Mumbai blasts: Blind rush among probe agencies to nab “Muslims”
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Ex-BJP CM, eminent citizens demand governor’s intervention in Gujarat
By TCN Special Correspondent,
OIC condemns Delhi blast
By IANS/WAM,
Jeddah : The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned the bombing at the Delhi High Court that killed 13 people and injured 96.
Interview: Malayalam daily Madhyamam’s Editor on Anna’s movement
By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
Swamy files FIR against Sonia Gandhi for “inciting hatred against Hindus”
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Sharmila’s fast enters 12th year, Solidarity meetings world-wide
By TCN Special Correspondent,
Ready to support any Muslim for chief minister’s post: Raja Bundela
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
40 Muslim youths arrested for ‘moral policing’ in Nizamabad
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
23 injured in Kashmir bus accident
By IANS,
Srinagar : Twenty-three passengers were injured, five of them seriously, when a bus slipped off a road and fell into a gorge in north Kashmir Tuesday.
Great walls of states restrict regional satraps’ ambition
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad Muslim groups approach SHRC against police ‘actions’
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Thackeray wants Aamir show telecast in Karnataka
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Tuesday asked the Karnataka government to allow the telecast of Bollywood star Aamir Khan's maiden television show "Satyameva Jayate".
I don’t want people to think that military rule has come: AMU VC
By Jasim Mohammad
Recently-appointed as Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameeruddin Shah talks to Jasim Mohammad about his plan for the university.
‘MP Government violating Supreme Court order on RTE Act’
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
‘Assam violence is an ethnic conflict with roots in history of the state’
By S M Fasiullah for TwoCircles.net
Hyderabad: Indian democracy has suffered many blows, including the recent ethnic violence in Assam that caught attention of both public and intellectuals.
Who will speak for me if I belong to Pakistan’s Minority Community?
By Abdul Hafiz Gandhi,
Shaheen Bagh: Bid to pick Kazmi’s relative foiled; Hundreds come out to protest
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
‘Conspiracy’ behind denying passports specific to Muslim Youths in Malabar
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Keeping her poll ‘promises’ WB CM announces largesse to Muslims
Mamata: Aliah University will soon become one of the best
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Coffee Inn Art Community organises rose event for ‘our beloved’ Prophet
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Pakistan’s Official: Musharraf to doff uniform by Dec. 1
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that he will quit as army chief before Dec. 1, the government's top lawyer said Thursday.
"The president has said that he will give up his uniform before Dec. 1," Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum told a news conference.
Qayyum said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan would decide on Musharraf's re-election case next week.
Guerrilla commander killed in Kashmir encounter
By IANS
Srinagar : A top commander of the Harkatul Mujaheedin (HuM) militant outfit was Friday killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, police officials said.
Sajad alias Chacha, division commander of HuM, was gunned down by troops of the 18 Rashtriya Rifles, 10 Para regiment and Special Operations Group (SOG) during a joint operation at Shokbagh, 64 km from here in north Kashmir's Bandipore district.
US commander rules out military strike against Iran
By DPA
Cairo : The chief of the US Central Command Admiral William Fallon Sunday ruled out a possible strike against Iran and said Washington was mulling non-military options, instead.
"There are concerns in the region over Iran's behaviour and its radical talk that is constantly threatening other people. We are trying to find ways to work with other countries to get the Iranians to change their behaviour and to be more helpful," Fallon told reporters in Cairo.
PLO official: Abbas, Olmert may meet on Monday
By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were likely to meet on Monday, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) said on Sunday.
"This meeting will address the obstacles that face the Palestinian-Israeli talks," Yasser Abed Rabbo of the PLO's executive committee told Voice of Palestine radio.
The talks were in preparation for a U.S.-hosted peace conference, initially expected by the end of this month, in Annapolis in the United States.
RSP slams West Bengal government on Taslima issue
By IANS
New Delhi : In yet another sign of fissures in West Bengal's ruling Left Front coalition, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) Friday condemned the state government's decision to send exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen to Rajasthan.
"It is a condemnable decision to send her to Rajasthan," RSP leader Abani Roy told reporters, adding that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharya "should not have allowed this to happen".
Politics takes over day after Uttar Pradesh blasts
By IANS
Lucknow : The blame game has begun in Uttar Pradesh, a day after serial terror bombings in three towns killed 13 people, with opposition parties Saturday training their guns on the Mayawati government while a cracker going off in Mughal Serai, near Varanasi, led to panic for a while.
The cracker that went off in Mughal Serai Saturday morning led to panic.
Musharraf to take oath as president Nov 29
By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pervez Musharraf will take oath as Pakistan president for a second 5-year term Nov 29, TV channel Dawn News reported Monday.
Officials were quoted by the report as saying that the Defence Ministry would notify the retirement of Gen Musharraf as Chief of the Army Staff a day before the oath taking.
