Month: November 2012

The attack by rats on a day-old baby in a Pakistani hospital has caused outrage, with a leading newspaper blasting the authorities over poor hygiene in medical establishments.

The baby was bitten on the lips, cheeks, nose and fingers at the Holy Family Hospital’s gynaecology ward in Rawalpindi, adjoining the Pakistani capital.

The Dawn newspaper Friday said it was “sheer luck” that saved the baby, and lamented that the official response to the “scary incident has been predictable”.

An inquiry committee has been set up. Senior hospital officials were suspended.

Shweta Bhatt, the wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, today announced that she will contest the state Assembly elections on a Congress ticket against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in the city.

“Yes, I will be fighting against Modi from Maninagar on a Congress ticket,” Shweta Bhatt said.

“We have moved far away from democracy in Gujarat and to restore it, everyone has to do whatever they can. Fighting election against Modi is the logical step in our quest for democracy and to curb anti-democratic forces,” she said.

Returning to Champions Trophy hockey tournament after six years, India are confronted with a test of character as they take on England the lung-opener here tomorrow, aiming to wipe off the bitter memories of their London Olympic debacle.

India’s return to the Champions Trophy for the first time since 2005 comes through a wildcard invitation, and the team is well aware that their performance at the State Hockey Centre will be under scrutiny.

If you visit the govt. offices, educational institutions, courts, hospitals in the city, you will find that there is not a single place left where a temple has not been constructed. Though India a secular country and Supreme Court has put a ban on construction of religious structures at govt. offices or public buildings.

Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Friday resigned from the state assembly, soon after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He submitted his resignation to Speaker K.G. Bopaiah at the state secretariat in the city centre and urged that it be accepted immediately.

The 69-year-old told the speaker that he was giving up his assembly seat on his own.

Yeddyurappa represented Shikaripura in his home district Shimoga, about 280 km north of Bangalore.

Yedyurappa is set to launch a regional outfit, Karnataka Janata Party, on Dec 9 at Haveri, about 400 km north of Bangalore.

Shweta Bhatt, the wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, on Friday announced that she will contest the state Assembly elections on a Congress ticket against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in the city.
“Yes, I will be fighting against Modi from Maninagar on a Congress ticket,” Shweta Bhatt said.

“We have moved far away from democracy in Gujarat and to restore it, everyone has to do whatever they can. Fighting election against Modi is the logical step in our quest for democracy and to curb anti-democratic forces,” she said.

The Supreme Court on directed the Maharashtra government to explain the circumstances under which its police arrested two girls from Palghar in Thane district for posting comments on Facebook on the November 18, 2012 shutdown for Bal Thackeray’s funeral.

“The Maharashtra government is directed to explain the circumstances under which the two girls — Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan — were arrested for posting comments made by them on Facebook,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar said.

A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Friday was up 167 points following a healthy buying spree in metals, banks, oil and gas, capital goods and public sector undertakings (PSU) stocks.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,229.70 points, was ruling at 19,338.45 points around 12.50 p.m., up 167.54 points or 0.87 percent from its previous close at 19,170.91 points.

The news of a day-old baby being bitten by rats in a Pakistani hospital is a “horrifying, extreme example” of the lack of hygiene in the country’s health facilities, a leading daily said Friday.

Calling it “sheer luck” that saved the baby at the Holy Family hospital in Rawalpindi from serious harm, Dawn lamented that the official response to the “scary incident has been predictable”.

An inquiry committee was formed and senior officials at the hospital were suspended.

Cancer and stress go hand in hand. Higher the stress levels, the poorer the response from cancer patients.

But there is a way out. Researchers from The Jefferson-Myrna Brind Centre of Integrative Medicine say meditation and creative art therapy are the answer.

The brains of women with breast cancer who took part in the programme showed changes in activity linked with lower stress and anxiety after the eight-week programme.

Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has finally found a producer for his long-pending, ambitious project “Paani” in the well-known banner Yash Raj Films. He says it is a “perfect” association.

“I have been preparing for this film for a long time, but always wanted an Indian partner that has the same passion for the film as I do and in Adi (Aditya Chopra), I have finally found that,” Kapur said in a statement.

“It is a huge production that demands futuristic sets and large action pieces. With YRF, I have found a perfect home for ‘Paani’,” he added.

Low-key promotions for “Talaash” have worked in its favour, the movie’s lead actor Aamir Khan believes. He says the hype around the film shows it has been marketed well.

“I think what we had planned for the marketing was a good plan and we have moved according to the plan,” the 47-year-old said here Thursday at a special screening of the film.

“Now when the film releases, the hype that I see around the film indicates that the hype is not low it is very high actually. I am very happy with the promotions,” he added.

Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Friday quit the BJP, accusing a section of its leadership of conspiring to drive him out of a party “for which I gave 40 years of my life”.

