Veterans Affairs to reopen Gulf War vets’ files
Dubai, Febraury 26: The VA Department will re-examine the disability claims of Gulf War veterans suffering, the first step toward potentially compensating them after the war ended.
Month: February 2010
Ivorian opposition signals end to protests
Abidjan, February 26: Ivory Coast’s opposition will call off violent protests that have rocked the West African nation since President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and electoral commission on Feb. 12, a spokesman said on Friday.
The country, the world’s top producer of cocoa, announced the formation of a new electoral commission after having named a replacement government, key steps towards setting long-delayed elections and ending the demonstrations in which at least seven people have been killed.
Obama, Republicans clash in health debate
Washington, February 26: In an extraordinary daylong televised debate, President Barack Obama and Republicans clashed over his plan to overhaul U.S. health care. In the end, there was little reason to hope for a compromise on an issue that could shape Obama’s legacy.
Turkish PM warns army: ‘No one above law’
Ankara, February 26: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the army Friday that no one should consider themselves above the law, as 11 more soldiers were charged for involvement in an alleged 2003 coup plot.
The new arrests reported in media Friday took to 31 the number of serving and retired officers, including four-star generals, held in the alleged plot to oust the Islamist-rooted government.
With growth back, India budgets income tax relief, higher excise
New Delhi, February 26: India Friday proposed a sizeable tax relief for individuals but hiked excise and minimum alternate tax in the Rs.11,08,749-crore ($221.75 billion) budget for 2010-11 that steps up outlays for welfare schemes while assuring high, inclusive growth.
Presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also estimated a lower fiscal deficit of 5.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), against the revised estimates of 6.7 percent for this fiscal.
Eight more Israeli names match new Dubai suspects list
February 26: Eight more people in Israel turned out Thursday to have names matching suspects in the assassination of a top Hamas operative in Dubai.
The son of one of those newly caught up in the case said his father did not know whom to turn to for help because the country’s Mossad spy agency is strongly suspected of masterminding the killing.
Growing fury at Dubai killing reaches Australia…
Bihar court frames charges against Rabri Devi
Patna, February 26: A local court today framed charges against the Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly Rabri Devi in a defamation case charging her with making contemptuous remarks against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former JD(U) state president and MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Deenanath Singh framed the charges against Rabri Devi in her presence in the court.
The SDJM put up the case for examining the evidences during the next date of hearing which was, however, not announced by him.
CBI arrests two AP govt officials for accepting bribe
New Delhi, February 26: CBI has arrested two Andhra Pradesh government officials for allegedly demanding and accepting bribe to favour a contractor.
The duo — B N Singh, Director (Contract) and P Narayan Raju, Additional Director — working in the office of Chief Engineer (Research and Development), Secunderabad, were arrested for demanding a bribe of Rs 85,000 and accepting Rs 60,000 as part payment from the complainant, official sources said.
Terror and talks can’t go together: BJP
Jammu, February 26: Claiming that the foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan produced nothing, BJP today said the outcome has substantiated the party’s stand that “terror and talks just cannot go together.”
“BJP is least surprised about the fact that the Indo-Pak dialogue held yesterday has produced almost nothing, and expectedly Pakistan is remorseless,” party chief Nitin Gadkari told reporters here.
“This has substantiated the considered position of BJP that terror and talks cannot just go together,” Gadkari said.
‘Sachin was simply unstoppable in Gwalior’
Ahmedabad, February 26: Two days after Sachin Tendulkar made history in Gwalior, South African batsman AB de Villiers said it was an “unbelievable” batting display and no bowler in the world could have stopped the iconic Indian on Wednesday.
Tendulkar became the first batsman in one day cricket’s history to smash a double century in the match and his sublime unbeaten 200 off just 147 balls guided India to a series-clinching 153-run victory.
De Villiers, whose unbeaten 114 in the Gwalior match was reduced to a footnote, said Tendulkar was simply unstoppable.
World Bank, other agencies review India projects
Tokyo, February 26: International funding agencies are happy with the implementation of projects in the country. The review meeting held here was attended by a 17-member delegation of four external funding agencies, World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), Japanese International Coproation Agency (JICA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), along with 13 senior officials of the Union ministry of economic affairs.
World Bank, other agencies review India projects
Tokyo, February 26: International funding agencies are happy with the implementation of projects in the country. The review meeting held here was attended by a 17-member delegation of four external funding agencies, World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), Japanese International Coproation Agency (JICA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), along with 13 senior officials of the Union ministry of economic affairs.
Tata Motors Q3 net profit at Rs 650 cr
Mumbai, February 26: Auto major Tata Motors today reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 650 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2009, driven by revival in demand in the domestic market on introduction of new products coupled with government stimulus.
The company had a net loss of Rs 2,598 crore in the same quarter ended December 31, 2008, Tata Motors said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Pak Army officers involved in 26/11
New Delhi, February 26: India has asked Pakistan to hand over two Pakistani Army officers beilved to be part of the Mumbai attacks terror plot, claimed reports on Friday.
