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Hizb operational chief killed in Srinagar

          Srinagar: In a major operation, the security forces shot dead the operational chief of Hizb-ul-Muzahideen, Ghazi Shahabuddin here Thursday. The security forces shot dead Ghazi while he was hiding in a house in the Maharajgunj locality. Sources said that the encounter followed a tip-off received at around 11:45 a.m. However, the security officials have stopped short of officially confirming the identity of the killed militant. Ghazi-Shahabuddin took over the executive reigns of Hizb-ul-Muzahideen about three months ago when the security forces killed Riyaz Rasool, the then commander of the terrorist organisation.

Pak espionage ring busted (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: With the arrest of one suspect agent of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, the Delhi police claimed to have busted a neighbouring country's espionage ring. The sleuths of Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested the suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent, Mohammad Qamran from a locality in the southern part of the national capital. The police said Qamran was held on charges of passing on information to the ISI about troop movement in eastern and north-eastern regions of the country. "They were working for Pakistani intelligence agency, the task allocated to him was to recruit armed and civil personnel and motivate them to work. Secondly, they also reported about the movement of Indian army in north-eastern sector. After coming to India, they have provided defence related information to their Pakistani handlers at least 10-12 times... Interrogation is on, we are investigating on the basis of information we have got from them," said DCP, Crime Branch, Ashok Chand. The suspect ISI agent had allegedly been to Pakistan and undergone training there, Chand added. Qamran was arrested on the basis of leads provided by two suspects arrested in eastern West Bengal state on Tuesday. several classified documents, photographs of vital installations in the eastern region and maps were recovered from their possession.

NLFT militants surrender in Agartala (Go To Top)

          Agartala: At least 72 militants of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) surrendered before Tripura Governor DN Sahay here Thursday. The extremists laid down their arms in the presence of the Governor at a function held at the Police Reserve Ground. Among the 72 militants who surrendered there were 6 top leaders, including Mantu Koloi, a top rung leader of the organisation,. There were also 22 women among the group that surrendered. These militants also surrendered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Speaking at the function, Mantu Koloi observed that after 12 years of armed struggle under the banner of the NLFT, he and his people were returning to normal life. He also said that the Constitution of India was an ideal framework, and society, especially the weaker sections would benefit because of their move. On the occasion, Tripura DGP GM Srivastava said: "They have not been able to handle the pressure the security and paramilitary forces were putting on them. The forces have done a lot of work. This is the reason that they have now come out in the open. You want peace, right, at all costs." The surrendered militants also took an oath that henceforth, they would try their best to uphold the Constitution of India, and work for peace and development. However, the returnees were not allowed to interact with the media.

Ajit Jogi brought to Delhi for treatment (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has been brought to the Capital for further treatment. He was injured on April 11 in a road accident while returning from Mahasamund constituency to Raipur. In Delhi, he has been admitted to Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. Meanwhile, Renu Jogi, his doctor wife, says he has rapidly improved in the past few days. He has started eating with his own hands. He has also started feeling sensations in his legs.

Oil prices hit 13-year high, close to 40 dollars per barrel (Go To Top)

          London: Oil prices across the world soared to a fresh 13-year high on Thursday, racing towards 40 dollars a barrel in New York on fears about terrorism in the Middle East and tight US gasoline supplies. The price of benchmark Brent North Sea crude oil for June delivery rose 26 cents to 36.98 dollars a barrel in early trading here, the levels last seen in October 1990 in the wake of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

India asks UK to pay 20 m pounds for 2 Rajaji Marg (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: A 15-year long property dispute between the governments of Britain and India over the clearance of a rent bill of 1.5 million pounds for the British High Commissioner's private residence here has temporarily soured bilateral ties. The dispute began in 1989 when the lease expired on the Indian High Commissioner's private residence in London - 9, Kensington Palace Gardens. According to the Telegraph, since 1949 India had been paying a nominal 525 pounds a month for the Victorian mansion in one of the most desirable and expensive parts of London. So, when the lease expired, Britain's Crown Estate Commissioners announced that New Delhi would have to fork out a rent of 20 million pounds, which was initially rejected.

          In 1994, after four years of negotiations India agreed to pay 14 million pounds for a 65-year lease with a ground rent of 10,000 pounds a year, increasing to 40,000 pounds in the final years of the tenancy. It paid a further four million pounds for renovation work. The twist in the tale came when the lease on the British High Commissioner's residence at 2, Rajaji Marg in New Delhi expired. Following the example of their British counterparts, Delhi's director of estates issued a similar "commercial" demand for rent (20 million pounds for a 50-year lease), which - despite vociferous protest from India - Britain has never paid. The magnificent Lutyens-designed property has been occupied by British High Commissioners to India since 1946. The whitewashed bungalow is set in 3.6 acres of prime diplomatic real estate, and has always been regarded as one of the great plums of the diplomatic circuit. The current occupant, Sir Michael Arthur, will be the last if an agreement cannot be reached between London and New Delhi.

