Hyderabad, January 01: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has urged coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders not to create fresh obstructions to formation of a Telangana State.
Talking with reporters here today, he threatened to intensify the agitation across the region if coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema leaders did not change their attitude and said they would be responsible for any untoward incidents.
Washington, January 01: In an interview former CIA agent Ray McGovern said that the Taliban does not pose any threat to US national security.
In a reference to Wednesday’s attack against a US military base in eastern Afghanistan which killed seven CIA operatives, McGovern said that the CIA operatives should not have been there because the Taliban do not pose any security threats to United States.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Forward Operating Base Chapman, which was hit by an attack on Wednesday, was used by US spies.
Tehran, January 01: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul say there is no military solution to the crisis in Afghanistan.
Ahmadinejad and Gul held a telephone conversation on Thursday to discuss the regional developments, especially the situation in Afghanistan.
The two presidents said that the Afghan people need humanitarian assistance and support to reconstruct their country, not more weapons, IRNA reported.
A December 2009 report prepared by Oxfam International, Amnesty International UK, United Civilians for Peace, Christian Aid, and a dozen other international NGOs (called NGOs below) titled, “Failing Gaza: No rebuilding, no recovery, no more excuses” is hard-hitting and to the point.
Seoul, January 01: In a New Year’s message, Pyongyang has called for dialogue to end hostility between North Korea and the United States and to ensure peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.
An editorial published on Friday in several North Korea newspapers addressed international concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities after 2009 saw Washington attempt to bring Kim Jong-Il’s communist regime back to the stalled six-nation talks on the issue.
Mumbai, January 01: The year 2009 though agonising at the start, has had an ecstatic The year was the second best for stocks in two decades, and both the years were delivered by Manmohan Singh. First in 1991, as the finance minister and now as the Prime Minister.
Gloom enveloped investors as the year began with the credit crisis threatening to cause long-term damage to the economy and the market. For, the year before saw an unprecedented outflow of foreign funds after the collapse of the once invincible investment banks such as Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns.
Mogadishu, January 01: Al-Shabaab fighters say they have closed down the UN headquarters in the town of Bu’aale in southern Somalia and have informed Somali relief workers to leave the region.
Al-Shabaab fighters overpowered the guards outside the headquarters and disarmed them. They then looted $50,000 from the United Nations headquarters, closed down the office, and asked all the staff to leave, in Mogadishu reported late on Thursday.
Al-Shabaab told Somali relief workers to leave the region in 10 hours.
Washington, January 01: A US federal judge has dismissed criminal charges against five Blackwater/Xe security guards accused of fatally shooting 14 people in Baghdad in September 2007.
On Thursday, Judge Ricardo Urbina said US government prosecutors violated the defendants’ rights by using incriminating statements they had made under immunity during a State Department probe to build their case.
Washington, January, 01: The US Department of Homeland Security is preparing a report on the plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day.
A reevaluation and recommendations on US national intelligence policies and practices will also be included in the report, which is to be delivered to President Barack Obama.
Venenzuela, January, 01: The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry has warned the US military against violating its airspace from bases in Aruba and Curacao.
“(Venezuela) again calls on the international community to denounce the US use of the colonies of Aruba and Curacao, for the preparation of military aggression against Venezuela,” the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Hyderabad, January 01: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Wednesday said the continuing attacks on film shootings in and around Hyderabad by Telangana supporters may force the Telugu film industry to shift back to Chennai.
Assuring full protection, the chief minister urged all political parties to ensure that the industry stays in Hyderabad.
The campaign over Telangana has caused huge losses to the film industry, with thousands boycotting movies of some actors and continuing attacks on the shooting of some others opposed to Telangana’s creation.
Kabul, January 01: The Taliban claim they have killed seven CIA agents and five Canadians in separate bombings in Afghanistan.
In two separate attacks on Wednesday, seven CIA officers were killed and six wounded on a US base in Khost in eastern Afghanistan. The five Canadians, including a woman journalist, were killed in Kandahar on the same day.
Khost and Kandahar are located near Helmand, which is the opium capital of Afghanistan.
Sydney, January 01: Under explosive bursts of crimson, purple and blue, more than one million New Year revellers in Sydney got one of the world’s biggest parties started Thursday – bidding farewell to the tough year that was 2009 and welcoming a new decade.
As the family-friendly, pre-midnight fireworks show illuminated Australia’s largest city, preparations were under way across the world for pyrotechnics, parties and prayers in the final countdown to herald the end of the period dubbed ‘the Noughties’.
