Month: January 2012

New Delhi, January 27: In a reprieve for External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, the Supreme Court today stayed the Karnataka High Court order directing Lok Ayukta Police to probe him in the alleged illegal mining during his tenure as the chief minister of the state.

“We are inclined to stay the proceedings. Accordingly the proceedings on the FIR on the issue ordered by the Karnataka Lok Ayukta will remain stayed,” a bench comprising Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra said.

The bench also said that the probe ordered by the Lok Ayukta court was “premature”.

New Delhi, January 27: The US has taken a number of steps to simplify and quicken visa process and target 14 percent yearly increase in travellers from India that would help further strengthen business and political ties, an American diplomat said Friday.

The US consular team in India processed close to 700,000 visa applications in 2011, said James W. Herman, minister-counsellor for consular affairs at the US embassy here.

Lucknow, January 27: Congress’ “Vision Document 2020” for Uttar Pradesh lays out the roadmap for all round development by bringing in key changes in the sectors education, employment and economy in the state where it has been out of power for more than two decades.

The document released on Friday from 10 different cities focuses on nine main points and has enlisted very ambitious plans like setting up 1000 skill development centres to provide jobs to 20 lakh unemployed youths and amendments in law to check the persecution of females.

Hyderabad, January 27: The Central Zone task force arrested a person while trying to sell the skin of a deer.

It is said that Chowbin Suresh Kumar alias Surendar, a native of Gandhari village in Nizamabad, along with his friends Laxman and Shamsheer who were hunters, used to sell flesh and skin of animals after hunting them in forests.

About 20 days ago, Shamsheer hunted a deer in the forest of Hanumajipet, Banswada (M), in Nizamabad district, and handed over the deer skin to Laxman.

Laxman then gave the deer skin to Suresh, and asked him to sell it for good price in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad, January 27: Film star N Balakrishna who campaigns for Telugu Desham Party, on Thursday told that if the party directs he is ready to contest for the bye polls.

Talking to the media persons after hoisting the flag at Baswatarakam cancer hospital, Balakrishna told that he would abide by party’s decision.

This statement of Balakrishna assumes importance since the TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu had announced day before yesterday that Balakrishna will not contest in the bye polls but will enter election politics in general elections of 2014.

Siasat news

Srinagar, January 27: Muslim women separatist group, Dukhtaran-e-Milat (Daughters of Faith) headed by Asiya Andrabi, staged a demonstration in Srinagar Friday, demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a former Pakistan neuro scientist serving a prison term in the US.

Burqa clad activists of Dukhtaran-e-Milat carrying placards and banners torched the US flag in Press Enclave in Residency Road area Friday afternoon and demanded the release of Pakistan neuro scientist Aafia Siddiqui who is at present serving a prison term in the US.

New Delhi, January 27: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday said the government will lend all possible support to the two-year-old abandoned baby who is being treated for multiple injuries at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) but continues to battle for life.

“The Delhi government will support whatever her (the infant’s) needs are, we will fulfil her needs. We are waiting for the medical report, let it come,” Dikshit told reporters here.

Lucknow, January 27: Promising sops for every section of society in its manifesto for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, BJP today opposed 4.5 per cent reservation to minorities from the 27 per cent quota of backward classes even as it said it was committed to the construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

The manifesto was released by senior leaders, including Uma Bharati, Surya Pratap Shahi, Kalraj Mishra, Mukhtar Abas Naqvi, Narendra Singh Tomar and Suddhendra Kulkarni at the party office here.

Hyderabad, January 27: The 16th K S Vyas memorial lecture will be conducted on Friday, January 27, 11:30 am, at Rani Rudrama Devi auditorium, Andhra Pradesh Police Academy, Himayat Sagar.

Mr. M V Bhaskar Rao, IPS (retd.) will deliver lecture entitled ‘Changing requirement of society, police reaction’.

Siasat news

Hyderabad, January 27: ‘Sometimes we look at our empty vessels and to the huge water tank in our locality; it seems that it was built just to insult us. The day when it was completed, the whole locality gave a festive look. All were happy that they will get drinking water right at their door step, but 5 years have passed and no leader bothered to inaugurate the tank.

We are desperate for a drop of water. We quench our thirst by purchasing barrels at the cost of Rs 10 per barrel.’ This is the sad narrative of Mahboob Bi who resides at Ghouse Nagar Bandlaguda.

Washington, January 27: Bill Gates rode to the rescue of a beleaguered health fund Thursday by pledging $750 million to fight three of world’s killer diseases.
The Microsoft founder says the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s donation to the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
comes on top of $650 million it contributed to the fund over the past decade.

Islamabad, January 27: All stakeholders in the country favour democracy in Pakistan and “no one has a desire to violate the constitution”, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said in Davos where is attending the World Economic Forum.

Gilani Thursday rejected any perception of a clash between the state institutions and said all stakeholders in the country favoured democracy.

He said that since several things were happening at the same time, it was being felt that there was some kind of clash, reported Associated Press of Pakistan.

