Month: January 2010

227 coastal police stations to come up

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New Delhi, January 28: In a bid to improve the coastal security, the Government is planning to set up 227 Coastal Police Stations in two phases in the nine states along the over 7,500 km long shoreline of the country.

“There are a large number of them (Coastal Police Stations) already and the Coast Guard was asked to interact with the states and suggest more if they were required. In the phase two of this, another 131 of these stations will come up,” Coast Guard Chief Vice Admiral Anil Chopra said.

Nine more convicted in multi-crore fodder scam

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Ranchi, January 28: A special CBI court today found nine fodder scam accused, including an ex-regional director, guilty of withdrawing Rs 50.37 lakh fraudulently from Hazaribagh Treasury in the 1990s.

Special CBI Judge Bireshwar Jha Prabir sentenced a supplier, Anil Kumar, to two-and-a-half years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 40,000.

The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment against the other eight convicts tomorrow.

13 get life terms in murder-attempt case

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Nawada, January 28: A local court sentenced 13 persons to life imprisonment today in an over 10-year-old attempt to murder case.

Fast Track court judge N K Lal found all 13 accused guilty of attempting to kill nine persons at Bhola Bigha village under Hisua police station in the district on November 23, 1999.

The nine victims were critically injured in the firing during the incident.

Lal also slapped a fine of Rs 2000 on each of the convicts.

–Agencies

Teacher shot dead while teaching

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Muzaffarnagar (UP), January 28: A teacher was today shot dead in the district when he was teaching at a school, police said here.

Rajbir Singh, 45, was teaching at Swami Kalyan High School in Gharimoabad village when two youths entered a classroom and shot him dead, Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijai Tyagi said.

Tension prevailed in the village after the incident and additional police force was posted there, he said.

–Agencies

Reliance on market forces harmed the world’s poor: UN

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New Delhi, January 28: Over-reliance on the market forces to reduce poverty has hurt the world’s poor, said the United Nations report on World Social Situation 2010.

“Over-reliance on the market forces and economic liberlisation have led …to the detriment of the world’s poor,” said the UN report launched globally here today.

The report titled ‘Rethinking Poverty’ makes a compelling case for a fresh approach to poverty and poverty-reduction efforts.

SA national arrested with 7-kg heroin

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Mumbai, January 28: Customs authorities today arrested a South African national from the city airport with 7-kg of heroin worth about Rs 7-crore in the international market.

Jualia Nyan Deni, who was travelling to Menzin via Johannesburg by Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 611, had concealed the contraband in her check-in baggage, an airport source said.

“She had concealed the heroin in the false bottom of her suitcase, in the heels of three pairs of sandals and also in her purse, which she was carrying as her check-in-baggage,” the source said.

I will never wear a bikini on screen: Vidya Balan

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New Delhi, January 28: Bipasha Basu has done it, so has Priyanka Chopra and even Rani Mukherjee but Vidya Balan despite playing a bold role in “Ishqiya” does not see herself wearing a bikini on screen ever.

Vidya, who has been at the receiving end of fashion critics for her sartorial choices, has been sticking to saris in “Paa” and “Ishqiya” and she has been promoting her latest movie wearing bright floral saris, which are similar to her rural look in the film.

Beating the Retreat ceremony tomorrow

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New Delhi, January 28: Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the end of Republic Day celebrations, will be held here tomorrow with 35 bands from the three services playing solemn military tunes.

Elaborate security and traffic arrangements have been made for the grand ceremony which will be held in Vijay Chowk in the evening, officials said.

Vijay Chowk will remain closed for traffic between 4 pm and 9:30 pm tomorrow while DTC and Blueline buses which pass through there in their normal routes will be diverted.

Man arrested for raping daughter-in-law

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Muzaffarnagar (UP), January 28: A man was arrested in the district today for allegedly raping his daughter-in-law, police said.

Sewa Ram, a resident of Bhanera village, was arrested for raping his daughter-in-law yesterday, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Mishra said.

He said Ram entered her room in her husband Chater Singh was away and allegedly raped her.

Later when her husband returned the woman told him and they filed a complaint in the police station.

–Agencies

Paswan slams Nitish govt over price rise

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New Delhi, January 28: LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan today blamed the Bihar government for “spiralling prices”, saying it has failed to rein in the blackmarketeers in the state.

“Bihar government has totally failed in controlling the spiralling prices, which are rising in absence of any action against blackmarketeers and hoarders in the state. There is nothing like a government in the state,” Paswan said here after arriving from Patna, where his party lent support to a ‘Bihar bandh’ called by RJD against rising prices.

Patil pays obeisance at Golden Temple

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Amritsar, January 28: Shivraj Patil today visited the city for the first time after assuming charge as the Governor of Punjab and paid obeisance at the Golden Temple besides offering floral tributes to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh.

“I came here to seek the blessings of the almighty to properly discharge my constitutional duties,” he later told reporters and described his visit as a spiritually elevating experience in the visitors’ book.

Khurshid inaugurates free surgery camp in Noida

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Noida, January 28: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid today inagurated a three-day free surgery camp at Kailash Hospital here.

Giving the information, Medical Superintendent Sannil Kapoor said people with meagre resources can come to the camp and avail of the opportunity to get rid of their health problems.

“Surgery is free of cost and poor people can avail of the services of renowned surgeons at the camp being held by Zakir Hussain Foundation.

–Agencies

Omar takes up Wajahat case with Centre

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Jammu, January 28: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said he has taken up with the Centre the issue of relieving Wajahat Habibullah from Central Information Commission so that he can take over as the state’s new chief information commissioner.

