Terror scribbles

How did Osama Bin Laden while away the hours in the confines of his compound in Pakistan? New material obtained by the BBC suggests he may have been writing and re-writing his speeches.

The authenticity of the notes cannot be independently verified and we cannot be sure who wrote them, but if genuine, they provide a window into Bin Laden's sanctuary, and his thinking.

The two pages of scribbled notes, written in red pen, were allegedly found in the room next door to Osama Bin Laden's bedroom. Experts believe this material is a draft of a speech or statement by the al-Qaeda leader.

Some portions are damaged by water, and sentences have been crossed out. But there are clear references to climate change and flash floods in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden mentioned both in a speech last year.

Excerpt from notes where Bin Laden talks about climate change

There is also criticism of the Saudi Royal family - another familiar theme for Bin Laden - and advice on leadership.

Al-Qaeda expert Abdel Bari Atwan - who interviewed Bin Laden in 1996 - says he finds the material convincing.

The content is "typical Bin Laden", according to Mr Atwan, who believes the notes may have been written to coincide with flooding in Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia in December 2009.

"I believe it's genuine," he said. "I can tell from the language and the way it is written. Whether it was written by Osama Bin Laden himself, or dictated by him to someone else, I don't know. But it has the fingerprint of Osama Bin Laden's style."

'Top of the pyramid'

A US authority on al-Qaeda, Professor Walid Phares, who advises the US Congress on counter-terrorism, also sees similarities to Bin Laden's writings, and those of Ayman al-Zawahiri - his former deputy who has now replaced him.

All roads to the compound have been closed

"I'm very intrigued by these documents. I wish we had more of them".

Prof Phares believes the references to Saudi Arabia are significant.

"He's talking about a future management and leadership of Saudi," he said, "so this is very strategic information, if indeed it comes from Osama Bin Laden. These sentences tell us he had an interest in Saudi Arabia and he had people inside Saudi Arabia, so the man is gone but these people are still there."

The notes contain advice for Bin Laden's followers. "It is somebody at the top of the pyramid, talking to supporters, to officers," said Prof Phares, "telling them that they should behave well, and those responsible for mistakes should be brought to justice."

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Bin Laden was locked up for years with three wives and 12 children... of course, he called the Navy Seals himself”

End Quote Anonymous security official repeating popular joke If Bin Laden did not write the notes with his own hand, who did? BBC Middle East analyst Abdallah Alsalmi says the handwriting resembles that of a teenager, aged between 13 and 16 years old.

He believes the writer could have been Bin Laden's young daughter, who was said to have been with him in the compound, and to have witnessed his killing.

"It's likely that he was dictating his thinking as a way of passing the time," he said. "He was living in the compound with no outside communications, nothing except his books and a TV set. It's likely that he was bored."

It is almost two months since US Navy Seals dropped into Bin Laden's lair, under cover of darkness, and killed the al-Qaeda leader.

Since the raid, which shook the world, US intelligence experts have been poring over a small library's worth of computer files and documents seized from his compound. But many key questions remain unanswered.

No smoking gun

How did the world's most wanted man come to live in this leafy garrison town, which is home to Pakistan's prestigious military academy, its equivalent of Sandhurst, or West Point?

Many Pakistanis want to put the Bin Laden episode behind them

What kind of support network did he have during his time in Abbottabad - which US officials believe was as long as five years? Was there a link to Pakistan's army, or its intelligence agency, the ISI?

So far no smoking gun has been found, but mobile phone records point to a possible link to the ISI, according to the New York Times.

The newspaper claims that the mobile phone used by Bin Laden's trusted courier contained numbers for a militant group, viewed as an asset of the intelligence agency.

The group, Harakut Mujahideen, has denied having any contact with Bin Laden, but it is known to be close to al-Qaeda. The Pakistan army has also rejected the claim of any ISI involvement.

But suspicions remain, here and in the US, that Bin Laden must have had protection from someone, at some level in the ISI - acting officially or unofficially.

The compound still stands - seen by many as a monument to Pakistani incompetence, or collusion.

Journalists have never been allowed in, and probably never will be. These days you cannot even film the outside. All roads are politely but firmly blocked by Pakistani police and troops.

Few details have emerged about life behind the forbidding perimeter walls, some up to 18ft (5.5m) high.

Whatever Pakistani officials may have learned from their detailed examination of the compound, they are not saying.

"Investigations are continuing," a security source said. "We are still trying to work out what went wrong, and where we screwed up."

He would only provide a few domestic details. "Bin Laden was living in abject poverty," he said. "The mattresses were cheap and thin. Each of his three wives had their own kitchens. One of them was cooking with a make-shift stove."

He concluded with a now familiar Pakistani joke. "Bin Laden was locked up for years with three wives and 12 children," he said. "Of course, he called the Navy Seals himself."

Troubling investigations

After delays and false starts Pakistan has established a judicial commission into the events in Abbottabad. But even if it digs deep, some suspect its findings will never see the light of day.

Questions still remain as to how Bin Laden ended up in Abbottabad

"It's all just an exercise for the media," said Shehzad, a young stall-holder in a bustling Abbottabad street market. "The commission will meet two or three times, and it will appear in the papers. Then the matter will be finished, and nothing will happen."

Pakistan has a habit of burying troubling investigations.

While the international community is still eager for information about Bin Laden's extended stay in Abbottabad, locals are eager to erase the stain he left on this peaceful resort.

He is history already, according to Liaqat Hussein, an articulate and welcoming shop owner, wearing stylish sun glasses, and speaking perfect English.

"This is our drawing room," he said, gesturing to the step where he sat with friends, "the place where we hold our political discussions. We talked about Bin Laden for a week, and then we moved on."

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Rain upsets W Indies-India battle

Second Test, Georgetown (day two):

Sharma's delivered the most meaningful contributions on a wet second day India fast bowler Ishant Sharma snared two wickets in four balls to leave the second Test against West Indies finely balanced after day two in Georgetown.

Exploiting all the pace and bounce on offer at a damp Kensington Oval, Sharma removed nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the sixth over.

The hosts then rallied with an unbroken 41-run fifth-wicket stand to close on 98-5, 103 runs adrift of India's first innings total.

Foul weather then brought an early end.

The start of play was delayed by 45 minutes after early morning showers soaked the outfield, and was then suspended after less than 13 overs when rain returned just after lunch, with bad light later ensuring there was to be no resumption even after the rain had stopped.

Already 1-0 down in the three-match Test series, West Indies sought to improve on their precarious overnight score of 30-3.

But after reaching 13, Bishoo departed, fending a short-pitched ball from Sharma to Virat Kohli at gully.

A more cautious Sarwan had made 18 when he was deceived by a Sharma inswinger which trapped him lbw in the same over - the 15th wicket to fall in the first four sessions.

But Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels - who replaced sacked vice-captain Brendan Nash - shared an unbroken stand of 41 for the sixth wicket when their progress was halted by another downpour.

On day one, India's bowlers hit back well late on after their batsmen suffered two heavy collapses in their first innings.

Meanwhile, Australian umpire Daryl Harper withdrew from next week's final Test after complaints from India captain Mahendra Dhoni about his decision-making in the previous encounter which India won by 63 runs.

Harper, a 59-year-old with almost two decades of experience as an international umpire, was recently dropped from the ICC's elite panel.

"In the wake of some unfair criticism, Daryl informed us that he does not wish to stand in what would have been his final Test," said ICC general manager David Richardson. Englishman Richard Kettleborough will take Harper's place in Roseau.

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Nato 'kills top Afghan militant'

30 June 2011 Last updated at 13:56 GMT Smoke billows from the Intercontinental Hotel after the Tuesday night attack Nato forces in Afghanistan say they have killed a senior militant they suspect of involvement in the attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.

Ismail Jan died in an air strike in the eastern province of Paktia on Wednesday, the alliance said.

BBC correspondents say he is a leading commander in the Haqqani network, which is linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Nato and Afghan intelligence believe Haqqani members helped mount the hotel attack, which left 22 people dead.

The Interior Ministry says nine attackers were killed as well as 11 civilians and two police.

There has so far been no independent confirmation of Ismail Jan's death.

'Precision air strike'

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the hotel attack, but Nato said it was carried out jointly with the Haqqani network.

The group has bases in the tribal region of Waziristan in Pakistan, but focuses its attacks over the border in Afghanistan.

It has been accused of carrying out a number of high-profile gun and bomb attacks in Afghanistan in recent years.

Afghan officials also say the network has close ties to Pakistani intelligence services.

A statement from the Nato-led Isaf force said Jan was suspected of providing "material support" to the hotel attackers in Kabul.

It said he had been killed in what it called a "precision air strike" in Gardez district.

