Month: May 2011

Zuma seeks to broker peace in Libya

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Tripoli, May 31: South African President Jacob Zuma has reportedly met with embattled ruler Muammar Gaddafi and his associates in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Zuma arrived in Libya on Monday in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the country. Zuma was greeted at the airport by Gaddafi’s Premier al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi.

This is Zuma’s second visit to Libya since the conflict began. A spokesman for Zuma has denied the South African president will be discussing exit strategies with Gaddafi.

Bus falls off bridge in Kamrup, 24 dead

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New Delhi, May 31: In a tragic incident in Assam, 24 people have died after a private bus fell off a bridge at Hajo in Kamrup district, early on Tuesday morning.

The bus plunged into the rivulet when a “wooden” bridge, which it was crossing over, gave in, police and rescuers said.

The incident happened at Rajabari on Hajo-Guwahati road when the bus carrying passengers from Guwahati to Tihu in Rangia sub-divison of the district fell off a bridge.

The bus has been fished out and police personnel, with the help of Army and locals, were searching for those who are missing.

Karim Morani, sent to Tihar Jail

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New Delhi, May 31: Bollywood bigwig Karim Morani, an accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, was on Monday sent to Tihar Jail by a Delhi court which rejected his bail plea and ordered his arrest.

“Bail is dismissed. Take him to custody,” Special CBI judge OP Saini said while pronouncing the order.

Morani, Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd Director, now joins a long list of multi-crore 2G scam accused who have been sent to Tihar jail.

Government now opposes inclusion of PM in Lokpal ambit

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New Delhi, May 31: Sharp differences surfaced on Monday between the government and civil society members in 5th joint drafting committee meeting for Lokpal Bill, with the government strongly opposing demands to bring the Prime Minister, higher judiciary and MPs’ corrupt acts inside the Parliament, under the ambit of Lokpal.

The three-hour meeting of the 10-member drafting committee ended on a bitter note, with civil society members virtually signalling ultimatum to the government.

Turkey marks Flotilla attack anniversary

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Ankara, May 31: Large crowds of people have gathered in Istanbul to mark the first anniversary of the deadly Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla.

Tens of thousands of protesters in Istanbul’s Taksim Square denounced the attack by Israeli naval forces on the civilian convoy, the Media correspondent in Istanbul reported.

On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos attacked the six-vessel Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters to prevent the convoy from accomplishing its blockade-busting mission.

Deep state general jailed over coup plot

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Ankara,May 31: A powerful Turkish general has been jailed pending trial over suspected involvement in a coup attempt to topple Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in 2003.

An Istanbul court ordered General Bilgin Balanli be sent to jail on Monday pending trial on the recommendation of a prosecutor who questioned him for three hours earlier in the day, Reuters reported.

Balanli, the commander of Turkey’s military academies, is the highest-ranking serving officer charged with connection to the conspiracy dubbed “Operation Sledgehammer.”

No word from Pak on visit of its judicial commission on 26/11

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New Delhi, May 31: Pakistan has not yet conveyed to India when its judicial commission will visit here to take the statement of the magistrate who had recorded the confessional statement of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of 26/11 attack, to pursue the case there.

Flotilla II to sail for Gaza in June

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Gaza, May 31: International activists say the second Freedom Flotilla will set sail for Gaza in late June, challenging Israel’s deadly blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

In a news conference held in Istanbul on the deck of the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in the first flotilla, a coalition of 22 activist groups said on Monday that 15 ships with some 1,500 activists from about 100 countries onboard will leave for Gaza from various Mediterranean ports around June 20.

Bahraini women recount abuse, torture

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Manama, May 31: Bahraini female doctors have detailed the humiliations and beatings they suffered after being arrested on suspicion of supporting anti-government protests.

Recently freed from prison but in fear of being rearrested, the doctors said they were released only after they agreed to sign every confession papers they were given after days of brutal torture and being subjected to verbal abuse, AFP reported.

They were also forced to sign many pledges, including not to take part in any protests and not to talk to the media.

Shutdown in Srikakulam town against power plant

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Hyderabad, May 31: Protests broke out again in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district against an upcoming thermal electricity project, police said.

People in Sompeta town of the district in north coastal Andhra Monday observed a shutdown demanding that the government stop work on the project which, they claimed, threatens the ecology and endangers the livelihood of local communities.

Shops and business establishments remained closed in response to the shutdown call given by the Environment Protection Committee, a group of environmentalists and NGOs.

Rosaiah’s Delhi trip to decide his political future?

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Hyderabad, May 31: Even as state political circles are abuzz that former chief minister K Rosaiah will either replace incumbent Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy as the Head of Government in the state or be nominated as a Governor soon, the Congress High Command has summoned him to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

Mr Rosaiah will leave for New Delhi on Monday night and is expected to brief Ms Sonia Gandhi on the political situation in the state during their meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Nigerian arrested for murdering girlfriend

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New Delhi, May 31: A Nigerian national was arrested from south Delhi for murdering his Myanmarese girlfriend and dumping her body in a travel bag earlier this month, police said Monday.

Innocent Nwayo, 31, was arrested Sunday from Kotla Mubarakpur when he came to visit his friend Prince Michael, police said.

He killed his 22-year-old girlfriend May 20 and left the travel bag containing her body in his rented house in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar. After the murder he fled to Mumbai.

