KCR demands jobs for women in RTC as per quota

TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhara Rao here on Wednesday demanded that the APSRTC management to recruit women in the jobs earmarked for them.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day today, Telangana Mazdoor Union organized a seminar with women conductors and women employees of the corporation.

Musharraf to return to Pakistan on March 17 following support from ”powerful quarters”

Lahore, Mar. 6 (ANI): Former Pakistan president and military dictator Pervez Musharraf, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Dubai for the last four years, has reportedly decided to return to Pakistan on March 17, after receiving support from ”powerful quarters”. Musharraf, who founded the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) to launch his political career sometime ago, had also made a similar announcement for his return in January 2012, but deferred his plan after not getting assurances from the powerful quarters at home and international power players, reports The Nation.

Bus services to interior villages soon: AK Khan

APSRTC Managing Director A.K. Khan here on Wednesday said new bus services would be run to the interior bus-less villages shortly. He also declared that number of bus services would be increased to the single-bus villages.

Pak blames international forces” ”meddling” for terrorism in Afghanistan

Islamabad, Mar. 6 (ANI): Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani has said that the role of international forces” meddling in Afghanistan had led to terrorism in the country. The Dawn quoted Jilani, as saying that terrorism would continue to affect the country even after the withdrawal of NATO forces. The US plans to end its combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and is encouraging the Afghan government to engage the Taliban militants for a peaceful end to the conflict. The Taliban, however, appear reluctant to work with Kabul.

Human Y chromosome much older than thought

Washington, March 6 (ANI): An extremely rare Y chromosome found in an African American pushes back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 300,000 years ago.

The new divergent lineage, which was found in an individual who submitted his DNA to Family Tree DNA, a company specializing in DNA analysis to trace family roots, branched from the Y chromosome tree before the first appearance of anatomically modern humans in the fossil record.

Aggressive Manmohan Singh says UPA did better than NDA

An unusually aggressive Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday took on the BJP saying the Congress-led UPA performed better than the BJP-led NDA.

“Our work and performance are the best judges,” the prime minister told the Lok Sabha while replying to the motion of thanks on the president’s address to parliament.

He also expressed the hope that people would vote the ruling UPA back to power in 2014 as they did in 2004 and 2009.

Taking a dig at BJP chief Rajnath Singh, the prime minister said, “Jo garajte hain woh baraste nahin (thundering clouds do not produce rain).”

Apple to release new iPad in April, iPhone 5S in August

London, Mar 6 (ANI): Tech giant Apple could release the iPhone 5S in August, a report has claimed.

Sources familiar with the plans said that the iPhone 5S will be similar to iPhone 5 in design, but will have a more advanced processor and an improved camera.

According to tech blog iMore, the US firm is also considering releasing new iPads next month.

The site said that Apple could launch a fifth-generation iPad in April alongside an updated iPad mini.

Dow Jones, FTSE at new five-year high following 2009 global financial crisis

London, Mar. 6 (ANI): New York’s Dow Jones share index set a new all-time high on Tuesday, and London’s FTSE 100 closed at it highest level in five years.

The Dow reached 14,285 during the day, exceeding the previous record intra-day high of 14,198, set in October 2007, the BBC reports.

It closed slightly lower at 14,256 and the FTSE closed at 6,432, its highest close since January 2008.

The rallies mean the stock markets are returning to levels not seen since before the global financial crisis.

Dubai-based Pakistani man dialed 999 over 100 times every day for deportation

Dubai, Mar. 6 (ANI): A 53-year-old Pakistani man living in Dubai has claimed he dialed 999 over 100 times on a daily basis so he would be produced in a court and deported.

The man said he hit on his scheme after being rendered an illegal after 30 years in Dubai and having lost all hope of securing a job.

According to Gulf News, he said he was broke and couldn’t afford a ticket to return to his home country after losing his job at Dubai Police, where he had worked as a calligrapher for 16 years.

