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Kanchi seer claims support of Muslim leaders on Ayodhya

          Chennai, July 2: The Sankaracharya of Kanchi on Tuesday said Muslim leaders supported his bid to end the temple-mosque dispute in Ayodhya. Ayodhya has been a flashpoint for Hindu-Muslim tensions in India since a Hindu mob tore down a 16th-century mosque there in 1992, triggering nation-wide riots in which some 3,000 people died. Hindu fundamentalists say the mosque was built on top of a Hindu temple and want to build a new temple on the site. Speaking to reporters here after meeting Union Tourism Minister Jagmohan who called on him, the Sankaracharya said Muslim religious leaders were encouraged by his suggestions. "Muslim groups are giving the support required...Yes...they are ready. They are very encouraged. I pray to God for this but it all depends on Him," he said. The Sankaracharya is playing a conciliatory role between Hindus and Muslims over the temple-mosque dispute and had asked politicians to stop meddling in the issue. The country's apex court has banned a permanent structure on the disputed land until a High Court sits in judgement. A team of the Archaeological Survey of India has been digging at the site to find out whether a Ram temple existed under the ruins of the ancient mosque. Ayodhya is revered by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Ram and has dozens of temples, drawing thousands of pilgrims every year.

15 killed as Golconda Express derails near Warangal

          Warangal, July 2: A passenger train jumped the tracks and plunged off a bridge on to a road in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday killing at least 15 people and seriously injuring 21. Rescuers were still cutting open the mangled wreckage to free several passengers trapped hours after the crash, about 145 km north-east of Hyderabad. The Guntur-Hyderabad Golconda Express was nearing Warangal station when the engine and two coaches jumped the tracks at about 10:30 a.m. and fell on to a road below, crushing some vehicles. Nine passengers and six people on the road were killed. "The train was supposed to stop. There was a red signal. It overshot the signal and went ahead, it went on a road overbridge. There was a derailment, some people walking on the road were killed and some of the passengers were also killed," railway minister Nitish Kumar, who was in Patna told reporters. The cause was not immediately known, but some witnesses said the brakes had appeared to fail. Wednesday's crash came less than two weeks after 51 people died in Maharashtra when a train crashed outside a tunnel entrance after hitting boulders that had fallen in a landslide. India has one of the world's largest railway networks, with almost 14,000 trains carrying more than 13 million passengers a day. But its safety record is poor, with about 300 accidents a year.

Islamists and Pervez headed for showdown (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, July 2: Already angry about Musharraf's support for the US-led war on terror, Islamists' fury has mounted in the last week after he suggested he might send troops to Iraq, and then called for a nation-wide debate on recognising Israel. The latest blow came on Monday when a court in the Islamists' stronghold of Peshawar disqualified an Islamist politician from sitting in parliament as he did not hold a university degree. The ruling, which can be challenged in the Supreme Court, triggered fears among Islamists that most of their 65 parliamentarians could face a similar fate after private lawyer Ahmed Khaki filed court petitions to have them disqualified. Election law states that all members of parliament must hold university degrees. Most members of the six-party Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance have degrees from Islamic seminaries, which Khaki argues do not meet the criteria. At a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday MMA Secretary General Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman charged that the court decision was influenced by the government. "Protest demonstrations against this (decision) will be staged all over the country on Friday. We will go to the peoples' court. We will contest this state of affairs," Rehman added.

Germany lifts curbs on Pakistan (Go To Top)

          Berlin, July 2: Germany has decided to lift sanctions on supply of military spare parts to Pakistan. The decision was taken by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Tuesday. "It is a matter of great delight", President Musharraf told reporters. "We will get spare parts of the radar system for Pakistan Air Force," the News reports. The President said it became possible only after he cleared misperceptions about Pakistan. "They had different perceptions about us regarding cross-border activities, terrorism, and about reports of implementation of Shariah laws in the NWFP," he said. Musharraf said he explained to Chancellor Schroeder that Pakistan was not asking for offensive weapons but for defensive ones. He said the Chancellor accepted his argument and agreed to resume supply of spare parts to Pakistan Air Force.

Salman pulled up by Mumbai court (Go To Top)

          Mumbai, July 2: A local court on Wednesday pulled up Bollywood star Salman Khan for not appearing in court in connection with his trial in the hit-and-run case. The court said Salman's bail would be cancelled if he doesn't appear in court in person on the next occasion. Seeking exemption from personal appearance, Khan's lawyer intimated the court that his client could not present himself as he had undergone some medical treatment in the US. After hearing the prosecution's plea that the actor absented himself without any valid reason, the court warned that it would cancel his bail if he did not show up on the next occasion. However, the court exempted the actor from appearance for the day on health grounds. The court later deferred the trial to September 10. Salman is facing the charge of killing one person and injuring four by ramming his vehicle into a shop in suburban Bandra on September 28 last allegedly in a drunken state.

