RSS to chart BJP’s final succession plan in October: Sources

NEW DELHI - Marathon rounds of meetings between the RSS top brass with BJP leadership in New Delhi might have prepared a ground for leadership change. But real changeover in BJP is likely to take place only after RSS national executive meet in October.

Australian High Court rules military tribunal illegal, throwing 171 cases into doubt

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s highest court ruled Wednesday that the country’s military justice system is unconstitutional because its judges are not independent of the military command — throwing into doubt 171 cases judged in the past two years.

Increasingly a fait accompli, Honduras coup leaves other leftists fearing they could be next

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Manuel Zelaya’s chances of getting restored to the Honduran presidency become more distant with each passing week. Across Latin America, his allies and foes alike see a precedent being set.

Report: NKorea sending officials to Seoul to attend ex-President Kim Dae-jung’s funeral

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s Yonhap news agency says North Korea will send a delegation to the funeral of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

Questioning Musharraf’s martial law puts Zardari’s oath under threat: Former Pak AG

LAHORE - The Supreme Court’s decision to question the legality of former President General Pervez Musharraf’s action of imposing an emergency in the country on November 3 2007, could also affect President Asif Ali Zardari’s oath, former Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum has said.

Sufi Mohammad to be tried only after adequate proof against him is gathered: ANP

PESHAWAR - Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Mohammad would only be tried after adequate evidences are gathered against him, an Awami National Party (ANP) leader has said.

Colombo to resettle Tamils after demining operations: Krishna

ON BOARD SPECIAL AIRCRAFT - External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Thursday said Sri Lanka has assured India that it will start the process of building houses for over 300,000 Tamil civilians living in temporary camps after the ongoing demining operations in the island nation are completed.

Zardari, Nawaz agree on repeal of undemocratic clauses from Constitution

LAHORE - President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (N) chief Nawaz Sharif here on Friday held a meeting, which lasted for four hours.

Analysis: Sotomayor’s record on limits of presidential power offers clues but no firm answers

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s thin record on the limits of presidential power suggests she will be neither reflexively hostile to broad expansion of a president’s authority nor a reliable rubber stamp in support of it.

Showdown looms in Honduras as deposed President Zelaya vows return, urges backers to mass

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras braced for confrontation Sunday as ousted President Manuel Zelaya insisted on coming home to reclaim his post, urging his supporters to mass at the airport for a showdown with the interim government in power since the army sent him into exile a week ago.

Honduras torn between president ousted in coup, replacement named by congress

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras’ new leaders defied growing global pressure on Monday to reverse a military coup, arguing that they had followed their constitution in removing a leftist president who attacked it.

Georgian opposition pledges broader protests after meeting with president ends in stalemate

TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia’s opposition vowed Monday to take protests nationwide after refusing a power-sharing offer from the president, who they say must resign.

UN asks Nepal parties to honour peace pacts

KATHMANDU - As the rift between Nepal’s Maoists and the other political parties deepened following the resignation of Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked the parties to honour the peace pacts ahead of a UN Security Council meeting.

Justice Department memos prove US did not torture

WASHINGTON - A high-profile attorney has claimed that the declassified Department of Justice memos detailing interrogation techniques prove the U.S. did not torture, even as the ACLU and some lawmakers claim the memos are proof positive the Bush administration did.

Muslim student approaches apex court on keeping of beard

NEW DELHI - A Class 10 Muslim student of Madhya Pradesh has moved the Supreme Court questioning his Christian school’s rules against keeping beards, saying it impinges on his religious faith.

Poll panel had wanted stricter procedure to remove Election Commissioner

NEW DELHI - Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami’s reported recommendation to the president to remove Election Commissioner Navin Chawla goes against the Election Commission’s July 2004 proposal, favouring a stringent procedure for removal of election commissioners.

Kachchathivu island is ours, there is no dispute: Sri Lanka

COLOMBO - Claiming that there was ‘no dispute over Kachchathivu island’, Sri Lanka Wednesday said that the island located in the Palk Strait off Rameshwaram belonged to the island nation according to the 1974-76 bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka.