Tajikistan to hold rotating presidency in Eurasec in 2008
By RIA Novosti
Dushanbe : Tajikistan will hold a rotating chair in the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec) in 2008 and its leader will supervise the work of the organization, the Russian president said Saturday.
Congress delegation meets Pranab on Arunachal Pradesh issue
New Delhi : A Congress delegation led by party chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday met President Pranab Mukherjee and urged him to "preserve the...
Campaign in support of Irom Sharmila begins
By IANS,
Chennai : Around 200 people participated in a 'Save Sharmila Week' that began here in support of Manipuri activist Irom Sharmila Chanu to mark International Women's Day.
Maoists ask villagers to surrender arms
By IANS,
Ranchi : Maoist guerrillas have ordered villagers supporting Shanti Sena, a private army opposed to the rebels, to surrender their arms or face death.
The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) issued the directive to four villages of Gumla district, around 170 km from Ranchi.
The Maoists killed eight people, including Shanti Sena chief Bhado Singh, April 8. The Sena was formed five years ago to fight the Maoists.
Maoists are active in 18 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand. In the last seven years, more than 1,000 people have been killed in violence linked to Maoists.
Now build your own Taj Mahal, courtesy Lego
By IANS,
London : Danish toy-maker Lego is next month launching build-yourself models of the Taj Mahal, consisting of as many as 5,922 pieces, including the monument's intricate minarets, domes and finials.
"The famous Taj Mahal palace of India is known all over the globe for its incredible beauty and elegance," the 74-year-old toy-maker, whose name means “play well” in Danish, said.
55 Palestinians killed as US opens embassy in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (IANS): At least 55 Palestinians were killed and 2,771 were injured on Monday as Israeli troops fired on demonstrators along the Gaza-Israel boundary...
Conspiracy of silence helping attack against minorities: Shabnam Hashmi
Dear Dr Manmohan Singh,
Gujarat 2002 is being repeated in Orissa right now. The minority under attack has changed from the Muslim to the Christian. The perpetrators remain the same. The Vishva Hindu Parishad and various other Sangh outfits.
U.S. marine dies in non-combat incident in Iraq
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A U.S. marine has died in a non-combat related incident in Iraq's western province of Anbar, the U.S. military said on Thursday.
The marine assigned to the Multi National Force-West died on Sept. 15, a military statement said without providing further details.
It said the incident was under investigation.
Anbar province is a Sunni insurgents' stronghold, which stretches from the western edges of Baghdad to the Saudi, Jordanian and Syrian borders.
Opposition parties reject civilian President Musharraf
Islamabad, Nov 29 (IANS) Leading political parties in Pakistan, including those of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, have rejected Pervez Musharraf's swearing in as civilian president saying his future would be determined by the new parliament after the Jan 8 polls.
"The new parliament will determine his future, he will have to take confidence of the new parliament," Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told IANS after Musharraf took oath as civilian president, a day after stepping down as army chief.
National level seminar discusses challenges of modernising Urdu
By Imran Inamdar, Twocircles.net
Solapur: The Department of Urdu, SSA Arts and Commerce College, Solapur organised a two-day national seminar on ‘Information technology...
Three Maoist rebels arrested in Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi : The police in Jharkhand have arrested three members of the outlawed Jharkhand Liberation Tiger (JLT) and recovered arms, ammunitions and cash from them.
"We have arrested three JLT members, who had more than three dozen cases lodged against them in Ranchi, Latehar, Lohardagga and Chhatra districts of the state," M.S. Bhatia, senior superintendent of police of Ranchi, told reporters Monday.
The police have recovered four rifles, one revolver, 300 live cartridges, four mobiles, one bike and Rs.148,000 in cash, the official added.
Irregularities in the functioning of Muslim girls’ hostel exposed in Manipur
By Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net,
Iranian cargo ship sinks in Bay of Bengal
By Xinhua
Dhaka : An Iranian cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal after its engine broke down in the deep sea, 60 nautical miles from Bangladesh's southwestern sea port Mongla.
Muslim clerics in Uttar Pradesh support Antulay’s demand
By IANS,
Lucknow : Prominent Muslim clerics in Uttar Pradesh Friday came out in support of Minorities Affairs Minister A.R. Antulay, who sparked off controversy by questioning the circumstances of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare's death during the Mumbai Nov 26 terror attack.
Time has come to end Arab-Israeli conflict – Sarkozy
By NNN-KUNA
Cairo : French President Nicolas Sarkozy said here on Sunday that the time has come to end the Arab-Israeli conflict and put an end to the fighting between Palestinians and Israelis which lasted more than sixty years.
Sarkozy said in a gathering organized by the French Embassy in Cairo that he would travel to Israel next spring to emphasize to the Israelis in the Knesset that no barrier would guarantee security for Israel.
