Month: February 2012

Dubai, February 02: Mariam Al Safar, 28, from Dubai, has made transport history, becoming the first female to operate a train in the UAE and in the whole of the Middle East.

Mariam is one of the few UAE residents qualified to take the reins of a Dubai Metro train, and the only woman to do so, the Dailymail reports.

Dubai has got one of the most advanced metro systems in the world, and it is actually manned by an automatic driving system, but a manual operator is still needed in case of unplanned incidents or for when the automatic system is undergoing repairs.

New Delhi, February 01: The income-tax department has found currency notes worth 100cr in the basement of Centrestage Mall in Sector 18, Noida, which is owned by Uttar Pradesh-based liquor baron and businessman Ponty Chadha, according to media reports. The raids are still on and more money is expected to be recovered.

The income tax department in the state raided premises Chadha on Wednesday in UP and at locations in Delhi in connection with alleged tax evasion.

New Delhi, February 01: The Centre has said it will convene a meeting of political parties of Andhra Pradesh to discuss the Telangana issue only when it gets the views from all of them.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said four political parties in Andhra Pradesh — Congress, TDP, MIM and YSR Congress — are yet to make up their mind about their stand on Telangana.

“As I said four of the eight political parties have to tell me that they are ready to give their final views,” he told reporters here last evening.

Washington, February 01: A US Muslim advocacy group has welcomed the withdrawal of a retired army general known for his anti-Islam rhetoric from a planned prayer breakfast at the US Military Academy at West Point.

“We welcome Lt. Gen William G. Boykin’s withdrawal from this event,” Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said in a statement obtained by OnIslam.net.

We “hope that the speaker who replaces him will offer cadets a spiritual message that promotes tolerance and mutual understanding,” Awad added.

New Delhi, February 01: The Centre has said it will convene a meeting of political parties of Andhra Pradesh to discuss the Telangana issue only when it gets the views from all of them.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said four political parties in Andhra Pradesh — Congress, TDP, MIM and YSR Congress — are yet to make up their mind about their stand on Telangana.

“As I said four of the eight political parties have to tell me that they are ready to give their final views,” he told reporters here last evening.

New Delhi, February 01: There are numerous cases to judge whether there is bias against Muslims in the media, but in recent times look no further than the press coverage regarding the terrorist attack that took place in Norway not very long ago. Impartial population waited impatiently to read this act being explicitly described as a “terrorist attack” or an “act of terrorism” by the mainstream media.

Hyderabad, February 01: Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya on Wednesday called upon all Telangana leaders committed to the cause of a separate state, to make the massive convention to be organized in the city on February 11 a grand success.

Talking to media persons here while conducting pada yatras in the city for the successful organization of Poruyatra by BJP state unit president G Kishan Reddy across the Telangana districts, Dattatreya asked people to make the convention to be organized at Nizam College grounds a `big event’.

Hyderabad, February 01: YSR Congress party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu on Wednesday alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation was targeting the YSR Congress party leaders at the behest of Congress party.

Talking to reporters, Ambati allged that the CBI was not all looking into the involvement of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu in the Emaar scam and its has directed its investigation against the YSR Congress party leaders. He alleged that CBI Joint Director VV Lakshminarayana has been taking directions from the Congress High Command to target Jagan Mohan Reddy and other leaders.

Khammam, February 01: Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary B V Raghavulu on Wednesday denied reports appearing in a section of the media that his party would go for an alliance with Y S R Congress Party in the ensuing elections.

Talking to media persons here, Raghavulu said that there was no truth in such reports that CPI (M) would tie-up with YSR Congress Party in the by-elections to be held in the State. He said no such decision had been taken. “Any such consideration will be done before the polls after discussing it with party higher ups”, he added.

Mahbubnagar, February 01: Telangana Nagara Samithi president Nagam Janardhan Reddy on Wednesday threatened that he would lay siege to Mahbubnagar District Collectorate if the government failed to address the drinking water problem issue in the district.

Sajnekhali, February 01: Blaming a section of the media for joining the opposition chorus over death of babies in state-run hospitals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dubbed it as ‘rumour’ since the child mortality rate has dropped in the state.

“It is a rumour intended to mislead the people. It is not a fact that children are dying in state-run hospitals due to negligence,” Banerjee told reporters here during a visit to the Sunderbans.

New Delhi, February 01: There are 50 million passport holders in the country and the Ministry of External Affairs expect the number to reach up to 100 million in next 10 years.

With simplified process and increasing number of passport offices and Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs), the number of those holding passports, which was at meager 40,000 40 years back, has increased manifold, officials said here today.

New Delhi, February 01: Three people have been arrested by the Delhi Police in the case relating to two-year-old battered baby Falak, police said Wednesday. However, it was not clear if any of them were responsible for grievously injuring the baby.

“Sandeep, his wife Pooja and Jitendra Kumar Gupta, the father of the teenage girl Mahi who brought Falak to the hospital have been arrested,” Additional Commissioner of Police (southeast) Ajay Chaudhary told reporters here. Pooja is a sex worker and Sandeep her husband.

New Delhi, February 01: Political circles are keenly awaiting the Supreme Court verdict Thursday on Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s alleged role in the 2G case, with the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in a bitter war of words.

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi Wednesday reiterated his party’s demand that the prime minister sack Chidambaram to show his intent of tackling corruption.

“If A. Raja can be probed, why not Chidambaram? Otherwise, it will look like misuse of the sanctioning authority. There is sufficient evidence against him (Chidambaram),” Joshi said.

New Delhi, February 01: Three issues related to the 2G case, including Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s alleged role in the scam, are expected to be decided by the Supreme Court Thursday – the last day in office of Justice A.K. Ganguly who, along with Justice G.S. Singhvi, has been hearing the cases for over one year.

The court will pronounce its verdict on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking CBI probe into Chidambaram’s role as the then finance minister in fixing prices for the allocation of 2G licences, along with former communications minister A. Raja.

New Delhi, February 01: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said the Congress is the “elder brother” while the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are its “cousins” in their partnership in corruption.

“The three are the real partners in corruption. While the Congress is the elder brother, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP are its cousins,” BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters here.

He said that whenever the issue of corruption is taken up in parliament, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP rescue the Congress-led central government.

New Delhi, February 01: A week before polling begins in Uttar Pradesh, the battle reached a feverish pitch Wednesday as Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BSP leader Mayawati crossed swords, calling themselves the saviour of India’s most populous state.

Addressing major public rallies in UP where balloting will be staggered Feb 8 to March 3, Mayawati accused the central government of starving the state of development funds. Gandhi asserted that Rs.100,000 crore given to the state did not reach the poor and linked Mayawati to corruption.