Month: January 2010

Somali pirates hijack UK-flagged ship – Bulgaria

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Somalia, January 02: Somali pirates hijacked a British-flagged ship carrying cars off the Somali coast late on Friday, the Bulgarian foreign ministry said.

The Asian Glory was seized about 600 miles east of the Somali coast before it joined a convoy heading for the Gulf of Aden, Dragovest Goranov, spokesman for the ministry said.

An official at the Bulgarian office of the British company Zodiac which manages the 45,000 tonne ship said there were 25 people on board, including eight Bulgarians. Other crew members include Romanians, Indians and Ukrainians.

Two BSF troopers shot in Srinagar

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Srinagar, January 02: Suspected militants shot and wounded two paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) troopers Saturday when they were withdrawing cash from an ATM here in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

A police officer said the attack took place in Soura locality. Both were shot at from close range.

“The injured men were taken to the Soura medical institute. They are out of danger,” the officer told reporters.

The area was immediately cordoned off by police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

—Agencies

Maoist protest: High alert in Bihar, several trains cancelled

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Patna, January 02: A Maoist protest that began Saturday has led to a high alert in Bihar and the cancellation or diversion of several trains for the safety of passengers, official sources said.

The Maoists called for the strike in Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Bihar police chief Anand Shankar said the force was directed to be alert and keep a close vigil on the situation. Additional security forces were deployed at important government buildings and railway stations across the state, he added.

Army jawan kills two colleagues before shooting himself in Bihar

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Aurangabad, January 02: A ‘drunk’ Special Auxiliary Police jawan allegedly gunned down two of his colleagues before killing himself following a quarrel over a trivial issue in the district, police said today.

During patrolling in Khairi village, the jawan Fulwendra Singh entered into an argument with his colleagues fired from his official carbine killing Balkishore Singh and Anil Singh on the spot last night.

Police suspect that the jawan was in a drunken state. He later committed suicide by shooting himself, police said.

The three bodies were brought here for autopsy.

Auto Expo 2010: Audi sets to display new A7 model

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New Delhi, January 01: There are just few days remaining in beginning of 10th Auto Expo 2010 in the national capital. The Delhi Auto Expo 2010 is being considered as world’s second largest Auto expo. Several global companies have been geared up to showcase their new models to increase the sale in Indian Market.

German car major, Audi, is also set to make debut of its new model Audi A7 at Delhi Auto Expo beginning from January 5, 2010 at Pragati Maidan.

The German car manufacture has been planning to introduce its latest luxury sedan model Audi A7 at Auto Expo 2010, sources said.

Dance with dons: Top cops face suspension

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Mumbai, January 01: The dancing cops of Mumbai Police are in real trouble after celebrating New Year bash with underworld mafias. The five top cops, who attended New Year party with underworld, have been suspended.

ACP Wani, DCP VN Salve and three other were suspended today after they videotaped dancing with mafias.

Sources said that the services of five Mumbai cops will be terminated if they found guilty.

Police said that they have photographic and CCTV footage as proof against the cops.

Chetan Bhagat is lying: Rajkumar Hirani

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Indore, January 02: The credit war between latest blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Five Point Someone’ turned ugly today when director of the film Rajkumar Hirani outburst over the author Chetan Bhagat.

Hirani said, “The author of Five Point Some Chetan Bhagat is lying when he says he don’t know the script.”

Hirani further said he has the right to change the script after he bought the storyline from Bhagat.

“We bought the script rights from Bhagat to make the ‘3 Idiots’. Chetan Bhagat signed a contract with us many years back.” Hirani added.

GITAM University result for M.Phil./Ph.D declared

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New Delhi, January 02: The Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) has published the results for Research Admissions in M.Phil./Ph.D.

The GITAM results 2009 for in M.Phil./Ph.D has been available on its official website http://www.gitam.edu/.

The successful students can get the admission for the session 2009-10 at GITAM.

The GITAM university was established in the year 1980 in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

—Agencies

It’s women first for first woman Mayor

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Hyderabad, January 02: Banda Karthika Reddy, the first woman Mayor of Hyderabad, has quite a few plans for women folk in the New year. To check harassment of women in the city, security personnel will be posted outside the colleges, BPO firms and bus stops that have become the most vulnerable spots for the fair sex, she reveals her New Year resolution.

“Being a woman Mayor, I have to think about the safety of women first,’’ she declares her resolve on New Year’s Eve.

Babu begins consultations with party leaders

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Hyderebad, January 02: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu has started consultations with the party leaders on the proposed meeting of the Centre on the Telangana issue on January 5.

Naidu interacted with Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda district leaders and MLAs today and will meet leaders of all the 23 districts before Jan 4.

“Naidu is eliciting our opinions for the Jan 5 meeting,’’ TDP Politburo member N Janardhan Reddy said.

Aamir Khan to help wife Kiran in the kitchen

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Mumbai, January 02: Aamir Khan has taken up a new resolution this year. The actor, whose latest release 3 IDIOTS is making waves all over, is all set to set to learn a new skill.

Actually, the actor is planning to take up cooking classes in order to help his wife Kiran in the kitchen sometimes. For this Aamir has decided to enroll himself for some special cookery classes.

The actor, who’s currently in news for his row with famed author Chetan Bhagat, is planning to go for a holiday and return to learn the new skill.

Shania Twain Carries Olympic Torch

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Ontario, January 02: Shania Twain carried the Olympic torch the final 400 yards into Hollinger Park, cheered on by thousands of parka-clad fans who turned out in arctic conditions to see the hometown hero in person Friday night.
After making her final turn toward the stage, Twain paused, held the torch aloft in her mittened left hand, and waved to the crowd. The country star then bounded the final few yards onto the stage, where she lit the Olympic cauldron.
“I feel proud, very proud,” Twain said. “It’s a highlight of my life to be able to carry the flame, to light the cauldron.”

