Month: February 2012

Kishenji was killed in fake shootout: Mahasweta Devi

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Kolkata, February 03: Claiming that top Maoist leader Kishenji was killed in a “fake” shootout by the security forces, Magsaysay awardee author-activist Mahasweta Devi Friday said the government must probe and bring out the truth behind his death.

“Not only we, but many outside the country doubt how he was killed. There are enough reasons to doubt. It is the duty of the (West Bengal) government to find out the facts regarding his death and reveal them before the public,” Mahasweta Devi said.

Syrian security forces tortured children, rights group says

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Syria, February 03: Syrian army and security officers detained and tortured children with impunity during the past year, a rights group said in a report Friday, as it urged the United Nations to take action.

The Human Rights Watch report comes as the U.N. Security Council considers a draft resolution intended to pressure Syria to end its months-long crackdown on anti-government demonstrators — and as violence continues unabated in Syria.

U.S. accuses Sudan of bombing civilians

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United State, February 03: The United States accused Sudan of targeting civilians in recent air strikes, including one that destroyed a Bible school in South Kordofan, an oil-rich Sudanese province that borders the newly-created independent country of South Sudan.

“The United States strongly condemns the bombing by the Sudanese Armed Forces of civilian populations in Southern Kordofan,” a White House statement said. “Aerial attacks on civilian targets are unjustified and unacceptable. Such attacks are a violation of international law and compound the ongoing crisis in these areas.”

UK Cabinet minister to resign over speeding case

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London, February 03 — A British Cabinet minister said Friday he is resigning after authorities announced he faces charges in connection with a speeding offense he allegedly blamed on his ex-wife.

Both Energy and Climate Secretary Chris Huhne and his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, will be charged, Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said in a televised statement.

The Liberal Democrat member of the coalition government said he would resign from his Cabinet post to defend the case in court.

Iran’s leader: War would be detrimental to U.S.

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Tehran, February 03– The supreme leader of Iran issued a blunt warning Friday that war would be detrimental to the United States — and that Iran is ready to help anyone who confronts “cancerous” Israel.

“You see every now and then in this way they say that all options are on the table. That means even the option of war,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during Friday prayers in Tehran. “This is how they make these threats against us.

“Well, these kinds of threats are detrimental to the U.S.,” he said. “The war itself will be 10 times as detrimental to the U.S.”

CBI questions Andhra’s former chief secretary

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Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh’s former chief secretary P Ramakanth Reddy on Friday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case of alleged illegal assets of YSR Congress leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

For the second consecutive day, the CBI officials were questioning the senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who was the chief secretary when Jaganmohan Reddy’s father YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister.

Europe’s cold snap claims more lives

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London, February 03 — Eastern and central Europe continue to shiver under a blanket of heavy snow Friday, with more deaths reported after bitter cold overnight temperatures.

Ukraine is probably the worst affected, with Poland, Romania, Serbia and Belarus also suffering much more severe winter conditions than usual.
Thirty-eight people have died of hypothermia in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, according to the state-run news agency Ukrinform, citing government ministries.

Key Indian Mujahideen member arrested

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New Delhi, February 03: In a breakthrough, Delhi Police has arrested a person from Bihar who is claimed to be founder-member of Indian Mujahideen.

Mohd Tarique Anjuman was apprehended from suburbs of Patna last evening and brought to Delhi where he was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate who remanded him in police custody for 15 days, official sources said.

The sources said Anjuman was an active member of banned SIMI organisation since 1998 and later was one of the founder members of Indian Mujahideen since 2003 along with Iqbal Bhatkal.

Somalia famine ends, but situation still dire

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Nairobi, February 03: – The United Nations declared an end to famine conditions in Somalia today, but warned that with recurrent droughts in the Horn of Africa hunger remains a threat unless long-term measures are taken to restore food security.

Four more held for Yanam violence

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Yanam, February 03: The Puducherry police on Friday arrested four more persons in connection with the recent violence at Yanam town, which led to the killing of a senior executive of Regency Ceramics, and caused huge damage to the company’s plant.

The arrested accused persons been identified as Yandamuri Hanumantha Rao, Yerragunta Suryanarayana, Mohammed Khan and Meda Venkatesh. They were later produced before the Yanam sub-court which remaned them to judicial custody for 14 days.

Earlier, five persons were arrested by the Puducherry police in connection with the violence.

HC grants CBI custody for Sunil, Vijaya Raghav

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Hyderabad, February 03: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday granted CBI custody for N Sunil Reddy and Vijay Raghava, for further interrogation into the APIIC-Emaar scam.

While Sunil was granted three days’ custody, Vijay Rahghavan would be in CBI’s custody for five days. The court directed the probing agency to conduct interrogation from 8 am to 6 pm and also conduct the medical check-up of both the accused.

Three killed, 50 injured in Assam train accident

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Guwahati/New Delhi, Febuary 03: At least three people were killed and 50 injured when a Guwahati-bound train hit a road construction vehicle at an unmanned crossing near here Friday morning, a railway official said. Five coaches went off the tracks while four other coaches overturned under the impact.

The Chilarai Passenger Express was coming from New Bongaigaon station in lower Assam when it hit a JCB vehicle at Gosaikhat area near Mirza, 15 km from here, at around 9.45 a.m., said railway public relations officer S. Hajong.

