Foreigners among those targeted in New Zealand mosque attack
Christchurch: Several of those killed or wounded in the shooting rampage at two New Zealand mosques on Friday were from the Middle East or South Asia, according to initial reports from several governments.
The live-streamed attack by an immigrant-hating white nationalist killed at least 49 people as they gathered for weekly prayers in Christchurch. Another 48 people suffered gunshot wounds in the attacks.
Bangladesh's honorary consul in Auckland, Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan, told The Associated Press that "so far" three Bangladeshis were among those killed and four or five others were wounded, including two left in critical condition.
"One leg of an injured needed to be amputated while another suffered bullet injuries in his chest," Rahman Bhuiyan said. He declined to identify the dead or wounded.
Two Jordanians were among those killed, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Petra news service. Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufian Qudah had earlier said that a Jordanian man was killed and eight others were wounded.
Christchurch Hospital chief Greg Robertson said Saturday that seven of the 48 gunshot victims admitted after the shootings in had been discharged.
Robertson said a 4-year-old girl who had been transferred to an Auckland hospital was in critical condition and 11 patients who remained in Christchurch were also critically wounded.
"We have had patients with injuries to most parts of the body that range from relatively superficial soft tissue injuries to more complex injuries involving the chest, the abdomen, the pelvis, the long bones and the head," he said.
Many patients will require multiple operations to deal with their complex series of injuries, Robertson said. He said a 2-year-old boy was in stable condition, as was a 13-year-old boy.
Mohammed Elyan, a Jordanian in his 60s who co-founded one of the mosques in 1993, was among those wounded, as was his son, Atta, who is in his 30s. That's according to Muath Elyan, Mohammed's brother, who said he spoke to Mohammed's wife after the shooting.
Muath said his brother helped establish the mosque a year after arriving in New Zealand, where he teaches engineering at a university and runs a consultancy. He said his brother last visited Jordan two years ago.
"He used to tell us life was good in New Zealand and its people are good and welcoming. He enjoyed freedom there and never complained about anything," Muath told The Associated Press. "I'm sure this bloody crime doesn't represent the New Zealanders."
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said four Pakistanis were wounded, and Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted that five other Pakistani citizens are missing after Friday's attacks. Malaysia said two of its citizens were hospitalized, and the Saudi Embassy in Wellington said two Saudis were wounded.
India's high commissioner to New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, tweeted Saturday that nine Indians were missing and called the attack a "huge crime against humanity." Indian officials have not said whether the nine were believed to be living in Christchurch.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least three Turkish citizens were wounded in the attacks in New Zealand and that he has spoken to one of them.
Afghanistan's ambassador to Australia and New Zealand said two Afghans are missing and a third person of Afghan origin was treated and released from the hospital.
Two Indonesians, a father and son, were also among those shot and wounded, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said.
Nasir said the father is being treated at an intensive care unit and his son is in another ward at the same hospital. He declined to identify them.
The man's wife, Alta Marie, posted on Facebook that her husband and their son are both alive, but wounded.
Marie said that both were shot in the attack Friday at Christchurch's Linwood Islamic center.
"My husband was shot in multiple places and has a drain in his lung," she wrote on Facebook. She said she was with her son, who is "traumatized" after being shot in his back and leg.
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Shivakumar blames Centre for maize growers' problems in Karnataka
Bengaluru/Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday blamed the Centre for the maize growers' problems in the state.
Speaking to reporters on the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises in Bengaluru ahead of the Legislative session in Belagavi, he also took a dig at the BJP MPs for keeping mum on the issue.
"The Centre has to answer to the problems of North Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and I have taken some strong decisions pertaining to maize procurement which will burden the state government financially, but the Centre has not spoken a word on the issue and the BJP MPs have not raised their voice. Aren't they concerned about it," Shivakumar asked.
The Deputy CM also hit out at the Haveri MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai for not speaking on the matter.
"Bommai has said that the state government has to buy it, but what's Centre's share? Who decides the Minimum Support Price (MSP)? It's they (Centre) who decide MSP. They have not taken any decision yet," Shivakumar alleged.
He added that the state government will give compensation to the farmers, but the Centre is also responsible.
"Why hasn't Bommai raised the issue in parliament? Why he did not meet the PM and agriculture minister," he asked.
The maize growers have been demanding procurement at Rs 3,000 per quintal.
The current MSP is Rs 2,400 per quintal, and farmers are seeking a Rs 600 bonus. Ahead of the session, the state government announced increasing maize procurement from 20 quintals per farmer to 50 quintals at Rs 2,400 per quintal.
On irrigation related issues, Shivakumar said no one has done as much work as the Congress government has done in the history of the irrigation department of Karnataka.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, charged that the government has become so poor that it is not able to replace the crust gates of the Tungabhadra dam.
"While farmers are committing suicide, the government is in a jolly mood arranging breakfast meetings," Ashoka said while interacting with reporters in Belagavi.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said there is a need for discussion on the burning issues of the state during the winter session of the Karnataka Legislature.
"Farmers are in distress due to the bad policies of the state government. It also failed to fulfill its promise to create jobs for unemployed youths.Weavers are also facing challenges," the Shikaripura MLA told reporters in Belagavi.
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