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AUGUST 2
Congress in a major bind as AIADMK, Swamy go hammer and tongs over Jain report
With the government deciding to probe Karunanidhi's role in Rajiv assassination, it might well be the Congress that will be forced to demand the DMK government's dismissal, making it so much easier for the BJP government to do so! However, not a single Congress leader was willing to comment on the party's stand on the Commission report.
Karunanidhi warns of dire consequence if he's sacked
The BJP-led government at the Centre may be 'stirring a hornet's nest' if it acted against the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on the Jain Commission findings, the chief minister has said.
Jayalalitha asks Karunanidhi to quit
The DMK asserted that the BJP-led government
included Karunanidhi's name in the action taken report
under pressure from the AIADMK.
Congress silence on Jain report surprising
Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh, who has widely reported as the key Congressman behind the dislodging of the Gujral government as well as the tabling of the Jain Commission report, did not have anything to say. ''Whatever you want to know is in the report, I don't want to comment on it,'' he told Rediff On The Net.
Sonia, Left leaders's meet sparks rumours
Sources close to CPI-M general secretary Surjeet said the leaders discussed the political situation in the country. It is not clear whether the leaders discussed the possibility of an alternate government at the
Centre.
Jain report shows inconsistencies
While the Commission's interim report had said Sikh extremists,
the LTTE and the ULFA had a nexus and the 'common theme of this nexus was the annihilation of their commonly perceived enemy -- Shri Rajiv Gandhi,' the final report said 'no definite clinching evidence
establishing the link has come before the Commission.'
LTTE got arms from Lebanese nationals before Rajiv assassination: IB secret note
The note, sent on April 24, 1991, by then joint director N V
Vathsan to the IB director, identified the Lebanese nationals as
Ibrahim, based in Cyprus, and Charles Obed.
No matter what, Udham Singh Nagar shouldn't be part of Uttarakhand: Akali president
Shiromani Akali Dal president Simranjit Singh Mann has demanded
that a commission headed by a Supreme Court judge be set up
to demarcate the boundaries of the proposed Uttarakhand state.
Indo-Russian pact to extend defence co-operation till 2012
Russian President Boris Yeltsin is expected to sign the military-technical agreement during his New Delhi visit later this year.
Delhi police arrest 5 Pak militants
The police have unearthed a major conspiracy by the Lashkar-i-Toiba, a pro-Pakistan militant outfit, to trigger explosions in the Delhi cantonment area. They recovered
explosives including RDX.
The governor's hands were tied: Ramakant Khalap
The objections by P Shiv Shankar and Somnath Chatterjee were made out of ignorance, says the former Union minister.
Where are you, mom??!!
In 1982, he was an unknowing, uncaring three year old, strapped into a transcontinental flight heading off to his foster home in Holland. Today, Jayant van Peperstraten is back in Pune, all of 19, full grown and hell bent on tracing his real mother.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
4 Cabinet ministers demanded action against Karunanidhi, got ATR changed
When the Cabinet met to consider the ATR, four ministers -- Thambi Durai, P R Kumaramangalam, V Ramamurthi and Ram Jethmalani -- lost their cool, and alleged that the BJP was trying to protect Karunanidhi, reveals Rajiv Shukla.
And into the trap walked Pawar!
Surprising, but for once Union Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana had done
his homework well. And that helped him get the better of
the Opposition, notably the Congress. Capital Buzz. Political gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'Netaji was like a god'
The Forgotten Army is an attempt to tell a story not yet told. Fifty one years of Independence, and few know about those brave men and women who joined the Indian National Army, and heeding the brave words of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose -- Chalo Dilli -- took on the British empire.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Andamans in for bad weather
Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places
in Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 1
Special CBI team to probe role of Chandra Swami, Subramanian Swamy, Karunanidhi in Rajiv assassination
The BJP-led government, in its action taken report on the Jain Commission final report on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, says that the alleged ''involvement and complicity'' of the tantrik and the ''role'' of the Janata Party president should be probed. It also wants the CBI to recommend how to proceed further against the Tamil Nadu chief minister for his alleged ''tacit support to the LTTE.'' The final report has cleared Tamils's misgivings on the Commission's interim report which led to the fall of the I K Gujral government. ''Support of Tamil cause is different from having deep nexus with the LTTE operatives in the materialisation of the assassination,'' the Commission said.
''By no stretch of imagination such a meaning or sense can be
given to the expression as has been given to it.''
SAARC rejects Pak proposal
The summit rejected Pakistan's proposal to involve the regional grouping in settling local conflicts and unequivocally declared that stability, peace and security in south Asia could not be considered in isolation of the global security environment.
Talks with Vajpayee a waste of time, says Sharief
''Yes, it is a stalemate. We are not here to waste each other's time,'' the Pak PM said of his meeting with his Indian counterpart.
Vajpayee firm on holding talks with Pak
The prime minister, who returned to New Delhi this evening after attending the tenth SAARC summit, refused to comment on Sharief's reported statement that the talks were ''zero and a waste of time''.
Base demands 'on reality, not fantasy,' India tells Pak
An atypically combative Foreign Secretary K Raghunath described Pakistan's
insistence on projecting Kashmir upfront in the list of contentious
issues between the two sides thus: "An obsessive focus on a single issue
or a one-point agenda is as neurotic for individuals as it is for
nation-states."
Pakistan presents a non-paper on confidence-building measures in J&K
To relax tension in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan suggested the strengthening of the UNMOGIP -- the United Nations observers group -- and the authority to patrol on both sides of the Line of Control, with regular reports to the UN Security Council, release of Kashmiri detainees among other suggestions.
Border firing toll rises to 23
Six more civilians were killed in Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control, raising the toll in the past 24 hours.
Home ministry asks governor for Goa papers
The central government has also asked for copies of local newspapers since Monday, the day the Congress rebels revolted against then chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, to gauge the public opinion in the state.
BJP defends Goa governor, Maharashtra govt
J F R Jacob went by the book, and the Maharashtra govt was just doing its job and had nothing to hide, said party spokesperson Venkaiah Naidu.
Ruling reserved on discussion of Goa issue
Opposition divided on whether governor's conduct could be discussed in Parliament.
US ambassador rules out third country mediation to solve Kashmir issue
Richard Celeste said, ''I don't believe outsiders can impose a decision on both countries. Friends can only be supportive.''
India is more worried about Ghauri than Pak bomb: Khan
The top Pakistan nuclear scientist said, ''We can hit any Indian city in 15 minutes time. We can hit Indian cities many times.''
Bedlam in LS as Laloo dares BJP member
Apprehending physicial violence, the Lok Sabha speaker on Friday adjourned the House abruptly about 45 minutes ahead of the lunch break as one of the BJP-led coalition members moved menacingly towards the RJD chief.
THE REDIFF COLUMNIST
India, a vassal state?
'It is perhaps only a matter of weeks before New Delhi appends its approval to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Pakistan will, of course, do the same. If Foggy Bottom wants to make a ceremony of its sardonic sense of humour, it might actually ask the two countries to sign the treaty on the same day,' says Ashok Mitra.
Jammu and Kashmir: Improving J & K situation disturbing militants: Advani
Maharashtra: Srikrishna panel report will be submitted in the monsoon session: Munde
Nagaland: Naga ceasefire extended for one more year
TODAY'S WEATHER
Vigorous monsoon in Gujarat
Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, east Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala during next 48 hours.
JULY 31
16 killed in heavy border shelling
Heavy Pakistani shelling in Hajinar area in Karnah sector in north Kashmir claimed six soldiers and ten civilians and left seven others hurt, Minister of State for Home Mustaq Ahmad Lone told Rediff On The Net. In Karnah, one shell landed on the army hospital. Details of casualties are still awaited.
Sharief snubbed at SAARC retreat
When the Pakistani premier insisted that the SAARC charter should be amended to include discussions on contentious issues and peace and security, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga snubbed him, sources said. SAARC is not the forum for raising such issues, she reportedly told Sharief.
Furore in Parliament over Goa
The Opposition decried the dismissal of the Pratapsingh Rane government in both houses of Parliament today, demanding the immediate recall of Governor Lt Gen (retd) J F R Jacob who appointed breakaway Congress leader Wilfred D'Souza as the new state chief minister.
