Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai (left) shakes hands with India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on October 4, 2011.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed a wide-ranging agreement with India on Tuesday to deepen ties between the two countries, including to help train Afghan security forces, in a deal likely to irk Pakistan as tension grows in the region.
India is one of Afghanistan‘s biggest bilateral donors, having pledged about US$2 billion (RM6.38 billion) since the 2001 US led-invasion for projects from the construction of highways to the building of the Afghan parliament.
On a two-day visit to New Delhi, Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sealed a strategic partnership that spanned closer political ties to fighting terrorism. It signals a formal tightening of links that may spark Pakistani concerns India is increasingly competing for leverage in Afghanistan.
The agreement is one of several being negotiated by Kabul, including one with the United States, that are part of an Afghan bid for greater security as Nato troops head home.
Pakistani Christians place flowers at a portrait of the assassinated Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer after a Sunday service at the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection in Lahore on January 9, 2011
A Pakistani court charged a police guard today with the murder of a politician who opposed the country’s anti-blasphemy laws, a killing that exposed deep fissures in Pakistani society.
Mumtaz Qadri, who admitted to killing Punjab governor Salman Taseer on January 4, gained wide support, especially from Islamists who see liberal politicians such as Taseer as straying from Pakistan’s Islamist credentials.
“The charges have been framed against Qadri and the prosecution has been asked by the court to present evidence in the next hearing,” the prosecutor, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
Taseer, who was close to President Asif Ali Zardari, had championed the cause of a Christian woman sentenced to death under the blasphemy law.
Reid has positioned himself away from Obama on the Muslim centre issue.
The US Senate’s senior Democrat broke with President Barack Obama yesterday over the proposed Muslim cultural centre and mosque in New York City, with Senator Harry Reid saying it should be built elsewhere.
The project, planned near the “ground zero” site of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York, has emerged as an emotional issue 2-1/2 months before US congressional elections in which Republicans are trying to take back control of Congress from Obama’s fellow Democrats. Reid is in a tight contest for re-election against a very conservative Republican challenger.
“The First Amendment (of the US Constitution) protects freedom of religion. Senator Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built someplace else,” said Reid spokesman Jim Manley.
More than 160 people were injured and two of them died overnight, raising the overall death toll to 63
A probe into a rail crash in eastern India that claimed more than 60 lives focused Tuesday on why a packed express train hurtled at high speed into a station where it was scheduled to halt.
The express roared into Sainthia station in West Bengal state at 90 kilometers an hour (60 miles an hour) early Monday and slammed with enormous force into the rear of a stationary train waiting to leave the platform.
More than 160 people were injured and two of them died overnight, raising the overall death toll to 63.
The JetBlue pilot threatened to kill himself 'in spectacular fashion' by crashing his plane following an argument with his flight attendant girlfriend.The incident occurred at Logan Airport in Boston, America. Officials played it down and said the pilot was removed from duty for 'health-related reasons'
A lovesick pilot threatened to crash his plane after a row with his girlfriend, it was claimed yesterday
The distraught JetBlue pilot was held in a crew lounge an hour before takeoff after threatening to kill himself 'in spectacular fashion'.
It was reported on local radio that he had emailed his girlfriend, a flight attendant, saying that if they did not resolve their differences he would crash the plane.
David Beckham gets to grips with some of the military hardware during his visit to Camp Bastion where around 9,000 British soldiers are based
Are you sure the safety catch is on? Beckham tests out a heavy machine gun as soldiers look on
The footballer is shown one of the weapons used by the troops in Afghanistan
Beckham signing autographs for soldiers from 67 Squadron, 6 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps during his brief visit. The player said he was full of admiration for the men and women serving there
David Beckham paid tribute today to the "amazing" work of British troops in Afghanistan during a visit to the country.
The footballer posed for pictures and signed autographs for troops in Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, where around 9,000 British soldiers are based.
In temperatures hitting 45C the player was shown round the camp and even given a lesson in how to handle weapons.
'You know I've been here just one night so far and the experience has been even more than I could have ever hoped,' he said in an interview with BFBS: British Forces News.
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab opened fire on commuters
A Pakistani man convicted over the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks is to be sentenced at a prison court in India.
Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab - the only gunman who survived the attacks - faces the death penalty or life imprisonment after he was found guilty on Monday.
The prosecution has argued for him to be hanged.
India's last execution was in 2004 and observers say such a sentence could take years to impose because of a lengthy appeal process.
Qasab, 22, was convicted on Monday on 86 charges including murder, waging war on India and possessing explosives. Two other suspects were acquitted.
France's government on Thursday announced it would apply a proposed ban on face-covering Islamic veils to visiting tourists as well as residents, even as skepticism mounted over the legality of the plan.
