Month: August 2012

President to visit Bihar in early October

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President Pranab Mukherjee will visit Bihar in the first week of October to launch a road map on agriculture prepared by the state government, an official said on Thursday.

Mukherjee will visit Bihar on an invitation by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“During his visit, the President will launch a road map on agriculture and some other projects,” the official said. The five-year agriculture road map covers the period 2012-17.

A high-level meeting, chaired by the state’s Chief Secretary, was held here on Wednesday to review preparations for the Presidential visit.

Gang members arrested in Odisha

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Six members of a gang were arrested while they were planning a dacoity at a liquor bhati near Balipadara, police sources said on Thursday.

The gang members were arrested yesterday from the Badanadi river bank near Gahangu village, Inspector in-charge of Buguda police station Sushant Sethi said today. Two country-made pistols, four bombs and two motorbikes were seized from them, he said.

–PTI

Nine killed as two Air Force choppers collide in Gujarat

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Nine defence personnel, including five officers, were on Thursday killed when two MI-17 choppers of Indian Air Force collided mid-air just after takeoff from an air base here.

“Nine IAF personnel–five officers and four other ranks– have been killed in the crash near Sarmat firing range, 15 kms from Jamnagar city,” an IAF spokesperson said in New Delhi.

The Russian-made choppers were on a training sortie and the crash occurred about five after they took off at 12 noon from the Jamnagar air base, he said.

Judge refuses to delay NY case for Google appeal

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The federal judge presiding over challenges to Google Inc.’s plans to create the world’s largest digital library has refused to delay the 7-year-old case while Google appeals his decision to grant authors class certification.

US Circuit Judge Denny Chin’s order was put in the court file yesterday in Manhattan, where he ruled in May that class action was “more efficient and effective” than requiring thousands of authors to sue individually. His order was dated Tuesday.

Sanjay Gadhvi feels pressure of `Dhoom` series

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Director Sanjay Gadhvi, who shot to fame with ‘Dhoom’ series, says he felt the pressure of the franchise when he directed his subsequent project ‘Kidnap’.

Gadhvi made his directorial debut in 2000 with ‘Tere Liye’. But he achieved fame with ‘Dhoom’ (2004) and ‘Dhoom 2’ (2006).

“I don`t have to keep making films in action genre. I want to make films to feel good, to have fun while making it and give the producer a big hit and also contribute to actor`s career,” he said at a promotional event of his upcoming film ‘Ajab Gazab Love’.

Indian students stranded as U.K. cancels university

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London Metropolitan University’s licence to admit Indian and other non-EU students has been revoked by Britain’s immigration authorities citing “serious and systemic failings” on the part of the varsity, stranding hundreds of students.

With the next academic year starting shortly (September), plans of many Indian students preparing to travel to study at the university were thrown into jeopardy, while current students will need to quickly make alternative plans.

BJP stalls parliament again over ‘quit PM’ demand

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Both houses of parliament were disrupted again Thursday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) persisted with its demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation over coal block allocation.

Both the houses saw the first adjournments within minutes of proceedings beginning. When the two houses met at noon, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after transacting some business amid din. The Rajya Sabha also conducted some business before it was adjourned till 2 p.m.

Women make 50 percent of country`s power: Amitabh Bachchan

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan believes in fair education for all, be it the country`s underprivileged or the women folk.

The 69-year-old veteran, who is driving home the message of importance of knowledge through his hit reality TV game show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 6’ (KBC), believes half the country`s power lies in its women.

“In smaller towns, girls are not being allowed education. There is a lot of discrimination and kept in a separate space. I believe naari hamaare desh ki 50 percent shakti hai (women make the country`s 50 percent power),” Bachchan said here.

18-hour strike cripples normal life in Manipur

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Normal life was affected in Manipur today because of an 18-hour general strike called by some major social organisations to protest against kidnapping of a businessman by suspected Naga militants.

Official reports said markets, business houses and entertainment outlets were closed in view of the strike called by the United Committee Manipur (UCM) and All Manipur United Clubs Organisations (AMUCO) from midnight.

Transport services between Manipur and neighbouring States and within the State were cancelled.

Box Office offers mixed bag this Friday

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With three different films from three different genres coming out this week, viewers are spoiled for choice. They can take a pick from ‘Joker’, a sci-fi drama, comedy ‘I M 24’ or children`s film ‘Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid’ as all are releasing Friday.

Film editor-turned-director Shirish Kunder`s ‘Joker’, starring actors Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha, is the story of Agastya (Akshay), a researcher probing the existence of aliens in the universe, who returns to his small little native village with his wife Diva (Sonakshi).

Crime In Hyderabad (30.8.2012)

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Gold ornaments recovered from woman robber

(Siasat News): Vanasthalipuram police has arrested a woman robber belonging to notorious Kondamma gang and seized 80 tolas gold ornaments and cash.

According to police, the woman Mangamma hails from Guntur’s Tadepally Mandal and was involved in various crimes in twin cities.

Police had arrested her some time back and sent her to jail. The gold ornaments, cash and the receipts of fixed deposits were seized from Mangamma’s bank lockers.

Now, a `ballpoint pen` to beat arthritis pain

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Researchers have developed a new `pen` which they claim can shock nerves into blocking pain signals and can be used to treat millions crippled by arthritis and those suffering from headaches and facial pain.

The gadget has a tip- like a ballpoint pen and cooled to -20C using liquid nitrogen. The small, hand-held device is inserted a few millimetres under the patient`s skin against a nerve, causing it to “hibernate” and block pain signals, the Daily Express reported.

