Puducherry, March 29: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address an election rally on April 6 here, to garner support for the Congress-DMK alliance in the Union Territory.
PCC leader A V Subramanian told reporters here today that the venue of the meeting is being finalised.
Union Ministers, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi would also campaign for the alliance candidates, he added.
England, March 29: The British government has announced controversial plans to ban protestors from taking part in public gatherings following the weekend anti-cuts rallies, which were marred by violence.
Based on a proposal by Home Secretary Theresa May, the police may be given new powers to prevent so-called hooligans from attending rallies and marches while officers will also be authorized to force demonstrators, who do not want to be known, to remove their face-scarves and balaclavas.
Hyderabad, March 29: Eamcet 2011 crash course was launched by Mr. Amir Ali Khan News editor Siasat daily. The course is jointly conducted by Siasat daily and Sir Newton degree and junior college.
Mumbai, March 29: The Maharashtra assembly Tuesday revoked the suspension of five Shiv Sena and four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators after which the opposition ended its five-day boycott of the house.
The decision came after three rounds of meetings the government and the opposition leaders had with Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil to resolve the deadlock.
Soon after the house assembled Tuesday afternoon, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshawardhan Patil moved a proposal to revoke the suspension of the nine legislators and it was accepted.
London, March 29: Super strong yet light weight cars made from the fibres of pineapples and bananas could be a possibility within two years.
In what promises to be the ultimate green development, researchers in Brazil are using plant fibres to build a new generation of car bodies as well as engine parts.
The plastics, which are strengthened by the fruit fibres, are already being tested by manufacturers who believe they could be used in cars within two years, the Daily Mail reports.
Kabul, March 29: Afghan police say Taliban militants have taken over a remote mountainous district in the northeastern province of Nuristan.
Provincial police Chief Shamsul Rahman said about 300 militants captured Waygal in the town of Wanat after a brief fighting with police forces on Tuesday, reports said.
Rahman further pointed out that police in the area have retreated.
Former provincial Councilor Maulvi Taj Mohammad also confirmed the report.
There have been no additional details on the possible number of casualties yet.
Hyderabad, March 29: If Rythu Bazars are the place where one can get vegetables and other food items for cheap, then its time to do a reality check. People visiting Rythu Bazars in the twin cities are finding that food items are being sold for much higher than listed prices.
A case in point is the Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazar, where it was found that middlemen and not ryots, occupy more than 75 percent space. Many customers have been complaining that vendors are demanding more than what is quoted on the price list.
Baripada (Orissa), March 29: Twelve tribals were arrested today for undergoing religious conversion allegedly in an illegal manner in Orissa’s Mayurbhanj district while efforts were on to nab two pastors and another tribal.
The arrest comes three days after a case was registered on Saturday against 15 persons – two baptist pastors and 13 tribals – for alleged involvement in illegal conversion in Mayurbhanj district, police said today.
New Delhi, March 29: The Supreme Court on Monday noted that the Union Government was not focusing its probe into specific sources of black money stashed away in foreign banks and asked why there was no investigation into the national security angle so far.
Bundi (Raj), March 29: A 12-year-old girl, who was brought from Madhya Pradesh for flesh trade, was today rescued by police from Devpura area here.
“The girl, a resident of Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, was abducted about two months ago from Mauchanpur village and was sold to a man involved in flesh trade here,” ASP N L Pavan told reporters here.
Devpura police station SHO Shiv Bhagwan Godera said a case has been booked against five people, including two women, in this connection and efforts are on to arrest the accused.
Hyderabad, March 29: Andhra Pradesh Assembly today passed Appropriation Bill, 2011 without any debate amid pandemonium over setting up of a House Committee to probe alleged irregularities in land allotments.
Earlier a deadlock ensued between the opposition TDP and the Congress as the former insisted upon continuing the debate on land allotments while the government wanted the Appropriation Bill adopted first.
Chandigarh, March 29: With top leaders, business tycoons, Bollywood celebrities and other big-wigs flying in here in several chartered, personal and special planes for the most awaited India-Pakistan cricket World Cup match Wednesday, the Chandigarh airport is preparing to handle the high air traffic rush.
A senior official said Tuesday that Chandigarh could be one of the busiest airports in the country Wednesday.
Airport authorities said their hands are full with over 50 charted and private planes coming in between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m on the match day.
Mohali, March 29: The rain gods can dampen the spirits of tens of thousands of cricket fans and play spoilsport in the eagerly awaited World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan at Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here Wednesday.
The weatherman has predicted clouds to prevail in this region with a possibility of light rain by the evening.
Mohali, March 29: Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam has a simple wish: people should treat the semifinal between his country and India here Wednesday as a game of cricket and not as war.
