UN releases $15 million in emergency aid to country
The toll in the Nepal earthquake could climb to 10,000, the country’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said on Tuesday. So far, the toll stands at 4,349, with over 7,000 people injured. Experts estimate that the cost of the damage could rise to $10 billion, warning that it could exceed the entire Gross Domestic Product of the country. The United Nations said that eight million people have been affected by the quake and that 1.4 million people are in need of food. The world body released $15 million in emergency aid to scale up rescue operations.
India, Afghanistan pledge co-operation
India will walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a joint statement made with visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in New Delhi on Tuesday. Modi pledged India’s co-operation in trade, defence and economic deals with Afghanistan while also reaffirming his commitment to the tripartite Chahbahar Port project between India, Afghanistan and Iran. In his statement, Ghani highlighted Afghanistan’s resolve to deal with terrorism, while also thanking India for the $2 billion it had given in development aid to the country.
Rahul to visit Vidarbha on April 30
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will embark on a day-long walk in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on Thursday to highlight problems faced by farmers there, party officials said on Tuesday. Congress leader Ashok Chavan said Gandhi would travel to parts of the region that have seen a high number farmer suicides. Earlier, Gandhi travelled to Punjab by train to assess the situation at grain markets in the state. The Congress has alleged that the Shiromani Akali Dal-led Punjab government is not purchasing adequate amounts of produce from farmers. Union Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur called Gandhi’s visit to the markets a “drama”.
NJAC violates Constitution, say Bar Associations
Advocates representing various Bar Associations on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the National Judicial Appointments Commission violated the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. Senior advocate Fali S Nariman told a bench of the court that the Commission did not have the features of the Collegium system that it aimed to replace, making it unsustainable in the long run. Stating that the Commission gave no weightage to the views of the Chief Justice of India in the selection of judges, Nariman added that there was also no provision for dealing with the vertical division of the six-member panel over the appointment of a judge to the Supreme Court or High Courts. The advocate’s arguments came a day after Chief Justice of India HL Dattu refused to attend a meeting to select two members of the NJAC panel.
Dismiss Jayalalithaa's plea, says new prosecutor
Newly-appointed Special Public Prosecutor BV Acharya on Tuesday asked the Karnataka High Court to dismiss the appeal filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa against her conviction in a disproportionate assets case. The appeal had not made the Karnataka government a party in the petition, he said. He argued that the proceedings in the appeal had been invalidated as no public prosecutor was appointed by Karnataka, adding that the Supreme Court had ruled that the state government was the “sole prosecuting agency.” Acharya was re-appointed to the post of Special Public Prosecutor after the apex court ruled the appointment of Bhavani Singh by the Tamil Nadu government as being bad in law.
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The toll in the Nepal earthquake could climb to 10,000, the country’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said on Tuesday. So far, the toll stands at 4,349, with over 7,000 people injured. Experts estimate that the cost of the damage could rise to $10 billion, warning that it could exceed the entire Gross Domestic Product of the country. The United Nations said that eight million people have been affected by the quake and that 1.4 million people are in need of food. The world body released $15 million in emergency aid to scale up rescue operations.
India, Afghanistan pledge co-operation
India will walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a joint statement made with visiting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in New Delhi on Tuesday. Modi pledged India’s co-operation in trade, defence and economic deals with Afghanistan while also reaffirming his commitment to the tripartite Chahbahar Port project between India, Afghanistan and Iran. In his statement, Ghani highlighted Afghanistan’s resolve to deal with terrorism, while also thanking India for the $2 billion it had given in development aid to the country.
Rahul to visit Vidarbha on April 30
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will embark on a day-long walk in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on Thursday to highlight problems faced by farmers there, party officials said on Tuesday. Congress leader Ashok Chavan said Gandhi would travel to parts of the region that have seen a high number farmer suicides. Earlier, Gandhi travelled to Punjab by train to assess the situation at grain markets in the state. The Congress has alleged that the Shiromani Akali Dal-led Punjab government is not purchasing adequate amounts of produce from farmers. Union Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur called Gandhi’s visit to the markets a “drama”.
NJAC violates Constitution, say Bar Associations
Advocates representing various Bar Associations on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the National Judicial Appointments Commission violated the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. Senior advocate Fali S Nariman told a bench of the court that the Commission did not have the features of the Collegium system that it aimed to replace, making it unsustainable in the long run. Stating that the Commission gave no weightage to the views of the Chief Justice of India in the selection of judges, Nariman added that there was also no provision for dealing with the vertical division of the six-member panel over the appointment of a judge to the Supreme Court or High Courts. The advocate’s arguments came a day after Chief Justice of India HL Dattu refused to attend a meeting to select two members of the NJAC panel.
Dismiss Jayalalithaa's plea, says new prosecutor
Newly-appointed Special Public Prosecutor BV Acharya on Tuesday asked the Karnataka High Court to dismiss the appeal filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa against her conviction in a disproportionate assets case. The appeal had not made the Karnataka government a party in the petition, he said. He argued that the proceedings in the appeal had been invalidated as no public prosecutor was appointed by Karnataka, adding that the Supreme Court had ruled that the state government was the “sole prosecuting agency.” Acharya was re-appointed to the post of Special Public Prosecutor after the apex court ruled the appointment of Bhavani Singh by the Tamil Nadu government as being bad in law.
