Musharraf won’t come to Pakistan this year: Report

ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf won’t be coming to Pakistan from Britain for the launch of his newly-formed party this year, a media report said.

It was earlier decided that Musharraf will come to Pakistan for the launch of his newly-formed party, the All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML), in September.
Daily Times Monday cited sources …. Original article  : Musharraf won’t come to Pakistan this year: Report.

Sri Lanka opens China-funded Hambantota seaport

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka has opened a new seaport in southern Hambantota, which has been built with Chinese assistance as part of a six billion dollar drive to rebuild infrastructure after the war.

The port has four terminals, two for cargo and two for fuel bunkering. … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Sri Lanka opens China-funded Hambantota seaport.

Rajouri encounter against militants ends after three days

RAJOURI – An encounter between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri District finally came to an end on Monday, but not before an army soldier and a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant were killed.

Reports said the search operation is still on in the area.

Earlier today, … Read more >>.

New party offers Malay Indians fresh political alternative

KUALA LUMPUR – The Human Rights Party of Malaysia (HRP) aims to emerge as an alternative platform for the Malay Indian community to help uplift their socio-economic status, the Malaysia Nanban and The Star reports.

Party secretary-general P. Uthayakumar said 15 parliamentary and 38 state assembly candidates would be … Original article on : New party offers Malay Indians fresh political alternative.

Parliament adjourned twice over farmer deaths

NEW DELHI – Both houses of Parliament were repeatedly adjourned on Monday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) protested the killing of two farmers in police firing in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura District.

The Lok Sabha was first adjourned till …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Parliament adjourned twice over farmer deaths.

Foreign troop death toll in Afghanistan rises to over 2,000

LONDON – The death toll of foreign troops in nearly nine years of the Afghan war has crossed the 2,000 mark, according to the independent icasualties.org website. ccording to the Telegraph, 2,002 members of international forces have been killed since the US-led invasion in …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Foreign troop death toll in Afghanistan rises to over 2,000.

NATO says weekend air strike killed al-Qaida operative in Afghanistan

NATO says al-Qaida operative killed in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan – An al-Qaida operative has been killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, NATO forces said Monday.
The military coalition had said previously that it killed two insurgents with Sunday’s strike on a pickup truck fleeing the site of a gunfight with police in northern Kunduz province.
NATO identified …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Eminent Marathi poet Narayan Surve dead

THANE – One of eminent Marathi poets who was honoured with Padma Shri Narayan Surve passed away in Thane Monday after a brief illness, family sources said. He was 83.

A self-made man, Surve was orphaned soon after his birth. He lived on the streets of Mumbai and earned his daily bread by doing odd jobs. …. Original article  : Eminent Marathi poet Narayan Surve dead.

UK men don’t want girlfriends to go topless

LONDON – A survey has found that British men are against their girlfriends sunbathing topless but have no problem with other women baring all.

The survey by travel agent sunshine.co.uk, showed that as many as 56 percent of men would not allow their partner to go topless while on holiday, and that 89 percent had no …. Original source  : UK men don’t want girlfriends to go topless.

Petraeus refuses to be bound by Obama’s decision on US exit date from Afghanistan

LONDON – The commander of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus has refused to be bound by the July 2011 deadline for withdrawing US troops from the country, reserving the right to seek a delay, if conditions demand.

Gen Petraeus said the Afghan mission was tough and would remain so.

“The president has … Read more »».

Burmese Army procures radios from Perth, evading Oz govt. sanctions

MELBOURNE – The Burmese Army has procured radio sets from a Perth-based company by evading Australian Government sanctions in order to scramble its communications.

Barrett Communications has been selling radio sets directly in response to tenders by Burma’s Ministry of Defence, contradicting suggestions by the company it was selling radios to civilian Burmese government agencies, according … Original article on : Burmese Army procures radios from Perth, evading Oz govt. sanctions.

Kashmir under curfew for fourth consecutive day

SRINAGAR – The Kashmir Valley was under curfew for a fourth consecutive day Monday, after four youths were killed on Friday in clashes between protestors and the police.

Curfew was imposed in Srinagar, Sopore and Bandipora to prevent any violence at these places.

Restrictions imposed in other towns like Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama and Handwara would … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Kashmir under curfew for fourth consecutive day.

Cabinet approves scheme for adolescent girls

NEW DELHI – The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today gave its approval for implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls -”SABLA”.

The scheme has been recommended by the Group of Ministers and aims at enhancing the nutritional and economic status of adolescent girls.

These districts will be selected using a …. Read the original article  : Cabinet approves scheme for adolescent girls.

CWC to finalise schedule for Congress President’s election

NEW DELHI – The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is expected to hold a meeting on Monday evening to finalise the schedule for the election of the Congress President.

Sonia Gandhi is set to be elected to the post for the fourth time in a row after taking over the reins of the Congress party in … Read this article on Gaea Times at : CWC to finalise schedule for Congress President’s election.

Cabinet defers decision on MPs’ salary revision

NEW DELHI – The Union Cabinet on Monday deferred its decision on a three-fold revision of salaries of Members of Parliament.

The proposal, pending since May 2006, is to hike MPs’ salaries from s 16,000 to Rs 50,000.

The bill also proposed a hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) from from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000.

MPs currently …. Source article  : Cabinet defers decision on MPs’ salary revision.

Hindus laud Norway’s Oya Music Festival for environment friendliness

NEVADA – Hindus have applauded Norway’s Oya Festival (Oyafestivalen) for being a sustainable and green festival in an environmentally friendly zone, calling it “a step in the right direction”.

Noted Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that in view of global ecological crisis, musicians and artists should not stay silent … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Hindus laud Norway’s Oya Music Festival for environment friendliness.

‘Serious risks’ force Musharraf to postpone return to Pakistan

LAHORE – In what can be seen as a setback for former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s political ambitions, it is being reported that he will not come back to Pakistan this year.

According to The Daily Times, Musharraf has decided to steer his newly-formed party, the All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML), from London, and …. Read the original article  : here.

Task force resolves first 1,000 Malay Indians socio-economic cases

KUALA SELANGOR – A special task force appointed by the Malaysian Government’s Cabinet Committee for the Indian Community, has reportedly resolved the first 1,000 cases involving various social problems related to the Malay Indian community.

Under the “1Malaysia People-Friendly Programme”, various government departments and agencies converged at Dewan Harmoni Simpang Tiga in Ijok on Sunda to … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Task force resolves first 1,000 Malay Indians socio-economic cases.

Human Rights Watch says Kyrgyzstan’s army abetted ethnic violence against minority Uzbeks

HRW says Kyrgyz army involved in ethnic violence

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – A prominent rights groups says Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces abetted and may even have actively taken part in deadly violence by ethnic Kyrgyz mobs against the minority Uzbek community.
The report released Monday by New York-based Human Rights Watch is the most ambitious attempt yet at an … Original article on : Human Rights Watch says Kyrgyzstan’s army abetted ethnic violence against minority Uzbeks.

Bagging ‘far buried’ bin Laden in Pak-Afghan border still top US priority: Petraeus

WASHINGTON – Commander of United States-led NATO forces in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, has said that Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is “far buried” in the remote mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“I don’t think anyone knows where Osama bin Laden is. The fact that it took him four weeks to get a congratulatory message …. Source  : Bagging ‘far buried’ bin Laden in Pak-Afghan border still top US priority: Petraeus.