Ansal brothers get bail in Uphaar cinema case

NEW DELHI – A city court Friday granted bail to Uphaar theatre owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal after they confessed to destroying evidence in the fire tragedy which killed 59 people in June 1997.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gitanjali Goel ordered the Ansals to furnish a personal and surety bond of Rs.1 lakh each for their bail.
The …. Source article  : Ansal brothers get bail in Uphaar cinema case.

Belgian bishop resigns over sex abuse case

BRUSSELS – A bishop in the Belgian city of Bruges has resigned over a sexual abuse case, the Belga news agency reported Friday, quoting a relative of the prelate.

However, no details were known of the events that led Roger Vangheluwe, 74, to quit after serving for 25 years as bishop of Bruges.
A press conference …. Original source  : Belgian bishop resigns over sex abuse case.

Oil rig blast off La. coast prompts environmental concerns; hope dims for 11 missing workers

Oil rig blast prompts environmental concerns

NEW ORLEANS – As hope dimmed for the lives of 11 crew members missing since a drilling rig exploded in flames in the Gulf of Mexico, authorities turned their focus to controlling an oil spill that could threaten the fragile ecosystem of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts.
The Deepwater Horizon had …. Read the original article  : Oil rig blast off La. coast prompts environmental concerns; hope dims for 11 missing workers.

CBI questions MCI president

NEW DELHI – Medical Council of India (MCI) president Ketan Desai, arrested on corruption charges, continues to be interrogated, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Friday.

“Investigations are on, but we can’t provide further details,” CBI spokesman Harsh Bahl told IANS.
Desai was arrested along with two others, Jitendar Pal Singh and Kanwaljit Singh, Thursday … Read more >>>.

Series of roadside bombs targeting homes of policemen kills 6 in western Iraq

Series of roadside bombs kills 6 in western Iraq

BAGHDAD – Iraqi officials say a series of roadside bombs targeting the homes of policemen has killed 6 people in western Iraq near the city of Ramadi.
The explosions struck the town of Khalidiya, 15 miles (25 kilometers) east of Ramadi. Ten people were wounded.
The information on casualties …. Original source  : Series of roadside bombs targeting homes of policemen kills 6 in western Iraq.

Woman burnt to death as car catches fire

NEW DELHI – A 27 year-old woman was burnt to death here after her car caught fire, a police officer said Friday.

Simran Kaur, a resident of Karol Bagh, was in central Delhi’s Rohini sector-16 when her car caught fire after an electrical short circuit.
A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said: “We received …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

100,000 displaced by floods in Assam, 100 villages hit

GUWAHATI – Flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Assam have displaced more than 100,000 people in an estimated 100 villages in Lakhimpur district, officials said Friday.

“The situation is critical with up to 50 more villages hit by flash floods overnight (Thursday),” a district official said.
An estimated 100,000 people are now displaced … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 100,000 displaced by floods in Assam, 100 villages hit.

Ballantine’s Championship shortened to 54 holes due to bad weather

Bad weather shortens Ballantine’s to 54 holes

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea – The fog-disrupted Ballantine’s Championship has been shortened to 54 holes.
“It has become clear that the completion of 72 holes within the required time frame is not feasible,” tournament directors said Friday in a statement.
The first day’s play was delayed for six hours by fog, … Read more : Ballantine’s Championship shortened to 54 holes due to bad weather.

Gangster gunned down near Indo-Nepal border

LUCKNOW – A dreaded gangster, wanted by the police in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in 40 criminal cases, was Friday gunned down by cops near the Indo-Nepal border.

Ram Awadh Yadav, 45, was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Khadda town in Kushinagar district, about 300 km from Lucknow.
Cases of murder, abduction, loot and other …. Read the original article  : here.

Fire preparedness in urban India not up to standards: Expert

PANAJI – Fire safety measures in urban India are only one-sixth of the required standards while in rural India they are virtually nil, a top fire safety expert said Friday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a fire safety seminar here, G.B. Menon, founder president of the National Association of Fire Officers (NAFO) and a … Read more : Fire preparedness in urban India not up to standards: Expert.