"Ismail Jan was the deputy to the senior Haqqani commander inside Afghanistan, Haji Mali Khan. Jan and several Haqqani fighters were killed in the strike," the statement said.

It added that he had been tracked down after information from Afghan officials, citizens and "disenfranchised insurgents".

Ismail Jan operated in and around the Khost-Gardez pass, a rugged and heavily forested area near the Pakistan border, and was blamed for leading attacks on Nato and Afghan targets.

Securing the porous and volatile border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has presented a major challenge for security forces in both countries.

On Thursday General Aminullah Amarkhel, the border police commander for eastern Afghanistan, resigned. He said Kabul and Nato had failed to act after Pakistani rockets were fired into Afghan territory.

Last week Afghan officials accused the Pakistani army of firing hundreds of rockets over the border. Pakistan denies this but says a few stray rockets may have crossed the border as the army battled militants in the area.

The army says that in recent weeks insurgents have crossed over from Afghanistan and attacked villages in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Many of the militant groups along the frontier are closely linked.

'Lapses'

In Kabul, meanwhile, the BBC has seen photos showing at least two of the Intercontinental attackers wearing police uniforms, raising questions about whether the militants received inside help.

In other photos large amounts of rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and bullets were left behind by the dead insurgents. Investigators want to know how they got their weapons inside the hotel.

Previous attacks in Kabul and elsewhere have led intelligence officials to conclude that the Haqqani network has penetrated Afghan security at the highest level.

The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says several police officials are now being questioned over what many see as glaring security lapses at one of the capital's apparently most secure locations.

Afghan forces are also accused of being slow to arrive on the scene once Tuesday night's attack had started.

Nato air support had to be called in before calm was finally restored.

Correspondents say the Intercontinental, which is not part of the international hotel chain of the same name, is one of Kabul's most heavily guarded hotels.

But a security ministry official told the BBC that the militants could have exploited a loophole in security caused by renovation work.

Kabul - the scene of many attacks over recent years - has been relatively stable so far this year, although violence has increased across the country since the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan on 2 May, and the start of the Taliban's "spring offensive".

In January 2008, militants stormed the capital's most popular luxury hotel, the Serena, and killed eight people, including an American, a Norwegian and a woman from the Philippines.

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Bangladesh ends 'caretaker' polls

30 June 2011 Last updated at 12:53 GMT The impending abolition of the caretaker system provoked strikes earlier in June The Bangladeshi parliament has overturned a 15-year-old requirement that general elections are overseen by non-partisan caretaker governments.

The system was introduced in the mid-1990s in an effort to end violence and fraud that often marred voting.

The opposition has denounced the move, arguing that it could allow incumbent administrations to rig future votes.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was highly critical of the last military-backed caretaker government of 2006-8.

She said that it was wrong that it stayed beyond its mandated three months and delayed voting by about two years.

Sheikh Hasina denied that the move is designed to allow her government to rig the next vote.

"This is a historic moment for democracy," she told parliament after the vote. "We can't allow unelected people to oversee national elections."

But opposition lawmakers vowed to protest against the move by a continuing series of general strikes and street protests which began earlier this month.

"This will not be good for the future of our democracy," said independent deputy Fazle Azim.

The 345-member legislature passed the amendment by 291 to one, in a vote boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Last month the Supreme Court ruled that the system of interim administrations was unconstitutional.

Under the arrangement, a caretaker authority of technocrats stayed in office for 90 days, mandated to organise the election and transfer power to the newly elected government within that timeframe.

The last caretaker government attempted to control corruption by sending hundreds of politicians - including Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia - to jail on charges of abusing power and illegally amassing wealth.

The pair were released before the December 2008 election, along with the scores of other politicians who were detained.

The next election is not due before the end of 2013.

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South Asians hit by Greek crisis

29 June 2011 Last updated at 19:11 GMT Greece is in the grip of violent protests against austerity cuts Thousands of South Asian migrants have left Greece in recent months to escape the country's growing economic crisis.

Many of the migrants are now out of work and facing hardship, community leaders told the BBC.

One Bangladeshi grocer in Athens said daily proceeds from his shop had plummeted and he had had to lay off six of his eight employees.

Greece faces massive tax rises and spending cuts aimed at preventing the country from defaulting on its debts.

Without a second bail-out from the European Union, the country could run out of money within weeks. Greece is in the grip of a nationwide strike and violent clashes are continuing in Athens.

'No jobs'

Jainal Abedin, a businessman and president of the Bangladeshi Association in Athens, said there were 30,000 people of Bangladeshi origin in Greece.

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Lots of factories and shops were closed and our people lost jobs”

End Quote Madhur Gandhi President, Indian Community in Greece The financial crisis meant jobs were being cut and orders were down, he said.

"Many Bangladeshis are leaving Greece because they don't have jobs," Mr Abedin told the BBC Bengali service.

He said his grocer's shop used to take 6,000-7,000 euros a day, but that had now dropped to 300-400 euros and suppliers were no longer willing to take his cheques.

The Bangladeshi embassy said dozens of the country's nationals were asking it for help every month in returning home because of the lack of work.

Pakistani community leaders in Athens speaking to the BBC Urdu service had a similar tale.

They say there are around 80,000 Pakistanis living in Greece. Some 17,000 are legally settled while others are either asylum seekers or illegal immigrants.

Continue reading the main story June 29: Parliament approves new austerity package June 30: MPs to vote on details of implementing packageJuly 3: EU will sign off latest bail-out payment to Greece - 12bn euros - if both votes are passedJuly 15: Without the 12bn euros, Greece will defaultThey estimated that more than 75% of Pakistanis had been directly or indirectly affected by the financial crisis in Greece.

Most had lost their jobs or work, and people running small businesses were now incurring heavy losses.

According to an official figure, 1,500 Pakistanis in Greece have returned to Pakistan since the financial crisis began in 2008.

They did so under an official programme to facilitate the return of illegal immigrants. Many more Pakistanis have gone back on their own.

'Shops closed'

Indians, too, are leaving, for similar reasons.

Madhur Gandhi, a shipping businessman in Athens and president of the Indian Community in Greece, said the crisis had affected lots of lives.

Out of about 30,000 Indians in Greece, only 18,000 were legal immigrants, he said. The vast majority of the community were agricultural workers employed on various islands - only a couple of hundred lived in Athens.

"Lots of factories and shops were closed and our people lost jobs," Mr Gandhi told the BBC Hindi service.

"Agriculture workers were also affected but most seriously affected were the construction workers. About 1,000-2,000 Indians have gone back to India."

The Sri Lankan community numbers 5,000-6,000, Matale Dhammakanda, a Buddhist priest in Athens, said.

Most work as housemaids or in hotels and many had entered the country illegally.

They were facing severe hardship and many were now trying to find ways to migrate to other countries in search of employment, he told the BBC Sinhala service.

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Freed hostages return to France

30 June 2011 Last updated at 08:46 GMT The two men were greeted by a warm welcome when they arrived

Two French journalists held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan for 18 months have arrived in France, flying into an airport near Paris.

Cameraman Stephane Taponier and reporter Herve Ghesquiere were freed in circumstances that remain unclear.

The pair were kidnapped with Afghan colleagues near Kabul in December 2009 while on assignment for French TV.

Mr Ghesquiere said they were both in good health. "We were never threatened with death, never beaten," he said.

The two Frenchmen, who were working for French state television network France-3, had become some of the longest-held Western hostages in Afghanistan.

"There are lots of hostages in the world, I feel for those who are held hostage, and those who died in operations when they tried to save them," the forty-seven-year-old added.

"Until you have been a hostage, you can't understand but I really feel for them because it is over for us but still going for them."

'No regrets'

The pair, who had been embedded with French troops in Afghanistan, decided to gather material from an area known locally as "the Black Hole", according to the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris.

In April 2010, after posting a video of the hostages on the internet, the Taliban said they had submitted a list of prisoners to French authorities that they wanted freed in exchange for the two journalists.

Mr Taponier, 46, and Mr Ghesquiere and one of the three Afghan colleagues with whom they were seized, interpreter Reza Din, were released on Wednesday. French officials have said that no ransom was paid for the men.

The other two Afghan translators had been released some time ago, French officials said.

After stepping on to the tarmac, the two embraced waiting relatives and shook hands with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife.

Mr Ghesquiere, who was held in solitary confinement for the last eight months, said he did not regret his decision to work in Afghanistan.

"It's what I always wanted to do. I don't want to go back to Afghanistan tomorrow but [...] I want to do this job now more than ever."

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Gujarat riots records 'destroyed'

30 June 2011 Last updated at 06:12 GMT The riots left more than 1,000 dead Official records relating to the 2002 riots in India's Gujarat state were destroyed in line with regulations, the government tells a panel probing the riots.

