Tibetan monk self-immolates inside China temple

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Sun, 17 March 2013

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22:09 Tibetan monk self-immolates inside China temple

A Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire inside a western Chinese monastery recently singled out by authorities as a hub of the grisly self-immolation protests striking the region, a US-backed broadcaster reported today.

Radio Free Asia said Lobsang Thokmey, 28, was the 108th Tibetan to have self-immolated in a string of protests against Chinese rule and religious restrictions starting in February 2009.

His protest took place on the fifth anniversary of a 2008 government crackdown in the area in which police fired into a crowd, allegedly killing 10 people.

The Mumbai police made the first arrest today, in connection with Friday's alleged gangrape of a woman in her slum, near Matunga railway compound wall. Allegedly, the woman was gangraped by seven men after a quarrel between one of the accused and the victim's husband.

The police said that they have arrested 20-year-old Ganesh Ingle, a Dharavi resident, who is an unskilled laborer. "We feel that Ingle's interrogation might lead us to other six accused. He has been remanded to police custody for three days," an Matunga police station official said.

Two of the seven involved in the gang rape and attack on her husband on Friday were known to the couple, the police said.

While JD(U) organised a rally at Delhi in support of special status for Bihar, its ally BJP today decided to postpone its "Hunkar rally" to October 27 instead of April 15 as planned earlier.

Shifting of date of the rally to demand special status for Bihar and alleged discrimination of the state by the Centre was announced by Bihar BJP president Mangal Pandey on conclusion of party's two-day working committee meeting here. Pandey told reporters the postponement was keeping in view organisational work.

The Vatican was embroiled in fresh controversy today as one of its top cardinals describedpaedophilia as a psychological "illness" rather than a"criminal condition".

Wilfrid Fox Napier, the Catholic Archbishop of Durban, whohelped appoint newly-elected Pope Francis, said in a radiointerview here that people who were abused during childhood and became paedophiles were not criminally responsible fortheir actions in the same way as somebody "who chooses to dosomething like that".

The proposed bill which seeks to hand down stringent punishment for crimes against women, including rape and acid attack, and lower the age of consent for sex to 16, is set to face hurdles in an the all-party meeting convened by the government tomorrow.

Samajwadi Party, which extends outside support to UPA, has openly come out against the provisions relating to stalking and lowering of consent age from 18 to 16 years. Main opposition BJP wants the bill to be passed at the earliest. But, it has objections to lowering of age of consent which was 18 in the ordinance issued last month.

Terming as "unfortunate" the incident of gangrape of a Swiss woman, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta today said foreign tourists were not following rules about informing local police about their movements.

"What happened is unfortunate for our nation. When foreign tourists come, they should inform the SP (Superintendent of Police) about their plans. This is the system but it is not being followed," he said.

The Swiss female tourist, on a cycling trip along with her husband, was allegedly gangraped by seven to eight men at a forest area in Datia district, on the night of March 15. The Minister said they will be taking steps to ensure such incidents do not recur.

18:03 Six arrested in gang rape of Swiss tourist

Five villagers have confessed to gang-raping a Swiss tourist in central India, police said Sunday, in an incident that has renewed focus on the rampant violence against women in the country.

The woman was on a cycling holiday with her husband in the impoverished Madhya Pradesh state when six men attacked the couple on Friday night, sexually assaulting the woman in front of her husband and robbing the pair, police said.

"We have detained five men and they have confessed to gang-raping the woman and attacking her husband," local police official M S Dhodee told AFP.

The decision on the vote in United Nations Human Rights Council on the resolution against Sri Lanka will be taken after consulting DMK and other allies, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here today.

"The UPA government will take a decision on the vote against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC, later this month, after a meeting with its allies, particularly DMK," the Union minister said. But the minister was not too forthcoming on the issue of Italy's refusal to send back the two marines, charged with the murder of two Indian fishermen, saying the case was pending in Supreme Court.

