Month: October 2010

7 more MMTS trains on Sundays

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Hyderabad, October 02: In order to cater to the public demand for MTTS trains, the South Central Railway will run seven more MMTS train services on Sundays with effect from October 3.

Accordingly, the trains scheduled are FL7 Falaknuma (10:35 hrs)-Lingampalli (11:50 hrs), LF8 Lingampalli (12:00 hrs)- Falaknuma (13:15 hrs), FL8 Falaknuma (10:55 hrs)- Lingampalli (12:30 hrs), LF9 Lingampalli (12:40 hrs) – Falaknuma (13:55 hrs) and HL13 Hyderabad (13:05 hrs)- Lingampalli (13:45 hrs).

Tulasi Reddy to head 20-point programme panel

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Hyderabad, October 02: Former Kadapa MP N Tulasi Reddy has been appointed chairman of the Committee on 20-Point Economic Programme. An order was issued today by the general administration department.

It is the second significant political appointment made by chief minister K Rosaiah after he stepped into the shoes of the late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. The first appointment was the nomination of S Sivarama Subrahmanyam as chairman of APIIC.

The state government is also making appointments for the posts of chairmen of market and temple committees.

Aid to kin of Telangana martyrs flows from today

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Hyderabad, October 02: Determined to regain the lost ground in Telangana belt, the Congress high command has apparently given the go-ahead to the party leaders in the region to begin the process of going to the rescue of those who died for T-cause from tomorrow.

Though officially it has not been declared as a Congress programme it has the backing of Sonia Gandhi. The party does not want to own the programme lest it might rankle the leaders in the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema belt that it was siding with Telangana protagonists.

Telangana cases: State to withdraw proceedings

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Hyderabad, October 02: The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated the process to withdraw cases against students and others who participated in the agitations for and against separate Telangana state last year, Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy said on Saturday.

She told reporters here that the process for withdrawal of cases has begun at the district level.

The cases would be reviewed over the next 15 to 20 days and the number of cases to be withdrawn would be known only after the process is completed. “The government will issue an order withdrawing the cases,” she said.

Hi-tech autowallahs hack digital meters!

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Hyderabad, October 02: The digital meters were supposed to be tamper-proof. However, it has come to light that they can be cleverly tampered by auto wallahs. This means you always end up paying more than what you should according to the meter charge. It came to light after Legal Metrology department officials revealed they have booked 923 cases in 2010-11 against errant auto drivers using tampered meters. They had booked 681 cases last year.

Israel must halt settlements for talks to resume – PLO

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Gaza, October 02: Israel must halt settlement building on occupied land if peace talks are to resume, a senior Palestine Liberation Official said on Saturday after a meeting of the body’s executive committee.

“The leadership confirms that the resumption of talks requires tangible steps, the first of them a freeze on settlements,” Yasser Abed Rabbo said after a meeting in Ramallah.

“The Palestinian leadership holds Israel responsible for obstructing the negotiations,” he added, reading a statement issued after the meeting.

—Agencies

Sehwag falls after breezy fifty as Oz fight back with late strikes

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Mohali, October 02: Virender Sehwag slammed a quick-fire half-century as India breezed past hundred runs in 21 overs after Zaheer Khan’s five-for restricted Australia to 428. India finished Day 2 at 110/2 with Rahul Dravid on 21 and night-watchman Ishant Sharma on naught.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave India a fine start as they put on a breezy 81-run opening stand to post a fitting reply to Australia’s first innings total of 428.

Nigeria hunts militants after deadly attack

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Abuja, October 02: Nigerian authorities hunted oil militants on Saturday who claimed responsibility for two car bombs that killed at least 15 people near independence celebrations in the first such attack in the capital.

Friday’s car bombs near where Nigerian leaders and foreign delegations had gathered escalated militant group MEND’s “oil war” and came despite a lull in attacks after thousands of rebels signed up to an amnesty programme last year.

Indonesia backs Iran’s nuclear program

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Jakarta, October 02: Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa has voiced his country’s support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

Marty made the remarks on Friday after a meeting between Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a senior Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi.

The Indonesian official emphasized that any country should enjoy equal rights to develop nuclear technology for civilian use.

Syrian President in Iran to discuss ‘Iraq and Palestine’

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Tehran, October 02: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met his Iranian counterpart and staunch ally Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Saturday, with Lebanon, Iraq and Palestinian issues topping the agenda, media reports said.

Assad was greeted by a guard of honour before holding talks with Ahmadinejad behind closed doors “to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine”, a report by ISNA news agency said.

18 killed in US drone attacks in Pakistan

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Islamabad, October 02: At least 18 people were killed Saturday in three separate US drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal area bordering Afghanistan, a media report said.

Three drone attacks Saturday within hours of each other killed 18 people in Datta Khel town in North Waziristan tribal region, Geo News said quoting intelligence officials.

Modi issue not settled yet, BJP says EC list did not have CMs

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New Delhi, October 02: The debate within the BJP on whether Narendra Modi should campaign for Bihar polls is not yet over with the party on Saturday saying it has not given to the Election Commission the names of its Chief Ministers who would canvass in the state.

The name of the Gujarat Chief Minister did not figure in the list of star campaigners for the upcoming Assembly polls submitted by the BJP to the Election Commission on Thursday.

Ayodha verdict triumph of Hindu fanaticism: Pakistani editorial

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Islamabad, October 02: The Allahabad High Court verdict on the Babri Masjid issue – trifurcating the disputed land into one part for Muslims and two parts for Hindus – is a victory for Hindu fanaticism and not conducive for peace in the long run, a Pakistani paper said Saturday.