The oath taking ceremony will be held at Islamabad and Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar will administer the oath of office and secrecy, the report said.
With Indian help, Bangladesh mulls long-term disaster management
By IANS
Dhaka : With a helping hand from India, Bangladesh wants to discuss organising and funding of long-term disaster management measures, especially in the Bay of Bengal, with all nations and agencies that are its development partners.
The idea, media reports said, is to confront a common problem. Hurricane Sidr that hit Bangladesh Nov 15 had brushed past the Indian territory before devastating Bangladesh's coastal areas, moving north and then to northeast towards India's Meghalaya and Tripura provinces.
Car bombing kills two in Iraq
By Xinhua
Baghdad : At least two people were killed and 10 injured in a car bomb explosion in Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad Wednesday, a local police source said.
"A car bomb parked near the Samir Restaurant on a main road in Kirkuk exploded near a passing Kurdish soldiers' convoy," the city police chief told Xinhua.
The blast apparently targeted Kurdish Peshmerga forces guarding a police chief, but missed its target, killing at least two people and wounding ten, he said.
Hamas: Participants in annapolis responsible for catastrophe in Gaza
By NNN-PIC
Gaza : The Hamas Movement has affirmed on Dec 6 2007 that all participants in the recently concluded Annapolis conference in the United States will be held responsible for any human catastrophe that might occur in the besieged Gaza Strip as a result of the escalated Israeli aggressions and the harsh measures against the Palestinians there.
Priyanka blames Rizwanur’s brother for tragedy
By IANS
Kolkata : Priyanka Todi, wife of graphics designer Rizwanur Rahman who died under mysterious circumstances here Sep 21, Saturday blamed her brother-in-law Rukbanur for the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
It’s back to ABCs for Pakistan political parties
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Political parties in Pakistan seem to be flaunting their knowledge of the English alphabet. While the manifestos of two parties are based on five Es and Ds, another party is to unveil a list of poll promises focussing on five Rs.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) announced its manifesto based on five Ds - Democracy, Development, Devolution, Diversity and Defence.
At least four killed in Lebanon blast
By DPA
Beirut : At least four people, including Brigadier Francois al-Haj of the Lebanese Army, were killed and several wounded Wednesday morning in an explosion in eastern Beirut near the presidential palace, the Red Cross said.
An army source said al-Haj was one of the candidates to succeed the army commander General Michel Suleiman, who has been nominated by the ruling coalition and opposition to contest in the presidential elections in Lebanon.
Blair calls for Palestinian-Israeli action to reach agreement within certain time
By Xinhua
Cairo : Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair called Friday for an action to reach an political agreement between the Palestinians and Israel within certain time, reported Qatar's al-Jazerra satellite news channel.
Blair, who is currently on a tour in the Middle East region seeking to speed up the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, made the call in an interview with al-Jazerra.
The Palestinian and Israeli sides should not take any measures that could hinder the final status negotiations, Blair told al-Jazerra.
One killed in Kashmir protest over college
By IANS
Srinagar : One person was killed and at least eight were wounded Saturday when police fired at an unruly mob in a north Kashmir town demanding a degree college there.
Scores of people came out in Magam town, 25 km from here, in Badgam district and blocked traffic.
"The protesters also pelted stones on passing traffic and torched a government bus," a senior police officer said here.
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.
WHO commends Kingdom’s efforts in serving pilgrims
By IRNA-SPA
Mina : The World Health Organization (WHO) commended the efforts exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, and the wise government to serve pilgrims and provide them with security.
This came in a cable sent by WHO Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hussein AlJazaeri to the Minister of Health Dr.
Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manea.
Turkish air strikes kill 175 Kurdish rebels
By Xinhua
Ankara : At least 175 rebels of the separatist Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in air strikes by Turkish planes in northern Iraq on Dec 16, a Turkish Army statement said Tuesday.
It said that Turkey's military has hit more than 200 PKK positions in northern Iraq since Dec 16, killing hundreds of rebels.
Turkish planes carried out strikes at some villages near the border in the Qandil mountains Dec 16.
The military said other hideouts were hit in a cross-border air operation Dec 22 followed by artillery fire.
219 Indonesian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia
By Xinhua
Jakarta : The Indonesian government said Wednesday some 219 pilgrims from the country on way to Mecca and other holy places of Saudi Arabia have died since the annual haj pilgrimage began Nov 19.
Most of the deaths took place after the annual ritual at the Arafat and Mina deserts started last week. The high number of casualty has become a major concern for the government, Jakarta said.
Within a week, the death roll increased from 99 to 219, according to a statement from the Indonesian ministry for religious affairs.
Pakistan poll to be postponed: Election Commission
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to postpone the Jan 8 polls in view of the situation in the country after the murder of former prime minister Benaqzir Bhutto and will announce new dates for national and provincial assembly elections on Monday, a senior official of the commission told IANS.
