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Reliance Power opens talks on Shanghai pact
The Indian electricity generation group is in talks with Shanghai Electric Power over a possible joint venture that could become one of the biggest Sino-Indian tie-ups
Indian groups opting for London listings
Indian companies are increasingly turning to London to raise money for expansion amid signs that one of the world's biggest developing economies is shrugging off growing threats from inflation and slowing global growth
India vows to revive economic reforms
Palaniappan Chidambaram, finance minister, says the Congress party – freed from the constraints of its former leftist allies – will build consensus for a range of economic bills
Indian coalition survives trust vote
India's ruling coalition has survived a crucial parliamentary vote of confidence, giving it a full mandate to push forward with a groundbreaking agreement to co-operate with the US on civilian nuclear energy development
India's government faces tight vote
The vote of confidence in parliament will decide the fate of a civil nuclear cooperation deal with the United States and could trigger a snap election
Ambani feud has India on tenterhooks
Reliance Communications shares rise in the first market reaction in Mumbai to the collapse of merger talks with South African rival, MTN
Indian coalition to chase every vote
India's Congress party is lobbying key parliament members to shore up support for its coalition government, amid concerns that it may not survive a confidence vote
Fresh threat in Ambani feud
The bitter corporate feud between India's billionaire Ambani brothers, which bankers and analysts say is tarnishing the corporate image of India, has escalated further
Ranbaxy probe highlights medical issues
The probe into the Indian generic drugs group has become a drawn-out battle for extra information with repercussions for the pharmaceuticals industry worldwide
Private equity favours Asian stakebuilding
Firms ramped up the level of minority investments in Chinese and Indian companies in the first half of the year amid a fall in buy-out opportunities, according to a study
Indian groups eye UK in reversal of fortunes
A leading sector banker says that private Indian media companies are cash-rich compared with those in the UK and heading in opposite directions in terms of growth
MTN quits Reliance talks
South Africa's MTN walked away from a potential combination with India's Reliance Communications on Friday, scuppering the creation of an emerging market telecoms giant and damaging the standing of corporate India
Wipro and Satyam warn on sales
Cuts in western economies' IT spending hit Indian computer services groups
Nomura in India drive
Nomura is expanding in India by adding stock trading and asset management to its portfolio
Inflation threat to India's coalition
Fastest rise in inflation for 13 years highlights the economic pressure on the Congress-led coalition government as it fights for its survival ahead of a crucial confidence vote
FT.com - India
FT.com - India
CPI(M) meeting begins
KOLKATA: In the background of the expulsion of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from the party, the sixth session of the CPI(M) State committee began here on Saturday in the presence of general secretary Prakash Karat. Veteran Marxist ...
Cash-for-votes: Speaker orders probe
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Saturday ordered a time-bound inquiry by a panel into allegations of cash being given to buy votes on the basis of a joint complaint he had received on Friday from three BJP MPs, who waved ...
BJP not enthusiastic about inquiry committee
“Up to the Speaker to hand over tapes to the inquiry committee”
Pratibha, PM condemn blasts
NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Saturday condemned the serial blasts in Ahmedabad. They appealed to the people to remain calm and preserve communal amity and peace. ...
Advani blames it on lack of tough terror law
New Delhi: BJP leader L.K. Advani has blamed the spate of blasts on the lack of tough anti-terror laws and a weak intelligence machinery. “It looks like our anti-terror legal framework is not up to the mark and it got ...
Sangma predicts hung Parliament
NCP hopes to double its strength
BJP puts on hold candidates’ selection
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party will launch on Sunday a weeklong protest the alleged offer to money to MPs to defy their party whip during the recent trust vote. Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani will address a rally in Delhi on ...
Directorate for J&K tribals hailed
Governor N.N. Vohra’s decision to constitute a separate directorate for Jammu and Kashmir tribals has been hailed as “a step in the right direction” : ...
Ghising shifted from Darjeeling to Siliguri
Kolkata: Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) chief Subhas Ghising has been shifted from his residence in Darjeeling to Siliguri on security grounds, after a spurt in violence during the ongoing struggle for ‘Gorkhaland’ mounted ...
Subsidised edible oil sale through PDS
NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Sharad Pawar will inaugurate on Monday a scheme for distribution of subsidised edible oils through the Public Distribution System (PDS) at Tandur in Ranga ...
Only a joint campaign on issues: Yechury
Bangalore: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said on Saturday that there were no immediate plans to form a “third front.” He told journalists here that the coming together of ...
Detention of two Indian officers causes concern
VISAKHAPATNAM: Two Indian officers of a Hong Kong-owned merchant ship are under detention in South Korea for violation of ocean pollution law despite their acquittal by a court, creating serious concern among international shipping ...
Concern over degradation of rivers
“There is an urgent need to come up with a national policy”
“Not aware of any promises”
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said on Saturday that he was not aware of any promises made to the Samajwadi Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for their support to the UPA. “I had not made any commitments ...
