Briefly World

First turbaned Sikh in UK Parliament

LONDON: Dr Indarjit Singh,the director of a charity linking several Sikh organisations in the UK,has become the first turbaned Sikh member of the British Parliament. I am delighted to be the first turbaned Sikh in Parliament. It is an honour for the whole Sikh community, said Singh,the director of the Network of Sikh Organisations NSO. Recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission,the 79-year-old will sit in the House as an independent.

David Petraeus takes over as CIA chief

WASHINGTON: David Petraeus was on Tuesday sworn in as the chief of the CIA. Petraeus,58,who succeeds Leon Panetta,now the defence secretary,hung up his army uniform less than a week ago after a 37-year military career to take on the new role.

Doctor who helped CIA barred from leaving Pak

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani commission investigating the US raid on Osama bin Laden has banned a Pakistani doctor who assisted the CIA before the operation from leaving Pakistan. Dr Shakil Afridi ran a phony vaccination programme in the Pakistani town where the al-Qaeda leader was believed to be living in an effort to obtain a DNA sample from him.