News

MPs can’t man railway crossings: Jaitley

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New Delhi, August 13: “Members of Parliament are not specialists in manning the unmanned railway crossings,” Leader Opposition Arun Jaitley told Minister of State for Railways E Ahammed today, advising him to go for professionals.

Agitated over his BJP colleague Rajiv Pratap Rudy not getting a satisfactory reply from Ahammed during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Jaitley suggested that the Railways has to get professionals to do the job of manning the unmanned crossings.

He said the minister “has tried to cover up” Rudy’s point.

CWG merchandising partner Premier Brands pulls out

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New Delhi, August 13: The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) received a serious set back Friday with merchandising company Premier Brands pulling out of the Oct 3-14 Games citing heavy losses.

Premier Brands, which was the official merchandising and licensing partner of the Games, said they suffered heavy losses due to the delay in the project.

Chairman of Premier Brands Suresh Kumar said that the company has decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games as the project has got delayed too much.

Naidu demands CBI probe into Emaar land row

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Hyderabad, August 13: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Dubai-based Emaar Properties land row in Hyderabad in which he has alleged the involvement of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

He has alleged involvement of Reddy and his advisor K.V.P. Ramchandra Rao in the Emaar Properties row and sought a thorough probe into all the land deals during their rule.

Majority in Maoist-dominated areas side with government: Study

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New Delhi, August 13: While the government views Maoist violence as the single largest threat to internal security, a study focused on 36 Maoist-affected districts reveals that a majority of the population there side with the government.

A study done by the Centre for Study of Developing Societies in collaboration with news channel reveals that while 49 percent of the population in the Maoist-affected areas side with the government, those supporting the Left-wing rebels are only five percent, while 34 percent are neutral.

Pranab meets Left leaders over n-liability bill

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New Delhi, August 13: As part of the government’s effort to sort out differences with opposition over the nuclear liability Bill, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday met Left party leaders to discuss their reservations relating to the legislation.

Sources said the Left leaders including Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, D. Raja of Communist Party of India and Abani Roy of Revolutionary Socialist Party conveyed their concerns relating to the bill including the need to enhance the liability of the nuclear operator.

Obama seals visa fee hike law despite Indian concerns

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Washington, August 13: President Barack Obama signed into law a legislation to secure the US-Mexico border with $600 million raised by massively hiking work visa fees, ignoring concerns over a “discriminatory” provision that will largely hit Indian firms, including Wipro, Tata, Infosys and Satyam.

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by three wickets

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Dambulla, August 13: Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by three wickets in the second one-day international of the tri-nation series here Friday.

Opting to bat first New Zealand were bowled out for 192 runs in 48.1 overs. In reply, Sri Lanka made 195 for seven in 40.5 overs and Upul Tharanga top scored with 70.

–Agencies

Buddhadeb lays foundation stone of Rabindra Udyan

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Kolkata, August 13: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Friday laid the foundation stone of the Rabindra Udyan as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore at Rajarhat in the city’s northeastern outskirts.

“To celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, we decided to do something unique. So we decided to set up a garden that would also showcase the life and works of the great poet,” Bhattacharjee said.

BJP, Congress slugfest over Sohrabuddin in Gujarat

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Gandhinagar, August 13: The Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case became the centre of a political tussle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Congress in Gujarat Friday with both holding parallel meetings in different parts of the state and attacking each other on the issue.

Saudi king to allow only official fatwas

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Riyadh, August 13: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has moved to block any issuance of public fatwas, or religious edicts, by clerics not officially appointed, a newspaper reported Friday.

“We have noted many violations that we cannot allow, thus it is our religious obligation to confront it firmly to protect religion, preserve unity and to prevent evil,” the king said in the decree, published by the al-Sharq al-Awsat daily newspaper.

Only approved scholars would be allowed to issue public edicts, in the kingdom’s first such large-scale reform of the religious rulings.

Sports injury centre in Delhi

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Delhi, August 13: Safdarjung hospital in Delhi will soon be coming up with a sports injury centre with a budget of Rs 70 crore. The centre will cater to athletes participating in the Commonwealth Games.

The seven-storey structure will be completed by August 31, the deadline for most of the CWG projects, Vineet Choudhary, Chairperson of the monitoring committee of the sports injury centre said.

New Zealand all out for 192 runs

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New Zealand, August 14: Some splendid bowling performance by Sri Lankan pacer and spinners pushed New Zealand on the backfoot in the second ODI of tri-series at Rangagiri International Stadium in Dambulla. New Zealand were bundled out for just 192 runs.

Electing to bat first, Black Caps lost its first wicket in the very first over of the match as pacer Lasith Malinga claimed Guptill for a duck.

India gears up for Independence Day

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New Delhi, August 14: Entire nation has been geared up to observe the 64th Independence Day on August 15. India celebrates its Independence Day on August 15 to commemorate its freedom from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation.

A grateful nation pays sincere tribute to thousands of freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives or faced ordeal from the British rulers.

