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Indian cricket team arrives in Sri Lanka for three test match series

Colombo, Aug 04 (ANI): Indian cricket team arrived in capital Colombo for a three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The team, captained by Virat Kohli, will play a three-day warm up match at R Premadasa Stadium against a Sri Lanka Board XI in Colombo from Thursday. The first Test will take place in Galle starting August 12. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra has been recalled to the Indian Test team, joining a formidable slow-ball attack. Injury to fellow leg-spinner Karan Sharma and the spin-conducive nature of the pitches in Sri Lanka combined to facilitate Mishra's recall to the side. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh retained his place in the slow-ball attack which also includes the cricketer who has replaced him as India's number one spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin. Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, also in Colombo, hosts the final Test from August 28.

Bangladesh human rights activists welcome death penalty to BNP leader for war crimes

Dhaka, Aug 03 (ANI): Bangladesh's academicians and human rights activists hailed a last week decision of Supreme Court to uphold the death penalty to senior opposition leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, paving the way for his execution. Chowdhury, 66, a legislator from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was found guilty of torture, rape and genocide during the 1971 liberation war. He is also the second former minister to have the death sentence upheld after Jamaat-e-Islami's Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed was sentenced in June this year. A professor at Dhaka University, Dr. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimillah said the July 29 court verdict reflected the desire of the people to try all those involved in the war crimes. BNP supporters have been carrying out protests in Dhaka and other cities since Chowdhury was sentenced to death first by the International War Crimes Tribunal. A Bangladeshi writer and human rights activist, Shahriar Kabir condemned the politics by BNP and its all

Pakistan releases 163 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture

Karachi, Aug 03 (ANI): Pakistan released 163 Indian fishermen who had been arrested by Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency (MSA) for trespassing on Pakistan's territorial waters. The prisoners, apprehended 10 months ago after straying in Pakistan's territorial water, were released from District Jail Malir. The release follows after an interaction between Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during the summit in Ufa, Russia, recently in which it was agreed to release the detained fishermen of the two countries. According to jail officials, the fishermen freed on Sunday include three minors and 160 adults. Eight of the fishermen are Muslims. After their release from jail, the fishermen were taken to the Karachi Cantt railway station by bus from where they will be transported to the Wagah border to be handed over to Indian authorities.

Pak to file a legal reference against MQM'S Altaf Hussain in London

Islamabad, Aug 03 (ANI): Pakistan's Home Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan disclosed that the government was gearing up to file a legal reference against MQM's top leader Altaf Hussain who is in self-exile in London. A day earlier, addressing MQM's (Mottahida Qaumi Movement party) Annual Convention in the US city of Dallas via telephone, MQM Chief Altaf Hussain had asked his party workers to stage protests in front of United Nations, White House and NATO and raise a demand for sending their troops to Karachi. Khan said the Karachi operation was being conducted without any discrimination, and all crimes in the city had decreased drastically. He said Altaf Hussain's calling NATO and India for involvement in Karachi was tantamount to waging war on the country. Officials at the interior ministry say the legal draft is being prepared with cooperation of ministries of law and justice and foreign affairs, and Khan is likely to meet British High Commissioner Philip Barton to take up the issue w

Russian military helicopter crashes during air show, pilot dies

Russia, Aug 02 (ANI): A pilot died after a Russian military helicopter, which was a part of a display team, crashed while performing a manoeuvre during an air show on Sunday. The Russian-made MI-28 with three other helicopters was taking part in the show at Dubrovichi air field near the town of Ryazan, 200 km east of Moscow. During the air display, one of the helicopters suddenly started spinning out of control, then descended and hit the ground, catching fire. Fire engines and ambulances arrived at the scene minutes after the crash. Event organisers said one pilot had been killed in the accident, while another had ejected and was in hospital. The show was part of a military pilots' contest called 'Aviadarts-2015'.

Indian diaspora throngs World Gujarati Conclave in U.S.

New Jersey, August 02 (ANI): An event providing platform for social gathering and business opportunities was thronged by people of Gujarati community from India and the United States. The Association of Indian Americans of North America (AIANA) is hosting 'Chalo Gujarat' or World Gujarati Conclave in New Jersey to establish the unity of Gujarati speaking community in articulating aspirations and common interests. The three-day conclave that started on July 31 is covering business, social, educational, health, culture, spiritual and entertainment events to bring Gujaratis - people with their roots in Gujarat - under one roof. President of AIANA, Sunil Nayak, said the aim is to create awareness among the new generation about Gujarat's culture and traditions and keep them connected with their state.

Pakistan hardliner Islamist charity provides aid to flood victims

Pakistan, Aug 02 (ANI): A welfare wing of Jamaat ud Dawah (JuD), an Islamist charity linked to outlawed militant group Lashkar-E-Taiba (LeT), sent truckloads of aid to the flood-hit area of Pakistan, its chief said. The welfare wing of Jamat ud Dawah, the Falah-e- Insaniyat Foundation sent several truckloads of relief material to the areas that have been hit by floods. Hafiz Saeed, who used to head LeT and now heads JuD, told about the relief material. Saeed urged people to stand up to help the flood victims. He added India diverting waters from dams towards Pakistan may worsen the flood situation in the country. Jamaat-ud-Dawah and its Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation wing are among the groups that are active to help people in the flood areas across the country.

