In an ominous development, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence has roped in separatist leaders and their sympathisers to make inroads in Naxal ranks in its anti-India strategies after making a failed attempt to enlist the support of the Maoist rebels.
Fed up with repeated strikes by separatists in Kashmir Valley, shopkeepers are up in arms against protestors, who are tasting their own bitter pill as locals are attacking them with stones. Clerics have also started making fervent appeals from mosques to open shops and restore normalcy in violence affected areas. An incident of clash was recently reported from Peerbagh in Budgham district of Central Kashmir - the scene of violent protests during the last few weeks.
The government has extended the visa of controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin by another year from August this year, shifting from its earlier stand of asking her to leave the country and apply afresh to stay in the country. The 47-year-old doctor-turned writer, who will be celebrating her birthday on August 25, is also trying for a permanent residency in the country. Her visa is valid till August 16 and has been extended by another year.
Hurriyat Conference on Friday voiced its dismay at India and Pakistan not making much headway at the talks between their foreign ministers, saying the outcome has left people in the Kashmir valley "disappointed."
Notwithstanding opposition from the Army and faced with reports of fake encounters, the government is planning to go ahead with certain amendments in the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which includes handing over of an Army personnel in case of extra-judicial killings to the state authorities.
American terror suspect David Headley was scheduled to visit India again in November last year, apparently to finalise the next target for terror outfit Lashker-e-Tayiba and set up a base in Delhi. Sources privy to the investigations said that Headley, 49, had told his friends in India that he was coming to the country in November.
Fast decisions should be taken in terrorist cases like 26/11 strikes involving Ajmal Kasab and the attack on Parliament as otherwise another hijacking of an Indian aircraft may happen to get jailed militants freed, the country's chief negotiator during the IC-814 hijack, Ajit Doval has said.
American national and terror suspect David Coleman Headley had not only actively played a role in conducting reconnaissance of targets in Mumbai, but was also present in a control unit in Pakistan along with the masterminds of the 26/11 terror attacks to guide ten Lashker-e-Tayiba terrorists to carry out strikes in the megapolis.
US terror suspect David Headley had conducted a detailed reccee of Nariman House before the Mumbai carnage and even entered the targeted Jewish Centre posing as a Jew, official sources said on Thursday. The new detail of Headley's movement in this western metropolis prior to the 26/11 attack came on the back of evidence that the US national had also visited and stayed at Taj and Oberoi here--the two luxury hotels which was attacked.
A year after the Mumbai terror attacks in which its chief Hemant Karkare was killed, the Anti Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra police is woefully short of staff even against its sanctioned level.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office has assured film-maker Mahesh Bhatt that the Home Ministry will inquire into the "leak" of information relating to his son having known David Headley, a US terror suspect arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for plotting strikes in India. An agitated Bhatt had written a letter to Singh on November 15 in which the film-maker said he felt a sense of "great betrayal" over the manner in which his son was handled by investigators.
Vilas Warack, a gym instructor who met terror suspect David Coleman Headley along with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul, was on Monday questioned by the National Investigation Agency, which is probing the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's plot to carry out major strikes in India. The agency recorded the statement of Warack on how he knew Headley, who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States in October for planning attacks on the National Defence College.
American terror suspect David Headley had also stayed at Oberoi Trident besides the Taj -- the two hotels attacked on 26/11 -- before the Mumbai carnage, reinforcing suspicion of his link with the audacious strike, according to investigators on Friday.
The Mumbai terror attack was discussed during the State Banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth in the honour of President Pratibha Patil, with the British monarch paying tributes to the 'courage and steadfastness' shown by the Indian people, in the face of the appalling incident."We are mindful that in a month's time, India will mark the anniversary of the appalling terrorist attacks on Mumbai, in which so many Indians were killed," the Queen said during the Banquet.
After critically examining the ship 'M V Mu San' at Kakinada port, a team of scientists from Kalapakkam nuclear centre concluded that they found no 'CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear) traces' from the ship, which was detained by the Coast Guard off the Andaman waters in the first week of last month, official sources said in New Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who made a conditional resignation, skipped office and the assembly on Wednesday, awaiting the Governor's decision on his offer to quit.
In a confidential report, the Jammu and Kashmir police has accused moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Shabir Ahmed Shah of having links with Pakistan-based terror group Lashker-e-Tayiba. In the report to the state Home Department, the police have suggested some pro-active measures to curb the anti-national activities of separatist leaders and also slapped the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The Home Minister, who is on a two-day visit to Orissa, met the victims living in relief camps set up after a series of communal clashes following the killing of 85-year-old VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati in August last year.
In the wake of increased Maoist activities, the Orissa Government has placed before the Centre a list of demands including young paramilitary officers to train its men, helicopters and grants for setting up a anti-Naxal training centre.
A high-level meeting on Thursday decided to review the deployment of Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir with Home Minister P Chidambaram saying the Centre would like the paramilitary forces to play only a secondary role in the border state.
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