Month: February 2012

Iran to mass-produce cruise missile

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Tehran, February 05: Iran has launched the mass-production of the Zafar (Triumph) marine cruise missile for delivery to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces.

“Zafar is a radar-controlled, short range torpedo with the capability to destroy small and medium targets with high precision,” Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said at the inaugural ceremony Saturday, the fourth day of the 10-Day Dawn celebrations marking the 33th anniversary of the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979.

‘UPA has no moral authority to stay in power’

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New Delhi, February 05: Yoga guru Ramdev on Saturday said the UPA has lost its “moral authority” to continue in power after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 spectrum licences given to telecom operators and alleged that the Congress was after him since he started his campaign on black money issue.

Ramdev along with Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy launched the Action Committee Against Corruption in India that has members from all sections of the society. The ACACI would work on a legislation on the black money issue.

‘States ruled by Congress involved in corruption’

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Khammam,February 05: States ruled by the Congress party are involved in massive corruption, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat alleged here on Saturday.

“Resources of this country running into lakhs and crores of rupees are being looted. Wherever there is a Congress government like in Andhra Pradesh, we see corruption in all walks of life,” Karat said at a public meeting organised by the party here.

CPI(M) would try to work with other democratic and secular forces in the country to build strong movements on peoples’ issues, Karat had said yesterday at the part meeting.

Kiran Reddy to meet top leaders in Delhi today

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Hyderabad, February 05: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will meet top leaders at the Centre on Saturday.

It is expected that the Chief Minister would meet top Central leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to discuss various issues concerning the state like reshuffle of his Cabinet.

Reddy expanded his Cabinet recently by inducting two legislators of erstwhile Praja Rajyam, though it was expected that he would undertake a reshuffle.

–Agencies

Head Constable commits sucide

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Hyderabad, February 04: Disgusted with family problems, a Police Head Constable allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself at Erragudapalm police station in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh today.

Police said, two bullets had pierced the chest and abdomen of 52-year-old Krupanandam’s body.

Police also said, they were ascertaining the exact cause of death as to whether he had shot himself or the carbon rifle which he had during the time of his death had misfired.

Krupanandam was recently transferred to Erragudapalem police station. He is survived by his wife and two children.

President greet nation on Milad-un-Nabi

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New Delhi, Febuary 04: President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday greeted the nation on the eve of Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

“On the joyous occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, I express my greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens,” said the president in her message.

“May the message of service to humanity as taught by the Holy Prophet lead all of us to unity and fellowship,” she said.

No Alliance with criminals and thieves, vows Rahul

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Varanasi, February 04: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Saturday asserted that he was content with his party being out of power in Uttar Pradesh but would not join hands with any undesirable elements.

“We will not align with criminals and thieves at any cost,” he said at an election rally in Pindra, 28 km from this eastern Uttar Pradesh city.

“I do not mind even if you give just two or four seats to the Congress in UP, but let me make it very clear that under no circumstances will we make any compromises.”

Relief for Chidambaram: Key points of court decision

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New Delhi, Febuary 04:Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy’s plea to make Home Minister P. Chidambaram a co-accused in the 2G case was Saturday dismissed by a special CBI court in Delhi. The following are the key points of the verdict:

* There is no material on record to show that P. Chidambaram was acting malafide in fixing the price of spectrum at the 2001 level or in permitting dilution of equity by the two companies.

* These two acts are not per se illegal and there is no further material on record to show any other incriminating act on the part of P. Chidambaram.

Indonesian twins reunited in Sweden after 29 years

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London, Febuary 04: Indonesian twin sisters were reunited 29 years after they were separated at birth but ended up living just 25 miles apart in Sweden, Daily Mail reported Saturday.

Non-identical twins Emilie Falk and Lin Backman were adopted from an orphanage in Indonesia by different Swedish parents nearly 29 years ago.

In a remarkable turn of events, they both ended up living in south Sweden, less than an hour’s drive away from each other.

260 dead, flights cancelled as cold disaster strikes Europe

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London, February 04: London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday cancelled 30 per cent of Sunday’s flights as it braced for heavy snow and freezing fog.

The airport, which is expecting up to 15 centimetres (six inches) of snow overnight, said it would publish a list of the flights it will operate on its website at 6pm (1800GMT) Saturday, but warned further cancellations were possible.

SMS will now be treated as train ticket

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Mumbai, February 04: Booking an outstation train ticket is much easier now. All it requires is a few keystrokes on your cellphone. The ticket comes in the form of an SMS, which can be shown to the ticket checker instead of a paper ticket.

Railway officials said there was good response to the Mobile Rail Ticket Booking Service, which has been introduced by the IRCTC. Tickets can be booked on the mobile website: www.irctc.co.in/mobile.

The IRCTC mobile website is convenient and easy to use, and can be accessed from any browser enabled mobile having basic GPRS activated on the phone.

Nurse case: CBI custody of accused extended till Feb 6

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Jodhpur, February 04: A court here Saturday remanded two accused arrested in connection with the disappearance of nurse Bhanwari Devi to judicial custody for 14 days, while the CBI custody of another accused was extended till Feb 6, officials said.

Three accused – Pukhraj Bishnoi, Dinesh Bishnoi and Reshmaram Bishnoi – were presented in court of an additional chief judicial magistrate after completion of their Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand.

