Month: August 2011

Muslims in Nigeria will Monday join their counterparts from other parts of the world to begin a month-long Ramadan fast. Within the next 30 days, adherents of the Islamic faith will observe the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar by abstaining from food, drink and sex from dawn till dusk.

Pregnant and women in their monthly cycle, the sick, travellers and prepubescent children are exempt from the fast, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Hyderabad, August 01: Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has given a call for launch of a three-day blockade of the highways in the Telangana region, on the lines of the 90-day blockade enforced in the north-eastern state of Manipur, to increase the pressure on the Central government.

Bhopal, August 01 (Pervez Bari): Indian Space Research Organization, (ISRO), with the joint effort of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has installed a carbon measurement centre at Sukwan beat of Tawadi forest division in Betul district of the state. Testing of various sensors has also been started from the tower of this centre.

This was informed during a presentation in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Mr. Sartaj Singh and officials of the Department at Forest Rest house here on Saturday.

Bhopal, August 01 (Pervez Bari): Planning Commission of India has recognised as best the software developed by the Madhya Pradesh State Planning Commission for decentralised district planning system.

Hyderabad, August 01: Senior Telugu Desam Party leader Dadi Veerabhadra Rao on Sunday demanded that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy accept the resignations of his Cabinet colleagues if he fails to get them to fall in line.

Talking to media persons at Assembly premises, Mr Veerabhadra Rao stated that the administration in the state has came to a grinding halt due to resignations of the Ministers and their non-functioning even after these resignations have been rejected.

New Delhi, August 01: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday expressed the hope that the Centre will overcome the crisis created by the resignations of Legislators from Telangana.

Talking to media persons here on the eve of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Dr Manmohan Singh’s expression of confidence came even as Congress In-Charge of Andhra Pradesh Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad rang up the Congress Telangana Steering Committee members twice, asking them to withdraw their resignations.

Hyderabad, August 01: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bandaru Dattatreya on Sunday demanded that the state government provide all arrangements for the upcoming Ganesh Utsav beginning from September 1.

Talking to media persons after participating as the chief guest in Ganesh Utsav Committee meeting, Mr Dattatreya said the government should not cause any hurdles in organising the festival.

The senior BJP leader pointed out that the Ganesh Utsav would begin in the state from September 1 and will conclude on September 11.

Hyderabad, August 01: Telangana Rashtra Samithi Deputy Floor Leader in the State Assembly T Harish Rao on Sunday alleged that the Congress and Telugu Desam Party members are ‘playing dramas’ on resignations.

Addressing a gathering after releasing of `Kandena’ a magazine at Basheer Bagh Press Club, Harish Rao stated that both the Congress and Telugu Desam Party members are dillydallying on resignations despite TRS members submitting resignation afresh for the cause of separate statehood.

Hyderabad, August 01: Senior Congress leader and Telangana Congress Steering Committee Co-Chairman K Kesava Rao demanded that the Centre complete the consultation process with Telangana and Seemandhra leaders over separate statehood demand by September 17.

Speaking to media persons on Sunday, Mr Kesava Rao disclosed that Congress In-Charge for Andhra Pradesh Affairs and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had spoken to him on Sunday morning and had requested him again to withdraw the resignations.

Hyderabad, August 01: The present pleasant weather conditions would continue in the city and its neighbourhood for the next 48 hours as the sky would be generally cloudy, the Met office said on Sunday.

The met office added that rain or thunder showers would occur in parts of city while the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 32 and 22 degrees celsius respectively.

The Maximum temperature recorded in the past 24 hours was 34.0 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature 21.6 degree Celsius.

Kurnool, August 01: Sri Srisaila Bhramarambika Mallikharjuna Swamy temple Executive Officer Venkateswarlu on Sunday stated that the administrative board of Trust has taken a unanimous decision to sell all Arjita Seva tickets through branches of Andhra Bank.