Mumbai, January 01: Katrina Kaif is the undisputed queen of Bollywood with three major hits in 2009. An Asian website recently awarded Katrina with the sexiest Asian actress award.
On being asked about being the most sexy Asian, Katrina says, “Me? Hot and sexy? Nah. People should see me at home. I’m painfully unglamorous. Just another working girl making a living.”
New Delhi, January 01: The Centre on Thursday notified a significant amendment that will allow a victim to file an appeal against a court order in a move which can empower the common man who often fails to get justice because of inefficiency or corruption of prosecuting agencies.
The new amendments to Code of Criminal Procedure — that have been kept in abeyance for almost a year — have also laid down procedures for the protection of rape victims seeking punishment for their tormentors.
Hyderabad, January 01: In the coming year, all the police stations in the State will have biometric identification system.
Immediately after nabbing a criminal, the police will scan the fingerprints of the accused using a biometric scanning machine, instead of the existing system of rolled fingerprints using ink. The scanned data will be stored at police computer services data base.
New Delhi, January 01: Indian science witnessed its crowning moment in 2009 when its maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-I revealed to the world the existence of water on moon and nuclear scientists designed a new atomic reactor that uses little uranium per unit of energy.
Tamil Nadu-born and Baroda-educated Venkataraman Ramakrishnan brought cheers as he shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry this year.
Hyderabad, January 01: Cyberabad police have busted an inter-state dacoity gang with the arrested four of its members and seized jewellery worth Rs 13.50 lakh.
Speaking to reporters here, Cyberabad Police Commissioner S Prabhakar Reddy said the gang has links with some mafia in Mumbai.
The 13-member gang has committed four sensational daylight jewellery shop dacoities in the city here since May 21 last, he said adding the gang was formed in the month of April last by Udayachand of Bangalore and Shankarlal of Rajasthan.
New Delhi, January 01: At least 21 Swine Flu deaths were reported from across the country, taking the death toll in India to 919. Four deaths were reported on Thursday, while others occurred earlier, but tested positive for A H1N1 later.
The fresh Swine flu deaths occurred in Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The other 17 deaths occurred earlier – 11 in Gujarat, 2 each in Delhi, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Chandigarh, January 01: Noose around disgraced former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore tightened as Ruchika Girhotra’s brother surfaced before the media and police and registered fresh complaint of abetment of suicide against her sister’s molester.
Ashoo Girhotra, Ruchika’s brother, was tortured by SPS Rathore which allegedly led his sister to commit suicide in 1993. Fake cases of car theft were also registered against him to evidently force his sister to withdraw complaint against Rathore.
Washington, January 01: US President Barack Obama said he would meet later Thursday with top security chiefs to discuss the findings of an initial probe into the botched Christmas Day bombing of a US plane.
–Agencies
Hyderabad, January 01: All the 13 Congress ministers from Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh today decided to withdraw their resignation after the Centre’s announcement on holding discussions with political parties the state.
“We are satisfied with the decision of the Centre to initiate the process of discussions (with 8 recognised political parties).
“We met APCC President D Srinivas who asked us to withdraw the resignation. We have decided to withdraw our resignation,” Information Minister Geeta Reddy told reporters after the meeting.
Mumbai, January 01: Even though the bloodbath continued in the overseas stock markets, the BSE Sensex and Nifty ended on a new high in 2009, signaling a strong economic revival in the country.
The Sensex closed at 17,464.81, up 120.99 points or 0.7% from the last close.
The Nifty, ended at 5201.05, up about 31.60 points, or 0.6%. The Sensex rose by 81% in 2009, while the Nifty gained 75%. Today, the BSE Sensex hit its highest level in nearly 20 months.
Abuja, January 01: A Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a U.S. passenger jet on Christmas Day began his journey in Ghana and spent less than 30 minutes in Nigeria’s Lagos airport, the Nigerian government said on Thursday.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with trying to blow up Northwest Airlines flight 253 as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam on Dec. 25 with almost 300 people on board.
New Delhi, January 01: Dismissing the charge of “flip- flop” on the part of Centre on Telangana issue, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the January 5 meeting of political parties from Andhra Pradesh is to devise a “mechanism and roadmap” on resolving the problem.
“The January 5 meeting is the first step in the consultations. In the first step we have called the recognised parties in the state to devise a mechanism and a roadmap (on the issue,” he told a press conference, the state chief minister has been invited to the meeting in his official capacity.