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Pappu Yadav enters Tihar

     New Delhi: The controversial RJD MP, Pappu Yadav landed in Delhi today and was promptly shifted to the high- security Tihar jail in New Delhi from Beur prison in Patna. After receiving the Supreme Court order, the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police, N H Khan requested the IG (Prison) to shift the MP immediately. The Supreme Court has ordered the government of Bihar to shift the controversial MP to New Delhi on February 14. Pappu is an accused in the CPI-M MLA Ajit Sarkar's murder case. A Supreme Court bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice S B Sinha said a "clear cut case" was made out for shifting of Yadav to Tihar after looking at the series of "illegal antics" of the Madhepura MP. Pappu was said to be holding durbars in Patna's Beur jail and was in regular contact with his close confidants through mobile phoe. Looking at the defiance of the Apex court, cancelling his bail, the bench directed the government to transfer him to the high- security Tihar jail. The Jail officials, at Tihar have also been asked to strictly follow the jail manual and not extend any special privileges to him.

Pak's Laden crusher commandos to guard Shiite ceremony Ashura (Go To Top)

     Islamabad: Pakistan will be deploying anti-Al-Qaeda commandos across the country to pre-empt any terrorist acts and deal with any untoward incident during Shiite Muslim mourning processions 'Ashura' this weekend. The National quoted some officials as saying that Pakistan's Quick Reaction Force, which was formed to crush Osama bin Laden's terror network in tribal areas near Afghanistan border, would be guarding the sensitive zones in the Central and North-western regions. The commandos would be sent out "on an urgent basis to deal with any situation," the paper quoted the army commander in North West Frontier Province, Lieutenant General Safdar Hussain, as saying. The ceremony marking the death about 1,300 years ago of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson is often marked by sectarian violence between Shias and rival Sunnis with 48 people dying last year in a bloody attack in Quetta. During the ceremony, starting late Saturday, minority Shiites traditionally perform displays of self-harm. Troops have been directed to stay alert in all the places where sectarian clashes might take place during the Ashura ceremonies. The commandos are already doing rehearsals with mock exercises like chasing with military helicopters and ground forces the militants who attacked a mock Shiite procession.

Bush Senior, Clinton visit tsunami-hit Phuket (Go To Top)

    Bangkok: Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior on Saturday visited the Thai island of Phuket to review the rehabilitation work in the tsunami-hit area. Asked by the White House to spearhead a campaign to raise funds to help those affected by the Boxing Day tsunami, the two former American leaders started their tour with a visit to the small village of Baan Nam Khem, just north of the resort of Phuket after 12 p.m. local time. They were accompanied by the Foreign Minister of Thailand, Surakiart Sathirathai. "I just want to see what's being done, thank people, see what else we can do," Clinton was quoted as saying soon after his arrival in Phuket. The devastated village lost half of its population or 2,500 people in the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Bush and Clinton also inspected the first of 200 new houses being completed. After a few words with the media and people involved in the relief work, Clinton and Bush headed back to Phuket. They will also visit affected communities in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

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