Islamabad, August 30: Pakistani police have arrested two more suspects involved in the planning of a militant attack on the Indian city of Mumbai last November, bringing the number in custody to seven, a state-run news agency reported after a court hearing on Saturday.
Kabul, August 30: President Hamid Karzai widened his lead over his main challenger in election returns released Saturday, creeping toward the 50 percent mark that would enable him to avoid a run-off in the divisive presidential contest.
Karzai’s top challenger Abdullah Abdullah stepped up his fraud charges, raising doubts whether the former foreign minister’s followers would accept the incumbent if he wins in the first round.
Washington, August 30: The US government has accused Pakistan of illegally modifying US-made antiship missiles to make them capable of striking land targets and thus creating a new threat for India, The New York Times reported late Saturday.
Citing unnamed senior administration and congressional officials, the newspaper said the accusation was made in an unpublicized diplomatic protest delivered in late June to Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Beirut, August 30: An attempt to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s security chief, who is a prominent member of the royal family, appears to mark a new tactic by an Al Qaida network that is exploiting worsening instability in neighbouring Yemen.
A suicide bomber posing as a repentant militant failed to kill Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef at his Jeddah office on Thursday in the first known attack on a Saudi royal since Al Qaida began a bloody campaign in the world’s top oil exporter in 2003.
Berlin, August 30: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s rivals get what may be one of their last chances to slow her drive for a second term on Sunday, when voters in three German states go to the polls less than a month before a federal election.
Merkel and her Christian Democrats (CDU) hold a comfortable 12-15 point poll lead over their centre-left rivals, the Social Democrats (SPD), ahead of the Sept. 27 national vote and she appears to be cruising towards re-election.
New Delhi, August 30: A single deep breath will soon be enough to vaccinate children against measles as human trials of an inhalable vaccine for the deadly disease are expected to begin early next year in India.
Serum Institute of India will be conducting the trials of the new vaccine in the country.
“The phase-I trials are expected to begin by the first quarter of next year once the animal testing, currently under process, is completed,” Prasad Kulkarni, Additional Medical Director, Serum Institute of India told PTI.
New Delhi, August 30: Bollywood bombshell Bipasha Basu may be playing the deglamourised role of a housewife in her first Bengali movie but the actress says she is happy with the ‘sexy’ tag as a girl-next-door look never interested her.
“I love being sexy and I would be happy if people call me sexy even when I turn 100. I would love to be called a sexy grandmother. The tag has never bothered me,” Bipasha, who has been named one of the sexiest celebrities of Asia, told PTI in an interview.
August 30: The final resting place of American heroes opened its gates Saturday to embrace one more, as Edward Kennedy was buried near his two slain brothers while thousands publicly mourned.
The late senator’s gravesite is 100 feet (30 meters) from that of his brother Robert, itself several yards (meters) from the “eternal flame” marking president John F. Kennedy’s grave on a hill in Arlington National Cemetery.
August 30: The final resting place of American heroes opened its gates Saturday to embrace one more, as Edward Kennedy was buried near his two slain brothers while thousands publicly mourned.
The late senator’s gravesite is 100 feet (30 meters) from that of his brother Robert, itself several yards (meters) from the “eternal flame” marking president John F. Kennedy’s grave on a hill in Arlington National Cemetery.
Gaza, August 30: Israeli aircraft bombed a building in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Sunday which the military said had been used by Palestinians to enter a tunnel and carry out cross-border attacks in Israel.
The air strike, in which no one was hurt, took place in the early hours shortly after Hamas said unidentified Palestinians had set off explosive devices at two of its security compounds in Gaza City.
Patna, August 30: With major rivers in spate, there is no let up in the overall flood situation in Bihar where 1.5 million people continue to reel under the deluge in 11 north Bihar districts. Rivers like Kosi, Mahananda, Bagmati, Kamala balan and Adhwara group of rivers have crossed the danger level at different places along their course, Central Water Commission sources said.
August 30: The final resting place of American heroes opened its gates Saturday to embrace one more, as Edward Kennedy was buried near his two slain brothers while thousands publicly mourned.
The late senator’s gravesite is 100 feet (30 meters) from that of his brother Robert, itself several yards (meters) from the “eternal flame” marking president John F. Kennedy’s grave on a hill in Arlington National Cemetery.
Dehradun, August 30: Stakes are high for the BJP in the September 10 byelections to Vikas Nagar assembly seat as it can get majority of its own in the 70-member Uttarakhand assembly if it wins the elections.
The BJP, which has 35 seats, and has support of three Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) leaders would get majority of its own if it wins the seat.
According to BJP sources, Vikas Nagar seat has become a prestige issue for the party which has fielded senior leader Kuldeep Kumar from the constituency.
