Seoul, Jan. 26: South Korea’s First Lady Kim Yoon-ok’s ancestors had royal origin in Ayodhya! 

Colombo, Jan. 26: The Sri Lankan presidential election on Tuesday was unexpectedly peaceful but a bolt from the blue has hit the people — the main challenger to President Mahinda Rajapakse in this election was himself not a voter. Common Opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former Army Chief, conceded on Tuesday evening that he does not have a vote, thereby ending the day-long suspense about why he had not turned up at the poll booth while the President was among the early voters. 

New Delhi,Jan. 26: The Congress on Tuesday said awards like the Padma Bhushan should be given to people who add to its prestige, and not to those with a taint, even as the latest recipient, US-based hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, remained unfazed in the face of the controversy over his award. 

New Delhi, Jan. 26: The UPA government is planning an emergency recruitment drive to meet the shortfall of Indian Police Service Officers, the first such emergency exercise in post-Independence India. 

Chennai, Jan. 26: A "mobile phone recharge" helped reunite an India-born teacher from Belgium with her biological family after 28 years. The teacher, a young lady, has also learnt that she is actually younger than the 34 years she believed herself to be. 

NEW DELHI, Jan. 25: The Narendra Modi-led Guajarat government may have decided to make voting compulsory in the local body polls. But both his party’s national president Nitin Gadkari and the Election Commission (EC) have reservations over his move.

New Delhi, Jan. 25: The Congress on Monday managed to keep the Telangana issue out of the limelight as leaders of different political parties from Andhra Pradesh came to the national capital to take part in the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission.
 

NEW DELHI, Jan. 25: Barely a week after mincing no words in calling for a parliamentary standing committee on intelligence, vice-president Hamid Ansari again spoke his mind on Monday while stating that "unaccounted election expenses constitute the major expenditure of political parties and their candidates". 
 

New Delhi, Jan. 25: Brothers of senior JD(U) leader George Fernandes alleged that the wife and son of the socialist leader are preventing them from meeting those people whom he trusted the most.
 

Lucknow, Jan. 25: Amar Singh may now have to embark on a lonely journey when, and if, he finally exits from the SP.

A week after Mr Singh’s resignation from all party posts was accepted by the SP leadership, there is no indication to show that he could succeed in effecting a split in the party.

Not even a single legislator or MP in the Samajwadi Party has shown any signs of joining the ranks with Mr Amar Singh who is getting increasingly belligerent in his attacks against the SP leadership.

Mr Singh’s two closest aides in UP — Arvind Singh Gope and Akshay Pratap Singh — have already made their preference clear by actively participating in the Mulayam Singh–led agitation in Lucknow on January 19.

Both the legislators have professed their loyalty to Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Raja Bhaiyya, the independent MLA who is known for his proximity to Mr Amar Singh — particularly in Thakur politics — has also retraced his steps and is no longer taking up cudgels on behalf of his one-time mentor.

"Every legislator or MP has weighed the pros and cons before taking the decision to remain with the party. If they want to remain in electoral politics, they will remain with the Samajwadi Party which has its own organisation and vote base. Mr Amar Singh can offer them money but not a political base to contest elections," said a senior SP leader. However, sources in the Amar Singh camp insist that a number of legislators and MPs are in touch with the Thakur leader and would take a decision at the appropriate time.

The Samajwadi leaders contend that while it is alright for some MLAs and MPs to remain in touch with Mr Amar Singh, it is another matter altogether when it comes to quitting the party.

Amita Verma