Month: November 2009

Capital’s unprecedented haze due to increased pollution: CSE

by

New Delhi, November 07: The level of particulate matter in the atmosphere – in other words, the pollution level – has trebled in Delhi over the past few days. The immediate effect is on health, especially on those with respiratory problems, and probably even on the Commonwealth Games, said an expert at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Vivek Chattopadhyaya, a senior researcher at the green think tank CSE, told IANS that the level of carbon monoxide (CO) in the air late Friday was 6,000 microgram per cubic centimetre, while the standard level is 2,000.

Two trains run over five in Ghaziabad

by

Ghaziabad, November 07: Five railway employees working on tracks in this town adjacent to the national capital were killed Saturday after being run over by two trains including the Dehradun-Delhi Jan Shatabdi Express, an official said.

The accident occurred at around 11.10 a.m. Saturday. “They were doing maintenance work on the tracks,” Anant Swarup, chief public relations officer of Northern Railways, told IANS.

Ashok Chavan, 37 more ministers take oath in Maharashtra

by

Mumbai, November 07: Ending a 16-day tussle with its ally over power sharing, Ashok Chavan took oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra Saturday evening along with 37 more ministers.

The new government has 18 ministers from the Congress and 20 from its ally the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), including Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

Maharashtra Governor S.C. Jamir administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers on the lawns of Raj Bhavan here.

There are 12 cabinet ministers from the Congress and 15 from the NCP.

We have to stay fresh mentally: Dhoni

by

Guwahati, November 07: Stung by a disappointing loss in Hyderabad, India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his boys are trying to stay mentally fresh ahead of the crucial sixth one-day international against Australia here Sunday.

India trail 3-2 in the series and any slip-up will allow the Australians to seal the seven-match series.

The Hyderabad loss has hurt India a lot, but Dhoni said they have put the past behind.

Woman passes driving test after 950 tries

by

South Korea, November 07: A woman has passed a written exam for a driver’s licence after 950 attempts.

Cha Sa-soon, 68, attempted the test almost every day since April 2005, the Associated Press reported.

She passed the written exam with a score of 60, a police official at the drivers’ licence agency in Jeonju, south of Seoul, said.

Mrs Sa-soon must now pass a driving test before getting her licence.

She told the Korea Times newspaper she needed the licence for her vegetable-selling business.

—Agencies

75 percent Indian engineering students unemployable: Report

by

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.

Dinosaurs roamed New Zealand’s south

by

New Zealand, November 07: Scientists have discovered the first evidence that dinosaurs roamed the South Island of New Zealand with 70-million-year-old footprints found in six locations.

They are the first dinosaur footprints found in the country although bones, mostly vertebrae, have been discovered in two North Island locations.

The footprints were found by scientist Greg Browne in the remote Whanganui Inlet in the northwest of Nelson at the top of the South Island.

They are spread over 10 kilometres and in one area there are up to 20 footprints, Mr Browne said.

Lebanon’s Hariri set to announce unity government

by

Beirut, November 07: Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri will announce a new national unity government in the next two days after clinching a deal with the opposition on its make-up, politicians from both sides said on Saturday.

Lebanon has been without a functioning government since Hariri led his coalition, backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, to victory in a June parliamentary election against Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah and its allies.

12 militants killed in Pakistan

by

Islamabad, November 07: Pakistani troops have killed 12 Taliban militants in the ongoing operation in country’s northwest, the army said Saturday.

Five soldiers, including two officers, were also injured in the clashes that took place in three militant strongholds in South Waziristan – a remote, mountainous district that is located near the Afghan border.

Koda aide sent to ED custody; to be brought to Delhi

by

New Delhi, November 07: A court here today sent Vikash Sinha, an associate of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, to ten days in the custody of Enforcement Directorate. Vikash, who was remanded to a day”s judicial custody yesterday, will now be taken to the Enforcement Directorate”s headquarters in the national capital for interrogation soon.

National Highway blocked for second day

by

Rourkela, November 07: Demanding release of 30 people arrested on the charge of being Maoists, locals have blocked traffic on a national highway in Silipunji near here for the second day today.

Trees were felled by villagers of Chandiposh, Mundatola and Silipunji under Bonai sub-division of Orissa’s Sundargarh district, including women, to block the highway, police said today.

The agitators, led by MLA George Tirkey resorted to the sit-in demanding that the police release the arrested villagers, who they claimed were innocent.

Katrina is a modern day marvel: Amitabh Bachchan

by

New Delhi, November 07: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who caught up with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif on the sets of reality show “Bigg Boss 3” recently, is all praises for the latter and says she is a “modern day marvel”.

“Katrina is a modern day marvel. From a non-Hindi speaking young shy and uncertain lady of ‘Boom’, she has grown and grown to become one of the most desired actresses in our fraternity,” Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

Eighty kg silver seized at Varanasi

by

Varanasi, November 07: Over 79 kg of silver was seized by the railway police from a coach, railway officials said here today.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) recovered the silver from a parcel van of Shiva Ganga Express yesterday, they said, adding the parcel was booked in the name of Santosh from Varanasi who did not come to receive it.

GRP Kanpur had already informed their counterparts in Varanasi about the parcel which was seized as soon as the train arrived here, they said.

The parcel would be handed over to sales tax department, they added.
–PTI

Rosaiah meets PM Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi

by

New Delhi, November 07: On his maiden visit to the national capital after taking over as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, K Rosaiah today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have discussed political developments in the state, particularly the convening of Congress Legislature Party meeting.

