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2 CPI(M) men killed, Maoists’ set CPI(M) party office ablaze

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Lalgarh (WB), July 11: Two CPI(M) supporters were killed as armed Maoists attacked a party office and went on a rampage at Sisri village, near Lalgarh, in West Midnapore district last night.

A senior police officer said the Maoists first abducted CPI(M) supporters Baren Mahato and Gurucharan Mahato from the party office and killed them afterwards.

The Maoists, who went around the area in an armed procession, ransacked the party office and set it on fire.

The two bodies were lying beside the party office.

‘We want him to rule all African countries’

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Washington, July 10: In flip-flops, a faded old T-shirt and ragged trousers, Abraham Laeyea looked the image of Africa’s frustrating, dispiriting poverty.

“We like Obama,” he said. “We want him to come and rule all African countries. He brings hope but we need employment, jobs for the youth. Yes, we all have schooling as far as O-level here but then there is no work. People who have succeeded with business in this area move away.”

Older mums cope with pregnancy better

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New South Wales, Julty 10: First-time older mums cope surprisingly well with the exacting demands of pregnancy, compared to their younger counterparts, but are more anxious about their unborn baby’s well-being, according to new research.

‘Generally it has been thought that older mums may not cope with the physical demands of pregnancy as well as younger mums, or they may be very anxious or find it difficult to cope with lifestyle changes,’ said Macquarie University psychologist Catherine McMahon.

To help working moms, government plans more creches

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New Delhi, July 10: In a step to ease the burden of working mothers, specially in the northeastern region, the government has earmarked Rs.100 crore (Rs.1 billion) to set up day care centres for their children.

Of the total amount earmarked for the 2009-10 budget, about Rs.10 crore (Rs.100 million) is allocated specifically to set up more creches in the northeastern states, said a statement issued by the Women and Child Development ministry here Thursday..

Students lock up classrooms being used as police camps

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Lalgarh, July 10: Students of a high school today locked up classrooms, being used as camps by security forces and police who were engaged in anti-Maoist operations at Lalgarh in West Midnapore, but the police took control of the rooms after a batoncharge.

Students of the Binpur High School locked up the classrooms, which a company of the Kolkata police was using as a camp, as a mark of protest since their studies were being affected.

Later, the police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the students and unlocked the classrooms.

Sheena’s unusual debut – film on sex education

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Mumbai, July 10: Sheena Shahabadi, daughter of yesteryear actress Sadhna, is making a rather unconventional beginning in Bollywood. In her debut flick ‘Tere Sang’, she plays a teenaged girl whose boyfriend makes her pregnant.

The film comes with a message around teen pregnancy and has sex education as one of its major promotional pegs. Ruslaan Mumtaz plays the male lead.

Parliament passes Railway budget

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New Delhi, July 10: Railway budget was passed by the Parliament with Rajya Sabha today returning it to the Lok Sabha.

The motion moved by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee was approved by voice vote in the Upper House.

The rail budget was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday.
–PTI

Late selling pulls down Sensex, closes flat

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Mumbai, July 10: A key index of the Indian equities markets closed on a flat note Thursday as investors booked profits towards the closing bell. It closed about 11.69 points in the red.

The 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened at 13,796.19 points, fell 11.69 points or 0.08 percent to 13,757.46 points.

However, the Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 0.05 percent higher at 4,080.95 points.

Court allows lie detector, brain mapping tests on Raju

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Hyderabad, July 10: A city court Thursday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct lie detector and brain mapping tests on Satyam Computer Services’ disgraced founder and former chairman B. Ramalinga Raju and two other accused in the Rs.78 billion financial fraud.

The XIV additional chief metropolitan magistrate allowed the investigating agency to conduct the forensic tests on Ramalinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju and the IT major’s former chief financial officer Vadlamani Srinivas.

Maha medicos continue strike despite government warning

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Mumbai, July 10: Resident doctors across Maharashtra continued their indefinite strike for the fourth day today, despite the government’s warning of stringent actions like evoking ESMA.

State Minister for Higher and Technical Education Rajesh Tope warned the striking resident doctors yesterday that they would have to face severe actions if they would not withdraw their indefinite strike.

The doctors have to join their duties with immediate effect to tackle possible spurt of monsoon-related diseases in the state, the Minister had said.

Speed up re-structuring process of Air India: Nirupam

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New Delhi, July 10: A member of the ruling Congress today demanded review of the policy of distributing air traffic rights among various Indian air carriers alleging that private airlines were given more profitable routes.

“The bilaterals policy (Bilateral air services agreement) should be reviewed,” Sanjay Nirupam, Congress member from Mumbai North said raising the issue during Zero Hour.

He also demanded speeding up of the re-structuring process of Air India and immediate disbursal of salaries to employees of the national carrier.

Cyber attacks on SKorea came from 16 countries

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Seoul, July 10: This week’s cyber attacks on South Korea are believed to have been mounted from 16 different countries but North Korea was not among them, Seoul’s spy agency was quoted as saying today.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) told legislators the attacks were tracked to 86 Internet protocol addresses from 16 countries including the United States, Japan, China and Guatemala, the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers, quoting information from the NIS given in a closed briefing, said North Korea was not among the 16 countries.

ANC demands resignation of J&K Chief Minister

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Srinagar, July 10: The Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference (JKANC) today demanded resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and alleged that the administrative apparatus has ceased to exist in the state.

“It is better that the coalition pack its bags and leave us to our fate. They and their administrative apparatus have ceased to exist,” vice-president of the party Muzaffar Shah said here today.

