Pakistan’s Pashtu artists flee Taliban repression

PESHAWAR - When his captors released famous Pashtu comedian Alamzeb Mujahid after a week of horror and humiliation in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s conflict-ridden North West Frontier Province, they gave him the lone choice of abandoning showbiz.

Obama calls leaders of Russia, France, Germany

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama Monday telephoned French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to discuss the global economic crisis, the Middle East and improving bilateral relations.

17 killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - At least six suspected Al Qaeda members and 11 local militants were killed Friday as US drones fired around a half dozen missiles at two militant hideouts in Pakistan’s tribal region bordering Afghanistan, intelligence officials said.

Manmohan’s heart surgery Saturday, Pranab may officiate

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will Saturday undergo a bypass surgery that is expected to keep him out of work for up to four weeks, official sources said Friday. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to discharge his duties in his absence.

Obama speech interrupted 30 times! Believe that if you will

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama cut short his inauguration address, skipping six pages, as the speech was ruined by incessent jackhammering from a nearby park, if a report in the spoof-only publication Onion is to be believed.

At history’s doors, Obama holds hope of American renewal

WASHINGTON - Standing at the threshold of history as the first black president of the United States, Barack Obama invited his nation to a ‘celebration of American renewal’ for his inauguration Tuesday.

Australian soldier gets Victoria Cross

SYDNEY - An Australian soldier who braved enemy machine-gun fire to save an Afghan interpreter shot in a Taliban ambush has become the first Australian in 40 years to win the Victoria Cross award.

Pakistan closes major NATO supply route through Khyber Pass

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Wednesday temporarily closed a vital supply route for Western troops in landlocked Afghanistan, officials said.

India, Afghanistan send broad hint to Pakistan - stop terrorism

NEW DELHI - In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India and Afghanistan Monday said that countries needed to prevent acts of terrorism emanating from their soil.

Will Ganga, Sunderbans be among seven wonders of nature?

LONDON - Here comes a new poll to name the seven wonders of nature, with India’s Ganga river, Sundarbans mangrove forests and Kaziranga national park being some of the hot contenders.

Suicide attack kills 10 in Afghanistan

KABUL - A suicide attack Friday morning killed at least 10 people, including a police official, in southern Afghan province of Nimroz, an official said.

When religion and art overlapped along the ancient Silk Route (IANS Book Review)

Book: ‘Indian & Central Asian Art: Narrative Interpretations of Unique Fragments’; Authors: P. Banerjee and Radha Banerjee-Sarkar; Publisher: Abha Prakashan; Price: Rs.4,000

India hopes Pakistan won’t backtrack on Kasab

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD - A day after Pakistan officially owned up to the nationality of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Mumbai attacker in Indian custody, New Delhi Thursday hoped Islamabad would not backtrack on this and asked it to fulfil its anti-terror pledge.

Iran looms huge for Obama amidst tension with Berlin

WASHINGTON - US election euphoria, the financial crisis and the Middle East crisis have upstaged the issue of Iran’s nuclear activities which are viewed as a growing threat in 2009 to world security.

No peace with terrorists who burnt my Mumbai: Rushdie

LONDON - Indian-origin writer Salman Rushdie says he is ‘desperately upset’ by the terrorist attacks on Mumbai - his place of birth - and strongly disagrees with the view that peace ought to be made with Taliban militants in Afghanistan.

Spain rules out more troops for Afghanistan

MADRID - Spain has ruled out more troops for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) fighting the Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan but said it was considering sending peacekeepers to war-ravaged Somalia.

Stop all travel between India and Pakistan, BJP tells government

NEW DELHI - India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday asked the government to stop individuals from travelling between this country and Pakistan and also sought the recall of the Indian high commissioner from Pakistan.

Hasty military action will jeopardize long-term national interest (Comment)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s pithy observation that ‘nobody wants war’ should serve as an appropriate response to the acerbic comment made earlier by Pakistani Army Chief, General Pervez Kayani, that Islamabad could retaliate within minutes of any Indian pre-emptive strike on Pakistani territory.