“I hope things get normal again. Pakistan have gone through one of their worst phases in cricket history,” Intikhab told IANS at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium where the match will be played.
“I would request all not to hype this match as a war. It is a simple game of cricket between two good teams, and I would like all to enjoy the match like that only.”
Hyderabad, March 29: A senior Andhra Pradesh IPS officer Rajiv Trivedi has created history by becoming the fastest man to swim across the Palk Strait.
Trivedi (50), Additional Director General of Police from Andhra Pradesh along with 48-year-old Balasaheb Ramchandra Ghadge, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from Maharashtra swam across the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka to India in 12 hours and 31 minutes.
Riyadh, March 29: Saudi Arabia’s ban on women voting or running as candidates is to remain in place for the conservative Muslim kingdom’s municipal elections in April, the electoral committee head said today.
“We are not ready for the participation of women in these municipal elections,” Abdulrahman al-Dahmash told reporters, renewing earlier promises that authorities would “allow (women’s) participation in the next ballot.”
New Delhi, March 29: There are no carpet bombings or the distant drone of gunfire. But it is a war, nevertheless – a battle of another kind on a pitch spelling excitement, rivalry, goodwill, big money and sheer joy all at once.
The buzz is growing off the pitch on the eve of the 2011 Cricket World Cup semifinal clash between India and Pakistan at Mohali in Punjab Wednesday.
“The day should be declared a national holiday,” cricket enthusiast Sheeba Naaz, an M.Phil student at the Jamia Millia Islamia, told IANS.
Mohali, March 29: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, in a calculated move, says his side was not expected to enter the cricket World Cup semifinals and thus are under no pressure like India, who have all through been touted as favourites.Addressing a news conference at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium Tuesday on the eve of match, Afridi said his team is considered the underdogs and that tag suits them perfectly in the high-profile game.
New Delhi, March 29: Pakistan has agreed to allow an Indian team to question the 2008 Mumbai terror attack suspects being prosecuted there as the home secretaries of the two countries Tuesday concluded their two-day talks on a positive note.
According to a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day talks, Pakistan has agreed to allow a team of Indian investigators to question some Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who are presently lodged in a jail in that country.
The modalities and dates of the team’s visit would be decided later, an official told IANS.
Houston, March 29: A 20-year-old Saudi student, accused of buying chemicals and equipment to build weapons of mass destruction to target nuclear power plants and the home of former President George W Bush, has pleaded not guilty.
Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, who faces life in prison and a USD 250,000 fine if convicted, appeared at his arraignment yesterday in US Federal Court in Lubbock, Texas before Federal Magistrate Judge Nancy Koenig.
Wearing a navy blue prison jump suit, his hands and legs were shackled.
Hyderabad, March 29: The Waqf Tribunal order came as a major relief to the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board in the case of Manikonda Jagir of Dargah Hazrat Husain Shah Wali. The property is worth 30000 crores admeasuring 1654 acres of land.
The Waqf tribunal on Monday giving a historical judgment in O S No: 7 of I A No: 24 of 2011 issued injunction restraining several multinational companies and national corporate houses including Lanco Hills from transferring the property in their possession.
Mohali, March 29: Believe it or not, spectators are expected to start moving into the stadium here by 6 Wednesday morning though the India-Pakistan World Cup semifinal starts only at 2.30 p.m.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has urged ticket holders to reach the venue at least three hours before the match starts so that they do not face inconvenience due to strict security restrictions.
Cairo, March 29: Torture, terror, death and despair loom over Libya. The lust of Libyan strongman Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi of holding on to power is devastating this North African country. I wonder if Libya is on its way to becoming Somalia of the Mediterranean.
Famously dubbed the “mad dog of the Middle East”, Gaddafi is using violent tactics to hold on to the power. In a vain attempt, the miserable leader tried humble speeches to control the resentment of Libyans, who have been on the streets against his dictatorship since February 15.
Hyderabad, March 29: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will inaugurate its first learning and development centre for campus trainees here tomorrow.
The facility is equipped to train 6,000 professionals in a year. It will offer TCS” leading edge learning curriculum over three months to those who join the company directly from colleges, a TCS release said here today.
“The new Learning and Development Center reinforces the company”s leading role in the city”s rapidly growing IT industry,” it said.
Sanaa, March 29: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been able to stay in power only by relying on foreign supports and funding, especially from the US and Saudi Arabia, Director of Institute for [Persian] Gulf Affairs (IGA) says.
“I think there is a decision in Washington and in Riyadh not to let Ali Abdullah Saleh fall,” Ale al-Ahmed told Press TV.
“He has been so far able to stay in power, because of the international and regional support and the funding that he has been receiving,” he added.