Manmohan Singh led UPA won Trus Vote by 275/256

Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh led UPA won the vote of trust in the Parliament by a comfortable margin on Tuesday, 22nd July, 2008. UPA government won the vote of confidence by 275 votes in favor and 256 against. Big step towards Ind0-US Nuclear deal.

Indian Parliament has 541 seats, and from the initial figures showed 253 votes in favor of the motion, 232 against and 2 abstentions in a total vote of 487. In the final results UPA got 275 in favor and 256 against and 10 abstentions.

After a long debate Speaker Somnath Chatterjee ordered voting by electronic voting machine. Even before the final result was announced, all the members of ruling alliance went to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to greet them on the victory in the confidence motion.

UPA government was in trouble after Left parties, which provided outside support since May 2004, withdrew it on the issue of government operationalising the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal by approaching the IAEA.

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray Arrested by Mumbai Police

The Mumbai police finally arrested Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party chief Raj Thackeray under different sections of IPC for promoting enmity between communities.

The police had earlier filed an FIR against the MNS chief under Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of places of birth, residence etc) 153D (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 117 (abetting the commission of any offence by the public) of the IPC.

All of these charges are cognizable and non-bailable offences.

A Mumbai police team, comprising 16 top police officers and over 200 personnel, arrived at Raj Thackeray's residence at around 1230 hrs IST on Wednesday and arrested Raj at about 1618 hrs IST even as police and paramilitary forces maintained tight security around the city in anticipation of a possible backlash by MNS workers.

One battalion of Rapid Action Force and three strike force of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) guarded the police team.

Benazir Bhutto killed in suicide attack on election rally.

Finally former Pakistan Primier Benazir Bhutto has been assasinated. After surviving several assassination attempts in the past, PPP and Pakistan opposition leader and former PM Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on Thursday in a suicide attack at a campaign rally that also killed at least 20 others.

The attacker struck just minutes after Bhutto addressed thousands of supporters in Rawalpindi. Benazir Bhutto was not so lucky on Thursday as she was killed by two gunmen who opened fire at her right after she finished addressing a rally at Liaquatbagh.

Bhutto got off the stage after addressing the rally and started moving towards her car. Her vehicle moved a certain distance and she was surrounded by party supporters. She came out of the car and just then two attackers with AK 47s pumped her with bullets, one in the neck and two in the head. After shooting, a third attacker blew himself up near Benazir's car.

Benazir was declared dead at 6.16 pm local time at a Rawalpindi hospital, 40 minutes after she was taken in. The attack also killed more than 20 people and left several others injured.

Nawaz Sharif described Benazir Bhutto's assassination as the most tragic incident in the history of Pakistan.

''I myself feel threatened,'' says Sharif, whose party temporarily suspended the electioneering in the wake of the assassination.

Bhutto is survived by her husband Asif Ali Zardari and three children. Before she returned to Pakistan in October, Benazir Bhutto told that she was not afraid of the threats.

In October some 130 people were killed in an attack on Bhutto's cavalcade when she returned to the country.

Benazir was the first female PM in the Muslim world. Three days of national mourning has been declared. The national flag will be flown at half mast.

Benazir is likely to be buried on Friday in Larkana near her father's grave. National and provincial assembly elections in Pakistan are due on January 8.

It was one of the worst incidents of violence in a year of deteriorating security in Pakistan.