Month: March 2010

Credit card cloning racket busted

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Hyderabad, March 24: Task Force sleuths on Monday busted an international credit card cloning racket and arrested five persons from Ranigunj in the city.

The accused used to steal confidential credit card data from foreigners and make clones of the cards by using it.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Task Force, VB Kamalasan Reddy told mediapersons that the gang collected credit card data of foreigners through a friend, Irfan, who has international contacts.

Team leader Mohd Ilyas used to transfer the stolen data onto the magnetic strip of another card using skimming tools.

Tax payer from Uppal wins Rs 1 lakh

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Hyderabad, March 24: A Padma of Uppal Circle bagged the bumper prize of Rs 1 lakh in the lucky draw for tax payers held here on Monday.

Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy picked the winners of the incentive scheme launched by the GHMC for those who paid property tax promptly.

The SBH has sponsored the cash prizes totalling Rs 10 lakh.

295 out of 336 big hosp itals not firesafe

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Hyderabad, March 24: Exposing gross negligence and utter disregard for norms, inspections by the Fire Prevention Wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) revealed that 295 hospitals out of 336 in the city with a capacity of up to 50 beds failed to take safety measures.

After completing inspection of hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities in the city, the authorities have found deficiencies in implementation of fire safety norms in over 90 percent of them.

Only 41 hospitals provided fire safety measures, that too not up to the mark.

Youth attempts suicide outside SHRC office

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Hyderbad, March 24: A youth today attempted to end his life at the office of the AP State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to focus attention on continued violence against women.

Prashant (22), who hails from Penchikalpeta village in Warangal district, had gone missing since March 19. Abids police said the youth, a degree student, showed up at the SHRC building with the intention of ending his life by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. At 3:30 p.m, he jumped off the first floor where the chambers of Chairperson B Subhashan Reddy and other SHRC members are located.

Hyderabad: Knowledge Park sparks row

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Hyderabad, March 24: The decision of the University of Hyderabad to lease out 200 acres of land for Knowledge and Innovation Park (KIP) on the campus has sparked a row with a section of teachers and students strongly opposing the move.

The protest by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the faculty, non-teaching staff and students and the support extended to them by the opposition parties has forced the authorities of the central university to put the project on hold.

City lad risked his life for a few dollars more

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Hyderabad, March 24: Of all the places in America, Oklahoma is notorious for its crime rate. And, Prashanth, who was shot dead at a convenience store in that city on Sunday, was well aware of it.

Use textiles in agriculture: Panabaka Lakshmi

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Vijayawada, March 24: Union Minister of State for Textiles Panabaka Lakshmi has called upon farmers to make use of woven, non-woven and knitted fabrics in agriculture to improve the yield apart from producing healthy agriculture products.

Niloufer frees toddler from parasitic twin

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Hyderabad, March 24: Not infrequently does one hear stories of irate patients and harried staff in government hospitals.

But this is a tale that has brought smiles all round — to agricultural labourers P Narasimhulu and his wife, Lakshmi, whose toddler, Siva Raj (1 1/2 years), got a fresh lease of life, and the doctors at Niloufer Hospital who successfully performed a rare surgery to free the boy from the parasitic twin attached to his abdomen.

Two killed, 14 vehicles burnt in Punjab road accident

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Faridkot, March 24: In a major accident involving an oil-tanker, at least two people died, several suffered serious injuries and 14 vehicles were burnt in this Punjab district Wednesday evening, police said.

According to police, an oil-tanker suddenly overturned and immediately caught fire on Faridkot road in Dhilwa Kurdh village near Sadak town.

Though, the driver and cleaner of the tanker jumped out of the vehicle in time and even tried to alert other approaching vehicles but they were unable avert the tragedy.

Maoist, Bandh, peaceful

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Hyderabad, March 24: The two-day bandh call given by Maoists in the Visakha Agency area and the Andhra-Orissa border (AOB) of Andhra Pradesh was peaceful so far, even as combing and frisking operation continued, police said on Tuesday.

“The bandh was peaceful so far and no incidents were reported in Visakhapatnam district. However, combing and frisking operations shall continue in the bordering areas,” Visakhapatnam (Rural) district Superintendent of Police Vineet Brij Lal, told agency over phone.

Iranian tourists increasingly flock to friendly Syria

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Damascus, March 24: The busy historic market of Damascus is a familiar sight for Siya Shahidi. The Iranian housewife and mother of three has been coming here from Tehran at least twice a year for years with her family to shop and visit holy sites.

“When I walk in this market, it feels like walking in Tehran,” said Shahidi, whose head is only partly covered by a black scarf as she browses colourful dresses in a small store at the Hamidiyeh souk in old Damascus.

Govt will enact law to curb video piracy: CM

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Hyderabad, March 24: Chief Minister K Rosaiah assured the House today that if need be the Government would enact a special law to curb video piracy that was spelling doom for the Telugu film industry. He made the statement reacting to a special mention on video piracy made by actor-turned-MLA K Chiranjeevi in the Assembly today.

Saudi women showcase talent at first-ever UK academic forum

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Sheffield, March 24: A Saudi Ph.D student studying at the University of Sheffield in the UK has organized the first-ever academic forum for Saudi female students, designed to allow Saudi academics to share their experiences and achievements in the UK and Ireland, and to showcase the enormity the Kingdom’s female talent.

