Month: July 2010

Courts unable to solve inter-state disputes, so AP wants

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Hyderabad, July 28: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today said he has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to evolve a permanent mechanism for resolving inter-state disputes, particularly over sharing of river waters, as dispute resolution through courts was getting delayed.

“Courts are unable to resolve the disputes. It has been proven in the case of Babhli irrigation project built by Maharashtra government on river Godavari. Despite specific orders from the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra government went ahead with the installation of crest gates on Babhli barrage.

Khaleda Zia’s former aide dead

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Dhaka, July 28: Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who played an important role in the Khaleda Zia regime, died past midnight Wednesay after fighting lung cancer.

Bhuiyan was 67, the Daily Star reported.

A long-time minister and secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for 11 years, Bhuiyan was removed by Zia in 2007 amid media reports that he was floating his own faction of the party.
–IANS

Srikrishna Committee visits East Godavari district

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Rajahmundry, July 28: The Justice B N Srikrishna Committee would submit its report keeping in view the best interests of the people of Andhra Pradesh, a panel member said today.The Centre-appointed panel on the Telangana issue will keep the interests of the people of the state in mind while finalising its report, V K Duggal, Member-Secretary of the Committee, said here.

Woman charged with sending daughter to work in brothel

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Sydney, July 28: A woman has been charged with sending her 16-year-old daughter to work as a prostitute at a brothel in this Australian city. The school-going teenager ended up providing services to over 18 clients in 13 hours.

The teenager was taken by her mother to Liaisons Executive Retreat, a brothel in the eastern inner-city suburb of Edgecliff, the Wollongong District Court was told Tuesday.

She allegedly provided services to more than 18 clients over period of 13 hours. Working under the name of “Layla”, she charged up to $330 an hour.

England series a stiffer challenge for Butt: Akram

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Karachi, July 28: Pakistan team led by Salman Butt might have registered a memorable Test win over Australia in England but now they face some stiffer challenge during the four-match series against the hosts commencing from July 29 in Nottingham, feels former captain Wasim Akram.

Cong will keep poll promises on T-state: Jeevan Reddy

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Hyderabad, July 28: The Congress will keep its promise on Telangana even if it were to lose the by-elections in 12 Assembly constituencies, voting for which took place on Tuesday.

Talking to media persons at Assembly premises, senior Congress leader T Jeevan Reddy said that the party will stand by its campaign promise on Telangana whether it wins or loses the by-polls.

Hyderabad Metro Rail gets Centre’s pat

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Hyderabad, July 28: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Tuesday said that the proposed Metro Rail plan has started winning praises by all those who have seen it.

Talking to media persons at the Secretariat, Mr Rosaiah said that Planning Commission member Gajendra Haldiya praised the bidding process for the proposed Metro Rail project as the best and also assured the state of all possible help during execution of the prestigious project.

Muslim reservation through OBC route

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New Delhi, July 28: Government is actively considering reservation for Muslims through the Other Backward Castes (OBC) route, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said.

“We are actively looking at the reservation issue. We have a commitment in our (Congress) manifesto. I am pushing for it all the time ….Congress leadership is committed to the issue and there is no shred of doubt about it,” he told PTI in an interview here.

Kabul urges West to review Pak policy after leaks

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Kabul, July 28: Afghanistan’s national security adviser called on the West today to review policy towards Pakistan after leaked Pentagon documents pointed to Pakistani double-dealing in the Afghan war.

Kabul has consistently accused Pakistan’s intelligence agency of supporting Taliban insurgents — including masterminding attacks against Afghan and US-led targets in the country. Islamabad denies the claims.

Kabul said information contained in documents released on whistleblowing website WikiLeaks on Sunday backed its long-held position.

Japan hangs two in first executions under new government

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Japan, July 28: Japan has hanged two men for murder in the first state executions since the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan took power in September last year, Jiji Press reported Wednesday.

One man was sentenced to death for killing six people in an arson attack, and the other was convicted of killing or injuring three people.

Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, who is known as an opponent of the death penalty, said she attended the executions herself, and also announced that she planned to open executions to the public in future media reported.

–Agencies

CM attacks Babu with veiled barbs on Babli

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Hyderabad, July 28: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Tuesday threw veiled barbs at opposition leader and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu over his speaking to media persons after the all-party delegation met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.

Panel reports would be in best interests of state: Duggal

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Hyderabad, July 28: “Justice Srikrishna Committee would submit its report keeping in view of the best interests of the people of Andhra Pradesh,” said VK Duggal ,Member-Secretary of the Committee.

The committee members received representations form the public and people representatives at Burugupudi village in Korukonda mandal as a part of their two day visit to East Godavari district on Tuesday.

No names missing from voter lists: CEO

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Hyderabad, July 28: Chief Electoral Officer IV Subba Rao on Tuesday denied charges by some political parties that the names of some voters were missing from the voters’ lists in Nizamabad Urban Assembly constituency.

Talking to media persons at his Chambers in the Secretariat, Dr Subba Rao said that all contestants were shown the voters’ list on five separate occasions and they had raised no objects at any time.

He said that a ‘protest’ by some persons believed to be affiliated to some political parties that their names were missing from the voters’ list was baseless.

