Dare to Speak...

For more than 40 years, reformers and other agitators have tried in vain to cleanse India of corruption. They have staged demonstrations, candlelight vigils and protest marches for naught. In Parliament, efforts to create an independent anticorruption agency began in 1968. It still does not exist. Given this legacy of failure, an unexpected development is now stirring up the world’s largest and most raucous democracy: the agitators are on a hot streak. Government ministers are frantically trying to persuade one of India’s most popular gurus to call off a nationwide yoga rally against corruption — yes, a yoga protest — and a mass hunger strike , scheduled to begin Saturday. Already, the government has capitulated to the demands of another hunger-striking anticorruption crusader. For an Indian public disgusted by worsening corruption, the hunger strikes and yoga sit-ins are spectacles of political theater embroidering what is actually a fight over how to fix the rusted gears of India...

Finally, once again the true face of our politicians or so-called leaders whom we have entrusted with the task of safeguarding the sovereignty, integrity and integrity of our country –INDIA, has once again left no chance to make this country feel ashamed along with doing the ignominious act of impeding the natural flow of our constitutional system; I am talking about the smoke of recent developments emanating from the political circles over Capital punishment announced upon Mr. Bhuller, the alleged terrorist of Khalistan Liberation Front. Assembly polls are round the corner in Punjab and, therefore, no political party, be it of state level, like Akali Dal, or National level like Congress and BJP wants to let it go silently and thus trying their bit to get the maximum out of it. However, these recent developments on the part of political parties are really shocking! On the question of Afzal Guru, obtrusively or unobtrusively, most of the political parties are demanding death sentence....

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton moved to avert the wrath of Formula One's governing body on Sunday after blasting Monaco Grand Prix stewards for their "joke" actions against him. The Briton, who became the sport's first black world champion in 2008, also referred to his colour in post-race comments as he vented his frustration. "It's an absolute...joke," Hamilton told the BBC in broadcast comments. "I've been to see the stewards five times out of six this season. "Maybe it's because I'm black. That's what Ali G says," added the 26-year-old jokingly, referring to a fictional white character acted by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Hamilton finished sixth on Sunday despite collecting two drive-through penalties, one of them imposed retrospectively, for collisions in the heat of battle on the tight and twisty street circuit. The first incident ended the race for Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa , who...

Saif al-Adel, the former Egyptian military officer and onetime leading member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad group (EIJ), is widely reported to have been chosen as the temporary head of Al-Qaeda, until a new emir is chosen to replace Osama bin Laden. However, this alleged appointment has not yet been announced officially by Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda Central has made two public announcements since bin Laden’s death. The first was the confirmation of bin Laden’s death, and the second was the release of an audio recording which bin Laden had made a few days before his death, commenting on the ongoing Arab revolutions. These two releases prove that Al-Qaeda was able to continue its media work despite bin Laden’s death, and in spite of their likely concern that the Americans may have gained important information from the Al-Qaeda leader’s compound which could allow them to go after other figures in the group. But the lack of public statement about al-Adel’s appointment raises one inescapable ques...

EVERYTHING was in place to enable Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF head, to declare next month his candidacy for the Socialist primary, ahead of French presidential elections next year. Polls consistently showed that he was the most popular Socialist candidate, and the best placed to beat President Nicolas Sarkozy in a run-off. But Mr Strauss-Kahn’s arrest on May 14th in New York, for an alleged sexual assault, has thrown all those plans in the air, and looks almost certain to wreck his political future. Mr Strauss-Kahn was arrested when he was already aboard an Air France plane at Kennedy International Airport, just minutes before it was due to take off. New York police said he was charged with “a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, and an unlawful imprisonment in connection with a sexual assault” on a chambermaid in a Manhattan hotel. Reports suggested that Mr Strauss-Kahn had left his hotel room in a hurry. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told Reuters that his client would plead n...

This interview originally appeared in TIME's  January 11, 1999  issue Tall and lean, he was dressed in a traditional shalwar kameez--baggy trousers and long shirt--under a military fatigue jacket, with a scarf to fight the desert cold. An AK-47 assault rifle stood at his side. He spoke softly, in Arabic, praising God in nearly every sentence, but his voice rose whenever he criticized the United States. That he did often during the four-hour interview, his first since the U.S. tried to kill him. Osama bin Laden, the Saudi financier accused of masterminding the Aug. 7 bombings that took 224 lives at two U.S. embassies in Africa, escaped an American missile attack on his headquarters in southern Afghanistan nearly two weeks after the embassy blasts. In the months that followed, bin Laden heeded the orders of his host, the Taliban militia that controls most of Afghanistan, to avoid public statements. The Taliban's leaders evidently didn't want to complicate their budding relat...

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Conversation with Terror

A  Pakistan news agency reports that the bin Laden raid on Abbottabad was aborted because of a helicopter crash which killed several passengers, believed to be Pashtu speaking Americans. Though this is from a news agency, it is an eyewitness account and unconfirmed. Veterans Today has received this story from several sources but most recently from our comments section. Thanks! If this story is true, it would be a disaster for the Obama presidency, deeply paralleling the unsuccessful hostage rescue attempt in Iran during the Carter presidency. If the story is true, our heartfelt sympathies for the families of those who may have died in this operation. As described below, the mission depicts real heroism and, despite political concerns and the usual finger pointing, represents, of all the stories told, something Americans can be proud of. True or not, there is a unpleasant ring of reality in this story that is lacking in all others, a reality proven out by the helicopter wrec...

To begin with, a story it would be apt enough to struck nail on the head. Once upon a time, there was a traveler. On his way through the vast desert, he halted at a place and erecting a tent with an idea of spending his night there. A camel out there said, “May I stretch my head inside, as it’s too cold out there?” The traveler agreed. After few minutes, the camel said obsequiously it’s too cold out there; can I stretch my legs inside. Again, the traveler agreed. This flow of intermittent requests went on and finally the traveler found himself under the blue sky. In the story, what happened with the traveler seems to be structuring up for Indians in general and Himachalis in particular. Though there is none denying the fact that India has since time immemorial followed the dictum of ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’, meaning – Guest is reverent like God. However, in the changing scenario when our resources are shrinking, more mouths are sprouting to be fed; corruption, red-tapism, w...

A Day at Jantar Mantar with Anna Hazare; Fight Against Corruption | The World Reporter: News Opinion and Analysis

Dare to Speak...: Anna did what he had to do; what you will do to co... : "Finally, Epic hungerstrike of Anna Hazaree has come to an end, raising hopes in the hearts of masses and leaving veteran bloodsucking polit..."

Finally, Epic hungerstrike of Anna Hazaree has come to an end, raising hopes in the hearts of masses and leaving veteran bloodsucking politicians pucker- liped, with UPA government bowing to all his major demans over Lokpal Bill. However, developments, erupting in the recent days followed by end of his hunderstike, seems to be conspiring to blow up his firm embankment against corrupt politicians or leaving it a bit porous.  Initially, when Anna Hazaree's hungerstrike started shaking up the slumbering Masses in India and thereafter when the moment started turning into a mass protests around the country, all the political parties seemed to have hibernate somewhere and once the strike came to an end, that hibernation ended and different political parties came with with different views over Hazaree's strike. Ironically, it's astonishing rather shameful that not a single political party, be it of national level or state level, has come out openly unconditionaly to support Haza...

Citizen News Service (CNS): Jairam Ramesh promises Narmada visit on 10-11 Apri... : "Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, Government of India, has assured the affected commun..."