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:: Ground Zero - News from conflict zones |
Sri Lankan troops recover Tamil rebel chief's secret documents
Colombo, July 19 (DPA): Sri Lanka's security forces and police have unearthed secret documents belonging to the deceased leader of Tamil Tiger rebels, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Kandy's Buddhist temple readies for pageantry - without fear
Kandy (Sri Lanka), July 19 (IANS): The famous 17th century Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is breathing easy for the first time in many years ahead of a pageant that draws hundreds of thousands of people to this sacred Buddhist town. For, the Tamil Tigers lie vanquished.
Indians, Pakistanis to stage play on ties that bind
Washington, July 20 (IANS): As their government leaders shake hands but fail to act, a group of artistes from India and Pakistan have joined hands to present a play highlighting the composite culture that binds them.
300 'boat people' stuck in Andaman island
Dhaka, July 20: Over 300 people rescued from their sinking boats and detained on Andaman island for the past many months have nowhere to go as countries India say they belong to do not want them.
10 years on, UPA government to commemorate Kargil victory
New Delhi, July 16: This July 26, a central minister will take part in commemorations of India's victory in the Kargil conflict after a gap of five years. Defence Minister A.K. Antony will lay wreaths at Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay tribute to the martyrs of the 1999 conflict with Pakistan, a defence ministry spokesperson has said.
Top policemen went with pistols to battle 26/11 terrorists: witness
Mumbai, July 15: In a startling revelation, a witness Wednesday told the special court conducting the Mumbai terror attacks trial that despite knowing that two terrorists were armed with AK-47s and grenades, three top policemen had gone to confront them with just one AK-47 and two pistols.
'Large-scale migration cause of social tensions in India'
Panaji, July 14: Social tensions arising due to large-scale migration from less developed to better developed regions of India rank high on the list of concerns of the Commission on Centre-State Relations, says the body's chairman and former chief justice of India Madan Mohan Punchhi.
Assam guerrilla leader who loves women, gyms and beauty care
Guwahati, June 15 (IANS): Thirty-six-year-old separatist leader Jewel Garlossa's name evokes a sense of fear and panic in Assam's North Cachar Hills district, but the notorious guerrilla fighter has more to him than meets the eye - a passion for beautiful women, gyms and beauty salons.
Migrant workers flee Manipur after killings
Imphal, June 15: Hundreds of panic stricken migrant workers have started fleeing Manipur following frequent militant attacks on daily wage earners who don't belong to the state even as authorities began herding labourers into government relief camps, officials here said Monday.
When Israeli soldiers thought 'kumkum' was a bomb trigger
Panaji, June 15 (IANS): A Goan couple that went on a tour to Jordan, Egypt and Israel has returned with unpleasant memories of "humiliation" by Israeli soldiers. They allege that the soldiers segregated the wife because they suspected the vermilion mark on her forehead to be "a trigger for a bomb".
India 3 mn blood units short in tackling health emergencies
New Delhi June 14: India needs around nine million units of blood every year to tackle several health related problems but faces a shortage of at least 33 percent, a medical body said Sunday, observed as the World Blood Donors Day.
Orissa Maoist couple gives up arms for baby
Bhubaneswar, June 9: A Maoist couple has surrendered in Orissa to ensure a better future for their two-and-a-half year old daughter, police said Tuesday.
James Bond to take on Taliban in new film
London, June 14: The 23rd edition of the James Bond franchise will see the super spy taking on the Taliban and heroin barons in Afghanistan.
In self-defence: Delhi women get trained to fight harassment
New Delhi, June 15 (IANS): Savita Kumari looks frail and docile. But her looks are deceptive - a man who tried to hold her hand in a crowded bus got a knocking that taught him a good lesson.
The Dalit tag still sticks despite converting to Sikhism
Patna, June 9 (IANS): It is a centuries-old ignominy they wanted to escape by converting to Sikhism in Punjab and found new respect there. But back home in Bihar, the tag of Dalit refuses to leave them.
25 years after death, Bhindranwale lives through posters, stickers
Amritsar, May 26 (IANS): Twenty-five years after he was killed in an army operation on the Golden Temple complex here, Sikh ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale continues to live on in Punjab through stickers, posters, T-shirt photos and even key-chains.
Northeast students question 'racism' in India
Guwahati, June 6 (IANS): With stars in their eyes hordes of students from India's northeast region head towards various parts of the country during admission season. However, previous episodes of unsavoury treatment meted out to northeastern people is what haunts most of them.
Once a killer, now a healer
Gurdaspur (Punjab), June 5 (IANS): For years his name spelt terror across Punjab as he spearheaded a merciless and violent movement for a separate Sikh state. Today, Wassan Singh Zafarwal runs a homeopathy clinic on the outskirts of his village.
Operation Bluestar: Canadian Sikhs say they have moved on
Toronto, June 6 (IANS): Though they still carry the emotional trauma of the Indian Army's Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amrtisar, the Sikh community in Canada says it has moved on since the tragic events of 1984.
Kashmiri boy loves cricket, separatist mother says no
Srinagar, Feb 23 (IANS): Mohammed bin Qasim, a 15-year-old son of a Kashmiri couple, wanted to play cricket but he had to sacrifice his passion as his mother wants him to live for Islam.
Indian delegation on 'peace mission' to Pakistan
New Delhi, Feb 21: Reciprocating the "message of peace" carried by a Pakistani delegation that visited the capital last month, an Indian group of artists, activists, academicians and journalists is set to go across the border on a similar mission.
Myanmar starts releasing over 6,000 prisoners under amnesty
Yangon, Feb 21 (DPA): Myanmar authorities Saturday began to free prisoners from Yangon's notorious Insein jail, including some political prisoners, under a government amnesty for 6,313 inmates nationwide.
British, Pakistani spies in 'torture collusion': report
London, Feb 22: A forthcoming human rights report says British agents colluded with their Pakistani counterparts in the routine torture of British - and Pakistani - terror suspects, a newspaper reported Sunday.
In Sri Lanka, Tamil women suffer the worst of war
New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS): In one of the biggest hospitals in Sri Lanka's north, many women patients wonder why they survived the fighting between the Tamil Tigers and the military that killed so many of their friends.
House where terrorists planned Mumbai attack traced
Islamabad, Feb 15: The house where terrorists who attacked Mumbai planned their operations has been traced in Pakistan's Sindh province, Geo TV reported Sunday.
Written by Pakistani, directed by Indian - a new romance
Mumbai, Feb 14 (IANS): In the first cinematic director-writer collaboration between India and Pakistan since Raj Kapoor's "Henna" when RK got Haseena Moin to write the script, Indian television's foremost music-talent producer Gajendra Singh has decided to direct another India-Pakistan romance.
And the music plays on - from the open desert to closed door
The highway forks into two and the narrow sandy track, leading to the heart of the desert in India's Rajasthan state, ends abruptly in a cluster of whitewashed dwellings at Pugal on the border with Pakistan. It is home to the Mir-e-Alam, an itinerant clan of Sufi musicians whose art transcends the boundaries of religion just as they bridge the gap between the two countries.
