Back toMain Page                                                                 Archives

 

Two killed in grenade attack in Pahalgam hotel

          Srinagar: At least two people were killed and 23 injured when terrorists hurled a grenade inside a hotel in the famous hill resort of Pahalgam in Anantnag district on Saturday. The grenade exploded inside the dining hall of Purnima Hotel near the Pahalgam bus stand this evening, officials said. The injured, some of them critical, were shifted to Srinagar hospital. The blast created panic in the area which is witnessing a heavy rush of tourists. A lesser-known Islamic terrorist group, Al Nasereen, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sonia to continue Rae Bareli visit (Go To Top)

          Lucknow: Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to continue her critical attack of the Samajwadi Party- led government in Uttar Pradesh on the second day of her two-day visit to her Lok Sabha constituency of Rae Bareli today. On Friday, Gandhi blamed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Samajwadi Party government of not promoting development in the state. She also said that caste politics and the self interest of successive governments in UP had increased the woes of the people. With assembly polls due in the state later this year, both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have spent most of this week engaging in a war of words in a bid to strengthen their political positions. While Gandhi and her son Rahul, the MP from neighboring Amethi, have been promising an improvement in basic amenities and promotion of all-round development in the state, leaders of the SP have been equally quick to rubbish Congress claims and accusations.

SP-Cong  war deepens, Amar Singh accepts the challenge (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The Congress does not have the guts to topple the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led coalition government in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh warned here on Saturday. "Congress ki itni aukaat nahi hai ki woh hamari sarkaar ko gira sake," Singh said while addressing a press conference. "We accept the Congress' challenge and vow to give it a befitting reply," Amar Singh said while reacting to the Congress' diatribe against the Mulayam government. Singh's belligerent response came a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called upon the people of Uttar Pradesh to oust the SP-led government as under its rule law and order in the state had become quite abysmal. Sonia, who is presently in her constituency of Rae Bareli on a two-day visit, had further said that Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's rule was lacking in development and had a woeful crime control record. She was in her parliamentary constituency on a thanksgiving visit.

           Amar Singh told reporters, "I may tell you that contrary to the popular belief, the Congress' votebank in Uttar Pradesh had decreased by three per cent even as all the members of the Nehru- Gandhi family campaigned aggressively." He also appealed to his party workers to throw out the Congress- led puppet government at the Centre. Reacting to recent statements made by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, Singh said, "Governments do not run on such statements." Taking a dig at Sonia's declining the PM post, Amar Singh said, "Sonia could become the saint and Manmoham Singh the Prime Minister only because of the Samajwadi Party." He was apparently hinting at the fact that his party was the first to extend support to the Congress-led government. The news conference was also addressed by SP parliamentary party chief Ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam Singh's younger brother.

Jaya Bachchan is SP's candidate for RS polls from UP (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party on Saturday released a list of five candidates for the ensuing Rajya Sabha polls. The most prominent name in the list was Jaya Bachchan, the wife of Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and the chairperson of the Indian Children's Film Society. Addressing reporters here, Amar Singh said the other four names are: Bhawati Singh, a minister in the present UP government, Ram Narayan Sahu, party's general secretary and a prominent Sahu leader, Nand Kishore Yadav alias Guddu Yadav, and Kamal Akhtar, a former Jamai Milia University student leader. He said Jaya Bachchan was rewarded with the RS ticket as she had worked hard for the party in the last Lok Sabha polls in which the SP gave an excellent performance. Claiming that his party was confident that all the five candidates would win the RS elections, Amar Singh said the party's sixth nominee would be announced in a day or two. He said his party would perform fairly in the RS polls with the support of Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

BJP woman corporator detained in Malti murder case (Go To Top)

         Lucknow: The plot has thickened in the sensational murder of Malti Sharma, a BJP worker who was killed in Lucknow earlier this week. The wife of a senior police official and BJP corporator, Alka Mishra, has been detained for questioning for her role in the murder. Mishra's detention came following the interrogation of a constable of the Uttar Pradesh police who is the prime suspect in the murder. Raj Kumar Rai, the constable arrested for the murder, alleged that Mishra had asked him to lure Malti to a lonely spot, where her killers were waiting. "Alka Mishra had asked me to run away and that she would give Rs eight to 10 lakhs to my family," he says. After leaving Malti Sharma at the secluded spot on June 7, the constable fled to Vaishno Devi and was detained after he reached Delhi. Police say political rivalry between the two women politicians could be the possible motive, but are not willing to buy Rai's story of his own innocence completely. They say this constable from UP had in his possession illegal firearms which point a finger of suspicion on him. "A lot of questions are still unanswered," said Kamal Saxena, SSP, Lucknow. The police are also investigating the possible the involvement of another woman Geeta Singh. Rai says he was instructed by Alka Mishra to stay in touch with Geeta after the incident. "She is a fake journalist and along with Alka Mishra, runs a call girl racket from the Teri Pulia area," Rai insists. After the high profile Madhumita Shukla murder case, this is yet another example of crime involving khaki and khadi.

