Eight killed in storm-related incidents in Pakistan

By DPA

Islamabad : At least eight people were killed and at least 40 injured when storms and heavy rain lashed north-western Pakistan Thursday, the private Geo news channel reported.

Arrested abductor of Patna boy Ankit says he is alive

By IANS

Patna : The domestic help of six-year-old Ankit, who he allegedly kidnapped April 12 from outside his Patna school, was remanded in five-day police custody after he was produced in a court here Thursday. The accused claimed the boy was still alive and had not been killed as he had said earlier.

Six injured in explosion inside hospital in Assam

By IANS

Guwahati : At least six people were injured, two of them seriously, in a powerful explosion Thursday inside a hospital in eastern Assam, officials said.

US raid in Baghdad kills eight civilians

By DPA

Baghdad : Iraq's interior ministry Thursday charged US forces with killing eight civilians during a raid in Baghdad's mainly Shiite Sadr City suburb.

Five hurt in Maoist landmine blast in Orissa

By IANS

Bhubaneswar : At least five policemen were injured, three critically, in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district Thursday afternoon.

Indian human cargo drifts to Sweden, deported

By Alfred de Tavares

IANS

Stockholm : Eight famished and frightened Indian illegal immigrants, container-bound from Belgium to a port in Britain, drifted all the way for three days to the Swedish west coast port of Gothenburg before being deported to Belgium Thursday.

Pakistan readying for new nuke missile deployment: report

By IANS

Islamabad : Pakistan is preparing for deployment of its next-generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile, says a report by an eminent group of US scientists.

Israel ‘not ready’ to make peace with Syria: Assad

By DPA

Damascus : Syrian President Bashar Assad said Thursday that the Israeli government was not ready to make peace with Syria, stressing that negotiations must resume from the point they had last reached in 2000.

Andhra legislator surrenders in human trafficking scam

By IANS

Hyderabad : Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) legislator Soyam Bapu Rao Thursday surrendered in the human trafficking case - the second member of the party to do so. But he claimed he had been falsely implicated.

Indian human cargo drifts to Sweden

By Alfred de Tavares

IANS

Stockholm : Eight Indian illegals, container-bound from Belgium to a port in Britain, drifted all the way for three days to the Swedish west coast port of Gothenburg before being deported back to Belgium Thursday.

Govt bans sale/purchase of wakf properties

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Mumbai : Government of Maharashtra has imposed a ban on the sale and purchase as well as giving on rent of properties of 25 wakf endowments in the State, and issued orders to maintain status quo in dealing with those properties.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held in the office of Minister for Wakf and Milk Dairy Alhaj Anees Ahmed. The participants of the meeting include Chief Executive Officer Maharashtra State Wakf Board Abdur Rauf Sheikh and officers of other government departments.

Hi-tech landmines baffle Jharkhand Police

By IANS

Ranchi : When some Jharkhand cops succeeded in tracing a radio signal-based landmine this week, they considered themselves lucky. For, Maoists in the state are increasingly going high-tech with their landmines, resulting in heavy casualties in the police force.

Syria promises help on Hariri killing case

By Xinhua

Damascus : Syria Thursday said it would offer any help to an international tribunal in the case of assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri.

CJ crisis: Gag order on ministers, media

By IANS

Islamabad : The ballooning judicial crisis in Pakistan has prompted the government to bar ministers from speaking to journalists on the sacking of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, even as the media has been cautioned against maligning judges of the apex court.

Bush extends unilateral sanctions against Syria

By RIA Novosti

Washington : US President George W. Bush has ordered unilateral sanctions against Syria be extended for another year, citing suspected support for terrorism and continued threat to American security, foreign policy and economy.

Karunanidhi asks for CBI probe into Madurai violence

By IANS

Madurai/Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Thursday sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the attack on a newspaper office in Madurai by supporters of his son Azhagiri that left three people dead.

US air strike kills three insurgents in Baghdad

By Xinhua

Baghdad : US troops backed by an aerial support Thursday raided Baghdad's eastern neighborhood of Sadr City and killed three insurgents besides injuring three civilians, the US military said.

Maoist leader arrested in Jharkhand

By IANSRanchi : Jharkhand Police Thursday claimed to have arrested a top Maoist leader. Mithilesh Verma, a member of the Communist Party of India-Maoist...

Bihar spiritual leader charged with land grabbing

By IANS

Patna : A Bihar government agency has filed a police complaint against Asharam Bapu, a Hindu spiritual leader, and his followers for illegally occupying a plot of land here.

Pregnant Palestinian woman shot in the belly by Israelis

By DPA

Ramallah/Nablus : A pregnant Palestinian woman was shot in the belly during an Israeli military operation on Thursday, Israeli radio reported.