The specific demand is believed to be part of the new dossier handed over to Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir by his Indian counter Nirupama Rao during their keen watched talks in Delhi yesterday.
The two Army officers have been identified as Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali.
Bollywood tweets for Sachin, the great
Mumbai, February 26: Bollywood stars have heaped praises on Sachin Tendulkar for smashing first-ever double century in history of ODIs, describing him as the “god of cricket” who has made Indians proud.
The whole nation celebrated Tendulkar’s double century at the ODI against South Africa in Gwalior, Bollywood took to Twitter and blogging to express their jubilation.
Brett Lee in Oz probables list for T20 World Championship
Melbourne, February 26: Injury-ravaged pacer Brett Lee, who recently retired from Test cricket, was today picked in Australia’s 30-member preliminary squad for the April-May ICC World Twenty20 Championship in the West Indies.
Lee, who quit Tests to prolong his ODI and Twenty20 career, is currently nursing an elbow injury. The squad would be pruned as the World Cup draws closer.
The squad doesn’t offer any surprises and features players who have been part of the squad of late.
Lalu says Pranab Mukherjee and Mamta failed people
New Delhi, February 26: “Dada and Didi have failed the people.”
This was how RJD chief Lalu Prasad vented his ire against the general and railway budgets in his inimitable style.
“Dada and Didi have failed the people. Both are concerned only about West Bengal. The county had seen Didi a few days back. Today it also saw Dada.
“Both are only concerned about Kolkata (West Bengal).
Call claiming bomb in a train turns to be hoax
Ghaziabad, February 26: An anonymous call claiming that a bomb has been planted in the Delhi-bound Jharkhand Swarn Jayanti Express led police to stop the train near here for about half-an-hour but it later turned out to be hoax.
A telephone call last night claimed that the bomb was placed in the train following which police with dog and bomb disposal squads rushed to the site.
After a 30-minute search, the train was allowed to move ahead.
An unclaimed bag was found in AC three tier compartment, they said, adding however, nothing incriminating was found in it.
Turkish court charges 11 officers
Ankara, February 26: A Turkish court today charged 11 more ranking officers for allegedly plotting several years ago to topple the Islamic-rooted government, increasing the number of officers jailed to 31 — including retired and active seven admirals and four generals.
The 11 newly charged officers included two active duty admirals and one retired general, pending trial. The court’s decision came hours after prosecutors released the former chiefs of the navy and air force and another top general without immediately charging them with being involved, saying they were unlikely to flee.
Getting the body to fight its own heart attack
Washington, February 26: Scientists trying to find a way to better help patients protect themselves from a heart attack are taking their cues from cardiac patients.
The work has its roots in a perplexing curiosity that physicians have long observed in their patients: When faced with a heart attack, people who have had a previous one oftentimes fare better than patients who have never had one.
Israel seals off West Bank for Jewish holiday
Tel Aviv, February 26 – The Israeli military announced it had shut key military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and around Jerusalem for the coming four days, starting Friday. The move aims at preventing potential Palestinian militants from reaching Israeli cities or Jewish settlements and carrying out attacks during the Jewish holiday of Purim.
A military statement said the “general closure” began at midnight Thursday and would be in place until Monday night.
Go somewhere specific: US Senators to NASA chief
Washington, February 26: Skeptical senators are telling NASA’s chief that the space agency lacks a goal and destination.
Earlier this month, the White House killed the previous administration’s plan to go back to the moon. The space shuttles will soon be retired.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says his agency has an ultimate goal: Mars. But he says it’s more than a decade away and NASA needs to upgrade its technology before astronauts reach the Red Planet.
Gunmen kill government employee
Srinagar, February 26: Unidentified gunmen barged into the house of a government employee and shot him dead in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Thursday.
Nisar Ahmad Lone, a storekeeper of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, was attacked in his house at Brah-Bandina, 35 km from here.
He was shifted to the S.K. Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, where he died, the police said.
The police have launched a hunt to nab the assailants, believed to be militants.
—–Agencies
India seek ODI series sweep at Motera
Ahmedabad, February 26: The series as well as the number two spot in ICC rankings in their grasp, India would aim for a rare clean sweep, while South Africa have nothing but pride to play for in their third and final cricket one-dayer in Motera on Saturday.
The home team will be without more than half a dozen key players in the dead rubber, some missing from action from the start of the series and others – including champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar – skipping the tie.
It’s an honour to be called diva: Sushmita Sen
New Delhi, February 26: Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen, who is known for living life on her own terms, says she takes her diva image seriously. Former Miss Universe was overwhelmed to receive the Best Diva honour at the third Pevonia AsiaSpa India Awards 2009. Wearing a black cardigan with a tube top and trousers, the 34-year-old beauty said, “It is an honour to be called a diva.”