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September 12

America's Nightmare
Paresh Gandhi ploughs through the dust and ash of lower Manhattan and records sombre images of the disaster.

TERRORISTS STRIKE IN THE US
Sikhs become targets of ire in New York
Miscreants attacked a gurdwara in Richmond Hill while an elderly gentleman was attacked with baseball bats and seriously injured in another incident. But the Indian consulate warned the Indian community to guard against rumours.

Threats, Snide Remarks Worsen the Pain of Bay Area Muslims
But some of them also reported receiving many calls from strangers who said they didn't blame American Muslims and stood by them in support.

Work of restoring air traffic in US begins
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta promised far tighter security around airports from now on, with not even plastic knives being allowed on board anymore.

US building 'coalition' to fight terrorism
'It is a war not just against the US, but against the entire civilisation,' Secretary of State Colin Powell said.

Intercepted communication points to Laden's hand: officials
Investigators were also looking into security lapses at the domestic airports from where the flights originated and trying to find answers to how the terrorists were able to smuggle in knives to hijack the planes.

White House, Air Force One were targets: Official
'We had specific credible information that both were intended terrorist targets, and that the plane that hit the Pentagon may have been headed for the White House,' Sean McCormack, spokesman for the National Security Council, said.

Suspects carried Saudi passports: TV
The two men, named as Wa'el Mohammad al-Shihri and Ahmad Ibrahim Ali al-Hazzouni, carried international driving licenses issued by the UAE, the TV report.

Pak family questioned in connection with attacks
Investigators were also questioning ground handling personnel at Washington and Boston airports as to how the terrorists were able to carry knives into the aircraft.

Suspects carried Saudi passports: TV
The two men, named as Wa'el Mohammad al-Shihri and Ahmad Ibrahim Ali al-Hazzouni, carried international driving licenses issued by the UAE, the TV report.

NY Mayor warns of 'horrific' toll
Attention shifts to the number of lives lost in the WTC tragedy.

Indian businessmen stranded in NY
With the US-Canada border closed, and no commercial flights, Indians are worried about getting home.

Congress to meet on Wednesday
The United States Congress wants to show that the attack has not shut the government down.

Second-hand horror for Americans abroad
In the streets of Paris, they parlayed their disbelief in shocked circles and mobbed telephone booths to reach out to loved ones.

A survivor's tale: Better late than dead
Survivors said the tragedy could have been much greater had the terrorists struck a half hour later.

'They robbed me of my view'
A first person account by Aseem Chhabra from New York.

'Tall buildings attract mad men and fanatics'
Chicago-based Dr R Shankar Nair, former chairman of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, said the WTC was capable of withstanding earthquakes of high magnitude, like the recent earthquake in Gujarat.

SPECIAL
The third world war
The war against terrorism cannot be won by force or by causing the other side an unacceptable rate of casualties. It has to be a pincer attack of punitive retributions combined with a message of love and tolerance, says Wing Commander Ravindra Parasnis.

The chronology of events

Attack on the US: The complete coverage

MOVIES
Fardeen takes Amrita for a ride
On the sets of Kitne Door Kitne Paas.

Masters of melody
Remembering Shanker-Jaikishan.

COLUMNS
It's not the US they want to destroy. It's our arrogance'
'We have stealth bombers and space-age missile defence systems, we can land on the moon and go to Mars. We're rich, we're invincible. We're America. The reality is we're so full of it and now, thousands of innocent people have paid the price for the arrogance of some in the US,' says Reeta Sinha.

Scourge of terrorism: Time to act!
'The world needs to arrive at a consensus that whatever be the cause, any organisation that indulges in the killing of the "innocent, unconnected and unarmed" must be banned worldwide. Any nation that gives sanctuary to these organisations should be isolated economically, politically and militarily,' says Anil Athale.

September 11

Pentagon attacked, World Trade Centre destroyed
Two aircraft crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, bringing both crashing down, even as a third crashed into the Pentagon, causing an explosion. The Washington Mall also caught fire.

Thousands feared killed
But officials were unwilling to hazard a guess on the casualties and it may be days before the final figure emerges.

Indians anxious for their kin in US
'I have been trying to get in touch with my sister in New York ever since I saw the news. It is maddening. I do not know how they are. There is just no news,' Shalini Singh, a south Delhi resident, said.

Indian woman missing from WTC
Valsa Raju was at her office at the 92nd floor when the first plane hit the Tower-1 at around 8.45am.

Bin Laden's hand suspected: official
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch too told CNN he had high-level information from the FBI that the Saudi terrorist leader was behind the attacks.

