Tony Abbott ousted as leader of the Liberal party by Malcolm Turnbull

Mr Turnbull said he would challenge Mr Abbott after losing confidence in his management of the economy

Here are the latest updates:
● Malcolm Turnbull has won the ballot for leadership of the Liberal party with 54 votes to Tony Abbott's 44
● Mr Turnbull had resigned as Communications Minister
● Julie Bishop beats Kevin Andrews in deputy leader vote
● Party takes just 30 minutes to seal Mr Abbott's departure
● Aussies 'put out their onions' for widely derided leader

Tony Abbott, has been ousted as Australia's Prime Minister by senior cabinet minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Mr Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had earlier visited Mr Abbott's office to request a ballot for leader of the Liberal Party.
Having resigned as Communications Minister, Mr Turnbull told a press conference in Canberra ahead of the vote: "A little while ago I met with the Prime Minister and advised him that I would be challenging him for the leadership of the Liberal Party, and I asked him to arrange or facilitate a meeting of the party room to enable a leadership ballot to be held.
“This is not a decision that anyone could take lightly.
"It is clear enough that the government is not successful in providing the economic leadership that we need."
In his speech, Mr Turnbull outlined how he would differ from Mr Abbott as prime minister, by providing stronger economic leadership and open and accountable government. He also said he would value input from all quarters and move the debate towards "advocacy, not slogans".
Mr Abbott had said: "Australia needs strong government and that means avoiding all costs Labor’s revolving-door prime ministership.
"You can trust me to deliver a stronger economy and a safer community.
"The prime ministership of this country is not a prize or a plaything to be demanded. It should be something which is earned by a vote of the Australian people."
Taken fron Independent.co.uk

Read More

VAT protesters, Titumir BCL scuffle at Kakoli

 About 29 people are injured after anti-VAT demonstrators and Titumir College Chhatra League activists engaged in a standoff in Kakoli today. Photo courtesy: Prothom Alo

Star Online Report

About 29 people were injured after anti-VAT demonstrators and Titumir College Chhatra League activists scuffled at Kakoli today.
Titumir unit BCL claimed they were attacked by the VAT protesters while the demonstrating students said Chhatra League attacked them.
Banani police officer-in-charge (investigation) Sheikh Shahinur Rahman said there was a minor disagrement between Titumir College students. “It was nothing major”.
Titumir College Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Organising Secretary Mirajul Islam Mahfuz claimed it was the VAT protestors who attacked them. “We chased after them”.
According to him, Chhatra League activists were riding back to their campus in Mohakhali via bus. “The VAT protesters pelted stones on our bus.”
Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports that at least 29 people, mostly VAT protesters, were injured in the incident. Photos of the victims have been circulating in Facebook.
The daily Star

Read More

VAT on private universities withdrawn after mass protests

The daily Star Online Report

The government today decided to withdraw the 7.5 percent VAT imposed on private universities and medical colleges’ tuition fees in face of mass student protests.
The decision was announced in a notice issued from the finance ministry this afternoon.

“The government in no way wants to create obstacle in the educational institutions and cause troubles in people’s lives. Considering the issue from this angle, the government has decided to withdraw 7.5 percent VAT which was imposed on private universities, medical colleges and engineering colleges in the Fiscal Year 2015-16,” the press release reads.
The pull out took place after four days of student protests in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. Students all over greeted the decision with joyous rallies.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman said the government will withdraw the 7.5 percent VAT that was imposed on the tuition fees of private universities.

Students cheering after the government scrapped its decision to impose 7.5 percent VAT on private university and medical college tuition fees on September 14, 2015. Photo: Zahed Khan

“From now, there will be no VAT on the private universities' tuition fees. And it is a government decision,” he said.

The NBR chairman came up with the statement responding to a query during a press conference held at his office in Dhaka this afternoon.