Congress today decried "maligning" of the Prime Minister and party-led UPA government by pro-Tamil groups in the state over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and expressed confidence that India would vote in favour of the US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president B S Gnanadesikan, MP, said demands like New Delhi slapping economic sanctions on Colombo would only hurt Tamils and many rehabilitation measures undertaken for them by India, including housing projects, would suffer.

India is the only voice for minority Tamils in that country and they would be at peril if bilateral relations were severed, he said in a party statement here.

Breaking a jinx, Pakistani politics has achieved a major milestone with the National Assembly completing its full term for the first time, even as the country's leadership continue to be divided on the issue of choosing a caretaker premier to oversee polls.

The National Assembly or lower house of parliament completed its constitutional five-year term yesterday and the cabinet of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf stood dissolved at midnight, marking the first time an elected set-up has not been removed by the military or other political forces.

In his farewell address to the nation over Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television network last night, Ashraf thanked all democratic forces and institutions that played their role in strengthening democracy.

The Supreme Court has said that for seeking the conviction of a person accused of causing dowry death, the prosecution has to produce evidence that establishes that the demand for dowry was coupled with acts of harassment and cruelty.

For the court to draw the presumption that the accused had caused the dowry death, the "prosecution has to prove, besides the demand of dowry, harassment or cruelty caused by the accused to the deceased soon before her death", the Supreme court bench of Justice A.K. Patnaik and Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya said in a recent judgment.

Slamming the government move to lower the age for consensual sex, RSS today said it was socially unacceptable and it would oppose the measure. "The age for marriage for a girl is 18 but government wants to give legal consent for sexual relations before marriage by lowering the age to 16. It is not acceptable and RSS will oppose it," said RSS leader Bhaiya Joshi.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 proposes, among other things, to lower the age of consent for sex from 18 to 16 years, a move that has been opposed by various sections, including Muslim groups.

The mother of one of the Italian marines facing trial in India for killing two Indian fishermen today said justice has been done and "everything is fine now".

The marines -- Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone -- face trial in a special Indian court for shooting and killing two Indian fisherman while guarding an Italian oil tanker off the coast of Kerala last February.

India and Italy are engaged in a row after Rome reneged on its commitment to send back the two marines, who were allowed by the Supreme Court on February 22 to go to Italy for four weeks for voting in election.

DMK President M. Karunanidhi on Sunday issued a final warning to Congress-led UPA Government saying that the DMK would certainly leave the alliance if India fails to take steps to incorporated suitable amendments to the draft resolution to be placed before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

"I said our continuation in the alliance would be meaningless if the amendments are not incorporated. Now I say we will certainly not remain in the alliance', he told reporters while releasing a copy of the letter sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal United (JDU) leaderNitish Kumar on Sunday raised his pitch for a demand for special category status for the state even as he praised the budget of the Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at a rally organized by his party at the national capital's Ramlila Grounds.

While making references to 2014 and invoking the Bihari identity, Kumar cautioned that people will "use the opportunity' of 2014.The so-called rights rally did not see participation of any national or regional leaders from his biggest ally, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It was held amidst reports of strain in ties of JDU and India's principal opposition party.

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"Do we not have the right to develop, to generate employment in Bihar? We have the right to development, we have been ignored," he said.

Nitish Kumar said criteria for giving special status to states should be changed so that Bihar can develop.

"If we get special status, we can also become one of the developed states. We have been told that we do not meet all qualifications for getting special status. Change the criteria then," he said.

Rediff.com's Priyanka reports:

Bihar fares low on many national indices of human development. The per capita income and the investment in the state per person is alos among the lowest in the country, and much less than the national average, said the Bihar CM.

"We too have the right to growth and development and hence demand special status for Bihar," he said

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar targets government on undelivered promises. He says that Bihar has the right to develop and progress. Centre must take note of Bihar's potential, he says.

Biharis have been forced to live in bad conditions in Delhi, says Nitish.

13:59 DMK threatens to pull out of UPA

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has threatened to pull out of UPA on the issue of resolution against Sri Lanka in UNHRC.

DMK chief Karunanidhi has written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday explaining the DMK's decision to pull out of the UPA.