India's elite commando force NSG - protecting, rescuing, inspiring
It is a crack force called to act in all kinds of exigencies, be it rescuing innocents being held captive by terrorists or guarding global cricketers in far away West Indies. The most lethal weapon in the country's fight against terrorism, India's National Security Guard (NSG) has over the years rescued hundreds of people caught in a terror trap.
Tamil man recounts tales of horror in Sri Lanka war
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) Tamil civilians trying to flee Sri Lanka's war were blown up and some bled to death on the streets due to shelling by the military, an elderly Tamil man said, recalling the horrifying scenes he saw before escaping from the Tamil Tiger zone in the country's north.
Hundreds of dead civilians piling up in Sri Lanka war
New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) Hundreds of Tamil civilians, including children, have been killed and wounded in Sri Lanka's war against the Tamil Tigers, international relief agencies say, with some calling it a humanitarian crisis.
500 civilians killed in Sri Lanka fighting, rebels say
Colombo, Feb 5 (DPA): At least 500 civilians have been killed in the past three weeks in heavy fighting in northeastern Sri Lanka, Tamil rebels said Thursday. About 2,000 other civilians were wounded in the clashes between Sri Lankan army forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said Tamilnet, an Internet site close to LTTE, quoting "medical sources".
60 percent Taliban militants foreigners: Afghan defence minister
Kabul, Feb 5 (Xinhua): Afghanistan's Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak has said that 60 percent of the Taliban militants were foreigners, an Afghan newspaper reported Thursday. "Over 60 percent of anti-government militants are foreign nationals," daily Arman-e-Millie quoted the minister as saying.
Mobiles phones help fight Maoists in Jharkhand
Ranchi, Feb 5 (IANS): Police in Jharkhand are taking on gun-toting Maoists by equipping villagers with mobile phones - and the move is sure helping strengthen the information network against the rebels.
Apex court ire over Chhattisgarh arming Salwa Judum activists
New Delhi, Feb 5: The Supreme Court Thursday again ticked off the Chhattisgarh government for arming civil militia Salwa Judum activists to fight Maoists, saying it would take the state to a point of no return.
Italian president condemns racist attack on Indian
London/Rome, Feb 4 (IANS): The Italian president has called for a stop to xenophobia and racist violence as outrage grew after an Indian man was beaten and set on fire near Rome.
Mirroring India-Pakistan tension, ceremonial frenzy at border increases
Attari Border (Punjab), Dec 27 (IANS): Indian and Pakistani troopers have always stamped their feet and postured in goose step as they lower their flags every evening at this border post between the two countries. Now the body language has become more aggressive as war hysteria runs high.
Bustle back in Mumbai a month after, but anger persists
Mumbai, Dec 26: Mumbai, India's financial and movie capital, is as busy and bustling as ever, giving an impression as if nothing ever happened. But anger persists over the depredation the city suffered when terrorists committed a brutal massacre that stunned the world and brought India and Pakistan close to war.
Cyclists' Pakistani mission derailed, but not peace message
Bangalore, Dec 25 (IANS): They were on a mission to Pakistan that went unfulfilled. The Nov 26 Mumbai terror attack put paid to the efforts of a group of 33 cyclists from India, including underprivileged children, to spread peace and child rights awareness.
Guests check in, terror-struck Taj, Trident hotels reopen
Mumbai, Dec 21: With prayers on their lips and resolve to fight terrorism in their hearts, guests and staff flocked to two sea-facing hotels in India's commercial capital that reopened Sunday, barely three weeks after terrorists ravaged the properties in one of the worst attacks on the country's soil that left nearly 170 dead.
Hindus join Christmas celebrations in troubled Kandhamal
Bhubaneswar, Dec 26 (IANS): Christmas was celebrated with joy and gaiety in the Kandhamal district of Orissa, which witnessed communal violence recently, as Hindus joined Christians in the festivities.
I can't let terrorists win: Taj general manager
Mumbai, Dec 22: He lost his wife and two sons in the audacious terror attack Nov 26. But Taj Mahal Palace Hotel general manager Karambir Kang didn't let his personal grief overtake his spirit of duty - neither during the hours of the bloodshed nor after it.
Virginia father, daughter killed in Mumbai terror attack
New York, Nov 28: A Virginia man and his daughter who had gone to Mumbai as part of a meditation trip have been killed in the terror attack, the meditation group which organised the programme said. Five other members of the group were injured.
Nine from Bihar killed in Mumbai attack
Patna, Nov 28: At least nine people from Bihar, including six Muslims, have been killed in the terror attacks in Mumbai, police sources said here Friday. Most of them were poor migrant labourers.
A quiet dinner, poolside drinks spelt unending nightmare for scores
Mumbai, Nov 27: What was meant to be a relaxed dinner with friends or a drink by the poolside turned into a night of terror for scores of people, many of them tourists, as they ducked under tables, hid inside toilets or were fortunate to escape when terrorists sprayed gunfire and burst grenades inside two luxury hotels and a hip restaurant in the city late Wednesday night.
Australians in Mumbai terror attacks tell their harrowing tales
Sydney, Nov 27 (DPA): Australian soap opera star Brooke Satchwell described Thursday how she hid inside a bathroom cupboard as gunmen were shooting other guests at Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel.
A martyr's death for Maharashtra ATS chief Karkare
Nagpur, Nov 27: As brave in death as in life. That was Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who was killed while leading from the front in the battle against the terrorists that attacked India's financial capital Mumbai, killing at least 101 people and injuring over 250 others.
He missed train only to die in Mumbai terror blast
Hyderabad, Nov 28: Laxminarayan Goel missed his train to home in Hyderabad before the 55-year-old advocate was killed in one of the blasts in Mumbai Wednesday night when a number of terrorists attacked the financial capital of India.
NCP MP chalked out poll plans while held up in Taj Hotel
Mumbai, Nov 28: The 40-odd hours that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Jai Singh Gaikwad stayed cooped inside his room in the Taj Mahal Hotel as fierce fighting raged on outside between terrorists and security forces were well spent - chalking out his election plans.
A frame-up, a shootout - and a Delhi cop
New Delhi, Nov 18: The common link between two Kashmiri youths arrested in February 2006 on grounds that they were Al Badr terrorists - and now declared innocent - and the Jamia Nagar shootout is a celebrated officer of the Delhi Police now in the crosshairs of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Surrendered Kashmir militant feels 'great' after voting
Bagial Dhara (Jammu and Kashmir), Nov 17: Mohammad Hussain, a former militant who had surrendered in 2004, was third in the queue Monday morning to cast his vote at the Bagial Dhara polling station nestled in the mountains in Poonch district.
We can't wait for Kashmir dispute resolution: voter
Saderkote Payeen (Jammu and Kashmir), Nov 17 (IANS): The world looks at Kashmir as a source of dispute between India and Pakistan, a global hotspot, but people who came to this polling station in Bandipora constituency Monday to vote for a new state assembly were more worried about local issues.
Two-month ordeal was nightmare: Stolt Valor captain
New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS): In a first letter sent from on board Mt Stolt Valor, the Japanese merchant vessel that Somalian pirates hijacked two months back and released Sunday, the ship's master Captain Prabhat Kumar Goyal has termed the ordeal a "nightmare".
