Timeline Refresh
A day after Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar issued a strong warning to Sri Ram Sene over its alleged threat to target pubs, the right wing group said it will work within the ambit of law and was firm on setting up its branch in the tourist state.
"We are coming to Goa in the next 2-3 months. Our operations will be within the ambit of law. Sri Ram Sene is not interested in breaking law," Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muttalik told reporters at Ramnathi village, where he has arrived to participate in a Hindu convention.
"The Sene will be launching a campaign against illegal pubs in Goa by registering complaints against them with police and state authorities," he maintained. "We will insist that action is taken against these illegal pubs."
Parrikar had warned the outfit against breaking law following Muthalik's comments in a national newspaper that his organisation will work to ban pub culture in Goa, which attracts a large number of foreign tourists every year.
"We intend to start an awareness drive amongst youths so that they don't visit pubs," he had said, adding the campaign will also persuade youths against celebrating Valentine's Day.
The Indian economy will grow by 6.9 per cent in this financial year (2012-13) notwithstanding problems like policy uncertainties, fiscal deficit and inflation, the World Bank projected today, while cautioning that developing nations will have to face tougher times.
"India will see growth (measured at factor cost) increasing to 6.9, 7.2 and 7.4 per cent in fiscal years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively," the World Bank said in the report titled 'Global Economic Prospects' .
Referring to developments in 2011, the multi-lateral lending agency said that growth in India was particularly weak due to monetary policy, stalled reforms and electricity shortages. These factors, along with fiscal and inflation concerns, cut into investment activity, it added.
India's economic growth rate in 2011-12 slipped to a nine-year low of 6.5 per cent. The economy had expanded by 8.4 per cent in the preceding two years.
For the current fiscal, the government has pegged growth at 7.6 per cent. Considering global uncertainties and domestic woes, this growth rate could be tall order for the country.
"Growth in South Asia slowed to 7.1 per cent in 2011, from 8.6 per cent in 2010, as headwinds from the Euro Area crisis caused a steep deceleration in exports and a reversal of portfolio inflows," the report said.
Meanwhile, the global economy is expected to expand 2.5 per cent this year.
According to the World Bank, developing nations should prepare for a long period of volatility in the global economy by re-emphasising on medium term development strategies.
British Supreme Court spokesman Ben Wilson confirmed today that papers had been lodged in the high-profile case, which has dragged on for the better part of two years.
Last month, the Supreme Court rejected Assange's last-ditch appeal against extradition to Sweden, where he's wanted on sex crimes allegations.But his lawyers challenged the validity of the judgment and, in a virtually unheard-of move, have asked the top court to reopen the case.
"We are searching for Nithyananda. As of now we don't think he is absconding, but if he is not in the ashram, we will look out (for him). If we find him we will arrest him on charges of assault and threat to life", he told reporters outside the ashram.
Nithyananda, already facing criminal charges including rape, has been absconding since June 7 after police filed an FIR on charges of assault and threat to life in the wake of an altercation between his supporters and a regional TV reporter and activists of a Kannada outfit in his ashram at Bidadi.
The Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath announced the schedule on Tuesday, and according to him the notification for the election will be issued on June 16, the last day for making nominations is June 30, date of scrutiny of nominations on July 2 and the last day for withdrawal of nominations is July 4.
A large number of voters started queuing up outside the polling stations right from the morning and there were long queues even after 5 pm at many places. The Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal said that all those who reached the polling stations before 5 pm will be allowed to vote.
In Ongole town tension prevailed following the clash between the workers of the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress. The altercation outside a polling station led to a clash with the TDP workers trying to attack the YSRC candidate B Srinivas Reddy and a van of Sakshi TV Channel of Jaganmohan Reddy.
In Tirupati too a senior YSR Congress leader Ch Bhaskar Reddy was arrested on the charges of creating trouble outside a polling station.
He said that there was no foreign hand in his protest. "The PMO is diverting attention from real issues. The government is no serious about bringing laws to prevent graft.'
Just in: Striking Air India pilots met PMO officials in an attempt to break the deadlock with the government today. The PMO officials are expected to speak to civil aviation minister Ajit Singh today over the issue. The PM's office, it is learnt, favours revoking the sacking order against the pilots.
