President calls for amity
Blasts in Ahmedabad; 29 dead
Tiffin bombs go off at 14 places;
Mumbai on alert
Ahmedabad, July 26
Terror struck Ahmedabad when 16 coordinated serial blasts ripped through the city tonight killing 29 persons and injuring nearly over 100 sending a wave of panic, a day after multiple explosions rocked Bangalore in another BJP-ruled state.

Hospitals attacked too E-mail warning Alert in Punjab, UT Relatives of victims of bomb blasts mourn at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Saturday. — Reuters photo

Bomb defused in Bangalore
Bangalore, July 26
The bomb disposal squad defused a live bomb, left near a shopping mall in the Koramangala area of the city this morning, a day after a series of low-intensity bomb blasts shook the city. The police rushed to the spot after it got the information that an unidentified man in his mid-20s has kept a bucket like object on footpath near the Forum Mall.

Emergency in Italy over immigration
The Italian government announced a nationwide state of emergency on Saturday in reaction to a phenomenal increase in illegal immigration to the country's south. The Silvio Berlusconi government's move is to provide local authorities with greater means to deal with the rising tide of illegals arriving by boat. According to the interior ministry, nearly 11,000 people illegally migrated to Italy in the first half of 2008, twice as many that came in the same period in 2007. — AFP

9,000 Punjabis in a tizzy
Chandigarh, July 26
Thousands of illegal immigrants from India, particularly from Punjab, are in a quandary as the Italian government has declared a “national state of emergency over illegal immigration”. “The number of illegal immigrants in Italy from Punjab today number about 9,000,” says Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, a former MP and president of the Lok Bhalai Party.

Charges to be framed against dera chief
Ambala, July 26
The CBI court ordered to frame charges against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a sexual exploitation case of dera sadhvis here today. The inquiry officer of the case, DSP, CBI, Satish Dagar, has confirmed it.

Leave Darjeeling, GJM tells Ghising
Siliguri, July 26
The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) today demanded that GNLF supremo Subhas Ghising immediately leave the Darjeeling hills as his party and CPM leaders were involved in a 'conspiracy' to destabilise peace which had led to yesterday's incidents.

Speaker strongly denies report on job offer
New Delhi, July 26
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s office today vehemently denied reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had offered him the post of Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Something Cooking? Mulayam meets PM New Delhi, July 26 Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and his general secretary Amar Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here today amidst speculation in political circles about the SP joining the government shortly. Nation page: Deo panel to look into MPs’ charge No promise made to SP: Pranab