I won't stop my husband from sailing again: Stolt Valor captain's wife
Dehradun, Nov 18 (IANS): "For a sailor, it is his call of the sea, so there is no way that I am going to tell my husband not to sail again," says a jubilant Seema Goyal, shortly after winning a 63-day-long battle to get her husband Prabhat Kumar Goyal out of the clutches of pirates who had hijacked the Japanese ship Stolt Valor while it was under Goyal's command.
Human limbs, blood everywhere in Guwahati market after blast
Guwahati, Oct 30: "Why did I come to the market?" an inconsolable Rupali Bora sobs. She was unwilling to go to the Ganeshguri vegetable market, but her husband persuaded her. Now he was lying dead - one among the 61 killed in a string of serial blasts to rock Assam Thursday.
Deadliest terror strike in insurgency-hit Northeast
Guwahati, Oct 30: The northeast is not unfamiliar to terror, but Thursday's strike is definitely the deadliest that shook Assam.
Pakistani couple visit graves of their five children
Panipat (Haryana), Oct 30 (IANS): Tears welled up in Rana Shaukat Ali's eyes as the bus in which he was travelling screeched to a halt at Diwana station. One and a half years ago, it was there that an explosion killed five of the six children of this Pakistani trader.
Kashmiris hesitant to come to Jammu this winter
Jammu, Oct 30: This city is busy getting its annual facelift to become the state's winter capital from November, but unlike other years there is hardly a trickle of Kashmiris coming here to escape the harsh winter of the valley.
Family wiped out, she wants to be policewoman
New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS): She once wanted to be a dancer but now 12-year-old Manisha Michael aspires to be a police officer who can nab terrorists. For it was a terror blast in the Indian capital three years ago, right before Diwali, that wiped out her father, mother and brother.
Pakistani rights activist in India to secure boy's release
Chandigarh, Oct 29: Ansar Burney, a leading human rights activist from Pakistan who has come here to seek the release of a Pakistani boy, Wednesday said that India and Pakistan needed to evolve a mechanism to return those who inadvertently cross the international border on either side.
Crucial meet will hear voices for Tibet's independence
Dharamsala, Oct 30 (IANS): Over 500 top Tibetan leaders from India, Nepal, Europe, the US and other nations will assemble here Nov 17-22 to deliberate on whether to seek complete "independence" for Tibet instead of "autonomy" under Chinese rule.
Cross border Kashmir trade ends Din's long wait for Peshawari slippers
Salamabad (Jammu and Kashmir) Oct 21 (IANS): Muhammad Din, 80, a resident of Uri town in Jammu and Kashmir, still fondly remembers the beautifully embroidered Peshawari chappals (slippers) he would wear as a young man. Now with the re-opening of the India-Pakistan trade route Tuesday linking the two sides of Kashmir after 60 years, Din is waiting to get a new pair from Pakistan after so many years.
Kashmir cross-border trade brings back nostalgic memories (Lead)
Rangar (Jammu and Kashmir), Oct 21 (IANS): Walking stick in hand, a grey-bearded Amar Singh Josh gazed at the mountains on the Pakistan side, recalling the days more than six decades ago when he would visit his father's shop in Rawlakote, now in Pakistani Kashmir, taking along ponies carrying a variety of foodstuff to sell there. His eyes misted in joy Tuesday at the re-opening of the India-Pakistan trade route linking the two Kashmirs once again.
As cross-LoC trade begins, postcards from Rawalpindi evoke nostalgia
Salamabad Uri (Jammu and Kashmir) Oct 21 (IANS)L As trucks rolled Tuesday on both sides of the line of control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, resuming India-Pakistan trade in the region after six decades, a fruit trader displayed his "family treasure" here - postcards from a Rawalpindi trader to his grandfather written 70 years back, talking of the profitable trade in the region.
Peaceniks damage Bofors weapons meant for export to India
Karlskoga/Stockholm, Oct 18 (IANS): Four Swedish peace activists penetrated the fortress-like security at two facilities of ordnance company Bofors in southern Sweden and sought to sabotage the piled up supplies destined for export to India.
The untold story: Army helps Kashmiris rebuild lives
Jammu, Oct 14 (IANS): Sixteen-year-old Iqbal Ahmad, from a frontier town in Jammu and Kashmir, was shattered after he lost his left arm and leg in a landmine blast that also killed his father some years ago.
New book brings alive women fighters in Indian National Army
Singapore, Oct 18 (IANS) They were young women, many in their teens, who had never seen India but were ready to give up their lives to fight for the freedom of a 'motherland' far away.
Cry, my beloved Mangalore
The first holocaust for Mangalore Catholics happened in 1784 at the behest of Tipu Sultan. Following his defeat by the British in the first battle of Mangalore, Tipu's wrath had turned on the local Christian community, in the belief that it was their aid and support to the British that cost him his battle.
'I am Atif,' roar crowds in slain terror suspects' village
Sanjarpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 21 (IANS): This village of 40,000 people is seething with anger and pain. Outsiders driving in are met with swarms of men, who cling to the car like bees. Every now and then, someone says: "I am Atif! I am Sajid!"
Deathly quiet in Jamia Nagar day after shootout
New Delhi, Sep 20: The bylanes of the densely populated Jamia Nagar wore a deserted look Saturday morning as residents kept indoors and shops were shut, a day after the normally-congested South Delhi neighbourhood witnessed high drama when two terrorists were killed in a shootout with police.
Suspected terrorists dreamt of being 'India's Most Wanted'
New Delhi, Sep 21: It was the dream of becoming "India's Most Wanted" that steered the 13 members of a terrorist module of the Indian Mujahideen on the path of violence, leading to serial bombings in Ahmedabad and New Delhi, police said Sunday.
Delhi bids adieu to braveheart Sharma
New Delhi, Sep 20: A three-gun salute rang out and the Last Post was sounded as the capital Saturday bid adieu to braveheart Delhi Police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who died battling terrorists in a shootout here Friday.
After cremating seven, family waits for three more
New Delhi, Sep 15: Yashodha, barely in her 20s, sat on the wet ground. With a blank, faraway look in her eyes, she seemed oblivious to the rain that was beginning to drench her. "I am waiting for him. Waiting to see him," is all she could say.
Grief, despair at Delhi's hospitals, a day after
New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS): Wailing men and women as well as dazed family members of the seriously injured or missing after a string of bomb attacks besieged hospitals here Sunday, straining the already stretched medical services.
A day after blast, it's business as usual in Karol Bagh
New Delhi, Sep 14: It was business as usual in Karol Bagh markets Sunday, a day after a bomb blast on a crowded road between two markets killed over a dozen people and injured at least 50.
Good Samaritans save lives amid terror mayhem
New Delhi, Sep 14: When nameless terrorists were out to kill, faceless good Samaritans also were out to save lives in the capital, help out the survivors' relatives and donate blood.
Seven buses took away passengers just before Barakhamba blast: eyewitness
New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS): Just about two minutes before a bomb went off on a footpath on the capital's busy Barakhamba Road Saturday evening, seven waiting buses took off, crammed with passengers, from the bus stand there - a fortunate occurrence as the toll in that single blast would have been at least around 25, says an eyewitness.
