Gali Nagaraja

Sabotage not ruled out in Pakistan factory fire: Rehman Malik

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The possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out in the garment factory fire in Pakistan’s port city Karachi that left at least 259 people dead, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Sunday.

Statements from fire-fighters and injured people that said all exit gates were closed when the fire broke out has caused suspicion about the possible motives behind the incident, Xinhua reported.

Pakistan’s parliament, opposition parties, rights and labour groups have called for a judicial inquiry into one of the worst fire incidents in the country’s history.

Free-drink culture is out in Chandigarh

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Complimentary drinks for women, buy one-get one offers and other freebies in Chandigarh’s drinking circle could be a thing of the past with the city’s administration to issue an advisory to bars, hotels, restaurants, night-clubs and discotheques to refrain from such practices.

Guerrilla killed in Kashmir gunfight

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One separatist guerrilla was killed in a gunfight with the army in Kashmir’s Baramulla district, police said Sunday.

“One terrorist has been killed in the gunfight that started late Saturday evening between terrorists and the army in Mohra village of Baramulla district,” Lieutenant colonel J.S. Brar, spokesman of army’s Srinagar based 15th corps, told IANS.

The identity of the slain guerrilla is yet to be known.

“The gunfight has stopped in the area, but the searches are on,” Brar said.

Mohra village is situated on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway, 78 km from here.

—IANS

Mentally ill can now become MPs in Britain

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British lawmakers have unanimously voted to end “discrimination” against people suffering from mental illness, who will now be able to serve as members of parliament, in juries and as company directors.

In a rare private members bill backed by the House of Commons, the practice of barring those who have suffered from severe mental health issues from serving on juries or as company directors has been repealed, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

MPs who have been institutionalised for psychiatric reasons for more than six months will no longer be forced to stand down from parliament.

Shah Rukh gave me perspective on Jhilmil: Priyanka Chopra

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Actress-singer Priyanka Chopra, who plays an autistic girl Jhilmil in Anurag Kasyap’s Barfi!, says superstar Shah Rukh Khan helped her play the character.

Priyanka, 30, said Shah Rukh lent his research of autism from My Name is Khan, where his character showed mild form of the disorder.

“Also thank you SRK for lending me all your My name is Khan research, you gave me perspective on Jhilmil..owe you another one..love always,” she tweeted.

Afghan policeman kills two NATO soldiers

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An Afghan policeman shot dead two NATO soldiers in Afghanistan Saturday, the military alliance said.

The attack took place in southern Afghanistan. The attacker was killed in return fire, Xinhua.net reported.

More than 300 foreign soldiers were killed in Afghanistan this year.

—IANS

Saudi mufti asks film protesters to stop violence

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Saudi Arabia’s highest spiritual leader has called on the Muslims to denounce violence in protest of an anti-Islam video made in the US.

“If Muslims surrender to anger, they will achieve the objectives of those who are behind the production of this offensive movie,” Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh said in a statement Saturday.

“Muslims should not let their anger lead them to kill innocent people and attack public facilities,” Xinhua quoted the spiritual leader as saying.

He emphasized that condemning the disputed movie should be in accordance with Quran.

Andhra minister’s son caught driving drunk

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Son of a cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh was caught Saturday by police while driving his vehicle in an inebriated condition.

Krishna Reddy, son of Animal Husbandry minister P. Viswaroop, was stopped by the police in the posh Banajara Hills. Police said a breath analyzer test was done on him, which indicated that he was drunk while driving.

Banjara Hills police detained the Volvo car he was driving and registered a case. The police have summoned the minister’s son for counselling Monday.

NSUI sweeps Delhi University elections

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The Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) Saturday won all four seats in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU), officials said.

NSUI’s Arun Hooda won the president’s post while Varun Khari was declared the new vice president.

Varun Chaudhary was elected the secretary while Raveena Choudhary became the joint secretary.

The RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had thumped NSUI in the elections last year bagging three of the four posts. The NSUI could only manage to win the post of president.

Two killed at US base where Prince Harry deployed

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Insurgents armed with guns and rockets stormed a heavily fortified air field in Afghanistan, killing two US Marines and damaging aircraft in a major security breach at the camp where Prince Harry is deployed.

The Taliban, which is leading a 10-year insurgency against 117,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack to avenge a US-made film deemed insulting to Islam that has sparked deadly riots across the Middle East.

—PTI

UPA anti-poor, will review support: Mayawati

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BSP chief Mayawati Saturday hit out at the Congress-led UPA government and her party would decide next month whether or not to continue supporting it.

Accusing the Congress of making a “mess of poor people”, Mayawati said the central government led by Manmohan Singh was taking anti-poor decisions one after another.

The Bahujan Samaj Party cannot be a mute spectator to them, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

“First the price hike of diesel, then the LPG rationing and now the approval to allow to FDI in retail,” she said.

World T20: Samuels ready to step-up for West Indies

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In-form top order batsman Marlon Samuels says he believes he will have a key role to play in the West Indies team for the ICC World T20 starting in Sri Lanka next week.

The top-order batsman, who also bowls off-spin, is expected to be called upon with both bat and ball as the Windies, touted as one of the favourites, look to win the title for the first time.

“My role will be in every department – batting, bowling and fielding,” Samuels was quoted as saying by CMC Friday.

