Bizarre Bazaar: May 16 08
Fri, May 16 2008
KATHMANDU, Nepal
More than 40 teams of mountaineers cooling their heels on the lower slopes of the Himalayas heaved a sigh of relief as the way to Mt Everest was opened following China’s successful attempt to take the Olympic torch to the top. A total of 41 expeditions had been ordered by Nepal not to proceed beyond the third base camp in order to prevent any anti-China demonstrations by Tibet activists that could have marred the progress of the Olympic torch. China has still not given permission to any expedition to attempt the peak from Tibet. The unprecedented ban will remain in force until August, when the Olympic Games are held in Beijing.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has suspended parliament for a month for reasons unknown, a top presidential source said Monday. With parliament being prorogued so abruptly, all parliamentary committees and bills presented stand null and void. Opposition parties claim the mysterious midnight move last week was a bid to "unleash and cover up malpractices at the forthcoming elections." Under Sri Lanka’s constitution, the president will have to reconvene parliament within two months.
NEW DELHI, India
A court has cleared controversial painter Maqbool Fida Husain of obscenity charges over his depiction of India as a nude woman. "The allegations made against the painter are baseless," said Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the Delhi High Court. "Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder . . . he did not intend to manifestly insult Bharat Mata (Mother India)." The 92-year-old painter, whose large canvasses have fetched millions at auction, went into exile in Dubai in 2006 after right-wing groups threatened him over his paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses, and filed at least half a dozen criminal cases against him.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India
The fakes were so good, they even contained security strips. But currency worth nearly $50,000 seized at an airport in Kerala was bogus. Revenue intelligence officials were startled by the quality of the counterfeit cash, saying the printing and paper of the fake notes is so perfect that only an expert would be able to differentiate them from real money. Officials believe the fake currency was produced overseas and may have found its way in large volumes to the real estate sector as well as into the hands of militant organizations.
PATNA, India
Adding a Dickensian twist to the current global food crisis, an eight-year-old school student broke his elbow afterteachers thrashed him for refusing to eat a worm-infested mid-day meal in a village in Bihar. Hashmullah ansari, a grade 3 student at Shripur Bhatwalia village, was assaulted after he declined ‘khichdi.’ A district Magistrate has ordered an investigation into the actions of three teachers.
YANGON, Burma
Burma’s "sham" referendum held on the weekend despite the national tragedy wrought by Cyclone Nargis can expect an overwhelming "yes" vote for a new pro-military charter, according to initial counts by sources close to the ruling junta. Between 90 and 100 per cent of voters cast a "yes" vote, according to the secretive junta, which pushed through the referendum, intended to cement their political power. The vote went ahead despite international appeals to postpone it in the wake of the disaster that has killed an estimated 100,000 people.
KANPUR, India
Two criminals who allegedly tried abducting two people were lynched by a mob in Bilhaur in Uttar Pradesh state on the weekend. The members of the Pappu Mallah gang were trying to extract money from local residents. When two people refused their demand, the criminals attempted to kidnap them. But other residents thronged in support of the kidnap victims and lynched the gang members, police said.
