Month: March 2011

Tie up with MNS only after Shiv Seva’s nod: BJP

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Panaji, March 04: Any alliance with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) can happen only with the consent of the Shiv Sena, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde said here Friday.

Munde, who is BJP’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said the nearly two-decade-old alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra was in good shape and would continue.

“The Shiv Sena and the BJP are in alliance and our alliance will continue. The possibility of the BJP aligning with the MNS can only happen after consultation with the Shiv Sena,” Munde said.

Protest for salaries outside Andhra chief minister’s office

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Hyderabad, March 04: In an unprecedented development, Andhra Pradesh government employees Friday staged a sit-in outside the office of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy demanding payment of salaries.

More than 200 employees belonging to the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions gathered outside C Block housing the chief minister’s office at the state secretariat, the seat of governance. They were raising slogans demanding immediate payment of salaries for the month of February.

Court Allows Plea to Close Case Against Quattrochi

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New Delhi, March 04: A Delhi court today allowed a CBI plea seeking withdrawal of prosecution against elusive Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi in the two-decade-old Bofors payoff case.

“The application of the CBI is allowed,” Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav said.

“If the logical conclusion of a case is not possible then it is better to leave the issue,” he said.

“How long we will spend through our nose the hard- earned money of the aam-aadmi” in pursuing the case, the judge said while referring to the amount of over Rs 200 crore already spent in the investigations.

ED Issues ‘Look Out Circular’ Against Hasan Ali

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New Delhi, March 04: The Enforcement Directorate has issued a ‘Look Out Circular’ against Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan, accused of stashing black money abroad, to prevent his escape from the country.

The circular has been issued so that Khan is not able to escape the country pending investigation by various agencies, sources said.

Khan, who is alleged to have stashed around USD 8 billion in foreign banks, had been earlier served a notice for a tax demand for about Rs 50,000 crore in 2009.

Sonia rejigs Congress Working Committee

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New Delhi, March 04: Sonia Gandhi Friday reconstituted the Congress Working Committee, the party’s most influential policy making body, retaining key leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Digvijay Singh and making changes in key states including trouble-torn Andhra Pradesh.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the new working committee will have Pranab Mukerjee, A.K. Antony, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Digvijay Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Mukul Wasnik, B.K. Hariprasad, Ahmed Patel and Ambika Soni.

MP govt orders probe into sex-for-marks scandal

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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered an investigation into the sex-for-marks scandal at the Rani Durgavati University in Jabalpur.

Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma said that the state government has formed a committee to investigate the matter.

“The government has taken the matter very seriously. We have suspended two officials. Also we have formed a high level committee and sent it to Jabalpur to look into the matter.

Wish to resolve all issues with Pakistan: PM

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Jammu, March 04: The activities of extremists in Pakistan were a source of concern, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Friday while reiterating that India wanted to resolve all outstanding issues with the neighbouring country, including on Jammu and Kashmir.

“We wish to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries through a friendly dialogue process,” said Manmohan Singh, who is on a daylong visit to the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Tamil Nadu polls cannot be postponed: Quraishi

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New Delhi, March 04: The Election Commission on Friday ruled out postponing the April 13 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu as demanded by major political parties, including the Opposition AIADMK, saying every issue was factored in before announcing the poll schedule.

Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi said it was advisable to stick to the poll schedule announced by the Commission on Tuesday as it was arrived at after taking into account the situation in all states that are going to polls.

Process of selecting new CVC to start soon : Govt

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New Delhi, March 03: Government today said it will soon start the process of selecting a new Central Vigilance Commissioner after it receives the judgement of the Supreme Court which quashed the appointment of P J Thomas.

Putting up a brave face, senior government officials said the verdict was a “setback but not such a calamity” as projected by the media and that there were “past precedents” too where appointments were quashed by the apex court.

Fresh attacks hit Libya’s Brega

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Libya, march 04: Forces loyal to Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi have launched fresh attacks on the oil town of Brega for a third day, as the battle over oil terminals continues.

Brega, an oil terminal town 800 km (500 miles) east of the capital city of Tripoli, came under aerial attacks by pro-Gaddafi forces on Thursday as well.

Two missiles fired from a fighter jet on Thursday landed a few meters from a square where anti-government protesters were celebrating their victory over Gaddafi loyalists in an earlier assault.

Atleast 40 South Korean websites hacked

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Seoul, March 04: At least 40 South Korean websites, including that of the presidential office, were hacked Friday morning, a media report said.

The cyber attack began at 10 a.m. Friday, and hit the websites of presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, the ministry of foreign affairs and trade and top lender Kookmin Bank.

The attacks were in the form of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), Xinhua reported citing Yonhap news agency.

AhnLab, South Korea’s top information security company, said additional attacks were expected to come at 6.30 p.m. Friday.

Air strikes target Libya’s Ajdabia

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Libya, March 04: Warplanes have attacked Libya’s eastern town of Ajdabia, as the country’s capital city of Tripoli is bracing for protest rallies against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Gaddafi loyalists earlier carried out aerial attacks in the oil terminal town of Brega for the third consecutive day on Friday. No casualties from the air strikes have yet been reported.

Libyan pilots seem to have intentionally missed targets in an act of defiance to protest government’s harsh crackdown on opposition forces, Wall Street Journal reported.

CBSE papers leaked in Nicobar: BJP MP

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New Delhi, March 04: Alleging that CBSE question papers in Car Nicobar were leaked, BJP MP from the region Bishnupada Roy on Friday demanded that the exams be cancelled and fresh one held.