Nepal suicides: Who are they, where did they come from?

By IANS

Kathmandu : The police of India and Nepal are hunting to unearth the identity and address of a couple who apparently died of a suicide pact in Nepal.

Another boy abducted in Bihar

By IANS

Patna : Even as kidnapped boy Ankit's fate remains unknown despite an arrest in the case, another boy was abducted from a village in Siwan district, police officials said Thursday.

House of suspended Pakistan judge’s counsel attacked

By DPA

Islamabad : Unidentified attackers fired a volley of shots at the house of a counsel for Pakistan's suspended top judge in the port city of Karachi early Thursday, but no one was injured, media reports said.

Arrested abductor changes tune, says Ankit alive

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Nepal border towns rejoice at Indian ganglord’s death

By Sudeshna Sarkar

IANS

Kathmandu : Indian ganglord Chhote Lal Sahani's dramatic death in an Indian court is being greeted with joy in neigbouring Nepal's border towns, with businessmen distributing sweets to celebrate the end of one of their prime foes.

Three Indian illegal immigrants held in Britain

By IANS

London : Three illegal immigrants from India, who managed to sneak their way into Britain past border controls in a German delivery lorry, have been arrested in Southampton after they were caught escaping.

Suicide bombing kills three in Afghanistan

By Xinhua

Kabul : A suicide bombing has killed three civilians and injured seven in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province, media reports said Thursday.

Fake encounter: Geeta Johri begins probe in Hyderabad

By IANS

Hyderabad : Gujarat Police official Geeta Johri, who is heading investigations into the 'fake encounter' killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi in 2005, Thursday began a probe into the role of Andhra Pradesh Police in the case.

Maoist rampage casts shadow on Nepal poll meet

By IANS

Kathmandu : On the eve of a crucial election meet Thursday, Nepal's Maoists went on the rampage in remote districts, attacking government offices and causing the death of at least one person -- actions likely to further widen the rift between the rebels and the main political parties.

Army admits to staged encounter in Assam

By Syed Zarir Hussain

IANS

Guwahati : Admitting that the killing of a youth in Assam last week "was unfortunate", Indian Army officials here Thursday said they have ordered a probe to punish guilty officials involved in the fake encounter.

TRS legislator surrenders in human trafficking case

By IANS

Hyderabad : A Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) legislator in Andhra Pradesh surrendered Thursday in connection with the human trafficking scam, the second member of the party to do so.

Jauhar University gets minority status

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Lucknow : Mulayam Singh government of Uttar Pradesh adopted, amidst boycott of Opposition parties, the amendment bill granting minority status to Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar University on the last day of Assembly session here Wednesday.

Addressing the last session of the assembly, the chief minister declared an amendment in Muhammad Ali Jauhar Act 2005, granting the Rampur based University minority status.

Syed Shahabuddin resigns from Congress

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter New Delhi: Editor of Muslim India journal and the President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat have quit Congress. Syed Shahabuddin released statement of his intent to quit Congress as the election process in UP is almost over. He has joined Congress on the eve of the 2004 General Election but it was clear that Congress did not have much use for him and he felt that officially being part of Congress he lost his freedom and “felft shackled in reacting to political developments.�

Many more ‘Shahabuddins’ await comeuppance

By Imran Khan

IANS

Patna : As far as Bihar is concerned, it is just one Shahabuddin down with many more to go. A number of criminals with political links - charged with murders, kidnaps and extortions - are in line for legal retribution.

18 dead in Colombia clashes

By DPA

Bogota : A bomb attack killed nine police officers in Colombia and nine leftist rebels were killed elsewhere in the country in fighting with the military, officials said.

Central Wakf council meets tomorrow

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter New Delhi: The Central Wakf Council will meet tomorrow in New Delhi to review annual programs. This is the 51st annual meeting of the Council and it will be chaired by the Minister for Minority Affiars Mr. A. R. Antulay.

Yasin Malik urges Vajpayee to support peace process

By IANS Srinagar: Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik has urged former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to support the ongoing India-Pakistan peace process and focus on the permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief has written a letter asking Vajpayee to lend support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in seizing the opportunity to move forward boldly and creatively (on Kashmir issue). "When I met Prime Minister Singh, I re-emphasised the recommendation of Kashmiris' representation and inclusion in the peace process.

Pregnant Palestinian woman shot in the belly by Israeli military

By DPA Ramallah/Nablus: A pregnant Palestinian woman was shot in the belly during an Israeli military operation on Thursday, Israeli radio reported. According to reports, her foetus had been hit in the head by a stray bullet and died in her womb. The woman was in her house when shootings began between armed Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the report was under investigation. The mother's medical condition was stable, the hospital in Nablus said.