The civil aviation minister had said it was up to the management to take action against the striking pilots, but contended that sacking all the 440 pilots was inevitable.
"These pilots have been off duty for more than 30 days. It is an illegal strike, they have defied the high court, we have requested them to come back to work. Now it is up to the management to decide till when they can keep these pilots on their payroll," Ajit Singh had said on Monday.
The pilots who went on a mass sick leave are adamant they won't return till all the 101 sacked pilots are taken back. The Air India management is yet to take a final call.
The weakening rupee has made four Indian cities including New Delhi and Mumbai cheaper for expatriates to live in, even as many Asian cities have turned expensive, says a Mercer survey. Global HR services firm Mercer's survey of 214 cities worldwide has ranked Tokyo as the most expensive, while Karachi is the least costly place for expatriates.
In the Mercer 'Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2012', New Delhi has slipped to 113th position (from 85 last year), while Mumbai is at 114th place (from 95). Bangalore and Kolkata dropped to 187th and 208th spots, respectively. These two cities were at 180th and 203rd positions, respectively, last year.
However, Chennai became more expensive to live in and climbed to 190th rank from 194th place in 2011 list.
Meeting Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik in jail was like meeting Hannibal Lecter, a cannibal in a horror movie, a psychologist has said.
"Meeting Breivik was almost like meeting Hannibal,' said Eirik Johannesen, who spent 26 hours speaking with Breivik, who has been accused of killing 77 people in a shooting and bombing rampage last year.
According to The Telegraph, Johannesen was called by Breivik's defence to back its case that he was not crazy when he killed people in Norway.
Johannesen told the court he was 'completely convinced' that Breivik was not psychotic, attributing his radical views to political extremism and not mental illness.
As if the noise from the opposition benches wasn't enough, rating agency Standard & Poor's, in its recent report, trained its guns on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying his "limited' influence in the federal cabinet has led to the government dragging its feet on economic reforms.
Read more on the WSJ
A few hours after Standard & Poor's warned India could lose its investment-grade rating, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he rejected the report. But his rejection seems founded on shaky analysis.
Indian-born swimwear designer Ambika Sanjana, who boasts of celebrity clients like Mariah Carey and Eva Longoria launched her latest collection in Mumbai last week. Here's a look at her latest line, inspired by the bright and resplendent culture of Rajasthan.
Exclusively on rediff.com. See
India and Pakistan were today unable to make any forward movement in ending the military standoff on Siachen, merely committing themselves to "serious,
sustained and result-oriented efforts" for an amicable settlement of the issue over the world's highest battlefield.
"Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to make serious, sustained and result-oriented efforts for seeking an amicable resolution of Siachen," said a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day talks on the issue here.
It was agreed to continue the dialogue on Siachen in keeping with the desire of the leaders of both countries for early resolution of all outstanding issues, the statement said. The two countries "acknowledged that the ceasefire (in Siachen) was holding since 2003." They further agreed that the next round of talks on Siachen would be held in New Delhi on mutually convenient dates to be fixed through diplomatic channels.
The schedule for the Presidential election is likely to be announced this evening.
Sources said the Election Commission held meetings yesterday as well as today to finalise the schedule for the poll.
The process of electing the new President has to be completed before July 24 when the term of the incumbent Pratibha Patil ends. The notification for the last Presidential election was issued on June 13. New Chief Election Comissioner V S Sampath, who took over yesterday, said, "All preparatory works are in full swing and an announcement regarding the election schedule is due shortly."
He said an orientation workshop for the returning officer, assistant returning officers and presiding officers for the Presidential poll was held last month.
A 16-year-old girl with cerebral palsy weighed only 23lbs and could not walk or talk when she was removed from her family home after being starved by her mother. Darlene Armstrong measured just 3'10'' tall when she was rushed to hospital in Chicago in March.
Employers in the country seem to be embracing a cautious approach in hiring activities as economic uncertainties and inflationary pressure continue toweigh on their sentiment, says a survey. Indicating that recruitment activities have moderated, employment portal Naukri.com's job speak index remained almost flat last month compared to April. The index -- a monthly gauge of hiring trends online -- stood at 1,194 in May as against 1,193 in April.
