Month: March 2012

Neet to accelerate the pace of development in NE region:Pallam Raju

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Union Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju today stressed on the need to accelerate the pace of development in North East region to integrate for better economy and focus on increasing infrastructural development in the area. Releasing a book entitled ‘North East Trilogy’ written by Mrs Dipti Bhalla and Mr Kunal Verma, here the Minister said that more water ways through river Brahamputra should be provided for better mobility and transportation facility, which would also be helpful for rapid movements of army troops and Border Roads Organisation.

NFC to set up niobium produce facility

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The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), the supplier of fuel for India’s nuclear power programme, will set up an exclusive facility to produce niobium useful in space and nuclear industries. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will contribute Rs 30-crore for the new facility which will be established in the NFC campus, according to NFC Chief Executive Mr R N Jayaraj.

Govt to form committee to prevent cyber crimes

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In the wake of hacking of government department websites two-days before the releasing of state budget in the House, the state government had decided to form a committee to prevention of white collar crimes economic offences related to IT ITES industry. The decision was taken at a meeting convened on IT industry related Economic offences by state minister of IT and Communications Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah here.

Army chief slams as ‘fiction’ reports of phone tapping

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Army chief General V.K. Singh Monday termed as “fiction” reports that he had ordered phone tapping of key government functionaries while his birth date row was raging.

“Fiction does not require any reaction. If people concoct stories and some of the irresponsible editors allow those stories to get published, I don’t think it requires any reaction,” he told reporters in Hyderabad on the sidelines of a function to release a book.

Singh made these remarks with Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju beside him.

YSR Cong lambasts Naidu’s comments on Vijayamma

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YSR Congress Party today lambasted opposition TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu for his alleged remarks against its honosary President Y S Vijayamma on parenting. Party’s official spokesperson Ambati Rambabu told reporters here that Mr Naidu had ‘no moral right to speak of family values and human relations.’ ‘A person who had backstabbed his father-in-law N T Rama Rao to usurp power was now speaking about family and parenting.

Deccan Chargers sign in five young cricketers

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Deccan Chargers have signed up five domestic players Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Atchuta Rao, Syed Ahmed Quadri, Veer Pratap Singh and Sneha Kishore in their squad for the fifth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Jhunjhunwala, a middle-order batsman, and right-arm pacer Veer Pratap have represented Bengal in first-class matches.

Veer Pratap, Hyderabad batsman Quadri and Andhra Pradesh’s left arm fast bowler Atchuta Rao were included on the basis of their good performance in the Ranji season.

Andhra’s young left-arm spinner Kishore will also bolster Chargers’ spin department.

Infosys to employ more software professions at Pocharam campus

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A delegation from Infosys today called on to the State IT Minister Mr Ponnala Lakshmaiah to update the progress of their campus at Pocharam in the state. It may be mentioned here the state government had allotted 440 acres of land to Infosys with an employment commitment of 25,000 software professionals from Andhra Pradesh. Infosys, who commenced construction activities in 2010, has launched its operational in the first phase since 2011 with an investment of Rs.350 Crores by providing employment to over 5000 software professionals.

Govt land alloted to IT in Vizag

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Government today said a major portion of the government land in Visakhapatnam district has been allotted to the various agencies for industrial, IT and tourism development and for mobilisation of resources. In a written reply to a question raised by MLA V Ramakrishna Babu in the State Legislative Assembly, Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy informed that an extent of 2217.29 acres of land was allotted to APIIC for industrial promotion during the years 2003, 2004 and 2008. Similarly, 3142.07 acres from the years 2000 to 2011 were allotted for 589 industrial units in the district.

Attack on US airbase in Afghanistan kills two

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Two children died Monday when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in front of a US airbase in eastern Afghanistan.

The attack took place around 5.30 p.m. at the main gate of the Bagram Airbase, an interior ministry official said. Two other civilians were injured, Xinhua reported.

The target might have been a military convoy, he said.

A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said no ISAF soldiers were killed. The Bagram Airbase is located 50 km from Kabul.

Bihar to have its first ‘open jail’

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Some convicts in Bihar will soon get a chance to live with their families, step out for work and lead a life similar to that outside prison, thanks to the state’s first open jail that will begin functioning in May in Buxar district.

“It will be the first of its kind in Bihar where convicts would be able to live with their families in an atmosphere conducive to development of their skills and talent so they could make useful contributions to society,” a prison official said.

SpiceJet foresees tough times

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Budget carrier SpiceJet’s chief executive Neil Mills feels the aviation sector, marred by high fuel and interest cost in the coming fiscal, will continue to face “tough operating conditions”.

“I think the tough conditions will continue for a while in the coming fiscal. Our futures are pegged with oil prices and they are very high right now,” Mills told IANS in an interview.

“There are some decisions on new policy like direct import of fuel and foreign direct investment. We are evaluating them and will do what is best for us.”

Indian Americans remember 2002 Gujarat victims with rally

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Hundreds of Indian Americans of diverse religious backgrounds held a rally and a candlelight vigil in front of the Gandhi statue in Union Square to remember the victims of the 2002 anti-Muslim Gujarat riots.

“We want Gandhi’s Gujarat not Modi’s Gujarat,” they chanted at the rally Saturday night pointing to Gandhi’s statue.

Cries of “Narandra Modi, Has Got to Go, Got to Go” and “Halla Bol, Halla Bol, Narandra Modi pe halla bol” rent the air at repeated intervals.

