• NATIONAL

2 more cases filed against Varun

Two more cases were filed on Thursday against Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh Varun Gandhi. The cases, relating to violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Mr. Gandhi, have been filed on the directives of the Election Commission.

State ADG, Law and Order, Brij Lal told newspersons that the cases were lodged by the District Magistrate of Pilibhit at the Barkhera and Hardoi police stations in the district. The DM, Mahendra Prasad Agarwal, who was transferred by the EC on Wednesday, is awaiting his replacement.

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Dems want to tax AIG bonuses: Is it even legal?

House Democrats moved to quell the public storm over $165 million paid to disgraced traders at insurer AIG, but their frantic efforts appeared to threaten key parts of President Obama's agenda just two months into his presidency.

Calling for justice, a livid House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed a bill through the House today to tax at 90 percent most of the bonuses paid to executives of companies receiving taxpayer money.

But legal experts say the bill might be of dubious constitutionality, and it could complicate the administration's plans to fix banking problems at the heart of the nation's economic contraction.

Obama pledges to use all legal avenues to block AIG bonuses

President Barack Obama vowed yesterday to pursue "every single legal avenue" to block $165m (£117m) in bonus payments by AIG amid mounting anger over the stricken insurance group's use of federal bail-out funds.

His remarks came as Andrew Cuomo, New York attorney-general, opened an investigation into the bonuses and threatened AIG with subpoenas to secure the names of employees who received the money

Mr Obama voiced "outrage" that a group dependent on federal funds for survival was topping up salaries at a time when ordinary Americans were struggling to make ends meet. "This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed," he said. "Under these circumstances, it's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165m in extra pay." Administration officials said the Treasury department planned to recoup the cash by modifying the terms of a fresh $30bn capital infusion granted to AIG earlier this month.

Legal move gives green light to US suppliers of medical marijuana

In a further sign that the Obama administration is shifting away from the "war on drugs" policies of its predecessor, the country's top law enforcement official has announced that the federal government will end raids on groups that supply medical marijuana.

Eric Holder, the attorney general, said federal agencies would now concentrate their efforts on traffickers who pass themselves as medical dispensaries and "use medical marijuana laws as a shield".