"Today in an informal meeting the senior officials of the ECP discussed the situation and unrest in the country and concluded that elections will have to be postponed," said the official requesting anonymity.
US welcomes British help in Bhutto murder probe
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The US has welcomed Islamabad's decision to seek British help in probing the assassination of former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto and suggested that a UN investigation was unnecessary.
"The Pakistanis have just made a decision to ask Scotland Yard to get involved, and we think that that's appropriate. We welcome that," White House spokesperson Dana Perino told reporters Wednesday. "We don't see a need for an investigation beyond that at this time.
King Fahd Complex for Holy Quran excels in its mission
By SPA
Madinah : King Fahd Complex for Printing the Holy Quran is devoted to the service of the Holy book and the Prophet's (May Peace be Upon Him) Teachings. It also received all attention and care of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Erekat: Israel’s settlements, checkpoints in W Bank harm Mideast peace process
By Xinhua
Gaza : Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Thursday that Israel's settlement activities and the remaining army checkpoints in the West Bank harmed the Middle East peace process.
In an interview with Voice of Palestine radio, Erekat said the continuation of settlement activities in the West Bank harmed the peace process and delayed the progress of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks that were relaunched in November 2007.
Maoist guerrilla critically injures policeman in Orissa
By IANS
Malkangiri : A policeman was critically injured after a suspected Maoist guerrilla allegedly attacked him in Orissa's Malkangiri district, police said Tuesday.
The guerrilla allegedly attacked S.K. Barik, an assistant sub inspector, with an axe late Monday, district superintendent of police Satish Kumar Gajbhiye told IANS.
The incident occurred in a crowded place near the police station in Kalimela town, about 700 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.
Deport Rushdie, says Samajwadi Party
By IANS
Mumbai : Asking authorities to deport author Salman Rushdie to Britain, the Samajwadi Party youth cell has threatened to stop him from attending film actress Riya Sen's birthday celebrations in Mumbai next Thursday.
If Riya persisted in her birthday bash plans, she could face "dire consequences", as Samajwadi Party activists would lay a siege around her house and prevent her from stepping out, youth cell president Farooq Ghosi said Saturday.
How to avoid e-mail threats
By Jay Dougherty, IANS
Washington : Checking your e-mail has become a dangerous business. The number and types of e-mail borne threats that can cause harm to your computer or your privacy are growing.
Sometimes the actual danger imposed by these threats can be over hyped, but you still need to know what could constitute a dangerous e-mail message and how to respond to the threat.
Q: Can I get a virus just by reading an e-mail message?
Orissa youth burnt alive by suspected Maoists
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Suspected Maoists set ablaze a youth after tying him to a tree with an iron chain in Orissa's Angul district, an official said Saturday.
The incident occurred in Nuasahi village, located in the middle of a forest, some 200 km from here Friday night, Additional District Magistrate Bandhu Billor told IANS on phone.
"We suspect it may be the handiwork of Maoists. The police are investigating the matter," Billor said.
He said the villagers heard a blast and rushed to the spot to see the youth in flames, tied to a tree with a chain.
Reservation for upper caste Hindus and Muslims demanded
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Patna: Reservation has been demanded in Bihar for economically backward, and poor members of higher castes in Hindu and Muslim communities in order to remove their poverty and backwardness.
Kidnapper of Adobe India CEO’s son arrested
By IANS
Noida : Chattra Pal, the alleged mastermind behind the high profile November 2006 kidnapping of Adobe India CEO Naresh Gupta's son, was arrested here early Thursday, the police said.
Chhattrapal and his accomplices had abducted Gupta's three-year-old son Anant on Nov 13, 2006, and demanded a Rs.5 million ransom. Anant was found five days later. The police had then arrested Chhattrapal and two more people on charges of kidnapping.
Chhatra Pal had escaped from police custody on Feb 4, while he was being produced before a court.
Maoists kill Orissa village leader
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Maoists Wednesday brutally killed a village leader in Orissa's Malkangiri district, the police said.
A group of Maoists entered Peta village, some 700 from here, and dragged Kanha Madkami to a nearby forest and slashed his neck with weapons.
The 50-year-old managed to escape, but they shot him dead, a district police official told IANS. Madkami died on his way to hospital.
The rebels who claim to be fighting for the cause of the poor and downtrodden are active in more than half of Orissa's 30 districts. They often attack police and landlords.
State Minister escapes unhurt in a terror attack in Northeast India
By KUNA
New Delhi : A Minister in India's Northeastern state of Assam Thursday escaped unhurt in a blast that injured seven others.
A blast by an insurgent group at a market in Assam's Karbi Anglong district today during a public meeting addressed by state?s Hill Areas Development Minister Minister H Khorsing Ingti, injured seven people, news agency Indo Asian News Service reported. The Minister, however, escaped unhurt, the news agency said, quoting an officer of the Assam Police.
