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CALLING READERS: So hey, on this live blog, we curate in real time the goings on in the world around us. Come be a part of the project: If you see an interesting story, send us the link to indiaeditors@yahoo.in and we'll publish it in this space. Got an interesting photo to share? Same email link applies. Got suggestions on how we can improve this further? Ditto.
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9:50 pm: Osama's young wife said: I'll die with you
Osama bin Laden once gave his wives the option of leaving Afghanistan, but his young Yemeni bride was determined to stay and be "martyred" alongside him.
Amal al-Sada was shot in the leg as she rushed towards the Navy SEALs, according to US officials. She is now in Pakistani custody, along with her daughter and two other bin Laden wives, according to Pakistani officials, who say they eventually will be repatriated. Read more here
9: 28 pm: India ratifies UN convention against corruption
India completed the ratification of a UN convention against corruption. "The ratification of the UN convention is a reaffirmation of our government's commitment to fight corruption and to undertake vigorously administrative and legal reforms to enable our law-enforcement agencies to recover the illicit assets stolen by corrupt practices,' an official statement said.
9: 15 pm: Fletcher will add value to Indian team: Kirsten
Gary Kirsten, who left after guiding India to a historic 2022 World Cup triumph, said Duncun Fletcher's appointment will bring a positive change to the side.
I did spend some time with Duncan and he asked some good questions about my process and time with the Indian side. He will have his own ideas about coaching the Indian side and it will be a positive change,' Kirsten said during the ICC Cricket World Radio Show today.
8: 37 pm: Harshad Mehta's assets likely to fetch Rs 800-1000 cr: Finmin
Government today said it expected Rs 800-1000 crore to be recovered from liquidation of the assets of late stock broker Harshad Mehta who was convicted in the stock market scam of 1990s.
The amount will be used to meet a large portion of the liability of the stock broker towards taxes and banks.
8: 20 pm: Former CVC P J Thomas moves SC
Aggreived by being referred as "tainted" and being listed in the category of "men who shamed India" by the media, former Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas has approached the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into alleged distortion in the reporting of his case.
7: 56 pm: Air India extends promotional airfare scheme till May 19
National carrier Air India Thursday extended its promotional scheme of 50 percent off on tickets till May 19 as the airline, recovering from a crippling pilots' strike, registered around 90 percent bookings.
'Air India's short term 'promotional fares offer' for travel in economy class on its domestic network have been extended till May 19,' said the airline in a statement adding that the reduced airfare are available on 107 sectors. More here
7: 39 pm: After Varun, Advani supports Rahul
The BJP seems to be split when it comes to Rahul Gandhi's support towards the farmers. His cousin Varun and senior BJP leader LK Advani have said Rahul did no wrong. Advani said, "Whoever is supporting the cause of farmers is doing a good deed."
However, other BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad think Rahul's dharna is a farce. "Section 144 was lifted when two Congress General Secretaries Rahul Gandhi and Digvijay Singh went there. Now they are sitting on a dharna there. I appeal to Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to do any nautanki (theatrics) in the biggest state of the country," said Singh. More here
7: 34 pm: Binayak Sen vows to do his best in Plan Panel
Elated over his appointment as member of a key committee of the Planning Commission, civil rights activist Binayak Sen today vowed to do his best to provide "equity" for deprived communities in health-related issues.
61-year-old Sen, convicted on charge of sedition by a court in Chhattisgarh, was yesterday appointed as member of one of the steering committees to give his inputs for 12th Plan (2012-17) on health-related issues.
7:25 pm: Osama bin Laden raid 'not an assassination': US attorney general
US Attorney General Eric Holder says killing Osama was the right thing to do. "I think the action that we took against him can be seen as an act of national self-defence. You have to remember it is lawful to target an enemy commander," he said. "This is a man who swore he would never be taken alive. There were some indications that perhaps he wore a suicide vest, there's indications that perhaps there were weapons in the room," he added.
7:05 pm: Kerala tourism ad film wins award at NY festival
'Your Moment is Waiting', a three-minute advertisement film of Kerala Tourism has won the bronze medal for cinematography and three certificates for Travel TV and cinema advertising, film direction and music score at the New York Indian film festival.
6: 40 pm: Dawood in Pakistan: Chidambaram
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said India's most wanted man Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan and has his own house in Karachi, a charge which Pakistan denies. More
6:05 pm: Aseemanand's bail rejected, denies role in Samjhauta blast
Samjhauta blast accused Swami Aseemanand's bail plea is rejected by a sessions court and extends his custory till May 26. Read more here
6:00 pm: Lee-Hesh out of Rome ATP Masters
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have crashed out of the Rome Masters after their defeat in the super tie-breaker by American pair of Sam Querrey and John Isner.
