Month: July 2010

Man Killed by 3 For Rs. 50

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Pune, July 28: Three North Indian labourers clobber 21-year-old with iron rod, spank him with belt on the suspicion that he stole their money. The three men are Arrested just as they were planning to flee

IS the value of human life a mere Rs 50?

That’s the amount over which a 21-year-old labourer from Uttar Pradesh was killed by three men in Chikhali on the fringes of the city on Saturday night.

The deceased, Ravindra Chowbey, was identified with the help of his cellphone SIM card found near his body.

‘Cong Bureau of Intimidation’ to target Modi next: Gadkari

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Mumbai, July 28: Accusing the Congress-led UPA of launching a “hostile political war” on the Narendra Modi government by arresting former minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Gadkari said on Monday that the CBI was being used for political intimidation and expressed fear that Modi and some BJP leaders in Rajasthan might be “framed” by the agency next.

“The BJP fears that Amitbhai’s arrest is not the end of the story. There are stories (being) floated by the CBI which show that it has a further agenda against more BJP leaders,” Gadkari told a press conference in Mumbai.

2 flights to Pak cancelled at the last minute

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New Delhi, July 28: The goal-scoring match between India and Pakistan has a new venue in the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi dribbled past his Indian counterpart during the July 15 joint press conference between the two leaders. It later triggered a verbal spat between the countries.

Sohrabuddin case: CBI now turns gaze on Andhra cops

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Hyderabad, July 28: The verbal duel between BJP and Congress over the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case has now put pressure on CBI to unravel the involvement of the Andhra policemen in the episode.

While the heat is still on Gujarat politicians and cops, AP police have managed to keep their involvement under wraps till now. CBI chief investigator DIG Kandaswamy told Media, “Investigations are still on.”

Sonia’s election as party president likely by Aug

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New Delhi, July 27: The election of Sonia Gandhi as Congress President for the third consecutive time is likely by end of August after the monsoon session of Parliament is over.

Congress Working Committee will announce a detailed schedule for the election, though there is no immediate official word from the party on when the CWC would meet, party sources said.

The whole exercise generally takes around a fortnight after CWC finalises the schedule.

Bachchan gets new rupee symbol into KBC logo

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New Delhi, July 27: The famous KBC logo has got a makeover thanks to Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has got the new symbol incorporated for the fourth season of the ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’.

The 67-year-old star, who returns as a host for the third time on the show, suggested Sony channel to make a new logo in order to incorporate the Indian currency symbol.

“Insisted to Sony to incorporate the new Rupee symbol in the KBC logo. They did. Looking so cool !!” Bachchan wrote on Twitter.

SY Quraishi appointed new chief election commissioner

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New Delhi, July 27: SY Quraishi, election commissioner, was today appointed the new chief election commissioner (CEC) in the place of Navin Chawla, who demits office on Thursday.

The notification elevating 63-year-old Quraishi as the head of the three-member election body was issued today. He will have a little less than two years in the constitutional post. Chawla, who took over in the middle of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, headed the Commission for a little more a year.

Modi distributes Amit Shah’s portfolios

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Gandhinagar, July 27: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday distributed the portfolios held by former minister of state for home Amit Shah amongst three of his ministers.

While Finance Minister Vajubhai Wala was given transport, Agriculture Minister Dilip Sanghani was handed over law, judiciary and parliamentary affairs. Minister of State for Water and Cooperation Parbat Patel was given charge of home guards and police housing.

The chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio, did not appoint any junior minister for this department.

8 accused Gujarat police officers oppose Amin turning approver

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Ahmedabad, July 27: In a new twist in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, eight accused Gujarat police officers including former DIG DG Vanzara have opposed another accused ACP NK Amin turning approver in the case.
If Amin spills the beans, he may get away with a lighter sentence but the noose will tighten on the other accused.

Hearing of Amin’s application to turn approver was deferred till August 3 by additional chief judicial magistrate AI Raval.

MoS Home behind bars, Modi keeps home portfolio

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Ahmedabad, July 27: With his trusted aide Amit Shah behind bars for his alleged role in the Sohrabuddin case, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today decided not to appoint a new Minister of State (home) and handle the affairs himself.

Modi distributed various portfolios held by Shah, including the transport portfolio, which was given to senior minister Vaju Vala, sources close to the CM said.

Two other portfolios –of law and Parliamentary affairs were handed over to another senior minister Dilip Sanghani, they said.

Categories Uncategorised

64 per cent voting in Telangana bypolls

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Hyderabad, July 27: Over 64 per cent voters today exercised their franchise in a largely peaceful by-elections to 12 Assembly seats in Telangana where Andhra Pradesh Congress President D Srinivas and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son K T Rama Rao were prominent candidates in the fray.

The voting passed off peacefully with 64.22 percentage of polling being reported, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) I V Subba Rao told reporters here tonight.

The highest poll percentage of 74 was recorded in Chennur (SC) and lowest of 51.72 was in Nizamabad Urban.

‘Better monsoon may act as a dampener for inflation’

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Mumbai, July 27: A better monsoon than last year augurs well for the farm production, which might act as a major dampener for food inflation, RBI said today.

“The cumulative rainfall has been 14 per cent below its long period average (LPA) during the current monsoon season so far (as on July 21, 2010). Even so, monsoon performance has been much better than it was last year, which augurs well for agricultural production,” the RBI said in its monetary review.

Data on crop-wise area indicate a significant increase over the relatively low levels of last year, the country’s apex bank said.

