Shashank

Eight arrested for firing at police from MLA’s flat

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Bhubaneswar, February 1:A group of people fired at policemen from a Congress MLA’s residence here today, following which eight persons, including three with criminal antecedents, were arrested, the police said.

An FIR was also registered against the MLA Ramesh Jena who had been accused under section 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 353 (assaulting government servants), 307 (attempt to murder) and 332 (causing hurt) of the IPC.

The MLA was, however, not arrested though his associates were taken into custody.

Mayawati absent at chief ministers meet, demands central aid

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Lucknow, February 1:Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati once again stayed away from the chief minister’s meet on internal security in New Delhi Tuesday but reiterated that her state was neglected and demanded central aid for police modernisation.

Like in the past, she sent her cabinet colleague and state parliamentary affairs minister Lalji Verma, who read out a speech on her behalf.

Chiranjeevi’s PRP to decide on Congress offer soon

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Hyderabad, February 1:Actor-turned politician K.Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) Tuesday said it would decide within three to four days on the Congress party’s invitation to join its government in Andhra Pradesh or merge with it.

Chiranjeevi told reporters that the party would take a decision in three to four days after due deliberations and consultations within the party.

“We will take a decision which is acceptable to all,” he said.

Chiranjeevi held talks with his party legislators at his residence here before leaving for the temple town of Tirupati.

NDA asks its Leaders and CMs to declare their assets

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New Delhi, february 1:Pledging to set an example in the fight against black money, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday said it would direct its Chief Ministers and senior most leaders to declare their assets and asked the government to make all efforts to bring Indian slush funds stashed in tax havens.

Senior NDA leaders held a press conference to present the report of a task force appointed by the BJP to look into the issue of Indian black money stashed abroad and ways of dealing with the issue.

US official makes “unacceptable” comments, MEA protests

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New Delhi, February 1:Government today lodged a strong protest with the US Embassy here over certain “unacceptable” comments by an American official on tagging of Indian students in California.

US Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu expressed regrets over the comments by Juliet Wur, Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate in Hyderabad, when Jawed Ashraf, Joint Secretary (Americas) in the External Affairs Ministry, called him, sources said.

Wur had earlier in the day told reporters in Hyderabad that tagging was a “hip and happening” thing and wondered why Indians were agitated over it.

Criminal killed in encounter

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Jaipur, February 1:A notorious criminal of Haryana was today killed in an encounter with the police in Dholpur district of Rajasthan.

“Teams of Haryana and Rajasthan police were chasing the accused Rajesh alias Tau, who had a cash reward of at least 5 lakh, and killed in an encounter,” SP (Dholpur) Rahul Prakash told PTI over phone.

“His accomplice Tara, who received bullet injuries, managed to escape and is being searched in hospitals and nursing homes in nearby places,” he said.

Italy arrests three for suicide mission training

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Italy, February 1:Police arrested three Moroccans in southern Italy Monday on suspicion of involvement in international terrorism and training others in how to make bombs and suicide explosive belts, Ansa news agency said.

The three men, including an imam and his son, are suspected of downloading documents on weapons and explosives use from jihadist sites though the police investigation, launched in 2007, found no concrete plans for attacks.

Iran summons freed US woman for trial

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Tehran, February 1:An American woman, who was arrested in Iran on charges of spying and later freed on bail, has been summoned by an Iranian court for trial, the IRNA news agency reported.

US hiker Sarah Shourd and her two friends – Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer – were arrested in July 2009 for illegally entering Iran.

Shourd was released on bail of around $500,000 last year due to her failing health, while Fattal and Bauer remain jailed in Tehran.

Mamata to apprise Centre about police ‘attack’ on media

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Midnapore (WB),February 01:Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee tonight said she would give a report to Centre about the ‘brutal’ police lathicharge injuring several scribes and party workers in West Midnapore while rubbishing her party’s alleged links with Maoists.

Claiming that allegations about Maoist links of two arrested Trinamool men from the TC-run relief camp in West Midnapore was false, Banerjee told reporters here that “the (police) operation has been captured on video, evidences cannot lie.”

James Bond only role to get Eastwood out of retirement

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London, February 1:Clint Eastwood says he would be tempted to come out of acting retirement only if he gets to play James Bond on screen.

The 80-year-old actor-turned-director previously claimed “Gran Torino” in 2008 would be his last movie role. But now he admits he could be tempted to come out from behind the camera if he was offered the right project, reports contactmusic.com.

“I would act if the right role came along. But I’m not looking out because there are not that many great roles that would be something different for me to play, to conquer,” he said.

Winehouse back in hospital

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London, February 1:Singer Amy Winehouse has checked into a private medical facility in London after falling ill with influenza, according to her publicist.

The “Rehab” singer has been admitted to a clinic in Harley Street. It is the same facility where she had a breast augmentation in 2009, reports dailystar.co.uk.

The 27-year old singer returned to the clinic several times during 2010 due to complications following the procedure, as well as checking in after injuring herself in a drunken fall.

US diplomat row: Zardari says court will decide issue

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Islamabad, February 01:Amid growing pressure to release an American diplomat arrested for killing two Pakistanis in Lahore, President Asif Ali Zardari Monday said the US should wait for the court’s decision in the matter.

