sana

India protests firing along Punjab border

by

New Delhi, July 06: India has called on Pakistan to strengthen security along the international border in Punjab, following a mysterious rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on Saturday night.

Sources in the Border Security Force said an RPG exploded in a field near the Pul Kanjari Border Observation Post, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. Its fragments were later recovered.

Minutes earlier, troops stationed along India-Pakistan border in the Attari area, heard a loud explosion from the area around Pakistan’s KS Wallah Border Post.

Additional excise duty on big cars cut

by

New Delhi, July 06: Bigger cars will be cheaper as the government on Monday reduced additional excise duty on those with engine capacities of 2,000cc and above by Rs 5,000 per unit.

It also cut the duty of petrol-driven trucks to eight per cent from 20 per cent at present.

‘US for engagement with Iran despite crackdown on dissent’

by

Washington, July 06: Voicing “grave concern” over the recent crackdown on dissenters in Iran, President Barack Obama has, nevertheless, said this will not prompt the US to close the door on negotiations with that country’s top leadership.

In an interview a day before embarking on a visit to Moscow, Obama said, “We have offered a pathway for Iran to rejoining the international community” and the repression on opposition protesters will not deter the US from seeking to engage Iran in dialogue.

Japanese Navy ships leave for anti-piracy mission

by

Tokyo, July 06: Two more Japanese Navy destroyers left on Monday to join an international mission to curb piracy off the coast of Somalia, and for the first time will be authorised to escort both foreign and Japanese vessels.

Harusame and Amagiri will replace two other destroyers that Japan deployed to the mission in the Gulf of Aden in March in its military’s first post-war overseas policing action.

Broken spine rejoined in ‘miracle’ surgery

by

New Delhi, July 06: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here have rejoined a 10-year-old boy’s broken spinal cord, hospital authorities said Saturday, terming it as a “first-of-its-kind case”.

The boy, Premchand from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, fell while playing in a field and the moving blades of a tractor’s harrow went over his back cutting his vertebral column into two.

Govt to introduce Food Security Bill soon

by

New Delhi, July 06: The government on Monday said it will soon introduce a Bill to enact a Food Security law that will provide 25 kg of rice and/or wheat at Rs 3 to each family below the poverty line – a key poll promise of the Congress that heads the ruling coalition.

Presenting the Union Budget 2009-10, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, the Bill will soon be introduced after consultation with different stakeholders.

A draft Food Security Bill will be put up on the website of the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution for public debate on this issue, he added.

Close associate of LeT commanders arrested

by

Srinagar, July 06: An alleged close associate of two self-styled Lashkar-e-Toiba commanders working in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department was on Monday arrested in Doda district.

On a tip off, police raided a hideout in a forest belt in the district and arrested Nissar Ahmed.

Ahmed, who is a store keeper in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, is an associate of two Pakistani commanders of LeT – Abu Ans and Abu Amaj operating in Thathri belt of the district, police said.

Corpus of women’s SHGs increased to Rs 500 cr

by

New Delhi, July 06: Making employment generation as the stepping stone towards women’s empowerment, the Government on Monday increased the corpus of the women’s Self Help Groups to Rs 500 crore from the existing Rs 100 crore.

Presenting the annual budget for the year 2009-2010 in Parliament, Mukherjee said the Government proposes to enroll at least 50 per cent of all rural women in the country as members of SHGs over the next five years and link these SHGs to various banks.

Crop loan at 6 pc interest for farmers

by

New Delhi, July 06: The government on Monday announced loans at a subsidised interest rate of six per cent for farmers who pay their dues in time, which is one per cent less than what others would get.

“I am also happy to announce that for this year the government will pay an additional subvention of one per cent as an incentive to those farmers who repay their short term crop loan on schedule. Thus the interest rate for these farmers will come down to 6 per cent per annum,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Budget 2009-10.

Tropics encroaching on temperate climate zones

by

Sydney, July 06: The tropical zone is expanding into what have been humid temperate climate zones, according to a review of scientific data.

The authors of a recent study concluded that the effects of a pole-ward expansion of the tropical and subtropical zones were immense, manifesting a variety of social, political, economic and environmental outcomes.

The study has been conducted by Joanne Isaac, post-doctoral fellow at James Cook University (JCU), with Steve Turton, professor at its School of Earth and Environment Sciences.

Yuvraj is Team India’s backbone: Dhoni

by

Gros Islet, July 06: Yuvraj Singh is the backbone of India’s batting line-up, said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lauding his deputy’s contribution in the 2-1 series triumph over the West Indies.

“He is the backbone of our batting line up. Coming in at number four he always takes up the responsibility and sets up the platform for the batsmen down the order to contribute,” Mr. Dhoni said after the fourth and final match was abandoned due to rain.

“When he sets himself up, rest assured he is in for a big score,” Mr. Dhoni, who was adjudged the Man of the Series, said.

Kerala preparing new law to tackle cyber crimes

by

Thiruvananthapuram, July 06: Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Monday told the state assembly that a comprehensive law is being prepared to tackle the increasing number of cyber crimes being reported in the state.

“We are working with the legal department to see that a comprehensive law is worked out. The current IT Act does not have enough teeth because it was formed a few years back, and since then the world of technology has changed dramatically. So that has to be amended,” Balakrishnan said.

Rajasthan opposition all set to corner Congress govt in budget session

by

Jaipur, July 06: The Budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly commencing tomorrow is likely to be stormy with opposition BJP all set to corner the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government on many issues, including the racket of forcibly taking out blood from children.

The opposition is geared up to raise deteriorating law and order, water and electricity problem and others in the state.

Iran ready to Israel attack on nuclear facilities

by

Tehran, July 06: Iran is ready to take “real and decisive” action if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian parliamentary official said Monday.

