Vishwaroopam screened in Lucknow amidst ‘peaceful’ protests
By TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent,
Qureshi community in Meerut angry over ‘political’ decision to raze slaughter house godown
By TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent,
PFI condemn Togadia statement of converting Gujarat into ‘Hindu’ state
By TwoCIrcles.net Staff reporter
Muslim bodies, civil rights groups condemn custodial murder of Khalid Mujhaid
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Several Muslim originations and rights bodies have condemned the ‘custodial murder’ of Khalid Mujhaid and demanded fair CBI probe.
Court rap over riots worries Mulayam, Akhilesh
By Mohit Dubey,
Lucknow: A Supreme Court rap over official carelessness and laxity vis-a-vis the Muzaffarnagar communal riots is bad news for the ruling Samjwadi...
Book released highlighting contemporary issues in Muslim community’s life
By TCN News,
Hyderabad: Prof. Kancha Illaiah director, Centre for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Studies, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) released a book Politics of Hatred authored by Kaneez Fathima, published by Indus Publication House, Hyderabad, on 30th March, Sunday at Press Club, Basheerbagh. This meeting was presided by Dr. G. Nagaraju, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Hyderabad Central University and the Guest of Honour was Mr. Lateef Mohammed Khan, Gen. Secretary, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee.
‘Loyalty’ vs new aspirations split Muslim voters in Delhi; BJP may be the ultimate...
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Muslims voters in Delhi appeared spilt between old loyalties with the Congress party and the new aspirations of youth, voiced by the Aam Aadmi Party.
Top IM operatives’ police custody extended
New Delhi : A court here Friday extended the police custody of top Indian Mujahideen suspects Tehsin Akhtar alias Monu and Pakistani national Waqas...
JIH promotes ‘going green’ on Environ Day
By TCN News,
New Delhi: On the occasion of World Environment Day, Jamate Islami Hind organized a rally comprising of JIH members and SIO students in Mumbai. The 30-strong rally began at the Islamic Centre at 4:30 in the evening and concluded an hour later at Nihal Corner, wounding through a 2 KM circle.
19 percent hike in allocation for minorities
New Delhi : A total of Rs.3,734 crore (Rs.37.34 billion) was Thursday allocated to the minorities affairs ministry, 19 percent more than the revised...
Cry for bringing peace in Assam’s BTAD through review of BTC
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: Slamming the Assam government for failing to protect the innocent people All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) demanded that the state government has no right to be in power. AIUDF also demanded that the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) under the leadership of Hagrama Mohilary should be reviewed for better law and order maintenance.
ABVP disrupts Teesta’s lecture on Gujarat violence at University of Hyderabad
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Communal polarisation won’t succeed in Kerala: PK Kunjalikutty
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Akbar Owaisi’s speech condemned
By TCN News
Hyderabad: Eminent citizens have come forward to register their condemnation on a recent speech of Akbaruddin Owaisi which can come under the category of “enticement to violence.”
National seminar on Maulana Azad’s vision for minorities in Patna
By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net
UP CM in Delhi, spoke of ‘assimilating’ minority
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Unidentified gunmen kill 18-year-old in Sopore
By IANS,
Srinagar : Unidentified gunmen late Tuesday night killed an 18-year-old boy in north Kashmir's Sopore town, police said here.
AMU students’ union VP on hunger strike for over a week against his suspension
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Vice President of Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union Taushif Alam is on a hunger strike for a week now, since March 13 over his suspension.
RTI query rejected in Bababudangiri case on grounds of ‘national security’
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Reactions of Muslim leaders from UP on Khalid Mujahid’s death
Hasan Rizvi, TwoCircles.net,
WPI criticizes interim rail budget, says it’s directionless and detrimental
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Welfare Party of India has criticized the interim rail budget introduced by union minister Mallikarjuna Kharge as disappointing and...
