Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing his second rally of the day in Karnataka, once again went on the offensive against the Congress.&nbsp;

"We are talking about enhancing 'ease of doing business' in the country, but Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder'," he said.&nbsp;

"This is the culture they have developed," he added.&nbsp;

"Violence cannot exist in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. The Congress must answer on increasing crimes," Modi said.&nbsp;

Modi was speaking at Udupi. He had earlier in the day addressed a rally at Mysuru. He will after his address another rally in Chikkodi.

Modi's campaign blitzkrieg will include 12 more rallies in Karnataka until May 8.

The state goes to the polls on May 12, with the results out on May 15.&nbsp;

In Udupi, Modi promised the people of Karnataka&nbsp;"development" in return for their "love".&nbsp;

"Your enthusiasm is proof that you've made up your mind to punish the Congress party," he said.&nbsp;

"Your love is such that language cannot act as a barrier between us. I will not let your hard work go in vain. I will return this love in the form of development," he added.&nbsp;

Siddaramaiah: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/siddaramaiah-janata-parivar-veteran-and-congresss-best-bet-in-karnataka-polls-133957">Janata Parivar veteran and Congress's best bet in Karnataka polls</a>

BS Yeddyurappa: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/b-s-yeddyurappa-karnatakas-lingayat-strongman-bjp-is-pinning-its-hope-on-133936">Karnataka's Lingayat strongman BJP is pinning its hope on</a>

The Congress, Modi said, promotes violence and intolerance. "There can be nothing worse than the&nbsp;attack on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-lokayukta-justice-vishwanath-shetty-stabbed-attacker-arrested-34982">Lokayukta</a>," he said.&nbsp;

Modi accused Karnataka's Congress government of shielding the sand mafia. "Those who loot cannot be allowed to remain in power. They must go," he said.&nbsp;

Adding that "atkana, latkana and bhatkana&nbsp;has become the habit of the Congress".&nbsp;

"Government opened bank accounts for the poor. Over 31 crores accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. If Congress had ensured their bank accounts, the poor would have contributed so much to the economy," Modi said.&nbsp;

Hitting a softer note, he said: "There might be political differences between parties but civility and respect should be maintained. Whenever former PM Deve Gowda Ji visits me in Delhi I always welcome him with respect and always give him time."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before going on the offensive again and saying, "The way Rahul Gandhi talked about him recently is shameful."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Modi had attacked Rahul in the morning too, in his address in Mysuru.&nbsp;

"Can <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/can-rahul-gandhi-speak-for-15-minutes-pm-modi-at-karnataka-rally-133953">Rahul speak for 15 minutes</a> without the help of a paper?"&nbsp;Modi had asked then. The comment was a riposte to the Congress President challenging Modi to a 15-minute debate.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Violence cannot exist in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. The Congress must answer on increasing crimes,' Modi said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing his second rally of the day in Karnataka, once again went on the offensive against the Congress. "We are talking about enhancing 'ease of doing business' in the country, but Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder'," he said. "This is the culture they have developed," he added. "Violence cannot exist in a democracy. It is shameful how BJP karyakartas were murdered in Karnataka. The Congress must answer on increasing crimes," Modi said. Modi was speaking at Udupi. He had earlier in the day addressed a rally at Mysuru. He will after his address another rally in Chikkodi. Modi's campaign blitzkrieg will include 12 more rallies in Karnataka until May 8. The state goes to the polls on May 12, with the results out on May 15. In Udupi, Modi promised the people of Karnataka "development" in return for their "love". "Your enthusiasm is proof that you've made up your mind to punish the Congress party," he said. "Your love is such that language cannot act as a barrier between us. I will not let your hard work go in vain. I will return this love in the form of development," he added. Siddaramaiah: Janata Parivar veteran and Congress's best bet in Karnataka polls BS Yeddyurappa: Karnataka's Lingayat strongman BJP is pinning its hope on The Congress, Modi said, promotes violence and intolerance. "There can be nothing worse than the attack on the Lokayukta," he said. Modi accused Karnataka's Congress government of shielding the sand mafia. "Those who loot cannot be allowed to remain in power. They must go," he said. Adding that "atkana, latkana and bhatkana has become the habit of the Congress". "Government opened bank accounts for the poor. Over 31 crores accounts have been opened under Jan Dhan Yojana. If Congress had ensured their bank accounts, the poor would have contributed so much to the economy," Modi said. Hitting a softer note, he said: "There might be political differences between parties but civility and respect should be maintained. Whenever former PM Deve Gowda Ji visits me in Delhi I always welcome him with respect and always give him time." Before going on the offensive again and saying, "The way Rahul Gandhi talked about him recently is shameful." Modi had attacked Rahul in the morning too, in his address in Mysuru. "Can Rahul speak for 15 minutes without the help of a paper?" Modi had asked then. The comment was a riposte to the Congress President challenging Modi to a 15-minute debate.

Govt talks of 'ease of doing business', Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder': Modi in Karnataka's Udupi

A bomb in a crowded in market in the north Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday killed at least two people and wounded 15, police officials said. 
 
Mazar-i-Sharif, an important commercial centre near the border with Uzbekistan, has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul. 
 
The attack on Tuesday was carried out by a suicide bomber, said police commander Baba Jan. 
 
