JAMMU: Nearly 4,000 Kashmiri militants are still living across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
"Reportedly around 3,974 ultras are still living in PoK and Pakistan (across the border)", chief minister Omar Abdullah said in a written reply to the question of member Chaman Lal Gupta in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
"Work in all courts including high courts will remain paralysed on March 11, as lawyers throughout the country have decided to observe strike against the unwarranted lathi-charge by police on lawyers in Chandigarh and Jaipur who were protesting peacefully in support of their demands," said Rajiv Khosla, spokesperson of the Bar Council of Delhi.
The strike is also being observed in the city's six district courts. In the high court, only proxy counsels appeared before the court to get next hearing dates in their cases.
Police used batons and lobbed teargas shells against lawyers in Jaipur while they were protesting March 6 outside the Rajasthan assembly demanding better pay and cheaper homes. Nearly 30 lawyers were injured in the incident.
In Chandigarh, an FIR was registered against former additional advocate general of Punjab Rupinder Singh Khosla and 19 other high court lawyers for thrashing a police constable and ransacking a security room inside the court premises March 4.
"Lawyers across the country are aggrieved by the police action. We urge the government to take immediate action against the erring police officials. The police force should be sensitised to prevent them from using force against peaceful protesters in future," Khosla added.
Mondal, the Congress legislator from Phulbari, was elected unopposed after the nomination papers of Hills State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit were rejected on the ground that no one seconded his name on time.
The HSPDP abstained from the election of the Speaker. Congratulating Mondal, chief minister Mukul Sangma said, "People of the state will celebrate the vibrant nature of democracy as it has created space for all sections."
"We have full faith in your capability where you will uphold the tradition, dignity and decorum of the House and that you will provide space for all to reflect the aspirations of the people," he said.
Pledging to work for the economic uplift of the poor, Mondal said, "It will be my endeavour to look into the interests of all the members irrespective of their positions."
Stating that Meghalaya assembly was known for high order of debates, dignity, decorum and discipline, former chief ministers D D Lapang and S C Marak urged the new Speaker to ensure justice and impartiality.
Earlier, all legislators including members of the opposition congratulated Mondal.
"He is now undergoing dialysis at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital," an official of the Bangabhaban presidential palace told PTI without elaboration.
But the Daily Star newspaper reported the health condition of 85-year old had deteriorated as he reached the facility early this morning.
"The President's heart is not functioning," the report said quoting Rahman's family sources.
Doctors could not start treatment for his respiratory complexities, for what he was taken to Mount Elizabeth Hospital, due to heart dysfunction, the sources added.
Rahman was earlier admitted at Combined Military Hospital at Dhaka cantonment on Saturday night as he complained of respiratory complications.
Officials familiar with the situation said Rahman was flown to Singapore after the doctors of both the countries jointly reviewed his fitness for the overseas travel.
Rahman, a veteran politician who celebrated his 85th birthday on Saturday, was installed as the ceremonial head of the state in 2009 after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League was elected in the landmark December 2008 general elections.
A lawyer by profession, Rahman was a close aide of Hasina's father and Bangladesh's founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and is regarded as a key figure in consolidating the Awami League's unity at different times.
CHANDIGARH: Putting an end to the controversy that had taken place last week between the advocates of Punjab and Haryana high court and Chandigarh police, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday ordered the quashing of FIR against former president of the high court bar, Rupinder Singh Khosla and other advocates.
Division bench headed by Chief Justice A K Sikri ordered to quash the FIR on Monday following the amicable settlement between both the parties and on the report of Registrar (Vigilance), Shekhar Dhawan who had conducted a fact finding inquiry on HC directions. Both the parties were also present in the court.
The incident had completely paralyzed the functioning of the high court for almost a week, as the lawyers had boycotted the courts in protest of registration of criminal case against Khosla and other lawyers.
After the HC orders of quashing the FIR, general house of the high court bar was convened by the President, K S Dhaliwal who apprised the house about order given by the Chief Justice. Former President of the bar, Rupinder Singh Khosla against whom the FIR was registered, also expressed his thanks and indebtedness to the advocates for their untiring support in the hour of crisis.
Speaking on the occasion, Senior Advocate R S Cheema thanked the Chief Justice for taking suo moto cognizance of this incident and hailed it as an extra ordinary judgment.
On Thursday, Chief Justice A K Sikri had stayed on the investigation of the case against lawyers and directed the Registrar (vigilance) of the high court to carry out a fact-finding inquiry and submit its report on March 11 before the bench.
