BJP, CPI condemns TRS MLAs suspension

Protesting the suspension of 11 Telangana Rashtra samithi MLAs from the assembly for pressing for a resolution on Telangana state, the Communist Party of India and Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday staged a walk out from the House.

TRS MLAs slam Speaker for suspension

Telangana Rashtra Samithi floor leader Etela Rajender on Wednesday alleged that the suspension of 11 TRS MLAs from the House for two days by Speaker Nadendla Manohar proved that the Assembly belonged to Seemandhra people.

Twitter Wags Take Digs At ‘Saif’s First Solo Hit’

The brawl between Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and NRI businessman Iqbal Sharmaat at a hotel here, which led to a police case against the actor, has inspired a spate of jokes on twitter.

Sharma was left with a broken nose after the mid-night brawl.

A user posted on twitter: “This was Saif Ali Khan’s first solo hit.”

“Breaking News: WWE talent scouts after Saif Ali Khan to sign a 5 year contract,” said another user.

Another joke went: Shah Rukh Khan has some competition now from Saif Ali Khan. Bhala uska bashup mere bashup se safaid kaise?

Iran will never seek nuclear weapons

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Iranian nation has never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons as it has the capacity to challenge the nuclear-backed influence such powers rely on.

In a Wednesday meeting in Tehran with the director and officials of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and nuclear scientists the Leader described the country’s nuclear and technological achievements further in line with national interests and beneficial for the future of the country.

CPI backs formation of seperate state

Communist Party of India (CPI) supports bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, announced party general secretary A B Bardhan. He said his party would not hesitate to fully support the bill on formation of separate Telangana state if it is introduced in Parliament.

IAS officers shuffled

The state government on Tuesday posted senior IAS officer Chaya Ratan as special chief secretary, home department, and in her place posted Nilam Sawhney as principal secretary of women and children, disabled and senior citizen department. D Sambasiva Rao was transferred from secondary education and posted as principal secretary of finance in place of Ranjeev Acharya who has gone on leave.

Indian economy may grow at 8 percent in 2012-13: Rangarajan

India’s economy may grow at 7.1 percent this financial year and inch up to 8 percent next fiscal if the global environment turns favourable, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council C. Rangarajan said Wednesday.

“We might be able to achieve 8 percent growth on our esteem, if the world environment is favourable,” Rangarajan told reporters here after releasing the Review of the Economy 2011-12.

“Manmohan a Man of Peace” – Gilani

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Wednesday praised his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh as a “sincere” person who desired peace between the two countries.

Gilani was Wednesday speaking to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who is leading a parliamentary delegation to Pakistan.

“The prime minister of Pakistan recalled his meetings with the prime minister of India and said he regarded him as a sincere person who desired friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries,” a statement from the speaker’s office said.

Jayant, Rahul woo first-time voters, Gen Next

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined hands Wednesday in this newly-formed district headquarters to woo first-time voters and youth ahead of the penultimate round of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

The young leaders, Chaudhary, 33, grandson of former prime minister Charan Singh and Gandhi, 41, grandson of late prime minister Indira Gandhi and son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, are prominent youth leaders of their parties, which have tied-up for the state polls.

Two Bengal CPI-M leaders killed, Mamata terms it infighting

Two Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders, including a former legislator, were killed in a clash in West Bengal Wednesday which the Left Front blamed on the ruling Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee linked the deaths to infighting within the CPI-M.

Pradip Tah, who earlier represented Burdwan North in the assembly, and the party’s district committee member Kamal Gayen were lynched in the clash in Dewandighi in Burdwan district.

Woman who duped six ‘husbands’ held

A 25-year-old woman was arrested in Rajasthan for duping at least six men whom she married before disappearing with gold and other valuables, police said. Two men who helped her have also been arrested

Sangeeta Devi, a resident of Banda in Sriganganagar district, and her accomplices, Parmesh and Krishna Kumar, belonging to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested Tuesday in Dholpur, some 200 km from Jaipur.

Baby Falak has shown no sign of recovery: Doctors

Even after undergoing five life saving surgeries in the past 36 days of stay in a hospital here, two-year-old battered Falak has shown no sign of recovery even today.

According to doctors attending on her, Baby Falak still continues to remain unconscious and is critical but stable.

After having conducted the last surgery, doctors at AIIMS are now initiating all methods to gradually wean her off the ventilator so that she can resume breathing on her own. Falak has been on ventilatory support since the time of her admission to the hospital on January 18.

Locked in dark room by teacher, six-year-old dies

Karnal , Februray 22: A six-year-old boy in Karnal district was locked up in a dark room by his kindergarten teacher for not doing his homework and died of trauma one and a half months later, police said Tuesday after receiving a complaint from his family.

The LKG student, Pankaj, died at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak where he was admitted last month.

In its complaint to Karnal police, the family of the victim alleged that Pankaj was traumatised by the punishment given to him by his teacher at the Rajkul government school near Gharounda town.