The CBSE examinations for Class XII and Class X started on March 1.

“The CBSE question papers of Class X and Class XII were leaked on February 17 in Nicobar. But instead of cancelling the examination, authorities conducted the examination in March 1,” the Andaman and Nicobar MP told reporters outside Parliament.

Students of MANUU commemorate Faiz birth centenary

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Hyderabad, March 4: The sweetness and evocativeness of Urdu still holds considerable sway today. Drawn particularly by the musical charms of the ghazal, people are then impelled to further explore its subtleties by paying closer attention to the language in which it is conveyed.

Lecture on Arab Revolutions at MANUU

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Hyderabad, March 4: MANUU, Centre for Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy is organizing a lecture on “Democratic Revolutions in the Arab World: The Implications” on 4th March, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Conference Hall, Administrative Building, MANUU Campus. Prof. Kancha Ilaiah, Director, CSSEIP will deliver the lecture. Prof. Amina Kishore, Dean, School of Languages Linguistics & Indology will preside over.

Siasat news

No Possibility of Imposing Prez Rule in Andhra: CM

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Hyderabad, March 04: Ruling out the possibility of imposing President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today asserted that the current political uncertainty prevailing in the state would not last long.

“These (problems) are passing clouds. Everything will settle down in next three to six months,” the Chief Minister told reporters in an informal chat in his Assembly chambers.

Asked about the possibility of President’s rule being imposed because of the ongoing political turmoil, the Chief Minister said it could not happen easily.

Intermediate exams to begin from March 7

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Hyderabad, March 4: According to Regional Inspection Officer (TC) BIE intermediate exams will be conducted from March 7, 2011 to March 25, 2011. Exam timings will be from morning 8 to 11. 58702 students are appearing in I year while 52451 students are appearing in II year. The exams will be conducted on 156 centres. Examination material has been dispatched to the respective centres.

This time a booklet of 24 pages will be supplied and no additional will be provided. Students are informed that they should visit the centre beforehand after obtaining the hall ticket.

Where is the integrity of Caeser’s wife?

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As far as PJ Thomas is concerned the real question which we need answers for is that why the hell did Congress invest so much political capital on someone as inconsequential as him.

Bangladesh all out for 58 against West Indies

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Mirpur, March 04: Electing to bat, Bangladesh were bundled out for a paltry 58 by West Indies in their World Cup Group B match on Friday.

Earlier, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and opted to bat first against West Indies in their World Cup Group B match at Dhaka`s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here on Friday.

Both the teams are playing their third match of the mega-event with two points each.

Teams:

Afridi is seventh to pick three consecutive four-wicket hauls

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Colombo, March 04: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi with his match winning five for 23 against Canada became the seventh bowler to pick up three consecutive four-wicket hauls in ODIs.

Afridi Thursday joined his team mate Abdul Razzaq and coach Waqar Younis, Shane Warne, Vasbert Drakes, Khurram Chohan and Narendra Hirwani in achieving the feat. Younis did it thrice.

10 dead in Pakistan mosque blast

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Islamabad, March 04:At least 10 people were killed in a blast in a mosque after Friday prayers in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, media reports said.

The blast occurred inside the shrine of Akhond Panjo Baba in Nowshera’s Akbarpura area, Geo News reported.

Over 25 people were injured in the blast, said Dawn News.

According to Samma TV channel, the explosion was carried out through a remote-controlled device.

Rescue workers have reached the site of the explosion and the wounded were being shifted to hospitals.

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Unending tale of an HIV negative man’s ordeal in Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, March 04:A man’s life has become an unimaginable misery since being erroneously diagnosed as HIV positive a decade ago at a Malaysian hospital.

A. Nageswara’s life turned a living nightmare after a botched test in 2001. He says he has been compelled by circumstances since then to live away from his wife and five children.

“Being thought of as a HIV positive was very embarrassing.

“I was too ashamed to see my friends or family,” The Star Online quoted Nageswara as saying Friday.

NGO demands ban on sale of single cigarettes

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Panaji, March 04:An anti-tobacco organisation has requested Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to ban the sale of single cigarettes (as opposed to cigarettes packets) and increase tax levels by more than 10 percent on tobacco products in the annual budget this year.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) General Secretary Shekhar Salkar said he had submitted a representation to Kamat to this effect.

After seizing Gaddafi’s $2b, Canada unveils bill to freeze assets

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Toronto, March 04: After seizing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s $2 billion in its banks earlier this week, Canada Thursday introduced a bill to seize assets of foreign dictators and their families.

Current Canadian laws allow freezing of foreign assets only if the regime has come under United Nations sanctions, or the assets have been ill-gotten. Though the Canadian government faced no problem in seizing Gaddafi’s $2 billion, it has been hamstrung in the case of Tunisian dictator Ben Ali’s brother-in-law who fled here and holds millions in secret accounts.

Team India seek bowlers to halt Irish charge

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Bangalore, March 04: While all eyes will be on the batsmen as India look to tame ‘giant-killers’ Ireland on Sunday at the batting paradise called the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, it is actually the bowlers who hold the key to victory.

With the focus back on the venue which has thrown up two of the most memorable matches ever seen at the World Cup featuring an eye-watering 1332 runs in just two games yet another run feast is expected.

However, no one will be willing to bet that India have an easy ride ahead of them.