Trinamul team's Bombay visit augurs ill for central govt
Team to take up with the Maharashtra chief minister the issue of the deportation of Bengali Muslims from the city. And if results aren't forthcoming, the party could pull the rug from under the central government.
Vajpayee rejects Pak proposal to ban further nuclear tests
"Both countries have already declared a voluntary moratorium on further nuclear testing,'' he said when a Pakistani journalist asked whether India would agree to Pakistan's suggestion in this regard.
Nine people killed as IA plane crashes into naval workshop
The plane caught fire immediately after it crashed in the vicinity of Cochin. The injured passengers, crew members and employees of the workshop were admitted to the naval hospital INS Sanjivani, where they succumbed to their wounds.
SC sets ball rolling on presidential reference
The court issued notices to the necessary parties on the 'consultative process' for the appointment of judges to the apex court, the high courts and the transfer of high court judges.
Centre modifies scheme to resolve Cauvery; Nayanar sceptical about Aug 6 meet
The modified scheme also proposed setting up of an authority comprising Union water resources minister and chief ministers of the basin states to oversee the implementation of the award. Under the original scheme, the Cauvery River Valley Authority was vested with powers on implementation of the award. In Kerala, Chief Minister Nayanar struck a note of pessism about the August 6 meeting of four southern CMs.
Sayeed gets a shot in the arm
BJP's ally and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said support to the Vajpayee government and the deputy speaker's elections are two different issues. ''In fact I had openly suggested at the meeting of the BJP's allies that (Congress candidate) Sayeed is suitable for the post,'' she said.
Swamy wants Vajpayee to raise LTTE issue with Lanka
"If you do not raise the issue of Prabhakaran's extradition while
in Colombo, you will be doing a national disservice and adding to
the feeling in the country that, under pressure from two pro-LTTE
ministers in the Cabinet, you have lost the nerve to keep this issue
on your agenda," the Janata Party president said.
Kashmiri Pandits appeal to NHRC about Doda killings
The Kashmiri Samiti, Delhi, and the Doda Vichar Manch have requested the NHRC to take cognisance of the brutal killings and gross violation of the human rights of Kashmiri Pandits and take appropriate action against the culprits.
GSLV, INSAT 2-E, PSLV-C2 launches postponed to next year
Justifying the delays, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi said that the government wanted to play safe and did not want to incur any financial burden. Delay in such matters was acceptable, he added.
Director Bharathan dead
Liver cirrhosis claims the legend
NIMHANS doctor attempts to prove life after death
'Studies indicate that previous birth behavioural patterns were strongly indicated in the next life, irrespective of caste, religion, social status or sex change,' says Dr Satwant Pasricha of NIMHANS.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
"We will prove that Indian food can get
where no Viagra can reach"
"What this food does is that it gives you spirit, energy, tones your nerves, improves your reception of sexual stimuli. These aphrodisiacs go the whole way. They are elixirs, tonics. Not just instant arousers that give you momentary pleasure. Not an irritant like the streetside aphrodisiacs, which give you an illusion of potency," Jiggs Kalra and Puspesh Pant tell Pritish Nandy.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Win Chaddha, Sonia and Jayalalitha
'Sonia Gandhi was prepared to refrain from active measures to topple the government. After all, Jayalalitha was doing a perfectly splendid job. The Congress president wanted the BJP to crumble under the weight of its own contradictions, preferably in February-March 1999.
But time is a luxury the Congress president can't afford if Bofors threatens to become an issue again. So she spoke over the telephone to the AIADMK chief last week,' says T V R Shenoy
Assam: Santhals attack Bodo villages, kill five women, two children
West Bengal: Contempt proceedings against eight Calcutta imams stayed
JULY 30
Vajpayee, Sharief direct foreign secretaries to meet
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief and I have agreed that the dialogue process should be resumed and we have directed our foreign secretaries to meet today and tomorrow to work out the modalities of the resumption of the dialogue," Prime Minister Vajpayee said.
Army put in charge of Doda
The central government is actively considering the proposal
to declare the district, where militants massacred 16 Hindu villagers
on Tuesday, as a disturbed area, says Union Home Secretary B P Singh.
Sharief exhorts SAARC to take up security, Kashmir issues
Urging SAARC to redefine its role and priorities, the Pakistani premier said it could not remain indifferent to, or pretend to be oblivious of, the differences and tensions between its members.