Lakhs of T'Nadu Govt. employees on indefinite strike (Go To Top)

          Chennai, July 2: Lakhs of Tamil Nadu government employees and teachers began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, demanding restoration of curtailed benefits. The state government, on the other hand, has threatened to bring into force ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) and arrest and dismiss those participating in the stir. Official sources said that attendance in government offices was "very thin" and work "almost came to a standstill".

Sharif family 'forcibly' sent back to S Arabia (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, July 2: Three women members of Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's family were sent back to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. They had come here around four months back to attend wedding ceremonies of Shahbaz Sharif's two daughters. Shahbaz is Nawaz's brother. The family said the government had "forcibly" sent back the women. Escorted by heavy security, Shahbaz's wife Nusrat and two daughters - Jawaria and Rabea - were brought to Islamabad from Lahore. Later, the women boarded a Saudi Airlines at around 5.00 p.m., the Online News reported. Shahbaz's son Hamza Shahbaz said his mother and sisters were sent back to Saudi Arabia by violating Chader and Chardivari. "This is a clear violation of human rights," he maintained. Accusing the government for its cruel and negative tactics, he said that the hard days of Sharif family would end soon. "Those responsible for this would have to reap what they were sowing today," he added.

          According to sources, the goverment had granted special permission to the women to attend the weddings. Thereafter, the government denied them permission to extend their stay. Following the coup, almost the entire Sharif family had been staying in Saudi Arabia for the past 26 months. According to the authorities, the Sharif family signed an agreement in December 2000 to go into exile for 10 years in return for Nawaz's release from prison. Nawaz was held captive on the charges of tax evasion, hijacking and terrorism. The Sharifs, however, deny that any such agreement was ever signed by them.

US deploys weapons in South Korea (Go To Top)

          Seoul, July 2: The United States has started deploying weapons in Seoul to protect South Korea from any North Korean attack as also troops in the non-militarized belt between the two countries, a US journal reported Wednesday. The weapons being deployed included Patriot missiles, two squadrons of Apache helicopters, Smart bombs and hundredes of modern tanks and armoured vehicles.

Bottomlines

Douglas dumps agency after two box office flops (Go To Top)

         Washington, July 2: Michael Douglas has parted company with his agency, William Morris, in the wake of his two box office flops, the 'In-Laws' and 'It Runs in the Family.' Recently Jennifer Lopez parted company with her agency 'Endeavor'. Douglas, who is currently enjoying a holiday at his house in Majorca, is juggling approaches with the same company as well as its rival counterparts like ICM (which again Lopez had left) and CAA. According to a report in People News, the problem seems to be the actor's pay packet, which doesn't quite match up to his elderly image. "It's hard to get him the payday he still demands. He's knocking on a bit now, less heart-throb, more heart difficulties," says a source.

Root canal drives JLo to tears (Go To Top)

          Washington, July 2: Latin sensation Jennifer Lopez has had a root canal, after cracking her tooth on a popcorn while watching 'Matrix Reloaded' in a Georgia cinema. J Lo was left sobbing in pain in the cinema while her fiance Ben Affleck tried to comfort her, says a report in TeenHollywood. She moans, "It had been a dull pain for a while, but right then it just kind of kicked into high gear. I think I bit down wrong on a piece of popcorn. It was like a knife in my brain. I just started crying right there in the movie theatre. I pulled my hat way down and Ben was like, 'What's wrong?' I'm like, 'I can't take it. It hurts too much.' So I had a root canal. Tell people you had a root canal and everybody feels sorry for you."

'Brad and Jen', the world's top celebrity couple: Poll (Go To Top)

          Sydney, July 2: `Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston' magic has worked again. The glamorous pair has been voted the world's top celebrity couple. Brad and Jen got nearly twice as many votes as their nearest rivals, Posh and Becks, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. Other celebrity pairings to figure highly in the poll were pop diva Kylie Minogue and Olivier Martinez along with Hollywood star Ben Affleck and singer-actress Jennifer Lopez. When it came to voting for the world's most romantic couple, the Beckhams won hands down, with Brad and Jen coming in second, the report said. Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, who are expecting their first baby, also scored highly in the romance stakes, as did Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas. The Welsh actress and her Hollywood husband also appeared in an accompanying list of couples most likely to divorce, the report added.