Violent protests in Kashmir Valley, dozens hurt
Srinagar, July 28 (IANS) Over a dozen people, including five security men, were injured in incidents of stone pelting by protesters in the shutdown-hit Kashmir valley Wednesday.

Life was thrown out of gear in summer capital Srinagar due to a separatist-sponsored shutdown and strict curfew-like-restrictions imposed in major parts of the city by authorities but protesters took to the streets in many areas.

Authorities had deployed police and paramilitary contingents in the Old City as well ... Read More

Price rise ghost continues to haunt parliament, both houses adjourned
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Chaos, protests, slogan-shouting, disruptions and finally adjournment - the scenes in parliament Wednesday were no different from what it was like the day before, and at the centre of the monsoon storm were the spiralling prices of essential commodities.

Both houses of parliament were adjourned for the day for the second consecutive day without conducting any business due to protests by opposition members who adamantly demanded an adjournment motion that entails ... Read More

Pakistan's India obsession behind its double game: US experts
By Arun Kumar

Washington, July 28 (IANS) Leading US analysts find nothing shocking or surprising about "revelations" of Pakistani spy agency ISI's links with Taliban given Islamabad's India obsession, but they differ on what the US should do in Afghanistan.

Most experts call for a "recalibration" of US policy towards Pakistan after the leak of tens of thousands of documents about the war in Afghanistan, but George Friedman, founder of strategic think tank Stratfor, suggests that the ... Read More

Britain allays India's AfPak concerns, confident of special ties
New Delhi/Bangalore, July 28 (IANS) Britain is hopeful that the visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who arrived in Bangalore early Wednesday, will infuse "a new lease of life" into bilateral ties and is confident that its new immigration policy and perceived differences over dealing with Afghanistan-Pakistan issues will not come in the way.

A defence deal for purchasing 60 British Hawk jets and a renewed push to business and educational ties are expected to ... Read More

Rising prices not government failure: Pranab Mukherjee
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday welcomed a debate on the rising prices which, he said, was not a government failure and could be discussed but not voted on.

Unless the central government "fails to discharge its duties enjoined by the constitution of the law", the matter could not be discussed under the adjournment motion, which entails voting, Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha.

Intervening on the debate on whether the house ... Read More

CEC designate Quraishi promises to 'uphold nation's trust'
By George Joseph

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The softspoken S.Y. Quraishi, who will take charge as chief election commissioner (CEC) Friday, says he will uphold the "immense trust the nation has in the Election Commission".

"I am honoured. I feel very proud. I request the cooperation of all stakeholders to discharge my duties," Quraishi, who will be the first Muslim to hold the prestigious post, told IANS over phone.

Quraishi, 63, who has been one ... Read More

British PM plays up Shah Rukh connection
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) As he began his maiden Indian visit Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron singled out Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, food and cricket as among the cultural bonds that tie Indians and Britons.

"We share so much culturally, whether it's watching Shah Rukh Khan, eating the same food or watching cricket,� Cameron said in an article entitled “A stronger, wider and deeper relationship� in The Hindu, an Indian daily.

Setting ... Read More

India very important for Britain's future, says Cameron
Bangalore, July 28 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron Wednesday declared that India was very important for his country's future, especially on the economic front.

"India has become very important for our future, mainly for economic reasons as your country represents an enormous opportunity for our companies," Cameron told about 2,000 techies and captains of India Inc in the Infosys Technologies Ltd campus on the outskirts of this tech hub.

Cameron said he wanted to ... Read More

112 suicides, fratricide cases in armed forces last year
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) At least 112 cases of suicide and fratricide have been recorded last year in the armed forces, parliament was informed Wednesday.

"The government is aware that the armed forces have been grappling with instances of fragging and suicide cases every year," Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

However, the suicide and fratricide cases have shown decline since 2007 when 150 such incidents were recorded.

In ... Read More

Cameron arrives on two-day visit to India


Bangalore, July 28 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived here early Wednesday on the first leg of his two-day maiden visit to India.

Cameron, who is accompanied by the biggest ever delegation of British ministers and business honchos, was received at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport in the heart of the city by state Home Minister V.S. Acharya and senior police officials.



The British prime minister has a busy schedule Wednesday starting ... Read More

We want to understand contemporary Indian culture: British MP
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) A British cultural delegation accompanying Prime Minister David Cameron on his three-day visit to India interacted with young contemporary artists, writers and alumni of the Charles Wallace Trust at the Religare Arts.I gallery in the capital Wednesday.

The interaction was hosted by Religare Arts Initiative and the British Council India.

Addressing a huge gathering of artists, connoisseurs, scholars and Religare officials at the gallery, British member of Parliament Jeremy Hunt ... Read More

I'm a practical politician: Cameron
Bangalore, July 28 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron Wednesday described himself as a practical politician who believes that when problems get serious, one must tackle them, when the "answer is obvious, we should do it".

"Everything I have spoken about today - an enhanced relationship and a shared determination to take on the challenges that confront us... these are not borne from sentiment.

"I'm a practical politician," he said in a 30-minute address at Infosys ... Read More

Natwar Singh seeks papers linked to his clean chit in scam
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Former external affairs minister Natwar Singh Wednesday claimed in the Supreme Court that he was entitled to inspect documents placed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before a committee that exonerated him in a scam related to the UN's oil-for-food programme in Iraq.

He sought access to documents placed before Justice R.S. Pathak committee in connection with the oil-for-food scam.

Natwar Singh said this while assailing the stand of the ED ... Read More

Plea to release Rajiv Gandhi's assassin dismissed
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit seeking the release of Nalini Sriharan, her husband Murugan and five others awarded death or life sentences in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

The apex court bench of Justice V.S. Sirpurkar and Justice Mukundakam Sharma dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by E. Veluchamy challenging the Madras High Court order which also dismissed the plea but with a cost of Rs.One lakh.

Justice Sirpukar, ... Read More

Cameron wants Britain-India ties to move to next level
Bangalore, July 28 (IANS) David Cameron, on his first visit to India as Britain's prime minister, said Wednesday that he wants to take ties with India to a new level.

"I'm a new prime minister. I lead a new coalition government. And we're making a new start for Britain and its relationships around the world," he said in a 30-minute special lecture to techies and business leaders at IT major Infosys Technologies here.

"There are partnerships ... Read More

Protest against genetically modified Bt Brinjal
Chennai: Church of South India (CSI) Synod Ecological Concerns Committee (SECC) strongly protests against the decision of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), in approving the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) Bt brinjal. The CSI SECC has the opinion that the GEAC had “mindlessly” gone ahead and approved Bt Brinjal even when informed scientists and citizens of the country raised serious concerns on the nature of the safety studies.

The church cannot be ... Read More