          According to Indian government sources, however, matters are expected to come to a head later this month when specialist Foreign Office negotiators arrive in Delhi from London to work out a deal. "This has been going on for too long now," the source said. "India is paying market rates for Kensington Palace Gardens so it seems only reasonable that Britain should do the same in Delhi," the paper quoted him as saying. British officials say "negotiations are continuing". "We do not see the linkage between Kensington Palace Gardens and Rajaji Marg. We will review all the options. Obviously, value for money must be a consideration when sourcing accommodation," added one British High Commission official.

Wild bear creates havoc in Chhattisgarh village (Go To Top)

          Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh): A wild bear has created terror in Jagdalpur village after it injured over 13 residents of the sleepy hamlet. All the injured have been admitted to a local hospital. "The wild bear had entered the dense forest and we had gone to hunt him but before I could do so, it attacked me," Ram Singh, who was attacked by the wild bear, said on Wednesday. Officials of the Forest Department said that they were taking all measures to trap the bear. "By the time we had reached the village on reports, it had already injured four people. The injured persons have been admitted to a hospital. We suspect that this is the same bear which was in Bastar area," said SB Gupta, a forest department official. The bear has now been caught by the officials and released in the forest. Environmentalists say that with declining forest cover due to rapid deforestation, wild animals have been left with no option but to encroach on human settlements.

Rains, pests hit mango crop in Hyderabad (Go To Top)

          Hyderabad: Mango planters in Hyderabad are facing massive losses as bad weather and the continued pest infection have hit the crop. Over 70 percent of the region's orchards are struggling with massive shedding. The unexpected rains in the first week of May made matters worse as the dampness left the few remaining flowers susceptible to pest attack. Growers are expecting a yield of only ten tonnes per hectare, a massive reduction after last year's bumper harvest. "Compared to last year this time the mango produce is almost 60 percent less. The reason is clear, this year the produce has been bad. The untimely hailstorm has adversely affected the mango produce," said Rajesh Sharma, a mango trader. And it is not only mango growers and sellers who are suffering, but also transporters who rely on the mango trade for their earnings. "There are five-six areas which have been the worst affected, including Melorangam. We used to send 100-150 lorries everyday, but now it has been reduced to a mere 10-15," said Tajuddin, a transporter. Benishan and Baiganpally are two of the most famous varieties of mangoes, extensively exported from Andhra Pradesh. The country is the world's biggest mango producer contributing 65 percent of total production but its share in the world mango market is less than 15 percent. It exports about 30,000 tonnes of mangoes every year to nearly 40 countries including Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

New armed Islamist group emerges in Bangladesh (Go To Top)

          Dhaka: A new armed Islamist group emerged in Bangladesh's northern Rajshahi division in an apparent bid to `punish' the Leftist extremist outfits, creating panic among the general mass. According to a report in the Daily Star, the Jagroto Muslim Janata Bangladesh, which launched the anti-extremist war in April in the region crawling with the outlawed operatives, has allegedly killed seven people and assaulted hundreds who oppose them, terming them as Sarbahara men. Quoting locals, the paper said that the self-styled vigilante group kills people in the name of anti-outlaw operations, force women to wear veil (burka) and men to grow beard, all under police support.

           One Azizur Rahman who identifies him as "Bangla Bhai" leads the group styled Jagroto Muslim Janata, now become the talk of the country as the group kicked off a drive to apparently cleanse leftist outlaws amid allegations of enforcement of harsh Islamic codes and crimes against the vigilante group. The group operatives are painting women with their navels exposed with black, randomly assaulting people terming them as Sarbahara men, extorting protection money and forcing men to wear beards and women to put on burka, villagers in the region alleged. A top police official said that police stations in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore and Bogra were asked to support the group in its mission, but locals accused its members of meting out harsher punishment to 'their suspects' and women violating `their dress codes'. Noor Mohammad, DIG, Rajshahi, said that Aziz and his men were assisting the law enforcers in tracking down the outlaws. "We've asked police stations to support them whenever they go to catch outlaws." He said the vigilantes caught two Sarbahara operatives at Baghmara in Rajshahi a week ago. "After verification and interrogation, we found the pair to be really outlaws," he added. Aziz with a master's in Bangla from Rajshahi University to his credit launched the organisation on April 1 this year and claims that the group by now commands 3,00,000 activists across the country. "Our goal is to root out Sarbahara men and corruption from society, seize illegal weapons and establish the ideal of the Rasul," he recently told a press conference.

           On the allegations of his group's enforcement of harsh Islamic codes, he said the allegations were part of a conspiracy against the 'popular Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh'. "We will continue until Qaiamat (apocalypse)," Aziz said, "We will establish a political party if people want it." Asked about the allegation that the JMJB is working with specified directives from the government, Aziz dismissed the suggestion outright. "I'm neither a government official, nor anyone's agent," he said adding "police do not protect us, we do not need their help. Police are there to protect the people and journalists."