Month: May 2010

Biennial polls in UP: 10 RS, 13 Council seats in stake

by

Lucknow, May 02 (UNI): Hectic political activities are expected
during the next two months in Uttar Pradesh when the Election
Commission will hold biennial polls to 10 seats

of the Rajya Sabha and 13 seats of the UP Legislative Council.
UP Chief Minister Mayawati would be among the 12 members of
the UP Legislative Council, the Upper House of the state
legislature, as her term expires on July 6 next.

Whereas, 10 members of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of
Parliament, will retire on July 4.

Biennial elections to both the Houses are due in June. The

Panel to study Scholarship Scheme

by

Hyderabad, May 02: The state government has constituted a committee of secretaries to study the Post-Matric Scholarships Scheme being implemented by departments such as social welfare, tribal welfare, BC welfare, disabled welfare and minorities welfare to make specific recommendations to the government for delivering the scheme in a most effective manner and to the highest satisfaction of the eligible students.

CM hints at another phase of land distribution

by

Hyderabad, May 02: The state government has decided to go in for the sixth phase of land distribution in the state. The fifth phase of the programme is coming to a close tomorrow. Chief minister K Rosaiah will participate in the valedictory of the fifth-phase programme at Nellore tomorrow.

Rosaiah made the announcement on the next phase of land distribution at a review meeting he held with chief secretary SV Prasad, revenue minister D Prasada Rao and municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) minister A Ramanarayana Reddy here today.

TDP asks Centre to drop Raja from Cabinet

by

Hyderabad, May 02: The Telugu Desam Party today demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should immediately drop Union Telecommunications Minister A Raja from the Cabinet following allegations of his involvement in the 2G telecom spectrum scandal.

“The telecom scandal is unprecedented, probably anywhere in the world. Raja should be sacked immediately but the Prime Minister seems to be hesitating because his government, which is already on a shaky wicket, will be pushed into further jeopardy if DMK withdraws support,” TDP politburo member and former Union Minister K Yerrannaidu said.

Chandrababu Naidu interacts with party workers

by

Hyderabad, May 02: Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu today demanded that the State Government come to the rescue of farmers whose crops had withered away.

Interacting with party workers from Kadapa, Prakasam and Kurnool districts, Naidu demanded that the State Government pay compensation to farmers who could not properly irrigate their fields over 1.8 lakh acres due to power shortage.

Meanwhile, Jammu & Kashmir Panthers Party president Bhim Singh, along with several other leaders, called on Naidu here today.

Arab League gives backing to indirect Mideast talks

by

Cairo, May 02: The Arab League on Saturday gave its backing to indirect Palestinian-Israeli peace talks being pushed by Washington, but also said it doubts Tel Aviv’s commitment to the process.

Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told a Cairo news conference that a final decision to resume indirect talks with Israel will be taken by the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee.

He spoke after a committee meeting in Egypt of the league, attended by 11 Arab foreign ministers. Syria’s foreign minister was absent, but Damascus was represented by its ambassador to Cairo.

Palestinians in May Day protest against Gaza siege

by

Gaza, May 02: More than 2,000 Palestinians held May Day demonstrations on Saturday near the Erez crossing with Israel and the Rafah border with Egypt to protest at the Israeli siege of Gaza.

“We call on the world to stop the siege of Gaza and to come to the defence of Palestinian workers in all Palestinian territories,” said Ramzi Rabah, a protest organiser with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

4 education Bills to be tabled in parliament

by

Banglore, May 02: Union Minister for Human Resources Development, Kapil Sibal, said four bills related to education would be tabled in the parliament on Monday.

He was speaking after opening the new campus of National Assessment and Accreditation Council on Saturday.

The four bills are: Foreign Education Providers Bill; Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill; Educational Tribunals Bill; National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill.

European Jewish thinkers ‘call Israel to reason’

by

Paris, May 02: A group of European Jewish intellectuals has launched a drive to call Israel’s government “to reason” in its conflict with the Palestinians.

Over 3,000 people had signed the “JCall – European Jewish Call for Reason” petition by Friday, including noted French philosophers Bernard-Henri Levy and Alain Finkielkraut and Franco-German Euro-MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit.

The text will be presented to the European parliament on Monday. It calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to halt illegal Jewish settlement building on the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

UNICEF launches TV serial

by

Hyderabad, May 02: The UNICEF’s ‘Television for Social Change’ initiative took a step ahead on Saturday with the launch of their Telugu TV serial, ‘Idey Mana Jeevita Lakshyam’.

Created by the UNICEF and produced by Miditech, the serial is set in an Indian village where it traces the lives of six protagonists, including an Anganwadi worker, an oppressed woman sarpanch and a dedicated teacher. It has been dubbed from the Hindi version, ‘Kyonki Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai’, which has aired in six States.

Strong message

Jews make pilgrimage to Africa’s oldest synagogue

by

Tunisia, May 02: Thousands of Jews on Friday began an annual pilgrimage to Africa’s oldest synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba.

“We have nearly 6,000 visitors this year,” Perez Trabelsi, head of the Djerba Jewish community and president of the synagogue, said.

Most of the pilgrims — around 4,500 came from France — while around a thousand Israelis came via Egypt, Jordan or Turkey due to the absence of direct air links with Israel.

