US Court issues summons to Sonia Gandhi

New York: A federal court in New York has issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for 'shielding and protecting' the leaders of her party who were a llegedly involved in the anti-Sikh riots in India in 1984. The summons was issued by the US Eastern District Court of New York after a rights group – Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) – andtwo victims of the riots filed a complaint before it. Reacting to the development, Congress spokesman AbhishekManu Singhvi said in New Delhi that they were not aware of any of these facts. 'Summons issued almost 30 years after the event when the Congress president is on a medical visit is, to put it mildly, astonishing. Undoubtedly, appropriate legal action will be taken,' Singhvi said. According to US laws, the summons needs to be personally served to Gandhi, who is currently in the US for medical treatment, before it can have any legal implications.

In the past the SFJ had led similar unsuccessful efforts against several Indian leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Union Minister Kamal Nath. In the September 3 class-action lawsuit filed in Eastern District Court of New York, SFJ and the two victims sought compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi for her alleged role in 'shielding and protecting' Congress leaders from being prosecuted for their 'crimes against humanity.' PTI

US Court issues summons to Sonia Gandhi

New York: A federal court in New York has issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for 'shielding and protecting' the leaders of her party who were a llegedly involved in the anti-Sikh riots in India in 1984. The summons was issued by the US Eastern District Court of New York after a rights group – Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) – andtwo victims of the riots filed a complaint before it. Reacting to the development, Congress spokesman AbhishekManu Singhvi said in New Delhi that they were not aware of any of these facts. 'Summons issued almost 30 years after the event when the Congress president is on a medical visit is, to put it mildly, astonishing. Undoubtedly, appropriate legal action will be taken,' Singhvi said. According to US laws, the summons needs to be personally served to Gandhi, who is currently in the US for medical treatment, before it can have any legal implications.

In the past the SFJ had led similar unsuccessful efforts against several Indian leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Union Minister Kamal Nath. In the September 3 class-action lawsuit filed in Eastern District Court of New York, SFJ and the two victims sought compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi for her alleged role in 'shielding and protecting' Congress leaders from being prosecuted for their 'crimes against humanity.' PTI

Coconut to be procured for Rs 20 per kg during Onam

Vatakara: The state government has hiked the procurement price of coconuts up to Rs 20 per kg for Onam only. Kerafed will procure coconut at this price till September 21 from Tuesday onwards. Agriculture department said it's a onam gift to farmers and to better the price of coconut in market. Till now, coconut was procured for a price of Rs 16 per kg.

Coconut to be procured for Rs 20 per kg during Onam

Vatakara: The state government has hiked the procurement price of coconuts up to Rs 20 per kg for Onam only. Kerafed will procure coconut at this price till September 21 from Tuesday onwards. Agriculture department said it's a onam gift to farmers and to better the price of coconut in market. Till now, coconut was procured for a price of Rs 16 per kg.

10 year old strangled to death by aunt

Kottayam: A woman was held for strangling her 10-year-old nephew to death hile he was sleeping. Rahul 10, son of Shaji from Kaippuzha, was found dead and his  aunt, Shaji's sister, Vijayamma, 52, from Mumbai was held. Shaji is abroad for years and Rahul was staying with his grandparents Raghavan and Meenakshi. Vijayamma, who is settled in Mumbai, reached Kaippuzha on Monday and Rahul lept with his aunt on the day. 

At 2.30 am, she strangled him with her pajama thread and laid him in the bed. After half an hour she called police and confessed to the crime. Though the police called back no one picked the phone and they reached home. Rahul's grandparents came to know about this only when police reached the house. Rahul was lying in bed and Vijayamma was sitting beside him. Both were shifted to Kottayam medical college. 

Shaji and wife Bindu, who is a staff nurse, are not on good terms. Vijayamma said she wanted to help her brother. She had wanted divorce for Shaji so that the assets would not go to Rahul. But police didn't believe it entirely. 

10 year old strangled to death by aunt

Kottayam: A woman was held for strangling her 10-year-old nephew to death hile he was sleeping. Rahul 10, son of Shaji from Kaippuzha, was found dead and his  aunt, Shaji's sister, Vijayamma, 52, from Mumbai was held. Shaji is abroad for years and Rahul was staying with his grandparents Raghavan and Meenakshi. Vijayamma, who is settled in Mumbai, reached Kaippuzha on Monday and Rahul lept with his aunt on the day. 

At 2.30 am, she strangled him with her pajama thread and laid him in the bed. After half an hour she called police and confessed to the crime. Though the police called back no one picked the phone and they reached home. Rahul's grandparents came to know about this only when police reached the house. Rahul was lying in bed and Vijayamma was sitting beside him. Both were shifted to Kottayam medical college. 

Shaji and wife Bindu, who is a staff nurse, are not on good terms. Vijayamma said she wanted to help her brother. She had wanted divorce for Shaji so that the assets would not go to Rahul. But police didn't believe it entirely. 