1857 revolt is a tribute to Hindu-Muslim unity: PM

By IANS New Delhi: Paying homage to the martyrs of the country's first War of Independence, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said that events of 1857 stood as a great testimony to the traditions of Hindu-Muslim unity that held out as an example for subsequent generations. "What is significant is that despite rallying under the flag of 'deen' and 'dharma', the rebellion was united. There was no division between Hindus and Muslims in their resistance to alien domination," Manmohan Singh told a packed Central Hall in Parliament House.

Suicide bombing kills three in Afghanistan

Kabul, May 10 (Xinhua) A suicide bombing has killed three civilians and injured seven in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province, media reports said Thursday. The explosion occurred in Barmal district bordering Pakistan on Wednesday, district chief Azizullah Hayayee was quoted as saying. The bomber detonated himself in a market after he failed to reach a base of the US-led coalition forces, Hayayee said. He added that three of the injured were in a critical condition.

TRS legislator surrenders in human trafficking case

Hyderabad, May 10 (IANS) A Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) legislator in Andhra Pradesh surrendered Thursday in connection with the human trafficking scam, the second member of the party to do so. Soyam Bapu Rao, a rebel TRS legislator, reached the Central Crime Station of Hyderabad police Thursday morning and surrendered himself. Police took him into custody and are likely to produce him in a court later in the day. Hyderabad police had last week registered a criminal case against him on charges of securing passports for others in the name of his wife and two children.

Iraq parliament recess bad idea: US officials

Baghdad/Washington: US officials have severely criticised plans by the Iraqi parliament to take a two-month summer recess while US troops were trying to secure the country enabling the government to seek political reconciliation among warring parties. US Defence Secretary Bill Gates Wednesday told US Congress that a "variety" of US officials "have made clear to the Iraqis that it would be a very bad idea for the Council of Representatives to take a recess in July and August".

18 dead in Colombia clashes

Bogota: A bomb attack killed nine police officers in Colombia and nine leftist rebels were killed elsewhere in the country in fighting with the military, officials said. The police officers were killed Wednesday in Chorolo in Santander province in the country's northeast, when a roadside bomb exploded on a passing police vehicle. A police spokesman said leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels planted the bomb. The police were on their way to clear plants used in cocaine production. FARC finances itself largely through the illegal drug trade.

Role of madrasas in the 1857 War of Independence

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed More than half a million Muslim clerics sacrificed their lives for India during the various phases of the great 1857 revolt - a fact almost buried like the mutineers themselves. These Indian freedom fighters came from the same madrasas that have been under scanner all over the world since 9/11.

Dargah Nizamuddin – an abode of spirituality and secularism

By Sarwar Kashani New Delhi: As the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya reverberated with Qawwalis towards the end of the 703rd annual Urs, thousands of milling devotees - Muslims, Hindus and other faiths - were lost in a world of their own. The ambience, called Mehfil-e-Sama, demanded so. Qawwali singers, tunefully shouting "Moula Ali Moula Moula", compelled every visitor to erase the concept of time from the minds and experience the spiritual ecstasy. That is what precisely defines the goal of Sufism - a mystical belief and practice seeking the truth of divine love and knowledge.

On wheelchairs they rallied – to recreate history

By Prashant K. Nanda Muradnagar (Uttar Pradesh): They cannot walk nor can they stand straight. That has not stopped a group of young men bound to wheelchairs from joining a memorable march from Meerut to Delhi to mark the 150th anniversary of the 1857 Mutiny against British rule. With patriotic songs and slogans on their lips, the group of dozen physically challenged are the cynosure of thousands of participants walking briskly since they set out from Meerut Monday - as well as the many more lining the streets.

UN tribunal reveres Bosnian Serb’s genocide conviction

By TwoCircles.net newsdesk The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today overturned a former Bosnian Serb army commander’s conviction for complicity to commit genocide against Muslims at Srebrenica in July 1995, but upheld other convictions for his role in the mass killings there. The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), sitting in The Hague, reduced the sentence of Vidoje Blagojević from 18 years’ jail to 15 years after reversing the complicity in genocide conviction.

PK Abdul Azis likely to be next AMU VC

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Aligarh : Though President of the Republic APJ Abul Kalam is entitled to appoint one of the three persons recommended by the Aligarh Muslim University Court as Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor PK Abdul Azis, present Vice Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology is likely to be named as the next VC of this pioneer Muslim educational centre.