Constable gets jail for bribe
New Delhi: A city court has sentenced a police constable, who demanded money from a physically-challenged person to allow him to run his shop from a pavement near the Red Fort seven years ago, to 18-month jail. The offence is ...
Naidu-KCR joining hands ‘joke of 2008’: NTPP
NEW DELHI: The announcement of TRS president K. Chandra Sekhar Rao that he would provide “issue-based support” to the TDP and was not averse to joining hands with N. Chandrababu Naidu, subject to certain conditions, “is the ...
Presenting their share
“Investigate without prejudice”
Bangalore: D. Raja, MP and Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary, and Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of Communist Party of India (Marxist), visited several bomb blast sites in the city on Saturday and asked the State and the ...
Krishna Iyer writes to Manmohan
KOCHI: Former Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer on Saturday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following reports of U.S. pressure on India to retract from its firm stand in Geneva against American business interests. ...
Court directs CBI to prosecute Jaffer Sharif
New Delhi: A designated court on Saturday snubbed the CBI, while rejecting its second closure report against former Railway Minister C.K. Jaffer Sharif in a case of alleged misuse of official position and directed the probe agency to ...
Plane door was locked, says Jet Airways
NEW DELHI: A day after a Jet Airways flight with Union Minister Sharad Pawar on board made an emergency landing after taking off from Delhi airport as a door of the aircraft was allegedly not locked properly, the airline on Saturday said they ...
New headquarters for DCHFC
NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said the Delhi Cooperative Housing Finance Corporation (DCHFC) had substantially contributed in ensuring success of the cooperative housing movement in the Capital, helped in overcoming ...
Ahmed Patil hopeful of coordination
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel has expressed the hope that the Centre and Gujarat government will act in coordination in the wake of Saturday’s Ahmedabad serial blasts. In a statement here, he said the issue was not ...
The Hindu - National
The Internet edition of The Hindu, India's national newspaper
Ahmedabad attack email traced to Mumbai
Intelligence agencies are reasonably sure that the logistical support for those who struck in Ahmedabad, just as in the case of Jaipur, came from activists of SIMI.
It's a war against India: Narendra Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said the common pattern of all the blasts in the country was an indication that one organisation or nation was behind them.
Won't be pushed on Doha, PM tells Bush
PM Manmohan Singh has conveyed to US President Bush that India won't make concessions to the developed countries on farm subsidies and tariff reductions.
'Ahmedabad bombed to avenge Gujarat riots'
An outfit called the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the Ahmedabad blasts, saying that they were being carried out to avenge the Gujarat riots.
BJP-ruled states incur wrath of terrorists
Experts feel that though the blasts do not reflect any dramatic augmentation in the strike capacity of terrorists, they reflect greater coordination.
LS committee to investigate cash-for-vote scam
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has set up a committee to examine claims made by three BJP MPs that they were bribed to stay away from the trust vote.
Delhi on high alert, security beefed up
Delhi Police continues to be on high alert with top police officials reviewing the security set-up after serial blasts ripped through Ahmedabad today.
IT sector has nothing to fear: Karnataka CM
A day after serial blasts rocked Karnataka, CM Yeddyurappa said investigations were on to track those behind the incidents and asked people not to panic.
No time frame for operationalisation of N-deal: Pranab
Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has denied any knowledge of Chinese opposition to NSG granting a waiver to India.
Murali magic behind our humiliation: Kumble
India skipper Anil Kumble feels that veteran Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the deciding factor in his side's humiliating innings defeat on Saturday.
India confident of wrapping up N-deal by Sept: Sibal
The Science and Technology Minister said that the NSG process is likely to end in August so that the 123 agreement can be endorsed by the Congress in September.
CPM denies linking Speaker's office to cash-for-vote
Senior CPM leader Sitaram Yechury has strongly rebutted a report quoting him as saying that the Speaker's office was involved in the alleged cash-for-vote scam.
A day after, another bomb found in Bangalore
A live bomb has been defused near Forum Mall in Bangalore's Koramangla area. The bomb found today is similar to the one used in Fridayβs blasts, said police.
Terror group threatens attack on Olympics
A terror group calling itself the Turkistan Islamic Party has warned of new attacks in China during the Olympics. The group released the threat message through a video.
Dhoni devotional songs a hit in Bihar
Tired of trying to net cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, young girls in Bihar are now praying to Lord Shiva to grant husbands like him.
India's non-proliferation commitment is firm: Pranab
Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that India is banking on its impeccable track record to win over the international community to back the Indo-US nuke deal.
Tamil experts doubt Centre's Setu destruction theory
Experts are not sure whether the verse that forms the basis for Centre's theory is authentic and whether it means that the Setu was destroyed.
Bangalore blasts: UPA's terror woes continue
As terrorists strike at will and the Centre fails to check the rising tide of terror in the country, Congress may have to pay political cost for unending blasts.