Family numbed by the loss of 10 members in blast
New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS): As an ambulance screeched to a halt at Beadon Pura near bomb-hit Gaffar Market Sunday and people took out a body wrapped in black plastic, cries and mourning howls wrenched the air.
Bombs? How do we monitor commuters, ask auto drivers
New Delhi, Sep 14: The Indian capital's autorickshaw drivers are a worried lot following Saturday's bomb attacks - after the deadliest of the bombs blew up in one of their vehicles.
Blood and tears at Delhi hospitals after terror bombings
New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS): Minutes after the terror bombings ripped through the national capital, dripping blood, running footsteps of doctors and loud wails engulfed several Delhi hospitals Saturday evening.
Timely intervention of four policemen prevented sixth blast
New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS): There could have been a sixth blast in Delhi Saturday evening had four policemen not exhibited exemplary presence of mind and courage by timely detection of a live bomb in crowded Connaught Place.
Over 650 killed in terror attacks in India in eight years
New Delhi, Sep 13: Over 650 people have been killed in terror attacks in India in the past eight years. The following is a chronology of the major terror strikes in India:
Criminal networks smuggle Bangladeshis to India for Rs.400
Abhayapuri (Assam), Sep 13 (IANS): For just Rs.400, organised criminal networks smuggle Bangladeshi citizens to India despite the barbed wire fence that separates the two countries along much of their border, officials said Saturday.
Afghan women come out of shadows with contemporary art show
New Delhi, Sep 9: After the horrors of war, Yalda Noorie, a 25-year-old woman from Afghanistan, is painting her angst in colours. She is among 18 young women artists who have for the first time ventured out of their country to India with a cache of 90 powerful canvases titled "A New Beginning".
Kashmir rail project to have world's longest rail tunnel
Srinagar, Sep 10: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of the upcoming 10.96-km Pir Panchal rail tunnel, which is set to become the world's longest railway tunnel.
Nine-year-old Jammu hostage recalls terror
Jammu, Aug 28: In the glare of camera lights, nine-year-old Sheetal - the oldest of the four children who were among the seven hostages rescued after a gun battle on the outskirts of this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir - Thursday described the terror of being held captive by militants in her own house.
Freedom fighters who are alive, to get scroll of honour
New Delhi, Aug 29: In a special gesture to freedom fighters who are alive, the government Friday announced distribution of "samman patras" (scroll of honour) in recognition of their contribution.
Having lost all to floods, woman waits for missing family
Saharsa (Bihar), Aug 30 (IANS): Meena Devi lost everything she had - her thatched house, clothes, two buffaloes, four goats and two sacks of wheat - in the floods caused by the turbulent Kosi river in Bihar and she has been surviving on water. But all this seems immaterial to her as she prays day and night for the safety of her missing husband and sons.
Will India's Supreme Court hear Pakistani mother's cry?
Islamabad, Aug 25 (IANS): Ailing and 72 years old, Nafees Anjum has just one desire left: to hug her son Sohail Shahzad, who has been in jail in India for 20 years and a petition for whose release will come up for hearing in the Indian Supreme Court next month.
Victim blames 'godless' Maoist chief for Nepal flood
Kathmandu, Aug 25 (IANS):Even as Nepal's political parties are blaming neighbour India's "negligence" for the breach in a barrage in the Terai plains that rendered tens of thousands homeless in both countries, one victim is blaming "godless" Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda for the disaster.
Pakistani poet who advocated better ties with India is dead
Islamabad, Aug 26: Pakistani Ahmed Faraz, considered one of the greatest Urdu poets and an ardent advocate of better ties with India, died here at age 77.
Devyani plays matchmaker between India's Rajputs, Nepal's Ranas
Kathmandu, Aug 25 (IANS): After her own marriage to a scion of India's aristocracy, Devyani Singh nee Rana, once known as the girl for whom Nepal's crown prince Dipendra allegedly killed his entire family, is now playing matchmaker between India and Nepal.
A lonely birthday for Musharraf
Islamabad, Aug 11: There were no flowers and no cards either for Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on his 65th birthday Monday as uncertainty ruled the day with the government preparing to impeach him on charges of murder, corruption and misuse of power in the last nine years.
Nepal king's 90-yr-old concubine in royal distress
Kathmandu, Aug 13 (IANS): A 90-year-old royal concubine, who is one of the few survivors of Nepal's omnipotent monarchist past, is in sore distress as the new Himalayan republic seeks to eradicate all vestiges of the crown.
'Business in Kashmir incurs Rs.15-bn loss'
New Delhi, Aug 13: Business has suffered losses of at least Rs.15 billion on account of the ongoing agitation in Jammu and Kashmir, industry lobby Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said here Wednesday.
Bomb hoax leaves children fearful - and in tears
Mehsana (Gujarat), July 30: Ahmedabad was targeted with serial blasts that killed 50 and so was Surat where 22 live bombs were defused. But terror spread its tentacles in other places in Gujarat too -- like a school here where a bomb hoax call led to panic and scared tears from both children and teachers.
Mumbai Police fall back on veterans for blasts probe
Mumbai, July 30: Mumbai Police are falling back on veterans who have investigated terror incidents in the past to help them with the probe into the fallout here of last week's serial bombings in Ahmedabad and Bangalore.
Delhi remembers its blast sufferers, prays for terror victims
New Delhi, July 30: The Ahmedabad and Bangalore serial bomb blasts brought back memories of the triple terror attacks in the capital nearly three years ago, causing a group of people here Wednesday to remember their near and dear ones whose lives were lost in Delhi and to pray for last week's terror victims.
Gujarat hotels face losses as number of visitors fall
Ahmedabad, July 30: Hotels in Gujarat are facing a sharp fall in occupancy rates as people are avoiding travel to the state following Saturday's serial blasts that claimed at least 50 lives.
Business as usual in Ahmedabad's diamond polishing units
Ahmedabad, July 27: It is business as usual in diamond processing units in Rakiyal and Bapunagar in eastern Ahmedabad, which were the targets of Saturday's bomb blasts in which at least 39 people were killed.
Security 'adequate' in Sarojini market, but CCTV cameras are down
New Delhi, July 27 (IANS): It is a case of once bitten twice shy for the shopaholic's favourite Sarojini Nagar market in south Delhi, which was hit by a major terror strike three years ago, as it has stepped up security measures following the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Deserted roads, eerie silence in Ahmedabad's Juhapura-Sarkhej
Ahmedabad, July 27 (IANS): The eerie silence in the Juhapura-Sarkhej belt on Ahmedabad's southwest periphery is unnerving. Witness to one of the 20 blasts which ripped through Ahmedabad, this Muslim-dominated area wears a deserted look in sharp contrast to the usual bustle.
Beacons of hope in Ahmedabad's dark days of terror
Ahmedabad, July 28: Just like the proverbial silver lining behind every dark cloud are the stories of valour and compassion that come to the fore with every terror attack. And Ahmedabad was no different in the many instances of those who helped out without regard to life or limb as one bomb after another exploded with relentless regularity two evenings ago.
