U.S. Embassy plot reveals Israel's growing Al Qaeda problem

The takedown of an Al Qaeda cell that officials say planned to attack the American Embassy in Tel Aviv has laid bare the threat Israel faces from the world's most infamous terrorist network as it becomes more dominant in the Sinai Peninsula and the Palestinian territories, say security experts.
Never before has Al Qaeda specifically sought to carry out a terrorist attack on Israeli soil, but in a sign that confidence is high amongst the international network and its affiliates after notable successes of late in Iraq and neighboring Syria, the foiling of a potentially horrific multiple attack inside Israel suggests the Al Qaeda hierarchy has now set itself a new goal.   
Three radicalized, locally-grown terrorists, whose chain of command stretched all the way up to Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, planned to stage simultaneous suicide bombings of both the International Conference Center in Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy. The terrorists planned to strike the Jerusalem target again once emergency services arrived. Israeli security agency Shin Bet said there were additional plans for bus attacks, shootings and kidnappings in the pipeline.
Israel has long dealt with enemy jihadists from Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, in the West Bank. But the aggressive emergence of Al Qaeda attempting to strike within the Jewish state is seen as an extremely troubling development.
It is not clear how close the terror cell was to carrying out the plot, but Shin Bet sources said the men had been recruited online by a notorious Gaza-based operative, Arib a-Shaham, who answers directly to al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian-born successor to Usama Bin Laden. Demonstrating Al Qaeda’s links between the two Palestinian territories, a-Shaham in Gaza recruited the three would-be West Bank terrorists, unaware that the Shin Bet was monitoring their traffic on both Facebook and Skype.
Of particular concern to Israel security services is the fact that the three key members of the plot had joined Al Qaeda soon after becoming radicalized online, choosing to fight for that cause rather than support either Hamas and Fatah. Last week, Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center revealed that some 20 Arab Israelis and 30 Palestinians have been fighting for Al Qaeda-linked militias in Syria.
In recent months there has been growing evidence of Al Qaeda and other Sunni Jihadists gaining a foothold in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In November, three Al Qaeda-inspired terrorists, whose car was loaded with explosives, were killed in a gun battle with members of Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Unit near Hebron. The apparent increasing radicalization of elements in the West Bank isn’t just worrying for Israel, it’s bad news for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose half-hearted attempts at reaching a peace deal with Israel appears to have driven some disaffected young Palestinians toward the more violent promises of Al Qaeda.
Ironically, Al Qaeda's move into the Palestinian territories may have been caused in part by the Egyptian government's recent clampdown on the smuggling tunnels leading into the Gaza Strip that flourished during former President Mohammad Morsi’s brief tenure, say experts.
Without a flow of money and goods through the tunnels, the cash-strapped Hamas regime has reportedly allowed Al Qaeda -- and Islamic Jihad -- to have a fairly free hand in return for financial support from a number of sources, including Qatar. The recent upsurge of rocket attacks from Gaza and Sinai into Israel – there were 13 last week alone which Hamas claimed they had tried to stop – strongly suggests that Gaza is being used as a launch pad by a number of terror groups.
“Clearly Hamas has the capacity to enforce its will over all the groups,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told FoxNews.com. “So many [rocket] shootings over such a short time could reflect in theory a loosening of Hamas control, or they could simply reflect a cynical game by Hamas, instrumentalizing these organizations in the same way [Yasser] Arafat did with Hamas in his time.”
With Al Qaeda apparently encroaching on both Hamas and Palestinian Authority territory, and gaining a growing foothold on four of Israel’s borders -- Gaza, Sinai, the West Bank and the northern border with Syria and Lebanon – regional experts suggest the foiled U.S. Embassy bomb plot clearly reveals the necessity for Israel’s military and intelligence services to remain vigilant, and on a heightened state of alert.

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Justin Bieber leaves jail after DUI arrest in Miami

Singer Justin Bieber left a Miami-county jail Thursday following his arrest earlier in the day in Miami Beach on charges including driving under the influence and resisting arrest.
At about 1 p.m. a troubled looking Bieber, wearing a bright red jail shirt, appeared via a TV camera in front of a judge on Thursday afternoon to hear the charges being brought against him in Miami, Fla.
Police said 19-year-old Bieber was arrested Thursday just after 4 a.m. on Pine Tree Drive and 26th Street. According to police, he was driving a yellow Lamborghini while under the influence of marijuana, prescription pills and alcohol.
The teen sensation was released on $2,500 bond.
Officers saw two cars racing at 4:09 a.m. Thursday, with two vehicles apparently used to block the area off, Miami Dade Police Chief Raymond A. Martinez said during a press conference. He says the second car was a red Ferrari, and that driver, R&B singer Khalil Sharief, was also arrested. Both cars were towed.
The star's mug shot was released, showing him smiling for camera. 
In court, however, Bieber looked much more solemn, as he listened to the judge read his charges. The singer will be represented by prominent Miami attorney Roy Black, who is the husband of "Real Housewives of Miami Star" Lea Black. 

The pop star was stopped by police because his car was going nearly double the speed limit in the residential area, and when a police officer approached the singer the officer "smelled a strong odor of alcoholic beverage" coming from the Biebs' car, Martinez told reporters. According to the arrest report, Bieber's eyes were bloodshot and he had "a stuper [sic] look on his face." 
The singer made statements admitting to drinking beer and smoking marijuana and taking prescription pills, and he is also charged with non-violently resisting arrest, Martinez said, 
"At first he was a little belligerent.. using some choice words, questioning why he had been stopped," Martinez explained. Once at the station, Bieber was cooperative, but he also had an expired driver's license from Georgia, Martinez added.
Bieber told police he had been recording music at a studio prior to his arrest, his arrest report states. 
The street where police say Bieber was racing is a palm-tree-lined residential area in mid-Miami Beach. The star was traveling approximately 55 to 60 miles per hour, Martinez said. The speed limit on Pine Tree Drive is 30 miles per hour.
Under Florida law, people under the age of 21 are considered driving under the influence if they have a blood-alcohol content of .02 percent or more - a level he could reach with one drink. For 21 and over, it is .08 percent.
For a first DUI offense, there is no minimum sentence and a maximum of six months, a fine of $250 to $500, and 50 hours of community service. For anyone under 21, there is an automatic six-month license suspension.
First offense of a drag-racing offense nets a sentence of up to six months, a fine of $500 to $1,000, and a one-year license suspension.
The arrest is just the latest in a string of scandals linked to the Biebs. Last week, a dozen detectives raided the pop star's California home, searching for evidence that would link him to an egging incident, which caused approximately $20,000 in damages to a neighbor's home. 
During the search, one of the singer's friends, Xavier Smith, also known as Lil Za, was arrested for narcotics possession. 
Bieber then headed to Miami, where he reportedly dropped $75,000 in $1 bills at a strip club. 
The news of Bieber's arrest from speedy driving comes just a few months after prominent "Fast & Furious" actor Paul Walker was killed in a fiery car crash. Walker was with his friend Roger Rodas, traveling in a car going more than 100 miles per hour. 
A rep for Bieber did not immediately return FOX411's request for comment. A rep for his mother, Pattie Mallette, declined to comment.

