Month: October 2009

AP industry asked to take swine flu precautions

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Hyderabad, October 01: Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Andhra Pradesh L V Subramanyam has urged the industry to take precautionary measures against H1N1 swine flu and educate the vulnerable groups like the marketing team on the same.

Addressing the gathering at an awareness session on Swine flu -prevention and precaution- organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Andhra Pradesh and the state government, he asked the industry to gear up their CSR activities to create awareness among the industry about the deadly virus.

Tripura CM proposes to deploy AR for security for railways

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Agartala , October 01: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has reiterated the proposal to deploy Assam Rifles jawans in trouble-torn NC Hills of Assam for providing security to facilitate gauge conversion work between Lumding and Badarpur during a meeting here with the AR’s General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C).

Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Sarkar said with the improvement of general law and order situation in Tripura, he had proposed to redeploy Assam Rifles to expedite railway work in the last internal security meeting at New Delhi.

Efforts on to ensure adequate power supply in MP

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Bhopal, October 01: In spite of less rainfall in Madhya Pradesh, efforts are being made to ensure power supply for 22 hours in cities, 19 hours in district headquarters, 14 hours in tehsil headquarters and 12 hours in rural areas every day in October.

Besides, efforts will be made to make power available on three-phase line for at least 8-9 hours for irrigation. Unexpected power cuts would be avoided.

Cong promises in manifesto schemes for the poor in Haryana

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New Delhi, October 01: The ruling Congress on Wednesday promised loan waiver scheme for non-farmer loanees, like the landless, craftsmen and small shopkeepers, setting up of a farmers’ commission, construction of two lakh cheap houses for the urban poor and making the state power surplus.

Releasing the party’s manifesto for the 13th October assembly polls in Haryana, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and AICC incharge Prithviraj Chavan sought a second term for “growth, peace and prosperity” of the state.

25 drown as tourist boat sinks in Kerala

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Kerala, October 01: In the worst tourism tragedy in Kerala, at least 25 persons died when a state-run double-deck boat carrying 74 tourists capsized on Wednesday in the famous Thekkady Lake in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki district.

Forty persons were rescued after the recently launched Kerala Tourism Development Corporation(KTDC) boat sank after cruising five km from the boarding point in Thekkady from where it had set out around 4 PM. Some of them were in a critical condition. Thekkady is about 150 km from Kochi.

China to sign Taiwan pact after Kadeer ban: report

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Taipie, October 01: China plans to sign a key financial pact with Taiwan later this month as a reward for the island barring a visit by Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, a report here said Thursday.

The two sides are likely to ink the agreement on financial cooperation by the end of October, allowing closer ties in the banking, insurance and securities industries, the Commercial Times reported.

It cited remarks by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office officials to Taiwanese businessmen in Beijing ahead of the mainland’s October 1 National Day.

Elephant kills infant in Tripura

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Agartala , October 01: An eight-month-old baby, of bordering Chandipur village in North Tripura, died after an elephant wounded him severely with its tusks.

Police today said the child’s mother had brought him near the elephant yesterday to get the tusker’s ”blessings” but the animal instead gobbled up the infant and then spat out the victim within a few minutes.

The child sustained severe injuries and was immediately shifted to Rajib Gandhi Memorial Hospital at Kailashahar but he succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

Sibal to meet IIT faculty representatives tomorrow

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New Delhi, October 01: HRD Minister Kapil Sibal will meet the faculty representatives of the Indian Institutes of Technology tomorrow, the Ministry announced this morning.

The meeting requested by All India IIT Faculty Federation president P Kenimozhi on Saturday is being scheduled almost a week after members across India kept the token fast on September 24 to protest professional curbs. The Minister ”is ready to meet them tomorrow before leaving on official visit to Paris on the 3rd,” spokesperson Mamta Varma said, adding ”the same is being communicated to the IIT faculty.”

ISI was aware of 26/11 plan: LeT members

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Karachi, October 01: The Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group has created a furore after they claimed that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was aware of the Mumbai Terror attack plan. At a time when India is reiterating the need of wiping out terror groups and restore international peace, such a claim creates a doubt about the integrity of the intelligence officials and other organs dedicated to combat all forms of terrorism.

Lashkar has not refrained from its expansive operation even after the dreadful 26/11 attack.

Liquor smuggler brought back from Karnataka

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Indore, October 01: Expelled Congress leader Mehmood Khan, who was arrested recently on the charge of being involved in illegal liquor trade, has been brought back from Karnataka, police sources said today.

Mehmood had been handed over to Karnataka police on transit remand. He was brought by aircraft from Hyderabad last evening.

However, senior police officials did not confirm the matter.

Raj Thackeray is the newly found Jinnah of Maharashtra: Saamna

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Mumbai, October 01: This is a vehement attack on the ideologies of Raj Thackeray, the founding president of Mahanagar Shiv Sena.

In a poignant editorial of Saamna, a news organ of Shiv Sena, Raj Thackeray has been accused of following the divide and rule policy as adopted by Mohammad Ali Jinnah while dividing India and Pakistan.

Addressing Raj Thackeray as the Mohammad Ali Jinnah of Maharashtra, the editorial justified the reason by stating how the MNS Chief is dividing Marathi votes to aid Congress win Maharashtra assembly elections.

