Ajmal Kasab death penalty appeal adjourned

NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court adjourned an appeal hearing on Tuesday into the death sentence handed down to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Kasab, one of 10 gunmen who laid siege to Mumbai in attacks which lasted nearly three days and killed 166 people, has appealed for his sentence to be overturned after he was convicted in May 2010.

The 24-year-old was found guilty of a series of crimes, including waging war against India, murder and terror acts.

The November 2008 attacks saw 10 heavily-armed gunmen storm targets including luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and a train station.

One of the two Supreme Court judges due to hear the appeal was unavailable on Tuesday, forcing the adjournment, officials said. No date was immediately set for the next hearing.

Kasab’s court-appointed lawyer Raju Ramachandran told AFP that his job was “a call of duty”, but declined to talk further about the case.

Kasab’s death sentence was confirmed by a state high court in Mumbai last year. If he loses his Supreme Court appeal, he will be able to appeal for clemency from the president.

Ujjwal Nikam, who prosecuted the case in Mumbai on behalf of the Maharashtra state, is seeking to push through the death sentence. “This is the rarest of rare cases,” Nikam told AFP. “He should not be entitled to any mercy.”

At the trial, the prosecution produced fingerprint, DNA, eyewitness and television evidence showing him opening fire and throwing grenades at Mumbai’s main railway station in the bloodiest episode of the attacks.

Kasab — who is in jail in Mumbai — initially pleaded not guilty but later made a confession, admitting to being one of the gunmen allegedly sent by the banned militant group.

He then reverted back to his initial denial and said he was framed by the police.

Pakistan has indicted seven alleged perpetrators over the attacks but they have not been brought to trial, triggering Indian accusations that the process is a sham.

Pakistani investigators and lawyers will visit India next month to gather more evidence ahead of any trial in Islamabad.

Most death sentences in India are commuted to life imprisonment, and convicts can sit on death row for years awaiting a final decision. AGENCIES

Hamas executes 2 Israeli spies

GAZA CITY: The head of the military court in Hamas-ruled Gaza says two informers for Israel have been executed.

The executions marked the first time in a decade — and the first time ever under Hamas rule — that the death penalty was carried out in Gaza.

It signaled an escalation in Hamas” ways of maintaining control over Gaza. The Islamic militants seized the territory in 2007.

The head of the military court, Ahmed Atallah, announced the executions in a statement on the Web site of Gaza”s Interior Ministry. He identified the two men as convicted collaborators Mohammed Ismail and Nasser Abu Freih.

Atallah did not say how they were executed. An employee at Gaza”s main hospital says their bullet-riddled bodies were dropped off there by armed men early Thursday.

The Color of Friendship

The Color of Friendship, Valentine’s Day, February 14, is approaching quickly. So it is important to know what color each flower represents so you don’t misinterpret your affections for a certain someone whether they be a friend for Valentine’s Day or loved one. Ingrum researched the colors for years and chose specific colors to represent each type of affectionate relationship. Here is a chart to assist you in your Valentine’s Day giving of flower.

White and Red means unity, togetherness, long-lasting love, and bonding.

Pink means Romance, sweetness, playfulness and gladness.

Yellow is the color of friendship and it means friendship, joy and happiness.

Yellow and Red means falling in love or the start of a new romance.

Coral means desire or love.

Purple or Lavender means enchantment, unique, noble or devotion.

Typically roses are an indication of romantic love, so only give roses if you are romantically interested in someone to avoid embarrassment. Good luck on Valentine’s Day, February 14. What is your favorite flower color to receive for Valentine’s Day?

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The Color of Friendship was first posted on February 4, 2010 at 9:55 am.

Too Young To Kill

Too Young To Kill, The 1642 hanging of 17-year-old Thomas Grauger by the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts marked the first time a teenager was put to death here for a crime. (Grauger was executed for having sex with animals.) Juvenile death penalty laws were in place in 19 states until March 1, 2005, when the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution forbids the practice. At issue was the question: Are such killers mere children who cannot grasp the consequences of their actions, or criminals whose executions would ensure justice for victims and deter other youths?

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Too Young To Kill was first posted on February 4, 2010 at 10:41 am.

Rangers Extra Powers Summary Sent to Qaim Ali Shah

KARACHI: Sindh home department has forwarded a summary to Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, seeking extra powers for Rangers aiming at maintenance of law and order in Sindh.

The summary sent to the Chief Minister provides additional powers to Rangers for conducting raids in any place in Karachi and arrest and interrogate the detained persons.

It is pertinent to mention that during a recently held meeting Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik had announced to confer extra powers to Rangers for maintenance of law and order in Karachi.

Punjab Assembly Will Also Pass Resolution in Support of Zardari: Awan

Pakistan News: Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan said that any resolution in support of President Zardari in the Punjab Assembly would also be passed unanimously. He said that Asifa Bhutto was pressurizing his father to reopen Bhutto case. Talking to media in Lahore, he said that judges admitted themselves that they ordered death penalty to Bhutto under Ziaul Haq’s pressure and re-trail should be done in such a case. He said that PPP was ready to move accountability bill in the parliament but the party was waiting the bill from PML-N. He said that a bill for lawyers would be presented in the next session.

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Punjab Assembly Will Also Pass Resolution in Support of Zardari: Awan was first posted on January 10, 2010 at 4:55 pm.