News

Iran ready to sell oil in any currency

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Tehran, August 14: Iran has made arrangements to start selling its oil in any currency rather than just the US dollar, central bank chief Mahmoud Bahmani said in a report on Friday.

“We will do our trade in any currency possible,” said Bahmani, quoted by the ISNA news agency, without giving a launch date for the policy or specifying if Iran would refuse to be paid in dollars.

“Maybe a country wants to use its own currency in trade — we will accept that,” he said, adding that the Islamic republic would have to absorb any “additional cost” associated with the switch.

OPEC ups 2010 world oil demand growth to 1.2%

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Vienna, August 14: The Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Friday revised upwards its world oil demand growth estimate for 2010 to 1.2 percent but urged caution in predicting future trends.

“Given stabilised oil demand in the US, the world oil demand growth forecast is revised up by 0.1 million barrels per day (bpd) to show growth of 1.05 million bpd or 1.2 percent,” the cartel said in its monthly report.

Total demand for 2010 was now expected to reach 85.5 million bpd, up from 84.46 million bpd in 2009.

10 killed in attack in Pak on I- Day

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Pakistan, August 14: At least 10 people on Saturday were killed, when in an attack by an unidentified gunmen in the Balochistan province of Pakistan on the day of 63rd Independence Day of the country.

The militants fired indiscriminately at a passenger bus in Mach city, near Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, killing 10 people and injuring at least eight, Xinhua reported citing media reports.

The injured people and the bodies have been shifted to the civil hospital in Quetta.

Police have cordoned off the area where the attack occurred and launched a search operation.

Rain lashes Punjab, Haryana

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Punjab, August 14: The heavy and incessant rain lashed many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Saturday.

The heavy downpour since morning brought respite from scorching heat as mercury plunged to few notches in Chandigarh.
In Haryana, Rohtak received maximum 25.4 mm rainfall followed by Kalka (15 mm) and Bhiwani (8.8 mm).

Amritsar in Punjab received a heavy downpour of 69.4 mm while Ludhiana (24.6 mm) also had heavy rains. Patiala recorded 20.5 mm of rains.

The Met Department has predicted more rains in the region in the next few days.

—Agencies

More drought hit districts in Bihar

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Bihar, August 14: The Bihar government is likely to declare more districts as drought hit in the state following scanty rainfall so far this year.

Vayasji, the principal secretary of the disaster management department told media that the government is seriously considering declaring more drought hit districts. It is under the process, the final decision will be taken in a day or two.
About 10 days ago, as many as 28 districts of Bihar were declared drought-hit. The districts likely to be declared drought-hit are Katihar, Purnea, Kishanganj, Khagaria, West Champaran and Araria.

Deficiencies observed in CWG preparations: PM

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New Delhi, August 14: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday called a meeting with the concerned ministers to review the preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

The Sports minister M S Gill, Urban Development minister Jaipal Reddy, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and others were present in the meeting.

Manmohan Singh said that there have been slippages in the time schedules of some of the construction works and deficiencies have been observed in some of the works.

Dikshit briefs Sonia about CWG preprations

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New Delhi, August 14: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday briefed Congress president Sonia Gandhi about the overall preparation for the Commonwealth games.

Dikshit, who is under attack for delay in several CWG projects, met Gandhi and gave her a detailed account of the city government’s preparations for the event.

The meeting came hours before the meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with all stake-holders to take stock of the preparations for the mega event.

Sania-Monica in quarterfinals

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Romania, August 14: India’s Sania Mirza and Monica Niculescu of Romania went down in the doubles quarterfinals of the $2,000,000 Western and Southern Financial Group Women’s Open tennis.

Sania and Niculescu lost 2-6, 5-7 to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Maria Kirikenko of Russia here on Friday. The Indo-Romanian pair had stunned Wimbledon champions Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan in the second round.

Azarenka and Kirilenko now face second seeds Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Flavia Pennetta of Italy in the semifinals.

—Agencies

NF railway introduces SMS helpline

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New Delhi, August 14: The Northeast Frontier Railway is going to introduce an SMS helpline from Sunday for easy and quick response to public complaints.

N F Railways officials said any complaint regarding services or inconvenience faced by railway users can be made through Short Messaging Service (SMS) to 9957550959.

The complaint received will be processed for redressal urgently with intimation to the complainant and necessary action will be taken within 90 minutes of receipt of the text message.

Pranab on get well visit to Mamata

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New Delhi, August 14: The Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday dismissed the speculations that he is going to West Bengal to seek clarification from Mamata Banerjee on her Lalgarh speech.

Mukherjee told reporters that he would meet the Trinamool Congress leader to enquire about her health as she had fallen sick.

“Whatever is appearing is absolutely figment of Imagination I am going to meet Mamata Banerjee because after the Lalgarh rally, she became sick and doctors have advised her to take rest. I am going to meet her only in that connection,” the senior Congress leader said.

SC dismisses SLP on violence in Osmania varsity

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New Delhi, August 14: The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of the Special Leave Petition filed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh against the orders passed by it on February 26 with regard to violent incidents on Osmania University campus.

A Bench comprising Justice G S Singhvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly said the writ petition pending in the Andhra Pradesh High Court also stands disposed of in the light of this order.

Jagan’s Prakasam tour from Sept 3

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New Delhi/ Hyderabad, August 14: The Congress stuck to its stand: It is not asking anyone not to take part in the odarpu yatra of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

AP Congress affairs in charge Veerappa Moily said as much when reporters wanted to know whether the party has advised Congressmen against taking part in the yatra. “The party has not asked anyone not to take part in the yatra,” he said and expressed his resentment over the media putting out stories on the television and then seeking clarifications from him.

