Month: February 2011

UN rights chief to visit Israel, Palestine

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Gaza, February 04: UN human rights chief Navi Pillay will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, starting on Sunday where she will meet leaders from both sides.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, will visit Israel, Gaza and the West Bank on February 6-11, her office said in a statement.

“During her visit, Ms. Pillay will meet officials at the highest level, including Israeli President Shimon Peres, Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad,” it added.

Egyptians rally for Mubarak to go now

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Cairo, February 04: Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians marched peacefully in Cairo on Friday to demand an immediate end to President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule, but there was no word of his generals, or his U.S. allies, squeezing him out just yet.

Hoping for a million-strong turnout nationwide to mark what they called “Departure Day”, men and women from across Egyptian society streamed past patient soldiers to join a crowd estimated at about 200,000 in the capital’s Tahrir, or Liberation, Square.

Similar pro-democracy rallies were held in other cities.

Villagers caned at Rachabanda, youth attempts self immolation

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Mahabubnagar, February 4: Tension gripped Sunkarapalli village under Madugula mandal of Mahbubnagar district on Friday morning when a youth doused himself with kerosene and attempted to set ablaze demanding the authorities not to conduct Rachchabanda programme. With this, the police intervened and gave a sound thrashing to the boy causing grievous injuries. The youth has been admitted to a hospital.

Police seal absconder’s house in Jammu

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Jammu, February 04: Jammu and Kashmir Police today sealed the house of one person who is absconding for the past seven years in connection with a murder case in Jammu district.

A police team led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ashok Sharma and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Mushtaq Choudhary sealed the house of absconder Sanjay Sharma alias Nitu at Akhnoor area of Jammu district today, official sources said.

Nitu was allegedly involved in the murder of Jagdev Singh alias Jeeba and is absconding, they said.

Woman Jailed For Punching And Killing Man

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Glasgow, February 04: A woman who killed a father-of-two in Glasgow with a single punch has been jailed for six years and nine months.

Kayleigh Murray, 20, from Shettleston, admitted the culpable homicide of 29-year-old Paul Woods in the city’s Maryhill Road, on 28 July last year.

She punched Mr Woods after he chased her friend, 19-year-old Chelsea Speirs, who had just stolen his alcohol.

Study Abroad at your own risk: India

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New Delhi, February 04: Panipat-based Rohit Kalra remembers the day his friends and he approached the Indian High Commission in Canberra, Australia to complain about how a flying training academy had duped them with false claims. The students eventually received assistance from the High Commission, but only after hours of explanation and verification. “The officials wanted to help but appeared clueless. They needed help before they could help us,” Kalra recalled.

Priyanka to pay tax on undeclared Rs 6 Crore

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Mumbai, February 04: Actress Priyanka Chopra and photographer Atul Kasbekar will pay income tax on some undisclosed transactions. Priyanka will pay tax on Rs 6 crore ($1.4 million) of cash transactions and Kasbekar on a Rs 4-crore gift, a senior income-tax official said.

Income-tax officials raided them and actress Katrina Kaif on January 24. Katrina did not evade tax, the official said.

I-T officials said Priyanka had declared all investments and assets but the tax is charged on the cash payments made.

New drama in Sex Swami case

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Bangalore, February 04: He has broken his silence for the fist time after the controversial tapes were aired last March. Making a startling revelation, Swami Nityananda said he was blackmailed by two persons in power for Rs 100 crore, before the tapes allegedly involving him and actress Ranjita were aired on television.

However, the head of the Dhayanapeetam Ashram refused to name the blackmailers saying he still faces threat from them.

Confession statement to police is weak evidence: Apex court

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New Delhi, February 04: Observing that the “rampant” practice among the police to use third degree methods to extract confessions was well known, the apex court has said that courts should be cautious in accepting the confession made by an accused to the police when it is the sole ground for prosecution.

The prosecution case resting merely on confessional statement is weak evidence, the Supreme Court has said.

Serial Chinese Rapist Sentenced To Death

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Beijing, February 04: A man was sentenced to death for keeping two girls in a dungeon as sex slaves for one year and raping nine other women in China.

Zeng Qiangbao, a 40-year-old worker in a steel factory in Wuhan, was convicted of rape, illegally imprisoning, robbery and forcible seizure by a court in central China’s Hubei province.

Pak Chief Justice arrives in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, Feb 4 (PTI) Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikar Muhammad Chaudhry arrived in Hyderabad late tonight.

Chaudhry is here to take part in the Commonwealth Law Conference that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre on Sunday.

The Pakistan Chief Justice will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session.

He arrived here along with his wife and drove to the Westin hotel at Hi-tech city.

–Agencies

Microsoft Warns 900 Mn Internet Explorer Users At Risk

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London, February 04: Microsoft has warned that the 900 million users of its Internet Explorer Web browser are at risk of having their computers hijacked and their personal information stolen by hackers.

The software giant has issued a ‘critical’ security alert over a newly-discovered flaw that affects all versions of the company’s Windows operating system, including Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 (R2), reports the Daily Mail.

Pranab sticks to GDP forecast of 8.5-8.75 per cent

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Kolkata, February 04: The economic growth rate would remain between 8.5 per cent and 8.75 per cent for the current fiscal, as predicted in the last year’s budget, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said today.

