firstpost. By getting customers directly through websites and online advertisements, the pimps have reduced the risk of getting arrested. In fact, in the raids conducted recently, the police failed to lay their hands on the organisers and could only manage to arrest customers and rescue sex workers. Asked whether the girls stay with them all the time, he replied in “no” saying, “We contact girls according to the customers’ demand. They reach us and then we take them to customers.” He claims that most of the girls are working professionals who are into the profession because they want more money to “meet their lavish expenses”. ‘Few of us land in this profession by choice’ But contrary to the pimp’s claims, an escort told Firstpost, “Most of the women who work with escort agencies are either helpless and trafficked or estranged wives. Very few of us come in this business by choice or to meet the expenses of a lavish lifestyle. Take my case. I belong to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. My father, who was the sole bread winner of my family, died when I was in standard nine. Since my mother was a homemaker and I was the eldest one in my family of four persons – one younger brother and sister, my mother and me — I had to move to Delhi to work somewhere. Initially, I began working as a sales girl at Sahara Mall in Gurgaon. I used to get a meagre sum of Rs 9,000 which was insufficient to meet the expenses of my family. Then I contacted the escort agency with which I am presently working. I get a monthly salary of Rs 60,000. Now, I am able to send the entire money to my family back in the village because I do not have any expense here. All our expenditure, including food, accommodation, clothing and make-up are taken care of by the agency.” The girls, she says, get equal respect as others in the society because their nature of job is a secret. “We are high-profile call girls but not prostitutes,” she added with smile. Asked whether they stay separately according to their wishes, she replied, “No...we stay in a rented flat in a posh locality of the city under the watch of our boss (a lady who is the operator) and her men. We are not allowed to move independently.” Asked how girls from abroad are brought into this business, she said, “They are approached by people known to them and who are already into the profession here. Once they agree to the terms and conditions, they come here on either tourist or students visas. Most of them are paid commissions. They serve high-profile clients like NRIs and foreign consulates and dignitaries. Their service cost is too high.” These women are also brought in and then roped in illegally by massage parlours, spas, bars and pubs under the garb of jobs of masseurs, dancers and waitresses. She said the escorts have to appear “attractive, entertaining and ingratiating even if she does not like the man who has hired her”. A difficult job for the police: According to the police officer, the online prostitution network is thriving in metros and a majority of clients are businessmen and young professionals with fat pay cheques. As the escorts directly reach a customer and pimps frequently rent and change flats in posh localities it has become difficult for the cops to launch a crackdown on the network. They are now trying to keep a watch on these websites, but the results are not satisfactory. “We have repeatedly written to internet service providers to shut down several escort service websites. But for every site we shut down, two new ones are popping up on the internet and it has become really difficult,” said the officer. The Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in the national capital has also launched a crackdown on escort agencies but foreigners are still employed in large numbers. Their officials have prepared a list on the basis of visas issued by India and started gathering information about such offices and showrooms where these foreigners are working illegally. “We are flooded with complaints that many foreign nationals — especially women from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Mauritius and Nepal — are coming into India on tourist visa and working at various places. Sometimes, they land here without any work permit. They reach India in groups with the help of travel agents, work here for six to nine months and leave after accumulating huge amounts,” he added.
Bobby Simha Keerthy Suresh Pambu Sattai rights acquired by K Gangadharan of cinema city
Veteran actor-director Mano Bala ventured in to Production with ‘Sathuranga vettai’ which turned out to be a critically acclaimed super hit. Mano Bala’s second production venture is ‘ Paambu Sattai’ starring Bobby Simha and Keerthy Suresh in the lead and the film was rapidly progressing until a few prior commitements put the film on hold. Now the film will be resumed thanks to popular distributor K Gangadharan of Cinema City acquiring the rights of ‘Paambu Sattai’ and the unit is elated to be on roll again. "I had seen the rushes of this film and i was immensely pleased. The time frame has not affected the film at all. Debutant Director Adams has put his heart and soul in this film . With Mona Bala sir in the helm as a producer with the inside knowledge on the pulse of the audience, the film suits the commercial bill perfectly. We are releasing this film in association with Mr Abhinesh Elangovan of Abi and Abi. ‘Paambu sattai’ will be a perfect launch for our company to launch into production " said Producer- Distributor Ganghadaran with a confident smile.
Opponents of Ecuador's president stage huge march in biggest city to protest economic policies
QUITO, Ecuador – Thousands of Ecuadoreans filled the main downtown avenues in the coastal city of Guayaquil on Thursday to protest against the policies and governing style of populist President Rafael Correa. Led by Guayaquil Mayor Jaime Nebot, who is a member of the opposition, demonstrators in Ecuador's biggest city chanted "Correa out, out!" Speaking to a crowd stretching down a street, Nebot said the president's economic policies are harmful and threaten to throw the country into turmoil. He warned against following the path of the socialist-government in Venezuela, where many goods are in short supply and prices are soaring. "They say that prosperity, the right to prosper, deserves punishment," Nebot said of Correa's administration. "This country isn't ever going to accept that, because that is not Ecuador, that is Venezuela." Correa, who trained as an economist and describes himself as socialist of the 21st century, has been president since January 2007 and his current term ends in 2017. He Correa is widely popular with many Ecuadoreans because of his government's generous social spending. A surge of protests by his opponents has been seen in Ecuador's biggest cities, including the capital of Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. The unrest was set off by the introduction of two new tax bills, one of which would take up to 75 percent of inheritances, but the protests have continued after Correa temporarily withdrew the legislation from consideration. Correa is also criticized by foes for his confrontational style in dealing with such sectors of society as the church, the press, banks and traditional political parties. Human rights groups have called him intolerant.