Police question expelled CPI-M official over graft
By IANS
Kochi : Police Monday grilled K. Venugopal, who was expelled from the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) last month, over allegations that he had accepted Rs.10 million as graft from private financial company LIS to settle its problems.
Kashmiri PhD scholar commits suicide in Hyderabad
Srinagar : A PhD scholar from Jammu and Kashmir Friday committed suicide in Hyderabad, police said here.
Tariq-ul-Islam, the son of Ghulam Mohammad Dhobi and...
Withdrawing minority status of Jamia is like robbing a community of its valuables, say...
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Six years after National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) recognised Jamia Millia Islamia as a minority institution,...
Pakistan suicide attack toll mounts to 100
By IANS,
Islamabad: The toll in Friday's suicide attack in northwest Pakistan's Mohmand tribal region has risen to over 100 with more bodies recovered from the debris, a media report said Saturday.
The condition of more than 100 people injured in the blast is critical, Geo News reported.
More bodies were recovered from the debris Saturday, according to an official Meraj Khan.
High-level meeting reviews Manipur situation
By IANS
New Delhi : The growing threat of militancy, the arrest of 12 militants and seizure of weapons in Manipur, topped the agenda at a high-level home ministry meeting here Monday.
The meeting at North Block lasting over two hours was chaired by Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and was attended by Manipur Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh and the northeastern state's Director General of Police Yumnam Jaykumar Singh, said an official release.
Two students help underprivileged children in Kashmir get smartphones for online classes
Asma Hafiz, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: After being shut for six months due to an unprecedented military clampdown last year in August, schools in Kashmir closed again...
House of civil rights advocate attacked in Gujarat
Fearing for his life, Bilal Kagzi is now in hiding and seeking help from human rights defenders.
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
CBI raids 40 contractors in theft case
By IANS,
Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Saturday raided the houses of 40 contractors in connection with theft of National Savings Certificates (NSCs) and Kisan Vikas Patras (KVPs) worth more than Rs.100 crore, officials said.
The house of an inspector in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) was also raided. CBI sources refused to disclose more information.
The theft of NSCs and KVPs reportedly took place in the mid-90s in Patna. The state government ordered a CID probe into the theft followed by a CBI investigation in 2006.
Day after quake, fear in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu/Srinagar: Communication networks were restored in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, a day after a major earthquake struck the state and claimed at least...
Level-wise status of minorities will harm communal amity
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi : Leaders of the various minorities in India, participating in a symposium on the proposed bill on the status of minorities in India held at India International Centre here Wednesday, averred that it would be quite improper to declare the status of minorities on the state, district, and rural levels. They also pledged to fight their battle to ensure the rights of minorities.
Peaceful Muharram in Mumbai
Mumbai : Fasting, mourning and processions by the Muslim community Tuesday marked the Yaum-e-Ashura, the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, a grandson of Prophet Mohammed,...
AMU forms Steering Committee as it decides to go for accreditation for healthcare services
By TCN News,
Aligarh: Encouraged by the grading by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) after the visit of its peer team in February and in view of its impact on the academic and research activities of the University, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has decide to go for assessment and accreditation of all its healthcare services also and formed a Steering Committee for the same.
Major tragedy averted with timely detection of IED
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : Police today claimed to have averted a major tragedy with timely detection of an Improvised Explosive Device at Wuyan in Pampore area of Pulwama district.
The explosive was kept in a steel container containing about 10 Kilogram Liquid Explosive.
Official sources told News Agency of Kashmir that an Anti Sabotage team of police division Khrew detected an IED between Khrew and Wuyan on the general road last evening.
EC show-causes Trinamool’s Rezzak Mollah again
Kolkata : The Election Commission on Wednesday issued show-cause notice to Trinamool Congress candidate Abdur Rezzak Mollah over his "objectionable" remarks against the BJP's...
26/11 court’s observation on Karkare’s death buried by media
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Mumbai: Maybe you don’t know it because most of the media highlighted only the death sentence of 26/11 accused Kasab, pronounced by the special anti-terror court of Judge M L Tahaliyani on May 6. While convicting Kasab the judge had questioned Mumbai Police on failure of ballistics experts in proving whose bullets killed Karkare, but media trashed it.
Lal Masjid clerics flee as students surrender; army on standby
By IANS
Islamabad : The chief cleric and deputy cleric of Lal Masjid - where at least 21 people have been killed and over 200 injured in clashes with security forces - have moved to a "secure location" Wednesday morning, Online news agency of Pakistan has reported.
When it comes to dressing, Rahman trusts his wife: Vijayeta Kumar
By IANS,
New Delhi : Even though maestro A.R. Rahman has proved he has impeccable music sense - as is evidenced by his twin Oscars, when it comes to following fashion trends, he completely trusts his wife Saira Banu, says his stylist Vijayeta Kumar.