Junior family minister Nadine Morano said visitors would have to "respect the law" and uncover their faces, prompting critics to speculate whether Saudi luxury shoppers would be forced to unveil themselves on the glitzy Champs-Elysees.
"When you arrive in a country you have to respect the laws of that country," Morano said on France Info radio. "If I go to certain countries I'm also forced to respect the law."
Belgium was set Thursday to slap a ban on wearing the Islamic burqa in public, the first such clampdown in Europe, just a day after the French government promised a similar law.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is now cooperating with government investigators.Son to rich nigerian banker.Try to explode PTPN bom hidden in underwear.Get overpower by passengers.
The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, is again cooperating and providing useful intelligence to U.S. authorities, a law enforcement official said on Tuesday.
The Obama administration has been widely criticized by Republicans and Democrats because the suspect was interviewed by FBI agents for about an hour before he stopped cooperating and he was then read Miranda rights, providing him full U.S. constitutional legal rights.
Prosecutors charged Abdulmutallab, 23, with trying to blow up the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with a bomb hidden in his underwear, drawing further criticism from some lawmakers who said he should face a special military tribunal instead and questioning by intelligence operatives instead of the FBI.
"Abdulmutallab is talking and has been talking since last week providing useful, actionable and current intelligence that we've been actively following up on," the official said, declining to be named because the investigation is ongoing.
The FBI is working with the intelligence community on the information obtained from Abdulmutallab, the official said.
If convicted, Abdulmutallab could face spending the rest of his life in a U.S. prison, which could provide an incentive for him to cooperate with investigators.
The criticism has put the Obama administration on the defensive, but the Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told lawmakers that there should be flexibility to make decisions on a case-by-case basis about whether such suspects go through civilian or military legal process.
Before Abdulmutallab stopped talking, administration officials have said he initially provided useful information.
That included telling investigators that he had received training as well as the explosive device he tried to detonate on the plane from militants in Yemen associated with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
That group has become a significant concern to U.S. intelligence agencies which are monitoring its capabilities, intentions and recruitment of westerners, Blair told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"We are still exploring the genesis of this plot and what other homeland plots AQAP and associated Yemeni extremists may have planned," he said.
"We are concerned that they will continue to try to do so, but we do not know to what extent they are willing to direct core cadre to that effort given the group's prior focus on regional operations," Blair said.
INTELLIGENCE GAPS FIXED-BLAIR
Blair also said he was confident that gaps had been fixed since the Dec. 25 incident and that another similar suspect would be apprehended before he got on the plane.
"I'm confident that someone who left the trail that Mr. Abdulmutallab did would now be found," Blair said. "What I can't tell is even with these improvements we would be able to catch someone who took more care."
In an audiotape aired recently on Al Jazeera television, a man purporting to be al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden praised Abdulmutallab and vowed more strikes at the United States.
Bin Laden has eluded a U.S. manhunt and authorities believe he has been hiding in the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"My greatest concern, and what keeps me awake at night, is that al Qaeda and its terrorist allies and affiliates could very well attack the United States," CIA Director Leon Panetta said at the same hearing.
The biggest threat is not necessarily another attack similar to Sept. 11, but that al Qaeda is adapting its methods in ways often difficult to detect, he said.
Al Qaeda is trying to strike the United States by deploying individuals to the country, and the concern is the group will use people with "clean credentials" who don't have a history of terrorism such as Abdulmutallab who had a visa, Panetta said.
White House spokesman Bill Burton confirmed what senior administration officials discussed last night: Christmas Day bomb plot suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is now cooperating with government investigators.
It is a political as well as legal development.
Congressional Republicans had criticized the administration for permitting Abdulmutallab to be read his Miranda rights, allowing him to "lawyer up" and remain silent.
He has not been silent in recent days, White House officials said, defending their handling of the case.
"We feel like we pursued the correct course," Burton said.
Abdulmutallab is presumably telling investigators about his fellow al Qaeda operatives back in Yemen, though Burton and other officials declined to say precisely what the discussions involve.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has not backed down. She said intelligence officials should have been consulted before Miranda warnings were issued.
Abdulmutallab information is welcome, she said, but his cooperation "implies that the government is willing to grant him a measure of leniency for the information he is willing to provide."
"We will never know whether the quality and quantity of information might have been superior had he not been given a lawyer who is now guiding him on what to reveal and what not to disclose," she added.
Other Republicans -- such as Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas -- said the White House leaked information about Abdulmutallab's cooperation to give themselves "political cover."
Burton suggested Republicans had engaged in politics with its initial handling of the Abdulmutallab case. He added: "It's important for the American people to know that we're doing everything possible to keep the American people safe."
