Month: February 2011

Lalu slams Nitish govt for poor agri growth

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Patna, February 27: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav today slammed Bihar government for poor agricultural growth and questioned the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance’s promise of making the state a developed one by 2015.

“Bihar has been faring poorly in the growth of its agriculture sector over the years and was ranked 20th among the states in terms of agriculture growth… under the circumstance how could the NDA government promise to make the state a developed by 2015,” he said at a function to mark 634th birth anniversary of a spiritual leader Sant Ravidas.

Bengal parties on foundation stone-laying, inauguration spree

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Kolkata, February 27: With dates for elections to the West Bengal assembly likely to be announced next week, political parties are on a spree of stone-laying ceremonies and inaugurations across the state.

The opposition Trinamool Congress is well ahead of the ruling Left Front in terms of number of programmes.

While party chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee busy in Delhi for parliament’s budget session, Trinamool MPs and state leaders were busy inaugurating various projects and the laying the foundation stones of various projects.

Pawar in favour of 50 percent reservation for women

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Mumbai, February 27: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Sunday favoured an increase in the women’s quota in Maharashtra’s local self government bodies from 33 percent to 50 percent.

“Pawar ‘saab’ is in favour of implementing the decision before March 8, the International Women’s Day,” a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson told IANS.

“He told us that the party should take up this demand with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan,” he added.

50 mobile phones recovered from Central jail

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Jodhpur, February 27: In a major drive against use of mobile phones in the Central jail here, jail authorities have seized 50 mobile phones from the prisoners.

“Entire jail staff of 50 wardens, jailers and DSPs were involved in this operation, who checked the belongings of all the 1200 inmates across 40 barracks,” said Jail Superintendent A R Niyazi.

Eight SIM cards and Rs 8500 in cash have also been seized, said IG (Jail) Govind Gupta.

Over 100 Hindu rights activists arrested in Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, February 27: Malaysian police Sunday arrested more than 100 members of a Hindu rights group for participating in an “illegal” rally here to protest against a controversial school textbook they say has elements derogatory to ethnic Indians.

Those arrested included eight women and belong to the Human Rights Party (HRP), an offshoot of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

City police chief Zulkifli Abdullah said police had to act to maintain order and security within the city, The Star reported on its website.

LIC entrance exam paper leaked, one held

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New Delhi, February 27: The question papers of an all-India examination for posts of 375 assistant administrative officers in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) were leaked, police said Sunday. A youth, allegedly selling them for Rs.5 lakh each, was arrested.

On the basis of a tip-off, police got hold of two sets of question papers for the morning and afternoon sessions of the exam which was held Sunday.

Centre to train officials on cyber crime to come up in Hyd

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Hyderabad, February 27: In order to impart advanced training to law enforcement agencies for investigating cyber crime, the prestigious Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy here plans to establish a first-of-its kind Digital Crime Analysis Centre.

“As part of providing advanced training to deal with cyber offences, we intend to have our own centre at the National Police Academy. The process has begun and we have already drawn up a programme. A proposal will soon be submitted to the Central Government,” Academy Director Rajiv Mathur told a news agency.

Lalu raps NDA on promise to make Bihar developed state by 2015

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Patna, February 27:Observing that Bihar “fared poorly” in the growth of agriculture sector, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today rapped the NDA government for its promise to make the state a developed one by 2015 without its backbone (agriculture) supporting economic growth.

“Bihar has been faring poorly in the growth of its agriculture sector over the years and was ranked 20th among the states in terms of agriculture growth….under the circumstance how could the NDA government promise to make the state a developed by 2015,” he said at a function to mark

Lone blames separatists, politicians for Kashmir impbroglio

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Srinagar, February 27:People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone today blamed both separatists and mainstream politicians for the Kashmir imbroglio saying there will be no change in the situation in the state till these camps existed.

As long as separatists exist, Kashmir will never secede (from India),” Lone, who unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, said.

He also trained his guns on mainstream political parties saying as long as they existed, “Kashmir will never accede (to India)”.

Youth arrested for trying to sell fake gold bricks

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New Delhi, February 27:A 23-year-old man was arrested in west Delhi for allegedly trying to sell fake gold bricks, police said today.

Sughad Singh was apprehended from near a jewellery shop in Bhagawati Garden yesterday while he was trying to sell a fake gold brick weighing 1.2 kg, V Renganathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), said.

Two of Singh’s accomplices are on the run.

Singh approached Shiv Mangal (50) while he on walk last night and told him that he wanted to sell two gold bricks which he found while digging in his native village of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.

Woman commits suicide along with two sons

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Sultanpur, February 27: A 24-year-old woman today allegedly committed suicide by setting herself afire along with her two sons in Dhammaur area here, police said.

Upset over family tiff, Lalti sprinkled kerosene on herself and her two sons Shivam (2) and Shubham (4) before setting afire, they said.

All three died on the spot.

–Agencies

Seven persons killed in road accident

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Jaipur, February 27:Seven persons, including two women and a child, were killed when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck in Sirohi district, police said today.

The mishap occurred yesterday resulting in the immediate death of four occupants of the car, Investigating Officer Bahadur Singh said, adding three others died in Sirohi hospital today.

Both the vehicles have been seized, Singh said.

———————-PTI—————————–

Turkey’s modern Islamist movement founder Erbakan dies

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ISTANBUL, February 27:Former Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, the founder of Turkey’s modern Islamist movement, died from heart failure today, aged 85.

Erbakan was a scientist who devoted his life to learning. We will remember him with gratitude,” said Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, for many years one of Erbakan’s lieutenants.

