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Railways will implement new Tatkal rates from Oct 1

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New Delhi, August 24:The railway ministry will introduce the new and lower Tatkal charges from Oct 1, it announced Monday.

“The Ministry of railways has decided to reduce the Tatkal charges with effect from October 1, 2009. The new Tatkal charges will be at the rate of 10 percent of basic fare for second class and 30 percent of basic fare for all other classes,” said a ministry statement.

The minimum charges for the second class sleeper and air-conditioned chair car will range from Rs.75 to Rs.150, and that for the second and first air-conditioned sleeper cars from Rs.200 to Rs.300.

Smuggled elephant tusks hidden under snail shells

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Hanoi, August 24:Vietnamese customs inspectors have discovered more than two tonnes of elephant tusks hidden in a shipping container full of snail shells from Kenya, an official said Monday.

Bui Hoang Duong, head of the customs inspection department at the northern port of Haiphong, said inspectors opened the container Friday as part of enhanced scrutiny of shipping from Tanzania, due to recent cases of ivory smuggling.

The container’s waybill said it had been loaded by a Vietnamese carrier, Vinashin Mariner, in the Tanzanian port of Zanjiba.

Bihar police chief draws flak for sporting ’tilak’

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Patna, August 24:Bihar’s police chief is being criticised for sporting a sandalwood ’tilak’ on his forehead to work, with the criticism getting more strident after he asked members of two police associations not to wear khadi instead of their uniform.

The state’s Director General of Police (DGP) Anand Shankar is under fire from Bihar Policemen’s Association leaders for coming to work with the sandalwood paste mark on the forehead. They say it violates the rules laid down in the police manual.

Mukherjee to speak with Swiss banks on secret accounts

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New Delhi, August 24:Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday said he will examine the issue of reported unwillingness of Swiss authorities to divulge the names and other details of Indians who hold secret, illegal accounts with banks there.

“I have just read this in the newspaper. I will talk with the Swiss banks later and then comment on the same,” Mukherjee told reporters at his office at the North Block, reacting to a report on the matter.

37 new swine flu cases in Delhi

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New Delhi, August 24:The national capital has reported 37 new cases of swine flu, Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia said Monday.

“Of the 37 positive cases of swine flu, 22 were reported from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, three from Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, four cases each from Airport Hospital and Lady Harding Hospital, two cases from Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and one case each from Safdarjung Hospital and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital,” said Walia.

Nirupama Rao to Indian envoys: Adapt to new challenges

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New Delhi, August 24:Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao Monday asked 112 Indian ambassadors to “introspect on the art of diplomacy” and adapt diplomatic tools to address emerging global challenges with “future-oriented strategies.”

Welcoming Indian heads of missions to a three-day conference here to debate key foreign policy and strategic challenges facing the country, Rao underlined the need to revamp and upgrade the foreign office in the context of an emerging international order.

Sensex closes 388 higher on global cues

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Mumbai, August 24:Indian equities markets surged Monday on strong global trends, with a key index ending trade 388 percent higher than its previous close.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 15,362.93 points, ended at 15,628.75 points, up 387.92 points or 2.55 percent.

The broader-based Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed in the positive terrain at 4,642.8 points, up 2.52 percent.

11 arrested for Muthoot group scion’s murder

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Alappuzha (Kerala), August 24:Kerala Police Monday announced the arrest of 11 people for the murder of 32-year-old Paul M. George, son of prominent businessman and head of one of four groups of the Muthoot business house M.G. George Muthoot.

George was murdered Friday night.

“George was driving a Ford Endeavour vehicle and at Pallathuruthy he hit a two wheeler. The vehicle not stopping after hitting the two-wheeler angered a group of people who were waiting to get their tyre repaired. This group followed George’s vehicle,” Inspector General of Police Vinson M. Paul said.