“I have taken up with Union Government the issue of relieving Centre’s Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, so that he is able to take over as state’s CIC very soon,” Omar said during his address to 9th state level departmental vigilance officers conference here.

Increase budget for mid-day meal: Raje

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Jaipur, January 28: Demanding the Rajasthan government increase the budget for mid-day meals in schools, BJP leader Vasundhara Raje today claimed the quality of food in the programme would suffer if it was not done.

“Either the scheme would be called off or children would get food of low quality if the budget for the scheme is not increased by the government,” Raje said at a function in Bikaner.

She also alleged the state government had only issued statements in the name of development but did nothing for the growth of the state in past one year.

–Agencies

RBI hints at monetary tightening to control inflation

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Mumbai, January 28: Hinting at some tightening of the monetary policy tomorrow, the Reserve Bank today said inflation is a major challenge and would address it without hurting the growth.

“Returning to high growth path while avoiding the situation of generalised increase in inflation through monetary policy action has emerged as a delicate challenge for the RBI,” the apex bank said in its macroeconomic developments issued on the eve of the third quarterly review of the monetary policy.

Paid news syndrome can tarnish polity, says Ansari

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New Delhi, January 28: Noting that the “DNA” of Indian media organisations has changed after liberalisation, Vice-President Hamid Ansari today warned that the phenomenon of paid news and coverage packages have a potential to tarnish the polity and destabilise the country’s economy.

“The recent practices of leveraging political and economic content in our media for overt and covert revenue generation have the malevolent potential to tarnish our polity and even destabilise the economy,” Ansari said.

Stay on Amar Singh’s arrest extended till March 12

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Allahabad, January 28: The Allahabad High Court today extended till March 12 the stay on the arrest of Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh in connection with an FIR lodged against him in Kanpur.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and N A Moonis on the writ petition of Singh, who had on December 5, 2009, obtained a stay on his arrest in connection with the FIR lodged at Babupurwa police station by Kanpur resident Shivakant Tripathi.

Rajapaksa to dissolve parliament, call legislative poll

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Colombo, January 28: Re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa will dissolve parliament shortly and call a legislative election, his office said Thursday, in a move that would let him reshape the unwieldly coalition now backing him.

Rajapaksa won a thumping victory on Tuesday over his former army commander, General Sarath Fonseka, in the Indian Ocean island’s first nationwide election since the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers.

“(The) President is to dissolve parliament and go for a general election soon,” presidential spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said.

India, Pak cannot afford war, should resume dialogue: Gilani

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New Delhi, January 28: Pushing for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today said his country and India should not be held ”hostage to one incident” of 26/11 and should hold talks since both the countries cannot ”afford war”.

Noting that things were “stuck” after the Mumbai terror attacks, he said “1.25 billion people should not be made hostage to one incident. If we are hostage to one incident then the beneficiaries are terrorists and therefore we should move ahead….

Mukesh Ambani, Lakshmi Mittal among ‘World’s Most Powerful Billionaires’

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Washington, January 28: Two Indians, energy mogul Mukesh Ambani and steel czar Lakshmi Mittal, have made it to the Forbes list of ‘World’s Most Powerful Billionaires’ combining massive fortunes with political clout.

“Through his industrial might, India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, ranks eighth,” in the US business magazine’s annual list topped by Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City. Mittal ranks 13th on the list.

Bloomberg also “lords over the media, finance and fashion capital of the US – and arguably the world”.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients at greater risk

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London, January 28: Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – where the liver has trouble breaking down fats causing a build up in the organ tissue – suffer a higher risk of mortality than the general population, says a Swedish study.

The research, led by Cecilia Sodenberg of the Karolinska Institute, evaluated 256 male and female subjects between the ages of 33-57 who had undergone a liver biopsy (between 1980-1984) due to elevated liver enzymes.

Arshad is the most underutilised actor: Vidya Balan

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Noida, January 28: Actress Vidya Balan is all praise for her “Ishqiya” co-star Arshad Warsi but rues that he is the most underutilised actor in the industry.

“He is the most underutilised actor in the industry. He is a very talented actor who performs every role with so much conviction that he leaves a mark on audiences’ minds,” Balan told reporters at a press conference here at the Big Cinemas.

“Today, people remember him as Circuit of ?Munnabhai M.B.B.S.’ but I am sure after watching ?Ishqiya’ they will remember him as Babban. He is a wonderful actor to work with,” she added.

Former Pak players divided over Razzaq offer

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New Delhi, January 28: It’s not yet clear whether Abdul Razzaq has landed an IPL contract or not but the development has already evoked a mixed response from the former Pakistani cricketers.

While former skippers Rameez Raja and Aamir Sohail feel that Razzaq should move forward and play in the Indian Premier League, batting stalwart Zaheer Abbas dismissed the offer as a gimmick.

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, one of the 11 Pakistani players who were ignored in the January 19 IPL auction in Mumbai, came up with a guarded response.

Ops to continue till Naxals agree for talks: HM

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New Delhi, January 28: In a strong message to Maoist groups, the Government today said anti-naxal operations would stop only if Left-wing extremists abjure violence and decide to come to the negotiation table.

“…If they (naxal) wish to come for talks after abjuring violence, they are welcome. If there is no response to the offer, the anti-naxal strategy, being formulated, will continue,” Union Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here after his meeting with Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren.

Capital punishment not an answer to terrorism: Taslima

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New Delhi, January 28: A day after five persons were executed in Bangladesh for assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen today said she disfavoured capital punishment for any crime even though she had been “devastated” by former president’s killing.