"He is a very simple person and doesn't believe in doing anything flashy. He is not at all brand conscious and blindly depends on Saira for the final call," Vijayeta Kumar told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.
"The reason behind this is that Saira is more aware and keeps herself updated about the latest trends," she added.
BJP leader asks party to gear up for PM’s rally in J&K
Srinagar : BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday asked party leaders and workers to gear up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's...
BJP attacks Sheila for sharing stage with Kazmi
By IANS,
New Delhi: The BJP Wednesday attacked Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for sharing the dais with Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi, an accused in the Israeli embassy car blast.
Azad, six others file papers for RS polls in Kashmir
Jammu : Seven candidates, including Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Wednesday filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The...
BJP did not demolish Babri Masjid, never promised to build Ram Mandir at Ayodhya:...
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: Drawing lessons from the unfinished task of the campaign to construct Ram Mandir at the very spot where the demolished Babri Masjid existed, the rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), in its ongoing national executive meeting here passed a resolution today to support the campaign to protect Ram Setu (Adam's Bridge) from being demolished.
Throwing light on the resolution, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who moved it, while
Roadside bomb blast kills 5 in Afghanistan
By Xinhua
Kabul : A roadside bombing killed five Afghans including two policemen in the southern Helmand province Friday afternoon, said district police chief Abdul Manas.
The explosion occurred at a market in Gereshk district killing two policemen, two children and one civilian, he said.
No one has claimed responsibility, but Taliban militants are suspected.
Due to rising violence, over 5,000 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in Afghanistan this year.
Local body elections get heated up with strange alliances in Kerala
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Eminent journalists rue lack of women representation in Indian media
Well-known journalists Arfa Khanum, Chief Editor, The Wire, Amer Ali Khan, News Editor, Siasat, Fazil Hussain Parvez, Chief Editor Gawah, Farhat Rizvi, Senior Journalist,...
Global Hunger Strike for Bhopal Gas Survivors Begins
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal : Nine Bhopal activists, including survivors of the 1984 Bhopal disaster, victims of water contamination and their supporters on Wednesday commenced an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi to underscore their demands for a special empowered commission for rehabilitation in Bhopal, and legal action against Dow Chemical and Union Carbide.
Bush to endorse pullout plan Thursday
By DPA
Washington : US President George W. Bush will during a prime-time televised address Thursday announce withdrawal of 30,000 US troops from Iraq by next July, the Washington Post reported citing government sources.
The announcement will endorse proposals from Washington's top military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, who in testimony to Congress this week outlined the achievements of major troop surge launched in January and recommended cutting troop numbers in Iraq from 160,000 to "pre-surge" levels of 130,000.
Maoist wanted in several criminal cases held
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: A member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, wanted in several criminal cases, was arrested in Orissa's Rayagada district Monday, police said.
Pratap Patianga, the 20-year-old rebel, was arrested from Chandrapur police station area in Rayagada, about 390 km from here.
He was a resident of Kangadima village and involved in attacks on local government buildings and several villagers suspecting them to be police informers, Superintendent of Police Anoop Krishna told IANS.
Aligarh based conspiracies against AMU Malappuram campus: Kerala MLA
By Abdul Basith MA, TwoCircles.net,
Terrorists have no religion: Manmohan
By Murali Krishnan, IANS,
On Board Air India One : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday refuted charges that his government had not done enough to bridge the communal divide that was increasing especially in the wake of sectarian strife and riots breaking out in several states in recent months.
Police investigating 12 people for attack on Indians
By DPA
Muegeln (Germany) : German prosecutors said Friday they were investigating 12 suspects in connection with the mob attack on eight Indians in the eastern town of Muegeln two weeks ago.
A spokesman said the men, aged 17-35, came from the town and the surrounding area, but none of them had previous convictions for right-wing crimes.
Police have questioned more than 125 witnesses in connection with the Aug 18 attack, which caused international outrage and revived calls for a ban on the extreme right National Democratic Party (NPD).
त्रिपुरा हिंसा में वकीलों को युएपीए नोटिस, शुरू हुआ विरोध
आकिल हुसैन।Twocircles.net
त्रिपुरा में मुसलमानों के खिलाफ हुई हिंसा पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट के वकीलों द्वारा जारी की गई फैक्ट फाइंडिंग रिपोर्ट को लेकर त्रिपुरा...
IMRC’s help for poor and needy continues in Kashmir; 700 families provided with ration...
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: Eleven years ago, Mohammad Amin Teli, a resident of Meer Behri, Dal area in Srinagar District of Jammu and...
Two killed as India blames Pakistan for Kashmir trouble
By Sarwar Kashani
Srinagar/New Delhi : Two more civilians, including a middle-aged woman, were killed in fresh firing by security forces in Kashmir on Monday...