Fiat India secures Rs.2,500 crore credit

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New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Fiat India Automobiles, a joint venture between Tata Motors and Fiat Group, Monday said it has finalised three credit agreements with Indian and international banks for Rs.2,500 crore.

“The company has finalised three syndicate credit facility agreements with a consortium of Indian and international banks for a total amount of Rs.25 billion,” Fiat said in a statement.

All the credit facilities were by Citibank, acting through its offices in Mumbai, London and Milan, the statement added.

IIT professors go on mass casual leave for pay hike

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New Delhi, August 24:Hundreds of faculty members of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) Bombay and Roorkee went on mass casual leave Monday protesting disparities in pay. IIT Delhi professors will go on leave Tuesday.

“The pay hike given by the government is at least 30 percent less at the lower level (of faculties) and at higher level it is 40 percent less than what we had asked for. It will be difficult for us to attract good faculty members,” Saumya Mukherjee, professor at IIT-Bombay, told reporters.

Sri Lanka tri-series will prepare us for Champions Trophy: Harbhajan

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New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Harbhajan Singh believes the Sri Lanka tri-series will serve as a build-up to the upcoming Champions Trophy. The Indian cricketers will begin their long season with the tri-series in Colombo that involves New Zealand besides the hosts.

The Indians will then be heading for South Africa for the Champions Trophy that begins Sep 22.

The Indian off-spinner Monday said India will be the favourites to win the Sep 8-14 tri-series.

Israeli blockade degrades Gaza’s living conditions: UN

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New York, August 18:Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip has resulted in the devastation of livelihoods, a rise in food insecurity, and an energy, water and sanitation crisis for the territory’s 1.5 million Palestinians, the United Nations said Monday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the blockade, which began in June 2007 after Hamas militants took over Gaza from the Palestinian Authority, has triggered a “protracted human dignity crisis”.

Hackers indicted for stealing 130 mn credit card numbers

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Washington, August 18:A Miami resident was charged with stealing 130 million credit and debit card numbers in what the Justice Department described Monday as the largest data breach ever in the United States.

Albert Gonzales, 28, and two unnamed computer hackers were indicted for using a sophisticated hacking technique called an “SQL injection attack” for stealing card information, through exploiting computer networks by finding a way around their firewall.

Quake jolts Indonesia’s West Sumatra, four injured

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Jakarta, August 16:An undersea earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale struck near the western coast of Sumatra Sunday, injuring at least four people, officials said.

The quake struck at 2.38 p.m. (0738 GMT) and was centred in the Indian Ocean, 43 km southeast of Mentawai Islands, Indonesia’s National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said in a statement.

Epicentre was 32 km beneath the seabed, but there was no threat of a tsunami, the statement said.

A series of aftershocks ranging between 5.2 and 5.6 on the Richter scale followed the initial quake, officials said.

Shekhar Kapur slams Ambika Soni for comments on SRK episode

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New Delhi, August 16:Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has criticised Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni’s remarks to give a ‘tit-for-tat’ treatment to the Americans after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport for two hours.

Ashok Chakra awardee’s family pride is tinged with regret

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Ghaziabad, August 16:The old parents are proud that their son, Maj Mohit Sharma, who was gunned down while fighting terrorists in the Kashmir Valley this March has been awarded the Ashok Chakra – the highest peacetime gallantry award. But there is also a tinge of regret as the family says the government “neglected” them until now.

“We got a call from commanding officer Col A.D. Shah three days back informing us that Mohit will receive the Ashok Chakra posthumously. We were filled with pride,” Maj Mohit Sharma’s father Rajendra Prasad Sharma told IANS at their home in Ghaziabad.

Dravid’s return will boost side, but we’ll miss Sehwag: Harbhajan

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Kolkata, August 16:Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh Sunday welcomed Rahul Dravid’s return to the Indian one-day side after two years, but said the team will miss opener Virender Sehwag in the Sri Lanka tri-series and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

“The presence of a seasoned campaigner like Dravid will boost the Indian team. Seniors like Sehwag and Zaheer Khan are not in the team. So, Dravid’s presence will be good for us,” said Harbhajan.

