Nepal Anti-rebel Police Chief Shot Dead

          PATAN (Nepal): Suspected Maoist rebels shot dead the chief of Nepal's anti-rebel police force and his wife on the outskirts of Kathmandu early on Sunday. Krishna Mohan Shrestha, Inspector-General of Nepal Armed Police Force set up two years ago to fight Maoist insurgency, is the most senior police officer killed in the Himalayan kingdom since 1996 when the rebels launched a revolt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

The Republic Day parade on January 26 (Sunday) was a full-scale show of India's military might, including nuclear capable missiles, unlike last year. Iranian President Syed Mohammad Khatami was the guest of honour. The day also witnessed a dazzling display of the country's cultural diversity through a series of tableaux from various regions. Security was tight at Rajpath for the grand spectacle which began at 10 am. People were thoroughly frisked.

'Code Red' Like Virus Blocks Online Traffic

          WASHINGTON: Internet traffic slowed down dramatically on Saturday morning the world over, with experts saying the electronic attack bore remarkable similarities to the 'Code Red' virus during the summer of 2001 which also grounded online traffic to a halt.

           The attacking software, technically known as a worm, was overwhelming Internet traffic-directing devices known as routers. Symantec Corp., an anti-virus vendor, estimated that at least 22 000 systems were affected world-wide. Outside the United States, the problems were most severe in technology-dependent areas of Asia, initial reports suggested. Users and news media reported outages or slowdowns in India, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Cambodia.

Four of Chhota Rajan Gang Nabbed in Dubai in Shetty Murder Case (Go To Top)

          DUBAI: The Dubai police claim to have arrested four men of the underworld don Chhota Rajan gang in connection with the murder of Sharad Shetty, a former close associate of rival gangster Dawood Ibrahim, here a week ago. Karan Singh Narsingh Rajit, Manoj Muddanna, Amar Bahadur Bam and Sumit Vazhakkulath Ponnappan were nabbed on Friday just before they were to flee the country, the police said. All except Bam are believed to be of Indian origin. Holding passports of Nepal or Liberia, the arrested accused are said to have confessed to the killing at the behest of Chhota Rajan, the police said.

          Sharad Shetty, a Dubai-based hotelier, also known as Anna Shetty, was shot dead by two gunmen from close range as he was entering India Club on January 19. The killing was suspected to be a revenge by Chhota Rajan for an unsuccessful attempt on his life in Bangkok in September 2000 as Shetty was believed to have engineered it at the behest of Dawood Ibrahim. Three of the arrested had entered the UAE on visit visas and were given membership of India Club. The four had been living in Dubai for the last two months monitoring Shetty's movements, the police said.

CRPF to Replace BSF in J-K (Go To Top)

          SRINAGAR: India plans to withdraw para-military Border Security Force (BSF) from Jammu and Kashmir where militants have waged a separatist revolt since 1989, a senior security official said on Sunday. The BSF troops engaged in ti-insurgency operations would be replaced by soldiers from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

          The BSF will be going back to the country's borders. It is responsible for guarding the country's land borders during peace time and preventing trans-border crimes. According to experts, an estimated 60,000 BSF troops are currently deployed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Al-Qaeda Men on Way to Europe: Report (Go To Top)

          LONDON: At least 20 suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists travelling on false Pakistani passports are on their way to Europe, accoring to German intelligence. Germany's Bild newspaper cited intelligence sources as saying that the "terror commandos" were travelling to Germany, Britain, France and the Czech Republic via Bahrain. Police raids across Europe have found terror cells from the Algerian Salafist group on the point of launching a series of attacks. Explosives, weapons as well as forged passports, stolen credit cards and money have been retrieved, intelligence sources here said.

           Detectives investigating a plot by Islamic terrorists to carry out a chemical weapons attack in Britain have found chemical warfare protection suits at a mosque in north London. Raids across Spain and Italy in the past 72 hours which led to the arrest of 21 North African suspects were triggered by French and British Intelligence Services.

Al Qaeda-trained UK Citizens Pose New Threat for Security Forces (Go To Top)

          LONDON: Following a week which highlighted Britain's role as a base for foreign Islamic militants, the Sunday Telegraph has reported that more than 1,100 British citizens underwent training with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. It says that the names, addresses and other details of the trainees were found by British military intelligence during searches of Osama bin Laden's cave headquarters at Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan. Some lost their lives fighting alongside the Taliban, but most are thought to have returned to the United Kingdom.

           The police action has included a controversial raid on a London mosque, which has long been suspected as a centre for Islamic militancy, where they found a gun and fake passports and other documents. Earlier a raid on a rented house found traces of the poison ricin and resulted in charges againt four North Africans for terrorist offences. A related raid in Birmingham resulted in the death of a policeman and further arrests. Fifteen foreign nationals are detained in a high security prison under the provisions of the Terrorist Act.