Month: May 2010

Cabinet debate on caste census was about next exercise: Farooq

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New Delhi, May 05: Union Minister Farooq Abdullah today said the debate in the Union Cabinet over the issue of caste-based census was about the next census and not the ongoing exercise.

“There is no question of division (in the cabinet)… The census has already started. So, it is not possible to do it in this census… I don’t think it is possible this time to introduce this. If it had to be done for this census, this discussion should have been held earlier,” he told reporters outside Parliament.

Man held for implicating 24 people in criminal cases

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New Delhi, May 05: A 48-year-old man, who allegedly implicated 24 of his associates and business rivals in criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, was arrested, police said today.

Ved Parkash Yadav, a resident of Pitampura, had implicated 24 persons out of which 15 spent a long time in prison. With his arrest from Sewa Nagar on May one, police have unearthed nine cases of attempt to murder and cheating.

The arrest came following investigations into a complaint filed by Rajesh Kumar who claimed that he was cheated by Yadav to the tune of Rs 15 lakh in the sale of a flat.

Govt concerned over rising tourist lodges around tiger reserve

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New Delhi, May 05: To curb mushrooming tourist lodges around wildlife habitats posing threat to tiger population, Government is preparing a blue-print for promoting eco-tourism with the involvement of locals, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said.

“The Ministry is concerned with reports of mushrooming tourist lodges around tiger reserves such as in the case of Corbett National Park (UP).

Youth arrested for attempting to kill his grandmother

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New Delhi, May 05: A 25-year-old youth was arrested from Chennai for allegedly attempting to kill his grandmother in her house here, police said today. The incident took place in May last year when the accused, identified as Nitin Sharma, had come to his grandmother”s house in Baljeet Nagar.

Sharma had demanded gold bangles from his grandmother, Kaushalya Devi, and on refusal, he put a cloth in her mouth and attempted to strangulate her. “She became unconscious and Sharma fled away after taking her gold bangles,” a senior police officer said.

IM suspect not minor: Delhi court

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New Delhi,May 05: A court here on Wednesday dismissed a plea of a suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist, arrested in connection with the 2008 Delhi serial blasts, that he was a minor at the time of the incident and should be tried before the Juvenile Justice Board.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja rejected accused Salman’s plea saying it was clear after perusal of the evidence that he was not a minor.

“It is clear after the perusal of the documents produced and evidences placed before the court that the accused was not a minor,” the court said.

India may get access to Headley by month-end

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New Delhi,May 05: The US will inform India by next week about possible dates, most likely in this month, for giving direct access to Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley.

Sources in the Home Ministry said by May 15, the US will convey to India when a team of Indian investigators will visit Chicago for “direct access” to Headley.

“India in all likelihood will get direct access within this month only,” they said.

CPI(M) Central Comm meeting begins in Delhi

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New Delhi, May 05: The CPI(M) Central Committee met here Wednesday to review the party’s performance in the past two years and finalise its rectification campaign besides discussing the prevailing political scenario in the country.

The three-day meeting, which began this morning, will also finalise the date and venue for the extended Central Committee meeting. Vijayawada is likely to host the meeting.

Party General Secretary Prakash Karat and other senior leaders like Sitaram Yechury, S R Pillai, M K Pandhe and Mohd Amin are participating in the meeting.

Five PJAK militants killed in Iran

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Tehran, May 05: Five members of the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK) terrorist group have been killed in clashes with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in western Iran.

The clashes broke out on Wednesday night during an operation carried out by the IRGC in the mountainous region of Dalaho situated in the western Iranian Kermanshah Province which borders Iraq.

Almost a year ago, PJAK terrorists killed a group of officers in an attack on a police station on a road connecting two cities in Kermanshah Province.

Nirupama murder mystery deepens

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Koderma, May 05: The district medical officer sought an explanation from doctors, who conducted autopsy on the body of journalist Nirupama Pathak, whose death in her Koderma home here is being suspected as a case of honour killing by her family.

An explanation has been sought from the three doctors, who conducted the post-mortem, for not preserving the viscera, District Civil Surgeon Dr. B. Mohan said adding perhaps “the doctors did not feel that necessary as the ‘nucoid fluid’ in the nucosa walls of stomach of the victim was normal (three ounce).”

Gill could have avoided the controversy ahead of CWG: Kalmadi

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New Delhi,May 05: Indian sports minister MS Gill was forced to go into a rethink mode over the latest ‘tenure-row’ after Indian Olympic Association president’s open allegation, that the ugly controversy could have been avoided ahead of Delhi Commonwealth Games.

“We don’t want to go on the offensive. Gill could have waited for the Games to get over. We have also told PM that all sports federations will work hard to make the Commonwealth Games a huge success.”

3 dead in fire at Greek bank during Athens riots

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Athens, May 05: Three people died when an Athens bank went up in flames Wednesday as tens of thousands of Greeks took to the streets to protest harsh spending cuts aimed at saving the country from bankruptcy.

Tear gas drifted across the city’s center as hundreds of rioters hurled paving stones and Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with heavy use of tear gas.

At least two buildings were set on fire and later extinguished, while protesters set up burning barricades in the streets. At least three cars and a fire truck were torched.

Salman Khan will even donate his bones

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Mumbai, May 05: Salman Khan is getting increasingly worried about the fact that there are only a handful of bone marrow donors in the country today. This has forced the actor to champion the cause and the importance of bone marrow donation.

In order to gather support for this cause, Salman has decided to donate his bone marrow and is urging people to come out and support this movement.

‘Iran must become Muslim role model’

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Tehran, May 05: Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Iranian nation will press ahead on its path regardless of threats and pressure.

Addressing thousands of Iranian teachers on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the enemy’s attempts to hinder the Iranian nation’s progress are predictable.

