Month: May 2012

‘Iran fully prepared to repel any attack’

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A senior Iranian commander says the recent military drill by the Army’s Ground Forces displayed part of the Islamic Republic’s power and sent the message that the country is fully prepared to repel any possible attack.

“The [Ja’far Tayyar] drill conveyed the message to extra-regional powers that we are in full preparedness and will not allow anybody to attack Iran’s soil,” Reza Azarian said on Sunday.

“The drill conveyed the message of peace, friendship as well as security of the Islamic Republic’s borders to friendly and neighboring countries in the region,” he added.

No rush for exit from Afghanistan: NATO chief

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NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has ruled out any exit strategy for the US-led troop presence in Afghanistan before a 2014 timetable.

“There will be no rush for the exits (from Afghanistan),” Rasmussen said on Sunday during a news conference in Chicago, the city hosting a NATO summit, which is discussing the US-led war in Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported.

“Our goal, our strategy, our timetable remain unchanged,” he added.

Hard days ahead in Afghanistan: Obama

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US President Barack Obama claims that NATO remains united on Afghanistan but warns that there will be “hard days” ahead for the Western alliance.

“Just as we’ve sacrificed together for our common security, we will stand united in our determination to complete this mission,” Obama said in Chicago on Sunday, The Associated Press reported. He was trying to dispel fears of NATO division on Afghanistan.

“We still have a lot of work to do and there will be great challenges ahead,” Obama said. “The loss of life continues in Afghanistan and there will be hard days ahead.”

US not to pay $ 5,000 per truck to Pak: Panetta

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US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has ruled out paying Pakistan $ 5,000 per truck carrying vital supplies across its territory for NATO troops in Afghanistan, citing financial challenges faced by America.

Panetta headed to this weekend’s NATO summit prepared to confront Pakistan over what he considers “price-gouging” for transport of supplies to Afghanistan and hoping for a “consensus” among allies over the war effort.

Gilani orders lifting of ban on Twitter in Pakistan

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Pakistani authorities on Sunday briefly blocked access to Twitter on the ground that it was being used to promote a contest on Facebook for blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed before Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stepped in to end the ban.

The Information Technology Ministry said Twitter was blocked for publicising “blasphemous and inflammatory content”.

Calls for participation in the contest for blasphemous caricatures were being made on Twitter, the ministry said.
Gilani orders lifting of ban on Twitter in Pakistan

Monthly old age pension of Rs 200 an insult: Jairam Ramesh

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The monthly pension of Rs 200 given to the elderly is “an insult to the dignity of an individual”, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has said, requesting the Prime Minister to immediately review the scheme.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the minister has recommended streamlining the disbursal system of Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) under which Rs 200 per month is given to three crore people over the age of 60.

UP CM for longer session to discuss people’s problems

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday favoured longer sessions of the state Assembly to discuss problems faced by the people and asked all legislators to make best use of the sittings.

At an orientation programme of newly-elected legislators, he said the state Assembly and the Legislative Council should have serious and detailed debate on various issues, especially on measures for development of the state and people’s welfare.

Legislature was an important forum to redress public grievances, he said.

Women in top jobs ‘drink twice as much’

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Women in highflying jobs drink twice as much than those in manual jobs, according to UK’s official statistics, reflecting a startling “cocktail and business card culture” which is on the rise.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics in the UK showed that women in top positions, such as managers in large companies, drink a bottle of wine a week on average, around 11.2 units, compared with 6.2 units for female hairdressers, cleaners and factory workers.

Azad for immediate recruitment of doctors in J&K hospital

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With over 360 infants dying in the GB Pant hospital in Srinagar since January, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday directed immediate recruitment of doctors and nurses there on an ad hoc basis till full-time arrangements were made.

“There is no need to wait for Public Service Commission to fill up the posts. I have directed the authorities concerned (state health and medical education department) to conduct walk-in interviews for doctors and nurses,” he said.

IRGC films US aircraft carrier for 50 minutes: Iran commander

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A high-ranking Iranian military official says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces have filmed a US aircraft carrier for 50 minutes.

Commander of the IRGC’s Second Naval Zone Rear Admiral Ali Razmjou said Saturday that the forces could record the film at a distance of 500 meters (0.31 mile) from the US military vessel.

He said that the development shows only part of the IRGC’s might and prowess in the Persian Gulf.

US Army’s ‘fatwa’ on Islam and challenges before the Muslim world

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The US Army’s fatwa that “America’s enemy is Islam in general, not just terrorists’’, is really very dangerous and highly provocative. It is really very shocking that the mid-level and junior US Army officers were being taught this theme till some of the student-officers themselves objected to it and the course was withdrawn.

The revelation that has now been published by media all over the globe is really very dangerous also in the sense that junior officers would be running the US Army, the most powerful army of the world, in future.

Asteroid can narrowly miss Earth in Feb 2013, but may destroy satellites

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Astronomers at the LaSagra Observatory in Spain have disclosed that a newly discovered 150-foot-wide asteroid may come so close to the Earth in February that it might hit satellites, Daily Mail reported.