28 rifles recovered

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Midnapore, May 31: In their continuing drive to recover illegal arms and ammunition, police seized 28 rifles from CPI(M) leaders and their offices in West Midnapore district.

22 rifles were recovered from the CPI(M) local committee party office at Bhagabanpur under Garbeta police station area, police said.

Bhagabanpur gram panchayat pradhan and CPI(M) leader Sahidul Islam Sarkar was detained by police in this connection.

Five rifles were recovered from near CPI(M) party office at Urasai village.

KCR undergoes medical check-up

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Hyderabad, May 31: Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, suffering from viral fever,monday underwent a medical examination at a private hospital here, party members said.

Rao was suffering from viral fever for the past four days, they said.

The doctors advised him to take a complete rest for three days, they said.

—PTi

2002 riots case: Gujarat judge resigns after transfer

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Gandhinagar, May 31: The judgment in a key case related to the 2002 Gujarat communal riots may take some time due to the transfer of an Anand district judge a few days before she was to pronounce the verdict last month, a lawyer said Monday. The judge has put in her papers.

Anand Principal District Judge S.Y. Trivedi, who was to pronounce her judgment April 28, was shifted a few days before the verdict day. She resigned in the first week of this month but the matter remained under wraps till recently.

Dog bite victims recall tale

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Hyderabad, May 30: Lying on his bed at the Government Fever Hospital at Nallakunta here, 75-year-old Balaiah writhed in pain in his left thumb whose flesh was bitten off by a stray dog at Siddipet in Medak district on Friday.

Hospital authorities are suspecting that it could be a case of rabies. Recalling his traumatic experience, he said that at around 9.30 pm on Friday, when he was in deep sleep outside his home, a dog bit his thumb. Before he could realise that it was a dog, it peeled off flesh and ran away.

“In our village several of us sleep outside our houses.

‘Ban on smoking? Nobody takes it seriously!’

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Hyderabad, May 30: “Ban on smoking in public places. Is it there?” asked Mohammed Pasha, an auto-rickshaw driver enjoying a puff sitting in his parked auto-rickshaw near the chief minister’s Camp Office in Somajiguda.

A Raj Kumar, a marketing executive, said he knows the government imposed ban on smoking in public places a few years ago. “But, they lifted the ban later, right?” he asked.

Flight returns due to bad weather

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Hyderabad, May 30: A Spicejet flight from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam returned to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad due to inclement weather on Sunday.

The flight took off from Hyderabad for Visakhapatnam around 7.20 p.m.

But at Visakhapatnam, the airport authorities reportedly denied permission to land due to bad weather.

After hovering in the sky there for some time, the flight returned and landed at the RGIA airport within two hours. Officials said there were nearly 174 passengers and crew in the flight.

–Agencies

Nehru zoo sees record visitors rush of 24,000

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Hyderabad, May 30: The Nehru Zoological park saw a record footfall on Sunday with 24,000 visitors thronging the zoo. Zoo officials revealed that it was the highest footfall in the 60-year history of the zoo.

Power supply to be restored on Monday

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Hyderabad, May 30: The parts of the city hit by power shut down due to the damage of an underground cable at Moulali are likely to regain supply by Monday evening.

APTransco chairman and managing director Ajay Jain on Sunday said that special jointers are being flown from Ahmedabad and are scheduled to arrive by Monday afternoon using which they would rectify the 132 KV UG cable which was damaged two days ago by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board while laying a water pipeline.

Bank loans to SHGs through Women’s Co-operative

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Hyderabad, May 30: The Women’s Cooperative Finance Corporation will soon work as the nodal agency for mid-way financing of self-helf groups.

The government will provide a working capital to the corporation towards this.

According to sources in the chief minister’s office, the chief minister, while interacting with the chief executives of banks at the SLBC meeting, told them of his decision.

He assured bankers that the government would and extend the fullest possible support and cooperation in recovering the loans extended to the SHGs.

Kiran gets snub from Chittoor Congress MLAs

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Tirupati, May 30: None of the Congress MLAs from the district, who were expected to meet chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy during his visit to Tirumala on Sunday, cared to turn up at the Padmavati Guest House where Reddy was staying.

Only MP, two former MLAs and a few lower-rung leaders called on Reddy.

Ticketing machines at MMTS stations

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Hyderabad, May 30: There is no longer a need to stand in long queues for MMTS or platform tickets. The South Central Railway (SCR) has decided to procure 15 more Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) for enhancing the issue of MMTS tickets and general second class tickets. The 15 ATVMs will be installed at the MMTS stations of Hafeezpet, Borabanda, Sanathnagar, Fathenagar, Khairatabad, James Street, Jamia Osmania, Dabeerpura, Yakutpura, Uppuguda and Sanjeevaiah Park.

Techie attacked by wife with knife over dispute

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Hyderabad, May 30: A software engineer, Tirumal Rao, employed with Genpact, suffered injuries after he was attacked by his wife over family disputes at LB Nagar on Sunday. Rao married Pragnya, an employee of AP Transco, a year ago, after a love affair with her.

Metal detectors out of order at Durga temple

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Viajayawada, May 30: The word security has no meaning at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam (Kanaka Durga temple) in Vijayawada. Any body can walk in and walk out through the existing metal frame detectors at the entrance, which are out of order.