Armed men flee with businessman’s car in Greater Noida
By IANS
Noida : Three unidentified men fled with the Santro car of a businessman as well as his belongings after forcing the driver off the car at gun point, police said here Saturday.
The men requested the driver of businessman Kamal Mehta, a resident of Gamma I sector of Greater Noida, for a lift late Friday night as he was returning to his own home after dropping Mehta.
LTTE communication facility bombed
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Sri Lanka Tuesday claimed its warplanes bombed a communication facility of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the rebel-heartland of Mullaitivu in the north.
"Supersonic fighter jets bombed an LTTE covert communication facility located at Panikkankulam in general area south of Kokavil in Mullaitivu at 12.30 p.m.," the defence ministry said.
Witnesses fail to appear, Abu Salem case put off
By IANS,
Mumbai : A special court here deferred the trial of underworld don Abu Salem in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case to April 22 after witnesses failed to appear in the court Wednesday.
Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam told IANS that the trial did not commence as the witnesses had some personal problems. "On next Tuesday, the court will begin the hearing of the two witnesses." The first witness summoned is an immigration officer.
Salem has been accused of supplying arms and being part of the conspiracy to carry out the blasts.
TV scribe attacked in road rage
By IANS,
Noida : A man who claimed to be a lawyer and a politician attacked a television journalist with an iron rod in a case of road rage in Noida in Uttar Pradesh before he was arrested.
The incident took place around 11.30 p.m. Thursday at Sector 44 near the Amity University police post close to the Indian capital. Police identified the journalist as Chandra Prakash of NDTV.
Superintendent of Police Rakesh Gautam said Prakash was returning home in his car at Sector 93. While he was taking a u-turn, another car hit his car.
Infant kidnapped from hospital
By IANS,
Chennai : A day old boy was allegedly kidnapped Monday from a hospital in Tamil Nadu by a woman posing as a voluntary nurse, the police said.
Police told IANS on telephone that the mother of the newborn, Sundari, 26, was under trauma at the hospital in Erode district, 400 km southwest of Chennai. She is undergoing natal care in the hospital.
The incident was reported when a Hindu and a Muslim couple were waiting in the Tamil Nadu capital for DNA reports to identify their child - a male and a female infant.
Woman dies after being raped, set on fire
By IANS,
Patna : A woman, who was allegedly raped and then set on fire by a civic body chief in Bihar, died after battling for life for six days, a police official said Saturday.
The victim, Asha Devi, in her 30s, suffered nearly 80 percent burns. She died at a nursing home in Siliguri in neighbouring West Bengal.
She was admitted in a critical condition in the nursing home last week after she was set on fire by Navin Yadav, Thakurganj Nagar Panchayat chief in Kishanganj district, about 350 km from the state capital here.
Al Qaeda terrorists active in Pakistan: US
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Even as several international terror organisations including Al Qaeda (AQ) operated and carried out attacks in Pakistan in 2007, Islamabad took steps to prevent support to the Kashmiri militancy, according to the US State Department.
"Pakistan's leaders took steps to prevent support to the Kashmiri militancy, and the number of violent attacks in Kashmir was down by approximately 50 percent from 2006," it said Wednesday citing public statements made by the Indian defence minister.
Manipur raises people’s army, rights groups warn of anarchy
By IANS,
Imphal : The Manipur government's decision to raise a people's army to fight militancy is mired in a blazing row with civil rights groups warning of chaos and anarchy if the armed vigilance force comes into being.
As part of the Manipur cabinet's decision, 300 youths were recruited Monday from among hundreds of locals at Heirok village in Manipur's Thoubal district, about 22 km southeast of state capital Imphal.
Ground shrinking for Muslim burials in Haryana; minority commission to visit state
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: Concerned over reports about Muslims not being provided land for burial in Haryana, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has decided to take up the matter with the state authorities.
NCM has reportedly been receiving complaints from Muslims residing in Panipat, Kaithal, Sonepat and Karnal, where the dearth of land for burial has become a big concern for the community.
‘Lonely’ Taslima to return to Kolkata or Agartala
By IANS,
Agartala : Her writing "badly affected" since she left Kolkata and desperate to return, controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen said she would return there "as soon as possible". If not Kolkata, she would choose Agartala as her home when she returns to India in August.
Cash, jewellery worth Rs.25 mn stolen in Ludhiana
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Cash and gold jewellery worth nearly Rs.25 million was stolen from the office of a finance company in this industrial city of Punjab Monday.
The theft took place in the Miller Ganj area of the city where the office of the Muthoot finance company is located. The police have still not been able to identify the culprits behind the theft.
Interestingly, the theft first came to the notice of finance company officials in Gurgaon city adjoining national capital New Delhi when the sirens of the company's Ludhiana office started ringing there after the heist.
Islam was a revolution on several fronts: Hamid Ansari
By Mumtaz Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Vice President of India Mohd. Hamid Ansari on 15th July released a book entitled “Islami Tarraqqi Pasandi” authored by Late Ali Jawad Zaidi at a function here in the national capital.