Pakistan gets $230 mn to upgrade its F-16s
India has expressed 'concern' over the US decision to divert $230 million in aid to Pakistan from counter-terrorism programmes to upgrading its F-16s.
Bangalore remains tensed a day after blasts
Concern over the once-safe city becoming vulnerable to terror attacks was uppermost among the residents in Bangalore after blasts. LeT and SIMI are main suspects.
Kalam talks on politics, N-deal
Former president APJ Abdul Kalam said 70% of politicians indulged in "political politics" while only 30% were pursuing "development politics," which situation, he said, should have been the reverse.
Delhi: Drunk man runs over labourer
A deadly cocktail of 'alcohol and speed' claimed yet another victim when the 23-year-old son of a Delhi Police officer allegedly lost control over his car and hit the central median near Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station.
Jaipur blast accused arrested in UP
Rajasthan police has picked up Abdul Mateen, a resident of Madanpura area in Varanasi for his alleged involvement in May 13 Jaipur blasts.
US citizen held for shoplifting in TN
Police have arrested Mausam Haseen, a student of kathak, salsa and bharatanatyam and a small-time model in the US, for stealing a pair of diamond ear studs worth Rs 1.1 lakh from a showroom in Nungambakkam.
Pune students may get free bus rides
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is thinking of providing free bus services to students across the city.
Hyderabad legislator opens fire
Police said Khan opened fire from his licensed revolver when officials of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) were demolishing an illegal structure on Chappel Road in Abids.
Timed Ahmedabad blasts kill 18 in hospitals
Two public hospitals - Civil Hospital and L G Hospital - apart from a private hospital run by VHPβs international general secretary Pravin Togadia - were targeted, killing 18 people.
Ahmedabad blasts timed to inflict maximum damage
The air was heavy with the stench of death and explosives at the Civil Hospital on Saturday. A decapitated head lay on the floor and charred bodies were strewn all over.
Cash-for-vote: Amar hints at turning tables on his rivals
The confrontation over the "cash-for-vote" scam took a curious turn on Saturday with the SP general secretary Amar Singh hinting of a retaliation in kind against his political rivals.
7-member panel to probe cash-for-vote
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has set up a seven-member panel headed by senior Congress MP V Kishore Chandra Deo to probe the allegations levelled by three BJP MPs.
Another ceasefire violation by Pak troops in Kashmir
After almost five years of relative calm, ceasefire violations along the Line of Control by Pakistani troops are almost becoming a regular feature now.
CBI told to frame rape charge against Dera chief
Signalling the beginning of possible tough times for Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a special CBI court on Saturday ordered that rape charges be framed against him.
China allows quake victims 2nd child
Couples whose only child was killed or seriously injured in the May 12 Sichuan province earthquake may have another.
'16mn in Americas on brink of poverty'
UN experts on Latin America and the Caribbean have warned that global economic shocks could throw some 16 million people of the Americas into extreme poverty.
Rice suffers 'wardrobe malfunction'
With the camera lights flashing, her blouse appeared a little more revealing that she would have expected.
African nations excel in Scrabble
France lost to an African player for the third year in a row this week in the one-on-one duel at the Francophone World Scrabble Championship.
Buckingham opens for commoners
The royal palace in London has opened up its ballroom for millions of public to experience what it is to be at a modern state banquet, whose form is largely unchanged since the reign of Queen Victoria.
9 killed in Lebanon sectarian clashes
Nine people including a boy of 10 were killed in fierce sectarian clashes which raged through the night in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli.
ONGC wins legal battle in Australia
$21.5 million or Rs 100 crore is the fruit of a sweet legal victory which Oil and Natural Gas Corporation earned in the Federal Court of Australia against Perth-based Clough Engineering this week.
SBI Q1 net up 15.1 pc, beats forecast
Shares in State Bank shares fell 31 per cent in the June quarter, faring worse than the 14 per cent drop in the main share index and a 23 per cent slump in the banking sector index.
ICICI Bank Q1 profit dips six per cent
India's largest private lender ICICI Bank on Saturday showed a lower-than-expected 6.06 per cent dip in first-quarter net profit, hit by slowing credit growth.
SBI, HSBC, ICICI Pru may manage PF
HSBC and ICICI Prudential along with State Bank of India have been shortlisted to manage about Rs 25,000 crore in provident fund of about four crore employees annually.
Rel Power Q1 net at Rs 61 crore
On a standalone basis, Reliance Power reported a profit after tax of Rs 59.70 crore and a total income of Rs 77.67 crore for the June quarter of this fiscal.
Reliance Power gets nod to raise $4b
The company will complete the first unit at Sasan five months ahead of schedule in December 2011 and the second by March 2013.
Why it helps to have a baby
The American Cancer Society, in its recent report, says that a woman who has had children has a lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who have no children.