Nine years on, Kargil war hero recalls Pakistan captivity
Jorhat (Assam), July 14 (IANS): It's been nine years since the India-Pakistan conflict in Kargil, but Wing Commander K. Nachiketa, who's now posted at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base here in Assam, still clearly recalls his days of captivity in Pakistan as a prisoner of war (PoW).
Nigerian gangs use Indian women for drug trafficking
New Delhi, July 14 (IANS): Anti-narcotic agents are worried over the increasing use of Indian women, sex workers included, by Nigerian cartels to smuggle out drugs.
Afghanistan's new breed of security guards
Kandahar, July 12 (DPA): A Canadian police trainer cusses skinny Afghan officers, doles out punitive drills with their rifles in the 40-degree Celsius heat, can kick them up the backside for the wrong stance - and they adore him.
Maldivian falsely accused of espionage making film on police atrocities
Thiruvananthapuram, July 12 (IANS): The controversial Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spy case of the 1990s that brought down then Kerala chief minister K. Karunakaran is in the limelight once again with one of the accused reported to be making a film on the atrocities meted out to her by the police.
Diplomats mourn officer's death in Kabul terror attack
New Delhi, July 7: The Indian Foreign Service Association Monday expressed "anguish and sorrow" at the death of V. Venkateswara Rao, a counsellor in the Indian mission in Kabul who was among the four Indians killed in a suicide attack in the Afghan capital.
In one of his last security alerts, Brigadier warned of attack on compounds
It was Brigadier Ravi Dutt Mehta, who died in the Embassy blast, who had sent the last security advisory to all Indians in Afghanistan.
Who will tell his wife, worries ITBP jawan's family
In kanwan village in Pathankot, Poonam is perhaps the only one who hasn't heard of the blast at the Indian Embassy in distant Kabul. No one has the courage to break the news to the 33-year-old or her two small children and mother-in-law that her husband, ITBP jawan Ajay Singh Pathania, was among the dead.
So keen on posting, Rao had learnt local dialect
The death of 1990-batch IFS officer V Venkateshwara Rao along with four others in the attack on the Indian Embassy has sent shockwaves in the IFS fraternity. The 44-year-old diplomat had just gone back after a vacation in India. Serving as the Counsellor (Political and Information), Rao had been in Kabul since August 2006.
India-Pakistan border village celebrates festival of harmony
Chamalyal (Jammu and Kashmir), June 26: Several thousand Hindus and Muslims Thursday took part in an annual festival in this Jammu and Kashmir village touching the India-Pakistan border in memory of a hermit who devoted his life to preach peace and love more three centuries ago.
Indians favour torture of terrorists, world does not
New York, June 25: A majority of Indians favour the use of torture on terrorists to help save innocent lives, going against the world's majority, who disapprove of torture methods in all cases, a public opinion poll in 19 countries has found.
On Kaniskha bombing day, film asks Canada why it ignored the tragedy
Toronto, June 22: The 9/11 terror attacks jolted the world but there was no similar outpouring when Air India's Boeing-747 Kanishka jet was bombed off the Irish coast on June 23, 1985 killing all 329 on board, a Canadian filmmaker rues, saying this prompted him to make a documentary on the incident.
Exiled Tibetans use internet as weapon against China
Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), June 23 (IANS): They might not have the guns and the numbers to match the might of the world's biggest army in China, but determined Tibetans living in exile in India and other parts of the world are turning to the internet to wage a 'virtual' war against China.
Two girls from PoK cross LoC to escape forced marriages
Jammu, June 21: Two teenaged girls from Pakistan-administered Kashmir entered the Indian territory crossing the Line of Control (LoC) Saturday apparently to escape forced marriages back home, army officials here said.
Bangladesh war killed four times more than thought earlier: report
London, June 20 (IANS): The war leading up to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 killed 269,000 people - nearly five times the number previously estimated, a new study says.
Over 2.5 lakh Nepalis facing severe food crunch: World Food Programme
Kathmandu, June 20 (Xinhua): More than 250,000 people in nine districts in Nepal are now facing a severe food shortage due to crop failures, the Nepal unit of World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
Keep animals out of conflict, PETA tells Nepal PM
Kathmandu, June 20: Under pressure from the former Maoist guerrillas to resign and pipped in the race for presidency by the communists, Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is now facing fresh demands - from an animal rights group that wants him to "keep animals out of conflict".
Nepal's ex-king offered home, car, but with a catch
Kathmandu, June 12: As Nepal's ousted king Gyanendra started life as a commoner outside the fortified and luxurious royal palace Thursday, he has been offered a parting gift.
Nepal's monument of massacres awaits makeover
Kathmandu, June 11 (IANS): As Nepal's last king Gyanendra makes his final exit from the Narayanhity royal palace Wednesday night to start life as a commoner, the historic edifice will also have a makeover from a monument to conspiracy and violent death to a national museum.
India-Pakistan team visits Karachi jails
Karachi, June 11: An eight-member Pakistan-India Judicial Committee on Prisoners has visited two jails in this southern port city to enquire about the welfare of Indian prisoners lodged there.
Border fencing renders Tripura farmers landless
Agartala, June 11: An estimated 8,730 families in Tripura, whose homes and farmlands have fallen outside the barbed wire fence being erected along the border with Bangladesh, are leading a life of uncertainty because the government has been unable to rehabilitate them.
India-Pakistan border fence affecting wildlife
Jammu, June 2 (IANS): The barbed wire fence between India and Pakistan and the landmine fields laid to prevent infiltration of militants has had a tragic fallout - on wildlife.
Learn from monkeys, ex-MP tells ousted Nepal king
Kathmandu, June 2: With Nepal's former god-king Gyanendra having been dethroned, asked to vacate the royal palace in 10 days and start leading the life of a commoner without privileges, a former lawmaker has advised the last monarch of the former Himalayan kingdom to learn a lesson from monkeys.
After Congo, Indian peacekeepers save lives in Sudan
New Delhi, June 2: After a rescue operation in Congo, it was the turn of India's UN peacekeepers in Sudan to save lives after a truck ferrying troops of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) overturned, injuring about a dozen soldiers, two of whom were stuck under the vehicle and bleeding profusely.
India pledges funds Myanmar's cycone-hit Buddhist shrine
New Delhi, June 3: Underlining its cultural and spiritual links with Myanmar, India Tuesday announced a contribution of $200,000 for repair and renovation of the Shwedagon Pagoda complex in Yangon that was badly bit by a cyclone last month.
Displaced Burmese worry about their future in camps
Labutta (Myanmar), June 2 (DPA): Khin Mar Htwe, 30, a resident of '3 Mile Camp' in Labutta, gave birth to a healthy baby, providing a rare breath of life amid so much death.
Manmohan Singh meets childhood friend from Pakistan
New Delhi, May 30: For Prime Minister Manmohan Singh it was flash back in time as he met his childhood friend from Pakistan, Raja Mohammed Ali, after nearly six decades here Friday evening. Both warmly hugged each other and talked of their childhood.
IAF revives world's highest airstrip after 43 years
Leh, May 31: The Indian Air Force (IAF) Saturday achieved a major strategic feat when it landed an AN-32 aircraft at the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) airstrip - the highest airstrip in the world.