Taipei, August 30: Taiwan and China will launch regular flights on Monday, but Taiwan has cancelled celebration ceremonies as it is still mourning the nearly 700 victims killed by Typhoon Morakot, a newspaper said Sunday.
“Because of the typhoon disaster, our airlines have canceled all ceremonies and will let the other side (China) to hold them,” the Liberty Times quoted Lee Wen-long, director general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, as saying.
New York, August 30: Taking a giant leap forward in his fledgling career, Somdev Devvarman ensured himself a berth in the singles main draw of the US Open after scoring a convincing 6-3 6-2 win over Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.
Rain had held up celebrations for Somdev as he was leading 6-3 5-2 against his rival in the third round match on Friday at the Flushing Meadows here.
But Somdev completed his victory last night and set up a first round clash against Portugal’s Fredrico Gil, who is currently ranked 110 in the ATP chart.
Jakarta, August 30: Rescue workers resumed their search for more than a dozen of people missing after an overcrowded ferry capsized off the Indonesian part of Borneo island, media reports said on Sunday.
The state-run Antara news agency said 12 bodies were rescued by late Saturday, leaving at least 12 others missing and feared dead.
But Kompas daily cited a local rescue official as estimating that around 23 people were believed still missing in the accident. Some 116 others survived.
Canberra, August 30: Australia said on Sunday it would formally apologise to generations of children abused while in state care, in a gesture similar to last year’s acknowledgment of past injustices suffered by Aborigines.
The apology would help address terrible wrongs inflicted on the so-called “forgotten Australians” who were abused in orphanages and public institutions that were supposed to protect them, Families Minister Jenny Macklin said.
Beijing, August 30: Fighting appeared to have subsided on Sunday along China’s southern border after days of clashes between Myanmar government troops and ethnic rebels sent thousands of refugees streaming into China.
At least one person was killed Saturday and dozens injured when a bomb was tossed into China, a report said.
The clashes pose a major concern to Communist China and its goal of stability ahead of the sensitive Oct. 1 celebration of its 60th anniversary. Beijing has told Myanmar to end the fighting to “safeguard the regional stability.”
Patna, August 30: A railway employee was killed and ten people injured when armed robbers looted cash and valuables from passengers of a local train in Bihar’s Jamui district, police said today.
Mukesh Mandal, a gangman, was shot at when he tried to resist the armed attackers who boarded the 507 EMU Jhajha-Patna at Jamui and went on a looting spree late last night, they said.
Mandal died on the way to a hospital at Jamui.
The firing led to a stampede-like situation as panic- stricken passengers jostled to get down from the train, they said, adding 10 peole were injured in the melee.
Cape Canaveral, August 30: Space shuttle Discovery’s astronauts steered closer to the international space station for a Sunday linkup, while checking their ship for any signs of launch damage.
The routine survey began early Saturday evening and lasted until the wee hours of Sunday.
Tokyo, August 30: Japanese voted in an election on Sunday that looked set to oust the long-ruling conservative party and give the untested opposition the job of nurturing a recovery from the country’s worst recession since World War Two.
Media surveys suggested the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) could win the lower house election by a landslide in a historic victory over the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that has ruled for most of the past 50 years, though some analysts say those predictions may be excessive.
England, August 30: No parade to Trafalgar Square. No reception at No 10. No triumphalism. MBEs still not known but unlikely to be doled out willy nilly. Spot the difference: the Ashes 2009 compared to the Ashes 2005.
Four years ago, England made all the right noises about building on their grand victory against Australia but it came to nought. There were several factors – injury, illness, selection, a feeling of mission accomplished – but in effect the legacy was urinated up the wall of London watering holes on the evening and early morning of 12 September.
A few months ago, the Western countries made fun of the naqaab (Islamic Burqa/Veil). France President Sarkozy had issued a ban on the Viel.
And what’s happening today??
Entire world is wearing naqaab!
Sanaa, August 30: Nine people including six rebels and three security forces have been killed in an ambush by Shia rebels in northern Yemen, the newspaper News Yemen reported on its website Saturday.
The Yemeni air forces shelled the strongholds of rebels Saturday in the mountainous areas of Dahian, Matra and Al-Anad in Saada Province, which is near the Saudi border.
The clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces continued causing heavy casualties at the two sides.
Algeria, August 30: Five people have been killed and three wounded in two separate attacks in Algeria, a media report said Saturday.
Three people including two military forces were killed in a car bomb in western Algeria, said the report.
In Jijel Province of eastern Algeria, two armed soldiers were killed and three wounded in an ambush against the Algerian army, according to the report.
Though violence has declined in Algeria after a large group of radical Islamists surrendered to the government, attacks occurr sporadically in different areas of the country.