Chandrika says nuclear concerns can't be ignored; Vajpayee underlines disarmament
The Lankan president said nuclear concerns cannot be divorced, or considered in isolation, from the global security environment, in particular the nuclear environment, and the tardy progress in nuclear disarmament on a global scale. Vajpayee sought to assure that the developments will not affect the SAARC process. "Let me say that these apprehensions are misplaced," he said in his opening address.
SAARC summit begins in Colombo
South Asian leaders welcome the voluntary moratoria on further nuclear testing by India and Pakistan, and call on New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve their differences through bilateral talks.
US welcomes Indo-Pak talks at SAARC summit
''This is also a step that has been urged by their friends in the
world community,'' Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian
Affairs Karl Inderfurth said at a meeting of the Indian American
Friendship Council in Washington.
Congressional foreign relations panel chief backs India on N-tests
''China occupies Tibet on India's northern border and has nuclear
weapons there, Beijing supplies billions of arms to Myanmar
military junta on India's eastern border and assists authoritarian
Pakistan with nuclear and ballistic technology on India's western
border,'' Benjamin Gilman said.
Cell to be set up to help scientists returned to India
Returning experts to be provided opportunities in academic and research institutions and in the public and private sector industries.
Extended Clinton visit when the time is right, says Celeste
"Let me confess that when I met Mr Clinton on May 6, he told me that India was a country that deserved more than a week. However, you see, a longer visit should come at a time when we can look forwards, not backwards," says US ambassador Richard Celeste.
Indo-Russian military co-operation moves ahead: Fernandes
The draft of the Indo-Russian agreement on defence
co-operation till 2010 has been finalised, the defence minister
told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
Rane defeats confidence motion after scenes of violence
Leader of the Opposition, Kashinath Jhamli, was beaten up by two ministers, before the chief minister proved his majority in a House where 10 rebel Congress members weren't present.
Pandits protest in Delhi against Doda massacre
The latest killings 'bitterly reflect' the total failure of the Dr Farooq
Abdullah government in protecting the
minority from the evil
designs of Muslim fundamentalists, a statement
said.
Sonia urged to take action against Pawar
Followers of the Congress president are angry with Sharad Pawar's view that pulling down the BJP-led government at this juncture would lead to instability in the country.
V P says he has said all there's to say about HDW scam
The former prime minister has declined to give
more details on the Rs 4.2 billion HDW submarine scam
saying his earlier statement recorded by the Central
Bureau of Investigation was sufficient.
PM to pilot Lok Pal Bill
Vajpayee will introduce the Lok Pal Bill in the Lok Sabha
on August 3.
Uranium it was after all
IGCAR's "final report" presented to the press said the seized package contained no uranium; but the report handed to the CBI said it did. Now the CBI is seeking independent conformation of the facts.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'Get up. It's the police. We are searching for Bangladeshi nationals'
'I am an Indian citizen and have been living in Bombay for the last 20 years. But still, these policemen do not believe me. Every fortnight they come and ask the West Bengali Muslims in our area to prove that they are Indians," says Mohammad Nur-ul-Islam, a native of Tangra in West Bengal.
Atal, Chandrika & Chama Rajendra
'One wishes that Indian diplomats were more imaginative and sophisticated when it comes to entertainment. Dinner served at the Indian high commissioner's reception on Monday night at Hotel Mount Lavinia, which abuts on the Indian Ocean and offers a gorgeous view of splendorous surf, was straight out of standard, greasy Delhi menu.' Kanchan Gupta's SAARC Diary.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Madeleine and Bill and the Attila-the-Hen school of foreign policy
'The US has decided that India is an enemy; conveniently, Indians are not white,
so the barely-hidden racism that fuels a lot of American thinking can come to the fore -- these brown guys need to be taught a lesson. Obviously, this has grave implications for Indian nationals in the US,' feels Rajeev Srinivasan.
All set for Harvest
'Theatre,' says Manjula Padmanabhan, 'is such an eclectic, immediate experience.
Unlike films or television, there is never a 'final cut'
for a play. It reinvents itself with each new interpretation,
each new cast, each night of performance. A charge develops between
the actors onstage and the audience in the hall, each one needing
the other, like a pair of hands that wants to clap.'
