Indians in the Gaza Strip, which is being pounded by Israelis, are safe. The Indian mission in Tel Aviv is constantly monitoring the situation since the violence flared up in the coastal enclave twelve days ago, leaving more than 650 people dead, including almost a third of them children.

Over four months after she was allegedly raped during communal violence in Orissa's Kandhamal district, a Catholic nun on Monday finally identified two persons for involvement in the incident during a test identification parade, which was earlier deferred thrice.The 29-year-old nun identified two persons from a line-up of 90 during the identification parade, which was held at the high-security Choudwar jail in Cuutack and not in Kandhamal, following a HC direction.

Father Thomas Kottur, Father Jose Puthrikayil and Sister Sephi were directed by Justice K Hema to furnish a bail bond of one lakh rupees each and two solvent sureties for the same amount.The accused have been asked not to make or receive any telephone calls. If calls are made or received, their bail would be cancelled, the court held.

With a number of top nominations, Doubt, could emerge as yet another triumph for Meryl Streep whose Mamma Mia! is ending its glorious worldwide with over $ 560 million.

As the nomination for the Golden Globe around the corner, the influential Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards have been just announced, with plenty of surprises and famous snobs for the perennially nominated Meryl Streep and well regarded star Kate Winslett.

A Kandhamal court on Monday posted the next date of hearing in the alleged nun rape case to December 6, after the Orissa police failed to file a chargesheet in the case.No application has been filed from the nun's side. The police made the first arrest in the case on October 3. The alleged rape victim did not attend the TIP on November 10 and November 19 on health grounds.

"On going through the order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate it appears that the CBI did not produce the extract of case diaries along with remand report," Justice R Basant said when a petition by Father Jose Puthrukayil, one of the accused in the case, seeking to quash the order of 14-day CBI custody came up before him.

The CBI on Wednesday arrested two priests in the Sister Abhaya case.

The nun, who was allegedly raped during communal violence in Kandhamal, has told the Crime Branch of Orissa police that after the sexual assault, she was saved by a local Hindu man from being gangraped, police said today.

The invaders killed us but never portrayed Hindus as terrorists. This secular dispensation is celebrating Diwali with that label gifted to Hindus. It will not remain unanswered. Hindus as a mainline faith never never never believed in any kind of cowardice that's the hallmark of terrorism we see today, says Tarun Vijay

Coming out in the open for the first time, a nun who was allegedly raped during the recent communal violence in Orissa on Friday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the incident, charging the state police with being "friendly" with the attackers.

'The state police failed to stop the crimes, failed to protect me from the attackers, they were friendly with the attackers, they tried their best that I did not register an FIR, not make complaints against police, the police did not take down my statement as I narrated in detail and they abandoned me half of the way. I was raped and now I don't want to be victimised by the Orissa police. I want a CBI enquiry,' says the nun

A fact-finding committee, comprising of human rights activists formed to look into the recent violence in Mangalore, has stated that the attacks were carried out by the Bajrang Dal and the Sri Rama Sene (a local Hindu group). The team said the 'planned attacks' were aimed at causing hurt and resentment among Christians. It was also used as a pretext by the police to let lose a savage assault on the community and its sacred institutions, the report said.

A group of women activists of Sangh Parivar sat on a dharna in Bhubaneswar demanding arrest of the nun, who was raped in Kandhamal, for 'playing hide and seek" with the Orissa government.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Kerala government on a petition challenging a high court order directing a high-level inquiry against a person who had filed a Public Interest Litigation seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder of Sister Abhaya.

"I know Shah Rukh Khan is quite famous in India and I would love to star opposite him. But unfortunately no calls yet. But, yes I wish I could get to work with him as a lead actress, be it a Hollywood or Indian film," says Yoeh.

Sister Alphonsa has been conferred sainthood. Alphonsa from Bharanangnam near Kottayam in Kerala on Sunday became the first woman from India and second from Indian Roman Catholic church to get canonised.

Sister Alphonsa will become the first Indian woman to achieve the high spiritual position in the hall of fame and veneration of the Catholic Church. Hundreds of Keralite Christians from different parts of the world are expected to attend the event at the Vatican and share the jubilation.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Europe (No mention of a particular year, but definitely beyond 2017) the central character of Babylon A.D- Toorop (Vin Diesel) taking up an assignment to "deliver" a messianic orphan named Aurora (Melanie Thierry) from a monastery in Mongolia to New York in company with an butt-kicking nun, Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh); makes for a tedious 90 min test of patience.

