Malala Yousufzai Survives Taliban Attack But Critical
A bullet that just misses the head, another that hits her shoulder.Malala Yousafzai has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the Taliban on Tuesday. The Pakistani girl who is 14 years became known internationally in 2009 by denouncing a blog on the BBC Urdu denouncing violence by the Taliban, who burned girls’ schools and murdered their opponents in the Swat Valley and in the surrounding area since 2007.
Malala Yousafzai was attacked in broad daylight on Tuesday by fighters of Taliban Movement of Pakistan, allied to Al-Qaeda in Mingora, the main town in the Swat valley, taken by the army from Islamist rebels in 2009 . Local doctors had indicated at first that she was “safe” because a bullet hit her skull had not reached the brain, but doctors at a hospital in Peshawar, the largest city north-west where she was taken, subsequently changed their prognosis to “critical”
On wednesday morning, a senior military official said that surgeons had removed a bullet from the shoulder of the first winner of the National Peace Prize created by the Pakistani government last year. In case of a worsening of her condition, a Boeing 737 is ready to take off from Peshawar airport to transport the girl abroad, the most likely destination being Dubai.
China: Rural People Hope to Receive New Subsidies
China may soon launch a new round of subsidies in rural areas to promote the purchase of vehicles and household goods produced in this country, a way to promote domestic demand in times of global crisis.
According to media reports, vehicles like buses and trucks, as well as different appliances would be included in that package aimed at encouraging purchases.
In 2007, the authorities first gave chances for the purchase of household appliances in the rural areas, with a payment term that will end next January.
That policy drove the annual growth of appliance business in 21.8 percent up to 21, 480, 000 U.S.D. in the first eight months of 2012, according to the versions.
Sources close to the Ministry of Commerce, echoed by local media, indicate that small and medium type household supplies will be this time, but they will exclude TV sets, refrigerators and air conditioners.
Since last April, sales in the rural areas of this vast Asian state with 1.3 million inhabitants surpassed those from the cities, because the higher incomes in these regions have allowed the population to consume more.
Vehicles are still the most coveted in the Chinese fields, good news for the local automotive industry to take advantage of the domestic market to increase production when international demand has decreased due to the economic crisis.
Turkish Jets Force Down Syrian Passenger Plane
Turkish fighter jets forced a Syrian passenger jet to land at the airport in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, Turkey’s NTV television reported.
Turkish F-16s forced down the Airbus A320, which was flying from Moscow to Damascus, over suspicions it has prohibited cargo on board.
The plane, which took off from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, landed in Ankara at 5:15 p.m. local time, CNN-Turk reported.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed that a Syrian plane with 30 passengers on board was diverted to Ankara and forced to land by Turkish fighter jets on Wednesday.
“There is information that the plane had cargo on board that does not meet the requirements of civil aviation,” Davutoglu told TGRT television in Athens, where he is on a visit.
“Measures are currently being undertaken as provided under current legislation and international law,” he said.
Tensions between the two countries boiled over late last Wednesday when a mortar round apparently fired from Syria killed five civilians in the Turkish border town of Akcakale.
Turkey responded with artillery strikes against targets in violence-wracked Syria and the Turkish parliament authorized the government to order more strikes as necessary.
Although Damascus apologized for the incident, Turkish and Syrian artillery exchanged fire a number of times over the ensuing six days.
Via PL