News

2G case: CBI wants more time to respond to Balwa’s plea

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The CBI Thursday asked for more time from a court here to file its response on Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa’s plea for permission to withdraw the answers he gave in response to the court’s query in the ongoing trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was scheduled to file its reply Thursday, requested Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini to grant more time, saying it was not ready and will file a reply within a day or two.

The court fixed the matter for May 28 for further hearing.

Mayor promises 24 stadiums in GHMC limits

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GHMC Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain said that Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was committed to establish a stadium and a swimming pool in each of the 24 Assembly constituencies in the GHMC jurisdiction.

The Mayor has formally inaugurated the GHMC summer coaching camps- 2014 at Victory Play Ground, Chaderghat here on Thursday. He said that the regular Summer Coaching Camps this year has been delayed due to election model code of conduct and the camp inaugurated today will run up to June 10.

Saudi Arabian authorities delay Indian worker’s repatriation

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An amnesiac Indian expatriate, who is bedridden after a road accident nine months ago, has been facing delay in repatriation with authorities involved in a blame game, media reported Thursday.

Absaruddin Abdul Bari Shaikh, a cleaner, has been bedridden with memory loss after being hit by a speeding car in south-western Saudi Arabia July 14 that left him with fatal injuries and brain concussion.

LG to talk to President on govt formation in Delhi

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Amidst AAP’s flip-flop over government formation in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday said he will discuss the matter with President Pranab Mukherjee even as he made it clear that Arvind Kejriwal’s party has not sought fresh election yet.

“My lips are sealed. I cannot talk to you about it. This is between me and the President and I will talk to the President about it,” Jung told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

The LG was replying to a question on the possibility of formation of a new government in the national capital.

Anandiben: Gujarat’s first woman CM, India’s 15th

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In Anandiben Patel, Gujarat has got its first woman chief minister and the country its 15th woman head of a state government.

Currently, J. Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu and Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal are the only two women politicians heading state governments.

With Gujarat now, almost all the big states of the country have been headed by a woman chief minister at some time or the other.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, undivided Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are the only four major states — besides the smaller northeastern states — which have seen no woman chief minister.

Thomas Cup: A new dawn for French badminton

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It was a new beginning in the history of French badminton when their men’s team qualified for the Thomas Cup quarter-finals in their debut appearance.

Though the team lost 1-3 to Japan in the last eight clash here Thursday at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, they leave India on a high.

Considered minnows, the French were thrashed 0-5 by defending champions China in their Group D opener but came back strongly to defeat Asian powerhouse Chinese Taipei 3-2 and toppled one of the top European teams Russia 3-2 to qualify for the quarter-finals.

BCCI finding ways to guide teenage IPL players

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The Indian cricket board is considering ways of helping out under-19 players in the Indian Premier League (IPL), so that they are able to handle the fame and money the tourney brings them and do not go wayward, board interim chief Sunil Gavaskar said Thursday.

Assets of 165 re-elected MPs doubled in five years: ADR study

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The average assets of MPs re-elected to the 16th Lok Sabha have almost doubled in the last five years, a study has found.

Association for Democratic Reforms analysed the affidavits of 165 of the total 168 re-elected MPs, as three of them were “unclear/incomplete” as posted on the Election Commission’s website, and found that the average assets of these MPs fielded by various parties were Rs.5.38 crore in 2009 but have risen to Rs.12.78 crore in 2014.

Heavy rain, hailstorm lash Bangalore

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Wednesday evening threw life out of gear in many parts of the City, mainly South Bangalore by down pouring heavy rain accompanied by hailstorm.

Several trees and electric poles were uprooted, which leads to the disruption in power supply and traffic jams and chaos on roads.

According to the BBMP officials, more than 30 trees were uprooted in Hanumantha Nagar, Girinagar, Chamarajpet, Basappa Circle, Banashankari, Basaveshwaranagar,Jagajivanram Nagar, Thyagarajanagar, Nagarbhavi and Vijayanagar.

Kerala to plant one million saplings on Environment Day

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Kerala will mark the World Environment Day June 5 by planting a million saplings in an hour, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Thursday.

The state forests and environment ministry is organising the event in coordination with all state government departments and it will be executed by district administrations.

“Each of the 14 districts will be given 75,000 saplings and plantation will be done with the help of students, farmers, NGOs and women’s organisations,” Chandy said in a statement here.

“Saplings will be planted between 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. June 5,” he said.
(IANS)

Illegal hoardings remain an eyesore post-LS poll result

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The BBMP seems to have turned a blind eye towards the numerous illegal hoardings that have sprung everywhere, soon after the Lok Sabha results were announced.

Once the model code of conduct was announced, the Palike cracked the whip on illegal flexes and hoardings that flooded the City.
Over 29,585 flexes and banners and 26 unauthorized advertisement panels were removed by the civic agency removed. However, it is yet to initiate action against the advertisers after the results were out.

Supreme Court declines to hear Srinivasan’s plea

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Beleaguered BCCI president N. Srinivasan will have to stay away from discharging the functions as national cricketing body chief as the Supreme Court Thursday declined to hear his plea seeking restoration of his powers.

The apex court bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice A.K. Sikri declined to hear Srinivasan’s plea as, they said, they would not interfere with the order passed by another bench.

T-natives boil with rage as 50 Seemandhra doctors on Telangana list

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The Telangana Gandhi Doctors’ Association has registered a protest with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan following 50 doctors from Andhra region declaring them as part of Telangana.

The protesting doctors allege that even if these doctors from Gandhi Hospital were not from the region, they incorrectly put their nativity as Telangana.