The remarks by Alaeddin Broujerdi, the head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, came after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden signaled that Washington would not try to prevent any such Israeli assault.

“Both the U.S. and Israel are aware of the consequence of an erroneous decision,” Broujerdi told reporters at the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo.

22 die in Vietnam landslides, floods

by

Hanoi, July 06: The government says the death toll from landslides and floods in Vietnam’s mountainous north has risen to 22.

Thirteen other people are still missing after the heavy rains that struck on Friday night.

The Central Committee for Floods and Storms Control said on its Web site Monday that authorities have recovered seven more bodies bringing the toll to 22.

The committee said the landslides and floods destroyed or damaged more than 500 houses and hundreds of acres (hectares) of rice fields.

Govt raises income tax sops; incentive for farm, exporters

by

New Delhi, July 06: In tune with the poll promises made by the Congress and reflecting the pressures of the global financial crisis, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday presented the Budget for 2009-10 that contained a series of measures that could be termed popular.

The government today announced a slew of tax sops, including an additional Rs 10,000 personal income tax exemption and scrapping of 10 per cent surcharge, while announcing cheaper loans to farmers and incentives for export and infrastructure to attain nine per cent growth.

Another hot and humid day for Delhi

by

New Delhi, July 06: What with no rains in the last few days, it doesn’t seem like much of a monsoon in the capital. And going by the met department’s forecast, Monday will be another day of discomfort with both the temperature and humidity set to remain high.

The minimum temperature recorded early Monday was a notch below the average at 27 degrees Celsius. The maximum is expected to hover around 39.5 degree Celsius.

The humidity level was also high at 58 percent early in the day.

Poor can’t eat promises, G8 must do more: NGO

by

New Delhi, July 06: The heads of government who are meeting this week for the G8 Summit in Italy need to find $23 billion a year to halve hunger by 2015, according to the latest calculations by development agency ActionAid.

“G8 is failing to help over one billion hungry people. In 2008, they made commitments to tackle the food crisis but since last year, the number of hungry has risen by 100 million,” said Angela Wauye, food rights coordinator at ActionAid Kenya. “Poor people cannot eat promises. This year the G8 must do more.”

Suicide blast kills 2 Afghans near NATO base

by

Kandhar, July 06: A suicide car bomber killed at least two civilians in an attack outside a major international military base on Monday in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, a Taliban stronghold, Army officials said.

The bomber apparently targeted a group of Afghan soldiers and truck drivers providing supplies for foreign troops at the sprawling Kandahar air field south of Kandahar city.

“It was a suicide car attack which killed two truck drivers and wounded 10 more of them, along with two (Afghan) Army soldiers,” said General Sher Mohammad Zazai in Kandahar.

Singrauli blasts toll rises to ten, 49 injured

by

Singrauli, July 06: With the recovery of two more bodies, the death toll in the explosions that rocked two private factories manufacturing explosives for coal mining has climbed to 10, police said on Monday.

“Ten persons were killed and 49 others injured in the explosion that took place yesterday in two factories of the Bairhan Industrial area,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Singrauli, Anurag said.

The rescue operation is still going on and the toll may go up, he said.

“The operation, which is going on a war-footing, is likely to be completed by this evening,” the SP said.

Pak Army still considers India a threat: Mullen

by

Washington, July 06: Despite President Asif Ali Zardari’s assertion that a Taliban insurgency, not India, was the biggest threat to Islamabad, the Pakistani Army still considers India a “threat,” US’ top Army official indicated.

In an interview to CBS “Face the Nation”, Chairman of America’s Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said the Pakistan Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is focused on both – the threat from India and that from internal insurgency.

Obama on relation-mending visit to Russia

by

Moscow, July 06: Hoping to press the “reset button” in US-Russia ties, President Barack Obama on Monday embarked on a historic trip to Russia to mend the damaged relations between the two countries and finalise a deal to replace a Cold War-era treaty on nuclear arms reduction.

During his three-day stay in Moscow, Obama would hold a US-Russia summit meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, besides meeting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and former President Mikhail Gorbachev.

History-sheeter shot dead by miscreants

by

Ahmeddabad, July 06: A known history-sheeter of the city, Pradeep Kavishwar alias Pradeep don, was shot dead allegedly by two miscreants at Khadia on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place near Bala Hanuman temple in Khadia around 2 pm.

An eyewitness in the case, Uday Upadhyay, has identified the duo, said the police, adding that they will be arrested soon.

A resident of Limda Ni Pol in Khadia, Kavishwar had taken his dog for a walk when the accused, who came on a motorcycle, intercepted him at Pushpkarna Ni Pol near Bala Hanuman temple.

Govt accepts tribal truths: Armed action futile without road, water

by

Kolkata, July 06: Admitting that little development has been undertaken so far in tribal areas of Bengal, state Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said without development, the police operations in Lalgarh are meaningless.

He visited Lalgarh and adjoining areas on Sunday to oversee development work and the police operations.

Sen arrived at 10 am, held meetings at Lalgarh police station, Binpur BDO office and later at the circuit house in Midnapore town.

Tight security on Ayodhya attack anniversary

by

Kucknow, July 06: Observing the fourth anniversary of terror attack at the disputed shrine of Ram Lalla on Sunday at Babri Masjid, a security blanket was thrown around Ayodhya for over 24 hours.

Paramilitary forces along with Provincial Armed Constabulary remained on their toes from Saturday evening to Sunday evening, searching vehicles, trains and hotels.

On July 5, 2005, six heavily armed terrorists had entered the disputed site by blowing up the eastern barricade and advanced towards the makeshift temple in order to capture or blow it with explosives.