faheem New Delhi, July 09: India’s annual rate of inflation dropped to minus 1.55 percent for the week ended on June 27, from minus 1.30 percent the week before, according to official data released here today.
India’s annual rate of inflation turned negative for the week ended on June 6, for the first time since the new wholesale price index (WPI) series started in 1995.
The inflation rate had last turned negative in 1977.
Lucknow, July 09: A 50-year-old woman was assaulted and paraded naked through an Uttar Pradesh village because her son was caught with a girl, police said Thursday.
Five members of the girl’s family caught the woman by her hair and forced her to walk naked through the village in Aligarh district’s Padiawali village, about 300 km from here.
Although the incident took place Monday, police registered a case only Thursday. A police inspector has been suspended for the delay.
Srinagar, July 09: Locals took to the streets in frontier district of Kupwara today demanding the arrest of a territorial army jawan, who allegedly tried to molest a young woman following which she committed suicide.
The 20-year-old college girl allegedly consumed poison at her house in Doolipora-Trehgam, 100 kms from here, after the jawan and his friends tried to molest her last night, official sources said.
The jawan identified as Ashiq Hussain Mir entered the house along with some friends.
New York, July 09: Afghan women are under sustained attack, not just by the Taliban themselves, but by deeply engrained cultural practices and customs, said a new UN report released today by Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi.
The 32-page report issued jointly by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) describes the extensive and increasing level of violence directed at women taking part in public life, as well as the “widespread occurrence” of rape against a backdrop of institutional failure and impunity.
New Delhi, July 09: The Supreme Court today issued notices to the union government, the Delhi government and the NGO Naz Foundation seeking their stand on a lawsuit challenging the July 2 verdict of the Delhi High Court decriminalising gay sex. A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam issued notices on the lawsuit filed by a Delhi advocate Suresh Kaushal. The bench has sought replies of the various parties by July 20, the next of hearing of the matter.
Ahmedabad, July 09: With 17 more people dying during treatment at various hospitals in the city after consuming spurious liquor, the death toll in the hooch tragedy rose to 65 today.
“The death toll touched 65 as more people died since last night”, police said.
Several others are still undergoing treatment.
Police has detained one suspected bootlegger Harishankar Kahar alias Hariom, who allegedly supplied spurious liquor in the Majoor Gam and Odhav areas where most of the deaths have occurred.
Shillong, July 09: The North East Frontier Railway has proposed a rail link connecting key trading points along the Bangladesh border in Assam and Meghalaya.
The Rs 16,000-crore proposal for setting up the rail tracks from Jogighopa in Goalpara district of Assam to Silchar in south Assam via some key trading points along Bangladesh border like Dawki, Shella and Baghmara has been submitted to the railway ministry.
New Delhi, July 09: The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging the Delhi High Court judgement legalising gay sex among the consenting adults.
The apex court posted the matter for hearing on July 20. .
–PTI
New Delhi, July 09: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) on Wednesday signed a deal with the government’s Department of Information and Technology to facilitate e-learning in east India’s rural areas and optimise the use of technology to provide education in the region.
IGNOU Vice-Chancellor V.N. Rajashekharan Pillai signed the deal with the IT department’s local facilitator in the east – Srei Shahaj E-Village Ltd – at a function at the India Habitat Centre here.
Los Angeles, July 09: More than 30 million Americans watched Michael Jackson’s memorial service, according to television ratings released Wednesday, but the whereabouts of his body and plans for his funeral remained shrouded in secrecy.
Ratings agency Nielsen reported that 31 million viewers watched the memorial in the US, compared to 35 million who watched the funeral of former president Ronald Reagan in 2004 and 33.2 million viewers for the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.
The viewing figures did not include the millions more who folowed the event over the internet.
Mumbai, July 09: A key index of the Indian equities markets opened higher today, ruling 75 points above its last closing figure, about five minutes into trading.
The 30-scrip index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened higher at 13,796.19 points, was at 13,844.96 — 75.81 points or 0.55 percent higher than Wednesday’s closing figure.
Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was ruling in the green at 4,107.95 points, up 0.71 percent.
New Delhi, July 09: They appear in portraits and carvings and the Mughal Emperor Ashoka was said to have kept more than 1,000 for hunting. But the cheetah – prized for its speed and its ability to be trained – has not been seen in India for at least 60 years.
New York, July 09: Iranian political detainees who have been released from prison say they were beaten and subjected to other harsh treatment by Iranian authorities trying to force them into false confessions, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday.
One 17-year-old ex-detainee described being blindfolded and forced to stand for 48 hours until he signed a blank confession.
The report follows the crackdown on Iranian demonstrators who protested alleged election fraud on June 12 when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reaffirmed.
