Sint-Truiden – Hasselt – Antwerpen – Rotterdam – Den Haag vv 26 and 27 November 2011

Theodorus drove me from the Rotterdam Gurdwara back to Capelsebrug metro station from where I travelled back to Rotterdam CS via Beurs.

26/11 – RET RandstadRail Metro E from Rotterdam CS to Den Haag CS  

 26/11 – RET RandstadRail Metro E, Voorburg ‘t Loo

26/11 – HTM Tram 2, Voorburg ‘t Loo

  26/11 – HTM RandstadRail Tram-Train 3, Voorburg’t Loo

To see more Belgium/Netherlands Public Transport pictures go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Belgian/Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Pakistan apex court suspends licence of Zardari’s lawyer

Afzal Khan in Islamabad

The conflict between the Federal Government and the Judiciary in Pakistan escalated today, when the Supreme Court temporarily suspended the licence of Babar Awan, a former Law Minister, who was representing the government and President Zardari in several high-profile cases.

The court had issued contempt notices to Awan after he was accused of using what the court held was extremely derogatory language against the judges after the court ordered an inquiry into ‘Memogate’. When the court issued him a contempt notice he again mocked it by reciting a verse.

Awan today pleaded in court that he was looking for a lawyer to represent him and wanted more time. Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, who was presiding over the bench hearing a Presidential reference for revisiting the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s execution case, noted that Awan had been given ‘enough time’ already.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120118/main3.htm

BBC News – Pakistan delays US envoy Marc Grossman’s visit

18 January 2012. Pakistan has postponed a visit by US Special Envoy Marc Grossman until a parliamentary review of bilateral relations is completed.

Correspondents say the postponement is a sign of increased tensions between uneasy allies.

American reports said last week that Mr Grossman has been the driving force behind secret US talks with Taliban.

US-Pakistan relations reached a new low in November, when a Nato air attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Last week the US state department said that it had “received word” that Mr Grossman’s visit would be delayed.

A Pakistani official told Reuters that “Ambassador Grossman asked to visit Pakistan but we conveyed to him that it was not possible at the moment”.

Mr Grossman is travelling to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan this week as part of US efforts to start peace talks with the Taliban.

Pakistan said in early December it had decided to review co-operation with the US and Nato. The review is currently before parliament with no fixed time for its recommendations to be presented to the government.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Tuesday Pakistan had decided the review should be completed before Mr Grossman’s next visit.

2011 was a disastrous year for US-Pakistan relations.

Tensions were heightened when a US CIA contractor, Raymond Davis, shot dead two Pakistanis at a road junction in Lahore and were made worse by continued drone attacks, the killing of Osama Bin Laden at the beginning of May and the November Nato attack.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16607223

The Tribune – 1,080 candidates left in fray

Kanchan Vasdev, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 16. With 179 candidates withdrawing their nominations today, 1,080 candidates will battle it out for 117 constituencies in the assembly elections. As many as 2,054 candidates, including covering candidates, had filed nominations till January 12. The papers of 1,259 candidates were found valid after scrutiny on January 13.

These elections will see 37 candidates more than the 2007 polls when 1,043 candidates were in the fray. Former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, SAD candidate from Bholath, will be contesting against seven candidates, including Congress’ Sukhpal Khaira.

Raninder Singh, Congress candidate from Samana, will face seven opponents.

— Inputs by Dharmendra Joshi, Archit Watts, SP Sharma, Umesh Dewan and Mahesh Sharma

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120117/punjab.htm#5

The Tribune – Candidates flock to Dera Sacha Sauda

SP Sharma & Archit Watts, Tribune News Service

Bathinda/Muktsar, January 16. With a few days left for polling in the state, more than 100 candidates belonging to the SAD, the Congress, the Sanjha Morcha and others visited Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa last evening to seek blessings of its controversial chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh whose sect has considerable following in Punjab, particularly in the Malwa belt.

Irrespective of party affiliations, the dera chief met the candidates on a single platform and did not oblige them with a separate audience.

The candidates had to cool their heels till the dera chief decided to address them together at around 7.30 pm.

He advised the candidates to be good human beings and strive to end female foeticide and drug abuse.

Keeping in mind the backlash that the dera followers faced in Malwa after the 2007 assembly elections when the SAD was virtually wiped out in the belt, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh did not meet the candidates individually.

The Left parties have always shunned Dera politics, but former CPI legislator Hardev Arshi, who is contesting from Mansa, chose to visit the dera this time. Among the SAD candidates who sought the dera chief’s blessings were Saroop Chand Singla, Mantar Brar, former DGP PS Gill, Surjit Kohli, Surjeet Rakhra, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Amarjeet Singh Sidhu, Darshan Kotfatta and Deep Malhotra. Singla is pitched against Harminder Singh Jassi (Congress), whose daughter is married to dera chief’s son.

