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Shahbaz inaugurates Arfa Karim Software Technology Park

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Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Arfa Software Technology Park reflects the Pak-China friendship and it will prove to be the hub of information technology activities.

He said the tallest building of the province had been named after the youngest IT expert Arfa Karim and no other name could be better for the building. He said Arfa Karim won laurels for the country and made the nation proud and she would always be remembered.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Arfa Software Technology Park constructed with the cooperation of China here on Thursday.

2003 Mumbai blasts: Bombay HC upholds death for three

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The Bombay High Court on Friday upheld death sentence awarded to three LeT activists in the 2003 twin Mumbai blasts case.

A division bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and P.D. Kode had on November 12, 2011 reserved its judgement in the case.

Ashrat Ansari (32), Hanif Sayed Anees (46) and his wife Fehmida Sayed (43) were awarded death penalty by a Special Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) Court in August 2009 which held them guilty of planting powerful bombs in two taxis that exploded at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai on August 25, 2003, killing 52 persons.

Think before dropping cheques in ATM deposit box

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If you have a habit of dropping cheques in the deposit box of ATMs, then beware. Your cheques may get stolen and end up being deposited in some fake bank accounts for encashment.

A state-wide gang that has mastered the art of stealing and encashing cheques from ATM drop boxes has been striking at will in different cities. Right from Ahmedabad to Vadodara and Surat, this gang has stolen cheques and siphoned off money worth lakhs of rupees within a matter of few days. Some members of this gang have also committed similar offence in Mumbai.

Junior doctors to boycott emergency services

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With the State Government making it clear that it would not hold any talks till the strike is withdrawn, the junior doctors on Friday decided to boycott the emergency services across the State from Friday evening.

According to Dr G Aditya of Junior Doctors’ Association, the junior doctors across the State have been forced to intensify their strike due to the non-responsive attitude of the government. He said the junior doctors went on strike for genuine demands, which the State Government is not willing to discuss.

Telangana Employees JAC serves strike notice

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The Telangana Employees Joint Action Committee on Friday served notice to the State Government threatening to go an indefinite strike.

The JAC leaders including TNGOs president Swamy Goud, TGO president Srinivas Goud and others served the notice to Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi at latter’s chambers in the State Secretariat. Later, talking to media persons Swamy Goud said that the State Government did not honour the promises that it made with the employees at the time of ending the 42-day long Sakala Janula Samme.

Mayawati our leader and will always be so, say Dalits

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Agra, February 09: Allegations of corruption against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati find no takers in large parts of this Dalit land where people from socially marginalised communities braved the cold to vote in large numbers.

A day after the first phase of assembly elections concluded in 55 constituencies, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) loyalists see nothing wrong in Mayawati’s penchant for tales of opulence or statue building.

Arrest warrant issued against Nasheed

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Male, February 09: A criminal court in the Maldives has issued an arrest warrant for former President Mohamed Nasheed, who stepped down from power earlier this week but later insisted he had been ousted in a coup.

Police spokesman Abdul Mannan Yusuf refused to disclose the grounds for the warrant issued on Thursday, or when Mr. Nasheed who is living at his home, surrounded by supporters would be arrested.

Modi should step down immediately: Congress

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New Delhi, February 08: Reacting to the Gujarat High Court pulling up the Gujarat government for ‘inaction and negligence’ during the 2002 riots today, the Congress demanded that Chief Minister Narendra Modi step down from his post immediately.

”It is a big thing that the High court has concluded that the Modi government in the state failed to control the 2002 riots. After the indictment by the court, the Chief Minister of Gujarat has no right to continue.

”He should step down immediately,” Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters here.

Uttar Pradesh mosques double up as primary schools

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Azamgarh, February 08(IANS) Amid the mushrooming convent schools, mosques still continue to be popular centres of learning at least up to the primary class level in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh district. The trend is more common in cities and towns where Islamic primary schools are rare.

There are more than 100 mosques in Azamgarh city and around 40 percent offer primary education. A majority of students in mosques come from the Muslim community but there are no restrictions on non-Muslim students taking admission.

Kareena will shoot ‘in bed’ scene for Heroine!

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Mumbai, February 08: Kareena Kapoor had refrained from enacting intimate scenes on the big screen. Unless of course, it was with her real life beau Saif Ali Khan in Kurbaan.

So, when Madhur Bhandarkar and UTV asked her to perform some real steamy scenes with co-star Arjun Rampal in Heroine, Kareena had categorically refused to do so. But now, the actress seems to have decided against being so rigid with her on-screen lovers. On March 20, Bebo will be going to bed with Rampal for a scene in the film.

Andhra woman seeks mercy killing for paralysed son

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Hyderabad, February 07: Unable to take care of her invalid son due to poverty, a 64-year-old woman in Andhra Pradesh has sought euthanasia for him — a 36-year-old graduate in aeronautical science.

C. Janardhan, the son of farm workers, had got a job offer from abroad and was preparing to go to Australia in 1977 when he was left an invalid in a road accident.

Lakshmamma, a widow in Chittoor district, has filed a petition in a court at Madanapalle, seeking mercy killing for him, who is in a vegetative state for the past 15 years.

A US kid abused every ten seconds

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Washington, February 07: Reports say an American child becomes the victim of domestic and social violence every ten seconds in the US and the number of the abused kids has increased over the past decade.

Many children in the United States are victims of physical and sexual abuse within their families, schools and communities.

As child poverty grew in 38 states and the rate has hit more than 20 percent in the US, poor children in particular are at higher risk of experiencing different forms of violence that have psychological impacts on children’s development.