The students have been demonstrating for withdrawal of the VAT since Thursday. Road blockades were put up that forced a lockdown in Dhaka on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and today.
ALSO READ: Demo hits Education
Meanwhile, students already pulled out their road blockades placed on key points in the capital soon after television channels broadcast the news around noon.
Talking to The Daily Star, an agitating student at Kakoli intersection in the capital, seeking anonymity, said they have decided to withdraw the road blockade following the government decision. 
Traffic movement has resumed along Uttara, Banani, Gulshan and Dhanmondi areas.
ALSO READ: VAT protest on, key Dhaka roads blocked again
The notice was issued around 3:30pm today, signed by finance ministry’s Senior Information Officer Shahedur Rahman. It hoped that the students would stop their protests now.
Yesterday, in face of protests, Finance Minister AMA Muhith hinted a softer stance regarding the VAT imposition and said the government’s decision in this regard “was not rigid”.
DHAKA STOPPED FOR FOUR DAYS
Anti-VAT demonstration spread like wildfire after police fired upon a demonstration of East West students last Wednesday. The next day, private university students poured into streets and stopped Dhaka on its tracks.

Carrying placards, a student demonstrate at Banani Chairmanbari to press for withdrawal of 7.5 percent VAT on private universities. The demonstrations blocking different major thoroughfares in Dhaka Sunday threw the city out of gear again. Photo: STAR

Compelled by the protests, the government “clarified” on Thursday that the VAT was to be paid by respective universities and “it would not be taxed from the students”.
ALSO READ: VAT illogical, educationists say
The students rejected the “explanation” saying they would be taxed eventually in one way or other and called a three-day strike. After Thursday, they blockaded Dhaka on Saturday, Sunday and today.
Protests spread in other parts of the country including Rajshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet where agitating students held demonstrations and blockaded roads in those four days.
TODAY’S PROTEST, BLOCKADE
The second day of strike kicked off with East West University students blockading Rampura bridge around 10:30am, Badda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Jalil said.
Asian, Shanto Marium, BGMEA and Uttara university students occupied House Building area in Uttara with large numbers around the same time.
Students of Stamford University, University of Liberal Arts, United International University and University of Asia Pacific blockaded Satmasjid road around 11:15am.
ALSO READ: The VAT confusion
American International University of Bangladesh (AIUB) students and those of other universities blockaded Kakoli in Banani area. They claimed they were attacked by Titumir College unit activists of ruling party’s student front Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Daffodil University and other university students occupied Dhanmondi 27 road and stayed for hours. They all left the streets after televisions broadcast the news of VAT withdrawal around noon.

Read More

Khaleda to leave for London tomorrow

Star Online Report

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will leave for London tomorrow for eye treatment.
BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan made the disclosure last night after the party chief held a 90-minute long meeting with senior party leaders at her Gulshan office in Dhaka.
She is scheduled to board on an Emirates flight at 9:30pm at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport tomorrow, Sayrul Kabir Khan, a staff of BNP chairperson’s media wing told The Daily Star.
She will be accompanied by her adviser Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Personal Secretary Abdus Sattar and a domestic help, party insiders said.
The visit would be a significant one, as Khaleda is expected to discuss crucial political issues with her elder son and party Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, who has been staying in London since 2008, they added.
During the visit, Khaleda would take Tarique's opinion on the formation of party's standing committee, executive body and committees of different associate organisations, and then make the final decision, according to BNP sources.
They said she would also discuss with him the issue of amending the party charter to create a new body for pro-BNP intellectuals.

Read More

Bangkok bombing: Thai police believe blast leader fled to Bangladesh on Chinese passport

"This man called Izan - and I don't know if this is his real name - is a very important person in this network. I don't know what his nationality is ... Let's just say Izan is one of the foremost wanted individuals," deputy police chief Chakthip Chaijinda said.

The man Thai police believe masterminded last month's deadly Bangkok bombing fled to Bangladesh the day before the attack and travelled on a Chinese passport, officials said on Wednesday.

The man emerged as a key suspect in the August 17 bombing following interrogation this week of one of two foreigners being held, who police say admitted to giving a backpack with explosives to a man they are certain was the bomber. The suspect told police a man called "Izan" played a lead role and assigned responsibilities to others plotters during a Bangkok meeting. "This man called Izan - and I don't know if this is his real name - is a very important person in this network," deputy police chief Chakthip Chaijinda said. "I don't know what his nationality is ... Let's just say Izan is one of the foremost wanted individuals."

