faheem

2 Murdered, 12 Kidnapped by Maoists in Gadchiroli

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Two tribals were brutally murdered in full public glare and nearly a dozen others kidnapped by a group of Naxalites at a village near here in eastern Maharashtra today, police sources said.

A group of armed Maoists swooped down on Markegaon village at around 7 am and asked residents to assemble at the village square.

They took Dewsay Usandi and Ram Narote aside and slit their throats with sharp-edged weapons in full view of the villagers, the sources said.

The rebels then abducted at least 10 to 12 tribals and disappeared in a nearby forest, they said.

‘No approval given for demolition of mosque’

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With Rajasthan Waqf Board’s role coming under scanner over the razing of a century-old mosque in Bhilwara district, its chairman today said the company involved was clearly told to ensure the safety of the mosque as per the Islamic laws and no deal was made to demolish the structure.

Chairman Liaquat Ali Khan also demanded “stern” action against those responsible.

The mosque in Pur area was demolished last Thursday by a company which alleged that it was an obstacle in the mining process.

Shaheen-1A successfully test-fired by Pakistan

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The Pakistani military says it has successfully test-launched an upgraded intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The military said in a statement on Wednesday that the missile was an improved version of the Shaheen 1 with a longer range. The Shaheen 1 is believed to have a range of 750 kilometers (465 miles).

The military did not provide the exact range of the new Shaheen 1A.

Take care of Hindus, says Pakistani daily

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A Supreme Court order that will enable married women of the Hindu community to obtain computerised national identity cards without any hitch is welcome, said a leading Pakistani daily, also hoping that a draft Hindu marriage bill will be taken up in the upcoming session of the National Assembly.

An editorial Wednesday in the Dawn said that the Supreme Court Monday ordered the National Database and Registration Authority to take the necessary steps to enable married women of the Hindu community to obtain computerised national identity cards (CNICs) without any hitch.

Take care of Hindus, says Pakistani daily

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A Supreme Court order that will enable married women of the Hindu community to obtain computerised national identity cards without any hitch is welcome, said a leading Pakistani daily, also hoping that a draft Hindu marriage bill will be taken up in the upcoming session of the National Assembly.

An editorial Wednesday in the Dawn said that the Supreme Court Monday ordered the National Database and Registration Authority to take the necessary steps to enable married women of the Hindu community to obtain computerised national identity cards (CNICs) without any hitch.

School Secretary Arrested for Sexually Harassing Students

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A septuagenarian school secretary has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing girl students at a school hostel at Viswanathapuram area in the city.

Police said the 76-year-old man, who is also the hostel warden, had been arrested on a complaint from eighth and ninth standard students that he was ‘misbehaving’ with them.

The students said no action had been taken by the authorities concerned despite several complaints

The secretary was earlier working as Personal Assistant to the District Collector.

–PTI

Telangana, Price Rise Issues Rock Lok Sabha

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The issues of separate Telangana and price rise today rocked the Lok Sabha on the first day of the second part of the Budget Session of Parliament.

As soon as the House made obituary references to former members Dinesh Pratap Singh and N K P Salve, members of Left parties were on their feet demanding suspension of Question Hour and a discussion on price rise.

Congress members from Telangana region rushed to the front rows, raised slogans and waved placards demanding a separate state.

Singhvi CD issue his private affair, says Khurshid

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Law Minister Salman Khurshid Tuesday said the controversial CD allegedly featuring Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi is his private affair.

“You cannot treat everything in the same manner… parliament must be concerned about procedure and issues and when it comes to private lives of people, I think it should be handled in a different manner,” Khurshid told reporters outside parliament.

The story of Luqman from the Quran (and Ibn Kathir)

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The story of Luqman is mentioned in Sura Luqman (31:12-19). More about Luqman is stated in Ibn Kathir’s book, “Stories of the Prophet”. A summary of that story is stated below.

Luqman Ibn ‘Anqa’ Ibn Sadun or, as stated by As-Suhaili from Ibn Jarir and Al-Qutaibi, Luqman Ibn Tharan, was from among the people of Aylah (Jerusalem). He was a pious man who exerted himself in worship and who was blessed with wisdom.

It’s Sunny Leone vs Poonam Pandey

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After claiming to have rejected 30 film offers, Poonam Pandey has finally signed one — only to pit it against the release of actor Sunny Leone’s Jism 2 this December. The model-turned-actor is so sure of her film’s success that she is unperturbed that it clashes with Sunny’s flick.

“I am neither competing with her nor sharing my audience. She is good at what she does and I am excellent at my job.

Wife poisoned for giving birth to girl

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A 30-year-old woman in the capital was allegedly poisoned by her husband as she had given birth to a girl child, police said Friday.

Ishak Parveen, a resident of central Delhi’s Lahori Gate, was admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital Thursday night by her husband, Javed Tariq who informed authorities that she had consumed a poisonous substance.

Parveen’s father Malik Sikandar, however, got registered a case against Tariq alleging that he gave the poison to his daughter and absconded after leaving her at the hospital.

Muslim women call for nikah registration

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board is facing the wrath of a Muslim women’s group, which has vowed to stop the maulvis from demanding a rollback of compulsory registration of marriages. Ahead of its proposed general body meeting at Mumbai, where the apex Muslim law body is to formally make its demand to the Centre, Muslim women are preparing to fight “gender excesses” by maulvis.