The Iduo lost 3-6, 6-3, 5-10 to their unseeded rivals in the second round in one hour and 12 minutes.
5: 35 pm: Now visit UK, and travel to Ireland without visa
Indians visiting Britain on tourist visas will soon be able to visit neighbouring Ireland without a visa. The PIT copy says the waiver programme will run from 1 July until October 2012, a period that includes the London 2012 Olympics, when a large number of Indian and other tourists are expected to visit Britain.
5: 15 pm: Rahul's support to farmers apolitical: Varun
BJP MP Varun Gandhi today came out in support of his cousin Rahul. He says, "No politics should be seen into Rahul's dharna at Parsaul village. This is a fight of farmers and all politicians -- barring BSP -- cutting across party lines, including BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra have extended their support to the farmers'' cause," he told reporters. Is it all love for family that has him giving such statements? More here
4: 35 pm: Chidambaram urges insurgent groups to abjure violence
Talking to reporters after inaugurating a mini-secretariat in Manipur, Chidambaram called for the insurgent outfits to work with the central and state governments and find a solution. Chidambaram also appealed to locals to support the government of India and said all rebel outfits would be dealt with dignity.
4: 32 pm: India supports unity, integrity, prosperity of Afghanistan: Manmohan Singh
Addressing a banquet lunch hosted by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Dr Singh said: "We wish to see a peaceful, stable, democratic and pluralistic Afghanistan, that is in harmony with the culture, genius and temperament of its people. We strongly support the Afghan people's quest for peace and reconciliation."
"I have come here with a message of solidarity, friendship and goodwill from the people of India to the people of Afghanistan. India is your neighbour and partner in development. You can count on us as you build your society, economy and polity," he added.
4: 20 pm: Bengal Left Front chairman confident of poll victory
Left Front chairman Biman Bose today exuded confidence his alliance would emerge victorious with a comfortable margin, dismissing predictions of a landslide win for Trinamool Congress-Congress combine by most post-poll surveys.
Claiming the ''exit polls and opinion polls by media houses are just a waste of money'', a very confident Bose said, "The Left Front has decided to hold a press conference tomorrow at 4.30 pm after the counting is over. More here
3:45 pm: Air India reinstates pilots who faced action during stir
Five days after pilots called off their strike, Air India management has finally reinstated its 15 pilots who were suspended or sacked for participating in the 10-day long stir.
"We have revoked the suspension of six pilots and reinstated the services of nine terminated pilots last evening and some of them have been even put on duty also," an Air India official said.
3:30 pm: Apex court pulls up centre on Hasan Ali case
The Supreme Court pulled up the central government for keeping it in the dark about the chargesheet against alleged tax evader Hasan Ali Khan and Kolkata based-businessman Kashinath Tapuria, accused of laundering money in LGT bank in Europe.
The status report was filed by the ED May 4 and the 900-page chargesheet was filed in the court of special judge in Mumbai May 6. Full story
3:15 pm: IT quizzes Kanimozhi, Kalaignar TV MD
M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi was questioned by Income Tax authorities for about 90 minutes over the Rs 200 crore transaction from Shahid Balwa-owned DB Realty to Kalaignar TV, in which she holds a minority stake.
The 43-year-old MP appeared after summons were issued by the department, as a Delhi court probing the 2G spectrum allocation exempted her from personal experience. Here is the full story
3:00 pm: Youth with pistol standing close to Rahul Gandhi arrested
In a major breach in Rahul Gandhi's security, a youth armed with a country made pistol and standing close to the Congress leader was detained at Kasna police station. The youth, whose identity was not immediately available, was held by police who seized a pistol from his waist. More
2:30 pm: Osama’s youngest son plotting revenge?
The youngest son of Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is on the run and may be plotting revenge, a media report said. Hamza Bin Laden, 20, was being groomed to succeed his father as head of the terror outfit, The Sun reported.
2:00 pm: Land acquisition stir: BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Jaitley arrested
Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police when they were agitating in support of farmers of Greater Noida who want more compensation from the state government for their acquired land. Read more
1:45 pm: New Tibetan leader open to talks with China
The newly elected head of the Tibetan government-in-exile says his administration will be ready to negotiate with China "anytime, anywhere." Here is the full story
1:30 pm: Rajnath Singh begins hunger strike against UP farmers stir
A day after the Bhatta Parsaul village in the Greater NOIDA area of Uttar Pradesh witnessed high drama involving Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh began a hunger strike in support of agitating farmers.
Talking to reporters, Singh said the situation was getting out of control and claimed that his fast is a show of the party's solidarity to the farmers' cause.
