Patna, January 05: The latest CSO data give the miracle economy of Bihar with its GDP going up to 11.03% between 2004-05 and 2008-09.
The economically poor BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh) have done quite well too, Uttrakhand (9.31%), Orrisa (8.74%), Jharkhand (8.45%), Chattisgarh (7.35%), Rajasthan (6.25%), UP (6.29%).The overall picture is wonderful with the poor states growing faster than the all India average of 8.49%.
Mumbai, January 05: Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan is extremely excited about his next project, the much touted big-budget action film RA.ONE.
Reportedly Shahrukh plays a software engineer Shekhar, who as a video-game hero takes on his self-created techno-monster Ra-1. Bollywood hottie Kareena Kapoor plays the female lead in the film.
Melbourne, January 05: Indian diplomats are expected to meet Australian officials in a bid to diffuse diplomatic tension between Canberra and New Delhi after the murder of 21-year-old Indian migrant in Melbourne.
According to V K Sharma, Indian deputy high commissioner in Canberra, High Commissioner Sujatha Singh would be meeting Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials (DFAT).
He said the meeting would probably be held soon. However, no date or time has been decided.
Bhopal, January 05: (Pervez Bari) Popular Front of India has demanded Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to clarify his position on Jihad forthwith and immediately tender a public apology to Muslims “for having hurt their feelings by reportedly equating Jihad with terrorism.”
Ghaziabad, January 05: In a new twist to the Aarushi murder case, the CBI has sought permission to carry out narco-analysis tests on Rajesh and Nupur Talwar — parents of the teenager found dead under mysterious circumstances at her Noida residence less than two years ago.
Washington, January 05: Prosecutors who mishandled the investigation into a deadly 2007 Blackwater Worldwide shooting face a possible misconduct citation from a judge who says they withheld evidence and violated the guards’ constitutional rights.
Bhopal, January 05: In a horrible incident, three men were arrested by police committing offence for raping M Phil student of the city-based Barkatullah University last night.
The girl was a hostel resident, and picked by her friends for a movie. She went with Pradeep More to his friend Raghuraj’s residence where Anand Mishra was already waiting. Intentionally they trio took the victim to a cinema hall but she managed to alert the varsity by SMS, and later trio nabbed by police at cinema hall.
–Agencies
Jeddah, January 05: Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has expressed his willingness to sit down with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo as part of national reconciliation efforts. He pointed out Hamas was ready to do all that was necessary for a unified Palestine.
Meshaal’s was speaking at a press conference at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) headquarters in Jeddah.
Washington, January 05: The U.S. government has added dozens of people to the ominous lists of suspected terrorists and those barred from U.S.-bound flights, a crackdown that comes as President Barack Obama is poised to announce changes to the nation’s watchlists.
At the White House on Tuesday, Mr Obama will speak in fresh detail about the findings of the urgent, sprawling reviews he ordered of how the government screens airline passengers and how it works to detect and track possible terrorists.
Melbourne, January 05: Shane Watson was dismissed in the nineties for the third time this summer, but not before he had all but erased Pakistan’s sizeable first innings lead.
Watson’s contribution of 97 was the driving force behind Australia’s advancement to 3 for 199 at the tea break, reducing to seven runs Pakistan’s first innings advantage on an SCG wicket that continued to mellow with age.
Melbourne, January 05: Cameron White has been cleared of serious damage to his jaw and will lead Victoria in their Twenty20 Big Bash matches against South Australia and Western Australia in the coming week. White was struck during Saturday’s win over New South Wales when a Moises Henriques bouncer caught him under the grille of his helmet.
New York, January 05: Hollywood star Kate Hudson called it quits with Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez because his heart still beats for Madonna, it has emerged. OK! Magazine reported that Hudson warned A-Rod that if he continued talking to the singer she would leave, reports The New York Daily News.
“Kate was mad with jealousy,” said a source. “She gave A-Rod three chances to stop contacting Madonna. How would you feel if your new boyfriend kept calling his ex?” the source added.
Mumbai, January 05: Saidah Jules who had created waves on the modelling circuit (commercial with Shahrukh Khan ) is now all set to impress everyone with her acting abilities as well.
She will debut with Uday Chopra and Priyanka Chopra in Pyaar Impossible, “It was great fun doing this comic caper which is set in the US” She refused to talk much about her character saying ‘Why don’t you check it out for yourself.
All I will say is that I had some really hilarious scenes with Uday.