Bengal Govt orders probe into starvation deaths (Go To Top)

          Kolkata: The West Bengal government has ordered a probe into the death of five persons due to starvation in the state's West Midnapore district. The five victims all belong to the Sabar tribe. Officials suggest that jaundice, malaria or even TB could be the real killers. But locals say five people have died because they had nothing to eat for days. "They died hungry. How could we feed them? We have nothing to eat. We get roots and leaves from the forest when we can. Otherwise we just drink water and carry on," said Gurutaro Sabar, victim's relative. Jaundice or TB, that was the administration's immediate response. But with a gram panchayat member of the ruling CPI(M) leading the chorus of complaints of starvation deaths, the government has had to sit up. "There is no irrigation here, so no regular work for the villagers and no food. So the five people starved to death villagers and no food. So the five people starved to death," said Kailash Mura, CPI(M) Gram Panchayat member.

Now Advani is the leader: Vajpayee (Go To Top)

          Kullu: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today admitted for the first time that Gujarat riots were one of the reasons for BJP's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. "It is very difficult to say what are all the reasons for the defeat (of BJP) in the elections... But one impact of the violence was we lost the elections," he told reporters on his arrival in Kullu for a week-long sojourn. He was asked whether BJP lost the elections due to Gujarat riots. He said the sentiments of the people during the Gujarat riots were exploited by the Opposition at that time. "They (Opposition) tried to reap political benefits out of it. But I don't blame them. This is politics and such things happen here," he said. Vajpayee said whatever had happened in Gujarat was unfortunate and had been condemned. "I am confident that the people of the country have decided that such a blood-bath will not be allowed to take place anywhere in future," He said it was necessary to take steps to prevent such incidents from occurring again. Asked why he did not become the leader of Opposition, the former Prime Minister said it was good that LK Advani has taken up that responsibility. "I was the leader earlier, now it is Advani. We share our work and responsibilities".

Iraqi deputy foreign minister shot dead (Go To Top)

          Baghdad: Assailants killed an Iraqi deputy foreign minister on Saturday in an ambush that occurred while he was going to his Baghdad office, the Foreign Ministry said. Gunmen shot Bassam Salih Kubba in Baghdad's Azimiyah district, a Sunni Muslim neighbourhood where support for Saddam Hussein's regime had been strong. He died later of his wounds, said Thamir al-Adhami, the Foreign Ministry spokesman. Kuba is one of several deputy foreign ministers. He was the ministry's most senior career diplomat. The attack was the second on members of the interim government in the last four days.

Pak to grant MFN status to India soon: Paper (Go To Top)

          London: Pakistan will soon confer the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India, reliable European sources have said. The MFN status to India would be at the top of trade negotiations between the two countries, as India had been demanding this as a member of the WTO. According to The News, the unnamed sources said that the Pakistani mission to the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO) had also recently advised the government that there is no harm in giving MFN status to India and "it is the time to move forward positively on this issue".

Ronald Reagan's body laid to rest (Go To Top)

          Washington: America bade a farewell on Friday to the country's 40th President Ronald Reagan beneath marble arches and somber skies in California. The flag-draped casket containing his body returned to his beloved California for a sunset burial ceremony. The casket, accompanied by a stoic Nancy Reagan, arrived at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library late Friday afternoon following a flight from Washington and a slow, 40-km motorcade from the Navy air station at Point Mugu. Crowds along the motorcade route waved flags, held their hands over their hearts and applauded as the hearse passed. The casket was then carried to the burial site, where final prayers were offered. The burial service was attended Nancy and her children Patti Davis, Ron Reagan and adopted son Michael Reagan. Among those present were former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Each of Reagan's children delivered emotional addresses. A 21-gun salute sounded, then four F-18 fighter jets passed over the burial site as the sun began to set behind the mountains. The flag that draped the casket was removed, folded and presented to Nancy Reagan by Navy Captain James A Symonds.

Musharraf irons out differences with Jamali (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali have apparently sorted out their differences, putting paid to rumors that the latter was on his way out. According to the Dawn, the two met here on Friday and agreed to be more transparent in their communication and to redouble their efforts to tackle issues posing a danger to the country's sovereignty and integrity. The two leaders also reiterated their resolve to combat terrorism and religious extremism in the country and called upon the people to remain calm and united to enable the government of the day to foil the designs of the terrorists, the paper said. Earlier this week, informed sources close to the president were quoted as saying that Jamali's frequent trips abroad were being cited as the main reason for Musharraf to reportedly consider removing him from office.