Month: August 2010

Iran puts LNG ambitions on hold amid sanctions

by

Tehran, August 09: Iran has put multi-billion dollar plans to create a liquefied natural gas industry on hold, the government has said, as new sanctions against Tehran’s nuclear programme start to bite in crucial economic areas.

Deputy Oil Minister Ahmad Ghalebani made no mention of sanctions when he announced the policy shift in a recent interview with the ministry’s news website SHANA, saying that exporting via pipeline made better sense for Iran “in the current situation”.

Somdev loses top-100 status, Sania out of top-150

by

New Delhi, August 09: Somdev Devvarman’s stay in the top-100 lasted just one week as the Indian suffered a huge loss of 15 positions to find himself at 111th spot in the latest ATP rankings, issued today.

He failed to defend 55 points at Washington event last week and could not even qualify for the main draw, thus suffering a huge blow.

In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza’s slide continued as the Indian found herself at number 153 after a loss of 15 spots.

83 swine flu deaths in the country last week

by

New Delhi, August 09: The deadly swine flu seems to have made a comeback with a vengeance in the country with a whopping 83 deaths due to the disease being reported in the week ending August 8.

Maharashtra reported the maximum number of 51 deaths, 12 were reported from Karnataka and 6 from Andhra Pradesh.

Seven deaths were reported from Gujarat and one each from West Bengal, Goa and Uttar Pradesh.

Gold firms up on seasonal demand, silver gains

by

Mumbai, August 09: Gold prices firmed up further at the bullion market here today due to sustained demand from retailers and jewellers amid firm global cues.

Silver too moved up on stockists buying coupled with better offtake from consumer industries.

Standard gold (99.5 purity) improved further by Rs 35 per ten grams to close at Rs 18,185 from last Saturday’s closing level of Rs 18,150.

Pure gold (99.9 purity) also looked up by a similar margin to end at Rs 18,275 as against previous close of Rs 18,240.

Five Armymen killed, 33 untraceable after Leh cloudburst

by

New Delhi, August 09: Five Armymen were killed in the cloudburst at Leh and other areas of the region while 33 personnel, swept away in flash floods that struck a camp near Siachen glacier, are yet to be traced.

The Army has sought Pakistan’s help to rescue the soldiers, including three junior commissioned officers, who were manning Tyakshi post in Turtuk sector, about 150 metres from the Line of Control, officials said Monday.

Taliban execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan

by

Herat, August 09: The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by emptying three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said today.

Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot dead in a public trial yesterday by a local Taliban commander in the Qadis district of the rural western province Badghis.

The Taliban accused Sanubar of having an “illicit affair” that left her pregnant. She was first punished with 200 lashes in public before being shot, deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Mohammad Sayeedi told AFP.

SC judge for CBI probe in custodial death cases

by

New Delhi, August 09: A Supreme Court judge has expressed the view that all cases of custodial deaths should be investigated by an independent investigating agency like the CBI.

“My personal opinion is that all custodial deaths should be handed over to the CBI,” Justice Dalveer Bhandari, heading a bench which included Justice Deepak Verma, observed, while dismissing the Kerala Government’s appeal challenging the CBI inquiry into a custodial death case.

Rs 28,054 crore spent on CWG: Jaipal Reddy

by

New Delhi, August 09: Seeking cooperation from all quarters for making the Commonwealth Games a success, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy today said a total of Rs 28,054 crore have been spent on the games out of which Rs 16,560 crore was given to the Delhi Government for upgrading the capital infrastructure and building of various stadia.

Making an intervention during a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Commonwealth Games, Reddy said of the total of money given to the Delhi Government, only Rs 670 crore has been spent directly on the games — on building stadia.

By 2013, Metro to reach Faridabad

by

Chandigarh, August 09: Decks have been cleared for extension of the Delhi Metro to Faridabad.

The Haryana government today approved state’s share of Rs 1,588.60 crore for fully elevated Metro link to the city.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here, an official spokesman said.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,533 crore and out of this, the Centre will shell out Rs 544.40 crore, the meeting was told.

The project is slated to start in October this year and will be completed by March 31, 2013.

Modi’s legal counsel to meet ED dept tomorrow

by

Mumbai, August 09: Suspended Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi will provide documents relating to the T20 League tomorrow to the Enforcement Directorate authorities here, it has been learnt.

The ED authorities have asked Modi, suspended by BCCI for alleged financial irregularities in the running the IPL, for details regarding all IPL contracts, agreements and some personal details.

Declining to comment on the matter, Modi’s attorney Mehmood Abdi said that the former was always willing to co-operate with the government authorities.

CEC inaugurates India election exhibition

by

Patna, August 09: Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi today inaugurated a photo exhibition on Elections in India since 1951.

The exhibition, held to mark Diamond Jubilee of ECI, showcases various facets of the election process since 1951 in old photographs of voters and top political leaders of various parties exercising their right to vote.

He was accompanied by Election Commissioner V S Sampath, Director (IEC), ECI Akhsay Raut and senior state government officials.

25 more swine flu cases in Delhi

by

New Delhi, August 09: Twenty-five more swine flu cases were reported in the national capital, officials said today.

This brings the total number of cases of H1N1 influenza in the city to 197 this year and a total of 9,895 cumulative cases from May 2009.

“25 people tested positive for H1N1 virus in the last 24 hours. With this, the total number of people affected by the virus rose to 197,” a Health Ministry official said.

