Kabul: Taliban gunmen launched a brazen assault on targets in the centre of Kabul on Monday, with suicide bombers blowing themselves up at several locations and heavily armed militants fighting a pitched battle in a shopping centre.
It was the worst attack on the city in nearly a year. Gunfire and loud explosions shook the city and a huge column of smoke towered over its centre, pouring out of the shopping centre where gunmen battled security forces for hours.
After more than four hours of gunbattles, President Hamid Karzai said in a statement that "the security situation is under control and order has once again been restored."
The Taliban said 20 of their fighters were involved in the attacks, which they said targeted the presidential palace, justice ministry, ministry of mines and a presidential administrative building, all clustered in the centre of town.
When the attacks began outside Karzai's sprawling palace compound, he was inside swearing in new members of his cabinet.
"As we were conducting the ceremony of swearing in, a terrorist attack in a part of Kabul close to the presidential palace is going on. This is just one of the dangers," Karzai told ministers. "The danger that could harm Afghanistan is sowing national discord among Afghans."
U.S. envoy to the region Richard Holbrooke, who had left Kabul hours earlier for New Delhi, said: "The people who are doing this certainly will not survive the attack nor will they succeed, but we can expect this sort of a thing on a regular basis. That is who the Taliban are."
All terrorists who stormed Taj hotel were Indians: Kasab
MUMBAI: Continuing his flip-flop, Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab on Monday told a special court trying the 26/11 attacks case that all the four terrorists who stormed Taj hotel were Indians.
Kasab, whose statement is being recorded by the court on evidences adduced by the prosecution, told Special Judge M L Tahaliyani that while one of the terrorists of the Taj hotel siege was a Kashmiri, another was from Gujarat.
Kasab claimed the third terrorist at Taj was Abu Ismail from Mumbai. According to prosecution, Ismail was gunned down at Girgaum Chowpatty by the police in an encounter when he along with Kasab was trying to escape. He, however, did not elaborate on the identity of the fourth terrorist at the Taj.
The Pakistani terrorist has been making conflicting statements in the court. While at one point Kasab confessed to his guilt and admitted having shot people at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus along with Abu Ismail before being captured at Girgaum Chowpatty, he later denied any involvement in the terror strikes.
Kasab's claim came when Judge Tahaliyani wanted to know if he had anything to say about the slain terrorists who had been identified by eyewitnesses.
When the Judge asked how he knew that Abu Ismail was from Mumbai, Kasab said, "I can make out from his face". To this Tahaliyani asked in a light-hearted manner "Did he look like a Marathi manoos?"
After having initially confessed to his guilt, Kasab had recently denied involvement and told the court that he had come to India from Pakistan by Samjhauta Express several days before the 26/11 carnage and was picked up from Girgaum Chowpatty by police a day before the terror attacks.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the court, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam described Kasab's claim as "absurd and concocted".
"Kasab's claim is absurd and concocted. He has been taking frequent U-turns and this is one of those. This will in no way weaken the prosecution's case against him," Nikam said.
China tried to hack India's computers: Narayanan
LONDON: Chinese hackers have tried to penetrate computers in the offices of national security adviser MK Narayanan, a British paper on Monday quoted him as saying.
Narayanan said his office and other government departments were targeted on Dec 15, the same date that US defence, finance and technology companies, including Google, reported cyber attacks from China.
"This was not the first instance of an attempt to hack into our computers," Narayanan told The Times in an interview, adding the would-be hackers sent an e-mail with a PDF attachment containing a Trojan virus.
The virus, which allows hackers to download or delete files, was detected and officials were told not to log on until it was eliminated, Narayanan said.
"People seem to be fairly sure it was the Chinese. It is difficult to find the exact source but this is the main suspicion. It seems well founded," he told The Times, adding that India was cooperating with the US and Britain to bolster its cyber defences.
The Chinese government has denied any role in the attacks, with a foreign ministry spokeswoman saying: "Hacking in whatever form is prohibited by law in China."
Narayanan said that while he expected China to be an increasingly high security priority for India, the main threat still came from militants based in Pakistan.