The orders were made by the bench after taking cognizance of a request made by Punjab and Haryana high court bar association, which had expressed before the Chief Justice that that the cases against the advocates were registered on on-sided version of the police official and the viewpoint of the bar members was not even inquired into or gone into.
On February 26, some altercation took place between head constable Ramesh Chand of UT police and advocate Rupinder Khosla, when Khosla failed to produce identity card required for entry into court premises. The constable was severely beaten up by the high court lawyers, after Khosla accused the cop for slapping him.
Later, an inquiry conducted by IPS officer Arun Kampani gave clean chit to the cop and found the lawyers responsible for obstructing a public servant from conducting duty and destructing public property etc. A FIR against Khosla and other lawyers was registered on March 4 on the basis of Kampani's report, following which the lawyers had gone on strike."The issue (Vodafone tax dispute) may come before the Cabinet next week. A proposal to settle the row has gone to law ministry," the official said.
At a customary post-Budget interaction with business chambers, finance minister P Chidambaram had said: "We have decided the appropriate time to go to Parliament would be after we have been able to resolve the Vodafone case."
"As far as Vodafone is concerned, they had written to us proposing conciliation. We have written back saying that yes your request will be considered by the competent authority. So the matter will go to the Cabinet," Chidambaram had said.Vodafone, which is facing a tax liability of Rs 11,200 crore for purchase of Hutchison Whampoa's stake in its Indian telecom business Hutchison Essar in 2007, had written to the finance ministry seeking settlement of the tax issue.
This follows finance ministry's reminder notice to the UK- telcom giant Vodafone in January for payment of tax.
The Vodafone tax liability arose due to amending of the Income Tax Act, 1961, with retrospective effect during the tenure of the then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to undo the Supreme Court judgement that had ruled in favour of the company.
The government is working towards a solution based on recommendations of the Parthasarathi Shome panel which suggested that either government withdraw the retrospective tax amendment or waive interest and penalty in case it had to recover the taxes.
"Instead of fully relying on the NCP, the Congress should be ready to contest all the seats", party MP Rajani Patil said, adding, this was necessary to avoid any unexpected move by Pawar's party that could derail Congress's plans.
Patil recalled assertions by the state NCP that despite an alliance with the Congress, it will make preparations for contesting all the 288 assembly seats as a "safety measure." It is also saying it wants a larger number of seats.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Congress had secured 17 and NCP 8 in the state having 48 seats. In the assembly polls later, Congress had secured 82 seats while the NCP 62 in the 288-member House.
The state NCP has already started laying claim on Pune Lok Sabha seat currently represented by Suresh Kalmadi of the Congress, who has been suspended from the party in the wake of alleged irregularities in the organisation of Commonwealth Games
Congress and NCP are ruling Maharashtra in an alliance since 1999 just a few months after Pawar parted ways with the Congress on the issue of foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi. The two parties are sharing power at the Centre since May 2004 when Sonia led UPA to power ousting the BJP-led NDA.
State leaders say that Rahul will be told that Congress could ill afford to lower its guard at a time when chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has put the NCP on the backfoot.
At the same time, a section of party MPs feel that if the Congress and NCP alliance continues it could help the party at a time when there have been efforts in the opposition camp to have a broader alliance involving the Shiv Sena-BJP as also MNS.
Assembly elections in Maharashtra are due in the second half of next year and the talk in political circles is that the alliance could continue in the state polls only if the UPA retains power at the Centre after the next Lok Sabha elections due in May next year.
The meeting with Rahul is also expected to be utilised by party MPs to plead for streamlining the functioning of the organisation in the state by giving specific responsibilities to office bearers to prepare the party ahead of elections.
The Congress vice-president had visited Mumbai two weeks back when he had held a detailed meeting with party leaders from the megapolis including MPs and had even reportedly disapproved the working of some leaders.
With Maharashtra witnessing severe drought, the MPs are likely to take up the matter with Rahul to ensure more central assistance. With Lok Sabha elections not far away, they are also expected to emphasise the need for early clearance of state projects pending with the Centre including the proposed airport at Navi Mumbai.
Residents of the windswept archipelago in the South Atlantic have hoisted British and Falklands flags and even created a giant "YES" made of four-wheel drives ahead of the vote.
In a move instigated by residents themselves, 1,672 eligible voters are being asked whether they want the Falklands to remain an internally self-governing British overseas territory.
