Hyderabad, July 30: Hyderabad is bleeding, quietly. The UPA government at the Centre knows it and so do the state government and the chief minister. Leaders cutting across political parties ranging from TDP, TRS, BJP to the two communist parties, the MIM and the YSR Congress are aware of a once-healthy Hyderabad suffering now. The civil society is aware of it too, but is just indifferent or helpless.
Washington, July 30: With four days left before the United States hits its debt limit, Republicans pressed ahead with a deficit plan that cannot pass Congress and President Barack Obama told lawmakers to stop wasting time and find a way “out of this mess.”
Republicans in the House of Representatives said they expected to vote on Friday on a retooled deficit-reduction measure that would raise the debt ceiling.
The bill is opposed by Democrats and the White House, but Republicans insist it clear the House before they will start talks toward a compromise measure.
The study of women in Islam investigates the role of women within the religion of Islam.[1] The complex relationship between women and Islam is defined by both Islamic texts and the history and culture of the Muslim world.[2] The Qur’an states both that men and women are equal,[3][4][5] but also, as in 4:34, that “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend from their means.
Over the past several months, popular uprisings in the Middle East have removed several illegitimate rulers with a history of subservience to outside powers. A brave new chapter in the region’s history is being written by the people.
Egypt, July 30: Hundreds of thousands of ultra-religious Islamists packed this capital’s central Tahrir Square in an unprecedented show of support for the creation of an Islamic republic, rather than the planned unity demonstration in collaboration with secularists. In doing so, they drove a stake through the heart of a united revolutionary movement that had brought together Egyptian Islamists and secularists, Muslims and Christians, and shared the goal of democratic elections and the punishment of the corrupt regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Thiruvanthapuram July 29: Leading filmmaker Priyadarshan today said he believed the recent Income Tax raids against superstars Mamootty and Mohanlal would neither affect their image nor the Malayalam cinema.
“It is not going to affect their image. It is not going to affect Malayalam cinema,” Priyadarshan, who recently took over as Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, said in reply to queries at a press meet here.
Chennai, July 29: The Supreme Court Friday asked the city-based advocate S.Subramaniam Balaji to file a petition to transfer his case against the freebies announced by the AIADMK government from the Madras High Court to it.
Hearing the appeal filed by Balaji against the decision of the Madurai bench of Madras High Court in his case against the then DMK government’s free colour television (CTV) distribution, the Supreme Court acceded to the transfer request of Balaji’s counsel Arvind P.Datar.
Hyderabad, July 29: Continuing its probe into the assets of YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday issued notices to six more companies which allegedly made investments into his businesses.
The CBI officials have asked the firms to send their representatives to the CBI office and also submit all documents including bank statements and income tax returns.
New Delhi, July 29: The Supreme Court today sought Gujarat government’s response to a plea by IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who had accused Narendra Modi of misusing state machinery against Muslims during 2002 post-Godhra riots, for CBI inquiry in a criminal case filed against him.
The plea pertained to an FIR lodged by a Gujarat State police constable in Ahmedabad alleging that Bhatt had pressurised him to sign an affidavit testifying that the officer participated in a high-level meeting after the Godhra carnage in which Bhatt had alleged he witnessed the Chief Minister’s anti-Muslim bias.
New Delhi, July 29: Amid a raging controversy over land acquisition, Government today unveiled a new draft bill putting in place a transparent, legal framework aimed at giving adequate compensation to land owners and ensuring rehabilitation of those displaced.
Hyderabad, July 29: Accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of becoming a “shield” to the corrupt, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu demanded bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal Bill.
“The Prime Minister shouldn’t try to escape scrutiny. Bringing the Prime Minister under the Lokpal’s purview is only in relation to corruption charges and not to undermine the seat’s authority,” Chandrababu Naidu told a press conference at the TDP headquarters here on Friday.
New Delhi, July 29: India Friday appointed Rakesh Sood, at present its envoy to Nepal, as its next ambassador to France.
“Rakesh Sood, presently ambassador of India to Nepal, has been appointed the next ambassador of India to France,” a ministry of external affairs release said here.
Sood will take over from Ranjan Mathai, who has been named the next foreign secretary when incumbent Nirupama Rao retires July 31.
—Agencies
New Delhi, July 29: Facing impeachment on charges of corruption and judicial misconduct, Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran resigned today from the post.
The resignation comes a day ahead of the hearing of the three-member inquiry committee appointed by Rajya Sabha Chairman to probe into charges of land grabbing and acquiring of assets disproportionate to his income.
61-year-old Dinakaran is understood to have sent his resignation to President Pratibha Patil, sources said.