Lok Sabha hit again by Gujarat fake killings

By IANS New Delhi : The Lok Sabha was adjourned again till 2 p.m. Wednesday as members of India's ruling coalition, the Samajwadi Party and the Left insisted on discussing the police-engineered killings in Gujarat. The lower house, which went through the question hour without disruptions, plunged into chaos at 12 p.m. when MPs sought permission to take up the issue of fake "encounters" by the Gujarat Police for discussion.

Last act of UP assembly: Jauhar University given minority status

By IANS Lucknow : In a once in 50 year occurrence, the Uttar Pradesh assembly met Wednesday just four days before its term expires to grant minority status to a university in minister Azam Khan's hometown Rampur. The last time such a thing happened was in 1957 when the house met to seek a vote of account on an interim budget of the state. But today, it was to give minority status to Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan's dream project - the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.

“If Muslims aren’t minority, a Muslim can be CM”

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter Bareilly : Since the Allahabad High Court pronounced last month a controversial judgement striking at the very roots of the minority status of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, debates and discussions on the subject are going on not only in this north Indian State but in other parts of the country as well. Muslim scholars and intellectuals have been raising their voice against the HC decision ever since.

Kashmir issue approaching ultimate settlement: PDP

By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar: People's Democratic Party chief Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said that Kashmir issue was approaching ultimate settlement following the realization by India and Pakistan that the path to the region's peace and economic progress passes through Jammu & Kashmir.

Land scam lands Indian American physician in jail

By IANS

New York : Police in Florida have arrested an Indian American doctor on charges of defrauding fellow physicians.

Running a library solely for villagers

By Hemant Kumar Rout

IANS

Bhubaneswar : His passion for books and urge to spread knowledge among villagers led Pradipta Mohanty to start his own library where people could read and borrow books free of charge.

Four killed in Kashmir violence

By IANS

Srinagar : A soldier and two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed Tuesday evening in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

BJP told to strongly condemn anti-minorities CD

By IANS

New Delhi : In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Election Commission Tuesday directed it to strongly condemn a controversial CD for election campaign in Uttar Pradesh in which Muslims had been denigrated.

Six arrested in terrorist plot against US military base

By DPA

Washington : Six suspected terrorists who allegedly intended to attack at least one US army base in New Jersey were arrested in the plot, federal officials said Tuesday.

Car bomb in Iraqi city kills 45

By DPA

Baghdad : A car bomb blast in the Iraqi city of Kufa, around 170 km south of Baghdad, Tuesday killed 45 and wounded over 80, police said.

No time frame for Afghan pullout: NATO

By IANS

Islamabad : North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Tuesday said no time frame can be given for pull out from Afghanistan.

Three Gujarat cops sent to judicial custody

By IANS

Ahmedabad : The three senior police officials arrested last month for the 2005 staged killing of a Muslim youth were Tuesday sent to judicial custody till May 25.

Supreme Court overrules lower court order against M.F. Husain

By IANS

New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday suspended the order of a court in Haridwar asking police to seize internationally renowned painter M.F. Husain's apartment in Mumbai.

Mammootty for Left youth role in containing communalism

By IANS

Chennai : Malayalam superstar Mammootty Tuesday stressed that the Gujarat carnage in 2002 "would not have happened" if the Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) youth wing had been stronger in that state.

Gujarat staged killings rock parliament again

By IANS

New Delhi : Parliament was rocked again Tuesday over the 2005 staged killing of a Muslim couple by Gujarat police with various political parties demanding a discussion on the matter, leading to repeated adjournment of both houses.

Iran accepts last-minute compromise in NPT talks

By DPA

Vienna : In a surprise move, Iran on Tuesday accepted a compromise in the wording of the agenda of a meeting preparing for the renewal of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2010 to avert a collapse of the conference.

Value of Hussain: life, not painting

ह�सैन की कीमत: पेंटिंग की नहीं, जान की 

नासिरूद�दीन हैदर खॉं 

UN staff member shot dead in Afghanistan

By Xinhua

Kabul : A UN staff member was shot dead Tuesday in volatile Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan, a statement of the UN Assistance Mission said.

Five dead in bomb blast in Philippines

By DPA

Cotabato City (The Philippines) : Five people were killed and 13 wounded when a homemade bomb exploded Tuesday in a southern Philippine city, police said.

’12 years more, Gulf will have nuclear energy’

By RIA Novosti

Abu Dhabi : It will take Gulf nations 12-15 years to start developing civilian nuclear energy, the foreign minister of Kuwait said Tuesday.

Bhutto triggering rift in Pakistani alliance

By IANS

Karachi : Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto's back-channel diplomacy with the government has reportedly triggered a rift between the two principal elements of a key opposition alliance and it could only be a matter of time before they part.

