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Two suspected LeT militants arrested

      New Delhi: Two suspected militants belonging to the Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were arrested in the national capital even as a high alert was on for the New Year. They were identified as Samiullah and Ali Mohammed and were arrested after the train in which they were traveling was halted at the New Delhi Railway Station. Police officials claimed that said they averted a major terror strike due with the timely arrests. "The train halts at New Delhi Railway Station for 40-50 minutes. So, they had planned to plant the explosives within that interval and travel to Chennai in the same train. We have seized two bags from their possession. When we interrogated them, we came to know that they were carrying explosives in the bags. The explosives were kept inside toys. They said it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). They also carried eight pencil cells. They were supposed to plant the explosives in the Paharganj area," said Karnail Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Cell. The Lashkar was blamed for the bomb attacks in several New Delhi market that took place last October on Diwali eve. Over sixty people were killed.

Delhiites begin the first day on a foggy note  Top
by Sandeep Datta

      New Delhi: As Delhiites woke up on the first morning of the New Year, a chilling day awaited them outside. For most of the people it was a matter of making a fresh beginning on a positive note. Be it officer-goers hurrying up to reach on time or many morning walkers delaying their routine walks due to unbearable cold or the children confused over whether to wish "Happy New Year!" or "Eid Mubarak!" to their parents, it was a morning that everyone felt something special about. For Dinesh Kumar Sharma, an Assistant manager with a private firm, it was the day on which he didn't wish to get late for the office. But reaching on time looked difficult, as one after another relatives were buzzing through SMSes (Short Message Service) or telephone calls since early morning. "This is the seventh call I have attended in the last hour while rushing up for my office at 10.00 in South Delhi. SmSes are very difficult to read at this time , I hope to read some of them during lunch break and others by night. I am just praying to God to not get me late at least on the first day of the Year," said Dinesh.

     There were many others who waited for a long time to the bus stand for their regular bus to come and drop them at office on time. But the fog and cold left them shivering down to the spine. Many private blue line buses, infamous for their accidents, were decorated to welcome their passengers. Flowers, balloons, artificial stars and ceiling lights were some of the items that were used to give buses a New Year look. "Everyday I take my bus from this Shanti Path road but its really very chilly day. You can notice it's fog all around and this open area with greenery all around is making it too tough for me to spend every minute. It's really fascinating to watch some of the buses looking all decorated and passing by. Ah, my bus arrived!,"said Namita Datta, another office goer. With barely 30-40 meter visibility near Rashtrapati Bhavan and 50-60 meter around 11 o'clock in the morning on the South Avenue road, where most of the embassies are, the Delhiites had a great time beginning their first day of the year. Meanwhile, Air service to and from New Delhi was severely affected in the wee hours and most of the flights were rescheduled. Hundreds of passengers were stranded at both the domestic and international airports, with a majority of flights failing to take off owing to a substantially poor visibility. Air passengers had a harrowing time with delayed flights leading to crowding at the airport lounges, forcing several travelers to brave to icy temperatures outside. "I got quite a few messages that of flight reschedule. My 7.45 a.m. (IST) flight was rescheduled twice or thrice and then finally it got cancelled. It was a big inconvenience," said Vinod, a stranded passenger. Most Indian airliners are ill-equipped to operate in foggy conditions.

     Every year, fog disrupts flights for at least 15 days resulting in losses of up to rupees 200 crore. At the railway station, both arrival and departure of trains got delayed. Passengers sat huddled up at platforms waiting for the trains to get back on track. "I have been waiting here since 6 a.m. (IST). I have to go to Amritsar. The train is running late. It's already 8.00 a.m. and I am still waiting," said Yashpal Singh, a train passenger. The region usually witnesses early morning fog every winter when night temperatures dip below five degree Celsius and winter fog often causes serious transportation delays. While the mercury levels in South Asia are mild compared to Europe, they can prove deadly in India where thousands are homeless or live in shacks without heat.

Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha Top

       New Delhi: A large number of Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Zuha today with the devout attending special early morning prayers at mosques across the country. The dense early morning fog did not deter thousands of devotees from converging at the Jama Masjid to offer their 'namaz'. "Happy Eid and wishes to all to live peacefully," said Mohammad Rahman, a devout. Eid-ul-Zuha, also known as Eid-ul-Azha or Baqr-e-Eid, is celebrated to mark the end of the Haj. Popularly known as Baqr ("Goat" in Hindi)-e-Id, Eid-ul-Zuha is celebrated on the tenth day of Zil-Haji, the last month of the year according to the Islamic calendar. Muslims sacrifice goats on Eid-ul-Zuha and donate the meat among family, friends and the poor. The time is one of plenty for livestock owners, who make the year's best profit at this time. Muslim faithful believe the sacrifice of a goat reflects one's own spiritual sacrifice, which is essential for achieving communion with Allah. Rich or poor, everybody has to offer some sacrifice according to one's ability. According to the Holy Quran, God appeared in Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham's dream and asked him to sacrifice something that was most dear to him. Prophet Ibrahim decided to sacrifice his own son, Ismail. However, when he put a knife on Ismail's throat, God replaced his son with a goat through a miracle. The festival seeks to convey that sacrifice is supreme.

India, Pak exchange nuclear lists Top

       New Delhi: India and Pakistan on Monday exchanged lists of nuclear installations and facilities through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad. The lists were exchanged under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between the two countries, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and came into force on January 27, 1991. Under the Agreement, the two countries, on first January of every calendar year are to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the agreement. The first such exchange of lists took place on January 1, 1992. This is the sixteenth consecutive time that both countries have exchanged such a list.

Protests over Saddam's execution Top

      Ludhiana/Srinagar: Protests against the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein continued in several parts of the country as Muslims celebrated Eid-al Adha on Monday. Hundreds of Muslims, donning black headbands, staged a sit-in demonstration in Ludhiana after offering Eid-al Adha special prayers to register their protest. Shouting anti-US slogans, the protesters called for boycotting the American-made products. "I appeal to all the Muslims that they should register their protests within the confines of law. They should boycott all US products. Only India-made items should be consumed," said Habibur Rehman, a Muslim cleric. Anti-America sentiments ran high in Srinagar also where scores of Muslims marched through streets accusing US President George W. Bush of murdering Saddam. "We are protesting against the execution of Saddam Hussein. We are protesting against the US and we'll continue our agitation," said Irshad, a protester. Protesters also burnt a US flag. Muslims across the country have been holding protests and demonstrations since Saturday when Saddam was executed. Saddam Hussein was hanged for crimes against humanity at dawn on Saturday.

Muslims in MP protests Saddam execution Top

       Bijnore (Uttar Pradesh)/Gwalior(Madhya Pradesh): The protests over the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein are continuing in India as Muslims world over celebrated Eid-ul-Zuha. The latest to join are Muslims in Madhya Pradesh, who came out in huge numbers to condemn the execution. After offering special prayers, they took to streets to register their anger against the execution, accusing U.S. President George W. Bush of murdering the Iraqi leader. The protesters raised anti-U.S. slogans and burnt an effigy of Bush. "Whatever America has done is against humanity. The world is up against U.S. and people, irrespective of their community or religion, have condemned the execution. We have burnt the effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush to register our protest," said Khalid Gani, one of the protesters. In Bijnor, protestors carried protest placards and shouted anti- US slogans. They also burnt the effigies of Bush. "We condemn the inhuman act carried out by US President George W Bush and Americans. A large number of Muslims are condemning the execution. Almighty God will very soon destroy America and will give a more brutal punishment to Bush," said Tahir Hussein, a local Muslim leader. Muslims across the country have been holding protests and demonstrations since Saturday, the day Saddam was executed. Bush, who branded Saddam a tyrant and a threat to global security, hailed the execution as a "milestone" on Iraq's path to democracy. Saddam Hussein was hanged for crimes against humanity at dawn on December 30. The former Iraqi president, ousted in April 2003 by a US-led invasion, was convicted in November for the killings of 148 Shi'ite villagers from Dujail after a failed assassination bid in 1982. An appeals court upheld the death penalty on Tuesday and the government rushed through the procedures to hang him by the end of the year and before the Eid al-Adha holiday that starts on Saturday, coinciding with the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Vijay Nambiar UN chief of staff Top