SIO celebrates world’s social justice day
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO), the students’ wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, commemorated the World Day of Social Justice, observed by United Nations on February 20. SIO formed a human-chain at the Jantar Mantar and appealed for social justice.
Country’s first Child Protection Day observed in Assam
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: Assam has showed the way to the country when it became the first state in India to observe Child Protection Day on Tuesday, March 4. Marked by celebrations across all the districts of the state, a central function was held at the TRP Indoor Stadium, Ulubari.
National Seminar on “Urdu Zaban Ki Tadrees” organized at Jamia
By TCN News,
New Delhi: The Academy of Professional Development of Urdu Medium Teachers (APDUMT), Jamia Millia Islamia in collaboration with National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) organized a National Seminar on “Urdu Zaban Ki Tadrees” on March 05-06, 2014.
‘Postpone elections, go back to ballot’
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are prone to ‘mass hacking’ and hence in order to “save democracy,” general elections should be postponed by few weeks and voting should be held through printed ballot papers. These are the demands raised by some civil society groups.
Modi’s lotus triggers row as millions vote in India
New Delhi : Some 83 million voted in 89 Lok Sabha constituencies across India Wednesday, a day an FIR was slapped against BJP's prime...
In first message as PM, Modi dreams of “strong, developed and inclusive India”
By TCN News,
New Delhi: In his first message on the official website of the Prime Minister, so timed that it was released just minutes after he took oath and his cabinet was still swearing in, the fifteenth PM of the country Narednra Damodardas Modi said that he “together dream(s) of a strong, developed and inclusive India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the cause of world peace and development.”
JKLF chief Yasin Malik arrested for poll boycott call
By IANS,
Srinagar : Yasin Malik, chairman of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, was arrested Saturday under the Public Security Act, police said. He is part of the separatists who have called for a boycott of the polls scheduled in the state.
On Oct 23, Malik had launched his poll boycott campaign from Hajin town in north Kashmir Hajin and asked people to stay away from the assembly polls, scheduled in the troubled state Nov 17 to Dec 24.
‘Suicide is un-Islamic, educate yourself instead’
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Fresh from a unique British exercise in bringing Muslim and Jewish students together, Indian-born inter-faith champion Lord Khalid Hameed says Muslim youths in both countries should reject terrorism and instead go in for education.
"There is absolutely no room for suicide (bombing) in Islam," said Hameed who has been visiting top British universities along with a group of like-minded parliamentarians, addressing challenging religious issues - an exercise he felt held important lessons for India too.
Kalyan-Mulayam friendship threatening SP’s unity
By Andalib Akhter, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has not only been receiving flak from Muslim leaders of his party and other secular parties for making friendship with former BJP leader and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh, the senior non-Muslim leaders within the SP too have lodged their protest over the issue.
PM challenges Advani’s ability to be PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday challenged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani's ability to rule India, saying his only contribution to "national welfare" was his role in the demolition of the Babri mosque.
Addressing reporters after releasing the Congress manifesto here, the prime minister went hammer and tongs at Advani, calling him an "opportunist". Manmohan Singh was asked to comment on the BJP leader's charge that he was a weak prime minister.
Girl set on fire for protesting harassment
By IANS,
Bhopal : A girl in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, who protested against harassment by four people, sustained 80 percent burns when they barged into her house and set her on fire Friday, police said.
"Four men, identified as Rakesh Kori, Brajesh Kori, Siaram and Nisar Mohammad, barged into the house of Ruksana (18), this (Friday) morning when she was alone, poured kerosene over her and set her ablaze," Chhatarpur Superintendent of Police (City) Sameer Yadav told IANS.
Ray of hope for Delhi’s most vulnerable
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
New Delhi : Noorjehan is all of 24 years. A widow with two young children and an ailing father-in-law to take care of, she scrubs floors and cleans people's houses for a living. She is however luckier than most others. Counted amongst the most vulnerable in the city, Noorjehan is assisted by the Delhi government and NGOs to avail herself of various welfare schemes that she had not even heard about earlier.
