News

Deccan, Challengers turn jeers to cheers

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Durban, May 24: After 36 days of scintillating action and 58 dazzling encounters, the penultimate stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) could not have been more exciting as the two bottom-placed teams of the inaugural edition Deccan Chargers and Bangalore Royal Challengers made it to Sunday’s title clash.

Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers have risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the inaugural season, where they respectively finished seventh and eighth in the tournament, and have been a revelation in South Africa.

Assembly to meet on June 1

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Hyderabad, May 24: The newly-formed 13th State Legislative Assembly will meet for its first session for five days from June 1.

All the 294 elected members will take oath on the first day.

The election of the new Speaker will take place on June 2 and governor N D Tiwari will address the joint session of assembly and the council on the same day.

Later, from June 3 to June 5, the House will take up the debate on the motion of thanks to the governor. The budget session of the assembly is expected to begin at the end of the month.

Greek Muslims Want Justice Over Qur’an Insult

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Athens, May 24: As protests continued unabated over the desecration of the Noble Qur’an by a Greek policeman, Muslim immigrants are calling for bringing the officer to justice for insulting the Muslim holy book.

“We want to live here in peace,” an Egyptian immigrant, who identified himself as Said told. “We don’t want trouble but we want the policeman to be punished.”

Hundreds of Muslim immigrants took to the streets of the capital Athens for the second consecutive day to protest the destruction of the Qur’an by a policeman.

Gaddar to launch new party to fight for Telangana

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Hyderabad, May 23: Accusing Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhara Rao of defusing the Telangana movement, revolutionary balladeer Gaddar Friday said he would float a party to achieve separate statehood through a people’s struggle.
The Maoist sympathiser told reporters that this would not be a mere vote-based party like the TRS but would try to achieve its goal through a people’s struggle, including a cultural campaign.

Gaddar said he would make an announcement after his surgery to remove a bullet from his body.

A moment to savour for Gandhi family

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New Delhi, May 23: It was a moment that said it all for the first family of Indian politics.
As the swearing-in ceremony at the majestic Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan concluded on Friday evening, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, general secretary Rahul walked out and were joined by her daughter Priyanka who gave her a hug and then the three smiled at one another.

Sania to open her French Open campaign against Voskoboeva

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Paris: India’s Sania Mirza has been drawn to play Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva in her opening round of the French Open.

The two players have met only once, in hard courts of San Diego in 2005, where Sania currently, ranked 91, beat Voskoboeva, ranked 95.

However, the winner between the two, in the next round is likely to meet seventh-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova who has got an easy opponent in local girl Claire Feuerstein, according to the draw released here today.

Bickering leaders, Varun Gandhi did BJP in: Netizens

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New Delhi, May 21 : Squabbling top leadership, disconnect with grassroot workers and Varun Gandhi’s hate speech – these and many more are the reasons posted by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) online supporters for the party’s debacle in the recent polls.

“I don’t remember the real sequence of events but I would like to give details why did my support withered away. I think the first blow was when the bickering came out in open. The fight between Mr. Rajnath Singh and Mr. Arun Jaitley did more harm than these leaders realised,” says Priyank Barthwal in his post on www.lkadvani.in.

YSR Cabinet likely before his pilgrimage to Israel

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New Delhi,May 21: chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy is expected to constitute his Cabinet either on May 22 or 24, before he leaves for Israel on a pilgrimage.

According to party sources, the Chief Minister along with his family members is to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from May 25 to 31. Prior to his visit, he is likely to constitute the Cabinet.

Rajasekhara Reddy is also planning to visit Kadapa to attend death anniversary of his father Raja Reddy on May 23.

Israel officially wipes Palestine off the map

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Dubai, May 20: Israel has officially wiped Palestine off the map, beating Iran, whose president reportedly said he would wipe the Jewish state “off the map,” to the punch.

A Ministry of Tourism advertisement for Israel posted is several London Underground, or subway stations, features a map of Israel that includes all the occupied Palestinian territories, infuriating campaign groups who say Israel has done to Palestine what Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened to do to the Jewish state.

YSR Reddy to be sworn in as Andhra Pradesh CM today

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Hyderabad, May 20: Congress leader and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is all set to sworn-in as the chief minister for the second consecutive term on Wednesday.

Ahead of government formation, Reddy called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the national capital on Sunday.

During the meet, Dr. Reddy apprised them of the party’s performance and discussed about his likely Cabinet.

Dr. Reddy attended the Congress Working Committee meeting as a special invitee and also met senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Veerappa Moily.

Time for me to get some runs: Sehwag

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Johanesburg, May 19: With his side having qualified for the knock-out stage without himself not contributing much with the bat, Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag now wants to get among the runs ahead of the semi-finals of the IPL.

“We did not get to a good start as I and Gautam (Gambhir) got out early. But AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan batted really well to take us to 150,” Sehwag said after his side’s 14-run victory over Rajasthan Royals yesterday.

Virender Sehwag walks back after making just two against the Rajasthan Royals in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Ulema Council gets 2.25 lac votes, no seat; AUDF enters Parliament

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New Delhi, May 19: This Lok Sabha election was observed by many for one specific reason among others the emergence of Muslim political parties……..

with the demand that the largest minority community should be given more representation in legislatures, quota in education and jobs, and victimization of the community in the garb of war on terror should stop.

Gays hopeful UPA will repeal anti-gay laws

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Mumbai, May 19: Lesbians and gays want the UPA to bend it for them. It’s the law we are talking about here. The ‘queer’ community wants the alliance, which got a clear mandate, to amend IPC’s Section 377 that discriminates against them

They have voted. Now they want their pound of flesh. Young members of the gay and lesbian community want the “youth-friendly” Congress to help them live life their way.

