India court to rule on mosque row on Thursday

An Indian court will rule on Thursday whether Hindus or Muslims own land around a demolished mosque in northern India, a judgement haunted by memories of a 1992 riot, some of the country’s worst violence since the partition.

The verdict could add to the security worries of the government, which already has its hands full dealing with the preparations for the Commonwealth Games that are bedeviled by concerns over filthy accommodation, health and security.

A trader waits for customers as he sells photos of Hindu Gods in the Indian town of Ayodhya September 22, 2010. A court will rule this Thursday whether Hindus or Muslims own land around a demolished mosque in Ayodhya, a judgement haunted by memories of a 1992 riot.




“The verdict will be announced on 30th (September) at 3.30pm,” said Subodh Sahay, registrar of the court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier in NEW DELHI, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the lower court to decide on the ownership of a religious site where the razing of a mosque in 1992 sparked rioting between Hindus and Muslims that killed some 2,000 people.

A verdict on its ownership was to have come on September 24 from a lower court in Uttar Pradesh state, but the top court suspended that imminent verdict last week, responding to arguments that a chance should be given to reconciliation in the 60-year-old case.

“The petition stands dismissed,” India’s Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia said, referring to the appeal to seek deferment of any verdict on the ownership issue.

New York by night: British photographer's astounding scenes of the Big Apple... taken from the open door of a helicopter

It is one of the most distinctive skylines on Earth.

But cloaked in a blanket of darkness, New York's numerous landmarks take on an almost ethereal quality.

Captured at night from around 1,000ft above the ground, these spectacular aerial images offer a striking portrait of one of the world's most vibrant cities, showing it as it has rarely been seen before.

Bird's eye view: Captured at night from around 1000ft above the ground, these spectacular aerial images show the city as it has rarely been seen before

And they've been taken by a Briton. Specialist aerial photographer Jason Hawkes spent 15 weeks using state of the art technology to create the dramatic shots for his new book, New York At Night.

From the vantage point of a helicopter, familiar sights including the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the Empire State Building appear to take on an almost abstract appearance.

The collection of 130 images includes a host of instantly recognisable landmarks alongside some less familiar views of the city.

The stunning collection includes the world-famous Times Square, shot from 1,300ft, showing hundreds of party-goers far below enjoying an open-air music concert.

Another mesmerising image shows a northward view of Madison Avenue in stunning detail - alive and packed with the glare of headlights.

In his book, Hawkes describes the intense chill he felt while taking the pictures.

And he recalls one flight when he took a taxi driver up with him.

He writes: 'Went flying last night in a Twin Star, with both doors off. By the time we landed I could not even feel my hands, never felt cold like it.

'I was chatting to my cab driver ( Eftakhar ) on the way down to the heliport, and asked if he wanted to come along for the ride. He had never been up in a helicopter before so jumped at the chance.

'I had plenty of cold weather gear to wear, as did the pilot, but Eftakhar was only wearing a jumper. Quite how he survived the flight I'm not sure. He said he enjoyed it and even gave me a free ride back to my hotel.'
Hawkes, who has already produced a similar selection of images for his book London At Night, has been taking aerial photographs since graduating from photographic college in 1991.

The 42-year-old, from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, claims he was bitten by the bug while flying in a small microlight aircraft.

'At college all I wanted to be was a studio photographer,' he said, 'but after a flight in a microlight, I realised that, with a little attitude, you see all these amazing patterns - even mundane things look intriguing.

'So I started using helicopters to take my pictures, I try to do as little planning as I can - I have in mind specific sights, but if there is enough budget left over from a book I'm doing, I'll fly a little further afield.'

Lofty images: Newark Liberty International Airport. The photograph is one of 130 shots which feature in a new collection by specialist aerial photographer Jason Hawkes

In the dark: Images show the New York skyline by night. Cloaked in a blanket of darkness, its numerous landmarks take on an almost ethereal quality

High flyer: The photographer used state of the art technology to create the dramatic shots for his new book

On the front: The cover of Hawkes' book New York At Night. The 43-year-old spent 15 weeks putting his collection together

As far as the eye can see: From the vantage point of a helicopter, familiar sights including the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the Empire State Building appear to take on an almost abstract quality

Mosques to become bigger part of German life-Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germans had for too long failed to grasp how immigration was changing their country and would have to get used to the sight of more mosques in their cities, according to a newspaper.

Germany, home to at least 4 million Muslims, has been divided in recent weeks by a debate over integration sparked by disparaging remarks about Muslim immigrants by an outspoken member of the country’s central bank.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a news conference




“Our country is going to carry on changing, and integration is also a task for the society taking up the immigrants,” Merkel told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily.

“For years we’ve been deceiving ourselves about this. Mosques, for example, are going to be a more prominent part of our cities than they were before,” she added.

The uproar sparked by the Bundesbank’s Thilo Sarrazin, who argued Turkish and Arab immigrants were failing to integrate and swamping Germany with a higher birth rate, is one of several recent prominent disputes touching on religion and integration.

Switzerland sparked international condemnation last year when it voted to impose a ban on building minarets.

Religious disputes have erupted in the United States during the past few weeks over plans to build an Islamic cultural centre close to the site of toppled World Trade Center.

Meanwhile ties between Berlin and Paris were strained this week by a terse exchange between Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy over France’s expulsion of Roma migrants.

Protester who burned pages of Koran at Ground Zero mosque site is sacked from his job

A protester who burned pages of the Koran outside the site of the planned mosque near Ground Zero has been sacked from his job as a train conductor.

Derek Fenton, 39, of Bloomingdale, New Jersey, was photographed ripping up pages from the Muslim holy book and setting them alight on September 11.

He was removed from outside Park51, the site where the controversial mosque could be built, by police but was later released without charge.

But it now appears his former employer NJ Transit has taken more drastic action after confirming he had been dismissed.

A statement from the company said: 'Mr Fenton's public actions violated New Jersey Transit's code of ethics.

Defiant: Derek Fenton was moved away by police after burning pages of the Koran near the planned mosque site in New York



'NJ Transit concluded that Mr Fenton violated his trust as a state employee and there he was dismissed.'

Mr Fenton was allegedly inspired to carry out the act by Reverend Terry Jones, the Florida clergyman who sparked international protests when he threatened to stage a Koran burning day on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

A police source told the New York Daily News: 'He said "this is America" and he wanted to stand up for it, in a Tea Party kind of way.'

Another police source said he described himself as exercising his 'right to protest'.

Mr Fenton was an assistant train-consist coordinator - which entails ensuring there are enough train cars positioned to be put into service.

New Jersey Transit did not give specifics behind why he was dismissed.

But if he was sacked because of his actions, he could be protected by his First Amendment rights, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Chris Dunn, from the union, said: 'The Supreme Court has recognised a constitutional right to burn the flag.

'As reprehensible as it may be, burning the Koran would be protected as well.'