Two Bajrang Dal goons arrested for assaulting teen girls in Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 2 (IANS) Two members of Bajrang Dal, a right-wing Hindu outfit were arrested for assaulting two teenage girls for allegedly interacting with...
21 killed in new year Afghan violence
By IRNA
Kabul : Roadside bombs and military operations in Afghanistan killed 21 people, including a coalition soldier and 14 Talibans, officials said Wednesday.
A roadside bomb hit a US-led coalition vehicle Wednesday in eastern Khost province, killing a soldier and an Afghan interpreter, the coalition said in a statement.
Two other soldiers were wounded.
Mass gathering of women MGNREGA workers demanding their rights
By TCN News,
Tohana-Fatehabad (Haryana): A huge gathering of poor and marginalized people, large number of them women, took place in Tohana (Fatehabad) in Haryana on December 30, 2014 against corruption and irregularity in providing job under MGNREGA, and proposed dilution in the act.
Benazir freed from house arrest on US pressure
By Muhammad Najeeb
Islamabad(IANS) : Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was late Friday night freed from house arrest following intervention from the United States.
The Pakistan People Party (PPP) chief's release was ordered directly by President Pervez Musharraf after the US voiced concern that the political turmoil in the country following the clamping of emergency and Bhutto's arrest would undermine the Pakistani army's fight against terrorism.
Right time to put message of Islam across: NCM chairman
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: Today when efforts are on to cast Islam in bad light and as a centre of conflicts and violence, to spread its message of love and humanity is the need of the hour, said National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Chairman Mohammad Shafi Qureshi.
TCN special: Misra Commission report excerpts- Part 17
By TwoCircles.net news desk
Misra Commission report excerpts- home page
Chapter 8
RESERVATION AS A WELFARE MEASURE
Muslim research scholars to evaluate minority IAS coaching centres
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Concerned at the fall in the number of successful Muslim candidates in civil services this year despite emergence of several coaching institutes exclusively for minority candidates, a group of Muslim research scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University will soon prepare an evaluation report of these institutions, their process and efforts.
Memon sentenced to death as no political backing: Owaisi
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday contended 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon got a death sentence because he did not have any...
Convention on Status of Muslims in Contemporary India begins
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: What it means to be a Muslim in India today? In different words by different people the answer was same: it means to be vulnerable to state terrorism, to be fit to be treated as second-class citizen, said family members of some of the terror blasts accused from across the country. They were sharing a dais – provided by ANHAD in the three-day national convention on Status of Muslims in Contemporary India in New Delhi on October 3.
Liberhan report to be tabled at 12: Bansal
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Liberhan Commission of Inquiry report will be tabled at 12 noon after question hour, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced in the Lok Sabha Monday following an emergency meeting of the cabinet.
The cabinet meeting to discuss the tabling of the probe report into the 1992 demolition the Babri Masjid was headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
15 dead in Iraq, offensive launched at military academy
By DPA
Baghdad : A fresh wave of violence has struck two northern Iraqi provinces, killing at least 15, reports said Wednesday.
In a village near Qadaa Sinjar in the Nineveh province, around 250 km north-west of Baghdad, 10 civilians were reported killed and nine wounded in a car bomb explosion. According to independent Voices of Iraq news agency, citing hospital sources, the condition of four of the wounded was critical.
नजीब की गुमशुदगी के 60 दिन : ओवैसी के साथ जेएनयूएसयू का पार्लियामेंट मार्च
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
नई दिल्ली : ‘मुझे किसी भी सियासत में कोई दिलचस्पी नहीं है. मुझे बस मेरा नजीब चाहिए. जो पुलिस बड़े-बड़े...
No full bench for hearing petitions against Musharraf
By Muhammad Najeeb
Islamabad, Sep 17 (IANS) Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday rejected applications by opposition leaders for constituting a full court bench to hear writ petitions against President Pervez Musharraf for holding two posts - the presidency and the chief of army staff.
Rejecting the applications, a nine-member bench headed by judge Rana Bhagwandas said the present bench would hear the petitions. Six petitions, including that of Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan, have been filed in the Supreme Court.
Maharashtra Polls: Hi-tech BJP way ahead of other parties in online campaigning
By A.Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Four months after achieving a historic win in the parliamentary elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is once again banking on its tried-and-tested campaign strategy for maximum gains ahead of the October 15 Maharashtra assembly elections.
Sharif to return Pakistan on Sep 10
By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistan's opposition leader and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif announced Thursday he would return home on Sep 10 after six years' exile to launch what he called a "decisive battle" against the military rule of President General Pervez Musharraf.
"I am going back for the restoration of undiluted, genuine democracy and rule of law," he told reporters in a press briefing that was telecast by several news channels in Pakistan.
