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FBI gets 60 days to file charges against India terror plotters

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Washington, November 11:The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been given 60 days to file charges in the foiled terror plot in India and Denmark by two Pakistan-born Chicago men at the behest of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT).

Chicago court’s chief Judge James F. Holderman has extended till next Jan 1, the period of filing indictment against the accused duo, David Coleman Headley, a Pakistan-born American national, and his Pakistan-born Canadian associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

Angelina Jolie to adopt another baby?

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London, November 11:Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is reportedly planning to adopt a baby from an Asian country despite the fact that her partner Brad Pitt is not so keen about the idea.

The Oscar-winning actress, who already has three adopted kids and three biological children with partner Brad Pitt, has reportedly started the process to bring home a baby girl from an Asian country, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Pitt is said to be not so keen about the idea, but an undeterred Jolie has begun the proceedings on her own.

Panel on cadaver transplantation set up

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Hyderabad, November 11:The state government on Wednesday constituted a Cadaver Transplantation Advisory Committee (CTAC) for formulation of definitive guidelines on the various aspects related to cadaver transplantation.

Voters’ particulars displayed on GHMC website

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Hyderabad, November 11:Mr. Krishna Babu, special officer of the GHMC elections has said that the voters list would be given to all political parties on Thursday.
Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday, he said the official machinery was ready to conduct the elections. Particulars of the new voters would be displayed in the GHMC web site on Thursday, he added.

TDP demands arrest of KCR—provocative remarks

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Hyderabad, November 11:The TDP MLC, Mrs Nannapaneni Rajakumari on Wednesday demanded for immediate arrest of the TRS Chief, Mr K Chandrasekhara Rao for provocation of disparities and promoting enmity between the people of Telangana and Andhra regions.

Speaking to the media persons before meeting the Chief Minister, Mr K Rosaiah in the Secretariat here, Mrs Rajakumari stated that she would ask the Chief Minister to take a tough stand against the politicians who were provoking the regional feelings. Such persons should be arrested, if needed, she added.

BJP resents ‘TRS tactics’ to arouse regional feelings

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Hyderabad, November 11:Stating that acquisition of the assigned lands whether by the people of Coastal Andhra or of any part of the country was illegal, the state Bharatiya Janata Party has stated that the process of taking back such lands should be as per law of the land. But the Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders targeting the Coastal Andhra people and intimidating them was totally condemnable.

Younis seeks a break, PCB appoints Yousuf as captain

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Karachi, November 11:The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wednesday appointed senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf as the new captain for the three-match Test series against New Zealand after Younis Khan made himself unavailable for the upcoming assignment.

“Younis has requested the PCB for a break from international cricket and hence will skip the Test series against New Zealand,” a PCB statement said. “Mohammad Yousuf has been named captain and Kamran Akmal as his deputy (for the series),” it added.

Sex trade or polio – film fest on child rights shows it all

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New Delhi, November 11:A moving tale of young girls abducted from their villages and pushed into the sex trade, how some escape and help other victims – this and many other such stories of children’s struggles were showcased on the big screen at the International Children’s Rights Documentary Film Festival in the capital Wednesday.

Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the voluntary organisation ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child’, the film festival showcased five films from across just as many countries, centering around issues like sex trade, HIV/AIDS and polio.

Raj Thackeray should be arrested for assault: Azmi

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Mumbai, November 09:Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi Monday demanded the arrest of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray over the assault on him inside the Maharashtra assembly by MNS lawmakers.

“I have not done anything wrong by taking the oath as MLA in Hindi, it is our national language. I have respected my national language,” Azmi, the Samajwadi Party state chief, told reporters after the incident.

Infosys BPO planning acquisitions, hiring

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New Delhi, November 09:Infosys BPO Ltd, the business processing outsourcing (BPO) subsidiary of software major Infosys Technologies, is looking at fresh acquisitions and hiring people.

Speaking to reporters here Monday, Infosys BPO managing director and chief executive Amitabh Chaudhary said his company was “looking at acquisitions in the range of $80-200 million”.

“We will hire 2,000-2,500 people in four months,” he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit.

— Indo-Asian News Service

Was Headley in touch with 26/11 masterminds?

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New Delhi/ Mumbai November 09:Indian intelligence agencies along with Mumbai Police are probing if David Coleman Headley, who is currently in FBI custody, was in touch with the masterminds of the Laskhar-e Taiba (LeT) and if he attended any of the training camps the ten Pakistan-based terrorists went through for the 26/11 terror strikes.

MNS legislators suspended for four years

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Mumbai, November 09:Four legislators of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were Monday suspended for four years by the Maharashtra assembly for assaulting Samajwadi Party lawmaker Abu Asim Azmi for taking the oath as legislator in Hindi.

Besides the stringent punishment of suspending them for four years, the house also barred the four legislators – all first-timers – from entering Mumbai and Nagpur whenever the assembly sessions are held in these cities.

The four legislators are: Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam, who had slapped and punched SP member Azmi, Vasant Gite and Ramesh Banjle.

75 percent Indian engineering students unemployable: Report

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Discussing a report by software industry group Nasscom which says that 75 percent engineering students in India are unemployable, education experts here Saturday said that the Indian higher education system must give skill building and practical training equal importance as academics to give them an edge.

