Additional District Magistrate arrested for accepting bribe

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 Kakkanad: Vigilance and Anti-Corruption bureau officials today arrested Ernakulam Additional District Magistrate (ADM) for allegedly accepting bribe from a person for granting explosive license, a top official said here today.

The accused ADM, B Ramachandran was arrested from his quarters this morning after he allegedly took Rs one lakh
bribe from a native from nearby Thrippunithura for issuing license for running his explosive store, the official said.

The Vigilance team headed by DySP Biju Mon have recovered Rs one lakh and another Rs 40,000 from his quarters
during a search operation. A man who reached there with Rs 15,000 when the search was being conducted has also been taken into custody, they said.

Vigilance suspect that the man reached the quarters to give bribe to Ramachandran.

Ramachandran will be produced before the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Kozhikode today, officials
said.

A discreet probe was launched against Ramachandran after K M Antony, SP, Vigilance, Ernakulam Range, received
complaints from several quarters against him, vigilance sources said. PTI

Same-sex couples can now marry across US

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Washington: Giving gay rights activists their biggest victory yet, the US Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples can marry nationwide and states cannot ban such marriages - an issue that divides America and India too.

President Barack Obama, who come out in support of same sex marriage only three years ago in the face of fast-changing public opinion in the midst of his 2012 re-election campaign, hailed the apex court's 5-4 ruling as 'a victory for America'.

Social progress sometimes comes in small increments, he said from the White House Rose Garden, 'and then there are days like this, when that slow, steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt'.

'America should be very proud,' said Obama whose administration supported the challengers to the gay marriage bans in the apex court.

Unlike India, where homosexuality is a criminal offence, same-sex couples can marry in 36 American states today, but federal appeals courts have been divided over whether states must allow same-sex couples to marry and recognize such marriages performed elsewhere.

The 14 same-sex couples and two widowers who challenged gay marriage bans in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio were just a few of the estimated 650,000 same-sex couples in the US, 125,000 of whom are raising children.

Lawyers for the four states argued their bans were justified by tradition and the distinctive characteristics of opposite-sex unions.

The issue, they said, should be resolved democratically, at the polls and in state legislatures, rather than by judges.

The challengers included same-sex couples who wanted to marry, those who sought to have their lawful out-of-state marriage recognized, as well as those who wanted to amend a birth or death certificate with their marriage status.

'No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,' wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the majority with four liberal justices.

'In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were,' he added

In a dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia blasted the court's 'threat to American democracy.'

'The substance of today's decree is not of immense personal importance to me,' he wrote. 'But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in today's judicial Putsch.'

IANS

39 killed in Tunisia hotel attack

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Tunis: At least 39 people were killed in an armed attack on a Tunisian hotel in the popular resort of Sousse, an interior ministry official said on Friday.

A security operation was going on inside the hotel, according to ministry spokesperson Mohamed Ali Aroui, Xinhua said citing TAP news agency.

The city of Sousse is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the country.

Tunisia has been on high alert since March when gunmen attacked the Bardo museum in Tunis, killing a group of foreign tourists in one of the worst attacks in a decade in the North African country.

5 students killed as tree falls over school bus in Kothamangalam

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Photo: Basil M Varghese, Nellimattom

Kothamangalam: In a tragic incident, five students were killed when a tree fell over a moving school bus here on Friday evening.

The deceased identified as Krishnendu (5), Johar (13), Ameen, Niza and Gouri _ are students of Karukadom Vidya Vikas School.

The accident happened near MBITS engineering College at Nellimattom around 4.5 pm while the students were taken back from school.

Eyewitnesses say a huge tree that stood on the roadside fell over the bus. The students who were sitting in the front portion of the bus met with the accident.

Local residents along with personnel from the police and Fire and Rescue Services Departments carried out the rescue work.

Indian high commissioner to leave New Zealand after wife accused of assault

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 MELBOURNE: Indian high commissioner in New Zealand is set to leave the country after allegations that his wife had assaulted a staff member.

High commissioner Ravi Thapar was formally recalled and a vehicle was seen this morning at his Wellington address, media reports said.

NZ Radio website said that Police were declined to interview both Thapar and his wife Sharmila.

Police said that the staff member who made the allegation of assault had returned to India in early May.

Police further said that the victim did not want to press charges. They had since made welfare checks with the man, who said he was fine and happy to be home.

The victim, believed to be a chef, had walked 20km one night from the diplomat's residence to Wellington where he was found by member of a public in a distress state.

He was then taken to police station and later spent several nights at Wellington Night Shelter. He alleged that he was kept in slavery and was assaulted by Sharmila.

The ministry of foreign affairs and trade said it is aware Thapar is preparing to leave New Zealand.

'MFAT was aware a staff member raised with New Zealand police concerns about his treatment in the high commission,' a spokesman confirmed to the New Zealand Herald.

'MFAT has been advised the individual concerned elected not to take the matter further. That staff member had independent legal representation and decided to return to India.'

Argentina tops Colombia 5-4 in shootout, reaches Copa semis

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 Chile: Argentina defeated Colombia 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie Friday night and will play Brazil or Paraguay next week in the Copa America semifinals.

