Month: August 2010

Why Muslims Should Rethink Palestine

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Thousands of faithful assiduously listened as I outlined the challenges facing Palestine and its people. Cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’ – God is Great – occasionally resounded from a corner of the giant South African mosque. Many whimpered as I described the tragedy that had befallen Gaza as a result of the Israeli siege. They cheered, smiled and nodded as I emphasized how the will of the Palestinian people would not be defeated. A few older people at the front simply wept throughout my talk, which preceded a Friday sermon in Durban a few months ago.

Madani to move SC, HC reject bail

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Bangalore, August 04: Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party and an accused in the Bengaluru serial blasts Abdul Nasser Madani is planning to move the Supreme court after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Karnataka high court on Tuesday.

Madani told over telephone from his residence at Anwarassery in Kollam that he would move the Supreme Court to ensure he got justice.

He also said that if there is an arrest warrant, he would wholeheartedly cooperate.

Indian mother who threw baby in river set free

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Hudson, August 04: An Indian mother who threw her baby in the Hudson River in New York to take revenge on her husband has been freed on $10,000 bail and will be living with her spouse as her attempted murder case continues.

Devi Silvia and Dominic James Prithiviraj strolled out of court arm in arm after she was released from a locked psych ward by a Manhattan judge so that she can attend a psychiatric day program, The New York Post reported.

Centre favouring Maharashtra: Naidu

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Hyderabad, August 04: Terming as “eyewash” the meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to resolve the Babli irrigation project dispute, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday accused the Centre of favouring Maharashtra.

“The meet was an eyewash. The issue has come back to square one now. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah has mortgaged the interests of our State on the issue only to protect his job. The government of India is taking Maharashtra’s side despite justice being on our side,” Mr. Naidu told reporters here.

Sex Baba’s associate charged under MCOCA

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Mumbai, August 04: Culprit was part of the Godman’s nationwide prostitution racket. Remember sex baba aka Rajiv Ranjan Dwevedi aka the Ichchadhari Sant? He is currently behind bars under stringent MCOCA charges after allegedly running a massive sex racket in the country for several years. A close friend is about to share his fate.

Ankit alias Praveen, an alleged associate of the Godman has been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act by Delhi police. Ankit had been held earlier this year with six prostitutes in Saket.

Cong MLA says Jagan be made party head in Andhra Pradesh

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Hyderabad, August 03: Claiming that Congress in Andhra Pradesh lacked a charismatic leader like late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, a ruling party MLA today demanded that his son Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy be handed over the reins of the party.

“Congress in the state does not have a charismatic leader like Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. It is only because of the welfare schemes initiated by him that people voted for Congress in the recent by elections. We are demanding that Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy be given the party’s leadership in the state,” Surekha, a known loyalist of Jagan, told reporters.

Woman’s deadbody in suitcase creates panic in city

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Hyderabad, August 03: The body of an unidentified young woman, packed in a large suit case created panic in the busy area of mehdipatnam this evening. The suitcase containing the dead body was dumped at a city bus stop near pillar No. 12 of PVR expressway.

According to the sources a autodriver alerted Humayun Nagar police after he saw two persons in a car, abandoning a large suitcase near the bus stop. However the bomb squad was called in to ascertain the contents of the bag. But When the suitcase was opened, the police was taken surprise after a body of a woman aged around 25 was found.

Two arrested, several stolen mobile phones recovered

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New Delhi, August 03: Delhi Police today claimed to have busted a gang of mobile phone thieves with the arrest of two youths and recovery of 19 phones and an iPod.

The arrested have been identified as Sourabh Jain (21) and Shyam Kumar Tiwari (25), both hailing from Chattarpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

They were apprehended from near near Levis Showroom South Ext-I Market on August one.

Andhra police seek custody of Viqar, aides

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Hyderabad, August 03: Andhra Pradesh police have sought ten days custody of alleged terror operative and founder of militant outfit Tahreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI), Viqaruddin Ahmed and five of his associates.

OCTOPUS, the counter?terrorism wing of state police, which is probing the role of Viqar and his associates in the alleged terror acts, filed a petition in a local court seeking their 10-day custody for interrogation, official sources said today.

Use funds allocated for development: Govt to states

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New Delhi, August 03: The Centre today pulled up several states for inadequate use of funds allocated to them for promotion of economic and developmental activities among backward classes, asking them to ensure that the money is utilised in a “more effective manner”.

“It is a matter of concern that some states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Manipur are not taking enough steps for withdrawal of allocated funds,” Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik said.

BJP asks Congress to withdraw support for Omar-led govt

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Jammu, August 03: Charging the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with failing to control the upsurge in violence in the Valley, the BJP today asked the Congress to withdraw support to the ruling NC-led coalition.

“Congress should immediately withdraw its support. The chief minister has no right to continue if his government cannot identify the persons behind the present turmoil and fail to control the worsening law and order situation,” BJP state spokesperson Ramesh Arora told reporters here.

Alert sounded over flood-like situation in Ghaziabad

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Ghaziabad, August 03: Authorities today issued alert to residents of low-lying areas in the district over possible flood-like situation as water levels rose in Ganga and Yamuna due to heavy rains and extra water discharge into the rivers by Haryana and Haridwar, officials said here today.

River Yamuna flooded low-level areas last evening when over 71 thousand cusecs of water was discharged from Tajewala barrage in Haryana, affecting over a dozen villages in loni block here.

Water level in river Ganga at Garhmukteshwar here has touched 198.42 meters, close to the danger mark at 198.79.

Lookout notice against 3 PFI activists

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Aluva (Ker), August 03: Police today issued a lookout notice against three more activists of radical group Popular Front of India in the case relating to the attack on a college lecturer last month.

