| 16/03/2010 | Mother's joy after Sahil found in Pakistan |
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Sahil Saeed's mother spoke of her joy after she received a telephone call at her Oldham home from her five-year-old son following his release by kidnappers in Pakistan. Akila Naqqash, 31, said she was 'gobsmacked' after Sahil came on the phone after his 12-day kidnap ordeal to say: "I'm OK Mum". 
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| 16/03/2010 | Kidnap victim Sahil Saeed found barefoot in a field |
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Freed kidnap victim Sahil Saeed had his head shaved by his abductors and was discovered wandering barefoot through a field in Pakistan, it has emerged. Five-year-old Sahil, from Oldham, was found on Tuesday morning after he was released by his kidnappers at the end of a harrowing 12-day ordeal. 
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| 16/03/2010 | Kidnapped Sahil Saeed found in Pakistan |
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An Oldham boy kidnapped while on holiday in Pakistan nearly two weeks ago has been found safe and well, the British High Commission said today. Sahil Saeed, aged five, was snatched from a house in the town of Jhelum in the Punjab region of the country on March 4 after robbers held his family hostage at gunpoint. 
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| 16/03/2010 | Blackburn woman searches for mum she hasn't seen in 34 years |
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A woman is hoping that someone can help her trace her mum who she hasn’t seen for nearly 35 years. Parveen Akhtar of Blackburn was just five years old when she last met her mum Yasmin Hussain in Bradford. 
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| 16/03/2010 | Last moments of dad killed in 'drive by' shooting |
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Witnesses have described the aftermath of the shooting of a young dad allegedly killed by drive-by gunmen. |
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| 16/03/2010 | Khan Jnr's Pakistan hope |
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Haroon Khan, younger brother of Britain's world light welterweight champion Amir Khan, hopes to box for Pakistan at this summer's Commonwealth Games. An announcement is expected in the next few weeks after the 18-year-old from Bolton failed in his bid to win a senior ABA title last weekend. 
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| 16/03/2010 | Indian soap deals with issues of female feticide |
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It's been nearly a month and Megha Malik has only just taken a day off from shooting for the popular Colors TV show, Na Aana Is Des Laado.
Most people will recognise Megna as the over zealous lady of the house, Amma in the programme which deals with the controversial issues of female feticide and infanticide. 
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| 15/03/2010 | Academics gather at Bollywood and Beyond conference |
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Leading academics of Hindi cinema gathered to speak at the cinema studies conference Bollywood and Beyond, at University of Westminster’s recently launched India Media Centre. The nine experts from leading institutions in the UK and India presented on a range of Bollywood topics, to an audience of cinema fans and film students attending from as far afield as New York. 
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| 15/03/2010 | Akshay Kumar returns in Housefull |
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Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar is all set to rock the Box Office this year with the much anticipated release of his first film of 2010, romantic comedy Housefull. Co-produced by Eros International, Housefull was filmed on location in UK, Italy, Hong Kong and India. 
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| 10/03/2010 | Shyam Benegal celebrated at film festival |
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One of India’s leading filmmakers, Shyam Benegal, is in the UK for a series of events exploring his vast career and celebrating his achievements in Indian cinema. As part of the Tongues on Fire 12th Asian Film Festival, the director is attending a range of functions across London, including a BAFTA interview, a director’s workshop at the University of Westminster, and a talk on women in films at the Nehru Centre. 
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| 08/03/2010 | From tea-boy to Bollywood star - Abhishek Bachchan on his climb to fame |
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In a 36 hour visit to the UK, Abhishek Bachchan gave London audiences an insight into his life and work at the 12th London Asian Film Festival. The actor opened the ten day series of events with a BAFTA interview and gala dinner on Friday, wrapping his jam-packed visit with an Actor’s Masterclass at a West End cinema on Saturday, before flying home. 