"Concerns of a global economic crunch and rising inflationary pressures are acting as a caution sign for India Inc," Info Edge India Managing Director and CEO Hitesh Oberoi said. "Therefore, recruiters of some sectors are on a wait and watch mode. This does not mean that companies have frozen hiring, but they are certainly not going overboard," he said in a statement today.
Amid reports that Mamata Banerjee is insistent on a financial package for West Bengal as a condition for extending support to UPA nominee for President's
post, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar has said the demand for assistance should not be mixed with Presidential poll.
"I dont believe in this kind of give and take. Two things (election and demand) cannot be mixed", Parrikar, whose state has been seeking special status from the Centre, he said last evening.
Parrikar, under whom the BJP staged an emphatic comeback to power in the tiny coastal state earlier this year, said he would not go to the Centre with a "begging bowl". "I will ask (for) whatever is rightfully owed to us by the centre", he said. "West Bengal probably requires the financial package to get out of the crisis. The Central government should give it to them", he said.
Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi has sued Hong Kong's leading newspaper the Apple Daily and its sister weekly Next Magazine over reports that she prostituted
herself with senior Chinese officials.
The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star signed the suit presented to the Hong Kong High Court yesterday, saying the reports were "seriously defamatory" and "false".
An article in Apple Daily on May 29 said Zhang "is a prostitute" and had sex with disgraced top official Bo Xilai and his wealthy associate Xu Ming for money on "numerous occasions", the court document said.
The tabloid also alleged the 33-year-old actress had sex with other top officials and "unnamed rich persons", and had accrued a fortune worth USD 110 million from these illicit liaisons over 10 years. "The plaintiff has been subjected to public odium hatred, contempt or ridicule," the suit signed by the actress said,
adding it would seek unspecified damages.
Our sources in Delhi tell us that the Central Hall of Parliament is closed for a fortnight for maintenance work. The Central Hall is normally the place where MPs meet informally before the Parliament begins for the day at 11 am and is therefore the ideal place to be a fly on the wall.
Whoever is the new president may be sworn in at the Central Hall, which explains the Botox job. And in any case, a revamp was due after Parliament adjourned three times in two days over a foul smell. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Hamid Ansari has also ordered the sewage systems be overhauled.
Syrian troops have tortured children, executed them and used children as young as eight as "human shields" during military raids against rebels, according to a UN report released today.
The United Nations branded the Syrian government as one of the worst offenders on its annual "list of shame" of conflict countries where children are killed, tortured and forced to fight. Human rights groups estimate that about 1,200 children have died during the 15-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, whose brutal crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests has been widely condemned.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee addresses the media on the state of the economy. He says the April Index of Industrial Production figure is no consolation and is disappointing as negative rate of investments continue. The government will take steps to kickstart the economy, but the performance of public sector banks is encouraging.
Read: SHOCKING! Industrial production rate slows to 0.1%
A second supplementary chargesheet has been filed in the murder case of MiD DAY investigations editor J Dey who was gunned down exactly a year ago. The chargesheet is said to hold additional information on scribe Jigna Vora's involvement in the murder.
Yesterday, in a gesture that "will hopefully expunge some of the trauma of the memory and supplant it with respect for the triumphant life that preceded it," Niranjan Hiranandani, MD of Hiranandani Group, has announced that he will name the square outside DMart after Dey. This is the spot where he was gunned down on June 11, 2011.
The Mumbai Mirror story today: Assistant Commissioner of police Vasant Dhoble, 57, raided the hip cafe and brasserie, Zoe, on Friday night on grounds that the restaurant was playing music without a proper performance license and that the establishment had violated an archaic 1960 rule that specified only 166 people per 1000 square feet in a restaurant.
This is the response to the story from Cafe Zoe
HOOOOOURAAAAAAH! We have made it to Mumbai's Mirror front page! Apparently Caf Zoe is Hip! :) Thanks for that Mumbai Mirror! Also, no, we were NOT RAIDED by the authorities on Friday. We were just fined, and that too after we had closed the Cafe. And despite the fact that the Mumbai Mirror made the so called raid sound grave, we assure you that everything occurred smoothly and there was absolutely NO drama whatsoever, NO 'pandemonium' and NO unpaid bills.
And we reopened the next morning at 7.30 a.m. for business as usual. That same night a multitude of other resto / bars in the Lower Parel neighbourhood have also had to shut early (not sure why it wasn't mentioned in the article)!In a nutshell: CAFE ZOE is OPEN and ready for you Bombay!
PS: Message to the Mumbai Mirror fact-checking-team: the fine we paid is nothing close to the figure mentioned in your paper.
Moderate to brisk polling was recorded in the by-elections in Bankura and Daspur in West Bengal till noon. Election Commission sources here said that in both the constituencies polling remained peaceful. '
Defying sweltering heat, people queued up in sizeable numbers to cast their votes in Daspur in West Midnapore which recorded around 47 per cent polling till noon, EC sources said.
In Bankura, which is also under the spell of a heat wave, 20 per cent polling was registered till noon, sources said. Polling personnel were given ORS by the police in view of the intense heat in both the places.
While Daspur has an electorate of 2.48 lakh, Bankura has 2.19 lakh voters. The by-elections to Bankura and Daspur in the Maoist-hit districts of Jangalmahal and West Midnapur respectively were caused by the death of TMC legislators there.
Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh today met Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav amid speculation that the BJP leader could be lobbying for the Vice President's post. When Yadav was meeting yoga guru Ramdev at his residence on the issue of black money here this morning, Jaswant Singh drove in and was inside the SP leader's house for 10 minutes.
It is understood that the three discussed the issue of Indian black money stashed away abroad. Jaswant Singh had raised the issue on behalf of the BJP in the Lok Sabha. The meeting between the SP chief and Jaswant Singh triggered speculation that the BJP leader may be making an effort to lobby for himself as a candidate in the Vice Presidential poll. The BJP and NDA have not yet taken a stand on issue of Presidential and Vice Presidential election candidates.
After the meeting, Yadav came out to see off Jaswant Singh and the two were seen talking one-on-one for some time. Sources said Jaswant Singh has been lobbying for his candidature for the post of Vice President for sometime. He
has reportedly discussed the issue within and outside the party.
Social activist and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi has called for an impartial probe against the government and Team Anna after union ministers laid allegations against the later.
Overseas Indian affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy had called Team Anna anti-national and questioned their track record.
"Allegations against us, the ministers and the Prime Minister should be probed by a special investigation team not by the CBI because the CBI is under the government''s control. The CBI always does flip-flops," Bedi said.
In other news, Bee Gees star Robin Gibb, who passed away following a long battle with liver and colon cancer, told his wife Dwina he wanted to go home moments before he died. The 62-year-old singer died from kidney failure lastmonth after fighting cancer and pneumonia and his funeral was held in his home town Thame, Oxfordshire on June 8.
"He mouthed to me, 'Dwina, I want to go home.' Instead, he is now on his last journey. But at least I know he is safe. I am proud of Robin's life, what he has achieved and the inspiration and the happiness he gave so many people," Dwina said. "I am devastated to have lost my best friend, my husband, my brother. Robin was everything to me. I shall miss him for the rest of my life," she added.
Underplaying attacks by Team Anna, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today extended support to yoga guru Ramdev in his campaign on the issue of black money, saying till it is brought back, the poor won't benefit.
Ramdev met Yadav at his residence in New Delhi for over an hour to seek his support on bringing back Indian blackmoney stashed away abroad. "Ramdev is fighting against black money. It has my full support. We had been against black money and will continue to do so," Yadav said after the meeting.
Interestingly, BJP veteran Jaswant Singh also reached Yadav's 16, Ashoka Road residence when Ramdev was meeting the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. He left Yadav's residence after 10 minutes.
In reply to a poser on Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal dubbing Yadav, along with other politicians, as "corrupt", he said, "I don't give importance to such people, nor do I take notice (of their statements)." "Socialists have fought against black money from the time of JP (Jai Prakash Narayan) and (Ram Manohar) Lohia had been against black money. You should read the literature," Yadav said.
The DMK is hopeful of getting the railway portfolio in the next reshuffle, say our sources in Delhi. Buzz is that the DMK had specifically asked for railways even in 2004, which did not happen. Now, eight years on, the demand was repeated when DMK senior leader and M Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Delhi last week.