Students to go ahead with tomorrow Garjana

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Hyderabad, January 02: The Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee today said they will go ahead with the Telangana Vidyarthi Garjana at the Arts College on January 3 even as the Government had made it clear that they would not give permission for the rally.

The OU JAC had prop o s e d t o o r g a n i s e Vidyarthi Garjana on January 3 but permission to the same was denied by the Hyderabad Police Commissioner B Prasada Rao.

Cong serves notice on Komati for bugging CM

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Hyderabad, January 02: In a development that might prove costly to the Congress in the Telangana region, the party high command issued a show-cause notice to IT Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy on Friday asking why action should not be taken against him for his scathing comments on Chief Minister K Rosaiah.

The notice was served on him, a day after Rosaiah complained to the party high command against him.

Maoist shutdown affects traffic in Orissa districts

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Bhubaneswar, January 02: Buses were off the roads in parts of three Orissa districts fearing attacks as the Maoists Saturday called for a two-day shutdown to protest alleged police atrocities.

“The movements of buses has been affected in some places in Gajapati, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts,” Inspector General of Police (Operations) Sanjeeb Marik told IANS.

“Schools, colleges, private and government offices and shops are open as usual,” he said.

Congmen speak in different voices

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Hyderabad, January 02: Ahead of the January 5 allparty meet in Delhi on the T issue, State Congress leaders have begun speaking in different voices.

Leading the band of integrationists, Endowments Minister Gade Venkata Reddy said the Congress had never promised Telangana and what the party had been saying since 2001 was that the issue should be referred to a second states’ reorganisation commission. If separatists did not like constitution of an SRC, the Centre could appoint a commission consisting of judges to look into the issue, he suggested.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra apologizes to media

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Mumbai, January 02: An apology has been extended to the media by the ‘3 Idiots’ producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, for having told a reporter to ‘shut up’, while reacting to a question whether the 70 percent of the story of the recently-released film was based on Chetan Bhagat’s book “Five Point Someone,” as claimed by the writer.

Chopra apparently lost his cool when a scribe asked him about Bhagat’s claims that the film has been lifted from his book. A furious Chopra shouted at the journalist and wanted to know whether he had seen the movie and read the book.

Zardari says ‘certain elements’ want to remove him

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Islamabad, January 02: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has claimed that “certain elements” and undemocratic forces want to remove him because of his support for the rights of the people of Balochistan province.

“The (government’s Balochistan development) package is the right of the people of Balochistan and we have to implement it,” he said.

But, Mr. Zardari said, “certain elements” do not want this to happen. “Therefore, they want to remove me.”

Political parties in AP gear up for Jan 5 meeting

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Hyderabad, January 02: Political activity picked up both in the ruling Congress and Opposition parties ahead of the January five meeting of eight recognised parties called by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to resolve the vexed Telangana issue.

The residence of Pradesh Congress Committee President D Srinivas was a beehive of activity, so was the NTR Bhavan, the state headquarters of the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Chief Minister K Rosaiah was scheduled to have ”informal consultations” with his Cabinet colleagues later in the day on the sensitive issue.

JAC backs Vidyarthi Garjana

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Hyderabad, January 02: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all political parties, which met here today, expressed solidarity with the proposed `Chalo Hyderbad’ rally of students, Vidyarthi Garjana, on January 3 and urged the State Government to grant permission for it.

The meeting, attended by leaders of the TRS, TDP and BJP, decided to send a delegation to the chief minister tomorrow to request him for permission for the rally. The Congress representatives, however, were conspicuous by their absence.

BJP, Cong file nomination forms for Chotila by-poll

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Rajkot, January 02 : Both BJP and Congress candidates today filed their nomination papers for the January 20 by-elections for the Chotila assembly segment in Gujarat”s Surendranagar district. Bharat Khorani, son of late BJP MLA Vashram Khorani, filed his nomination papers for BJP, while Congress has chosen Nirantben Dhoriya, sister of sitting Rajkot MP Kunvarji Bavaliya.

AP Governor sets a trend, holds Praja Durbar

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Hyderabad, January 02: Several leaders of the ruling and Opposition parties presented memoranda on Telangana at Governor’s `Praja Durbar’ while a few representatives from non-government organisations (NGOs) sought protection of greenery and environment, and expressed concern at social ills The Governor, fot the first time in the history of the State, conducted Praja Durbar at the Raj Bhavan. The interaction programme was held from 11 am to 1 pm today by ESL Narasimhan to feel the public pulse.

Spell out roadmap for state bifurcation: Nagam

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Hyderabad, January 02: Ahead of the January five meeting called by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on the Telangana issue, the Telugu Desam Party today asked the Centre to spell out the roadmap for bifurcation of the state.

Koirala proposes referendum to review decision

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Kathmandu, January 02: Deputy Premier and prominent Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala today proposed a referendum to decide whether Nepal should have a federal or unitary system of governance under the new constitution.

Though her own party is pinning for a federal structure in the new constitutional set up, Koirala said her opposition to the decision was her personal view.

“The major political parties have committed a blunder by making a decision regarding federalism in a haste,” Koirala, who is also the Foreign Minister, said

Andhra TD tries to trivialise T demand

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Hyderabad, January 02: TDP leaders from Andhra today tried to trivialise the demand for Telangana by comparing it with similar aspirations “in at least 12 States in the country.’’ Speaking to reporters here, TDP leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu said that given this background, the Congress should first spell out its stand on smaller States as such. “Telangana cannot be viewed as an isolated case,’’ he stressed.