A.D. Sahasrabudhu, director of the College of Engineering, Pune said that one of the major reasons why engineers, even from reputed institutes, are not easily employed is because they lack hands-on skill.

Sari over jeans, belt over sari – new fashion fads in India

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New Delhi, November 07:India’s traditional six-yard wonder is igniting imaginations anew. The sari, say fashion designers, can be worn over a pair of jeans or jazzed up with a sexy slim belt for a trendy look.

Designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Nida Mahmood showcased the sari in new avatars at the recently concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) here. What’s more, young girls are all for these innovative styles.

Maoists blast school building in Chhattisgarh

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Raipur, November 07:Steeping up attacks on government buildings, Maoist guerrillas blew up a primary school building in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, police said Saturday.

Some 80-100 Maoists set explosives inside a primary school building in Phulpar village Friday night and destroyed a major portion, officials at the police headquarters here told IANS.

The school is around 400 km from state capital Raipur.

Minor incidents of violence mar West Bengal elections

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Kolkata, November 07:Sporadic incidents of violence marred voting Saturday for the 10 assembly seats in West Bengal whose outcome will have long-term consequences for the ruling Left Front.

About 35 percent voters had exercised their franchise till 1 p.m., an official said.

State chief electoral officer Debasish Sen told IANS: “Polling was peaceful and smooth. There was no major incident of law and order. Only some minor incidents were reported.”

Brisk voting in Himachal by-elections

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Shimla, November 07:Brisk voting was reported Saturday in the two Himachal Pradesh assembly constituencies of Jawali and Rohru, an election official said.

Till 1 p.m., around 35 percent of the 145,957 electorate in the two constituencies had voted. The state’s chief electoral officer Anil Khachi told IANS that the voter turnout was “good”.

The main contest is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

Dissidents insist on Yeddyurappa’s removal

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Bangalore/New Delhi, November 07:Karnataka Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy, who leads the campaign for the removal of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Saturday rubbished reports of a compromise between the warring groups and said there was no change in his stand on the leadership issue.

“From the beginning I am saying that in the interest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Karnataka, there should be a better leadership. I stand by it,” he told a crowded press meet here after talks with his elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy and Health Minister B. Sriramalu.

India, Pakistan should avoid conflict situation: US

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New Delhi, November 06: As India warned of retaliatory action in case of a terror attack, the US Friday said both India and Pakistan should avoid a conflict situation.

“Any conflict should be avoided. We need confidence building measures both side and we are confident that both governments will take it,” US Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn said here.

Lynn was in here in Delhi for the annual Defence Policy Group (DPG) meeting between India and the US. He held talks with Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar.

Top ULFA leaders, held in Bangladesh, now in Assam police custody

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Guwahati, November 06:Two senior separatist leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), arrested in Bangladesh, are now in the custody of Assam Police, officials Friday said.

According to officials, ULFA “foreign secretary” Sasha Choudhury and “finance secretary” Chitraban Hazarika were being flown in Friday by a special army helicopter from Gokul Nagar Border Security Force (BSF) outpost in Tripura, bordering Bangladesh.

EU urges Cuba to carry out democratic reforms

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Havana, November 06:Cuba must carry out democratic reforms in the country as a step to normalise relations with the European Union (EU), an official of the 27-member bloc said.

EU aid commissioner Karel de Gucht made the remarks after ending his five-day visit to Cuba Thursday.

The official described his talks with Cuban President Raul Castro as “very open, frank and constructive” and said “the EU’s position is not regime change in Cuba”.

489 dengue cases recorded in Delhi

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New Delhi, November 06:Twenty five new dengue cases were recorded in Delhi Friday, taking the number of people affected by the vector-borne disease to 489, health officials said.

The Delhi government has appointed a nodal officer to whom all dengue cases will be reported by government and private hospitals.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi attributed the rise in dengue cases to stagnant water found at the various under-construction Commonwealth Games sites in the city.

Chinese military calls for peaceful use of airspace

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Beijing, November 06:An air force commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Friday called for peaceful use of airspace and said no country will be able to protect itself if the airspace turned into a battlefield.

Air force commander Xu Qiliang made the remarks during an international conference on peace and development here to mark the 60th founding anniversary of China’s Air Force, Xinhua reported.

Air force officials from China and 34 other countries attended the meeting Friday.

Muzumdar goes past Kaypee to become leading Ranji scorer

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Guwahati, November 06:Assam captain and Mumbai discard Amol Muzumdar became the highest scorer in Ranji Trophy, surpassing Punjab’s Amarjeet Kaypee, when he scored nine runs in the second innings against Rajasthan in a Group A Plate match here Friday.

Muzumdar, who was 31 runs short of achieving the landmark, scored 22 runs in the first innings and 25 in the second and he now has 7,640 runs, 17 more than Kaypee’s 7623.

Assam, however, lost the match by 95 runs.

Advocate’s response sought on contempt of court plea

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New Delhi, November 06: The Supreme Court Friday sought advocate Prashant Bhushan’s response to a plea seeking launch of contempt of court proceedings against him for allegedly accusing a sitting apex court judge S.H. Kapadia of judicial impropriety.

Prashant Bhushan, in a recent interview to Tehelka magazine, raised the issue of judicial corruption and also whether a judge having any stake in a business firm should hear and decide cases involving the firm.