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| 03/03/2010 | Akshay Kumar kickstarts shoot for Tees Maar Khan |
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Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar and Bollywood’s most lovable director, Farah Khan have just kick-started their already-hyped new venture Tees Maar Khan at Mumbai's Film City. Akshay is currently shooting his introductory shot in the film - a major action comedy scene on a huge jumbo jet constructed by set director, Sabu Cyril. 
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| 03/03/2010 | Hrithik Roshan on the colours of love |
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On the occasion of Holi, Hrithik Roshan speaks up on his colourful life and his upcoming movie Kites, which stars Brazilian actress Barbara Mori and the beautiful Kangana Ranaut in a never-seen-before role. 
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| 08/03/2010 | 12th London Asian Film Festival attracts Bollywood stars |
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Bollywood fans in the UK will get the chance to interact with some of the biggest names in the Hindi film industry at the Tongues on Fire 12th London Asian Film Festival (5-14 March 2010). Leading Bollywood figures are scheduled to attend including Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Jaya Bachchan, Soha Ali Khan and Sharmila Tagore. 
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| 01/03/2010 | Abhay Deol raring to go with Road, Movie |
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One of the big winners at the weekend Filmfare awards was Abhay Deol starrer Dev D, which bagged a handful of statuettes.
Now the poster boy of offbeat Hindi cinema is back with his new release, Indo-American production Road, Movie. 
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| 16/03/2010 | Two charged over grave vandalism |
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Two people have been charged in connection with the vandalism of Muslim graves in south Manchester.
Joseph Brownhill, aged 23 of Barlow Terrace, Chorlton and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with criminal damage. |
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| 16/03/2010 | CCTV image released in hunt for armed robbers |
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Police in Bradford have released a CCTV image of robbers who targeted a jewellers in an armed robbery a week ago. The four suspects stole a substantial quantity of jewellery from Shaandar Zewar Jewellers in the Barkerend area on Monday 8 March at 11am. 
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| 15/03/2010 | Crash driver killed his closest friend |
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A medical student who killed his best friend in a ‘tragic’ car accident has been spared jail. 
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| 15/03/2010 | Bishop in plea for ban on EDL rally |
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The Bishop of Bolton is among a delegation who will meet government ministers ahead of a rally by the right-wing English Defence League on Saturday. The Rt Rev Chris Edmondson will travel to London with senior councillors and faith leaders to discuss concerns with Alan Campbell, parliamentary under-secretary of state for crime reduction. 
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| 15/03/2010 | Thieves steal £300,000 of jewellery |
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Thieves have left a Rochdale business on the verge of bankruptcy after stealing £300,000 of jewellery. Nomi Jewellers in Yorkshire Street was raided last weekend when a gang broke into the store through the window of the catering business next door before clearing out the stock. 
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| 17/03/2010 | Mumbai attack suspect Headley to plead guilty |
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In a new twist, American national David Headley, charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with conspiring in the Mumbai terror attack, will plead guilty before a US court on March 18, his lawyer has said.
"Yes, he (Headley) will be pleading guilty on March 18," John Thief, Headley’s lawyer said.
The Chicago court has set March 18 as date for ’change of plea’ hearing for 49-year-old Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative, who has been charged with conspiring in the Mumbai terror attack.
"...scheduling David Coleman Headley for a change of plea hearing on March 18, 2010, before US District Judge Harry Leinenweber," the court entry read.
Theif said that discussions were going on with the government regarding plea bargaining.
"We are working on it and negotiating the plea deal. Yes, I expect this is what is going to happen on March 18," he added.
Meanwhile, US Attorney spokesperson Randall Samborn said he would not be able to comment on whether Headley is changing his ’not guilty’ plea or whether a deal has been reached between Headley and the government.
ibnlive.in.com/news/mumbai-attack-suspect-headley-to-plead-guilty/111618-2.html
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| 17/03/2010 | SF appeares before Court martial |
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The first Court Martial, appointed to try General Sarath Fonseka on charges against his participation in political work while in active service commenced its sittings as scheduled at 9.30 a.m. today at Navy Headquarters.