Muslim law board vows to protect sharia

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The All India Muslim Personal Law Board began its 22nd convention at Haj House on Friday with a resolve to protect sharia (Islamic laws). With 400 delegates from across the country participating in discussions on the mechanism to fight lacunae in different Acts like RTE, direct tax code bill, Wakf Amendment Act 2010, the three-day convention will culminate in a public meeting at Azad Maidan on April 22.

Who will be next president?

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With less than three months before President Pratibha Patil demits office, a host of possible successors have now surfaced. But a poor Congress show in recent state elections may ensure regional parties hold the key to who will be India’s 13th president.

Several names are doing the rounds. Some have been possible contenders earlier as well, while some names have taken people by surprise, even as they are generating a lot of traction, particularly among the young and the educated.

Who are they?

Madrassas help students make sense of the world

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When I first came to Jamia Millia Islamia to teach, some 30 years ago, the madrassa in my mind was a quaint holdover from the past. In the course of studying colonial Indian history I had read about the Darul Uloom at Deoband and the Nadwa in Lucknow, but I didn’t think of them as living institutions; they belonged to the past as firmly as Humayun’s tomb did.

Bahrain on high alert ahead of Grand Prix

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Formula One cars took to the track in Bahrain today, while the government, hoping for a successful Grand Prix, squared off against activists determined to mark it with “days of rage” after more than a year of Arab Spring protests.

On the eve of Friday’s practice session, protests had flared in villages surrounding the capital, far from the circuit where the race will be held. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators in clashes that have been building in the week leading to Sunday’s round of the World Championship.

Who grounded Tata bid to start an airline?

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In 1997, then civil aviation minister C.M. Ibrahim acted under pressure from Jet Airways to thwart the Tata group’s bid to start an airline in India in association with Singapore Airlines, a former top bureaucrat has said in a tell-all book.

“The history of civil aviation in this country would have taken a different trajectory, if Tata Singapore Airlines had been allowed to float an airline,” wrote M.K. Kaw, the civilian aviation secretary in the government of prime minister I.K. Gujral.

Love or ‘Hate Story’, boldness a state of mind: Paoli Dam

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She is as bold as one can get. But Paoli Dam, who did a full frontal nudity scene in Bengali movie “Chatrak” last year, says boldness is all in the head.

“What is bold for you may not be bold for me. Boldness is a state of mind,” Paoli, now the lead actress of Bollywood film “Hate Story”, said to be topped with dollops of sex and violence, said.

No wonder she picks roles that most other actresses would think about twice before giving the nod to.

After India fires missile, China calls for n-security

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China has called on the international community to work together in promoting international nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and nuclear security.

The statement came Thursday, a day when India successfully test-fired a long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the UN, who took the floor at an open meeting of the UN Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation, said: “The international community needs to enhance its coordination and cooperation in this regard and join hands to face the challenge.”

3 Year Old Raped, Murdered, Thrown Into Sea

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Raped and then strangled to death, a three year old girl’s body was discovered floating in the sea near Maker Tower (L) in Cuffe Parade, Mumbai, on Thursday morning..

A post mortem was conducted. “The report said she was raped and strangled. The body was thrown into the sea,” said a police officer.

Reportedly, the girl had gone missing from her house around 2 am and the family had approached the police around 4 am to register a missing person’s complaint. The body was found around 8.30 am after a person alerted the police.

Bihar paradox: Phones outnumber toilets

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Nearly 56 percent of families in Bihar have a mobile or landline connection, but about 77 percent of the population lack toilets, says a census report, highlighting the paradoxes in the state which has taken big leaps in development but also lagged behind in key areas.

“Till 2001, only 2.2 percent families were using any kind of telecom facility in Bihar, now over half of its population owns a phone, as around 98 lakh (9.8 million) mobile phones are in use,” said the census report.

‘Middle class Muslim women still victims of bias’

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Muslim women from middle class homes continue to battle discrimination despite efforts by the government and non-profit organisations to empower them, says veteran filmmaker-activist Rama Pandey, who is serialising her encounters with 26 women from the community in three volumes of stories.

Her book, “Begum Bano Aur Khatoon”, a collection of seven plays in Hindi, was unveiled in the capital last week. The other two are “Faisle”, which was serialised on television, and “Hum Hain”. Pandey is also an eminent broadcaster, writer and theatre personality.

Andhra high court cancels Jagan aide’s bail

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The Andhra Pradesh High Court Friday cancelled the bail of Vijay Sai Reddy, an aide of YSR Congress party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, in an illegal assets case.

Justice K.C. Bhanu, who had reserved his orders Thursday, pronounced it Friday, cancelling the bail granted by a lower court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had moved the petition that the bail granted by the special CBI court could hamper its investigations.

Modi Again Speaks on Meat Export ‘Subsidy’

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today once again raised the issue of “subsidy” on meat exports, but Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar countered it saying no such concession is being given by the Central government.

Modi and Pawar were present at the unveiling of National Dairy Plan under the Mission Milk. The mission, touted as second white revolution, aims to augment the production of milk to meet its raising demand.

BJP would emerge stronger in next Parliament polls: Venkaiah

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The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) is the only alternative to the Congress in the country, party senior leader and MP M Venkaiah Naidu today claimed and said the party would become stronger in the next Parliament elections.

The losses suffered by the Congress in the recently held elections in three states and also in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi reflected the people’s anger against the Congress, Mr Naidu claimed at a press conference here.