Month: March 2013

Assad hits out at Britain

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The British government is “shallow and immature” and has for centuries played an “unconstructive” role in the Middle East, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Assad said: “To be frank, Britain has played famously in our region an unconstructive role in different issues, for decades, some say for centuries.”

“How can we expect to ask Britain to play a role while it’s determined to militarise the problem?”

Assad ruled out any suggestions that Britain could help resolve the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Govt school student thrashed by teacher; hospitalised

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A class V student of a government school here was hospitalised after he was allegedly thrashed by a teacher.

Gaurav, a student of Government Elementary School Duffera, was allegedly beaten by the teacher Saturday.

“We admitted Gaurav to Civil hospital Bassi Pathana but doctors referred him to Civil Hospital Fatehgarh Sahib,” said Jit Singh, father of the student. Singh demanded stern action against the school teacher.

Mubarak re-trial set for April 13

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Egypt’s Appeals Court has set April 13 as the date for a re-trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak was jailed for life for failing to prevent the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising.

“Samir Abu el Maati, head of the Appeals Court, has set April 13 as the re-trial date for former president Hosni Mubarak and his interior minister Habib al-Adly,” a court official said.

The court agreed in January to hold a re-trial for Mubarak who appealed against his life sentence for involvement in the killing of the hundreds of protesters.

School bus, truck collide 7 children dead

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Seven children died when the school bus in which they were travelling collided with truck at Jalandhar in Punjab on Monday morning.

Out of 14 injured children, 10 are said to be in critical condition.

The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Jalandhar district.

According to reports, the truck was being driven on the wrong side of the road, leading to head-on collision with the school bus of Akal Academy.

BJP wants implementation of ‘Gujarat model’ in country: Karat

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CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday alleged the BJP could never be the alternative to the Congress for the 2014 elections as the saffron party wants to take forward the “models” of 2002 Gujarat riots and pro-American policies.

“The BJP says that it is the alternative of the Congress, which is untrue, because it will implement the ‘Gujarat model’, carrying forward pro-American policies (and) 2002 communal riots, which were state-sponsored.

On economic policies, Karat further alleged, the BJP was no different from the Congress.

2G scam: BJP wants Raja to be called as witness

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Backing former Telecom Minister A Raja’s plea to be summoned as a witness before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), BJP on Sunday said a meeting of the panel should be called at the earliest to take a final call on summoning the “key player” in the 2G scam.

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who is a member of the JPC, has written to panel Chairman PC Chako asking him to call a meeting “at the earliest” to decide on summoning Raja as witness.

Modi holds closed-door meeting with Rajnath Singh

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Speculation over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi being given a bigger role in the BJP at the national level grew further as he held a closed-door meeting with party president Rajnath Singh on Sunday.

Soon after the national council meeting of the party concluded, Modi drove to Rajnath Singh’s residence and spent about an hour with him.

Sources said Modi and Singh discussed the party’s poll strategy in the coming months ahead of the 2014 general elections.

Four policemen gunned down in Karachi

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Four policemen were killed when unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen attacked a check-post in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi Sunday night, a media report said.

Fayyaz Laghari, inspector general of Sindh police, told Xinhua that the gunmen opened fire at the policemen standing at the check-post on the main highway of Karachi.

The attack took place around 9.20 p.m.. The assailants sped away following the attack.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Dog saves missing Polish girl in freezing cold

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A small dog saved the life of a three-year-old girl who went missing in Poland and spent the night in freezing temperatures.

Vesti FM radio said the girl, Julia, disappeared with her pet dog from Pierzwin village in Lubusz province in Poland Friday. She was found lying in a nearby marshland Saturday with the dog by her side.

Firefighters who found the girl said the dog kept the child warm enough throughout the night, with temperatures plunging to minus five degrees Celsius.

40 killed, over 130 wounded in Karachi bombings

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At least 40 people were killed and 135 others injured when twin blasts hit a residential area in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi Sunday night, officials said.

The blast took place around 7 p.m. at Abul Hassan Isphahani road, Xinhua reported.

Sachal Ahmad Qamar, deputy inspector general of Karachi Police, said the first explosion targeted a group of people offering evening prayers in a mosque in Iqra City area.

He, however, said the second blast happened due to a gas cylinder explosion in a car which caught fire following the first blast.

Advani asks BJP not to tolerate corruption, indiscipline

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Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani Sunday urged party chief Rajnath Singh to adopt “zero tolerance” against corruption and cautioned party leaders against indiscipline and speaking out of turn before TV cameras.

In his speech delivered at the party’s national council meeting here, Advani cautioned party leaders against indiscipline and speaking out of turn before TV cameras but he elaborated on the issue with much more forthrightness in his written speech the text of which was made available to media.

Dikshit promises more development, shown black flags

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With an eye to the assembly polls due later this year, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Sunday pushed for more developmental work in the city, stressing that her government will work on all pending issues.

Speaking at a rally in Uttam Nagar in west Delhi, Dikshit promised to provide effective governance with more emphasis on development if her government retained power.

She also promised to address issues faced by women in the capital and enable them to reap benefits of government welfare schemes.

