 |
Wednesday,
June 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
|
US-led forces kill four Moscow, June 10 In a joint anti-terror operation Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and police have nabbed 120 alleged Islamic radicals in Moscow, including 55 ‘active’ members of the militant organisation Hizb ul-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic Liberation Party). 7 soldiers killed in Aceh
Uproar over Indian culture Man pleads guilty to illegal arms export Temple sounds peace notes |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
US-led forces kill four
Bagram Air Base, (Afghanistan), June 10 “The enemy force opened fire on the patrol which manoeuvred through the contact with no casualties,” Colonel Rodney Davis told reporters at Bagram Air Base, 50 km north of Kabul. The skirmish erupted near a US-led troop base near Shkin along Afghanistan’s southeast border at 1:30 am (2.30 am IST) and lasted for three hours, he said. Coalition troops returned fire and reinforcements from Shkin fired illumination flares and high explosive rounds to back up the patrol. Reinforcements linked up with the patrol and they searched the area and a nearby compound, killing an attacker who tried to throw a grenade at them, Davis said. “They found three enemy killed in action and engaged a fourth attempting to throw a hand grenade at the coalition force, killing him,” he said, adding that there were no coalition casualties. Hundreds of coalition troops last week carried out two operations hunting for Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters in the mountains of neighbouring Paktia province. “We are here to kill or capture anti-coalition Taliban and Al-Qaida operatives and although combat operations aren’t our primary focus, we will continue combat engagement to the degree necessary to deny sanctuary to anti-coalition forces,” Davis said.
AFP |
|
3 die in Iraq ammo depot blast Baghdad, June 10 Coalition troops suffered no casualties in yesterday morning’s blast in the southern city of Diwaniyah and evacuated the Iraqi injured to hospital, a Centcom statement said.
AFP |
|
120 Islamic radicals held in Moscow Moscow, June 10 The Islamic radicals, including ethnic Slavs, were living illegally in the rented premises of a defunct factory in an industrial area in eastern Moscow. Some of the arrested extremists are believed to be Arabs trained in Al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan, ITAR-TASS said yesterday quoting FSB sources. Arms, dynamite, plastic explosives and remote controlled detonators as well as extremist Islamic literature and leaflets were seized by the security services in the operation on Saturday within the framework of nationwide crackdown on Islamic extremists in the Russian regions. The leader of the Moscow chapter of the Islamic extremist group, Alisher Musayev, a Kyrgyzstan national and Hizb ul-Tahrir functionary Akram Jalalov, a citizen of Tajikistan, were among those nabbed, Interfax adds. Moscow has beefed up security in the run up to three-day holiday beginning on June 12 to mark National Day of Russia.
PTI |
|
7 soldiers killed in Aceh Jakarta, June 10 It was the worst casualty toll for the TNI since the launch of a massive military operation against the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), started three weeks ago in Indonesia’s northern Aceh province. Lt Col Basuki said three bodies had been recovered from the scene, while four others were still in the field. The wounded soldiers were rushed to the military hospital in Lhokseumawe, 1,660 km northwest of Jakarta. The spokesman said the GAM had also suffered huge casualties, but he could not give immediate details. Indonesia imposed martial law in Aceh on May 19 and ordered its military to launch an all-out offensive against GAM rebels, who have been fighting for an independent state in Aceh since 1976. Media reports from Aceh claim that 162 GAM rebels were killed during the first three weeks of the military operation, while 100 others were arrested and 102 have surrendered.
DPA |
|
Israeli
soldiers kill Palestinian
Ramallah/Jerusalem, June 10 According to Israeli media reports the soldiers opened fire when the man tried to flee during an arrest attempt with three other Palestinians. One was injured and the two others were arrested. The Israeli army arrested 10 Palestinians overnight in the West Bank territory. Meanwhile, the army started evacuating settlements as part of the international peace plan. By last evening, according to Israeli radio, 10 uninhabited small housing outposts in the West Bank territory were vacated. The plan is to vacate 100 of these small housing settlements, according to army reports. The settlers announced violent resistance against this move.
DPA |
|
Uproar over Indian culture Paramaribo, (Surinam,) June 10 Mr Radhakrishna Singh, a delegate, objected, saying the remarks conveyed a distorted impression of a rich and composite culture. The head of Patna University’s Hindi Department Ramvachan Rai said Hindi literature had been enriched through the ages by contributions from followers of different religions.
UNI |
|
Man pleads guilty to illegal arms export New Haven (USA), June 10 Under the Federal Arms Export Control Act, Alan Haller faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $ 500,000 when he is sentenced September 5. He also agreed not to contest the US government banning his export privileges for five years. His company — Miami-based Mart Haller Inc. — agreed to pay a $ 50,000 fine, implement an export compliance programme and comply with all export statutes and regulations. Haller would not comment. He referred questions to his lawyer who did not immediately return a call. Federal prosecutors said Haller admitted that he shipped items used on military transport vehicles to a Pakistani company, Advance Technical Systems, after he was told an export license was required. Prosecutors would not describe the items that were shipped, but said they were on the “United States Munitions List.” The list includes firearms, explosives, protective gear and electronics. Haller initially cancelled the order to Advance Technical Systems, but then reordered the parts from the source company, saying it was a domestic sale. U.S. Customs agents seized the shipment from a boat heading to the United Arab Emirates in December 2002. The boat had already left port and was ordered to return.
AP |
|
Temple sounds peace notes Belfast (N Ireland), June 10 The temple, the only one of its kind in Ireland, is housed in the Indian Community Centre here, which also imparts knowledge of Indian culture and language to the expatriates. The Centre Chairman Raj Puri, a successful businessman, says the building was a Methodist Church built in 1876, which explains its ‘un-temple-like’ windows and panes. The Indian community here bought the abandoned building in 1982 for £ 35,000 from the local govenment. Its renovation was paid for by a local lottery which gave $ 500,000. Also, the government here gives the centre a grant of £ 5000 every year, in what might seem a paradox of one country nurturing the religion, culture and traditions of another, miles away from it. The walls of the centre’s hall are now lined with pictures of goddess Lakshmi. The temple has idols made specially by craftspersons in India. On holidays every evening, the place resounds with temple bells and Vedic chants. ‘Pujas’ and ‘havans’ are performed regularly and ‘prasaad’ distributed, just as it would, back home. The priest here for the past five years, is Shivendra Shukla, who pines for his home country. He expects to get a British citizenship soon, so he can spend nine months in India with his family and three months here in Ireland carrying out his duties at the temple. One among the around 12,000 Indian families in Northern Ireland, is that of businessman R.K. Tandon who settled here 48 years ago and still craves to speak in Hindi. But the second and third generation Indians are slowly beginning to draw away from silence of Belfast to the noisier and livelier environs of England and other western nations. Marriages with local whites are on the increase and they are gradually breaking away from their Indian moorings, as reflected in their inability to speak Indian languages or follow Indian traditions. The temple provides solace to those old timers left behind who seek relief from their apprehensions and wish to re-live their ‘Indian-ness’ once in a while.
UNI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In video (
