Month: March 2013

Chinese Han ‘jihadist’ fights along with Syrian rebels

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A Chinese national of the majority Han ethnic community has turned a Jihadi militant and joined the ranks of the Islamic militants to fight against the Bashar regime in Syria, according to a media report today.

Bo Wang, who calls himself Yusuf after his conversion to Islam was filmed firing his Kalashnikov rifle in YuTube video, the New York Times reported.

He told the person filming him that after reading the works of Sayyid Qutb, the modern Islamist theorist, he had
gone to study in Libya and witnessed the revolution there.

Cong MP Vivek Blames CM On Power Tariff

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Peddapally MP G Vivek has expressed anguish over Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajgopal’s statements and said that speaking on Telangana without knowing its history shows Lagadapati’s ignorance towards Telangana region.

Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Vivek alleged that the increase in power charges was just because of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who has no foresight on the problem.

NIA to establish Liyaqat’s credentials, says top cop

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Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad Sunday said the ongoing National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe would establish whether Syed Liyaqat Shah “is a terrorist or innocent”.

Talking to media persons on the sidelines of a police function here, the DGP said: “The NIA is probing the arrest of Liyaqat Shah by Delhi Police. It will establish if he is a terrorist or innocent.”

Shah, 47, was arrested by Delhi Police from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh March 20.

US may decide on H1B visas through lottery this year

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The much sought H-1B work visas could be decided through lottery this year, industry experts and officials feel, based on initial feedback from companies, as the US starts accepting applications from Monday.

If it happens it would be for the first time since 2008 that the fate of thousands of applications for H-1B visas would be decided by a computerized draw of lots.

Even Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it expects the cap for H-1B visas to be filled in the first five days itself.

MCA ban on Shah Rukh Khan stays: Officials

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Mumbai Cricket Association’s five-year ban imposed on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan last year stands and he will not be able to attend his team’s IPL match against hosts Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on May 7.

“There is a clause in the agreement we are to sign with Mumbai Indians tomorrow that any person who has been debarred by the association cannot enter our premises. It’s not specific to any single person,” MCA joint secretary Nitin Dalal said on Sunday.

BJP elevates Modi; Karnataka poll will ‘test’ new team, Cong says

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The Congress on Sunday said the Karnataka assembly elections in May would be the “first test” for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) new team.

“This is BJP’s internal matter and I won’t comment on it. The 2014 general elections are far. Karnataka is the first test for the team,” said Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi.

Earlier in the day, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was re-inducted into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary board — the highest decision making body — that will lead the party in the next general elections, a BJP spokesperson said.

Botsa opposes hike in power tariff

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PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana on Sunday opposed the hike in power tariff as proposed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Botsa appealed to the State Government either to defer implementation of hike in power tariff or bear the burden itself. He assured that all steps would be taken to ensure that the farmers, middle-class and poor were not affected due to the hike. He admitted that the hike in power tariff was against the policies of the Congress although the party never said that it would never increase the power charges.

Nine MLCs take oath

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The nine newly elected Members of Legislative Council took the oath of office here on Sunday.

Legislative Council chairman Dr A Chakrapani administered the oath to nine MLCs at his chambers in the presence of several ministers and other political leaders.

The MLCs are Boddu Nageswara Rao and Ravi Kiran Varma from Graduates constituency, G. Srinivasulu Naidu and Pula Ravindra of Teachers constituency, T Santosh Kumar, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, K Veerabhadraswamy and Lakshmi Siva Kumari of Congress party (MLAs Quota) and KSamantha Kamani of TDP.

MP topples Bihar in growth rate in 2012-13

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Madhya Pradesh led major states of the country in respect of growth rate in 2012-13, and dislodged Bihar from top position, the state government has said citing estimates released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Agriculture growth rate of Madhya Pradesh for year 2012-13 is 14.28 per cent and GSDP growth rate 10.02 per cent,
a state government release said here today.

With this, Madhya Pradesh has occupied the top position in respect of GSDP growth, dislodging Bihar, it said.

Diesel loco simulator to be set up in Railway Gallery

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Japan’s super fast bullet train, Delhi Metro and the country’s first rail engine along with various train-related trivia will be on display at Science City near here.

The railway gallery in Pushpa Gujral Science city, located in Kapurthala, is also set to get a diesel loco simulator which will allow visitors to experience the wonders of the Indian Railways.

Harry Styles recording his own songs?

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‘One Direction’ star Harry Styles is reportedly co-writing and recording his own songs as he plans
to release an album in the future.

The 19-year-old singer is working on early versions of his songs during numerous visits to the Paramount recording
studio in LA, reported Daily Mirror.