Documents with records of telephone calls and the movements of officials during the riots were destroyed in 2007, five years after their origin

Officials say this is standard practice and in line with civil service rules.

More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died in the riots.

The violence erupted after 60 Hindus died in a train fire. The cause of the blaze was never clearly established.

Hindu groups allege the fire was started by Muslim protesters, but an earlier inquiry said the blaze was an accident.

The Supreme Court set up a panel to investigate the riots in 2008, after allegations that the Gujarat government was doing little to bring those responsible to justice.

Government lawyer SB Vakil told the Nanavati panel probing the riots that some records relating to the riots had been destroyed according to the rules.

"As per general government rules, the telephone call records, vehicle logbook and the officers' movement diary are destroyed after a certain period," Mr Vakil was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.

In April a senior police officer alleged in a sworn statement to India's Supreme Court that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi deliberately allowed anti-Muslim riots in the state.

Mr Modi has always denied any wrongdoing.

The Gujarat government has responded to the allegations by saying they have already testified before a special panel investigating the riots and will wait for the court's verdict.

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Nato quells Kabul hotel assault

29 June 2011 Last updated at 12:07 GMT Isaf's Major Tim James: "The Afghan national security forces have responded incredibly well"

Nato helicopters were called in to kill three militants to end a five-hour clash by suicide bombers and gunmen on a hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The attack on the Intercontinental Hotel, frequented by Westerners, left six more attackers, two police and 11 civilians, including a Spaniard dead.

A security official said the militants may have exploited renovation work to gain access to the high-security hotel.

A Taliban spokesman said the insurgent group had carried out the attack.

However, interior and defence ministry officials told the BBC it bore the hallmarks of the Haqqani network, a group closely allied to the Taliban but which operates independently.

Panic

President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack, saying that the insurgents enjoyed spilling innocent blood but that such incidents would not hinder the process of transition of responsibility for security from Nato-led to Afghan security forces.

Smoke and flames could be seen coming from the hotel as the sun rose over Kabul.

Afghan security officials said at least nine militants had stormed the building, and all had been killed.

A senior provincial judge, some waiters and musicians performing at the hotel were among the dead.

At least eight people were wounded including two New Zealand members of Isaf special forces who were "moderately" injured.

The attack began while many guests were in the dining room late on Tuesday.

Afghan officials told the BBC that one suicide bomber had blown himself up at the front of the hotel and another on the second floor.

Witnesses said panic broke out as guests, including a wedding party, fled for safety.

'Hiding in hotel room'

An official from the northern Takhar province told the BBC he saw men armed with grenade-launchers and machine guns running towards the hotel.

Continue reading the main story Jonathan Marcus BBC Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent

Once again there are questions about the effectiveness of Afghan security forces. The fact that a Nato attack helicopter was required to kill gunmen firing from the hotel roof also reinforces this narrative that the Afghan police and army are incapable of operating effectively alone.

A much more detailed analysis of the operation will be required to draw the full lessons.

Beyond the immediate psychological impact of the attack, a curious game of signals is being played here.

Nato is maintaining the military pressure on the Taliban, killing large numbers of middle-ranking commanders, in an effort to persuade the top leadership that negotiations are the only answer. The Taliban, too, are mounting operations like this one to underline that they remain far from defeated and their reach extends to show-case targets in the Afghan capital itself.

They shot dead his friend, a senior judge from the province, Mawli Hamdullah Warsaj added.

Afghan troops and police sealed off the building and cut the power, as security forces were using night-vision equipment.

Intense gunfire was heard coming from the hotel and some explosions could be heard up to 5km (3 miles) away, said the BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul.

Afghan police said one militant was shot dead as security forces fought their way through.

Three attackers managed to reach the roof and Afghan officials then asked the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) for help, security sources told the BBC.

Isaf spokesman Major Tim James said those killed on the roof by Nato helicopters appeared to have been wearing suicide vests.

"We've had reports that there were a number of explosions caused either by the insurgents detonating themselves or the engagement by the helicopter causing [suicide vests] to explode," he told AFP news agency.

Kabul police chief Gen Ayub Salangi said that one of the attackers managed to survive the assault by hiding in a hotel room.

He detonated his explosive vest at around 0700 local time (0230 GMT), after the fighting was thought to have ended, killing two policemen and a Spanish guest, and injuring three others, the police chief said.

The Spaniard had tried to return to his room, against the advice of security forces, he added. Spain's foreign ministry later confirmed that a Spanish citizen had died, saying that he was an airline pilot.

An Afghan official said the attackers had hand-grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s.

'Target of attack'

Gen Salangi said his own armoured land cruiser had been hit more than 30 times, and its windows were broken.

Officials said a meeting of provincial governors taking place at the hotel might have been the target of the attack.

The attack also came the night before the start of a conference about the security transition.

Correspondents say the Intercontinental, which is not part of the international hotel chain of the same name, is one of Kabul's most heavily guarded hotels.

But a security ministry official told the BBC that the militants could have exploited a loophole in security caused by renovation work.

"The insurgents are using every means to infiltrate into tight security areas. They might have camouflaged themselves as labourers, as technicians or whatever."

The US state department condemned the attack, saying it demonstrated "the terrorists' complete disregard for human life".

Kabul has been relatively stable in recent months, although violence has increased across the country since the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan on 2 May, and the start of the Taliban's "spring offensive".

In January 2008, militants stormed the capital's most popular luxury hotel, the Serena, and killed eight people, including an American, a Norwegian and a Philippine woman.

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S Lanka probes schoolgirl assault

28 June 2011 Last updated at 18:21 GMT By Swaminathan Natarajan BBC Tamil Sri Lankan police are investigating an assault on two girls apparently accused of watching pornography in the east of the country last week.

A group of men allegedly beat up the 17-year-olds after they came out of an internet cafe in the mostly Muslim town of Kattankudi, near Batticaloa.

The father of one of the girls says they were accused of watching pornography - a charge the girls deny.

The case has fuelled concern about a rise in radical Islam in that area.

An incident of this sort is extremely unusual for Sri Lanka.

'Taken to hospital'

Mohammad Yusuf Abdul Razak told the BBC the men forcefully took his daughter and another girl to a local house and beat them up, before taking them to a local Islamic office.

"After that, an announcement was made from a mosque using loudspeakers that two girls who were caught doing wrongful things are now in the office complex," Mr Razak said.

After hearing this announcement, Mr Razak says, a large crowd gathered there and some started to denounce the girls.

Police finally intervened and the girls were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries, he said.

Md Ibrahim Md Subir, from the local mosque authorities, denies that any announcement was made, saying the girls were kept in the office and "interrogated", but were treated respectfully.

Arabic has recently been added to some street signs in the area, although most people speak Tamil

But, he said, "a little later some youngsters barged in and a big crowd gathered".

He said the situation got out of control, so they called the police.

Sri Lankan police conducted an identification parade on Tuesday, where one female suspect was identified and later released on bail.

The police have said they are looking for others who are involved in the incident.

Mr Razak said he wants the mosque authorities to make a public announcement stating that the girls did not commit any wrongdoing.

He says that the police investigation of the internet cafe found no evidence to support the claim that the girls watched pornography.

"My child has physically recovered from injuries. But she is mentally shattered," Mr Razak said.

Analysts say that in recent years local women have come under growing pressure from conservatives.

They are now urged, for example, to cover their faces in public, something that had not previously been the cultural practice there.

A few months ago, the local authorities put up street signs in Arabic - even though most local people speak Tamil.

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Mayhem

29 June 2011 Last updated at 11:35 GMT Police found themselves up against determined and ruthless attackers Minute by minute, the BBC's Bilal Sarwary monitored the dramatic events at Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel as they unfolded. Here is his account:

The first sign of what lay ahead came when a friend called to tell me that he was at the Intercontinental Hotel.

As he was speaking, the gunfire started.

"Fayar! Fayar!" he said, using the Dari word for firing. For the next five minutes or so, there was silence.

Eventually my friend confirmed there had been an attack on the hotel.

In the event he was one of the lucky ones. Musicians, hotel workers and a judge were killed as suicide attackers fought Afghan security forces.

Damage to the hotel could clearly be seen on Wednesday morning

For the men, women and children who had booked a room in the hotel for a wedding, it was a night of sheer hell as gunfire and the sound of grenades interrupted their celebrations and the hotel was transformed into a battleground.

A major conference was also being held in the hotel to discuss Nato's process of transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces.

The head of Takhar provincial council, Mawli Hamdullah Warsaj, told the BBC: "I had gone there to have dinner with some friends. I already had a feeling something was happening. As soon as I arrived, I went to meet my friends from a construction firm, to discuss the building of a road in my province. I wanted to leave but my host insisted I stayed.

"As soon as I had finished eating, I noticed a car trying to bring in some people. I saw one of them; he had a beard. Then there was shooting in the air. Several of these attackers were running and firing at the parking area, where some Afghan governors were.

