Aarushi case: Court rejects defence request to summon 13 witnesses

A court trying the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case Saturday rejected the defence counsel’s request to summon the then CBI joint director Arun Kumar and 12 other witnesses included in the original list but not brought to depose, the lawyer said.

Defence counsel Manoj Sisodia said that he made the request since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had submitted the list of 141 witnesses but produced only 39 for testimony.

Over 10,000 tents needed for quake victims in Jammu region: Azad

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Saturday that more than 10,000 tents would be needed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah districts to accommodate people whose homes have suffered massive damage because of the recent temblor.

An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale had jolted the state Wednesday in which maximum damage was caused in these three districts of the Jammu region. Aftershocks have since been regularly occurring there.

‘Pakistani prisoner continues to be critically sick’

Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay continued to be “critically sick”, doctors at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) said Saturday evening.

“His neurological status continues to be same as yesterday (Friday) i.e. in deep coma and is on a ventilator. Hence, he continues to be critically sick,” said S.N. Mathuriya, professor and head of the department of neuro-surgery at PGIMER.

Mr. Y.Ramakrishnudu elected TDP leader in Council

TDP MLC’s elected unanimously Mr. Y.Ramakrishnudu as there leader in A.P Legislative Council. Mr. Y.Ramakrishnudu was elected MLC in the month of march but he took oath of office from the chairman of the council Dr. Chakrapani yesterday. Immediately after taking oath a meeting of the MLC’s of TDP was held in which he was unanimously leader of the Party in the council. Ms. N. Rajkumari, Ms. Shalinkamani and Mr. Vijay Goud were elected as Deputy leaders. Mr. Mohd Saleem was elected as the treasurer of the party. Mr. P. Narendra Reddy was elected whip of TDP. Since Mr.

State Cabinet divided into two groups

A.P. State Cabinet has practically been divided into two groups. One group is displeased with the style of functioning of the C.M. where as the other group has become active against the displeased ministers. In such circumstances, some ministers have advised the C.M. to appraise the undisciplined activities of the displeased ministers to Congress High Command. It is said that some ministers went to the camp office of the C.M. and talked to him for about an hour. The main discussion was the campaign against the Chief Minister and the false propaganda.

No decision on Bansal at Congress core group meet

The Congress core group Saturday discussed the political ramifications of the arrest of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s nephew for allegedly taking a bribe to promote a railway official but did not take a final view in the matter, sources said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel attended the meeting.

Kashmir orders high level probe in jail assault incident

The Jammu and Kashmir government Saturday raised the level of enquiry into Friday’s attack on a Pakistani prisoner inside Jammu’s high-security Kot Bhalwal jail.

“The government has ordered that Principal Secretary (Home) Suresh Kumar shall hold the enquiry into the incident which took place at central jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu on May 3 in which a convicted prisoner Sanaullah, a resident of Daluwali Sialkot, Pakistan got injured, instead of divisional commissioner, Jammu,” said an official statement here.

First kidney transplant from deceased donor in UAE

In a landmark surgery in the UAE, a hospital carried out a kidney transfer and transplant from a deceased donor from Saudi Arabia to a 23-year-old woman patient from Abu Dhabi.

The surgery was done at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

The health of the patient, Latifa Sai’ed, who had suffered kidney problems for 16 years, is said to be improving daily. The organ is functioning normally and she is no longer on dialysis.

Japan, India to go ahead with n-talks

Japan and India will continue talks on a bilateral agreement for civilian nuclear energy cooperation, Japanese finance ministry officials said.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed during a meeting that the issue was critical for both countries even though the nuclear energy talks between the two countries stalled following Japan’s nuclear crisis caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Body parts found at US plane crash site in Kyrgyzstan

Parts of the pilots’ bodies have been discovered at the site of Friday’s US military plane crash in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz emergencies ministry said.

“Several parts of the pilots’ bodies have been found, and the search of the site continues,” a spokeswoman for the ministry’s press service said, citing Kalys Akhmatov, head of the rescue service training centre.

Forty rescue workers were involved in the search.

Appalled by al Bayda massacre in Syria: US

Appalled by horrific reports that more than 100 people were killed in gruesome May 2 attacks on the Syrian coastal town of al-Bayda, the United States today demanded that those behind it be brought to book.

The United States is appalled by horrific reports that more than 100 people were killed (on) May 2 in gruesome
attacks on the coastal town of al-Bayda,” State Department spokesperson, Jennifer Psaki, said.

Regime and Shabiha forces reportedly destroyed the area with mortar fire before storming the town and executing entire families, including women and children.

Will publish posters against CPI(M) canards: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today mocked her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s comment that the former Left Front regime had kept chit funds at bay and promised to publish ‘posters’ against canards by the Marxist party.

Kept them at bay? But rubbed shoulders with them! Whose photo is this?” Banerjee asked dramatically at a Trinamool
Congress rally here in North 24 Parganas, showing a photo purported to be of Bhattacharjee with a chit fund owner.

She then asked the audience repeatedly, “Whose photo is this? Whose photo is this?

“Buddha,” the crowd shouted back.

BJP terms UPA scam-ridden, seeks its ouster

The BJP today sought dismissal of the UPA government at thee Centre, claiming that the “scam-ridden” regime has lost the moral right to rule the country.

The party delegation led by former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today met Governor Urmila Singh and handed over a memorandum addressed to the President.

The BJP delegation, which included Vice President Balbir Punj and State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti, also staged a
dharna outside the Raj Bhavan.