Shastri brands woeful Oz batsmen ”sitting ducks” following Hyderabad capitulation

Sydney, Mar 6 (ANI): Former Indian batsman and renown television commentator Ravi Shastri has branded Australian batsmen as sitting ducks following yet another batting capitulation during the second Test match in Hyderabad. Shastri, speaking even before Tuesday”s travesty, described the tourists” experience in this series as a nightmare, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Shastri said this series could well turn out to be one of the weakest Australian sides to have visited this part of the world, adding the visitors are in disarray.

Dilsukhnagar blasts toll rises to 17

The toll in Dilsukhnagar twin blasts has risen to 17 on Wednesday with another injured person succumbing in Yashoda hospital on Tuesday midnight.

Ravi Kumar, 25, of Karimnagar district, who suffered grievous injuries in the blast died after battling for life for 15 days. Ravi Kumar, along with a friend one Tirupati was having snacks on that fateful evening when the blasts occurred. It is learnt that iron nails passed through his body due to the impact of the explosion. Besides, his hands and legs were also fractured. However, his friend Tirupati had died on the spot.

PM pulls up BJP, exudes confidence to form Govt. in 2014

Taking potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for attempting to demean the Congress-led UPA Government”s accomplishments, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the main opposition would fail in the next Lok Sabha polls as it did in 2004-09.

Disapproving the remarks used by BJP leaders, in particular Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, at the National Council meeting, Dr. Singh said the main opposition party hurled the ”choicest abuses” against the Congress leadership and made it clear he would not reply to them in that language.

CBI questions ex-IAF chief, brothers in chopper deal

Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief S.P. Tyagi and his brothers were questioned by the CBI here Wednesday on the alleged kickbacks in the $750 million (Rs.3,600 crore) deal for 12 VVIP helicopters.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources said Tyagi and his brothers Julie and Docsa were questioned at the probe agency’s headquarters.

“The Tyagi brothers were questioned for around eight hours,” a CBI source said.

The CBI had Tuesday questioned Aeromatrix CEO Praveen Bakshi, former union minister Santosh Bagrodia and lawyer Gautam Khaitan in the case.

Cocaine worth about Rs 25 crore seized by customs from IGIA

Cocaine worth about Rs 25 crore has been seized from the cargo terminal of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here by custom officials.

About 5 kg of cocaine was concealed in packets of snacks to avoid detection and being sent via cargo to places in the US and the UK, customs officials said.

Acting on intelligence, the officials found 5 kg cocaine and 12 kg Ketamine, a party drug, in a consignment which was to be shipped to the US and the UK. The drugs were hidden in snacks packets,” Additional Commissioner of Customs at cargo terminal, IGI, K K Katheria said.

Notorious criminal arrested in Gurgaon

Gurgaon police arrested Mahesh alias Attack, allegedly involved in several crimes including murder and extortion, along with his five colleagues, while gambling at Sector 31.

Mahesh, Anuj, Jitender, Rajan Yadav and Deepak Yadav were arrested last night while gambling and Rs 1,23,600 which was at stake was recovered, Jaswant Singh, investigating officer of the case said.

However, all six were granted bail by Judicial Magistrate Sandeep Yadav this afternoon as their counsel argued that the section of Gambling Act under which they were arrested was a bailable offence.

Jaitley CDR row: Court extends JC of 4, constable seeks bail

A court here today issued notice to Delhi Police seeking its response by tomorrow on a bail plea of a policeman arrested along with three others for allegedly illegally retrieving call details of BJP leader Arun Jaitley.

Constable Arvind Dabas moved his bail plea before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Amit Bansal who also extended the judicial custody of all the four accused till March 20 after the Special Cell of Delhi Police said their probe into the case was on.

Taliban kill 17 captured Afghan soldiers: officials

Taliban militants have killed 17 captured Afghan soldiers in the far northeast in one of the deadliest single attacks on local forces in recent years, officials said today.

The men were taken hostage in Badakhshan on Saturday while guarding a convoy. Their bodies were discovered by local people in the relatively peaceful mountainous province, which borders Tajikistan, China and Pakistan.

