Bomb blasts rock Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Jul 26: A day after a series of explosions rocked Bangalore, 16 blasts went off in Ahmedabad capital city of Gujarat on Saturday, July 26. Reports suggests that 18 people have been killed and 30 others are injured in the incident. All blasts went off in a span of half an hour starting 6:45 pm।

The areas targeted are Raipur, Maninagar, Isanpur, Naroda, Bapu Nagar and Diamond Market। These are residential and market areas in the city. Sources say that these areas are particularly crowded on Saturday and Sunday evenings. According to police sources the blasts were of low intensity. The first bomb was kept in a bicycle while the others were kept in tiffin boxes. Police have rushed to the sites. Most of the blasts occured in and around Maninagar , which is the constituency of Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi. Most of these are communally tensed areas in Ahmedabad.

All mobile networks in te state have been jammed।

Just before the blasts took place a group called Indian Mujahiddin sent an email to a television channel saying that there will be blasts।

Ahmedabad has been cordoned off as it is a sensitive area and authorities don"t want tensions to flare up।

Delhi, Mumbai, and other metros in the country are already on the high alert।

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has applealed to the citizens to maintain calm।

BJP Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani reacting to the serial blasts that rocked the city of Ahmedabad, said, 'Stricter laws to control terror are the need of the hour। Law and order situation in Gujarat is satisfactory. The blasts are the result of sinister designs on the part of terrorist organisations. It is something serious, and must be taken seriously by State and Centre.'

To the question that two BJP-ruled states have been targetted in as many days, Advani said, "I would not draw any conclusion on this।"

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that Ahmedabad bomb blasts aimed at disturbing peace and harmony of the country।Home Minister Shivraj Patil also condemned the incident.

BJP President Rajnath Singh also reacted to the terror attack and said, "The center should work more in co-operation with the state governments to combat terror"।

Chief Minister Narendra Modi has called for a urgent cabinet meeting at his residence and the Chief Minister is likely to visit the blast areas soon.

Sex on Dubai beach: Brit couple face jail

London, 26 July , A British couple accused of having intercourse in public on a Dubai beach face the harshest sentence after being charged with having sex in public, illicit sex and being drunk in public।

Dubai-based Michelle Palmer, 36, and tourist Vince Acors, 34, may have to serve a maximum sentence of six years in prison if convicted। The pair denied having a drunken romp in public when arrested by the police.

However, media reports now suggest that DNA tests have confirmed that they actually had full sex, and that Vince has admitted it।

A paper even said that Vince had told a prosecutor that he regretted his “thoughtless actions”। “DNA tests proved they had sex together that day,” British tabloid The Sun quoted a source as having told the Dubai-based paper.

The report also reveals that the pair have been charged with having sex in public, illicit sex and being drunk in public।

However, one of Vince’s friends, Lee Bowden, said last night: “He knows nothing about any charges।”

Michelle and Vince were apprehended on July 5 by a police officer। They had hoped to escape with a caution after they publicly apologised to the police officers involved in the case, but have been charged with three counts. They cannot leave Dubai as part of their bail conditions, reports the Telegraph.

Palmer, a publishing executive originally from Oakham, Rutland, left her company earlier this month when the allegations first arose. It is against the law in the United Arab Emirates to have sexual relations outside of marriage.

Patil condemns Bangalore blasts, promises all help

Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Friday condemned the serial blasts in Bangalore, the country's IT capital, promising all help to the state government in tracking down the perpetrators।

One person was killed and six people were injured when a series of bombs fitted with timer devices went off in the space of 45 minutes।

"I strongly condemn today's blasts in Bangalore। I convey my sympathies to the affected families and pray for speedy recovery of those injured in the blasts,” he said in a statement.

“The ministry is in close touch with the Karnataka government। Such incidents will not deter the government from pursuing its policy of dealing with anti-national elements in a resolute manner."

Home secretary Madhukar Gupta said there were seven low-intensity blasts spread over five locations in the city in which a woman had died।

“All the concerned agencies like the bomb disposal squad are on the job। We can't say now who did it any why. We will need time to figure the details of this incident. Investigations are on and it will take time,” he said.