Artificial pancreas just years away
Researchers working on an artificial pancreas believe they are just a few years away from a nearly carefree way for people with diabetes to monitor blood and inject insulin as needed.
Hoping to cultivate 'calming herb'
The native herb yerba mansa, translated from Spanish as the "calming herb," has been used for centuries throughout the Southwest by American Indians and Hispanics for ailments ranging from toothaches to sinus infections.
Hackers control the internet traffic
Internet security researchers on Thursday warned that hackers have caught on to a "critical" flaw that lets them control traffic on the Internet.
Drug cocktail boosts life of HIV+
Cocktails of HIV drugs help patients live an average of 13 years longer - if they are lucky enough to get them, researchers reported.
Meditation slows AIDS progression
Meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, perhaps by affecting the immune system, US researchers reported.
S A Aiyar: India as nuclear exporter
Once it becomes a major nuclear equipment exporter, India will be among those that take decisions on sanctions.
Bachi Karkaria: The men behind it all
'Behind men' are not confined to moments of political history in the making - or breaking.
Get real, we are living in a fake world
Everything known to human beings can be faked. Thanks to advances in digital technology, 3D laser scanners and counterfeiting software.
Sign up for the 'Teach Neta' campaign
Looks
like the whole country and its youth want to become
masterjis
and
masternis.
Why this US presidential election matters
After all those heady, exciting, nail-biting months when primary succeeded caucus and every political junkie in America became a self-appointed expert in delegate math, US presidential politics is in a curious lull these days.
Living in denial
Every crisis mela invariably produces an onrush of sound bytes ranging from the banal to the obnoxious.
TODAY'S EDITORIAL: Fast Forward
A report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) says that the economy is heading towards a medium-term downturn.
Bangalore Bombed
Attacks on Bangalore or Hyderabad could be designed to keep foreign multinationals away from India and hurt the economy.
LEADER ARTICLE: Why They Don't Behave
Parliamentarians are not being ill mannered when they overreact and hyper-abuse because they do not know what is 'correct' behaviour when faced with opposition.
VIEW: Use incentives, not force
The solution lies in making a rural posting an attractive proposition for doctors. This will mean that the govt must invest in infrastructure so that the doctors can do justice to their job.
COUNTER VIEW: Rural India needs healing touch
The compulsory rural stint for PG aspirants will ensure that more of the country's 22,669 primary health centres - 8 per cent of which have no doctors - will have a physician on call both for regular care and emergencies.
ANIMAL FARM: All The Pretty Horses
These days, every time a politician shrieks "horse-trading", horses all over the country find their hackles rising.
Whipping up reforms
With the comrades no longer dictating the menu, the Manmohan Singh govt has got a second chance at dishing out a platterful of much-needed economic reforms.
Middle-class comes to the party
Tired of crime, corruption and reservation, groups of middle-class citizens are coming together to change the political system by being part of it.
Custody conflict: Love is not enough
Indian courts have traditionally viewed the mother as a child's natural caregiver. But recent rulings show working moms may be at a distinct disadvantage.
The world is a happier place
That's
the verdict of a global survey.
Sunday
Times finds out why people are blissful in
the time of terror & tumbling markets.
Forget IQ and EQ, now they want to test your HQ
In the last few decades, happiness has become a popular subject of study for sociologists, psychologists, biologists, political scientists and economists.
It's sweeter solo
Personal space is a precious commodity, and loners are grabbing every inch they can get. Alone's no longer lonely.
Priyanka: Miss-placed!
Priyanka is reportedly upset as 'Drona' promos give her a miss completely, featuring only Abhishek Bachchan. However, the producers have a different story to tell.
Udita needs company in bed
The 'Paap' beauty suffers from Phasmophobia or spectrophobia, which is essentially the fear of ghosts.
Britney's clothes up for grabs
Now, Britney's fans can lay their hands on clothes previously worn by her that are soon to be sold in an online auction.
βI love Ranbir too much!β
Deepika Padukone confesses as much, and shrugs off the image of being a woman who switches boyfriends.
Randeep and Raima take musical lessons
Raima learnt to play the harmonium and Randeep learnt to play the flute for their upcoming movie.
Beckham, Jolie among 'World's Sexiest People'
Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp, David Beckham and Angelina Jolie are among the ''World''s Sexiest People''
Are reality shows the best platform to identify talented youngsters?
Many youths see reality shows as a path to instant stardom.
What short-term measures should Karnataka govt take to ease power crisis?
Bangalore can expect 5-7 hours of load shedding while rural areas may have to face 12-18 hours of blackouts in a single day.
Should pre-school kids be sent to tuitions?
Kindergarten kids being sent to tuitions is a disturbing trend that has emerged in recent times. Experts feel that such a move may affect the kids negatively.
Does
Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan have been paired together for the first time in a romantic movie to show their fire onscreen.
