Month: March 2013

Rahul will lead Cong in next polls, ‘most appropriate’ PM candidate: AICC

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Rahul Gandhi will lead Congress in the next Lok Sabha elections and is the “most appropriate” Prime Ministerial candidate, AICC said today, a day after he distanced himself from such talk.

As and when the time will come, the party will take an appropriate decision, as you said he (Rahul) is the most
appropriate candidate. It is not the party’s policy to announce the leader beforehand”, party spokesman Sandeep
Dikshit told reporters here.

He said that the Congress Vice-President is heading the party’s campaign committee and will lead the party in the

Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar get UK fellowship

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Film actress Shabana Azmi and poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar have been awarded honorary fellowships by the National Indian Students Union (UK).

We are really pleased as this is the first time such a fellowship has been instituted. Recognition from students
means a lot as they are a tough group to satisfy.

And that it is in honour of our work over the years, is really heart-warming,” Azmi told PTI.

The fellowships, instituted to mark 100 years of Indian cinema, have been awarded to the couple to celebrate and

Mushroom and Cream soup

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Make delicious Mushroom and Cream soup using this simple recipe.

Ingredients:

* Mushrooms 100 gms
* Cream 2 tbsp
* Salt
* Pepper
* Onion 1/2
* Butter 1 tbsp
* Chicken stock cube 1
* Water 500 ml

Procedure

Heat butter, add finely chopped onions. Cook till they become transparent.
Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Make stock of water and chicken stock cube. Add chicken stock to the mushrooms and onions.
Cook for 3-4 minutes. Blend everything to a smooth soup.
Add salt, pepper and cream.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander and dried mushrooms.

Fish better than fish oil pills: Study

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A new study shows that eating fish has greater health benefits than fish oil dietary supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish may have diverse health-promoting effects, potentially protecting the immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.

But how the health effects of one such fatty acid — docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — works remains unclear, in part because its molecular signalling pathways are only now being understood.

Karzai, establishment angered by Pak’s questionable role in Afghanistan

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Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has once again raised the ante against Pakistan by robustly telling media during a joint interaction with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Kabul that Pakistan has taken “no practical steps” to help Afghanistan fight terrorism.

Karzai also criticized influential Pakistani cleric Tahir Ashrafi for saying that suicide attacks in Afghanistan were justifiable because they target foreign occupiers.

Pakistan court cancels death penalty verdict in Musharraf”s attack case

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Pakistan”s top court Wednesday abolished an army court”s death penalty judgment to two civilian convicts in a suicide attack case on the country”s former military president Pervez Musharraf, local media reported.

Musharraf had survived two assassination attempts in December 2003 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi when his motorcade came under attacks. Several civilians and policemen had been killed in the attacks.

Several military personnel and civilians had been arrested and convicted for their alleged role in the attacks.

ICC rankings: Chanderpaul holds steady at No.3

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Veteran West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul continues to hold steady to the number three position in world cricket, according to the latest ICC Test Player Rankings.

Chanderpaul is 879 ratings points behind Australia’s Michael Clarke in second position and leader Hashim Amla of South Africa.

Clarke, who was recently dislodged from the number one spot, has dropped three ratings points and now trails number-one ranked Amla by 13 ratings points.

KCR slams Congress leaders for offensive remarks against Telangana

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Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday slammed the Congress leaders for making derogatory remarks on Telangana.

Addressing a meeting at LB Nagar, KCR said that the Congress leaders were repeatedly trying to insult the people of Telangana by making offensive remarks time and again. Referring to the “Dosa” remarks of Vayalar Ravi, he said that the Union Minister deliberately made the remarks to provoke the Telangana sentiments.

It’s ‘Dhanayagnam’ For Congress Leaders; BJP Wants Polavaram Tenders For Transtroy Cancelled

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The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that the Kiran Kumar Reddy government immediately cancel the tenders of Transtroy-UAE companies regarding Polavaram project.

Speaking to mediapersons in the party office here on Wednesday, State BJP president G. Kishan Reddy demanded that the Transtroy company, which made a bogus company as its partner and bagged Polavaram tenders, be blacklisted and a criminal case be registered against the Transtroy management.

Mamata announces scholarship for girl students

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All girl students in West Bengal studying in Class eight and whose parents’ annual income is less than Rs.50,000 will get an annual scholarship of Rs.500, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here Wednesday.

The scheme, christened ‘Kanya Sree’, will be available to the students till Class 12, provided their parents’ annual income remains below the stipulated amount.

HAYA (MODESTY)

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Hadith:
Ibn Umar (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Aleyhi Wa Sallam) passed by a man of the Ansar who was admonishing his brother regarding shyness. Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.S.) said:

“Leave him alone, for modesty is a part of Iman.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Commentary:

Are UP’s Muslims disenchanted with the Samajwadi Party?

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Is the crucial Muslim vote bank of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) drifting away? Even while party leaders say there is nothing that could “alienate the minorities”, community leaders have begun to openly speak of their “early disenchantment” with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

Minority leaders were angered by the SP chief’s recent statement in parliament that the differences between his party and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could disappear in near future if it gave up certain issues that the SP had antipathy to.