“Nuts and bolts were planted in the explosives used,” he said।

Gupta refused to say whether state authorities had specific intelligence inputs on the blasts but said that he held a recent review meeting in which Karnataka officials were present।

The first blast took place at Madivala checkpost followed by explosions in three other places, including a park opposite the well-known Mallya Hospital, police commissioner Shankar Bidri said।

The police commissioner said the blasts appeared to be the acts of people who wanted to terrorise the Karnataka capital।

"We will investigate and arrest the suspects," Bidri told reporters। "We are on complete alert."

He appealed to people not to panic and to go about with their routine work।

However, most shops and shopping malls immediately shut down as news of the blasts spread।

This is not the first time that the southern state of Karnataks has been hit by such a terror attack। In December 2005, the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba carried out an attack inside the prestigious Indian Institute of Science campus killing a scientist and injuring five others.

Two years back, police foiled a terrorist plot to attack the state legislature building in Bangalore after two suspected terrorists were shot down in Mysore।

The two suspected militants were carrying a laptop computer, a satellite telephone, an AK-47 assault rifle and one Pakistani passport. According to the police they also had the plans of the recently built state assembly building in Bangalore.

Three BJP MPs file complaint with LS Secretariat

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's name figures in a formal complaint filed on Friday by the three BJP MPs who had alleged on the floor of Lok Sabha that they were offered Rs three crore each for abstaining in Tuesday's trust vote।

The three MPs -- Ashok Argal, Mahavir Bhagora and Fagan Singh Kulste -- replied in the affirmative when asked whether they have named the SP leader in their complaint to the Lok Sabha Secretariat।

The complaint was filed before PDT Achary, Secretary General of Lok Sabha। The Secretariat had on Thursday asked the three MPs to give a formal complaint listing out the sequence of events.

BJP leaders VK Malhotra and Ravi Shanker Prasad accompanied the three MPs when they went to file their complaint।

However, Malhotra refused to reveal the contents of the complaint।

In a communication to the three MPs, the Secretariat had asked them to present their version officially to enable it to take the case forward।

The Lok Sabha had witnessed unprecedented drama on July 22 when the BJP members walked into the House and flashed wads of currency notes claiming that they were given by a Samajwadi Party leader as bribe for absenting themselves from the trust vote।

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had said the House that nobody will be spared if found guilty।

Describing the incident when one of the MPs displayed bundles of currency allegedly given to him as bribe as "most unfortunate and a very sad day in the history of Parliament", the Speaker promised that all possible steps would be taken by him as custodian of the House.

Condom ads need certification

The Madurai bench of the Madras High court today directed condom manufacturers to get the certification of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for their advertisements and the wrappers।

Justices A K Ganguly and P Jyothimani said, "Condom manufacturers cannot market their products indiscriminately with obscene visuals, either on the wrapper or in advertisements issued in print or visual media।"

Even the right to carry on business, under Article19 (1)(g) of the Constitution prescribed that such right is subject to reasonable restrictions, which could be imposed in the interest of decency and morality, they said।

The judge's felt that only ASCI a self-regulatory voluntary organisation, was better positioned to deal with such cases।

Hindustan Latex was one of the condom manufacturer listed as a respondent in the case।

The Petitioner sought a direction on banning obscene pictures, as they create a wrong impression about a condom, which is a medical product.

Indian MPs hold confidence debate

The Indian parliament is debating a vote of confidence in the Congress party-led government that could decide the fate of a nuclear deal with the US।

The vote comes after the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support in protest against the controversial civilian nuclear accord।

Observers expect that Tuesday's vote following the debate will be close।

If the government loses the vote, India faces early elections and the nuclear would be under threat।

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the government will "prove its majority"।

He told parliament he had always acted in the interest of the nation।

"Every single decision, every policy and initiative we have taken, was taken in the fullest confidence that we are doing so in the best interests of our people," he said।

Launching the debate, the leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), LK Advani, said: "We are not against nuclear energy। We are not against a very close relationship with America.

"But we would never like India to become party to an agreement which is unequal।

"This deal makes us a subservient partner। It makes India a junior partner."

Under the accord, India, which has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, would gain access to US civilian nuclear technology and fuel।

In return its civilian nuclear facilities would be opened to inspection। Nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits.

