Coward, Inhuman, Evil, Heartless...... Those were the words that I used to describe the terrorist attacks that finally came to an end this morning after 59 hours of terror. This dastardly attack in Mumbai had cost the lives of many poeple including an innocent Singaporean, Singaporean first victim of terrorism. Singaporean strongly condemns the acts of terrorism against its people and the death of our fellow Singaporean gave us a wake-up call that the threat of terrorism is real and we should be alert all the time to prevent ourselves from being the next victim of terrorism. Nowhere in this world is safe so long as these evil creatures roam the planet. My sympathy goes the victim's family, husband and in-laws. May god be with you during this difficult period of time.

Battle for Mumbai ends, last militants killed


AFP - 1 hour 52 minutes ago

MUMBAI (AFP) - - Commandos have killed three holdout gunmen in Mumbai's Taj Hotel, bringing an end to a two-day Islamic militant assault on India's financial capital that left at least 155 dead, including 21 foreigners .
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The final attack on the historic seafront hotel was marked by heavy gunfire and loud explosions that triggered a fierce fire, as special forces units moved against gunmen who had held hundreds of security personnel at bay for three nights.

"All operations are over. All the terrorists have been killed," Mumbai police commissioner Hassan Gafoor said, 59 hours after the attacks began.

On Friday, elite troops had stormed a Mumbai Jewish centre and killed two gunmen -- but also found five dead Israeli hostages, including a US-based rabbi and his wife, who were murdered as the commandos closed in.

The other luxury hotel that was attacked, the Oberoi/Trident, was declared clear of militants late Friday, with scores of trapped guests rescued and 24 bodies found.

"They were the kind of people with no remorse -- anybody and whomsoever came in front of them they fired," an Indian commando said of the young gunmen who slipped into Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

The head of the commando forces, J.K. Dutt, said his men were conducting a final sweep of the battle-scarred Taj.

"We are now going through each and every room to make sure it is safe," Dutt said, appealing to any guests still hiding in the hotel to make themselves known.

"They must open their curtains so that our security forces can see inside and make sure there are only guests and no terrorist inside," he said.

Police officials put the death toll at around 155 people, with 327 others wounded. TV channels described the attacks as "India's 9/11."

The 21 foreigners killed included the Israelis, two Americans, two French nationals, two Australians, a German, a Japanese, a Canadian, a British Cypriot, an Italian and a Singaporean.

A government minister said the overall toll could rise as more corpses are recovered.

"Once the bodies are collected, the number of deaths might go up to 200," India's Minister of State for Home Affairs Sri Prakash Jaiswal told the Press Trust of India.

At least 11 militants were confirmed dead and one captured. Indian intelligence sources said the detained gunman had confessed to coming from Pakistan.

One group entered the city by boat, while others were believed to have been inside the city -- stockpiling arms and explosives -- well before the attacks were launched.

The crisis risked escalating into a major stand-off between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, with Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee saying that "some elements in Pakistan are responsible" for the assault.

A number of Indian officials suggested the militants were from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- notorious for a deadly assault on the Indian parliament in 2001 that almost pushed New Delhi and Islamabad to war.

But Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani insisted his country had "nothing to do with the attacks" and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi appealed to India not to get drawn into a "blame game" that could spark a dangerous confrontation.

The two countries have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Survivors have given terrifying accounts of the carnage in the hotels. Many said they hid in the dark for hours, barricaded in rooms or hiding under beds, inside wardrobes or bathrooms.

"I cannot believe what I have seen in the last 36 hours. I have seen dead bodies, blood everywhere and only heard gunshots," said Muneer Al Mahaj after he was rescued.

South African security guard Faisul Nagel was having dinner with colleagues at a restaurant in the Taj hotel when the assault began. They barricaded the restaurant and moved everyone into the kitchen.

"We basically put the lights off in the restaurant just to create an element of surprise. And we armed ourselves with kitchen knives and meat cleavers," he told AFP.

They ended up helping around 120 people escape -- including a 90-year-old woman who had to be carried in her chair down 25 flights of stairs.

Witnesses also said the attackers had specifically rounded up people with US and British passports.

Both the United States and Britain expressed condolences and offered to help investigate the assault on Mumbai, which has been hit by terror attacks before. Nearly 190 people were killed in train bombings in 2006.

US President George W. Bush said he was "deeply saddened," and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was sending police to help with the probe.

India's newspapers laid much of the blame at the door of the intelligence agencies, which they said had failed spectacularly in allowing a handful of gunmen to slip in by boat and wreak such havoc and devastation.

Hello again world! Miss me? Lol... It has been nearly 2 weeks since I posted my last entry and oh boy! I missed blogging.

