Press Trust of India

As part of its rebuilding exercise, Afghanistan is focusing on reviving the legendary Silk Route and build new ones preferring Indian businessmen and investors in the process, the war-torn country’s envoy said here Monday.

“Afghanistan is undergoing transition since the last 13 years and during our rebuilding period from 2014-2024, we are focusing on reviving the old trade routes which benefited us in the past as well as build new ones,” Ambassador to India Sahida Mohammad Abdali said on the sidelines of an event organised by Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

The Mysuru royal family Monday adopted 22-year-old Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs as the new prince, and heir of the legendary Wodeyar dynasty.

“The adoption ceremony took place at the auspicious time (1.15-1.50 p.m.) in the decked-up Amba Vilas Palace amid chanting of Vedic hymns and prayers,” a royal member told IANS here, about 150 km from Bengaluru.

Pramoda Devi, widow of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, adopted Yaduveer in the presence of the royal family and about 1,000 guests invited for the grand occasion.

The prosecution in the hit-and-run accident trial involving Bollywood actor Salman Khan Monday filed an application seeking to lead evidence of two crucial witnesses who were presently not available to the court.

While was was the former police bodyguard of Khan who had first filed the complaint in the accident case and the other was a medico who performed the autopsy on a victim who was killed in the accident in September 2002.

President Pranab Mukherjee Monday said the land acquisition act had been “refined” to minimise some procedural difficulties in getting land for critical projects but the Congress and some parties conveyed their firm opposition to the measure and activist Anna Hazare launched a protest.

The president said in his address to the two houses of parliament at the start of budget session that the National Democratic Alliance government attaches paramount importance to safeguarding interests of farmers and families affected by land acquisition.

To address the backlog of pending cases relating to criminal and taxation matters, the Supreme Court has set up two benches to exclusively hear them on a daily basis when the court resumes work after the Holi break March 9, it was announced Monday.

Apex court registrar M.K.Hanjura Monday said that there were 11,137 criminal cases and 10,843 cases relating to taxation pending before the court.

The move is in pursuance to Chief Justice H.L.Dattu’s initiative to reduce the pendency of the cases by employing the existing strength of the judges.

(IANS)

A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a CBI inquiry into various cases of irregularities and corruption in AIIMS raised by then anti-graft officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi.

The public interest litigation (PIL), which is expected to come up for hearing Wednesday, has sought a revival of all cases in which action were initiated by Chaturvedi before he was sacked by then union health minister Harsh Vardhan in August last year from his post as chief vigilance officer of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Over one lakh people visited the air show Sunday to watch metal birds of different kind soar and roar on the final day of the Aero India trade expo at the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Yelahanka base on the city’s outskirts.

Braving a hot sun and navigating the city’s traffic snarls, thousands of people, including children and women descended on the venue for a spectacular flying display of fighters, trainer jets, stunt aircraft, transport planes, helicopters and drones.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Sunday held an all party meeting on the eve of the budget session of parliament.

The meeting was attended by MPs from all political parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the dinner following the meeting.

Mahajan told the media after the meeting that she was in favour of discussions on all contentious issues including the land acquisition bill within the house.

“This way both opposition and the government can have their say,” she said.

The army Sunday said it has rescued four people from a snow-hit area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district.

“Personnel of the Delta Force rescued four stranded civilians yesterday (Saturday) night when they got trapped in a snow-bound area in Kawalu of Khari tehsil,” army spokesman Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS.

The trapped people were local residents and had gone out for hunting late in the evening. While returning to their village, they got trapped in the snow.