Iran overturns death sentence for CIA ‘spy’ii

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The Iranian Supreme Court has overturned the death penalty given to an Iranian-American CIA “spy” by a lower court, an official said Monday.

“The case of the defendant was sent to the Supreme Court after his appeal, and finally the (death) sentence was overturned… So the (case) was returned” to the court for retrial,” prosecutor general and judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said.

One in three British teenage girls ‘sexually assaulted’

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A British survey has found that a third of teenage girls become victims of sexual violence by their boyfriends. Experts fear that some do not even realise they are victims of a crime and others are too terrified or embarrassed to speak out, the Daily Mail reported Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who was helping to launch an unprecedented advertising campaign to stem the tide of abuse, told an audience of teenage girls Monday that the latest figures were shocking.

Clegg said: “We’ve got such a highly sexualised culture at the moment and there are huge pressures.

Iran to supply 5000 MW of electricity to India

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Iran is likely to supply 5,000 MW of electricity to India as power exports are more cost-efficient, says an Iranian media report.

Quoting Iran’s energy minister Majid Namjou, the Press TV has said that India has indicated its willingness to import 5,000 MW of electricity from

Iran.
“Transferring electricity is less costly compared to (exporting) natural gas,” Namjou was quoted as saying to reporters on Sunday.

By-polls in AP not referendum on Cong govt: CM

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday said results of the ensuing Assembly by-polls in the state would neither have any bearing on his government nor could they be treated as a referendum.

“These byelections (seven constituencies in Telangana and 17 in Andhra-Rayalaseema regions) are being held in some special circumstances. They will not have any impact on the government. And they can’t be treated as a referendum on my government,” the chief minister said in an informal chat with reporters in the Assembly this afternoon.

Chiranjeevi all set to make it to Rajya Sabha

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‘Megastar’ Chiranjeevi is likely get elevated soon from a member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly to the Rajya Sabha.

His candidature is almost certain for one of the four seats that the ruling Congress can win in the biennial elections to the Upper House of Parliament from the state, slated for March 30.

The Congress, as part of his Praja Rajyam Party’s merger deal last year, promised to induct Chiranjeevi into the Union Cabinet by nominating him to Rajya Sabha.

Obama warns against “loose talk” of war on Iran

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President Barack Obama warned on Sunday against “loose talk” of a war with Iran ahead of a crucial meeting in which he will urge Israel’s prime minister to avoid a premature strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.

On the eve of his talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, Obama used a speech to the pro-Israel U.S. lobbying group AIPAC to pledge his staunch support for the Jewish state and to argue that international sanctions on Iran must be given more time to work.

Let Tendulkar decide when to retire: say former cricketers

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Former Indian captain Kapil Dev’s view that Sachin Tendulkar should have retired from ODI cricket after the World Cup today evoked sharp reactions from former cricketers who said that he was still the “main player” of the team and should be allowed to decide when to retire. Tendulkar’s poor form with the bat during the tour of Australia had prompted Kapil to suggest that the champion batsman should give up one form of the game to prolong his Test career.

Court extends Vijay Sai Reddy’s judicial remand till March 16

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The CBI Special Court on Monday extended the judicial custody of Jagathi Publications vice-chairman Vijay Sai Reddy till March 16. He is an accused in the disproportionate assets case of YSR Congress party president Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The court also posted the next hearing on bail petition of Vijay Sai Reddy to March 16.

During the hearing on bail petition on Monday, Vijay Sai Reddy’s counsel argued that his client could not be booked under Section 409 of the IPC as he is not a public servant. However, the CBI’s counsel defended probing agency’s stand.

Sarkozy nixes halal meat in schools for Muslim

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The issue of France’s Muslims moved front and center into the presidential campaign with the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy, excluding on Saturday any special indulgences for halal meat or separate swimming hours for Muslim women in public pools.

Echoing his 2007 campaign, Sarkozy
insisted that French civilization must prevail in France. He created France’s first ministry of immigration and national identity after being elected, but has since done away with it.

NMDC detects tunnel-like structure under Naubat Pahad

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The National Mineral Development Corp (NMDC) has detected a tunnel like structure under Naubat Pahad, the famous hillock in the heart of the city, giving credence to talks of a treasure trove.

After 13-day-long geophysical explorations at the foothills of Naubat Pahad in the Vidyaranya School campus, the NMDC Monday submitted a report to the archaeology epartment of the Andhra Pradesh government.

The NMDC researchers also took the help of geophysicists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and academics of Osmania University.

No plans to privatise RTC: Botsa

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Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana on Monday announced that there was no proposal to privatise the State Road Transport Corporation.

Talking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, Botsa Satyanarayana condemned reports appeared in a section of media that the government was planning to privatize the RTC. “There is no truth in those reports. They are baseless and mere speculation,” he said. He claimed that the RTC was financially sound only during the Congress regime.

Naidu hopes for victory in Telangana by-polls

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Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu stated that the party has bright chances of winning the by-elections in the Telangana due to its strong party cadre and base in the region.

Talking to media persons at Telugu Desam Legislature Party office, Naidu expressed confidence that the TDP candidates would win the by-elections from Telangana region with flying colours and give a fitting reply to Telangana Rashtra Samithi. He termed the present by-elections as ‘probably the last one’ for TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao in the region.