Awami League demands speedy probe into 2004 grenade attack
By IANS
Dhaka : Bangladesh's Awami League defied emergency rules to gather outside the Dhaka Central Jail, where their leader Sheikh Hasina is detained, to hold a candlelight protest against tardy investigations into a grenade attack which killed 24 party workers three years ago.
It was on Aug 21, 2004 that a grenade attack on an Awami League rally killed 24 party activists. Hasina was fired upon as she was whisked away in a car, and escaped unhurt.
Congress, JD(U) leaders complain against BJP to poll panel
New Delhi: The Congress and Janata Dal-United on Friday complained to the Election Commission that the BJP was "promoting lies, false propaganda and communal...
चम्बल डायरी: ‘घर में न सहरी के लिए कुछ है, न इफ़्तार के लिए’
शाह आलम
यह मेरी ‘चम्बल संवाद यात्रा’ का बारहवां दिन था. जालौन जिले के मुख्यालय उरई से 66 किलोमीटर की दूरी पर महेवा...
VHP to launch campaign to protest Malegaon blast arrests
By IANS,
Mumbai : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Saturday said it would launch a campaign to counter what it termed as the government’s conspiracy against ‘sadhus, sadhvis and sena’ (mendicants and military) and to express solidarity with those arrested for the Malegaon blast.
VHP joint secretary V. Abdeo said here that besides sit-in and demonstrations across the country, the VHP activists would send SMSes and e-mails abroad too to air solidarity with the people nabbed for their suspected involvement in the Sep 29 Malegaon blast that killed six.
Sarvajan or bahujan, Mayawati in ideological bind
By Khalid Akhter, IANS,
New Delhi : Two years after its historic victory in Uttar Pradesh riding on a rainbow coalition of the low and high castes, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Chief Minister Mayawati is caught in a dilemma -- whether to continue its inclusive agenda or revert to her core Dalit base.
Why Jammu burns after Kashmir burnt
By Balraj Puri,
Soon after taking over his assignment as the Governor of J&K state NN Vohra, made first overture to ease the situation in the valley by offering to surrender the land the state government allotted to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board of which he is the ex-officio head. It immediately caused a backlash in Jammu region when the BJP and other Hindu organizations called for a Bandh and led protest marches.
A riot of colour and cackle in the Kashmir wetlands
By F. Ahmed, IANS
Srinagar : With thousands of avian visitors arriving here each day from Russian Siberia, China, Eastern Europe and the Philippines, the Kashmir wetlands are a riot of colour and cackle these days. But not all is well in these reserves.
"Nearly 600,000 migratory birds have arrived so far in just one wetland reserve of the valley, the Hokersar wetland reserve," said Rashid Naqash, Wildlife Warden (Central Division) here.
"We have four national parks, 14 sanctuaries and 35 conservation reserves in the state."
Jamaat Islami’s Central Advisory Council meet skips Batla issue
By TCN News,
New Delhi: The 5-day meet of the Central Advisory Council of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind concluded here today after passing resolutions on various national and international issues including Women Reservation Bill, Ranganath Mishra Commission, sanctions against Iran and Indian government’s action against Naxalism. But the Council skipped the issue of Batla House encounter and false implication of Muslim youths in terror cases.
The joint practice test for the students of IIT-JEE was conducted at Rahmani-30
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Patna: The IITs were created to train scientists and engineers, with the aim of developing a skilled workforce to support the economic and social development of India after independence. Success in Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) has always been dream of majority of students. Last year around 3.1 lakhs candidates appeared in IIT-JEE and this year this figure is expected to go up to 3.75 lakhs.
National students group formed to promote social causes
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: To promote social causes and to develop a new generation of social activists, a new national-level students group has been formed. The group namely Campus Front of India will be formally launched on November 7 in New Delhi.
Status of Govt. funded minority educational institutions in India
Jamia Millia Islamia – A case study
By M. Tarique Siddiqui
Australian guard held taking snaps up women’s skirts
By IANS,
Sydney : A security guard in Australia has been charged with taking more than 500 sneaky photos up the skirts of women at his workplaces.
Kok Chuen Chong, 49, used a mobile phone secreted in a shopping bag to record video footage up women's dresses 507 times over a two-year period, Perth Now quoted police as saying Tuesday.
Chong, who was employed by Wilson Security, allegedly committed the offences while working at shopping centres in Perth and its suburbs, as well as at Channel 10's Dianella studios between Oct 3, 2007 and Dec 17, 2009.
Delhi 1984 & Gujarat 2002 and tales of complicity and cover-ups: Manoj Mitta
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwCircles.net,
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sr. Journalist and author Manoj Mitta delivered the Omar Khalidi Memorial Lecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Sunday night.
In his hour-long talk Manoj Mitta who is the author of When a Tree Shook Delhi (published 2008) and The Fiction of Fact-Finding (published 2014) drew parallels between the government response and investigations following the anti-Sikh violence in Delhi in 1984 and anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002.
Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections before end of 2008
By Xinhua
Dhaka : Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the parliamentary elections will be held before the end of 2008.
Intellectuals’ meet at AMU reviews different manifestos
By RINA,
New Delhi: In a bid to guide India voters in selection of ‘right’ candidates, Uttar Pradesh Rabita Committee today organized a conference in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to review manifestos issued by various political parties before parliamentary elections.
Speaking in the conference, the media advisor of AMU, Prof. N. A. K. Durrani said, “Whole world is watching Indian electoral scenario. Therefore, we need to guide people for ensuring proper mandate.”
It’s sister versus brother Farooq in Srinagar election
By IANS,
Srinagar : Their family tussle is back in the political battle field of Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah is likely to get a tough fight from estranged sister Khaleda Shah in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
The parliamentary segment, which has largely been a National Conference bastion, will see a triangular fight May 7. Prominent Shia leader Iftikhar Hussain Ansari of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has queered the pitch in the constituency that has a sizeable Shia population.
How advocacy moved a lethargic government on AMU Kishanganj proposal
AMU Kishanganj files reaches President of India for approval
By Md Mudassir Alam
Pakistan warns against Indian nuclear testing
By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistan said Monday it will review its unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing if India resumes tests, and cited the threat of an arms race in South Asia if Australia goes ahead with plans to sell uranium to New Delhi.
"Resumption of nuclear tests by India would create a serious situation obliging Pakistan to review its position and take action appropriate and consistent with our supreme national interest," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam told a press briefing in Islamabad.
Poor teacher-student ratio ails education in a Muslim dominated region in Assam
According to a report by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, an Indian government programme aimed at universalization of education within a time frame, Dalgaon was the...
Muslim groups object to RSS chief live address on DD
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Several liberal, secular and Muslim groups have objected to the live address of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on state run TV Doordarshan on the occasion of Dussehra.
Curfew in Srinagar to prevent separatist march
By IANS,
Srinagar : Curfew was imposed in several towns in the Kashmir Valley and in Srinagar Friday to thwart a proposed march by separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.
Curfew was also announced in Ganderbal, Badgam and Sopore, while curfew-like restrictions were in place in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Baramulla, Kupwara, Shopian and Bandipora towns.
Don’t impose Uniform Civil Code: Nitish
Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the central government should not impose a Uniform Civil Code in the country.
"Uniform Civil...
पूर्व मंत्री के घर के बाहर छींकते हुए गुज़रा एक शख़्स, टोका तो जवाब...
आस मोहम्मद कैफ़, Twocircles.net
मेरठ। भारत में कोरोना का धर्म तय हो गया है अब इसके रुझान गलियों में मिलने लगे हैं। ताजा मामला आज...
The Minority Minister: Dr Najma Heptulla
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
I have never met Dr Najma Heptulla, not even for this interview. So I couldn’t read her body language and facial expressions...
Arrested militant confesses to international terror links
By IANS
Lucknow : A top militant arrested in Uttar Pradesh has told police that the ransom money he received for the 2001 kidnapping of a Kolkata-based shoe tycoon was channelled to the Al Qaeda and may have been used to fund the 9/11 US terror attack.
Indian Mujahideen: poison fruit of saffron politics, jehadi mindset
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
PUK: Talabani to raise Iranian’s freedom in meeting with Bush
By IRNA
Tehran : Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will demand freedom of Iranian businessman Mahmoud Farhadi detained by American troops in Iraq in his meeting with US President George W. Bush on Monday.
The Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) envoy in Iran Nazem Dabbagh told IRNA Sunday that a number of Iraqi Kurdish traders have in a letter urged freedom of Farhadi, the official in charge of commercial transactions between Iran's western Kermanshah province and Iraq.
"Mr. Talabani is to submit the letter to the US President tomorrow," said Dabbagh.
Madhya Pradesh assembly adjourned over riots
By IANS,
Bhopal : The Madhya Pradesh assembly was adjourned Tuesday for the second consecutive day even as Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the violence across the state during a shutdown to protest cancellation of land allotment to the Amarnath shrine management.
Soon after Speaker Ishwar Das Rohani called the members for question hour, the opposition lawmakers raised the issue of communal riots in the state.
Christian of Dalit origin will be Dalit if he embraces Hinduism
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Thursday said that a Dalit whose parents or grandparents embraced Christianity will get the benefits of reservation meant...
Narasimha Rao’s ‘pro-Hindu mindset’ led to Babri demolition: Aiyar
New Delhi : Former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's "pro-Hindu mindset" encouraged the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992, senior Congress...
Give Urdu all official language rights: Muslim leaders
By TwoCircles.net correspondent,
Patna: Muslim leaders have demanded the Bihar government to give Urdu all rights of being state’s second official language and to establish fully the long-promised Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic, Persian University.
