News

Karnataka seeks Centre nod for special courts to try land grabbing cases

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Karnataka Government would try to prevail upon the Central government to allow it to set up special courts to try cases of encroachment of government land and to get Presidential nod for the Karnataka Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill, 2011, passed by the legislature.

“I will visit Delhi to meet the Union Home Secretary to prevail over the importance of setting up special courts to try cases of encroachment of government land and to get Presidential nod for the bill,” state Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters here.

“Entrepreneurship Development Programme” for unemployed graduates

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Osmania University is organizing a 4-week “Entrepreneurship Development Programme” for the unemployed graduates who passed in Degree, P.G in Diploma / Engineering / Technology /Medicine /Pharmacy / Management etc. The 4 weeks programme will commence from May 26.

The programme will give the knowledge of entrepreneurship traits such as Project Identification, Project Report preparation, Sources of finance, Licenses and clearances, IPR, Marketing management etc.

Indian consulate attacked in Afghanistan

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The Indian consulate in Afghanistan was attacked Friday by unidentified gunmen and it still continues, an official said.

“All the staff of the Indian consulate are safe. The attack is continuing and further details can be given only once it stops,” Syed Akbaruddin, external affairs ministry spokesman, told IANS.

The gunmen tried to enter the consulate in Herat city and later fired from the neighbouring buildings. The attack started around 3.30 a.m., BBC reported.

No details of casualties have been reported yet.

The area has been surrounded by security forces.IANS

Asad Owaisi demands passing of communal violence bill

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Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi called on TRS president Mr. K Chandrashekhar Rao along with other majlisi leaders and submitted a memorandum including special package for old city, waver of electricity bill and other demands.

During the meeting with TRS president at latter’s residence MIM chief suggested that Telangana government emblem should carry the picture of historic Charminar so that communal harmony message could be conveyed. The other demands included declaring Urdu as the official language and passing of communal violence bill.

FIFA issues World Cup ticket warning

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Football’s governing body FIFA has warned that fans with unauthorized tickets will be barred from entering stadiums during the World Cup.

The Zurich-based body expressed concern in a statement released Thursday about the illegitimate ticket sales for the June 12-July 13 event, reported Xinhua.

“Over the last few weeks, we have unfortunately seen more and more people leaving our ticket centres disappointed as they failed to collect their tickets purchased through unofficial websites,” FIFA said.

US army offers its engineering expertise to India

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The US Army Corps of Engineers has offered India its expertise in fields ranging from water resource management to research and development, environmental issues and construction of facilities for soldiers and civilians.

“I think it’s a wonderfully advanced country in many respects, and their engineers are some of the brightest, I think, in the world,” Lt Gen Thomas Bostick, Commanding General and Chief of Engineers for the US Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday.

Fire in parliament house

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A minor fire broke out Friday morning on the third floor of parliament house here, an official said.

The fire was reported at 8.40 a.m. and seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

“The fire broke out from the air-conditioners on the floor,” a fire official told IANS.

The fire was doused by 8.50 a.m.

–IANS

Govt. workers will get salary on May 24

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In view of the division of Andhra Pradesh state, all cash payments including salaries of May should be completed by May 24. All the accounts till April should be completed by May 24.

In the light of direction issued by Director State Treasuries Department all prime treasury offices will work round the clock from May 22 to May 24.

Government has issued orders to deposit the amount of pension in the accounts of all the pensioners.

Siasat news

Loan subsidy scheme begins

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Minority Finance Corporation’s bank-linked loan subsidy scheme has begun. After getting permission by the government, the Corporation released 7.30 crore rupees towards subsidy on one single day.

‘A third of Burundi people suffering food insecurity’

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At least one-third of the Burundian population suffers from food insecurity, a study conducted by the UN World Food Programme has found.

During a workshop held Thursday it was told how a recent survey found at least one third of the Burundian population is suffering from food insecurity.

“The most affected areas include the provinces of Muramvya, Mwaro, Karusi and Rutana,” said Jean Mahwane, head of Food Security unity at the World Food Program (WFP) in Burundi, citing the content of the global analysis of nutritional and food security and vulnerability in Burundi.

US adds UAV to search Nigerian girls

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The US Defence Department’s addition of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and 80 Air Force troops to US efforts supporting Nigeria’s search for over 200 kidnapped girls has turned the mission into an air operation, a Pentagon spokesman said Thursday.

The UAV system and Air Force personnel were deployed not to Nigeria but to neighbouring Chad under an agreement with the Chadian government, Xinhua quoted spokesman Steve Warren as saying at a press conference.

Because basing the air assets there, closer to the search area, allows the aircraft to spend more time overhead,” he said.

Libyan government wants militias to leave Tirpoli

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The Libyan interim government Thursday called for all militias to leave Tripoli since their presence ” threatened the city and the safety of its residents”.

The government has urged all militias to leave Tripoli and stay out of politics, Xinhua quoted Libyan Culture Minister Habib Lamine as reading out a statement on television, adding that bringing more armed groups into the city will only exacerbate the situation and will not resolve the current political crisis.