The quiet demeanour of Noorjehan, wearing her dupatta over her head and smiling, does not give away the stack of responsibilities on her frail shoulders.
Uttar Pradesh withdraws temporary ban on meat sales
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday hastily withdrew an order banning the sale of meat for nine days -- which would have coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- saying it had misinterpreted a 17-month-old Supreme Court order.
Realisation dawned on the Mayawati government after a hue and cry was raised by the UP Meat Sellers Association, which threatened to stage demonstrations and roadblocks to protest the order. Prominent Islamic clerics had also taken serious affront of the ban in view of Ramadan from Aug 22.
Court asks CBI not to leak Shopian probe details
By IANS,
Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to share details of its probe into the rape and murder of two women near Shopian with the media but reveal it only to the court.
"The CBI should not reveal anything to the press about the investigations part of the Shopian case and should present status reports to the court," a division bench of Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir observed.
The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), in which the local bar association is a party.
Goa police hunt for Israeli drug dealer’s Kazakh girlfriend
By IANS,
Panaji : Anti narcotics sleuths are tracking down the Kazakh girlfriend of an alleged Israeli drug peddler arrested in the coastal belt of north Goa for possesing durgs worth Rs 3.81 lakh.
The residence of David Graham alias Dudu was being searched for nearly 48 hours for documents related to his import export company, which police suspect was used to transport drugs out of India, a senior police official said Wednesday.
Five Afghan troops killed in suicide bombing
By DPA,
Kabul : A suicide bomber killed at least five Afghan troops in an attack on military convoy in eastern Afghanistan Wednesday, officials said.
The attack in south-eastern province of Paktika came a day after two NATO soldiers were killed in a similar suicide attack in the neighbouring province of Khost, the military said.
"Three Afghan army soldiers and two border policemen were killed in the attack," Daulat Zadran, the provincial police chief for Paktika, said. He said several others were wounded when the bomber targeted the combined forces in Bermal district.
Maoist threat to power plants in Orissa
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Security at power plants in Orissa has been increased after intelligence inputs of a threat from left-wing extremists, an official said Thursday.
"We have increased security for hydro and thermal power units. A few days ago we had discussed with home department how to beef up the security. We are ensuring the power plants remain secure," an official of the state energy department said.
Last December, Maoists damaged a valve house of the Balimela Hydel Power in Malkangiri district, affecting power generation. Malkangiri is about 600 km from here.
Ishrat encounter reconstruction highlights loopholes in cops’ version
By TCN Special Correspondent
CID probe ordered in blasts suspect’s custodial death
By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
NGOs denounce Mumbai blasts investigations for its ‘predetermined line’
By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
My son is innocent, claims Mumbai blasts suspect’s mother
By Zaidul haque, Twocircles.net,
Anna’s anti-corruption campaign: Viewpoints of regional press
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
SDPI to stage symbolic ‘dharna’ to protest action against whistle-blowers
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
ATS Mumbai arrests “key witness” in Mumbai blasts, seizes laptop, sim from Delhi
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Gujarat top cops told People’s Tribunal about Modi’s go-soft instruction
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
‘Media not free in Bihar’: Ruckus in Bihar Assembly over Katju remarks
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Ulema Council bites dust even in Azamgarh – its birthplace
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Israeli car blast: Kazmi moves bail application
By IANS,
New Delhi : Journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi, arrested for alleged involvement in the Israeli embassy car blast case, Friday moved his bail application in a Delhi court here.
Forbesganj killings ‘minor incident’: Bihar Govt. tells Supreme Court
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Abusaleh report debunks Modi’s claims of growth
Part 1 of the 2-part series on Gujarat's development
By Faraz Ahmad
Imam found murdered inside mosque in Kashmir
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar: In a gruesome incident unidentified persons today murdered an Imam (Muslim prayer leader) while performing prayers in a local Mosque at Hurpora in south Kashmir district of Shopian, late on Friday night.