Karunanidhi has directed DMK Union ministers to stay away from attending their official responsibilities from Monday.

The FM has said that the criteria for granting special status to states needs a relook, claims Nitish Kumar.

He says the time is right for the Centre to grant Bihar special status.

13:29

Government reports have acknowledged that Bihar is a backward state, says the Bihar CM.

Addressing a massive gathering, Nitish Kumar said that the people were not begging but were asking for someting they genuinely needed -- special status for the state.

13:26 Bihar will develop if Centre helps, says Nitish Kumar

Bihar will develop if Centre helps, says Nitish Kumar at the rally. He spoke after JDU chief Sharad Yadav addressed the congregation

Sharad Yadav, the national president of the JDU spoke for under 5 minutes. He said that people of Bihar -- from Delhi and NCR -- and also Bihar have come together to demand for a special status for the state.

He minced no words to state that the people were shouting out loud for their demand.

Bihar has been receiving step motherly treatment, says Bihar CM

Per capita expenditure in Bihar has been half of that of the national average, says the Bihar CM.

For the first time so many Bihari's have come together at one venue says Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hols second 'Adhikar' rally to press for special status for the state.

Crowd swells at Ramlila Maidan ahead of Nitish Kumar's address. Rough estimates suggest around 60,000 people and more are present at the venue, reports CNN IBN

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will address his supporters here today to demand special status for his state, culminating a year-long campaign for more financial help and concessions from the union government.

Trains have been bringing in thousands of Janata Dal (United) activists to the capital in the last few days for Kumar's 'Adhikar' rally at the Ramlila grounds, where other party leaders will also be speaking.

Seeking to reach out to ally DMK which has threatened to pull out of UPA government on Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said India should support the US resolution against Lanka in UNHRC if it called for an independent and reliable probe into the alleged war crimes in the island nation in 2009.

"My sentiments, your sentiments, and the sentiments of all Tamils is that if the resolution contains such a demand, India should support and vote in favour of it," he said, hoping there would be 'good news' and people should wait till March 22 (when the vote is to take place in UNHRC).

Residents of a South Korean island closest to the tense sea border with North Korea have shrugged off a warning from Pyongyang urging them to flee ahead of "thunderous attacks", an official said today.

The North's official website, Uriminzokkiri, told residents of five islands south of the border to leave, warning of "devastating consequences" if recent cross-border tension escalates into a full-scale conflict.

"The wisest choice when the fire of thunder rains down on you is running afar," it said in an editorial published late Friday. It repeated criticism of an ongoing South Korea-US joint military drill, calling it a rehearsal for war that may prompt counter-attacks from the North.

12:09 N Korea warns world of nuclear war breakout

North Korea has threatened to target the prime minister of South Korea and told residents to evacuate islands within range of its artillery, warning the world that "a nuclear war may break out".

Military sources in Seoul said the North Koreans test-fired two short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan on Friday, just as the United States announced plans to boost its missile defences against Asian threats.

The Americans are abandoning a controversial plan to deploy interceptor missiles in eastern Europe and will instead add 14 ground interceptors to 26 already based in Alaska.

Read more here

11:50 DSP murder case: CBI recovers service pistol

In a breakthrough in the Pratapgarh triple murder case, the CBI Saturday recovered DSP Ziaul Haque's service pistol and three empty shells related to the murder of village pradhan Nanhe Yadav from the bushes in Balipur village where Yadav, his brother Suresh and the police officer were shot dead on March 2.

The recovery of the firearm and the shells were made following interrogation of the pradhan's son and brother Pawan and suspended station officer of Hathigawan police station Manoj Shukla.

The cartridges in the pistol belonging to Haque, who was the circle officer, have been found intact, which suggests that no gunshot was fired from the weapon, the sources said.

CNN IBN reports: "It is wrong to name it as pressurizing. Bihar was divided vertically and when it was divided at that time the government had said that it will give full support to Bihar. But it never happened, says Janata Dal United chief Sharad Yadav at the Adhikar rally in Delhi.

The Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, has severed his year-long turbulent relationship with the Samajwadi Party after he sent in the resignations of his son-in-law and MLC Umar Ali Khan and Civil Defence Council chairman Waseem Ahmad to Mulayam Singh on Saturday. They were the Shahi Imam's nominees.

The resignations were sent along with a letter addressed by Maulana Bukhari to Mr. Singh informing him about his decision to snap ties with the Samajwadi Party.

11:28 Crime against women on the rise in trains

Crime against women in trains has been on a rise despite deployment of security personnel by Railways, with more than 200 cases including rape, molestation and misbehaviour reported last year.

There were total 210 cases of crime against women registered in 2012 as against 127 cases in 2011. The number of crimes committed against women in trains were 85 in 2010, according to Railway Ministry data.

While molestation cases in trains have gone up from 52 in 2010 to 72 in 2011, the number touched 119 in 2012. Rape cases have also increased from 3 in 2011 to 7 in 2012.

After public outcry and protests by opposition parties, police today arrested Raja Shree Mohanty, the son of former Odisha minister Raghunath Mohanty, on charges of torturing his wife for dowry, an official said.

"Raja Shree Mohanty was taken into custody by the human rights cell of the state police department," a police official told IANS.

11:17 Swiss gang-rape case: Three arrested

The police have arrested three people for the gang rape of a Swiss tourist near a forest by seven men in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday.

The couple--who are adventure tourists-- was camping at a forest area for the night while on their way back from Orchha, home to temples of Lord Ram, and were proceeding to Agra when they were attacked. The couple were planning to visit Agra in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to see the Taj Mahal.

Twenty people were detained on the basis of suspicion and were questioned in connection with the incident, DIG(Chambal range) DK Arya told reporters.

The Kerala Police after questioning BB Mohanty, senior IPS officer and father of rape convict Bitti Mohanty, confirmed that he had. no role in forging documents that allegedly helped create a new identity for his son.

The former Odisha DGP was on Saturday quizzed by a special investigative team (SIT) of Kerala police probing impersonation and forgery charges against his German rape case convict son Bitihotra Mahanti.

Before questioning the retired IPS officer, the four- member Kerala police SIT met the present Director General of Police Prakash Mishra at the state police headquarters here and apprised him of the case following the arrest of a man Raghav Rajan at Kannur who police claimed was Bitihotra alias Bitti, Odisha police said.

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Tihar's probe into Delhi gangrape accused Ram Singh's alleged suicide has found three jail officials, including a warden, guilty of dereliction of duty.

A jail warder tasked with keeping an eye on the 33-year-old and other inmates of 20-odd cells in Tihar's sub-jail three bunked his eight-hour shift on the intervening night of March 10-11, a source said, adding: "There was no watch guard that night."

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A 39-year-old Swiss female tourist was gang-raped near a forest by seven to eight persons at a forest area in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Saturday.

Twenty people have been detained on the basis of suspicion and are being questioned in connection with the incident, DIG(Chambal range) DK Arya told a news agency.

The United States will deploy additional ground-based missile interceptors on the West Coast as part of efforts to enhance the nation's ability to defend itself from attack by North Korea, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Friday. Still relatively new in his post, the Pentagon chief told reporters that 14 additional interceptors to be installed by 2017 would bring the total to 44.

It is part of a package of steps expected to cost $1 billion, officials said. "The reason that we are doing what we are doing and the reason we are advancing our program here for homeland security is to not take any chances, is to stay ahead of the threat and to assure any contingency," Hagel said.

Read the full report on CNN

00:08 Top headlines at this hour

Adhikar rally in Delhi not a show of strength: Nitish

Raghav Rajan's photo is that of my son: Bitti's father

Rajoana against anyone defending him

Pak PM hails democratic forces in farewell speech

Influx of Muslims from neighbouring nations alarming: RSS

SL claims victory ahead of crucial UN rights vote

Italy mayor offers education aid to slain fishermen's kids

Xi assures China's support for 'all-weather friend' Pak

Swiss embassy calls for swift probe in gang rape case