India

The twelve people arrested after a US flight had to make an emergency landing in Amsterdam yesterday will be released, Dutch prosecutors say. "From the statement of suspects and witnesses, no evidence could be brought forward that these men were about to commit an act of violence," said a prosecution statement. It also added that no bombs were found by police on the aircraft. The Northwest Airlines flight, which was destined for Mumbai in India, was escorted back to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport due to a security alert. The plane, which had 1

Police in the Netherlands have arrested twelve passengers after a US flight destined for Mumbai in India was escorted back to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. No further information about the arrests has been given. The plane, which had 149 passengers on board, was accompanied by two F-16 fighter jets on its way back to the airport after the security alert today. According to the Dutch Defence Ministry, the plane's pilot made the decision to land the aircraft after several passengers mustered suspicion. "A number of them behaved, in the opinio

"18 hours of mass hysteria" (according to the Sunday Times of India) broke out last Friday in Mumbai as hundreds of residents flocked to Mahim Creek, one of the most polluted creeks in India that receives thousands of tonnes of raw sewage and industrial waste every day after reports that the salt water had suddenly turned "sweet". Television reports showed people drinking water on the spot with their hands, and others bathing, apparently to wash away their sins with the "holy" water. At the height of the hysteria, bottled mineral water was

A Japanese tanker has spilled an estimated 4,500 tonnes (1.4 million gallons) of crude oil in the eastern Indian Ocean, after colliding with a cargo ship, which it was trying to assist, the tanker's owners report. A statement released by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd, the owners of the tanker, Bright Artemis said that the tanker was attempting to rescue the crew of the distressed Singapore-registered cargo ship, Amar, when the two vessels came in contact about 470 km (290 miles) west of the Great Nicobar Island in the Indian Ocean at 1:00 p.m., (3

An alleged member of the Kashmiri militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba has been arrested by Indian police in connection with the July 11 train bombings in Mumbai which killed 200 commuters on the city's commuter rail network. The arrest followed a raid on a hideout in the Sanai Potha area of Surankote in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) state. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai police aided by the Counter-Intelligence Wing of the J&K State Police apprehended the militant, identified as Abdul Hameed. Hamed has been taken t

A 16 year old girl has crashed her car into a hollow tree stirring up the fury of a swarm of bees ten miles (16km) south of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ten people including the girl received treatment at a hospital. Jacqueline Cossairt's SUV crashed into the tree after she lost control on a gravel road. Despite hot summer temperatures, firefighters wore full safety gear including face mask and oxygen tanks as they tried to rescue her from the wreck. The bees were doused with foam and water. "Those bees were mad," said Volunteer Fire Chief Kent Gil

Producers of India's Big Brother have said that an upcoming celebrity edition will have a ban on "hanky-panky". A spokeswoman for Endemol India told BBC News that contestants will have to remain chaste in the Big Brother house for three months. "Participants will be told to keep their hands to themselves," she revealed. "India is a conservative society and it is not ready for the raunchy scenes that so characterise the programmes in the West," she added. And unlike other versions of Big Brother around the world, India's version will not be t

The Government of India has reportedly instructed Internet Service Providers to block Blogger, Typepad and Geocities, among around twelve other domains perceived to be hosting 'radical' and 'anti-India' websites. Many Internet users in India were unable to access blogs over the weekend. The ISPs which have complied with this alleged directive are Spectranet, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), Reliance Powersurfer, Airtel Broadband and Sify, among others. Spectranet has confirmed that it has received such a directive, saying that the lis

The toll in yesterday's serial bombings on Mumbai's commuter trains has risen to 200 killed, with 714 people injured, according to the official estimate released by the Police. 127 victims have been identified and a further 56 remain unidentified, the estimate said. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks. Indian authorities have said that the Kashmiri militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) may be involved. An LeT spokesman has denied any involvement. The day after the blast, schools, colleges and offices functioned normally

Seven bombs exploded Tuesday at various local railway stations in the city of Mumbai, India between 6:24 pm and 6:35 pm IST (GMT+5:30). The first blast ripped through the first-class compartment of a local train from Churchgate to Borivali, near the Khar station. Subsequent blasts occurred at Bhayandar station near Mira Road, Mahim station, Matunga, Jogeshwari and Borivali. A seventh blast has occurred in the Khar-Santacruz subway. Local phone lines in Mumbai have been jammed. The Press Trust of India, quoting railway officials, said all seven

Manvendra Singh Gohil, the 40-year-old son of the erstwhile Maharajah of Rajpipla (India), was disowned by his formerly royal family for coming out as a gay man. Homosexuality was effectively criminalized in India in 1861 under British colonial rule. The sodomy laws, which remain in force today, mandate penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The Gohil family once ruled India's Rajpipla principality. Although India abolished royalty when it gained independence from Britain in 1947, the Gohil clan is considered to be one of the wealthiest fam

India and China reopened the Nathula Pass in the Himalayan state of Sikkim, on Thursday. The pass had been closed for the last 44 years, following the Sino-Indian War. India and China finalised the agreement to open the pass in June 19, as part of an effort to improve diplomatic relations between the two. The opening comes only a few days after China inaugurated the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which links Tibet to the rest of China. The opening of the pass was marked by a ceremony on the Indian side attended by officials from both sides, includin