Six killed in army action against Al Qaeda men in Yemen

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A mortar shell fired by Yemeni armed forces fighting with dozens of suspected Al Qaeda gunmen killed six civilians and wounded two in Shabwa province, Xinhua quoted a tribal chief as saying Thursday.

“The armed forces fired several mortar shells against Al Qaeda positions near al-Saeed region in Shabwa. One shell hit a civilian car by mistake, killing about six tribesmen and injuring two,” Xinhua quoted the tribal chief as saying.

Local residents confirmed the incident saying that a military site operated by army troops in the region was behind the botched attack.

UN chief dismayed by rebel attack in Ukraine

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has said he is dismayed by the deadly overnight attack against a military checkpoint in eastern Ukraine.

With three days before presidential elections, Ban appealed in a statement Thursday to all parties to “redouble their efforts and help create the necessary conditions so that all eligible voters throughout the country may cast their ballots in a free and fair environment and without fear for their safety”, Xinhua reported.

World Bank approves $1.5 bn aid for Ukraine

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The World Bank Thursday announced to have approved a financing of about 1.5 billion dollars for three new projects in Ukraine to help the crisis-hit country carry out the critical reforms and build infrastructure.

The financing of the three projects, with approval of the World Bank Board, is part of the bank’s overall assistance to Ukraine announced in March.

The World Bank announced in March to provide the country with up to $3.5 billion by this year-end, Xinhua reported.

Tourist from Andhra Pradesh drowned, one missing

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One person drowned and another was missing at the Mogaveerapatna Beach at Ullal near here when a huge wave washed away five tourists, police said.

Three persons were saved by local people and other tourists on the beach, police said.

The victims belonged to a group of 25 tourists belonging to four families from Andhra Pradesh. They had come to the beach after visiting the famous Syed Madani Dargah at Ullal.

—PTI

Ram Temple not the only aim of bringing BJP coming to power: VHP

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Building of Ram Temple was not the only aim of ensuring that BJP came to power, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal said.

“Our aim was only one: that we come to Parliament with a big majority. Only building the Ram temple was not our aim. We wanted to come in such large number that the Ram temple is also built subsequently and no one dares to bring the temple down,” he told at an event organised by industrialist BK Modi.

Claiming that the relevance of minority vote bank is over, he said Muslims should make sure that they are not used as vote bank.

AAP to launch door-to-door campaign against Nitin Gadkari

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Aam Aadmi Party has decided to launch a public awareness campaign against former BJP president Nitin Gadkari for his alleged involvement in land scams following the arrest of its chief Arvind Kejriwal,

“AAP will launch a public awareness campaign to remind the people about the involvement of former BJP President Nitin Gadkari in mega land scams and his attempts to provide favours to private companies in Maharashtra.

Narendra Modi’s swearing-in preparations underway at Rashtrapati Bhavan

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Preparations are underway at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for May 26 swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the country’s 15th Prime Minister which will be attended by heads of SAARC nations.

Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said coordination meetings were being chaired by Amita Paul, Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee, with security agencies, Delhi Police and officials of various ministries for the gala event on Monday at 6 PM.

This is for the first time that heads of the states of SAARC nations have been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister.

Sonia Gandhi set to be re-elected Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson

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Sonia Gandhi is expected to be re- elected as the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party at its first meeting in New Delhi on May 24 after the 16th Lok Sabha polls which saw the party’s strength in the House nosediving to 44 from 206 in 2009.

The meeting of the CPP general body is being held ahead of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government taking over on May 26.

Congress has closed its ranks behind the Gandhis to lead them in these “tough and trying times” for the party.

China Xinjiang blast kills 31 people, around 90 injured: Report

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Today’s incident was regarded as the worst violence as militants who largely confined to knife attacks used multiple explosives besides triggering a car bomb.

Last month Xinjiang was the scene of a railways station attack which killed three and injured 79 people. The attack was blamed on radical religious extremists seeking to take control of the region.

Police will step up patrols and security control over possible terrorist targets and prevent ripple effects, President Xi said in a statement.

Congress should do ‘ruthless introspection’: Party leaders

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Congress should do “ruthless introspection” and only those having experience of field work should be given leadership roles, party leaders on Thursday said in a veiled attack on ‘Team Rahul’ in wake of its crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress leader Milind Deora, who had yesterday said that Rahul Gandhi’s advisers did not have their “ears to the ground” and those with “no electoral experience” were “calling the shots”, today stuck to his guns, saying his comments are borne out of deep loyalty to the party and pain due to its performance in the polls.

South Africa to grant Indians business visas in four days

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South Africa will grant visas to Indian businessmen wishing to explore prospects in the country within four days of submitting an application, its envoy here said Thursday.

“Since South Africa enjoys a cordial relationship with India, and its companies are expanding their businesses in South Africa, the decision to grant visa facilities has been taken to further cement business ties between both countries,” South African High Commissioner France Morule said at a PHD Chamber of Commerce meeting.