Month: January 2013

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi today inducted 10 new ministers in a major cabinet reshuffle to improve his Islamist regime’s handling of the country’s economic crisis, ahead of a visit by an IMF delegation for talks over a USD 4.8-billion loan.

The cabinet reshuffle signals further step in Muslim Brotherhood’s control of the country as three of the new
ministers hail from Mursi’s party. With this, the total number of Brotherhood ministers in the cabinet reached eight.

The new Minister of Finance will be El-Morsi Hegazy, a specialist in Islamic finance and an economics professor at

President Bashar Assad today called on Syrians to defend their country against religious extremists seeking to destroy the nation, dismissing any prospect of dialogue with the “murderous criminals” he says are behind the
uprising even as he outlined his vision for a peaceful settlement to the civil war.

In a one-hour speech to the nation in which he appeared confident and relaxed, Assad struck a defiant tone, ignoring international demands for him to step down and saying he is ready to hold a dialogue but only with those “who have not betrayed Syria.”

Gun-crazy couples in the US posed with deadly weapons on their wedding day, just three weeks after the Sandy Hook massacre.

The Las Vegas “shotgun­weddings” are still popular, despite the horrific shootings, in which nearly 20 school children and seven adults were killed.

Couples draped in bullets and brandishing shotguns, like the one found in killer Adam Lanza’s car, they exchanged vows at The Gun Store wearing complete bridal clothes.

According to the Mirror, the couples then went to through to a marble-floored shooting range to fire off a few rounds.

Stricter punishment for gang-rape, denial of bail for crime against women and lowering juvenile age limit to 16 are among the key recommendations made by top bureaucrats and police brass to the government.

The conference of Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police held in New Delhi on Friday has suggested increase
in punishment for gang rape, setting up of Fast Track Courts, National data base for sexual offenders and amendments to CrPC, IPC and Juvenile Justice Act.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray kicked up a storm once again when he said that the perpetrators of the recent Delhi gang-rape were from Bihar.

Speaking at the Global Konkan Festival in Mumbai Saturday evening, he said the gang-rape of the 23-year-old woman was sad and nobody should ever face such a situation.

“However, nobody is willing to go to the root of the matter and reveal who committed the heinous crime. They were all from Bihar,” Thackeray said.

The Indo-Pak cricket rivalry is one of the most intense among the famed rivalries in the world of sport and the same was witnessed today when the two teams squared off in the third and final one-dayer at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium here.

Extreme fan reactions could be seen whenever a boundary was hit, wicket was scalped and fielders dived to save runs under chilly weather conditions.

A separate enclosure had been erected for the visiting Pakistani fans near Gate No 8. At the other side of the stand were Indian supporters.

A Yemeni court specialising in terrorism cases sentenced five Yemenis to between four and 10 years in prison today on charges of membership in al-Qaeda and for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks.

Key defendant Mohammed Muawada was jailed for 10 years while three accomplices were given a 6-year prison sentence
each and the fifth one was sentenced to four years in jail, according to the verdicts announced by judge Hilal Mahfal.

Four other suspects were released on parole while two were set free.

A youth was arrested here for allegedly abducting and raping his 21-year-old colleague.

The accused, Krishna Ranjan, hailing from Bihar and working as a manager at a packers and movers company, was
booked on charges of kidnapping and raping the young woman who worked as a computer operator in his office for two days, the police said.

The accused continued to contact the victim through a social networking site though she quit her job and went to
her native Eluru town in West Godavari district a few months ago as she was unable to take his misbehaviour in the office, the police said.

Execution of rapists in full public glare, abolition of co-education and “sober and dignified” dress for girls are among the 11 suggestions made by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind to Justice J S Verma Committee on ensuring safety and security to women.

In a statement, JIH said it welcomed the government decision to set up committees to review the present anti-rape law and find out measures to make the society safe for the women against the backdrop of the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad today slammed MNS chief Raj Thackeray for blaming Bihari migrants for the Delhi gang-rape case and related incidents occurring elsewhere in the country.

It has become a habit of (Raj) Thackeray and his extended family (Shiv Sena) to insult Bihari migrants all the time and for all crimes taking place in the country,” he said.

They should refrain from making habitual and insulting remarks against the Bihari migrants as these were not in
national interests, Prasad told reporters.

A man was arrested for allegedly passing lewd remarks at a young woman who was waiting for her husband at a bus stop in central Delhi today, police said.

The incident was reported from a bus stop near Gandhi Museum.

The 28-year-old woman was waiting for her husband when the youth made some lewd remarks at her.