The buzz is that TR Baalu, who met Sonia, along with Stalin, may get the portfolio. Baalu is chairman of the Parliament Standing committee of Railways and has been announcing that in 2013 Tamil Nadu will get new railway lines. Baalu's hidden agenda, say sources, is to have 15 to 20 new railway lines in the parliamentary constituencies where the AIADMK had won.
A few DMK and Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu have asked union railway minister Mukul Roy to announce services in the state. They have also approached presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha over the same issue.
For now, an ADMK MP may move a privilege motion against Baalu for flouting his position. T Subbirami Reddy as Chairman of Environment had tried similar tactics earlier, but then environment minister Jairam Ramesh brought this to the notice of the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi, vice president Hamid Ansari and Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
In a veiled attack on the judiciary and his detractors, Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, today dismissed the memo commission's report as "political and one-sided", hours after the findings
were made public.
The commission had concluded that Haqqani was behind a mysterious memo that sought US help to stave off a feared coup and said he was "not loyal" to the country while serving as an envoy.
In a statement issued here, Haqqani said his lawyers would address the legal flaws of the process relating to the creation and proceedings of the Commission before the Supreme Court. "The Commission's report has been released to distract attention from other more embarrassing developments," he said alluding to the allegations relating to the Chief Justice's son Arsalan Chaudhry.
Just in: The Centre submits in the Supreme Court the "relevant material" on the issue of 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities in educational institutions. The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its displeasure and pulled up the government for its casual handling of the "complex" and "sensitive" issue of 4.5 percent sub-quota for minorities within the 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Castes in central educational institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology.
Refusing to stay the Andhra Pradesh high court order, which had quashed the central government notification for 4.5 percent sub-quota for minorities, a bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and J S Khehar said it was "unhappy" that the Centre filed an appeal without any supporting documents.
Without issuing any notice, the bench asked Attorney General GE Vahanvati to submit to it the supporting documents for carving out 4.5 percent sub quota from the existing 27 percent reservation for OBCs.
CNN IBN reports that the Congress may push for Pranab Mukherjee for the President's post. And if that happens the finance portfolio, which Mukherjee is currently handling will go back to the prime minister. Pranab Mukherjee is widely seen as leading the race for Congress nomination; vice president Hamid Ansari is the other candidate.
Trinamool boss Mamata Banerjee has remained incommunicado over both Pranab Mukherjee and Ansari. SP boss Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday repeated his reservations about Ansari. There are indications that the announcement of the presidential candidate may be pushed till the PM returns from the Rio conference on June 23.
Update on the Haqqani story.
The Pakistan memo commission's report submitted in the Supreme Court stated that Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, was not loyal to the country and that the memo seeking US support was indeed real and authored by Haqqani, DawnNews reported.
A nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court today hearing constitutional petitions about the controversial memo delivered to former US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen reportedly by Haqqani.
Earlier on Monday, the memo commission had submitted its report to the apex court. It stated that the memo was indeed real and authored by the former ambassador. The commission's report said that Haqqani had forgotten that he was Pakistan's ambassador to the US.
The report moreover said that Haqqani violated the country's constitution, adding that while Haqqani was earning a salary paid by the government, his loyalties were not with Pakistan. The former ambassador chose not to stay in Pakistan, the report said, adding that neither did Haqqani have any property in the country, nor did he have any bank balance.
Tamil Nadu: Voting for the Pudukottai bypoll began this morning as both ruling AIADMK and Opposition DMDK seek to increase their strength by one more in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly. Voters turned up in good numbers to cast their votes in the bypoll which is seeing a direct face-off between former allies AIADMK and DMDK. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of CPI legislator SP Muthukumaran who was killed in a road accident on April 1.
Maharashtra: Polling for Kej assembly constituency in Beed district of Maharashtra began this morning amid tight security arrangements. The bypoll has been neccesitated due to death of former NCP minister Vimal Mundada.
Andhra Pradesh: Polling today began in the crucial by-elections to the 18 assembly segments and one Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh, results of which are expected to give a new direction to the state politics. Though the by-elections are not expected to lead to the fall of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, a "wave" is expected in favour of Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress notwithstanding
his arrest in the disproportionate assets case and corruption allegations against him.