'Indian diaspora faces discrimination even after 163 years in Trinidad'
Port of Spain, May 31 (IANS): The ethnic Indian community in Trinidad and Tobago continues to face racial discrimination even 163 years after immigrants from India first came to the country to work on sugar and cocoa plantations, former prime minister Basdeo Panday said.
Pakistani band paints the music scene red
Karachi, May 26: A new song, "Mein Ne Uss Se Yeh Kaha", which has taken the Pakistani music scene by storm, is neither the usual crooning for a lost love nor does it take the usual cynical view of society.
An Indian mother awaits compensation for Pakistani son's death
New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): She lost her son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren on a single night - all wiped out by the terror blasts on the Samjhauta Express train last year. Today Maimuna Khatoon's family is still running from pillar to post for compensation.
Yet another journalist silenced in Pakistani tribal area
Peshawar, May 25: The killing of a journalist by unidentified assailants in Pakistan's Bajaur Agency highlights the risks that mediapersons working in the militant-infested tribal areas continue to take to keep the world informed.
Slain Bhutto turns saint, wish-giver, money-spinner
Rawalpindi, May 25: They light lamps, chant prayers and sprinkle flowers. Some even slash their wrists and scatter blood at a makeshift memorial of charismatic Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated here nearly five months ago.
Stranded Biharis become Bangladesh citizens after 36 years
Dhaka, May 19: The 300,000-plus Biharis stranded in Bangladesh after the partition of Pakistan have finally become Bangladeshi citizens over 36 years after the country's birth.
Kashmir girls create history - set football pace for future
Srinagar, May 18 (IANS): Their faces glowing despite the hot summer sun, a group of young Kashmiri Muslim girls clad in sportswear practise football for hours at a ground here - creating a history of sorts in Jammu and Kashmir that has never seen such a women's sports event.
Jaipur's 'mini Bangladesh' lives on the edge
Jaipur, May 15 (IANS): An eerie silence prevails in a slum area that many in Jaipur call 'mini Bangladesh'. Most of its residents, who are from West Bengal and Bangladesh, have withdrawn indoors to avoid police questioning after the serial bomb blasts here that killed at least 61 people.
Priest, beggars to help identify unclaimed bodies
Jaipur, may 15 (IANS): The priest of a local temple and a few beggars are being called to help identify eight unidentified bodies lying at a state-run government hospital here following Tuesday's devastating terror attack tht killed 61 people.
Chopper for anti-Maoist operations flies ministers instead
Ranchi, May 15: The Jharkhand government shelled out Rs.350 million on a helicopter to be used during anti-Maoist operations, but policemen say it is ferrying ministers instead.
A 'different' holiday for four British teens in Jaipur
Jaipur, May 15: They were planning a "different" kind of vacation when they chose India as a destination. And different it truly turned out for four British teenagers who landed in this tourist city a day after the terror bombings.
By Kavita Bajeli-Datt and Sahil Makkar
Jaipur, May 14 (IANS): They looked like they were just sleeping, but their tattered clothes, deep wounds and blood clotted faces told a story of terror, devastation and desolation.
A golden cow in war-hit Jaffna
Colombo, May 13: Remember the famous story about the goose that laid the golden eggs? Well, in Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula, it was a cow that yielded a valuable gold chain!
Nepal king prays for divine intervention
Kathmandu, May 12: With just 17 days left for the abolition of his two-century-old ancestral throne, Nepal's distressed King Gyanendra Monday sought divine intervention once again, offering animal sacrifices to a Hindu goddess of power.
Going nuclear came at a cost for PakistanBy Zofeen T. Ebrahim
Karachi, May 11 (IANS): Weighing the implications of the nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan 10 years ago, many experts believe that while they may have contributed to stabilising bilateral relations somewhat, Islamabad still continues to pay a price for it.
India hands over Pakistani prisoner's body
Amritsar, May 10: The body of Mohammed Akram, a Pakistani undergoing trial in an Amritsar court for illegally crossing over into Indian territory, was Saturday handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Attari-Wagah joint border check post.
Fear grips Nandigram villagers on poll eve
Nandigram (West Bengal), May 10 (IANS): Sheikh Mote of Nandigram's Gokulnagar says he had to pay the price for not rooting for West Bengal's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist in local body elections to be held Sunday. He was allegedly beaten unconscious by the (CPI-M) cadres.
Nepal sends Bhutanese refugees to third country for resettlement
Kathmandu, May 11 (DPA): More than 420 Bhutanese refugees living in UN-run camps in eastern Nepal have been resettled in another country as part of a third-country resettlement programme, a media report said Sunday.
Bangladesh's ethnic minorities lose land: survey
Dhaka, May 11: Bangladesh's ethnic minority communities, mainly Buddhist tribals, continue to be thrown out of their ancestral land, allegedly by government agencies, influential people and private organisations, a survey revealed.
Rush on Everest as Nepal lifts ban
Kathmandu, May 9: More than 40 teams of mountaineers kicking their heels on the lower slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal heaved a sigh of relief Friday as the way to Mt Everest was opened following China's successful attempt to take the Olympic torch to the top.
Sarabjit's family returns from Pakistan with fresh hope
Attari Border (Punjab), April 29: The family of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian on death row in Pakistan on terrorism charges, Tuesday returned to India with the hope that he would be pardoned by the Pakistan government.
Tibetan exiles asks China to release Panchen Lama
Dharamsala, April 26: A day after the 11th Panchen Lama turned nineteen, Tibetan exiles have demanded his immediate release from Chinese captivity, a spokesman of the Tibetan government-in-exile said here Saturday.
Everest climber kicked out for carrying 'Free Tibet' banner
Kathmandu, April 23 (IANS): An American who had enrolled in a much-hyped research expedition to Mt Everest has been kicked out by Nepal's security forces after searches unearthed a pro-Tibet banner in his luggage, media reported Wednesday.
Pakistanis, Bangladeshis blamed for British vote-rigging
London, April 29 (IANS): The use of Biraderis - extended clan or tribal systems - by first generation Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims as well as their political masters is helping fuel widespread rigging of postal votes and other electoral malpractices in Britain, a report said.
With Indian origin woman envoy, Uganda makes a point
New Delhi, April 23: Women ambassadors are not an unusual sight in the Indian capital; there are normally about half a dozen women envoys based here at any given time. But Uganda's current high commissioner to India comes as a surprise.
Pakistani pro-Taliban militant leader shuns violence after release
Islamabad, April 22 (DPA): A pro-Taliban militant leader who was freed as part of peace talks with militants in Pakistan's restive north-west valley of Swat renounced violence hours after his release from prison, media reports said on Tuesday.
I fell in love with Musharraf: Miss Pakistan World
Toronto, April 21 (IANS): Toronto-based Mahleej Sarkari, crowned Miss Pakistan World in 2007, created quite a stir when she called Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf "a hunk". The beauty now adds that she finds him "sexy" and would actually love to go for long "romantic" walks with him.
Sri Lanka's economic downturn hits realty market
Colombo, April 22 (IANS): Although the real estate market is up and vibrant in Sri Lanka, property developers have complained that the industry has been badly hit due to "the downturn in the economy", a media report said Tuesday.