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20 suspects held in Lahore search operation

LAHORE: Police have arrested 20 suspects during a search operation in different parts of the city, Geo News reported Friday.

Police said that the operation was launched in the wake of fresh wave of violence in the country.

The police said they were investing the suspects taken into custody during the search operation in Gulshan Ravi, Band Road and other areas.

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Musharraf not ready to undergo angiography in Pakistan: report

ISLAMABAD: The medical report of former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has been produced today (Friday) before the special court hearing the high treason case against him for abrogating the Constitution while pronouncing a state of emergency rule on Nov 3, 2007.

The special court headed by Justice Faisal Arab and comprising Justice Tahira Safdar and Justice Yawar Ali resumed hearing in the high treason case today.

During today’s hearing, registrar Abdul Ghani Soomro handed Musharraf's sealed medical report to the judges prepared by the doctors of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC). The former president’s counsel Anwar Mansoor requested the court to keep the content of his client’s report private. However, the court ordered for the provision of report to the prosecutor and defence lawyer for scrutiny.

Chief prosecutor Akram Shaikh said that Musharraf had claimed himself to be a public figure and the law had different provisions for public figures and private persons.

Justice Arab, then, remarked that the judges needed to review the report first.

The report stated that Musharraf needs to undergo angiography on immediate basis, but the patient has not provided his consent to undergo the life saving surgery in Pakistan. Instead, he wants to go abroad for the procedure at a facility of his choice.

The report further stated that it is crucial to decide about his angiography urgently.

The special court on January 16 had ordered the formation of a medical board comprising senior doctors of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) for ascertaining the health condition of Musharraf and had directed that the medical board should submit its report by January 24.

 

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Kerry opens door again for Iran to join in Syria peace talks

Secretary of State John Kerry is reopening the possibility of Iran playing a role in the Syrian peace talks, suggesting the entire Middle East region will remain unstable unless all countries come together at the negotiating table.
“Iran certainly does have an ability to be able to help make a difference,” Kerry said at the talks in Montreux, Switzerland. “There are plenty of ways that that door can be opened in the next weeks and months. And my hope is that they will want to join in a constructive solution.”
His remarks are the latest in a surprising turn of events that started earlier this month when Kerry suggested Iran could be part of the talks, triggering strong skepticism about the idea.
However, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday extended the invitation to Iran, only to rescind it a day later when Tehran rejected the principles of a 2012 peace plan that is the basis for the most recent negotiations.
Representatives for Syrian President Bashar al Assad and rebel forces are meeting, under U.N. supervision, to try to end their country’s roughly 3-year-long civil war in which 130,000 have been killed, included hundreds by chemical weapons allegedly deployed by the Assad regime.
Millions more have been forced from their homeland, creating an international refugee crisis.
Kerry has argued no peace accord can be reached until Assad is no longer in power -- ahead of the talks that got off to a rocky start Wednesday over Assad's future.
The international conference was organized to try to map out a transitional government and democratic election.
Russia, one of Syria’s other close allies, is attending the meetings, which also have been complicated by Assad's delegates and the Western-backed opposition Syrian National Coalition each claiming to speak for the Syrian people.
Kerry said that Saudi Arabia deciding to attend was crucial.
“I’ve just spent a month in the region, and everybody I spoke to said that there is simply no way that things will get better, whether in Syria or in the region, if you don’t get Iran and Saudi Arabia to talk to each other,” he said. “Saudi Arabia wasn’t going to be here, but they decided that it was important and they came.”
U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will meet separately with both Syrian sides on Thursday to see if they can even sit together in face-to-face talks due to begin Friday.
He said both sides had shown some willingness to bend on humanitarian access and local cease-fires, and he hoped to build on that common ground.
The U.S. and the Syrian opposition opened the conference by saying that Assad lost his legitimacy when he crushed the once-peaceful protest movement against his regime.
"We really need to deal with reality," Kerry said. "There is no way possible in the imagination that the man who has led the brutal response to his own people could regain the legitimacy to govern.”
The Syrian response was firm and blunt.
"There will be no transfer of power and President Bashar Assad is staying," Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi told reporters.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, who refused to give up the podium despite numerous requests from the U.N. chief, declared that terrorists and foreign meddling had ripped his country apart.
"You live in New York. I live in Syria," he angrily told Ban. "I have the right to give the Syrian version here in this forum. After three years of suffering, this is my right."
Ahmad al-Jarba of the Syrian National Coalition had wavered up to the last minute on whether to attend the peace talks that have been largely opposed by rebel brigades in Syria.
He said any discussion of Assad's continued hold on power would effectively end the talks. A transitional government "is the only topic for us," he said.
But al-Moallem insisted that no one except Syrians could remove Assad. He also accused the West and neighboring countries -- notably Saudi Arabia, which he did not name -- of funneling money, weapons and foreign fighters to the rebellion.
Al-Moallem also criticized the opposition coalition, which is based in Turkey and is largely made up of exiles with little sway on events inside Syria.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki later criticized the Syrian government's rhetoric as "inflammatory."
“The fighting began with a peaceful uprising against Assad's rule in March 2011, according to activists, who are the only ones still keeping count after the U.N. abandoned its efforts.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, whose government has funneled millions to the rebels, said "it goes without saying that Assad has no role in Syria's future."

