Month: August 2009

Bodies of 29 suspected militants found in Pak’s Swat

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Islamabad, August 31: Amid reports that Pakistan army has resorted to extra-judicial killings in areas seized from Taliban control, bodies of 29 suspected militants have been found in different parts of the restive Swat valley, reports said today.

The bodies were found at Banjot, Gharai Sar and Parkho near Charbagh, a former stronghold of Taliban militants in the valley located 160 km from Islamabad.

The cause of their death could not immediately be ascertained.

Geo News channel reported that the militants were killed during an operation by security forces last night.

Bishnoi suspected to be suffering from swine flu

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New Delhi, August 31: Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi has shown symptoms of swine flu and his throat swab samples have been sent for tests, party general secretary Ran Singh Mann said today.

“Whether he actually has swine flu will be known once we get reports from NICD,” he said.

He said Bishnoi, the younger son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, was under medical supervision here and has been advised a week’s rest by the doctors.

—Agencies

Mission Mars between 2013 to 2015: ISRO chief

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Panaji, August 31: India will undertake Mission Mars between 2013 to 2015, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief G. Madhavan Nair said here Monday.
The space agency had called for proposals from various scientific communities in preparation for Mission Mars, Nair told reporters on the sidelines of a conference on low cost planetary missions at a five-star hotel in the city.

“The project would be taken up after Chandrayan II,” he said, adding that Mission Mars would be following the low cost concept of operation.

He said Mission Mars was still in a conceptual stage.

Sushma Swaraj meets Jaswant Singh

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New Delhi, August 31: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj Monday met expelled leader Jaswant Singh at his residence here.
Sources close to Jaswant Singh said Swaraj, the deputy leader in the Lok Sabha had sought an appointment in the morning, but refused to divulge details of their meeting.

Jaswant Singh, 71, was expelled from the party Aug 19, two days after the launch of his book ‘Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence’ that eulogised Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Satheesh Babu takes over as FA to Director General ADA

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Bangalore, August 31: K Satheesh Babu from Indian Defence Accounts Service has taken over as Financial Advisor to Director General Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), involved in the development of Light Combat Aircraft”Tejas”.

A 1997 batch officer,Babu has served in ‘Naval programme’ at Visakhapatnam and Andaman and Nicobar islands Command before he took over as Controller of Defence Accounts R&D Bangalore,a few years ago,a defence release said.

—Agencies

‘Australia to compensate students facing racist attacks’

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New Delhi, August 31: The Australian government would ensure that student victims of racist attacks either get a seat in a different college or are refunded the entire college fee, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said here Monday.

Gillard, who is on a five-day visit to India, was interacting with students of the Lady Shri Ram College.

ISRO chief Madhavan Nair new head of IAA

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Panaji, August 31: Indian Space Research Organisation chief G. Madhavan Nair has been elected the chairman of the International Academy Astronautics, an official said here Monday. He will be the first Indian and first non-American to hold the post.
He will formally take over Oct 16, the official added.

The IAA is an international community of experts committed to expanding the frontiers of space.

—IANS

HPGCL plans new power project of 660 MW in Yamuna Nagar

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Chandigarh, August 31: State-owned Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) has decided to set up a new super critical thermal power plant of 660 Mega Watt capacity at Yamuna Nagar.

The project will be part of HPGCL’s effort to scale up total power generation capacity to over 6,000 MW in the next four years and would involve capital outlay of Rs 2,700 crore.

History-sheeter hacked to death

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Sivakasi, August 31: A history-sheeter was hacked to death by a five-member gang following an altercation during a marriage function here,police said today.

Police said the 36-year-old V Kannan had a quarrel with the gang while taking food.The gang members pulled out a sickle and hacked at Kannan, killing himon the spot, police said.

Police said Kannan was involved in several criminal cases since 1999.

While one gangster was arrested, the others are absconding.

—Agencies

India concerned over Pakistan modifying anti-ship missiles

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New Delhi, August 31: India Monday expressed concern over Pakistan illegally modifying US-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles to hit land-based targets, saying this was “against India’s national interest”.

“This is the danger of proliferation that we have been mentioning to America that whatever you have given to Pakistan will not be used in self defence. This (modification of the Harpoon missile) has nothing to do with self defence and is against India’s national interest,” said outgoing Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who retired Monday.

GCMMF hikes milk prices by Rs 1 per litre

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Ahmedabad, August 31: Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) marketing its products under the brand Amul, will hike the milk prices for second time this year by Rs 1 per litre in the city from tomorrow, a senior federation official said today.

Milk prices in New Delhi and other parts of Gujarat are expected to be hiked within a week’s time, he said.

Mild tremor felt in Jamangar

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Jamnagar, August 31: A mild tremor measuring 2.8 on the Ritcher scale was felt near the Vijarakhi village in south of the city today morning, officials of the state seismology department said.

“The epicentre of the tremor measuring 2.8 on the Ritcher scale was some 15 km south-east of Jamnagar town near Vijarakhi village,” director, Institute of Seismology, Gandhinagar, Dr B K Rastogi told PTI.

“The tremor was felt around 0819 hours and lasted a few seconds,” he added.

Govt committed to fin sector innovations, reforms: Chawla

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Mumbai, August 31: The Government is committed to financial sector innovations and reforms, a senior Government official said.

“The Government is working with regulatory agencies to bring about financial sector innovations and reforms,” Finance Secretary, Ashok Chawla, said at the launch function of interest rate futures at the National Stock Exchange, today.