Armoured windows broken

"The other group started running towards the hotel. They had RPGs and heavy machine weapons. One of them had 15 RPG rounds all tied to his body.

"This is when they shot dead my friend, senior provincial judge, Mansoor. He had served in Takhar province and now he was a senior provincial judge. Then I didn't know what was happening. There was chaos. They were firing everywhere."

This attack in the heart of Kabul had all the hallmarks of the Haqqani network, a group closely allied to the Taliban, but which operates independently, a security official told the BBC.

Foreign solders were called in to help the police and army

Kabul police chief Ayub Salangi and his forces found themselves up against a determined group of attackers armed with heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons.

Such was the intensity of the firing that the armoured windows of Mr Salangi's vehicle were broken.

Unlike most militant attacks, this one took place late into the evening. It took many people - including the Afghan security forces - completely by surprise.

The Intercontinental lies on a hilltop over looking the city. Built in 1969, it is a popular hotel with senior officials, wealthy Afghans, foreign diplomats and journalists.

The hotel covers a large area. It has a swimming pool, a tennis court and an outdoor restaurant that can seat 160 people.

According to one Afghan intelligence official who was at the scene of the attack, three attackers opened fire with grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in the parking area, where a group of Afghan governors and politicians had finished their dinner.

The official said that three people were killed in front of his eyes.

Loud explosions

"The governor's bodyguards returned fire and there was chaos. No one knew who was firing where,'' the official said.

Meanwhile at least three militants started attacking the front gate of the hotel, heading towards guests' rooms.

At the height of the fighting the hotel resembled a battle ground

A suicide attacker managed to get onto the second floor, while another detonated his vest at the back of the hotel.

"There was total panic and everyone started running. We were told not to open our doors to anyone," a hotel guest told the BBC shortly after the attack started.

In the ensuing five-hour battle with the security forces, some of the attackers managed to get onto the hotel roof, from where they began firing at troops and policemen.

The hotel's electricity was cut so that Afghan forces could use night vision equipment, adding further to the sense of confusion and panic among guests and local residents.

Finally the security forces called for Nato's help to deal with the rooftop attackers, because Afghan helicopters do not have night vision equipment.

Once the Nato helicopters had killed the attackers, it was thought the fighting was over. The firing from the helicopter hit the hotel's fifth and sixth floors, creating a fire and yet more confusion.

But there was a further explosion hours later, when one of the attackers - who had hidden in the hotel - detonated the explosive vest he was wearing.

'Loophole in security'

A sense of the ferocity of the fighting was given to the BBC by aides to Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim, who lives near the hotel. They said bullets landed close to his house.

Afghan intelligence officials told the BBC that the priority now is to investigate how the insurgents got so much heavy weaponry into the hotel. One said it was possible that the weapons were placed there in advance.

"We believe that there was a loophole in security, definitely. There was reconstruction and renovation work going on in a part of the hotel. The insurgents are using every means to infiltrate into tight security areas. They might have camouflaged themselves as labourers, as technicians," said National Directorate for Security spokesman Latifullah Mashal.

Officials close to President Karzai said "terrorist attacks like this" take place everywhere in the world, and that - in this case - the Afghan security forces dealt with the attack within hours.

This is the second attack in Kabul in the past month - a suicide bombing at a hospital in the capital in May left six dead. Police say they have seized weapons from several districts in the city over the past few weeks, and warn that another attack could be in the offing.

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US sees India as key trade ally

29 June 2011 Last updated at 07:47 GMT India's economic growth has seen it become a key ally for developed economies like the US The US wants India to become one of its top 10 trading partners, treasury secretary Timothy Geithner said as the two countries agreed on improving access to each other's markets.

He made the remarks after meeting India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the second India-US Economic and Financial Partnership.

India is currently the US' twelfth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade of almost $50bn (?31bn).

US is the world's biggest economy.

"In the United States, we aren't just watching India's rise as an economic power, we support it. We encourage it. And we want to help advance it," Mr Geithner said.

"India's growth is good for us, just as our growth is good for India," he added.

Barriers to growth

However, Mr Geithner said that if trade between the two countries was to rise to the next level, then India needed to open up more sectors of its economy.

US companies have been lobbying to tap into India's lucrative financial and retail sector, but have not been successful so far.

Continue reading the main story

The single most important take away is the commitment of both governments to work hard to expand deepen this relationship”

End Quote Timothy Geithner US Treasury Secretary "American companies still face barriers in India in sectors such as banking, insurance, manufacturing, multi-brand retail and infrastructure," Mr Geithner said.

Mr Geithner added that not only were these barriers limiting growth, they were also a hindrance to job creation in both the countries.

However, Mr Mukherjee said that given the political situation in India it was not easy to introduce reforms in key sectors.

"We do not have a simple, single-party majority in legislature and in parliament," he said.

"We shall have to carry other people with us and we are exactly trying to do that," Mr Mukherjee added.

Despite the limitations expressed by the Indian finance minister, Mr Geithner said he was happy with the overall outcome of the bilateral meeting.

"The single most important take away is the commitment of both governments to work hard to expand deepen this relationship," he said.

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India-Pakistan abductions 'rise'

29 June 2011 Last updated at 09:10 GMT Yemi Elegunde: "Even today I don't know exactly why I was taken away"

The number of British children abducted by a parent and taken to a country beyond Foreign Office protection has risen by 10% in the past year, it says.

In 2010-11, there were 161 cases of children being taken to countries not signed up to a global child abduction treaty - up from 146 the previous year.

UK authorities struggle to negotiate a child's return from such a country.

The government has produced advice for people who fear a child is at risk. It believes many abductions go unrecorded.

Many abductions happen during school holidays, when a partner refuses to return a child following a trip to their home country.

Limited powers

Pakistan, Thailand and India were the most common abduction destinations last year among the 97 countries that have not ratified the 1980 Hague convention on international child abduction.

The convention provides a tight legal framework and means parents can apply to a UK central authority for their child's return.

Continue reading the main story Seek advice from a family lawyer and request an order stopping the child from being removed from the countryContact the police if the abduction is expected to take place within the next 48 hoursKeep the child's passport in a safe placeCall the Foreign Office's Child Abduction Section on 020 7008 0878

Source: FCO

The lack of international agreement in countries that have not signed up makes negotiations extremely complex for UK authorities.

Foreign Office (FCO) minister Jeremy Browne said this meant prevention was important.

"The FCO will do whatever we can to provide advice and support but our role is limited, not least because we cannot interfere in the laws of another country."

Between April 2010 and March 2011, the number of children being abducted to Pakistan fell from 24 to 21, and to India from 14 to nine. But abductions to Algeria rose from zero to nine.

There were 105 abductions to non-treaty countries in 2008-09.

Warning signs

The FCO's Child Abduction Section dealt with a total of 264 new cases of parental abduction in the past 12 months, including cases involving countries covered by the Hague convention.

These cases are then passed on to one of three central authorities covering England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Continue reading the main story

Kept in Australia by father following a holiday aged 12.

Her mother initiated court proceedings as country is part of Hague convention.

Faced verbal and emotional abuse for the nine months it took her to be returned home.

Suffered childhood depression and became suicidal from coping with trauma and protecting sister.

Says it took her 15 years to come to terms with experience and is still tackling depression.

The government will be promoting its awareness campaign on parenting websites Mumsnet and the Fatherhood Institute.

Sharon Cooke, from the Reunite International Child Abduction Centre, said there were warning signs which parents should look out for - the most obvious being the breakdown of a relationship.

Other warning signs include: a sudden interest in getting a passport or a copy of a birth certificate for the child; a parent expressing a wish to holiday alone with the child; or a sudden change in circumstances, including leaving a job or accommodation.

She said statistics for January to May 2011 showed a 21% increase in the number of abductions to non-treaty states compared with the same period last year.

"The psychological impact on children can be traumatic and for the left-behind parent, the shock and loss are unbearable, particularly if they don't know where their child is," she said.

Ms Cooke told BBC Breakfast the experience was "very difficult both for the left behind parent and for the child".

She added that it does not just affect the youngster's childhood, but often "carries on into their adulthood as well".

And she warned that, beyond official figures, there may be "many more" cases of abductions that authorities are unaware of.

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ICC in Cricket World Cup U-turn

Ireland seal shock win over England (UK users only)

Ireland could play in the 2015 World Cup after the International Cricket Council (ICC) reversed its decision to reduce the tournament to 10 teams.

In April the ICC announced plans to restrict places at the next World Cup to its 10 full member nations.

As a result the likes of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands would not have been able to take part.

But the world governing body's executive board has now decided to retain the 14-team format.

