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80 killed, 230 wounded in Kabul suicide bombing
Kabul:At least 80 people were killed and over 230 injured when Islamic State suicide bombers targeted a mass demonstration in the Afghan capital on Saturday.
IS fighters detonated explosive belts amidst a “gathering of Shi’ites” in Deh Mazang, said the group’s Amaq News Agency.
President Ashraf Ghani addressed the nation and condemned the attack that also claimed the life of at least one journalist, said Tolo News.
“I will get revenge on those who shed the blood of our citizens,” said Ghani.
He ordered Sunday be observed as a day of national mourning.
“Our enemies, by attacking civil liberties, think that they can divide us. But they will fail,” he said.
Ghani confirmed that one of three suicide bombers, who had joined demonstrators at the mass rally on Saturday, had been gunned down by security forces before he could detonate his explosives.
“I have directed a special commission and the attorney general to investigate the incident and find those responsible,” he said.
The incident took place as thousands of demonstrators gathered for a sit-in protest at Deh Mazang against the route of a planned power line project.
The Taliban militant group has denied any hand in the deadly attack. Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the group has no link with the explosions in Kabul city, calling it a move to create divisions among the people, said Khaama.com.
The Ministry of Interior on Saturday night confirmed the death toll had risen to 80 and that over 230 people were wounded.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the attack.
In a statement issued by the organization, it said the two explosions occurred at Dehmazang Circle in Kabul city “targeted a peaceful demonstration, causing horrendous levels of civilian harm”.
“This attack is particularly heinous because it targeted civilians as they exercised their rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression,” the statement read.
According to Tolo News, police said one suicide bomber detonated his explosives while the second person failed to explode his suicide vest. The third bomber was killed by security forces at the scene before he could detonate his vest.
Photographs and video footage taken by witnesses immediately after the blasts painted a horrific scene.
Hundreds of people, many covered in blood, were filmed running from the scene. Extensive damage was also caused to nearby buildings, said Tolo News.
The demonstrators had gathered in a protest organised by the Enlightening Movement over the planned route of the 500kV power line project that the Afghanistan government intends to roll out.
The project will see a new power line run from Turkmenistan through Salang to Kabul. The Enlightenment Movement wants the line to be routed through Bamiyan to Kabul, Tolo News reported.
Amnesty International has also condemned the attack.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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