Is the perception of common man affected by how films portray police?
Tamil films have portrayed policemen as good, bad and ugly. Do you think this will affect the thinking of common man?
Are today's parents more concerned about their children?
Parents nowadays are investing time, energy and money to attend workshops to get their acts right and give the best to their wards.
Readerspeak: Trust vote shows how corrupt we are as nation
The people of India who watched LS proceedings on Tuesday, saw the real face of politicians. It was a black day in Indian politics, says one of our readers.
Readerspeak: Asif has brought disrepute to game
It is the right time to set an example by banning Asif for life otherwise the game shall become mockery, says one of our readers.
Readerspeak: IIT coaching centres make good business
The amount of money going into training students in India to prepare for the IIT entrance exam is mind boggling, says one of our readers.
Readerspeak: Obama's tribute to Manekshaw is a political gimmick
Obama's tribute to Sam Manekshaw at the time of Presidency elections is a political high drama to woo Indians in US, says one of our readers.
Readerspeak: "Go tiger, go..."
A change in the mindset is needed for those who live in proximity to the animal, says one of our readers.
Singh is King for now at least
The UPA has somehow managed to get together a flock of 275 to keep its coalition government in power.
UPA wins trust vote
275 MPs voted in favour of the UPA government and 256 against it. Cross-votes and abstentions saved the govt.
More PSU banks to get into retail banking
Some of the public sector banks have world class products but have not been able to promote their products to attract Indian customer.
Trial by media and its implications
Shoddy probe by the UP police and the parallel media trial in the Aarushi murder case has left the nation confused.
Four years of UPA govt
The UPA has managed to keep together all the coalition partners except TRS (Telangana) which left midway.
UPAs terror slumber
The attacks prove that the government lacks a coherent nationwide strategy to deal with internal acts of terror.
Lanka maul India in first Test
Jeev rises to fourth place
'Mendis is future of Lanka'
Will referrals' affect batsmen's averages?
Carlos Sastre poised to win Tour de France
Cricket Scorecard
UPA wins trust vote
With Left off its back, the UPA is all set to initiate major reforms.
Indo-US nuke deal
Shivshankar Menon will brief IAEA on the nuclear deal today.
Teach India
Teach
India is a TOI
initiative to help provide an equal
opportunity for education.
NRI alleges assault in Ghaziabad
Monika Singh, a 23-year-old NRI student of a medical college, was allegdly assaulted by two youths and she had to use pepper spray to protect herself.
UPA victory energises IOC
The victory of the UPA has boosted the party's decades-old overseas branches, the head of the British unit said.
N Pillay is new UN human rights chief
Indian-origin judge Navanethem Pillay has been named UN's new human rights chief, despite initial opposition from US.
Goa to appoint NRIs to state boards
Since one-third of Goans live abroad, the state is extending such opportunity to its expatriates, a first of its kind in India.
NRI in NZ given lifer for wife's murder
Laxman Rajamani had murdered his wife Chitralekha Ramakrishnan in January 2005 because she wanted to end their relationship.
NRI is new Oxford Brookes varsity chancellor
Shami Chakrabarti, a human rights lawyer, has been appointed as the chancellor of Oxford Brookes University.
Schoolgirl expelled for being 'boy by birth'
A Malaysian-Indian girl had to drop out of school in Kuala Lumpur because her birth certificate registered her as a boy.
Court reprieve for Bihar dog
The police had appealed that Chhotu was violent in nature, could bite passersby and thus endanger peace in the locality.
'Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii'
Embarrassed by the strange name, a young girl is awarded a new one by a family court judge in New Zealand.
Lesbian couple loses case against doc
The women, who have twins, claimed that the doctor did not ensure that only one embryo was implanted in the mother's womb.
SHO in trouble for 'French leave'
A Delhi SHO Arun Sharma is facing a departmental enquiry for attending French classes without seeking "permission".
British oppn leader's 'priceless' bike stolen
British Conservative Party leader David Cameron has, meanwhile, vowed to cut crime if he becomes prime minister.
Times of India
The Times of India: Breaking news, views, reviews, cricket from across India
Timed Ahmedabad blasts kill 18 in hospitals
Two public hospitals - Civil Hospital and L G Hospital - apart from a private hospital run by VHPβs international general secretary Pravin Togadia - were targeted, killing 18 people.
Ahmedabad blasts timed to inflict maximum damage
The air was heavy with the stench of death and explosives at the Civil Hospital on Saturday. A decapitated head lay on the floor and charred bodies were strewn all over.
Cash-for-vote: Amar hints at turning tables on his rivals
The confrontation over the "cash-for-vote" scam took a curious turn on Saturday with the SP general secretary Amar Singh hinting of a retaliation in kind against his political rivals.
7-member panel to probe cash-for-vote
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has set up a seven-member panel headed by senior Congress MP V Kishore Chandra Deo to probe the allegations levelled by three BJP MPs.