Maternal uncle held for two siblings’ murder

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The maternal uncle of two minor murdered siblings has been arrested here along with two accomplices, police said Sunday. A hunt has been launched for a fourth accused in the crime that started as an abduction for Rs.30 lakh ransom.

The decomposed bodies of Mansij, 7, and his sister Yashvi, 5, who went missing from their east Delhi school Feb 26, were spotted by a taxi driver in the bushes near the Ring Road-Bhairon Road crossing in central Delhi Saturday morning, police said.

Modi seems set for national role, tears into Congress

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Setting the stage for a likely national role in the BJP, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday hit out at the Congress, comparing it to a termite while party leaders stressed on unity, discipline and a clean image for success in the upcoming elections.

Pranab meets Hasina for talks in violence-hit Bangladesh

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Visiting Indian President Pranab Mukherjee met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday and discussed outstanding issues including the Teesta water treaty even as violence continued in the country over the death sentence to a top Islamist opposition leader.

As Mukherjee began his three-day trip, 23 more people, including a police constable, were killed Sunday when activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and supporters of convicted leader clashed with police in five districts, taking the toll to over 60.

Sushma Swaraj’s oratory skills like Vajpayee’s: Advani

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In a boost to party leader Sushma Swaraj, senior party leader L. K. Advani Sunday compared her oratorical skills with that of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In his concluding remarks at the BJP national council meeting, Advani lauded the speeches of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Narendra Modi and Shivraj Singh Chouhan but lavishly praised the speech delivered by Sushma Swaraj, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha.

Blasts: Interrogation of IM operatives continues for 3rd day

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The custodial interrogation of two suspected IM operatives continued for the third day today in connection with the February 21 twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar here that left 16 people dead, NIA officials said.

The questioning of Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan is continuing,” a senior NIA officer said even as he denied
reports being carried by TV channels that two more suspects were picked up by the agency.

No one else apart from the two IM operatives (Maqbool and Imran) are being questioned,” he said.

I am sure govt will repeal AFSPA: Irom Sharmila

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Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast for about 12 years demanding repeal of controversial AFSPA and was flown in here from Manipur to appear in a court case of attempted suicide, on Sunday said the voices of protest cannot be ignored for long.

Charged with Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC for fasting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the 40-year-old has to appear before the court tomorrow.

“I am not committing suicide. This is my way of protest. I am protesting by non-violent means,” she said after being brought to the capital this evening.

Manipur board exam: Solved question papers given to students

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Students appearing for a class XII board exam in Manipur were given question papers with answers printed on the back side, after which the test was cancelled.

Hundreds of students were provided the question papers and blank answer sheets during the ‘Engineering Drawing’ exam organised by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur (CHSEM), yesterday.

After some examinees pointed out the error, invigilators collected the question papers and the exam was cancelled.

Muslims won’t mind if Modi is elected prime minister: Vastanvi

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Former vice chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband, Ghulam Muhammad Vastanvi on Sunday said that Muslims should not have any problem if people of the country elects Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the prime minister.

“If our country makes him Prime Minister, there is no reason for us to have any objection (Agar apna mulk unko PM banata hai to hamari taraf se koi inkaar to ho hi nahi sakta),” Vastanvi told reporters here today when he was asked him about his views about Modi as prime ministerial candidate.

Zardari dismisses US opposition to Iran-Pak pipeline project

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No power in the world can halt the 7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, President Asif Ali Zardari has said, dismissing mounting US opposition to the venture that will be formally inaugurated on March 11.

“Nobody has the power to halt this project,” Zardari said during an interaction with senior editors and TV anchors at his private residence in Lahore late last night. Pakistan, he said, is a sovereign and independent country that it acting in its national interests by going ahead with the pipeline.

Hyderabad blasts: Interrogation of IM operatives continues for 3rd day

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The custodial interrogation of two suspected IM operatives continued for the third day today in connection with the February 21 twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar here that left 16 people dead, NIA officials said.

“The questioning of Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan is continuing,” a senior NIA officer said even as he denied reports being carried by TV channels that two more suspects were picked up by the agency.

“No one else apart from the two IM operatives (Maqbool and Imran) are being questioned,” he said.

Kin of blast victims paid Rs. 6 lakhs each

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The State government is taking measures to extend all possible assistance to the kin of those killed in the twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar on February 21.

A press release from the Chief Minister’s Office has stated that the kin of 16 members, who died in the blasts, were paid ex gratia of Rs 6 lakhs each. While 100 people, who suffered simple injuries were treated in the hospitals at the government’s expenses, 62 of them were discharged after full recovery. Among the remaining, 24 persons were paid Rs one lakh each and 38 people were given Rs 50,000.

Woman set afire by husband in front of six-yr-old daughter

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A 26-year-old woman was battling for life today after her husband allegedly set her afire in front of their daughter after an argument over not having a son in their house in north-west Delhi.

The incident took place in Karawal Nagar yesterday and the victim has been identified as Ambika. Her husband Satish (37) has been arrested.

The couple used to fight frequently over not having a son and yesterday after an argument, Satish allegedly set Ambika on fire.

Verma was arrested after police recorded the statement of their daughter Saumya (6).