Accusing the UPA government of failing to check anti-Christian violence, the CPI(M) on Tuesday demanded invocation of Article 355 to issue "specific directive" to Orissa government to arrest the culprits involved in the attacks on the minority community.

The Missionaries of Charity has been assured by the Orissa government of strong measures being taken in troubled Kandhamal district, its Superior General, Sister Nirmala said on Tuesday.

The demand for imposing a ban on Sangh Parivar outfits Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishas on Monday gained momentum with the Congress saying these organisations were a "suitable case" for such action. "Bajrang Dal is a suitable case for ban... Also the VHP," Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said in Delhi.

The nun, missing since the incident and had reportedly taken shelter at a church in Delhi, was not found when Additional Resident Commissioner M Satyanarayan went there last night, Home Secretary T K Mishra told PTI.

If the Bajrang Dal comes to be viewed as a suspected terrorist organisation, the first to feel the pressure and adverse effect will be the supporters of the organisation in the Hindu diaspora abroad. It is in their interest to exercise pressure on the Bajrang Dal and drive some sense into it

While demanding justice, a nun who was allegedly raped in Orissa's riot-hit Kandhamal district has claimed that she can identify the culprits.The nun alleged that she was dragged by her hair by men from a Hindu household where she was hiding. "...Two men were holding my hand, one raped me," she told CNN-IBN from an undisclosed location.Blaming the police for inaction, the nun claimed the policemen present there failed to protect her.

The father of the nun, who was allegedly raped during the Kandhahmal riots, has left it to Goddess Durga to get her justice."I am busy with preparations for the Dussehra festival. Let the Goddess punish the culprits," said Ignace Barwa, whose second daughter was allegedly raped during a mob attack at K Nuagauon of Kandhamal on August 25."Ours is the only Christian family in the village," Rezina said, adding that they participate in all Hindu festivals.

The aggressive conversions and the justification of it by the 'harvesters' are hurting Hindus as much as any other violence. Still there are saner ways to explain that hurt if there are saner platforms to receive those voices

A 16-year-old teenager is US Senator John McCain's strongest link to Southeast Asia

The Federation of Indian American Christian Organisations of North America on Friday staged a protest outside the United Nations headquarters and urged Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to look into the 'naked violation' of human rights of Christians in Orissa.Holding placards with slogans that read 'Ban VHP,' 'Stop Burning Christians alive in Orissa,' and 'Deploy Army to Orissa to Christians,' the FIACONA activists staged a three-hour protest outside the UN.

According to police, a note recovered from the room of the deceased nun stated that she was taking the extreme step as she was not able to withstand 'harassment' from a senior nun of the convent.

The script falls flat at times, while the movie pulls you into two extremes -- Rajini's many extraordinary merits and Pasupathy's warm-hearted honesty. Obviously Pasupathy works more effectively but Rajini's star status is unquestionable. If only the dialogues and screenplay had been more effective and subtle. In the end, it's a definite treat for Rajini fans. For the others? The last twenty minutes will do.

Thousands of supporters of the Dalai Lama shouted and "spit" on a group of demonstrators belonging to a Buddhist sect which alleges that the Tibetan spiritual leader is persecuting its members, forcing the police to intervene to prevent clashes between them.

Sixteen years after a teenage nun's mysterious death made the headlines in Kerala, the Central Bureau of Investigation has charged two priests and a nun with the crime.

Church spokesperson Father Paul Thelekat says that like nuns are becoming extinct as a social species in European countries, the same situation may be seen in India soon, as young women are being drawn to more 'worldly' professions. Nuns feel women are given 'second class' citizen status in the Church and are considered emotional and lacking objectivity and reasoning. They feel that this needs to change for the situation to improve.

69-year-old Samdhong Rinpoche, who heads the administration of the Tibetan Diaspora, speaks out on the uprising in Lhasa, Chinese rule and India's role.

Dr Thomas Mar Makarios, metropolitan of the Canada, Britain and Europe Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, died on February 23 at Newcastle General Hospital, London. Dr Mar Makarios, 82, was seriously injured in a car accident on January 5 and remained on life support system thereafter.

Any weakening of army support would spell doom for Musharraf. The Pakistani army's image is much dented and it is doubtful if it can withstand a civil war with the Taliban.

"Eight bodies have been fished out while three to four persons are still missing and feared drowned," officials said.

The moral of the story is that it is a world upside down, where not everything that appears evident and true is necessarily noble

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