Month: March 2012

Over 100,000 flee fighting in northwestern Pakistan: UNHCR

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An estimated 101,160 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced since Jan 20 when government troops began security operations against militant groups in Khyber Agency region in northwestern Pakistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Friday.

UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said the recent increase in the intensity of the fighting was driving even larger numbers of families to flee the region to the Jalozai camp, where UNHCR is providing them with basic humanitarian supplies and the World Food Programme with food aid, reported Xinhua.

South Africa set 214-run target for India

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South Africa posted 213 for four in 20 overs against India in the one-off Twenty20 international at the Wanderers here Friday.

Colin Ingram was the top scorer with 78 while Jacques Kallis made 61. India’s part-time off-spinner Suresh Raina picked up two for 49.

Army chief sounds conciliatory, BJP demands Antony head

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Amid controversy over the alleged bribe offer in purchase of vehicles and his claims of gaps in India’s defence preparedness, army chief Gen. V.K. Singh Friday sounded conciliatory, blaming “rogue elements” for differences with the government even as the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded Defence Minister A.K. Antony’s resignation for “mishandling” the issue.

32 cars less in fleet as Akhilesh goes on austerity drive

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Surprising even his officials, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has issued orders to cut down the cars in his fleet from 40 to just eight and also ordered the specialised hospital operating in his official residence to shut down.

Thirty-two cars have been ordered to be taken away from the chief minister’s fleet and repatriated to the Rajya Sampatti Vibhag (state property wing), a senior official with the chief minister’s security said.

Counting for Jharkhand Rajya Sabha poll stopped as Rs.2.15 crore seized

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Amid reports of horse trading in the Rajya Sabha polls, the Election Commission Friday stopped the counting of votes in the biennial elections in Jharkhand after Rs.2.15 crore was seized from a car belonging to a relative of an independent candidate.

The income tax department in Jharkhand on Friday seized Rs.2.15 crore from an Innova car coming to Ranchi from Jamshedpur on the outskirts of the city and also conducted raids on two businessmen in the steel city Jamshedpur, said an official.

India’s external debt rises to $335 billion

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India’s external debt rose to $334.9 billion at December-end 2011, an increase of 9.4 percent in the first nine months of the current financial year, owing largely to higher commercial borrowings and short-term trade credit, the finance ministry said Friday.

Data released by the department of economic affairs showed that India’s total external debt at the beginning of 2011-12 was $306.1 billion. It increased by $28.8 billion or 9.4 percent in the first three quarters of the fiscal. The government external debt stood at $81.2 billion, or 24.3 percent of total external debt.

Green tribunal scraps Posco’s $12bn Odisha project

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Friday suspended environment clearance to South Korean steel major Posco’s $12 billion project in Odisha, the biggest foreign direct investment in the country.

Hearing the petition of Prafulla Samantray from the state, the bench of Justice C.V. Ramulu and Devendra Kumar Agarwal asked the environment ministry to review afresh the environment clearance accorded to the project in January last year.

UK Uniform to Fit Muslim Scouts

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Catering for the growing numbers of Muslim scouts in Britain, a new uniform has been launched to fit Muslim girls, The Guardian reported Friday, March 30.

“Scouting has something to offer everyone, no matter your religion, ethnicity or belief,” UK chief scout Bear Grylls said.

“And I’m so proud that we offer an environment for people of all backgrounds to come together and enjoy themselves.”

A new knee-length outfit was launched Friday by the Scout Association to fit Muslim girl scouts in Britain.

Sehwag says no to rotation in Daredevils

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IT ISN’T often that one finds members of an Indian Premier League team in the middle of nowhere. After all, the cash-rich tournament and its teams are all about entertainment and razzmatazz, which are rarely found in the middle of nowhere, seven kilometres from this quaint little Haryana town.

Aamir and Katrina’s ‘Dhoom 3’ is not delayed

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Indian Bollywood actor Aamir Khan talks during a televised event with Star India in Mumbai on October 22, 2011. (AFP)

It was reported in leading newspaper in India that the shooting of Yash Raj Films’ ‘Dhoom 3’ had been indefinitely postponed and that it would be shot after Aamir Khan completes certain other future commitments.

Yash Raj Films has denied rumours that Aamir Khan was yet again responsible for delaying ‘Dhoom:3’.

Congress attacks BJP over CAG report indicting Modi government

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With a Comptroller and Auditor General of India report alleging financial irregularities worth thousands of crores of rupees by the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, the Congress Friday trained its guns at the Bharatiya Janata Party and said “loot in state feeds the party’s central leadership”.

“The BJP tolerates Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as he feeds the party’s central leadership by indulging in corruption,” leader of the opposition in Gujarat assembly Shakti Sinh Gohil told reporters here.

Violence Mars Palestine Land Day

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With rallies staged across the occupied lands, thousands of Palestinians marked Land Day on Friday, March 30, as Israeli troops used force to disperse the demonstrators.

“We are determined to march together toward Jerusalem, and hopefully we will break through and reach it,” Rimawi, a young Palestinian, told Reuters as he faced off against Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city Ramallah.

Israeli forces fire rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to break up Palestinian protestors in at Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.

Counting for Jharkhand Rajya Sabha poll stopped as Rs.2.15 crore seized

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Amid reports of horse trading in the Rajya Sabha polls, the Election Commission Friday stopped the counting of votes in the biennial elections in Jharkhand after Rs.2.15 crore was seized from a car belonging to a relative of an independent candidate.

The income tax department in Jharkhand on Friday seized Rs.2.15 crore from an Innova car coming to Ranchi from Jamshedpur on the outskirts of the city and also conducted raids on two businessmen in the steel city Jamshedpur, said an official.