Andhra Pradesh: Serial killer admits to murdering 43
Assam: Eleven killed in blast in Nalbari district
TODAY'S WEATHER
Monsoon rages in Andhra
Heavy rain lashed most parts of Andhra Pradesh as the southwest
monsoon intensified due to low pressure over the Bay of Bengal, off the north Andhra coast, since Monday
night.
JULY 29
16 Hindus massacred in Jammu
Curfew has been clamped down on
Kishtwar and Bhaderwah towns. The police and security
forces in the entire Jammu are on maximum alert.
Centre refuses reinforcements to J&K govt
"We were not demanding additional forces but the return of the 60 CRPF and BSF companies deployed in the state before the 1996 election, but which were withdrawn later," one senior police officer said. The government, he added, immediately needed five battalions for deployment in Doda district to crush militant activity.
Resumption of secretarial level talks or continuation of the hiatus? Which way will the Indo-Pak summit go?
'India has reiterated in Colombo the suggestion that the two countries can agree on a "no first use" of nuclear weapons pact and that this can form a component of the outcome of the Vajpayee-Sharief meeting. But the Pakistanis have expectedly scoffed
at the suggestion,' says Kanchan Gupta.
No expectation of breakthrough from Vajpayee-Sharief summit
From the public stances adopted by the two nations so far, and particularly since the nuclear tests in May, the best thing to come out of the bilateral talks will be that the two leaders -- both born on Christmas Day, 22 years apart -- have not allowed ideological posturing to come in the way of interaction.
Pakistan fails to raise security issue at SAARC
Other member countries say south Asia's economic concerns should get priority.
Pessimistic Sharief makes Wednesday's talks tough for Vajpayee
On the eve of his bilateral talks with Vajpayee in Colombo, Nawaz Sharief has launched a propaganda barrage against India.
Vajpayee 'optimistic' about talking Sharief into Indo-Pak dialogue
The Indian prime minister says he was hopeful that the stalled official-level dialogue with Pakistan would get rolling after his talks with Nawaz Sharief on Wednesday.
Vajpayee to take up ISI activities in JK with Sharief
Home Minister L K Advani said Vajpayee would take up the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir with Nawaz Sharief when they meet
for talks in Colombo on Wednesday.
Economics to dominate Vajpayee's speech at SAARC summit
The prime minister will announce important measures relating to trade liberalisation in South Asia, at the inauguration of the SAARC summit in Colombo on Wednesday. These measures will pertain to a progressive reduction in trade tariffs.
He will also announce an increase in limits on investments by Indian entrepreneurs in the region.
Clinton acknowledges difficulty in normalising Indo-Pak ties
''That's why I say because of their relationships with Russia and
China, we need their help as well,'' the US president said. ''And so far,
the Russians and the Chinese have been very helpful to me in trying
to work out a policy that we can pursue. But I'm working on it.''
India should not succumb to any pressure: Pant
''Many questions are being asked. Some ask why we did not follow
up the 1974 nuclear tests for 24 years. Some ask why we did not throw out the aggressor from Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. Some
question about the strategic Haji Pir being given away after having
won it. Some even ask why we did not use the air force in the 1962 war against the Chinese,'' said the National Security Council Task Force chairman.
President says Indian nuke tests were weapons of peace
President K R Narayanan has asserted that India's
nuclear tests were aimed at the liquidation of the nuclear
club and not to blast a way into it.
Only scientists associated with defence research targetted: US
Nothing personal about it, says state department spokesperson James Rubin.
'India should commit to a unilateral no-first use pledge'
India should be willing to negotiate its accession to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, provided all ''negative effects'' of the Pokhran nuclear tests are removed and it is treated at par with other nuclear weapons states for purposes of access to nuclear technology and materials, feels defence expert retired Air Commodore Jasjit Singh.
Chaos in Goa assembly
Pandemonium reigns as the Pratapsinh Rane government which has been reduced to a minority ignored governor's directive to hold a confidence vote.
Congress to form govt if BJP continues to lead country to chaos
Replying to a question on Sharad Pawar's reported statement
that there would be chaos and instability if the BJP-led government
was thrown out now, Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi said he had talked to the former who made it clear that he wanted to emphasise and underline the importance of a viable alternative.