Speaker assures to discuss the issues of the non-Muslims in Assembly

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Speaker of A.P. Assembly, Mr. N.Manohar assured Dr. Mohammed Niyaz Ahmed Khan, Chairman, Osmania University N.R.I’s Association at Riyadh (KSA) that he would make arrangements to discuss the problems of N.R.I’s in state Assembly in consultation with the Chief Minister of A.P. Mr. N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The speaker told that the N.R.I’s of A.P. are elevating the prestige and the dignity of the country by serving in foreign countries. They also increase our foreign exchange reserves.

Protest against the anti-Muslims is a natural reaction of the Muslims –INSAF

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INSAF organization treated the reaction and the protest of the Muslims as natural. Muslims throughout the world are expressing their wrath against the Jewish director of the anti-Muslim film. It is an expression of their affinity and affection towards the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).

The leaders of INSAF organization felt that the root cause of all these is the terrorist activities of America and Israel and their hostility towards Islam and the Muslims.

Terrorist activities are exhibited through the policies of America and Israel.

Congress meeting on 23rd September

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A meeting of the Congress workers is being organized from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lalith Kala Thoranum, Public Gardern, Hyderabad. Proposals will be received from both the regions of Andhra Pradesh for the formation of Separate Telangana State. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr. Vaylaar Ravi and other Central leaders are expected to attend this meeting.

Mr. V.Hanumantha Rao, Secretary, AICC had demanded for organizing such a meeting. Mr. Chiranjeevi had also supported it. Congress has decided to convene this meeting in the wake of possible elections of the local bodies.

Conspiracy to irritate the Muslims throughout the world

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Urdu is the representative of Ganga-Jamuna Civilization and through it relations between the compatriots could be softened. The tragedy of Urdu is that the capitalists of this country, especially the Muslims didn’t make any attempt to get its due place. These thoughts were expressed by Mr. Syed Faisal Ali, incharge of editorial section of Rashtriya Sahara, Urdu Daily of Hyderabad chapter while addressing a gathering to mark the sixth anniversary of Rashtriya Sahara.

Frustrated college student ends life

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Unable to fulfil his desire of making a career in the Indian Army, a 21-year old college student hanged himself in a college in Maharashtra, police said Saturday.

Police officer Shivraj Pawar of Malkapur in Buldana district said Rahul V. Haldane left behind a suicide note addressed to his family and friends.

“He wrote that he had made several attempts to join the Indian Army to serve the nation but he could not succeed. Hence he decided to take the extreme step,” Pawar told IANS.

Laughter has died in Pakistan, laments daily

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A Pakistani daily wished Saturday that the old times would return “so that the sound of unrestrained laughter can be heard more often across our towns and cities”.

An editorial in the News International paid tribute to comedian Safirullah Siddiqui, also known as Lehri, who died Thursday after a prolonged illness.

“The golden age of Pakistan’s film industry is long past. Lehri’s death reminded many that such an age was once a reality. His ability to make people laugh lightened up lives through his 30-year career as a film comedian, lasting from the 1950s to the 1980s,” it said.

Pakistani minister quits over Karachi inferno

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A minister in Pakistan’s Sindh province resigned after he found himself having “no authority to move against the people responsible” for the Karachi factory fire that left nearly 300 people dead, a media report said Saturday.

Sindh Minister for Industries Abdul Rauf Siddiqi resigned from the provincial cabinet Friday after he found himself “helpless and with no authority to move against the people responsible for the deadly Karachi factory fire”, reported Dawn.

Lalu Prasad supports FDI in multi-brand retail

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RJD chief Lalu Prasad Saturday supported the Congress-led central government’s decision to allow 51 percent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, saying the farmers would get good price for their produce.

“FDI (foreign direct investment) in multi-brand retail will benefit farmers of the country as they would get fair price for their products and people will get good quality food grain,” the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader said while interacting with media in Gopalganj district of Bihar.

Island row: Chinese daily asks military to be ready

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A state-run daily Saturday asked the powerful Chinese military, including a corps that controls conventional and nuclear missiles, to be prepared and intensify its deterrence against Japan following a row over Diaoyu islands.

An article in the op-ed section of Global Times said: “China should be confident about strategically overwhelming Japan. The People’s Liberation Army’s Navy and Air Force, as well as its Second Artillery Corps, are advised to increase their preparation and intensify their deterrence against Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.”

Jayalalithaa wants Supreme Court to take up Katchatheevu

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Tamil Nadu will petition the Supreme Court to immediately take up its case against the gifting of Katchatheevu island by India to Sri Lanka, according to Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

An official statement Saturday said the chief minister conveyed the decision to her officials late Friday.

“It was decided to petition the Supreme Court to take up the case challenging the gifting of Katchatheevu immediately. The government would file a petition in the Supreme Court.”

Giving interviews is a special talent: Karan Johar

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As a celebrity, giving interviews is an everyday thing for filmmaker Karan Johar, who is set to judge the new season of “India’s Got Talent”. But he believes it needs a special talent to be able to give interviews on the same subject repeatedly.

“You need to be talented to give interviews and take interviews. In fact, if you can give interviews perfectly, then I think it’s an art form of it’s own,” the 40-year-old, who has been a chat show host, said here Friday at the launch of reality show “India’s Got Talent”.