Chicago/New Delhi, March 19: Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley can be interrogated by Indian investigators in the US after he confessed to plotting Mumbai attacks even as India’s efforts to extradite him hit a roadblock.

New Delhi, March 19: Indian security agencies are focusing on Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian co-conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, after Pakistani-origin American Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) terror operative David Coleman Headley entered a plea bargain agreement with the US government to escape the death sentence.

New Delhi, March 19: President Pratibha Patil on Friday conferred the 56th National Film Awards for 2008 to the illustrious winners in a glittering function held at Vigyan Bhavan here. Eminent cinematographer V.K. Murthy received a standing ovation and thunderous applause when the

New Delhi, March 19: In a move which will provide relief to lakhs of Central government employees and pensioners, the government on Friday decided to hike its dearness allowance from the existing 27 per cent to 35 per cent on basic salaries and pensions.
This was decided at the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday. It will provide considerable relief to government employees and pensioners as it will compensate them to some extent for the rise in prices of essential commodities.
Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni, briefing reporters, explained: “The increase will be eight per cent over the existing rate of 27 per cent of basic pay or pension.”
This is in accordance with the accepted formula based on the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, she said, adding that pensioners would also get dearness relief.

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New Delhi, March 19: Justice R. Regupathi of the Madras high court, who was on a personal tour to Delhi, recently took time out to visit the Supreme Court and went around the premises to watch the proceedings.

Mumbai, March 19: Your home loans, car loans and personal loans are going to get expensive. But the good news is, not just yet.
Inflation numbers racing past the target set for March by the Reserve Bank of India and robust IIP figures indicating an upturn in the economy

New Delhi, March 19: A day after the BJP’s star MP, Mr Shatrughan Sinha, attacked party chief Nitin Gadkari over his new team, the saffron party’s Muslim face, Mr Shahnawaz Hussain, raised the banner of  revolt and refused to attend a meeting of spokespersons called by Ms Sushma Swaraj

Figures representing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and two companions are seen before the traditional Fallas festival in Valencia, Spain, on Thursday. Every year, the city of Valencia celebrates the “Las Fallas” fiesta, a noisy week that is full of fireworks and processions and burning of large papier mache figures.     PHOTO: AP

Paramilitary soldiers on patrol as part of  “Operation Green Hunt” near the jungles of Latehar, some 188 km northwest of Ranchi, on Thursday. A major drive has been launched to flush out Maoists from their strongholds in West Bengal and Jharkhand.     PHOTO: AFP

New Delhi ,March 18: India is seeking access to Pakistani-origin American citizen and LeT suspect David Headley’s American wife, “Faiza Headley”, currently based in Chicago, according to home ministry officials.
The Indian agencies claim that “Faiza”, a US citizen, was allegedly “aware” of Headley’s role in the 26/11 terror plot. The FBI, which has indicted Headley for plotting the Mumbai terror attack, has not named Faiza. However, it is unclear whether such attempts would succeed in the light of spousal testimonal privilege which, under US law, can be used to prevent any party in a criminal case from calling the defendant’s spouse to testify against the defendant about any topic. In a US federal court, as a matter of common law, this means the defendant’s spouse can refuse to testify against the defendant. However, the Edmunds Tucker Act, an American law dating back to 1887, denies spousal privilege in cases of polygamy.