Month: April 2011

Pakistan court puts off ruling on Kasab’s retrial

by

Islamabad, April 30: An anti-terrorism court today put off till May 3 its ruling on an application challenging the contention of lawyers defending the seven suspects in the Mumbai attacks that Ajmal Kasab and Fahim Ansari cannot be retried in Pakistan.

Pakistani prosecutors filed the application on April 16.

Anti-terrorism court Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed said during today’s proceedings at the heavily guarded Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi that he would give his ruling on the application at the next hearing on May 3.

Seminar on Islamic banking in India May 1

by

Bhopal, April 30: A seminar on the global economic problems and Islamic banking will be held Sunday in this Madhya Pradesh capital.

The seminar is being organised by the Muslim Educational Social and Cultural Organisation-Arabic Language and English Education Foundation (MESCO-ALEEF).

The seminar would be addressed by eminent personalities like Irfan Shahid, a Shariah consultant, and Moulana Wali Rahmani, the general secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

No trace of helicopter with Arunachal CM Khandu

by

Itanagar, April 30: A helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others went missing today shortly after take off from Tawang and apprehensions grew about their fate with search operations yielding no results.

Khandu, accompanied by the sister of Tawang MLA, security officer, had taken off from Tawang at 9:56 am and was to land at Itanagar at 11:30 am by a Pawan Hans helicopter Eurocopter B3 craft. Tawang is about 200 kms from here.

A Bollywood film on Saddam

by

Mumbai, April 30: A Bollywood film is to be made about the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, a production company said on Thursday, as the lead actor praised him as a “hero” who stood up to the United States.

The movie, “From President To Prisoner”, will begin shooting in September at a number of locations, including in Iraq itself, Glitterati Entertainment Solutions said in a statement.

Actor Akbar Khan, who has been lined up for the role of Saddam, said he was looking forward to playing the part, describing it as a “very challenging role”.

Mohammed Pahelwan arrested at Yashoda Hospital

by

Hyderabad, April 30: Mohammed Pahelwan arrested at Yashoda Hospital Malakpet after losing his nephew Ibrahim in a shoot out at Barkas.

Although Mohammed Pahelwan is claiming that the MLA Akbar Owaisi and his men attacked on Ibrahim and his colleague. Ibrahim died on the spot after being shot by the bodyguard of Ahmed Balala MLA Malakpet Constituency.

However, mystery surround on the attack on MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi as it has been raising too many questions for all.

Government needs to hand over the matter to CBI at the earliest to know about the reality of the incident.

Woman raped by railway official in moving train

by

Jaipur, April 30:A 25-year-old woman was allegedlyraped by a 52-year-old Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) in a moving train in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, GRP sources said today.

The victim, hailing from Abu Road and the daughter of a retired railways employee, was travelling alone in a general coach in Ajmer-Dadar train from Ajmer to Abu Road when the incident took place.

During her journey, she met an off-duty TTE Dinesh Dutt Mishra, who she already knew. He lured her to an AC coach on the pretext of getting her a comfortable seat.

PM, Rahul lash out at Maya govt, propose Bundelkhand package

by

Lucknow, April 30: With Uttar Pradesh assembly elections round the corner, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi addressed a joint rally for the first time in Banda on Saturday.

The rally came a year after a package worth Rs 7,266 crore was sanctioned for Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region. While addressing a huge crowd, Rahul Gandhi focused on the difficulties faced by the villagers of Bundelkhand. He also quoted an example of a kid who lost his father due to hunger.

Hope speaker will accept PAC report: Joshi

by

New Delhi, April 30: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi Saturday said he was hopeful that Speaker Meira Kumar would accept the report on 2G spectrum despite it being rejected by majority of the parliamentary panel members.

“We hope the speaker will accept the report and table it in parliament,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told reporters, soon after submitting the draft report on the 2G spectrum allocation to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s office.

The term of Joshi-headed panel expires Saturday.

Akbaruddin Owaisi is now safe after attack!

by

Hyderabad, April 30: The condition of Akbaruddin Owaisi, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen legislator from Chandrayangutta, who was injured after being shot at, was declared to be out of danger at the Owaisi Hospital on Saturday afternoon. Reports claimed that the Doctors operated upon him and removed two bullets from his body.

Tension has eased in the old city areas after police made repeated announcements about the safe condition of Mr. Akbaruddin Owaisi.

Two Gujjar leaders join BJP

by

Srinagar, April 30: Claiming that BJP is the only party that can effectively fight for the fair share for Gujjars in government job, two prominent local Gujjar leaders today joined the saffron party.

Choudhary Lal Hussain Lodha and Manzoor Hussain Badana joined the party and were welcomed by the state chief spokesperson Jitendra Singh and Ghulam Ali Khatana, BJP Tribal Morcha Executive Member and Prahbari State Muslim Morcha in the party”s fold.

Four killed as strike chokes Yemen

by

Yemen, April 30: Women shout slogans during an anti-government rally against Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa April 28, 2011.
Two servicemen and two civilians have been killed and at least seven people wounded in southern Yemen during a general strike called by anti-government protesters.

According to Yemen’s defense ministry, protesters opened fire on the troops, killing an officer and a serviceman after they tried to topple roadblocks set up by the demonstrators near the city of Mansurah.

One civilian and two servicemen were also injured in the incident.

NATO dismisses Gaddafi’s truce offer

by

Washington, April 30: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operating in Libya has dismissed the country’s ruler Muammar Gaddafi’s proposal of a ceasefire.

Earlier, Gaddafi asked the NATO member states involved in Libya operations to start negotiations to stop the air attacks, saying he was ready to make oil contracts with Western countries if it was the real motive behind the strikes.