Well, the past few days during my absence is quite routine. Yesterday, I had a karaoke session with some of my friends in Chinatown at night. Got lost finding the place... Gosh.... It's been more than 1 year since I sang and I had sore throats soon after. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the session very much. During the early part of the day, I went for my usual volunteer session at Sungei Buloh and I enjoyed it very much. There's nothing stronger than a heart of a volunteer. Hahaha..

Ok...Next Chapter....

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Thanks and hope to hear from you all soon.

Alright! This post was meant to be posted yesterday but while in the midst of typing, the page suddenly refreshed itself and the words went missing...DAMN IT! I have to retype all over again now....

Ok, Sunday was another great outing with my fellow friends for SP photography club. We travelled from Chinatown to Raffles Place by foot and took lots of photos along the way. The entire trip by foot lasted more than 4 hours. Although it was tiring, the fun that we had covered it up... Ok, I just came back from school and feeling kinda tired. Now, I shall let the photos do the talking...Enjoy

Alas...After months of debates between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, the latter emerged victorious. I've been following the election closely and I breathed a sigh of relief when Senator Obama was announced as the victor. It's about time that there will be changes to the world. It's about time that bloodshed ceases. It's about time that peace will be bestowed to the world. Congratulations to you Mr Obama! All the best in your presidency.

World hails Obama's 'brilliant' victory

World leaders hailed Barack Obama's triumph Wednesday in the US presidential election as the start of a new era but there were also calls for the global superpower to change the way it does business.

Celebrations erupted in capitals around the world. A national holiday was declared in Kenya -- where Obama's father was born -- to welcome the first black US president.

"Your brilliant victory rewards a tireless commitment to serve the American people. It also crowns an exceptional campaign whose inspiration and exaltation have proved to the entire world the vitality of American democracy," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a letter to Obama.

"By choosing you, the American people have chosen change, openness and optimism," added Sarkozy as a flood of congratulatory messages went to the 47-year-old senator on his historic victory over Republican candidate John McCain.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Obama's "energising politics... his progressive values and his vision for the future". German Chancellor Angela Merkel reinforced the importance her government put on "our transatlantic partnership."

China's President Hu Jintao said in a written message: "In a new historical era, I look forward to... taking our bilateral relationship of constructive cooperation to a new level."

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso pledged to work with the new US leader to strengthen relations.

Indian Premier Manmohan Singh called it an "extraordinary" victory and invited Obama to visit India and Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged Obama to visit the United States' southern neighbour.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Obama's victory was a landmark for equality.

"Forty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character," Rudd told reporters. "Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality."

But European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso called for the election to usher in a "new deal" between the United States and the rest of the world to tackle the global financial crisis and other troubles.

"This is a time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the United States of America," Barroso said in a statement. "We need to change the current crisis into a new opportunity. We need a new deal for a new world."

With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan heading White House priorities abroad, there were also calls for a change of tack on the US "War on Terror" launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"Our demand is the repetition of demands we have had since long ago and that is a change of the strategy of the war against terrorism," said Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The "'War on Terror' cannot be fought in Afghan villages... Afghanistan is the victim of terrorism," Karzai said.

Obama's election would not lead to a quick US disengagement from Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said.

"We don't think there will be change in policy overnight. There won't be quick disengagement here. A great deal is at stake here," Zebari told AFP, adding that Baghdad was looking for a "successful partnership" with Obama.

Israeli-US relations have "a bright future," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Ygal Palmor said. But Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas urged Obama to speed up efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

Election parties were held in major capitals around the world bringing together expatriate Americans and people anxious over events in the United States.

Hundreds of villagers in Kogelo, Obama's Kenyan family home, erupted into song and dance. President Mwai Kibaki declared a national holiday on Thursday to mark Obama's victory.

Swinging branches and chairs in the air, men cheered and clapped while women shouted "Obama! Obama!" in the village where his grandmother lives and where his late Kenyan father was born.

In Obama, an ancient fishing town on the Sea of Japan -- Obama means small shore in Japanese -- residents dressed in Hawaiian skirts did a hula dance in celebration, embracing Hawaiian-born Obama as one of their own.

"I'm so excited because Obama shares our town's name. But even if the town was called McCain I would still support Barack Obama," said 44-year-old dancer Masayo Ishibashi.

Hi friends! Sorry for my short absence from blogging as I've been too occupied lately.. Last week was another busy week and I am expecting this week to busy as well. Oh dear! Now is already the 4th week of school and I find it hard to understand most of the modules....God save me...Alright! The weather's been very unpredictable lately and it has been taking its toll on me....Having runny nose and headaches...Ok....This post is just sooo random..I will post again when I have the mood... Bye..