News

Sania crashes out of women’s doubles

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Indian women’s doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Rushmi Chakarvarthi were knocked out of the tennis competition of the 2012 London Olympics by Chia-Jung Chuang and Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei in the opening round here Saturday.

The Indian pair battled hard but were finally defeated 1-6, 6-3, 1-6 in 91 minutes at the Wimbledon grass court.

The first set was a washout for the Indians as they managed just eight winners compared to Taipei pair’s 19.

Sania and Rushmi fought back well in the second set, even though they hit less winners. They converted both the break points on offer.

Plane crashes in southeastern Brazil killing 8

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A twin-engine plane has crashed near an airport in southeastern Brazil, killing all eight people aboard.

Rodrigo Dias, an official of the company that manages the airport of Juiz de Fora, says the plane crashed this morning in a wooded area. No one on the ground was hurt.

Dias says it was foggy at the time of the accident but the exact cause of the crash is unknown.

The G1 online news site owned by the O Globo media organisation says the plane burst into flames when it hit the ground.

AP Cong functionary held for ‘misbehaving’ with woman patient

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A functionary of the Andhra Pradesh Congress was arrested today for allegedly “misbehaving” with a 25-year-old woman patient at his private hospital here, police said.

Dr Jayendra Rishnath, convener of the state Congress committee’s Doctors Cell, was held on charge of misbehaving with the woman patient at his Kerala Aurveda Hospital here and remanded in judicial custody till August 9, police sub-inspector Ranganayakulu told reporters.

Advani to visit Assam on July 30, 31

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After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to violence-hit Kokrajhar in Assam on Saturday, BJP leader L K Advani will undertake a two-day visit to the affected areas on July 30 and 31.

Advani will visit the worst-affected Kokrajhar district and some other areas in the state and meet the affected people there.

Earlier, a BJP fact-finding team had visited the affected areas and gave its report to party president Nitin Gadkari.

The BJP has accused the Congress party at the Centre and the state for the current situation and for not taking effective steps to curb violence.

Assam riots a blot on the nation: PM; Rs 300-crore package ‎

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who visited the violence-affected areas of Assam on Saturday, termed the ethnic riot as a “blot on the nation”.

While announcing a special package of Rs 300 cr for the violence-hit survivors PM said “a sense of security should be instilled among people in all affected areas.”

He announced Rs 100 crore for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people in the six affected districts, Rs 100 crore as Special Plan assistance for development programmes in the affected areas and another Rs 100 crore under the Indira Awas Yojana.

London Olympics means $26 bn boost for Britain

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As the sporting extravaganza of London Olympics 2012 started Saturday, irrespective of the medals’ tally for Britain, the country’s stuttering economy is all set to benefit from a 17 billion pounds (over $26 billion) bounce from the Games.

According to Daily Express, business experts believe the Games will deliver a much-needed boost which should help lift the country out of the double-dip recession. They reckon the positive impact on jobs and growth will continue to be felt for five years.

Russia denies plans to grant asylum to Assad

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(IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia has no plans to provide asylum to embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“We are not even thinking about it. Those who are trying to plant this idea into the minds of the international community, pursue their dirty goals,” Lavrov said.

“It’s just provocations by those who want to put the entire blame for what is going on in Syria on Russia and China, allegedly because we have been blocking something,” he said.

Olympics: Medals tally

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The following is the medals tally of the 2012 London Games here Saturday.

Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

China 2 0 1 3
Italy 1 1 0 2
Brazil 1 0 1 2
South Korea 1 0 1 2
Kazakhstan 1 0 0 1
Russia 1 0 0 1
Japan 0 2 0 2
Colombia 0 1 0 1
Poland 0 1 0 1
Romania 0 1 0 1
USA 0 1 0 1
Belgium 0 0 1 1
Hungary 0 0 1 1
Norway 0 0 1 1
North Korea 0 0 1 1
Serbia 0 0 1 1
Uzbekistan 0 0 1 1

Olympics swimming: Rochte claims gold, Phelps off podium

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US swimming sensation Ryan Lochte stole the headlines at the London Olympics swimming Saturday with a emphatic win in the men’s 400 metres individual medley, while the illustrious Michael Phelps was shut out of a medal.

Lochte, a three-time Olympic champion, led from the very beginning to touch wall first at 4:05.18. Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira finished second at 4:08.86, while Japanese Yuya Horihata settled for a bronze at 4:08.94, Xinhua reported.

Phelps was shut out of medals with a fourth place at 4:09.28.

Olympic boxing: Vijender powers his way to pre-quarters

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India’s strong medal contender Vijender Singh sailed into the pre-quarter final in the men’s middleweight (75 kg) boxing competition with a clinical 14-10 win over Danabek Suzhanov of Kazakhstan at the London Olympics here Saturday.

Vijender, who became the country’s first ever Olympic medal winner in boxing by grabbing the bronze in the Beijing Games four years back, seemed confident as he let in some lethal punches to pierce the defence of his rival.

The Indian led in each of the rounds, though the Kazakh fighter also landed a few good blows at the Excel arena.

Olympics: Kashyap brings cheer on a mixed day for India

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Olympic debutant Parupalli Kashyap brought some smiles back on the faces of India’s supporters winning his first round badminton singles on a day when other shuttlers, archers and shooters disappointed at the London Games here Saturday.

Kashyap’s win came after his teammates Jwala Gutta and V. Diju had lost their mixed doubles match and the men archers bowed out of the team event in a tie-break here Saturday.

