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Sunday, January 8, 2012

A mass grave found in Afghan army compound


A mass grave containing at least 10 human skulls was discovered in northern Afghanistan by construction workers digging the earth to build a car park in an army compound. The discovery of the grave on Tuesday in the northern Balkh province in the Deh Dadi district near the site of a major battle during the country’s bloody civil war of the early 1990s is yet another reminder of the country’s turbulent past. “We brought 10 to 15 skeletons out of the grave and then stopped digging,” said Mohammad Nahim, a spokesman for the Afghan army in the north said. Nahim added that the army asked forensic and human rights bodies to investigate the grave, where the hands of skeletons, some poking out from dusty sweaters, had been tied behind their backs with blue rope. The army stopped operating around the grave on Wednesday, following a request from the Independent Human Rights Commission, which will investigate when the people were killed, its head Sayed Mohammad told Reuters. “Soon it will become clear who they were and why they were killed,” Nahim added. Army officials estimate that the number of bodies in the grave could be higher. The grave is some two kilometres (1.2 mile) from Qala-e-Jangi, where the Taliban killed hundreds of resistance fighters led by mujahideen hero Ahmad Shah Massoud.

India: Heavy snowfall attracts tourists


Heavy snowfall across northern India s prominent hill stations enthralled tourists on Saturday, even as the region continued to reel under intense cold wave conditions. After a brief spell of rains and hailstorm, snow again made its appearance in northern India s hilly areas, much to the delight of tourists. Many buildings, trees and vehicles were covered in pristine white snow across the Dalhousie town of northern Himachal Pradesh state, making it a mesmerising experience for scores of visitors and tourists. "There is a lot of snowfall here. We are getting a view of heaven from here. We are enjoying a lot. But, the heavy snowfall is also posing certain problems," said Akashdeep, a tourist. A similar wave of exuberance in the Nainital town of northern Uttarakhand state, where people rejoiced after a heavy snowfall early in the morning. People of all ages were seen playing with snow with child-like enthusiasm and excitement. Overwhelmed by the majestic view of layers and layers of white snow all around, several tourists said the beauty of the experience was beyond words. "Oh my god, it is really awesome. This is the second time I am seeing snowfall in my life. I feel as though I have come in the abode of the gods. I have no words. I feel as if the world is in my hands. I am really enjoying the beauty of nature. Happy snowfall, happy snowfall to everyone," said Bhavna, a tourist enjoying the snowfall. Meanwhile, in Udhampur district of northern Jammu and Kashmir state too, fresh snowfall brought smiles on the faces of locals and tourists here alike. For many, the state-dubbed  Switzerland of Asia  by many, has been a holiday paradise for tourists across the country, especially during the winters as scores of visitors throng to witness the snowfall every year. Snowfall has been a boon for the tourism and hospitality sectors in the state, since the influx of visitors translates into more business. "I am enjoying a lot here. I had not expected that there would be such heavy snowfall. Snow has been falling since last night. I am really having fun here in the snow," said Shruti, a tourist. Surprisingly, snowfall was also reported in Pathankot district of northern Punjab state, where the phenomena is a rare occurrence. Many locals said it was the first time snowfall had taken place in the city in their living memory. This is the first snowfall to have hit Pathankot in decades.

Philippines: Death toll rises to 31


Rescuers retrieved three more bodies from a landslide that buried part of an illegal gold-mining site in the southern Philippines, raising the death toll to 31, officials said Sunday. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the toll could rise with up to 39 others still unaccounted for. Heavy rains sparked a landslide on Thursday that buried part of the site in the town of Pantukan on southern Mindanao Island. There had been confusion over the exact number of missing because authorities said gold prospectors do not necessarily register themselves with local authorities and no proper census was kept. As many as 150 people were initially reported missing, but this was later pared down after many turned up and called relatives to say they were safe. "They had been warned many times not to go to the area, but they did not heed authorities," Benito Ramos, who heads the council, said Sunday. "The lure of gold is a magnet to these small scale miners," he said, adding that officials as of Sunday had ordered similar sites across the mountainous area to shut down. The Philippines has some of the world s biggest gold, copper and nickel deposits, but most of these have remained off-limits to big mining firms partly due to local opposition over major exploration projects. The mountainous region still draws gold prospectors from surrounding areas despite frequent, deadly landslides. Their largely unregulated tunnelling has made the mountainside unstable, government experts say, and heavy rains since last month had saturated the earth on top, triggering the deadly earth fall.