1:15 pm: UP farmers stir: Rita Bahuguna Joshi arrested
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi was arrested for the second time by police after she tried to block the road leading to the Vidhan Sabha.
Congress party workers accompanying her were roughed up by the police after they tried to enforce a 'Chakka Jam' in the area. As per reports, the party is planning protests across the state against the policies of the state government. More
1:00 pm: Mayawati says Rahul indulging in 'mean theatrics'
UP Chief Minister Mayawati accused the Congress and other opposition parties of attempting to disturb law and order by spreading rumours on land acquisition and dubbed Rahul Gandhi's dharna in Greater Noida as 'mean theatrics'.
She said the clashes in Bhatta Parsaul in Greater Noida had nothing to do with the issue of land compensation.
12:45 pm: Pakistan due to get $300 mln in US security reimbursement
Pakistan is likely to get $300 million from the United States for costs incurred in fighting militants, officials said, at a time US legislators have been questioning aid to Pakistan after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. Here is the full story
12:30 pm: Only dialogue can solve Ayodhya issue: Kanchi seer
"Dialogue between various parties to the Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid title suit is the only way towards the permanent settlement of the issue," says Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati. Full story
12:15 pm: PM leaves for Kabul, to discuss post-Osama scenario
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left on a long-awaited visit to Afghanistan even as the region grapples with the fallout of the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. He was accompanied by National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Special Envoy on Afghanistan S.K. Lamba and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.
The visit, long in planning because of security factors, will be closely watched as it comes just eleven days after bin Laden was shot dead by US naval commandos in Pakistan May 2. Prime Minister Singh was last in Kabul in August 2005. Read more
11:55 am: There's a political game plan behind Anna campaign: Forward Bloc leader
At a time when Anna Hazare is being hailed across the country as an anti-corruption crusader, the Forward Bloc, a member of the ruling Left Front in West Bengal, says his movement is backed by a 'vested political game plan'.
'Corruption is a serious issue. All the Left parties are also very much concerned about it. But the way Anna Hazare projected the thing, there must be a political game plan and political manipulation. I have serious doubts about his movement,' Forward Bloc national general secretary Debabrata Biswas told IANS in an interview.
The 73-year-old Hazare's 97-hour hunger strike in New Delhi in April forced the union government to name a joint panel that included five ministers and five members of the civil society tp draft a stringent Lokpal Bill.
11:45 am: All set for counting of votes for five state Assemblies tomorrow - Full coverage
The counting of votes in the Assembly polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be taken up tomorrow. Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi said that an elaborate three tier security arrangement has been put in place for the counting of votes which would start at 8 a.m.The Election Commission has appointed 312 observers for counting of votes for Assembly elections in West Bengal. Altogether 87 counting centers have been set up in the state. Quraishi said that counting would take place in 142 counting halls in Assam, 140 in Kerala, 11 in Puducherry, 234 in Tamil Nadu and 312 in West Bengal. More
11:30 am: Libyan TV shows footage of long-absent Gaddafi
Libyan state television showed footage of Muammar Gaddafi meeting officials in a Tripoli hotel, ending nearly two weeks of doubt over his fate since a NATO air strike killed his son.
The Libyan leader, who had not been seen in public since the April 30 strike on his Tripoli compound killed his youngest son and three of his grandchildren, made his appearance in his trademark brown robe, dark sunglasses and black hat. Here is the full story
11:05 am: Mamata Banerjee set to evict Left from Kolkata
The woman with a fiery voice belying her short frame came, spoke and conquered the Kolkata crowd in the manner of someone who is about to become the fulcrum of power in the world's largest democracy.
She railed against the Marxist Left Front, which has ruled West Bengal, one of India's most populous and politically important states, since 1977. She decried economic stagnation, slammed corruption and accused the world's longest-serving democratically-elected communist government of perpetrating political violence. Special report
10:45 am: 10 people killed in Spain earthquake
An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale hit southeast Spain Wednesday evening, killing at least 10 people, regional media reported. Read more
10:20 am: WikiLeaks: China rejects Panama's wish for ties
A US cable released by WikiLeaks says Panama wanted to switch its diplomatic recognition of Taipei to Beijing after President Ricardo Martinelli took power in 2009, but China rejected the offer in order not to undermine its improving Taiwan ties.
Panama is one of only a few countries that recognize Taiwan and therefore forgo relations with its neighbor and traditional rival China. More
10:00 am: US senator describes 'gruesome' bin Laden photosA Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee viewed the death photos of Osama bin Laden and said the pictures - some gruesome - leave no doubt the al Qaeda leader is dead.
"Absolutely no question about it. A lot of people out there say 'I want to see the pictures' but I've already seen them. That was him. He's gone. He's history," James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, said on CNN.