Godrej to launch residential project in Kolkata

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Mumbai-based Godrej Properties Ltd. (GPL), the real estate arm of the Godrej Group, Wednesday said it is planning to launch a Rs.100 crore super-luxury residential project in the city in the next two months.

The project called Godrej Platinum will come up at the city’s upmarket Alipur area.

“The project will have a saleable area of about 1,70,000 square feet. About Rs.100 crore investment would be required in the new project,” GPL managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) Pirojsha Godrej told reporters here.

World Meet At Gitam

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GITAM University, Hyderabad Campus is organizing World Conference on ‘Applied Sciences, Engineering & Technology’ (WCSET-2013) on 8-9 March, 2013 at its Rudraram Campus. It is in collaboration with Basha Research Corporation (BRCORP), Singapore.

Police Found Landmines in CM’s Constituency

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Landmines and bombs found in the Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s constituency created flutters. Landmines were found during road works in Uyyalapenta under KV Palli mandal. Police rushed to the spot along with the bomb squad and defused the landmines.

Will jagan come out next month?

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YSR Congress leaders are exuding confidence that their leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy would come out of the jail next month. The premise for their hope is the direction of the Supreme Court to the CBI, to complete its investigation by the end of March and file charge-sheet. The supreme Court had also said Jagan could file bail petition if the agency failed to compete its investigation by then. However, CBI’s argument on the matter is different. The agency claimed that no specific time was set for it to complete the investigation.

Football infrastructure needs to be improved

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Infrastructure for football has to be improved across the country if the goal was to play in big tournaments like the World Cup, Olympian Chuni Goswami said today.

“We will have to improve the infrastructure to provide opportunities to players to improve their skill as well as to host big tournaments,” said Goswami, who led the Indian team which won a gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.

PTi

Musharraf attack: Pakistani court cancels death penalty

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Pakistan’s top court Wednesday overturned an army court’s death penalty handed to two civilians for a suicide attack on the country’s former military president Pervez Musharraf, a media report said.

Musharraf had survived two assassination attempts in December 2003 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi when his motorcade came under attack. Several civilians and policemen had been killed in the attacks.

Several military personnel and civilians had been arrested and convicted for their alleged role in the attacks, reported Xinhua.

CBI questions Tyagi brothers in chopper deal

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Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief S.P. Tyagi’s brothers were questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here Wednesday onthe alleged kickbacks in the $750 million (Rs.3,600 crore) deal for 12 VVIP helicopters.

CBI sources said that S.P. Tyagi’s brothers Julie and Docsa Tyagi were questioned at the CBI headquarters Wednesday morning.

“The Tyagi brothers are being questioned in the chopper deal,” said the official.

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

IAns

Aamir Khan gets radio from Chor Bazaar

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Aamir Khan, who is shooting for Rajkumar Hirani’s “P.K.” in Rajasthan, has used a radio bought from Chor Bazaar here for one of the sequences in the film.

The 47-year-old was spotted wearing a skirt and a blazer during the film shoot and also carrying a radio in his hand.

It has now been revealed that the radio was bought from Chor Bazaar and has been used on Aamir’s request.

“Aamir had seen the radio in olden times and was very keen to have it. He vaguely described it as one of the oldest radios,” said a source.

Jay promises Mahi a proper Hindu wedding

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TV actors Jay Bhanushali and Mahi Vij have had a court marriage. Now Jay has promised his wife a wedding with Hindu rituals on their 25th anniversary.

The couple, who is participating in Star Plus’s dance reality show “Nach Baliye 5”, became emotional in an episode of the show.

Jay confessed to Mahi and said how she meant the world to him and her presence always makes him complete.

Jay also added that he didn’t opt for a Hindu wedding for them because he doesn’t like to sit in one place for a long time.

Kashimiri Pandits received threat letter: Govt

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The government today told the Rajya Sabha that Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir have received a letter threatening them to leave the valley within a week but there was no proof that the letter originated from militant organisations.

Minister of State for Home R P N Singh replied with a “yes” to a question in Rajya Sabha on whether terrorists have issued a threat to Kashmiri Pandits to leave Kashmir.

Lawyers, policemen clash in Jaipur

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About a dozen people, including advocates and police officers, were injured when clashes occurred between lawyers and police outside the state assembly building during the ongoing budget session, officials said Wednesday.

To draw attention to their demands, the lawyers broke security barricades put up by the police and marched towards the assembly building. Police resorted to baton charging and used tear gas to disperse agitators who hurled stones at policemen, officials said.

India prods Lanka to ‘engage’ US on rights issue in the UN

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Against the backdrop of demands by Tamil parties that India should vote against Sri Lanka at the UN on human rights issue, government on Wednesday remained evasive on the stand it will take even as it asked Sri Lanka to treat it as a humanitarian issue rather than “a matter of ego”.

With a resolution set to be moved on Sri Lankan Tamils at the UN, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he has asked his Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris to work with the US and report progress if any made on the issue to arrive at a draft which is “acceptable to everybody”.