Sweden denies Wikileaks founder residence permit

LONDON – Sweden has denied a residence permit to Julian Assange, the founder of the whistle-blowing website-Wikileaks.rosecutors are investigating rape and sexual molestation allegations against Assange, 39, by two Swedish women.

Assange, however, has denied the allegations and said they were part of an American plot to discredit him, reports the Telegraph.

The Australian has sought to … Read more : Sweden denies Wikileaks founder residence permit.

New porn laws Down Under confuse travellers

SYDNEY – Travellers to Australia are in bewilderment over what sort of porn they’re allowed to bring into Australia, which has prompted a reworking of incoming passenger cards.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O’Connor said he had asked the Customs and Border Protection command to change the wording on the declaration cards travellers must fill out when … Read this article on Gaea Times at : New porn laws Down Under confuse travellers.

Welham’s girl to represent Nepal in China pageant

KATHMANDU – In 1957, when Ms H.S. Oliphant, a retired English headmistress, decided to buy the estate of a former nawab in northern India and start a boarding school for girls, she had no idea of the far-reaching wonders it would produce one day.

Next month, an alumna of the Welham Girls’ School she … Read more : Welham’s girl to represent Nepal in China pageant.

Iran joins US for first time for talks on Afghanistan’s future

TEHRAN – Iran took part in high-level discussions on Afghanistan on Monday for the first time after the US assured that it had no “no problem” with its participation.

The international “contact group” reportedly met in Rome amid a renewed push to end the nine-year-old war in Afghanistan, including bringing Taliban into peace talks. Discussion on … Read more »»».

Shahbaz Sharif confesses to corruption existing at all levels in Pak Punjab province

LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has accepted the presence of departmental corruption at every level in his province, and given an assurance that he is determined to bring all the looted money of the nation back from corrupt people.

Shahbaz made these comments while addressing the provincial assembly in response to a [..] Read the original article: here.

Australia’s 14 million dollar high-tech ‘War Room’

SYDNEY – The Australian government has forked out 14 million dollars for Parliament House’s new high-tech ‘War Room’ modeled on the White House ‘Situation Room’.

It was recently completed, after being commissioned by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

A Senate estimates committee revealed that 131,000 dollars were forked out on 45 German-designed armchairs at 3000 …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Australia’s 14 million dollar high-tech ‘War Room’.

Pak Interior Ministry denies Blackwater’s presence in country

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has denied the presence of Blackwater, a US private security contractor, in the country.

Additional Secretary in the Interior Ministry- Asif Nawaz Warriach- disclosed this while giving a briefing to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior, The Nation reported.

However, the parliamentarians present in the meeting were not ready to digest … Read more >>.

Four convicted for plotting attacks on New York synagogues

LONDON – Four men have been convicted in New York for plotting to blow up synagogues and shooting down military aircraft after being caught in a 2009 FBI sting.

According to the BBC, the men were found guilty after an informant’s testimony and recordings of them discussing the plot were heard in the court.

James Cromitie, …. Read the original article  : here.

Double Decker Train In India Chugs Out

KOLKATA, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has reasons to smile now as she has kept a promise she had made earlier. The first ever Double decker Train is now ready and it is fully air conditioned. It rolled out from Punjab’s Kapurthala Rail coach factory on Saturday. This train will ply between …. Original article  : Double Decker Train In India Chugs Out.

Gunmen storm Chechnya parliament, three killed

LONDON – At least three people killed by Chechen militants after the latter stormed the Chechnya Parliament and shooting broke out in cabinet room.

The Guardian quoted reports from Moscow as saing that the shooting broke out this morning and that several people had been killed and injured.

According to the news agency Interfax, citing sources in … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Gunmen storm Chechnya parliament, three killed.

Brit musician named world’s fastest violinist

MELBOURNE – A violinist in England has smashed the record for the fastest performance of Flight of the Bumblebee.

Professional musician, Oliver Lewis, 39, completed his fast fiddle rendition of the Rimsky-Korsakov piece live on the long-running BBC children’s program Blue Peter overnight.

His time of one minute 3.356 seconds, witnessed in the studio by a Guinness … Read more >>.

Poland to build world’s largest Jesus Christ statue to attract tourist

LONDON – A small Polish town is all set to build the world’s largest statue of Jesus Christ in order to attract tourist.

Swiebodzin, a Polish town of 21,000 near the German border, will soon be home to a 33-metre effigy of Christ, which, along with a crown that adds a further two metres and its …. Read the original article  : Poland to build world’s largest Jesus Christ statue to attract tourist.

Russian spies awarded top Kremlin honours

LONDON – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has given a group of undercover Russian spies, who were exposed by the FBI in June, top Kremlin honours.

Medvedev honoured their controversial work as sleeper agents in the United States by giving them all medals.

“A ceremony took place in the Kremlin today to hand top state honours … Read more >>.

Iran doesn’t need nuclear weapons: Pak FM

WASHINGTON – Pakistan has said Iran has no justification for pursuing nuclear weapons, and that it should embrace overtures from the United States.

Strongly criticizing Iran’s controversial nuclear program, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he wanted to avoid “another major crisis in the region.”

“In my view, I don’t think they have a justification … Read more >>>.

Pakistan to preserve 2,400-year-old Buddhist caves in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan government has decided to preserve the archeological beauty of the city by approving a plan to protect the 2,400-year-old caves.

According to Xinhua, the remains of the over 2,400-year-old Buddhist era are lying silently in the lap of Margalla Hills on the northwestern side of Islamabad.

Murals of Buddha appear on the walls … Read more : Pakistan to preserve 2,400-year-old Buddhist caves in Islamabad.

Headley helped Lashkar prepare for 26/11 attacks, reported to ISI about its activities

LONDON – David Headley, a 48-year-old Pakistani American incarcerated in a Chicago jail for his role in the November 2008 terror strikes on Mumbai, has reportedly told his Indian and American interrogators that he helped the Lashkar-e-Taiba prepare for the attack and simultaneously relayed information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) about the militant outfit’s activities.

According … Original article on : Headley helped Lashkar prepare for 26/11 attacks, reported to ISI about its activities.

Taliban power growing in northern Afghanistan

KABUL – The Taliban’s influence in northern Afghanistan has expanded in recent months in response to NATO’s surge in the south.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Taliban stops traffic at checkpoints at night on the way from Kabul to Uzbekistan, and frequently blows up fuel convoys and captures government employees and those working … Read more >>>.

India, Russia to hold army exercises in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN – Two hundred soldiers each from the Indian and Russian armies will share warfare techniques during joint counter-terrorism exercises in Uttarakhand from Wednesday, an official here said.

Both the armies would conduct warfare exercises in the mountainous terrains of Ranikhet’s Chobatiya area. These will continue till Oct 23, a mountain brigade official posted at … Read more »»».

‘Awaaz Do’ digital campaign urges Indians to speak for 8 million out-of-school kids

NEW DELHI – The “Awaaz Do” online campaign was launched today to mobilize Indian society to speak up for the more than eight million children currently out of school in the country.

The landmark passing of the Right of Children to …. Original source  : ‘Awaaz Do’ digital campaign urges Indians to speak for 8 million out-of-school kids.

Pawar to inaugurate agriculture ministers’ conference in Jaipur

JAIPUR – Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will inaugurate a two-day conference of agriculture, animal husbandry and food-civil supplies ministers of eleven states in Jaipur today.

Agriculture, animal husbandry and food and civil supply ministers of Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Pawar to inaugurate agriculture ministers’ conference in Jaipur.