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Ukraine opposition gives president election ultimatum

The leader of Ukraine's opposition has demanded that the country's president call snap elections within 24 hours or face more popular demonstrations. 
Speaking at a mass rally in Kiev Wednesday, Vitali Klitschko said that Viktor Yanukovych could end the months-long standoff between pro-European Union protesters and the country's police and security forces by calling early elections. However, Klitschko then added "tomorrow, if the president does not respond ... then we will go on the attack."
Klitschko addressed the protesters after at least two were fatally shot in clashes earlier Wednesday, the first fatalities since the protests began in November. The demonstrators have been attempting to bring down Yanukovych's government over its decision to shun the European Union for closer ties to Moscow and over human rights violations. The more recent, violent clashes have been sparked by the passage of legislation aimed at cracking down on the protests. 
If Yanukovych does not accept the ultimatum, "tomorrow we will go forward together. And if it's a bullet in the forehead, then it's a bullet in the forehead, but in an honest, fair and brave way," declared another opposition leader, Arseniy Yatsenyuk
Yanukovych has showed little willingness to compromise, however. A three-hour meeting with opposition leaders accomplished "nothing," said Oleh Tyahbnybok, who attended the session.
Meanwhile, the government handed security forces extra powers, including closing off streets and firing water cannon against protesters despite the freezing temperatures. Police have already used water cannon but insisted it was only to put out fires. The government also deployed an armored personnel carrier at the site of the clashes.
During Wednesday's confrontations, riot police violently beat and shot at protesters, volunteer medics and journalists. The Interior Ministry announced that 70 protesters had been arrested.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said the police did not have live ammunition and that opposition leaders should be held responsible for the deaths.
City health officials and police said that two people died of gunshot wounds during the clashes Wednesday morning, while the opposition contended as many as five people died. Oleh Musiy, coordinator of the protesters' medical corps, told the Associated Press that four people died of gunshot wounds and the fifth died after falling from a colonnaded gate at a sports arena near the site of the clashes. Health officials contend that man survived and is in the hospital. Hundreds of others were injured in the clashes, Musiy said.
Meanwhile, another protester, Yuri Verbitsky, was found dead in a forest outside Kiev on Wednesday, according to his niece Oksana Verbitska. His friends and supporters believe he was kidnapped.
The United States responded by revoking the visas of Ukrainian officials linked to violence and threatened more sanctions. But it also condemned the extreme-right radical protesters for their aggressive actions. The EU condemned the violence and said it was also considering action against the Ukrainian government.
One of the victims was identified as Sergei Nigoyan, a 20-year-old ethnic Armenian who joined the protests in December after traveling from his home in the eastern city of Dnipropetrovsk. A video shows Nigoyan reciting poetry in the protest camp in Kiev's Independence Square, also known as the Maidan. He then clenched his fist in a victory sign as a yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag flapped in the background.
A Ukrainian journalist, Kristina Berdinskikh, who has been profiling protesters for several weeks, interviewed Nigoyan in early January.
"I saw on TV what is happening on the Maidan, I didn't sleep at night, I was following the news," Nagoyan said, according to a transcript of the interview posted online. "Then I decided to come. This is also my future."
The mass protests erupted after Yanukovych spurned a pact with the European Union in favor of close ties with Russia, which offered him a $15 billion bailout. They swelled to hundreds of thousands after a small peaceful rally on Nov. 30 was violently broken up by police.
Seeing the government ignore their demands and opposition leaders unable to present a coherent plan or select a single leader, radical protesters have clashed with riot police since Sunday, hurling fire bombs and stones as police fired back with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.
The two victims' bodies were found before police moved to tear down protesters' barricades near official buildings in central Kiev and chase demonstrators away.
Helmeted riot police moved in on hundreds of protesters, dismantling barricades, beating many with truncheons and firing shots at some. One man was attacked by over a dozen policemen, then forced to take off his winter jacket before being dragged away, where he was beaten again.
The police drove demonstrators down a hill toward the main protest site on Independence Square, where protesters have set up an extensive tent camp and rallied around the clock since Nov. 21. But the protesters soon returned, building barricades from giant sacks of snow and hurling rocks and firebombs at police lines. There was no immediate police move on the main camp.
Oleksandr Turchynov, one of the opposition leaders, called on Ukrainians to rush to the center of Kiev to defend their country. "Ukraine will not be a dictatorship, it will be an independent, European country," he said. "Let us defend Ukraine!"
The protests were the biggest since the peaceful 2004 Orange Revolution, which annulled Yanukovych's fraud-tinged victory in a presidential election and forced a new vote that brought his pro-Western rival to power. Largely peaceful, the rallies turned violent after Yanukovych, elected in 2010, pushed through sweeping anti-protest legislation and ignored all the protesters' demands. The deaths mark a turning point in the standoff that could lead to more violence.
"Look, the deaths and the injuries speak to the actions of those in power. They've crossed the line," said Andriy Kolosovich, a 20-year-old protester who was injured in the legs by a stun grenade and was being treated in a medical unit set up by the protesters.

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Iran makes pitch for tourists as Americans languish in its prisons

It’s not quite “I Love New York,” but there’s a new campaign under way to promote tourism to a location with culture, history and beaches galore.
The only problem is the pitchman is President Hassan Rouhani, and the location is Iran, where at least two Americans languish in prison on dubious charges and the authoritarian regime routinely threatens the West with noisy saber-rattling and a rogue nuclear weapons program. Still, Rouhani’s administration claims tourism is up 30 percent over a year ago, and is putting on a full-court press to double its annual number of visitors to 10 million.
“There hasn't been a better time for Westerners to visit Iran since the 1979 revolution,” The U.K.’s Guardian gushed earlier this month, claiming the Islamic republic is now safer after “November’s historic nuclear agreement” between Iran and the P5+1 nations.
There’s no denying the natural beauty of the nation once known as Persia, with beaches on the Caspian Sea and Kish Islands, desert villages as old as civilization and some 16 sites listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. TripAdvisor.com lists such attractions as Tehran’s Treasury of National Gems, which is home to the world’s largest pink diamond, the 1,427-foot Milad Tower and the ancient desert city of Yazd as sites not to be missed.
Although direct flights between the U.S. and Iran haven’t taken off since 1979, when Iranian students took over the U.S. Embassy and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, travelers can connect flights in Istanbul. But they need a special visa and would have to ignore a warning from the State Department that “elements in Iran remain hostile to the United States,” and “U.S. citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran.”
There are currently two American citizens being detained in Iranian prisons, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, who was charged with spying after going to visit his grandfather, and Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor from Idaho who was arrested for proselytizing when he went to his homeland to help build a secular orphanage. In addition, ex-FBI Agent Robert Levinson is believed to be held there, although the Iranian government denies it.
In 2009, three American hikers -- Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer, and Joshua Fattal -- were detained for more than two years after allegedly hiking on the border with Iraq and accused of illegally entering Iran.
Abedini's wife, Naghmeh Abedini, blasted the campaign in a statement to FoxNews.com.
"Every time a tourist spends money in Iran, they directly or indirectly support the Revolutionary Guard and this radical government," she said.
The U.S. cut diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran following the embassy takeover of 1979.  Since then, the Swiss government has served as a protecting power for U.S. interests in Iran. Now, with a slight thawing in relations with the West, tour companies are trying to capitalize.
GeoEx, a San Francisco-based travel company specializing in travel to remote destinations, says it has seen a 160-percent growth in individuals traveling to Iran from 2012 to 2013, with more than four times as many people inquiring about Iran as a destination.
“Travel is a different kind of experience. It’s not about politics or war. It’s about the people, the art, the history, the culture, the food,” said Jean-Paul Tennant, CEO of GeoEx, who traveled to Iran in October. “If you had to pick one place where people fear traveling, but then they come back saying these are the friendliest people I have ever met.”
GeoEx, which, in 1993, became the first American tour company to send travelers into Iran after the 1979 Revolution, petitions for travelers’ visas and abides by Iran’s requirement to have all Americans travel with a government guide. Almost all of GeoEx’s clients have no problem getting visas, but if the traveler has previously visited Israel, they will not be let in, Tennant said.
Meanwhile, Rouhani’s administration has announced plans to ease visa requirements to help increase the number of visitors. Tourists from some Gulf countries could soon enter without a visa, and other travelers may be able to purchase a visa upon arrival in Iran.
Rouhani is also working on setting up direct flights between Iran and the U.S., Iranian news agency Tansim reported last September.
“It’s obvious when they come here that it’s not what they see in the news. They feel safe and love the people,” a hotel manager from the city of Tabriz, who did not want to be identified, told Fox News.
He said most of the travelers staying at his hotel are from Iraq, Turkey, China and different parts of Europe.
“The only problem they have is with the women’s hijab [a Muslim headscarf]. I see a lot of tourists, often European women, who complain about having to adhere to the strict dress code, especially during the summer.”