US changing visa rules to attract the highly-skilled

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Washington, February 04: To make America more attractive to highly-skilled foreign students and workers, the United States has announced a series of reforms, including changes in the F-1 and H-1B visa rules, that may benefit professionals from India.

The interim measures are aimed at improving the competitiveness of US companies in the world market and stimulating US job creation before comprehensive immigration reforms for “fixing our broken immigration system,” the Department of Homeland Security announced.

Another IAS officer appears before CBI in Jagan case

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Hyderabad, February 04: Another senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Saturday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case involving alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

K. Ratna Prabha, an IAS officer of Karnataka cadre who worked in Andhra Pradesh on deputation for last six years, was quizzed by CBI officials for over three hours at Dilkusha guest house, the camp office of the CBI, the agency’s officials said.

Never-say-die Swamy ‘will appeal’ against judgement

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New Delhi, February 04: The never-say-die Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy Saturday said he was surprised but not disappointed and would appeal against a trial court’s decision to dismiss his plea against Home Minister P. Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

“I am surprised…but not disappointed because this is part of the game,” Swamy told reporters here minutes after the order of Special CBI judge O.P. Saini dismissing his plea to make Chidambaram an accused in the 2G case.

“I will appeal in the high court and if need be I will go to the Supreme Court,” said Swamy.

Ministry aspirants on tenterhooks

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Hyderabad, February 04: Congress leaders aspiring for a Cabinet berth are on tenterhooks, a day before Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy leaves for Delhi early on Saturday. Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy will seek permission from the party leadership for a full-fledged expansion, unlike last time when he was instructed to include two Praja Rajyam leaders in the Cabinet.

Advani Talks of Ram Temple in Ayodhya

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Ayodhya, February 04: Raking up the Ayodhya issue, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said the aim of his life would be achieved the day a grand Ram temple was constructed in this holy city.

Addressing an election rally here, he reiterated his determination to construct a magnificent Ram temple at Ayodhya.

The then Rajiv Gandhi government should have taken an initiative for construction of a Ram temple on the lines of the one taken by the then Congress dispensation for Somnath temple, the BJP veteran said.

Show of force: Iran begins war games near Hormuz

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Tehran, February 04: Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard began naval maneuvers Saturday in the latest show of force near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf oil tanker route that Tehran has threatened to close in retaliation for tougher Western sanctions.

Plans for new Iranian war games in the Gulf have been in the works for weeks. But they got under way following stern warnings by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about any possible US or Israeli attacks against Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

King and IMF chief analyze global economic challenges

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Riyadh, February 04: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah discussed world economic developments and matters related to the International Monetary Fund with its Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Friday.

This is her maiden visit to the Kingdom ever since she became the IMF chief in July last year.

Recently, the IMF urged member states to contribute $500 billion in new lending resources to tackle the European debt crisis to avoid a 1930s-style global depression.

Why Russia protects Syria’s Assad

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Syria February 04: As casualties mount before the brutal onslaught of Bashar al-Assad’s forces against Syria’s pro-democracy protesters, the Russians are being unhelpful again. In Washington and Brussels, even habitually cool diplomats have been showing frustration.

On January 31 Russia joined with China to block a plan presented to the U.N. Security Council by Morocco and supported by the Arab League that called on Assad to hand power to his deputy, who would then call a general election. If Assad did not comply within 15 days, the resolution threatened undisclosed “further measures.”

Show of force: Iran begins war games near Hormuz

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Tehran, February 04: Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard began naval maneuvers Saturday in the latest show of force near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf oil tanker route that Tehran has threatened to close in retaliation for tougher Western sanctions.

Plans for new Iranian war games in the Gulf have been in the works for weeks. But they got under way following stern warnings by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about any possible US or Israeli attacks against Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

Germany Shari`ah Law Under Fire

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Berlin, February 04: The justice minister of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate has been facing fierce criticism from different politicians over his recent remarks about the possibility of applying Shari`ah laws in Germany in civil cases related to Muslim marriage and divorce, Der Spiegel reported on Friday, February 3.

“It is inconceivable that a justice minister fosters such ideas,” said Stephan Mayer, a parliamentarian for the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats.

Snow expected across much of Britain

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Forecasters, February 04: The Met Office has issued more than a dozen severe weather warnings, spreading across much of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

BAA has cancelled one-third of Sunday’s flights from Heathrow Airport.
Heathrow’s chief operating officer Normand Boivin said the decision to introduce a revised flight schedule before snow has fallen was taken in an effort to minimse disruption to passengers.

A list of which flights will operate will be available on the Heathrow website from around 1800 GMT on Saturday.

Minor girl raped by father

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Seoni, February 04: An 11-year old girl was raped by her own father at their residence here, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Thursday, when the accused, identified as Laxmi Prasad, allegedly raped his daughter, when his wife had gone to a relative’s place to attend a marriage function, police said.

After her mother’s return, the girl narrated the incident to her as well as to some other close relatives, following which, a complaint was registered and Prasad was arrested under section 376 IPC, they said adding that he was sent to jail by a local court on Saturday.

UP polls phase-II: 118 have criminal background

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Lucknow, February 04: As many as 109 candidates contesting the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have criminal cases pending against them, according to a monitoring group.

Of the total 337 candidates in fray for the second phase of elections slated for February 11, Uttar Pradesh Election Watch (UPEW) found that 118 (35 per cent) have criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery and extortion, pending against them.