Month: October 2011

Paris, October 06: I was against the French ban on full-faced veils before I was for it.

If that sounds like a mushy effort to have it both ways, it’s not. I changed my mind after spending time in the first European country to ban the traditional religious garb in public places.

Plenty of Muslim women here wear headscarves — you can see the face and eyes — but the French banned the public wearing of face-hiding burqas and niqabs.

Certainly, in a perfect world, women of all religious faiths would be able to express their religious beliefs wherever they are.

Mumbai, October 06: Actor Asin Thottumkal, who’s already a big name down south, said she’s fascinated to be a part of Bollywood, on a chat show hosted by Simi Garewal recently. “I feel very grateful to God to get an opportunity to be working with the best of the best,” she said.

New York, October 06: Anna Hazare felt that some of his team members had “ego problems” and he was not getting the “right feedback” on the negotiations during his August agitation for a strong Lokpal, a US newspaper has said.

However, Hazare in a statement, claimed he was misquoted by ‘The New York Times’ and there was no question of removing Arvind Kejriwal or Prashant Bhushan from the core committee leading the agitation.

Hyderabad, October 06: Telangana supporters on Wednesday organised rallies, sit-ins and other forms of protest as part of the ongoing general strike in the region in support of the demand for statehood.

Raising slogans in support of their demand, the Telangana supporters across the region held protests demanding that the Centre concede the separate statehood demand at the earliest.

Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC) convener M Kodandaram asked the people to raise the Telangana demand during Vijayadasami celebrations tomorrow.

Chandigarh, October 06: The Haryana State Legal Services Authority has set up a toll-free helpline to provide legal assistance to the girls who have been pushed into sex trade. A victim of sex trade who is in distress and who is compelled to continue with the trade can avail the benefit of the helpline number 1800-180-2057 to get legal assistance and get rescued, an official release said today (Oct 5).

NGO members and other people could also use the helpline to report such incidents to the Executive Chairman or Secretary of the State Legal Services Authority, it added.

—-PTI

Hyderabad, October 06: The power crisis in the state is deepening. The thermal power stations have coal stocks that can last only for the next three days. After that, what? This is the big question now.

Though chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy could persuade the Prime Minister and get 800 mw from Eastern grid (11 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and 200 mw (round the clock) from Haryana, it comes as no great comfort since the thermal stations are facing closure for want of coal and hydel generation kept on hold with inflows into reservoirs stopping altogether.

Bhopal, October 06 (Pervez Bari): The October 5, 2011 will go down as one of the most memorable day in the lives of the girl child in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh as state-wide campaign was launched not only to ensure their honourable existence in this world but to empower them in every possible manner.

Mumbai, October 06: A day after autorickshaw drivers got a 50 paise/km fare hike, they were targeted by alleged Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists, who damaged two autos at Sion, beat up drivers and forced them to ply by the meter and not refuse passengers in various parts of the suburbs.

Hyderabad, October 06: The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) on Wednesday informed all the candidates who are writing Group-II Services Examination to be held on October 15 and 16 at Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy Centres that certain changes have been made in the venues of examination.

The APPSC has requested the all the candidates to download the Hall Tickets from October 6, 4 pm onwards.

——Agencies

Hyderabad, October 06: There are no offices. No transport to go anywhere. Children who usually give you peace of mind by going to school are no longer going to schools. They remain in the house and give you plenty of head ache. What would you do in such a situation. You would walk to the nearest bar and forget all your worries there. But liquor is not going to give solace to you any longer as the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme will have its influence on the liquor trade in the region, as Excise employees are also joining it. This news is particularly bad for the Dasara revelers.

Mumbai, October 06: Shah Rukh Khan may be an inspiration to millions but the superstar is in awe of Amitabh Bachchan. And among younger actors, he feels Ranveer Singh is blessed with confidence and energy.

“Apart from Amitji`s good looks, voice, experience, personality and talent, the greatest virtue I find in him is the immense amount of knowledge he has,” the 45-year-old said at an event here.

Shah Rukh has shared screen space with Amitabh in films like “Mohabbatein”, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam” and “Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna”.