Web portal on magic to be launched tomorrow

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Hyderabad, October 02: Magicians Planet will launch a Web Portal on Magic “www.magiciansplanet.com” on the evening of October 4 at Ravindra Bharati, here. The portal is said to be the first Indian portal having multiple features on particular performing art.

The well-known Mind Magician and psychologist, Dr B V Pattabhi Ram, will be the chief guest, while the senior magician, International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Territorial vice-president, Mr Solyl Kumar Kundu, from Kolkatta, the special guest, would inaugurate the Web Portal.

‘Mulayam Singh must seek pardon for Ayodhya comments’

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Lucknow, October 02: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Saturday demanded that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav should seek pardon for his comments that the Allahabad High Court’s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute was based on belief and not legalities and evidences.

“His (Yadav’s) comments are extremely unfortunate…He must seek pardon from the people of this country, particularly the natives of Ayodhya,” said Vinay Katiyar, BJP national vice-president, Saturday while speaking to reporters in Faizabad district, some 150 km from Lucknow.

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind asks people not to draw hasty conclusions

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New Delhi, October 02: Leading Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Saturday asked people to practise restraint in their reaction to the Ayodhya verdict and said that, given the sensitivity of the issue, it was not appropriate to take hasty decisions.

“According to the teachings of Quran, we should try to seek the positive out of apparently negative things,” an official statement quoted Rajya Sabha MP and Jamiat leader Maulana Mahmood Madani.

Sensex rallies for fifth straight week, eyes 21,000 points

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Mumbai, October 02: India’s benchmark index rallied for the fifth consecutive week, led by continued inflow of funds from foreign institutional investors on the back of positive cues from global markets and robust economic growth outlook.

The Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) surged nearly two percent or 400 points to 20,445.04 points. This is the fifth consecutive week of gains at the Indian bourse.

Ex-Satyam chairman Raju discharged from hospital

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Hyderabad, October 02: B Ramalinga Raju, former chairman of Satyam Computers and the prime accused in the Rs 14,000-crore accounting fraud, was on Saturday discharged from the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences where he was undergoing treatment for hepatitis C for the past ten months.

NIMS gastroenterologist Ajit Kumar said Raju requested the hospital authorities to discharge him yesterday.

“He made a request yesterday. He still has to be administered 11 injections as part of the treatment. However, the risk is much less now. His lever is functioning normally,” Ajit Kumar told PTI.

CRPF chief Vikram Srivastava shunted out

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New Delhi, October 02: In a sudden move, the government on Saturday shunted out CRPF chief Vikram Srivastava and brought in K Vijay Kumar, who had shot to fame when he led the operations to eliminate forest brigand Veerappan, as his replacement.

Srivastava, who was made the CRPF Director General in February this year, has been made the chief of Bureau of Police Research and Development in Delhi.

He had come under attack after the Dantewada massacre in which 75 CRPF men lost their lives in a Maoist attack on April 6 in Chhattisgarh.

‘Gandhi’s teachings helped Obama shape his life’

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Washington, October 02: Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography and his teachings on social justice through non-violence have helped US President Barack Obama shape his life, a senior US official has said.

“Barack Obama, first African-American President and a student of those principles, identifies Gandhi’s autobiography and Taylor Branch’s terrific three-part biography of (Martin Luther) King as works that helped shape him,” said Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.

CIA chief Leon Panetta visits India, meets Chidambaram

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New Delhi, September 02: The American Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA) chief Leon Panetta has held a series of meetings with Home Minister P.Chidambaram and other senior government officials here.

Official sources said Panetta, who also met with Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Mathur and RAW chief A K Verma, discussed various areas of cooperation.

This is the first high-profile visit by any American official after a team of the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) had questioned terrorist David Coleman Headley in May in Chicago.

Konda Surekha must be suspended from congress: Govardhan Reddy

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Hyderabad, October 02: Senior congress leader Mr. P Govardhan Reddy demanded Ms. Konda Surekha’s immediate suspension from the party.

Expressing concern over anti party activities of congress MLA Ms. Konda Surekha, Mr. P Govardhan said ‘it doesn’t seem as if she is in the congress party. She is crossing party limits by giving statements now and then against party high command, Chief Minister and Pradesh congress party president and currying favour with Jagan Mohan Reddy.

100 days work for labourers under Employment Assurance Scheme

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Hyderabad, October 02: A meeting of Vigilance Monitoring Committee DRDA was held at revenue meeting hall at Mahboobnagar collector office, headed by committee chairman Dr. M Jagnatham MP Naagar Kurnool.

A resolution was passed in the meeting which guarantees 100 days of work for labourers under Employment Assurance Scheme.

The duration will be extended in Mahboobnagar district as it is a backward district.

Heritage building of Mukarram Jah hostel in peril

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Hyderabad, October 02: If government and authorities go on keeping silent on the destruction of historical monuments then the day is not far when not a single heritage of the historical city would remain. Several such buildings were obliterated from the face of the world which were declared as historical heritage.
Recently a unique Spanish type mosque was heavily damaged at Begumpet and now another building faces threat from builders.

Wild Life Programme by NCC girls’ battalion

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Hyderabad, October 02: A week long wild life programme is being organised by National Green Crops Technology Department which began yesterday at Secunderabad base ground.

Talking about the details of the programme, Project officer Mr. Ghouse Pasha said ‘350 NCC girl cadets will participate in a week long programme. NCC cadets between the age group of 12 to 18 years will present various programmes, like ecological pyramids, food chain, etc.