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20/03/2010 EDL demo in Bolton - as it happened

The English Defence League and Unite Against Facism demonstrated in Bolton on Saturday and you can follow what happened at the event here.

MEN reporters Yakub Qureshi and John Scheerhout provided live updates, including video and photographs.




19/03/2010 Two jailed for terrorism offences

Two men have been convicted of terrorism offences following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Abbas Iqbal, aged 24, and Ilyas Iqbal, 23, both of Percival Street, Blackburn, were convicted today (Friday 19 January) of a number of terrorism offences.




19/03/2010 Kidnapped boy so happy to be home

Little Sahil Saeed was safely back in his mother's arms today after his two-week kidnap ordeal finally came to an end.

The five-year-old, kidnapped two weeks ago by an armed gang during a family holiday in Pakistan, was reunited with his overjoyed mum Akila Naqqash last night.




19/03/2010 Pair jailed for brutal student murder

A cold-blooded duo who arranged the killing of a Bolton student have been jailed for life.

Faisal Aslam, aged 24 of Clarendon Road, Whalley Range and Asim Khan, 26 of Devon Street, Farnworth, were convicted of murder today (Friday 19 March 2010) at Manchester Crown Court.




17/03/2010 RDB perform at UK Asian Music Awards

RDB rocked the stage last week with a special performance at the UK Asian Music Awards.

The annual award ceremony took place on March 11th at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The event was a star studded affair with appearances from Jay Sean, Malkit Singh and Sugababes.




16/03/2010 Indian soap deals with issues of female feticide
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.




15/03/2010 Academics gather at Bollywood and Beyond conference

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. 




15/03/2010 Akshay Kumar returns in Housefull

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.




10/03/2010 Shyam Benegal celebrated at film festival

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.




08/03/2010 From tea-boy to Bollywood star - Abhishek Bachchan on his climb to fame

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.




03/03/2010 Akshay Kumar kickstarts shoot for Tees Maar Khan

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.




03/03/2010 Hrithik Roshan on the colours of love

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.




08/03/2010 12th London Asian Film Festival attracts Bollywood stars

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.




19/03/2010 We’re innocent, say the twins accused of drug dealer murder

A man accused alongside his twin brother of shooting dead a young dad has told a court that they are innocent of murder.

Amran Khan, 29, was shot on the doorstep of his home at Nugget Street, Oldham, on September 18 last year.



19/03/2010 Man on rape charge
A Burnage man has been charged with 16 counts of rape.

Nadeem Aslam, aged 40 of Kingsway, Burnage, is due before Manchester City Magistrates Court on Friday 9 April 2010.

18/03/2010 Asian men's domestic abuse hell

Scalded with boiling water, glass bottles thrown against his head, slammed against the wall, kicked and punched and mentally tortured.

Domestic violence doesn't just affect women in the UK but a growing number of Asian men are also suffering as one Bangladeshi born father-of-three found when he married his British spouse and came to the UK seven-years-ago.




18/03/2010 Four on drugs arrest
Four Oldham men have been arrested in Glodwick on suspicion of money laundering and conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs.

On Wednesday 17 March officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Crime Division executed warrants at houses on Grendon Avenue, Cranbrook Street and Brompton Street. A large amount of cash was also recovered from the addresses.


18/03/2010 EDL demo to go ahead in Bolton

The English Defence League rally in Bolton will go ahead on Saturday after the Home Secretary said he had no power to ban it.

The council was hoping that Alan Johnson would outlaw the demonstration on safety grounds, fearing violence could erupt in the town centre.




18/03/2010 Delight as Sahil is reunited with father

The five-year-old boy freed by kidnappers in Pakistan after his family paid a £110,000 ransom was “really happy” to be reunited with his father today, a spokesman for the British High Commission said.

Sahil Saeed, who was released on Tuesday after being snatched at gunpoint in Pakistan two weeks ago, met Raja Naqqash Saeed at the home of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad.




18/03/2010 British police helped with £100k ransom that got Sahil freed

Greater Manchester Police helped organise the payment of a ransom to the kidnappers of five-year-old Sahil Saeed, the M.E.N can reveal today.

Senior sources confirmed that GMP officers – working with police in Pakistan and Spain – helped ‘facilitate’ a payment.








South Asia National News from AussieIndoLanka


21/03/2010 Yeddyurappa favours internal quota for Madigas
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has promised that his Government will in the next session of the Legislative Assembly get a resolution passed on providing internal reservation for the Madiga community. He was speaking after inaugurating the State-level Madiga convention and the launch of development works for Madara Channaiah Gurupeetha here on Saturday. He asserted that after the passage of the resolution, he would visit New Delhi, along with Ministers and MPs from the State, to urge the Union Government to approve the resolution.   www.hindu.com/2010/03/21/stories/2010032153050300.htm

