Thursday, July 12, 2007, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Backlash feared
Pak on alert as masjid cleared of militants
Islamabad, July 11
The Pakistan army today took full control of Lal Masjid after a 40-hour operation clearing the besieged mosque of the remaining militants while security was stepped up across the country to prevent any backlash from radicals. “The first phase of the operation is over. There are no more militants left inside,” Army spokesman Maj Gen Washeed Arshad told mediapersons.

World page: Blanket ban on media around mosque Militant wanted by India detained In video (56k) Relatives check lists of missing Pakistani religious students of the Red Mosque in Islamabad on Wednesday. — AFP photo

‘People will avenge my death…’ Slain deputy cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi told the media minutes before he was killed
In his last interview to a TV channel on Tuesday morning, Lal Masjid deputy cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi said his death was certain and criticised “political maulanas” for their role in the Lal Masjid saga. What could probably be seen with a feeling a foreboding, he said his people would avenge his assassination.	Abdul Rashid Ghazi

India: The Tasks Ahead
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS,
INAUGURAL SESSION

Haneef talks to wife
Bangalore, July 11
United Kingdom terror plot suspect Dr Mohammed Haneef, who is at present under detention in Australia, today told his wife he feared his detention would be extended indefinitely.

Hearing adjourned, stay extended

Kafeel’s hard disk shows syringe bomb technology
Bangalore, July 11
An animated video of how a simple syringe can be used to trigger off a bomb has been recovered from the hard disk of alleged Glasgow bomber Kafeel Ahmed by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).

PM, Bush talk on N-issue
New Delhi, July 11
Ahead of a high-level meeting between India and the USA on the civil nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today spoke to US President George W. Bush in an apparent bid to give a political push to negotiations stuck due to differences over some issues.

Prez poll: NDA says phones tapped, to move EC
New Delhi, July 11
NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj today charged the UPA government with tapping of phones of key NDA leaders engaged in the presidential election campaign and said the alliance would ask the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that such “unhealthy practices” were not stopped.

Charge baseless: Cong

India, Australia sign defence accord
New Delhi, July 11
India and Australia today signed an accord to enhance their defence ties years after the relations between the two countries froze following the Indian Navy’s build-up in the 1980s and the subsequent Pokharan nuclear tests.

Prof Sabharwal murder trial stayed
New Delhi, July 11
The Supreme Court today took a serious view of a large number of witnesses, including policemen, turning hostile in Ujjain’s Prof H S Sabharwal murder case and stayed the trial, saying that it would be a “mockery” of justice if the case continued to proceed in the manner it was going on.

Bhutto’s PPP stays away
Pak oppn leaders form grand alliance
Top opposition leaders, gathered in London on Wednesday, decided to form an All- Parties Democratic Alliance to launch a concerted campaign for restoration of democracy and ending military role in politics.

Hansi-Butana Canal Construction Punjab moves SC Chandigarh, July 11 The Punjab government today approached the Supreme Court against the construction of the Hansi-Butana canal by Haryana. Punjab and Rajasthan have been registering their protests with the Haryana and union governments, besides the BBMB.