Three killed in road mishaps

Three persons were killed in separate mishaps in the district during past 24 hours, police said today.

50-year-old Jagru Prasad died on the spot after being hit by a vehicle near GIP Mall in Sector-39 area, police said.

In other mishaps, two persons identified as Ram Pravesh and Basar Ali succumbed to their injuries after being hit by
vehicles in Sector-127 and Surajpur areas respectively.

The two died in hospital during treatment, they said, adding the police are investigating the matter.

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Denmark, Finland to upgrade Palestinian diplomatic status

Denmark and Finland plan to upgrade the status of their respective Palestinian representative offices in Copenhagen and Helsinki to that of an embassy, the Danish foreign ministry said today.

“It is with satisfaction that we announce our joint intention to work with the Palestinians to be able to upgrade
the status of the Palestinian missions in Copenhagen and Helsinki,” foreign ministers Villy Soevndal and Erkki
Tuomioja, respectively of Finland and Denmark, said in a joint statement.

The changes are expected to be implemented sometime in 2013, it said.

BJP leader’s son injured in firing

Son of a former BJP councillor, was seriously injured when an unidentified man allegedly fired at him over a car parking dispute near bus stand here today, police said.

The incident took place when a brawl broke out between Sumeet, one of the son of BJP leader Mohan Lal, and Lovepreet
Singh after the latter parked his car in front of his shop, SSP, Batala, Tulsi Ram said.

After Sumeet and his brother Atul Kumar requested him to park his car ahead, Lovepreet started abusing them and called some of his relatives, who rushed to the spot and attacked Sumeet with sharp-edged weapons.

Indians in Saudi Arabia seek more community welfare services

A group of Indian organisations in Saudi Arabia have asked India to enhance services offered by the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) through the missions in Riyadh and Jeddah.

The Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (FOKASA) and the Pravasi Legal Aid Cell submitted a petition
in this regard to visiting Minister of Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi, the Arab News said.

They also presented the Right to Information (RTI) reports about the collection and disbursement of the ICWF from
both missions along with the comptroller and auditor general’s report.

Iraq PM’s group wins largest bloc in several areas

Iraqi electoral officials say a coalition led by Iraq’s prime minister has won the largest single bloc of seats in seven of 12 provinces participating in local elections, and tied in eighth, although it failed to achieve a majority in any of the districts.

The results announced today showed little change to preliminary results released last week.

Crucially, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition was the top vote-getter in Baghdad and in the
southern oil hub of Basra.

4 killed as bombs expode near MQM office

At least four people were killed and30 others injured when two bomb went off near an office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in this Pakistani today, the latest in a string of attacks by the Taliban targeting liberal political parties ahead of the May 11 polls.

The blasts occurred in Aziz Abad area of Karachi and near the office of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) close to the central headquarters of the party.

Police and Rescue officials said that the blasts had left four people dead and around 30 were injured who were being rushed to hospital.

Father, son nabbed from Vadodara for Ajmer blast case

The National Investigation Agency and Vadodara Crime Branch today apprehended a father-son duo from Kashipura village in Wagodiya tehsil of the district in connection with the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast case.

The two were identofied as Jayantibhai Jamsingh Gohil and Ramesh Jayantibhai Gohil, Vadodara Police Commissioner Satish K Sharma said.

The duo was also wanted in the 2002 Best Bakery case here from the post-Godhra riots period, police sources said.

Blasts at a dargah in Ajmer, Rajasthan, in October 2007 had left three persons dead and 20 injured.

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13 students of Crescent Academy finally selected in IAS Exam

(Pervez Bari): Thirteen students of Delhi-based Crescent Academy have been finally selected in the Indian Administrative Services, (IAS), Examination, 2012 and thereby chosen as the Civil Servants of India.
The credit of this accomplishment goes to the resolute efforts, benefaction and enthusiastic support of Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi.

It may be stated here that 19 students had successfully cleared the Main Exam of IAS Examination, 2012. In the Prelims (first stage) 30 students were successful.

International Cocaine Drug Peddler Held

The staff of West Zone Team of Commissioner’s Task Force apprehended a Kenyan national who is selling cocaine to the youth, young entrepreneurs and high-salaried professionals and staying in India on student Visa, and . Seized 12 grams of high quality Cocaine from his possession
Police said that Job Kailikia Kaumeuru S/O Charles Kaumeuru aged about 25 years, native of Kenya, temporarily staying in Hotel Golden Point Residency, Masabtank;

State Security Commission Constituted

The State Government has today constituted a six-member state security commission to promote efficient, transparent and accountable performance of police, in the larger interests of the State.
According to a G O, the Commission would consist of the Home Minister (Chairperson); the chief secretary to Government; principal secretary, home department; secretary, law department; director general of police (convenor and Secretary); and a retired judge of high court nominated by the state government.

Cong Will Win K’taka Polls Easily: Ponguleti

AICC secretary and MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy has said that the Congress party will win the Karnataka elections easily.

Speaking to the media at CLP office here on Saturday, Ponguleti said that the AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi have participated in the election campaign in 18 constituencies of Karnataka State. He said that the Congress party’s manifesto was good enough.

J C Says Cabinet Expansion In The Offing

Rayalaseem senior Congress leader JC Diwakar Reddy has said that the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was serious on taking forward the party and the government.

Speaking to the media at CLP office here on Saturday, JC said that the Chief Minister’s Delhi tour on May 6 was only for the sake of deliberations on party and the government situation in the State. He said that he has information on Cabinet expansion.