Erbakan rose to prominence in the 1970s, building up a party with an Islamist appeal to the conservative rural population and urban poor in a country where religion was excluded from political life.

Iranian opposition leaders moved from house arrest

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London,February 27:Two Iranian opposition leaders have been moved secretly from their homes where they had been under virtual house arrest for calling on supporters to protest against the government, a rights group said today.

Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi had been forced to stay in their homes in the capital Tehran for more than two weeks.

Mousavi’s daughters said on the Kaleme website that they had been prevented from approaching the house since February 14.

China urges strict execution of property measures

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BEIJING, February 27:China has ordered local authorities to implement existing property tightening measures or face punishment, the official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday, reflecting Beijing’s resolve to tame sky-high property prices.

China will also quicken the pace of its experiment with property tax, Xinhua added, citing a report from the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner.

TN directive to DCs on safe return of stranded Tamils in Libya

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Chennai, February 27:The Tamil Nadu government today directed district collectors to ensure that those from the state, stranded in trouble-torn Libya, reach their respective towns safely on arrival to India.

The Centre has taken steps to bring back stranded Indians in Libya. Among them, those belonging to Tamil Nadu will reach Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai by a special aircraft.

District Collectors should take all steps to ensuring that they reach their respective destinations safely, an official press release here said.

Puri-New Delhi Neelachal Exp collides with road roller, 1 injured

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Kolkata, February 27:One person was today injured when the 12875 Puri-New Delhi Neelachal Express via Tata, while passing through an unmanned level crossing gate between Bhadrak and Ranital stations in Kharagpur,
division collided with a road roller.

This resulted in the derailment of the locomotive, 11 coaches (Sleeper Class-8), Un-reserved General (second Class-2) and Luggage Van-(one), a South-Eastern Railway release informed. The driver of the road roller sustained injury.

However, there was no report of injury to any passenger so far.

Five arrested for betting

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Vijayawada, February 27:Police arrested five people for organizing betting on the ongoing world cup and other cricket matches here today and seized a TV set, a Laptop, 12 mobile phones, one Voice Recorder, and balance sheets
besides cash of Rs 2.10 lakh from them.

Informing this at a press conference, Deputy Commisioner of Police M Ravindranadh Babu said the main accused Chimmiri Ranga Rao and one of his accomplices Juloori Veranjaneyulu had been organizing the betting for the last six months in the residence of Ranga Rao.

Call to modernise coir sector

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Kochi, February 27:Union Home Minister P Chidabharam today called for modernization of the traditional coir sector in Tamil Nadu and concentration on export of value added products which are in high demand in the international market.

CM should order probe into allegations against his son

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Kochi, February 27: Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy today said he was ready to give written reply on allegations against him to Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, if the letter was ready to order a probe in to all allegations made against his son.

Talking to reporters here, he said the Chief Minister should order a high-level probe into the allegations levelled against his son.

However, the government could choose the investigating agency and the Opposition would not interference into it.

Italy says end of Gaddafi rule is inevitable

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ROME, February 27:The end of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s rule was ”inevitable”, the foreign minister of Italy, his closest
European ally, said today.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini also said a friendship and cooperation treaty between Libya and Italy was ”de facto suspended”.

We have reached, I believe, a point of no return,” Frattini told Sky Italia television. Asked whether Gaddafi should leave power, he said: ”It is inevitable for this to happen.

——————–REUTERS———————–

Lebanese protest against sectarian political system

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BEIRUT, February 27:Hundreds of Lebanese protested in the capital Beirut today against the country’s sectarian political system.

Emulating protests that have spread across the Arab world in recent weeks, some Lebanese protesters chanted the now-familiar refrain of ”The people want to bring down the regime”.

Lebanon is governed by a delicate power-sharing system to maintain the balance between the country’s many sects. It is unlike many other Arab countries where protests have been against rulers who have governed for decades.

India will be the real test for our spinners: Peterson

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New Delhi, Febraury 27: South African left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who was part of the spinners trio that bamboozled the West Indies, says the biggest test of the slower bowlers will be against home team India.

South Africa played three spinners in Peterson, offie Johan Botha and Pakistan born leg-spinner Imran Tahir and the strategy worked.

“The challenge is against quality batsman, especially against the Indian batsmen who play spin the best. To come up against them and really perform, you know where you are in terms of your own level. That’s a massive challenge,” said Peterson.

Ireland’s Fine Gael and Labour policies

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Undated, February 27:Ireland’s centre-right Fine Gael party looked set today to lead a new government after an historic general election that saw the outgoing administration decisively booted out of office.

With nearly 80 per cent of the seats counted, Fine Gael held 59 of the 166 parliament seats, Labour held 31 and close to its all-time record of 33 seats while Fianna Fail was set for a record rout with just 14 seats.

Following is a summary of Fine Gael’s main policies and how they differ from those of the centre-left Labour Party, its most likely coalition partner.

Two suspected naxalites arrested with arms and ammunition

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Dehri-on-Sone, February 27:Police today arrested two suspected naxalites and seized 18 fire arms and five magazines near a hotel under Sasaram town police station area in Bihar’s Rohtas district, a police official said.

Acting on a tip off, the police raided a hide out and nabbed the suspected naxalites duo, identified as Om Prakash Dinara and Mukul Kumar Baghela and seized from them 15 country-made pistols, two revolvers and five magazines, the Superintendent of Police (SP) Manu Maharaj said.

He said that the duo have confessed to their association with naxalite outfits in the past.