Ahmad Ashfaque Karim, chairman, Bihar Minority Educational Board and Katihar Medical College, and Abdul Quayum Ansari, general secretary, Bihar Minority Educational Board and secretary Anjuman Taraqui Urdu Bihar, made the demands in a joint press statement released on 7th May in the capital.
Poppy husk racket busted
By IANS,
Bhopal : Five people have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh with 450 kg of poppy straw hidden inside air conditioners being transported in a container truck, police said Monday.
The seizure took place on the Mandsaur-Ratlam highway, about 400 km from here. The truck was on its way to Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.
"Twenty bags of poppy straw were hidden inside the air-conditioners. The truck belonged to a company in Delhi," Superintendent of Police G.K. Pathak said.
Lucknow seminary clarifies cancellation of Saudi delegation visit
Lucknow : Putting to rest speculation and political chatter on why the visit of a Saudi delegation to Lucknow earlier this week was called...
Maoists kill teenager in West Bengal
By IANS,
Kolkata : Maoists allegedly opened fire indiscriminately early Wednesday in West Bengal's west Midnapore district killing a teenaged boy, police said.
According to police, the Maoists barged into a village near Pingboni and let loose a hail of bullets. Santosh Mal, a teenager, died on the spot.
"The rebels entered the village and started firing indiscriminately. Santosh Mal was killed on the spot," said Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Zulfiqar Hasan.
Maoists are active in West Bengal's three western districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia.
Roadside bomb kills mayor of Iraqi town south of Baghdad
By Xinhua
Baghdad : A roadside bomb explosion killed the mayor of Iskandriya town in Babel province south of Baghdad along with four of his bodyguards on Thursday, a provincial police source said.
"A roadside bomb went off near the procession of Abbas Hamza al-Khafaji, mayor of Iskandriya town, some 50 km south of Baghdad, while heading to his work in the morning, killing him, four of his bodyguards and wounding another," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Milli Council flays violence in London, Glasgow
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi : All India Milli Council (AIMC) has condemned the recent cases of violence in places like London and Glasgow.
Reacting to the reports coming from there, AIMC general secretary Dr Mohammed Manzoor Alam said in a statement released here Monday, "There was no question of justifying it from any section of the society but it should be kept in view that the persons alleged for these acts had no such record while living in India."
Low turnout in Srinagar, brisk polling in Jammu
By IANS,
Srinagar/Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir was a study in contrasts Wednesday as voting got underway for the seventh and last round of the state elections with long queues outside polling booths in Jammu but low turnout in Srinagar constituencies where a boycott call by separatists held sway.
While eight constituencies are going to the polls in Srinagar, 13 constituencies in the two districts of Jammu and Samba are holding elections.
Omar says extend LoC Trade to 4 days per week
By Chaman Koul, AIP
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government is seeking permission for extending the trans-LoC trade between India and Pakistan from two to four days a week, besides increasing the number of items enlisted for trade.
Given the massive increase in the volume of barter, the government has already submitted detailed projects worth Rs 75 crore for infrastructure up gradation at the twin border windows; the state legislature was informed on Wednesday.
Post-riot relief in Dhule: organizations need support
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Weeks after the orchestration of the riot in Dhule the situation in the communally sensitive area of Maharashtra seems to be “normal”. Normal at least in the sense that there is no violence and curfew.
As per the official data 10 people were killed in the frenzy of violence but the relief workers who are working in the area say it is as usual an underestimation by the government to lessen the casualty at least in the media to save its face.
20 militants, 2 soldiers killed in Pakistan clashes
By IRNA
Islamabad : Pakistani security forces killed at least 20 pro-Taliban militants in fighting in North Waziristan on Sunday, the military said, after attacks on security forces, the army said.
Two soldiers were also killed in the fighting, spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad told state television.
Violence has intensified in the volatile tribal region after militants scrapped a peace deal with the government in July.
Musharraf lifts emergency, revives constitution
By NNN-APP
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf Saturday lifted the state of emergency, revoked the Provisional Constitution Order and restored the Constitution.
The Order came 42 days after the emergency was imposed on November 3 to counter “ascendancy in activities of extremists” and “increasing interference by some members of judiciary”.
The Order titled ‘Revocation of Proclamation of Emergency Order 2007’ is in pursuance of President Musharraf’s pledge to the nation to lift the emergency before December 16.
Has the war on terror provoked a clash of civilisations?
By IANS,
Jaipur : The war on terror has provoked a clash of civilisations, agreed a majority of the 600-odd people taking part in the closing debate of the five-day Jaipur Literature Festival on the sprawling lawns of the Diggy Palace here.
