Month: May 2012

Zardari arrives in Chicago for NATO summit

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Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has arrived in Chicago to attend a key NATO summit starting Sunday.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbass Jilani are accompanying him, Geo TV reported Sunday.

US President Barack Obama will host the two-day summit that will focus on plans to hand over security control to Afghan forces and withdrawal of foreign combat troops by 2014.

The coalition has urged Pakistan to back efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and hoped Islamabad will lift a six-month blockade of NATO supply trucks to Afghanistan.

Deal in sight on NATO supply issue: Report

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Britain has mediated a deal between Pakistan and the US to reopen NATO supply lines to Afghanistan through the country, a media report said Sunday.

A top British lawmaker reportedly said that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has given a positive signal to his British counterpart David Cameron for the resumption of supply lines during a one-to-one meeting between the two leaders earlier this month in London.

The development was not disclosed in the joint statement then issued by the 10 Downing Street because it might have triggered protests in Pakistan, Daily Times reported.

Four killed in Karachi violence

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At least four people were killed in violence in Pakistan’s Karachi city Saturday, a media report said.

Among the dead included an owner of a construction company. He was shot dead on Shaheed-e-Millat road. Another person was killed in Kemari area of the city.

Two bodies were found in Muwach Goth and Lyari areas, Dawn reported.

——IANS

Unfair terror probe will be destructive for society: Jamiat Ulama

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Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind on Saturday came down heavily on double-standard in terror investigation and said it is grave and injustice and will destroy the society. Addressing the massive gathering of Jamiat’s 31st General Session here at sprawling Ramlila Maidan, national president of India’s largest Muslim organization, Maulana Qari Syed Mohammad Usman Mansoorpuri also demanded reservation to Muslims in proportion to their population.

UK visa curbs putting off Indian students?

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Amidst renewed calls to the David Cameron government to review recent curbs on student visas, the British universities have reported a significant fall in applications for courses from India for the forthcoming academic year starting September-October.

The actual scale of fall in students from India and other non-EU countries will be clear by September, when students arrive to start their courses, but lesser number of applications received by April-May suggests that international students may be looking elsewhere.

Maha CM urged to take action against Bhiwandi police for brutality on Bilal

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(Pervez Bari): The members of Moderates group, a forum of civil society comprising of intellectuals cutting across the barriers of caste, creed and religion, have demanded the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to take action against the erring policemen who first brutally beat up a youth Bilal Shaikh and when he came out of hospital after 10 days in ICU, he was slapped with false charges and sent to jail. The members of The Moderates group have also demanded enquiry into the entire case.

French troops will leave Afghanistan in 2012: Hollande

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French President Francois Hollande has met with US President Barack Obama in Washington and announced that he will withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year, as originally scheduled.

“The withdrawal is not negotiable. The withdrawal of combat forces is France’s decision and this decision will be implemented,” Hollande told reporters after talks with Obama in the White House on Friday, AFP reported.

Osama Bin Laden died of natural causes: Former CIA agent

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A former agent of the CIA has revealed that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has died of natural causes five years before the US announced his death.

In an interview with Russia’s Channel One, Berkan Yashar, who is also a Turkish politician, said the US has not killed the al-Qaeda leader.

Maneka Gandhi stumbles, falls on Parliament House stairs

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Fifty six-year-old BJP MP Maneka Gandhi stumbled on the stairs of the stately Parliament House on Friday.

Dainik Bhaskar today published pictures of Maneka stumbling at Parliament House.

It happened all of a sudden, as the BJP MP suddenly lost balance and landed with her hands on the pavement.

Maneka was carrying some papers in her hand, which fell on the floor.

Within minutes, the daughter-in-law of former prime minister Indira Gandhi collected her papers and quietly walked inside the cool environs of Parliament House.

Is age creeping in?

GHMC forms committee to review property tax

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The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Saturday decided to constitute a four-member advisory committee to review the increase in property tax.

Following uproar and discussions that lasted for nearly two hours during the GHMC’s General Body meeting held on Saturday, Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain said that the decision to decrease the property tax would be taken based on the recommendations of the advisory committee. As soon as the meeting began, corporators across party lines created uproar demanding decrease in property tax.

CM ridicules YSRC’s claim of sacrificing MLAs’ posts

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Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday came down heavily on YSR Congress group members for claiming that they have sacrificed the posts of elected representatives for the cause of farmers’ welfare.

Addressing a massive by-election convention at Nagulapadu in Guntur district, Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the MLAs have violated the constitution by voting in favour of No Confidence Motion introduced by Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu against his government over the farmers’ issue.

Congress scared of Jagan popularity: YSRC

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The successive GOs issued by the State Government and the methodology Congress Party is employing against Sakshi media group and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy only shows the desperate attempt to stop further exodus from its party and such tactics will only be counter-productive, YSR Congress party has said.