Following a scoreless regulation that Argentina dominated, the game went straight to a shootout and Carlos Tevez converted the winning kick after his team squandered a pair of earlier chances to end the match. Lucas Biglia shot wide in the shootout and Marcos Rojo hit the crossbar.

Argentina is trying to win its first major title since the 1993 Copa America. In Monday's semifinal, host Chile meets Peru.

Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina had two of the tournament's best saves in the 26th minute. He sprawled and used his feet to stop Sergio Aguero on a point-blank shot. The ball bounced to Lionel Messi, who turned 28 on Wednesday, and the four-time world player of the year headed the ball toward an open net. Ospina then scrambled to his right to bat the shot away.

Ever Banega hit the crossbar in the 78th, and two minutes later Ospina batted Nicolas Otamendi's shot off a post before a Colombian player cleared the ball off the line.

Tevez raced into the area in the 88th and collided with Ospina. The ball was rolling toward an open goal before Jeison Murillo cleared it off the line.AP

Sukumaran Nair declines to meet Suresh Gopi

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Photo: G Sivaprasad

Changanassery: NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair declined to meet cine star Suresh Gopi when he reached the NSS headquarters in Perunna where the budget session was going on. According to reports, Nair had asked Suresh Gopi 'who had invited you here; your show is not needed here.'

Suresh Gopi had gone to seek the blessings of the Almighty at Vazhapalli on his birthday. After the darshan he reached Perunna and offered floral tributes at the Mannam memorial. Soon after, he left for the NSS budget session. When he entered the room where the budget session was going on, he was asked by NSS general secretary why he had come here. Nair said it was not right to come here on this day.

Suresh Gopi reacting to the incident said he left the place with a heavy heart.

Over 50 pc polling in Aruvikkara by noon

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Voters turned up in large numbers on Saturday to cast their ballot in the by-election for Kerala assembly constituency Aruvikara, an official said.

Voters queued up much before the start of polling at 7 a.m and after three hours of polling 21 percent of the electorate had exercised their franchise.

The by-poll was necessitated following the death of sitting member and assembly speaker G. Karthikeyan in March. He had represented the constituency for 24 years.

There are a total of 16 candidates in the fray, and there are a total of 184,210 voters -- up from 164,884 in 2011, when Karthikeyan won with a margin of over 10,000 votes.

The ruling Congress has fielded Karthikeyan's 31-year-old son K.A. Sabarinathan, while the Communist Party of India-Marxist has nominated 67-year-old former speaker and minister M. Vijayakumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party has pitted its regular warhorse, O. Rajagopal, 85, in the fray.

On Saturday, all three candidates expressed confidence of winning the poll.

Sabarinathan said his biggest advantage is that Aruvikara electorate has been an extended family for him, while Vijayakumar said Keralites all over the world were viewing this election and the electorate is waiting to give a fitting lesson to the Oommen Chandy government.

Rajagopal said for the past five decades, the people of Kerala had just two options, either the Congress-led front or a CPI-M led government. He said the BJP has now emerged as the third alternative and people will definitely vote for a change.

Saturday's election will see the photo of candidates affixed on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the first time in a bid to eliminate confusion among voters.

Imran Khan calls for mass civil disobedience

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The Pakistani opposition leader set a two-day deadline for Nawaz Sharif to step down and vowed to continue his ‘dharna’ (sit-in) in Islamabad.

Pakistan cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Sunday asked the people to stop paying taxes to the government in a civil disobedience movement to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from power.

“We will not pay electricity and gas bills, the general sales tax and other taxes until Nawaz Sharif resigns,” Imran declared in what has been described as his political career’s most important speech to a huge crowd in the capital.

Imran, who heads the parliament’s third largest political bloc and is Tehreek-i-Insaaf chief, said he does not want to promote disorder and lawlessness in the country. He stopped short of asking the crowd to overrun the ‘red zone’ which houses the PM House, the Parliament House and other sensitive buildings because that would lead to clashes with security forces and bloodshed.

Imran set a two-day deadline for Nawaz Sharif to step down and vowed to continue his ‘dharna’ (sit-in) in Islamabad.

Parallel to Imran’s gathering, cleric Tahirul Qadri also addressed an equally impressive crowd of dedicated followers, during which he said Sharif has only 24 hours left to resign, failing which his people would be ready for a ‘revolution’.

Sharif curtailed his weekend stay in Lahore and flew back to the capital for intense talks with close aides to tackle the evolving situation.

(Khaleej Times)

General Mohammed gives Dh3 million to students for buying books

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General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s grant is aimed at encouraging students to buy books and enrich their knowledge through more reading. General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Tuesday gave directives to grant Dh3 million for children, youth and school and university students to enable them to buy books at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) which begins today. General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s grant is aimed at encouraging students to buy books and enrich their knowledge through more reading. Juma Al Qubaisi, ADIBF Director and Executive Director of the National Library, a division of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), said the initiative of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed reflects the interest of the leadership in providing students with all facilities in order to enable them to obtain knowledge from books and valuable publications as the fair will put more than half a million titles covering all disciplines and sciences and providing a platform for intercultural interaction. The TCA Abu Dhabi will give out the vouchers to students of public and private schools and universities during the 24th edition of the fair at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC). Running till May 5, the ADIBF is being organised by the TCA Abu Dhabi under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed. (Khaleej Times)