Addressing on the occasion, the Vice President said that this book contains the issues on how to make the lives of common men better and purposeful. He suggested that this useful book should be translated into Hindi and English also so that more and more people may take advantage of this book.
Ketan Parekh denied more time to surrender
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to extend the July 31 deadline for stock broker Ketan Parekh to surrender to the Mumbai jail authorities to undergo his year-long jail term for siphoning off Rs.477 million from a Canara Bank subsidiary in a financial scam of 1992.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan asked him to approach the apex court's "chamber judge", who deals with the technical pleas like extending deadlines for surrendering before jail authorities, before being heard by it.
‘Madrassa education to be made more attractive’
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government has proposed to make education in madrassas more attractive and improve the standard of education among Muslims in India, according to an official.
The proposal under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's new 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities focuses on revising madrassa modernisation programme.
AMU to set up modern information and communication lab
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will set up a state-of-art information and communication laboratory for its engineering students, a university official said Friday.
"An alumnus of the university, M.P. Varshney, has donated Rs.1 million for setting up the lab," AMU spokesperson Rahat Abrar told IANS on phone.
The lab will be equipped with all the latest information and communication technology devices, including fast-speed computers, Internet and other facilities, he added.
Reality show members remanded in police custody
By IANS,
Kolkata : Three members of a Bengali TV reality show, including two producers and a contestant, were remanded in five days police custody by a West bengal court Saturday for allegedly pushing the caretaker of a hotel from the fifth floor for asking them to stop their night-long drinking.
The team of "Fatafati" - a reality show aired on ETV Bangla - went to Midnapore town, about 165 km from here, to shoot for a special episode Friday.
Murmurs against Musharraf, former PM Jamali resigns from party
By IANS
Islamabad : There were murmurs against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's poll plans and dissensions within the party he blessed erupted, leading to the resignation of former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali from the Pakistan Muslim League (Qaid).
American paedophile arrested in Tamil Nadu
By IANS
Chennai : Tamil Nadu police have alerted the ministry of external affairs after arresting a 60-year-old American paedophile, one of the 100 most wanted men in New York, from the seaside town of Mahabalipuram.
Chhattisgarh Maoists call for economic blockade, police on alert
By IANS
Raipur : Maoists in Chhattisgarh have called for a two-day economic blockade in the state's insurgency-hit Bastar region next week and police forces have been put on high alert to foil the rebels' plans.
Iran shows willingness to compromise on nuclear issue
By DPA
Vienna : A new round of talks may bring a way out of the stalemate over Iran's nuclear programme, said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.
Olmert: Israel to release 250 Fatah prisoners
By Xinhua
Sharm El-Sheikh : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he plans to release 250 prisoners from the Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
   Olmert made the remarks in a four-way summit at this Red Sea resort which aims to ease the current grave situation in the Palestinian territories and activate the stalled Mideast peace process.
Suicide bombing kills 2 foreigners, injures 5 in Kabul
By Xinhua
Kabul: A suicide car bombing in the Afghan capital Thursday killed two foreigners and injured five, officials said.
"Two foreign security personnel working for a security company were killed in the explosion," said Ali Shah Paktiawal, Kabul deputy police chief. "Three foreigners and two Afghan civilians were injured."
The officials did not reveal the nationalities of the victims. However, media reports said one American and one Nepalese were killed and three Americans were injured.
One vehicle was totally damaged in the powerful explosion that targeted a convoy.
Lal Masjid demands ban on Naseeruddin Shah starrer
By IANS
Islamabad : "Khuda Kay Liye", a film that depicts the struggle between fundamentalist and liberal Muslims and stars India's Naseeruddin Shah and Pakistani actor Shan, has attracted the ire of the radical Lal Masjid here.
Four soldiers killed in explosion in north-west Pakistan
By DPA
Islamabad : At least four soldiers were killed and six injured Wednesday in a roadside explosion in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.
Firing near Akshardham temple in Delhi, one killed
By IANS
New Delhi : A 35-year-old man was arrested after he along with two other people allegedly shot dead a man near Akshardham temple in east Delhi Wednesday, police said.
60 dead bodies in mosque compound: cleric
By IRNA
Islamabad : Some 60 dead bodies of girl and male students are lying inside the compound of mosque and seminary, deputy of Lal Masjid Abdul Rashid Ghazi said Thursday night.
The government has confirmed only 19 deaths.
Ghazi told Pashto language Kheyber TV channels that students died due to bombing and use of tear gas by the security forces.
He said the government must allow the international and local media to see the destruction of the mosque building and bodies of the students.
President Musharraf rejects amnesty for Ghazi
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has rejected a proposal by an ulema delegation for amnesty for Lal Masjid deputy head cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Online news agency reported Tuesday.