Municipality acquires Peer Bahram graveyard

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Burdwan : Municipality has acquired part of the historical Peer Bahram graveyard to develop a residential complex over it, causing resentment among the Muslims, reports Urdu daily Akhbar-e-Mashriq here.

UN welcomes reconciliation agreement between Sudan and Chad

By TwoCircles.net staff New York: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the latest agreement between Chad and Sudan aimed at calming tensions in the strife-torn Sudanese region of Darfur and the eastern area of the neighbouring country. “The agreement is a positive step towards normalizing the relations between Chad and Sudan, which is a very important factor in resolving the tragic conflicts in both Darfur and eastern Chad,� Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, Michele Montas, said in a statement on the agreement signed on 3 May in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

30 accused still wanted in Mumbai serial blasts

By IANS

Mumbai : Even as the final verdict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case is set to be delivered from Wednesday, nearly 30 accused, including key conspirators Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, are still at large.

Pakistan to fully privatise Haj operations

By IANS

Islamabad : Pakistan is to fully privatise Haj operations if a pilot project currently underway succeeds, news reports said Tuesday.

16 killed, 70 wounded in Baghdad car bomb attack

By Xinhua

Baghdad : At least 16 people were killed and up to 70 others injured Tuesday when a suicide car bomb struck a busy market in the town of Kufa, 160 km south of Baghdad, local police said.

Andhra denies helping Gujarat Police kidnap Sohrabuddin

By IANS

Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Police Tuesday said it did not provide any help to Gujarat Police in the kidnapping of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi, but promised action if any of its officers was named during investigations.

Three killed in Bangladesh accident

By Xinhua

Dhaka : Three people were killed Tuesday as a bus rammed into a roadside shop and ran over pedestrians in eastern Bangladesh.

Police said a Noakhali bound bus met with an accident on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in eastern Comilla district. Thirty passengers and 10 pedestrians were also injured.

10 die in Baghdad car bomb attack

By Xinhua

Baghdad : At least 10 people were killed and more than 25 wounded when a car bomb went off at a busy market in Kufa town south of Baghdad Tuesday, police said.

Pakistan indicates forward movement on Siachen

By IANS

Islamabad : In a possible change in stance, Pakistan has indicated it would be willing to verify troop positions on the Siachen glacier in Jammu and Kashmir as a precursor to resolving the over two-decade standoff on the world's highest and coldest battlefield.

Gujarat killings stall parliament proceedings

By IANS

New Delhi : The killings of a Muslim man and his wife in cold blood by the police in Gujarat again disrupted both houses of Indian parliament Tuesday after the opposition insisted on a discussion.

Emergency remarks didn’t signal intent: Pakistan minister

By IANS

Islamabad : On the back foot over a threat to impose a state of emergency in the wake of a confrontation with the judiciary, the Pakistani government now says no declaration of intent was implied.

Leave it all to “Passport Baba” and fly abroad

By IANS

Ranchi : Pin up the photocopy of your passport at the 'dargah' (tomb) of Miskin Shah Baba and just relax - you will definitely get to fly to the country of your choice.

Another pastor threatened in Jaipur

By IANs

Jaipur : Days after the attack on a priest at his home in Sodala area here, another pastor was threatened by unidentified people and asked to leave his house.

Embassy alleges illegal detention of two Indians in Saudi

By IANS

Dubai : The Indian embassy in Qatar has lodged a police complaint against alleged illegal detention of two Indians by the managers of a manpower agency.

Lok Sabha adjourned again over fake killings

By IANS

New Delhi : The Lok Sabha was adjourned for a second time Tuesday as Samajwadi Party, Left and Congress MPS continued to insist on a discussion on the fake killings in Gujarat - a request that was disallowed amid bedlam.

Court asks Safdarjung Hospital to explain boy’s amputation

By IANS

New Delhi : The shocking story of medical negligence that led to a one-year-old child having his foot amputated has moved the Delhi High Court to ask the concerned hospital for an explanation.

Lok Sabha adjourned over fake killings

By IANSNew Delhi : The Lok Sabha was Tuesday adjourned for an hour after the Samajwadi Party, Left and Congress MPS insisted on a...

Frenchwoman jailed in Himachal

By IANS

Shimla : Caught without travel documents, a Frenchwoman here was sentenced to three months in jail by a Himachal Pradesh court.

Shahabuddin gets life sentence for murder

By IANS

Patna : A Bihar court Tuesday sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahabuddin to life imprisonment for the murder of a political activist in 1999.

Army faces probe for alleged fake killing in Assam

By Syed Zarir Hussain

IANS

Doomdooma (Assam) : As Assam saw highway blockades and protests against alleged fake killings for a second day, the state government Tuesday ordered a probe into the army's role in a local villager's death.