Sartaj Aziz says Pak Govt to raise issue of RAW's involvement in Pakistan with UN

Islamabad, August 01 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's senior aide on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the National Assembly that the government is considering to raise the issue of India's premier spy agency, RAW's involvement in Pakistan with the United Nations and other international forums. Replying to a supplementary question, he said Pakistan had already condemned the recent terrorism incident that took place in Gurdaspur, and rejected Indian allegations of Pakistan's involvement in it.

Pak refutes India's assertion on Gurdaspur attack, says pointing fingers without probe 'unhealthy trend'

Islamabad, July 31 (ANI): Pakistan dismissed India's assertion that the terrorists who had carried out attacks in Gurdaspur had infiltrated from there. Pak foreign office said that pointing fingers without investigation is "not a healthy trend". Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said Pakistan had strongly condemned the attack, but had been greatly disappointed by a premature blame game started by the Indian media. On Thursday, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament the gunmen who stormed a police station and killed seven people in Punjab came from Pakistan. However, he gave no indication that a plan for bilateral high level security talks has been jeopardized by the attack. However, the government of Pakistan categorically rejected the allegations.

Pak says trying to 'check the veracity' of reports of Mullah Omar's death

Islamabad, July 31 (ANI): Just days after the Afghan government said that Mullah Omar, the elusive supreme leader of the Islamist militant movement, had died two years ago in neighbouring Pakistan, neither the Taliban nor Pakistani officials would confirm the reports. Replying to questions about the reports during a weekly briefing in Islamabad, foreign ministry Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said Pakistan was still trying to find out if the reports were true. News of Omar's demise is likely to intensify a struggle within the deeply divided group to succeed him, clouding chances of a peace process that had already run into trouble. Afghan and Pakistani officials had said that a second round of meetings would be held between Taliban representatives and the Kabul government this week. The two sides met for inaugural negotiations earlier this month in Pakistan. Hours earlier, the Taliban's official spokesman disavowed peace talks with the Afghan government, throwing fledgling efforts to negot

Landslide near Nepal's popular Annapurna trek route kills at least 30

Nepal, July 31 (ANI): Landslides triggered by torrential rain in Nepal swept through villages, killing at least 30 people, home ministry officials said. The landslides struck the villages near the resort town of Pokhara, 125 km (77 miles) west of Kathmandu shortly after midnight. In the village of Lumle about half of the homes were buried or destroyed by a torrent of mud and rocks. A local resident said the landslide escalated at around 2:30 in the morning. He added that around 16 houses were totally gutted and around 40 people were believed to be buried. Lumle is about 15 km (9 miles) from the start of the Annapurna Circuit, a hiking route around the world's 10th tallest mountain that attracts around 100,000 tourists a year. Heavy monsoon rains have also caused flooding and fatalities across India in recent days.

Japan develops new technology for racing car engine and healthcare

Thailand, July 30 (ANI): Car racing is becoming a popular sport in Asia. Recently, the third round of the Super GT race was held at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand's Buriram Province. Nissan GT-R made a two-round double victory following from the previous round at Fuji. The No. 46 S Road MOLA GT-R driven by Satoshi Motoyama and Masataka Yanagida came from a third position start to take the GT500 class win. In the GT300 class race, the No. 3 B-MAX NDDP GT-R driven by Kazuki Hoshino and Mitsunori Takaboshi came out on top in Thailand for the second consecutive year. Over 60,000 fans gathered at Chang International Circuit over the three days. The air temperature had risen to 37 C on the race day, while the road temperature was sweltering at 50 C. The technical regulations have been renewed from the 2014 season of Japan's Super GT series. To comply with the new regulations, Nissan has developed the new NR20A engine for Nissan's GT-R 4-Cylinder Racer, which is already proving t

Libyan court sentences Gaddafi's son, 8 ex-officials to death over war crimes

Tripoli, July 29 (ANI): A Libyan court sentenced Muammar Gaddafi's most prominent son, Saif al-Islam, and eight others to death for war crimes including killings of protesters during the 2011 revolution that ended his father's rule. The verdict on Saif al-Islam was passed in absentia in Tripoli since he has been held since 2011 by a former rebel group in the mountainous Zintan region beyond central government control. Saif appeared by video link only at the start of the trial. Defendants had been accused of a range of offences including the use of deadly force against unarmed demonstrators, as well as corruption. John Jones, a British lawyer hired to represent Saif al-Islam before the ICC, said a "show trial" led to the death sentences. Jones said he wanted Gaddafi to be judged in the Hague where, he said, he would have more chances to have a fair trial.

