1 APRIL 2014

Ø  The Supreme Court commuted the death sentence awarded to Devendra Pal Singh Bhullar to life imprisonment in view of the inordinate delay in the disposal of his mercy petition and his mental illness.

Ø  U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell resigned.

Ø  Archaeologists have unearthed a 3,300-year-old tomb which had a 7-metre-high pyramid at its entrance in an ancient cemetery in Egypt. The tomb, found at the site of Abydos, contained skeletal remains from three to four men, 10 to 12 women and at least two children. Within one of its vaulted burial chambers, archaeologists found a finely-crafted sandstone sarcophagus painted red.

Ø  The UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) asked Japan to stop its whaling programme in the Antarctic. Japan catches about 1,000 whales each year in the region for what it calls scientific research. Australia in May 2010 filed a case with the ICJ, arguing that Japan’s programme — under which it kills whales — is actually commercial whaling in disguise. Presiding Judge Peter Tomka on Monday ordered a temporary halt to the Japanese programme. The court said it has decided, by 12 votes to four, “that Japan shall revoke any extant authorisation, permit or licence granted in relation to whaling programme in the Antarctic and refrain from granting any further permits in pursuance of that programme”. The court also in a statement said that “the programme is not for scientific purposes”.