That means four nations will join India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at the 2015 tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom praised the ICC for its change of heart - and set his sights on making sure Ireland are among those who get to take to the field in the tournament.

He said: "Obviously we are relieved with the decision. The board should be greatly commended in the first instance for agreeing to look again at the matter, and then for being courageous enough to review their original decision - that isn't easy.

Continue reading the main story

A lot of us thought we may have played in our last 50-over World Cup, which would have been hard to take

Ireland bowler Boyd Rankin

"We can now get on and focus our energies on more proactive pursuits such as trying to qualify!"

Ireland all-rounder Andrew White added: "It's the news we've been waiting for - it gives everyone in associate cricket the chance to be there in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.

"It's an opportunity we want to make the most of.

"I suppose when some of the best players in the world are campaigning to keep the associate nations in the World Cup, it has got to carry some weight."

And team-mate Boyd Rankin, who was Ireland's leading wicket taker in the 2007 tournament, was thrilled that he may get the chance to play on the big stage once more.

"It's given everyone a real boost," he said. "A lot of us thought we may have played in our last 50-over World Cup, and that would have been hard to take.

"We realise that there's still the qualification hurdle to overcome, but at least we have the chance on the field of play, which is all ourselves and the other Associates have ever asked for."

Apart from Ireland, who beat England in 2011 and Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, the other nations outside the ICC's full members to qualify for the 2011 event were Kenya, Canada and the Netherlands.

Continue reading the main story New Future Tours Programme from May 2012-April 2020A new decision review system for Tests and ODIsA T20 international rankings table to be created by 1 October 2011Runners for injured batsmen to be banned in internationalsIn ODIs, batting and bowling powerplays to be taken between 16th and 40th overs, with one ball from each endCaptains to be suspended for two over-rate breaches in a year, rather than threeBatsmen can be dismissed obstructing the field if they change course while running to prevent a run-outNon-strikers backing up unfairly can be run outMore research needed on balls for day-night Tests

Scotland, who were at the 1999 and 2007 tournaments, did not dispute April's decision to limit the World Cup to 10 teams but argued there should be a qualification event.

The possibility of a 12-strong tournament was discussed by the ICC's executive board at a meeting in Mumbai in April but it opted to approve its previous decision to have 10 teams.

The ICC chief executives' committee (CEC) on Monday recommended a qualification process for 2015, but had not made a recommendation on the number of teams.

Despite its U-turn for the 2015 tournament, the ICC has confirmed that the 2019 World Cup in England will be a 10-team event, with the top eight in the ICC rankings earning their qualification automatically and the remaining places being decided by a qualification competition.

The ICC executive board also ratified the introduction of the promotion/relegation system previously agreed.

And it confirmed that the World Twenty20 events in 2012 and 2014 will remain 12-team events (10 full members and two associate/affiliates), retaining a format used since the tournament's inception in 2007.

The ICC board also adopted a number of other proposals made by the CEC on Monday - including a new Future Tours Programme running from 1 May 2012 until 30 April 2020.

A new decision review system, featuring infra-red cameras and audio-tracking technology (commonly referred to as "Hotspot") has been accepted by the board for Tests and one-day internationals but not Twenty20 internationals, although the use of ball-tracking systems such as Hawk-Eye will only be used in series where both countries agree.

The board also agreed with other CEC recommendations for a Twenty20 international rankings table, revised ODI playing conditions and the prohibition of the use of runners for injured batsmen in all forms of international cricket.

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Journalists freed in Afghanistan

29 June 2011 Last updated at 14:51 GMT France saw a campaign for the journalists' release Two French journalists abducted in Afghanistan 18 months ago have been released, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced.

Herve Ghesquiere and Stephane Taponier were freed along with their interpreter, Reza Din, Mr Sarkozy said in a statement in Paris.

They are reportedly now at a French base in north-eastern Afghanistan.

Expressing delight, Mr Sarkozy thanked Afghan President Hamid Karzai for his handling of the hostage situation.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon told the French parliament the freed Frenchmen were at the Tagab base in Kapisa province.

They were "in good health" and would be back on French soil "in a few hours", he said.

There was no immediate word about two other Afghans who were abducted along with the three men released.

The Frenchmen, who were working for France 3 television, were abducted on 30 December 2009 in Kapisa, about 60km (37 miles) from the Afghan capital, Kabul.

They were kidnapped by Taliban insurgents, AFP news agency reports.

The first anniversary of their abduction was marked by vigils in France, where their photos were projected on to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Campaigning group Reporters Without Borders had called on President Sarkozy to make their case a "national priority".

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Cairn Energy sells Indian stake

27 June 2011 Last updated at 20:36 GMT By Douglas Fraser BBC Scotland Business and Economy Editor A deal has been stalled while it awaits Indian government approval Cairn Energy has sold a stake in its Indian operation while it continues the long wait for approval from the Delhi government for a much bigger sale.

The Edinburgh-based oil explorer secured a net ?854m ($1.365bn) for the 10% stake in Cairn India.

It was purchased by Vedanta, the London-listed metals company run by Indian tycoon Anish Agarwal.

Last August, Cairn Energy agreed to sell Vedanta a controlling stake in Cairn India.

It had previously floated the company on the Mumbai stock exchange.

That would release cash for investment in its Greenland drilling operation and for a pay-out to Cairn shareholders.

But that deal has been stalled while it awaits Indian government approval.

Reputation threat

There is disagreement between ministers on how to handle a claim by ONGC, the majority state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, that it should be relieved of a contractual obligation to pay all the royalties on production from Cairn India's massive Mangala oil field in Rajasthan.

That deal was struck before any oil was found, when Indian authorities were keen to make it attractive for foreign companies to drill for oil.

The threat to break a commercial contract is seen in India as a threat to the country's reputation as being attractive to international business.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has intervened on behalf of Cairn Energy, highlighting the potential damage to India when it has already seen a rapid decline in foreign investment.

The sale of 10% of Cairn India does not need the same government approval as the controlling stake.

Lower share valuation

The price agreed between Cairn Energy and Vedanta is 9% lower than that agreed last year for its much bigger sale, in exchange for removal of a clause that would have banned Cairn from competing with Vedanta.

Continue reading the main story

Vedanta believes this initial 10% purchase is a further demonstration of its commitment to India”

End Quote Anil Agarwal Vedanta executive chairman The net proceeds post-tax are expected to be 5.3% lower than previously planned.

If the sale of a further 30% stake in Cairn India goes ahead, the same lower share valuation will hold.

Following the sale of the 10% stake, which is due to complete by 11 July, Vedanta will hold 28% of Cairn India, while Cairn Energy will have 52%.

The intention is to move to 58% Vedanta ownership, while Cairn Energy reduces to 22%.

Sir Bill Gammell, chief executive of Cairn Energy, said: "Cairn is pleased to have secured this adjustment to the agreement with Vedanta.

"Cairn continues to believe the necessary approvals to complete the Vedanta transaction will be received and is working with the government of India in a positive and constructive manner."

Anil Agarwal, executive chairman of Vedanta, added: "Vedanta believes this initial 10% purchase is a further demonstration of its commitment to India.

"We look forward to the successful completion of the proposed transaction".

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India court suspends land return

29 June 2011 Last updated at 08:26 GMT Land acquisition is becoming a major political issue in India India's Supreme Court has directed the government of West Bengal to suspend the return of land acquired by a car maker to farmers.

Tata Motors had challenged the government over its measures to reclaim the land.

The land in Singur, near Calcutta, was acquired by the state's former communist government in 2006 for Tata Motors to make its low-cost Nano car.

After months of violent protests, the company pulled out of West Bengal.

Tata Motors then went on to set up a new plant in the state of Gujarat.

In May, the regional Trinamul Congress party led by Mamata Banerjee won a landslide victory in West Bengal against the state's long-serving communist government on the promise that she would restore the land to the farmers.

Earlier this month, West Bengal passed a law that would allow for the return of about 400 acres of land to farmers who never accepted government compensation for their land.

Some legislators have criticised the law, saying it was introduced in haste. Others have demanded that the entire 997 acres of land taken for the project should be restored.

Even as Tata Motors contested the decision in the High Court in Calcutta and the Supreme Court, the government began the process of returning the land - which is currently being leased by Tata - to the farmers.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed the government to suspend the return of land until further orders are passed by the High Court in Calcutta, where the dispute is pending.

Tata Motors has reported a tripling of profits in the last year.

However, sales of small cars lagged somewhat over the same time period, perhaps reflecting difficulties with the Nano, which began production in 2008.

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India police 'rubbish truck' row

29 June 2011 Last updated at 08:21 GMT Police say there was no intention to dishonour the dead A row has broken out in India over the decision to transport three policemen who died fighting Maoist rebels in the state of Chhattisgarh in a rubbish truck.

