Turkish police storm ferry, killing hijacker

State-run television says Turkish commandos stormed the hijacked ferry and shot dead the lone hijacker.

TRT television said some people jumped into the sea during the raid, but it wasn't immediately clear if any of the 18 passengers aboard were harmed.

Leaders eye final Trans-Pacific deal in 2012

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama and eight other leaders said on Saturday they have made good progress on a groundbreaking pan-Pacific trade deal and expected to finish in 2012.

Arab League votes to suspend Syria

Reporting from Cairo and Beirut—

In a stinging rebuke of President Bashar Assad, the Arab League voted Saturday to suspend Syria if his regime fails to take immediate steps to implement a peace plan designed to end months of unrest in the country.

The suspension would take effect Wednesday, a delay that appears designed to give Syria one more chance to comply with the league-brokered plan approved this month.

Italy races to form new government after Berlusconi

(Reuters) - Italy's head of state begins talks on Sunday to appoint an emergency government to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and handle a crisis that has brought the euro zone's third largest economy to the brink of financial disaster.

Berlusconi resigns as premier, makes way for Monti

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday resigned and indicated he would give conditional support to the formation of a new government led by former EU commissioner, Mario Monti.

Mr. Berlusconi tendered his resignation to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, who accepted the request, the president’s office said in a statement. The move came after parliament gave final approval to austerity measures demanded by the European Union.

Man beaten up in Geelani's rally is our man: Army

The Army has said the man who was beaten up by mob on suspicion that he had made an assassination bid on hardline Hurriyat faction chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani during a rally here was actually a member of its "covert team".

Advani accuses UPA of being ‘too soft' on black money

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani on Friday accused the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre of being “too soft” on black money stashed in foreign banks and demanded that steps be taken to bring back this wealth that could be used for development projects. He said the BJP intended to raise the issue during Parliament's winter session beginning on November 22.

Ram Jethmalani meets Rajiv Gandhi case convicts in jail

CHENNAI: Noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Saturday met Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, at the high-security central prison in Vellore. Recently, Jethmalani appeared for the three convicts in the Madras high court when their petition seeking commutation of death sentence came up for hearing. 

Death convicts in Rajiv case innocent, says Jethmalani

“I came to hear from Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, death convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, that they are innocent. That was the only purpose of my visit to the Central Prison, Vellore”, said eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Saturday.

Poll decision after meeting Reddy tomorrow: Sriramulu

Former Karnataka minister and BJP leader B Sriramulu on Monday said he would take a decision on contesting the November 30 Bellary Rural bypoll either as an independent or as BJP candidate after meeting former minister G Janardhana Reddy in prison in Andhra Pradesh tomorrow.

Ex-president Kalam frisked again in US

New Delhi: America has done it again. Notwithstanding previous protests, US officials in September this year frisked none other than former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam at JFK Airport in New York. 

South Asian nations seek closer links

The historically tense relationship between India and Pakistan has been the focus of strong interest during the summit

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The Maldives have, perhaps, seen nothing like it.

Every so often ordinary vehicles, including the buses that ferry the journalists around, have to pull into the tiny country lanes and wait while fleets of black Maldivian limousines carrying VVIPs pass by.

Rajasthan congress committee suspends Mahipal Maderna from primary membership

In Rajasthan, the State Congress Committee has suspended former Water Resources Minister Mahipal Maderna from primary membership of the party. Maderna is an accused in Bhanwari Devi case. 

Bhanwari case: CBI grills former Rajasthan minister

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday questioned sacked Rajasthan Minister Mahipal Maderna here in connection with the disappearance of nurse Bhanwari Devi.

Mr. Maderna, who was accompanied by a couple of his supporters, arrived at the CBI office at about 11.15 a.m.

Advani's Yatra moves to Punjab today

New Delhi: Veteran BJP leader LK Advani's Jan Chetna Yatra against corruption moves to Punjab on Sunday.

The BJP leader has been on the road for 32 days. He will be addressing a public meeting in Ludhiana where he is to attend a public meeting. A night halt in Ludhiana is scheduled.

