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26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab hanged

Mumbai: Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist from the 26/11 terror attack, was hanged to death at the Yerawada Jail in Pune this morning, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil today said.

Kasab was hanged at 7.30 am, he said here. 25-year-old Kasab had been lodged in the Arthur Jail Road here ever since he was arrested immediately after the attack in 2008. He was convicted and given capital punishment by the trial court on May 6, 2010 which was upheld by the Bombay High Court on February 21, 2011.

The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the sentence on August 29 this year.
"Due process of law has been followed," Patil said adding that hanging came after the President of India rejected his mercy petition on November 8.

"This is a true homage to the innocent victims, including policemen and security personnel, who laid down their lives," he said.

166 persons had died in the attack. Police had succeeded in capturing Kasab alive after killing the remaining nine terrorists. "Attack on Mumbai was an attack on the entire country," Patil said.

BJP welcomes Kasab's hanging

New Delhi: BJP today welcomed the hanging of 26/11 attack convict Ajmal Kasab but emphasised that his handlers across the border in Pakistan should also be brought to justice.

"Better late than never. Kasab's hanging will act as a balm on the wounds of the people of Mumbai but their wounds are still fresh. They will get relief only when Kasab's handler's across the border are brought to justice," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

He also demanded that Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru be hanged soon to send across a strong message to the terrorists and instill a sense of fear in them.
BJP also welcomed President Pranab Mukherjee's prompt refusal of Kasab's mercy petition.

BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Kasab's hanging will serve as a warning and a lesson to his bosses across the border.

"The country expects our government to send such strong message and give such punishment to those who have bloodied their hands with the death of hundreds of innocent people," Naqvi said.

Hillary for 'durable outcome' in Gaza

Jerusalem: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who rushed to the West Asian region to defuse the crisis in Gaza, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for efforts to achieve a "durable outcome" for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Clinton flew to the region, cutting short her travel to Cambodia, where she was attending the ASEAN meeting with US President Barack Obama, as part of American efforts to de-escalate the tension.

She will now travel to Ramallah to meet Palestinian officials and to Cairo to meet Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi.

Clinton, who is on a fire fighting mission to the region met Netanyahu for more than two hours.

"The goal must be a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security and legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike," Clinton told reporters in a joint media availability with Netanyahu here -– her first stop in her current visit to the region.

Savita death: Change in probe team

London: Ireland has dropped three doctors of the Galway University Hospital from the team that will probe death of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died due to pregnancy-related complications after being denied abortion.

An announcement in this regard was made by Prime Minister Enda Kenny in the Parliament barely within hours of unveiling of a seven-member team to probe the tragic death.

Savita's husband Praveen Halappanavar had earlier refused to talk to the investigators, saying he would not consent to their viewing his wife's medical records as three of the Galway hospital's senior doctors were part of the team.

"The three doctors will not be part of the investigation and therefore different personnel who are competent, who are experienced and who have no connection to Galway University Hospital will be appointed," Kenny said.

Kenny said that the doctors will be replaced by officials who have "no connection at all" with the Galway hospital to ensure that the probe remains "utterly independent".