Wave of bombings, attacks in Iraq kill at least 67

Baghdad: A series of coordinated evening blasts in Baghdad and other violence killed at least 67 people in Iraq today, officials said, the latest in a months-long surge of bloodshed that Iraqi security forces are struggling to contain.Many of those killed were caught up in a string of car bombings that tore through the Iraqi capital early in theevening as residents were out shopping or heading to dinner.

Those blasts struck 11 different neighbourhoods and claimed more than 50 lives in a span of less than two hours.

The killing comes amid a spike in deadly violence in recent months as insurgents try to capitalise on rising sectarian and ethnic tensions. The scale of the bloodshed has risen to levels not seen since 2008, a time when Iraq was pulling back from the brink of civil war.

The evening's deadliest attack happened when two car bombs exploded near restaurants and shops Baghdad's northeastern suburb of Husseiniyah, a Shiite area, killing nine people and wounding 32. A row of restaurants was also hit in the largely Shiite eastern neighbourhood of Talibiyah, killing seven and wounding
28. Another car bomb hit the nearby Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City, killing three and wounding eight, according to
police.

At around the same time, authorities say back-to-back car bombs blew up near a police station in the western neighbourhood of Sadiyah, a mainly Sunni area, killing six and wounding 15. Another blast hit a central square in the commercial district of Karradah, killing six and wounding 14.

The force of the blast shattered the windows of Karim Sami's nearby clothing shop. Like many Iraqis in recent months, he expressed frustration with the Shiite-led government's inability to stop repeated attacks despite assurances that it is tightening security.

'We started to feel a little bit safe over the past few days because they were relatively calm, but the violence is back today,' he said. 'Whenever the government assures us that security is being tightened, we see attacks like these.' Car bombs also struck shopping streets in the religiously mixed western neighbourhood of Shurta, killing five people and wounding 12; the southeastern Shiite  neighbourhood of Zafaraniyah, killing four and wounding 11; the southern Shiite
neighborhood of Abu Dashir, killing two and wounding nine; the mostly Shiite New Baghdad area, killing six people and wounding 17; and the largely Sunni Dora neighbourhood, killing two and wounding five, according to police. (AP)

Wave of bombings, attacks in Iraq kill at least 67

Baghdad: A series of coordinated evening blasts in Baghdad and other violence killed at least 67 people in Iraq today, officials said, the latest in a months-long surge of bloodshed that Iraqi security forces are struggling to contain.Many of those killed were caught up in a string of car bombings that tore through the Iraqi capital early in theevening as residents were out shopping or heading to dinner.

Those blasts struck 11 different neighbourhoods and claimed more than 50 lives in a span of less than two hours.

The killing comes amid a spike in deadly violence in recent months as insurgents try to capitalise on rising sectarian and ethnic tensions. The scale of the bloodshed has risen to levels not seen since 2008, a time when Iraq was pulling back from the brink of civil war.

The evening's deadliest attack happened when two car bombs exploded near restaurants and shops Baghdad's northeastern suburb of Husseiniyah, a Shiite area, killing nine people and wounding 32. A row of restaurants was also hit in the largely Shiite eastern neighbourhood of Talibiyah, killing seven and wounding
28. Another car bomb hit the nearby Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City, killing three and wounding eight, according to
police.

At around the same time, authorities say back-to-back car bombs blew up near a police station in the western neighbourhood of Sadiyah, a mainly Sunni area, killing six and wounding 15. Another blast hit a central square in the commercial district of Karradah, killing six and wounding 14.

The force of the blast shattered the windows of Karim Sami's nearby clothing shop. Like many Iraqis in recent months, he expressed frustration with the Shiite-led government's inability to stop repeated attacks despite assurances that it is tightening security.

'We started to feel a little bit safe over the past few days because they were relatively calm, but the violence is back today,' he said. 'Whenever the government assures us that security is being tightened, we see attacks like these.' Car bombs also struck shopping streets in the religiously mixed western neighbourhood of Shurta, killing five people and wounding 12; the southeastern Shiite  neighbourhood of Zafaraniyah, killing four and wounding 11; the southern Shiite
neighborhood of Abu Dashir, killing two and wounding nine; the mostly Shiite New Baghdad area, killing six people and wounding 17; and the largely Sunni Dora neighbourhood, killing two and wounding five, according to police. (AP)

Motor vehicle strike on Wednesday to protest fuel prices

KOCHI: A motor vehicle strike has been announced in the state on Wednesday in protest against the sharp increase in petrol prices. The strike was called by the Motor Workers' Trade Union Co-ordination Committee at a meeting convened in Ernakulam. Private buses will also partake in the strike. The oil companies have hiked the price of petrol by Rs 2.35 per litre and diesel by 50 ps on Saturday night. Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily wanted to hike the price of diesel by Rs 5/litre.

Motor vehicle strike on Wednesday to protest fuel prices

KOCHI: A motor vehicle strike has been announced in the state on Wednesday in protest against the sharp increase in petrol prices. The strike was called by the Motor Workers' Trade Union Co-ordination Committee at a meeting convened in Ernakulam. Private buses will also partake in the strike. The oil companies have hiked the price of petrol by Rs 2.35 per litre and diesel by 50 ps on Saturday night. Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily wanted to hike the price of diesel by Rs 5/litre.