'Boy' attackers shot Aussies in India, Mumbai

Nov 27, 2008: An Australian student has told how rampaging gunmen shot his girlfriend during a series of coordinated terrorist strikes in India's financial capital, Mumbai.

Townsville student David Coker, 23, and his Sydney partner Katie Anstee, 24, were eating at Mumbai's Cafe Leopold when the gunmen opened fire, shooting Ms Anstee through the leg.

The bullet broke her femur and exited through the front of her thigh. She is undergoing surgery.

Mr Coker, a law graduate and son of Federal Magistrate John Coker, suffered a bullet graze to his leg.

Read more:

http://news.theage.com.au/national/boy-attackers-shot-aussies-in-india-20081127-6jl6.html

80 dead in Mumbai terror attacks, scores held hostage

People stand around a damaged vehicle at the site of an explosion in Mumbai. (Photo: AP)

IANS

First Published : 26 Nov 2008 11:10:54 PM IST

Last Updated : 27 Nov 2008 09:15:26 AM IST

MUMBAI: At least 80 people, including a foreign tourist and four top police officers, were killed and over 250 injured as terrorists struck in yet another series of planned and synchronised gunfire and bomb attacks in the heart of India's financial capital late Wednesday, authorities said. Terrorists were reported to be holding tourists and other guests hostage in two five-star hotels, the Taj Intercontinental and Trident (formerly Oberoi), facing the waterfront across the Arabian Sea close to the city's most important landmark, the Gateway of India. Four top police officials, including Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, were among the 10 policemen killed in the gunbattles with the terrorists, police confirmed. Among terror targets was the city's busiest railway station, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly the Victoria Terminus that is a World Heritage site.
Read more:
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=80+dead+in+Mumbai+terror+attacks,+scores+held+hostage&artid=KU8ulrRUh7w=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=terror,%20south%20mumbai

Carnage in Mumbai, India, 82 people killed

Aljazeera

Hostages were being held in the Taj Mahal hotel, part of which was also on fire [AFP] Groups of heavily armed men have attacked several high-profile hotels and restaurants in the Indian city of Mumbai, leaving at least 82 people dead and more than 250 injured. Attackers were still holding hostages early on Thursday and engaged in a standoff with security forces at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels. Police said six attackers had been killed and nine others arrested hours after the attacks began on Wednesday night, but Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state where Mumbai is located, said the situation was not yet under control. Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/11/20081127195677350.html

Obama Leads Global Condemnation of Mumbai Gun, Grenade Attacks

By Michael Heath

Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama led global condemnation of grenade and gun assaults in India’s financial hub of Mumbai, the third major terrorist attack targeting foreigners in South Asian nations this year.

The U.S. will work “with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks,” Obama’s transition team said in a statement. Gunmen raided Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Oberoi and Trident hotels and carried out attacks across the city that killed as many as 80 people.

The violence in Mumbai came two months after a suicide bombing on the Marriot Hotel in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, killed 40 people and a January attack on the luxury Serena Hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed eight.

Read more:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=axK1OAQV1TUM&refer=india

Indian Muslims in the US condemns terrorist attacks in Mumbai

FARMINGTON,MICHIGAN, Nov 27, 2008: The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) on Wednesday condemned the serial terrorist attacks in Mumbai city of India. According to latest news reports 80 people have died and over 250 have been injured in the attacks across the city including the CST railway station and the Oberoi and Taj hotels. At the time of this writing an hostage situation continued to exist in the Oberoi Hotel and a commando operation was on.

"We strongly condemn these dastardly attacks which targeted the innocents. AFMI conveys its deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and prays for the speedy recovery of the injured. We salute the the brave police officers who lost their lives and express our heartfelt condolences to their families," said Mr. Ali Quraishi, president of AFMI.

"AFMI demands the respective state and central governments to take immediate action in bringing the culprits behind this attack to justice. We also urge the respective governments to direct the police and security forces to not to target any innocent persons," Mr.Quraishi added.

"We also appeal to the people of India to maintain peace and not to fall prey to the machinations of anti-national and divisive forces."

The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin, is a North American based grassroots organization, dedicated to socio-economic and educational development of Muslims and other underprivileged masses in India.


THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSLIMS OF INDIAN ORIGIN
Contact: AFMI, 29008, West Eight Mile Road, Farmington MI 48336, USA
Tel: 248-442-2364; Fax: 248-476-8926 Email: afmi11@aol.com; / www.afmi.org

Obama's US economic jolt

By Rob Reynolds in Chicago

Will Obama's team manage to calm markets more effectively? [GALLO/GETTY] Barack Obama, the US president-elect, is stepping into a yawning power vacuum in Washington DC in an unprecedented effort to restore confidence in the financial system. "The truth is, we don't have a minute to waste," Obama has said. "Right now, our economy is trapped in a vicious cycle: The turmoil on Wall Street means a new round of belt-tightening for families and businesses on Main Street – and as folks produce less and consume less, that just deepens the problems in our financial markets." Obama said the economy needs a "jolt" - a whopping stimulus package to put people back to work, fix the crumbling public infrastructure and develop clean energy sources. What he might have added is that the current president needs a jolt to wake him from his irresponsible slumber. Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/11/2008112518503190737.html

Obama Team Starts to Take Shape, May Include One-time Rival Hillary Clinton

Obama Team Starts to Take Shape, May Include One-time Rival Hillary Clinton Posted: November 25, 2008 PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION: PDF

The make up of President-elect Barack Obama's new administration began to emerge this week with his announcement of a new economic team and reports that former Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton could be named Secretary of State. President-elect Obama announced his choices for the top economic advisers in his administration, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, right, as the head of the National Economic Council. With more people losing their jobs, plummeting stock prices and further declines in the housing market, President-elect Barack Obama held a series of press conferences this week to show that his administration will "hit the ground running." Obama tackles the economy first Obama chose New York Federal Reserve president Tim Geithner to be his Treasury Secretary, an appointment that must be approved by the Senate. For the important position of Treasury Secretary, Mr. Obama nominated Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. Lawrence Summers, a highly respected Harvard economist who got into trouble several years ago for questioning why more women are not succeeding at math and science, will head the White House Economic Council. Read more: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec08/cabinet_11-25.html