Police said that they had to use the vehicle because there was no other form of transport to remove the dead men from the scene of battle.

The opposition Congress in the state has lambasted the ruling BJP party over the incident.

It has demanded strong action against the officials responsible.

"The incident shows the highest degree of insensitivity by the BJP towards those fighting the Maoists and laying down their lives," Congress chief spokesperson Ramesh Varlyani said.

"The party has brought disgrace to their sacrifice. The government should apologise publicly for the act."

Police say that no ambulance was available after the men were killed in a bomb explosion after conducting a search operation in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.

"But it doesn't mean it was done to bring disgrace to the martyrs," said spokesman Ankit Garg. "We had to act with whatever resources were available to us at that point of time."

Officials say that the vehicle used was thoroughly cleaned before the bodies were transported.

Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of indigenous tribal people and the rural poor.

They are active in several eastern and central states. In one of the most deadly attacks last year, rebels killed 74 policemen in Dantewada.

India's prime minister has described the Maoist insurgency as the country's biggest internal security challenge.

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India PM denies 'lame duck' claim

29 June 2011 Last updated at 13:44 GMT Manmohan Singh said he was in command India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dismissed opposition criticism that he is a "lame duck" leader.

In a rare meeting with media editors, he said "truth will prevail" and his performance would speak for itself.

Mr Singh has come under fire over corruption scandals involving cabinet ministers, as well as rising inflation.

Media reports have criticised him for "being silent" on these issues. Mr Singh told editors the media had become "accuser, prosecutor and judge".

Mr Singh told the meeting that the "lame duck" tag was "clever propaganda of the opposition to which some sections of the media had lent their ear", state-run Doordarshan News reported.

"He agreed that there was a perception [of crisis] but that the perception is wrong... he is not a lame duck prime minister," Kumar Ketkar, one of the five newspaper editors present at the meeting, told reporters.

Mr Singh also said that whenever the Congress party "makes up its mind I will be very happy to step down, but so long as I am here I have a job to do".

The media-shy Mr Singh has held very few meetings with journalists since coming to power in 2004. Reports suggest that he now plans to hold regular interactions of this kind to try to improve his standing.

Consensus

The prime minister said he was working on a consensus with civil society representatives over strong anti-corruption laws.

Campaigners who are jointly drafting a new anti-corruption ombudsman bill with the authorities have criticised the government for "not being serious" about it.

There have been differences over whether the prime minister would be investigated under the new ombudsman.

"The government would reach out to the civil society but no group can insist that their views A to Z are the last word," Mr Singh reportedly said.

He said he had "no hesitation" in bringing himself under the purview of an ombudsman.

But he added that many of his cabinet colleagues felt that giving the ombudsman such powers would create "an element of instability which can go out of hand".

Correspondents say the media interaction was an attempt by the prime minister to improve the image of his party and the government.

In another rare appearance before the media, Mr Singh admitted at a press conference in February that a series of damaging scandals had affected the standing of his Congress-led government.

The government is accused of losing billions of dollars by underselling telephone licences. Preparations for last year's Commonwealth Games were also dogged by corruption claims.

More recently the government was accused of being heavy-handed when police broke up anti-corruption protests in Delhi earlier this month. At least 30 people were injured and government critics said free speech had been denied.

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Karachi 'video killers' charged

29 June 2011 Last updated at 12:01 GMT Footage of the shooting of Sarfaraz Shah caused widespread anger in Pakistan A Pakistani court has charged six members of a paramilitary force and a civilian with murder for the killing of an unarmed man in the city of Karachi.

The 8 June killing of Sarfaraz Shah was filmed by a cameraman and broadcast on Pakistani television, causing anger and revulsion across the country.

He could be seen pleading for his life before being shot twice by the Rangers.

It is rare for the security forces to be in the dock over civilian deaths. The seven men deny all the charges.

The courts have already ordered the removal of the officer in charge of the paramilitary force.

'Self-defence'

"The court has formally framed charges of murder and terrorism against all the accused," public prosecutor Mohammad Khan Buriro told reporters.

The BBC Urdu reporter in Karachi, Riaz Sohail, says Mr Buriro told journalists that he would be calling 46 witnesses in the case.

The accused pleaded not guilty and will contest the charges.

A defence lawyer, Naimatullah Randhawa, said the case does not fall under the anti-terrorism law and therefore an anti-terrorism court was not competent to hear it.

"The accused persons in this case are not terrorists; they are soldiers and they fired in self-defence," he said.

The formal indictment had been repeatedly delayed to allow the accused time to hire lawyers. A security guard from the park where Mr Shah, 19, was killed is also charged.

'Pleading for his life'

The strongest piece of evidence is the video footage recorded by a cameraman for Awaz (The Voice) TV, a local Pakistani channel.

Sarfaraz Shah (left) was detained at gunpoint and then shot

The footage showed Sarfaraz Shah, wearing a black T-shirt, being dragged by his hair in a public park by a man in plain clothes and pushed towards a group of Sindh Rangers who are in uniform and armed.

He pleads for his life as one of the Rangers points a gun at his neck.

A little later a Ranger shoots him twice at close range, hitting him in the thigh.

The young man is seen writhing on the ground, bleeding heavily and begging for help. The paramilitaries did nothing to help him and he died of his injuries.

The Rangers say he was caught trying to rob someone. His family denies this.

Police said they recovered a fake pistol, which Mr Shah was carrying, as well as the two bullets which killed him.

The video prompted further widespread criticism of the Pakistani security establishment, which is already under fire for the recent killing of a journalist, Saleem Shahzad.

Journalists, politicians and rights activists have accused the army's intelligence service, the ISI, of the murder, a charge which the ISI denies.

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India fight back against Windies

Second Test, Georgetown (day one):

Edwards celebrates taking the wicket of India's MS Dhoni at Kensington Oval India's bowlers hit back after their batsmen suffered two heavy collapses to be all out for just 201 on the opening day of the second Test against West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday.

The tourists took the late wickets of Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo to leave the hosts 30-3.

Home bowlers Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards had each collected three-wicket hauls earlier.

VVS Laxman top-scored for India with a battling 85.

Suresh Raina hit 53 as India, who completed a convincing 63-run first Test victory inside four days in Kingston, appeared to gain a slight edge on day one.

Rampaul attacked India's top order aggressively in the first session, claiming three wickets for four runs to leave India 44 for four at lunch.

Though Laxman and Raina steadied their team's first innings in a wicketless second session, West Indies made a serious breakthrough again after tea to turn 147 for four into 201 all out.

Windies captain Darren Sammy won the toss on an overcast morning, with his decision to bowl first soon paying dividends.

Abhinav Mukund departed in the second over, lobbing a simple catch to Marlon Samuels at gully off the bowling of Rampaul, while Rahul Dravid did not fare much better, contributing five before edging a fine delivery from Sammy to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh.

Veteran Laxman fell, eventually, to Bishoo 15 runs short of his century after being caught at backward point by Adrian Barath.

Barath, with three, was the first to lose his wicket for the hosts while Simmons perished soon afterwards before Bravo was caught behind for nine in the final over of the day.

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Power failure

28 June 2011 Last updated at 03:45 GMT The third turbine lies unassembled three years after being brought to the site by the British military

Ever since Western forces plunged into Afghanistan a decade ago, they have realised the importance of winning hearts and minds, particularly in the restive south.

The idea that they could bring electricity to millions of people by upgrading the Kajaki dam in Helmand Province has proven to be a counter of counter-insurgency El Dorado - a quest into which lives and money have been poured, but so far without effect.

General David Petraeus, the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, told me during a recent interview that the Kajaki project had proven to be an object lesson in, "overpromising but under-delivery".

British officers once suggested the upgrade to the power facilities might be completed by the end of 2007, but today even the most optimistic assessments suggest it could not happen before late-2013.

Visionary project

The dam, which nestles in spectacular mountain scenery in the north of Helmand, was built back in the 1950s as part of an American aid project.

The Kajaki Dam is located on the Helmand River, 100 miles north-west of Kandahar City

It has two turbines and currently produces sufficient electricity for several hundred thousand people - mostly in the Kandahar area.

Back in 2004 a senior official from the American government agency USAid hit upon the idea of installing a third turbine in the power hall at Kajaki.

It was felt that because of the poor condition of the original plant, adding this third turbine could more than double the output to as much as 50 megawatts.

The Americans were taken by the visionary nature of the project, in particular the idea that that Afghans who had never had electricity before (estimates of the number vary from 1.8m to 2.5m), could get it.

What better way to join the civilian effort towards the military campaign than to produce this tangible change in people's lives?

Difficult mission

USAid obtained an extra turbine and throughout 2007 tried to persuade the British, who at that stage held Kajaki, to take it up for installation.