Argentina and Britain fought a brief but bloody war over the islands in 1982, and diplomatic tensions have escalated in recent years with the discovery of oil near the Falklands.
Britain has held the barren islands since 1833 but Buenos Aires claims what it calls "Las Malvinas" are occupied Argentinian territory.
"We would be deluding ourselves if we thought that Argentina would change overnight, but we hope it'll be a strong message to them and to others," legislative assembly member Jan Cheek, a sixth generation Falkland Islander, told AFP.
Falklanders hope the outcome -- and ideally a big turnout -- will provide a slap in the face to an increasingly bellicose Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner.
They also hope the referendum result will arm them with an unambiguous message to take to other capitals when pressing their case for acceptance on the international stage.
The United States, for example, has studiously avoided taking sides on the issue despite its close ties with Britain.
In the Falklands capital Stanley, television footage showed islanders busy on the eve of the vote hanging bunting with the British Union Jack and the Falklands flag, which is deep blue with the Union Jack in one corner and a crest with a sheep in the middle.
Argentina, 400 kilometres away, has branded the referendum "illegal" because, it claims, the islanders are "implanted" and thus do not have the right to self-determination.
The Argentinian foreign ministry said on Friday that the vote was "a British attempt to manipulate" the status of the archipelago.
The "attempt will not alter the essence of the Falklands or put an end to the sovereignty dispute", it insisted.
London says it will not discuss sovereignty issues with Buenos Aires unless the islanders expressly wish it.
"Several dozen Malian soldiers positioned in Diabaly with the forces from Burkina Faso deserted their posts on Thursday and Friday," a local official told AFP.
"They pulled back to Segou to demand their deployment bonus and fired shots in the air," he said on condition of anonymity.
"Our bonus is a right. That's why we left our positions. Now the issue has been sorted and we are back in Diabaly," said one soldier involved in the protest.
A senior army official based in the larger city of Segou said the situation was back to normal in Diabaly and added that some of the ring leaders were punished.
France launched a military operation on January 11 to prevent al-Qaida-linked groups that had occupied northern Mali for nine months from pushing south and threatening the capital Bamako.
Days later, Islamist fighters were retreating on several fronts but made surprise foray into government-controlled territory to briefly capture Diabaly, which lies 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Bamako.
The Malian army has been in disarray since a renegade captain carried out a coup in March 2012, ostensibly to protest against the military's failure to stop the Islamist takeover of the north.
Bamako faces the daunting task of securing enough funds to pay and train its soldiers, who are expected to take over from French and African forces when the last pockets of diehard jihadists have been flushed out.
Despite the good treatment they got from the insurgents fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, the peacekeepers were relieved to have survived the four-day ordeal unscathed and were thankful for UN and Philippine government efforts that set them free, said Philippine army Col Cirilito Sobejano, who is the chief of staff of the UN's monitoring mission in the Golan Heights.
The unarmed Filipino army soldiers, who were riding in trucks, were abducted by anti-Assad gunmen after providing water and food to other peacekeeping troops on Wednesday in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
After tough negotiations, they were freed yesterday on Jordan's border and taken to a hotel in the Jordanian capital of Amman, Philippine officials said.
A medical checkup showed the released hostages were all in good health.
"They were in high spirits. We were laughing about their experiences," Sobejano told The Associated Press by telephone from Amman. "They had a cordial relationship with their captors, who put blankets on them because it was very cold at night." "When they were handed over in Jordan, a rebel commander got visibly sad," he said. "They were really treated as guests."
At the Amman hotel, the peacekeepers were welcomed with a "boodle fight", a Philippine military mess-hall style of eating, where food is usually laid out on banana leaves atop a long table and soldiers eat with their hands, said army Col Roberto Arcan, who heads the military's peacekeeping operations center in Manila.
Arcan said he talked by phone with one of the freed peacekeepers, army Maj Dominador Valerio, who asked him to "please tell my wife I'm okay," Arcan said, adding he immediately relayed the good news to the officer's wife.
But the abductions have raised concerns about the future of UN operations in the area.
A Filipino army major and his driver were held at a checkpoint in the Golan Heights by anti-Assad rebels last January but were released after about four hours, Arcan said.
The freed peacekeepers from a 326-member Filipino contingent in the Golan Heights are part of a UN mission known as UNDOF that was set up to monitor a cease-fire in 1974, seven years after Israel captured the plateau and a year after it pushed back Syrian troops trying to recapture the territory.