Zardari told a visiting US Congressional delegation, which raised the issue with the president, that it would be “prudent” to wait for the legal course, Geo News reported.

The president said that he appreciated their concern but the matter was already before the court. “It would be prudent to wait for the legal course to be completed,” he said.

Somali pirates kill two Sri Lankan fishermen

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Colombo, January 31:Two Sri Lankan fishermen were killed and three taken hostage by Somali pirates after their vessel went adrift, the ministry of fisheries said Monday.

The fishermen clashed with the pirates Jan 27, about two weeks after leaving port to fish off the south coast of Sri Lanka, according to information received by the ministry.

A ministry spokesman said the men’s family members had been informed, and diplomatic efforts were under way to trace the hostages.

–IANS

Retired army captain held for alleged ISI links

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Chandigarh/Shimla, January 31:A retired Army captain was arrested on Monday for his alleged links with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI and hawala agents.

The arrest of ex-armyman Shyam Sunder Guleria comes a few days after two alleged hawala operators — Amrik Singh and Bhagwan Dass — were apprehended by the Himachal Pradesh Ppolice, police sources said.

Guleria, a retired honorary captain, who was arrested from the transit area of the Western Command in Chandigarh, was handed over to the Himachal police for its ongoing probe into possible hawala racket in the northern region, they said.

India closely monitoring situation in Egypt, says Krishna

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Kochi, January 31:India Monday said it was “closely” monitoring the situation in Egypt but sees the developments there as an internal matter of that country.

“We are closely monitoring the situation. The view of government of India is that developments in Egypt are an internal matter of that country,” External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna said here.

Krishna said the government was willing to provide all help to Indians wanting to come back to India and he had spoken to the Indian ambassador in Egypt.

He said there were about 3,200 Indians in Egypt and all them were safe.

I explore complex diaspora identities: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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New Delhi, January 31:Award-winning Indian American novelist and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tries to heal the distress she encountered in a post 9/11 America by writing books for children. She also strives to explore the complicated identities of diasporic communities in novels for older readers.

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I explore complex diaspora identities: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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New Delhi, January 31:Award-winning Indian American novelist and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tries to heal the distress she encountered in a post 9/11 America by writing books for children. She also strives to explore the complicated identities of diasporic communities in novels for older readers.

I explore complex diaspora identities: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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New Delhi, January 31:Award-winning Indian American novelist and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tries to heal the distress she encountered in a post 9/11 America by writing books for children. She also strives to explore the complicated identities of diasporic communities in novels for older readers.

Categories Uncategorised

Fog disrupts air operations at IGI

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New Delhi, January 31:Air operations at the IGI airport here virtually come to a standstill this morning due to dense fog which disrupted the schedule of over 20 flights and led to the diversion of two others.

A Jet Airways flight from Abu Dhabi was diverted to Mumbai while a Spicejet flight from Mumbai was diverted to Jaipur after general visibility dropped to less than 50 metres, an airport official said.

Most of flights scheduled to depart early morning were delayed as the runway visibility dropped to 75 metres, far below the required minima of 125 metres.

Chhattisgarh journalists protest colleagues’ killings

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Raipur, January 30:Dozens of media persons staged a sit-in Sunday here to protest the killings of two mainline journalists in the state in recent weeks.

Nearly 100 journalists gathered outside Raipur Press Club complex in the heart of the city for the protest. They expressed concern over rising attacks on journalists in the state and police failures to track down the attackers.

2,500 quintal rice for mid-day meal recovered from mill

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Etah, January 30:About 2,500 quintal of rice meant for mid-day meal scheme was recovered when police raided a closed mill here.

Four workers present at the mill were arrested yesterday, but the owner managed to escape, police said, adding that they have seized Rs 46,000 in cash from the mill.

–PTI

Amit Jogi arrested for violating ban on gathering

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Raipur, January 30:Amit Jogi, son of Congress leader and Chhattisgarh’s former chief minister Ajit Jogi, was arrested Sunday in the state’s Raigarh district for violating ban on assembly of five or more people.

Jogi was arrested at Hati village on way to Dharmajaygarh town, about 300 km from here, where he planneed to lead a protest Monday against a public hearing for aluminium major BALCO.

US wants orderly transition of power in Egypt

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Washington, January 30:The US wants to see an orderly transition of power in Egypt, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday.

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators thronged the streets of Egypt’s main cities for a sixth day Sunday, defying curfews and a heavy military presence, demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down.

Centre on alert over Karmapa issue: Shinde

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Jammu, January 30:Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said the government was on alert in connection with the recovery of huge foreign currency in the 17th Ugyen Trinley Dorje Karmapa’s transit home in Dharamsala.

“Do not worry, Government of India is alert on this issue. They are doing the job in this regard,” Shinde said, addressing a rally of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) at Muthi here.

“All precautions have been taken and it will be further taken in order to meet the security aspects. There would be no security lax,” he said.

British period coins found in Sri Kalahasti

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Tirupati, January 30:About 1,800 coins bearing the image of Queen Victoria, believed to be about 120 years old, were seized from three fishermen in Sri Kalahasti, 40 km from here, revenue officials said today.

The seized coins, dating back to 1891, are believed to be made of brass and weigh a combined three-and-a-half kg, the officials said.

The fishermen were trying to sell the coins to a pawn broker in Sri Kalahasti when they were detained, they said.