He announced at a public meeting at Freedom Park in the city centre that he had sent his resignation to Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari.

The 69-year-old Yeddyurappa, credited with bringing the BJP to power for the first time in Karnataka and south India in 2008, is formally launching the Karnataka Janata Party Dec 9 in Haveri, 400 km north of Bangalore.

Lanco Hills Friday announced the launch of the construction of the Mega Mall shopping mall here with an investment of Rs.500 crore.

Spread over three million feet, it is expected to be the largest mall in south India. It will completed in 30 months, said a statement by Lanco Hills.

The mall will bring a completely new experience to the people of twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, it said.

Unlike most other malls in India, the Lanco Hills Mega Mall will offer the widest range of options in every sphere like shopping, movies, gaming, entertainment and dining.

Yesteryear actress Zeenat Aman says she has a few scripts in hand and she might return to the big screen next year.

The 61-year-old Bollywood beauty, who has starred in blockbusters like “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” and “Yaadon Ki Baraat”, said she is waiting to return to movies.

“There are a couple of scripts on hand and hopefully in 2013 I will have a few releases.

-PTi

Children born to illegally wedded wife of a central government employee are entitled to get family pension, according to a new order.

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in an order issued earlier this week, decided that pensionary benefits will be granted to children of a government servant or pensioner from “void or voidable” marriages.

Earlier, children born out of such a wedlock of a government servant had no claim on family pension and the legally wedded wife was the sole recipient of the post- retirement benefit.

BJP today slammed Congress for fielding suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s wife against Narendra Modi, saying the party stood “exposed” by using Bhatt as a “major pawn” for sponsoring a hate campaign to defame Gujarat.

“Congress is exposed thoroughly today. In the last 10 years, they carried out a hate campaign…They defamed Gujarat to the hilt. And Sanjiv Bhatt became a major pawn in the hands of Congress,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Anna Hazare has alleged that MLA Suresh Jain, who was arrested in connection with the Jalgaon Housing scam, was getting “five-star” treatment and demanded an inquiry against jail authorities.

Hazare wrote a letter to this effect to Additional Commissioner of Police Meera Borwankar, before leaving for Odisha tour on Wednesday, Anna’s close aide advocate Shyam Asawa said here today.

Hazare said in the letter that Jain was denied bail by the High Court. After being arrested on March 12, 2012, Jain has been trying to spend maximum time in hospitals and not in prison.

Bharti Infratel, the tower unit of Bharti Airtel, on Friday said it is looking at raising over Rs 4,533 crore next month through its initial public offer (IPO).

The company has set a price band of Rs 210 to Rs 240 per share for its initial public offering comprising 188,900,000 equity shares, which will open on December 11 and close on December 14, the company said in a statement.

At the upper end of the price band, Bharti Infratel would raise about Rs 4,533.60 crore, while at the lower end it could end up with Rs 3,966.90 crore through the listing of the company on BSE and NSE.

Supreme Court has said that it would hear Monday the petition by two real estate companies of the Sahara Group challenging the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) rejecting their plea to direct its registrar accept a pay order of Rs.5,120 crore that it had to deposit to SEBI towards the payment of investors’ deposits.

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir directed the listing of the matter Monday, after senior counsel Gopal Subrahmaniam mentioned Sahara’s plea before it Friday.

The challenges in modern era are diverse and multifaceted. While making things easier, the technology has also created new challenges. In these circumstances it is imperative that our new generation may get high-standard opportunities and such an education system should emerge in which standard education is provided with basic religious awareness. These views were expressed by renowned educational expert and intellectual Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, addressing parents’ meeting organised by Insight International School.

Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Friday announced he has sent his resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to party president Nitin Gadkari.

Yeddyurappa then proceeded to the state secretariat to submit his resignation from the Karnataka assembly as well to Speaker K.G. Bopaiah.

–IAns

The Indian economy grew by 5.3 percent in the July-September period of the current financial year (2012-13), pulled down by poor performance of manufacturing and agriculture sectors, showing persistent signs of slowdown.

The gross domestic product (GDP) had expanded by 6.7 percent in the same period of last fiscal.

It had grown by 5.5 percent in the first quarter (April-June) of 2012-13.

The five-day deadlock in Rajya Sabha on the FDI issue on Friday ended after Chairman Hamid Ansari allowed a discussion on the issue under a rule that allows voting.

When the House met for the day, Ansari said he has received eight notices for discussion on allowing FDI in multi-brand retail under Rule 168.

He said he has admitted the motion and “will allow discussion on the subject under Rule 168.”

“Date and time of discussion will be decided (later),” he said.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has presented the Department of Defence Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest award given to a foreign leader, to his Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak.

“Through his distinguished military career and the political career, few people have such far-reaching and positive impacts on Israeli security and prosperity on the US-Israeli relationship,” Panetta told Pentagon reporters before presenting the prestigious award to Barak yesterday.