The UN, through its programme Unifem, on Monday launched a “safe cities” campaign worldwide in order to improve the lot of women, both young and old, and make the cities safer place for them to live in. The programme, which has been launched in the capital, will also be implemented in five different cities around the world. The other

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday exuded confidence that party leader Azam Khan would soon join him publicly. He also stated that he has accepted most of the “suggestions” of Mr Khan and hinted that he could be given the role of Leader of the Opposition in the UP Assembly, while a senior party leader indicated that Mr Khan could also be made the vice-president of the party.

The Congress on Monday termed the telecast of the programme on Saakshi television — owned by rebel MP Jaganmohan Reddy — portraying Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in poor light as a “serious issue” even as it dithers on whether to initiate any action against him or not.

Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah is confident that the BJP government will fall, whether chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa resigns or not.
Speaking to the media here on Monday, Mr Siddaramaiah said the sheer volume and weight of the allegations would make the government collapse, even if Mr

The majority of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of Parliament seem to have rallied behind chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
At a meeting held at Karnataka Bhavan here on Monday, several MPs felt that Mr Yeddyurappa should continue at least till the elections to panchayati raj bodies which are due in late December.

On a single day, nearly 5,000 phone calls are being tapped by government agencies. Amidst reports of phone conversations of PR lobbyist Nira Radia, whose name has cropped up in the 2G spectrum row, senior government sources said that Radia’s phone tapping had been authorised by the government.

The finance ministry had to be extra proactive in 2008 to ensure that the 3G spectrum didn’t go cheaply like 2G licences. After being a helpless spectator to former telecom minister A. Raja selling 2G spectrum cheaply to his favourite firms, finance ministry swung into action in August 2008 to see that same thing doesn’t repeat with 3G spectrum. It was left to then finance secretary and now RBI governor D. Subbarao to ensure that A. Raja doesn’t have his way.

Two top former officials of the Commonwealth Games organising committee, T.S. Darbari and M. Jayachandran, now both under arrest by the CBI, have reportedly told their interrogators that they had no role to play in finalising the deals and put the entire onus on OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi for all Games-related scams. Mr Kalmadi, who is now in China attending the ongoing Asian Games in Guangzhou, is all set to be questioned by the CBI on his return to India.

After putting certain sharp questions during the past two hearings on alleged delay by the PMO in responding to an application for the grant of sanction for prosecution of former telecom minister A. Raja in 2G spectrum scam case, the Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the posers were not aimed at “sullying” the image of the Prime Minister.

Following the Lalita Park building collapse incident, the MCD does not seem to be in a mood to take any chances as and when it receives calls about any building tilting dangerously. The latest to be demolished was a building in the Dabri area of southwest Delhi on Sunday. The action was taken following call from the local residents to the place.