Month: February 2010

NSCN-backed outfit neutralised in Meghalaya: Police

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Shillong, February 03: A new Meghalaya militant outfit Hynniewrtrep Liberation Front (HLF) backed by NSCN-IM, has been neutralised at the nascent stage, a senior police officer has said.

“We have netted five key members of the new group, including its commander-in-chief and chairman. I think we have picked up almost all of them,” SP (Shillong city) Claudia Lyngwa said Tuesday evening.

She said there was “hard evidence” that the new outfit had close links with the NSCN-IM.

Pak’s India focus helping al Qaeda: US

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Washington, February 03: Pakistan’s conviction that militant groups are strategically useful to counter India are not only hampering the fight against terrorism but also helping Al Qaeda sustain its safe haven, says the US intelligence community.

“Islamabad’s strategic approach risks helping Al Qaeda sustain its safe haven because some groups supported by Pakistan provide assistance to Al Qaeda,” Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday.

Telangana JAC to wait for panel’s terms of reference

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Hyderabad, February 03: Even as the government Wednesday announced a five-member panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge B.N. Srikrishna to deliberate on a mechanism for a separate Telangana state, the All-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the region said it would plan its next move only after the centre announces the terms of reference.

“We will meet once the centre announced terms of reference and other details and then react,” JAC convenor M. Kodandaram.

“The terms of reference are more important than the persons included in the committee,” Kodandaram said.

Rahul Gandhi is ‘frustrated’: Bal Thackeray

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Mumbai, February 03: In a vicious, personal attack on Rahul Gandhi for his comments on Mumbai, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday said frustration sets in when a person doesn’t get married “despite advancing age” and the Congress MP was also “victim of this disease”.

India Inc upbeat on hiring; 71% companies currently recruiting

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New Delhi, February 03: India Inc’s hiring activity has increased considerably since September last year and the current recruitment level is one of the highest globally, says a survey by international recruitment firm Antal.

The quarterly global survey asked more than 6,000 firms in 30 countries that whether they were hiring at managerial and professional level and planned to do so in the coming quarter as well.

As much as 71 percent of Indian companies surveyed said they were currently hiring compared to around half in September, the survey revealed.

NZ virgin auctions herself for tuition

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Wellington, February 03: A New Zealand teenager who says she auctioned her virginity online for $32,000 to raise tuition money did not break any laws but it might be risky for her to follow through on the deal, police warned Wednesday.

I would like to finish my Rajya Sabha term: Jaya Bachchan

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Mumbai, February 03: Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan said Wednesday that she had no plans to quit the party and would like to finish her term in the Rajya Sabha “gracefully”.

“I have spoken with my family and I would like to continue in the Rajya Sabha. I have six more months to go and I want to finish it gracefully. I can’t leave the party as well because I want to finish my term,” Bachchan told NDTV, a day after her close friend Amar Singh was sacked from the primary membership of the SP.

Thackerays are paper tigers, says Digvijay Singh

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Varanasi, February 03: Hitting back at Shiv Sena for its remarks against Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today dubbed the Thackerays as “paper tigers”.

“They (Thackerays) are paper tigers. There is no need to pay much attention to them,” he said after the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray stepped up attack on Gandhi on the “Mumbai for all Indians” remark and raked up the issue of Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin.

AP collaborates with Sweden to curb maternal deaths

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Hyderabad, February 03: Andhra Pradesh has sought cooperation from Sweden to curb maternal mortality rate in the state.

The current maternal mortality rate in the state is 154 per one lakh live births while in Sweden it is just three.

The Swedish state Secretary Karin Johansson met AP Chief Minister K Rosaiah in the Secretariat here today to discuss the collaboration in the health care sector.

The collaborative programme to reduce maternal mortality will be taken up under the National Rural Health Mission, according to State Health Minister Danam Nagender.

Amar Singh praises Congress, rules out joining BSP

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New Delhi, February 03: After expulsion from Samajwadi Party, Amar Singh today praised Congress and ruled out joining BSP.

But he suggested that he could do business with the Mayawati-led party on issues like trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh.

As regards Congress, Singh struck a conciliatory note.

He said that though the “family” was important there, it was different from other parties which are run by political families including the SP.

Bal Thackeray attacks Rahul, calls him ‘frustrated’

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Mumbai, February 03: In a vicious, personal attack on Rahul Gandhi for his comments on Mumbai, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Wednesday said frustration sets in when a person doesn’t get married “despite advancing age” and the Congress MP was also “victim of this disease”.

Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for his statements on the role of north Indians in protecting Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks, Thackeray said in an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna: “It seems that since Rahul won’t grow any further physically, he has now grown horns and wisdom teeth to make such statements.”

Moily meets Sonia to discuss Telangana committee

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New Delhi, February 03: Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here today to apprise her about the five-member committee that will deliberate on a mechanism for a separate Telangana state and consult all sections of people, political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh.

Centre is unable to take political decisions: Jaitley

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Patna, February 03: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley today alleged that weak government at the Centre could not take “political decisions” and has adopted an “escapist attitude” so far regarding creation of separate Telangana and on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. “The Centre has adopted and escapist attitude.

