India on Friday testfired the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile with certain new systems from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off Orissa coast. The test comes two days after defence scientists conducted a similar trial from the same site. “The missile was testfired from a ground mobile launcher from the launch complex-3 of the ITR at about 1000 hours,” a senior official said. The supersonic missile, which has a flight range of up to 290 km, is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kg. “Today’s launch was a developmental trial of the land version of BrahMos incorporating certain new systems,” A. Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and MD of Brahmos Aerospace said.
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SAD, BJP seek death penalty abolition
AGE CORRESPONDENT
new delhi, March 30
Days after the hanging of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana was stayed by the Centre following a mercy petition to President Pratibha Patil, the BJP and SAD on Friday made a strong pitch in the Rajya Sabha for abolition of death penalty and asked the government to bring a legislation.
The issue was raised during Zero Hour by Naresh Gujral (SAD) who said India would do well to follow the example of 96 other countries around the world which have abolished the practice of capital punishment.
He also said that Amnesty International regards another 34 countries to be de facto abolitionists of capital punishment.
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Leopard poached in c’garh tiger reserve
AGE CORRESPONDENT
Raipur, March 30
In a shocking incident, poachers allegedly beheaded a leopard cub and hung the headless body in a tree in the famous Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh’s Bilashpur district, apparently to collect the skin, official sources said on Friday.
A local tribal of Jamunahi village, located inside the reserve forest, spotted the headless body hanging on a tree top in the nearby jungle early on Friday morning and reported the matter to the forest official concerned.
A team of forest officers led by Achanakmar Tiger Reserve area director Arvind Tiwari rushed to the area and seized the body. Later, the body was sent for post-mortem.
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Kejriwal defiant in reply to privilege notices
Ghaziabad, March 30: Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal Friday struck a defiant note replying to privilege notices for “insulting” Parliament, asking how can he respect the House which has 162 MPs with criminal background.
Denying allegations by four MPs who moved privilege notices against him that he insulted the House, Mr Kejriwal said he respects Parliament but noted that it is being insulted by those sitting inside Parliament and not those outside.
He alleged all parties were responsible for bringing Parliament to disrepute as 162 MPs with criminal cases against them — 14 facing murder cases, 20 attempt to murder cases and 13 for kidnapping — have managed to get into it. He said there are some people (among MPs) that one cannot invite them to a wedding or a function at your house. Is it not an insult these people sit in Parliament, he asked. — PTI