GANDHI STATUE SPARKS CONTROVERSY IN MALAWI AS MANY SIGN PETITION
BLANTYRE, MALAWI: Over 3,000 people have signed a petition opposing a planned statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Malawi’s commercial capital Blantyre, saying the Indian independence hero had done nothing for the southern African country. The Malawi government says the statue is being erected as part of a deal that will see New Delhi construct a convention centre in Blantyre. “Mahatma Gandhi has never contributed anything to Malawi’s struggle for independence,” a statement from the “Gandhi Must Fall” group said. “We therefore, feel that the statue is being forced upon the people of Malawi and is the work of a foreign power aiming at promoting its image and dominion on the unsuspecting people of Malawi.” AP
At least 14 killed in bomb attack on Afghan poll rally
KUNDUZ: A motorcycle carrying explosives blew up among supporters of an Afghan election candidate on Saturday, killing at least 14 people, officials said. More than 30 were wounded in the explosion in the northeastern province of Takhar where candidate Nazifa Yousefibek had been campaigning, provincial governor spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hejri told AFP. A spokesman from interior ministry said most of the 14 killed were civilians. No group has claimed responsibility.
Pope defrocks two bishops for sex abuse of minors
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has defrocked two Chilean bishops for the alleged sexual abuse of minors, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday. The decision to expel former archbishop Francisco Jose Cox Huneeus and former bishop
Marco Antonio Ordenes Fernandez could not be appealed, it said. Defrocking is considered the harshest penalty for priests and means the offender is forbidden from exercising any clerical duties at all, even in private.
Saudiled airstrike kills 17 in Yemeni port city
CAIRO: Yemeni rebel officials say an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition targeting Shiite rebels has killed at least 17 people in the port-city of Hodeidah. A spokesman for the Houthi-rebel-run
Health Ministry, said 20 others were wounded in the strike on the Gabal Ras area. Hodeidah, with its key port installations that bring UN humanitarian aid, has become the center of conflict, with ground troops allied to the coalition struggling to drive out the rebels who control it.
Beatles album ‘Sgt. Pepper’ named most popular in UK
LONDON: The Beatles’ psychedelic masterwork “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” has been named the most popular British album in history. The Official Charts Company said Saturday that the band’s 1967 classic is Britain’s favorite album based on physical sales, downloads and streams in the UK. The album found the four mates from Liverpool at their most experimental and inventive and includes favorites like “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “A Day in the Life.” AP
Malaysia’s Pminwaiting wins landslide victory
PORT DICKSON: Anwar Ibrahim has won a by-election for a parliamentary seat with a landslide victory in a comeback to help him prepare for his eventual takeover from PM Mahathir Mohamad. The Election Commission said Anwar received 31,016 votes. His closest rival secured only 7,456 votes. Anwar was designated as Mahathir’s successor after they aside a feud and joined hands to capture a stunning victory in May’s election. AP