Mark Urban's report on the Kajaki power project can be seen on Newsnight at 2230 BST on BBC Two on Tuesday 28 JuneMark also presents Afghanistan: The Battle for Helmand - telling the inside story of Britain's fight for the province at 2100 BST on BBC Two on Wednesday 29 June

The British dragged their feet for many months, daunted by the scale of the task of hauling a 210-tonne plant up through the worst of Afghanistan's insurgency.

"Eagle Summit" - the operation to transport it - was finally launched in August 2008, involving thousands of Nato troops and hundreds of vehicles.

The turbine was broken down into sections and carried on low loaders within a protective bubble of Nato troops.

By taking the machinery from Kandahar airport northwards through the desert, they by-passed Sangin, the most violent part of Helmand.

It was only at Kajaki Sofla, a village just a few miles south of the dam, that they met serious opposition.

In Kajaki Sofla, British attempts to buy off the local tribe had been scotched by the Taliban leadership in Pakistan, who ordered them to fight. The result was a battle in which, the British estimated at the time, 200 had been killed.

By the time the convoy reached its destination, comparisons were being made with the British Army's logistic feats of World War II, and the Parachute Regiment's action at Arnhem.

But the turbine, taken up at such cost, sits unassembled where it was dropped off back in 2008.

'Extra voltage'

Earlier this year, I examined the plant in a yard near the Kajaki Dam.

Watch soldiers on the original mission

Its parts sit in broken packing cases or rusting freight containers, many of them exposed to the elements and overgrown with weeds.

So what went wrong?

Cement foundations for the new turbine remain to be built. Not only did the Chinese engineers contracted to do this flee due to security concerns, but the 500 tonnes of cement needed have not been brought up.

There are other problems too. The power lines and transformers that take the electricity currently produced by the plant could not handle the extra voltage produced by the new turbine. The whole power distribution system will have to be upgraded.

However, the vision of giving electrical enlightenment to the people of southern Afghanistan remains a powerful one for Western officials.

Recent work by the US Marines (who now hold the area) to improve the route up the Sangin valley offers hope that the cement needed for the foundations could be brought up by road.

As for USAid, it remains convinced of the value of the project. One of their officials told us they believe the turbine could be installed in 24 to 30 months, and a new contractor has been appointed to do the work.

The real question now is whether it can happen before Nato forces are withdrawn.

Mark Urban's report on the Kajaki power project can be seen on Newsnight at 2230 BST on BBC Two on Tuesday 28 June.

Mark also presents Afghanistan: The Battle for Helmand telling the inside story of Britain's fight for the province with unique access to the generals and front-line troops who were there at 2100 BST on BBC Two on Wednesday 29 June and after on BBC iPlayer (UK only)

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Bangladesh turtle racket exposed

27 June 2011 Last updated at 13:15 GMT By Anbarasan Ethirajan BBC News, Dhaka The size of the seizure has taken experts by surprise Officials in Bangladesh say they have seized more than 120kg (18st 5lb) of dried turtles from smugglers near the north-western border with India.

But the smugglers managed to escape after Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops gave chase in Dinajpur district.

"The dried turtles were being smuggled from India. This is the largest haul in the border region so far," BGB Lt Col Amirul Islam told the BBC.

Dried turtles can be used in soups and also in oriental medicine.

One kilogram of dried turtle costs around $140 (?88) on the international market.

Officials say there has been an increase in the smuggling of live animals and dried turtle through Bangladesh in recent months.

"I am quite surprised by the size of the seizure," said Richard Thomas, spokesman for the Traffic wildlife trade monitoring network.

"It raises the question, how many bags are getting through undetected?"

Mr Thomas said that if existing patterns served as a guideline, the dried turtles may have originated from north-eastern India to be sold in East Asia for medicinal uses.

Dried turtles are used in soups and in oriental medicine

According to Traffic, Asia's tortoises and freshwater turtles are being harvested in huge quantities to meet the demand for meat and traditional medicines, mostly in East Asia. The species are also in demand as pets.

Earlier this month, customs officials at Bangkok found hundreds of turtles, tortoises and gharial crocodiles packed in suitcases that came on a flight from Bangladesh.

In recent months, Bangladeshi officials also seized a number of protected wild animals within the country from individuals who were keeping them illegally.

"Bangladesh is becoming a transit point for illegal trafficking of wild animals from the region," Tapan Kumar Dey, conservator of forests with the Bangladesh Forestry Department, told the BBC.

"Traffickers are using our country's porous land borders with India to smuggle wild animals into Bangladesh and then transport them to South-East Asian countries," Mr Dey said.

Environmentalists say if the trafficking is not stopped then it could pose a threat to conservation efforts both in India and Bangladesh.

"The latest seizures illustrate that illegal trade is systematically wiping out Asia's freshwater turtles and tortoises," Mr Thomas said.

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Pakistan probes reporter's death

27 June 2011 Last updated at 17:27 GMT Saleem Shahzad had complained of ISI threats An inquiry constituted by the Pakistani government to investigate the murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad has started work, officials say.

An inquiry member told the BBC that Monday's sitting decided on its modalities and its time-frame.

Mr Shahzad was kidnapped from near his residence in Islamabad last month. His body was found in nearby Punjab province a day after the abduction.

The hearings will not be open to public or the media, officials say.

But in a recent ruling, Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry advised the government to make the findings of the inquiry public.

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says the government ordered the inquiry after much foot-dragging and noisy agitation by journalists.

Many in the media have pointed fingers at the ISI intelligence service for Mr Shahzad's murder, but the ISI denies any involvement.

Hearings will be held behind closed doors because the inquiry is likely to handle "sensitive" information, officials say.

The government has ordered a number of inquiries into cases of rights abuses, murders and military failures, but their findings have seldom been made public.

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Start-ups start dating

27 June 2011 Last updated at 16:31 GMT By Rajini Vaidyanathan BBC News, Mumbai Rajini Vaidyanathan reports

It is 0900 on a Sunday morning, and a group of 15 smartly turned-out individuals are already making small talk and introductions.

An early weekend start might not seem like the most fruitful time to pick up a partner, but that hasn't deterred today's participants.

They're all here to attend one of the country's first "entrepreneur dating" events, designed to help people in start-ups find "the one" to go into business with.

"I'm looking for people who I will click with," says Malay Keria, a business graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai (Bombay).

Mr Keria is here seeking people to help him realise his dream of setting up an online event management company.

"I want to find people who can be part of my team and have some views on my ideas and can help me with the business," he says.

Mr Keria is one of a growing breed of Indians looking to start up new ventures. As the country's economy continues to grow, so does its appetite for entrepreneurship.

"The biggest challenge is getting people who are serious about joining a team," says Viraf Tavadia, 37, who is here to find people to help him expand his online personal fitness company.

The fact that everyone attending today has paid a fee of around 2,000 Indian rupees ($44.40; ?27.80) to attend is a sign of their commitment, says Mr Tavadia.

Breaking the ice

The "entrepreneur dating" event has been organised by a company called Nurture Talent, which aims to train and develop Indians with entrepreneurial spirit.

It is run by Amit Grover, who is today's "matchmaker" chairing the events and also encouraging participants to mingle and break the ice.

Continue reading the main story

In the entrepreneur ecosystem, it's tough to find someone on your wavelength ... to form a team”

End Quote Manish Shukla CEO, Retailscape The day-long event features a number of sessions, all designed to allow participants the chance to test the chemistry with potential business partners.

After initial introductions, speed-dating gives entrepreneurs three minutes to chat to everyone and find out more about each other. And like the relationship concept it is borrowed from, they fill out a form rating each person they have spoken to.

Ideas seminars, described as "group dating", also allow small groups to discuss potential ideas and business strategies.

The sessions are running in various large Indian cities such as Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

This one, in Mumbai, drew a crowd with diverse business backgrounds - students with ideas they want to get off the ground, investors, long-time businessmen, and even a doctor who was looking for help with his anti-ageing skincare business.

None of the participants at this particular session were women. However, Mr Grover says events in other cities have drawn some female entrepreneurs.

Building teams

Mr Grover says that while there are plenty of professional networking sites and events which are focused on connecting entrepreneurs in similar areas of interest, there are very few which work across different sectors.

"There is hardly anything which is focused on team-building," says Mr Grover. "We are trying to get that dating session to be that platform, so they can connect with each other with the specific agenda of team-building."

"In the entrepreneur ecosystem, it's tough to find someone on your wavelength or understanding to form a team," says Manish Shukla, the chief executive of Retailscape, a retail consulting company.

The event aims to foster business matches rather than romance

Mr Shukla, who started his business 15 years ago, is here as a mentor and says there needs to be more support for today's entrepreneurs.

"India's not been too good at entrepreneurship in the past, because business has been more about a survival kind of mode. Now, economic progression means more people are creating something larger than themselves," he says.