Water Bodies Highly Contaminated in Gilgit Baltistan

Gilgit Baltistan, July 28: Water bodies in Gilgit Baltistan are heavily contaminated as waste is emptied directly into the surface water.

Japan eyes global healthcare and entertainment market in Asia

Japan, July 28 (ANI): The growing demand of healthcare products globally catches the fancy of leading Japanese firms. In Japan, the healthcare products to help the country's ageing population are popular. Similarly, Toshiba is optimistic about the market abroad and has introduced "Tsubuyaki SNS", a voice message facility. When a person records a voice on his smart phone it becomes a written text. Panasonic introduces a special belt to measure the area of the visceral, the one of the factors causing metabolic syndrome. CT scan was used to measure it earlier, which was expensive. Instead, the belt realizes more compact and reasonable measurement. The belt is getting popular in Japan and Japan Medical Checkup Association endorses it. Japan is also introducing many products to target to global entertainment industry. At the Live Entertainment and Event Expo, Ruifan Japan Ltd. hasintroduced penlights, which are controlled by a remote. These penlights are used for live performances, where th

Pakistan army chief says 'acutely aware' of campaign against China-Pak corridor

Pakistan, July 26 (ANI): Pakistan army chief, General Raheel Sharif, visited Panjgur and Turbat in Balochistan province, and inspected a part of the under-construction road network which is a part of the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As he inspected the under-construction road network of the project, General Sharif said, "CPEC and Gwadar Port will be built and developed as one of the most strategic deep sea ports in the region at all costs." According to a tweet from Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) major-general Asim Bajwa, Sharif said the Pakistan Army is "acutely aware" of the campaign by "rivals" against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The tweet added Sharif vowed that the armed forces are prepared to "pay any price to turn this long cherished dream into a reality.

Australian nurse accused of assisting IS arrested at Sydney airport

Sydney, July 25 (ANI): An Australian nurse accused of giving medical assistance to the Islamic State militant group fighting in Syria has been arrested and will appear in a Sydney court on Saturday, police said. The man has been identified by government officials as Adam Brookman. A police statement said a 39-year-old Australian man had been arrested on arrival at Sydney airport on Friday over "his alleged involvement in the conflict in Syria". A police spokeswoman confirmed the warrant related to Brookman, a father of five who has told Australian media that he went to Syria on a humanitarian mission. "The man voluntarily surrendered himself to Turkish officials in Turkey on Tuesday, 21 July," the police statement said. Australia is on high alert for attacks by radicalised Muslims, including home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.

Monsoon rains trigger flood in parts of Pakistan

Pakistan, July 25 (ANI): Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif visited flood - hit areas in the central province of Punjab and directed authorities concerned to take measures in advance to handle any eventuality in flood - prone areas. More rains loom as severe monsoon rains have fuelled flooding in parts of Pakistan which has displaced thousands of people, destroyed houses, and resulted in several deaths. Flooding is expected to get worse and affect many more in the coming days, with forecasts for continued strong rains across the country. Sharif visited flood - hit Chachran Sharif area of district Rahim Yar Khan in southern Punjab and assured the flood affected people that the government would provide all resources for their relief and rehabilitation. District Coordination Officer (DCO) of Rahimyar Khan briefed the Prime Minister that currently 556,000 cusec water is passing through this district in river Indus due to which 66 villages of the district are under water. The Pr

Gunman kills two people and himself, injures seven in Louisiana theatre shooting

Louisiana, July 24 (ANI): A lone gunman opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, killing two people and injuring seven others before taking his own life, police said. The gunfire erupted during a 7 pm CDT showing of the film "Trainwreck" and took place almost three years to the day after a massacre at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, that killed 12 people. Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said two people died in the hail of bullets before the 58-year-old suspect killed himself with a handgun as officers rushed to the scene shortly after 7:30 pm. Seven people suffered injuries ranging from non life-threatening to critical, Craft said. Authorities said they knew the gunman's identity but were not releasing his name during the early stage of the investigation. Police officials said that bomb-sniffing dogs had alerted on a backpack inside the theater and that they had also signaled "suspicious" items inside the suspect's car. A robot was being used to probe the vehi

502 kilometers of China Pakistan Economic Corridor's western route completed in record time

Balochistan/ Pakistan, July 24 (ANI): The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has completed 502 kilometers of the 870 kilometers road connecting Pakistan's deep sea Gwadar port with the western alignment of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Pakistan army said. FWO is an administrative branch of the Pakistan Army that includes active duty officers and civilian scientists and engineers which has been involved with the construction of bridges, roads, tunnels, airfields and dams in Pakistan. The daunting task of constructing the 870 kilometers road is very risky in terms of security and was assigned to FWO by Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif. "The FWO took up the challenge to extend the benefits of Gwadar port to rest of the country by building roads in rugged mountainous terrain and highly inaccessible areas. The gigantic task was undertaken on the directives of the Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif," FWO press release said. Officials say unprecedented efforts were