“I am sticking to the projection of 8.5 to 8.75 per cent for the year 2010-11, which I had made in my budget speech,” Mukherjee said at the convocation ceremony of the Indian Statistical Institute here.

However, he said the government wants inclusive development and not just a rise in the GDP numbers.

Report: US Eyes Suleiman as Interim Ruler of Egypt

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Cairo, February 04: Reports from the New York Times say that the Obama Administration is engaged in talks regarding an exit-strategy for longstanding ally and increasingly unpopular dictator Hosni Mubarak, and that right now, eyes are on newly appoint Vice President Omar Suleiman as the new ruler of a “transitional government.”

Tahrir Square Burns as VP Suleiman Gives Speech Filled with ‘Threats’

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Cairo, February 04: Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman has just given an interview on Egyptian television dropping all sorts of propaganda, including saying Mubarak wants to implement reform but can’t because of a lack of ‘time,’ and accusing the protests of being ‘infiltrated’ by foreign agendas. ‘I blame some sister countries which have unfriendly TV stations which incite the youth. Egypt won’t accept foreign meddling,’ he said, which Al-Jazeera interpreted as a swipe against it.

Waqf properties in Rajasthan to be videographed

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Jodhpur, February 04: In order to keep a proper record of the Waqf properties in the state and keep them free from encroachments, Rajasthan government is going to carry out a videography of all these properties to ensure their physical verification and condition.

In the first phase, there will be videography of 3945 such properties located in district headquarters. The subsequent phases will include properties at the panchayat level, Waqf, Rural and Panchayati Minister of State Amin Khan said here.

Mass Attacks on Foreign Reporters in Egypt

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Cairo, February 04: The first reports began to emerge yesterday, with CNN’s Anderson Cooper describing being the victim of sucker-punches from pro-Mubarak forces while trying to cover the growing revolt in Tahrir Square. Today, the attacks have become virtually ubiquitous.

Reporters Without Borders has issued a statement expressing horror at “what appears to be an all-out witch-hunt against news media” in Egypt and reports have emerged from major and minor media outlets the world over of attacks and threats against their employees on the ground.

MNS chief to appear before Kalyan court tomorrow

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Mumbai, February 04: MNS president Raj Thackeray would appear tomorrow before a court in nearby Thane district in response to summons issued against him for violating a police notice during electioneering in the 2010 civic polls there.

Raj would appear along with his lawyer Sayaji Nangre before the 3rd court of Judicial Magistrate First Class in Kalyan after lunch recess, sources told PTI.

Mubarak Rules Out Stepping Down, Warning of ‘Chaos’

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Cairo, February 04: Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak has ruled out resigning from his office once again, as violence rises across Cairo. Mubarak insisted there “will be chaos” if he is not president.

Which likely comes as a surprise to the demonstrators, as there seems to be no shortage of chaos now, as Mubarak supporters attack those calling for free elections on the streets and have turned Tahrir Square from a collection of hopeful protesters into an out-door emergency hospital.

Egypt’s protesters gather for ‘Friday of Departure’ demonstration

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Cairo, February 04: Thousands of protesters barricaded themselves in a central Cairo square and chanted “Leave, leave, leave” as they prepared for an eleventh day of protest against President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.

As the clock turned to Friday in Egypt, the Arab news service Al-Jazeera reported a “tense calm” in Tahrir Square where anti-government protesters had gained control.

Demonstrators pitched tents and prepared to camp out ahead of the anticipated “Friday of Departure” protest.
Vote: How do you feel about the events unfolding in Egypt?

Tunisia replaces regional governors

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Tunis, February 04: Tunisia has replaced all 24 regional governors, the state news agency said Thursday, as part of efforts to dismantle the legacy of ousted president Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali.

Major street protests have dried up in Tunisia in recent days, after a reshuffle purged the interim government of most Ben Ali loyalists, but many Tunisians have called for more officials to be replaced at the security and regional level.

Pakistani MP abandons opposition to blasphemy law

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Islamabad, February 04: A Pakistani MP has abandoned her attempt to change the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.

Sherry Rehman has been forced to scrap her campaign to amend Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, after the government ruled out any change.

The former information minister had proposed a private member’s bill in parliament seeking to soften the blasphemy law.

The proposal to remove the death penalty for blasphemy triggered large demonstrations in several cities across Pakistan.

India coy over ‘Chinese spy’

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New Delhi, February 04: The Indian government has deported a woman it claims was spying for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in India’s insurgency-wracked northeastern state of Nagaland.

Wang Qing, 38 or 39, had reportedly met with Thuingaleng Muivah, the general secretary of one of the factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-I-M), who returned from self-imposed exile over a year ago for slow-moving peace talks in Delhi.

Donors pledge $120 million aid for Belarus opposition

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Warsaw, February 04: Belarussian opposition groups won pledges of 87 million euros ($120 million) from donor nations Wednesday at a conference organised amid moves to put the squeeze on President Alexander Lukashenko.

Poland, the host of the conference and which neighbours Belarus, said that Lukashenko should expect to face the kind of popular uprising that has swep the Arab world as he announced the figure to journalists.