PM assured NCTC only after consultations: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured her that the proposed anti-terror hub will not become operational till consultations with the states were completed.

“Assured me,” Banerjeee said when asked if the prime minister had assured her that the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre will become functional after consultations with the states were completed.

‘Govt to withdraw TADA cases on Abu Salem’

Days after the Supreme Court stayed the TADA proceedings in two cases against gangster Abu Salem, the Centre appears to have made up its mind to withdraw the cases.

The Centre, after a high-level meet, decided to withdraw the TADA cases but will continue to oppose Salem’s extradition to Portugal – a Lisbon court had terminated the extradition of Abu Salem to India.

The Supreme Court while staying the TADA proceedings had observed that Portugal court’s order has to be respected. Out of two TADA cases, one is related to 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Argentinian train slams into station, 49 killed

A packed commuter train plowed into the buffers at a Buenos Aires station during morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than 600 others, officials said.

They said the train was unable to stop, presumably due to faulty brakes, and it slammed into the buffers inside the centrally located “Once” station. More than 800 passengers were aboard the train, state news agency Telam reported.

A police spokesman said 49 people had been killed.

AIIMS surgeons remove 8-kg hernia from 2-month-old`s head

It was a miracle for the Pandey family from Bihar as doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) saved their two-month-old baby`s life, removing from his head an 8-kg fluid-filled hernia, considered to be the largest so far.

The family had lost all hope after being told by doctors back home to “abandon” Shwetang as he suffered from a life-threatening hernia that hung from his tiny skull.

Shwetang was brought to the premier health institute in a tub as the mother could not hold the 11-kg baby who had a huge sac-like structure hanging from the back of his head.

It`s arranged marriage for Katrina

Well…this news is going to break a number of hearts for sure! Katrina Kaif has made up her mind to get married to the person of her mother’s choice.

The hottie, who was earlier in love with her mentor Salman Khan, was also allegedly in a relationship with her ‘Raajneeti’ co-star Ranbir Kapoor. But the pretty girl seems to have had enough of the men from the Tinsel Town.

According to a leading tabloid, Katrina has indeed asked her mother to look for a suitable match for her.

IM operative held in Bihar

In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested a top operative of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) from Bihar.

According to reports, the IM has been identified as 50-year-old Qafeel and is believed to be the motivator for the terror outfit.

Qafeel, who was arrested from Bihar’s Darbhanga district, is said to be a close aid of IM founder Riaz Bhatkal.

Earlier this month, Mohd Tarique Anjuman, claimed to be founder-member of Indian Mujahideen, was apprehended from suburbs of Patna.

–Agencies

Five killed in road mishap

Sangareddy, February 22: Five persons were killed on Wednesday and eight others were injured after the three-wheeler they were travelling in collided head-on with a goods van in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh.

The incident occurred in the wee hours near Gangwar Cross Roads when the three-wheeler carrying 13 people was on its way to Satwar village near Zaheerabad mandal, police said.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

The deceased have not been identified yet.

–PTI

No links with Samjhauta bomber: Aseemanand

Panchkula, February 22: Swami Aseemanand, under arrest in connection with right-wing terror acts, on Wednesday denied any links with Kamal Chauhan, the alleged Samjhauta Express bomb planter.

Aseemanand denied knowing Chauhan when he was produced before the court today. “I don’t know him…it is a conspiracy by the agency (NIA),” he told mediapersons while being escorted out of the court.

Saif Ali Khan arrested in assault case, released on bail

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was arrested Wednesday evening for assaulting an NRI businessman and later released on bail, an official said

Saif was arrested after he was brought by Mumbai police to the Colaba Police station for interrogation in the case.

A battery of top police officers were waiting for the actor, besides the media and scores of fans outside the police station.

In the afternoon, police sent a team to Saif’s house and after failing to locate him there, had ordered him to appear before it as early as possible.

No proof of allegations against Ramdev: Police

Baba Ramdev did not promote enmity between religious groups at a press conference here in January or provoke his supporters to assault a man who allegedly poured black ink on the yoga guru at the event, Delhi Police told a court here.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jasjeet Kaur was hearing the petition of Kamran Siddique, the suspected ink thrower who sought action against Baba Ramdev for allegedly speaking against the Muslim community and plotting the assault on him.

Four killed in Afghanistan Quran burning protests

At least four people were killed and 19 injured Wednesday after thousands of Afghanis for the second day staged angry demonstrations in Kabul and Jalalabad over the alleged Quran burning by US military, Xinhua reported.

Protests erupted Tuesday here after media reports said copies of the Quran were found in the garbage that NATO forces transported in a truck Monday night to a pit where waste is burned.

US officials apologised Tuesday over the incident at Bagram airbase, 50 km north of Kabul where hundreds of suspected Taliban and Al-Qaida operatives have been held.