He said Islamabad had done nothing to dismantle militant groups since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and criticised Britain for accepting its excuse that such groups were beyond its control.
"The British are still blinkered on this. We believe Pakistan's policy of using terror as a policy weapon remains," Narayanan said, adding India is anxious to prevent an attack from Pakistan during the Commonwealth Games in October.
"From Pakistan's point of view, it's important to disrupt the Games so you can claim that India is not a safe place," Narayanan said.
Centre to derecognize 44 deemed universities
NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it has decided to withdraw the "deemed" status to 44 universities in the country alleging these were being run as family fiefdoms rather than on academic considerations.
However, to avoid jeopardising the future of nearly two lakhs students enrolled in these universities spread over 13 states, they would be allowed to revert back as affilated colleges of their original universities, the Centre said in an affidavit.
The affidavit filed by the HRD Ministry said the government has accepted the recommendations made in this regard by the high-powered P N Tandon committee and the Special Task Force set up to suggest measures to tackle the problem.
"The Review Committee came across several aberrations in the functioning of some of the institutions deemed to be universities. It found undesirable management architecture where families rather than professional academics controlled the functioning of institutions," the affidavit said.
According to the Centre, most of the 44 erring deemed universities were offering post-graduate and undergraduate courses that are "fragmented with concocted nomenclatures" and seats "disporortionately" increased beyond the actual intake capacity.
Hearing on Rathore's bail petition adjourned till Jan 25
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday adjourned till January 25 the hearing on the anticipatory bail petition of former disgraced Haryana DGP SPS Rathore and his plea for quashing of the charge of abetment to suicide in the Ruchika molestation case.
The hearing was adjourned by Justice Sabina after hearing arguments of 67-year-old Rathore's lawyer-wife Abha on certain technical issues.
On January 12, the court, while giving no relief to Rathore, had posted for today arguments on the petitions of the former IPS officer while asking CBI, which is probing the case, to give its response to the cases tomorrow.
The CBI also took over the probe into the three fresh FIRs against 67-year-old Rathore, who got away with a lighter sentence of six-month imprisonment awarded by the CBI court.
Justice Sabina had issued notice to CBI regarding stay in the event of Rathore's arrest after the investigating agency had sought a week's time to file its reply on his anticipatory bail plea in the two fresh FIRs accusing the former top cop of serious criminal charges in the Ruchika case.
Rathore also sought quashing of a third FIR which charges him with abetment to suicide of the girl, three years after she was molested on August 12, 1990.
Mourners throng Basu's residence, party HQ to pay homage
Kolkata: A stream of mourners lined up before the CPI-M headquarters and the Indira Bhavan, official residence of Jyoti Basu, in Kolkata to pay their last respect to the departed leader as West Bengal observes a two-day state mourning beginning Monday.
A portrait of Basu has been placed on a pedestal in front of the party headquarters on Alimuddin Street to enable mourners to pay floral tributes.
Mourners with bouquets and garlands also gathered in front of the Indira Bhavan at Salt Lake.
Basu's body has been kept at the private funeral parlour 'Peace Haven' from where it would be taken tomorrow in a procession first to the state secretariat, then the Assembly building and finally to the state-run SSKM Hospital for handover to the hospital authorities.
Across the state silent mourning processions were taken out today with placards reading "Jyoti Basu Amar Rahe". CPI-M flags were flown in half mast in different party offices across the state.
CPI-M sources said that Nepalese Premier Madhav Kumar Nepal and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may visit the city to pay their last respects to Basu.
"We are also yet to get confirmation of the arrival of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to attend the Marxist leader's last journey," they said.
Sources said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to arrive on Tuesday and so is veteran BJP leader L K Advani. Basu's body will be kept for four hours at the state Assembly on Tuesday to enable mourners to pay respect.
Indian Business News
Led by banks, Sensex gains 87 pts
Mumbai: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark index Sensex rose 87 points on funds buying in blue-chip counters led by banks and PSUs.
