Month: March 2010

After Mayawati its Sonia with the money garland

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New Delhi, March 26: It seems BSP is not ready to tolerate Congress party for its tirade against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s mammoth currency note garland, lying down, as a senior Bahujan Samaj Party minister yesterday displayed a photograph of Congress President Sonia Gandhi also wearing a currency note garland.

The display of Gandhi’s picture in Lucknow was the highlight of the BSP’s state-wide protest in the party-ruled state against what they termed as “petty politicking by all opposition parties”.

Key Babri witness appears in court

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Lucknow, March 26: A senior IPS officer has appeared before the special court on Friday to depose as a prosecution witness against BJP leader LK Advani and others in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case.

Anju Gupta, who is currently posted in RAW in Delhi, is the ninth witness to depose before the special court in connection with Babri mosque demolition case.

who was posted as Advani’s personal security officer at the time of Karseva in Ayodhya, had already deposed before the CBI which was investigating the crime.

–PTI

Empowering women key to development: UN deputy chief

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New York, March 26: Enabling women to improve their lives will hasten economic development, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said Thursday, calling for the enforcement of women’s rights and an end to all forms of gender-based violence.

“Increasing gender equality and women’s empowerment, as a means of accelerating growth and development, is an end in itself,” Migiro told a meeting on the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) related to women’s empowerment and employment.

UN starts work on camps for Haiti quake survivors

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New York, March 26: Engineers from the United Nations mission in Haiti have started preparing the ground for the establishment of new and better camps to house hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after January’s catastrophic earthquake, the head of UN peacekeeping operations said on Thursday.

The Haitian Government had on March 19 issued a decree identifying the sites where new camps expected to provide displaced people better shelter during the rainy season will be set up, Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, told reporters in New York.

Not eyeing records, says India’s youngest Everest challenger

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Kathmandu, March 26: Unlike other teens, his heroes are not cricketers or movie stars. He hardly watches cricket matches and films don’t interest him. Instead, Arjun Vajpai, 16 years and eight months old, is pursuing an unusually lofty interest – Mt Everest.

The son of a former Indian Army commando, the 12th grader from New Delhi starts his quest from Kathmandu Sunday when his mettle will be tested with a run up to the 8,848 m peak.

Bill Clinton asks donors to make Haiti self-sufficient

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Washington, March 26: Former President Bill Clinton is urging the aid groups serving Haiti’s devastated communities to help rebuild the country’s government and ultimately put themselves out of business by fostering a self-sufficient nation.

Clinton, the United Nations special envoy to Haiti, spoke to representatives of the aid groups yesterday, ahead of a critical United Nations donors conference next week at which Haitian officials are expected to ask for USD 11.5 billion to rebuild.

Af-Pak is of common interest: US to India

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Washington, March 26: Noting that the influence of India at global stage attest to its pivotal role in shaping the regional security environment, a top US military official has said Washington must ensure that the US-India relationship remains rooted in their extensive common interests.

“Our nation’s partnership with India is especially important to long term South and Central Asia regional security and to US national interests in this vital sub-region.

Western styles merge with Indian crafts at Wills fashion show

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New Delhi, March 26: Move over ethnic chic, the fashion high street is looking at smart western cuts for the autumn-winter season. The look at the the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week — which opened in the capital Thursday — is essentially global and innovative with Indian bling and a social conscience.

As the market recovers from a downturn and business picks up pace, designers are expecting a surge of new chain store buyers from the Middle East and even Europe to keep the domestic fashion segment afloat.

Rupee gains 5 paise against dollar in early trade

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Mumbai, Mar 26: The rupee today appreciated by 5 paise to 45.44 a dollar in early trade on increased capital inflows by foreign funds into the stock markets. At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the rupee strengthened by 5 paise to 45.44 a dollar.

The domestic currency had closed 11 paise higher at 45.49/50 in the previous session. Dealers said the rupee strengthened against the US currency largely in tandem with other firming currencies and dollar selling by banks and exporters.

Universe expansion ‘is speeding up’

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London, March 26: Astronomers have claimed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, after studying thousands of galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope.

In its research, an international team has analysed nearly 446,000 galaxies to map the matter distribution and the expansion history of the universe, proving again that Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity is indeed correct.

And the astronomers clearly found that the universe was indeed growing faster and faster with time, as predicted by Einstein.

Fire in hospital, patients miraculous escape

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Chandigarh, March 26: Patients of a government multi-specialty hospital here had a miraculous escape Friday morning after a fire broke out in the trauma centre. There were no casualties, the hospital authorities said.

The trauma centre and the adjoining emergency operation theatres at the hospital in Sector 16 suffered damage due to the fire.

Four fire tenders were rushed. The blaze was controlled and all the patients were safe.

Polling begins in Assam

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Guwahati, March 26: Voting for two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam began Friday amid charges and counter-charges of horse-trading, even as the ruling Congress claims it will win both the seats with at least 11 opposition legislators vowing to vote against their own party-backed candidate.

Voting opened at 9 a.m. with more than 20 legislators casting their ballot in the first one hour of polling. The Assam assembly has 126 legislators.

The Congress fielded two candidates – Silvious Condpan being the second preference candidate, while Nazneen Farooq is their first choice.

UN lauds Pak’s extension of Afghans’ registration cards

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New York, March 26: The top United Nations officials for refugees Thursday welcomed Pakistan’s decision to extend the validity of official identification cards for 1.7 million registered Afghans whose cards had expired at the end of December 2009.

