It’s getting clearer by the day. The Congress is making a comeback in Uttar Pradesh after 22 years. And those who detest dynasty rule have no option but to digest this fact. Many are misreading his combative mood as ‘arrogance’, his statement on ’sitting in opposition in case of a fractured verdict’ as his frustration. Instead, he is demanding people to give him a clear verdict. He is also sending a clear message that he is not power hungry.
The United States’ oldest aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, and its strike group are running naval drills, which seem to indicate potential conflict with Iran, off the US East coast ahead of being deployed to the Persian Gulf.
The drill map, referring to Florida shores as “The Treasure Coast,” depicts nine countries, two of which – Garnet and North Garnet, are identified as ‘fundamentalist Islamic theocracies’ suspected of supporting terror groups, Russia Today reported on Tuesday.
Mumbai, February 08: Few days back, news of Kareena Kapoor’s pregnancy sent the film industry into a tizzy. The actress was clicked at the airport strategically hiding a baby bump with a shawl.
As it turns out, they were all just baseless rumours. Speaking to a daily, a source close to the actress said, “No, she isn’t pregnant. It’s strange how there has been so much frenzy with just a solitary picture floating around. There is no truth to the so-called news and for Kareena it is business as usual.”
Hyderabad, February 08: The Central Crime Station (CCS) police on Tuesday opposed anticipatory bail to Pune-based stud farm owner Mr Hasan Ali Khan, stating that he deliberately gave false information while getting his passport. In a counter-petition filed before a Nampally court, the police submitted that Mr Khan filed the anticipatory bail plea to avoid being produced before court.
Bhadoi,February 07: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said his fight was not for any post or position but to allow the voice of the people to be heard in Parliament and state assembly.
Mr Gandhi said he wants to change Uttar Pradesh and it was the people of this state who would bring about the change.
”Politics does not mean grabbing posts. Politics meant what I had learnt in the past seven years and it only means reaching out to people,” he said.
New Delhi, February 08: India’s forest cover shrank by 367 sq km with the maximum 80 per cent loss recorded in Andhra Pradesh mainly due to Naxals felling trees in Warangal and Khammam districts, according to a new survey released on Tuesday.
Forest and tree cover of the country as per the biennial assessment report released by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) is 78.29 million hectares, which is 23.81 per cent of the geographical area. This includes 2.76 per cent tree cover.
Bangalore, February 08: In a bizarre defence, Karnataka Cooperation Minister Laxman Savadi on Tuesday night admitted to watching porno footage in the assembly but ruled out resigning from the ministry.
“Yes it is like a blue film. It was on Minister for Ports Krishna Palemar’s mobile. The video clippings had women dancing and they were raped by four men. Palemar told me such things happen abroad in rave parties. Since the House was discussing the Malpe rave party, I watched it,” Savadi told reporters.
Riyadh, February 08: The six Gulf Cooperation Council states have decided to expel Syria’s envoys and withdraw their own from Damascus over the “mass slaughter” of civilians in Syria, a joint statement said on Tuesday.
“State members have decided to withdraw their ambassadors from Syria and ask at the same time for all the ambassadors of the Syrian regime to leave immediately,” a GCC statement said.
It said that there was “no point in them staying after the Syrian regime rejected all attempts and aborted all honest Arab efforts to solve this crisis and end the bloodshed.”
New Delhi, February 07: To cope with the demand for tickets, the Railways has decided to increase the advance reservation period from 90 days to 120 days from March 10.
“Now one can book his train ticket 120 days before the journey as we have decided to provide an opportunity to the passenger to plan his journey four months in advance,” said an official in the Commercial Department of Railway Ministry.
Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) will make the necessary changes in the software for this purpose.
Mumbai, February 07: Poonam Pandey, the 19 year old scorcher who has a following of over 1,00,000 on twitter, doesn’t want Tamil film star Dhanush of the ‘Kolaveri Di’ fame to hum a tune for Sachin Tendulkar.
Talking exclusively to Zeenews, Poonam Pandey said that the wait for Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th international ton was truly exasperating but like the millions around the globe, she also knew that it was just a matter of time.
Two BJP ministers in Karnataka – Lakshman Savdi and C C Patil – were allegedly caught watching porn film clips on the former’s mobile phone on the floor the state legislative assembly on Tuesday. While Savdi holds the cooperatives’ portfolio, Patil is the minister for women and child development.
Barabanki, February 07: With the stage now set for the first phase of the high voltage Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the district administration here has beefed up security at various polling centers.
Superintendent of Police R. K. Bhardwaj, who inspected the preparations at the polling booth in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki District today, said all preparations have been made to combat any untoward incident.
New Delhi, February 07: A 33-year-old mentally ill man killed his father here by hitting him with a pestle over a petty dispute, police said Tuesday. The man also hit his mother when she intervened, before injuring himself with the same tool.