Armed forces with unlimited powers are answerable to no one

Unmarked ... gravedigger at Shaheed cemetery. Photo: Mukhtar Ahmed

A MAIN focus of anger for the people of Kashmir is the reviled Armed Forces Special Powers Act, in effect in the province since 1990.

The act, known by its clumsy acronym AFSPA, gives police and soldiers in the valley almost unlimited powers to maintain order, including the right to shoot to kill, to detain indefinitely without charge and to enter and search any building.

Above all, it gives police officers and soldiers immunity from prosecution. Regardless of their actions, they cannot be brought before a court.

17th SAARC summit reaches fruitful decisions: Maldivian president

ADDU City, Maldives, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit reached fruitful decisions after many discussions during the two-day meeting, Madivian President Mohamed Nasheed said here on Friday.

A little turbulence between Bedi, Kejriwal over fake air bills

The instances of Kiran Bedi submitting inflated travel bills to claim compensation much higher than what she paid for continues to unsettle Team Anna.

Arvind Kejriwal questioned Bedi’s methods in a TV interview on Friday saying he himself would have never done such a thing — which invoked a sharp response from her. Then, in a familiar turn, both attempted to show that all was well between them.

Pondy education minister sacked

P.M.L. Kalyanasundaram

Uncertainty over the continuation of education minister P.M.L. Kalyanasundaram in the Rangasamy-headed AINRC ministry in Puducherry has come to an end with the chief minister dropping him, at long last, from the Cabinet.

Mr Rangsamy had faxed the letter to the Lt Governor and Union home minister recommending the removal of Kalyanasundaram from the Cabinet.

Puducherry Minister sacked

Puducherry Education Minister P.M.L Kalyanasundaram, who is absconding after the Tamil Nadu police registered a case against him for alleged impersonation, was on Saturday dropped from the Cabinet.

Around 4 p.m Chief Minister N. Rangasamy wrote to Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh recommending that the Minister be dropped.

Top Lokayukta cop shifted to sabotage probe on BSY: Hegde

Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Friday hit out at the State government for transferring Lokayukta official Jeevan Kumar V Gaonkar, alleging that it was an attempt to “sabotage” the probe against former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his family.

Pakistan lists 12 more items for trade with India

Commerce Secretary-level talks in New Delhi on Monday

Pakistan on Friday added a dozen commodities to its list of items that can be imported from India, taking the positive list that Islamabad maintains for trade with India from 1,934 to 1,946. India continues to impress upon Pakistan the need to move to a sensitive/negative list approach to help bilateral trade tap its true potential.

In pact, India, Maldives flag security and development

India and Maldives decided to put security and development at the heart of their bilateral ties by signing a Framework Agreement of Cooperation and Development and a memorandum of understanding which will provide the bedrock for joint cooperation in safeguarding each other’s security interests.

Maya targets Rahul: direct anger at Centre, Cong-ruled states

Targetting Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for saying that the existing conditions in Uttar Pradesh make him angry, Chief Minister Mayawati today asked why “the yuvraj of Congress” does not get angry when the people of UP and Bihar “face harassment” in Congress-ruled states like Maharashtra and Delhi, and when “Dalits get uprooted in Mirchpur village of Haryana”.

Mayawati slams Rahul about inaction against price rise

U.P Chief Minister slams Congress-led UPA Government for its step-motherly treatment towards the State

Two days before the Congress party's election campaign in Uttar Pradesh is flagged off by Rahul Gandhi from Phulpur in Allahabad, Chief Minister Mayawati has asked the Amethi MP to stop enacting the political drama for the sake of vote bank politics. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister even admonished the Congress general secretary for venting his ire at the State government. “Instead of expressing his anger at her government, the Congress ‘yuvraj' should show his anger at the UPA government, which had failed to control prices,” Ms. Mayawati said.

Italian opera for Delhi audience

Italian opera is a virus and once you get it, it’s very difficult to get rid of it,” says Francesca Patane, the lead soprano of the Cavalleria Rusticana, Opera in one act from Italy, who will be performing in the Capital on November 15. 

The unsafe sex

A shocking bit of statistic hit us last week. There has been an 800% increase in rape cases in the last 40 years. Each passing decade should have been safer for women in a country that aspires to be a world leader. But India is today a more dangerous place for the fairer sex than it was ever before. 