The director of Health and Medical Education released a list of 560 doctors. The list is now being scrutinized by the T doctors who are checking whether there are false claims being made.

Fatah, Hamas choose PM of Palestine unity government

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Officials from the Islamic Hamas movement and the Fatah Party have tapped the premier of the Palestinian National Authority, Rami Hamdallah, for the role of prime minister in the Palestinian unity government, an official said Thursday.

“Fatah and Hamas agreed on nominating Hamdallah as the prime minister of the new transitional unity government, which will see light very soon,” Xin hua cited Al-Rai, Hamas’s official news agency, as quoting an unidentified official source.

Seemandhra employees to face legal action for forgery

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Telangana employees’ associations have decided to file police cases counter to Seemandhra employees who submitted forged certificates to secure postings in Telangana.

In addition to this, they have also decided to file petitions in courts against allotment of Seemandhra employees to Telangana.

This confrontation between Seemandhra and Telangana employees puts in jeopardy Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s plan to have trial runs of the administration prior to the official date of separation, June 2, to iron out any glitches.

RS seat for Pawan Kalyan as gift from Modi?

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Is Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan will be rewarded by the Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi with a Rajya Sabha berth for his contribution to the victory of the TD and BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh?

Speculation is widespread in political circles in the national capital that Mr Modi and the BJP will show their gratitude by sending him to the Upper House on a BJP ticket.

Arrested AAP leaders released from police custody

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AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav, Manish Sisodia and Jarnail Singh along with 56 party workers, who were arrested Wednesday night for protesting outside the Tihar Jail, were released Thursday, officials said.

Sisodia and Singh along with all arrested supporters were released in the morning after they furnished personal surety bonds.

Yadav, who refused to furnish a surety bond, was taken to the Tis Hazari court where Metropolitan Magistrate Ekta Gauba directed him to furnish a personal bond of Rs.5,000.

Yadav accepted the court’s decision and was freed after furnishing the bond.

We fired in the air, claimed BSF jawans

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The nine BSF jawans, who opened fire because of which three persons were killed during the May 14 communal clashes in Kishanbagh, have told the Cyberabad police teams investigating the case that they “only fired in the air“and hence “did not shoot down anybody.”

The jawans further said the investigators that they fired only 30 rounds as against the 100 spent cartridges of INSAS rifles that were reportedly found at the scene of the clashes.

According to police sources, the two communities come to blow over the burning of a religious flag.

31 killed in China market car-bomb explosions

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At least 31 people were killed and more than 90 injured Thursday when two explosives-laden vehicles were driven into a market and blown up in China’s Xinjiang region, an official said.

Two vehicles, without licence plates, broke through roadside fences and crashed into an open air market at Park North Street near Renmin Park at 7.50 a.m. and explosive devices were set off, said a statement issued by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s publicity department.

The incident occurred when the morning markets selling fresh groceries were crowded with people, Xinhua reported.

Leave MNJ Cancer ospital for T, Seemandhra have their own

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The MNJ Cancer Hospital in the city is the most up-to-date issue to face bifurcation blues.

Regarded as one of the oldest of the 30 regional cancer centres (RCC) in India, the 250-bed strength hospital is stretching its meager resources to serve cancer patients in the undivided state and the border districts of neighboring states.

However, the Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGDA) wants the facility solely for the needs of patients from the T region.

A representation on this issue was given by TGDA to the governor through his advisors.

Seemandhra to occupy Deccan Queen

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Acynosure of Nizam’s legacy will continue to draw hundreds of people in Vijayawada and will not be homecoming to Telangana after the state’s bifurcation.

As the officials have decided that `Deccan Queen’, an Albion bus, and a heritage asset of Nizam State Rail and Road Transport Department (NSR-RTD) kept at Pandit Nehru bus station in the city will remain the property of APSRTC in Seemandhra.

The NSR-RTD operated 27 Albion buses in 1932 all through the Nizam state as part of Nizam’s Guaranteed State Railway (NGSR).

Jordan gears up for papal visit

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Jordan is gearing up to welcome Pope Francis who is scheduled to visit the Arab nation May 24, his first visit since he was elected to the post.

The visit comes after the visit of Jordan’s King Abdullah II to the Vatican in August last year.

According to an official statement issued by the Jordanian royal court, both Christians and Muslims of Jordan are happy that the head of the Catholic church has accepted the invitation that was extended by King Abdullah II.

Uthappa powers Knight Riders to 195/4

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Robin Uthappa struck a blistering unbeaten 83 off 51 balls to take Kolkata Knight Riders to a mammoth 195 for four against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens here Thursday.

Shakib Al Hasan also came up with a whirlwind knock of 60 runs from 38 balls. Royal Challengers pacers Mitchell Starc, Ashok Dinda and Abu Nechim Ahmed picked up a wicket each.

Priyanka should take up formal position in Congress: Thomas

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Outgoing union minister K.V. Thomas has said that Congress workers were keen that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joins “the organisation” as it needs a younger leadership which could lead the party after its worst defeat in the general election.

Priyanka is one year younger to Rahul Gandhi, her brother and party general secretary.

Afghan presidential hopefuls want transparent runoff

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As the three-week campaign for the second round of Afghan presidential elections between the two frontrunners began Thursday, both the presidential hopefuls have called for a transparent result of the runoff.

“We want a transparent result for the second round of the elections. This is the demand of the people that their votes must be respected and the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Election Complaints Commission (ECC) should discharge their responsibility honestly as per the law,” Xinhua quoted Abdullah Abdullah as saying while addressing hundreds of his supporters.