The communists fear the accord could give the US too much influence over Indian foreign and nuclear policy।

After days of political bargaining and arm-twisting, the government and the opposition have headed into the debate still uncertain about who will win, the BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says।

With the left withdrawing support, the government can rely on only 226 members in the 543-seat parliament, and needs 46 more to be absolutely sure of a majority।

Congress and the BJP have a nearly equal number of seats, with 153 MPs and 130 respectively।

The Congress party hopes it will get the backing of the regional Samajwadi party and other smaller parties to help it win।

India's media is awash with reports of alleged defections and desertions among MPs ahead of the vote।

"It's snatch-and-dash to the finish," headlined The Times Of India newspaper।

"Vote looks neck and neck," said The Asian Age। "Contest tightens, situation volatile," reported The Hindu.

Communist leader Prakash Karat said the government should junk the nuclear deal if its loses the vote।

"We wish to warn the government that in case you lose the trust vote, don't try and push the nuclear deal। The country will revolt," he said.

The opposition opposes the deal for a variety of reasons।

Indian communists simply want no partnership at all with the United States, while the Hindu nationalist BJP fears that the deal could compromise India's ability to test nuclear weapons in the future।

And smaller parties, on whom both government and opposition leaders have suddenly lavished attention, have been trying to calculate which side of the political divide suits them best।

India is under pressure from Washington to sign the accord before the US presidential election in November।

Last week, Indian officials met members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world nuclear regulatory body, in Vienna to discuss plans to safeguard India's civilian nuclear facilities।

The IAEA's approval of the plan is a key condition for enacting the deal।

If the IAEA signs the agreement, the deal will go to the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which regulates global civilian nuclear trade, for approval।

It must then by approved by the US Congress before President Bush can sign it into law।

Critics of the deal fear assistance to India's civil programme could free-up additional radioactive material for bomb-making purposes.

N-deal: US ready to do business even with minority govt.

Washington (PTI): Ahead of the crucial trust vote that will decide the fate of the UPA government, the US on Monday said it will move forward on the nuclear deal with any dispensation in New Delhi -- even if it is in minority।

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said Bush administration will have no problem in dealing with a minority government as "minority governments are common around the world।"

"I don't have them off the top of my head, but I mean, minority governments are common around the world," he said।

"You can't say, 'Oh, well, we are going to stop dealing with you till the next election or until some new coalition or something। That's not for us to say," Boucher said commenting on the future of the nuclear deal if the UPA government fails to win the confidence vote in the Lok Sabha.

He said the US will continue to work with any legitimate government in India New Delhi to push forward the deal।

"If they have a legitimate government -- people who are empowered to run the government -- that's who we'll deal with," Boucher said।

"In terms of the United States and India, we deal with the legally constituted government of India -- whoever is running that government at the time, that's who we sign agreements with। So, that's not a problem for us," he said.

He said the Bush administration was ready to "go as far as" possible to see conclusion of the deal।

"We are going to work with the Indians, we are going to work with the Congress and we are going to take this as far as we can go," Boucher said।

"We are very excited by the prospect, we'll see what happens in the confidence vote, but however far the Indians could go, we are going to try to take it that far or further। So, that's what we are going to do," he said.

Asked about whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was little too late in pushing ahead with the deal, Boucher said it may not be "too late।"

"I guess what I'll say is it's never too late। This is not a deal between a government and another government. It's a deal between the United States and India -- it's good for India, it's good for the United States."

On whether main opposition BJP's contention that without parliamentary approval the UPA government does not have the moral right to conclude the nuclear deal, Boucher said "on our side, there is no legal problem or moral problem"।

"On their side there may not be a legal question, but there's always political questions and they're going to have to figure that one out themselves

"(But) As long as they are a duly constituted government, we are happy to deal with them," he said।

On the timeframe left for the 110th Congress to clear the deal, Boucher said the administration would try to push it and if the present Congress could not ratify it then the new Congress would take it up।

"As we move through, if we can move it to the point where the president can certify all the things that he has to certify, take the package and send it to Congress, we'll do that। If the Congress is in a position to act on it, I am sure they'll try to do that.

"So, I think, everybody wants to take it as far as we can. I can't promise what the US Congress will do, but if we take it to some point and times expires on this Congress, then the new Congress will have to take it up -- that's all you can say. So, that's our pledge."