Congress defends GOs to attach Jagan’s properties

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Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson N Tulasi Reddy on Saturday accused YSR Congress president and Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy of trying to get mileage on the GOs issued to attach his properties.

Talking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, Tulasi Reddy said that the government issued the GOs to prohibit sale, pledge and transfer of ownership of various properties of Jagan Mohan Reddy and his associates apart from helping the CBI in investigations. He said that the government kept the attachment of properties issue confidential as the GOs has to get its nod by the CBI Special Court.

VHR hails CM’s criticism against Jagan

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Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao on Saturday hailed Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar for effectively tackling Y S R Congress president and Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy in the by-election campaigns.

Talking to media persons after greeting Governor ESL Narasimhan for assuming charge for the second time at Raj Bhavan, Hanumantha Rao said that Kiran Kumar Reddy’s criticism against Jagan Mohan Reddy would definitely benefit the Congress party in the by-elections. He appealed to all Congress leaders to unitedly launch campaign against Jagan and work for the victory of party candidates.

Shankar Rao denied permission to speak at CLP

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The Congress Legislative Party office-bearers on Saturday once again denied permission to former minister Dr P Shankar Rao to speak at CLP premises.

Expressing serious displeasure over not getting access to speak at the CLP, Dr Shankar Rao sought explanation from chief whip Gandra Venkataramana Reddy as to why the CLP office-bearers did not allowed him speak at the CLP. According to sources, Gandra reportedly sought a copy of the speech or pointers that Shankar Rao proposes to speak before the media. However, Shankar Rao refused to oblige.

Girls outperform boys in CEEP results

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Girls outperformed boys in the Common Entrance Examination for admission into Polytechnic courses for academic year 2012-13 in the State with a pass percentage of 85.28 against boys’ 79.37 per cent.

Releasing the results of CEEP at his chambers in Secretariat, Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha informed that of 2,28,352 candidates who appeared for the examination, as many as 1,84,778 candidates have qualified registering a pass percentage of 80.92.

Tension as local train catches fire

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A fire in Falaknuma-Umdanagar local train, stationed on Platform No. 3 of Falaknuma Railway Station, resulted in interruption of train services between Falaknuma and Umdanagar, and Umdanagar and Kacheguda for several hours on Saturday afternoon.

The incident brought to halt four MMTS and 10 general trains. Two coaches of the train that caught fire were completely gutted, while a third was partially damaged. Railway officials said there were very few passengers on the train, who were taken off safely.

4 fake cops held; gold seized

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A four-member gang who robbed people by pretending to be policemen were arrested on Saturday. They were arrested when they were moving under suspicious circumstances at Lothkunta on Friday.

Police recovered 56 tolas of gold and two vehicles from them. The accused, Syed Nadir, 40, Syed Hashim, 36, Syed Aslam, 42, and Ali Raza Syed, were caught during a routine vehicle check, police said.

CPI demands arrest of six tainted ministers

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Communist Party of India state secretary K Narayana on Saturday demanded that the State Government immediately arrest the six ministers, who have received notices from the Supreme Court for issuing controversial GOs benefitting YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy in accumulating wealth illegally.

Modi to address NRGs in US and Canada via video conferencing

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Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi will address non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) in the US and Canada via video conferencing tomorrow.

Indian Gujarati Association of America had given an invitation to Modi to address them to celebrate the Gujarat
Day (May 1).

Modi will address them early morning tomorrow (As per Indian time). His telecast will go to 12 important cities of
the US and Canada, an official release of the state government said.

————————–PTI

Ramdev lambasts IPL, says it is “black game” now

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is nothing but an array of corruption and graft, yoga guru Baba Ramdev said here today.

Huge black money is being invested in it,” he said adding “this is a black game now”.

“It is a token of debauchery,” Ramdev told people at his roadshow here.

“This vicious circle shall be brought to an end for the sake of the country. There is loot all around.”

The yoga master said “if the electorate send about 300 honest MPs to Parliament, the country will get rid of many
evils.

AK Khan among 10 IPS officers transferred

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Citing administrative reasons, the State Government on Saturday transferred 10 senior IPS officials.

Hyderabad City Police Commission A K Khan has been transferred as the Managing Director of Road Transport Corporation in place of B Prasada Rao, who has been transferred as the Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau. The in-charge commissioner Anurag Sharma has been given the full charge of Commissioner of Hyderabad City Police.

Additional Director General (Law & Order) S A Huda has been promoted as Director General of Police (Law & Order).

Army: Soldier to stand trial in killings of 5 comrades at combat stress clinic in Iraq

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Iraq, A sergeant accused of killing five comrades at a combat stress clinic at a U.S. base in Iraq more than three years ago is mentally fit to stand trial on charges of premeditated murder, the Army said.

The Army announced the charges Friday against Sgt. John M. Russell, who faces a possible death penalty if convicted of one of the worst cases of soldier-on-soldier violence to arise during the war in Iraq.