Iran’s first n-plant to come online Aug 21

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Moscow, August 13: The launch of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran has been set for Aug 21, the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) said Friday.

Rosatom spokesman Sergei Novikov told RIA Novosti that the first reactor at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would be loaded with fuel Aug 21.

“From then on, it (the reactor) will be qualified as (an operational) nuclear power plant,” Novikov said.

A Russian delegation headed by Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko will attend the launch ceremony.

Quiet wedding at crumbling house for Tharoor

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New Delhi, August 13: It’s finally official. Shashi Tharoor is marrying Sunanda Pushkar on Aug 22 in a “quiet family affair” to be held at his “crumbling 200-year-old ancestral home” in Kerala.

In a letter to close friends, the former minister, who had to step down because of his links with the Dubai-based Pushkar and her stake in the Kochi IPL team, said the wedding would be followed by a “modest reception” Aug 23 in his constituency Thiruvananthapuram and a “final reception” in Delhi Sep 3.

Razzaq believes he can be an asset to Pakistan

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Karachi, August 13: All-rounder Abdul Razzaq believes he could have been an asset for Pakistan in the ongoing Test series against England, where the visitors are trailing 0-2 after big losses in Nottingham and Birmingham.

The experienced Razzaq, who is currently featuring for English county side Hampshire in the Friends Provident Twenty20 competition, said he is still hoping for a Test recall.

UAE releases 300 prisoners

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Abu Dhabi, August 13: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has released over 300 prisoners of various nationalities to mark the advent of the holy month of Ramadan.

Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah, has ordered the release of 231 prisoners who have served half their terms.

Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, the ruler of Fujairah, also has ordered the release of 70 prisoners for good behaviour during their terms in reformative institutions in the emirate.

Kodela seeks CBI probe into APIIC

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Guntur, August 13: Former minister and Telugu Desam Party senior leader Kodela Shiva Prasad on Friday demanded that the state government order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations of irregularities in the allotment of lands by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation.

Talking to media persons on Friday, Mr Shiva Prasad slammed the state government for encouraging land encroachments in prime locations and demanded a white paper on the entire episode and also sought a list that the allottees to the APIIC land be made public.

Ravi maruth replies to allegations

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Hyderabad, August 13: The Lok Satta Party said today that State
party leader Ravi Maruth has given an explanation to the party on the allegation of land grabbing hurled against him in a newspaper report.

Mr. Ravi Maurth pointed out that Dwansalapuram Major Canal which
passes between Khammam municipal area and Khanapuram Haveli has
remained a dead canal for the last one decade. People have encroached upon the canal area since 2004-05.

NTR hurt in film shooting; hospitalized

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Hyderabad, August 13: The popular young hero, Mr Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao (NTR) Junior sustained simple injuries in an accident occurred during the shooting of new film “Brinavanam” at Kokapet on the city outskirts on Friday.

NTR sustained injuries on the head, leg and head during the climax fighting scenes. He was immediately rushed to the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) hospital Secunderabad.

Brothers jailed for burning church in Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, August 13: Two Malaysian brothers were Friday jailed for five years for burning a church earlier this year.

The Metro Tabernacle Church was one of the four Christian shrines attacked in January.

The series of attacks was linked to the High Court’s decision Dec 31, to allow a Catholic publication to use the word ‘Allah’ in its Bahasa Malaysia section.

Sessions Court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah found the two brothers – Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim, 24, and Raja Muhammad Idzham Raja Ibrahim, 22 – guilty of the offence and sentenced them to five years in jail.

Three hanged in Iran

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Tehran, August 13: Three men have been hanged in public in Iran for “endangering national security”.

The men, identified only as S.R., A.M. and M.Kh. were hanged in front of a crowd of over 2,000 people in Ezna town in northwestern Lorestan province Thursday.

The Iran Human Rights said the men were convicted for kidnapping a person last year.

In 2009, 402 people were executed in Iran, according to a rights group.

–IANS

Granting autonomy to Kashmir will ruin India: Bal Thackeray

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Mumbai, August 13: Granting the autonomous status to Kashmir will be a wrong decision, according to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Opposing the idea of giving autonomy of this troubled state, the Shiv Sena Chief asserted that such a decision will ruin India.

Voicing his opinions in the party mouthpiece “Saamna”, Thackeray criticized Congress for propagating the idea. He asked the Congres leaders to leave the power.

We have lost faith in Centre: TSJAC leaders

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Hyderabad, August 13: Infuriated by the Home Minister P Chidambaram washing his hands off the issue of withdrawal of police cases registered against students, leaders of the Telangana Students Joint Action Committee on Thursday said that they do not have faith in him anymore.

Talking to media persons, the TSJAC leaders expressed their anger at Mr Chidambaram’s statements and said that the Union Home Minister had assured that all cases filed against students would be withdrawn after his assurance of a separate Telangana state on December 9, 2009.