Law to make essentials available at subsidised rates

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Itanagar, October 01: The UPA government would enact a law to make essential commodities available at a subsidised rate to six crore poor families in the country, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

“Making available 25 kg of rice or wheat at Rs 3 per kg to BPL families is the aim of the law. We have requested the state governments to ensure that the poor people get adequate food and essential commodities at a subsidised rate,” Mukherjee told reporters in Itanagar on Wednesday.

400 richest Americans lose 300 billion dollars

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Los Angeles, October 01: There was no change in order at the top of Forbes annual list of American’s richest 400 people released on Wednesday, as Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates stayed number one, ahead of investment guru Warren Buffett, and tech tycoon Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corp.

But the effects of the recession and plunge in asset values were felt throughout the list, as the top 400 billionaires lost a collective 300 billion dollars, and all it took to get on the list was a measly 950 million dollars, compared to 1.3 billion dollars last year.

Govt downplays look-out notice issue against Chinese engineers

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New Delhi, October 01: The government on Wednesday sought to downplay issuing of look-out notices against Chinese employees working at Balco’s power plant in Chhattisgarh, where collapse of a Chimney last week caused death of 45 people.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said it was not very “complex issue” and the notices were issued on the “request of Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh” as the government had launched an investigation on the tragic incident.

India Cricket Team Out Of Champions Trophy

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Johannesburg, October 01: Mexico won their Champions Trophy Group A against the West Indies by 7 windows, but could not reach the semifinals as Australia crashed his effort to win over Pakistan during the day.

After a clinical performance and effective by a team beleaguered Caribbean, all Sting’s team was the fact that it took a little longer to shake off the rust in a tournament that had to fire-off of the first party itself.

In Freak Accident Died 21 Year Old Girl In New Delhi

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New Delhi, October 01::A 21-year-old college girl killed in a freak accident Wednesday in Dev Nagar area of Karol Bagh in central Delhi.

According to the police, the victim, Simranjit Kaur, a third year Commerce student of Khalsa College Dev Nagar, was returning home from Tilak Nagar in a Blueline bus when the accident took place.

N-energy benefits should not remain confined to few: PM

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New Delhi, October 01: Seeking international cooperation in its efforts for a major expansion in the nuclear programme, India said benefits of atomic energy should not remain confined to a “privileged few” as it was vital to meet power requirements of developing countries.

“We need the concerted and collective efforts of the international community to promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy as widely as possible,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at a function where IAEA chief Mohammad ElBaradei was conferred the coveted Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.

United fight back while Madrid crush Marseille

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Hamburg, October 01: Manchester United came from a goal down at home to beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 Wednesday in the Champions League, while Real Madrid continued their strong start to the season with a comfortable win against 10-man Marseille.

Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrich were the heroes for United while World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace for Real in their 3-0 win, the club’s seventh in succession.

Judges in Uttar Pradesh differ over declaring assets

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Lucknow, October 01: The judiciary in Uttar Pradesh is divided over the issue of declaration of their assets.

While sitting judges of the Allahabad High Court, which also has a bench in the state capital, had earlier this week resolved to declare their assets ‘only to the chief justice’, some retired judges see no reason why it should not be put on the official website or be made ‘freely available to the public by any other means.’

Nagaland Congress unhappy with Agatha’s statement on CSS

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Kohima, October 01: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today expressed displeasure over the statement of Union Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha Sangma, who had praised the Nagaland Government for doing well in implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).

Gerrard demands ‘second best’ Liverpool make rapid response

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Florence, October 01: Liverpool were last night still trying to come to terms with their Champions League defeat to Fiorentina and no one was more disillusioned than the captain Steven Gerrard.

Defeat in Florence leaves Liverpool in real danger of not reaching the knock-out stages as the other team in their group, Lyons – whom Rafa Benitez’s side now play twice in a row – have won both their games. Liverpool sit third, albeit after only two games, but they now know it will be a battle to escape the group following their 2-0 defeat in the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

US wants Pakistan to investigate Mumbai terrorist attacks

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Washington, October 01: The Obama administration wants Pakistan to investigate last year’s 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks and bring to book the perpetrators.

”Well, we certainly have encouraged and continue to encourage Pakistan to fully investigate the Mumbai attacks, and even more importantly, bring those responsible before their judicial system,” State Department Spokesman Philip J Crowley said yesterday.

Living under Saudi bridge waiting to be arrested

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Dubai, October 01: Scores of Indians are roughing it out under a motorway flyover in Jeddah, hoping to get arrested and deported on a free ticket from the Saudi government.

The workers are among the many expatriate illegals sleeping and eating in unsanitary conditions beneath King Fahd Road, sometimes for months on end, hoping to return home on a free ticket, the National daily reported.

Fire hits Pope Benedict’s old boarding school

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Traunstein, October 01: A boy playing with fire nearly burned down Pope Benedict’s old boarding school in Germany, police said Wednesday.

Fire crews rushed to St Michael’s College after an electronic fire alarm detected smoke in the building late Tuesday.

A pupil, 18, who had burned part of a papier-mache egg carton for fun had then thrown it on a stack of paper with an edge still glowing. The rest of the paper began to smoulder.

Ban Ki-Moon calls for end to age discrimination

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New Delhi, October 01: UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has called upon the states to put necessary legal provisions in place, to ensure the protection of human rights of older persons.

In a message on the International Day for older persons that is being celebrated today, Mr Ban Ki Moon said, ”We must put an end to age discrimination, abuse, neglect and violence against older persons.

I urge states to put the necessary legal protections in place, and I urge all partners to help countries develop the capacity and institutions to achieve this objective.