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Famous playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed attacked in Lahore

LAHORE: Famous playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed was attacked here on Tuesday when unknown gunmen fired on his vehicle.

The attack took place near the Shaukhat Khanum Hospital, in which, according to police, Asghar Nadeem was targeted.

The playwright was shifted to a private hospital for treatment.

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Quetta sit-inners refuse to bury Mastung victims

QUETTA: Countrywide protests erupted after 24 people, mostly Hazara community pilgrims, returning from Iran were killed and 35 more wounded when a suicide bomber struck a passenger bus in Mastung on Tuesday, officials said.

The attack took place at Dringhar village on the Pakistan-Iran highway some 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Quetta, Balochistan's capital.

Quetta city wore a gloomy look as the families of the victims and members of the Hazara community began a sit-in protest. They placed the dead bodies on Shuhda Chowk, blocked Alamdar Road and refused to bury there loved ones until the authorities took action against the extremists behind the attack.

"The human life is worth that much in a country where the writ-less rulers are forced to beg the terrorists for mercy", said a protestor pointing at the shrouded bodies of the victims.

A complete shutter-down strike was observed in the provincial capital to condemn the bombing on the call of nearly all the politico-nationalists parties.

All markets and business centres at Liaquat Bazaar, Prince Road, Jinnah Road, Shahra-e-Iqbal, Mission Road, Shawak Sha Road, Masjid Road, Hazara Town, Alamdar Road and Abdul Sattar Road remained closed throughout the day.

Traffic was thin on the city’s roads compared to the routine rush.

Heavy contingents of the police and law enforcement agencies have been deployed to maintain law and order in the city. However, no unpleasant incident was reported.

Hundreds of people also took to the streets in Karachi demanding action against the culprits. The city's roads remained blocked for hours causing miles long snarl-ups to the peril of citizens.

Sit-ins were also staged in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities of the country to show solidarity with the families of the blast victims.

It is customary for Muslims to bury the dead swiftly, and a similar protest after a bombing had prompted Islamabad to sack the provincial government last year.

The banned militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack.

There is anger and frustration at the apparent inability or unwillingness of the authorities to tackle the LeJ. Analysts say the failure of the judiciary to prosecute sectarian killers allows them to operate with impunity.

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Two Palestinians killed in Israeli raid on Gaza: medics

GAZA CITY: Two Palestinian members of Islamic Jihad were killed in an Israeli air raid in the Gaza Strip overnight, witnesses and medical sources said Wednesday.

The two victims, Ahmad al Zaaneen, 21, and Mohammed al Zaaneen, 23, died when the car they were travelling in was hit near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, the sources said.

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Five cops among six killed in Charsadda blast

CHARSADDA: Six persons including five policemen and a child were killed when a blast occurred near a police van Wednesday morning, Geo News reported.

According to police, the blast occurred near a police mobile in Sardheri Bazar area of Charsadda that killed six persons including five cops and one child. Six others including two policemen were also injured in the explosion.

Initial investigation suggested that militants had fixed explosives in a bicycle that went off with a blast when the police mobile crossed the area and were on way to provide security to anti-polio teams.

Meanwhile security forces reached the spot and cordoned off the area and started investigation.

Rescue teams shifted the bodies and injured to the hospital.

 

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Health insurance premiums rise $1,975 since Obamacare passed

After being signed into law in 2010, the massive Affordable Care Act has set off massive domino effects. As the law gains speed, affordable health insurance is becoming a myth and higher premiums are the reality. Even as politicians like Obama lift the ACA on a pedestal, there is no denying the simple negative consequences this law is bringing. Health insurance premiums are rising for many people. The average health care premium for a family in 2010, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation was $13,770. After two years of Obamacare implementation, the average health insurance premiums have raised $1,975 to a total of $15,745.

That's why they wrote in the individual mandate

Proponents of the Affordable Care Act say that the benefits of the law won't be realized until full implementation, which Obama himself has delayed. What may hold the law together is the survival of the individual mandate.

The bloated costs of insurance that pay for impractical health care practices and pharmaceutical drugs may only be lowered if the government forces healthy, independent people to pay into the insurance cesspool. With mandates in place, the government can protect the insurance companies by offsetting their costs through forcing people to pay for something they don't want or use.

As the costs of the current healthcare system bloat, it's becoming apparent that government meddling in people's personal health care actually harms people collectively. In 2016 government meddling will force a family of four to pay nearly $2100 in fines, also deemed an "assessment" in the Affordable Care Act playbook.

$2,100 fine will make it harder for families to take care of their own health

For those who take care of their own health, for those who struggle to find organic foods in a country of GMOs, the extra burden of a $2100 fine will cut right into their healthy-eating budget.

So when professionals say the $2,100 fine will be cheaper than buying health insurance, it realistically isn't cheaper at all. Before the law, people who didn't want or need health insurance paid no fine. $2100 is not cheaper than $0. With the fine and the inflating value of the dollar, some will find it even more difficult to eat healthy and afford their own natural medicine.