New Delhi, January 27: Giving a new mantra to over 70,000 CRPF troops engaged in anti-Naxal operations, its chief K Vijay Kumar has asked them to turn ‘junglee’ (inhabitants of forests) and hit the Maoists “hard” before eliminating them.

Kumar, who took over the reins of the force after the paramilitary suffered its biggest ever setback in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada where Naxals ambushed 75 men in 2010, has asked his men to be like hunters, who hide in the area of the hunt and ultimately “neutralise” it.

London, January 27: Despite the resignation by a senior member of the sustainability commission on the Bhopal tragedy issue, organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have said there were no plans to drop ‘Dow Chemical’ as the sponsor of the wrap around the main stadium.

Meredith Alexander, who is one of 12 commissioners of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 watchdog, resigned from her post, citing concerns about Dow’s relationship with the company responsible for the 1984 gas disaster.

Hyderabad, January 27: The stormy petrel of the Congress in the state has found a voice again. Former Congress MP from Khammam and now AICC spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury has fallen back on Telangana. In her quest for a Rajya Sabha nomination, the ‘strong’ lady is rallying together all the forces from the region.

Hyderabad, January 27: Andhra Pradesh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Friday conducted simultaneous raids on liquor syndicates across the state.

For the second time in a month, ACB officials raided offices and residences of liquor traders, excise department officials and others suspected to be a part of the powerful syndicates.

ACB sleuths conducted raids in Guntur, Prakasam, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Nellore districts and seized records, sources said.

Bhopal, January 27 (Pervez Bari): The rightist Bharatiya Janata Party ruled central Indian province Madhya Pradesh Government will hold an international contest for designing Bhopal Hajj House. The architect whose design is selected as the best will be presented an award of Rs. 100,000 by the state government.

Riyadh, January 27: Twitter announced Thursday that it would begin restricting Tweets in certain countries, marking a policy shift for the social media platform that helped propel the popular uprisings recently sweeping across the Middle East.

“As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression,” Twitter wrote in a blog post published Thursday.

New Delhi, January 27: Food inflation remained in the negative zone for the fourth week in a row, at (-)1.03 per cent for the week ended January 14, on account of cheaper vegetables.

Food inflation, as measured by the wholesale price index (WPI), was at (-)0.42 per cent in the previous week. It was above 17 per cent in the corresponding week of 2011. According to the official data released on Friday, onion prices fell steeply by 79.10 per cent, year-on-year, for the week under review, while potato prices were down 22.46 per cent. Prices of wheat also fell by 3.37 per cent.

Telaviv, January 27: An encounter between a snake and a baby in an Israeli city ended unexpectedly when the boy killed the reptile — by biting off its head.

The 1-year-old, named Imad Gadir from Shfaram in northern Israel, found the 35-centimetre-long snake in his room on Thursday morning and was chewing on it when his mother found him, the Ynet website reported on Friday.

Her horrified screams alerted a neighbour, who rushed to the house and grabbed the remains of the snake from the boy’s hands.

Kokata, January 27: senior doctors of AMRI Hospital, Dr. Mani Chettri and Dr. Pranab Dasgupta have been taken into custody today in connection with the death of 93 people. They are members of the hospital board. The arrest followed extensive police interrogation. Earlier 6 board members were arrested on 10 December, 2011 on charges of culpable homicide.

Hyderabad, January 27: The Andhra Pradesh Development Project, with aid from the World Bank and grants from the 13th Finance Commission, will ensure planned growth of urban areas, including Hyderabad city, in the next five years. Addressing the Republic Day Parade held at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad here on Thursday, governor ESL Narasimhan said that for overall development of Greater Hyderabad, Phase-II of the 100-Day Action Plan was being implemented by spending about Rs 900 crore.

Hyderabad, January 27: India’s 63rd Republic Day was celebrated at Andhra Pradesh high court. Chief justice Andhra Pradesh, Justice Madan Bhim Rao Lokur hoisted the flag. On the occasion Justice Ghulam Mohammad, Justice Naushad Ali, other judges of high court and a large number of senior advocates were present.

Chief justice of Andhra Pradesh conveyed his greetings to people of the state and advocates on the occasion of 63rd Republic Day. He delivered a short speech addressing the gathering.

Siasat news

Hyderabad, January 27: The country can develop only by allowing the minorities and backward classes to benefit from the fruits of development. These views were expressed by TDP supremo Mr. N Chandrababu Naidu while delivering his speech, following flag hoisting ceremony on the 63rd Republic Day at NTR Trust Bhawan.

In a crime that is prevalent only in India, greedy husbands and his relatives harass the newly wed bride for getting more dowry, and often kill her in the process. And, very often, she is burnt alive. This horror is therefore called bride-burning or in official terms, dowry death.

In 2010, there were 8391 reported cases of dowry death in the country. That works out to a shocking one death every hour approximately. Bride-burning is on the increase – just a decade ago, in 2000, there were 6995 cases.