Federal Minister Convicted
Finding him guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and murder of a private secretary was allegedly demanded a cut in a large bribe transaction, a lower Delhi court convicted Federal Minister for Coal and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Shibu Soren.<More>

AIDS Deaths Can be Lower
A recent paper by World Health Organization scientists say that 28 million lives can be saved by 2030 if newer HIV infections are curbed and access to life-prolonging anti-retroviral cocktails increased but warn that 117 million will die if these are not done.<More>

AIDS Patients to Get Protection
The Federal Government is planning to introduce legislation that will make “stigmatization and discrimination” of/against HIV/AIDS infected patients at work place, education institutions, and hospitals a crime.<More>

Community-Based AIDS Initiative
A Canadian experimental project is partnering with an Indian non-governmental organization to motivate sex workers and devadasis in Bagalkot district in a community-based initiative to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and provide care for those infected.<More>

Update on Missile Programs
Defense Minister A.K. Antony updated the Parliament that the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos has been inducted into the Defense forces and the Trishul anti-Missile project completed while the Akash and Nag missile programs are behind schedule.<More>

Dutt Acquitted on Terrorism
Actor Sunil Dutt, son of erstwhile actors and Congress Party luminaries, was acquitted of terrorism charges even though others with lesser role and charges were convicted recently; the court however convicted him on possession of illegal weapons.<More>

Hizb ‘Commander’ Killed
Security forces killed the ‘commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen’s South Kashmir division Mohammad Ashraf Shah who is ranked 2nd in Hizb’s hierarchy and earned a reputation of clever and ruthless terrorist who also tried facilitating a ceasefire.<More>

Successful Test of Interceptor Missile
Adding to its defensive missile capability, India announced that it had tested an interceptor missile successfully to destroy an incoming Prithivi-II and claiming to have “acquired the capability of air defense against the incoming ballistic missile threat.” <More>

Hawk Jet Trainers Next Year
The first two of the 66 Hawk Advance Jet Trainers (HAJT) ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2004 is reportedly in final stages of testing at the BAE Systems and will fly by year-end and slotted for delivery by September next year.<More>

High-Tech Upgrade for Army
The Indian Army is planning major upgrades to their personnel’s standard battle gear with new uniforms, multi-function weaponry, sensors to monitor their health parameters, and latest communication network for instant access to information on the battlefield.<More>

Zero Tolerance for Terrorism
Addressing a call made by the Intelligence Bureau Chief for stronger laws against terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the nation must “use relevant provisions” in a “professional and scientific manner” but not link it to any religion.<More>

Prabhakaran Hero Week Speech 2006
We are at a cross roads in our freedom struggle. Our journey has been long and arduous, and crowded with difficult phases. We are facing challenges and unexpected turns that no other freedom movement had to face. Unprecedented in history, we are dealing with war and peace talks at the same time.<More>

Nepal Arms Treaty
After much suspense and debate, The Nepal Government and Maoist guerrillas finally signed a tripartite agreement with United Nations for the monitoring and management of arms and armies while Nepal goes into a constituent assembly and elections.<More>

Role of Siachen and Indo-Pak Talks
Visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri met Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee and reiterated that Indo-Pakistan relations were “very important” but observed that the two sides needed to “develop a level of trust.”<More>

Lanka President in India
As the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) and Army (SLA) resumed operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), President Mahinda Rajapakse is visiting India amid allegations that senior Indian officials are pro-Sri Lankan Government (SLG).<More>

Good Voter turnout in Bahrain
Despite high tension between the Government and Shia political groups based on allegations of planned rigging, voter turnout in Bahrain parliamentary elections was high surrounded by controversy over grant of citizenship to non-Shia groups.<More>

No Role for Iran in Iraq
US President George Bush met Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to review the Iraqi situation and assured him of giving him the “the tools,” “capacity to respond,” and that the US was not looking for a “graceful exit” promising to stay “until the job is complete.”<More>

NK-US for Talks, Japan Sets Terms
North Korea and the US seem to step down from the brink and said they were ready for talks, but Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asserted that his country will not “allow North Korea to possess nuclear weapons and laid out terms for engagement.<More>

Israel’s Peace Plan
Israel unveiled several steps that, if met, could lead to serious peace negotiation with Palestinians leading to prisoner exchange, withdrawal of Israeli forces from many parts of West Bank, ease of transit checkpoints, and lifting of financial sanctions.<More>

Left Win in Ecuador
Adding to the string of leftist victories in South America, a Leftist economist, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, with radical views such as cutting off relations with international lenders, won the Presidency of poor and politically unstable Ecuador.<More>