US blocks Iranian banks, Govt properties

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Washington, February 07: US-Iran ties hit a new low on Monday as the Obama administration ordered blocking of Iranian government properties and financial institutions in America. Obama said that additional sanctions are needed due to the “deceptive practices” by Iran’s banks including the Central Bank to conceal transactions. The US has accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons programme against stiff world opposition.

Meanwhile, US banks have been given new powers to freeze assets linked to the government.

Ayesha Takia, Sidhartha Mallya in Twitter war

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Mumbai, February 07: All of it started with Bollywood actress Ayesha Takia tweeting frantically about Kingfisher Airlines’ staff misbehaving with her sister Natasha Takia at New Delhi Airport.

Her tweets read, “The worst airline,kingfisher!!!shockingly baddddddddddd airport staff behavior at delhi airport with my sister.

“This disgustingly behaved kingfisher staff called Vinay podwal just tore my sisters boarding pass n misbehaved with her!!!!

“Can’t believe thisssss!!! I’m in mumbai n I wish I was there rite now 2!soooo angry!!

Church to declare war on Obama

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North Sydney, February 07: Prominent Catholic leaders across the US have deepened their fight against the Obama administration.

The fight is over a provision of the health reform law announced on January 20 that would require health insurance plans – including those offered by institutions such as Catholic-affiliated hospitals and universities – to offer free birth control including sterilization, the Daily Mail reported.

According to estimates, there are some 70 million Catholic voters – and many could be posed to vote against the president in the crucial upcoming election.

SIT Subverting Riots Probe to Shield Modi: NGOs

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Ahmedabad, February 06: Civil society groups and veteran Gandhians in Gujarat have alleged the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team was “subverting” probe in the 2002 riot cases to shield Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others.

In a letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) S H Kapadia, they have questioned the integrity of the SIT, headed by former CBI Director R K Raghavan, in probing the riot cases in a just and unbiased manner.

Was being forced into prostitution, claims Falak’s ‘mother’

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New Delhi, February 06: A 22-year-old woman who may be the mother of Falak – the battered baby who is fighting for survival at AIIMS – has claimed that her husband was forcing her into prostitution and she had run away from her home, police say.

Delhi Police claim to have traced the woman, Munni, who could be the biological mother of Falak. A police officer said she was found about a week ago in Rajasthan and brought here Sunday night.

Mysore-born Indian to groom Muslims for public service

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Washington, February 06: A Mysore-born Indian public affairs specialist has been charged with revitalising the Muslim Public Service Network (MPSN) that grooms young American Muslims for public service and to take on civic leadership positions.

“I believe that MPSN needs to form strong alliances with organisations in the US, while working to stabilise its flagship Summer Fellowship programme,” said Sabith Khan, the new executive director about his task of revitalising the organisation founded in 1994.

Should I join politics, Priyanka asks rival parties

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Rae Bareli, February 06: Combining wit with sarcasm, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Sunday dared her party’s political rivals in Uttar Pradesh to state if she should join politics and said she took no offence to allusions of her election-eve visits to a Hindi proverb about the frog that appears only during the monsoon.

“I am the barsati maindak (frog who appears in rainy season), not Rahul Gandhi. Everyone knows I come to (Rae Bareli and Amethi) to coordinate elections. There is nothing to hide in this,” she said, answering queries from media persons here.

Saudi women in drive ban legal bid

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Riyadh, February 05: Saudi women leading a campaign against the kingdom’s ban on female driving are calling on the courts to take up their lawsuits demanding the right to drive.

Manal al-Sherif said today that she and other activists are urging judicial authorities to launch proceedings based on complaints they lodged after being refused driving licences.

Al-Sherif said she filed her lawsuit in November and it was transferred to the Interior Ministry.

She was detained for nearly two weeks last year after posting an online video of herself driving. It helped launch wider protests.

Pakistan vows to help peace efforts in Afghanistan

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Islamabad, February 05: Pakistan will support every effort to promote reconciliation in Afghanistan, a senior government official said ahead of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s visit to Qatar Monday to discuss peace efforts.

Gilani’s trip comes after the Taliban last month said they planned to set up a political office in Qatar ahead of possible talks with the United States.

Hindu temple built with Muslim help in Bihar

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Patna, February 05: In a shining example of communal harmony in India, Muslims have helped build a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Durga in Bihar’s Gaya district, not just by making donations but also by supervising its construction.

“Muslims have not only donated money for temple construction, they have been involved in it like us,” Suresh Prasad told FacenFacts about the shrine at Loco Colony near the railway station in Gaya town, about 100 km from here.

The temple was opened for prayers and worship last week.

First Rushdie, now Taslima – end of cultural tolerance?

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Kolkata, February 05: The cancellation of the release of controversial author Taslima Nasreen’s autobiography at the famed Kolkata Book Fair has thrown the spotlight on the destructive clout of religious fanatics in a city once known for savouring cultural pluralism.

Andhra ministers dare IAS officers to name corrupt

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Hyderabad, February 05: A day after IAS officers pointed fingers at them, cabinet ministers in Andhra Pradesh Sunday hit back at top bureaucrats daring them to name the corrupt ministers.

Minister for Rural Development D. Manikya Varaprasad asked Indian Administrative Service officers to make public the names of the ministers they believe are corrupt.

The reaction came a day after the IAS officers’ association said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was targeting them, leaving out the ministers responsible for wrong decisions.

Milad celebrated with gaiety in Hyderabad

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Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed, was celebrated Sunday with gaiety and fervor in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh.

Meetings, rallies, feeding of the poor, blood donation camps and mahafil-e-milads or special gatherings in praise of the Prophet were held to mark the occasion.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements, especially in the old city of Hyderabad, to maintain law and order. Security personnel were deployed around the places of worship and public places.