Omar now in elite company, says Farooq Abdullah

NEW DELHI – Union Minister Farooq Abdullah Monday said his son, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has joined “an elite club” after a police constable hurled a shoe at him during the Independence Day function in Srinagar.
“He has joined an elite club of former US president George W. Bush, Pakistan President … Read more »».

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

Rights group: Kyrgyz army involved in mob violence

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – A prominent human rights group said Monday that Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces abetted and may even have actively taken part in violence by ethnic Kyrgyz mobs against the minority Uzbek community that left at least 370 dead in June.
Human Rights Watch said many witnesses reported seeing …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Human Rights Watch: Kyrgyzstan’s army abetted ethnic violence against minority Uzbeks.

Top Army general in Afghanistan says Osama bin Laden’s arrest is still a primary goal

Petraeus: Time is key for progress in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON – U.S. support for the 9-year Afghanistan war is slipping and the death toll is climbing.
As the fighting intensifies, the Pentagon and White House are hoping that political support for the war can hold at least through year’s end to give Army Gen. David Petraeus …. Original source  : Top Army general in Afghanistan says Osama bin Laden’s arrest is still a primary goal.

Kerala Police to decide on PDP leader Madani’s arrest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – The Kerala Police will on Monday decide on the issue of arrest of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasser Madani in connection with the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts.

It has been reported that two senior police officials from Bangalore will hold discussions with the police top brass in Kerala to decide on Madani’s … Original article on : Kerala Police to decide on PDP leader Madani’s arrest.

Parliament adjourned over farmer deaths (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI – Both houses of parliament were repeatedly adjourned Monday as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) members protested the killing of two farmers in police firing in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district and demanded a statement by the government.
Both the houses were adjourned twice, soon after assembling and then till …. Source article  : Parliament adjourned over farmer deaths (Second Lead).

India confident of 150 votes in Security Council bid

NEW DELHI – India is not only set to be elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2011-12 in October but is confident of garnering at least 150 votes in the General Assembly that could fast-track its bid for a permanent seat as well, according to well-placed diplomatic sources.

The 192-member UN General … Read more : India confident of 150 votes in Security Council bid.

Jury at former Ill. Gov. Blagojevich’s corruption trial returning for Day 13 of deliberations

Blagojevich jury deliberations entering 13th day
CHICAGO – Jurors at the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich are set to return for a 13th day of deliberations Monday – with the possibility of additional word coming soon about whether they’ve reached full agreement.
The six men and six women are coming off a …. Source  : Jury at former Ill. Gov. Blagojevich’s corruption trial returning for Day 13 of deliberations.

Mob banker? Serial liar? Insults abound in 2010 campaign

Insults abound in 2010 campaigns
WASHINGTON – Name-calling is a winner this campaign season. By a landslide.

In Illinois, dueling political wordsmiths long ago cast the Senate race as a choice between a “mob banker” and a “serial liar.”
The rivals are more generally known as Alexi Giannoulias, the Democrat, and Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican. One of … Read : Mob banker? Serial liar? Insults abound in 2010 campaign.

Vietnam, US to hold high-level defence talks

HANOI – Vietnam and the US were to hold their first-ever defence talks at the deputy ministerial level, US sources and Vietnamese media said Monday.

The discussions were scheduled to take place in Hanoi Tuesday, as part of an agreement reached by the two countries’ defence ministers last year, the official Vietnam News said.
The US …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Lok Sabha adjourned over farmer deaths (Lead, superseding earlier story)

NEW DELHI – The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon Monday following protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party members against the killing of two farmers in police firing in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district.
Soon after the house assembled, the opposition members moved towards Speaker Meira Kumar’s podium and raised the issue, [..] Read the original article: here.

Lok Sabha adjourned over farmer deaths

NEW DELHI – The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon Monday following protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party members against the killing of two farmers in police firing in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district.
Soon after the house assembled, the opposition members moved towards Speaker Meira Kumar’s podium and raised the …. Original article  : Lok Sabha adjourned over farmer deaths.

Cabinet defers bill to hike MPs’ salaries

NEW DELHI – The union cabinet Monday deferred a bill to substantially hike the salary and perks of members of parliament, official sources said.

The bill had proposed hiking the basic monthly salary of a MP from Rs.16,000 to Rs.50,000. It also provided for higher perks, including Rs.20,000 as constituency allowance and more air tickets. …. Original article  : Cabinet defers bill to hike MPs’ salaries.

Report: Campaign spending in state judicial elections more than doubles since last decade

Report: Judicial spending doubles in last decade

A new national report shows campaign fundraising for elections to the nation’s top state courts has doubled to more than $200 million over the last decade.
The report by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law and two other groups also concludes the surge …. Read the original article  : here.

MEA reaches out with Twitter to users’ surprise

NEW DELHI – Over a month after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) debuted on Twitter, the response from denizens of the fast-growing social networking site has generally been welcoming, although tinged with some surprise that the stodgy Government of India was finally waking up to the power and reach of new media.
MEA’s …. Source article  : MEA reaches out with Twitter to users’ surprise.

Poll indicates closest Australian vote in 49 years

SYDNEY – Opinion polling in the final week of campaigning showed Australia’ parliamentary elections next Saturday could be the closest since 1949 when a single seat decided who took government.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Labor holds a 52-48 percent lead over Tony Abbott’s conservatives in a survey published in Monday’s The Australian newspaper.
“No party is …. Original source  : Poll indicates closest Australian vote in 49 years.

Israel announces building plan, rejects preconditions

JERUSALEM/DAMASCUS – The Israeli government approved Sunday a new building plan in the West Bank despite the 10-month settlement freeze and warned against any international conditions to the start of direct dialogue with the Palestinian government, Israeli media reported Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Sunday a plan to build 23 portable structures in different …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Israel announces building plan, rejects preconditions.

Tamil organization says migrant boat had burial at sea

Tamil group: Man died on migrant ship
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A man died and was buried at sea last month as hundreds of ethnic Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka spent a grueling several months at sea in a cramped, rusting cargo ship, officials said Sunday.

At least 450 migrants from Sri Lanka arrived in Canada’s Pacific coast … Read more >>>.

Forget high tech, jurors and judge communicate the way sneaky high school kids do: with notes

Forget high tech, jurors and judge stick to notes

CHICAGO – In an age when palm-sized computers can fire off electronic messages and cell-phone cameras instantly transmit images, judges communicate with deliberating jurors as teenagers used to do in homeroom when the teacher wasn’t looking: They pass paper notes to each other.
Except sometimes they appear not …. Original article  : Forget high tech, jurors and judge communicate the way sneaky high school kids do: with notes.

Saudi poet-politician who praised suicide bombers dies at 70

RIYADH – Ghazi Abdul Rahman al-Gosaibi, Saudi Arabia’s minister of labour, former ambassador, and prolific poet who caused controversy by praising a Palestinian suicide bomber, has died aged 70 from cancer, officials said Sunday.

Gosaibi published more than 20 books, including novels and poetry, many of which were banned in the conservative kingdom until last month [..] Read the original article: here.

Tea party activists rally on Arizona-Mexico border in support of state’s immigration law

Tea party activists rally on Arizona-Mexico border
HEREFORD, Ariz. – Tea party groups converged on a remote section of the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday to show support for Arizona’s controversial immigration law and hear from more than a dozen conservative speakers, many of them candidates running for office in crowded … Original article on : Tea party activists rally on Arizona-Mexico border in support of state’s immigration law.