Another ceasefire violation by Pak troops in Kashmir
After almost five years of relative calm, ceasefire violations along the Line of Control by Pakistani troops are almost becoming a regular feature now.
CBI told to frame rape charge against Dera chief
Signalling the beginning of possible tough times for Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a special CBI court on Saturday ordered that rape charges be framed against him.
Woman, claiming to be an IAS officer, lures man into marriage
When a lecturer Govindbhai found in the community marriage bureau the biodata of a girl claiming to be an IAS officer, who was looking for a suitable groom, he started dreaming of tying the nuptial knot with her.
Congress takes N-deal to people
Addressing a public meeting organised by the party's students' wing, NSUI, in Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi talked of prospects of prosperity in future assured by energy security
Karnataka seeks report on SIMI men held in MP
The state police on Saturday contacted its counterpart in Madhya Pradesh seeking the interrogation reports of the outfit's activists, including its leader Safdar Nagori, who were arrested there in March.
Ahmedabad blast sites chosen with political icons in mind?
The places where the bombs were planted and the time when they went off seemed to have been masterminded with the political icons of those localities in mind.
India-The Times of India
News from India by India number one website
Malaysian Ruling Party Vows to Pursue Legal Action Against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar has vowed to move ahead with plans to lead the Malaysian government by September despite the charges
NATO Soldiers Kill 4 Afghan Civilians
Troops, fearing insurgent attack, fire at car after it refuses to stop at checkpoint
Undetonated Powerful Bomb Found at Bangalore Shopping Mall
Police commissioner describes bomb as 'high intensity' device that could have caused significant number of casualties
Pakistan Prime Minister Leaves for US Visit
Yousaf Raza Gilani vows to fight terrorism as he heads to Washington to meet with President Bush, US presidential candidates
Observers: Cambodia's Pre-Election Mostly Peaceful
However, rights groups, opposition parties accuse government of trying to steal elections through threats and cheating; government denies accusations
Rice Warns China on Abuse of Olympic Security
At joint news conference with New Zealand PM in Auckland, US secretary of state says China should showcase not just Olympics, but attitude of openness and tolerance
Qantas Denies Rust Caused Hole in Jumbo Jet
Aviation investigators say they do not yet know what caused hole to open in Qantas jumbo jet that was forced to make emergency landing in Philippines
More Deadly Bomb Blasts Rock India
Authorities report at least 29 people dead and more than 100 injured following 16 separate explosions in and around Ahmedabad
China Denies Separatist Group Claims for Bombings
Turkestan Islamic Party takes responsibility for Monday's explosion in Kunming which killed two people and for May 5 bombing in Shanghai which killed three people
Pakistani PM Visits US During Tension in Counter-Terror Alliance
Before leaving Islamabad, Yousuf Raza Gilani says that security issues will be high on agenda during visit
VOA News: Asia
Up to the minute news from Voice of America
South-East Asia : ASEAN and the temple of doom
Modest progress on Myanmar is overshadowed by the threat of war between Thailand and Cambodia FOUR months ago, when Thailand's prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, visited his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, the two countries seemed capable of dealing peacefully with a long-running dispute over an ancient temple on their borders. Thailand backed Cambodia's bid to have the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple listed as a "world heritage" site and both sides agreed to keep talking over their overlapping claims to a nearby patch of land. Since then, things have deteriorated to the point where each side has sent thousands of troops to the area. This week talks between the two countries agreed no more than to try to avoid settling things by force. Cambodia asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting over what it called a state of "imminent war". ...
Kashmir: Spoiled by war
Nearly two decades of conflict have left Kashmir overloaded with orphans "WHEN did you last see your father?" is not a question to ask many of the 350 children in Srinagar's main orphanage. Over half are victims of Kashmir's 19-year-old insurgency, having lost one or both parents to the war between Indian soldiers and separatists. Wasim Ahmed Bhatt, 16, is more forthcoming than most. His father, a member of a local Islamist outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen, was shot dead 14 years ago while on an operation against the army. After a long struggle to feed their three children, the dead man's widow deposited Wasim at the orphanage four years ago. There he has learnt English, which he wants to study at university. He says he has no interest in fighting for Kashmir's freedom--though many, if not all, orphans seem to favour independence. ...
Pakistan: Red mist
Frightening and senseless threats to our correspondent from angry jihadists BY SOME reckoning, the leaders of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, ought to be in prison. For six months last year, led by two clerical brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the mosque was a jihadist citadel. In the heart of Pakistan's capital, the brothers sent forth Islamist vigilantes. They kidnapped six Chinese women whom they accused of selling sex. They threatened to break the heads of music-cassette vendors. When President Pervez Musharraf demurred, the Red Mosquers bunkered down. A siege ensued. "We will defend ourselves even to death," said Mr Ghazi, at a press conference inside the mosque's fortified walls. He spoke truth. A year ago this month, the then General Musharraf sent in the troops. In the ensuing gun-battle, Mr Ghazi and over 100 of his followers were killed. Mr Aziz escaped in a burqa; but was soon arrested. He has been charged with kidnapping and other crimes. But most of his accomplices are still at large. They include his wife, Umme Hassan, who ran a seminary for female jihadists. Indeed, she and her fellows have since set up shop in another seminary, outside Islamabad. ...
