18 killed, 44 wounded in Iraq attacks

Baghdad: At least 18 people were killed and 44 wounded in a wave of violent attacks in Iraq Monday. A roadside bomb exploded near a market in Baghdad's Sadriya area in the evening, killing at least 11 people and injuring 25, reported Xinhua citing a police source .

Earlier in the day, seven people were killed and 19 wounded in separate bombings and shootings across Baghdad. The attack occurred around noon when a car bomb went off near a crowd of civilians gathered outside a police station in Bob al-Sham neighbourhood in Baghdad, leaving at least three dead and 15 wounded.

The civilians were lining up at the police station, following new security measures to avoid violence in the area, to get their badges for entering their neighbourhood.
In a separate incident, gunmen shot dead a government employee in the Shiite neighbourhood of Amil in Baghdad.

A sticky bomb attached to a civilian car detonated in Baghdad's Doura district, killing the driver and wounding a civilian, the source said. Another bomb exploded in a car in Baghdad's Husseiniyah district, killing the driver and wounding two passersby. In Iraq's Nineveh province, the provincial governor Atheel al-Nujaifi escaped unharmed from a roadside bomb explosion near his convoy in Mosul city, around 400 km from here, said a provincial source.

The blast damaged one of the convoy's vehicles and wounded one of his bodyguards, the source said. Monday's assassination attack was the fifth this year against Nujaifi, who is the brother of the Iraqi parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi.

Also in Mosul, gunmen shot dead an official of the Dawa Islamic party, headed by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, when they opened fire on his car in al-Muthanna district, the source added.

18 killed, 44 wounded in Iraq attacks

Baghdad: At least 18 people were killed and 44 wounded in a wave of violent attacks in Iraq Monday. A roadside bomb exploded near a market in Baghdad's Sadriya area in the evening, killing at least 11 people and injuring 25, reported Xinhua citing a police source .

Earlier in the day, seven people were killed and 19 wounded in separate bombings and shootings across Baghdad. The attack occurred around noon when a car bomb went off near a crowd of civilians gathered outside a police station in Bob al-Sham neighbourhood in Baghdad, leaving at least three dead and 15 wounded.

The civilians were lining up at the police station, following new security measures to avoid violence in the area, to get their badges for entering their neighbourhood.
In a separate incident, gunmen shot dead a government employee in the Shiite neighbourhood of Amil in Baghdad.

A sticky bomb attached to a civilian car detonated in Baghdad's Doura district, killing the driver and wounding a civilian, the source said. Another bomb exploded in a car in Baghdad's Husseiniyah district, killing the driver and wounding two passersby. In Iraq's Nineveh province, the provincial governor Atheel al-Nujaifi escaped unharmed from a roadside bomb explosion near his convoy in Mosul city, around 400 km from here, said a provincial source.

The blast damaged one of the convoy's vehicles and wounded one of his bodyguards, the source said. Monday's assassination attack was the fifth this year against Nujaifi, who is the brother of the Iraqi parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi.

Also in Mosul, gunmen shot dead an official of the Dawa Islamic party, headed by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, when they opened fire on his car in al-Muthanna district, the source added.

Kerala unit of CPI-M set for party plenum

Palakkad : The state unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist is set to hold a three-day plenum here from Wednesday, politburo member and state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said. The flag-hoisting ceremony signalling the official opening of the event will be held in Palakkad Wednesday evening, and party veteran T. Sivadasa Menon will hoist the party flag.

In an article in the party organ Monday, CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said while there were no differences of opinion to be sorted out in political or ideological matters, there were organisational issues that needed discussion. 
'But there are some organisational issues and the main agenda of the special plenum is to sort out this ' Vijayan said in the article.

The plenum assumes significance as there has been a long-standing feud in the party between former chief minister and leader of the opposition in the state assembly, V.S. Achuthanandan, and Vijayan. Vijayan emerged stronger after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court cleared him of all charges pertaining to the SNC Lavalin case.

The case related to a contract that the government entered into with a Canadian firm for the modernisation of hydro-electric power stations. In this corruption case, Vijayan was earlier arraigned as seventh accused by the CBI. On Nov 5, he, along with the six others, was acquitted of all charges.

Kerala unit of CPI-M set for party plenum

Palakkad : The state unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist is set to hold a three-day plenum here from Wednesday, politburo member and state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said. The flag-hoisting ceremony signalling the official opening of the event will be held in Palakkad Wednesday evening, and party veteran T. Sivadasa Menon will hoist the party flag.

In an article in the party organ Monday, CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said while there were no differences of opinion to be sorted out in political or ideological matters, there were organisational issues that needed discussion. 
'But there are some organisational issues and the main agenda of the special plenum is to sort out this ' Vijayan said in the article.

The plenum assumes significance as there has been a long-standing feud in the party between former chief minister and leader of the opposition in the state assembly, V.S. Achuthanandan, and Vijayan. Vijayan emerged stronger after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court cleared him of all charges pertaining to the SNC Lavalin case.