Pakistan’s suspended CJ reinstated; blow to Musharraf
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan's Supreme Court Friday reinstated Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in a judgement that was seen as a major blow to President Pervez Musharraf.
Justice Kalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, heading a 13-member bench, in a short order declared the presidential reference illegal, ultra vires the constitution and without lawful authority, the Online news agency reported.
Hundreds of lawyers chanted "Go, Musharraf go, Live long CJP" slogans soon after the verdict was announced at around 4 p.m.
Pakistan PM expresses sympathies with China on loss of lives in floods
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesday expressed sympathies with China on the loss of lives in the floods in the Southern part of the country.
Aziz in his message to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said, “I am deeply grieved to learn about the catastrophic floods that have hit the Southern part of China causing immense damage to life and property and resulting in displacement of multitude of people.�
Taliban extends deadline for abducted Koreans
By Xinhua
Kabul : After killing two South Korean hostages, Taliban guerrillas Tuesday extended the deadline for 21 remaining hostages till 12 p.m. (0730 GMT) Wednesday.
A purported Taliban spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, told Xinhua on telephone from an undisclosed place that militants would kill more hostages if their demands were not met.
He also said some hostages were in very bad condition and they may die a natural death.
This is the ninth time Taliban militants have revised the deadline for killing Korean hostages.
Musharraf accepts resignation of Pakistan law officers
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has accepted the resignations of two senior law officers who pleaded the government's case on suspension of the country's top judge.
Attorney General of Pakistan Makhdoom Ali Khan and his deputy Tariq Mehmood Khokar had earlier resigned following the Supreme Court's verdict last month reinstating Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.
IAEA discusses strategy for inspection of Iranian nuclear site
By IANS
Tehran : A four-member technical team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived here Monday to draw guidelines for the inspection of Iran's controversial nuclear site.
During its four-day visit, the delegates will meet Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation officials to discuss the action plan for inspection of Natanz uranium enrichment facility within the framework of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, IRNA news agency quoted an official as saying.
Taliban ready to swap female hostages for prisoners
By Xinhua
Kabul : Taliban Tuesday expressed readiness to swap all South Korean female hostages with their women supporters held in Afghan and US military detention centres, Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf said.
"We offer to exchange all the Korean females with those Taliban women supporters who have been languishing in Afghan government prisons and US military detention centres in Kandahar and Bagram," Ahmadi told Xinhua from an unknown location.
However, he did not specify the number of women who have been held by authorities in Afghanistan for supporting the Taliban.
Taslima’s visa extended till February
By IANS
Kolkata : Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen's visa, scheduled to expire this month, has been extended by six months till February next year.
She is living in exile in Kolkata following a fatwa issued against her by some Islamic groups in Bangladesh for her book "Lajja".
"We have received a communiqué from the union home ministry stating that Taslima Nasreen's visa has been extended by six months till February next year," West Bengal Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy told reporters.
US concerned about impact of UK withdrawal from Iraq – report
By IRNA
London : The US administration is becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of an imminent British withdrawal from southern Iraq and would prefer UK troops to remain for another year or two, according to a press report.
Reporting from Washington, the Guardian newspaper said that the US was worried about the political consequences of losing British troops.
Death toll in Assam massacre mounts to 14
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Guwahati : The toll in the overnight massacre of Hindi-speaking migrant workers in Assam rose to 14 Saturday with the discovery of three more bodies as security forces across the state have been put on a maximum alert, officials said.
Heavily armed militants late Friday attacked sleeping villagers at Dolamara in Karbi Anglong district, about 250 km east of Assam's main city of Guwahati.
Germany urges deeper Afghan-Pakistan cooperation
By IRNA
Berlin : Germany on Monday called for stepped up political cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to help stabilize the political situation in the war-stricken country.
Speaking at a routine weekly news conference in Berlin, German deputy government spokesman Thomas Steg said closer cooperation between the Afghan and Pakistan government was "urgently needed".
He made clear that improving ties between Kabul and Islamabad was of a "special concern" to the German government.
Over 100 students, teachers hurt in Dhaka varsity clash
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh Tuesday witnessed this year's first indefinite strike call following running battles between Dhaka University students and the police in which over 100 students and teachers were injured.
Media reports Tuesday said acting Vice Chancellor A.F.M. Yusuf Haider and Proctor Aka Firowz Ahmed were among those injured in clashes that began at the football ground and continued till late Monday evening.
Taliban to free remaining seven South Korean hostages
By DPA
Kabul/Seoul : The Taliban will release the remaining seven hostages Thursday, the day after 12 of the 19 South Korean aid workers the militants have been holding hostage in Afghanistan for nearly six weeks were let free, a Taliban spokesman said.
The intention to complete the release under a pledge the Taliban made a couple of days ago in face-to-face negotiations with South Korean officials, was confirmed by Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousif Ahmadi to South Korean television station KBS Thursday.