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast at the Erawan Shrine, a tourist attraction close to hotels and shopping malls. Twenty people were killed, including 14 foreign tourists. Chakthip said police would be coordinating with Bangladeshi counterparts where the suspected leader had travelled on August 16. An immigration official said he had used a Chinese passport, but it was not known if it was authentic.

A K M Shahidul Hoque, inspector general of Bangladesh police said he was unaware of the new development. Thai police are no closer to establishing a motive for the bombing after weeks of conflicting theories and false leads. Arrest warrants have been issued for 11 suspects, but only two have been detained following raids that uncovered bomb-making materials.
National police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang reiterated the attack was "not an act of international terrorism".

The most progress has been a suspect admitting to delivering a backpack to a man caught on security footage leaving it at the shrine before the blast. Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri said his testimony revealed the mastermind had given directions to others using the instant messaging platform Whatsapp, but suspects' phones had left no trail.

Prawut said the perpetrators may have been human traffickers and the Chinese passport used by one suspect, which gave the western region of Xinjiang as birthplace, was likely to be genuine. The use of Chinese passports has raised speculation the attackers could be sympathisers of Uighur Muslims from Xinjiang, who complain of persecution.

Thailand in July forcibly returned 109 Uighurs to China, which denies persecuting the community. Seven of those killed in the blast were from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Wednesday, 9 September 2015 - 7:00pm IST | Place: Bangkok | Agency: Reuters 

Read More

`Yes, I had sex with Shahid Afridi'

ABP News Bureau

Tuesday, 08 September 2015 06:10 PM

New Delhi: In a thrilling  revelation , model-actress Arshi Khan who has accused self-styled godwoman ‘Radhe Maa’ of running a sex racket is dating Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi, according to a web portal.

If reports are to be believed, Arshi and Shahid spent a secret holiday in Dubai recently. The website also claimed that the duo  stayed together for two days at a 7-star hotel.
Also Read: Radhe Maa runs a sex racket: Model Arshi Khan  
Arshi Khan who hails from city of lakes, Bhopal, has now shifted to Mumbai and regularly visits Dubai every 2-3 months to meet Afridi.

Earlier, the model-actress denied having any relationship with the cricketer on Microblogging site Twitter. Arshi said, “Am not dating Shahid Afridi, we are very good friends. We met socially a few times, that’s all.”

Am not dating @SAfridiOfficial.V are good frns.V met socially a few times,that's all @ibnlive @aajtak @aajtaknews @abpnewshindi @abpnewstv

— Arshi Khan (@ArshiKOfficial) August 31, 2015

However, on Tuesday the model accepted her relation with Afridi on Twitter and posted, " Yes, I had sex with Afridi! Do I need the Indian media's permission to sleep with someone? It's my personal life. For me it was love."

Yes, I had sex with Afridi! Do I need the Indian media's permission to sleep with someone? It's my personal life. For me it was love.

— Arshi Khan (@ArshiKOfficial) September 8, 2015

Well, we can not tell what is right or wrong at present. Lets wait for Shahid's reaction on Arshi's claim. Reportedly, the model is one of the participants of controversial reality show Bigg Boss this season.

Read More

Singapore's M1 Extends Data Bundles to Six More Countries

Singapore's M1 which provides mobile and fixed services to over 2 million customers extends its local data bundles to five additional destinations: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The operator has already launched the service in six countries, including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the United States.
First launched in July, the M1 Data Passport value-added service will enable postpaid customers to use their data bundles in 11 overseas destinations (within its partners network) at a monthly subscription of S$10 per country. Customers who exceed their data bundles pay local excess data usage rates of S$10.70/GB, capped at S$188.32 per month. 

Subramaniam, Chief Marketing Officer, M1
Customers have told us how they appreciate our M1 Data Passport’s ability to enable them to enjoy the full mobile experience, the way they do at home. We hear them, and since the launch of the M1 Data Passport last month we have continued to further extend this service.

Read More