Kejriwal renews attack on ‘criminal’ MPs

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Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who faces a privilege motion from the Lok Sabha, reiterated Friday that parliament’s “tendency to induct criminal MPs” was increasing.

“A total of 522 criminal cases are being carried in the court against 162 MPs of which 76 are of heinous nature. The tendency to induct criminal MPs into the parliament is being increased,” he said while addressing a press conference at his home in Kaushambi in this town adjoining Delhi.

“In 2004, 128 MPS were from a criminal background… the strength reached 162 in 2009,” he said.

India up for T20 test against SA

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AFTER the battering it was subjected to during the tour of Australia and the disappointing Asia Cup campaign, the Indian cricket team would look to make a fresh start before the IPL razzmatazz when it takes on in- form South Africa in a one- off Twenty20 International at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Friday.

The match is being organised to commemorate 150 years of the arrival of Indians in South Africa but its scheduling did raise eyebrows.

It will also serve as a tribute to the immense contribution South African allrounder Jacques Kallis has made to the game.

Islamic Counseling to Save Family Life

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Samina Kamal, a lecturer at a local college, was attentively listening to a German psychologist while counseling working women on how to deal with daily stresses and save family life.

“I have been attending these lectures for last few months, and they have really helped me out to cope with the work related and domestic stress,” Samina, wearing a black hijab and a loose gown, told OnIslam.net.

The counseling is part of a trust established by Jammat-e-Islamic (JI) to help working women in Pakistan to deal with their daily stress.

Anushka Shetty’s land scam

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The Bheemili Court in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday postponed hearing to April 16 on a case implicating Anushka and others for buying a piece of land in Madhurawada from people with fake documents.

Anushka, along with top Tollywood director S S Rajamouli’s wife Rama and others, had reportedly bought a piece of land in Madhurawada in 2010, which allegedly belonged to an NRI.

The NRI, whose name is Lingamurthy, went to the court for help. Anushka was asked to attend the court earlier to resolve the issue but she approached the High Court against personal appearence, it is said.

‘Tamil Nadu won’t allow Mekedatu dam across Cauvery’

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Friday assured the state assembly that her government would not permit neighbouring Karnataka to build a dam across the river Cauvery at Mekedatu.

“Karnataka cannot build a dam without getting Tamil Nadu’s consent. If Karnataka tries to build a dam, Tamil Nadu will not permit it under any circumstances,” she said in her reply to a special mention on the Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Four Iranians killed, 22 hurt in bus accident in Turkey

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The bus was carrying Iranian passengers returning from Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, to neighboring Iran when it crashed in Erzurum province at 06:00 local time.

Three of the victims were women. Their bodies have been taken to the Aziziye Hospital morgue.

The injured, some of them in critical condition, were rushed to hospitals in Erzurum.

Spokesman for Iran’s consulate in Erzurum reported that drowsy driving and a slippery road condition caused the accident.

The identities of the victims have not been revealed yet.

—–Agencies

‘US hoping Turkey will reduce oil imports from Iran’

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US Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone says Washington expects Ankara to abide by the recent sanctions on the Islamic Republic and significantly reduce its imports of Iranian oil.

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on Thursday, Ricciardone said the US is in conversation with the Turkish government on reducing oil imports from Iran.

“We certainly hope Turkey will reduce its oil imports from Iran, but we have not come to a conclusion about Turkey’s decision in this regard,” Hurriyet Daily News quoted Ricciardione as saying.

Deputy Director of Defence Ministry found dead

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In a shocking disclosure the dead body of Deputy Director of Defence Ministry and his wife was recovered on Friday here, according to news reports.

The reports further said the Deputy Director was posted in Sena Bhawan. The dead body of the victims were recovered from the vicinity of Sena Bhawan.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police is investigating into the entire matter and is trying to find out whether there is any connection between the murders of the duo any the leak of Army chief Gen VK Singh’s confidential letter to the PMO about the country’s defence preparedness.

Mamata decries ‘growing tendency’ to attack her personally

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The West Bengal assembly Friday witnessed noisy scenes over a bill that seeks to restructure the state medical council, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the opposition Left Front of trying to disrupt proceedings in a ‘concerted’ manner.

“There can always be a discussion in a democracy, but the way things are being said is unwarranted and in bad taste. Regularly, in a planted way, we are being accused of being undemocratic which itself is an insult to democracy. This is not acceptable,” said Banerjee in the assembly pointing to the opposition.

Rajya Sabha adjourned for want of quorum

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Post-lunch business in the Rajya Sabha Friday collapsed for want of quorum on the last day of the first half of the Budget Session of Parliament.

After the quorum bell was pressed for 10 minutes, the House was adjourned till April 24, when the session will resume after a four-week recess.

As a result, Private Members’ resolutions could not be taken up.

Four Maoists from Jharkhand arrested in Odisha

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Four hardcore Maoists from Jharkhand were arrested and landmine and wires seized from them in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, police said today.

The Maoists were nabbed from Kaliaposh area under Bisra police station bordering Saranda forests, about 40 km from here last night, Rourkela Superintendent of Police, Himansu Lal said.

They were arrested during a special operation by the police, CRPF and district voluntary force while planning to plant the landmine.

—-PTI—-

Chidambaram releases new police manual

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After a gap of 16 years, Home Minister P Chidambaram today released a revamped Police Drill Manual which will serve as a foundation for better discipline and uniformity in all forces of the country.

The new manual, formulated by Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), bears significance as the last couple of years have witnessed introduction of new weapons, operational gear, new uniform patterns and various drills and it will provide guidance to the police instructors.