“We will miss Sehwag,” he added.

Sehwag and Zaheer have been ruled out of the twin engagements due to injuries.

Two school dropouts arrested for stealing bicycles

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New Delhi, August 16:Two school dropout boys were arrested Sunday and 25 stolen bicycles were recovered from them in the capital, police said.

Acting on a complaint of Manmohan Singh about his son’s bicycle theft, the city Police arrested the two dropouts from Saket area Sunday morning.

“In the recent past, many bicycle thefts, particularly of costly geared cycles, were reported. A strict vigil was kept. Today morning, two juveniles were found roaming in the Saket area with a bicycle,” a police officer said.

Andhra appeals for spades, crowbars to tackle drought

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Hyderabad, Aug 16 (IANS) Facing the spectre of the worst drought in 50 years, Andhra Pradesh has appealed to philanthropists to donate spades and crowbars for labourers engaged under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Authorities have called upon individuals and organisations to donate 1,000 spades and 1,000 crowbars, worth Rs.500,000 for 2,000 labourers in each mandal – an administrative unit comprising six to seven villages each.

Delhi Police launch drive to make pedestrians aware

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New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) Look before you cross the road — this is the message that Delhi Police will put out for people in a two-week-long drive called ‘safe pedestrian crossing fortnight’ from Monday.

“The drive will start from Aug 17 and will continue up to Aug 31. It is an attempt to generate awareness among pedestrians and motorists to become responsible road users. During this period a number of activities to make pedestrians and motorists aware are lined up,” said a senior traffic police official.

Russian Su-27 fighter jets collide, one killed

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Moscow, August 16:Two Russian Su- 27 fighter jets collided during a training exercise Sunday killing one pilot, a media report said.

“According to updated information, one of the three pilots was killed in the air disaster,” the Interfax news agency said quoting air force spokesman Vladimir Drik.

Two SU-27 fighter jets from the aerobatic team, called Russian Knights, collided mid-air over the Ramenskoye airfield in southeastern Moscow while rehearsing for MAKS 2009 air show, to open Tuesday.

The victim was the Russian Knights’ commander, the Interfax said.

Teen birth rates higher in US than rest developed world

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Washington, August 13:The birth rate among US teenagers is twice the average for all developed nations and has increased in recent years, according to a report released Wednesday.

The current US rate is 42 births for every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, while the overall rate for developed countries is 21 per 1,000, the internationally-known non-governmental research organization, Population Reference Bureau (PRB), reported.

Madhya Pradesh couple chops off genitals of daughter’s lover

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Bhopal, August 10:A couple that chopped off the genitals of their daughter’s lover has been charged with attempt to murder in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, police said Monday.

Ram Raja Patel, a 22-year-old resident of Sarvai village, allegedly had an affair with his neighbour Balram Singh Thakur’s 16-year-old daughter.

Thakur came to know of the relationship about a month ago and warned Patel to stay away from his daughter. However, the two kept meeting.

27 Uttar Pradesh policemen got jobs on fake degrees

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Lucknow, August 10:Police in Allahabad have unearthed a scam within their forces in which it was found that at least 27 serving policemen had acquired fake educational degrees to get their jobs, officials said.

The scam came to light after the police earlier this week found out that an institution was involved in selling fake marksheets and various educational degrees.

PM sets up committee to advise on expediting road projects

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New Delhi, August 09:With road projects facing hurdles, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has constituted a committee to recommend ways to expedite them and make them attractive for banks and private investors amid the global recession.

The decision was taken at the Prime Minister-chaired meeting held yesterday to review the Transport Ministry’s ambitious plan of developing 35,000 km of National Highways in the next five years.

The committee, to be headed by Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi, will submit its report to the Prime Minister in two weeks, an official release said here.