Beijing, January 05: A Chinese man is being hailed on the Internet as the nonchalant vigilante with nerves of steel. He was caught by security cameras handing out some rough street justice when he saw two bag-snatchers making a quick getaway, reports The Mail, London.
The riders apparently snatched a purse from a woman in the streets of Wenzhou, China, who ran after them shouting the Chinese equivalent of ‘Stop thief!’.
Rather than turn around and give chase, the cyclist calmly stepped off his bike, and stood by it, waiting patiently.
New Delhi, January 05: On the eve of an all-party meeting on Telangana, TRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday said the Centre should follow its announcement on creation of a separate state with a resolution in Parliament but set no deadline for it.
Mr. Rao, who met CPI general secretary A. B. Bardhan here, said the Constitutional process should be set in motion for carving out Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh.
London, January 05: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he is appalled by an Islamic group’s proposal to demonstrate against the UK’s continuation of war in Afghanistan.
In a Monday statement issued in response to calls by the Islam4UK group for a protest march in the country, Brown expressed strong dismay at the plan and said he was “personally appalled” by the group’s bid to protest against the government’s war policies in Afghanistan.
Gaza, January 05: The Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet has reiterated that if there is no freeze on illegal settlements, the peace talks will not be resumed.
In a statement issued after a session on Monday, the Ramallah-based cabinet said that “progress in the peace process requires a comprehensive cessation of all illegal Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem [Al-Quds].”
“The full freeze of settlement activities includes proclaimed natural growth,” the cabinet statement added.
Washington, January 05: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States has already begun discussions with its partners about imposing sanctions on Iran.
The move is being made to pressure the Iranian government to halt its uranium enrichment activities, Clinton said in Washington on Monday.
“We have already begun discussions with our partners and with like-minded nations about pressure and sanctions,” Clinton said at a press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani.
Tehran, January 05: Iran has banned Iranian citizens from cooperating with 60 international institutions and a number of media outlets due to their involvement in the post-election unrest.
Iran’s deputy intelligence minister for foreign affairs announced on Monday that 60 European and US foundations and institutions played a role in inciting post-election violence in the Islamic Republic.
Cooperating and signing contracts with these foundations and institutions, which are conducting soft warfare against Iran, is illegal, and receiving facilities from them is also prohibited, he said.
Gaza, January 05: Viva Palestina humanitarian aid convoy has arrived in the Egyptian port city of El-Arish to pass thought the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip.
A Turkish ship, which carries the convoy from the Syrian port of Lattakia to Egypt, arrived in El-Arish on Sunday evening, said Gamal Abdel Maqsoud, head of El-Arish port.
The ship carrying the 250-vehicle convoy will be unloaded at the port and be transferred to the Gaza Strip via Rafah crossing, according to Egypt’s official MENA news agency.
New Delhi, January 05: If vehicle manufacturers have introduced green cars at the Delhi Auto Expo, the city-state’s administration has decided to do its bit to reduce carbon footprint: provide electric charge stations.
The Delhi government is also planning incentives like base price discount, lower VAT, and road tax and registration charge refund to boost the sale of environment-friendly electric cars.
Mumbai, January 05: If you plan to file a Right to Information (RTI) query, soon there will be help at hand. The Anti Corruption Cell of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (ACIMC) and the Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT) announced the commencement of a RTI clinic that will be functional from January 20.
The clinic, which will be conducted twice every month on the first and third Wednesdays, comes after the state chief information commissioner – Dr Suresh Joshi – said that more middle class and upper-middle class citizens should come forward in the new decade and use the RTI.
Mumbai, January 05: A 20-year-old woman committed suicide on Sunday by hanging herself in her Santa Cruz home after being reportedly pressurised into an abortion by her husband and mother-in-law. Both have been arrested following a complaint by the girl’s father.
The father of the deceased, Sarika Powar, has alleged in his complaint to the police that she had been put under tremendous pressure from her husband Umesh, 24, and mother-in-law Pratiksha, 40, ever since their marriage a few months ago.
New Delhi, January 05: India had a pretty good 2009 if one doesn’t take into account the two ICC tournaments that were played in the year. The defending champions in the T20 format did not even qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament in England and then in South Africa they again struggled to get through the first round.
New Delhi, January 05: Andhra Pradesh leaders camping in the national capital for Tuesday’s crucial talks on statehood to Telangana, were seen engaged in hectic political parleys on Monday.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao met CPI general secretary AB Bardhan and hoped to meet Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and possibly leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, to gain support for his demand for Telangana’s creation.