The Court Martial, presided by Major General H.L Weerathunga took up three charges separately under the above category in accordance with provisions in the Army Act during hearings.
General Sarath Fonseka appeared before the Court Martial with his lawyers, headed by Mr Rienzi Arsakularathne, President’s Counsel. Representatives of the Attorney General’s Department appeared for the prosecution.
The second Court Martial, expected to hear charges regarding contravention of procedures, related to military procurement is to sit tomorrow as announced.
www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/2408-fonseka-appeares-for-court-martial.html
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| 17/03/2010 | Women get one-third share in Gadkari team |
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Women have got their place under the sun in Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari’s new team of office-bearers and an effort has been made to take forward the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s ’diktat’ on the need to give the party a youthful look.
The 121-member new National Executive Committee has as many as 40 women members, nearly one-third of the total, as mandated by the party constitution amended during the tenure of the outgoing BJP president Rajnath Singh.
On the all-powerful 12-member Parliamentary Board, all former party presidents — Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Rajnath Singh — except Bangaru Laxman find a place, as do RSS point men, general secretaries Ram Lal and Thawarchand Gehlot and Bal Apte. Ananth Kumar retains his position as secretary.
Mr. Gadkari has kept Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi out of the board, following the line taken by Rajnath Singh, who dropped him on the plea that no incumbent Chief Minister was its member. Varun Gandhi, who set off a storm of protest after his hate speech during the Lok Sabha poll campaign, has been made secretary.
www.hindu.com/2010/03/17/stories/2010031761290100.htm
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| 17/03/2010 | Congress spokesperson curses Pawar, sacked |
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Senior Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi was on Tuesday removed as party spokesperson in the wake of a controversy over his allegedly objectionable remarks against NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in the context of price rise.
Congress sources said the action against Chaturvedi followed the NCP taking strong exception to his remarks against their leader during an interview to a TV channel.
AICC media department Chairperson Janardhan Dwivedi said Chaturvedi has been removed as a party spokesperson.
Reports had it that Chaturvedi had made some caustic comments about Pawar to a TV channel two days back, drawing a sharp reaction from NCP.
This was for the second time in recent years that Chaturvedi kicked off a controversy as he had faced trouble earlier when he made some uncharitable remarks against the then Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.
ibnlive.in.com/news/congress-spokesperson-curses-pawar-sacked/111617-37.html
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| 17/03/2010 | Man alleges harassment by bank, commits suicide |
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A 35-year-old auto rickshaw driver allegedly committed suicide after failing to repay a loan installment and being hounded by the bank recovery agents.
Police have reportedly recovered the suicide note in which the three ICICI bank agents have been named but no abetment to suicide case has been registered.
Dharamraj Verma had bought two auto rickshaws two years back with a loan from the ICCI Bank. He committed suicide on March 12, allegedly because he was being hounded by the bank’s recovery agents.
"He was suffering as he was unable to repay the loan. Even I had started working as a maid but he was under so much pressure that he committed suicide," Dharamraj’s wife Shashi says.
In his suicide note, written on the back of the ICICI Bank loan card, Dharamraj names three men - Kamal, Raghvendra and Vijay - who are allegedly the recovery agents of the bank.
ibnlive.in.com/news/man-alleges-harassment-by-bank-commits-suicide/111620-3.html
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| 17/03/2010 | Govt bid to win over BJP, Left |
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Determined to introduce the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill in the Lok Sabha in the second half of the Budget Session of Parliament commencing from April 12, the UPA government has decided to make yet another attempt to build a political consensus on the issue.
During the recess period, National Security Advisor Shivshanker Menon and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee will brief the BJP and Left leaders separately to dispel “misconceptions” about the Bill, government sources said. They are likely to meet Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj of the BJP and Sitaram Yechury of the CPM, said the sources.