The victim was apparently attacked by a sharp edged weapon from behind causing his on the spot death.
Egyptian, Saudi leaders meet in Sharm El-Sheikh
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held talks with Saudi King Abdullah in Sharm El-Sheikh on several regional and international issues.
They met soon after King Abdullah's arrival Tuesday in Sharm El-Sheikh where a summit was held Monday attended by leaders of Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
The talks between Mubarak and King Abdullah covered the outcome of the summit, the situation in Iraq, Lebanon, Darfur, the Iranian nuclear programme and bilateral relations.
UN secretary-general in Rome for Afghanistan conference
By DPA
Rome : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Rome Tuesday for the second day of an international conference to help Afghanistan establish a functioning rule of law.
Solidarity gets new leadership
Kozhikode : Solidarity Youth Movement (SYM), the vibrant youth organisation of Kerala working for creating social obligation among youth and thus to reconstruct the society on divine values has got new leadership for its 3rd term.
P. Mujeeb Rahman is the new State President. Mujeeb Rahman, the former general secretary of the organisation was State Secretary of SIO.
Bin Laden’s deputy calls for Pakistani uprising
By DPA
Washington : Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has called on Pakistanis to rise up against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf following the storming of a mosque in Islamabad.
Iran ready to consider direct nuclear talks with US
By RIA Novosti
Tehran : Iran is prepared to consider the UN nuclear watchdog's proposal to hold direct talks with the US on its controversial uranium enrichment program, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Sunday.
"The proposal by Mohamed El-Baradei (head of the International Atomic Energy Agency) needs to be studied closely. Possibly, the parties will discuss the proposal in the course of future negotiations," Hosseini said.
Foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt to visit Israel
By DPA
Amman : Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit are to visit Israel Wednesday to discuss re-launching the Arab-Israeli peace process in accordance with the Arab peace initiative, Jordan's ambassador to Israel Ali al-Ayed was quoted Friday as saying.
The two Arab ministers, acting as emissaries of the Arab League, will "relay the Arab peace plan to the Israeli government", al-Ayed was quoted as saying by the official Petra news agency.
Two guerrillas killed, six troopers wounded in Srinagar suicide attack
By IANS
Srinagar : Security forces gunned down two suicide attackers who stormed the heavily guarded battalion headquarters of a paramilitary force in the outskirts of the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital early Thursday.
The attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp took place close to the Zakura Police Station, 14 km from the main city centre Lal Chowk.
"The operation is over and both the attackers have been killed," Inspector General of CRPF S.K. Singh told IANS here.
Srinagar : Security forces gunned down two suicide attackers who stormed the heavily guarded battalion headquarters of a paramilitary force in the outskirts of the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital early Thursday.
The attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp took place close to the Zakura Police Station, 14 km from the main city centre Lal Chowk.
"The operation is over and both the attackers have been killed," Inspector General of CRPF S.K. Singh told IANS here.
Three killed, 25 injured in tourist bus blast
By IANS
Srinagar : At least three people were killed and 25 injured Sunday when an explosion rocked a tourist bus outside the Shalimar Garden here, but the police would not say what caused the blast.
Officials said the bus was carrying tourists from Gujarat but one of the three people killed was a Kashmiri girl who was accompanying the tourists.
Two others who died were also women but have not been identified. The injured were rushed to the Soura Medical Institute.
Mujib murder trial to resume after six years
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh's Supreme Court will Tuesday resume hearings into the 1975 assassination of the country's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after a gap of six years.
The Appellate Division will hear appeals against a Dhaka High Court verdict, delivered in 1998, which handed down death sentences to 12 former army personnel. Only five of the convicted are currently behind bars, one has died, and the rest are still at large.