Talking to media persons after emerging out of a meeting of the Trust’s administrative board at Srisailam temple, the Executive Officer said the Trust has decided to sell darshan tickets and all Arjita Seva tickets including for Rudrabhishekham, Seeghra Darshan, and Atiseeghra darshan through the branches of Andhra Bank.

Hyderabad, August 01: Communist Party of India state secretary K Narayana on Sunday appealed to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to take immediate steps for protecting the interests of 2,000 students, who are pursuing their studies in University of Northern Virginia at Annandale(UNVA), which is being investigated for alleged visa fraud.

Hyderabad, August 01: Congress MP from Nagarkurnool Manda Jagannadham on Sunday stated that the Telangana MPs would announce their future course after Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar takes a decision on their resignations.

Talking to media persons after emerging out of MPs meeting convened at MP Madhu Yaskhi residence in Banjara Hills, Mr Jagannadham said that the Telangana MPs would meet in New Delhi on Monday and announce their action plan once Ms Meira Kumar takes a decision on their resignations.

Kolkata, August 01: At least three persons were killed and over 50 others sustained injuries when six coaches and the engine of Bangalore-bound Guwahati-Bangalore Express veered off the tracks and were subsequently hit by a local train coming from the opposite direction.

The incident occurred near Jamirghata, about 10 km from Maldah in North Bengal on Sunday evening.

Hyderabad, August 01: For most non-Muslims, the mention of ‘Ramzan’ conjures up an image of the delicious Haleem and the ‘Sheer Korma’, but for the Muslims, these are the furthest things in their minds.

The Muslims’ only focus is to abstain from all foods and liquids throughout the day and offer as many additional prayers as possible.

Interestingly, the ubiquitous Haleem stalls are thronged by Muslims who are away from their homes for jobs or any other purposes, besides a large number of non-Muslims who take the opportunity to relish the dish which is quite nutritious.

Hyderabad, August 01: Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha on Sunday cautioned President Pratibha Patil, Speaker Meira Kumar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to be beware of the possible curse of around 600 mothers whose children have committed suicide in despair that their supreme sacrifice has not had the desired effect of the creation of a separate Telangana state.

Hyderabad, August 01: Senior Telangana leader from Telugu Desam Party Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy on Sunday alleged that the state government is playing with the lives of thousands of students of the region by going ahead with conducting recruitment examinations for the posts of police Sub-Inspectors without the controversial Clause 14 F being deleted from the Presidential Order of 1975.

This Clause facilitates the inclusion of Hyderabad in Sixth Zone.

Hyderabad, August 01: The role of the Gali brothers and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and his son YS Jaganmohan Mohan Reddy has come in to sharp focus as a political crisis in neighbouring Karnataka state is set to take its toll on the incumbent Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.

One of the main reasons behind the present political crisis in Karnataka, the illegal mining operations, has also taken a heavy toll, rather unprecedented, on the state’s treasury.

Abu Dhabi, August 01: Umm al Quwain, one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, will release 162 prisoners during Ramadan.

These prisoners will be released for exhibiting good conduct while serving terms in the punitive and reformative institutions in the emirate.

UAE supreme council member and Umm Al Qaiwain ruler Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla, while ordering prisoners’ release, expressed hope that this will give them an opportunity to join their families soon and live the rest of their lives as good individuals.

London, August 01: Europe’s obsession with the way Muslim women choose to dress is far from over. Several months after France banned the burqa, a garment that covers the face and body, from public spaces, Belgium has followed suit. As of last week, women wearing the burqa in public (who constitute a tiny minority in the country) will be fined and could spend up to seven days in prison.

Srinagar, August 01 People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti and hardline Hrriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani were placed under house arrest by authorities here to prevent them visiting north Kashmir’s Sopore town where a youth died in police custody Sunday.

“A police contingent prevented Mehbooba Mufti as she came out of the Gupkar Road residence of her father, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, this (Sunday) afternoon. Mehbooba Mufti wanted to visit Sopore town where a youth has died in (police) custody,” PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar told IANS.