The government had deferred introduction of the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday in the face of fierce opposition from the BJP and the Left. The government does not want the Bill to be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy, headed by SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, as it could cause undue delay in carrying out nuclear commerce with international power producing companies.
www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-bid-to-win-over-bjp-left/591743/
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| 16/03/2010 | General Fonseka appears before Sri Lanka military court |
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Sri Lanka’s ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka has appeared before a military court on charges of participating in politics while in uniform.
The trial was adjourned until April 6 - two days before parliamentary polls.
But the defeated presidential candidate is due to return to court tomorrow on separate charges of violating military procurement procedures.
Gen Fonseka says the charges are politically motivated and an attempt to bar him from forthcoming elections.
Gen Fonseka was arrested by the army last month. He lost to incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January.
Protests against his arrest and court martial have been held in Colombo.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8569405.stm
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| 16/03/2010 | UPFA kicks off from Kandy |
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The large scale election campaign of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will commence on March 19 in Kandy with a mass rally under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s patronage, Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said.
The UPFA will hold 26 main election rallies at district level with the President’s participation from March 19 to April 5, he said. Addressing the weekly UPFA press briefing at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo yesterday, Minister Alahapperuma said the UPFA will hold another 74 election rallies at electoral level with the participation of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka and other UPFA leaders.
www.dailynews.lk/2010/03/16/pol01.asp
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| 16/03/2010 | Wanting in credibility |
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The Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry states that the US State Department’s 2009 Country Report on Human Rights Practices pertaining to Sri Lanka was a conflation of historical background, repetition of statements in earlier reports, unverified assertions and falls short of the high standards that the State Department professes to uphold.
Issuing a release in response to the March 11, 2010 release of the 2009 Country Report on Human Rights Practices pertaining to Sri Lanka compiled by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour of the United States’ Department of State, the Ministry stated that the basis of many assertions are ‘reports’ that are mainly attributed to anonymous “NGOs”, “international sources”, “human rights groups”, “observers” and other unnamed sources.
It says in the past, few (if any) of these allegations have been made known to the Government of Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, the Government’s position, reaction or response to these assertions are not reflected in the report, making it a less than objective assessment.
www.dailynews.lk/2010/03/16/news03.asp
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| 16/03/2010 | Shed political conflicts |
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The time has come to shed political conflicts and the battle for ‘Manape’ and make a united effort to rebuild the country, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he addressed people who gathered at the Kasagala Raja Maha Vihare during a visit to the temple on Sunday morning. New Sri Lanka
The President said certain people were trying to rouse communal, religious and caste differences and passions under the guise of the general election and the people should rally round to defeat such lowly objectives.
The President said “You are well aware that we made a bold effort to reunite the country which was divided after liberating the North and East from LTTE terrorists. Unlike during past regimes and eras we not only conducted a humanitarian war in a proper manner but also took steps to develop the country.
“Gone were the days when the war effort was made a lame excuse to hide the government’s incapacity to build a road or culvert when people requested it.”
www.dailynews.lk/2010/03/16/news25.asp
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| 16/03/2010 | President unveils Sri Anandaramaya pinnacle in Kalutara |
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa will ceremonially unveil the pinnacle of the newly constructed cetiya at Sri Anandaramaya in Maha Heenatiyangala village in Kalutara South today. The statue made out of rock, five feet in height and in Abaya and Kataka mudra is surrounded by four stone pillars representing four noble truths of worldly life leading to sorrow.
The leaning rock pillar on the left indicates the attachment to worldly things, which causes the suffering.
The eight rock pillars on the right indicate the eightfold path to get rid of earthly attachment leading to sorrow.
The fallen rock pillar on the left indicates the understanding of reality and realization of Nibbana. In front of the rock statue is placed the Siripatula carved out of rose granite (tiruwana) modelled on that of the Siripatula found in the Shrine room at Ruwanveli Dagoba.