Witnesses and relatives tell the BBC's Prachi Pinglay of the horrors of last November's Mumbai (Bombay) attacks.
Sending the strongest possible signal that they would not be deterred by terror, it was business as usual for Mumbai residents on the first anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks on Thursday.
There would be many moments of silence, remembering and mourning later in the day, but the morning rush hour showed the resilience of India's financial and entertainment capital, with commuter trains and buses packed and roads as choked with traffic as ever.
Taking no chances, police have maintained high levels of security all over the city since Wednesday, with armed personnel stopping and checking vehicles, especially at strategic points.
Security was especially tight at places like Chowpatty, Haji Ali, Prabhadevi, Worli, Bandra, Jogeshwari, around the Mumbai airport, the three main exit points connecting the city with the mainland and around the sites of the locations targeted one year ago.
Several public and private functions have been lined up during the day to remember the people who lost their lives in the 60-hour terror mayhem.
Some private and government offices shall observe two-minute silence to remember the victims, especially those who worked there.
Last year on this day, 10 terrorists who sneaked in from the Arabian Sea, targeted Mumbai in which 166 lives were lost. In the 60-hour operation, nine terrorists were killed by security forces.
One terrorist -- Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab -- was nabbed alive and is currently on trial. Mumbai Victims Remembered .
HARISHCHANDRA GIRKAR, FIRE OFFICER
'I feel God gave me this chance to do this good deed'.The Taj Mahal Palace hotel was among the targets of the attacks
We got the first call around 11pm from the Trident Hotel. From there we went to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel at about 1am.
We saw white smoke coming out from the heritage wing of the hotel. We could see flames behind the glass windows. Rescue work started around 3am. We would identify victims who were stuck, break open the window, go inside, comfort the guest and help him or her out.
I entered the hotel from the second floor and went into the corridor. Somehow the door shut behind me and would not open. I was trapped there and was wondering if the gunmen would come. But my seniors arrived soon and we all went out with the remaining victims.
At no point was I scared as we were trying to save people from a dreadful situation. Normally when we firefight, there is no risk of a gun fight. This was different. My experience of 16 years was put to the test and I am glad that I could save people from that height of the building. Our work was appreciated.
I only managed to talk to my family the next day. They were worried, but it was all OK. I received many letters after the incident and still receive messages from some people we saved. Initially, I thought a lot about it for a few days, but now I think of the 26/11 attacks only when someone gets in touch with me.
Though that night was horrible and something like this should never happen, I feel God gave me this chance to do this good deed by saving so many people. In that way, I am lucky that it was done through me. RAGINI SHARMA, RAILWAYS EMPLOYEE
'My husband was a kind and honest person'
Even in the worst of times one hopes that nothing will happen to your loved one. We also hoped and prayed that my husband SK Sharma was OK when the news of attacks started coming in. He was a ticket inspector at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.
He was a kind and honest person. He liked to help everyone and he died trying to save a little girl. He could have taken cover and stayed inside, but he chose to help passengers even when the firing was going on.
I have been looked after because we live in a joint family and my children have coped. My son was sitting an important examination and has done well. But I know how much he has suffered.
I had never worked before I was given this railway job as part of the compensation. I think work keeps me occupied. I visit the station every day but what I really think about is that the railways did not recognise him as a martyr. We had to convince the authorities about the kind of pension we were entitled to.
Nothing can fill the void but as a family we feel that when someone goes beyond the call of duty, then adequate respect and recognition is the least his family should get.
We have started a foundation which will hold drawing and painting competitions. We will use the compensation money to give prizes to the brave youth, youth who have done good work, and winners of painting competitions in schools.
I just want all the good work that he did all his life to be carried forward. And I hope my children recover and carry on with what my husband stood for.
ISRAEEL ANSARI, TAXI DRIVER
We lost everything we had in Mumbai. I have shifted back to my village in Bihar because I simply cannot imagine living in the city where my brothers died in the attacks.
Eleven of our family members were at the CST station and we lost six of them. I was parking my taxi and before I could figure out what was happening, the gunmen had done their job. Everything we had was wiped out in no time.
My elder brother Ilyas Ansari had helped us settle when we came to Mumbai to earn a living. Without him, it is not possible to live there. Whatever this city gave us, much more was snatched away from us. Now I have to look after the family and worry about the future of my brothers' children too.
We have been through many difficulties since the attacks and it is impossible to forget what happened that night at the CST station. It will always stay with us.
Four of my brothers and two other family members were gunned down. How can a family cope with this? We have received compensation but we were told that four family members will get jobs with the railways. Nothing has happened so far.