US downplays Musharraf pullout from Kabul ‘jirga’
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The US is seeking to underplay the decision of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to pull out from a Washington-brokered peace conclave in Kabul amid reports of an impending state of emergency in Islamabad.
US media reports suggested that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to Musharraf in the early hours Thursday in Pakistan to allay fears that its key ally's absence from the high-profile meeting reflected divisions in the "war on terror".
US army reports killing, arrest of 18 terrorists in Iraq’s Sadr City
By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The US Army in Iraq reported that Coalition Forces captured 13 suspected terrorists with ties to extremist militia Special Groups in a pre-dawn raid Sunday in Sadr City.
The statement on the MNF website said Coalition Forces conducted the raid to capture or kill highly-sought weapons facilitators with connections to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Sikh shrine in Lahore “taken over by hooligans”
By IANS
Lahore : An 18th century Sikh shrine in Naolakha Bazaar here has been "taken over by a group hooligans" and the government is "hesitating to take action" against the Muslims who have locked the Sikhs out, Daily Times said Tuesday.
It said the government's action was "almost like the way Islamabad hesitated over the Lal Masjid affair," and asked if President Pervez Musharraf was "aware of the potential danger in this development."
Jordan strikes energy deal with Iraq, Egypt
By NNN-KUNA
Amman : Jordanian Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Khalid Shreidah has announced that the Iraqi government has agreed to supply oil to Jordan up to 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) and that Egypt has also agreed to increase exports of natural gas to the kingdom.
In a press statement Thursday, Shreidah said that the first delivery of Iraqi oil was expected to arrive at refineries in Jordan's Zarqa city within a few days, indicating that Jordanian trucks would rendezvous with Iraqi oil transporters near the borders.
Scholars, politicians condemn Indian Muslim delegation’s visit to Israel
New Delhi, Sept 6, IRNA, Member of Parliament and a Muslim leader Obaidullah Khan Azmi condemned Thursday the recent visit of a non-government delegation of India to Israel as an inhuman and deceiving act towards Muslims world, particularly, over the Palestinian issue.
While talking to IRNA in a telephonic interview from Vishakhapatnam, the port city of Andhra Pradesh, he said: "It makes no sense in talking to the regime which is occupying the Palestinian land. Isreal must withdraw from Palestine and respect Palestinian's rights."
Bahrain circuit offers gift-card packages for Gulf
By DPA
Sakhir (Bahrain) : Bahrain's Formula One circuit - the first in the Middle East to host a Grand Prix - is making a bid for a larger share of the Gulf's growing motor sports business with a new marketing plan.
The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) located outside the capital Manama, is making the move as competition from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) heats up.
Iran, Iraq should establish Islamic common market – Rafsanjani
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : New Chairman of the Assembly of Experts and Head of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has said that success of Iran and Iraq in expanding mutual cooperation would lead to laying the cornerstone of an Islamic common market.
Rafsanjani made the remark in the opening ceremony of the first international conference on "Reconstruction of Iraq's Economy, Assessment of Investment Opportunities, Exports of Goods and Commodities, Methods to Guarantee Turn-over of Investors' Capitals" here Sunday.
Sacked Hamas PM wants to hold talks with Abbas
By Xinhua
Gaza : Ismail Haneya, prime minister of the sacked Hamas unity government, intends to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fatah faction in Saudi Arabia, Haneya's office said.
Haneya made his proposal in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdel Aziz, Haneya's office said Monday.
Since the violent seizure of the Gaza Strip in mid June, Hamas has offered several times to resume contacts but Abbas refused to open dialogue with the Islamic movement unless it gives up the rein of Gaza it took from Fatah.
Syria denies U.S. media reports on Israeli warplanes attack
By Xinhua
Damascus : A Syrian official on Wednesday denied U.S. media reports that Israeli warplanes intruded Syrian airspace last week and attacked weapons for the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement inside the Syrian territories.
The official, who declined to name himself, made the denial in an interview with the Lebanese Manar television station.