Bangladeshis deportation issue rocks assembly even as Advani defends state govt
The Opposition parties have decided to move a no-confidence motion against the speaker on Wednesday for his ''biased'', ''prejudicial'' and ''dictatorial'' attitude towards them.
Mauled cops return from WB
Bombay police personnel relate a harrowing tale of how a mob attacked them and freed the deportees they were escorting.
Presidential reference on judges's appointment to be heard on Thursday
The reference will be heard by a nine-judge bench, as was done in a similar case in 1993.
Judicial management essential to reduce case backlog says Justice Ahmadi
The judge is of the view that management modules should
be developed for each courts, whether it is the Supreme Court or
high courts or the lower courts. This is required in view of the fact that India
records the second highest cases in an year worldwide.
Centre may propose reasonable solution to Cauvery crisis
The Centre is likely to propose a tripartite monitoring mechanism for implementing the Cauvery Waters Tribunal's interim award.
Gunman kills three nuns in Yemen
Three nuns belonging to Mother Teresa's order were killed by a gunman in the Red Sea port town of Hodeidah on July 27. The Yemen police are
investigating into the killings. Sister Nirmala, who succeeded Mother Teresa as head of the Calcutta-based Missionaries of Charity, is due to arrive in Sanaa.
Probe panel blames legislators for violence in UP House
The Srivastava Commission, constituted to probe the unprecedented
violence in the Uttar Pradesh assembly on October 21, 1997, has suggested amendments to the Representation of People Act by which
erring members could be automatically recalled or suspended.
Home ministry asks state governments to ensure humane police behaviour
Alarmed by the increasing number of deaths in police and judicial custody, the union home ministry has issued guidelines to state and union territory governments to ensure that the police forces conduct themselves in a humane manner.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Sonia takes fight into BJP camp
Using the example of the Delhi's power cuts and the ongoing hospital strike, and the rise in price of food, the Congress president went hammer and tongs at the government. And didn't the crowd ooh its approval?
Champaran's community health and Sister Elise
The 55-year-old nun is a familiar sight in the dusty lanes of Bettiah -- a district town in Bihar known for its lawlessness. But she is unruffled about her personal safety as she goes about mobilising women on health education and empowerment. Just the other day she was visited by some local musclemen. ''They were very polite and appreciated my efforts at promoting community health. But they warned me not to teach the women about matters like panchayati raj,'' she says.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
Playing Judas
'If you believe a politician has the right to abandon the party that brought him to power, if you are convinced that the electorate has no business to protest against this betrayal, then you must stop protesting about the decline in the quality of our public life. In that case, be ready to be ruled by chors, dacaits, dal badloos,' says Pritish Nandy.
Bihar: SC stays arrest of
Laloo
Meghalaya: UDP-Congress govt sworn in
Rajasthan: Tara Bhandari elected deputy speaker as opposition
walks out
TODAY'S WEATHER
Wet weather in Konkan and Goa
Heavy rains are also likely to occur at isolated
places in Orissa, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha
coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
coastal Karnataka and Kerala
during the next 48 hours.
JULY 28
Supremacy of Chief Justice of India doubted
The supremacy of the Chief Justice of India in the appointment of Supreme Court and
high court judges, and transfer of high court judges as laid down by the Constitution bench of the apex court has been doubted in a Presidential reference in the court.
Cong, BJP locked in tug-of-war over deputy speaker post
The battle will be a virtual vote of confidence for the government, testing whether the BJP still enjoys the total confidence of its allies. The date of the poll is still to be fixed, but it is likely to be held on August 4, the last day of the current Budget session.
Indian officials cautious about Indo-Pak summit
When asked if it was true that the outcome of the Vajpayee-Sharief talks could be historic, the officials said, "History cannot be foretold, it is always written after the event. So let us not prejudge the event."
US blacklists 63 Indian, five Pak institutions
Affected are many of India's major scientific institutions, including the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the Indian Space Research Organisation.
BARC director accuses US of double standards
So-called champions of human rights hadn't been able to protect rights of scientists, says Dr Anil Kakodkar.