Nepal: Guerrilla politics
The Maoists learn that not all power grows from the barrel of a gun IT HELD elections in April. But Nepal is still without a government. On July 23rd, however, it did acquire a president, Ram Baran Yadav, a peasant's son from the southern Terai plains. This follows the abolition of the 239-year-old monarchy. The former king, Gyanendra, has been granted an official forest retreat to sulk in. The election, for a Constituent Assembly, which, besides being responsible for drafting a new constitution, doubles as a parliament, was won by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). For a decade from 1996, the Maoists waged a vicious insurgency against the government. Now, they took 220 of the assembly's 601 seats but were unable to form the government. As the other parties reeled from defeat at the polls, the Maoists seem to have overestimated their own strength. Rather than forge a government of national unity, they were arrogant, publicly deriding other party leaders as "losers". ...
Australia and climate change: Greens and the black stuff
The climate-change prime minister loses some green points COALMINERS in New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state, boast that they export enough of the black stuff to supply New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore with all their electricity. Along with Queensland and Victoria, the state also digs up enough to provide Australia as a whole with 83% of its power. This dirty energy has turned Australia into one of the world's highest per person emitters of greenhouse gases. With more than 200 years' supply of black coal left, Australians have never much questioned this. But that may be about to change. The Labor government, under Kevin Rudd, outlined plans in a green paper on July 16th to cut carbon pollution with an emissions-trading scheme. Mr Rudd's promise to tackle climate change played a large part in Labor's election win last November. During its 11 years in power the former conservative coalition, under John Howard, largely ignored the issue. ...
The Sino-Russian border: The cockerel?s cropped crest
Nearly 40 years after fighting flared, a border deal is reached AFTER decades of dispute, China and Russia have at last reached agreement on where the entire length of their common border lies. On July 21st the two countries signed an accord on the last small stretch that had yet to be formally settled, putting an end to a quarrel that once came close to war. In both countries, a nationalist fringe will be nettled. With their "strategic partnership", a shared resentment of Western dominance and friendly military ties, China and Russia have long put behind them the acrimony that erupted into cross-border skirmishes in 1969. In recent years they have been tidying up the remaining odds and ends along their 4,300km (2,670 mile) frontier. The latest agreement, signed in Beijing by the two countries' foreign ministers, resolves the niggling matter of a couple of islands at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri rivers near the city of Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East. ...
Indian politics: A tarnished triumph
The government wins a hard-fought victory over its cherished nuclear deal with America. Its image and credibility have paid a high price AFTER a rancorous, sometimes riotous, two-day debate on its most contentious policy, a nuclear co-operation agreement with America, India's government on July 22nd won a parliamentary vote of confidence. This did not ensure the survival of the vexed agreement, on which George Bush and India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, shook hands in July 2005. It still needs the approval of several bodies, including the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But the government's victory, by 275 votes to 256, with ten abstentions, has probably saved it from strangulation by its Indian opponents. It has also prolonged the government, at least for a bit. A governing coalition led by Mr Singh's Congress party was on July 9th deserted by its Communist allies, in response to its long-delayed decision to submit the nuclear deal to the IAEA. A tribute to nuclear-armed India's rising stature, the agreement in effect grants an amnesty on its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), by allowing it to purchase nuclear fuel and technology regardless. But the Communists oppose the deal's subtext, closer ties with America, and therefore vowed to bring the government down. So the government called the confidence vote to thwart them. ...
The Beijing Olympics: Five-ring circus
News from the forbidden Citius, Altius, Fortius FOREIGNERS deemed potential protesters are being kept out of China during the Olympic games (August 8th-24th). Beijing is ringed with police checkpoints to keep troublemakers at bay. But the authorities have named three city parks where demonstrations, in theory, will be allowed. They are well out of earshot of the main Olympic venues and police permits will be needed (five days' notice required). Chinese rules ban any protest that threatens public security or social stability. This is routinely used to block any demonstration that citizens have the temerity to propose. Relations between China and Taiwan are much improved since Taiwan elected President Ma Ying-jeou in May. But hackles have been raised in Taiwan by a reference by China's state-run news agency to the "China, Taipei" Olympic team. Taiwan says the correct term should be "Chinese, Taipei", supposedly suggesting a merely cultural link with China--not belonging to it. Taiwanese might have other bones to pick. An exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing labels Taiwan's entries with the flag of the People's Republic. ...