“This is clearly welcome. Pakistan remains host to the largest refugee population in the world and its continuing generosity in response to the uprooted is vital,” said António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

1,045 kg cocaine seized in Costa Rica

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San Jose, March 26: Costa Rican police have seized more than a tonne of cocaine transported from Colombia and arrested four Colombians, a Nicaraguan and two Costa Ricans, a minister said.

Two boats laden with 525 kg of cocaine and two vehicles loaded with another 520 kg were seized along with GPS trackers and an AK-47 assault rifle from the men, Security Minister Janina Del Vecchio said Thursday.

Police said the drugs were to be shipped to North America or Europe.

Sri Lanka to host 11th IIFA awards

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Colombo, March 26: Sri Lanka will host the 11th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards and a 20Twenty match between Bollywood stars and Asian cricketers during the three-day event.

The award function will be held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium here June 2-4, reports dailynews.lk

Sri Lanka has been chosen from among countries such as South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and South Korea.

Parallel to the IIFA awards, an international fashion will also be held.

‘Fulfillment of rights justice for children’

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Bhopal, March 26: A training meet on child rights and protection issue was hosted by RCVP Noroha Academy of Administration and UNICEF on Thursday for trainee officers of All-India/Central Services.

Speaking at the function Amod Kant, Chairperson Delhi Commission for protection of child rights said: “Fulfillment of rights and needs is justice for children.”

He is also associated with Prayas an NGO working for children in need of care and protection across many states in India.

Soon, AP will have surplus power

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Hyderabad, March 26: Chief Minister K Rosaiah today said that State would become surplus in terms of power generation in about three to four years time.

Inaugurating the 33/11 KV substation in Sanatnagar area built at a cost of Rs 6.96 crore here today, he said the State is facing power shortage presently and expressed confidence that in the next 3 to 4 years time, the State will become selfsufficient and surplus in power generation.

SC dismisses plea for return of Husain, withdrawal of cases

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New Delhi, March 26: The Supreme Court today refused to direct the government to take steps to ensure return of self-exiled painter M F Husain, who has been residing in a Gulf country, to India and withdrawal of cases against him.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan refused to entertain a petition seeking a direction to the government to withdraw all criminal cases against the 95-year-old artist to ensure his return to the country.

“If he is in Doha, what is the problem,” the bench queried while asking the petitioner to withdraw his plea.

SC dismisses plea for return of Husain, withdrawal of cases

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New Delhi, March 26: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to direct the government to take steps to ensure return of self-exiled painter M.F. Husain, who has been residing in a Gulf country, to India and withdrawal of cases against him.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan refused to entertain a petition seeking a direction to the government to withdraw all criminal cases against the 95-year-old artist to ensure his return to the country.

“If he is in Doha, what is the problem,” the bench queried while asking the petitioner to withdraw his plea.

Two Pak intruders killed on border, fake notes seized

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Amritsar, March 26: Two Pakistani intruders were shot dead by BSF troops at a village near the border in Punjab and fake Indian currency with a face value of Rs 65 lakh was seized, officials said on Friday.

The duo infiltrated into Indian territory in the border village of Naushera Dhalla and reached near the barbed wire fencing at around midnight last night, they said.

The troops asked them to surrender but they tried to flee, following which they were shot dead.

Opposition seeks 10% quota for Muslims

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Hyderabad, March 26: Not satisfied with Chief Minister K Rosaiah’s assurance that the Congress Government was committed to implement four percent reservations to Muslims in education and employment, the Opposition TDP, CPI and CPM parties today demanded the Congress-led UPA Government to amend the Constitution for implementation of 10 percent reservations to Muslims who were economically and socially backward. BJP was the only party which had strongly opposed the reservations to minorities on the basis of religion.

Girl examinee strip-searched in UP college, principal apologises

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Ghaziabad, March 26: A girl student, appearing for the class 10 exams of Uttar Pradesh board, was allegedly strip-searched by invigilators at a college here suspecting that she was carrying chits for copying, police said today.

The girl was writing the English paper of the UP Intermediate Education Board (UPIEB) exams in Rukmani Modi Mahila Inter College in Modinagar, 20km from Ghaziabad, when the incident took place yesterday.

Police said they received a complaint from the girl’s family that the invigilators made her remove her clothes to search for chits being carried for copying.

Universe expansion ‘is speeding up’

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London, March 26: Astronomers have claimed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, after studying thousands of galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope.

In its research, an international team has analysed nearly 446,000 galaxies to map the matter distribution and the expansion history of the universe, proving again that Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity is indeed correct.

And the astronomers clearly found that the universe was indeed growing faster and faster with time, as predicted by Einstein.

India elected head of UNESCO-linked body

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United Nation, March 26: India has been elected as head of a UN-associated body on media and communications, making it the first developing country to get the honour.

India polled 23 out of 37 votes in the elections for the Chairmanship of the 39-member Inter-Governmental Council of the International Programme for Development of Communication (IPDC), which is associated with UNESCO.

India, which defeated Switzerland, will be the chair of the 30-year-old Council till its next session in 2012.

Headley story shows close Al Qaeda, LeT links: NYT

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Washington, March 26: Pakistani-American terror suspect David Headley’s confession about his involvement in the Mumbai terror showed in clear contours the close relationship between Al Qaeda and the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), according to a former CIA analyst.

Headley’s revelations around the European cell were particularly disturbing, Bruce Riedel, who was a member of the National Security Council in the Clinton administration and is now at the Brookings Institution was quoted as saying by the New York Times Friday.