Hezbollah reiterates its ‘legal’ right to weapons

by

Beiru, May 02: The chief of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said on Saturday it had a “legal” right to own any weapon it wishes to protect his country from Israeli threats.

“The Scud (issue) emerged a while ago… and it created a lot of fuss,” Hassan Nasrallah said in his first public reaction to the controversy, according to a statement from Hezbollah’s press office.

Iran opposition leaders are not ‘lackeys of foreigners’

by

Tehran, May 02: Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi said on Saturday that he and fellow opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi were not “topplers” of the country’s regime, an opposition website reported.

“We are neither topplers (of the regime) or lackeys of foreigners,” said Karroubi who has continued to launch his tirades against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his government.

Syria: US weapons to Israel destabilising Mideast

by

Damascus, May 02: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Saturday accused Washington of a “slander campaign” after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Damascus over supplying Hezbollah with Scud missiles.

“The entire world recognises the constructive role played by Syria in preserving the security and stability of the region, and the public remembers the American slander campaign launched before the war in Iraq,” Muallem said, according to state news agency SANA.

“It seems the US administration is now trying to play the same game.”

US mission in Yemen urges staff to avoid hotel

by

Sanaa, May 02: The US embassy in Yemen has advised its staff to avoid a hotel frequented by Westerners, while the British mission remained shut on Sunday, six days after its ambassador narrowly escaped a suicide attack.

“Due to increased security concerns regarding specific areas frequented by Western tourists and residents, all US embassy personnel have been advised to avoid the Movenpick Hotel in Sanaa until further notice,” the US embassy said in a statement posted on its website on Saturday.

SRMEEE 2010 answer key to be published soon

by

New Delhi, May 02: The entrance exam for SRM University, India’s number one Engineering Institute, was conducted on May 2, 2010.

The SRMEEE 2010 answer key will be available soon on its website.

Students, who appeared in the SRMEEE 2010, desperately looking for the SRMEEE 2010 answer key and solution.

Students will have to wait till website declared SRMEEE 2010 answer key.

Till now there is no such information available on the website http://www.srmuniv.ac.in/index.php.

We wish all the best to appearing candidates.

–Agencies

Maoists kill CPI-M leader

by

Kolkata, May 02: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Dayal Mahato was shot dead by Maoists in Jamberia area of West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, police said on Sunday.

“We have recovered the body of Dayal Mahato. He was kidnapped by the Maoists yesterday (Saturday). He was shot dead,” said Manoj Verma, superintendent of police of West Midnapore district.

Pope visits Turin to see shroud

by

Italy, May 02: Pope Benedict XVI arrived on Sunday in Turin to visit a controversial Catholic relic – a cloth some say is the one used to wrap Jesus’ body for burial and others dismiss as a medieval forgery.

Some 25,000 people gathered in the northern Italian city’s central San Carlo square to greet the pontiff who was later scheduled to celebrate mass.

Known as the Shroud of Turin, the 4.3-metre-long, 1 metre-wide cloth has gone on public display in Turin’s cathedral for the first time in 10 years and after restoration work was completed in 2002.

Car bomb found in Times Square

by

New York, May 02: Police evacuated part of Times Square after finding a car bomb in the busy midtown Manhattan district on Saturday night.

Officers on the scene confirmed the device was a bomb, comprising propane gas cylinders, two gas cans, wiring, batteries and fireworks.

However, it failed to detonate correctly.

Times Square is one of New York busiest thoroughfares and tourist attractions, and with tens of thousands of people usually in the vicinity on a Saturday night.

ING Vysya Q4 net profit up

by

New Delhi, May 02: ING Vysya Bank announced its audited financial results for the financial year 2009-10 following the approval by its Board of Directors at their meeting held in Bangalore today.

The Board of Directors has proposed dividend of 25% for consideration by the shareholders at the next Annual General Meeting.

No place for criminal in BSP

by

Lucknow, May 02: In an apparent attempt to re-build her party’s image, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday blamed the opposition for “infiltrating” criminals into the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Having already taken a decision to expel as many as 500 activists on account of their criminal antecedents, Mayawati told a press conference here Sunday morning that more expulsions would follow on the same lines.

Tenure limit for Kalmadi & Co

by

New Delhi, May 02: In a bid to crack down on National Sports Federation heads who have been occupying the posts for too long, the Sports Ministry today said NSF chiefs in office for more than a decade will have to step down after their current term expires.

DGP urged to crack down on vulgar reality shows

by

Hyderabad, May 02: After lodging a series of complaints at the State Human Rights Commission’s office here last week, social organisations have intensified their protests against the objectionable reality shows by knocking on the doors of DGP RR Girish Kumar.

A delegation of about 10 social organisations, including AIDHWA, POW, NFIW, SADHNA, other child organisations and some individual social workers met Girish Kumar at his office today and demanded an immediate action to stop the so-called reality shows and children’s dance shows in particular.

Tainted NIT Director gets back to work

by

Hyderabad, May 02: Tainted Director of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) YV Rao is at it again. The man, who had been sent on a long leave after students virtually necked him out for his alleged corrupt practices, was back in office.

Sources in NIT told Express that to the surprise of everyone on the campus, including senior faculty members, YV Rao walked into the Director’s chamber and occupied the chair around 12 noon on Saturday, a holiday.