AP, 23 other states sign SSAs

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New Delhi, July 28: Andhra Pradesh is among the 24 States and Union Territories which have signed the State Support Agreement (SSA) with the National Highways Authority of India so far. Informing this to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath said that some State governments had sought clarifications pertaining to some of the provisions in SSA, especially those relating to restriction on construction of competing roads, additional toll ways, levying of local taxes etc.

Swine flu claims five more lives from state during past week

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Hyderabad, July 28: The state saw five deaths due to the dreaded swine flu epidemic during July 19 to July 25, according to the weekly figures released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

The five deaths were from the confirmed 34 cases of H1N1 afflictions during the week.

Since the first confirmed case of the deadly virus being confirmed in Hyderabad in May 2009, the state saw a total of 906 confirmed cases.

A total of 64 persons from the state lost their lives to the dreaded disease.

Call centre to help highway commuters soon

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New Delhi, July 28: Commuters on all National Highways in the country could soon seek help if needed from a 24×7 Call Centre.

A common four-digit number will be made available to reach the Call Centre throughout the country and this would be operational by April next year.

Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mahadeo Singh Khandela told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the Call Centre would be set up by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and all the National Highways will be covered under this scheme.

——-INN

Sohrabuddin was killed in cold blood, says CBI

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Ahmedabad, July 28: Sohrabuddin Sheikh was killed in a “cold blooded manner” during a “stage managed encounter” carried out by officials of Gujarat and Rajasthan Police in November 2005, CBI has said in a chargesheet filed in court.

“Investigations revealed that the police officials of Gujarat ATS and Rajasthan Special Task Force (STF) had stage managed the encounter of Sohrabuddin in Ahmedabad,” it said.

Plane crashes near Islamabad

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Islamabad, July 28: At least 100 people are feared dead when an aircraft of a private airline carrying 159 people crashed amid heavy rain in the wooded Margalla Hills skirting the Pakistani capital Wednesday morning, civil aviation officials and police said.

The Airblue flight 202, flying from Karachi to Islamabad, suddenly lost contact with the airport here and crashed near the popular Damanekoh resort in the Margalla Hills at about 9.45 a.m. Fire and plumes of thick smoke emitting from the wreckage site were clearly visible from Damanekoh.

Brinda Karat seeks justice for victims of Gujarat riots

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New Delhi, July 28: In the backdrop of the arrest of former Gujarat minister Amit Shah, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat Tuesday asked the central government to ensure protection and justice for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

“The centre should intervene in the case involving the Gujarat Chief Minister (Narendra Modi),” Karat said after releasing a report on the Gujarat genocide witnesses here.

Deepika’s dinner date with Siddharth

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Mumbai, July 28: Deepika Padukone is currently single, and is enjoying that status to the fullest. It was quite evident when she was recently spotted dining with Siddharth Mallya, son of liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

The duo was seen dining together at Indigo cafe at the Palladium.

It’s no secret that Deepika and Siddharth bonded very well during this year’s IPL season. The duo cheered the Bangalore team and were often clicked partying together at the after match bashes.

SY Quraishi becomes the first Muslim Chief Election Commissioner of India

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New Delhi, July 28: The President of India has today appointed the senior Election Commissioner, Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi as the Chief Election Commissioner [CEC] in the Election Commission of India. With this the lone and first Muslim Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, got glory to become the first Muslim Chief Election Commissioner of India.

He will assume the office with effect from the 30th July, 2010 as the present Chief Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla will leave the office on attaining the age of sixty- five years on 29th July, 2010.

Jamia Urdu: Save a dying institution

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New Delhi, July 28: Jamia Urdu, Aligarh was established as a distance education institution way back in 1939 for imparting Urdu education. Perhaps it was the first such institution in India. All other institutions using distance learning system like IGNOU were established later on. As it imparts Urdu education, it will be appropriate to throw some light on status of Urdu in India and the desirability of its education.

Lara walks the runway for Rina Dhaka

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Mumbai, July 28: Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta was the showstopper on the ramp for fashion designer Rina Dhaka on the last day of the Delhi Couture Week. She looked gorgeous in a black lehenga with a crystal-embellished blouse.

Surprisingly, despite her years of modeling experience the Bollywood stunner still finds it challenging to be a showstopper. According to her, walking the ramp is quite a different experience as opposed to acting in Bollywood.

Controversy surrounding mosque near Ground Zero

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New York, July 28: There is a building two blocks from ground zero which has become a matter of controversy in the news media in recent days.

This five story building formerly housed a department store which closed after the damage on September 11th 2001.

The Muslim –run real estate company Soho Properties purchased the property in July 2009 for $4.85 million dollars and is planning to develop into a 13- story building costing $ 100 million to be named, “Cordoba House.”

Manyata Dutt in bikini!!

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Mumbai, July 28: Sanjay Dutt seems to be a committed and devoted husband to his wife Manyata.

Recently, on Manyata’s 32nd birthday, though Sanju baba wasn’t present with her physically, yet he made her feel his presence. He had appointed his business manager Dharam Oberoi, and asked other family friends to take her out to a suburban restaurant in Bandra.

Manyata was thrilled with this gesture and even more thrilled on seeing her birthday cake. It was the two-tyred chocolate cake with the figure of a pregnant lady on top.

–Agencies