On 21st July 1884, Lord's hosted the first Test ever played. 127 years on, on the very date (21st July), the same venue, now known as the Mecca of cricket the world over, will be hosting the 2000th Test -- with England taking on India, the No.1 team in the rankings.
We bring you a presentation of the best photos in the last 24 hours from around the world.
An exhibition of rare 1885 photographs that capture Mecca in a past has been unveiled for display in Dubai.
Stylish middle-order batsman VVS Laxman says his dream is to score a century at Lord's and help India win the match during the team's upcoming tour of England.
In a success for the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Mecca Masjid blast case, two of the witnesses have identified Lokesh Sharma, who was arrested by the Rajasthan police in April, as the man who had purchased a cellphone from their shop.
S R Darapuri, a retired Indian Police Service officer has been fighting for several innocents picked up and tortured by the police in several cases of terrorism,explains how the police force is beset with bias and what needs to be done to tackle it.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the Ajmer and Hyderabad Mecca Masjid blasts, say that their case will not be complete unless and until they manage to lay their hands on Swami Aseemanand -- who is believed to be the father of the right wing groups carrying out subversive activities in the country.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is all set to bring the accused of Ajmer blast, Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, to Hyderabad in connection with Mecca Masjid blast in May, 2007.
Hyderabad city was under a security blanket on the eve of the third anniversary of bomb blast in historic Mecca Masjid as hundreds of armed policemen were deployed in the city to prevent any untoward incident.
A constable was killed and two others were injured after three unidentified men on motorbike fired at them in Old Hyderabad on Friday afternoon.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is hoping that the arrest of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker Devender Gupta, who was arrested in connection with the blast in Ajmer Dargah three years ago, might give key answers to the Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad that occurred the same year.
The cultural ethos of Hyderabad goes beyond the famous Charminar and the Mecca Masjid. Come Ramzan and the buzz around the bazaars in the city is obvious.
While TV shows elsewhere lure participants by cash bonanza and cars, the top prize in a reality show in Malaysia, which has cast a spell on viewers, is the winner becomes an Imam.
Were you there when the bomb went off at Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid?
On Thursday, 15 days short of his 32nd birthday, Ajit Agarkar ensured himself a perfect gift -- an unbeaten 102 against Himachal Pradesh, in the Ranji Trophy Group A match. It not only ensured his side a defendable total (after an early collapse) but also earned the all-rounder his first hundred in Mumbai colours.
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo bring new consoles and games, the PC and console market in India, estimated to be $20 million.
As the Central Bureau of Investigation continues to join the dots on the Ajmer, Pune Goa and Mecca Masjid blasts cases, the probe so far has revealed that a very strong local network of Hindu right-wing groups in Hyderabad and Pune may have carried out these attacks.
One person was detained for interrogation by the Kolkata police in Jamtara in connection with the Mecca mosque explosion in Hyderabad, police said on Monday.
The death toll of Indians in the Hajj stampede has risen to 101 even as 32 nationals still remain missing after the last month's tragedy.
In what is being suspected to be a terror attack, one home guard was killed and a head constbale was seriously injured when unknown motor cycle borne-assailants opened fire at a police picket in the old city area of Hyderabad.
Mumbai-based artist Aruna Nene paints stray dogs against an urban backdrop as a symbol of contentment, unconditional love and simplicity and says that a dog's life isn't so bad after all.
Human Rights Watch has slammed the Andhra Pradesh government for the detention and torture of over 100 youths from the Muslim community, who were arrested after a spate of terror attacks in Hyderabad last year.On November 13, the Andhra Pradesh government finally admitted that the innocent youths had been tortured and announced compensation of Rs 30,000 for each of them. It also promised additional financial assistance through government loans.
Mecca of Indian Football, Kolkata had a date with French football superstar Thierry Henry as he enthralled the crowd here at Rabindra Sarovar stadium by lighting the lamp at Atletico de Kolkata's home game against Mumbai City FC on Tuesday.