Police had earlier issued a lookout notice against five accused.

Prof T J Joseph was attacked and his right hand chopped off while returning after Sunday Mass on July 4 for preparing a question paper which allegedly had some remarks against Prophet Mohammad.

–Agencies

Petition seeking FIR against Bachchan rejected

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Barabanki (UP), August 03: A local court today rejected a revision petition seeking an FIR against Amitabh Bachchan and seven others for allegedly not keeping the promise to set up a college in the name of his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Daulatpur village.

District Judge A K Bose rejected the petition saying that the allegations against the actor were baseless.

Paper leak: Bail plea of railway official rejected

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Hyderabad, August 03: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here Tuesday dismissed the bail petition of suspended chairman of railway recruitment board (RRB), Mumbai, M. Sharma in the examination paper leak case.

This is the second time that Sharma’s bail petition has been dismissed by the court since his arrest in the case in June.

The CBI opposed Sharma’s bail plea on the ground that this would hamper the investigations into the case.

Sonam Kapoor wants to play Anarkali with Abhishek as Salim

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New Delhi, August 03: If Sonam Kapoor ever gets the chance to play the role of commoner Anarkali from K. Asif’s magnum opus “Mughal-e-Azam”, she would love to have Abhishek Bachchan essay the role of prince Salim and his father Amitabh as Mughal emperor Akbar.

“I love ‘Mughal-e-Azam’. It is one of my favourite films and I would love to play Anarkali’s role if and when such a role is offered to me. I think Abhishek Bachchan would look really good as Salim,” Sonam told reporters here Tuesday.

And who does she think would be good as Akbar?

AP asks Centre not to interfere with power projects

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New Delhi, August 03: Concerned over derailment of power projects in the state despite environment clearance, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah has asked the Centre not to rescind the approvals in the wake of protests by green activists and private interest groups.

In a letter to Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, he said 20,000 MW of proposed power projects in the state have necessary environment clearances but “now various NGOs/private interest groups are raising issues adversely affecting some of these.”

Yuvraj shows middle finger to taunting Lankan fans

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Colombo, August 03: Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh, who was left out of the playing eleven, lost his cool and showed his middle finger at the Sri Lankan fans who jeered him with “water boy” chants during the third cricket Test here.

The incident happened during the opening day of the final Test when 12th man Yuvraj entered the ground and made his way towards his team-mates with water bottles and some drinks in hand.

But soon a section of the spectators started booing by calling him “water boy”. An enraged Yuvraj then raised his middle finger towards the booing fans.

Taliban code of conduct seeks to win hearts, minds

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Bodlak, August 03: An updated Taliban code of conduct urges fighters to avoid killing civilians and forbids them from seizing weapons and money, a directive aimed at winning hearts and minds of Afghans also being courted by international forces.

But the document declares that people working for international forces or the Afghan government are “supporters of the infidels” and can be killed. Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar took a similar hard line in orders to insurgents that NATO forces said they intercepted in early June.

Mumbai is not private property of Thackeray: Nitish

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patna, August 03: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday strongly criticised MNS chief Raj Thackeray for blaming the spread of malaria in Mumbai on migrants and alleged that the latter had made such remark at the behest of the Congress.

“Thackeray has no no control over his language and statement… Thackeray has made such uncalled for and deplorable utterances at the behest of Congress,” Kumar told reporters here on his return from New Delhi.

Govt to acquire RBI’s stake in Nabard and NHB

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New Delhi, August 03: After acquiring the RBI’s stake in State Bank of India, the government plans to pick up the central bank’s stake in apex agriculture bank Nabard and housing finance regulator National Housing Bank (NHB).

There would be cash outgo of Rs 1,900 crore for the acquisition of RBI’s stake in both these institutions and the government has sought Parliament’s approval for the purchase.

“For making provision for transfer of RBI shareholding in Nabard (Rs 1,450 crore) and NHB (Rs 450 crore) to the government of India at the holding cost of Rs 1,900 crore.

CAG finds long delays in clearing CGHS claims

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New Delhi, August 03: Long delays in clearing CGHS claims and indifferent handling of cases by authorities resulting in files getting misplaced were highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report on the functioning of the Health Ministry.

The CAG report which was tabled in Parliament today said the time limit for settlement of medical claims was not prescribed by the CGHS.

Six Maoists wanted fro several offences arrested

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Rourkela, August 06: Six Maoists, involved in a series of attacks including blowing up of a police outpost, were arrested in Orissa’s Sundargarh district today, police said.

The six rebels, who belong to Jheripani village, about 95 km from here, were involved in blasting the police outpost and CITU office building at Kalta last year, Rourkela Superintendent of police Diptesh Patnaik said.

I am being framed: PDP chief Madani

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Kollam (Kerala), August 03: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nazir Maudany, who was Tuesday denied anticipatory bail by the Karnataka High Court in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blast case, said he was being “purposely trapped”.

Maudany was named as the 31st accused in the case and has been trying for anticipatory bail, first in a lower court in Bangalore, which was turned down last month, and then in the high court which too refused his plea Tuesday.

Addressing reporters at his residence here amidst a huge crowd of his supporters, Maudany said he was being purposely trapped.

Rupee gains eight paise to 46.16/17 against US dollar

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Mumbai, August 03: The Indian rupee today gained 8 paise to 46.16/17 against the US dollar amid selling of the American currency by banks and exporters.

In lackadaisical activity at the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the local unit opened strong at 46.10/12 against the dollar from its last close of 46.24/25.

It later moved in a narrow range between a high of 46.10 and a low of 46.25 before finishing the day at 46.16/17, an increase of eight paise from its previous close, completing its fourth straight session of gains.