Sarabjit's daughters appeal to 'uncle' Bush
Amritsar, April 21: Two daughters of Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner facing death penalty in Pakistan on terrorism charges, have written a letter to US President George W. Bush, addressing him as "uncle" and urging him to intervene and save their father from the gallows.
Indian, Afghan asylum seekers languish in Swedish prison
Stockholm, April 20 (IANS): Two asylum seekers from South Asia - one a Kashmiri Hindu and the other an Afghan Sikh - are languishing in a Swedish migrant detention centre outside Stockholm.
Crimes against women on rise in Pakistan
Karachi, April 18 (IANS): Over 4,000 cases of crimes against women were reported in Pakistan last year - more than double the figure in 2006. But rights organisations say this is just the tip of the iceberg and many more violations go unreported or are hushed up.
Internet shapes global Tibet protests
New Delhi, April 17: The emergence of social networking sites has come as a boon for cyber-dissidents who use these internet tools not just to create a buzz on the web but also as a platform to organise protests and flash strikes.
Indian Army soldiers rescue Congo crash victims
New Delhi, April 17: A timely rescue operation mounted by Indian Army troops serving on a UN peacekeeping mission saved the lives of a number of passengers injured in a plane crash in the Congo.
Journalists welcome 'new era' for media in Pakistan
Brussels, April 12: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world's biggest journalist's group, has welcomed actions by Pakistan's new government to withdraw restrictions on the media that were imposed by President Pervez Musharraf last year.
Sikhs throng Pakistan shrine for Baisakhi
Hasanabdal (Pakistan), April 12 (IANS): More than 20,000 Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, including India, have started arriving at Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal, some 60 km from Islamabad, to celebrate the annual Baisakhi Mela (spring festival).
India's Kashmiri general inspires youth from state
Srinagar, April 4 (IANS): Mohammed Amin Naik, the second Kashmiri Muslim to reach the rank of major general of the Indian Army, has become a source of inspiration and pride for many youths here for his rewarding military career.
Slipping and sliding down the snowy slopes of Kashmir
The hills of India's Kashmir Valley are alive with the sound of fun and laughter this winter. When the snowflakes fall and the leafy green slopes are painted white, thousands head to Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg area for skiing, heliskiing and for sheer pleasure.
Tourists throng Srinagar's tulip garden
Srinagar, April 10: Thousands of tulips of various hues at the foothills of the Zabarwan hills on the banks of Dal Lake here are drawing tourists and local Kashmiris alike these days.
400-year Mary statue moved from war hit shrine in Lanka
Colombo, April 4 (IANS): As fighting rages in Sri Lanka's north, a famous statue of the Virgin Mary has been removed from a Catholic shrine and taken to a safer place - the first time in 400 years that it has moved.
NIIT, CII join hands to help build Africa's IT capacity
NIIT and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will join hands to "help develop ICT (information and communication technology) capacity in the African continent", the Mumbai-based technology training and software solutions company has announced on the eve of the India-Africa Forum Summit.
Kashmiris retrieving their woollens to avoid April chill
Srinagar, April 8: With rain and snow lashing Kashmir for the past two days, people here are retrieving the woollens that they had packed away after fairly warm weather in March.
Reliving history amid almond blossoms in Kashmir
Srinagar, March 31 (IANS): As almond branches laden with purple white flowers spread their faint fragrance, Kashmiris are trying to relive history in this city's Badam Wari or almond garden.
Frontier Gandhi's grandson to head NWFP government
Islamabad, March 31 (IANS): Amir Haider Khan Hoti, grandson of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, was Monday unanimously elected the chief minister of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan.
Indian veterans endorse 'trial for war crimes' in Bangladesh
Dhaka, March 31: Thirty-seven years after they helped the emergence of an independent Bangladesh, visiting Indian war veterans endorsed a demand here for the trial of those who collaborated with the Pakistani authorities, committing atrocities on civilians.
The fading flavours of Pakistan's 'Little Hyderabad'
Karachi, March 30: Tailor Shafi Ahmed peers disdainfully from behind his glasses. Specialising in stitching sherwanis, the Karachi resident bemoans the loss of Hyderabadi culture that has meant fewer footfalls at his shop.
Niazi forced to surrender 'before people of Dhaka': JFR Jacob
Dhaka, March 29: The Pakistani general whose surrender signalled the liberation of Bangladesh, did so, much against his wishes, "before the people of Dhaka", says the Indian officer who organised in 1971 modern history's only public surrender by a vanquished force.
Bhutan refugees bid tearful farewell to Nepal
Kathmandu, March 10: Twenty Bhutanese refugees, including a one-year-old child, Monday bid a tearful farewell to Nepal and the hope of ever being able to return home, as they headed for the US to start a new life after languishing for 17 years in closed camps.
From Pakistan to Paris in Punjab, Kashmir takes in his new life
Nangal Choran (Punjab), March 7: Marking the days in a dark cell, time may have stood still for Kashmir Singh - but life has moved on. The former soldier who has just returned home after 35 years in a Pakistan prison is coming to terms not only with his children, now grown up, his wife, now wizened with age, but also his village that he says excitedly has become like Paris.
When Indian 'parampara' becomes Pakistani wordspeak
Islamabad, March 6 (IANS): Indian television serials, populated by bejewelled women and large joint families, are part of everyday life in Pakistan and slowly changing everyday vocabulary with words like 'parivar', 'prarthana' and 'parivartan' creeping in.
Corporate tea estates in Sri Lanka are withering
Colombo, March 5 (IANS): Sri Lanka exported $1.3 billion worth of tea in 2007, the highest in the 141-year history of the crop in the island country. This has brought cheer to Sri Lankans, but tea industry experts see it as a flash in the pan.
Pakistan's new rulers will inherit economic mess
Karachi, March 6: Working as a maid on a salary of Rs.4,000 a month, Perveen Riaz, 45, supplements her husband's Rs.5,000. "We're barely able to make ends meet," said the mother of seven children of whom five go to school.
Ladakh - 'unheard sufferer of India-Pakistan partition'
New Delhi, February 25: Ladakh has suffered considerably due to the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and the plight of people there is overlooked in the larger spectrum of the Kashmir conflict, says a former Harvard professor.
Story of a Hindu party worker for the Pakistan Muslim League
Rawalpindi, February 24: The elections are over, the results are out, and sitting in his wall-papered drawing room in Rawalpindi, 52-year-old Saroop Chand is juggling with two incessantly ringing mobile phones.
More women in Pakistan polls signals 'political freedom'
Islamabad, February 23 (IANS): For the first time in Pakistan's history, an increasing number of women stood for elections in Monday's polls that also saw women coming out to vote in larger numbers - an encouraging trend signalling "freedom for women in politics".
After polls, Pakistani youth cautiously hopeful of nation's future
Islamabad, February 23 (IANS): Two days after the two largest political parties announced their plans for a coalition government, Pakistani youngsters, most of whom voted for the first time, are clear-eyed that while the elections herald new hope, past history makes them wary of being too optimistic.