Economic co-operation prefered to nuclear disarmament at SAARC '98
Though since its inception, the summit declaration has ritually called for nuclear disarmament and total elimination of nuclear weapons, the Colombo declaration is silent on the issue. The atomic tests by India and Pakistan have apparently created a
serious dilemma for the officials who drafted the document.
ASEAN urges India, Pakistan to sign nuclear non-proliferation and test ban treaties
But delegates still debate on whether to use the word "condemn'' and whether to name India and Pakistan in their final communique.
Lyngdoh ministry quits
Chief minister asks governor to invite him to form a coalition ministry with the Congress.
Walkout in Parliament over Maharashtra deportation issue
Almost the entire non-Congress Opposition parties staged a walk out in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid uproarious scenes in protest against the Maharashtra government's act of evicting Muslims from Bombay under the garb of deporting Bangladeshis even as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana maintained there will be no let up in the operation against foreigners.
Maharashtra to fight stay on deportation of 'Bangladeshis'
CM to write to Jyoti Basu, state ready to take the matter on to the Supreme Court.
Lankan police uncover plot to disrupt SAARC summit, kill Kumaratunga
Two days before the SAARC summit in Colombo, the Sri Lankan police took into custody two suspected Tamil Tiger militants armed with powerful bombs in a northern suburb.
SAARC to launch initiative to fight prostitution
As per the convention, the crime of trafficking in women will be made a punishable crime in all member nations, for which stringent punishment will be meted out. Importantly, there will be a provision for the exchange of information among members, between the network of law enforcement agencies, provisions for extradition and mutual legal assistance among the member nations.
Positive relations between India, China and the United States can only bring world peace: Celeste
American Ambassador to India Richard Celeste believes there is no need for any third party mediation between India and Pakistan. ''Friendship cannot be imposed from outside and can only to be nurtured from inside,'' he said in a Doordarshan interview.
So, it was an H-Bomb after all
India's first test at Pokhran on May 11 comprised a hydrogen bomb and the yield was closer to 60 kilotons, it has been confirmed following the release of data collected by 125 seismic stations across the world.
Kesri's FCRA case handed to CBI, HC told
CBI to ascertain who owns the four foreign companies that was allegedly involved in the FCRA violation.
Army called in as 60 people die in UP floods
With three major rivers -- the Ghagra, Rapti and Gandak -- in spate following heavy rains in the catchment areas, large parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh have been affected by the floods. According to Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner Ashok Kumar, as many as 40,000 people have been evacuated from the affected areas.
No differences with Sonia: Pawar
The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha indicated that a Congress-backed attempt to topple the BJP-led government at the Centre is not in the immediate offing.
Damaged Gandhi samadhi needs replacement
However, with Independence Day nearing and Gandhi Jayanti only about two months away, experts have decided to carry out a temporary repair job by hiding the shattered corner with a layer of granite placed all over the structure.
Army claim to have hobbled J&K militant leadership
Seven top militants operating the Poonch and Rajouri districts allegedly wiped out in encounter.
Two killed, five hurt in Delhi blast
The high intensity bomb in a Haryana Roadways bus could have claimed more lives had it not been empty when the explosion happened and had the rear, where the bomb was located, not been facing away from where more people roamed.
China's defence policy review threatens Taiwan, warns US
In its first public defence policy review in three years, China renewed a threat today to retake Taiwan by force, criticised nuclear tests by India and Pakistan and hinted that the United States is a potential menace to security.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Waiting for Jaswant
The sight of a light-eyed boy, of perhaps 18, with a carbine slung on his frail shoulders, while on a walk by the promenade on Sunday night, was enough to shake one to the core. Isn't war supposed to be an adult game... Saisuresh Sivaswamy's SAARC Diary.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
India's foreign policy needs a new direction
'India has formed, within SAARC, a Quadrangle Growth Area along with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. India should also include Sri Lanka (and if possible, the Maldives). This actually means shutting out Pakistan. We cannot let economic ties with other neighbours suffer simply because of outstanding disputes with Pakistan,' says Amberish K Diwanji.
Maharashtra: Assembly adjourned over Srikrishna Commission issue
TODAY'S WEATHER
Monsoon leaves mark on most of the country
Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala during the next 48 hours.
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