CBI calls farm owner for questioning in Sohrab case

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Ahmedabad, July 27: The CBI today called the owner of Arham farm, where alleged gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausarbi were kept, for questioning in connection with the fake encounter case.

“Rajendra Jirawal, who has a house in Arham farm, has been called for questioning by the CBI,” Rajendra’s brother, Surendra, who is a corporator in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, told PTI.

“We have not been given intimation of his arrest. One of my younger brothers is outside the CBI office but he too has not received any message of arrest,” he added.

Pro-Maoist leader involved in Gyaneshwari tragedy surrenders

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Kolkata, July 27: A pro-Maoist leader allegedly involved in the Gyaneshwari Express train sabotage has surrendered in a court in West Midnapore’s Jhargram, police said Tuesday describing it as a major achievement.

Jiten Giri, a leader of the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), was sent to 14 days judicial custody after he surrendered.

He was allegedly involved in 10 cases including the May 28 Gyaneshwari Express sabotage, which led to the deaths of 148 people.

Protesters fined for displaying cow head in Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, July 27: A Malaysian court Tuesday slapped a fine of $313 each on 12 people for displaying a cow head while protesting the shifting of a Hindu temple in August last year.

They were fined RM 1,000 ($313) each or a month’s jail for default for engaging in an illegal assembly.

Two of them who took the lead in the protest that the authorities termed illegal, were charged with sedition and also fined RM 3,000 ($940), Star Online reported. One of the two was also ordered to serve a week in jail.

Jyoti Basu was a foodie: Grand daughter

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New Delhi, July 27: Jyoti Basu was a foodie and relished well-cooked mutton, the late CPI-M patriarch eldest granddaughter says.

“Grandpa loved food. His real craze was well-cooked mutton dishes,” Mallika Basu, who has come out with a cookbook “Miss Masala” says.

“I’ve included one of his favourite mutton preparations – Kosha Mangsho (lamb sauteed in roasted cumin and yoghurt) in my book,” 32-year-old Mallika, who is a director of a PR firm in London, told PTI.

Indian pilot kidnapped in Congo

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New Delhi, July 27: An Indian pilot is being held hostage by Congolese rebels who attacked an aircraft over the weekend, official sources said Tuesday.

Congolese rebels kidnapped the pilot when they attacked an aircraft on a remote airstrip in the tin mining area of Walikale in the country’s North Kivu province.

Congolese army General Baigwa Dieudonne Amuli has blamed Rwandan Hutu FDLR rebels for the attack, sources said.
–IANS

Bijli Bonds With Sallu

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Mumbai, July 27: Salman Khan’s love affairs are getting him back in news. This time it is his old flame Sangeeta Bijlani who is relying on Salman Khan to help her deal with her personal problems.

After reports that cricketer Azharhuddin and Sangeeta Bijlani’s marriage is in danger, it’s learnt that Sangeeta has been taking her ex-boyfriend Salman Khan’s help to tide over her personal problems.

Gold tumbles by Rs 140 to Rs 18,380 per 10g

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New Delhi, July 27: Gold prices fell by Rs 140 to Rs 18,380 per ten grams in the national capital today on heavy selling by stockists, triggered by a weakening global trend.

The trading sentiment was bearish for the second straight session after the euro climbed against the dollar, eroding demand for the precious metal as an investment haven amid waning European debt concerns.

Gold in overseas markets, which normally sets the price trend on the domestic front, fell by USD 7.60 to USD 1,182.10 an ounce.

Shah Rukh’s olive branch – birthday wishes for Uddhav

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Mumbai, July 27: Of all the greetings that Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray received on his 50th birthday Tuesday, one stood out – “best compliments” from none other than Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan who had been targeted by the party this year.

The birthday wishes were conveyed not through a traditional greeting card, but in a half-page advertisement released in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna. It said, “With Best Compliments From…Red Chillies Entertainment”, the film company owned by Shah Rukh.

Britain not to go ahead with ban on homeopathy

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London, July 27: Homeopathy will continue to be available on the National Health Service (NHS) despite an influential health committee condemning it as medically unproven, a British minister said.

Health Minister Anne Milton said complementary and alternative medicine “has a long tradition” and very vocal people are both in favour of it and against it, reports the Telegraph.

A report by a group of MPs said homeopathic medicine should no longer be funded on the NHS and called for a ban on the medicines carrying medical claims on their labels.

Delhi HC directs govt on Haj Committee

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New Delhi, July 27: The Delhi High Court directed the Centre, to nominate a person except one who has taken part in the election for National Haj Committee to look into all works for 2010 Haj pilgrimage arrangements, on Tuesday, Jul 27.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan told the Centre’s counsel Atul Nanda that government should not nominate any person who has participated in the election held in Mar, 2010.

Petition for permanent ban on Facebook in Pakistan

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Lahore, July 27: Even as the Jamaat-ud-Dawah mounts pressure on Pakistani authorities to slap a ban on Facebook, a petition filed in a court has sought a permanent bar on access to the social networking website due to the launch of an “anti-Islam competition”.

Acting on the petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel chairman Muhammad Azhar Siddique, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court today sought the stance of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to the demand for a permanent ban on Facebook.

Dhaka court rejects Jamaat challenge to war tribunal judges

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Dhaka, July 27: The High Court here Tuesday summarily rejected a writ petition challenging the appointment of two judges to Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal set up for trying the 1971 “war crimes”.

The challenge came from a lawyer, who is a senior member of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) whose top brass has been arraigned before the tribunal that began its work Sunday.