“The experience of the Iranian nation has proven that threats and opposition cannot slow its progress and the Iranian nation will resolutely move forward on its path.”

1 killed, and 7 injured in accidents

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Srinagar, May 05: A person was killed and seven others were injured in overnight accidents in the Kashmir valley.

Official sources today said a vehicle hit and injured a pedestrian at Chowgam Qazigund crossing on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. The injured was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead. The deceased was not identified yet, they said.

A driver was injured when a truck he was driving from here to Sopore overturned at Hanjiveera, Baramulla. The injured was hospitalised, they said.

Woman in burqa puts flight on alert

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Kolkata, May 05: A Spicejet flight made a ‘priority landing’ in Kolkata after two Russian passengers, including a woman in a burqa, behaved “suspiciously” on board, an airport official said.

The pilot was given a priority landing after passengers reported the couple to air crew and the woman refused to take off her burqa for identification, Kolkata airport director R. Srinivasan said.

The low-cost SpiceJet flight with 123 passengers on board was heading from Pune in the south via the capital New Delhi and on to Kolkata.

Karan gets Muslim Public Affairs Council Award

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Mumbai, May 05: With ‘Candy Floss Romance’ as his middle name, expectations reached its ultimate crescendo when Karan Johar announced his next film with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, the ever-so-bankable pair, who, along with Karan Johar have been instrumental in delivering some of the massive hits that Bollywood has ever seen.

At such a time, KJo shocked everyone by making the never-before attempted genre in My Name Is Khan, a film that garnered mixed reviews post its release. While some of the critics panned the film, there were others who felt that KJo did full justice to the subject.

Tarun Mansukhani: Only John-Abhi finalized for DOSTANA 2

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Mumbai, May 05: When we had talked to the handsome and talented director Tarun Mansukhani last year, just before he proceeded for the iView Film Festival he had told us, “Only Abhishek Bachchan has been finalized for the DOSTANA sequel.”

With rumours rife about Katrina Kaif having been signed for Karan Johar’s Tarun Mansukhani directed DOSTANA 2 (just like her speculative casting in Imtiaz Ali’s ROCKSTAR opposite Ranbir Kapoor!), we decided to ascertain the facts from the man himself.

TN Legislative Council Bill introduced in RS, AIADMK protests

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New Delhi, May 05: A Bill to revive Tamil Nadu Legislative Council was introduced in the Rajya Sabha today amidst protests by AIADMK which said there was no need for re-constitution of the Council abolished in 1986.

The ‘Bill to provide for the creation of Legislative Council for the state of Tamil Nadu and for matters supplemental, incidental and consequential thereto,’ which has already been passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, was introduced by Law Minister M Veerappa Moily.

Zimbabwe’s President, PM worlds apart in Tanzania

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Harare, May 05: Zimbabwe’s president and prime minister may both be in Tanzania this week, but they didn’t even share a flight to get there. The agendas of the longtime rivals are worlds apart too, raising more questions about their struggling coalition government.

President Robert Mugabe was attending a meeting Wednesday to combat Western “neocolonialism,” while Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai sought investment in Zimbabwe’s ailing economy from Western business leaders and international agencies.

Bangladesh war crime probe chief quits

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Dhaka, May 05: The lead investigator at Bangladesh’s new war crimes tribunal, set up to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan, resigned Wednesday, an official said.

Abdul Matin, a former top bureaucrat, submitted his resignation in the wake of allegations by senior officials that he had ties to the country’s main Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, which sided with Pakistan during the war.

“He resigned citing personal reasons,” the home ministry’s senior information officer Mohammad Sahenor Miah said.

PC seeks fast progress in Batla House encounter case

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New Delhi, May 05: Home Minister P Chidambaram today said he has asked the investigative agencies to speed up the Batla House incident case in which final chargesheets have been filed.

In the Batla House incident on September 19, 2008, two alleged terrorists and Delhi Police Inspector M C Sharma were killed in exchange of fire.

“This morning, I asked my officers to complete (the case),” Chidambaram said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.

He said the investigating agencies were doing their job transparently and the government would seek prosecution only according to proof.

Gold falls by Rs 135 on weak global cues

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New Delhi, May 05: Gold prices today fell by Rs 135 to Rs 17,250 per ten gram on the bullion market here on heavy selling by stockists after weak global cues.

Silver prices nosedived by Rs 900 to Rs 27,850 per kg.

Gold in the overseas markets, which normally the set the price trend on the domestic front here, dropped 0.4 per cent to 1,166.55 dollars an ounce after the dollar rose on European debt woes and a report showing an unexpected jump in US factory orders.

D-Link launches energy-efficient switch

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Mumbai, May 05: D-Link, a provider of networking solutions, today launched a new switch series that it claims conserves power without affecting network performance.

The green managed switch, DGS-3200-24, offers advanced security features and is capable of operating in temperatures up to 50 degree centigrade, the company said.

D-Link green technology automatically detects device link status and reduces the power usage of ports that are not linked. When detecting a link down, the DGS-3200-24 switch conserves power usage without sacrificing network performance.

Paswan favours headcount on caste basis

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New Delhi, May 05: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan Wednesday supported enumerating the population on the basis of caste, saying that it is a reality in Indian society and having caste-based data would help the government in planning various socio-economic schemes.

“Ignoring the issue won’t do as caste is a reality in Indian system. Even ticket distribution by political parties is done on the basis of caste,” Paswan told reporters here.

Another feather added to Ash’s cap!!

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Mumbai, May 05: Yes!! Aishwarya rai is on top of the world today as the prestigious TIME magazine has included her in its list of top 100 alumnae. The magazine’s illustrious list also has some of the biggest and most iconic names from across the world including Condoleezza Rice, Stella McCartney, Sarah Palin and Nora Roberts among many other top women of the world today.