Tears, disbelief as New Yorkers come to terms with tragedy
The great city turned into an island, with no traffic permitted as the bridges and tunnels and airports that connect New York with the world outside closed.

'This is war, total war'
In a matter of minutes, one of the world's most recognisable skylines had been forever altered, affecting tens of thousands of lives in the process.

'They're hitting Pentagon... everything's going up!'
It was a common feeling across the US: disbelief not yet morphed into indignation. Children sent home from school. People clustered about televisions, watching the scenes of destruction, too stunned often to react.

Extremist group blames US for attacks
A senior official of the Islamic Jihad movement said the attacks were the result of the country's policy in West Asia.

Palestinians hail Osama bin Laden
Around 2,000 Palestinians celebrated in Nablus on the West Bank, chanting slogans in honour of the terrorist leader.

Muslims in US warned of harassment
An Islamic organisation warned that there could be harassment in the US in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Indian groups condemn attacks
'It is a heinous act against humanity and we condemn it in the strongest words,' Dr Thomas Abraham, president of the New York-based Global Organisation of Persons of Indian Origin, said.

UAL confirms two of its planes crashed with 110 on board
One of them was Flight UA 93, a Boeing 757 that departed from Newark, New Jersey, at 0801 EDT for San Francisco with 38 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants on board.

NYC mayoral primary postponed
The primary was set to select candidates for the mayor and other city offices.

Pentagon evacuated amid threat of second strike
A fighter jet overflew the Pentagon at 1050 EDT shortly after it was learnt that another hijacked plane was heading towards the building.

World leaders react with anger, revulsion
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said world leaders would have to combat international terrorism.

The chronology of events

Attack on the US: The complete coverage

OTHER REPORTS
Chaudhry accepts Qarase's invitation to join Fiji cabinet
Chaudhry had earlier said he would refuse Qarase's offer and remain in opposition because of the ideological chasm between the SDL and FLP. But he has accepted the offer, saying FLP will be more effective in government.

SA Indian's play against racial discrimination revived after 25 years
South African Indian playwright and actor Kessie Govender still remembers how apartheid era security police harassed him and forced the closure of his play Working Class Hero in 1976.

MOVIES
Aamir and the Lagaan hangup...
Has John Matthew Mathan's hackles up.

Asoka was born atop a train!
Shah Rukh Khan and Santosh Sivan make a song and dance.

Lagaan: My third baby
For Reena Khan, the world is not enough.

And the Force is with Anant Singh
The distributor scored over rivals for Taiwanese puppet series.

GUIDE TO THE NET
Oova ouevre
She couldn't switch a computer on two years ago. Now, singer Anaida doesn't want to switch it off.

Ahmed Shah Masood
Eight sites on the Afghan resistance leader.

What's in my mailbox?
Dr Know explains the functions of folders.

Car ad comes under fire
The campaign for Mitsubishi's new Lancer car, priced at $14,000, features the slogan: 'It must be dyslexic. It thinks it's a $41,000 car.'

COLUMNS
Wretched state of our states
'In this country everyone expects New Delhi alone to do everything for one and all -- from providing succour from drowning and starvation to education and giving jobs. The media and the public have hardly paid attention to the role of the states in the nation's socio-economic advancement,' says Arvind Lavakare.

Nayak vs Khalnayak
'If at all Indian democracy holds out one valuable lesson, it is this: no ruler in a democracy is going to succeed fighting the system. S/he will have to work within the system in order to wreak the changes that matter,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.

September 10

Jaswant Singh lauds NRIs in US
The enterprising Indian American community has staked its future with that of the United States, which in no way can de-link that reality, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said on Monday

5 SA Indians charged with racism
Days after the conference on racism ended in Durban, two instances of South African Indians indulging in gross racism against black women and children have been reported.

Campaign to free Indian convict in UK
Satpal Ram, who has spent 14 years in British prisons for a crime he describes as self-defence, was to be released on parole, but former home secretary Jack Straw prevented it.

Tagore still enthrals New York
Theatre-goers were in raptures over a version of The Post Office performed at the Fringe Festival in Manhattan while The New York Times recently ran an article recalling the poet's debate on the ultimate truth with Albert Einstein.

Fiji PM reluctantly offers berth to Chaudhry
Laisenia Qarase, Fiji's sixth prime minister, said he would invite Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party to join his cabinet, but made it clear that he was doing so because the new constitution compels him to do so.