Chawla said that growth in the Indian economy was returning.

“Surely, there are signs the economy is moving back to a higher growth path. The move to a higher growth trajectory is well on course,” Chawla said.

Fin Secretary sees GDP growth this fiscal at 6.5 per cent

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Mumbai, August 31: The GDP growth is expected to be at 6.5 per cent or above this fiscal, a senior government official said today.

“We expect the (GDP) growth rate to be 6.5 per cent or above. Growth in the economy was very encouraging and it is expected to improve further going forward,” Finance Secretary, Ashok Chawla, told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

On the back of a good performance in the manufacturing and service sectors growth can be maintained, he said.

Moderate quake jolts Northeast

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Shillong, August 31: A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook Northeastern region early today. The quake occurred at 0055 hours and was epicentred at Myanmar-Manipur-Nagaland border region, officials at the Central Seismological Observatory here said.

There was no report of any damage though the quake was felt in the entire region, the officials said. This is the third moderate intensity quake in the region in less than a fortnight.

‘3 Idiots’ will release on Christmas: Aamir Khan

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New Delhi, August 31: Aamir Khan, who is spending time with wife Kiran Rao after her miscarriage last month, says his much-awaited “3 Idiots” will hit the screens in December.

“Vinod (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) and Raju (Raj Kumar Hirani) tell me that the post production on ‘3 Idiots’ is progressing well – so by the time I get back, the cut (final product) will be ready. Which means I can confirm to all those of you who have been repeatedly asking… yes, ‘3 Idiots’ will be releasing on Christmas this year. I’ll see the cut once I get back,” he wrote on his blog www.aamirkhan.com/blog/.

Two girls suffocated to death in car

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Azamagarh, August 31: Two minor girls were suffocated to death in a car which got locked from inside in Paharpur area here, police said.

The cousin sisters, aged four and two years, were playing in the car when it accidently got locked, police said.

The family members, who were unaware that the girls had sneaked out to play, came to know of the incident about six hours later, they said.

—Agencies

NIA stumbles upon international links in NE arms deals

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Shillong, August 31: The anti-terror federal agency, National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing terror-related cases involving an Assam militant outfit, Black Widow, has stumbled upon international links as the agency said it had reached a crucial stage in the investigations.

The agency, probing the first case after its constitution post 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has so far arrested ten people, mostly arms dealers and linkmen.

Seven of them have been arrested in Guwahati and North Cachar Hills, two in Kolkata and one in Mizoram, a top NIA official, involved in the probe, told PTI.

K’taka Minister resigns following defeat in assembly bypoll

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Bangalore, August 31: Karnataka Minister for Housing and Muzarai V Somanna today tendered his resignation owning moral responsibility following his defeat in the assembly by-election held on August 18.

Mr Somanna submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa at the State Secretariat.

Mr Yeddyurappa said a decision on the Minister’s resignation would be taken by evening.

Katrina Kaif- Lip Surgery?

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Mumbai, August 31: Bollywood’s sexiest actress Katrina Kaif who recently returned from holiday in Italy looks a bit different now.

According to sources there is something different about her appearance. It appears that she has returned back with fuller and shapely lips. Her lips appear a bit puffy at the time but the swelling seems to have vanished.

Worried Shiv Sena feels BJP afflicted by ‘swine flu’

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Mumbai, August 31: The Shiv Sena has expressed concern over the “deteriorating” political health of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the wake of the recent crisis in the party and said it seemed to be down with “swine flu”.
“Wonder what is wrong with the BJP these days. It is either afflicted by the deadly swine flu or some other such disease,” Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who is also the editor of the party mouthpiece Saamna said in an editorial Monday.

Thirty Taliban killed in Swat battles: Pakistan Army

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Islamabad, August 31: Pakistani soldiers killed at least 30 Taliban militants in gunbattles across the volatile north-western Swat Valley after a suicide bombing on a police station killed 17 cadets, the military said on Monday.

Soldiers looking for militants after the bombing encountered resistance in several areas and battles raged overnight into early morning on Monday, Army spokesman Col Akhtar Abbas said.

“Security forces have encircled a group of militants there and battles went on late into the night,” he said, adding that 30 militants were killed.

Couple commits suicide

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Muzaffarnagar, August 31: A woman along with her paramour allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at Hasanpur village in Saharanpur district, police said today.

Satpal, a 22-year-old bachelor, was in love with 32-year-old married Punam. The two took the extreme step after their families objected to their relationship, police said.

—Agencies

170 industrial galas to shift from Dharavi to Bhiwandi next yr

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Thane, August 31: Nearly 170 galas (workshops or work spaces that double as industrial spaces) in Dharavi will be relocating to Pimplas village in Bhiwandi with a view to develop the flourishing leather goods industry, industry sources said.

In wake of the proposed redevelopment plan for Asia’s largest slum, a section of the industries will soon shift to Pimplas and start operations from next year, they said.

Ninnad R Jaywant, a member of the Leather Crafters Association, said that the new setup will be known as the Bhiwandi Leather Cluster.

Moderate quake jolts North-East

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Shillong, August 31: A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook North East early today.

The quake occured at 0055 hours and was epicentred at Myanmar-Manipur-Nagaland border region, officials at the Central Seismological Observatory here said.

There was no report of any damage though the quake was felt in the entire region, officials at the Observatory here said.

This is the third moderate intensity quake in the region in less than a fortnight.