Being forced to pay into this medical system is absolute tyranny. Those who say paying health insurance premiums is an American responsibility are finely misled and herded into a failed philosophy of health care. Health care actually begins in an individual's mind. It starts at the cellular level. Heavy metals and pesticides that build up in the human cells block nutrient utilization. People remain sick under the current system because allopathic doctors rarely ever talk about detoxification at the cellular level. Modern health care rarely talks about alkalizing the body to prevent cancer and disease. It's almost always based on prescription drugging and medical tests. In fact, Obamacare expands upon these ideas, doing nothing to speak about nutrition and the power of juicing organic fruits and vegetables to cure practically any disease.

Obamacare's free services are a trap

Instead, the Affordable Care Act mandates everyone pay for "free" procedures - procedures like:
• Free mammograms for women over 40: These mammograms actually subject women to doses of radiation and false positives that make women think they need to remove their breasts to prevent cancer.
• Free annual flu shots for everyone: The concoctions are direct injections of formaldehyde and thimerosal, which contribute to cellular toxicity in the human body, welcoming disease.
• Depression screening: These tests will give pharmaceutical companies direct access to experimentation on people's brains, as psychotic medications are unleashed on a whole new generation of "depressed" people, who are simply just not absorbing the correct nutrients in their diets to maintain healthy brain function.
• Free birth control for women: This is a handy and universal sterilization method, which wreaks havoc on a female's hormones, damaging fertility and natural body functions.

High premiums are not the only consequences

As health insurance premiums rise dramatically, the only thing that may keep them from going through the roof is the individual mandate, but will millions of Americans submit to the mandate or or will people choose their own healthcare over the dying system. The real consequence of the Affordable Care Act may not be the economics, but might actually be the acceptance of tyranny, as people are forced to pay for something against their will. Worse yet, this ACA law will be responsible for expanding current practices that are tying people in red tape instead of giving them empowering knowledge to take care of their own health.

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UN chief withdraws invitation for Iran to participate in Syria peace talks

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has withdrawn his invitation for Iran to participate in Syria peace talks, a spokesman said, after the invite spurred objections from the United States and the Syrian opposition. 
The secretary-general's original invitation threatened to unravel the carefully planned meetings later this week in Switzerland, first in Montreux and then in Geneva. Though it was Secretary of State John Kerry who earlier this month floated the possibility of Iranian involvement -- with conditions -- Ban Ki-moon went a step further. To the dismay of the Obama administration, he invited Iran without first demanding that it publicly accept the premise that its ally Bashar Assad must leave power. 
But as a Syrian opposition coalition threatened to boycott the talks, Iran refused to accept preconditions. A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. chief was "deeply disappointed" by Iran's statements. 
"He continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva Communiqué," spokesman Martin Nesirky said, referring to an earlier agreement. "Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, he has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran's participation." 
Iran, at that point, already said it would not participate if it had to accept the precondition. In the wake of the U.N. announcement, the Syrian opposition coalition reportedly confirmed it would participate. 
For the time being, the secretary-general's decision to back off his invitation helps preserve the peace talks and eases tensions between his office and the State Department, which had urged him to rescind the invite. 
"We are hopeful that, in the wake of today's announcement, all parties can now return to focus on the task at hand, which is bringing an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and beginning a process toward a long overdue political transition," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. 
The peace talks are intended to bring together for the first time representatives of Assad's government and members of the Western-backed opposition that is trying to overthrow him. 
Diplomats and political leaders acknowledge that a quick end is unlikely for a conflict that has killed more than 130,000 people and touched off the worst humanitarian crisis in decades. The battle lines have been largely frozen since early 2013, and the Syrian National Coalition has little sway or respect within Syria's rebellion. 
But the U.N.-hosted peace talks in Geneva and Montreux this week had raised hopes of at least getting the two sides to talk -- expectations that were called into question on Monday. 
Ban said he had initially issued the invitation to Iran after "speaking at length in recent days" with Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif, who had "pledged that Iran would play a positive and constructive role in Montreux." 
In the Syrian capital of Damascus, Assad held a meeting with the official delegation that will head to the talks, telling them to "prevent any foreign intervention no matter what it is," state TV said. The officials were quoted as saying that they were directed to "start a political dialogue as a first step toward an internal Syrian dialogue inside Syria." 
The report said the nine-member delegation will be headed by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, with Assad adviser Buthaina Shaaban and Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi as deputy heads. Other officials would include Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mikdad, Syria's ambassador to the U.N. Bashar Jaafari and head of the media office at the presidential palace Luna Chibil. 
The aim of the conference, dubbed Geneva 2, is to agree on a roadmap for Syria based on one adopted by the U.S., Russia and other major powers in June 2012. That plan includes the creation of a transitional government of national unity, with full executive powers, and eventual elections. 
Iran is Assad's strongest regional ally, offering billions of dollars in credit since the crisis began in March 2011. The United States, Saudi Arabia and several countries in the Persian Gulf suspect Tehran is also shipping him weapons.

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2 killed, 10 seriously hurt in Omaha plant explosion

An explosion Monday morning that brought down part of an animal feed processing plant in Omaha left at least two people dead and 10 others seriously hurt, authorities said.
It was unclear if the death toll would rise as crews continued sifting through the rubble of the International Nutrition plant. Interim Omaha Fire Chief Bernie Kanger said the search was progressing slowly because the structure is unsafe.
Kanger wouldn't provide an exact figure for the number of dead, but Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Monday afternoon that two deaths had been confirmed.
Thirty-eight people were working at the plant when the blast happened. In addition to the two people who died and 10 who were hospitalized, seven people were hurt but refused treatment. Officials have not said how many of the 19 others escaped.
"We haven't cleared the building yet because of the significant risk to our people," Kanger said.
He said that he didn't believe anyone who was still in the building Monday afternoon was alive.
A team of urban search-and-rescue experts arrived from Lincoln to help with the search.
Authorities don't know what caused the blast, but Kanger noted that there were no hazardous chemicals at the plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will determine the cause.
The explosion knocked out the lights in the building and sent workers scrambling for safety.
Nate Lewis said he was on the first floor when he heard the explosion. The building went dark, so the 21-year-old used light from his cellphone to make his way across the production floor and outside.
"I was a production line worker, although I don't know if I want to be that anymore," said Lewis, who's worked at International Nutrition for about four months.
Worker Jamar White said he heard a loud crack and looked up to see the back wall of the building collapsing.
"I ran at least 150 feet," White said. "I ran far enough to make sure nothing else would keep falling."
Afterward, White said, he could see inside the third floor of the building where at least two co-workers were screaming for help.
There appears to be structural damage to the top of the building, which sits in an industrial area visible from Interstate 80, which bisects Nebraska's largest city. There are no residences nearby and no other buildings were evacuated after the explosion.
Diane Stout said she'd heard from her husband, a manager on the plant maintenance crew, so she knew he was OK. The workers all know each other well, Stout said, so she was hoping to hear good news about friends there.
White's wife, Sarah White, said she was at home with her four children when her husband called her after the explosion.
"I could hear the panic in his voice," she said. "But he said he was OK." She said he'd been watching trucks unload from outside the building when the blast occurred.

