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DELHI: India has demanded social networking websites take down provocative messages and has blocked some online content after anonymous threats sparked an exodus of migrants.

Tens of thousands of workers and students from the remote north-east region returned home last week from Bangalore, Mumbai and other cities fearing reprisals from Muslims over recent ethnic clashes in the state of Assam.

The Indian government has said many of the web posts, fake video clips and phone messages spreading rumours of plans to target migrants were sent from Pakistan.

The Ministry of Communications said on Monday an order had been issued last week but that ''such inflammatory and harmful content continued to appear on the social networking sites''.

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It said it was meeting representatives of the sites to curb content, and that ''a lot more, and quicker, action is expected from them to address such a sensitive issue''.

Google issued a statement on Tuesday saying any content intended to incite violence was already prohibited on its products, including YouTube videos.

''We understand the gravity of the situation and continue to work closely with relevant authorities,'' it said in response to the government's demands.

Officials declined to name which other sites were affected, while Twitter and Facebook were not immediately available for comment.

The government also said 245 web pages had been blocked, declining to give further details.

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India censors social networking sites after exodus

Widow talks about life with West Nile, death

Of all the complaints of the summer -- the haze, the heat, the humidity -- nothing has people talking more this year than the West Nile virus outbreak that has killed almost 30 people in Texas.

For one family, five years ago the signs were there -- a summer evening spent outside, a dead Blue Jay found in a neighbor's yard, a seemingly healthy man suddenly got sick. But back then those pieces of information didn't immediately add up to much. Today, we know they point to a killer virus.

The West Nile virus scare is something we've grown to accept. But for June Metcalf, it's never far from her mind, no matter what time of year it is. In the summer of 2007, during National Night Out, neighbors gathered in the Metcalfs' front yard with lemonade and cookies. A mosquito, carrying West Nile virus, bit Roy Metcalf. Within days, the 83-year-old man was in the hospital. His health crumbled so fast doctors had trouble explaining it first.

"The mosquito bit him on Tuesday. Friday (he was) running a fever. Friday night (he had an) extreme fever. By that Monday he was on a ventilator," June Metcalf said.

A chance encounter with an infectious disease specialist finally provided the Metcalfs with a diagnosis. It was West Nile virus. From there, Roy Metcalf went from hospital to hospital, but the problems persisted. He was essentially paralyzed. The avid reader couldn't even focus on the pages of a book.

"His eye muscles wouldn't work. He couldn't lift his arms or legs, sit up or turn over in bed," said June Metcalf.

Problems with his facial muscles made it hard for Roy Metcalf to talk. But even in the hospital, June Metcalf said Roy Metcalf maintained his sense of humor.

"He was quite a cut up,"said June Metcalf, "(He) looked up at me and said, 'I must be real sick all my kids are here!'"

Surrounded by family and friends, Roy Metcalf fought hard to get home. A year after the initial bite, the community celebrated his homecoming. At the time, the family couldn't have been more grateful. Roy Metcalf, though in a wheelchair, had a big smile on his face. It had been a long and treacherous year since he slept under his own roof.

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Widow talks about life with West Nile, death

TOWN OF NIAGARA It's been weeks since federal agents met privately with Supervisor Steve Richards to discuss what he described as "town business."

Other town officials have been in contact with federal authorities in the days since Richards' March 18 meeting, but that's not to say they have received any new information on the nature of the agency's interest.

"It's in the FBI's hands," said town board member Robert Clark, who told the Gazette he's met twice with federal investigators this year. "We'd like for something to happen for the town to be able to move on and for the people to stop worrying about it."

The FBI confirmed in March that federal agents and representatives from the state attorney general's office started conducting interviews with several town officials as part of an ongoing matter. The FBI has not identified the source of its inquiry, nor has it confirmed that the investigation is criminal in nature.

Also in March, Richards confirmed that he spent a couple of hours with federal and state investigators. At the time, Richards said the session was held behind closed doors and would confirm only that the meeting was held at the FBI'srequest to discuss "town business. Richards declined to discuss anything more about the meeting, saying only that he expected to hear from federal agents again.

During Tuesday's board meeting, Richards unveiled plans for a five-year capital project aimed at repaving 80 percent of all town roads. Hesaid he intended to see the project through to fruition, health permitting. Richards did not address the FBI's interest in the town, nor did not he respond to requests for comment from the Gazette on Wednesday.

Following a board meeting in May, Deputy Supervisor Marc Carpenter confirmed that he was interviewed by the FBI several weeks after agents first visited Richards. He said several other department heads and town employees have been interviewed as well. He declined to discuss the nature of his discussion with the FBI in detail, saying only that he was asked if he was aware of any inappropriate activities in the town and he indicated that he was not.

At the time, Carpenter said the town iscooperating 100 percent with investigators, stressing that there have been no criminal charges filed against anyone at this point.

On Wednesday, Carpenter said he has not been contacted by anyone from the FBI since his previous interview.

"There is absolutely nothing from the time when I was interviewed back when and I haven't heard anything," he said.

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Town of Niagara waits for word on FBI 'interest'

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said he could have the last word on the extradition of a dissident blogger and former soldier from Belarus now before the country's high court.

Alexander Barankov, a former army captain, fled to Ecuador in 2009 after being charged with fraud, allegations he says were trumped up after he blogged about widespread corruption linked to people close to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, often referred to as "Europe's last dictator."

Ecuador granted him asylum in 2010 after he argued that he faced the death penalty for treason in Belarus, but imprisoned him for 52 days later that year after an extradition request from Minsk that was eventually rejected.