Bright student commits suicide after 200 job rejections

LONDON – A bright 21-year-old Briton committed suicide after over 200 unsuccessful job applications and a family member said that she found “it humiliating that she had been out of work for so long”.

Vicky Harrison was keen for a career as a teacher or a television producer, but a day after her latest rejection, she … Original source on Gaea Times at : Bright student commits suicide after 200 job rejections.

Obamas plan weekend in politically important North Carolina, golf likely on agenda

Obamas head to North Carolina for quick vacation
WASHINGTON – The last time Barack Obama was in Asheville, N.C., he complained he was too busy to play golf. The president plans to fix that this weekend.
Obama and his family were to leave the White House at midday Friday and fly to Asheville, located …. Source article  : Obamas plan weekend in politically important North Carolina, golf likely on agenda.

Youth found hanging from tree in Delhi

NEW DELHI – The body of a 26-year-old man was found hanging from a tree here, a police officer said Friday.

Dharmveer, a resident of Katwaria Sarai in south Delhi, was found hanging in front of a temple early Friday.
“We received a call regarding a dead body at around 6:00 a.m. in front of Gorakhnath … Read more >>.

Action mulled against Nalini

CHENNAI – Sriharan Nalini, serving life sentence over former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, may face disciplinary action following the seizure of a mobile telephone from her cell, a senior official said Friday.

As possession of a mobile phone by a convict is a criminal offence, she could be shifted from the Vellore prison to another … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Action mulled against Nalini.

Jailed mafia leader wants priest to secure release

Rome, April 23 (IANS/AKI) An Italian mafia leader, currently in prison, wants a senior cardinal to mediate for his release on compassionate grounds, officials have said.

Toto Riina, 79, who has heart problems, wants Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, the Archbishop of Milan, to help him get released from prison on compassionate grounds, officials have said, according to …. Original source  : Jailed mafia leader wants priest to secure release.

Colombian model dies after falling from balcony

Bogota, April 23 (IANS/EFE) Colombian model and television presenter Lina Marulanda died when she fell from the balcony of her sixth-floor apartment here in the Colombian capital, authorities have said.

Marulanda died instantly Thursday, authorities said, adding that it was a case of possible suicide.
The model was going through a divorce from her second husband, … Original source on Gaea Times at : Colombian model dies after falling from balcony.

Maoists kill tribal on spying charge

RAIPUR – A group of about 40 Maoist guerrillas murdered a tribal man in Chattisgarh’s violence-hit Dantewada district allegedly because he was a spy, police said Friday.

The incident took place Thursday night at Bhusaras village, about 40 km south of state capital Raipur.
The Maoist rebels stormed into 35-year-old Marwi Manoj’s house and beat him [..] Read the original article: here.

Mexican gang leader gets 101 years for kidnapping

Mexico City, April 23 (IANS/EFE) The leader of a kidnapping gang employed by drug traffickers in Mexico has been sentenced to 101 years and nine months in prison, officials have said.

Jose Alfredo Torres Contreras of the Los Linces gang from Jalisco state was also ordered to pay a fine of 1.04 million pesos ($87,000) for … Original source on Gaea Times at : Mexican gang leader gets 101 years for kidnapping.

Malayalam actor Sreenath found dead in hotel room

KOTHAMANGALAM – Popular Malayalam film and TV actor Sreenath was found dead in a hotel room in this Kerala town Friday morning, police said.

His body was discovered by the hotel staff at about 8.30 a.m., a police official said.
Police have not ruled out the possibility of suicide as his wrist was found slashed, he [..] Read the original article: here.

Two Dominicans wanted for 36 murders held

Santo Domingo, April 23 (IANS/EFE) Two Dominicans, who fled to Mexico after they were implicated in 36 murders-for-hire, were detained there and have now been sent back to the Dominican Republic, police said.

Joel Bautista Vasquez and Sergio Humberto Mota Reynos are also accused of wounding 15 other people.
The pair fled the Dominican Republic for …. Original source  : Two Dominicans wanted for 36 murders held.