Abid Rasool Khan raps Devender Goud for criticizing Aurangzeb

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APCC general secretary Abid Rasool Khan today condemned the statement of TDP leader and Rajya Sabha member T. Devender Goud dragging Mughal emperor Aurangazeb’s name while criticizing the Congress government. He said that “great Moghal emperor” is held in high esteem by all the Muslims.

VHR ends ‘Mouna Deeksha’ Dy CM’S assurance

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Following Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha’s assurance that a brainstorming session would be conducted as demanded by him, Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao, who launched “Mouna Deeksha” on Saturday at 11.10 am called off his ‘Mouna Deeksha’ at 2.30 pm.

The Deputy Chief Minister motored down to Gandhi Bhavan at 2 pm where Hanumantha Rao was going on Mouna Deeksha and asked him about his demands. Hanumantha Rao revealed his demands on paper.

Poor must get speedy justice: CJ Ghose

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High Court Chief Justice Mr Justice P. C. Ghosh has observed that the people would give more respect to the judiciary only when it dispensed justice to the poor and downtrodden sections expeditiously.

The Chief Justice was inaugurating Special Lok Adalat in the Anantapur District and Sessions Court on Saturday.

Centre’s decision on Telangana by september end:Kesav Rao

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Stating that Congress high command was thinking that favorable decision on Telangana would benefit the party immensely, Telangana senior Congress leader Dr K Keshav Rao has strongly felt that Centre’s decision on Telangana may come by the end of September this year.

Secret tunnel found in Indo-Pak border

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Authorities today discovered a 400-mt long tunnel, running between India and Pakistan, along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have discovered a tunnel running between Pakistan and India in Samba district,” SSP (Samba) Israr Khan told reporters.

The tunnel was detected after an area caved-in at two or three places due to rains near the BSF’s Chillayari Border Out Post (BOP), he said. “After the cave-in, the area was dug out to know the reason. But, the authorities were surprised to find a tunnel,” the SSP said.

Anna supporters protest outside PM’s house, detained

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Team Anna’s anti-graft protest Saturday reached near Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s heavily guarded residence here after more people joined the ongoing agitation at Jantar Mantar over the weekend.

Within minutes, dozens of Anna Hazare’s slogan shouting supporters holding placards with anti-government slogans were rounded up near the 7 Race Course Road, packed in vehicles and detained, police said.

Haj is not for making profits, says apex court

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The Supreme Court Friday said private tour operators (PTOs) engaged in travel and stay arrangements of Haj pilgrims going to Makkah and Madina could not undertake their enterprise with an eye to profits.

“Haj is not for making profits,” said the apex court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai in the course of the hearing of a batch of petitions by PTOs, seeking to be registered for the allocation of Haj seats.

While declining to interfere with the Haj policy related to PTOs for 2012, the court said there was a lot of scope for improvement.

Pakistani daily not so sure about car running on water

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Despite the considerable hype over a car in Pakistan running on water, a Pakistani daily cautioned that it is always better to wait until all tests are complete before one comes up with a declaration about a scientific discovery.

An editorial in the Dawn Saturday said this wasn’t the first time a local version of a car purportedly run on water was being displayed in Pakistan.

Thapa India’s first casualty in Olympic boxing

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India’s young medal hope Shiva Thapa made a first round exit in the men’s 56kg category of the 2012 London Olympics at the Excel Arena here Saturday after he was given a severe beating by Mexico’s Oscar Valdez Fierro.

The 18-year-old, the youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics, saw his dream crushed by the Mexican fighter, who defeated him 14-9.

Thapa lost the first round 2-4 but showed his mettle as he came back strongly taking the second 4-3. However, the third round was a one-way traffic as the 21-year-old Mexican decimated the Indian fighter 7-3.

Goa, Israel come together to promote rural tourism

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Goa plans to learn from Israel in order to promote and pursue its model of rural tourism, which is a hit in that country.

According to Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, the Goa government has given its “full support to start this new chapter in ties with Israel”. Goa has stepped up efforts to improve the landscape of its villages, so as to make it more attractive for the tourists.

The state government has already tied up with the Mumbai-based National Israeli Tourism Office (NITO) for the exercise.

US seizes 20 $ stolen statues from Indian art dealer

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(IANS) US authorities have seized several stolen sandstone and bronze statues and other cultural artefacts with an estimated value of more than $20 million from a storage facility allegedly belonging to an Indian art dealer.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has also issued an arrest warrant for Subhash Kapoor, the owner of Art of the Past Gallery for alleged possession of stolen property, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) said in a statement.

‘Pakistan not cooperating in return of Kashmiri youths’

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Pakistan’s “non-cooperation” was the only road block in return of the Kashmiri youths who were stranded in training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir or were living outside of it in miserable conditions, officials here said.

The state government, under a rehabilitation policy of 2009, had announced that the youths who had crossed the Line of Control (LOC) for militant training but were “willing to shun violence can come back (to Jammu and Kashmir)”.

Three Ambedkar statues vandalised in UP

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Two days after a statue of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati was vandalised here, three statues of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar were damaged in Azamgarh district, police said Saturday.

Broken pieces of a statue were found in the morning in a field at Katat-Chakkatat village in Azamgarh, some 270 km from here, police said.

Two other Ambedkar statues were vandalised and thrown in the fields of the Nayi Palia and Jiyasath villages, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mirza Manzar Beg.