Chandra Mohan alias Chinku killed his 58-year-old father Harnam Singh Dhingra in Krishna Nagar area of east Delhi Monday night.
When Kailash Rani, 55, his mother, tried to save her husband, Mohan started beating her as well, injuring her severely.
Mohan then hit himself on the head with the pestle.
Police found a 11-year old boy staggering around a residential street in Bransholme, Hull. After test it was found that he had a blood alcohol level of 187mg – more than twice the legal limit for driving.
Concerned about his welfare an ambulance was called to take him to hospital.
After investigation it was found that the mother allows her 11-year-old son to get drunk and she accompanies him.
THE PUBLIC display of sleaze and sex at a recent party, organised by the Udupi district administration and the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation ( KSTDC) to promote tourism globally, has shamed the state and embarrassed the ruling BJP. The image of the saffron party, which has often supported the pro- Hindu groups indulging in moral policing, took a severe beating in the wake of the rave party organised at the sacred St. Mary’s Island off the Udupi coast, 370 km northwest of Bangalore.
Dubai’s Emirates airline has announced a three-day sale offering customers discounts of up to 30 per cent to select destinations across its network.
The airline intends to maximise available seats on its flights to these destinations during this ‘slow’ period and is hoping that more travelers will take unplanned trips to avail of this offer. “With less money spent on their flight, our passengers will have more to spend on the ground, perfect for an impromptu trip away,” said Khalid Bel Jaflah, Emirates Vice-President Commercial Sales UAE.
Saudi Arabia has ordered its newspapers to boycott a local writer after he was accused of blasphemy and abusing Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
Information minister Abdul Aziz Khowja said he had ordered all newspapers not to carry any article by Hamza Kashgari for his persistent offences against Islam.
“I have instructed all newspapers and magazines in the Kingdom not to allow him to write any thing and we will take legal measures against him,” he said, quoted by Saudi newspapers on Tuesday.
Hyderabad, February 07: Unable to take care of her invalid son due to poverty, a 64-year-old woman in Andhra Pradesh has sought euthanasia for him — a 36-year-old graduate in aeronautical science.
C. Janardhan, the son of farm workers, had got a job offer from abroad and was preparing to go to Australia in 1977 when he was left an invalid in a road accident.
Lakshmamma, a widow in Chittoor district, has filed a petition in a court at Madanapalle, seeking mercy killing for him, who is in a vegetative state for the past 15 years.
Washington, February 07: Reports say an American child becomes the victim of domestic and social violence every ten seconds in the US and the number of the abused kids has increased over the past decade.
Many children in the United States are victims of physical and sexual abuse within their families, schools and communities.
As child poverty grew in 38 states and the rate has hit more than 20 percent in the US, poor children in particular are at higher risk of experiencing different forms of violence that have psychological impacts on children’s development.
New Delhi, February 07: CBI Director AP Singh on Tuesday met Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar to discuss further probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam as instructed by the Supreme Court in its recent order.
Singh apprised the CVC of the progress made so far in the case and further line of investigations that could be taken in largest scam in terms of amount involved, sources in the agency said.
The CBI chief is understood to have given details of various aspects of the case including pending Letters Rogatory sent to various countries, they said.
Srinagar, February 07: A war between India and China will suit the United States as it will boost its weapon sales, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.
“It (war) suits US because it will sell more weapons. But, it does not suit us and China.
“India and China have good relations. We hope it will further improve,” Omar told reporters here.
The Chief Minister’s response came after reporters asked his opinion on a statement of a US think tank and strategist that there is possibility of a war between India and China.
Bangalore, February 07: Former Kerala High Court Chief Justice SR Bannurmath has decided to quit the post of Lokayukta in Karnataka.
Karnataka Chief Minister Sadanand Gowda said that the judge had sent a letter to him, requesting the state government not to pursue the matter with Governor HR Bharadwaj.
New Delhi, February 07: The Election Commission (EC) has banned the publication of opinion polls regarding the first phase of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh till 5 p.m. Wednesday
The ban, which came into effect 5 p.m. Monday, is applicable both to print and electronic media, an EC statement said.
However, exit polls have been banned for all phases till the seventh phase of balloting in the state ends at 5 p.m. March 3.
Fifty-five of the 403 assembly constituencies in the state go to the polls Wednesday – in the first phase of a seven-phase elections, which end March 3.
Panaji, February 07: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari’s recent two-day visit to Goa appears to have done more damage than good to the party’s image here, ahead of the March 3 assembly election.
When Gadkari flew down to Goa Feb 4, one of his major agendas was to cap the aggravating feud between two party heavyweights – North Goa MP Shripad Naik and state assembly’s leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar – which was threatening to pull the rank and file apart.