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14 killed, 50 injured in US shooting at movie theatre

DENVER, Colorado: Police arrested a suspect in a shooting at a suburban Denver movie theatre in which 14 persons were killed, and there was no evidence of a second gunman, Aurora police chief Dan Oates said on Friday.

Dan Oates told a news briefing that 10 persons were killed on site and four others were later reported dead in area hospitals. At least 50 persons were wounded in the shooting at a showing of new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises".

Dozens of police were at the scene, and the authorities evacuated the area while they checked if there was an explosive device in the area.

Earlier, local radio station KOA said a figure in a gas mask had opened fire at the late-night showing in a mall in the suburb of Aurora and set off a smoke or tear gas bomb.

CNN quoted one witness as saying he saw a "guy slowly making his way up the stairs and firing, picking random people."

It said local hospitals were alerted to a "mass casualty incident". — Reuters

Pawar a “very valued colleague”: Manmohan

NEW DELHI: Reaching out to sulking NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday hailed him as a “very valued colleague” and said his knowledge, wisdom and experience are a “great asset” to his government.

Singh spoke to Pawar on Thursday night after he, along with party colleague Praful Patel, skipped the Cabinet meeting, apparently unhappy over denial of number two status in the government.

“Sharad Pawar is a very valued colleague of mine whose knowledge, wisdom and experience are a great asset to our government,” Singh said in a statement to PTI.

The Prime Minister’s statement came after Pawar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and his party stated that it had “serious issues” over the functioning of the government and the coalition.

“We are unhappy with some aspects which have been raised by Pawar in personal meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi,” Praful Patel, NCP leader and Heavy Industries Minister, said after the party’s confabulations.

Patel, however, said NCP continues to be an “integral” part of the UPA.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh sought to mollify Pawar. “In a Parliamentary democracy, all are equal in the Cabinet. The Prime Minister is first among equals and there is no number two or number three.” — PTI

US House votes to cut aid to Pak by $650 mn

Washington: In the latest jab at Pakistan, the US House of Representatives has unanimously voted to cut military aid to it by a whopping $650 million, with a top Republican lawmaker calling the country “Benedict Arnold”, the most well-known traitor in American history.

The amendment to cut the aid, which was proposed by Republican Congressman Ted Poe, passed on the floor of the House with a voice vote.

Poe had demanded a $1.3 billion cut, but settled for the $650 million cut. The measure will now go to Senate for approval.

“Pakistan is the ‘Benedict Arnold’ to America in the war on terror. They are disloyal, deceptive and a danger to the United States,” said Poe, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Benedict Arnold was an American General who defected to the British side during the Revolutionary War.

“This so-called ally continues to take billions in US aid, while funding the militants who attack us. And we’ve kept the money flowing. It’s time we turn off the tap,” Poe said.

“By continuing to provide aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans and undermining our efforts in the region. We don’t need to pay them to betray us; they are already doing it for free,” he said.

The State Department, however, refused to comment on the development, saying that since the legislative process was ongoing, it would not have any particular reaction.

“We continue to consult with Congress, but I don’t have any particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate,” said State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell.

“We continue to, obviously, support our Pakistani counterparts in key areas like counter-terrorism, but I don’t have a particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate,” Ventrell told reporters. — PTI

Prez poll: EC rejects Mulayam Singh's vote 

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Friday rejected Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's vote in the presidential poll and directed the Returning Officer (RO) not to count it as the secrecy of the ballot had been violated.

"The issue of second ballot paper to Mulayam Singh Yadav was not warranted under rule 15 of the Presidential and Vice- Presidential Elections Rules, 1974. Therefore, the second ballot paper issued to Yadav may not be taken up for counting," the Commission said.

The poll panel also directed the RO that the first ballot paper issued to Yadav cannot be counted as its secrecy was violated.

Yadav had on Thursday cast his vote in favour of BJP-backed candidate P A Sangma instead of UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee but realised his mistake to make a correction.

Yadav, who was among the early voters, after marking his vote for Sangma, tore the ballot paper and sought a fresh one from the polling officer, according to sources.

The SP chief then marked his correct preference on the fresh ballot paper. The ballot paper carrying the incorrect entry made by Yadav was deposited with the polling officer, the sources said.

The Sangma camp had lodged a complaint with the RO, V K Agnihotri, who is the Lok Sabha Secretary General, and sought cancellation of the second ballot paper issued to Yadav.

Sangma's authorised representative Satya Pal Jain had filed a written complaint with the RO contending Yadav was not entitled to second ballot paper under the law. Agnihotri had later written to the EC on the issue alongwith Jain's complaint. — PTI

Gilani's son wins parliamentary seat vacated by him

Lahore: Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Yousuf Raza Gilani's son today won a bye-election to the parliamentary seat in Punjab province that fell vacant when the former premier was disqualified by the Supreme Court last month.

Gilani's son Abdul Qadir Gilani won in the family's traditional stronghold of Multan by bagging 64,628 votes, according to unofficial results flashed by the state-run media.

His closest rival, Shaukat Bosan, an independent candidate backed by parties like the PML-N and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, secured 60,532 votes in the closely contested bye-poll.

Observers said the victory was significant as it came in the wake of the former premier's conviction and disqualification by the apex court for refusing to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari as well as growing disenchantment with the PPP-led government at the centre following widespread allegations of corruption.

However, they pointed out that Gilani's son had won by a margin of just over 4,000 votes – an indication of the support extended to Bosan by "anti-PPP forces" like the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf led by Imran Khan and the PML-N, which rules Punjab. 

Uddhav undergoes angioplasty

Mumbai: Four days after undergoing an angiography, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday went under knife for an angioplasty with his cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray present in the hospital.

Angioplasty is being conducted on Uddhav to remove blockages in the arteries. The angioplasty procedure is being done at the Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra where he had undergone the angiography.

There were reports that the Lilavati medical team had strongly recommended a bypass surgery as angiography had revealed three blockages.

The doctors have briefed Balasaheb Thackeray on his son's medical condition.

Earlier at the time of angiography, Uddhav's estranged cousin, Raj Thackeray, had visited him at Lilavati and later drove him to Matoshree bungalow, the Thackeray family home in suburban Bandra.

This led to speculation in the political circles about a political reconciliation between the warring cousins but Sena sources said there was no politics involved.