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Tue, 18 September 2012
Will Mulayam, Maya save UPA's boat from sinking?
Timeline Refresh
23:37 Will Mulayam, Maya save UPA's boat from sinking?
The big question being debated in the political circles is that with Mamata out, will Mayawati and Mulayam save the government as they had done in the past or withdraw support and prefer an early Lok Sabha elections?
The TMC is the second largest constituent in the multi-party UPA. The withdrawal of support by the TMC, the UPA's effective strength in the 545-seat Lok Sabha has come down from 273 to 254, which is slightly below the half-way mark. The SP and the BSP can save the UPA but both remained remain non-committal over the issue of continuing support.
Though both the BSP and SP criticised the UPA government for overlooking the demand to withdraw decision of FDI in retail sector and roll back of fuel prices, they preferred to keep their cards close to their chest on continuing outside support to the the central government.
Sources in the two parties said that both Mulayam and Mayawati are thoroughly weighing their options before making any announcement. The TMC has 20 MPs in Lok Sabha, BSP - 19 and SP - 21.
23:23 Under pressure govt may up LPG cap from 6 to 9
Government may consider "minor adjustments" on the LPG cylinder cap in the wake of pressure from within the Congress and Trinamool Congress's decision to withdraw support to the UPA.
Sources said that while there is no question of rollback of the government's decision to put a cap on the number of subsidized cylinders, the government was ready for minor adjustments on it and can increase the total number of such cylinders per household from the proposed six to nine annually.
An indication to this was available in AICC as voices of dissent emerged even from within the party over the LPG cap.
An indication to this was available in AICC as voices of dissent emerged even from within the party over the LPG cap.
"This decision is illogical," said a senior party functionary indicating that there could be modifications into it. Two Union Ministers K V Thomas and Harish Rawat have already expressed their displeasure over the cap.
22:02 We can FIGHT our battle alone: Mamata
"We are not afraid of anyone. We can fight our battle alone," said Banerjee.
She refused to give a direct answer to a question on whether mid-term polls will be held after her party pulls out from the ruling government.
Banerjee also alleged that the Congress was trying to divert attention from the coal scam by introducing these measures. "To hide coal-gate, they have started FDI-gate," she said.
21:05 Mamata still our valued ally: Congress
"We still consider her a valued ally," said Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi, reacting to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's decision to withdraw support.
On the three demands set forth by Banerjee to continue in the UPA, Dwivedi said "discussions" will be held with the TMC to arrive at a middle ground.
21:01 Trinamool Congress stands for principles: Mamata
"Trinamool Congress stands for principles," stated Mamata Banerjee.
She revealed that she had personally requested Sonia Gandhi to change the "unilateral" decision by the Congress, but to no avail.
Banrejee's decision comes after Congress remained firm about the latest reforms in spite of her 72-hour deadline.
20:58 TMC will not accept such arbitrary decisions: Mamata
Mamata Banerjee also accused the UPA of discriminating against West Bengal, claiming that the central government was favouring other states.
FDi in retail will affect poor farmers the most, Banerjee said. "Where will the poor go," she asked.
"TMC will not accept such arbitrary decisions," she said.
20:55 NO outside support to UPA: Mamata
Mamata Banerjee accused the Congress of playing the "politics of blackmail".
She said, "Everyone is asking me, but you will lose the railway ministry (if you withdraw). I don't mind losing the ministry," she said.
She also ruled out the possibility of extending outside support to the UPA and stated that her party will organise a nation-wide agitation against the hike in fuel prices and FDI in retail.
20:47 We really tried: Mamata
Mamata Banerjee also lamented that her party and the Congress could never be "friends".
"We really tried (to make the coalition work), but we could not. I even talked to (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi," she said.
On the fate of the Bengal government, which is a coalition of the TMC and Congress, she said, "You have to ask them (Congress) about that".
20:29 TMC pulls out from UPA, ministers to resign
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday evening announced that her party was going to withdraw from the ruling UPA.
"My ministers will go to Delhi on Friday and submit their resignations at 3 pm," she said.
20:26 Congress NEVER listens to us: Mamata
In a press conference in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the ruling Congress-led UPA did not consult her party before taking a decision on hiking the price of diesel or allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.
"The Congress never listens to us," she alleged.
20:22 Coal Scam: CBI questions Jayaswal brothers
CBI today questioned Jayaswal brothers--Arvind and Manoj, Directors of AMR Iron and Steel, who have been named in the FIRs filed by the agency in connection with the probe in the coal allocation scam.
In a related development with the probe, the agency has recommended extension of tenure of DIG Ravi Kant, an Orissa cadre 1998-batch IPS officer 1998, who is supervising the Coalgate probe, CBI sources said.
They said Arvind Jayaswal appeared before the agency in the morning along with Abhishek Jayaswal, son of Manoj, but the sleuths sent the latter back as he was not called for questioning today.
19:55 Pulling Assam back from the abyss
The riots and violence in Assam have moved away from the headlines of the metro media. But the State '" and indeed other parts of the North-east as seen in a recent explosive confrontation in Nagaland over as minor an issue as an alleged theft '" appears to be living on a knife-edge. It seems to be an unending cycle in a challenging humanscape. The news of the region, for all these reasons, has acquired an international resonance.
Angry rhetoric and mobilisation of groups along ethnic, community and linguistic lines have not helped; indeed an already complex situation seems to be in a state of drift with neither the Central or State governments able to assert a sense of decisiveness or win back the confidence of all groups.
Read the full article here
19:47 Congress urges people not to join 'Bharat Bandh'
Praising the centre's recent announcement of foreign direct investment in the retail sector, diesel price hike and subsidy withdrawal to cooking gas, the Yavatmal District Congress Committee (YDCC) urged people not to join the NDA-sponsored 'Bharat Bandh' on September 20.
The YDCC president and sitting MLA Wamanrao Kasawar highlighted long term "benefits" of the new economic steps and claimed that the BJP's only agenda is to dislodging the present UPA government through a mid-term poll, while talking to reporters here. He urged the public not to join the bandh and extend their support to the government for the nation's "all-round progress".
19:41 Moderate quake jolts Sikkim, no report of casualty
Exactly a year after a powerful earthquake killed 90 people and ravaged large parts of Sikkim, a moderate tremor measuring 4.1 jolted the state this evening, sending people out of their homes, but there was no immediate report of casualty or damage to properties.
As the quake struck at around 1755 hours and lasted for about three seconds, people, with the devastations caused by last year's quake still fresh in memory, scampered out of their homes onto the roads and were reluctant to return fearing aftershocks.
19:40 Assam keen to have Bangladesh consulate
Assam government is keen to have a consulate or trade office of Bangladesh here to further relations between the north eastern states and Dhaka.
An official statement issued today said the issue was raised during a meeting between Indian High Commisioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi during the day.
The chief minister asked Saran to take up the matter with concernend officials in Dhaka.
19:05 'Major drop in Indian doctors coming to UK'
A large number of Indian doctors have trained and worked in the UK over the decades, but latest figures show that their numbers have dropped sharply, reflecting tighter immigration controls and better career choices in India, a report said today.
A report released by the General Medical Council (GMC) today revealed that India continued to provide the largest number of overseas doctors, but the number has reduced considerably from a peak of 3,641 in 2004 to current levels of around 500 a year.
18:55 2G case: Sanjay Chandra questions key witness
Unitech Ltd Managing Director (MD) Sanjay Chandra, an accused in the 2G spectrum case, today cross-examined a former top telecom official in a Delhi court saying he was the "brain" behind the decisions on the allocation of radio waves.
However, A K Srivastava, a former Deputy Director General (AS) of Department of Telecom (DoT), refuted the allegations put forward by Chandra's counsel that the non-recording of "dissenting note" by him on the issues relating to the policy for allocation of the spectrum suggested that he was the "brain" behind the entire episode.
18:47 Rushdie's 633-page memoir hits the stands
India-born controversial author Salman Rushdie's memoir, which gives an account of the decade he spent in hiding in the wake of the Iranian 'fatwa' against him for his book 'The Satanic Verses', hit the stands today.
Written in the third person, the 633-page memoir titled 'Joseph Anton' is a personal narrative as well as a collection of comments and reporting in newspapers of what turned out to be a fight for freedom of expression that led to millions of pounds being spent on his security by the British taxpayers.
Some accounts in the book have already been published and narrated by 65-year-old Rushdie in pre-publication interviews, while the book received mixed reviews as the first copies were snapped up in bookshops in Britain and elsewhere today.
18:33 SC defers hearing on Babli dam row to Oct 3
The Supreme Court slated today October 3 as the date for final hearing the controversy over building of inter-state Babli irrigation dam and execution of other projects on Godavari by Maharashtra, which Andhra Pradesh says would adversely affect its Telangana region.
After briefly hearing the submissions of the two states, a three-judge bench of justices R M Lodha, T S Thakur and A R Dave said it would examine the matter at length from October 3 and then pass appropriate directions.
Appearing for Andhra Pradesh, senior counsel K Parasaran told the bench that Maharashtra government was also executing 11 other irrigation projects on river Godavari, besides building Babli dam in violation of the Central Water Commission orders.
18:14 BJP accuses JPC chairman of being biased
After staging a walkout from the meeting of JPC examining the 2G spectrum scam, the BJP today accused its Chairman P C Chacko of being 'biased' and threatened to quit the panel.
BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who is a member of the Committee, said his party has lost faith in the panel and did not expect it to uncover the truth.
"All of us have come to the conclusion that there is no point in continuing to serve in the JPC because the manner in which the Chairman of the JPC is functioning, it is quite clear that the Joint Parliamentary Committee is not now an instrument for uncovering the truth," Sinha told reporters here.
18:10 India offers technology support to Turkmenistan
The government has assured Turkmenistan of all cooperation in the field of information and communications technology for mutual benefit. In his key note address at the inaugural session of TurkmenTEL 2012 at the Ashgabat (Turkmenistan capital) yesterday.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal emphasised the need for regional cooperation to uplift the social and economic status of the people in the region, according to an official release. "Sibal shared the success story of Indian telecom sector and gave an overview of the spectrum of policy initiatives in India's National Telecom Policy 2012," the release said.
The Minister said India could extend cooperation to Turkmenistan in the fields of e-health, e-education and e-governance services.
17:43 Never said make birth control mandatory: Gogoi
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoitoday denied making any statement on making birth controlmandatory but said he had only suggested a small family.
"I have never made any statement on making birth controlmandatory in the state," Gogoi said in a statement here todaydenying reports that appeared in this connection in asection of the media.
16:47 CRA meet: Jaya holds talks with officials
Ahead of the crucial meeting of the Cauvery River Authority convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today held discussions with senior cabinet colleagues and officials to finalise the state's arguments to be placed in the meeting.
Jayalalithaa chaired a 'detailed consultative meeting' with Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, Electricity Minister Natham R Viswanathan, besides Chief Secretary Debendranath Sarangi, an official press release said.
16:20 Al Qaeda threatens attacks on US diplomats
AP: Al Qaeda's branch in North Africa is calling for attacks on US diplomats and an escalation of protests against an anti-Islam video that triggered a wave of demonstrations in Muslim countries.
In a statement released today, Al Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb praised the killing of Christopher Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya, in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi on September 11.
The group threatened attacks in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania in response to the movie.
Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula recently issued a similar call for attacks on US diplomatic facilities. The group is Al Qaeda's most active branch in the Middle East.
16:11 Illegal arms trader held in West Bengal
An illegal arms trader and an woman accomplice of his were arrested and rifles and bombs were seized from a house in Basanti area of South 24 Parganas district, the police said.
Acting on a tip off, the police raided the house of Wahid Ali Purkait at Khiriskhali village and seized three rifles -- two local made and one branded -- and 12 rounds of cartridge.
Altogether 30 crude bombs were also recovered from the house. Following Purkait's arrest and interrogation, a woman identified as Momena Bibi was taken into custody from the neighbouring village of Nebukhali. Bibi was allegedly an accomplice of Purkait.
16:09 JD-U backs BJP's decision to walkout of JPC meet
Supporting BJP's decision to walkout of the JPC meeting on 2G scam, JD-U today said Congress members cannot deny the opposition party's demand to conduct a debate on the list of witnesses in the case.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav also said that boycotts and debates are part of Parliamentary process including JPC to ensure result-oriented functioning of these bodies.
"Yashwant Sinha told me that he sought a discussion on the list of witnesses in the 2G case. But they (Congress members) refused to give time for this. How can they refuse the demand for a debate? If you don't conduct debates how do you plan to get any result in the 2G case," Yadav said.
16:08 Lion cub crushed to death by train near Gir
PTI: A lion cub was killed after being run over by a train at a village near Gir National Park in Amreli district.
"The postmortem confirmed that the cub was killed in a train accident," deputy conservator of forest J M Makwana said today.
The body of the cub, around 5-6 months' old, was found lying near the Rajula-Pipavav railway track yesterday, Makwana said.
Spread over 1,412 sq kms of forest land, the Gir National Park falls under the jurisdiction of Junagadh and Amreli and houses 411 Asiatic lions, as per a census conducted in April 2010.
16:06 Modi's yatra postponed due to NDA bandh
PTI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Vivekanand Youth Convention in Morbi town here and Jamnagar district has been postponed following a bandh call given by the NDA against FDI and recent hike in fuel prices.
"The chief minister was to attend the conventions in Morbi and Jamnagar on September 20 but the convention has been postponed," a senior BJP leader said here today adding fresh dates would be soon issued by the CMO.
The nationwide protest is to oppose the Centre's decision to allow FDI in retail and rise in diesel prices.
15:22 Non-bailable warrant against Kudankulam protestor
A Ganesh Nadar reports from Kudankulam: A non-bailable warrant has been issued against S P Udaykumar, who is heading the anti-Kudankulam nuclear plant protests in Tamil Nadu.
A fresh summon was issued earlier today by a court as Udaykumar failed to appear before it.
15:19 Six injured in stone-pelting in Vadodara
Strict police bandobast has been placed in the Panigate area of Vadodara where a stone-pelting incident occurred around midnight in which six people were injured, police said today.
Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said.
Six persons, including two policemen, were injured in stone-pelting during a Ganesh idol procession in the city, police said adding that the reason for the provocation could not be ascertained.
"The situation is normal in the area and steps have been taken to ensure that such incidents do not occur again," city police commissioner Satish Sharma told PTI.
15:17 Middle age now begins at 55: Study
PTI: Next time you refer to a 40-year-old as middle-aged, be careful, he might take offence!
According to a new study, middle age in the modern world begins at 55. In a survey of 1,000 UK adults aged 50-plus, people said that they do not see themselves as elderly until they are nudging 70.
Previous studies have pinpointed the start of middle age as early as 36, the 'BBC News' reported.
The survey for the on-line learning website suggests that as the population ages, new cut-off points are being drawn.
14:43 I'll explore legal options against AITA: Bhupathi
Tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi has hit back and said that the All India Tennis Association has 'crossed the line' by terming him a traitor.
Bhupathi added that he will explore legal options against AITA.
14:37 Cauvery panel to meet tomorrow after 9 years
PTI: Meeting for the first in nine years, Cauvery River Authority session on Wednesday is expected to be a stormy affair with Tamil Nadu set to demand more water from Cauvery river to save its standing crops while Karnataka will seek a new policy to share water.
CRA, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would meet on Tuesday evening and will be attended chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. It will be preceded by day-long discussions among officials from the member-states with Water Resources Ministry authorities.
CRA, set up in 1997, is meeting for the first time after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came to power in 2004. The last meeting was held in February, 2003 when A B Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
The much-awaited meeting comes after a demand by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa that a meeting of CRA should be convened to discuss the state's water problem while flagging the need for immediate release of water from Cauvery river to save standing crops.
The state, which is fighting a legal battle against Karnataka on the water issue, has also complained to the Supreme Court about non-convening of such a meeting prompting the apex court to pull up PMO officials on September 3 for inordinate delay.
14:07 Ahmedabad resident files PIL against Sonia pix on ads
A PIL has been filed in the Gujarat high court seeking a prohibition order on the central government's advertisements carrying photos of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who does not hold any constitutional position.
Dhaval Shah, a resident of Ahmedabad, through this PIL, has sought the court's directions to the ministry of information and broadcasting and the ministry of statistics and programme implementation to stop publication, and the withdrawal of advertisements being published and telecast in the state ahead of the elections.
The said advertisements, showing Sonia's photographs are titled as 'Twenty Point Programme and Central Sector Projects Contributing to Gujarat's Overall Development'.
14:04 US Congress gets bills to downgrade Pakistan's status
Arguing that it was time to stop expedited supply of sophisticated US weaponry to Pakistan, a top American lawmaker has introduced a bill in Congress seeking the removal of "treacherous" Islamabad's major non-NATO ally status.
"It's time to break with Pakistan, but at the very least we should stop providing them the eligibility to obtain our own sophisticated weaponry in an expedited process.
"Too many of our own men and women have died because of Islamabad's treachery," Texas Congressman Ted Poe said after introducing HR 6391, the bill seeking removal of the major non-NATO ally (MNNA) status to Pakistan.
13:52 Rajiv Mehta is new NCB chief
Senior IPS officer Rajiv Mehta has been appointed as the new chief of the central anti-drugs agency Narcotics Control Bureau.
Mehta, a 1981-batch police officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will serve the agency as its Director General till 2016, a Home Ministry statement said. At present, he is serving as the Additional DG (Law and Order) in Meghalaya.
The NCB enforces the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and it is the most vital agency for coordination between various central and state government departments to counter the menace of illegal drugs and contraband.
The bureau is headquartered in the national capital with its zonal offices present across the country
13:33 AMU admission for Arjuna awardee Annu Raj Singh
The Aligarh Muslim University has decided to grant admission to Arjuna awardee shooter Annu Raj Singh under the special sports quota.
"There is a provision for granting admission to outstanding achievers in the university even though they may not have applied for it," Prof Tariq Mansoor, secretary of the AMU Games Committee said.
Prof Mansoor said the AMU would be holding a special felicitation programme shortly in honour of Singh.
13:25 Fresh summon for S P Udaykumar
A Ganesh Nadar reports from Kudankulam: A local court has issued fresh summon for S P Udaykumar, who is leading the anti-Kudankulam protests.
The fresh summon was issued after it came to light that Tamil Nadu police had given the first summon to Udaykumar's father.
13:23 Trial in Shehla Masood case postponed to Oct 11
The trial in the RTI activist Shehla Masood murder case was today postponed till October 11 as the special CBI court judge went on leave owing to ill-health.
The trial would resume on October 11 and Sultan Masood (Shehla's father) and two of the deceased's relatives '" Sayeed Rahil Hussain and Sohail Athar Zaidi - would then depose before the court, CBI sources said.
On October 12, two prosecution witnesses - Anurag Patel and Rubab Jaidi (Shehla's aunt) - would testify in the case, sources said.
The Shehla case trial had begun on August 31 with sole prosecution witness M R Uikey, the assistant sub-inspector of police.
Shehla was shot dead outside her house in Bhopal on August 16, 2011.
13:16 Sonia Gandhi's tour of Uttarakhand cancelled
The tour programme of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who was scheduled to visit the cloudburst-hit areas of Uttarakhand today, was cancelled due to inclement weather.
The Congress president's programme to visit the calamity affected villages of Uttarakhand has been cancelled in view of bad weather conditions prevailing in the region, stateCongress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said.
Her programme is likely to be rescheduled later, he said.
Gandhi was to visit Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts where cloudbursts have claimed at least 80 lives in less than two months.
12:55 Kasab sends mercy plea to President
The jailor of Arthur Road prison in Mumbai has sent the mercy petition of 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab, facing capital punishment, to President's office.
12:25 Nod for graft probe against Chhagan Bhujbal
Maharashtra Public Works Department Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be investigated for corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau had sought permission from the Home Department for proceedings against Bhujbal -- a requirement for any action against a public servant.
12:20 Syria stuck in 'grim spiral of violence': UN
PTI: August was the worst month for casualties so far in Syria's 18-month conflict, the United Nations has said, warning that the worsening "grim spiral of violence" could have dangerous implications for the country's neighbours.
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry told the UN Security Council yesterday that the conflict in the President Bashar al-Assad led regime is becoming increasingly militarised, with the government's indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas and intensified operations from the armed opposition.
"The month of August registered the highest number of casualties thus far, and this toll is growing," Serry told the council during a briefing on the situation in the Middle East.
As conditions deteriorate in the troubled nation, "we see dangerous implications for Syria's neighbours," he said. "As we are facing a grim spiral of violence, our objectives remain the same: to stop the bloodshed and human rights violations, to alleviate human suffering and to seek a political solution through a Syrian-led process of transition and dialogue," he said.
While Serry did not give details of the number of those killed in the Syrian conflict last month, the UN estimates that 19,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against Assad began some 18 months ago.
12:09 Pakistan violates ceasefire again
Violating the ceasefire yet again, Pakistani troops targeted five Indian posts with rockets and heavy machine gun fire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Pakistani troops fired rocket projectile grenades and opened indiscriminate small and heavy weaponry firing on Indian posts in Krishangati forward areas along LoC late last night," the PRO, defence (Jammu), SN Acharya said today.
The Pakistani troops fired 1800 rounds from light and heavy machine guns besides other weapons from 2215 hours late last night, he said, adding that the firing continued till 2315 hours.
Pakistani troops from their posts of Daku, Roza, Khair and Battal fired on five Indian Posts of Dogra, Chajamun, Gorda, Kripan and Kranti.
11:42 BJP members walk out of JPC meet on 2G
PTI: BJP members walk out of Joint Parliamentary Committee meet on 2G spectrum claiming they were not allowed to raise issue of finalising list of witnesses.
11:20 Retail inflation rises to 10.03 per cent
Retail inflation rises to 10.03 per cent in August, up from 9.86 per cent in July, PTI reports.
11:17 Udaykumar not to appear before court
A Ganesh Nadar reports from Kudankulam: SP Udaykumar, who is heading the anti-Kudanakulam protests, have decided not to appear before court today.
Also, former Kerala CM Achutanandan, who was supposed to visit the anti-nuclear plant protestors, have denied entry to Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu police requested Achutanandan to return to Kerala at the state border, as they feared his visit might create a law and order problem.
11:00 China signs 16 new agreements with Lanka
PTI: Sixteen agreements have been signed during the current visit of Chinese leader Wu Bangguo to Colombo, mostly focusing on infrastructure development in Sri Lanka including $760 million aid to help the island nation to become "Asia's miracle".
The agreements signed yesterday ranged from visa exemption and marine development to economic and technology cooperation with expanded investment and increase imports from Sri Lanka, official media in Beijing reported.
Wu, a second ranking Communist Party leader after President Hu Jintao is the highest Chinese official to visit Colombo after the end of ethnic war between Sri Lankan army and LTTE.
Prior to his visit, the Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie visited Colombo while on his way to New Delhi this month.
10:39 Huge setback for Pak President Zardari
The Supreme Court on Tuesday resumed the hearing in the show-cause notice for contempt of court over the NRO implementation case, DawnNews reported. A five-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, was hearing the case.
Justice Khosa instructed Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to write the letter to Swiss authorities following four steps: The prime minister would authorise someone in writing to write the letter, the content of the letter should satisfy the court, subsequently the letter is sent and lastly the court is informed once the letter is sent.
Justice Khosa directed that the matter of the letter be resolved by Oct 2.
A Supreme Court bench had issued a show-cause notice to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for not implementing its orders in the NRO case of writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases worth $60 million against President Asif Zardari.
Earlier, Prime Minister Ashraf today appeared in Pakistan's Supreme Court to face a contempt charge for failing to act on orders to reopen graft cases against the President, marking his second appearance in the court.
10:11 Kabul: Suicide bomber targets foreigners; 10 dead
A suicide bomber has blown himself up alongside a minivan carrying foreigners on a busy highway leading to the airport in the Afghan capital, police said, killing ten people.
09:51 Two militants killed in Manipur
PTI: Two militants have been killed in an encounter with police commandos and Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur, police said today. The police commandos, attached to Imphal East district police, launched a search operation at Yourbung area in the outskirts of the town during which an unidentified militant was killed in an exchange of fire yesterday.
In another encounter, Assam Rifles personnel of 35th battalion were engaged in a shoot out with militants at Kolmunlen village, near Manipur-Myanmar border, in Chandel district yesterday, the police said.
The bodies of the both the militants, who were yet to be identified, were kept at the morgue of the J N Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital here for post mortem and identification, the police said.
09:50 Suu Kyi begins landmark 17-day US visit
PTI: Myanmar's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Washington, DC today on a 17-day whirl-wind tour of the United States, her first visit to the country after being released from house arrest in 2010.
The Nobel Peace laureate will be presented with Congress' highest award -- the Congressional Gold Medal -- during her visit that comes as the Obama administration considers easing remaining sanctions on Myanmar
Suu Kyi is scheduled to meet top American leaders including, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton; in Washington tomorrow and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York later in the week.
09:45 Probe ordered into 'Kudankulam' firing death
A Ganesh Nadar reports from Kudankulam: A magistrate enquiry has been ordered into the death of G Anthony John, a fisherman who was a victim of police firing in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu last week.
It has been alleged that the fisherman was mistakenly identified as an anti-Kudankulam protestor, and the incident took place 45 km away from the nuclear plant.
In related news, S P Udaykumar, who is heading the anti-Kudankulam protests, will appear in court today. Meanwhile, former Kerala chief minister V S Achutanandan is expected to visit Kudankualm later today.
09:28 Three security men injured in Maoist encounter
PTI: A Maoist was today killed while three security personnel, including a CRPF commandant, were injured in an encounter between the two sides in Jharkhand's Chatra district.
On information that the ultra-left wing guerrillas had gathered near the village, about 80 km from Ranchi, the police rushed to the spot around 4 am, Superintendent of Police Anup Birtheray said.
In the ensuing encounter, CRPF Commandant R R Mishra, a CoBRA jawan and a district police man suffered injuries, and were admitted to a hospital, he said.
One Maoist was killed and the retreating rebels fled with the body, police added.
08:22 Romney in fresh controversy over secret film
AFP: Mitt Romney faced a new campaign storm on Monday after the release of secretly filmed video in which he told rich donors that nearly half of Americans were dependent "victims" who didn't pay taxes.
03:35 Pakistan journalists' choice: Face death, or jail
The telephone call to local journalists generally comes in the late evening. The voice on the other end is harsh. He has a statement he wants printed, and he prefaces it with a terse order: "Report our messages without making any changes or we will kill you."
The messages they deliver warn of upcoming violence or assassinations, sometimes naming an intended victim, or claim responsibility for atrocities already committed.
The calls come from Sunni militants notorious for violence against minority Shiites or members of secessionist groups that routinely blow up police stations and attack government facilities in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan.
But the late-night calls put the journalists in a bind. If they don't print the messages, they could be killed. If they do print them, they could face three years in prison under Pakistan's anti-terrorism laws. It's no surprise which risk they'd rather run.
At least 20 journalists have been killed in Baluchistan the past six years, their bullet-ridden bodies sometimes found stuffed into sacks.