Forget about clothes, hair most important for Lankan women
Beauty-conscious Sri Lankan women attach more importance to their hair than to clothes or make up and often judge others by the way they have dressed their tresses, a new survey has revealed.
How a phone rouses crowds in Pakistan
Islamabad, February 22: Pakistan's deposed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who is under house arrest, was most effective when he reached out to lawyers in Karachi and Lahore over a phone line broadcast live. But he isn't the first one to use the simple tactic.
Tale of two cities in Pakistan
Islamabad and Rawalpindi are known as twin cities, but they certainly were not identical in their response to the election day. The capital city was deserted, as most of its residents, being government officers, had left for their home towns to enjoy a four-day holiday from Friday, thanks to the poll.
Bilawal studies in Oxford as Pakistan votes
London, February 18: As a nervous Pakistan went to the polls Monday, young Bilawal Zardari Bhutto - son of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto - spent the day hard at work, his guardian said.
I want to have dinner with my kids just once: Samjhauta survivor
Rana Shaukat Ali from Pakistan cannot hold back his tears as he talks about wanting to have dinner "at least once" with five of his children who died in the Samjhauta Express terror blast exactly a year back.
Anatomy of a Pakistani election rally
Rawalpindi, February 17 (IANS): In India, it would be like a small neighbourhood corner meeting. But security concerns in Pakistan turn even a small rally into a major headache for the local police.
A year on, Samjhauta terror probe heads nowhere
Karachi, February 13: In the elite drawing rooms of Pakistan's largest city, they are whispering to each other to stock up on kitchen items in case the situation gets "really ugly" in these days ahead of elections in the country.
Pakistani voters, fearful of safety, urged to vote
Karachi, February 13: In the elite drawing rooms of Pakistan's largest city, they are whispering to each other to stock up on kitchen items in case the situation gets "really ugly" in these days ahead of elections in the country.
Fear is palpable, as Pakistanis prepare for elections
Karachi, February 13: In the elite drawing rooms of Pakistan's largest city, they are whispering to each other to stock up on kitchen items in case the situation gets "really ugly" in these days ahead of elections in the country.
After 35 years in jail, Indian shifted to Pakistani hospital
Islamabad, February 12 (IANS): An Indian national languishing in a Pakistani jail for 35 years has been shifted to a hospital after he was spotted by a minister, an official here said Tuesday.
Is Kashmir finally breathing an air of peace?
Srinagar, February 3: With a steep fall in violent incidents and militants on the run, peace may be finally descending on the Kashmir valley. But after years of bloodshed, people are wary though hopeful.
Remembering BB, 'who in death has become bigger than life'
"In her death she's become bigger than her father ever was, even bigger than when she was alive," said well known Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi, a slight tremor noticeable in his voice as he remembered former prime minister Benazir Bhutto at a memorial reference.
'Pakistan Army suffering significant defections'
Washington, January 20: The Pakistan Army is for the first time suffering "significant numbers of defections", with soldiers reluctant to fight in tribal areas, says the International Herald Tribune.
'Jackpot awaits overseas businessmen of Indian origin'
Colombo, January 21 (IANS): The sky is the limit for businessmen of Indian origin spread across the globe if they establish links and strike deals with each other, says a Sri Lankan tea tycoon with roots in Tamil Nadu.
Does Hurriyat unity indicate yearning for elections?
Srinagar, January 17 (IANS): By getting two high profile leaders to rejoin, the moderate faction of Jammu and Kashmir's Hurriyat Conference has got a shot in the arm. It is a significant move any way you look at it - whether the separatist amalgam is preparing for assembly polls due this year or whether it is firming up resistance against it.
English litterateurs defy bombs to rendezvous in Sri Lanka
Colombo, January 17 (IANS): Ignoring the bombs going off in the vicinity, leading lights of English literature from across the globe are meeting in the quaint Dutch-built city of Galle in south Sri Lanka for a four-day bonanza of lectures, readings, panel discussions and book launches.
Indian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan
This news comes as a shock to me because I had never heard that Indian soldiers were being involved in Afghanistan. But last week, the Hindustan Times reported that two Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Razai village, in the southwest province of Nimroz.
India policy towards Burma should change, suggests HRW researcher
A lot has been written about India's military policy towards neighboring country of Pakistan. But in a recent article published in Open Democracy, Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch (and former Time South Asia correspondent for many years), says that doing the right thing in Burma, could be the beginning for India to take leadership role in global politics.
Pakistan's 'disappeared' still remain an unfinished business
Karachi, January 13 (IANS): Emergency has been lifted and a brand new apex court set up in Pakistan, but the bench still refuses to entertain cases of human rights violations, specially those of enforced disappearances, says former law minister Iqbal Haider.
Bohras brave bomb blasts to congregate in Colombo
Undeterred by the series of bomb blasts and terror attacks in and around the Sri Lankan capital over the past few days, over 30,000 Dawoodi Bohras from various parts of the world have congregated in Colombo for a 10-day religious ceremony.
Of green colour and salt politics in Kashmir
Waving a green handkerchief, showing a piece of rock salt - both symbolic references to Pakistan - and questioning Jammu and Kashmir's accession to India, sometimes even openly. These have become potent tools for leaders, who otherwise claim to be secular, to exploit the religious leanings of gullible Kashmiris.
Indian diaspora should be bridge between ethnic groups
Colombo, December 26: Overseas Indians should venture beyond fighting for their ethnic rights and become a bridge between various ethnic groups among whom they live, says P.P. Devaraj, a Sri Lankan of Indian origin who has been elected president of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO).
When a Pakistani sought forgiveness for Kargil
New Delhi, December 26: The 1999 Kargil intrusion that brought India and Pakistan on the brink of a nuclear clash may no longer be such a thorn in the relationship between the two countries. But it continues to be an issue at the people-to-people level with some Pakistanis still seeking "forgiveness".
Adivasi insurgency creates new terror front in Assam
Guwahati, December 26: A shadowy Adivasi insurgent group in Assam with definite links with some of northeastern India's frontline separatist groups and a possible nexus with the Maoists could well turn out to be the new terror front in the state, security officials said Wednesday.
Marrying English education with militant Tamil nationalism
Colombo, December 24: While in the rest of Sri Lanka nationalism means rejection of the English language, in the areas controlled by the Tamil Tiger rebels, virulent Tamil nationalism coexists with an eagerness to promote English education.
'Ramchand Pakistani' espouses values of 'peace, trust'
Angry Ramchand Kohli, a Pakistani Dalit boy, sprints away too far. His father tries to stop him but both end up crossing the border. They land in an Indian jail, are interrogated as suspected spies and the mother back home fights the consequences.
Dying Dal gives livelihood to its destroyers
Srinagar, November 25: Every dawn, the Dal Lake in the heart of the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir jostles with business activity. A serpentine queue of boats loaded with fresh green vegetables makes its way to a floating market there.
Two bakers and how human rights went wrong in Kashmir
As Kashmiri leaders across the political spectrum vociferously condemned - and rightly so - last week's killing of a baker allegedly by the Indian Army, four days later another baker in the same area fell to bullets - this time from suspected militants. But the second incident attracted no political or public outcry.
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