21/03/2010 SIT waits for Modi today, says no word from him
With speculation rife that Gujarat CM Narendra Modi may ignore its summons for Sunday in connection with the Gulbarg Society massacre case of 2002, the SIT said it had not heard from him ever since it served notice. SIT chief R K Raghavan told The Sunday Express that they had not heard from the CM after serving the summons. He declined to say what the SIT would do if Modi did a no-show. Jay Narayan Vyas, Gujarat government spokesperson, too refused to comment.   The SIT summons were in line with an April 2009 Supreme Court order to probe Modi and 62 others named in a complaint by Zakia Jafri, widow of Ehsan Jafri who was burnt alive with 39 others at Gulbarg Society. On March 15, the Supreme Court indicated it would consider a plea to recall the 2009 order. Appearing for former BJP MLA Kalu Maliwad, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani said the order was passed without serving notice to the 63 named by Zakia.   www.indianexpress.com/news/sit-waits-for-modi-today-says-no-word-from-him/593540/

21/03/2010 US assures India of access to Headley
Indian will have early access to David Headley to interrogate him, possibly in a pre-trial stage, for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks, Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Saturday disclosing that a top official of the US’ justice department had assured him of this. Attorney General and head of the US Justice Department Eric Holder called up Chidambaram on Friday evening, hours after Laskhar operative Headley pleaded guilty to terror charges in a Chicago court to escape extradition to India. Chidambaram said that he was "happy" the conversation "clarified a number of aspects concerning the plea agreement" Headley entered into with prosecutors in the US according to which he could not be extradited to any foreign country and also cannot be given the death sentence.   ibnlive.in.com/news/us-assures-india-of-access-to-headley/111784-3.html

21/03/2010 Gadkari has an enemy in BJP: Shatrughan
BJP Lok Sabha member Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday said things were not well within the BJP and senior party leaders had been ignored in the new team constituted by new chief Nitin Gadkari. "All is not well within the BJP as senior leaders like Yashwant Sinha, C P Thakur and Shehnawaz Hussain have been ignored in the new team," actor-turned-politician Sinha told reporters here. Sinha suggested that the BJP chief should have a fresh look on the new team and make amendment accordingly. "I have already expressed my concern about it during my meeting with Sushma Swaraj, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, in New Delhi," Sinha, Lok Sabha member from Patna Saheb said.   ibnlive.in.com/news/gadkari-has-an-enemy-in-bjp-shatrughan/111792-37.html

21/03/2010 2008 Delhi encounter is no dead matter
The country’s human rights watchdog has absolved the police in the Batla House encounter in Delhi but the controversy over the death of two alleged terrorists refuses to end. Alleged Indian Mujahideen militants Mohammed Atif Ameen and Mohammed Sajid were killed in a gunfight with the police at Batla House in Jamia Nagar on September 19, 2008, five days after serial bomb blasts in Delhi. Friends and relatives of the dead men allege police faked the encounter. Now, the post mortem report--accessed by activists with the help of a Right to Information (Act) Application--on the two men raises nagging questions about the encounter. The post mortem report says that Sajid had three gunshot wounds on the top of his head and one on his right shoulder.   ibnlive.in.com/news/2008-delhi-encounter-is-no-dead-matter/111796-3.html

21/03/2010 Rs 2 cr spent on Sonia’s ad: RTI activist
An RTI query filed by activist Ramesh Verma has revealed the Delhi government alone spent Rs 2 crore in print advertisement featuring Congress party President Sonia Gandhi. Half-page advertisement in an English newspaper cost the Delhi government about Rs 30 lakh. On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti another advertisement whopping Rs 31 lakh. In fact the Haryana government showed their gratitude to Soniaji by printing thank you advertisement in not one but five different newspapers on the same date. The opposition is crying foul at all these party propaganda at the tax payers expense. “She (Sonia Gandhi) is the Party President, but if she becomes an integral part of official advertisements at taxpayers money, it’s a really sad thing for our democracy,” said BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar.   ibnlive.in.com/news/rs-2-cr-spent-on-sonias-ad-rti-activist/111795-37.html

21/03/2010 Ignore Pak, ask Iran for gas via sea: MEA
In light of the dip in ties with Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs has advised the government to walk out of the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline but continue talks with Tehran for a deep-sea pipeline that avoids Pakistan. “In view of the complicated relationship between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs does not advise meeting between India and Pakistan for further discussions on the project... the deep-sea pipeline option may not involve Pakistan and, therefore, the same can be pursued,” MEA officials said at a meeting last week to decide India’s position on the IPI pipeline.   Endorsing MEA’s position, officials from the National Security Council Secretariat cautioned that the IPI pipeline would be a potential target of India-centric terror groups in Pakistan. Last Tuesday, Pakistan signed two pacts with Iran that deems India’s participation in the project at a later date. The pipeline through Pakistan is envisaged to carry 60 million standard cubic metres of gas per day of which half would be for India.   www.indianexpress.com/news/ignore-pak-ask-iran-for-gas-via-sea-mea/593543/

20/03/2010 Cabinet nod to death penalty for hijackers
India’s anti-hijacking laws are set to become more stringent with the government deciding to include death penalty as punishment for hijackers. “The Union Cabinet approved a proposal of the Civil Aviation Ministry to amend the anti-hijacking Act of 1982,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the meeting.   The issue of whether death sentence should be awarded to hijackers was sent to a Group of Ministers (GoM) after a meeting of the Union Cabinet, held two years ago, failed to arrive at a consensus on the issue. After the new government was formed last year, a new GoM was set up led by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to take a final decision on the issue. Union Law minister Veerappa Moily,   www.indianexpress.com/news/cabinet-nod-to-death-penalty-for-hijackers/593345/