"Ecuador will put the emphasis on not extraditing a citizen whose life is at risk, from facing the death penalty or life in prison," Deputy Foreign Minister Marco Albuja said.

Correa said that if the high court, which is due to issue a ruling in the coming days, decides to grant the extradition request from Belarus, he could overrule that decision "as a last resort."

"We reject any attack on human rights (or) political persecution," Correa told foreign reporters.

Ecuador's much-criticized record on press freedom has come under renewed scrutiny following its decision to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, holed up at its London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.

Barankov, 30, is wanted by Interpol for fraud. He has been detained for 70 days pending the court decision.

His lawyer Fernando Lara told AFP that the Lukashenko regime is out to silence Barankov -- a former member of a military anti-corruption investigation team -- after he uncovered illicit activities embarrassing top officials.

The European Union and the United States have accused Belarus of detaining dissidents and committing other human rights abuses, and tightened sanctions in the wake of a disputed election in December 2010 that handed another term to Lukashenko, in power since 1994.

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Correa could deny Belarus blogger's extradition

The American Bible Challenge Premieres 8 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, Aug. 23

When I first heard of the Game Show Network's idea for a new game show, I wondered: How is it no one ever thought of it before? There is so much material in the scriptures that if the producers play it right, they could have many seasons. It could be a way to bring Christians together around the Word.

On the set of Game Show Network's "The American Bible Challenge" with host Jeff Foxworthy. ((c) GSN)This hourlong show that tests Bible knowledge is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy ("Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?"), who told journalists in July he has been teaching Bible classes for years. I asked him: What Bible character is most like Shrek? Jeff knew the answer. (Both the Bible character and Shrek had a talking donkey that annoyed them with the truth.)

The format of "The American Bible Challenge" is framed to be lightly competitive: three teams of three people compete to answer questions that are presented in a variety of ways. The teams all play for charity. The contestants move around the set, go out for a Bible study and take turns answering in lightning rounds. The contestants are not so restrained (or straight-laced) as in "Jeopardy," where people stand rooted to one spot. This show should appeal to people who want to test their own knowledge of the Old and New Testaments.

There's always a threat to a respected topic when popular television gets hold of it, and what is sacred can become profane. In "The American Bible Challenge," ordinary folks, dressed in casual down-home attire, get genuinely excited every time they know the answer. There is a warmth about the show that reverences the Word of God and living the Word in charity. The Word is prominent -- the contestants stand behind lecterns made in the shape of large Bibles. In the pilot episode, it was very moving to see the reaction of the winning team and to imagine the good that will be done with the prize money. The fact that the money is for others rather than the players sets the show apart from the start and is the reason Foxworthy agreed to host the show after initial misgivings.

Last spring when the show was announced, it asked for applications from teams of three. So three of us sisters formed a team we named "The Real Sister Act." We sent in our application, went to the audition (it was fun), and our backgrounds were vetted. As the weeks ticked by, it seemed we did not make the cut. And then we got a call to come in for a "run-through," or a dry run, a way for the network to figure out the kinks. We had a very good time. We met a man in the elevator who looked rather serious. I asked, "Are you a reverend? Coming for the Bible show?" He said yes, and I looked at the other nuns and said, "We are so dead." Protestant Christians do know Bible details better than most Catholics, I think. Alas, we did not make it on the show this time around. If "The American Bible Challenge" is picked up for another season, maybe we will.

A team from the Chicago area, "The Horns of Jericho," is made up of three brothers of an Italian-American Catholic family. They are playing for the American Cancer Society. Some of the other charities the teams play for include food pantries, a performing arts academy, an organization that provides aid to victims of human trafficking, and a camp for children in foster care. A team of firefighters from Los Angeles plays for St. Baldrick's Foundation, which funds research to discover cures for children's cancers. For a list of the teams and their charities visit the show's website.

I don't know how many Catholic groups sent in applications. But when I asked around, in view of forming other teams, there was reluctance from Catholics because of two things. First, most ordinary Catholics didn't feel they could compete with Protestants when it comes to Bible knowledge and trivia. Second, there was a lack of trust that Hollywood could produce a reverent show about the scriptures.

Sr. Rose Pacatte with Jeff Foxworthy, the host and producer of "The American Bible Challenge," at a press conference ((c) GSN)Our "Real Sister Act" team's one concern when we applied was which translation of the Bible the show would base the questions on. This is because some biblical names are spelled differently from one translation to another, and the number of books -- and the verses in a book -- can vary. As of this writing, I think it is the King James or the New International Version, but I was unable to find out this information despite repeated queries. However, from what I observed, anyone with slightly above-average Bible knowledge would be able to answer most questions. I cannot give any details about the run-through (we had to sign a release form), but I was very impressed at how important the Bible was to the teams, how much they knew, how fast they could hit that red button, and how genuinely friendly everyone was. The competitive spirit kind of fell away because everyone was happy when anyone got the right answer.

I think the Game Show Network has produced a show that honors the Bible and how believers can and do put their faith into practice. It will seem simplistic to some. Indeed, the nature of television prevents much depth using this format. It might spark interest, however, in those who do not know the answers. The show might provide an entry point into learning more about God and Christianity. From the pilot and the day I spent on the set, I don't think our Jewish brothers and sisters would consider themselves included unless the network plans a special based on the Jewish scriptures we have in common. I don't know if word got out to Orthodox Christians, either. Maybe next time.

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'American Bible Challenge' a fun way to gather around the Word