The U.S. media reports were not correct, which aimed at diverting the public attention to the Israeli invasion against a sovereign state, the official said.
Climate change hurting Pakistan’s environment
BY NNN-APP
United Nations : Pakistan reaffirmed its deep commitment to global efforts to mitigate the adverse effects climate change at the largest-ever gathering of world leaders on the phenomenon at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.
“Climate change is causing irrevocable damage to Pakistan, with tremendous social, environment and economic impacts,” Environment Minister Mukhdoom Syed Faisal Hayat told the participants, top officials from over 150 nations, including 80 heads of State or Government.
Judicial probe into Rizwanur’s death withdrawn
By IANS
Kolkata : Bowing to public opinion, the West Bengal government Friday withdrew the judicial inquiry into the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman, arguing that it would only overlap with the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Cabbie tips off police on possible terror suspects
By IANS
Mumbai : A five-star hotel, a major public hospital, a Hindu temple and two Muslim holy places in the city could be targeted by terrorists, according to a tip-off by a taxi driver to the Mumbai Police.
The police went on a state of high alert Friday following the cabbie's description of four unknown people, including a burqa-clad woman, who hired his vehicle for two days and went around the city visiting certain locations.
US troops claim sozens of Taliban killed in Afghanistan
By NNN-KUNA
Kabul : Dozens of Taliban militants were killed in two separate operations in the restive southern region of Afghanistan, the US-led coalition forces claimed on Sunday.
In the first engagement, more than six dozen rebels were eliminated in crossfire and precision airstrike in Musa Qala, the district in Helmand province.
Musa Qala is considered a stronghold of Taliban militants. Last year, the militants and the tribal elders of the district had agreed upon a deal that both Taliban and the NATO troops would stay away from the main town of Musa Qala.
Maoists in CRPF uniform kill five in Chhattisgarh
By IANS
Raipur : About 200 armed Maoist rebels, a majority of them women, clad in paramilitary force fatigues shot dead five special police officers (SPOs) and critically wounded three others Monday in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
The Maoists were wearing the uniform of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) when they attacked the SPOs at Pamulvaya village, about 500 km south of Raipur and seven km from Bijapur town, the district headquarters.
Youth claims to have seen Rizwanur being abducted
By IANS
Kolkata : A 29-year-old man has claimed he had seen some people abducting Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman from somewhere in north Kolkata on Sep 21, the day his body was found with head smashed.
"I saw two Ambassador cars abducting Rizwanur on that day as he got out of a cab. It was before the Khanna cinema hall, at the bus stop, and the time was around 10 a.m.," said Indranil Ghosh at the studio of Bengali TV channel Tara Newz Saturday.
Ghosh also went to the spot and described what he saw.
Indian-owned jeweller’s shop burgled in Britain
By IANS,
Leicester (Britain) : In the second such incident within a week, an Indian-owned jewellery shop in the city’s Belgrave Road was robbed of goods worth thousands of pounds, a media report said Wednesday.
Jitendra Vaitha of Bipin Jewellers said he saw how the robbery took place on the CCTVs installed outside and inside the shop.
The gang used a heavy duty cutter to slice through the security shutters of the shop late Monday night and entered the shop by breaking the toughened glass window with a sledge hammer.
ULFA intelligence network busted, three held
By IANS,
Guwahati: Security forces Saturday killed an ULFA militant and busted one of its intelligence networks by arresting three college student members, officials said.
Police said the three militants were tech savvy and worked for Paresh Baruah, the elusive commander-in-chief of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
They were entrusted with sending e-mails and fax messages to the media and other organisations, besides acting as spies for Baruah.
Al-Qaeda chief in Pakistan dies in U.S. drone strike: TV
By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani media reported that al-Qaeda chief in the country, Sheikh Al-Fatah, has been killed in a U.S. drone attack in North Waziristan tribal region.