Blast rocks Peshawar cantonment
By Xinhua
Islamabad : A blast rocked the military area in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar city Saturday injuring two people, private Dawn news TV channel reported.
The report said the explosion occurred in Peshawar cantonment, damaging many vehicles.
Bangladesh seeks N-power technology from Russia
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh hopes to get Russian technology to set up a nuclear power plant and says Moscow has expressed its willingness to cooperate.
After some tentative moves at the official level, political interventions were made during Foreign Advisor Iftikhar Ahmed Chowdhury's recent visit to Russia.
Pakistan protests opening Siachen for tourism
By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistan Monday protested India's decision to open the Siachen Glacier - the world's highest battleground - to tourists.
India's deputy high commissioner was summoned to foreign office and a protest was lodged with him, said foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam during the weekly press briefing.
India and Pakistan are currently engaged in talks to resolve their 20-year-old-conflict over the 72-km-long frozen battlefield.
Syria condemns Beirut car blast
By Xinhua
Damascus : Syria on Wednesday strongly condemned a car bombing in eastern Beirut that killed a Christian lawmaker and several others, the official SANA news agency reported.
"This criminal act targets the efforts and endeavors exerted by Syria and others to achieve the Lebanese national accord," an unnamed Syrian media official was quoted as saying, asserting Damascus' keenness on security, stability and unity of neighboring Lebanon.
Russia abstains from UN Security Council vote on Afghanistan
By RIA Novosti
New York : Russia abstained from a UN Security Council vote to extend the authorisation of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan for another 12 months.
Russia raised objections Wednesday to the unexpected inclusion in the document of a sentence expressing appreciation to NATO as well as to contributors from many nations to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), "including its maritime interdiction component".
Abbas to reshuffle negotiation team: Fatah spokesman
By Xinhua
Ramallah : A Fatah spokesman said Thursday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was planning a reshuffle of the team that represents the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the political negotiations with Israel.`
Ahmed Qurea, a former prime minister and a member of Fatah central committee, will head the reshuffled delegation, which will comprise current chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation's (PLO) executive committee, according to spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman.
Columbia University president’s harsh remarks about Iranian president draw mixed reactions
By Xinhua
New York : Colombia University President Lee C. Bollinger's pointed introduction of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has drawn mixed reactions, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
New York : Colombia University President Lee C. Bollinger's pointed introduction of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has drawn mixed reactions, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Issue of Iran’s nuclear programme not “closed” – US
By NNN-KUNA
Washington : The United States has said that the Iranian nuclear programme case is not closed yet, in a direct response to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement in New York.
"Iran is under Security Council sanctions, is under several Chapter VII resolutions not asking it nicely or politely, but requiring it as a matter of international law, to halt its uranium enrichment programme and to engage in negotiations with the international community," said State Department deputy spokesperson Tom Casey in his daily press briefing Wednesday.
Iranian FM meets his French counterpart in New York
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has held a meeting with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
In the meeting Wednesday, Kouchner said: "Iran is a great country and we will never want to fight with it and we are looking for peace."
According to Foreign Ministry Media Department report, Kouchner, in the meeting, said that the media had distorted his statements about Iran.
Iran refutes allegation on hidden nuclear site
By NNN-IRNA
Tehran : Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council for International Affairs Javad Vaeedi has denied allegation on existence of a hidden nuclear site in Iran.
Vaeedi told IRNA Friday: "Such an allegation is being made under the circumstances that new round of Iran's cooperation with the IAEA has begun on one hand, and Iranian constructive presence at the UN General Assembly, on the other."
Pakistan Supreme Court permits presidential poll
By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday gave its go-ahead for polling in Saturday's presidential election but restrained the Election Commission from notifying the result till it takes a final decision on petitions filed against President Pervez Musharraf's candidature.
A 10-judge bench headed by Justice Javed Iqbal asked the Election Commission to notify the results only after the court permitted.
Iraqi major Shiite rivals agree to curb clash
By Xinhua
Baghdad : Two leading Iraqi Shiite political rivals agreed Saturday to jointly prevent further violence and bloodshed in the country bogged down by factional scuffles.
Iran criticizes France
Tehran, Oct 7, SPA -- Mohammed Ali Husseini, the spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry has described the new political trend of the French government towards Iran as an illogical trend.
In a statement to the pressmen today, Husseini said 'we have made it clear to the French officials that illogical trends towards Iran will not yield positive results.
It is worth mentioning that the French foreign minister has recently criticized the Iranian nuclear policy noting that his country prefers diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue.
29 people arrested for human trafficking
By IANS
New Delhi : At least 29 people, including the wife of a popular Punjabi folk singer,were Thursday arrested on charges of human trafficking after the US embassy registered a police complaint.
"We have arrested 29 people, including Dolly Singh, who writes her husband's name as Malkit Singh. She had applied for visa on the basis of forged documents at the US embassy here," Joint Commissioner of Police Ajay Kashyap told IANS.
