New Delhi, April 30 : As the family of Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh said he was "clinically dead", opposition leader Sushma Swaraj Tuesday slammed the government for not dealing with Islamabad "firmly".

"Whatever happened with Sarabjit in Pakistan, India has not talked as firmly with them (Pakistan government) as we should have," she said in response to a question.

London, April 30 : An Indian origin woman in Britain has been shortlisted for the role of Western Australia taste master, advertised in the Australian state's tourism website as "one of the best jobs in the world".

If she finally lands the role, Asha Patel's job would be to eat her way across the state, forage out the finest produce and uncover the best bars and restaurants, the Leicester Mercury newspaper reported Tuesday.

Over 600,000 people from across the world had applied for six positions - taste master, lifestyle photographer, outback adventurer, park ranger, wildlife caretaker and 'chief funster'.

New Delhi, April 30 : Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was Tuesday acquitted by a Delhi court of all charges for allegedly conspiring and inciting a mob during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The Congress leader has been facing trial for 29 years with Balwan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal, Kishan Khokkar and Captain Bhagmal for allegedly conspiring and inciting a mob against the Sikh community.

Timeline of the events:

* November 1984: Sikhs were killed in the riots following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984.

Thiruvananthapuram, April 30 : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Tuesday rubbished media reports about a Tamil Nadu government employee acting as a spy in the state secretariat and passing on vital documents on the water sharing dispute between the two states.

"Media reports are wrong. I have read the intelligence report. It says that no vital documents or any information was passed on to Tamil Nadu," Chandy told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting here.

New Delhi, April 30 : Signifying a "total breakdown", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday announced it would not be attending any meetings called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar or the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath.

Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj also attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for inciting MPs and ministers to disrupt her speech in the Lok Sabha earlier in the morning. She also said Gandhi had no respect for democratic institutions.

"It is a situation of total breakdown but the government is responsible not me," Sushma Swaraj said.

New Delhi, April 30 : The rap that the government had received from the Supreme Court was well deserved, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said Tuesday while reiterating the demand that the CBI be included under the proposed Lokpal.

"The UPA Government has denigrated the institution of the Law Officers. It is this failing institution that has today embarrassed the UPA government," Jaitley said in an article released by the BJP office.

Mumbai, April 30 : Lyricist-writer Gulzar has been appointed the new chancellor of Assam University.

The 78-year-old Padma Bhushan awardee's name features besides 'Chancellor' on the University's official website.

Gulzar's secretary also confirmed to IANS: "Yes, it is true. He will be the new chancellor of the Assam University. We got the information from the university three or four days back."

Established in 1994, the Assam University campus is situated in Dargakona, about 20 km from Silchar.

Amsterdam, April 30 : After 33 years on the throne, Dutch Queen Beatrix Tuesday abdicated in favour of her son Willem-Alexander.

After the Queen gave a short adress at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, she signed an abdication statement in presence of the presidents of the senate and the house of representatives, the council of ministers and the Kingdom's governors and other guests, reported Xinhua.

Beatrix was succeeded by her 46-year-old eldest son new King Willem-Alexander.(IANS)

New Delhi, April 30 : A Delhi court Tuesday acquitted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

District Judge J. R. Aryan convicted the other five accused in the case related to the killing of five people in Delhi Cantonment area following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on Oct 31, 1984.

The Congress leader was facing trial along with Balwan Khokkar, Mahender Yadav, Girdhari Lal, Kishan Khokkar and Captain Bhagmal for allegedly conspiring and inciting a mob against the Sikh community.(IANS)

Warsaw, April 30 : Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has fired Justice Minister Jaroslaw Gowin after the latter accused German scientists of buying and experimenting on embryos bought from Poland.

Gowin, who was dismissed Monday, said in a television interview earlier this month that "German scientists are importing embryos from other countries, probably also from Poland, and conducting experiments on them", reported Xinhua.

He gave no evidence for the allegation.