The enemy have executed 17 soldiers whose bodies were found last night,” provincial deputy police chief Sayed

Former Minister’s nephew attacked

Former Karnataka Minister Laxman Savadi’s nephew Shivakumar Savadi suffered knife injuries in an alleged attack by some unidentified miscreants here, police said today.

27-year old Shivakumar, who got engaged last month, was returning home in his car after dropping his fiancee last
night when the miscreants waylaid the vehicle and atttacked him, police said.

He had been admitted to a private hospital where he is stated to be “out of danger”, police soources told PTI.

An attempt to murder case has been booked and we are sure to nab the miscreants soon”, police said.

———PTI

Mentally challenged woman sexually harassed in Kolkata

A mentally challenged woman was allegedly sexually harassed by her neighbour in Behala area of Kolkata , police said.

A 24 year old mentally challenged woman was allegedly sexually harassed by her 55-year-old neighbour two days back when she was alone in her house.

The family members of the woman filed a complain with the police. The accused is absconding and the police has
launched a search.

We have started investigation. The accused is on run, we are confident of nabbing him, ” said Subrata Mitra, DC
(Behala).

————PTI

Racist attack on Indian in Scotland

A 28-year-old Indian on a night out at Edinburgh city in Scotland has become the “unprovoked” victim of a racist attack, requiring treatment for facial injuries.

According to police, the Indian was walking with two friends in the west end of Princess Street on early hours of
Sunday when a man approached and made racist comments.

He then punched the victim, knocking him to the ground, before running off along Princess Street.

The victim was treated for facial injuries at the city’s Royal Infirmary, police said, adding they are treating the incident as a “hate crime”.

Chinese explosives recovered from Odisha jungle

Security personnel belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF) and Odisha police recovered a huge cache of explosives during an anti-Naxalite operation in Koraput district today.

Acting on a tip-off, the personnel raided certian places in Pinamali forest under Narayanpatna police station
area from where explosives were recovered, they said.

The explosives were dumped by the Maoists in a plastic container in the dense forest. The security personnel
safely recovered the explosives and no injury has been reported,” said SDPO (Laxmipur) Y J Rao.

19 students of Crescent Academy clear IAS Main Exam

Bhopal: Nineteen students of Delhi-based Crescent Academy have successfully cleared the Main Exam of IAS Examination, 2012, the results of which were announced recently. In the Prelims (first stage) 30 students were successful.

Till date the Crescent Academy, in spite of limited infrastructure and resources, but through its innovative-cum-interactive sessions and consistent test practices has been able to produce more than 80 IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, Judges and State Civil Servants throughout the country.

China divorces spike to escape property tax

Chinese couples are flocking to divorce to avoid a new property sales tax imposed by the government, after it left open a loophole for those who end their marriages.

Government marriage registration offices — which also handle divorces — were swamped by scores of couples trying to untie the knot, with one newly-separated woman telling AFP today she was heading off to sell a property.

China’s central government last Friday issued rules to rein in housing prices, including a nationwide capital gains tax of 20 per cent on profits owners make from selling residential property.

Gogoi orders suspension of Dimoria College principal

Dr Saponti Borthakur, Principal of Dimoria College here, was placed under suspension today for allegedly suppressing facts during an interview for his post last year.

An enquiry ordered by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi following complaints from certain quarters revealed that Dr
Borthakur had suppressed vital facts during the interview held for the post of principal on January 9, 2012, an official release said here.

In the wake of the enquiry report, the chief minister ordered suspension of Dr Borthakur with immediate effect, the release said.

—————PTI

EU fines Microsoft 561 mn euros over web browser choice

The European Commission today fined US giant Microsoft 561 million euros (USD 730 million) for failing to provide clients with a choice of Internet browser, as it had promised to do.

The Commission said this was the first time it was sanctioning a company for the failure to satisfy a previous EU
complaint, making this a “very serious infringement.”

In 2009, the Commission required Microsoft to offer clients a choice of web browser through to 2014 after
complaints it was restricting them to its own brand product.