World's first test tube baby ties the knot
London:
The world's first test tube baby Louise Brown walked
the aisle with her childhood sweetheart Wesley at St Mary
Redcliffe Church, Bristol, on September 4. Her birth on
July 25, 1978 was a miracle after her parents John and Lesley
underwent pioneering IVF treatment. Louise, a post office
employee wore an ivory gown as she exchanged vows with security
officer Wesley . "It was perfect. Now we are trying for
a baby, it would be a dream come true. We're keeping our
fingers crossed," Louise was quoted by The Sun as saying.
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Uma
Bharti released from judicial custody (Go
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Dharwad:
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti was
released from prison on Monday afternoon following a Hubli's
court order discharging her in a 10-year old criminal case.
Uma was released after all formalities were completed, official
sources said. She was in the guest house of the agricultural
university at Dharwad, which had been converted into a prison
on security consideration, after she was remanded to 14
days judicial custody which ends on Tuesday.
Top
BJP leaders today joined Uma Bharati in launching a strindent
attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her allies
soon after Bharti was released from judicial custody in
connection with a ten year old criminal case. The verbal
attack came after a Hubli Majistrtes Court issued orders
granting Bharti freedom unconditionally. Bharti was sent
to jail two weeks back after surrendering before the court
on August 25 Addressing a rally, Bharati cricised the Congress
once again for her arrest. "Today's decision has proved
that the Congress will have to learn a lesson that it will
not be able to use the tricolour to play politics or spread
communalism in the country," Bharti said. With her release
from jail today, the political future of Bharti for now
seems clear. Bharti will not take over the chiefministership
of Madhya Pradesh but instead will be one of the star campaigners
for the BJP in the forthcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra.
Immediately
after being released Bharti claimed that she had been victimised
by Congress President Sonia Gandhi. "Sonia Gandhi will have
to learn a bitter lesson from this episode. That the bloody
mafioso culture of Italy will not work here in India," Bahrti
said in a blistering attack on the Congress President. In
New Delhi, her mentor and Leader of Opposition in the Lok
Sabha L K Advani set the tone for the party's campaign on
the Uma Bharti issue. Welcoming the release of Bharti, Advani
held Congress President Sonia Gandhi responsible for her
detention.
Meanwhile in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur said the
party has told him that he will stay on as Chief Minister
and that he's in full control of the MP unit of the BJP.
"She will be campaigning throughout the country on this
issue. I have been given the task of Chief Ministership
of Madhya Pradesh. After Uma Bharti is released there will
be no political uncertainty in the state," Gaur said.
Kasuri
meets Manmohan, Dixit (Go
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New
Delhi: Pakistan Foreign Minister called on Indian Prime
Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in the Capital today at the end
of two-day talks with his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh.
Kasuri also called on National Security Advisor J.N. Dixit.
Earlier, at a joint news conference along with Natwar Singh,
Kasuri said that he had reiterated Pakistan's allegations
about human rights abuses by the Indian Army in Kashmir
and stressed the dispute over the Himalayan region could
not be sidelined. Natwar Singh, on the other hand, continued
with allegations that Pakistan has reneged on a promise
made in January to prevent militants crossing from Pakistan
into Indian Kashmir, and to close down their training camps
on Pakistani soil. Though discord appeared imminent, political
analysts have warned against reading too much into it, saying
Kashmir would boil but progress on other front spelled positivism.
"The Kashmir bubble will continue to boil. We will continue
to talk about cross- border terrorism because it is something
which is effecting us. They (Pakistan) will continue to,
at least for the sake of addressing their own constituencies
and people, say that we are keeping a hype on Kashmir issue,
like coming and meeting the Hurriyat leaders," S.D Muni,
professor at the center of international relations a prestigious
New Delhi university said.
India,
Pak FM talks end, no movement on Kashmir, terrorism (Go
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New
Delhi: Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan today
announced a forward step on several bilateral issues, while
maintaining their status quo postures on Kashmir and terrorism.
