Month: August 2010

Naxals kill former aide in Maharashtra

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Gondia (Maha), August 02: Naxals today gunned down a former aide in broad daylight at Panchayat Samiti square area here today, police said.

According to police, the deceased 45-year-old Kejulal Markam, native of Murkudoh village, used to serve meals to the members of the red brigade till 2007.

Later, he started avoiding them and went to live at a different place and started running a tea stall. However, that did not go down well with the Naxals.

Three men today came to Kejulal’s tea shop. They shot him dead and fled.

–Agencies

Santosh Trophy: Bengal crush Mizoram 7-1, Delhi draw 1-1

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Kolkata, August 02: Delhi conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with Tamil Nadu while 29-time winners Bengal spanked Mizoram 7-1 in quarterfinal group B outings of the 64th Santosh Trophy soccer competition here Monday.

Bengal opened up a 4-0 lead by the breather and pumped in three more in the second session to move atop the group after the Salt Lake stadium game.

Sonia Gandhi to attend Congress’ eastern zone meet

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Kolkata, August 02: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will attend the party’s eastern zonal conference scheduled to be held here late next month, West Bengal unit president Manas Bhuniya said Monday.

“AICC chief Sonia Gandhi will attend the eastern zonal conference which is scheduled to be held for any two days between Sep 22 and Sep 26. We will finalise the two days for the conference after the party chief gives her time and date for the function,” Bhuniya said.

The zonal conference of the party would celebrate its 125 years.

Pepsi launches new sugar-free soft drink

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New Delhi, August 02: Soft drinks manufacturer Pepsi Monday launched Pepsi Max, a new sugar-free cola targeted at the 25-35 year age group.

The food and beverage giant’s intention in introducing Max is to expand its product portfolio in India and to create a new market segment in the soft drink industry, company officials said.

Max, available here from Aug 6, will be in a 500 ml pet bottle and be priced at Rs.25. The new beverage is a part of the $600 million expansion plan of the company in India which was announced last year.

Modi criticises opponents of ‘Garib Kalyan Mela’

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Vadodara, August 02: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today came down heavily on those criticising ‘Garib Kalyan Mela’ being organised by the state government across the state.

Without naming the Congress party or any other entity, Modi said some people were throwing hurdles before this noble work but they would not succeed as the mela has received support from lakhs of poor people.

Assistance worth Rs 11.25 cr were distributed to 6,302 poor beneficiaries under various welfare schemes at the Garib Kalyan Mela held at Kathalal, about 70 km from here, today.

Bill lowering government stakes in SBI passed by Lok Sabha

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New Delhi, August 02: The Lok Sabha Monday passed a bill allowing the government to lower its holding in the State Bank of India (SBI) to 51 per cent and arming the country’s top lender to raise funds from the capital market.

The government currently holds over 59 percent stake in the bank.

The State Bank of India (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was passed amid the firm assurance by the government that it will ‘under no circumstances reduce its stake below 51 percent.’

Crorepati watchman in Orissa under ACB radar

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Bhubaneswar, August 02: Anti-corruption officials were in for a surprise when they raided a house based on a complaint and found that the watchman of a state-run firm allegedly has assets worth at least Rs two crore.

The government employee was identified as Rajanikant Jena, a watchman at the state owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDCO), posted at the Cuttack division.

Congress, JMM legislators stung in Rajya Sabha ‘vote scam’

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Ranchi, August 02: A sting operation by an investigative portal alleges that at least six legislators of Jharkhand from mainline parties were ready to sell their votes for around Rs.1 crore each in the Rajya Sabha elections in June.

According to the sting operation by Cobra Post and telecast on CNN-IBN news channel Monday, three Congressmen, two of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and one of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were ready to sell their votes in the Rajya Sabha election held June 17.

Nepal yet again fails to elect new PM

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Kathmandu, August 02: It proved third time unlucky for Nepal as parliament Monday failed to elect a new prime minister for the third time in a row, with yet another run-off announced on Thursday.

Ignoring warnings that the house was becoming an object of ridicule at home and abroad for its continued failure to elect a new premier, the major political parties refused to bury the hatchet, resulting in Monday’s prime ministerial election ending in a fiasco yet again.

Eight more swine flu cases reported in West Bengal

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Kolkata, August 02: Eight people tested positive for swine flu in West Bengal Monday, taking the number of confirmed cases of the contagious disease to 102 in the state this year, the health department said.

The department said in a release that 12 people are now admitted in hospital, with two of them in critical condition.

‘Eight confirmed cases of swine flu were reported today (Monday). The total confirmed cases of H1N1 infection is now 102 in the state in 2010,’ an official statement said.

BJP MLA’s anticipatory bail plea rejected

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Jabalpur, August 02: The Madhya Pradesh High Court today rejected an anticipatory bail application of BJP MLA Asharani Singh in connection with the alleged murder of her maid.

The BJP MLA from Bijawar in Chhatarpur district has been absconding since a case was registered against her along with her husband, former MLA Ashok Veer Vikram Singh, in connection with the alleged murder of Tijji Bai early this year.

Malinga still uncertain for third Test: Sangakkara

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Colombo, August 02: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara today said although fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who missed the second cricket Test against India with a knee injury, has recovered he is still uncertain for the third and final match of the series starting here tomorrow.

Malinga had a good bowling session today but Sangakkara said it would be a tough call to take a final decision on the pacer’s selection.

Stolen idols seized, 3 arrested

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Chennai, August 02: Three persons were arrested and bronze idols of various deities worth about Rs 10 lakh in the international market were seized from them by the Economic Offences Wing today, police said.

