NEWS

New Delhi:  A judge in the United Kingdom has ruled declassification of documents that are expected to shed further light on Britain’s involvement in Operation Bluestar in 1984. The court has dismissed the government’s argument that the move could damage diplomatic ties with India.

Judge Murray Shanks, who presided over a three-day hearing of the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) in London in March, on Monday ruled that a majority of the files relating to the period must be made public and rejected the UK government’s argument that declassifying the Downing Street papers would damage diplomatic ties with India.

New Delhi: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 93, was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi on Monday. His condition is said to be critical. PM Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah visited him at the hospital.

AIIMS said the former PM has been diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and was under “investigation and evaluation”. Union health minister JP Nadda said during a press conference that Vajpayee was at the hospital for regular examination. Vajpayee is currently stable and under the care of a team of doctors headed by AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, a pulmonologist, the hospital said. The team of doctors also includes a nephrologist, Dr Soumita Bagchi and a gastroenterologist, Dr Pramod Garg.

New Delhi: An India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said that at least 27 doppler radars would be soon commissioned across the country covering coastlines and major cities which would provide severe weather warning to stake-holders as much as six hours in advance.

"Providing information in advance about thunderstorms like the one recently reported in Bihar and Bengal helps in reducing the damage and loss of lives," IMD Director General K J Ramesh said.

He said the thunderstorm reported on May 2 caused casualties. "However, the agencies put their acts together and when the thunderstorm hit again on May 7 in parts of Bihar and Bengal its impact could be reduced," Ramesh said.

New Delhi: The UK has confirmed presence of fugitive Nirav Modi within its territory, leading India to push for his extradition amid fears that the diamond trader wanted for the PNB bank fraud might seek political asylum.

India’s junior minister for home, Kiren Rijiju, is learnt to have asked for “smooth and early” extradition of the alleged fraudster during his meeting on Monday with Baroness Williams, UK minister of state for countering terrorism.

Sources in Delhi said the UK delegation confirmed the presence of Nirav Modi, whose whereabouts have been the subject of conflicting speculation, as well as that Williams offered UK’s cooperation in India’s efforts to extradite the disgraced diamond trader as well as other fugitives like liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya who are ensconced in UK.