He said that the situation has reached to a point, where parents are not sure, if their children will come back alive or arrive in body bags.

Players Status Committee seeks clarifications on Bhutia issue

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New Delhi, July 10: The AIFF Players Status Committee, that has been entrusted the job of deciding the validity of the suspension of Bhaichung Bhutia by Mohun Bagan, has sought “some clarifications” from the national federation.

Committee chairman KP Sunny said the matter would be taken up after he gets a reply on the clarifications he sought from the AIFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco.

My figures are correct, insists Lalu

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New Delhi, July 10: With his claims of railway turnaround coming under scanner, former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today rejected the charge of juggling figures, insisting that he had nothing to fear despite the white paper promised by his successor Mamata Banerjee.

“Let the white paper come before the House. My figures are correct…. Some people think money has been kept in almirahs. It’s a matter of record. The minister himself does not make statistics. There should not be any confusion about it,” the RJD chief told reporters outside Parliament.

Three-year-old boy dies after misfiring

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Kanpur, July 10: A three-year-old boy here died after he misfired a country-made pistol mistaking it as a toy.

According to a police spokesperson, the incident took place last evening at Ghazipur village in Ghatampur area of the city, when three-year-old Ankit died after he fired a shot from a country-made revolver, which left him seriously injured.

The boy, was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Police have sent the dead body of the child for post-mortem and are investigating the case.
–PTI

Sania all set to shed her singledom status

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Hyderabad, July 10: Sania Mirza’s days of singledom come to an end tonight with the Indian tennis ace all set to get engaged to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza in a private ceremony here.

Sohrab is an MBA student and son of a city-based businessman.

The 22-year-old Sania and Sohrab (23) will exchange rings at 8.30pm at a posh city hotel tonight.

With two cupid-struck youth creating nuisance outside Sania’s Banjara Hills residence in the last two days, the city police have made tight security arrangements to ward off any trouble at the function.

Suniel not angry with Ekta

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Mumbai, July 10: Suniel Shetty was recently at an event to promote his upcoming film ‘Red Alert’ and the actor certainly was in tell-all mood. The actor who thinks that he was initially criticized for his wooden acting and later for only doing comedies has some films like ‘Hututu’ and ‘Red Alert’ that will prove his mettle as an actor.

Musharraf wants India, Pak to open doors for artistes

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New Delhi, July 10: A known Bollywood film-buff, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has favoured enhanced contacts in the cultural field with India, saying the two countries should open doors for each other’s artistes to help better ties.

“Musharraf said that he has seen a number of Bollywood films and Indian actors are popular in his country too,” BJP leader and actor turned politician Shatrughan Sinha said after meeting the former Pakistan military ruler at a private function in Dubai.

Maoists blow up forest office in Orissa, 3 injured

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Bhubaneswar, July 10: At least three villagers sustained minor injuries when Maoists blew up a forest office in Orissa’s Gajapati district early today, police said.

Around 30 to 40 armed Maoists first ransacked the forest beat house at Paniganda village under Adaba police station, some 300 km from the capital, and then blew it up, district superintendent of police Sanjib Arora told media.

“They blew up the beat house soon after a group of villagers reached the spot out of curiosity. Three villagers have sustained minor injuries,” he said.

Chidambaram asks NE militants to abjure violence

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New Delhi, July 10: The Centre today warned that it will not entertain any ceasefire offer from militants and asked insurgent groups in the North Cachar hills areas of Assam to lay down arms and come for talks.

“We made it very clear that we will not entertain any ceasefire from militant groups. Militant groups are most welcome to abjure the path of violence, lay down arms and come for talks,” Home Minister P Chidambaram said in the Rajya Sabha in response to a Calling Attention Notice on ethnic violence in the hills district of Assam.

Coroner seeks Jackson’s medical files

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Los Angeles , July 10: The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has reportedly issued subpoenas for medical files from several doctors who treated Michael Jackson, whose sudden death two weeks ago remains shrouded in mystery.

The LA Times is quoting an unidentified source who claims to have seen a subpoena seeking “any and all” of Jackson’s medical records, “including radiology and psychiatric records”.

One of the subpoenas has been served on Jackson’s long-time dermatologist Arnold Klein.

Buchanan had asked Ganguly to quit T20 after IPL I

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New Delhi, July 10: Convinced that Sourav Ganguly was unfit for Twenty20 cricket, former Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan had asked the left-hander to quit after the first edition of the Indian Premier League.

In his latest book ‘The Future of Cricket: The rise of Twenty20’, Buchanan revealed advising Ganguly to quit Twenty20 even though the then Knight Riders captain refused to oblige.

SC refuses to restrain UP govt from installing statues

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New Delhi, July 10: The Supreme Court today refused to restrain the Uttar Pradesh government from carrying out work for installation of statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and other dalit leaders at a park in Noida adjoining Delhi.

The apex Court said it cannot interfere in the matter in which the approval has been granted by the state Cabinet.

“If it has been approved by the government, this court cannot interfere,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said, when an application seeking to maintain the status quo on the works was mentioned before it.

Woman rescued after husband sold her

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Muzaffarnagar, July 10: A woman was rescued after she was sold out by her husband for Rs 90,000 over some family quarrel at a village here, police said today.

Shahina, a resident of village Mubaraikpur was sold to Sunil Tyagi(44) by her husband Farid Ahmed who has two wives for a sum of Rs 90,000 over some family dispute, Superintendent of Police Muzaffarnagar SK Shukla said.

The woman was rescued and Sunil was arrested last night after her family members approached the police. A case has been registered against the two men, Shukla said.