Simmering Edwards reveals little

Fidel Edwards is not the most articulate man. Did he think the delivery that reverse swung and crashed through the defences of Rahul Dravid in the second innings of the first Test in Delhi was his best? “I won't say that, but it was a good delivery.” What are his thoughts on the Newlands Test where South Africa rolled over Australia for 47? “Nah, didn't really watch that game.”

India retain same squad for 2nd Test against Windies

India today named an unchanged Indian squad for the second Test against the West Indies, once again leaving out senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh from the side.

The selection committee met here earlier today and decided to retain the side which beat the Caribbeans by five wickets in the opening Test, which finished inside four days yesterday with their two spinners R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha doing exceedingly well.

Delhi staring at innings defeat against Gujarat

Valsad: Hosts Gujarat will be aiming for an innings victory against Delhi going into the final day of their second round Elite Group Ranji Trophy match.

Starting the day at 118 for three, Delhi were all out for 233 in their first innings. Adding insult to injury, Gujarat skipper Parthiv Patel asked Mithun Manhas and co to follow on and at stumps they were 170 for five still 117 runs behind Gujarat`s first innings score of 520.

HC relief for Pune murder accused

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has granted anticipatory bail to an IT professional suspected of burning alive the fiancee of her former lover nearly a month ago in Pune.

Justice Mukta Gupta on Friday granted the relief to Anushree Kundra, who is apprehending arrest by the Maharashtra police. Kundra had approached HC, arguing that she is not involved in the case. The court then stayed her arrest for the next four days and asked the Delhi resident to appear before the court concerned in Pune once this period is over.

Pune murder: Accused granted anticipatory bail

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Saturday granted Anushree Kundra four days anticipatory bail in the Juhi Prasad murder case. The court said after the period of bail granted to her expires, Anushree will have to appear before the court.

Prime accused in the Juhi Prasad murder case, Anushree's lawyer said she had sought this relief from the court. Her lawyer alleged that Nimesh, Juhi's fiancee, wanted to kill both Juhi and Anushree.

A 26-year-old lawyer, Juhi Prasad, related to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy was burned to death on October 13.

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Man suspects wife of affair; hacks, burns her

NEW DELHI: Crime branch sleuths are surprised over the methodical manner in which Sumit Handa went about planning his wife's murder. They say he wanted to execute a "perfect murder" and had used the internet extensively to do research. 

Delhi Police arrests man for killing NRI wife

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested 31-year-old corporate executive Sumit Handa for killing his NRI wife. Handa, a business development manager with a travel firm, strangulated and stabbed his wife to death on October 29.

MPD 2021 doomed by failure in execution

NEW DELHI: Union urban development minister Kamal Nath has described 60% of Delhi'sMaster Plan 2021 as "irrelevant", saying such plans cannot be made sitting in airconditioned rooms. He has set his sights on a review that will anyway be happening as a routine process. Touted as a document that would deliver the city from its woes in February 2007 when it was notified, it's now being trashed. A close look at what it had envisaged, however, reveals that critical steps and processes that it was supposed to initiate were allowed to languish. It was a failure of execution. 

‘Massive’ collections in Swiss black money probe

Investigations say they have already mopped up a “massive amount” — running into “hundreds of crores” — as unpaid taxes from among the 700 numbered bank accounts held by Indians in HSBC Bank in Geneva in the ongoing scrutiny of what is considered a sprawling black money trail.

Berlusconi resigns, crowds in Rome celebrate

By Philip Pullella and Giuseppe Fonte

ROME | Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:39am IST

(Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Saturday to make way for an emergency government Italians hope will save them from financial ruin as thousands of jeering protesters shouted "clown, clown" and toasted the end of a scandal-plagued era.

Berlusconi faces future of legal, business woes

ROME (AP) – His legacy tarnished and his hopes of clinging to power dashed, Silvio Berlusconi faces daunting legal and financial challenges and the prospect of life outside the international spotlight now that he has left office.

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  By Richard Drew, AP
  Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned in Rome on Saturday after the Parliament's lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms.

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By Richard Drew, AP

Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned in Rome on Saturday after the Parliament's lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms.