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Sun, 07 July 2013
Live! Gaya serial blasts: One detained for questioning
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21:21 Gaya serial blasts: One detained for questioning
Vicky Nanjappa reports: The Bihar police have detained a local from Gaya for questioning in connection with the serial blasts.
He has not been termed a suspect yet. He is being questioned about the terror operatives who did carry out the blasts.
Sources told rediff.com that the man was detained on the basis of the ongoing investigation and eye-witness accounts.
20:44 Dalai Lama, Tibetan govt-in-exile pained over Bodh Gaya blast
Terming the series of blasts at Mahabodhi temple complex in Bihar as "unfortunate", Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama today said "few individuals" could be behind the attack.
"The incident is really unfortunate," he said, adding that few individuals could be responsible for the attack.
The Tibetan government-in-exile said it was deeply saddened over the blasts.
20:19 NIA team arrives in Bodh Gaya to probe serial blasts
An NIA team today arrived in Bodh Gaya to probe the terror attack at the world famous Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas, a police officer said.
The five-member NIA team comprising a DIG and two SPs reached Gaya by a special plane from New Delhi and drove straight to the Mahabodhi temple to start investigations, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Gaya Range, Nayyar Hasnain Khan, said.
20:08 Mandela spends one month in hospital, still critical
South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who is battling for life with a recurring lung infection, today completed a month in hospital.
Today marks the 30th day the revered democracy icon has been in hospital; this is his longest stay. The 94-year-old statesman has been hospitalised four times since December.
However, there was no official word today on the medical condition of Mandela, who remains in critical but stable condition at Pretoria's Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital.
20:08 Why is China-India trade so high, asks Sharif
Citing the booming China-India trade, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today expressed concern over his country's comparatively lower volume of trade with all-weather ally China and blamed the previous regimes for not taking proper steps to advance business ties with Beijing.
Sharif, who arrived in Beijing on July 3, said he would set up a 'China Cell' in his office to supervise the progress of Chinese projects to oversee and pursue the execution of Chinese projects to steer Pakistan out of the energy crisis.
20:06 I will welcome Mulayam with garlands if...: Beni
An unstoppable Beni Prasad Verma again targeted Mulayam Singh Yadav today when he took a jibe at his friend-turned-foe, saying he would welcome the SP supremo with garlands if he becomes the country's next prime minister after the 2014 elections.
"I will welcome him (Mulayam) with garlands if he becomes the prime minister after next year's general elections," Verma said at a function.
19:54 NIA digs deeper to find Gaya blast perpetrators
Vicky Nanjappa reports: The National Investigation Agency is probing all angles to unearth the truth behind the Gaya blasts.
An official associated with the probe said, "We are studying the Delhi police's statement about the Indian Mujahideen and the terror strike. We are also revisiting the Dilsukhnagar case while our officers are questioning suspects arrested in various blast cases across the country. There are other angles such as a political fall-out of the conflict between the various Buddhist sects".
He added, "It was a well coordinated attack. To plant a bomb outside a secure area requires a lot of planning and the pattern indicates that it had been planned over the past couple of months. The bombers managed to enter the premises in the early hours and plant the bombs".
19:17 Centre has no plan to deal with the security crisis: BJP
BJP President Rajnath Singh today hit out at UPA government over the serial blasts in Bodh Gaya, alleging that it does not have any comprehensive action plan to meet the challenge of internal and external security crisis.
"The issue of security crisis in this country is becoming serious by the day. The government does not have any comprehensive action plan to meet the challenge of internal and external security crisis," Singh said .
19:16 BJP expels former MP minister over sodomy charges
Former Madhya Pradesh finance minister Raghavji has been expelled from the BJP following sodomy charges.
Rajkumar Dangi had accused the former Madhya Pradesh finance minister of sexually exploiting him for the last three-and-half years.
He alleged that Raghavji continued to sexually exploit him by promising to provide him a government job.
19:12 Assam flood situation critical, one lakh affected
Assam's flood situation remained critical today with 11 districts reeling under the water of the swollen Brahmaputra and its tributaries, affecting over one lakh people.
Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh has caused river Jiadhol to rise and inundate fresh areas in the worst-hit Dhemaji district, official sources said.
19:11 Beef up security at Buddhist shrines: Centre to states
Hours after the multiple blasts at Mahabodhi temple complex in Bihar, the Centre today directed all states to ensure fool-proof security at Buddhist shrines and Tibetan settlements in the wake of the continuing violence between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar.
In an advisory to all states with special emphasis on cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune, the home ministry said adequate security must be provided to Buddhist shrines, Buddhist places of worships and Tibetan settlements.
18:48 NSG, NIA teams at Gaya to probe blasts
Two live bombs were detected and defused by security agencies in and around the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya, which was rocked by serial blasts on Sunday, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said.
He also said that separate teams from the National Security Guard and the National Investigation Agency have been rushed to Bihar to probe the blasts.
"I just talked to the home secretary and he told me that a team of NSG and a team of NIA have been sent to the blast site to probe the incident in Gaya," he told reporters.
18:11 Home ministry red flags hiking FDI cap in defence, space, I&B
The home ministry has raised serious concerns over hiking FDI cap in defence, space, telecom and a few other areas, contending that flow of funds from countries like China in these sectors may compromise the country's security.
This was conveyed by the home ministry to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The ministry is all set to dash off another letter conveying its strong opposition to any such move which may jeopardise the country's security.
18:10 Scotland Yard rocked by corruption scandal
Scotland Yard, one of the world's premier police forces, has been rocked by a major corruption scandal over claims that some of its most sensitive units had officers in the pay of Britain's gangsters.
Three Metropolitan police whistle-blowers say David Hunt, a London businessman named by a judge last week as the head of an organised crime network, used 'sleepers' inside the Yard to help him evade justice for three decades.
18:09 Prince William to break protocol for his baby
Breaking Britain's time-honoured convention of informing a monarch of any royal birth with an official notice, Prince William will himself call his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II when his baby is born.
"The duke intends to tell the Queen himself," a palace source told The Sunday Times.
18:08 Complaint against Salman Khan for posting info
A social activist has filed a complaint in a local court seeking action against actor Salman Khan for launching a website with information on the 2002 hit-and-run case involving him, alleging that it was contempt of court.
According to the complaint, the website, www.salmankhanfiles.com, was launched by the actor recently.
A Mumbai sessions court ruled in June that the actor must be tried for culpable homicide not amounting for murder in the case -- a serious charge under IPC which attracts 10 years' punishment in jail.
17:03 Gaya: Third live bomb found; total no. of bombs 12
Vicky Nanjappa reports: Another live bomb has been found 400 metre from the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya.
The bomb disposal squad is attempting to defuse it.
The town was struck by nine blasts early today morning while three live bombs have been defused till now.
16:50 Bihar govt seeks NIA's help in probing Gaya blasts
Vicky Nanjappa reports: The Bihar government, in its preliminary report to the home ministry, said that nine blasts had struck Bodh Gaya on Sunday morning.
Two live bombs were defused at the site.
Five people were injured in the blast and all of them are out of danger.
The state police has sought the NIA's help in probing the blast.
The area has been fully cordoned off and a thorough search operation has been carried out. The area has been sanitised and closed for the public, says the report, which does not name any outfit in connection with the serial blasts.
16:47 'Don't make wild, hasty speculations about Gaya blasts'
Vicky Nanjappa reports: The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, an umbrella body of Muslim organisations in India, has condemned the 'Mynanmar angle' that has been pointed out by some experts as a likely motive behind the Gaya blasts.
Dr Zaffrul Islam Khan, president, asked the media to desist from "irresponsible, wild and hasty speculation".
"The media should behave in a responsible manner and allow the security and intelligence experts to do their work without any pressure to come up with quick results without proper investigations," he said.
The investigating agencies should probe the case with an open mind, said Dr Khan, adding that there had been many cases of innocent Muslim youths framed for earlier terror acts which were actually committed by right-wing elements.
"We have all the goodwill for our Buddhist brothers and sisters and want the best of relations with them all over the world," he said.
16:37 UK's Cameron welcomes deportation of cleric Qatada
Prime Minister David Cameron today welcomed the deportation of radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada after a legal marathon, saying removing the terror suspect from Britain had been a priority for his government.
Cameron tweeted his pleasure just hours after Qatada, 53, left Britain aboard a private flight bound for Jordan from RAF Northolt in west London.
Qatada was deported after a decade-long legal battle which, according to a report, cost Britain at least 1.7 million pounds.
16:36 Thousands rally against abortion law in Ireland
Thousands of anti-abortion activists took to the streets of Dublin against the Irish government's proposed legislation on abortion following an outcry over the death of an Indian dentist last year after a miscarriage.
According to Gardai, Ireland's police force, as many as 35,000 people turned out for the protest march carrying rosary beads and placards reading 'Kill the bill! Not the child' in reference to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, which will allow abortion when deemed necessary to save a woman's life.
16:35 Lanka may not relent on 13A amendment
Overruling India's concerns, Sri Lanka may go ahead with its proposed plans to amend the 13th amendment ahead of the provincial polls in Tamil-dominated northern areas in September, a top minister has hinted.
Basil Rajapaksa, the younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the economic development minister, who returned from New Delhi after talks with Indian leaders, was non-committal about any conditions that New Delhi might have pushed for.
"When we bring in a Bill we wouldn't normally retract. We will go back only if the people wanted us to go back. There are examples when we have done so on people's will," he told reporters when asked about India's concerns.
16:33 Gaya blasts: Police seek clues from CCTV cameras
Vicky Nanjappa reports: The bombs used to set off the serial blasts in Gaya comprised an improvised explosive device assembled with ammonium nitrate and shrapnel.
The bombs were triggered off by a timer device.
"Terror groups have been increasingly using timers and not cell phones, as the latter tend to leave a trail," said a source.
The police are also hopeful about getting clues from CCTV footage, though some of the cameras were only used for monitoring and they had no storage capacity.
No one was monitoring the CCTV cameras at the time the bombs were planted. But police are hopeful about getting some leads from the functioning
cameras.
At a security review meeting held earlier in July, police personnel deployed at the site had complained about CCTV cameras not working.
15:10 Gaya blasts: BJP turns on friend-turned-foe JDU
Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi condemned the terror attack on the world famous Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas in Bodh Gaya today and assailed both central and state governments for their failure to provide adequate security to the Buddhist shrine.
The former Bihar deputy chief minister claimed that no measures were taken to prevent the attack despite intelligence tip-offs and said the Centre and the state governments cannot escape the responsibility for the nine low-intensity serial blasts.
"We have information that the intelligence and NIA officials had tipped off the state government about the likelihood of a terror attack on the Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya and held a meeting with the state officials to review the security situation at the terror targets.Yet no concrete steps were taken by the state government to improve the security deployment at the Buddhist temple town which led to the serial blasts this morning," he claimed.
14:57 Mayawati takes veiled dig at Modi
In a veiled reference to reports that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had rescued 15,000 Gujaratis from Uttarakhand, former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati today took a veiled dig at the BJP strongman.
"We strongly condemn the political party, whose leader stakes claim for the post of the PM, but talks about saving people only from Gujarat," she said.
The BSP supremo said from this, the personality of such a leader could be gauged.
14:55 Britain launches search for alien life
British astronomers have launched a new effort to find alien life among stars.
Academics from 11 institutions and observatories have set up a network to co-ordinate their Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
The UK SETI Research Network covers a broad spectrum of research topics, including potential methods for detecting signals, the linguistic challenge of deciphering messages, the probability of an extraterrestrial civilisation interacting with Earth and the longevity of civilisations.
14:54 Six Naxals killed in police encounter in Gadchiroli
Six Naxals were today killed in an encounter with police near Etapalli tehsil in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.
The encounter is still going on. Police have so far recovered the bodies of six Maoists clad in uniforms, police said.
They have also recovered one 303 carbine, three 12 bore rifles and some cartridges from the spot.
13:27 NIA will probe blasts, need CISF security: Nitish
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that premier probe agency NIA will investigate the serial blasts that struck the 500-year-old Mahabodhi temple in Gaya on Sunday morning.
He also urged the central government to deploy CISF for the security of the temple.
Kumar added that the Mahabodhi temple will be reopened soon for pilgrims and tourists.
13:27 Rupee may weaken further against US dollar: CII
The rupee will continue to remain volatile and may weaken further against the dollar if the government doesn't address issues like dwindling FDIs and infrastructural bottlenecks, a survey said today.
"We need to move fast on the next round of reforms by addressing constraints such as land acquisition and environment which delay investments in industry and infrastructure. Also, We have to encourage FDI by easing of investment caps and continue rollback of fuel and fertiliser subsidies," the CII said in a statement.
13:26 US not aligned with any Egyptian party: Obama
US President Barack Obama has said that America is "not aligned" with any political party or group in Egypt and condemned the ongoing violence across the Arab country.
Obama, who is spending this weekend at Camp David, convened a secure conference call with the National Security Council to review the very fluid situation in Egypt, the White House said.
"The President condemned the ongoing violence across Egypt and expressed concern over the continued political polarisation," said the White House.
13:24 Maharashtra mulling ban on mobiles in colleges
The Maharashtra government has sought views of principals and teachers on a proposal seeking a ban on using camera mobile phones in colleges and university campuses across the state to prevent 'cyber crimes'.
The joint director of higher education had sought views of college heads and teachers on this proposal in a letter sent in May.
The proposal also involves mandatory installation of jammers and decoders in campuses of educational institutions, Mumbai University sources said.
13:23 ULFA leader likely to be brought to New Delhi on July 16
ULFA 'general secretary' Anup Chetia, who is currently in a jail in Bangladesh, is likely to be repatriated to India on July 16.
Bangladesh has indicated that Chetia will be sent back to India a day or two before the home secretary level talks between the two countries, scheduled to be held on July 18-19.
13:22 Lahore blast: Death toll rises to five
Death toll in the powerful blast at the crowded Old Anarkali street in Lahore has risen to five.