9:45 am: Osama bin Laden sought 'new 9/11' to force US out of Middle East
Osama bin Laden went to the bizarre length of trying to calculate how many more American deaths it would take to force the US to retreat from the Middle East, his writings have revealed.
The al-Qaida leader was convinced that only a massive blood-letting on the scale of 9/11 would have the necessary shock factor to effect a change in US policy around the region. He told his followers that a sprinkling of smaller attacks would not have the desired effect. Here is the full story
9:30 am: Land acquisition stir: Cong to stage protests across UP
Congress vowed to continue with its protests against the UP government's land acquisition policy after Rahul Gandhi was arrested and released following his visit to the epicentre of the stir to support the agitating farmers.
Gandhi, who spent almost 19 hours at Bhatta Parasul yesterday, the epicentre of the farmers' agitation, was arrested under Sec 151 CrPC at around 11:00 p.m. last night and was taken to the Kasna police station. He was released on bail by the Uttar Pradesh Police and brought to Delhi at 2:15 a.m.
9:15 am: Rajaratnam found guilty of insider trading
Sri Lankan American hedge fund tycoon Raja Rajaratnam has been found guilty of making tens of millions of dollars from insider trading with tips from corporate spies, including two Indian Americans.
Rajaratnam, who was convicted on all 14 counts by a federal grand jury, could face as much as 19-and-a-half-years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. He will be sentenced on July 29.
The unanimous verdict brings to an end a nine-week trial which is part of what has been described as the largest hedge fund insider trading case in US history. Full story
9:10 am: Abu Salem gets bail, but to remain in jail
Abu Salem, a former aide of mobster Dawood Ibrahim, got bail from a court here in an extortion case, but will not walk free as he is in a Maharashtra jail facing charges in other criminal cases. More
9:00 am: Binayak agrees to join Plan panel committee on health
Agreeing to join the Planning Commission's steering committee on health after being appointed by the government, civil rights activist Binayak Sen said he will strive to bring "equity" in health-related issues for deprived communities.
Sen, convicted for sedition, was appointed on board of one of the Plan panel's steering committees to give his inputs for 12th Plan (2012-17) on health-related issues.
8:50 am: Lalit Modi backs magazine's claims, says incidents are factual
Former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi has backed the investigation by a leading sports magazine, ''Sports Illustrated'' into rampant spot-fixing in the subcontinent.
The magazine has claimed that the second edition of the IPL, which was held in South Africa and some of the matches in the recently-concluded World Cup were fixed by a sophisticated bookmaker network. Full story
8:40 am: More pressure on Pakistani military over bin Laden
Pakistan's opposition leader accused the powerful spy agency of negligence and incompetence as the country's former president said rogue members of the security establishment may have helped Osama bin Laden hide for years near Islamabad.
Ratcheting up pressure on the country's military as it fights off suspicion that it sheltered the al Qaeda leader, rival India named five Pakistani army officers in a list of 50 criminals it wants extradited to stand trial on terror charges. Read more
8:30 am: We still love each other: Arnold Schwarzenegger on split
They had shocked both political and showbiz circles by announcing their separation but former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says that he and estranged wife Maria Shriver still "love each other".
The star of the hit ''Terminator'' series who announced his split after a 25-year-long marriage said that both he and Shriver are taking "one day at a time", reported Los Angeles Times online.
8:20 am: US terrorism trial may raise tensions with Pakistan
A Pakistani-born man accused of aiding militants in the 2008 Mumbai attacks is set to go on trial in Chicago next week in a legal battle that may worsen strained relations between the United States and Pakistan. Read more
8:15 am: Opposition provoking farmers: Mayawati
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati launched a counter offensive against opposition parties accusing them of provoking the farmers of Bhatta Parsaul into violence and charged the Centre with doing nothing to bring a new law for land acquisition.
"There was total peace in Bhatta Parsaul. But the opposition parties are trying to spark a law and order problem by provoking the farmers of the area", Mayawati was quoted as saying. More
8:00 am: Rahul Gandhi arrested amid high drama, released
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was arrested in a dramatic late night swoop Wednesday while he was on a sit-in at Bhatta Parsaul village in Uttar Pradesh to support agitating farmers demanding more money for their land being acquired for a highway project. He was released after being held for about three hours and later returned to New Delhi.
There was high drama at the Kasna police station in Greater Noida where Gandhi and other Congress leaders, who were held with him, were taken after the arrest at around 11.00 p.m.
Gandhi was asked to sign a bond after which police said he would be permitted to leave. He, however, flatly refused to do so saying he had gone to the village with a purpose and would return there if he was released. Here is the full story
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