Islamic courts have started functioning in the Taliban stronghold of Swat in north-western Pakistan as per a peace deal signed by the government with militants in the restive region a month ago.
The Vidarbha batter boasts an incredible average of 752 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with five centuries from seven games.
The security forces have cleared and secured the town of Mingora though they are still encountering pockets of militant resistance on the outskirts, chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas was quoted as saying by media reports.
Defence Minister A K Antony said on Friday that the truce between Pakistan and Taliban has added to India's "worries" over the security scenario in the region.
The ground reality is that the government of Pakistan has no choice but make the not-so-fine distinction to save their people getting killed as collateral damage when they fight the Taliban.
The bold abduction was carried out when the army and paramilitary forces had suspended operations to break the siege to rescue the trapped personnel, local police officials and TV channels reported. Taliban militants have overrun most of the Swat Valley, called the Switzerland of Pakistan and once the haunt of tourists and rich and this has triggered a massive exodus of residents.
Pakistani security forces claimed to have arrested 35 militants from various areas in the restive northern Swat valley, along with a would-be suicide bomber and cleric.
Tension continues to simmer in Pakistan's Swat valley with fresh troop build-up while the extremists loyal to pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah have released 48 captured soldiers.
Pakistani security forces have retaken a strategic mountain from pro-Taliban militants in the restive Swat valley in north-west Pakistan and shut down an illegal radio station used by their radical head as a propaganda machine.
The troops are moving closer to Shangla and consolidating their positions and eliminating the militants before making a push towards Alpuri.
A large number of militants led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah have fled the Swat valley and adjoining Shangla district in the North West Frontier Province. After more than two weeks of fierce clashes with the security forces, key militant leaders had also gone into hiding, the army said.
Barcelona thrashed Real Betis 5-1 on Wednesday to book their spot in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
A senior Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Masood Alam, has said that there are reports that Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah had fled the region fearing arrest by security agencies.
Though the army has claimed it has secured several former militant strongholds in the restive Malakand division, including Mingora, Charbagh and Pir Baba, the Taliban continued to mount raids and attacks on positions held by security forces.
The Taliban had earlier banned music and video centres in the area. But now even pornography is freely available at video centres and mobile shops and sell like hot cakes. Though a number of indigenous movies are the talk of the town, three movies are, to use a Bollywood-ism, a super hit
'Not only will Pakistan see greater domestic turmoil as a result of the passage of this law, but the new regulation will further aggravate tensions between Islamabad and Washington, complicating Western efforts to combat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan,' Stratfor said.
A furious Taliban leadership has decided to send their fighters to Islamabad as a reaction to the army operations in the Swat valley on the troubled border with Afghanistan.
Pakistani army troops backed by helicopter gunships on Thursday kept up their offensive against armed followers of a pro-Taliban cleric in Swat valley, killing at least 20 militants across the restive region.
All borders of the national capital will be sealed for the entry of commercial and heavy vehicles by Thursday midnight apart from heavy police deployment, they said.
Ramandeep Singh showed great composure to settle under a high catch for the key wicket of SRH's Rahul Tripathi.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Monday made an unannounced visit to the restive Swat valley where troops are engaged in flushing out Taliban militants.A top-level review of the security situation and the repatriation of the displaced people, uprooted by insurgency, was the highlight of the visit. The visit also assumes significance with reports of the army being on the verge of wrapping up the intensive operation.
Aiming at a "decisive" victory over the Taliban, Pakistan on Thursday pressed with air and ground operation in the north-western tribal belt, where fierce fighting killed nine soldiers and 14 militants, including a son of a hardline cleric who negotiated the Swat peace deal.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the first Test played between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru, on Saturday.
Though a great deal of evidence is available about the extra-judicial killings being carried out in Swat, such incidents usually go unreported due to the lack of media access in the crisis-torn region.
Punjab, which faced two terror attacks in six months, on Sunday announced deployment of a commando battalion and a special SWAT team in Pathankot as a "second line of defence" and also sought deployment of more Border Security Force troops along the state's border with Pakistan.
Asim Malik's shift to the important DG, ISI post comes as something of a surprise now, but it indicates the army chief's confidence in him, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Poland's world number one Iga Swiatek swatted aside 25th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-2 with a near-flawless performance to reach the round of 16 for a fourth straight year at the U.S. Open on Saturday.
Images from the US Open women's singles second round matches, at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Thursday.
Those three wickets for six runs, in a manic final 15 minutes of the day's play, undid all the good work that had gone before, asserts Prem Panicker.
A multi-layer security arrangement involving five companies of paramilitary personnel, NSG commandoes and snipers have already been deployed around the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Drone cameras have also been put into service.
While the north district will get 346 Closed Circuit Television cameras, the central district will be allotted 354 cameras, officials said.
The stage is set for a thrilling T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa. Here's a breakdown of five key matchups that could swing the momentum of the match:
Eriksen's fairytale Euro comeback spoilt by Slovenia in 1-1 Euro draw
Police personnel checked vehicles and conducted flag marches at various places in Punjab on Wednesday while central forces maintained a tight vigil in Tripura.
Iga Swiatek will be looking to join a select band of players who have lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup four times
Images from the US Open women's singles third round matches, at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Friday.
Images from the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
James Rodriguez scored one goal and set up two more as Colombia thoroughly dismantled Panama in a 5-0 win at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday to march into the Copa America semi-finals.
Mandhana 136 (120b, 18x4, 2x6) and Harmanpreet 103 not out (88b, 9x4, 3x6) ran roughshod over the Proteas bowlers after being asked to bat first.