After a meeting lasting for about an hour at the Hyderabad
House here, K. Natwar Singh and Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri
said that their respective governments had reached an agreement
to continue with the cease-fire announced on November 26
last year, seriously take up the issue of starting a bus
service between Srinagar and Muzaffarnagar and a train service
between Khokrapar and Munnabao, negotiate conventional and
nuclear Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and take the
composite dialogue process forward. Both, however, said
"differences" in perceptions on several issues continue
to persist. "India is committed to deepen and widen engagement
with Pakistan. We want the subcontinent to be free of terrorism
and violence. However, cross-border infiltration remains
a source of serious concern," Singh said, adding that the
process of diplomacy is time consuming and instant results
may not be available. Singh also informed that the schedule
of dialogue process had been maintained. Among other plans
agreed on were: * Technical level meetings on railway links
and parleys between security forces of both the nations
in October. * Nations to discuss conventional and nuclear
Confidence Building Measures * Coast Guards to discuss a
Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation. * Both nations
to run a 'Special Day' bus between Amritsar and Lahore.
Kasuri spoke of the centrality of the Kashmir issue and
the 'human rights situation' in that state. He said the
Kashmir issue had continued to be a cause of tension, resulting
in three wars in the past and had to be resolved for durable
peace in South Asia. However, he emphasised that Pakistan
was not unifocal on Kashmir as suggested by the Indian government
on Saturday. "We know we can cooperate in other areas. But
it is a matter of common sense that in order to have durable
peace in South Asia, the Kashmir issue will have to be resolved
sooner than later," Kasuri said. A joint statement to be
issued later this evening is likely to spell out what the
two sides have agreed to over the last two days.
Kasuri
meets Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik (Go
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New
Delhi: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri
today met Kashmiri separatist leaders Shabir Shah and Yasin
Malik. Shah and Malik, who had separate nearly two-hour
long meetings with Kasuri, told reporters that the Kashmir
issue was a trilateral matter and Kashmiris being "primary
party" had to be involved. Shah, who heads Jammu and Kashmir
Democratic Freedom Party, also suggested that the government
form a 'Kashmir Committee' under former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayeee to act as a bridge between India and Pakistan.
"Kashmir is a trilateral issue and inclusion of Kashmiris
is a must," Shah conveyed to Kasuri. Appreciating the Confidence
Building Measures taken by India and Pakistan, Shah said,
"These should be reflected in Kashmir and atrocities there
should end." JKLF leader Malik said "The bilateral dialogue
between India and Pakistan cannot take place without the
people of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir are the principle
party to the dispute. They have a legal and constitutional
right to participate in the talks." Asked about the efforts
being made to re-unite Hurriyat factions, Malik said it
was an internal matter.
UP,
Delhi lawyers strike work (Go
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New
Delhi/Lucknow: Lawyers in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi
are on strike today in protest against last Friday's police
baton charge outside a court in Lucknow. The Bar Council
of India has reportedly sent a team to Lucknow to probe
the incident and will submit its report on September 8.
But, if sources in the Uttar Pradesh capital are to be believed,
the incident has assumed political overtones in the state
with the Congress party announcing plans to observe a state-wide
shutdown bandh on Monday. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) has also demanded the dismissal of the Mulayam
Singh government and imposition of President's Rule. Meanwhile,
the Lucknow's Bar Council, which has begun an inquiry into
the incident, has expressed satisfaction over the support
the lawyers are getting. However, it does want the issue
to be politicized.
Mathura
gears up for Janmashtami (Go
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Mathura:
Temples in Mathura have been decked up for Janmashtami
that falls tomorrow. Janmashtami marks the birthday of Lord
Krishna. Hindu devotees are likely to observe a day-long
fast that would be broken at the stroke of midnight, the
time of birth of Lord Krishna. In Mathura, the mythological
birthplace of Lord Krishna, the Krishna Temple has been
decorated in anticipation of the millions of devotees expected
to throng the place on Tuesday. Tight security arrangements
have also been put in place ahead of the event. "We have
a total of 16 companies of paramilitary forces. Most of
them are in Red Zone, which is the actual birthplace of
Lord Krishna. The rest are in other two zones," ASP Mahesh
Kumar said.