Despite Gaddafi’s offer of a truce, his forces continued shelling the besieged city of Misratah, aggravating the humanitarian situation for the residents of the city.

2G scam: Joshi submits PAC draft report to Lok Sabha Speaker

by

New Delhi, April 30: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Murli Manohar Joshi on Saturday submitted a copy of the controversial PAC draft report on 2G spectrum scam to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. PAC officials handed over a copy of the report to Meira Kumar on behalf of Joshi.

The tenure of the existing PAC lapses at 5.00 pm today. Joshi is expected to address a press conference later in the evening.

US soldier killed in Iraq operation

by

Washington, April 30: An American soldier has died in an operation in southern Iraq, despite the United States’ claim that it is no longer involved in combat actions in the country.

“A US service member was killed April 29 while conducting operations in southern Iraq,” AFP quoted a statement from the American military on Saturday.

The declaration did not provide further information.

TRS will never merge with the Congress

by

Hyderabad, April 30: The TRS chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who was elected as the party president for the sixth successive term on Friday, categorically declared that his party will never merge with the Congress.

Addressing a well attended TRS delegates meeting in Mahbubnagar for the party’s 10th formation day, Mr Rao wondered, “How can anyone expect the TRS to join the Congress whose state president, Mr D. Srinivas, lost the deposit in the bypolls held recently?”

Iraqi judge, wife and daughter killed

by

Baghdad, April 30: Iraqi officials say a judge, his wife and daughter have been killed when their house was blown up.

Police say gunmen planted three bombs around the judge’s house in a village near the town of Taji, 12 miles north of Baghdad that exploded before dawn on Saturday.

The spkoesman for the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar, confirmed the death of Tuma Al Timimi, a judge in western Baghdad. The spokesman accused insurgents of targeting judges for their roles in combating terrorism.

Two of the judge’s other children were injured.

Prajapati encounter: CBI submits fresh FIR

by

Ahmedabad, April 30: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted fresh First Information Report (FIR) in the alleged fake encounter case of Tulsiram Prajapati, an eyewitness in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, to a special court on Saturday.

The CBI on Friday took charge of the ‘fake encounter’ case and re-registered the FIR at its Mumbai office, said CBI Inspector General, P Kandaswamy.

Kandaswamy is heading the investigation team.

The Supreme Court on Apr 8 ordered a CBI enquiry into the alleged fake encounter case.

Aligarh university closed after violence

by

Aligarh, April 30: A day after violence involving students on the campus, the administration of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh Saturday announced the closure of the university sine die.

AMU Registrar V.K. Abdul Jaleel, while issuing the closure notice, said all students have been ordered to vacate the hostel within 48 hours.

According to a notification of assistant controller (examinations), all examinations scheduled for the day have been postponed. Their next date will be announced later.

Sanjiv Bhatt has ‘more’ to expose Modi?

by

Ahmedabad, April 30: Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Rajendra Bhatt, who filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court accusing Chief Minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the 2002 Godhra case, claimed he has more information against the BJP leader.

Bhatt said he will reveal more proof against Modi before the Nanavati Committee, which is investigating the Gujarat riots.

“I will tell Nanavati Commission that and much more because I was privy to much more,” Bhatt told media.

Will-Kat spend first night at palace

by

London, April 30: Kate Middleton and Prince William spent their first night as a married couple at the palace where a party to mark their marriage came to a close at 3 a.m. – with some partygoers spotted kissing in the back of taxis as they left the lavish event.

Prince William married Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. They will now be known Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The guests began to leave the party for 300 family and friends from 11 p.m. onwards with the last departing at 3 a.m.

Swaraj Demands Probe into PAC Report Leak

by

Manglore, April 30: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today demanded a probe into the leak of the draft report of PAC on the 2G spectrum scam, to the media.

“The government should order an inquiry to find out the source behind the leakage of Public Accounts Committee report,” the senior BJP leader told reporters here.

She dismissed as “baseless” allegations levelled against PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi that he was responsible for the leakage of the report to the media.

Hyderabad Bandh on Sunday

by

Hyderabad, April 30: Hyderabad Bandh called by All Indian Majlis Itehad-Ul-Muslimeen on Sunday after the attack on their floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi.

Land dispute was said to be the reason for the attack on Akbaruddin.

The police gunman of MLA Balala was said to have retaliated and fired at the attackers, injuring one of them.

Naidu wants CCTV cameras in polling stations

by

Hyderabad, April 30: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to the Election Commission to arrange high resolution CCTV cameras instead of webcams in the polling stations in Kadapa and Pulivendula byelections on May 8 for better monitoring.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Naidu referred to the past record of the two constituencies when there was large scale use of money and muscle power, electoral malpractices and scaring away of voters.

Arunachal chief minister’s chopper lands safely

by

Itanagar, April 30: Arunachal chief minister’s chopper lands safely Itanagar: A helicopter with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu landed safely in Daporijo Saturday after going missing for a few hours, an official said.

The four-seater Pawan Hans chopper, which had gone missing after taking off from Tawang near the China border at 9.50 a.m., has landed safely at Daporijo in Subansiri district, the official said.

Everyone on board was safe, an official said.

–IANS

CM visits Owaisi Hospital

by

Hyderabad, April 30: The Chief Minister, Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy, immediately after knowing about the attack on the MIM floor leader, Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, reviewed the situation with the top police officials.

The Home Minister, Ms P. Sabita Indra Reddy, the Minister for Panchayat Raj, Mr K Jana Reddy, the Director General of Police (DGP), Mr Aravind Rao, and the Intelligence Chief, Mr Mahender Reddy, attended the meeting.