The asteroid named 2012 DA14 can come close enough to Earth to potentially disrupt geosynchronous satellites on February 15, 2013.

However, NASA says the chance of the asteroid hitting Earth is 0.031 percent.

BCCI invites PCB chief for IPL final

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In a friendly move, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has invited PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf to watch the final of the ongoing Indian Premier League on May 27 in Chennai. “I see the invitation as another positive step forward in further normalising bilateral cricket ties between the two countries,” Ashraf said from London.

CM pays tributes to late Rajiv Gandhi

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Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday paid glowing tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 21st death anniversary.

In a message the Chief Minister described late Rajiv Gandhi as the leader who heralded India into the 21st century. He said late Rajiv Gandhi was a great visionary, able administrator and a dynamic leader. Rajiv Gandhi laid down his life for the integration of the country and died in a bomb blast at Sri Perumbudur on 21st May, 1991, he said.

CPI demands resignation of tainted ministers

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The Communist Party of India on Sunday demanded that the ministers facing charges of helping YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in accumulation of illegal wealth should resign from the cabinet.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on agriculture crisis in the State, CPI State Secretary K Narayana said that the tainted ministers should resign from their posts with immediate effect. He said that the Central Bureau of Investigation would not be able to conduct a fair investigation into Jagan’s assets case if the ministers continue on their posts.

Naidu accuses Congress leaders of encroaching upon holy land

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Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has accused the leaders of Congress party of encroaching the government lands even in holy places like Tirupati.

Talking to reporters after visiting the lands on Tirupati-Trichanur road here on Sunday which were allegedly being encroached upon by Congress candidate from Tirupati’s seat Venkata Ramana, the TDP president said that the Congress leaders have not spared the holy places like Tirupati while encroaching government lands. He said the Congress leaders, if not stopped now, would encroach upon the entire temple town of Tirupati.

CLP warns of action against rebel leaders

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The Congress Legislature Party on Sunday said that it was considering taking serious action against the leaders who are making anti-government and anti-party statements.

Talking to reporters at the CLP office, CLP Secretary Jagadeshwar Reddy defended the decision to prohibit some leaders from using the office premises to address press conferences. Besides the CLP spokespersons, all other leaders would have to take prior permission from the CLP to address pressers while disclosing the contents that they propose to speak, he said.

BJP accuses City Police of harassing youth on communal cases

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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday alleged that Hyderabad City Police was harassing the innocent youth by registering false cases against them.

Addressing a press conference at the State party office at Nampally, former minister Bandaru Dattatreyya said that the four youth who were arrested on the charges of inciting violence in Madannapet and Saidabad areas were arrested in another case by the city police immediately after their release on bail. He said the youth, after their release, were scheduled to address a press conference to expose the atrocities of the City Police on them.

Man arrested for sexually abusing daughter

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The Mumbai police today arrested a 40-year old man for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter for the past three years.

The police said that the accused Harishankar Patva who stayed in a slum in suburban Mumbai along with his wife, three
daughters including the 18-year old victim and a son, molested the victim at knife point many times over the last three years.

When the victim told her mother about it, Patva threatened her as well.

Patva was today arrested on the charges of outraging modesty of woman and criminal intimidation. The incident came

Dikshit praises Biharis for contribution to making of capital

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After courting controversy over her comments on migrants earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today praised the contribution of people from Bihar in the building of the national capital.

Stressing the need to dispel misconceptions about Bihar, Dikshit said the state has given great political and spiritual leaders to the world.

“There are misconceptions about Bihar in Delhi but let me say that the state has given personalities like Chanakya,
Ashoka and Buddha who have significance not only in India but also in the world.

100 detained at rave party in Mumbai hotel

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About 100 people were detained at a suspected rave party at a hotel in suburban Juhu this evening, police said. Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nagre Patil conducted the raid at Hotel Oakwoods at Juhu and detained about 100 persons, many of them were youngsters, they said.

The type of drug used at the party was not immediately known and the raid was still on and those detained have been sent to Cooper hospital for medical examination, they added.

–Agencies

‘Didi’s cash-strapped Bengal govt spent Rs20 crore in celebration’

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CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury on Sunday questioned the “extravagant” spending of the “cash-strapped” Mamata Banerjee government to mark completion of its one year in office.

While the Trinamool Congress-led government has been complaining of lack of funds due to the the debt burden of over Rstwo lakh crore, it spent Rs20 crore to celebrate the occasion through various programmes, including a fair, he said.

Heat wave sweeps Telangana and Seema

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The state continued to reel under severe heat wave conditions on Saturday and Rentachintala in Guntur district recorded a maximum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, the highest this season.

The heat wave is likely to prevail in various parts of the state during the next two days.

Nandigama, Ongole, Adilabad, Nizamabad and Ramagundam recorded 45 degrees Celsius, closely followed by Nellore, Hanamkonda, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Kadapa, Kurnool, Nandyal and Tirupati at 44 degrees Celsius. Hyderabad sizzled at 43 degree Celsius for the second consecutive day.