News

Lucknow, September 29: Five more persons died in flood- related incidents in Uttar Pradesh, taking the toll this season to 420 in the state, officials said today. “Five deaths have been reported from different parts of the state since yesterday as 644 more village were inundated by the flood waters in UP,” a spokesman of Relief Commissioner Office said.

New Delhi, September 29: Speaking at United Nations Genral Assembly, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Wednesday demanded reforms in the United Nations Security Council, clearly hinting at the demand of a permanent seat for India.

Addressing the UNGA, Krishna said, “Urgent reform of United Nations Security Council needed to reflect contemporary realities.” “Steps must be taken to expand the council”, he added.

New Delhi, September 29: Amid apprehensions of breach of peace following the Allahabad High Court’s verdict on the Ayodhya case, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday appealed to people for respecting the judgment and maintaining composure.

Bhopal, September 29: Two more persons today succumbed to swine flu in Indore, taking the death toll due to the disease to 75 in Madhya Pradesh since August, officials said.

A 30-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man succumbed to the viral influenza at different hospitals in Indore, they said.

So far the disease claimed 32 lives in Bhopal, 27 in Indore, 11 in Jabalpur, four in Gwalior and one in Harda.

Meanwhile, five more persons were tested H1N1 positive here, taking the total number of patients suffering from swine flu in the state to 303.

–Agencies

Ganderbal (JK), September 29: Slamming the separatists who have rejected the Kashmir initiative, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said they have failed to move ahead purposefully on a dialogue with the Centre despite the best efforts of his government.

“I have always flagged the role of separatists in the settlement of political issues of the state and paved the way for dialogue channel between them and the Centre. However, separatists never helped in creating a peaceful atmosphere to move ahead on the subject purposefully,” he said addressing a ‘Gram Sabha’ here.

New Delhi, September 29: The Supreme Court today slammed “rampant corruption” in the Commonwealth Games to be held here and castigated the government for the collapse of the foot overbridge “like a pack of cards” near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

“In this country, payments are made without work being done. Newly-constructed bridge collapsed like a pack of cards.

Rs 70,000 crores are involved (in the games). There is rampant corruption in the country. We cannot shut our eyes,” a Bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said.

Shillong, September 29: Indo-Bangla border areas and places in Meghalaya sharing boundary with Assam have been put on alert ahead of the Allahabad High Court’s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute tomorrow.

“Though we don’t expect any repercussions of the verdict in the state, yet there is a possibility that miscreants might try to take advantage of the situation and create some mischief,” a senior Meghalaya Police officer said.

Vulnerable places have been identified and extra vigil maintained in these areas to prevent any untoward incidents.

Ahmedabad, September 29: A special CBI court here today reserved its order on the bail plea of former Gujarat minister Amit Shah, accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, till October 8 amid some high pitched arguments between two senior counsels K T S Tulsi and Ram Jethmalani.

Special judge G K Upadhyay reserved the order on Shah’s bail plea which was filed on July 26, the very next day of his arrest, after Tulsi representing CBI and Jethmalani appearing for Shah completed their arguments.

New Delhi, September 29: Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday said the government will provide foolproof security during the Commonwealth Games (CWG) and it would be wrong to say that there was a credible threat to the event.

“Foolproof security will be provided,” he said, answering queries from mediapersons.

Asked about the measures taken for air surveillance, the minister refused to get into specifics and said the Indian Air Force had its own obligations.

Mumbai, September 29: The Bombay High Court today admitted an appeal filed by Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab challenging the death sentence awarded to him for his role in the 26/11 terror attacks.

Justices Ranjana Desai and R V More said the appeal would be heard along with the matter pertaining to confirmation of death sentence imposed on Kasab by the trial court for killing 166 people in the dastardly attacks.

The judges, however, deferred till October 6 their ruling on who should be asked to open arguments — the state or the defence.

Lucknow, September 29: The Allahabad High Court will deliver its judgement tomorrow on the 60-year-old Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid, an issue that had changed the course of politics in the last two decades and has the nation worried over the fallout of the verdict.

Security was ramped up across the country and leaders cutting across political and religious spectrum appealed for calm on the eve of the verdict on four title suits on the ownership of the land where the Ramjanambhoomi- Babri Masjid site is located.

Kolkata, September 29: The indefinite strike by Calcutta High Court employees was today withdrawn on the ninth day following an appeal by Chief Justice J N Patel. “We have decided to withdraw the agitation in view of the Chief Justice”s appeal for the sake of the institution and litigants,” High Court Officers” Association Secretary Debabrata Chakraborti said here.

Mumbai, September 29: Ranjna Sonevate, a resident of Tembhli village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, has become the first recipient of India’s ambitious Unique Identity (UID) project.

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday launched the world’s first biometric identification card, UID, from Maharashtra’s backward district Nandurbar.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), headed by corporate leader Nandan Nilekani, will produce the 12-digit UID card called as Aadhaar for billions of Indian citizen.

Lucknow, Sep 29 (IANS) Besides throwing a security net around the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, the administration here Wednesday ordered closure of all liquor vends and shops selling fireworks ahead of the much-awaited Ayodhya verdict Thursday.

New Delhi, September 29: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court will Thursday give its verdict on the Ayodhya land row. Here are the claims and counter-claims of the contestants in the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi dispute:

Birthplace of Hindu god Ram:

– Hindu litigants say the disputed site in Ayodhya is the birthplace of Ram.