Parliament adjourned; Mulayam meets left, TDP leaders

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The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day today amid din as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) persisted with its demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation provoking Congress members to raise slogans.

The deadlock in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over the CAG report on coal block allocation issue entered its seventh day as the Houses met after a day’s break on account of Onam.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm.

In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar took up the Question Hour but nothing could be heard in the din.

Top cop Arup Patnaik admitted to Hospital

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Former Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik was on Wednesday admitted to Jaslok Hospital after he complained of chest pain.

“Patnaik was admitted after he complained about chest pain and doctors are attending to him,” police sources said.

Patnaik had to vacate his post last week after he was promoted to Director-General rank and is now heading the Maharashtra State Security Corporation, while Satyapal Singh has been appointed as the new Mumbai police commissioner.

Sources said Patnaik is likely to be discharged after two or three days.

–PTI

Zardari, Manmohan meeting could be significant: daily

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A meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Tehran “could be an important continuation of the efforts to improve ties between the two nations”, said a Pakistani daily Thursday.

The two leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit being hosted by Iran.

For Kasab, it’s now a question of when

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With the Supreme Court upholding the death sentence for Pakistani terrorist Kasab, lawyers say he is now left with little legal recourse.

Top lawyers opine that the best the convict can hope for now is a delay in the execution of the sentence. There is only a very slight possibility that Kasab could escape the gallows.

“Kasab has a very narrow window to escape the gallows, the reason being that three courts, from the trial court to the Supreme Court, have all given identical judgments of his guilt as also the adequacy of the sentence,” says Majid Memon, a well known criminal lawyer.

Rally against female foeticide in Yavatmal

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A public rally was taken out in the city to stress the need for checking female foeticide and seek people’s help for ‘save girl child’ programme.

The speakers at the event, held in the city yesterday, called for effective measures to control female foeticide in Maharashtra.

They urged the couples to treat their children, son or daughter, alike and highlighted how the malpractice could cause an imbalance in the human sex ratio in times to come.

Pakistani judge, two others shot dead in Quetta

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Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Shi’ite judge, his bodyguard and driver in a sectarian attack in Quetta city of southwest Pakistan on Thursday, officials said.

Zulfiqar Naqvi, a sessions judge, was attacked as he came out of his home in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, police officials said.

They described the incident as a sectarian attack as the slain judge was a Shia.

The judge was heading to work when the gunmen, waiting outside his home at Saryab Road, fired indiscriminately.

Naqvi and the two other men were killed instantly, officials said.

Latest scan can tell need for bypass

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An ultra-fast, 320-detector computed tomography (CT) scanner can tell which people with chest pain need or do not need cardiac angioplasty or bypass surgery to restore blood flow to the heart.

“The CORE 320 study is the first prospective, multi-centre study to examine the diagnostic accuracy of CT for assessing blockages in blood vessels and determining which of those them may be preventing the heart from getting adequate blood flow,” says Joao A.C. Lima, senior study author and professor of medicine and radiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

China mine explosion toll climbs to 19

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The toll in a gas explosion that occurred in a coal mine in southwest China’s Sichuan province has climbed to 19, rescuers said on Thursday.

A total of 107 miners have been rescued, although 28 remain missing, reported Xinhua.

A total of 154 miners were working underground at the Xiaojiawan Coal Mine in the city of Panzhihua when the blast occurred around 6 pm on Wednesday.

Professional rescue teams from other coal mines in Sichuan have been sent to the accident site.

The coal mine is owned by Zhengjin Industry and Trade Co Ltd.

–IANS

Telugu Language Day celebrated in AP

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‘Telugu Language Day’ was celebrated at various places in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.

Several officials and public representatives paid homage to Gidugu Ramamurthy, the late linguist who campaigned for simplifying Telugu.

Expressing concern over the declining use of Telugu, scholars and others maintained that efforts should be made to promote the language in educational institutions and elsewhere.

The birth anniversary of Ramamurthy is celebrated as the ‘Telugu Language Day’ (August 29) every year.

–PTI

Four suspected IM activists held in 2010 stadium blast case

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Four suspected Indian Mujahideen activists involved in the 2010 Chinnaswamy Stadium blast case were picked up here today for questioning, police said.

Fifteen people were injured when two bombs exploded at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, 2010 on the eve of the Bangalore-Mumbai IPL semifinal match.

(PTI)

Middle class girls choose beauty over health: Narendra Modi

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The usually measured Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has trigged a controversy by blaming vegetarianism and figure conscious Gujarati girls for high rate of malnutrition in the state.

In an interview to the Wall Street Journal, Narendra Modi said, “Gujarat is by and large a vegetarian state. And secondly, Gujarat is also a middle-class state. The middle class is more beauty-conscious than health-conscious—that is a challenge. If a mother tells her daughter to have milk, they’ll have a fight—she’ll tell her mother, ‘I won’t drink milk. I’ll get fat.”

‘Son of Sardaar’ doesn’t hurt anybody’s sentiments: Ajay

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Actor Ajay Devgn has come out in defence of his upcoming film “Son of Sardaar” saying that the content of the film projects the Sikh community in a positive manner and it will not hurt anyone’s sentiment.

The All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) Tuesday urged the clergy to take action against the actor-producer, alleging that “Son of Sardaar” shows Sikhs in a bad light. The comedy has been co-produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Ajay Devgn Films.