Indonesian Papua : More religions, more trouble
Radical Muslim and Christian groups stoke the embers of Papua's conflict THE separatist conflict in Indonesia's Papua region--formerly known as Irian Jaya and once one of the world's great liberal causes--has become relatively quiet in recent years. Small groups of protesters still occasionally gather to wave the Morning Star independence flag and get arrested for it. But decades of repression by the Indonesian security forces, combined with the granting in 2000 of partial autonomy from Jakarta, have sapped the separatists' ranks. However, according to a recent report on the region, there is a risk that the separatist conflict may be rekindled or replaced by religious strife because of the arrival of new and more muscular forms of both Islam and Christianity. Broadly speaking, indigenous Papuans--who are dark-skinned Melanesians, like their kin next door in Papua New Guinea and Australian aborigines--tend to be Christians or animists, whereas the many migrants to the region from elsewhere in Indonesia are mostly Muslim. In recent years fundamentalist Christian groups, some started by American and Canadian preachers, have been proselytising among indigenous Papuans. Their success has also prompted the development of fundamentalist streams in the established Protestant churches. ...
Disarming North Korea: Dance of the seven nuclear veils
Only six-and-a-half to go WILL North Korea ever reliably give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons? Few among the diplomats from America, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia most closely involved in a five-year, six-party effort to denuclearise the Korean peninsula would wager on it. But on July 13th China announced their agreement to take this dogged disarmament effort another step forward. By October North Korea promises to have fully disabled its plutonium-producing 5MW nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. Work is under way to remove spent fuel-rods from the reactor; the cooling tower was blown up last month. Once its control rod is cut, it would take a year and a lot of effort and expense to restart the reactor. Some fresh fuel-rods for Yongbyon also have to be disposed of. South Korea has also offered to buy a stash of fresh fuel prepared for a now abandoned 50MW reactor; if talks broke down again as often in the past, North Korea could retool this for Yongbyon. ...
South Korea: Change of heart
A newly humble and emollient president, up to a point WITH his once-hopeful presidency paralysed by weeks of street protests against imports of American beef, Lee Myung-bak (pictured) is now trying to restore a modicum of sanity to domestic politics and--in case that idea sounds insufficiently implausible--even to his country's dealings with North Korea. A new, humbler Mr Lee, once admired as the "Bulldozer", is on display. His people last month renegotiated a beef deal with the United States, which had said that unless South Korea opened its market completely to American beef, then Congress would not approve a sweeping free-trade pact. Protesters had decried the risks of mad-cow disease, so the new deal limits imports to low-risk animals under 30 months old. That cuts little ice with many emotional protesters but--after Mr Lee last week also sacked three cabinet ministers over the fiasco--was good enough for the opposition Democratic Party to end its boycott of the National Assembly. The assembly convened on July 10th, after a six-week delay, with a backlog of work. ...
India and pollution: Up to their necks in it
Despite good laws and even better intentions, India causes as much pollution as any rapidly industrialising poor country Correction to this article A HEREDITARY Hindu priest, Veer Bhadra Mishra is wont, shortly after sunrise, to totter down the stone steps of his temple to the Ganges river, and there perform a three-part ritual. He touches the sacred water. He dips himself in it. He cups it in his hands and drinks it. ...
Singapore: Raising the bar
A rare slip-up in court by Singapore's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew MEMBERS of Singapore's government are notorious sticklers for legal exactitude. So it has been interesting to watch the reaction after the country's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew--a British-trained lawyer before he became a politician--gave inaccurate testimony in the trial of two opposition leaders. In May Mr Lee testified in a hearing to decide damages against Chee Soon Juan, the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and his sister, Chee Siok Chin, for defaming the former prime minister and his son, Lee Hsien Loong, who is now prime minister himself. Mr Lee senior claimed that after the London-based International Bar Association (IBA) held its annual conference in Singapore last October, its president sent a letter to the Law Society of Singapore praising the country's justice system. It has since emerged that there was no such laudatory letter. ...
Malaysia: The trials of Anwar
The opposition leader and another critic arrested SO FAR, the case against Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's main opposition leader, has stayed pretty close to the script from 1998. Now, as then, he poses a threat to the prime minister of the day. Also as then, he faces accusations of "sodomy" (ie, homosexual sex, a crime in Malaysia) from an aide. And on July 16th, in another flashback to 1998, armed police in balaclavas pounced on Mr Anwar and took him for questioning. Last time Mr Anwar was beaten during interrogation and appeared in court with a black eye. He was jailed for 15 years but freed in 2004 after the appeal court overturned his conviction. This time Mr Anwar, who had briefly sought refuge in the Turkish embassy when the accusations surfaced, was released on bail after one night in custody. No charges have yet been filed. The prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, promised there would be no repeat of the "black-eye incident". ...
Afghanistan: Dawn raid
The Taliban show they are not just suic | 