Vienna, October 06: In a rare honour, two Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets escorted the Air India One aircraft carrying President Pratibha Patil as it entered the Austrian airspace.

Within seconds of entering the Austrian airspace from Switzerland yesterday, two mean looking and gleaming jets appeared suddenly on the left side of the President’s plane.

Had the people on board including journalists not known before about the fighters escorting the plane, many would have skipped a heartbeat to see the combat jets right next to them.

Washington, October 06: United States President Barack Obama made a rare statement mourning the passing of Steve Jobs (56), Cofounder, Chairman and former Chief Executive of Apple Inc., saying that he and First Lady Michelle Obama were saddened to learn of the death of one of “the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”

Washington,October 06:A number of top Obama Administration officials, including White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, confirmed that there is a “secret panel” which exists now that can order American citizens assassinated with no judicial oversight.

Vietor declined to give any information related to the process of how the panel decides who lives and who dies, but officials say as far as they know cleric Anwar Awlaki was the only American they have ordered executed yet.

Ralegan Siddhi, October 06: Anna Hazare on Tuesday said that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had done “wrong” by arresting IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt as the matter was with the Supreme Court.

“Bhatt has submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court. The matter is with the Supreme Court. Then what is the need to arrest him. This is wrong,” Mr. Hazare told a press conference.

He was replying to a question if his plan to campaign against Congress in case it does not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament’s Winter Session will be construed as support to BJP.

New Delhi, October 06: Shweta Bhatt, wife of arrested IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, wrote another letter to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday about the alleged “ill-treatment” being meted out to her husband in custody.

With the letter, she has attached a CD with a recording of Bhatt in the Ahmedabad Crime Branch’s custody where he was allegedly ill-treated.

Hyderabad, October 06: State Road Transport Corporation Managing Director Prasada Rao on Wednesday stated that the officials have been asked to take assistance of local police to prevent stoning of buses in various districts.

Hyderabad, October 06: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday directed the officials to see that all essential supplies and emergency services are maintained so that the common man is not put to any inconvenience, particularly during the festival days. He asked the officials to constantly monitor the situation to help the people to the maximum possible.

Hyderabad, October 06: Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) will organize a three-day international seminar on ‘Islamic Art and Culture’ from November 25 to 27. The seminar is being organized in collaboration with Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi and Muslim Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (MESCO).

Moscow, October 06: Apple founder and former-CEO Steve Jobs died at the age of 56, Apple stated on its website Thursday.

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being,” RIA Novosti quoted the company as saying. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Jobs had been struggling with cancer since 2003. He underwent a successful surgery in 2004 and a liver transplantation in 2008.

Hyderabad, October 06: Fed up with the state of affairs in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress bosses in Delhi are ready to clamp President’s rule in the state, if the there is no let-up in the agitations for Telangana.

“It is not that President’s rule will be clamped pucca, but mentally the Congress high command is ready to sacrifice its own government in the state,” highly reliable sources confided to the TOI.

Kochi, October 06: It seems like a Gandhi statue is to be displaced at the behest of some politicians and businessmen for a bar hotel in Kerala. The Gandhi statue in news is the one at Gandhi square in Poonithura, Kochi.

Local people are opposed with the idea and several posters have been appeared in the area against the alleged move to replace bapu’s statue.

Hyderabad, October 06: Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Directorate of Distance Education, has postponed its term end U.G., P.G. & other exams in Andhra Pradesh.

The examinations were scheduled to start from October 10. According to Controller of Examination, the examinations have been postponed only for A.P. Study Centres. New dates will be announced later.

Term end exams for all the study centres outside Andhra Pradesh will be held as scheduled from October 10.

——–Agencies

Islamabad, October 06: Pakistan will extend its ‘full political, moral and diplomatic support’ to Kashmiri people; Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday and underlined the need to resolve the Kashmir issue through negotiations.

Gilani made the remarks while addressing a session of the Council of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that was held in Islamabad to approve the body’s budget for 2011-12.

Hyderabad, October 06: Unlike last time when all services were stopped following the two-day Rail Roko call by the pro-Telangana parties, the South Central Railway would operate its services during the three-day Rail Roko call from October 9.