Prices of pulses showing downward trend

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Hyderabad, August 14: Chief minister K Rosaiah directed the civil supplies department to constantly monitor the prices of essential commodities and control them. He said that the department should see to it that prices did not go up and should resort to market interventions and other measures whenever and wherever needed.

Rosaiah today reviewed the activities of civil supplies department.

He was informed that the prices of essential commodities were under control.

Local body polls may not be held in September

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Hyderabad, August 14: Municipal administration department has expressed its inability to conduct the elections to the municipalities and corporation according to the schedule, stating that Supreme Court has ordered to take up enumeration of backward classes people.

The state election commission held a meeting with the MA&UD principal secretaries TS Appa Rao and Pushpa Subrahmanyam, here on Friday.

SEC commissioner P Ramakanth Reddy wanted to know the preparedness of the MA&UD department in conducting the elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs) that were due in September this year.

EFLU students stage demo for better amenities

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Hyderabad, August 14: Tension prevailed inside the English and Foreign language University (EFLU) campus after scores of students staged a protest demanding better facilities for them on the campus.

Not a single class was held in the campus as irate students also locked up the lecturers and administration staff inside their office rooms.The students were demanding that they be provided with better mess and water facilities.

Sixth phase of Kalyanamatsu fete in Hyderabad

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Tirupati, August 14: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams will take up the sixth phase of Kalyanamastu (mass marriages) at Lalita Kala Thoranam in Hyderabad on Saturday.

According to executive officer IYR Krishna Rao, about 70 couples will enter into wedlock at the auspicious hour of 11:40 am in Tula Lagnam of Hasta Nakshatram on that day. About 35,000 couples from poor families have tied the knot in the last five phases of the programme.

Centre urged to cancel nod for NCC power plant

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Hyderabad, August 14: An all-party delegation of various political parties in the state on Friday urged the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to cancel the environmental clearance for the power plant proposed by Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited (NCC) at Sompeta in Srikakulam district immediately.

They wanted the Central government to intervene and ensure that no further attempts are entertained in this regard.

Four die in cracker blast

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Eluru, August 14: Four persons, including two women, died and two others were injured in a cracker blast at Annavarappadu village in Peravali mandal of West Godavari district last night.

The blast occurred while crackers brought from Khandavalli were being unloaded at a house in the village. The deceased were identified as K Subba Lakshmi (45), Ch Ramadevi (40), Ch Achaiah (40) and K Srinu (45) of Khandavalli. The bodies were shifted to the area hospital in Tanuku for postmortem.

Nabard signs MoU with Chaitanya Grameena Bank

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Hyderabad, August 14: Nationa l Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Andhra Pradesh regional office entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chaitanya Godavari Grameena Bank (CGGB) on cofinancing in Guntur today. The MoU was signed to increase the flow of ground level credit to agriculture and allied activities in the state. The objective of co-financing is to ensure that borrowers of new and innovative projects get adequate credit and technical support for their new ventures, NABARD, regional office chief general manager P Mohanaiah said in a press release.

Osmania to host Telangana conclave

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Hyderabad, August 14: Commemorating the Telangana Liberation Day, Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee (OUJAC) would hold `Telangana Atmagaurava Sabha’ at the Arts College on the university campus on September 17.

The OUJAC would decide its future course of action of their struggle for separate Telangana at the meeting.

Pseudo-Naxals dupe ISI!

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Hyderabad, August 14: Is Pakistan’s ISI trying to establish contact with the outlawed CPI (Maoist)?

A pseudo-Naxal gang busted by the Hyderabad City Police has made a stunning revelation that the ubiquitous ISI is indeed interested in doing so.

The cops have arrested four persons, including a Telugu Yuvatha leader, who were all set to leave for Dubai to “establish ties” between Maoist leaders and associates of underworld don Shaik Shakeel Ahmed alias Chota Shakeel.

Need precaution while crossing rail tracks

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Hyderabad, August 14: Sitayya would be extremely careful while crossing railway tracks, keeping a lookout on either side for trains passing by.

This is perhaps why Sitayya has remained safe even though he has loitered the station premises for most part of his life. Sitayya is none other than a bulky goat who lives off the grass growing near the tracks near the Fatehpur railway station.

Attempt-to-murder case against corporator

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Hyderabad, August 14: An attempt-to-murder case has been registered against Congress corporator from Ramanthapur Parameshwar Reddy by Uppal police on Friday after the mother of an youngster complained that her son was attacked by the corporator.

Earlier, the corporator registered a similar case against the youngster who was arrested by the police.

NGO to take up development works

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Hyderabad, August 14: Bhumi, a non-profit organisation involving a few thousand volunteers in association with the Hyderabad district administration will build toilets-cum-bathrooms in government schools on August 14 and 15.

The construction works would be taken up at the Government High School, Nampally, Government Sardar Vallabhai Patel Primary School, Asifnagar, Government Boys High School, Bowenpally, Government Girls High School, First Lancer and Zilla Parishad High School, Kukatpally.

APIIC row: governments mulls private audit

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Hyderabad, August 14: The ongoing APIIC-Emaar Properties issue is taking a new turn with the State Government considering a full-fledged audit by an independent agency among other options to determine violations if any. However, what remains to be seen is whether the government will go the whole hog to make Emaar cough up and thereby ensure that APIIC gets its due share in the Emaar Hills Township project.