Bill on ancestral property: Govt decision likely soon

by

New Delhi, August 09: The government is likely to take a decision whether the Bill, which would have blocked possession of ancestral property for citizens whose close relatives migrated to Pakistan after Partition, should be totally scrapped or introduced again with amendment after consultation with all stakeholders.

Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will soon meet Home Minister P Chidambaram to discuss the issue.

Five armymen killed, 33 untraced after Leh cloudburst

by

Leh/New Delhi, August 09: Five armymen were killed in the cloudburst at Leh and other areas of the region while 33 personnel, swept away in flash floods that struck a camp near Siachen glacier, are yet to be traced.

The Army has sought Pakistan’s help to rescue the soldiers, including three junior commissioned officers, who were manning Tyakshi post in Turtuk sector, about 150 metres from the Line of Control, officials said today.

Dalit lynching case: Court awards life term to 7

by

Jhajjar (Haryana), August 09: Seven persons were today sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court for lynching five dalits at a village here eight years back.

Additional District and Session Judge (ADSJ) A K Jain awarded life term to the seven persons, two days after they were held guilty of the crime on October 15, 2002 in Dulina village.

They were sent to Rohtak jail.

Those held guilty were — Om Prakash Kablana, Shishu Pal Malik, Ranbir Malhan, Jagbir Malhan, Satbir Singh Rathi, Ramesh Surha and Sube Singh — all residents of Kiloi village in this district.

BJP to oppose any bid for grant of autonomy to J and K

by

Patna, August 09: BJP today said it would oppose “tooth and nail” any bid to accord autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the handling of the present crisis in the Valley reflected “weaknesses and lack of will-power” of the Centre.

“The present crisis in Jammu and Kashmir reflects the weaknesses and lack of will power on the part of the Congress-led UPA government in New Delhi”, former BJP president Rajnath Singh, MP, told reporters.

“According to reports, the Centre is contemplating to grant autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir at this stage”, Singh said.

Brazil Navy chief meets Indian defence top brass

by

New Delhi, August 09: Brazilian Navy Commander Admiral Julio Soares De Moura Neto today met the Indian defence top brass including Minister of State M M Pallam Raju and Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma here in an effort to further the defence cooperation between the two countries. This is the first visit of Admiral De Moura Neto and he is here on Admiral Verma”s invitation, a Navy press release said here.

Chiru denies making comments against Jagan

by

Nellore, August 09: Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi on Monday denied making any personal comments against YSR district (formerly Kadapa) MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by saying that he was misquoted by the media.
The actor-turned-politician clarified that his words were directed against all those who had amassed wealth through dubious means and not against the son of former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

T Congress leaders demand apology from Seemandhra Ministers

by

Hyderabad, August 09: Senior Congress leaders from Telangana region on Monday demanded an unconditional apology from the 16 Ministers from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions for the alleged ‘traitor’ remarks made during the representations to the Srikrishna Commission.

The demand of an apology came after senior leaders, K Yadav Reddy, Palvai Govardhan, Kamalakar Rao, Indrasena Reddy and G Niranjan met at former home minister K Jana Reddy’s residence on Monday to discuss their strategy and future course of action on the Telangana issue.

Wahiuddin Khan to get Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award

by

New Delhi, August 09: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan will be given the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhawana Award for his contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill. A release issued by the Advisory committee of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award, AICC, said that Khan will be given the award for his “outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill”.

US tops list of adoptions from India

by

New Delhi, August 09: At least 3,976 Indian children were placed for inter-country adoption through the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) with the highest 1,500 placed in the US between 2005-2009, the Rajya Sabha was informed Monday.

Of the 3,976 children adopted in foreign countries, the highest – 1,500 – were placed in the US, followed by 679 in Italy and 320 in Spain.

Mumbai oil spill spreads, PM seeks report

by

Mumbai, August 09: A foreign cargo ship, which collided with another vessel about 10 km off Mumbai harbour, tilted further spilling oil for the third day Monday even as Navy and Coast Guard made hectic efforts to contain the leak.

“MSC Chitra has tilted 80 degrees and the total oil spill is nearly 50 tonnes, Arun Singh, Commandant (Operations), Coast Guard said.

He said so far, 300 containers carrying oil have tumbled into the water.

Israeli heading home after five months in Libyan jail

by

Vienna, August 09: An Israeli held in Libya since March was on his way back to Israel Monday, after being released in a complex diplomatic deal, a senior Israeli diplomat confirmed.

Rafael (Rafram) Hadad, who holds dual Israeli and Libyan citizenship, had been arrested in Libya while on assignment to photograph Jewish heritage sites on behalf of a society representing Libyan Jews, according to Israeli media reports.

Hadad is expected back in Israel later in the day after a stopover in Vienna, Israel’s ambassador in Vienna, Aviv Shir-On, told DPA.

Defence Ministry rejects proposal for Tawang airport

by

Itanagar, August 09: The Arunachal Pradesh government today said the Defence Ministry has rejected a proposal to construct an airport at the Buddhist town of Tawang as it is located close to the Sino-India border. “They (Defence ministry) have rejected the proposal (for construction of Tawang airport) on the ground that it is close to the Sino-India border,” Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu told reporters here.

PM to discuss Kashmir situation with state leaders

by

New Delhi, August 09: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will review the violence-hit situation in Kashmir Valley and the ways to restore normalcy there when he meets the leaders of political parties of Jammu and Kashmir here Tuesday, official sources said.

The meeting will be held at the residence of Manmohan Singh – 7, Race Course Road – at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

‘The meeting will be a follow-up of the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on July 11,’ a state government official told IANS.