The powerful blast ripped through Lahore's famous food street last night while a number of families were dining there.
According to police, the victims included a five-year-old girl.
Two persons died on the spot while the remaining three succumbed to their injuries at Mayo Hospital early today.
13:21 Plight of jailed tribal undertrials serious: SC
The Supreme Court has termed as 'serious' the plight of tribal undertrials, who are lodged in various central jails in eight Naxal-affected states, but sought factual details for passing any judicial order.
"These are very serious matters. You (PIL petitioner) are only relying on the media report. The data can be collected.You complete facts. We cannot pass order on generalised data," said the apex court.
13:19 DON'T take people of Kashmir for granted: Omar
Cautioning against people of Jammu and Kashmir being "taken for granted", state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the Centre to engage with them politically in a dialogue.
"By design or by default, we have given this impression to the people in the state that we only engage with them when there is trouble," he said, citing the instances of engaging with the separatists at the peak of militancy or with the general public in the aftermath of agitations in 2008 and 2010.
13:18 Monsoon session of Parliament likely after August 15
With an ordinance promulgated on the Food Security Bill, the monsoon session of Parliament is now expected to be convened after August 15.
Government sources said that though no decision has been taken, there is no hurry to call the session, with a section contending that it should start in early September.
Generally, the monsoon session commences in the third week of July and is spread over a month-long period.
12:46 President condemns Bodh Gaya blasts
President Pranab Mukherjee today condemned the serial blasts at Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya as a senseless act of violence to target innocent pilgrims.
Expressing deep anguish over the blasts, he said it was a "senseless act of violence targeting innocent pilgrims and monks who had gathered to worship at this temple dedicated to the great apostle of peace -- Gautam Buddha".
12:01 9 blasts in 30 minutes: Is this IM's handiwork?
Vicky Nanjappa reports: All the nine bombs exploded inside the Bodh Gaya temple premises within a span of 30 minutes, say investigators.
The first bomb, armed with a timer, took off at 5.15 am while the next two were timed at 5.25 and 5.30 am. The rest of the six bombs exploded in the next 24 minutes.
According to the bomb disposal squad, all the bombs were placed at an approximate distance of 80 metres away from the shrine, where security personnel are scarce.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police and the NIA have decided to question six Indian Mujahideen operatives who were arrested in connection with the Pune serial blasts.
These IM operatives had admitted in 2011, during interrogation, that the terror outfit had considered Gaya as a likely target.
11:45 Is the Indian Mujahidden behind Gaya blasts?
Vicky Nanjappa reports: According to the home ministry and the Intelligence Bureau, terror outfit Indian Mujahideen is the prime suspect in the Bodh Gaya serial blasts case.
The composition of the bomb and the modus operandi of the blasts seem to indicate the IM's involvement.
Arrested IM operatives had admitted, way back in 2011, that Bodh Gaya was on the radar as a likely target for the group.
Incidentally, Gaya is only four hours away from Darbhanga, where IM's most powerful module is located.
11:41 PM condemns Gaya blasts
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has strongly condemned the multiple blasts at the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya.
"Such attacks on religious places will not be tolerated," said Dr Singh.
11:40 Forensic experts head to Gaya
Six members of state Forensic department have rushed to Bodh Gaya, said Inspector General of Police, CID, Vinay Kumar.
Temple Management Committee member Arvind Singh said a meeting of the management committee with the chief minister and other officials are expected.
Former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has also rushed to Bodh Gaya from Patna.
10:56 Sri Lanka President saddened by Bodh Gaya explosions
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was today shocked and dismayed by the news of serial explosions in internationally renowned Mahabodhi temple in India, a place of religious significance for the Buddhists.
"President Rajapaksa was shocked and dismayed by the news," said Presidential Media Coordinator Wijayananda Herath.
The official said the President had spoken to the chief incumbent of the Mahabodhi temple and also directed both the external affairs ministry and the High Commission in Delhi to probe and report to him.
10:55 Nitish Kumar reaches Bodh Gaya
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reached Bodh Gaya, hours after five blasts rocked the religious site.
The home ministry has confirmed that the incident was a terror strike.
00:10 Live! McCain urges US to suspend Egypt military aid
US Republican Senator John McCain has called on the US government to suspend financial aid to the Egyptian army, following a military coup that overthrew the elected president Mohamed Morsi.
"We have to suspend aid to Egyptian military because the military has overturned the vote of the people,' McCain, who is also a member of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, said on Friday. "We cannot repeat the same mistakes that we made in other times of our history by supporting removal of freely elected governments.'
McCain said that Washington should demand Egyptian army to set a timetable for elections and for making of a new constitution.
Read the full report on Al Jazeera
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