Andhra Pradesh police officials including members of elite anti terrorist force OCTOPUS will soon go to Mumbai to question Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Shrikant Purohit and other suspects who were arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast.
Several theories but no evidence yet. This is the status of the investigations into the twin blasts at Hyderabad exactly a year back. When the twin blasts rocked Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat in Hyderabad, it was largely believed that the investigations would be taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigations, which was already looking into the Mecca Masjid blasts. However that did not happen.
Winners of the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals could get a chance to play at Lord's, the mecca of cricket, if a plan set afoot by Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodian of the ground, gets the green light.
All I have to say is that the narco-analysis reports came in very late and by the time we started to look into it, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. We however got to know that those involved in the Nanded blast were also part of the Parbhani blasts case, says K P S Raghuvanshi, former chief of the Mumbai Anti Terrorism Squad
"They (mosque authorities) have sent a letter to us expressing readiness to withdraw the complaint against her. But we sought certain clarifications from them," said B Reddenna, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Charminar division. He, however, declined to divulge the clarifications sought by the police.
The ISI had claimed Bilal was shot in an encounter following the twin blasts in Hyderabad. The IB says that of late the ISI has been using this ploy to mislead investigating agencies in India. Every time the pressure on Pakistan builds up to hand over a terrorist whom they are shielding, they come up with such stories.
Dismissing India's contention that ISI could be involved in the recent blasts in various cities, Pakistan on that such allegations could vitiate the atmosphere for the ongoing Composite Dialogue process. "Pakistan rejects the allegations leveled by the National Security Adviser of India, M K Narayanan, about the suspected involvement of ISI in Ludhiana, Ajmer and Mecca Masjid blasts," Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Sadiq said in Islamabad on Thursday.
Suspected ISI agent Mohtisam Billa, who was recently arrested in Hyderabad, has revealed that he was a member of Al-Umma, the terror outfit responsible for the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts.
Sheikh Nayeem, one of the men assigned the role of transporting men into India from across the border, was picked up by the West Bengal police four months prior to the Mecca Masjid blasts. The investigations into the blasts revealed that Nayeem had helped four men enter India through Bangladesh to carry out the blasts. Nayeem, who underwent a narco analysis test at Bengaluru recently confirmed that he had transported the men in May 2007.
Malegaon blasts were not the only terror strike Joshi orchestrated. He, says the charge-sheet by NIA, was involved in the planning and execution of blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer and Mecca Masjid.
A time has thus come when state encouragement for rural students led to empowerment of the socio-economically marginalised sections of the population. It included women. Today, with greater exposure and consequent enlightenment, it has gone beyond 'empowerment' to become 'entitlement', says N Sathiya Moorthy.
In fact news of his death started trickling in a few days after the twin blasts in Hyderabad. But the Intelligence Bureau said that it was a ploy by their counterparts in Pakistan to mislead investigations. While Bilal's death is more or less confirmed now, Indian intelligence agencies feel he was killed due to professional rivalry.
Following is a chronology of some recent major bomb blasts in the country:
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks for the Governor's address in the state legislative assembly, Dr Reddy said, "The incidents of bomb blasts at Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat Eatery in Hyderabad were related to cross-border terrorism. Many innocent lives were lost in these incidents." "Al Qaeda, by clubbing the United States, Israel and India together unnecessarily, is targeting our country without any rhyme or reason," he said.
Both the arrested had hideouts in Hyderabad to prepare powerful bombs and provide shelter to the plotters.
The Hyderabad police, which is under fire over the alleged torturing of a youth picked up after last year's Mecca Masjid blast, has once again evoked the ire of the Muslim community by allegedly threatening one of the acquitted persons not to go public with the details of torture.
Shoaib Jagirdar and his teenaged nephew Imran Khan are free after 16 months but what happened to them is likely to haunt them forever. Both Shoaib and Imran, who were among the four persons acquitted by a Hyderabad court in a terror related case earlier this week, say they want to forget everything but the nightmares keep coming back.
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