&quot;The bomber detonated his explosives in the main market and all the victims are civilians,&quot; he said. 
 
The Ministry of Interior, however, reported that a bomb had been hidden in a cart. 
 
In February, three people were killed in an attack on a bus carrying military personnel not far from Mazar-i-Sharif, and in January, militants attacked the Indian consulate in the city. 
 
(Reuters)

Mazar-i-Sharif has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul

A bomb in a crowded in market in the north Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday killed at least two people and wounded 15, police officials said. Mazar-i-Sharif, an important commercial centre near the border with Uzbekistan, has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul. The attack on Tuesday was carried out by a suicide bomber, said police commander Baba Jan. "The bomber detonated his explosives in the main market and all the victims are civilians," he said. The Ministry of Interior, however, reported that a bomb had been hidden in a cart. In February, three people were killed in an attack on a bus carrying military personnel not far from Mazar-i-Sharif, and in January, militants attacked the Indian consulate in the city. (Reuters)

Bomb goes off in crowded city market in Afghanistan, two killed, 15 injured

Egypt&#39;s ousted Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo court in an espionage trial in which six co-defendants were handed death penalties for leaking state secrets on military intelligence to Qatar and a Doha-based TV network. 
 
The Cairo Criminal Court upheld the death sentences of the six Muslim Brotherhood members and awarded life imprisonment to two others. 
 
Life in prison in Egypt is 25 years. But Morsi, who received life in prison for leading an unlawful group, was given an additional 15 years for stealing documents related to national security, increasing his jail term to 40 years. 
 
The six co-defendants were Ahmed Abdo Ali Afifi, a documentary film producer (who is in jail), Asmaa el-Khateeb, a reporter with Rasd News Network which is widely suspected of links to Morsi&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood (sentenced in absentia). 
 
Two more included Al-Jazeera employees - news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal (both sentenced in absentia). 
 
Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state, was the main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood during his term in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military overthrew and detained him.&nbsp;Today&#39;s verdicts are not final and can be appealed. 
 
Last month, the court ordered that case documents of the six defendants, excluding Morsi, be referred to the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all death sentences. His decision, however, is not binding. 
 
The co-defendents have been convicted for leaking classified documents to Qatar and selling them to Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. The documents allegedly include information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and state policy secrets. 
 
Other charges include leading and joining the outlawed Brotherhood, that aims at changing Egypt&#39;s regime by force, and attacking army and police posts and public properties. 
 
Muslim Brotherhood&#39;s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 35 other members of the proscribed Islamist group were last month sentenced to life for committing violent acts after the ouster of country&#39;s first democratically-elected President in 2013. 
 
Badie and Morsi were also sentenced to life in prison in the espionage case. Their sentences are currently in appeal. 
 
Morsi, Badie and 100 other leaders were sentenced to death in June last year for escaping from prison in 2011. 
 
However, an Egyptian court later quashed the death sentence against Badie. Hundreds of other Muslim Brotherhood members were also sentenced for life in various cases. 
 
The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters since Morsi&#39;s ouster. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist group in November 2013 by the government. 
(PTI)

Six other co-defendants, including three journalists, were handed death penalties for leaking military secrets to Qatar

Egypt's ousted Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo court in an espionage trial in which six co-defendants were handed death penalties for leaking state secrets on military intelligence to Qatar and a Doha-based TV network. The Cairo Criminal Court upheld the death sentences of the six Muslim Brotherhood members and awarded life imprisonment to two others. Life in prison in Egypt is 25 years. But Morsi, who received life in prison for leading an unlawful group, was given an additional 15 years for stealing documents related to national security, increasing his jail term to 40 years. The six co-defendants were Ahmed Abdo Ali Afifi, a documentary film producer (who is in jail), Asmaa el-Khateeb, a reporter with Rasd News Network which is widely suspected of links to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood (sentenced in absentia). Two more included Al-Jazeera employees - news producer Alaa Omar Mohammed and news editor Ibrahim Mohammed Hilal (both sentenced in absentia). Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state, was the main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood during his term in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military overthrew and detained him. Today's verdicts are not final and can be appealed. Last month, the court ordered that case documents of the six defendants, excluding Morsi, be referred to the Grand Mufti, who according to Egyptian law must review all death sentences. His decision, however, is not binding. The co-defendents have been convicted for leaking classified documents to Qatar and selling them to Doha-based Al-Jazeera channel. The documents allegedly include information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and state policy secrets. Other charges include leading and joining the outlawed Brotherhood, that aims at changing Egypt's regime by force, and attacking army and police posts and public properties. Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and 35 other members of the proscribed Islamist group were last month sentenced to life for committing violent acts after the ouster of country's first democratically-elected President in 2013. Badie and Morsi were also sentenced to life in prison in the espionage case. Their sentences are currently in appeal. Morsi, Badie and 100 other leaders were sentenced to death in June last year for escaping from prison in 2011. However, an Egyptian court later quashed the death sentence against Badie. Hundreds of other Muslim Brotherhood members were also sentenced for life in various cases. The Egyptian government has been cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters since Morsi's ouster. The Muslim Brotherhood was designated as a terrorist group in November 2013 by the government. (PTI)

Egypt's ousted Islamist President Morsi sentenced to life in jail, plus 15 years

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