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Pakistan players return home after leveling series against SL

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket team players reached Lahore after leveling 3-match Test series against Sri Lanka in UAE on Tuesday, Geo News reported.

Those who returned include Misbahul Haq, Muhammad Hafeez, Muhammad Talha, Azhar Ali, Abudur Rehman, Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali and Rahat Ali.

Speaking to media, Misbahul Haq said that he was happy to win the historic match against Sri Lanka as it was too crucial. He lauded team’s performance during the series.

He refused to comment when journalists asked about his views on Zaka Ashraf’s return as Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman.

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Karachi: Two ‘robbers’ killed in police encounter

KARACHI: Two alleged robbers were killed in an encounter with police within the precincts of Kharadar police station in the early hours of Tuesday, Geo News reported.

Police said that two robbers were killed in an exchange of fire near Phool Chowk while two other suspects managed to flee.

The bodies were shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities while their identities were yet to be ascertained.

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3 Americans among 21 killed in attack on restaurant in Afghan capital

KABUL, Afghanistan –  Three Americans were among 21 killed in a Taliban attack Friday on a Kabul restaurant popular with foreigners and affluent Afghans, the deadliest violence against foreign civilians in the country since the start of the war nearly 13 years ago. 
"The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has confirmed that three U.S. Citizens were killed during the attack in Kabul on January 17th. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of those killed" a State Department spokesperson said Saturday evening. 
The victims have been identified as Alexis "Lexie" Kamerman, an employee of the American University of Afghanistan, Dr. Alexandros Petersen, a professor at the university, and Basra Hassan, a Somali-American UNICEF worker.
Kabul police chief Gen. Mohammad Zahir Zahir said Saturday that the victims included 13 foreigners and eight Afghans, and that the majority are civilians. 
He says the three attackers, including a suicide bomber and two gunmen, were also killed during Friday's assault on the Lebanese restaurant.
The dead included the head of the International Monetary Fund in Afghanistan and three United Nations staff. 
The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, James Cunningham, said Saturday that the victims of the "shameful act" were "united by their shared humanity and by their commitment to building a peaceful future for Afghanistan." 
"The Taliban target those who have hope in, and work for, this country's success. With such criminal acts the Taliban only destroy, they cannot build. The United States remains firm in our commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan where Afghans and their partners can live and work together free from the threat of violence," Cunningham said in a statement.   
The U.N. chief condemned Friday's attack "in the strongest terms," saying "such targeted attacks against civilians are completely unacceptable and are in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law," U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Insurgents have frequently targeted foreign interests around the country and in Kabul.

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Karzai demands end of US airstrikes, start of peace talks with Taliban

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has demanded that the United States must cease military operations and airstrikes, as well as resume peace talks with the Taliban, before he signs a security deal to keep some U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond this year.  
Karzai's deepening anti-American rhetoric comes as the Taliban intensifies its assaults ahead of the planned withdrawal and after Friday's militant raid on a popular Kabul restaurant, the deadliest single attack against foreign civilians since U.S-led operations in Afghanistan began in 2001.
Although Karzai has made similar demands in the past, he has in recent weeks ratcheted up his condemnations of alleged U.S. failures as Afghans look fearfully ahead to an uncertain future.
Karzai's has repeatedly declined to sign an agreement allowing some U.S. forces to stay past the planned withdrawal. Karzai tentatively endorsed the deal after it was completed last October, but first refused to sign it until after it was approved by a council of tribal elders known as the Loya Jirga in November.
Then, after the elders approved it, Karzai still declined to sign it, claiming he wants his successor to decide after the April 5 presidential election.
The U.S. had wanted the deal to be signed by the end of last year because it needs time to prepare to keep thousands of U.S. troops in the country for up to a decade. NATO allies also have said they won't stay if the Americans pull out.
The agreement aims to help train and develop Afghan forces, while also allowing for a smaller counterterrorism force to pursue Al Qaeda fighters and other groups.
Karzai's demand to stop military operations and airstrikes is a response to the findings of an investigation into a joint Afghan-U.S. military operation last week that resulted in civilian casualties, which Karzai blamed on a U.S. military air strike.
The U.S.-led international military coalition, however, provided a sharply different account Sunday of what happened during the two-day operation against insurgents in eastern Parwan province, saying it was an Afghan-led effort and carried out at the request of the government.
Karzai convened his National Security Council on Sunday to discuss the Parwan attack.
"Airstrikes are a matter of concern for the Afghan people. The National Security Council said there should be an immediate end to all operations and airstrikes by foreign forces," a statement said.
Karzai sent a delegation to investigate the Jan. 15 airstrike in the Ghorband district of Parwan province, which borders Kabul. The delegation blamed the U.S. for ordering an operation it said killed 12 civilians and four Taliban fighters. It further said local authorities were not informed about the operation.
The coalition, which is carrying out its own investigation, said the government was not only aware but had requested the operation ahead of the elections because the area had fallen under Taliban control.
"The operation was requested by the governor in response to those conditions," the coalition said in a statement. "The resulting plan, approved through the Ministry of Defense, was a deliberate clearing operation to disrupt insurgent activity, based on intelligence obtained primarily by Afghan forces."
The coalition said a team of more than 70 Afghan commandos with a few U.S. Special Operations Forces carried out the operation. Senior U.S. military officials, who requested anonymity as they weren't allowed to brief journalists about an ongoing investigation, said the commandos came under heavy fire almost immediately. An Afghan commando and U.S. soldier were killed, they said.
Afghan National Security Forces had nine U.S. advisers with them when they became trapped by withering fire from residential homes, they said.
"At that point, the ANSF and coalition advisers were unable to maneuver or withdraw without sustaining significant casualties. The combined force required defensive air support in order to suppress enemy fire from two compounds," the coalition statement said.
One senior U.S. military official said the decision to ask for air support was taken "in extremis" by the Afghan ground commander. The official said there were two civilians killed and one wounded.
Karzai also demanded Sunday that the U.S. do more to start talks with the Taliban, although an American effort to get them going through intermediaries in Qatar collapsed last summer. The Taliban have refused to talk directly with Karzai, his government or its representatives.
Karzai's statement further warned that the country risked slipping into "feudalism" if his conditions were not met.
Meanwhile Sunday, hundreds of Afghans gathered outside a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul to protest against a Taliban assault there that killed 21 people Friday. A suicide bomber and two gunmen attacked La Taverna du Liban, killing 13 foreigners and eight Afghans, all of them civilians.
Protesters chanted against terrorism as they laid flowers.
"Today, we stand against terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, and the killing of the civilians by terrorists," demonstrator Salma Alkozai said.