Four MNLF militants killed in Philippines

By Xinhua

Manila : Four suspected members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were killed following a clash with Marine soldiers in the southern Philippine province of Sulu before dawn Tuesday, local media reported.

Allocation for minorities fund hiked

By IANS

New Delhi : The central government contribution to the minorities fund has been raised from Rs.182.9 million in 2006-07 to Rs.700 million for the current financial year, the Rajya Sabha was told Monday.

Five held for duping credit card holders

By IANS

New Delhi : Five people have been arrested for duping credit card holders by using their card numbers and codes for buying air tickets at Indira Gandhi International airport here, police said Monday.

NATO chief arrives in Pakistan

By DPA

Islamabad : NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer arrived in Pakistan Monday on a two-day visit largely aimed at tightening efforts in the fight against Taliban insurgents in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Conspiracy to kill Vanzara with polls in mind: Congress

By IANS

New Delhi : The Congress Monday accused Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hatching a conspiracy to physically eliminate controversial police officer D.G. Vanzara to "create a communal situation" before the elections in the state.

28 killed in attack on wedding party in Baghdad

By Xinhua

Fallujah : At least 28 people were killed when gunmen attacked a wedding party for a policeman near a town east of Iraqi restive city of Fallujah, police sources said Monday.

Pakistani court halts hearings against chief justice

By DPA

Islamabad : In a new twist in Pakistan's two-month-old legal crisis, the Supreme Court Monday temporarily barred a panel of judges from hearing allegations of misconduct and abuse of office against suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Three more policemen arrested in staged killings

By IANS

New Delhi/Ahmedabad : Three more policemen of Gujarat's anti-terrorist squad (ATS) were arrested in Ahmedabad Monday as forensic experts finished conducting excavations at the farm of arrested police officer D.G. Vanzara looking for possible remains of Kausar Bi, the wife of encounter victim Sohrabuddin Sheikh.

Women’s outfit opposes sex education in Kashmir

By IANS

Srinagar : The women's separatist outfit, Dukhtaran-e-Milat (DeM) Monday opposed introduction of sex education in Kashmir schools despite officials having no such plans.

Addressing a media conference here, Asiya Andrabi, the DeM chief said, "We shall oppose tooth and nail the nefarious Indian designs to perpetuate obscenity and vulgarity in the society through the introduction of sex education in schools."

Apex court approves Haj subsidy for 2007

By IANS

New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday allowed the Union government to continue with its Haj subsidy for 2007.

Nine killed, 25 wounded in bus accident in Afghanistan

By DPA

Kabul : Nine passengers were killed and another 25 wounded when a bus skidded off a road in northern Afghanistan and caught fire, police said.

JKLF to resume ‘safar-e-azadi’ on May 20

By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front today said that it would resume its 'Safar-e-Azadi' from May 20 and threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if again bared from proceeding onward. Addressing, a press conference at JKLF head quarters, JKLF chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik today claimed "our journey is for strengthening the peace process by conveying that without inclusion of Kashmiris it would lead us no where" .

Court directs police to arrest Dawood’s sister

By IANS

Mumbai : A Mumbai court Monday directed the police to arrest Hasina Parkar, sister of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, by May 16 as she is wanted in a case of cheating and extortion.

TADA court summons 23 not guilty on Wednesday

By IANS

Mumbai : A special court conducting trial of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts has summoned all the 23 who have been found not guilty, including three of the Memon family, to appear before it on Wednesday.

Sheikh Hasina returns home

By Xinhua

Dhaka : Bangladesh's former prime minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina arrived here Monday from London after the caretaker government lifted a ban on her returning home.

Man arrested for murdering three people

By IANS

New Delhi : A 24-year-old man has been arrested here for allegedly murdering three of his accomplices after a fight over sharing money they had fraudulently obtained from banks, police said Monday.

Centre not taking bold stand over Gujarat: CPI-M

By IANS

New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday said the central government has not taken a bold stand against the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government over the "brutal killing of innocents" in engineered encounters.

Fresh violence leaves 25 dead in Baghdad

By Xinhua

Baghdad : At least 25 people were killed and over 40 injured in separate violent incidents in Baghdad Monday while six unidentified bodies were also recovered, official sources said.

Russian journalist killed in Iraq

By Xinhua

Moscow : A Russian journalist was killed in Iraq when a US convoy hit a ground bomb, the Itar-Tass news agency reported Monday.

