Kabul: A UN report has claimed that the number of civilians killed and injured in the Afghan conflict has risen for the fifth year in a row.

London: Social networking giant Facebook is gradually making it harder for advertisers to promote their goods for free on the website, it has emerged.

Islamabad: The Afghan Taliban has denied that the group’ leader Mullah Omar wrote any letter to US President Barack Obama, indicating an interest to initiate peace talks.

Washington: Hollywood A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Melanie Griffith opened their wallets for President Barack Obama’s campaign in the last three months of 2011, according to federal filings released earlier this week.

Ottawa: Imams across Canada and the United States have issued a moral ruling condemning honour killings, domestic violence and misogyny as “un-Islamic.”

London: For years, people have debated if Queen Elizabeth II carries cash in her ubiquitous handbag.

Port Blair: Two videos have revealed the role of Indian police personnel in the human safari scandal in the Andaman Islands.

Abu Dhabi: Over 15,000 people were present on the first two days of the India Fest-2012, showcasing India’s cultural diversity alongwith its cuisine, in Abu Dhabi.
The three-day festival was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador to UAE, M.K. Lokesh.

Washington: Fidel Castro presented his two-volume memoir called ‘Guerrilla of Time’ in a rare appearance shown on Cuba’s state television on Saturday.

London: The UK government is facing ‘grave political embarrassment’ after it emerged that India rejected around 280 million pounds in aid from Britain, calling it ‘peanuts’ and wanted to “voluntarily” give it up.

London: Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down in the wake of his government’s deadly crackdown on protestors.

Damascus: Syrian authorities have reportedly released the alleged terrorist mastermind behind the July 7 London bombings, that killed 52 people and injured over 700 in 2005.
Abu Musab al-Suri was held in Syria for six years after being captured by the CIA in 2005 and transported to the country of his birth under its controversial extraordinary rendition programme.

London: French magazine ‘Elle’ has apologised for a ‘racist’ article posted on its website that suggested that black American elite, inspired by the Obamas, were finally

Beijing: China is paying an increasing price for environmental and ecological damage brought about by rapid economic development, a report has claimed.