Pakistan gives ultimatum to Taliban
Islamabad: Pakistan has given ultimatum to the Taliban government in Afghanistan handover Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden in three days. Pakistan will send a diplomatic envoy to Kandahar in Afghanistan on Monday to persuade the Taliban government to handover bin Laden.

Responding to the US appeal for cooperation to combat terrorism, Pakistan said it will only allow air operations in its territory provided India and Israel are excluded from such operations.

Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan wanted to avoid conflict in south Asia.

Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden denied his involvement in terrorist attacks on the US. In a hand written letter faxed to the Pakistan-based Islamic Press, bin Laden said, "The US is pointing the finger at me, but I categorically state that I have not done this."

But Taliban has called for a holy war, jihad, against the US. Taliban's spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has convened a meeting of senior religious scholars in Kabul to discuss the issue.
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Sikhs in America become targets
New York: A sikh, mistaken for an Arab, was shot dead in the state of Arizona, even as incidents of harassment of Arabs and South Asians by angry Americans over terrorist attacks continued.

A Pakistani immigrant was also shot dead in his grocery store in Dallas, Texas.

The sikh, Balbir Singh's family said he was mistaken for an Arab."Our store was getting threats because Osama has a beard and turban. Most people think we are linked to those terrorists," said Balbir's brother Latwinder Singh Sodhi.

In West Virginia, a local mosque was vandalized. Some miscreants sprayed the Nazi symbol swastika and a slogan, "Niggers go home."

The Indian government said it will repeat an appeal to the United States to protect people of Indian origin.
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Air-India to resume operations from NY
New York: Air-India, which suspended flights to the United States in wake of terrorist attacks, will resume operation from New York on September 17 and from Chicago from September 18, the Airlines announced today.

However, there will be no flight out of New York on September 18 because of "positioning of aircraft," it said. The suspension, which followed the United States closing its air space to commercial flights, stranded hundreds of incoming and outgoing passengers.
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Oil imports may cost Rs 75,000cr
New Delhi: As a direct fall out of the terrorist attack on America, Indias oil import bill is likely to cross Rs 75,000 crore during the current financial year.

The price of crude oil, which jumped up to $ 31 per barrel on the Black Tuesday, has stabilized between $27 and $28 a barrel for the time being but there is widespread fear that it may rise further.

India had pegged the oil import for the current fiscal at around Rs 71,000 crore. But it is now feared to cross the Rs 75,000 crore mark, even if the oil price rule at the current level.
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IA likely to hike fare
Mumbai: Indian Airlines is likely to hike fares in the near future in view of the sudden spurt in the aviation insurance premium world-wide following attacks on the US.

This is for the second year running that Indian Airlines is facing difficulty over insurance coverage for its fleet. Last year, its premium bill shot up by 65 per cent following sudden rate revision in the reinsurance market for aviation risks on account of a series of air disasters
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