NYC cops hunt man caught on film in bombing

US police have made "substantial progress" in investigating an attempted car bomb attack in New York city, US Attorney General Eric Holder said.

Mr Holder said police had established "good leads" into who parked the vehicle in Times Square on Saturday.

City Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier cast doubt on a claim by the Pakistani Taliban that it was behind the attempt.


Police have released CCTV footage of a white man seen removing his shirt near the scene and putting it in a bag.

Mr Holder told reporters he was confident the investigation would be successful "and the people responsible for that attempt will be found and brought to justice".

"We have some good leads," he said, referring to the CCTV images. "We are following a number of other leads as well."

He was also cautious about linking the incident to international terrorism and claims of responsibility by the Pakistani Taliban.

"I know that group in the past has claimed responsibility for incidents that [they] ultimately were not connected to," he said.

Experts say the device would have caused mayhem had it exploded.
Times Square was packed with tourists and theatregoers when a street vendor raised the alarm.
Investigators released a video of a man taking off his shirt, stuffing it into his bag and them walking off, looking in the direction of the car.

Although police are keen to find the man, New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly declined to call him a suspect.

Mr Bloomberg, speaking on ABC's Good Morning America programme, warned that the person on the tape may not become a suspect.

"There are millions of people that come through Times Square," he said.
"This person happened to be in a position in which a camera got a good shot of him, and maybe he had something to do with it but there's a very good chance that he did not. We're exploring a lot of leads."
He reiterated that there was "no legitimate evidence" of a link to al-Qaeda, the Taliban or any other militant group.

But he said he believed there was a good chance that the perpetrators would be caught.
"Working with the White House, working with Homeland Security, working with the FBI, all city agencies working together, there's a high probability that we will find out who did this and apprehend them," he said.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the FBI are examining hundreds of hours of security videotape from around Times Square, officials said on Monday.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told that nothing had so far been ruled out.

"Right now, every lead has to be pursued," she said. "I caution against premature decisions one way or another."

Investigators are still poring over evidence from the Nissan Pathfinder in which the homemade petrol and propane bomb was found.

The SUV's engine was still running and its hazard lights flashing when the alarm was raised.
Police evacuated a wide area of the district and closed subway lines, while a controlled explosion was carried out.

Officials said the bomb was crude, but could have sparked a "significant fireball".
Investigators said on Monday they had spoken to the registered owner of the SUV, but would not give details.

The car's registration plates did not match the Nissan and belonged to a car owner in the state of Connecticut. He told officers he had sent the plates to a scrap-yard.

The NYPD has been on constant alert since the 9/11 attacks of 2001.
Earlier this year, two men, one an Afghan immigrant, pleaded guilty to a plot to set off suicide bombs in the city's subway system.

And last year four New Yorkers went on trial accused of plotting to bomb synagogues in the city and fire missiles at military aircraft.

Peshawar market suicide bombing leaves many dead

A suicide bombing at a crowded market in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar has killed at least 23 people, police and officials say.

The bomb went off in the centre of the city as police watched over a protest rally against power cuts.
One of the city's most senior police officers was killed. No group has claimed the attack - the Taliban have carried out dozens of recent bombings.


Earlier, a bomb blast outside a city school killed a boy and wounded others.
Monday evening's explosion happened in Peshawar's Qissa Khawani (Storytellers' bazaar) soon after the end of a rally against soaring inflation and power shortages organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami party.
Both police officers and demonstrators were said to be among the dead.

Taliban militants will be suspected of carrying out the attack.
They have recently come under increasing pressure across north-west Pakistan, as the Pakistani military carries out operations against them.

Dozens of militants have been killed, but it is clear they still have the ability to carry out violent revenge attacks, our correspondent adds.

Hundreds of people have been killed in militant attacks across Pakistan since the military launched operations against the Taliban last autumn. Peshawar has borne the brunt of this violence.

Pune in shock at restaurant bombing

Pune, known as the cultural and educational capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, is in shock at the bombing of the German Bakery.

The restaurant is popular with students and tourists and was crowded when one of the waiters opened an unattended bag to see who it belonged to.

The following explosion destroyed the restaurant and the outdoor seating area, although the building above was left standing.

Another bag containing nearly 6kg of explosives was found nearby and is being examined for clues.

The German Bakery is in a plush, upmarket area of Pune, close to the Osho Ashram and the Jewish Chabad House.

There was a heavy police presence at the three Pune hospitals where the injured - most of them between 25-30 years old - were taken.

At Jehangir Hospital students gathered in anxious clusters to ask after their friends.

Thirteen of the injured were taken here. Two were later discharged after being treated for minor injuries.

"My friend Aditya Mehtra was admitted," said Yogesh, an engineering student.

"Students are always around the German Bakery - especially on a Saturday evening. We never felt anything in Pune but now it will change," he said.

He was told his friend was in the intensive care unit in a stable condition.

The government has offered compensation of about $10,700 (£6,800) for the families of those killed and has said it will pay for the treatment of all those injured.

Earlier alert

Outside the restaurant, a police constable said until now the citizens of Pune had felt safe and not worried about terror attacks.

"One incident is enough to alter the city. Now people will not have peace of mind. How did they manage to attack such a busy place in such an important area? Now after all these deaths it will get difficult. Pune is otherwise a laidback and relaxed city but now one does not know."

In the absence of anyone claiming responsibility for the attack, speculation has focused on Indian Mujahiddin, Jamat ud Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Questions are also being asked about an alert raised for Pune in October.

Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram has said David Headley, an American facing charges in the US for allegedly scouting targets for the Mumbai attack, had also surveyed Chabad House and Osho Ashram.