We take each day as it comes. Up to now I have spent most of my time completing formalities to secure compensation. Women cannot do this running around. I feel exhausted but we do not have much choice.
BABLU KUMAR DEEPAK, ANNOUNCER AT RAILWAY STATION
I was on a 3pm-11pm shift that night. At about 9.45pm we saw black smoke coming from platform number 13. The gunmen crossed platforms 13, 12 and 11 and were firing indiscriminately. They were going towards the section from where suburban trains leave.
A train had just arrived at the station and I knew that a big crowd would get off. I immediately announced that everyone should use the rear exit instead of the main exit. I also informed the other announcer as the gunmen went towards the suburban area.
From my work place I have a full view of the station so I could see what they did. We stayed in our cabin with lights off till the gunmen went out and then we started helping people on the platform.
I have been coming here since then and there are times when I still think of that night. Even now I feel scared when I remember those moments. It was a difficult time and my family was worried for me. I have a daughter who is only eight.
I was given 500 rupees ($10) and a certificate by my department for my timely announcements. Sometimes I wish the government had recognised my presence of mind and how my announcements helped. I have laminated the 500-rupee note and feel good about what I did.
I come to the same station every day and work in the same office. It is not easy to wipe out those memories but one has to get on.
SANJAY GOVILKAR, POLICEMAN 'I don't know how I survived but I do believe in God'
I was at home when I heard about the attacks. As soon as we got a call about multiple attacks in the city we were asked to go to work. I was at Girgaum Chowpatty when we were informed on the wireless that the gunmen had hijacked a car and were coming our way. Soon we saw the car coming towards us. When we tried to stop it, it went past us but got stuck in the road divider. What happened after that is a blur as it happened in a matter of minutes.
Qasab [the sole surviving gunman, now on trial in India] was sitting next to the driver. The other gunman fired as my colleague Tukaram Ombale and I leapt towards Qasab. Qasab fired too and Ombale sustained several bullet injuries. I too had a bullet injury, but we managed to capture him alive. I knew that Qasab had to be kept alive. I was in hospital for over a month, and later I went to court to identify Qasab.
When I learnt about anti-terrorism chief Hemant Karkare's death, I felt very sad. I used to look up to him. We lost the best of our men that night. I don't know how I survived but I do believe in God. Anything could have happened during that encounter.
Fortunately I have a large network of friends and a very supportive wife. She is stronger than me emotionally. So I could deal with the sense of loss. I do not feel that police can be armed like army soldiers. We are meant to help out citizens with everyday issues. That night we fought Qasab and Ismail with sticks.
Everyone praised us and I feel that people's attitude towards the Mumbai police has become positive. However, I do not want to rest on past glory. One has to move on and strive all the time. I wish people from all religions would come together and stay united in these difficult times.
DR SANJAY CHATTERJEE, BOMBAY HOSPITAL
'We initially thought it was a gang war
We initially thought it was a gang war when news of firing incidents came in. But as patients started arriving, the enormity of the situation revealed itself. We conducted at least 30 to 40 surgeries in one night.
We formed a team of doctors who did triage so that patients were taken depending on the kind of injuries they had sustained.
There was no time to think when it was all happening. We were completely overwhelmed and were doing our best to save as many as possible. All the departments of the hospital worked to their best and as we had enough blood in the bank we could perform all the surgeries.
We did manage to save most of the injured and some of them kept coming to me later for treatment as they required multiple surgeries. I have kept in touch with some patients - which won't happen in normal circumstances. As medical professionals we do see a lot of cases but that night was different. We just kept working until the next morning.
We even heard rumours that gunmen were roaming in the city in a police van. I wonder if the security systems in the city have improved since then.
BHISHAM MANSUKHANI, MEDIA PROFESSIONAL
I was stuck in the Taj hotel on 26/11 and was rescued the next morning. Walking out of the Taj, I should have felt a great sense of relief. But I didn't. All I felt was infinite gratitude towards the Taj staff and the National Security Guard commandos.
At this point, it's all about taking those small steps, the most important of which is to keep the incident as real and immediate in my mind. A lot of people died during these attacks and those fortunate to survive have a responsibility towards them.
That morning, some time past 3.30am when the evacuation went horribly wrong and a few of us, my mother included, were cooped up in the Lavender Room of the Chambers, I braced myself for death. I was too blank to begin regretting not having done the many things I had complacently put off for the future.
I do remember desperately trying to keep myself from weeping. It would have amounted to nothing but a dangerous noise that might have given everyone away.
Six hours later, when we were rescued, I couldn't coax myself into elation. Death is the only guarantee and there's no telling when I would have to bring myself to accept it again. Given our current reality, it can't be too long.