Faisal’s death in Bangkok: Family sad with apathetic attitude of Indian embassy
By TCN Staff Reporter,
11 killed, 104 injured in Iraq car bombings
By DPA,
Kirkuk (Iraq) : At least 11 people were killed and 104 injured Wednesday in three car bombings in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, security and medical sources said.
Court acquits 7 ‘terrorists’, seeks stern action against police officers
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Slumdog Millionaire’s Rubina Ali lost her Oscar trophy in Mumbai fire
By Danish Reyaz, for TwoCircles.net,
Home ministry justifies bail in Mecca Masjid blast
New Delhi: The home ministry on Tuesday justified the bail granted to two accused in the Mecca Masjid blast of May 2007.
"The government did...
Kashmir to commemorate flood anniversary by observing a shutdown on September 7th
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter
Srinagar : Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), an amalgam of various trade associations has called for a complete shutdown ...
US worried about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The United States is said to be worried about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal following the imposition of emergency rule by President Pervez Musharraf in apparent defiance of Washington.
While Musharraf had cited his need to combat growing extremism in Pakistan, editors of Foreign Policy magazine published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading US think tank, noted it's also a country with a violent history of coups, political instability, and nuclear weapons.
Commonwealth meets on Pakistan amid signs of compromise
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : Commonwealth foreign ministers began a meeting here Monday to decide whether or not to suspend Pakistan amid signs that they would defer the decision to allow President Pervez Musharraf more time to take steps to restore democracy.
Senior London-based diplomats said the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) - a key group that decides what to do with persistent violators of democracy and human rights in the 53-nation group - was likely to take cognisance of Musharraf's statement Sunday promising elections by Jan 9 next year.
Abbas wishes for success of Mideast talk
By Xinhua
Ankara : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday asserted commitment to success of a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference to be held in Annapolis later this month, pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV channel reported.
Abbas made the remarks during his speech at the Turkish parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
The Palestinian leader warned that any attempts to sabotage this conference will have negative impact. He said the city of Jerusalem plays key role in settlement.
Martial law due to parliament’s failure: Pakistan chief justice
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has said failure on the part of lawmakers has led to martial law in the country.
Dogar Tuesday heard petitions against the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) and emergency rule imposed by President Pervez Musharraf on Nov 3.
"Parliament's failure has given way to martial law," Dogar said while responding to petitioner barrister Zafarullah Khan's argument that the reasons cited by Musharraf for imposing emergency rule could have been placed before the parliament for a solution, the Daily Times reported.
Benazir allows candidates to file nominations
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto Thursday allowed her party candidates to file nomination papers for the Jan 8 general elections as Pakistan's opposition appeared divided over the issue of boycotting the polls.
"Yes the party chairperson has asked the candidates to file nomination papers, while we are yet to take a final decision," spokesperson for Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Farhatullah Babar told IANS as other opposition parties cautiously criticised the decision.
Taslima herself wanted to go to Jaipur: associate
By Sujoy Dhar, IANS
Kolkata : Sundeep Bhutoria, a social activist and businessman now in the limelight for facilitating Taslima Nasreen's passage to Rajasthan after rioting in Kolkata over her stay in India, said he acted at the request of the controversial Bangladeshi writer and not any government.
Sharif to return again, but now as Musharraf ally?
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Waving green flags, carrying portraits and chanting slogans, hundreds of people are heading towards Lahore where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would be landing Sunday after seven years of exile in Saudi Arabia and Britain.
This would be his second attempt to enter the country after he landed on Sep 10 from London and was sent back to Saudi Arabia from the airport.
Slower than expected take-up of Islamic mortgages in UK
London, Nov 29, IRNA , The British market for Shariah-compliant mortgages has failed to grow as fast as expected as many Muslims remain unaware or suspicious of products, according to the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
The FSA said in a new report on Islamic finance that the market had grown to only Pnds 500 million (Dlrs 1 bn) and was still dwarfed by the Pnds 1,100 bn value of mainstream mortgages.