Police personnel present at the spot arrested him.

A case has been registered.

———————PTI

Pakistan falls short in the final ODI at Feroz Shah Kotla Groud, New Delhi. Chasing the target of 167 runs, Pakistan all out for 157.

What a match this has turned out to be! India finally walk of to some smiles, the first time this year. Pakistan had things under control, but the wicket of Misbah, who was holding one end and looked solid till then, opened up the flood gates as the rest crumbled under pressure.

India pulled off a thrilling 10-run victory over Pakistan in the third and final game of the one-day series at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Sunday.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday launched the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of Aadhar-Enabled Payment System (AEPS) scheme at Gollaprolu village of East Godavari district.

The scheme aimed at beneficiaries of pensions, MGNREGS, PDS, Child Labour, stipend distribution, Janani Suraksha Yojana and scholarships has been launched on pilot basis. Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh paid the pension amount to Nilla Satyanarayana, a physically challenged person, using a micro ATM. He also paid wages using micro ATM to MGNREGP workers on the occasion.

Backward Classes Minister Baswaraju Saraiah said that he was not opposed to the idea of making Hyderabad as the common capital of two states after the formation of Telangana.

Talking to reporters here, Saraiah said that the Congress leaders might not oppose the idea of making Hyderabad as the capital of Seemandhra and Telangana States after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. However, he said he might support the idea once the Centre decides to bifurcate the State.

Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary G Niranjan on Sunday stated that MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi’s speech at Tandur public meeting on Saturday was intended to deceive the people.

In a statement here, Niranjan said that the MIM chief was trying to misguide the nation on his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi’s provocative speeches at Niramal, Adilabad and other places. He said Owaisi’s remarks were intended to save his brother from the ire of the courts of Law.

TDP senior leader Revanth Reddy has said MIM floor leader in the Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi should be arrested and debarred from elections for his communal outburst.

He said disqualifying him was the right punishment for his folly.

Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar on Sunday claimed that Muslims in Telangana region were in favour of statehood for the region.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, along with Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, here on Sunday launched the direct “Cash Transfer Scheme” at Gollaprolu in East Godavari district. This is the first time that the scheme was launched in the State on a pilot basis.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the scheme, the Chief Minister said his government has taken a decision to supply four or five more commodities through Fair Price shops from Ugadi festival as against the criticism of the Opposition parties that the government was diluting the scheme.

YSR Congress leader Gone Prakash Rao today alleged that the Congress leaders of the Telangana region were enacting dramas.

Talking to the media here on Sunday, Gone said though the Congress MPs knew that it would not be possible for tabling Telangana Bill in the ensuing budget session, they were trying to mislead the people in the name of the Bill. He also charged the Congress leaders with spending time for the past 12 years with the same kind of deceit.

India will consider granting multiple visa to journalists from SAARC nations, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said today.

Addressing South Asia Free Media Association’s (SAFMA) 8th Regional Conference here, the Minister said that he would soon take up the matter to sort out multiple visa issue.

He said the new Indo-Pak visa regime, which was operationalised last month, would also facilitate mediapersons to visit each other’s countries.

–Agencies

The Lok Satta Party and the Foundation for Democratic Reforms have suggested that “in all cases where a person is charged with an offence against women, the burden of proof shall be on the person who is charged to prove that he has not committed the offence”.

It is one of the many suggestions the two organizations made to the Committee of Eminent Jurists headed by Justice J S Verma on matters related to rape and sexual assaults against women after wide consultations.

On account of late running of its pairing trains due to heavy fog in Northern and Central parts of India, the South Central Railway has rescheduled two trains on Monday.

According to the SCR, Train No.12723 Hyderabad – New Delhi AP Express, scheduled to depart Hyderabad at 06.25 AM on January 7 (Monday) is rescheduled to depart at 3 PM. Similarly, Train No.12715 Nanded – Amritsar Sachkhand Express, scheduled to depart Nanded at 09.30 AM on Monday is rescheduled to depart at 6 PM.

–Agencies

The managements of private engineering colleges in the State on Sunday threatened that they would close their institutions if the State Government fails to clear their dues under Fee Reimbursement by January 20.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who stoked a controversy a few days ago saying that rapes do not take place in rural but urban India, has created a fresh row now with remarks that a woman is bound by contract to husband to look after him.

“A husband and wife are involved in a contract under which the husband has said that you should take care of my house and I will take care of all your needs. I (man) will keep you safe.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Sunday accused YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy of trying to sabotage the Telangana movement.