The Government of India announces that Tamil will be the first language recognized as a " Classical Language " in India. Government ministers add that Sanskrit and other languages could be granted the status, depending on their "heritage and legacy". The Indian government plans to create a center for the study of Language s so designated. (Times of India)(The Hindu)
Three men are arrested in New Delhi , India for attempting to sell an 800 year old Tibet an Buddhist manuscript, which had been reported stolen from a monastery at Kalimpong , West Bengal several months earlier. The thieves attempted to sell the manuscript for 30 million rupees (535,000 Euro s), although experts say that it could be worth three times that much on the international market. (Hindustan Times)(India News via New Kerala)
ese government and Darfur ian rebels, which began three weeks ago, collapse. Sudan accuses the United States of prolonging the conflict by describing the actions of Arab militias in Darfur as Genocide . Rebels will meet with Nigeria n president Olusegun Obasanjo Friday evening to give their version of the story. (MSNBC.com)
U.S.Air Raid s in the city of Fallujah , allegedly aimed at militants loyal to Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi , kill an estimated 60 fighters, according to claims from the U.S. military. A spokesman for Iraq's health ministry says at least two women and 17 children were among the wounded. Meanwhile in central Baghdad , a suicide Car Bomb leaves at least 13 dead. (The Guardian)
In an interview with the Saudi -owned '' Al-Arabiyya '' satellite television network, U.S.Secretary Of StateColin Powell plays down the importance of Wednesday's report by the State Department — which listed Saudi Arabia as a country that severely restricts Religious Freedom — saying that he hopes that he will be able to use dialogue to remove Saudi Arabia from the list.