Pakistani court bars panel from hearing judge charges

By DPA

Islamabad : The Supreme Court of Pakistan Monday prevented a panel of five judges from hearing allegations of misconduct and abuse of office against suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Order on plea against clean chit to Pandher’s deferred

By IANS

Ghaziabad : A special court Monday deferred till May 11 its order on a petition against the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) clean chit to Noida businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in the Nithari serial killings.

Former Pakistani minister, parliamentarian in murder probe

By DPA

Islamabad : Pakistani police were investigating five people, including a former federal cabinet minister and a member of parliament, for involvement in the weekend killing of a rival, news reports said Monday.

Fresh violence kills 20 in Iraq

By Xinhua

Ramadi : Two suicide car bomb attacks struck a police station and a busy market near the city of Ramadi in Iraq Monday, killing at least 20 people and wounding 40, a local police source said.

Iranian parliament bans al-Jazeera over Sistani ‘insult’

By DPA

Tehran : The Iranian parliament has banned the Tehran correspondents of the Qatar-based news network al-Jazeera after the channel allegedly insulted Iraqi Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Tehran press reported Monday.

Seven killed in Chechnya shootouts

By Xinhua

Moscow : Four police officers and three guerrillas were killed in two separate shootouts in the Russian republic of Chechnya, media reports said Monday.

Probe reveals Chhattisgarh Police killed civilians

By IANS

Raipur : The Chattisgarh Police have admitted that some of their men, busy fighting Maoist guerrillas, killed civilians in cold blood in a village in March.

Desperate BJP plays Ayodhya card in last round

By Sharat Pradhan

IANS

Ayodhya : A visibly desperate Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken recourse to playing up the Ayodhya temple card for the crucial last round of the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections ending Tuesday.

Supreme Court stays death sentence in tandoor murder

By IANS

New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday stayed the death sentence awarded to former Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma for murdering his wife Naina Sahni and disposing of her body in the ovens of a Delhi restaurant 12 years ago.

21 die as Pakistani bus plunges into ravine

By DPA

Islamabad : At least 21 people were killed and several injured when a bus carrying pilgrims plunged into a gorge in northern Pakistan, media reported Monday.

Parliament adjourned second time over Gujarat killings

By IANS

New Delhi : Both houses of parliament were adjourned for a second time Monday as Congress, Left parties and Samajwadi Party members disrupted proceedings over the issue of staged police killings in Gujarat.

Bayern fans attack Nuremberg supporters

By DPA

Wuerzburg (Germany) : Police arrested 73 Bayern Munich fans after they attacked a group of Nuremberg supporters at a highway rest area.

Rocket attack kills one in Kabul

By Xinhua

Kabul : A rocket fired by militants killed one person and wounded five people in the Afghan capital early Monday, police said.

Death sentence in tandoor murder case stayed

By IANSNew Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday temporarily suspended the death sentence of former Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma for murdering his wife...

Hilton devastated by 45-day jail sentence

By IANS

New York : Socialite heiress Paris Hilton was devastated when a Los Angeles judge decided to sentence her to 45 days in jail for violating a probation order and driving with a suspended license.

Orissa’s poster campaign against Maoist menace

By IANS

Bhubaneswar : Police in an Orissa district have stepped up their fight against Maoist insurgency with a poster campaign that highlights the latter's atrocities and details a government package for surrendered guerrillas.

Two US soldiers shot dead in Kabul

By Xinhua

Kabul : An Afghan soldier shot dead two US soldiers and injured two others in Afghan capital Kabul, the US-led coalition forces said in a statement Monday.

US-Pakistan alliance a ‘bad marriage’: South Asian expert

By Ashok Easwaran

IANS

Chicago : The US-Pakistan alliance, formed after the terrorist attacks on Sep 11, 2001 as part of the global war against terrorism is an example of a "bad marriage", and Washington should take steps to end it.

Several countries offer to revive Arabic-Persian university

By Imran Khan

IANS

Patna, May 7 (IANS) An Arabic-Persian university in Patna, which is almost in a state of non-existence, might soon overcome the crisis as some West and Central Asian countries have offered funds to revive it.

Advertising in motion aboard a Velotaxi in Berlin

By DPA

Berlin : They are nimble vehicles, adding a splash of rainbow colour on the roads as they take visitors on tours around the German capital.

Three names proposed for next AMU VC

By TwoCircles.net newsdesk

 

Aligarh: A Special Meeting of the Aligarh Muslim University Court, the supreme governing body of the University, today recommended a panel of three names to be the next Vice Chancellor.

Top Maoist guerrilla nabbed in Raipur

By IANS

Raipur : A top Maoist guerrilla leader from West Bengal was arrested Sunday from a railway station here even as Maoists killed two tribals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district on suspicion they were police informers.