Oil reaches 2-week high as optimism boosts Asia markets

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Mumbai, February 03: Oil bounced back above $77 on Wednesday, reaching its highest level in almost two weeks, as recovery optimism drove Asian stock markets higher, led by China.

U.S. crude for March delivery touched $77.66 a barrel, the highest price since Jan. 21, and was trading up 22 cents at $77.45 at 0758 GMT. On Tuesday it soared 3.8 percent, the biggest gain for a front-month contract since Sept. 30. London ICE Brent crude for March rose 26 cents to $76.32.

The longest human chain for Telangana

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Hyderabad, Feb 03 (Siasat News): The Joint Action Committee constituted for the cause of Telangana, has decided to form a longest human chain as part of its struggle for separate Telangana state.

According to a press note of JAC, on February 3, a human chain will be formed from 10 am to 12 noon at Tank Bund.

It is the part of the longest human chain for Telangana Manavaharam from Adilabad to Mahboobnagar. All pro-Telangana people are appealed to participate in the historic event.

Fish oil can prevent mental illnesses

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Washington, February 03: In line with previous studies, a new study finds taking one fish oil capsule every day can prevent mental illnesses in the at-risk population.

Previous studies had reported that omega 3 in fish oil is heart tonic and can fight dementia.

According to the study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, taking fish oil supplements lowers the risk of developing psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia by one quarter in individuals with weak or transient psychotic symptoms as well as those with schizophrenia-like brain changes.

Leopard kills man in U”khand

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Dehradun, February 03: In yet another incident of man-animal conflict, a person was killed after being attacked by a leopard in Uttarakhand”s Almora district, officials said here today.

The incident happened Dhamas village in the district, about 412 km from here, when 28-year-old Basant Singh Bisht was returning home, they said.

The animal dragged Bisht to a nearby jungle and killed him. The remains of his body were later recovered by villagers from the forest, the officials said.

—-PTI

Oz bringing bill to regulate institutions for foreign students

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Melbourne, February 03: Education institutions teaching overseas students in Australia may face tougher norms, including re-registering themselves along with education agents attached to them, as per a draft legislation prepared to regulate their standards.

The draft laws to be passed in parliament will protect overseas pupils from shonky education providers and have been prepared after several instances of bogus colleges came into light, report said.

Two ULFA militants shot dead, crossfire kills boy

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Guwahati, February 03: Two United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants, including a top bomber of the outfit, were killed in a shootout with soldiers in Assam, but the crossfire also claimed the life of a boy, police Wednesday said.

A police spokesperson said ULFA bomber Basa Singh was killed early Wednesday after an overnight shootout that also left two others dead. The encounter began around 5 p.m. Tuesday and ended around 6 a.m. Wednesday near Kalaigaon in Udalguri district, about 90 km north of here.

THE RSS- BJP’S LIMITED IDEA OF FREEDOM

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By Jyotirmaya Sharma: THE shadow- boxing between the BJP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra is nothing but a finely choreographed charade in order to mislead the voters in Bihar and UP. There is little substance in the RSS saying that all Indians have the freedom to live anywhere they want.

It is as obvious as saying that all Indian citizens are Indians. It is true that the RSS has always been skeptical of regional and linguistic diversity, and has over the years argued for a strong Indian unitary state woven together by one language and one single national consciousness.

Cold wave conditions continue in J-K

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Srinagar, February 03: Cold wave tightened its grip over Jammu and Kashmir as mercury dipped further in many parts of the state today due to clear skies overnight. Ladakh region continued to be the worst hit as night temperature fell to minus 15 deg C in Leh and minus 14 deg C in Kargil.

The two districts yesterday had recorded a low of minus 10.8 deg C and minus 13 deg C respectively, Met department officials said. Gulmarg and Pahalgam were the coldest places in the region with a low of minus 9.9 deg C and minus 8.4 deg C today against minus 9.8 deg C and minus 7 deg C yesterday.

Soren appears before court on murder charge

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Jharkhand, February 03: Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren today appeared before a local court in connection with a 1974 double-murder case. He stood in the dock for about 30 minutes as the public prosecutor, Ranjit Singh, argued in the court of the Additional District and Sessions Court of N N Singh here.

After hearing the arguments, the court was adjourned. The next hearing is fixed for March 8.

Keep Chidambaram away from Telangana panel: TDP MPs

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Hyderabad, February 03: Three Telugu Desam MPs and a former Union Minister have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that the terms of reference of the proposed committee on Telangana are not formulated under the stewardship of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

Vehicle lifters gang busted, six arrested

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Srinagar, February 03: A gang of inter-state vehicle lifters was busted and six members were arrested here, police said.

Six vehicles were recovered from them during a raid yesterday, they said.

The accused used to hire vehicles from Ludhiana, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Delhi and make the vehicle operators unconscious by offering them juice laced with sleep inducing drugs before fleeing with their vehicles.

—PTI

Minor girl raped in Reasi

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Srinagar, February 03: A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir today, police said.

A case has been registered and efforts are on to nab the culprit.

—-PTI