He will be replaced by former interior minister Marek Biernacki. (IANS)

Agra, April 30 : The city of the Taj is now aiming to show visitors that there is much more to it than the monument to love. Discovering Oriental Agra, a new tourist circuit, will showcase not just heritage monuments but also the city's culture, cuisine and industry - in electric rickshaws.

Described as a "journey through the heart of the Taj city", the daily hour-long tour that was formally launched Sunday has been organised by members of Agra Beat, a group seeking to promote alternative tourism. While a number of rehearsals have been conducted, regular tours will begin in the first week of May.

Police officials in the southern Indian state of Kerala have booked a NRI businessman Mohammed Nisham after he posted a video on video sharing site, Youtube showing his nine-year-old son driving a Ferrari F430 Scuderia earlier in April.

New Delhi, April 29 : Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Monday accused the UPA government of being "weak and cowardly" over the reported incursion of Chinese troops in Ladakh.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the former defence minister warned that China "is the biggest enemy" of India and that "Pakistan is no threat to India".

He alleged that the Chinese incursion was aimed at annexing Indian territory.

Dubai, April 29 : Around 60,000 Indian workers have registered in the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate general in Jeddah in the wake of the new Saudi labour policy, according to India's Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi.

These people have been rushing to take advantage of an amnesty scheme being offered by the country's ruler King Abdullah, the Saudi Gazette reported Monday.

The new policy, called Nitaqat, makes it mandatory for all Saudi companies to reserve 10 percent of jobs for Saudi nationals.

Damascus, April 29 : Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi was seen on state TV's live report meeting government officials Monday after surviving an assassination attempt in Damascus.

Appearing totally unharmed in the footage, al-Halqi was reportedly discussing economic matters with members of the Syrian cabinet, reports Xinhua.

But he did not talk about the details of the blast, which occurred in Damascus' western neighbourhood al-Mazzeh Monday and left at least eight people dead.

One of al-Halqi's escorts is believed to have been killed in the attack, reports said.

State-promoted micro-finance provider Stree Nidhi Credit Co-operative Federation Ltd. has plans to lend Rs 1,694 crore to women self-help groups (SHGs) in Andhra Pradesh during the current financial year.

In the financial year of 2012-13, Stree Nidhi had lent Rs 660 crore in loans to members of women SHGs and pocketed a net profit of Rs 18.75 crore in the form of interest on loans.

Nearly 83 per cent of the overall outstanding loans of nearly Rs 577 crore were given just to income generating activities.

Sudipto Sen, jailed chairman & managing director of chit fund group Saradha, and his accomplices had plans to hide in Ladakh till the uproar stopped, Bidhannagar police detective department's deputy commissioner Arnab Ghosh revealed.

Sen and some her accomplices were arrested by the West Bengal police around three days back from Kashmir.

The ongoing investigation revealed that they had plans to flee to Ladakh as they believed that the police would not try to find them in the remote area.

Islamabad, April 29 : A panel of experts will decide whether Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who suffered grievous injuries in an attack in Kot Lakhpat jail, should be sent abroad or a foreign neurosurgeon called here, a media report said Monday.

The four-member panel of experts has been constituted to decide on the treatment of Sarabjit Singh who is currently admitted in the ICU of a Lahore hospital.

Geo News quoted sources as saying that the principal of the Lahore Jinnah Hospital, Mahmood Shaukat, would head the four-member panel of experts.

Port of Spain, April 29 : The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, where about 40 percent of its 1.3 million population is of Indian origin, will soon set up a Vivekananda Foundation in honour of the late Indian philosopher saint, whose 150th birth anniversary is being observed this year.

The idea is the brainchild of Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra, and it is proposed to take shape by September.

Agartala, April 29 (IANS) Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat has said that the formation of a Third Front at the centre is no easy task as some political parties frequently change their allegiance.

"Third alternative front is not an easy task and it cannot be formed hastily. To form the third alternative front, the strength and political base of the CPI-M and Left parties must be strengthened," Karat said, addressing an extended meeting of the CPI-M state committee here Sunday night.