Malkit Singh resides in the US.
Iranian women’s status elaborated at UN
By NNN-IRNA
New York, UN : IRI representative at UN General Assembly's 3rd Committee session here Wednesday elaborated on developments, advancement, and achievements related to women's status in Iran.
Seyyed Mohsen Emadi in his address also expounded on various types of aggressions observed against women in the world today, including poverty, threats due to foreign forces occupation, losses due to military attacks, human smuggling, aggressive behavior at homes, taking advantage of women in advertisements etc.
Rizwanur episode has affected Left government: Basu
By IANS
Kolkata : Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu Friday admitted the Left Front government in West Bengal has suffered political damage due to the inordinate delay in removal of tainted police officers following the mysterious death of a Muslim youth.
"Yes, the state government's image has received a beating due to the delay in transferring the policemen who had allegedly coerced Rizwanur. We have suffered politically," Basu told reporters while replying to a question at the state CPM's headquarters in Alimuddin Street here.
Egypt to launch civilian nuclear programme
By Xinhua
Cairo : President Hosni Mubarak announced Monday Egypt will set up nuclear power plants to make up shortfall in generation, and thus augment the country's power security, local media reported.
Addressing the inauguration of a northern Cairo power station, Mubarak said a council for peaceful use of nuclear energy will be established according to a republican decree, which will be issued within days, MENA new agency reported.
Militants free 48 captured Pakistani troops
By DPA
Islamabad : Islamic militants Friday freed 48 paramilitary troops that they had captured in overnight fighting in Pakistan's volatile north-western valley of Swat, where a week of fierce battles has left around 200 people dead.
The militants first paraded the soldiers to the media and then gave Rs.500 (around $9) to each captive before freeing them, Pakistan's Aaj news channel reported.
Pakistanis in US upset at emergency
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Pakistani Americans by and large are feeling aggrieved and are critical of President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency - widely seen as tantamount to imposing martial law.
"The hope that democracy may be round the corner in my country has finally died. I am in mourning and so are many Pakistanis I came across in Jackson Heights (a South Asian conclave in New York)," Mumtaz Hussain, an artist and filmmaker of Pakistani origin, told IANS.
Soon to come a new university after Tipu Sultan’s name at Mysore
By TCN Staff reporter,
1984 Bhopal Gas survivors to knock on PM’s door on 28th anniversary
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
‘Muslims participate in all kinds of politics without giving up their Muslim identity’
By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Sixth person die in hospital as Dhule slowly returns to ‘normalcy’
Curfew still on in affected areas
M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net
Delhi High Court directs Govt to block ‘offensive’ contents of ‘Innocence of Muslim’ film
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Bajrang Dal activists forcibly wedded siblings on Valentine’s Day
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: In a shocking incident on Valentine’s Day, Hindutva moral police forcibly married off siblings as they mistook them to be ‘couple.’
CLMC condemns the ‘inhuman incident of blast’
CLMC urges an end to media trial
By TCN News,
Workshop on socio-legal status of Muslim women held in Guwahati on Women’s Day
By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Madhya Pradesh’s Annual Plan hiked by 23 pc, pegged at Rs.35,500 cr.
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Annual Plan of Rs.35,500 crore has been sanctioned for Madhya Pradesh for year 2013-14. This is 23 percent more than last year.
Assam CM lays foundation stone of North East’s first College of Horticulture
By TCN News,
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi stressed on the need of developing the agriculture sector in the state as he laid the foundation stone of College of Horticulture at Lakhopur in Nalbari district which is the first of its kind in the northeast.
India dismisses Pakistan’s offer to Kashmiri students
New Delhi : India Friday dismissed Pakistan's offer to Kashmiri students, who had been booked in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut city for celebrating Pakistan's victory...
Millat Bedari Muhim Committee Demand President’s Rule in UP
By TCN News,
Aligarh: Supreme Court of India’s comment about the Uttar Pradesh government’s failure to protect its citizens and control the Muzaffarnagar riots indicates that the Apex Court has censured UP government said Prof. Razaullah Khan while chairing an analysis meeting of Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (MBMC) held at Media Centre Aligarh on 27th Committee (MBMC), Aligarh demands that President Rule be imposed in Uttar Pradesh after dismissing the Akhilesh Government as law and order has completely collapsed in state.
Degree recipients felicitated during ‘At Home’ organized by AMU
By TCN News,
Aligarh: Students and PhD scholars of Aligarh Muslim University, who have received degrees at the Annual Convocation of the Aligarh Muslim University on March 29, 2014 were felicitated at an ‘At Home’ hosted by the University at the sprawling lawns of Sir Syed Academy on 30th March. AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Brig. (Retd.) S. Ahmad Ali, Registrar, Group Captain (Retd.) Shahrukh Shamshad, distinguished AMU alumnus and eminent entrepreneur of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Nadeem Tarin, distinguished guests and alumni were present in the function.