New Delhi, Jan. 21 : Former President R Venkataraman, who has been admitted to the Army Hospital Research and Referral here, continues to be in critical condition.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil visited him in the hospital at around 10:30 this morning to enquire about his medical state. She was there for nearly 30 minutes.

Venkataraman has been in the hospital for the last ten days after complaining of dehydration.

"His condition remains critical and he is on life support system," Brigadier A K Sharma, Administrative head of the hospital said.

New Delhi, Jan. 21 : President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil flagged-off a roller skating marathon while launching the ''Save Girl Child'' campaign on Wednesday here.

The `Save Girl Child Campaign' has been initiated by the Bharatiya Aggarwal Sammelan to create awreness among the people about the increasing percentage of female feoticide in the country.

During the marathon, participants will stop in every city and village to propagate against the female feoticide.

New Delhi, Jan. 21 : The National Conference of Ministers of Housing, Urban Development and Municipal Administration has recommended that 2010 be declared as the "Year for Affordable Housing".

The other eleven recommendations of the conference, which met on Tuesday are:

1. State specific policy focusing on Affordable Housing with supporting action plans for augmenting supply of land at affordable prices should be developed.

2. States to draw up the road map and a vision for `Slum Free City'.

New Delhi, Jan 21, : A Delhi court on Wednesday sent the five accused to judicial custody till February 4, in last year's Delhi blasts case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja took cognizance of the chargesheet filed against them in the September 13 serial blasts in the capital and posted the matter for February 4.

The Court has also directed the police to supply copies of chargesheets to all the accused in connection with karol Bagh, Greater kailash-1 and Barakhabha Road bomb blasts.

New Delhi, Jan. 21 : Reputed lawyer and constitutional expert Fali Nariman has rejected the Delhi High Court's request to assist it in a case filed by the Supreme Court challenging a directive that can ask the judges of the apex court to declare their assets publicly.

In a letter sent to the Delhi High Court, Nariman said the law is same for everybody and that the judges of the highest court must show that they too are agreeable to true practice.

New Delhi, Jan 21 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today asked the international community to collectively fight the menace of terrorism.

Addressing the first Delhi Dialogue on Regional Security and Cooperation here, Mukherjee said the growing political and economic linkages with ASEAN nations will send a message that the designs of terrorists will be defeated not just by India but by the International community as a whole.

"The trend towards inter-connectedness needs to grow much more," he added.