OU students to launch 2nd phase of agitation

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Hyderabad, March 24: After lying low for the past few days in view of the ongoing examinations, the Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee (JAC) had decided to intensify their struggle for Telangana and launch second phase of agitation.

This announcement came on Martyr’s day, the day when Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev were executed by the Britishers during the Indian freedom movement.

Dummugudem project by 2012-13: Ponnala

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Hyderabad, March 24: Asserting that there is no need to wait till the government gets all clearances from the Central Government departments/ institutions concerned to commence work on irrigation projects, Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah has said the government is determined to complete the Dummugudem lift irrigation project by 2012-13.

Public awaits new winner of ‘Poetry Standard’ at ‘Million’s Poet’ competition

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Abu Dhabi, March 24: On Sunday a delegation from the ‘Million’s Poet’ program, headed by Sultan Al Amimi, Director of the Poetry Academy, collected the ‘Poetry Standard’ from the 2008-2009 winner of the contest, Saudi Arabia’s Ziad bin Nahit. This was in preparation for handing the ‘Standard’ to the next winner of the 2009-2010 competition.

The annual transfer of the ‘Standard’ from one winner to the next is a custom of this competition, which is organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH).

SHRC asks Govt to pay Rs 1 lakh to mother

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Hyderabad, March 24: In a shocking case of a still born infant being mauled by a stray dog inside the King George hospital (KGH) at Visakhapatnam few days ago, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) today came down heavily on the hospital authorities for not maintaining the hospital premises properly and ordered the Government to pay Rs one lakh to the mother of the infant.

On February 27, one B Anuradha delivered a still born infant at KG hospital. The body which was kept in the labour room, was dragged away by a stray dog.

Rosaiah to visit Delhi after Assembly session

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Hyderabad, March 24: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said that he would visit New Delhi after the budget session of the Legislative Assembly which is scheduled to conclude by this month-end. “I plan to visit New Delhi to pursue national project status for Polavaram. I will also seek an appointment with AICC president Sonia Gandhi,” he said in an informal chat with reporters in his chambers in the Assembly on Tuesday. Asked whether he would seek permission to undertake a Cabinet reshuffle, he parried the query maintaining that he would raise the Polavaram project and also discuss other issues.

Israel braces for more expulsions in Mossad row

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Tel Aviv, March 24: Israel, which had hoped a row over the use of forged passports in the assassination of a top Hamas officer in Dubai was over, now fears other countries will follow Britain’s lead in expelling diplomats.

Australia, France, Germany and Ireland are all investigating the suspected theft of the identities of their nationals in the January murder of Hamas commander Mahmud al-Mabhuh and have yet to announce their conclusions.

Britain was unequivocal about its own findings on Tuesday as it announced the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from London.

Israel to replace Mossad officer expelled by UK

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Tel Aviv, March 24: Israel will replace a Mossad officer expelled by Britain over the Tel Aviv’s alleged forgery of passports used in the assassination of a top officer militant, Israeli public radio said on Wednesday.

Britain announced on Tuesday that it was declaring the diplomat non grata after its investigation found that Israel stole the identities of 12 British citizens to make the fake passports.

Public radio and other Israeli media said the diplomat was an officer in the notorious Mossad spy agency and would be replaced “soon” by another intelligence officer.

Sanaa faces 2017 water crunch

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Sanaa, March 24: Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, may run out of economically viable water supplies by 2017 as available groundwater is unable to keep pace with the needs of a fast-growing population, experts warn.

“The water we are drilling around the capital is now down to the water which fell on earth 8,000 years ago,” said Saleh al-Dubby, director of the World Bank-funded Sanaa Basin Water Management Project.

Teachers threaten to boycott exams

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Hyderabad, March 24: Protesting against the suspension of 63 invigilators on the first day of SSC examinations, which began on Monday, teachers’ association have threatened to boycott the examinations.

Pointing out that most of the teachers have been suspended for no fault of theirs, Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union members said that the flying squad teams are suspending invigilators even if they find a single piece of paper in the exam hall. In Mahabubnagar district alone 16 invigilators were suspended on Monday.

Arab leaders bid to ‘rescue’ occupied Jerusalem

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Libya, March 24: Libya’s maverick leader Moamer Gathafi hosts his first Arab summit this weekend that aims to “rescue” Israeli-occupied Palestinian Jerusalem as Tel Aviv defies international calls for a illegal Jewish settlement freeze in the Palestinian Holy City.

The Saturday-Sunday summit in Sirte is also expected to home in on Sudan where President Omar al-Beshir, although faced with an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Darfur, is seeking re-election.

Rich country asylum fears based on ‘myth’

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Geneva, March 24: The UN refugee chief on Tuesday dismissed fears of a surge in asylum seekers in rich countries as being based on a “myth”, after new data showed that asylum requests were stable last year.

“The notion that there is a flood of asylum seekers into richer countries is a myth,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.

“Despite what some populists claim, our data shows that the numbers have remained stable.”

Turkish PM urges German dual citizenship

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Berlin, March 24: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Germany, where some three million people of Turkish origin live, to loosen its rules for dual citizenship, in remarks to be published Thursday.

“I find it very regrettable that Germany is among the countries in the European Union that does not allow it (dual citizenship)” he told the German weekly Die Zeit.

“I hope that Germany will also allow it one day,” he said ahead of a visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel to Turkey March 29 and 30.