So how successful are events like this in helping entrepreneurs as they start on their business journeys?

"I'll definitely be calling a few people afterwards," says Amit Kumar, who was here looking for some partners to join his healthcare venture.

For Mr Keria, the event was useful too. As he hastily swapped business cards and shook hands with two other participants, he said he believed he'd found people who could help him get his company off the ground.

For others, such as Viraf Tavadia, the event was useful and enjoyable, but didn't yield any prospective partners.

The organisers say they hope to hold more of these events and believe they are an effective way to harness entrepreneurial talent.

"We're hoping after today some of the people will take things to the next stage and work together," says Amit with a grin on his face.

Like with any good matchmaker, there's nothing more rewarding than being at the start of something big.

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Warrant for Afghan ex-bank chief

28 June 2011 Last updated at 15:40 GMT Mr Fitrat has said he has no plans to return to Afghanistan from the US Afghan officials have issued an arrest warrant for the former governor of the central bank, Abdul Qadeer Fitrat.

He is being investigated in connection with massive fraud at the privately owned Kabul Bank and the printing of unauthorised amounts of currency.

Earlier, it emerged Mr Fitrat had fled Afghanistan for the US - he said his life was in danger for exposing fraud.

He said the Afghan government had hindered his attempts to investigate corruption.

Afghanistan's Deputy Attorney General Rahmatullah Nazari said he would ask the US embassy and Interpol for help in securing Mr Fitrat's arrest.

"He will be brought here to face the judiciary. We will follow him," he told the BBC.

"There are some serious charges against him. He needs to answer all of them.''

Continue reading the main story 2004: Kabul Bank founded by international poker player, Sherkhan FarnoodSeptember 2010: Kabul Bank taken over by the central bank after a run on the bank amid fears of its collapseFebruary 2011: Abdul Qadeer Fitrat, central bank governor, tells BBC those involved in bank's woes should be prosecutedFebruary 2011: An IMF report recommends the bank be put in receivershipApril 2011: Mr Fitrat, names in parliament prominent Afghan figures in connection with the Kabul Bank scandalMay 2011: Report by anti-corruption office shows $467m (?290m) of outstanding loans were made without appropriate collateralCharges made against Mr Fitrat include that he financially mismanaged the bank, sabotaged the country's economy, ignored advice from other government institutions and did not adequately observe private banks.

The US - where Mr Fitrat has residency - does not have an extradition treaty with Afghanistan. He has said he has no plans to return to Afghanistan.

The embezzlement at Kabul Bank, Afghanistan's largest private bank, almost led to its collapse last year after it was discovered that hundreds of millions of dollars had gone missing.

The bank handles up to 80% of the government payroll, including salaries for policemen and teachers.

In April, Mr Fitrat accused several key Afghan officials - including President Hamid Karzai's brother and Vice-President Qasim Fahim - of being involved. Both deny the charges.

Then on Monday, he told reporters he had had to leave the country after receiving information that his life was in danger from "credible sources".

'Difficult job'

Mr Fitrat alleges that the central government did not assist him in his investigations or provide any help in recovering the bank's assets.

Continue reading the main story Bilal Sarwary Kabul

Relations have been frosty between the West and Kabul over the issue of corruption. The case of Kabul Bank was closely followed by the international community and the Afghan people - most were hoping all those involved would be prosecuted.

Resolving the issue is crucial in ensuring aid money continues to flow into Afghanistan. The International Monetary Fund wants the Afghan government to wind down the bank before it releases a new assistance programme.

Billions of dollars in international aid hinge on that programme.

"During [the] last 10 months during the Kabul Bank crisis, I continuously pressed for the creation of a special prosecution, for the creation of a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute those who were involved in Kabul Bank's fraud," he told the BBC.

"I did not receive any information that there is a credible plan to prosecute, to investigate and prosecute these individuals. The high political authorities of the country were responsible [for blocking] these efforts," he alleged.

President Karzai has said Afghanistan lacks the necessary banking experience to oversee the central institution and has blamed foreign advisers for the crisis.

He has also pledged to ensure that those responsible are subject to criminal investigations.

The UK Department for International Development said Mr Fitrat's resignation was "regrettable", and that he had done "a difficult job handling a complex set of challenges".

"It is absolutely critical that the government of Afghanistan chooses a good quality replacement with thorough knowledge of the banking sector," it said in a statement.

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Arrests for India reporter murder

27 June 2011 Last updated at 11:03 GMT Jyotirmoy Dey was one of Mumbai's top crime reporters Police in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) have arrested seven men in connection with the killing of a prominent crime reporter.

Jyotirmoy Dey, who worked for the Mid Day newspaper, was shot dead by four men on motorcycles on 11 June.

Police said the killing was carried out on the orders of a notorious underworld gangster, known as Chhota Rajan.

Since his death, journalists in the city have held protest marches, seeking greater protection from the government.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said 27 journalists have been killed in India since 1992.

Most victims were print journalists covering politics, business and corruption.

The seven men appeared in a city court, which remanded them to police custody until 4 July.

Earlier the city's police chief Arun Patnaik told a press conference that the case had been "totally cracked".

"There was tremendous pressure on Mumbai police to crack the case and we have finally made a breakthrough," he said.

Joint Commissioner of Police Himanshu Roy told the press conference how the conspiracy to kill Mr Dey was hatched and how the murder was committed.

Mr Roy said they had seized the murder weapon, the vehicle used for the crime and 10 mobile phones from the arrested men.

Mr Dey, 56, was one of Mumbai's top journalists reporting on crime and had worked for leading newspapers like The Indian Express and the Hindustan Times, before joining Mid Day as the investigations editor.

He was returning home on his motorcycle when he was shot dead by men on motorcycles, who sped away after the incident.

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Pakistan in Afghan rocket denial

27 June 2011 Last updated at 15:46 GMT The Pakistani army has rejected claims made by Afghanistan that it has fired more than 450 rockets into Afghan territory over the past three weeks.

But a spokesman told the BBC a "few accidental rounds" may have landed in Afghanistan as the army battles Taliban militants entrenched in the area.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said rockets had killed 36 people.

Meanwhile officials in north-western Pakistan say they are setting up camps for about 15,000 internal refugees.

They are expected to be uprooted by an impending Pakistani military operation.

Afghan officials say hundreds have fled parts of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

Nato forces have significantly scaled back their presence along the Afghan-Pakistan border in these provinces and border officials say the Pakistani Taliban has moved into these unstable districts.

The rocket attacks are alleged to have begun in earnest about three weeks ago and Afghan officials claim Pakistani military shells have been landing in Afghan villages along the border.

Improving relations

President Karzai met the Pakistani army chief of staff on Monday to discuss the issue at the presidential palace.

Afghanistan previously warned that it will retaliate if the attacks continue

Afghan officials say that the president voiced "great concern" about the issue and asked for it to stop immediately. They also said Pakistan's army chief assured them that an investigation would soon be launched into the incidents although that has not been confirmed by officials in Islamabad.

President Karzai also raised the issue of rocket attacks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at a regional anti-terrorism conference in Tehran on Saturday.

President Karzai has been criticised for not pursuing an aggressive enough line with Pakistan, the BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says.

Over the last year relations between the countries have become more cordial not least, our correspondent says, because Kabul considers Pakistan crucial to any future role for the Taliban in Afghan government.

On Sunday night at least 35 shells were fired into the Sarkano district of Kunar province, the commander of Afghanistan's border police forces told our correspondent in Kabul.

"We have seized shrapnel from the area. People have got killed, houses have been destroyed and in the last 24 houses our forests have caught fire as a result of the shelling," General Aminullah Amarkhel said.

Exodus expected

But Pakistan's military spokesman said that it was simply "not true" to say that rounds had been intentionally fired into Afghanistan.

He said that in the last month hundreds of insurgents crossed into Pakistan and attacked border posts, killing more than 100 security personnel.

The dispute comes as Pakistani military jets pounded suspected militant positions in the central Kurram region.

Hundreds of people have already fled the area after several days of air strikes. Officials say that they expect a larger exodus once the ground offensive in the area begins.

Kurram holds a large concentration of militants fleeing another military operation in Orakzai and an expected operation in North Waziristan.

"We have been asked to make preparations for 1,500 families who are expected to be displaced across an 80 square kilometre area of central Kurram region which will be the target of the ground offensive," Haseeb Salarzai, an official of the Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) Disaster Management Authority, told BBC.

Pakistani officials have conceded that in their battle with the militants it was possible that a few stray rounds crossed the border.

In recent weeks, Islamabad has complained of a number of cross-border militant attacks in Pakistan's north-west and has lodged official protests with Kabul over the incursions.

In the latest attack on 16 June more than 200 militants are said to have stormed a Pakistani village near the Afghan border.

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