      New York: Incoming UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon has appointed veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar as his chief of staff and award-winning Haitian journalist Michele Montas as his spokesperson. The appointments were the first by Ban, who officially takes the reins of the United Nations on New Year's Day. In a statement, he said he intends to make further appointments in the coming days. Nambiar, a former Indian ambassador to the United Nations, has served since March as special adviser to outgoing Secretary- GeneralKofi Annan on a wide range of issues, including as a contact with the 192 UN ambassadors. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1967 and specialized in the Chinese language, serving in Hong Kong and Beijing. He has served as India's ambassador to Pakistan, China, Malaysia, Afghanistan and Algeria.

US toll in Iraq crosses 3000-mark Top

      New York: US President George Bush might be patting his back for accomplishing his mission of bringing deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussien to book and finally getting him executed on Saturday, but the total number of casualties of US troops reached the 3000-mark by the end of 2006. It was a reminder of the continuing failure of US and Iraqi troops to suppress the violence in the country, said the Pentagon while releasing the figures. So far in the war, the Americans killed in Iraq included 62 women and more than two dozen soldiers who died 18 years olds. Some states, meanwhile, have borne the brunt in terms of casualties, with three-quarters of those who have died coming from just three states - Texas, California and New York, said the figures. Britain has reported 126 deaths so far. The new US casualties in another weekend of strife that also saw the execution of Saddam Hussein confirmed December as the deadliest single month for US combat personnel in Iraq since November 2004. Officials said that at least 111 servicemen and women had died in the month, reported The Independent. As many as 60 per cent of those killed since the March 2003 Iraq invasion were under 25 years of age, the paper said and added that while some died in the thick of battle in the early weeks of the campaign, many were killed by an invisible enemy, often in roadside remote bomb attacks. Bush also admitted that a few of his decisions might have cost the lives of many young men and women. In his end-of-year press conference, he reportedly said: "The most painful aspect of the presidency is the fact that I know my decisions have caused young men and women to lose their lives. In the new year, we will remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom, advance the security of our country, and work toward a free and unified Iraq." And, shortly after hearing the news of Saddam's execution, Bush said: "Saddam Hussein's execution comes at the end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for our troops. Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq, but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy."

Langer also to retire after Ashes Test Top

       Sydney: Australian opening batsman Justin Langer last evening announced his retirement from Test cricket after the fifth Ashes Test against England at the SCG, beginning Jan 2. He said it had been a tough decision for him to take. Langer is the fourth Australian cricketer to have announced his retirement over the past one month, following Damien Martyn, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. "There hasn't been a waking moment for the last 20 years where I haven't thought about playing Test cricket and wearing the baggy green cap, so this is a tough moment. There hasn't been a moment where Test cricket hasn't been on my mind," an AAP report quoted him as saying. Langer said his greatest thrill he had during his career was playing with such great players. "For me to have it's been a privilege with Shane and Glenn and Adam Gilchrist, the greatest wicketkeeper of all time, and Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, who is the greatest batsman this country has produced after Bradman," he added. In his 104 Tests played so far, Langer has scored 7650 runs at an average of 45.27, including 23 centuries and 14-century partnerships with opening partner Matthew Hayden. Langer made his Test debut against the West Indies in Adelaide in 1993, but could not cement his place in the side until the summer of 2001-02, when he and Hayden formed one of cricket's most successful partnerships. The duo first opened together in the final Test of the 2001 Ashes series.