Swraj Paul bares Quattrocchi link
London-based businessman Swraj Paul says that one reason he fell out with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was because he refused to oblige Ottavio Quattrocchi who represented Italian government firm Snamprogetti in India. In his book Beyond Boundaries: A Memoir, recently published Paul claims that "strenuous efforts" were made to get him to buy Snamprogetti equipment for a proposed fertilizer project.
ULFA's top leader Gogoi in police net
Pradip Gogoi, vice-chairman of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and one of its principal arms negotiator, was arrested in Calcutta late on the night of April 9. This is a major setback for the militant group, coming as it does close on the heels of the arrest of its general secretary Anup Chetia in Dhaka recently. Chetia is facing trial in a Dhaka court.
Over 100 killed in Haj stampede
At least 107 Muslim pilgrims were killed yesterday in a stampede at Mina, ten km from the holy Mecca city, during a religious ceremony of "stoning the devil," but there was no confirmation whether any Indian was among those killed. The stampede occurred one km away from the Mina camp at Al Jamrat during a ceremony in which people on the Haj pilgrimage throw stones at pillars symbolising the devil.
Crisis-ridden KVDC struggles for survival
Doubts have been raised over the Sena-BJP Government's commitment to provide adequate funds to the Krishna Valley Development Corporation (KVDC) since no budgetary provision has been made in the current year's budget for the corporation.
Top Clinton aide Richardson to lead fact-finding team to India next week
US President Bill Clinton's high-ranking envoy Bill Richardson is leading a delegation to South Asia next week and hopes to get India and Pakistan to resume their suspended bilateral dialogue. The high-profile visit to the region takes place only a week after Washington confirmed that Pakistan conducted a ballistic missile test on Monday.
Village shuns wells after a suicide
In Sunday morning, Uttam Salunke, a gram sevak, committed suicide by jumping into the well in front of his house. The knowledge that he had AIDS is the putative reason for killing himself. For the 4,000 inhabitants of Vasunde Uttam's suicide has precipitated a catastrophe. Since Sunday, the villagers have stopped drawing water from all the three wells in the village.