"If you are a journalist here in Baluchistan you have a choice: Either a bullet in the head or a jail sentence," said Ashiq Butt, a stocky bureau chief with the News Network International (NNI), a Pakistani news agency that feeds its reports to newspapers.
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02:26 Anti-Islam filmmaker's family flees overnight
The family of a filmmaker linked to a film deemed offensive to Islam has left their California home in the middle of the night.
A spokesman with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says Nakoula Basseley Nakoula's relatives left their Cerritos home about 3:45 am today.
Deputies gave them a ride and they were reunited with Nakoula, then taken to an undisclosed location.
Nakoula wore heavy apparel to disguise his appearance when he left his home over the weekend.
He was interviewed by federal probation officers, who are reviewing a 2010 case in which he pleaded guilty to a bank fraud charge.
02:25 Hezbollah warns US over film as toll rises
Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah warned today of "very dangerous" global repercussions if a film deemed offensive to Islam is released in its entirety, as the death toll from violence sparked by the movie rose to 19.
An eruption of Muslim anger over the trailer of the film deemed offensive to Islam that appeared on the Internet has spread across the world, taking hold today in Afghanistan, Indonesia, the West Bank, the Philippines and Yemen.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of southern Beirut to denounce the film at Nasrallah's request, and the head of the powerful Shiite Muslim group surprised supporters by making a rare public appearance.
Nasrallah, whose Lebanese movement is blacklisted in the United States as a terrorist group, has called for a week of protests across the country over the film.
02:24 Afghans reject US-favoured administrative detention
The Afghan president's office says a judicial panel has ruled that administrative detention runs counter to the country's laws, potentially thwarting a US plan to hand over Afghan detainees that American officials believe should continue to be held without recourse to a trial.
The president's office says in a statement issued today that the detention of Afghan citizens without a court trial "has not been foreseen in Afghan laws."
The United States has agreed to hand over all Afghan detainees captured in the country to the national government, but has also argued that it cannot risk the release of some high value detainees to the notoriously corrupt Afghan court system. Even though the deadline for the handover has passed, the Americans are still holding more than 600 Afghans.
01:06 Russian rocket sends European weather satellite into orbit
The European meteorological satellite Metop-B was put into orbit today by a Russian Soyuz rocket launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the space agency Roskosmos said.
The entry into orbit took place "as planned" at 1737 GMT, a Russian space agency spokesman said.
The 4100-kilogram (4.1-tonne) satellite is expected to remain in a polar orbit for five years.
The Metop-B weather satellite was developed and built by Astrium, the top European company in the space industry.
From its polar orbit at 817 kilometres (508 miles) from Earth, the satellite will provide different measures that are essential to meteorological forecasts and the monitoring of the planet's climate, according to Astrium.
Metop-B is the second in a series of three weather satellites that the European Space Agency (ESA) along with the European Organisation for Meteorological Satellite Exploration (EUMETSAT) has ordered from Astrium.
00:53 Over 100 Occupy Wall Street arrests in NYC
More than 100 people have been arrested in New York as Occupy Wall Street protesters march in small groups around Manhattan's financial district to mark the anniversary of the grass-roots movement.
Police also removed four protesters in wheelchairs after they blocked a busy street.
Loud chanting and the sound of drums filled the air. The demonstrators clogged traffic, and dozens of police officers and vans lined the streets.
But the protests lacked the heft of last year's Occupy events. Last year there were thousands of protesters. On Monday, there were a few hundred at most.
Earlier, they gathered across from Zuccotti Park, the site of the movement's birth.
Events are planned in more than 30 cities worldwide.
00:51 Blasts at Azerbaijan factory kill 6
Two powerful explosions at a detergent factory in Azerbaijan's second-largest city of Sumgayit have killed six people and left seven more injured, police told local media.
Firefighters and emergencies ministry helicopters were dispatched to the scene in an attempt to extinguish flames in the industrial Caspian Sea coast city.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosions.
"So far it is impossible to say anything concrete. Efforts to extinguish the fire are continuing," Sumgayit's local chief executive Eldar Azizov told journalists.
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