Behind the statue rises the bodhiya, a sapling of Sri Maha Bodhiya planted in 1989.
www.dailynews.lk/2010/03/16/news02.asp
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| 16/03/2010 | Govt warns of retaliatory attacks from Naxals |
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The Government on Monday warned of retaliatory attacks from Maoists in Naxal-affected states following the arrest of four Left Wing extremists and seizure of over 2,800 kgs of explosives.
The Centre has alerted all its security forces operating in the Maoist-affected states to be on vigil as the Naxals could carry out a retaliatory attack on them, official sources said.
The forces have arrested two Maoists leaders from Bokaro, Jharkhand and two in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. The questioning of the duo held from Bokaro, including naxal leader Panju Manjhi, led to seizure of 2,800 kilograms of explosives.
"We are expecting a knee-jerk reaction from the Maoists in the states affected by naxalism following the developments.
ibnlive.in.com/news/govt-warns-of-retaliatory-attacks-from-naxals/111567-3.html
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| 16/03/2010 | Haryana’s special cops are a gang of robbers |
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The Haryana special task force (STF) is supposed to fight terrorists and serious crime, so it hurts the state when the team’s members were caught on camera robbing a stockbroker in Panipat.
Seven STF men, dressed in plainclothes, struck twice on March 11. They first allegedly looted Rs 6 lakh from a stockbroker after tying him up. They then tried to extort Rs 10 lakh from jeweller V K Malhotra, claiming to be members of the Haryana vigilance department.
Malhotra gave the STF men Rs one lakh and asked them to collect the remaining amount after 30 minutes.
When one of the STF men returned, Malhotra told him that he had called the police and would pay up before them. The STF man slipped out after saying that he was going to call other members of his team but did not return. Malhotra used the security camera in his office to record the conversation with the STF team.
ibnlive.in.com/news/haryanas-special-cops-are-a-gang-of-robbers/111535-3.html
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| 16/03/2010 | Police probe link of terror duo to ’93 Mumbai blasts fugitive |
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Investigators probing the alleged terror plot to launch fresh attacks in Mumbai after the arrest of Abdul Latif Shaikh and Riyaz Ali over the weekend suspect that the man referred to as “uncle” by the duo in their phone conversations with their handlers is Shaikh’s relative Khan Bashir Ahmed Ainul Haq Khan, a fugitive in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
Recordings of the phone calls are considered crucial evidence with sources saying that the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad was tracking these calls since March 5 as well as alleged hawala transactions involving the two and hawala operators in South Mumbai.
Shaikh and Ali were arrested on Saturday night after the ATS apparently stumbled upon them while monitoring “suspected international numbers” in the aftermath of the German Bakery blast in Pune last month. The two men were allegedly planning to target ONGC tanks in Bandra, Mangaldas Market in South Mumbai and Thakkar Mall in Borivali.
www.indianexpress.com/news/police-probe-link-of-terror-duo-to-93-mumbai-blasts-fugitive/591392/
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| 16/03/2010 | Congress is Enemy No. 1, says Maya |
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The BSP faces its biggest threat from the Congress, party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said on Monday while addressing a huge rally of party workers here to mark the BSP’s silver jubilee and the birth anniversary of party founder Kanshiram.
Accusing the Congress of trying tricks to harm her party, Mayawati said she would not let down the Dalits. “Dalit samaj ka seer niche nahin hone dungi kisi kimat par ( I won’t let down the Dalit community at any cost),” she said.
She narrated the conditions in which the BSP was formed by the Kanshiram in 1984. “In the beginning days, the Congress had tried to project Kanshiram as an agent of the CIA,” she told the gathering. The Congress had tried to create an impression that Kanshiram used to manage fund to run his party from outside. But this could not stop the workers from donating fund to run the party, she added.
www.indianexpress.com/news/congress-is-enemy-no.-1-says-maya/591353/
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