| Bhutto killed in blast at Pakistan rally
Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was killed Thursday in an explosion at a rally in the city of Rawalpindi that killed at least 20 others, according to media reports. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, walks with former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto after a meeting at a hotel in Islamabad on Thursday.(Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images) A senior military official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, also said Bhutto had died. Bhutto had just finished speaking to the crowd of thousands when the blast occurred, freelance journalist Graham Usher told the CBC from the capital, Islamabad. Reuters reported other witnesses saying a man fired shots at Bhutto, then blew himself up.
Local digest: Request to vote by mail ends Tuesday
Applications are available on the back cover of the Sample Ballot and online at www.sccvote.org. Voting by mail is available to all voters and offers a convenient and easy way to exercise their democratic rights. It is ideal for voters who cannot go to the polls on election day or who enjoy the convenience of casting their ballots from home. Of Santa Clara County's 678,000 registered voters, about 57 percent have signed up to vote by mail. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29. All completed mail ballots must be received by the registrar's office no later than 8 p.m. on election day (postmarks not accepted). In addition, early voting for the February election has begun. Early voting is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday until election day at the Registrar of Voters' Office, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose.
A Month of Traditions
Each tradition, of course, is mired in its own set of circulated stories about its origin. The fanous (singular of fawanees), for example, was brought to the country, it is said, with Fatimid rule. One story claims the lanterns were used by Muslims to light the night as they walked in a procession to greet the Holy Month. Another tells that the plastic toys now adored by children and adults alike during the Holy Month used to be made of scrap metal and glass and — with candles inside — used to light the front porches of the houses of the rich during that time. Still another prevalent account claims the lanterns were used by young boys to escort women out into town in Ramadan, as they were not allowed to leave their homes during any other time of year. The lantern, it is therefore said, was used to inform the men of Cairo of the arrival of a woman so that the sexes could remain separated — and so women could enjoy what little time they were granted outside without harassment.
Taliban factions unite to battle Pakistan
It is also the latest sign of the rise of Mehsud, considered the deadliest of the Taliban mullahs or clerics in northwest Pakistan. Mehsud is based in the rugged, heavily treed mountains of South Waziristan, one of Pakistan's so-called tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan, where Western intelligence says Al Qaeda is regrouping. His organization has claimed responsibility, often backed up by videos, for killing and kidnapping hundreds of soldiers, beheading women, and burning schools that teach girls anything other than religion. He also says he has a steady supply of suicide bombers and strong ties to Al Qaeda. "Al Qaeda has succeeded in building a base in the last two or three years mostly with help from Mehsud," said Ahmed Zaidan, a reporter for Al-Jazeera Television in Qatar who interviewed Mehsud three weeks ago.
|