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Nisar warns against doing politics on Taliban talks

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Sunday claimed that the government had to make sustained efforts for months to take the dialogue process in a desired direction; therefore, the politicians should desist from doing politics on the issue.

In an informal interaction with the media persons, Chaudhry Nisar said the decision whether there should be talks or war will be made under a policy.

Commenting on today's attack in Bannu in which 20 soldiers were killed, he said a military probe will be initiated into the incident. “Investigation is underway to ascertain whether the attack was suicidal or not,” he added.

At least 20 law enforcers were martyred while another 30 were injured when an explosion ripped through one of the vehicles part of the security forces convoy on Sunday morning.

The proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility of the attack.

Earlier, the Interior Minister strongly condemned the attack on security forces convoy and sought a detailed report from Inspector General Frontier Corps (FC) for not taking appropriate measures while taking services of private transport for the movement of security personnel.

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Rawalpindi: Nine killed in suicide blast near RA Bazar

RAWALPINDI: Nine persons were killed and eighteen others injured when a suicide blast occurred in RA Bazar of Rawalpindi early Monday morning, Geo News reported.

Police and military officials said a suicide bomber was possibly involved in today’s attack, which was powerful enough to smash windows in nearby buildings.

"Apparently it was a suicide attack," a military official told.

According to DCO Rawalpindi, a suicide bomber riding a bicycle was intercepted when he blew himself near RA Bazar that killed nine persons including a 19-year-old student who was on his way to college. The deceased included five security men and four civilians, sources told.

Two suspected persons were arrested from the blast site, DCO Rawalpindi told.

The intensity of the blast shattered glass windows in the area. Security was put on high alert throughout the area after the blast.

Rescue and hospital sources told that 18 others including school students were also injured who were shifted to nearby hospitals including CMH and MS.

Security forces reached the site immediately after the incident and cordoned off the area while the residents were forced to stay indoors. Bomb disposal squad was called in to ascertain the safety of the residents.

Media men were not allowed to approach the blast site as the security personnel gathered evidences.

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Cigarettes more dangerous than ever: US health report

WASHINGTON: Smoking cigarettes can cause even more health problems than previously known, including liver and colon cancer, blindness, diabetes, and erectile dysfunction, said a major US government report on Friday.

Top US health officials gathered at the White House to announce the latest Surgeon General's findings on the health consequences of smoking, five decades after the first landmark report of its kind alerted the public that smoking caused lung cancer.

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States, killing nearly half a million Americans a year.

"Amazingly, 50 years in we are still finding out new ways that tobacco maims and kills people," said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden.

"Tobacco is even worse than we knew it was." Active smoking is now known to be a cause of 13 different cancers, as well as diabetes and age-related macular degeneration, said the report.

Smoking can also cause tuberculosis, erectile dysfunction, facial clefts in babies, ectopic pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, impaired immune function, and worsens the outlook for cancer patients and survivors.

Those who do not smoke but are exposed to second-hand smoke face an increased risk of stroke, said the report.

More than 20 million people in the United States have died from smoking related diseases and illnesses caused by second-hand smoke.

Another 16 million people suffer from smoking-related conditions. "Enough is enough," said Acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak, warning that modern cigarettes are more potent and more dangerous than ever.

"Smokers today have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than they did when the first Surgeon General's report was released in 1964, even though they smoke fewer cigarettes," said Lushniak.

"How cigarettes are made and the chemicals they contain have changed over the years, and some of those changes may be a factor in higher lung cancer risks."

Smoking rates are way down in the United States. Eighteen percent of people here now smoke compared to 42 percent five decades ago.

But if the current smoking rate does not drop further, one in 13 children alive today will be felled by a disease linked to smoking, the report added.

"We have made a lot of progress," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

"But we are still a country very much addicted to tobacco." The cost of smoking in America is more than $289 billion a year in direct medical care and other economic losses, the report said.

It blamed the epidemic on the "aggressive strategies of the tobacco industry, which has deliberately misled the public on the risks of smoking cigarettes."

Previous Surgeon Generals' reports have found that nicotine is addictive, that smoking impacts nearly every organ of the body, and that there is no risk-free level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

In all, smoking has been found to cause more than a 13 different cancers and even more chronic diseases.

US research released last week showed that despite a cut in the smoking rate globally, the number of smokers in the world has climbed from 721 million in 1980 to 967 million in 2012 due to population growth and the gaining popularity of cigarettes in the developing world.

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Two Britons Including 1 Pakistani British charged with Syria terrorism offences

LONDON: Two British men were charged on Friday with travelling to Syria for the purposes of terrorism, police said, while another man was arrested on suspicion of attending a terror camp in the war-ravaged country.

Yusuf Sawar and Mohammed Ahmed, both 21 and from Birmingham in central England, will appear in court in London on Saturday "charged with planning and travelling to Syria for terrorism", West Midlands Police said in a Twitter statement.

Officers said the case was not related to the arrest on Friday afternoon of another man from Birmingham after he flew into London's Gatwick airport from Istanbul.

The 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attending a terrorist training camp in Syria, police said.

British police have over the past three years arrested a number of people who have travelled to Syria over concerns that they are fighting with jihadi groups.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday that "hundreds" of Britons were believed to have gone to fight in Syria and security forces were doing their best to monitor the situation.