Rosaiah, who arrived here last night, met Singh at his 7, Race Course Road residence and is believed to have discussed issues related to flood relief in the state.

Ramvilas Paswan asks Chouhan to resign

by

Patna, November 07: LJP president Ramvilas Paswan today described as “unconstitutional” Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s remarks on Bihari migrant workers and demanded his resignation.

Talking to reporters here, Paswan said Chouhan’s “anti-Bihari” remarks were “unconstitutional”.

He demanded that the BJP leadership ask Chouhan to quit if he failed to resign on his own. Paswan also urged the BJP leadership to clarify the position with respect to the MP CM’s statement.

Australia can never replace Warne, says Hilditch

by

Melbourne, November 07: The void created by the retirement of spin legend Shane Warne can never be filled in the Australian cricket team, feels chief selector Andrew Hilditch.

Hilditch, who was recently reappointed Australia’s chief selector until the 2011 World Cup, created quite a stir here by trying at least seven spinners since Warne retired after the Ashes series in 2006-2007.

‘Chandrayaan-II mission to be completed by 2012-13’

by

Bangalore, November 07: Chandrayaan-II moon mission, which will help in analysis of mineral composition and undertake terrain mapping of the moon, will be completed by 2012-13, Project Director of Chandrayaan Dr M Annadurai said today.

“The Rs 425 crore project will be completed by 2012-13. As opposed to Chandrayaan-1 which was a moon orbiter, in Chandrayaan-2, the two moon rovers will actually land on the moon surface,” he said inaugurating the sixth National Student Conference at University Visveswaraya College of Engineering.

Acid thrown at 13-year-old girl

by

Sonepat, November 07: A 13-year-old girl sustained burn injuries when a youth threw acid at her while she was returning to her home here, police said.

The victim, a Class VII student at Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Gohana, was returning back home after her classes yesterday when Sajjan alias Meenu (14) allegedly threw acid at her, they said.

The girl was immediately rushed to a local community health centre where she is stated to be out of danger, police said, adding the victim sustained burn injuries on her body.

Minister Prasada visits inferno site in Jaipur

by

Jaipur, November 07: Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Jitin Prasada today visited the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) depot site in the Sitapura industrial area near here, which had witnessed the massive fire last week.

The minister, before attending a party function here, reached the inferno site along with few IOC officials, and inquired about the incident.

Later talking to reporters after party function, Prasada said that a safety audit has already been ordered by the ministry to look into safety and security aspects of oil depots in the country.

Reddy maintains no change in dissidents’ stand

by

Bangalore, November 07: Dissident BJP leader in Karnataka Janardhana Reddy today maintained that there was no change in their demand for change of leadership and expressed hope that the party would take a “good” decision in a day or two.

“In the interest of the party, betterment of the state and in the interest of BJP workers, I am confident that the party high command will take a right, correct and a good decision,” Reddy, who is spearheading the campaign for the removal of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Assam Police takes custody of ULFA leaders

by

Guwahati, November 07: The BSF has handed over the two top ULFA leaders, who were picked up from the Indo-Bangla border in Tripura, to Assam Police which started their interrogation.

Self-styled ULFA foreign secretary Sashadhar Choudhury and finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika, who were pushed into Indian territory by the Bangladeshi authorities, were flown into Guwahati Friday night in a special aircraft by a team of Assam Police officials.

18 Kg RDX, firearms recovered from West Bengal forest

by

Kolkata, November 07: The West Bengal police have recovered a huge cache of arms in the state’s Bankura forest. The discovery of arms was made ahead of bypolls to 10 assembly seats on Saturday.

Police sources said 18 Kg of RDX, three rocket launchers, two pistols, and one landmine were recovered from the forest area.

The state has been put on high alert post the discovery. So far, the police have not made any arrests.

Police didn’t say whether the firearms were meant for Naxals.

—Agencies

Power Show: Ajay Devgan Throws All The Best Success Party

by

Mumbai, November 07: Ajay-Devgan Abhishek Bachchan walked in with Amar Singh instead of his Paa or his wife at Ajay Devgan’s first-ever bash for his friends in the industry on Thursday evening.

Bashful and cynical about glam-gatherings Ajay Devgan has always shunned attending parties and has never before thrown one.

But the new power-packed Devgan newly energized by the success of All The Best has resolved to let the world know he’s ready to conquer showbiz.

Somali pirates threaten to kill Spanish hostages

by

Somalia, November 07: Somali pirates have threatened to kill three captive crew members from a Spanish fishing vessel if two suspected pirates being held in Spain are not freed, a senior officer aboard the vessel said.

The Spanish navy captured two Somalis in the Indian Ocean shortly after pirates seized the tuna boat Alakrana on 2nd October and took its 36 crew hostage. The suspects are set to face trial in Spain on kidnapping and other charges.

Iran says Pakistan freed Sunni rebel leader before attack

by

Tehran, November 07: Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards accused Pakistan Friday of releasing the leader of a Sunni rebel group ahead of a deadly attack it carried out in southeast Iran, state television IRIB reported.

Tehran, Nov 7 (DPA) Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards accused Pakistan Friday of releasing the leader of a Sunni rebel group ahead of a deadly attack it carried out in southeast Iran, state television IRIB reported.