This week, U.S. officials announced that they had killed al Qaeda's second-in-command with a drone strike. The news came soon after the New York Timespublished the fullest account to date of the process by which the United States selects lower-profile targets for drone attacks in Pakistan and Yemen. The most startling revelation was that President Obama personally supervises the "nomination' of potential targets and gives final approval for killing them.
The US has exempted India and six other countries from tough new financial sanctions on Iran's oil trade citing significant reduction in imports of Iranian oil by them, a move downplayed by New Delhi.
"I have made the determination that seven economies India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan - have all significantly reduced their volume of crude oil purchases from Iran," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement yesterday.
She said exemptions from US sanctions would be granted to these nations. In March, she made exemptions for European Union nations and Japan from tough new financial sanctions that kicks into force later this month.
Clinton issued the statement in this regard hours before External Affairs Minister S M Krishna was to arrive in Washington to co-chair the third India-US Strategic Dialogue along with his American counterpart.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna arrived in Washington to hold the third India-United States Strategic Dialogue with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during which the two leaders are expected to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Polling today began in the crucial by-elections to the 18 assembly segments and one Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh, results of which are expected to give a new direction to the state politics.
Though the by-elections are not expected to lead to the fall of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, a "wave" is expected in favour of Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress notwithstanding his arrest in the disproportionate assets case and corruption allegations against him.
The rupee today lost 11 paise to Rs 55.85 against the US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign Exchange following dollar gains against other currencies overseas amid a weak trend in the equity market.
Forex dealers said dollar strength against the other Asian currencies and a lower opening in the stock market mainly put pressure on the rupee. The rupee had lost 32 paise to close at 55.74 against the US currency in the previous session as dollar demand from banks and corporates emerged at fag-end after S&P warned that it could lower India's sovereign rating.
Read the story here.
To conclude that India has "significantly" reduced its oil imports from Iran, the US collected figures from multiple sources, including those from the Indian government and available in public domain.
The findings paved the way for Washington to exempt New Delhi from sanctions.
The US yesterday said it would exempt India and six other nations from financial sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil.
Such a statement from Clinton came as the US President, Barack Obama, was of the view that there was enough oil in the global market for the countries to reduce their dependence on Iranian oil.
As many as 100 people are feared dead in an earthquake and landslide that buried more than 20 houses in northern Afghanistan today, officials said.
Rescuers have so far pulled two women's bodies from the rubble of the landslide in Baghlan province, said provincial Gov Abdul Majid. The UN confirmed one other death and said houses were destroyed across five districts.
A massive landslide of mud and rocks buried houses so deep in the remote mountain village of Sayi Hazara that rescuers gave up trying to use shovels to dig through the buried buildings, said Jawed Basharat, a spokesman for the provincial police chief who was part of a team that examined the village after the slide. There were no visible signs of the buildings underneath.
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak, now serving a life sentence over protester killings, said the authorities "want to kill" him in jail as his health deteriorated, his lawyer told AFP on Monday.
"He says: 'They want to kill me. Save me, Mr Farid, find me a solution," said Farid al-Deeb, his chief lawyer in the murder and corruption trial which ended this month with his sentencing.
Mubarak's health has deteriorated since his incarceration on June 2, and he was defibrillated twice to revive his heart on Monday, a prison hospital source said.
Former Maharashtra revenue minister and Congress leader Shantaram Gholap today passed away in Mumbai due to age-related ailments, family sources said.
He was 86. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
His grand nephew Rajesh Gholap is the working president of Thane District Congress.
Gholap's funeral will be held in Murbad on Tuesday morning with state honours, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Sanjay Dutt said.
MPCC, in a statement, condoled the demise of Gholap and said he strived for welfare of the poor and downtrodden sections of the society.
England thwart France in 1-1 stalemate
After JeM threat, village heads resign en masse in Kashmir
US withdraws negotiating team from Pakistan
Paes's Olympic berth assured, Sania's fate rests on wildcard
Nityananda faces arrest, police to secure custody of ashram
Bihar: Acute encephalitis killed 100 children this year
Politicians have become narrow-minded, says Gadkari
Secy-level talks: Pak for demilitarisation of Siachen
Activists endorse Justice Sachar's name for President