New Delhi, July 29: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted an invitation from his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani and would be visiting there at “mutually convenient” dates, according to the foreign office of that country.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar “handed over a letter of invitation from Prime Minister Gilani to Manmohan Singh (who) accepted the invitation and said that he would visit Pakistan at mutually convenient dates”, said a press statement from her office.
New Delhi, July 29: The country’s premier oil and gas producer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has reported a rise of nearly 12 per cent, year-on-year, (YoY) in its first quarter net profit, defying an increased subsidy burden. The net profit of the company has risen to Rs 4,095 crore against Rs 3,661 crore in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.
Net sales jumped nearly 19 per cent (YoY) to Rs 16,268 crore from Rs 13,710 crore in the April-June quarter of fiscal 11.
Toronto, July 29: Gurgaon-based Delta Power Solutions, which serves the country’s major cellular service providers, including Reliance, AirTel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, has signed an agreement with Canada’s Dantherm Power to sell clean energy solutions in India.
Vancouver-based Dantherm Power is a backup power systems company and part of Ballard Power Systems. Under the agreement, Delta will market clean energy fuel cell power solutions in the India telecommunications sector.
New Delhi, July 29: An hour-long tools-down protest was held Thursday at automobile major Maruti Suzuki’s manufacturing plant in Haryana’s Manesar after six workers were suspended for manhandling a supervisor, a company official said. There was no production loss.
“It was an hour long tool-down by the workers and not a strike. The company has suffered no production loss,” senior Maruti Suzuki official told IANS.
According to the official, the protest started after two workers were suspended due to their involvement in an incident in which a supervisor was manhandled Wednesday.
New Delhi, July 29: Footwear major Bata India Thursday reported an increase of 58 percent in its net profit for the first quarter of the current fiscal at Rs.40.99 crore as compared to Rs.25.91 crore in the like period of last fiscal.
“The growth for this quarter is very good. We are going to maintain this trend in the coming quarter with strong numbers,” Marcelo Villagran told IANS.
The company further reported an increase of 22.7 percent in its net sales for the quarter under review at Rs. 429.36 crore as against Rs.350.06 crore in Q1 of 2010-11.
—Agencies
Washington, July 29: Authorities in US have raided offices of another university on the charges of fraud, this time in the suburb of Washington, where 90 per cent of the students are from India.
In a day-long exercise, dozens of officials from different federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and FBI, yesterday raided offices at the University of Northern Virginia’s Annandale campus and took away with them a large number of boxes full of documents and computer hard drives from its administrative division.
Mumbai, July 29: After declining for two consecutive weeks, the country’s foreign exchange reserves jumped by USD 2.294 billion to USD 316.801 billion on the back of healthy rise in foreign currency assets last week.
The reserves had declined by USD 112 million in the previous reporting week to USD 314.507 billion.
Foreign currency assets, the biggest component of the foreign exchange reserves, were up by USD 2.227 billion to USD 284.526 billion for the week ended July 22, the Reserve Bank said in its weekly data released this evening.
New Delhi, July 29: The high level committee on black money headed by CBDT Chairman today held a meeting to discuss the impact of Supreme Court order on constituting a SIT to look into the initiatives being taken by the government to bring back the illegal funds stashed abroad.
“Special Investigation Team (SIT) and its impact came up for discussions,” a finance ministry official said after the meeting. It was the second meeting of the panel.
Kolkata, July 29: The West Bengal government Friday urged Microsoft Corporation India to invest in the state, and the company described the proposal as “interesting”.
Speaking at an IT conclave here, state IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said the state government would give full back-up to the company.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is ready to provide all the support you need. We want you to invest in the state,” Chatterjee told Microsoft Corporation India chairman Bhaskar Pramanik at the meeting.
Mumbai, July 29: In a choppy trade, the benchmark Sensex extended its losses for the fourth straight day and closed down by a mere 12 points at 18,197.20 on selling in realty, metal and refinery counters as also weakness in global markets.
Traders as well as investors kept themselves away from making major purchases even on the first day of August series due to postponement of a vote in the House of Representatives on a US debt plan.
New Delhi, July 29: Civil rights activist Anna Hazare Friday said an indefinite hunger strike was the only Gandhian option left before him to achieve his goal for enactment of a strong Lokpal bill.
“Indefinite fast wields tremendous power. There are other methods like morcha (processions) and rallies, but fasting is the most influential weapon,” he told India TV channel.
Hazare, who spearheaded a national movement in April for a strong Lokpal bill, said he has fasted eight times and it has led to strong laws.
Bangalore, July 29: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday tried without success to make Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa quit over graft charges, but he seemed laying stiff conditions to comply with the party directive.
Senior leaders Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley met him for over half an hour at the chief minister’s official residence here to get to him to quit first and then discuss his future role in the party.