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Mumbai DGP suspended

      Mumbai: Mumbai's Director General of Police (Housing) Rahul Gopal has been suspended after he was arrested on bribery charges. Gopal was arrested on Monday by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for accepting money from builders. The DGP says the money recovered from him in raids was just a loan. "I know the matter has taken 12 days, but we had to gather all evidence against Gopal. Only then we could arrest him," said Dr P S Pasricha, DGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau. Gopal was also present at the guest house where Chandok was arrested and the police had also seized Rs 1 lakh from Gopal and Rs 2 lakhs from Chandok during the raid. But according to the DGP, the money was a loan from Chandok, whom he used to also consult as an astrologer.

Sri Lanka rules out SARS as flu claims five lives (Go To Top)

      Colombo: Sri Lanka Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said today that at least five people have died from flu in Sri Lanka, but added that the virus is unrelated to SARS or bird flu. According to The News, tests showed that two victims had influenza type B while a third suffered from type A, the minister said, adding that experts had ruled out Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza. SARS killed almost 800 people, mostly in Hong Kong and China, in a worldwide outbreak that had infected more than 8,000 by the end of last year.

Pak judge transferred after Zardari arrest order (Go To Top)

      Karachi: The Special Judge of the Karachi Anti- Terrorism Court, Syed Pir Ali Shah, was transferred hours after issuing an arrest warrant against Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto. Shah was asked to report to Sindh High Court. He was replaced by Nisar Ahmed Shaikh as Special Judge ATC who was presently working as District Judge Khairpur Mirs. Shah issued the order to arrest Zardari soon after the latter's arrival at Islamabad Airport from Sukkur. Shah, cancelled Zardari's bail in the Justice Nizamuddin and his son's murder case and issued non-bailable arrest warrant against him. The court ordered Zardari to appear before it on January 8 in connection with the 1996 murder case. Zardari was freed on bail last month after eight years in jail on charges of corruption and conspiracy to murder. Soon after his release he said he would work to "galvanise democracy" in Pakistan. Zardari's lawyers said that their client planned to challenge the decision. "This is clearly political victimisation. The way they have cancelled the bail clearly shows that they [the government] are scared of my popularity," Zardari was quoted as saying by news agencies shortly after his arrest. Zardari had travelled from Karachi to Islamabad and was planning to go to Rawalpindi later in the day. His wife, Benazir Bhutto, who also faces corruption charges in Pakistan, was twice prime minister. Her governments were dissolved in 1990 and 1996 for alleged corruption. She went into self-imposed exile in 1999.

Pak, Russia in joint anti-terrorism pact (Go To Top)

      Islamabad: Pakistan and Russia have agreed to initiate joint efforts to strengthen the regional stability and peace, elimination of terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation. The agrrement was reached after a meeting between the Pakistani and Russian delegations here. The Additional Secretary in the Pakistan Foreign Office, Tariq Usman Haider led the Pakistan delegation at the talks, while Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Kislyak led the Russian delegation in the two days talks of Pak-Russian Defense Consultative Group held here. In a joint declaration issued at the end of the meeting, both countries agreed on combined efforts for regional stability, end of terrorism and nuclear non- proliferation and to boost cooperation in defense, economics and other sectors.

US State Dept. unhappy over Musharraf's new plans (Go To Top)

      Washington: The US State Department has come down strongly on Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's decision to continue in his dual role as Chief of the Army Staff. The Dawn quoted US State Department officials as saying that Musharraf's decision not to step down as Chief of the Army Staff was in reality a "lack of move" towards democracy. They, however, added that the Bush Administration would continue to demand the holding of elections in Pakistan. "We intend to continue to support the electoral process, which is currently scheduled to culminate in national elections in 2007.

Anil Ambani moves for amendments in RE articles (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Reliance Energy, the company headed by Anil Ambani, today sought amendments in its articles of association through postal ballot to empower parent company Reliance Industries, chaired by Mukesh Ambani, to nominate Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the power company. In a communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange, REL sought to make a provision that as long as the Reliance Group of Companies and its associates hold over 26 per cent paid up voting equity shares, and are the single largest shareholding group, they shall have the right to appoint majority of directors on the REL board. In its notice, REL wanted the existing provision to be substituted with a provision that "RIL shall designate one of the directors to be the chairman of the board and may also designate one of the directors to be the vice-chairman of the board; and RIL shall determine the period for which each of them is to hold such office and the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman so desingated shall not be liable to retire by rotation." It was, however, not clear as to which existing provisions in the Articles of Association the company now sought to amend.

BCCI comes out in support of Bhajji (Go To Top)

     Kolkata: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that it will defend off spinner Harbhajan Singh against ICC-related charges of him having bowled illegally during the recent second Test against Bangladesh. Following India's Test victory at Chittagong, match officials and umpired have reported Harbhajan Singh to the International Cricket Council for a suspected illegal bowling action. Doubts were raised over Harbhajan's doosra, a delivery that turns away from right-handed batsmen. Unofficial sources suggested that in bowling the doosra, the off- spinner was bending his arm upto 22 degrees which is well beyond the ICC's current prescribed limit of 5 degrees for spinners. Copies of the report have been sent to the Indian team management as well and the issue will now be dealt with in accordance with the ICC's bowling review regulations. This means that the Indian Cricket Board will have to appoint an ICC approved bio-mechanics expert to work with Harbhajan to help identify and address the flaw in his bowling action over a period of six weeks. Harbhajan can continue to play international cricket, but cannot be reported again during that period. This is the second time that the off-spinner has been reported to the ICC. On the last occasion in 1998, English off-spinner Fred Titmus had help correct Harbhajan's action. The Indian is one of six bowlers who have already been reported to the ICC under their new chucking laws introduced earlier this year.