INTERVIEW
'Centre cannot force Vedic astrology'
'There is no national consensus on the issue of saffronisation, not even amongst the NDA partners,' says J&K Education Minister Mohammed Shafi Uri.

COLUMNS
Will calling parties pay?
If a 'calling party pays' regime is introduced, local calls to mobile numbers will be as expensive as long-distance ones, says Sucheta Dalal

The umpire strikes back
Prem Panickeron some ICC rules that could do with a little rethinking, and rephrasing.

BUSINESS
Tata group not in talks with airlines on A-I
'Tata Sons wishes to clarify that it is still assessing the situation arising from Singapore Airlines' withdrawal from the divestment process, and has not initiated any formal talks with any other airline,' the Tata group said in a statement.

Economic slowdown is grave, says PM
No room for complacency, warns Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

CRICKET
Ganguly wants longer tenure for players
The India captain said constant changing and chopping of players cannot build a team.

Concern over Bangladesh's Test status
The newest arrivals on the Test scene have lost their first five Tests by significant margins.

MOVIES
All for Won!
The Musketeer bags top spot at the US BO.

Show me the money!
For whom the dough tolls in Bollywood.

'Mira's a visionary'
More kudos for Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding.

Toronto Raves Over Monsoon Wedding
Mira Nair's movie may also win the audience award for the most popular film at the otherwise non-competitive Toronto International Film Festival.

GUIDE TO THE NET
Games for kids
6 sites.

A list for everything!
They range from the helpful, hilarious and inspiring to the disrespectful, annoying and brazen.

Love, longing and broken hearts in the Himalayas
The latest off the Web.

September 9

Firm Indicted for N-Sale to India
The indictment comes amid reports of the possible lifting of sanctions against India by the Bush administration and reported revision of the 1979 Export Administration Act by Congress.

Diplomacy, love and spirituality
Physical attraction might have sparked their interest in each other, but today the common journey of Virendra Singh, a former Indian envoy and his Venezuelan wife Mora Abilahoud is all about spiritual fulfilment.

September 8

Overseas Congress opposes Agnihotri
In a letter to President K R Narayanan, the organisation said the appointment of the ambassador-at-large for NRIs was akin to saffronising Indians living in the US too.

Racism meet drops reference to caste
The conference went into overtime on the contentious issues of how to deal with slavery and colonialism and how to address the conflict in West Asia.

Murder sparks fear of violence in Bradford
The boy, who was of Pakistani origin, was shot following an incident of gang rivalry. The killers are also suspected to be of Pakistani origin.

South Africa clamps down on Pakistanis
Illegal Pakistani immigrants have been in the spotlight recently as South African Indians increasingly accuse them of enticing young girls into marriages of convenience to secure citizenship.

LTTE using Ontario temple for fundraising
The Tigers' belligerent fundraising at the newly reopened Ganesh Hindu temple, whose congregation is mainly Sri Lankan, has put the trustees in a quandary.

Indian speakers meet in Australia
The delegation, led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed, is in Australia as part of the run-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in October.

Sanctions on India, Pak may go simultaneously
Analysts said that if this happened, it would be clear that despite the Bush Administration's assertions to the contrary, US foreign policy's 'zero sum game' strategy is very much alive.

US should re-examine India policy: Cohen
The leading India expert at Brookings Institution, Stephen P Cohen, urged Washington to 'offer qualified support' to India for a seat on the UN Security Council, 'but only after the Kashmir problem appears to be on the road to resolution'.

September 7

UK Right-wing Party Now Woos Hindus
The announcement by BNP leader Nick Griffin drew instant condemnation from minority groups. "We will not allow a racist party to divide the Asian community in Britain," a leader with the Anti-Nazi League said.

Hoax for adultery proves costly
Zaid Gora faked his abduction to spend time with his mistress. A Durban judge has ordered him to pay Rand 30,000 for wasting the police's time.

Indian American named to Bush panel
Florida cardiologist and staunch Republican fundraiser 'Zach' Zachariah is the only Indian-American named to the president's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Woman's death shocks Asian community
Shamin Siddiqi had just finished her shopping, when she stopped to find out why a friend and her daughter were being questioned by security men. She was arrested and when taken ill, allegedly not provided prompt medical attention.

Missing student baffles New Zealand police
Avnil Preetesh Karan, a 20-year-old Auckland University student, last spoke to his mother on August 8. Clairvoyants, divers and the police have failed to trace him so far.

French firm to pull out of Calcutta hotel deal
Employees protesting against privatisation have forced Accor Asia Pacific to back out of leasing the state-run Great Eastern Hotel.

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