Hosni Mubarak sentenced to three years in jail

1.    Hosni Mubarak sentenced to three years in jail

i. An Egyptian court on Wednesday sentenced ousted president Hosni Mubarak to three years in prison after finding the 86-year-old leader guilty of embezzling public funds, three years after he was toppled following a popular uprising. 

ii. His two sons, 53-year-old Alaa Mubarak and 50-year-old Gamal Mubarak - were also convicted and given four-year terms for embezzling USD 17.9 million of funds earmarked for the renovation of presidential palaces. 
iii. The trio was also fined USD 17.6 million and ordered to reimburse USD 2.9 million to the state treasury. Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades, is also facing trial for abuse of power and conspiring in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that forced him to quit.
iv. He was found guilty of the charge relating to the protesters in 2012 along with his former Interior Minister,

v. Habib al-Adly, and sentenced to life in prison. But in January 2013 a court upheld an appeal by them against their convictions and ordered a retrial.

2.    Former minister Sitaram Prasad passes away

i. Veteran Congress leader and former minister Sitaram Prasad passed away at a private hospital here today after protracted illness, his family sources said.

ii. He was 93. Prasad is survived by two daughters.

iii. A member of the state legislative assembly for four terms between 1969 and 1985 representing Shikarpur Assembly seat in West Champaran district, he had served as a minister in the government headed by the then Chief Minister Kedar Pandey in early 1970s.

3.    Nation remembers Rajiv Gandhi on his martyrdom day today

i. Nation on Wednesday remembered Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary with leaders paying homage at his memorial in New Delhi.

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi paid tribute at Virbumi in New Delhi on Wednesday. 
iii. Rajiv Gandhi was the ninth Prime Minister of the country. He was also the youngest Prime Minister of the country.

iv. He was appointed at the age of 40. His martyrdom day is also commemorated as Anti terrorism day. 
v. The proponent of Modern India and the former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi was born on 20th August, 1944.
vi. He was the first in the country, giving priority to the use of technology and also emphasised on the use of computers. 

4.  Kiran Bedi ready to be BJP’s Delhi CM candidate

i. A day after dropping hints of joining politics, former IPS officer and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Wednesday said she was ready to become the BJP’s chief ministerial nominee in Delhi if such an offer was made to her.

ii. “I will consider myself to be ready for it if such an offer is made,” she said.

iii. The former IPS officer was asked if she would become the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in case of fresh elections in Delhi.

iv. The BJP had projected Harsh Vardhan as the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the Assembly polls in December last year.

v. Dr. Vardhan has won the Lok Sabha elections from Chandni Chowk and there is speculation that Ms. Bedi may be considered the BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate in the next assembly polls.