The regulatory body said there had been expectations of much faster expansion in the market when the first banks began offering the products four years ago.
Coalition forces kill five militants in Afghanistan
By Xinhua
Kabul : US-led coalition forces have killed five Taliban extremists, one of them a senior commander, in an operation in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, a coalition statement said Monday.
"Several militants were killed in an operation Sunday targeting Taliban command-and-control networks in the area," the statement said.
In an air strike in the Musa Qaleh district, the coalition forces destroyed a vehicle and killed all the five occupants, including one presumed to be a senior Taliban commander, the statement said.
Syria demands right of home-visiting for Golan families
By Xinhua
Damascus : Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Tuesday demanded the international community to pressure Israel to allow the Syrian families in the occupied Golan Heights to visit their relatives in their motherland.
Muallem made the demand in letters to UN Secretary General, current President of the European Union, Chairman of the Human Rights Council and the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, the official SANA news agency reported.
Abbas: Peace negotiations face obstacles
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas revealed on Sunday that peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians "are facing obstacles, mainly settlements."
Israel and the Palestinians agreed in Annapolis peace conference held in late November to launch talks on final status issues, which are supposed to end up with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Iran’s first home-made nuclear power plant to be operational in 9 years
·The power plant "is scheduled to come online by the (Iranian) year of 1395..."
·The conceptual design of the plant started two years ago and was completed last year.
·The detailed design is expected to be completed by the middle of the Iranian year 1387.
By Xinhua
Russia hopes to complete talks on Libya’s debt in January
MOSCOW, December 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia hopes to complete talks on settling Libya's Soviet-era debt in January 2008, a government source said.
According to official data, Libya's debt to Russia stood at around $3.5 billion as of January 1, 2006.
"We are hoping to finalize the debt talks [with Libya] in January," a source in the Finance Ministry said, adding that the previous round of negotiations was held in December but the sides did not reach an agreement at the time.
Rizwanur murder accused seek more time from court
By IANS
Kolkata : Two Kolkata Police officers and city-based industrialist Ashok Todi Friday asked for more time from the Calcutta High Court to file their affidavits on the mysterious death of Muslim youth Rizwanur Rahman.
Justice Dipankar Dutta adjourned the hearing of the case for five weeks with both Todi - who is also the father-in-law of the victim - and senior police officers Gyanwant Singh and Ajay Kumar, accused of harassing Rizwanur after his marriage to Todi's daughter Priyanka, failed to file their affidavits.
Job quota for minorities, seminary board on cards
By IANS
New Delhi : The minorities can look forward to education and job reservations, while a system to modernise madrasas was also on the cards, the Congress-led government indicated Wednesday.
Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the government was exploring ways for providing more education and job reservations for minorities.
Opposition stalls Jammu and Kashmir assembly session
By IANS
Jammu : Proceedings of Jammu and Kashmir's assembly were stalled again Monday as opposition National Conference members reiterated their demand of removal of two ministers for their alleged corrupt practices in the forest department.
ULFA’s hijacking plot thickens, Air Deccan employee arrested
By IANS
Guwahati : An Air Deccan employee was arrested and a rights leader detained Monday by police in Assam, even as intelligence officials questioned an advocate, after a plot by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to hijack a plane unravelled.
A police spokesman said an Air Deccan employee based in Guwahati, Sumon Dutta, was arrested and is now being interrogated by special teams of police and intelligence officials on charges of alleged nexus with the ULFA.
Urdu is language of masses: I.K. Gujaral
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Urdu is the language of masses and the language of history and culture, said I.K. Gujaral, former prime minister of India, in a seminar in New Delhi yesterday.
Congress wants alliance with Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in Bengal
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Kolkata: Impressed with the electoral significance of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) in Assam, the West Bengal unit of the Congress Party is trying to forge an alliance with the organization as the panchayat election is approaching.