The Sensex after a weak start, bounced back to close higher by 86.75 at 17,641.08 after hitting a high of 17,712.60 and a low of 17,505.50 during the session.
The largest software major TCS surged to all-time high of 816.40 in early trade after it beat street expectation on Friday with an over 33 per cent jump in profit. The stock closed at Rs 799.60.
The third-biggest lender HDFC Bank climbed Rs 76.55 to Rs 1,767.55, after Morgan Stanley upgraded it to "overweight" from "equal-weight," saying lower credit-cost estimates are boosting earnings forecasts.
The National Stock Exchange index Nifty 50 rose by 22.65 to 5,274.85, after moving between 5,292.50 and 5,228.95.
Even as the stock markets in Asia remained weak, a better opening in Europe pushed the local markets in the last hour of trade.
Among the 30 Sensex counters, 19 gained while other 11 ended with losses. The bank and finance company stocks gained the most with the banking index rising 2.41 per cent on expectations of better third quarter earnings. The second biggest gainer was PSU index with a 1.91 per cent jump.
The auto index rose by 1.70 per cent, consumer durables by 1.37 per cent, IT index by 0.59 per cent, and Tech index by 0.59 per cent to 3,418.11. However, the upsurge was checked as stocks in healthcare, oil and gas, metal and power sectors closed with losses.
Timing of policy exit a challenge: RBI
Goa: he timing and sequence of exit from an easy policy is still a challenge, Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Monday.
Subbarao, who was speaking at a conference in Goa, also said the challenge was to support growth without compromising price stability.
The Reserve Bank of India will review monetary policy on Jan.29.
Wholesale sugar prices have dipped: Pawar
New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that wholesale sugar prices have fallen 10-12 per cent in the past two to three days and the effect would be felt in the retail prices in some time.
Talking to reporters here, Pawar said: "There is a drop in wholesale but not in retail yet. Our past experience of many years... whenever there is drop in wholesale, it takes about 10-15 days in retail so we hope that the process will start soon."
He said wholesale sugar prices had fallen to Rs 37-38 per kilogramme from Rs 42.
Pawar also said cold weather in northern India was beneficial for the wheat and rapeseed crops, and an instruction for the selling of wheat and rice in open market has been sounded to the officials.
"We have given instructions for the sale of wheat and rice in the open markets of the FCI (Food Corporation of India) branches. Its effect will be felt in some time and I hope the state governments will help us in this," Pawar added.
The government last week had announced a slew of measures such as duty-free sugar imports and enhanced allocation of rice and wheat to check prices. Indian inflation jumped to a one-year high of 7.3 percent in December, driven by high food prices.
Indian Sports News
1st Test: Indian pacers rattle Bangladesh
CHITTAGONG: Indian pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma did the early damage to put Bangladesh under pressure in the opening Test on Monday.
Raqibul Hasan was unbeaten on one and Mohammad Ashraful had yet to open his account when play was called off due to bad light. Only 24.5 overs were bowled because of poor weather on Monday.
Sachin Tendulkar earlier scored a superb 105 not out under pressure for his 44th Test century to boost India's total. He cracked two sixes and 11 fours in his 166-ball knock.
Bangladesh then got off to a sound start, with left-handed openers Tamim Iqbal (31) and Imrul Kayes (23) playing some attractive shots against the Indian strike bowlers.
Iqbal was initially more aggressive, scoring 21 in the opening four overs before his partner opened his account.
Kayes outscored Iqbal after lunch, hitting left-arm seamer Zaheer for two boundaries in an over and then driving S Sreesanth for a four.
Zaheer broke the partnership when he removed Kayes, who was trapped leg-before while playing across the line. He then bowled Iqbal in his next over with a delivery that kept low.
Sharma's lone victim was Shahriar Nafees, who was caught by VVS Laxman at second slip after contributing only four.
India posted their lowest-ever total against Bangladesh despite Tendulkar's century. Their previous lowest in a completed innings was 429 in Dhaka in 2000.
India, reeling at 213/8 on Sunday, lost their remaining two wickets in less than eight overs in the morning, with left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan and paceman Shahadat Hossain finishing with five wickets apiece.