US expands case against ex-Goldman director Gupta

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New York, February 03: Federal prosecutors expanded their insider trading case against former Goldman Sachs Group Inc director Rajat Gupta on Tuesday, saying the illegal activity lasted longer and involved more trades than alleged.

A new indictment filed in Manhattan federal court expanded the period in which Gupta, 63, supposedly provided illegal tips to his friend Raj Rajaratnam, the Galleon Group hedge fund founder now serving an 11-year prison term following his insider trading conviction.

Britain will freeze

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London, Febuary 03: Temperatures in Britain were expected to plunge to as low as minus 10 degrees celsius this weekend as the Arctic freeze tightens its grip, Daily Mail reported Friday.

Around two inches of snow covered Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in white, while in the Pennines, fences and phone masts resembled ice sculptures.

The Met Office said up to four inches of snow could fall over the weekend across much of England and Wales, with southern and central areas likely to see the worst of it.

19 infants die in two Bengal hospitals

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Kolkata, Febuary 03:Highlighting the poor state of health services in West Bengal, 19 infants have died in two district government hospitals in the past two days, a state official said Friday.

Nine infants died at Malda Medical College and Hospital, while 10 perished at the Bankura Sammilani Medical College since Wednesday.

Kishenji fake shootout: Mahasweta Devi

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Kolkata, Febuary 03: Claiming that top Maoist leader Kishenji was killed in a “fake” shootout by the security forces, Magsaysay awardee author-activist Mahasweta Devi Friday said the government must probe and bring out the truth behind his death.

“Not only we, but many outside the country doubt how he was killed. There are enough reasons to doubt. It is the duty of the (West Bengal) government to find out the facts regarding his death and reveal them before the public,” Mahasweta Devi said.

Obama re-election odds may rise as unemployment falls

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Washington, February 03: US President Barack Obama called Friday’s jobs report a sign the US economy is on the rebound. His prospects for re-election may depend on it.

Improving numbers: US President Barack Obama waves to supporters at Shaker Heights High School, Ohio on 4 January. Photo: Tony Dejak/AP

The drop in the unemployment rate in December to 8.5%, a three-year low, showed the job market gaining momentum heading into a presidential election campaign that will be shaped by the state of the economy.

We are scapegoats, say Andhra IAS officers

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Hyderabad, February 03: Rattled by the arrest of two senior colleagues in Emaar and illegal mining cases, IAS officers in Andhra Pradesh Friday told Chief Minister N. Kiran Reddy that they were being made scapegoats.

Over 30 IAS officers met Reddy and conveyed their “anguish” over the manner in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was probing various cases.

“We don’t know why we are being targeted. The innocents and those who may have complicity are being clubbed together,” said senior IAS officer Prasanta Mahapatra.

Vote for change, Priyanka Gandhi urges UP voters

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Lucknow, February 03: In a move to boost the Congress campaign led by her brother Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Friday addressed public meetings in his parliamentary constituency Amethi and asked the people “to vote for change” in the state, ruled by non-Congress parties since 1989.

“People are not getting their due rights … Politics has turned opportunistic,” she said at a meeting in Balbhadrapur.

Noting that the state’s politics has been based on religion and caste for the past 20 years, she called upon people to vote for a change of regime in the state.

Raja Choudhary arrested for drunken brawl

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Jaipur, Febuary 03: Rajasthan police Friday arrested small screen actor Raja Choudhary for getting into a brawl with the security guards of a private hospital under the influence of alcohol, said an official.

Choudhary, who became a familiar name after his appearance in the popular reality show “Big Boss 2”, is accused of “disruption of peace”.

He came here from Delhi Thursday and was staying at a relative’s house in Chitrakoot area.

UPA misused telecom policy: BJP

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New Delhi, February 03: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday blamed the UPA government for “misusing” the telecom policy and said the Supreme Court order on the 2G spectrum allocation was similar to parliament’s Public Accounts Committee report on the issue.

Court has not blamed PM in 2G scam: Pawar

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Mumbai, February 03: Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar Friday defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that the Supreme Court verdict cancelling 2G licences was not a denunciation of the government.

“The court has taken note of the PM’s letter to then telecom minister A. Raja to ensure fairness and transparency in spectrum allocation,” Pawar told reporters here.

“The Supreme Court has noted that the prime minister had done his job. Hence, the prime minister of the UPA government cannot be blamed,” he added.

Apex court’s final hearing on Gujarat Lokayukta March 20

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New Delhi, February 03: The Supreme Court Friday said it would hold final hearing March 20 on the Gujarat government’s plea challenging the state high court judgment that upheld the appointment of Justice (retd) R.A. Mehta as Lokayukta by the governor.

While admitting the petition, an apex court bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice Jagdish Singh Kheher observed: “It raises important questions of law of public importance and the bench would examine it.”

Aarushi case: CBI gets notice on Talwars’ plea

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New Delhi, February 03: The Supreme Court Friday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to respond to dentist couple Nupur and Rajesh Talwar’s plea to transfer their trial in their daughter Aarushi’s murder case from Ghaziabad to a Delhi court.

A bench of Justice B.S.Chauhan and Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar issued notice to the CBI after senior counsel Harish Salve told the court that most of the 60 witnesses in the case were residing in Delhi and Rajesh Talwar was facing threat to his life if he attended trial before the special CBI court in Ghaziabad.