Give us the right to love: Photograph by gay activist Sunil Gupta

Money factor forcing Girls to sell their eggs for a cool 50,000

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Mumbai, May 19: Egg donors scramble to sell for reasons that vary from no job to wanting a nose job. Lookers & the learned are making a killing

The reasons are many a new house, a jobless husband, the economic downturn or even a nose job. An overwhelming desire for a nest- egg ensures several women in the city under the age of 33 are increasingly turning to egg donations, say doctors. Good looks and good education can earn the donor as much as
Rs 50,000.

Haj becomes costlier

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New Delhi,May 19: The cost of performing Haj has gone up by a considerable margin this year.

The lowest financial category allowed for Haj is of Rs 1 lakh this year. Last year, the budget of the same category was Rs 72,000. Facilities for the general class come in the price range of Rs 1.20 lakh and in the deluxe category at the cost of Rs 1.50 lakh.

This huge rise in cost has put lot of hopefuls for the Haj in a spot.

Women’s representation in Lok Sabha from Delhi dismal

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New Delhi,May 18: Except in 1996 and 1998, Delhi has never sent more than one woman and sometimes none to the Lok Sabha to represent the capital.

Of the 17 women contestants in the fray in the recently held elections, Congress candidate Krishna Tirath is a lone woman who has been elected to the 15th Lok Sabha to raise the voice of strong 1.1 crore electorate, including over 49 lakh woman voters, in Parliament.

The sitting MP from erstwhile Karol Bagh Lok Sabha seat has defeated her nearest rival Meera Kanwaria of the BJP in the reserved constituency, Northwest Delhi.

Arrest warrants against Prabhakaran, Pottu in Kadirgamar case

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Colombo, May 13: Tamil Tiger supremo V Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman were on Wednesday issued fresh arrest warrants by a Sri Lankan court in connection with the assassination of former foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was killed by a suspected LTTE sniper team in 2005.

This was the second time this year that the Colombo High Court had issued open warrants for arrest against the two LTTE leaders in the Kadirgamar case.

The court had earlier on January 26 issued the warrants for the two fugitives, also wanted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

CIA and ISI together created Taliban, says Zardari

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Islamabad, May 11: In a new revelation, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the CIA of the United States and his country’s ISI together created the Taliban.

“I think it was part of your past and our past, and the ISI and CIA created them together,” Zardari told a television news channel in an interview.

In the interview, which was given on 7th May, Zardari also accused the US of supporting the military rule of Pervez Musharraf who was alleged to be taking sides of the Taliban.

Depressed Inter student commits suicide

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Hyderabad, May 11: An Intermediate second year student of Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Aushapur, committed suicide by hanging himself in the college bathroom on Sunday afternoon.

Ch Santosh Kumar, 17, of Korutla in Karimnagar district, was pursuing Intermediate II year (MPC stream) at Sri Chaitanya residential junior college in Aushapur village of Ghatkesar police limits.

After finishing classes at 12.30 pm, Santosh walked into a bathroom in the college premises and hanged himself with a plastic wire.

Before U.S. Talks, Pakistan Claims Combat Gains

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Islamabad,May 09: Pakistan — As the president of Pakistan preparedfortalks in Washington on Wednesday, the security forces here, underAmericanpressure to show greater resolve in combating militants, claimed tohavekilledatleast 35 Taliban fighters in hotly contested areas of the country’s northwest.

SBI may raise Rs 20,000 cr

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Kolkata: State Bank of India might raise Rs 20,000 crore in 2009-10 preferably by way of a rights issue in order tofunditsgrowthneeds,according to its Chairman, O.P. Bhatt. Also see “We need capital for growth, andthere are many ways for raising it. We have various options of raising capital such as such as follow-on-offer, rights issue or preferential issue.
“Our preferred option will be the rights issue,” Bhatt told newspersonshere on Friday on the sidelines of the function held ontheoccasionofthereleaseof the book “The Evolution of StateBankofIndia,Vol4,19551980”.Morebankstories.

Security beefed up for Friday prayers

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Hyderabad May 08: Police force has been beefed up in Bholakpur as several mosques are located inthearea.WithlargeturnoutlikelyforFridayprayers,
police officials do not want to take any risk so increase the number of pickets. Six police pickets were set up on May 5, the day seven deaths were reported from the area. Two more pickets were added as a precautionary measure. Apart from the pickets, two mobile parties have also been deployed to keep tabs on the situation, Musheerabad station house officer P Venkata
Ramana told.

Day temperature to fall further in Delhi

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New Delhi, May 06 : Delhiites will continue to enjoy a break from the scorching heat with meteorological officials today forecasting a further fall in day temperature.
The maximum temperature today will hover around 37 degrees Celsius, four degrees below the normal for this time of year. The minimum temperature settled at 24 degrees Celsius, an official at the Safdarjung met office said.
“Delhi will enjoy a pleasant weather with maximum temperature recording a downfall,” the official said.

India may come under pressure from US to sign NPT

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Washington, May 06: India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel should join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the global pact meant to limit the spread of atomic weapons, a senior US official said on Tuesday.

Speaking on the second day of a two-week meeting of the 189 signatories of the pact, assistant secretary of state Rose Gottemoeller also defended a US-India civilian nuclear deal, which developing nations have complained rewards New Delhi for staying outside the NPT.

“Pakistan’s Pants are on fire”: US Congressman

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Washington, May 06: The United States on Tuesday pressed Pakistan to confront Taliban militants whose influence is spreading in the nuclear-armed country but said it solidly supports Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

“Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al Qaeda and the violent extremists within its borders,” Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in prepared congressional testimony.