Acting on a tip-off that a gang was planning to sell stolen idols in the city, two special EOW teams — probing cases of idol thefts in Southern states — nabbed two persons near Egmore railway station here and recovered some idols from their possession.

Scarlett’s character being maligned: Fiona

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Panaji, August 02: Fiona Mackeown, 46, has accused the defence counsel of indulging in character assasination of her 15-year-old daughter Scarlett Keeling, who was allegdly drugged, sexually assaulted and left to die at Anjuna beach, 20 kms from here, more than two years ago.

Speaking to reporters after emerging from a nearly three-hour-long cross-examination at the Goa Children’s Court (GCC) by the defence lawyers, a visibly affected and agitated Mackeown said that she was disgusted by the goings on in court during her daughter’s culpable homicide trial.

Fahim Ansari’s bail plea dismissed

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Lucknow, August 02: A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district Monday rejected the bail application of terror suspect Fahim Ansari in connection with a terrorist attack on a paramilitary camp, an official said.

Ansari, presently lodged in Bareilly Central Jail, is facing charges under the Arms Act, the Explosives Act and those of forgery and criminal conspiracy in connection with the Dec 31, 2007, attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Rampur that claimed the lives of seven CRPF personnel and a civilian.

BHEL wins Rs.60-billion order from Karnataka Power Corp

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Bangalore, August 02: State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) bagged a Rs.60 billion (Rs.6,000 crore) order from the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL) for setting up a 2×800 MW thermal power plant at Yermarus in Raichur district, about 500 km from here.

‘As part of this deal, we will take 26 percent equity stake in the Rs.1,200-crore joint venture being set up to build the power projects. We are expecting another order from KPCL for one more 800 MW unit,’ BHEL Chairman and Managing Director B.P. Rao told reporters here.

Pepsi launches new sugar-free soft drink

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New Delhi, August 02: Soft drinks manufacturer Pepsi Monday launched Pepsi Max, a new sugar-free cola targeted at the 25-35 year age group.

The food and beverage giant’s intention in introducing Max is to expand its product portfolio in India and to create a new market segment in the soft drink industry, company officials said.

Max, available here from Aug 6, will be in a 500 ml pet bottle and be priced at Rs.25. The new beverage is a part of the $600 million expansion plan of the company in India which was announced last year.

Zardari meets Sarkozy at start of Europe trip

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Paris, August 02: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris Monday during the first leg of a visit to Europe.

A spokesman for the French president said the two leaders discussed the situation in Afghanistan and ways to combat international terrorism.

Aid to help Pakistan recover from devastating floods that have claimed more than 1,500 lives and cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy were other subjects on the agenda.

SP MLA loses arms licenses

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Bhadohi(UP), August 02: The Bhadohi district administration today cancelled the arms licenses of SP MLA from Gyanpur Vijay Mishra, an absconding history-sheeter at the Handia police station in Allahabad.

Vijay is also the relative of another SP leader Dileep Mishra who is an accused in the cabinet minister Nand Gopal Nandi attack case.

According to police, there are around 34 criminal cases including murder, loot, extortion and attempt to murder against Vijay Mishra and his gang members at Handia police station.

Five more family courts to come up in Delhi

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New Delhi, August 02: In a bid to ensure speedy disposal of justice, the Delhi cabinet Monday gave its nod for creating 99 posts in the Saket district court and decided that five more family courts will be set up in the capital.

At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, it was decided that the five courts will start functioning at Janakpuri, Dhirpur, Saket, Viswas Nagar and Rouse Avenue by the year-end, an official said.

Delhi at present has five family courts.

The official said the cabinet also decided to sanction 29 posts for family courts in different scales.

Herpes virus helps treat cancer patients

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London, August 02: British researchers have successfully used a genetically engineered herpes virus to treat patients suffering from head and neck cancer.

The virus was found to be more effective at killing tumours in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy than the standard cancer treatments on their own.

The research team modified the common virus so that it would multiply inside cancer cells but not in healthy cells.

Prajapati case committed to Palanpur Sessions court

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Banaskantha, August 02: In a first step towards commencement of trial in the encounter of Tulsiram Prajapati, a key witness in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter killing, the case was today committed to the Sessions court here.

The Judicial court in Danta, where the case was registered, committed the case today to the Sessions court in Palanpur.

Book perpetrators of Kashmir violence: Sonia

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New Delhi, August 02: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said that elements instigating violence in Jammu and Kashmir must be identified and brought to book and the state government should continue to push the development agenda as this would bring jobs and livelihood opportunities.

In her letter to Congresspersons in the latest issue of Sandesh, the mouthpiece of the party, Gandhi said the party was pained by the upsurge in violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

US ready to strike Iran

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Washington, August 02: The US military has a plan to attack Iran, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday, although he thinks a military strike is probably a bad idea.

Not long after Adm. Mike Mullen’s aired on a Sunday talk show, the deputy chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was quoted as saying there would be a strong Iranian response should the US take military action against his country.

3/4 of non-Muslims believe Islam negative for UK

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London, August 02: Muslim organisation calls for efforts to improve awareness as four-fifths of those polled admit to little knowledge of the faith

Muslim men greet each other outside Whitechapel Mosque in east London before Friday prayers Two Muslim men greet each other outside Whitechapel Mosque in east London.

Three-quarters of non-Muslims believe Islam has provided a negative contribution to British society, according to a new poll, which has prompted calls for Muslims to help improve the perception of their faith.