The debate on the motion "The War on Terror Has Provoked a Clash of Civilisations" was anchored by television presenter and journalist Barkha Dutt Sunday night.
Warrant issued against Akbruddin Owaisi in seven year old case
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
अल्पसंख्यकों के ख़िलाफ़ काम कर रही मोदी सरकार – बिहार अल्पसंख्यक कल्याण मंत्री डॉ....
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
‘जब से देश में बीजेपी की सरकार बनी है, मुसलमानों के ख़िलाफ़ आग उगलने का काम काफ़ी बढ़ा है...’
...
Mob lynching destroying rural economy, says BJD MP
New Delhi, (IANS): Restrictions on cattle trade and mob lynching have crippled the rural economy as farmers are not able to sell their cattle, Biju...
Sahayata Trust provides ration to 1,000 flood-affected families in three districts of Manipur
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Manipur: The two-day relief work started by Hyderabad-based Sahayata Trust to provide ration and medicines to the poor and needy flood-affected...
Four Afghans killed by Taliban for spying
By DPA
Kabul : The Taliban have executed four people in Afghanistan for spying for foreign forces and the Afghanistan government, Taliban sources said Monday.
A teenager was hanged in Sangin district of Helmand province Sunday night apparently for giving information on the Taliban hideouts to government and foreign forces.
Sangin district chief, Haji Ezatullah, said the 15-year-old boy was found hanged to an electricity column.
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.
Kerala women panel member lauds RSS stand on temple entry
Thiruvananthapuram : A Kerala Women's Commission member on Sunday welcomed the RSS' stand favouring entry of women into temples.
Lissy Jose, in a release issued...
How is demonetisation scheme good if corrupt hail it and common man criticise it?
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net
For some very obvious–and at the same time hidden reasons-demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes is a move which...
Sadhu to host ‘Roza Iftar’ in Ayodhya
By IANS
Lucknow : A sadhu in Ayodhya has decided to host a 'Roza Iftar' party for the local Muslims for paving the path for communal harmony in the otherwise communally sensitive ancient Hindu temple town.
Both Hindus and Muslims will join in the Iftar in large numbers to prove Ayodhya's local residents believe in communal harmony, the sadhu said, pointedly adding, "It is only the outsiders who create trouble in this town of peace-loving people."
Indian Mujahideen emerges prime suspect in Pune blast
By IANS,
Mumbai : The Indian Mujahideen (IM) Thursday emerged as the mastermind behind the Feb 13 terror blast in Pune's German Bakery that killed 17 people, including four foreigners, and injured another 57.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) is understood to have identified the IM behind the terror blast, and its founder Riyaz Bhatkal and his relative Yasin Bhatkal as the key conspirators, well-placed ATS sources said.
Muslim Law Board, Jamaat Islami condemn Chidambaram for equating Jihad with terrorism
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: India’s leading Muslim organizations All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have strongly condemned Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram for equating Jihad with terrorism. His statement reveals his ignorance about Islam or his true mind, leaders of the organizations said.
‘दलित चेतना’ आंदोलन को अब उत्तर प्रदेश लेकर जाएंगे जिग्नेश मेवाणी
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: गुजरात के उना कांड की चिंगारियां अभी भी सुलग रही हैं. उना में दलितों को इंसाफ़ दिलाने की लड़ाई...
Brutality in Chhattisgarh’s jungles
By Sujeet Kumar, IANS
Raipur : What do the Maoist guerrillas want to prove by gouging out the eyes of policemen deployed in the terror fields of Chhattisgarh?
Police squads were horrified Thursday as they searched in the thick jungles of Dantewada district for the bodies of 12 colleagues who went missing after an hour-long gun fight with militants at the Tadmetla hamlet, some 500 km south of here, a day earlier.
AIM urge dismissal of Gujarat’s CM Modi
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Washington, DC: Association of Indian Muslims of America (AIM) demanded a immediate and effective action against Gujarat’s Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi.
In view of sting operation of news magazine Tehelka which have BJP and VHP leaders confessing and implicating Mr. Narendra Modi for involvement in genocide that lead to thousands of Muslims killed in Gujarat in 2002.
Bangladesh to fight terrorism collectively : Fakhruddin
By NNN-BSS
New York : Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Caretaker Government Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed Friday expressed his country's readiness to work with the international community to fight against global problems of terrorism.
Addressing a function, organized by the Asia Society here, the Chief Adviser said no country is immune from the threat of terrorism and militancy. "We must join our hands together to root out this curse," he added.
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed said, "We categorically reject those who use the name of Islam to unleash terror, whether at home or abroad."
Assam reacts sharply at ULFA’s warning to singer Zubeen Garg
By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,
Aler encounter: MHA sends notice to NHRC and Chief Secretary of Telangana
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Correspondent
Hyderabad : In a significant move, the Human Rights Division of the Union Home Ministry issued...