33 die in Bangladesh due to drought

By DPA

Dhaka : At least 33 people died in northern Bangladesh in the past two days due to the effects of a rainless summer that has struck the country's rice growing hinterlands, officials and media reports said Sunday.

20 injured in police cane-charge on protesting Left activists

By IANS

Hyderabad : At least 20 people were injured Sunday when police cane-charged hundreds of protesting Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists in Hyderabad and Tirupati as they attempted to squat on open government lands demanding distribution of land among the poor and landless.

Blast in Guwahati injures 12, including two troopers

By IANS

Guwahati : At least 12 people, including two paramilitary troopers, were wounded Sunday in a powerful explosion at a busy marketplace in Assam's main city of Guwahati.

Now Bihar under fire for suppressing fake shootout

By IANS

Patna : The Bihar government is under fire for allegedly suppressing the killing of three brothers in a fake police shootout last year to save the skin of a ruling party legislator even as police claimed they were criminals killed during crossfire.

Iran to consider talks with US

By IANS

Tehran : Iran Sunday said talks with the US would be considered if it officially asks for it.

Pakistani judge warns of ‘destruction of dictatorships’

By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistan's suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry fuelled opposition to the military rule of President Pervez Musharraf Sunday, telling a crowd of thousands that dictatorships will inevitably be "destroyed".

Three cops killed in Sri Lanka

By Xinhua

Colombo : At least three cops of the Special Task Force (STF) were killed due to a mine explosion in eastern Sri Lanka Sunday, official sources said.

Three Congress workers wounded in Kashmir grenade attack

By IANS

Srinagar : Separatist guerrillas Sunday afternoon lobbed a grenade at a youth Congress rally in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, injuring three activists including two women.

Militants set up checkpoints in Pakistan

By DPA

Islamabad : Around 250 gunmen described as Taliban set up checkpoints in Pakistan's northwest Bajaur agency along the Afghan border and terrorized travellers, news reports said Sunday.

Court orders attaching of M.F. Hussain’s property

By IANS

Mumbai : Celebrated and controversial painter M.F. Hussain is headed for another round of trouble over his paintings. A court has ordered police to attach his properties here after he repeatedly failed to appear before it over a case pertaining to two paintings alleged to be semi-nude and as offending religious sensibilities.

Car bomb attack in Baghdad market kills 42

By DPA

Baghdad : A car bomb attack on a Baghdad market killed at least 42 people Sunday, police and witnesses said.

Home appliance purchases push Pakistan power crisis

By DPA

Islamabad : A surge in sales of electrical appliances like air conditioners has forced Pakistani authorities to introduce drastic power-saving measures across the country, media reported Sunday.

‘Wage a war against hate mentality to save humanity’

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

New Delhi : As newspapers and magazines are loaded with reports and articles on the staged encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and eliminating his wife Kauser Bi, Urdu daily Hindustan Express columnist Ahmad Javed in his celebrated column Fikr-e-Farda wrote an article Sunday entitled "Only Modi and Vanzara aren't the murderer of Sohrab" and ran a slug: If you have to save India, devise the remedy of the hate mentality which is taking shape of Modi or Vanzara.

Lost and not found: India’s stolen artefacts

By Prashant K. Nanda

IANS

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) Theft is chipping away slowly but surely at India's heritage treasures, with at least 32 idols and artefacts under the protection of the archaeological authority going missing in the last three years.

NATO chief seeks to widen ties with Pakistan

By DPA

Islamabad : NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is due to arrive in Pakistan Monday on a two-day visit aimed at broadening relations with one of the military alliance's key allies in the war against terrorism.

Central Waqf Council gets Rs 290 lakh grant

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

New Delhi : Union Minister for Minority Affairs A.R. Antulay informed the Rajya Sabha Saturday that the government has increased yearly grant to Central Waqf Council from Rs 206 lakh in 2006-07 to Rs 290 lakh in 2007-08 in order to ensure smooth functioning of the waqf council.

In the financial year 2005-06 the grant to Central Waqf Council was Rs 145.25 lakh.

Officials take bribe to release education grant to madrasas

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter

Nuh :  While Union Government, particularly its Human Resources Development Ministry, is taking measures to uplift the Muslim community by launching various schemes, officials responsible for releasing grants under the Sarv Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA) scheme in the Mewat region of Haryana are allegedly throwing "pay money to get money" offers to madrasa managements.

Indo-Canadian woman jailed for carrying heroin

By IANS

Toronto : An Indo-Canadian Sikh woman was sentenced to nine years in prison after she was found guilty of carrying illegally 11.4 kg of heroin while returning here from India with her young son.

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