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Barack Obama, Michelle Obama divorce rumors make international news

The rumors that President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are experiencing marriage problems that are expected to end in divorce have now hit the international press. As of Jan. 18, the Obama divorce rumors are being widely reported by international news media like the International Business Times, the Osun Defender, and Independent Online, whereas American news outlets like CNN and ABC News have chosen to ignore rumors of the Obama’s marital strife and focus on Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday celebration and associated events.
Details of New Rumors of an Obama Separation and Divorce
According the latest Obama divorce rumors, Michelle Obama has already secretly with met with an attorney at the White House to work out the details of her alleged upcoming divorce, including a divorce settlement in which she will go after half of Barack Obama’s assets.
In order to keep up outward appearances, Michelle Obama will reportedly continue living at the White House until President Obama’s current term of office ends, but will lead a separate life. Anonymous White House sources claim that the First Lady has moved out of the presidential bedroom and has taken up residence in another bedroom in the family’s private living quarters. Sources say she has already made arrangements to move Barack Obama’s belongings out of their Chicago home.
Other sources say that when Barack Obama’s presidency is over, he will move back to Hawaii where he grew up and Michelle Obama will remain in Washington with the couple’s two daughters, Sasha and Malia.


Michelle Obama Fight Over Barack Obama’s Alleged Extramarital Affair
The alleged marital crisis between the Obamas came to a head during the Obama’s Christmas break in Hawaii when Michelle Obama reportedly found out that on two separate occasions the Secret Service covered up Barack Obama’s extramarital affair.
Someone leaked to Michelle that Barack was caught with a woman in an incident that was covered up by the Secret Service. She also learned that on another occasion a Secret Service agent observed the president in a compromising position with another woman while she was out of town.
According to the rumors, Michelle Obama refused to leave Hawaii, so Barack and the couple’s daughters returned to Washington without her while she spent time in Hawaii ar Oprah Winfrey's estate with friends.
The official word from the White House Press Secretary is that Michelle’s extended stay in Hawaii was a birthday present from Barack Obama, adding

"If you have kids, you know that telling your spouse that they can go spend a week away from home is actually a big present.

However, these new reports of Barack Obama’s alleged infidelity have revived interest in previous reports of Michelle Obama’s jealousy and the notorious rumor of the Barack Obama-Vera Baker affair.
Divorce Rumors Reignited by an International Incident
Divorce rumors seem to intermittently plague Barack and Michelle Obama every few months. See 
However, the new rumors about the first couple’s alleged marital problems are of particular interest to the international press because they were reignited by an international incident.
The latest wave of rumors stem from a viral picture of Barack Obama at Nelson Mandela’s funeral in which he jovially posed for a selfie with Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the prime minister of Denmark and British Prime Minister David Cameron as Michelle Obama angrily looks away. Michelle later switched seats to position herself between her husband and the attractive blonde.
Further Scrutiny at Michelle Obama’s Birthday Celebration Tonight
In view of the rumors that Barack and Michelle Obama are a getting divorce, guests at Michelle Obama’s birthday celebration will no doubt be closely scrutinizing the first couple for any hint of marital discord. Anything that seems to support the divorce rumors is certain to be widely reported here and abroad.

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India minister's wife died 'unnatural' death: autopsy

NEW DELHI: An autopsy report on Saturday said Indian minister Shashi Tharoor´s wife, who was found dead in a luxury hotel after accusing her husband of being unfaithful, suffered an "unnatural, sudden death".

"More tests" are needed to determine the final cause of Sunanda Pushkar´s death and the results will not be known for two to three days, Sudhir Gupta, one of three doctors who carried out the autopsy, told reporters.

He added Pushkar´s body had "some physical injuries", but it was unclear whether they were related to her death.

After the autopsy Tharoor, dressed in a long white Indian kurta, and other mourners carried his wife´s shrouded body on a litter garlanded with marigolds for cremation according to Hindu rites.

Some of Tharoor´s cabinet colleagues also attended the cremation. Tharoor found his wife dead in a luxury hotel room Friday, just two days after she accused him on Twitter and in other media of having an affair with a Pakistani journalist, Mehr Tarar.

"There were no signs of any foul play," his press assistant Abhinav Kumar told reporters. "She seemed to be sleeping in a normal way but later it was found she was dead."

A police probe has been launched into her death. Earlier Saturday, Tharoor was admitted to the same top government hospital where his wife´s autopsy was performed after complaining of "general chest discomfort", a hospital spokeswoman told reporters. But his test results were normal and he was released. TV footage showed him leaving the hospital looking ashen.

Pushkar, 52, a Dubai-based entrepreneur before marrying Tharoor in 2010, had been taking medications for various illnesses, including tuberculosis, according to local media. In one of her last tweets, which later appeared to have been removed, she wrote: "Whatever is destined to happen will happen, will go smiling".

Indian social media users called it the first "death by Twitter", with the drama being played out over the micro-blogging site. The tragedy sent shockwaves through New Delhi´s social set. Friends had described Pushkar as the "life of any party". The couple appeared deeply in love when they wed and were a glamorous pair on the social scene, but the rumour mill had been abuzz for months with talk of marital problems. Indian newspapers splashed the death on their front pages. "Soon after Twitter war, Sunanda Pushkar found dead in Delhi hotel," said the tabloid Mail Today in a headline.

Events began unfolding late Wednesday when a curious messages appeared on the Twitter account of the suave thrice-married Tharoor, a former high-flying UN diplomat, novelist and key government spokesman. They showed private exchanges purportedly between the 57-year-old minister (@shashitharoor) and Pakistani journalist Tarar (@mehrtarar), in which she professed her love for him and he said his wife had discovered their relationship.

Tharoor, known as "Mr Twitter" with over two million followers, quickly responded by saying his account was "hacked", but Pushkar spoke to newspapers saying she sent the messages. She also raked up a corruption scandal related to the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament that almost wrecked Tharoor´s career in 2010 and led him to resign from the cabinet.

Both Pushkar and Tharoor had denied any wrongdoing. Seeking to draw a line under the Twitter row, Tharoor issued a joint statement Thursday in which he blamed unauthorised tweets and distorted media reports for the "unseemly controversy". The statement said the couple were "happily married".

Cricket-loving Tharoor and his wife, the mother of an adult son from a former marriage, had been staying at the hotel since Thursday while work was being done to their home. Television anchor Sagarika Ghose said she spoke to Pushkar on Friday, saying she appeared depressed and was sobbing uncontrollably.

The Pakistani journalist whom Pushkar accused of "stalking" her husband strongly denied having a relationship with the former UN diplomat. Reacting to Pushkar´s death, Tarar tweeted: "I´m absolutely shocked. This is too awful for words. So tragic I don´t know what to say. Rest in peace, Sunanda."

Tharoor, a thrice-married father of grown sons, spent three decades in the UN where he was beaten to the post of secretary general by Ban Ki-moon. The author then quit the UN and entered Indian politics in 2008 as a ruling Congress party MP. Tharoor´s son, Ishaan, a journalist at Time magazine, requested "that everyone please respect our family´s privacy."

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