20/03/2010 CM tables Chief Secretary’s clarification
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday tabled a signed clarification issued by Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta on the issue of serving beef during the upcoming Commonwealth Games. The clarification by the Chief Secretary said: “The issue of supply of beef during the Commonwealth Games was raised by the Leader of the House in the MCD, Subhash Arya, that the MCD would not permit beef to be served in the Games Village. Some Press people had asked me about the views of the Delhi Government in this regard. I had very categorically told them that catering service contracts are being arranged by the Organising Committee in the Games Village and the issue is between the OC, the contractor selected for running the kitchen in the Games Village and the MCD which is supposed to give permission under the municipal laws. I had made it clear that the Delhi Government has nothing to do with it.’’   www.hindu.com/2010/03/20/stories/2010032064760400.htm

20/03/2010 Supreme Court refuses to entertain Jayalalithaa plea
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain an appeal filed by AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa seeking to set aside the Karnataka High Court’s order declining to quash the proceedings in the disproportionate assets case pending in a Bangalore court. A Bench of Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar, after hearing counsel for Ms. Jayalalithaa and counsel for the State, said: “It is not a fit case requiring our interference under Article 136 of the Constitution of India. The Special Leave Petition stands dismissed. However, the trial court shall fix the calendar and schedule for further trial of the case bearing in mind the convenience of the parties.” The Bench said: “It is needless to observe that the trial court shall give reasonable opportunity to the parties concerned.   www.hindu.com/2010/03/20/stories/2010032054690500.htm

20/03/2010 Modi will exercise his legal rights, says BJP
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — who has been summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court to look into some Gujarat 2002 riots cases — will decide on how to respond on the basis of legal advice given to him, the Bharatiya Janata Party has said. “It is a purely legal process for which an appropriate decision will be taken by Mr. Modi,” party chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Mr. Modi would respond to the summons to appear before the SIT on March 21 “in accordance with legal requirements,” Mr. Prasad added. Other senior leaders refused to say anything, adding that Mr. Modi, like everyone else in the country, had legal rights which he could exercise.   www.hindu.com/2010/03/20/stories/2010032064370300.htm

20/03/2010 Milk adulteration racket busted in Mumbai
A major racket of adulterated milk was busted in Mumbai on Friday night with Food and Drug Authority (FDA) officials conducting raids at three different locations at Shivaji Nagar, Dahisar and Borivili. The accused were caught red-handed on camera and four people were arrested. CNN-IBN was exclusively part of the raid. The gang was using some well-known milk brands like Amul and Mother Dairy. Several hundred packets of milk were being split-open and replaced with water, after which the packets were resealed. The process was being repeated across the different areas simultaneously.   ibnlive.in.com/news/milk-adulteration-racket-busted-in-mumbai/111768-3.html

20/03/2010 Togadia arrested for trying to walk into Kandhamal
Firebrand VHP leader Praveen Togadia was arrested alongwith his supporters by the Orissa Police as they tried to enter riot-hit Kandhamal district, defying a ban on their visit. Togadia, who arrived at Charichowk in Boudh district, neighbouring Kandhamal, was held under Section 151 of the CrPc when they tried to walk into Kandhamal district despite a ban, police said.   After they were asked not to proceed to the district, they initially held a sit-in protest at Charichowk. The VHP leader is now lodged at the forest inspection bungalow at Charichowk, Lambodar Buda, Inspector-in-charge of Boudh police station, said.   www.indianexpress.com/news/togadia-arrested-for-trying-to-walk-into-kandhamal/593394/

20/03/2010 Anna was able to tap into Kamaraj’s success: Tharoor
Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor attributed the victory of the DMK in Tamil Nadu to the former Chief Minister, C.N. Annadurai’s ability to tap into the revolution of rising expectations created by the success of Congress leader Kamaraj. Releasing the biography of Annadurai, Anna: The Life and Times of C.N. Annadurai, the Minister recalled how Tamil Nadu was on the path of growth during the time of Kamaraj, because of development projects, education, rural electrification and midday meals. “In my opinion it was a real success. But paradoxically the success of Kamaraj and the Congress created a revolution of rising expectations among the masses that wanted more and Anna was able to tap into that,” he said.   www.hindu.com/2010/03/20/stories/2010032066201500.htm

19/03/2010 Headley’s guilty plea suits us: Govt
 India will try to interrogate 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused David Coleman Headley after studying his plea bargain. Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said in New Delhi on Friday that the Government is satisfied with the progress in Headley’s case in a US court in Chicago. "The good thing is that he will get life imprisonment. I don’t think that the Government of India will be dissatisfied with that," said Pillai. "As far as interrogation is concerned, we will have to work out the details and accordingly see. It looks like the Indian security agencies will be able to question him, we have to work out the details," he said. However, Headley will not be extradited to India.   ibnlive.in.com/news/headleys-guilty-plea-suits-us-govt/111733-3.html