Washington, July 09: Life isn’t easy for pets that keep a busy schedule. There are visits with former members of the household who have moved far away.
And sometimes pets have to meet up with their families when they go on vacation or attend an occasion away from home. Soon there will be a new airline in the US to meet the needs of these busy animals. Pet Airways will fly strictly pets – the only people on board will be the pilot and a flight attendant who will be dedicated exclusively to the comfort of the precious freight.
Baghdad, July 09: Iraq’s government has ordered authorities in Saddam Hussein’s home town to ban schoolchildren from visiting the grave of the former dictator after a video showed a group of schoolgirls singing his praises at the site.
The order from the cabinet was accompanied by other directives aimed at stripping Saddam’s reign of any mystique, calling for some signs and monuments dating to before the 2003 US-led invasion to be dismantled because they “glorified the past regime”.
Rome, July 07: On the eve of the summit of Group of eight industrialised countries(G-8), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a strong pitch for UN Security Council reforms saying its present structure posed “serious problems of legitimacy.”
In the backof bids by India and countries like Japan and Germany to be made a permanent member of United Nation’s highest policy making body, Singh said the Security Council has not changed at all and its two-tiered membership where five permanent members have veto power was “clearly anachronistic.”
Mumbai, July 07: The prosecution in 26/11 terror attack case today examined a forensic expert who had conducted post-mortem on bodies of 20 people, including slain terrorist Abu Ismael.
Lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and Ismael had killed 72 people including senior police officials.
The doctor, who had conducted post-mortems, was examined as witnesses because Kasab’s lawyer Abbas Kazmi did not submit post-mortem reports. So the prosecution had to examine witnesses to prove that people died because of bullets fired by the terrorists.
Cardiff, July 07: Australia captain Ricky Ponting wants his inexperienced pace attack to make their mark in Ashes history after fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out of the first cricket Test against England.
Lee was forced to withdraw less than 48 hours before tomorrow’s series opener with England here at Sophia Gardens after damaging an abdominal muscle in his left side.
Now the 32-year-old, who has taken 310 wickets in 76 Tests, could be out until at least the third match of the series at Edgbaston.
Dehradun, July 07: A case of murder was registered against police officials involved in the killing of MBA graduate Ranbir Singh in an alleged fake encounter as pressure mounted on the BJP government in Uttarkhand today to order a CBI probe.
The FIRs under section 302 (murder) IPC was lodged following a murder case against 14 police personnel registered by Ranbir’s father Ravindra Pal Singh in Raipur police station late last night, official sources said here today, four days after the incident on Friday.
Kochi, July 07: The compact discs containing the narco analysis test of the three accused in Sister Abhaya case that were produced before courts were original, according to CBI.
The submission in this regard was made by the investigating agency before the Chief Judicial Magistrate court, Ernakulam, here yesterday. The CBI informed the court that the CDs produced in the Kerala High Court and CJM court were original ones and they had not been manipulated.
New Delhi, July 07: Keen to increase earnings, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she intends to give a boost to public-private partnership and will give Railway land on lease for infrastructure development.
Intervening in the Lok Sabha during debate on Railway Budget 2009-10, she said her main thrust would be on “core” activities regarding which a monitoring mechanism was being set up. “One additional official will be deputed for that purpose.”
Regensburg, July 07: German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble praised religious values as an antidote to the world economic crisis, at a meeing with Muslim leaders Monday. “The crisis has demonstrated what happens when values are no longer followed,” he told the seminar in the town hall of the southern German city of Regensburg.
The meeting was a continuation of three years of official consultations between the government and Islamic leaders on how to ease friction and offer Islam classes in public schools to Muslim pupils.
Washington, July 07: It must surely rank as the most mundane business launch in history.
Jawed Karim, one of the founders of YouTube, shuffles timidly in front of a video camera while standing in front of a group of elephants at San Diego zoo, with precious little idea of what he was starting.
“The cool thing about these guys,” he says, nervously gesturing behind him, “is that they have really long trunks. And that’s pretty much all there is to say.”
Paris, July 07: The international police agency Interpol said Tuesday it has refused a request by Honduran authorities to issue an international arrest warrant for ousted President Manuel Zelaya. The Lyon-based agency said its Office of Legal Affairs concluded that the request was in contravention of Interpol’s constitution, which bans it from undertaking “any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.”
Belgrade, July 07: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was Tuesday to begin an official visit to Serbia, the first by a Palestinian leader in 20 years. Abbas, who was invited by Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic, would meet senior officials, including Tadic and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic.
Serbian media reported that Abbas’ two-day visit was a form of “resetting” relations between Serbia and the Palestinians.
Abbas and his hosts would discuss the conflict in the Middle East, the plight of the Palestinians and the situation in the Balkans and the world.