Shakib grabbed 5/62 for his sixth haul of five or more wickets in Tests and Shahadat took 5/71 for his third.
Tendulkar, who had only tail-enders Sharma and Sreesanth for company, went for shots early in the morning in pursuit of his century.
Resuming on his overnight score of 76, he pulled Shahadat for a four in the first over after play started 90 minutes late due to fog, and then hoisted Shakib over long-on for a six.
Tendulkar was on 93 when last-man Sreesanth joined him and completed his century with two successive fours off Shahadat.
NRAI bows down to Abhinav Bindra's pressure
New Delhi: After creating a furore by threatening to quit, Abhinav Bindra had his way with the shooting establishment agreeing to consider the Olymic hero's international scores for inclusion in the team for the third and fourth World Cups to be held later this year.
NRAI has also requested the Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi to intervene and sort out the issue, which created a flutter after the Beijing Olympic Games gold-medallist expressed his desire to quit.
"Being the IOA president, we have asked Mr Kalmadi to talk to Bindra and settle the matter. We have called his father A S Bindra for a meeting tomorrow and asked him to bring Abhinav's international scores alongwith him," NRAI secretary-general Baljeet Singh Sethi told reporters.
"But Abhinav's selection in the first and second World Cup and Commonwealth Shooting Championships is impossible. We will consider his international scores for the next two World Cups.
"The teams have already been selected and the government has also given its approval, so we can't make any changes right now," he added.
Just 12 slots to fill at third IPL auction
Mumbai: An interesting mix of players, including Indian Cricket League returnees, would go under the hammer at the third Indian Premier League auction during which the franchises would choose from a list of 66 to fill just 12 available slots in Mumbai on Tuesday.
"Well there are a lot of buy-outs which are still in progress. I expect no more than 12 slots at the maximum to be available unless there are a few last moment surprises," said IPL's Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman ahead of the auction that is to be held at a suburban hotel in Mumbai.
A buy-out means paying a contracted player his dues before the expiry of the contract in order to free him of his obligations towards the team.
Each franchisee has USD 750,000 at its disposal for buying new players at the auction featuring cricketers from all nine Test-playing countries.
The players bought would be contracted for only one season, specifically till December 31 of 2010, and that includes the Champions League Twenty20.
"In the first year we devised a three-year contract. We had said that at the end of three years, with the addition of franchises, the entire process would change. The changes will be effected after this season of IPL," the IPL official has said.
Raman reckons exciting West Indian talents - hard-hitting batsman Kieron Pollard and fast bowler Kemar Roach - would be among the most sought after.
"Some of the Pakistani players are interesting and of course, the Australian players add to the excitement. I would like to see a lot of them playing the IPL this season," Raman said.
Nadal advances to Australian Open second round
MELBOURNE: Defending champion and second seed Rafael Nadal wore down Australian Peter Luczak to begin his Australian Open campaign with a Nadal advances to Australian Open second round straight sets victory on Monday.
The Spanish world number two, bidding for his seventh Grand Slam title, overcame the 78th-ranked ranked Luczak 7-6 (7/0), 6-1, 6-4 in two hours 34 minutes.
Nadal, who is working his way back to full fitness after injuries blighted his last season, will next play either Argentina's Leonardo Mayer or Slovakia's Lukas Lacko with a potential quarter-final looming against Andy Murray.
Nadal, who beat Roger Federer in a gripping five-set final last year, has not claimed a title since winning on the Barcelona clay last April.
He encountered a spirited opening from Luczak, cheered on him by his home crowd in Rod Laver Arena, and lost his service in the eighth game before breaking straight back in the next game.
The opening set went to a tiebreaker but Nadal stormed through without dropping a point to seize the initiative.
Luczak appeared to lose steam after the loss of the first set and Nadal broke him twice to wrap up the second set in 33 minutes and broke him again in the opening game of the third to control the match.
Nadal dominated the points, hitting 35 winners to Luczak's 29 and broke the Australian's service a total of four times to dropping his own serve just once in the first set.
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