The case related to a contract that the government entered into with a Canadian firm for the modernisation of hydro-electric power stations. In this corruption case, Vijayan was earlier arraigned as seventh accused by the CBI. On Nov 5, he, along with the six others, was acquitted of all charges.

Aarushi murder: Talwars held guilty

Ghaziabad : More than five years after the double murder and flip-flops in investigation, dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were today held guilty of killing their 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj in their house in Noida.

In a case that has had a number of twists and turns, Additional Sessions Judge Shyam Lal held both of them also guilty of destruction of evidence in the murder on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008, days before the birthday of the class nine student. The father was also convicted under section 203 of IPC for filing wrong information with the Noida police station about the incident.

After two adjournments since morning, the judge, who is to lay down office this month end, arrived in the high-security court room at 3.25 PM and summoned both the accused. He read out the operative portion from his order that both the parents have been convicted for murder and destruction of evidence and on the charge of committing an act in furtherance of common intention.

49-year-old Rajesh was also convicted on the charge of filing false FIR. Nupur is a year younger than her husband. Arguments on sentencing will be held tomorrow after which the judge will announce quantum of sentence. The Talwar couple, who were well known dentists of Noida, broke into tears as they were taken into custody and were being taken to jail.

Immediately after the verdict was announced, a statement was circulated on behalf of the Talwar couple which read 'we are deeply disappointed, hurt and anguished for being for being convicted for a crime that we have not committed. We refuse to feel defeated and will continue to fight for justice.'PTI

Aarushi murder: Talwars held guilty

Ghaziabad : More than five years after the double murder and flip-flops in investigation, dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were today held guilty of killing their 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj in their house in Noida.

In a case that has had a number of twists and turns, Additional Sessions Judge Shyam Lal held both of them also guilty of destruction of evidence in the murder on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008, days before the birthday of the class nine student. The father was also convicted under section 203 of IPC for filing wrong information with the Noida police station about the incident.

After two adjournments since morning, the judge, who is to lay down office this month end, arrived in the high-security court room at 3.25 PM and summoned both the accused. He read out the operative portion from his order that both the parents have been convicted for murder and destruction of evidence and on the charge of committing an act in furtherance of common intention.

49-year-old Rajesh was also convicted on the charge of filing false FIR. Nupur is a year younger than her husband. Arguments on sentencing will be held tomorrow after which the judge will announce quantum of sentence. The Talwar couple, who were well known dentists of Noida, broke into tears as they were taken into custody and were being taken to jail.

Immediately after the verdict was announced, a statement was circulated on behalf of the Talwar couple which read 'we are deeply disappointed, hurt and anguished for being for being convicted for a crime that we have not committed. We refuse to feel defeated and will continue to fight for justice.'PTI

Kerala to get national homoeopathy institute

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala will have a national homoeopathic institute in the very near future, according to state Health Minister V S Sivakumar. A petition had been filed with the Union Health Ministry in this regard and he had held talks with authorities concerned on the matter, her said in a release here.

The state government would provide the required land for the inistitute and a homoeo hospital would also be set up adjacent to it. Along with facilities for postgraduate degree courses, research facilities to find out the immnense potential of homoeopathy would be carried out the institute, Sivakumar said in the release. The institute would stengthen the Ayush (Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha and Homoeopathy) facilities in the state, he said. PTI

Kerala to get national homoeopathy institute

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala will have a national homoeopathic institute in the very near future, according to state Health Minister V S Sivakumar. A petition had been filed with the Union Health Ministry in this regard and he had held talks with authorities concerned on the matter, her said in a release here.

The state government would provide the required land for the inistitute and a homoeo hospital would also be set up adjacent to it. Along with facilities for postgraduate degree courses, research facilities to find out the immnense potential of homoeopathy would be carried out the institute, Sivakumar said in the release. The institute would stengthen the Ayush (Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, Siddha and Homoeopathy) facilities in the state, he said. PTI

Tejpal moves court for interim anticipatory bail

New Delhi: Tarun Tejpal, founder and editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine who has been accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague in a Goa hotel earlier this month, Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking interim anticipatory bail.

Tejpal's lawyers Geeta Luthra and Pramod Dubey mentioned the case before Justice G.S. Sistani, which is likely to be heard Tuesday. Goa Police have registered an FIR against Tejpal for allegedly molesting a woman colleague in a Panaji hotel early this month when the Tehelka group was holding its annual ThinkFest.

Tejpal moves court for interim anticipatory bail

New Delhi: Tarun Tejpal, founder and editor-in-chief of Tehelka magazine who has been accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague in a Goa hotel earlier this month, Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking interim anticipatory bail.

Tejpal's lawyers Geeta Luthra and Pramod Dubey mentioned the case before Justice G.S. Sistani, which is likely to be heard Tuesday. Goa Police have registered an FIR against Tejpal for allegedly molesting a woman colleague in a Panaji hotel early this month when the Tehelka group was holding its annual ThinkFest.