China says it didn’t rebuff Manmohan

Beijing, July 17: China on Thursday rejected suggestions that it had snubbed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by not extending an invitation for the Olympics opening ceremony and said Indian leaders were welcome to the event.

Beijing also clarified that it is the national Olympic committee of the nation concerned which invites the head of a government or state. "As the host of Beijing Olympics, China welcomes heads of states, including Indian leaders to attend the relevant activities (Olympic opening ceremony)," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said. He was responding to a query that China had invited Sonia Gandhi to the opening ceremony of Olympics, while ignoring PM. —PTI

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Maha, Gujarat to sign MoUs on river project

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi

July 17: CMs of Maharashtra and Gujarat will sign MoUs for two river-link projects in the presence of Prime minister Manmohan Singh very shortly, according to Union water resources minister Saifuddin Soz. The river links are — Par-Tapi-Narmada and Damanganga-Pinjal.

The draft MoUs for taking up their detailed project reports have received the concurrence of the two state governments recently. The draft MoUs were sent to the two state governments for their concurrence in April last year.

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Testimony of rape victim is enough: SC

New Delhi, July 17: The Supreme Court has ruled that testimony of the victim, if convincing, is sufficient to convict an accused even if there is no medical evidence to support the charge.

"In a given case even if the doctor who examines a victim does not find any sign of rape, it is no ground to disbelieve the sole testimony of the prosecutrix (rape victim)," a bench of justices Arijit Pasayat and P. Sathasivam observed. The court reasoned that credible testimony of the victim is sufficient for the courts as, in normal course, a victim of sexual assault does not like to disclose such offence even before her family. —PTI