Congress leaders Sunil Jakhar, Amarinder Singh Warring “Raja”, Ripjit Singh Brar, Avtar Brar, Jassi Khangura, Lal Singh, Gurpreet Kaur, Kewal Dhillon, Surinder Pal Singh Sibia and Isher Singh Meharban met the dera chief as did BJP’s Raj Khurana and Vijay Luxmi Bhadoo. Mohan Singh Phallianwala of the BSP and Hans Raj Josan, an Independent, were also present there.

PCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh and PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal have already paid a visit to the dera.

Talking over the phone, Ram Singh, member, political wing, Dera Sacha Sauda, said: “Nearly 100 candidates of various political parties met the dera chief in the evening, but no formal announcement has been made so far as extending support to a particular party is concerned”.

Ram Singh added, “The decision in this regard will definitely come, but it will take few more days. We have asked our members in all districts and blocks to send us suggestions so that a consensus can be evolved and an announcement made accordingly.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120117/punjab.htm#4

The Hindu – “Gold-hunters” behind Birmingham couple’s murder?

“Last summer more than 50 women were targeted for their jewellery in street attacks in the city”  

Hasan Suroor

London, 17 January 2012. Local gangs targeting Asian families for gold may have been behind the murder of the retired businessman Avtar Singh-Kolar and his wife Carole found dead in their home in Birmingham last week, police suggested on Monday as a third person was arrested on suspicion while a man held on Sunday was released without charge.

A 24-year-old man arrested last week is on bail.

Police did not give details except confirming that a 37-year-old man was arrested at a local address.

The arrest came as detectives investigating the double murder, said they were not ruling out the possibility that the couple may have been victims of “gold-hunters” in view of a spate of attacks on Asian families for gold valuables in recent months as gold prices have shot up.

“Gold prices have risen in the credit crunch and Asian gold is the purest available, making it particularly valuable.

Birmingham has seen a spate of such burglaries and robberies, peaking last summer when more than 50 women were targeted for their jewellery in street attacks in the city over just a month,” said the Mail Online.

The Kolars were not known to have possessed significant quantities of jewellery but police suspect the attackers may have thought that like many Asian families they did.

It was not known whether any gold was missing from their home.

Forensic investigators remained at the property as police again appealed for information.

“Birmingham is rightly proud of its diverse community. Those communities can help us find out who has done this by coming forward with information at this crucial time,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Jupp.

Pauline Hadley of Crimestoppers, a charity which has announced a £10,000 reward for information that might help in tracking down the killers, said: “This is a vile crime where two people have been murdered and their family and community have been left in shock. Those responsible for this must be brought to justice.”

Kolar (62) and Carole (58) had been married for 40 years and had four children, one of whom Jason (37) is a serving police officer prompting speculation that it might have been a revenge attack by someone with a grievance against the police. The couple’s bodies were discovered last Wednesday when Jason went round to their home after failing to contact them on phone.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2806286.ece

Sint-Truiden – Hasselt – Antwerpen – Rotterdam – Den Haag vv 26 and 27 November 2011

26/11 – Capelsebrug, RET Metro A, B and C

26/11 – Capelsebrug, RET Metro A, B and C
From here I walked to the gurdwara

26/11 – Ottergracht, Deux Chevaux outside the gurdwara 

26/11 – Rotterdam Gurdwara

Gurdwara Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Ottergracht 6
3064 LN Rotterdam-Kralingse Veer

To see more Belgium/Netherlands Public Transport pictures go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Belgium and Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Foul Content; Blocking websites not an option: Google India

New Delhi, January 16. Google India, which along with 20 websites is facing criminal cases for allegedly hosting objectionable materials, today told the Delhi High Court that blocking them was not an option as democratic India was not a “totalitarian” regime like China.

“The issue relates to a constitutional issue of freedom of speech and expression and suppressing it was not possible as the right to freedom of speech in democratic India separates us from a totalitarian regime like China,” advocate N K Kaul, appearing for Google India, told Justice Suresh Kait.

During last hearing, Justice Kait had warned Google India and social networking site Facebook India that websites can be “blocked” like in China if they fail to devise a mechanism to check and remove objectionable material from their web pages.

Responding to the court’s remark, Kaul referred to media reports on the issue saying “they (reports) suggest the existence of the right (freedom of speech).”

Initiating arguments, Kaul said internet is a global system which have billions of users that also included companies, private persons and the governments and their departments. (PTI)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120117/main5.htm

Dawn – Contempt notice against PM challenged

Islamabad, 17 January 2012. A petition was filed on Tuesday in the Lahore Registry of the Supreme Court against a contempt notice issued against Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani in the backdrop of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case, DawnNews reported.

Barrister Zafarullah in his petition argued that under the Article 248-1 of the Constitution, the premier also enjoyed immunity as did the president.

The petition further said that writing a letter to Swiss authorities was not the job of the prime minister.

It said that the court should have summoned the law secretary and the law minister before calling the prime minister before it on January 19.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/17/contempt-notice-against-pm-challenged.html