He loves messing around with some of the new songs he’s been working on. He’s bounced some ideas off his friend Ed
Sheeran and has already laid down some vocals.

Rajan Bharti Mittal appointed president of ICC India

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Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rajan Bharti Mittal has been appointed the President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Inda.

Mittal has been appointed as the President of ICC India at the conclusion of 82nd Annual General Meeting of ICC
India,” Bharti Enterprises said in a statement.

ICC India is the Indian affiliate of the Paris-based ICC, the world business organisation with presence in over 90
countries.

Hazare begins ‘janatantra yatra’ from Amritsar

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Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare today embarked on his ‘Janatantra Yatra’ (walk for democracy) here to rally support against the Congress-led UPA Government in the run up to the next general elections.

Accompanied by a small group of supporters, the 75-year-old activist paid obeisance at Durgiana Mandir and
Golden Temple besides paying tribute to the martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh. Being a Sunday, the Golden Temple complex was teeming with visitors.

One Direction to become UK’s richest band

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One Direction is believed to be named as Britain’s wealthiest boy band with net worth estimated at 25 million pounds.

They have amassed a 5 million fortune each since first getting together in 2010, according to the new Sunday Times
Rich List.

Their individual personal wealth has rocketed all five members — Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik
and Louis Tomlinson – into the list of music millionaires aged under 30.

The former ‘X Factor’ contestants hit the jackpot after topping the charts in 16 countries with their first album ‘Up

Indonesia president takes reins of crisis-hit party

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Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took full control of the ruling Democratic Party today in a bid to salvage its tumbling popularity ahead of elections in 2014.

Yudhoyono, 63, who is the party’s founder and heads its executive body and advisory board, cemented his position as
its most powerful member by being chosen as chairman at a party congress in Bali yesterday.

He replaces former chairman Anas Urbaningrum, who resigned in February after being named as a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission.

Now, ‘artificial spleen’ to treat blood infections

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Harvard scientists have developed a new ‘artificial spleen’ to treat bloodstream infections – leading cause of death in critically ill patients and soldiers injured in combat.

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University said that it was awarded a USD 9.25 million contract from the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further advance its blood-cleansing technology and help accelerate its translation to humans as a new type of sepsis therapy.

missing, kin suspect abduction

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A retired Army Havildar has gone missing and the family suspects abduction, police said today.

Manveer Singh Choudhary, a native of Bhawanpura village who retired from the Army five years back, went missing on the night of Holi.

The 45-year-old was staying in Rukmani Vihar Colony.

According to a complaint lodged with the police, Manveer received a call on his mobile to come outside the house. He went out talking over the phone but did not return after that.

The family suspects abduction but has not received any demand for ransom, police said.

Kenya on alert after court ruling sparks riots

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Kenyan police beefed up security today after a court decision upholding Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential vote win drew his rival’s supporters into the streets, sparking riots that left two dead.

Raila Odinga had challenged the result of the March 4 poll hoping for a rerun but while he begrudgingly accepted the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday, youths in his strongholds were enraged.

Riots broke out immediately after the ruling, leaving two dead and seven wounded in the city of Kisumu, Joseph Ole Tito, police chief for the western Nyanza region, said.

Woman raped by robbers

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A trader was held captive and his wife allegedly raped by two youths during an armed robbery in Kotwali area, a senior police officer said here today.

The trader, a grocery shop owner, was closing for the day when the two motorcycle-borne youths approached him last night and asked for a soft drink, Additional Superintendent of Police Maan Singh said.

When the trader went inside his house to fulfil the request, the accused overpowered him and locked him inside a
room.

They raped his wife before fleeing with jewellery, Rs 25,000 cash and mobile phones, the ASP said.

Man battered to death

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A man was beaten to death and his brother seriously injured allegedly by a villager at Ganeshsthan in the district today, police said.

Amaresh Yadav (32) and his brother Manoranjan Yadav were severely beaten up with a baton by Lakhendra Yadav as the two brothers had scolded him for abusive behaviour in a drunken condition last night.

The 32-year-old man died on the spot, while his brother was badly injured and hospitalised, police said.

An FIR was lodged against the assailant and raids were being carried out to arrest him, they added.

———-PTI

35 indicted in America’s biggest school cheating scandal

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In the largest cheating scandals to hit the US public education system, 35 Atlanta public schools educators and administrators have been indicted on charges of large-scale racketeering and corruption.

Among those indicted by a Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury was Beverly Hall, the former schools superintendent who gained national recognition in 2009 for turning around Atlanta’s school system.

She was a full participant in that conspiracy,” Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard told reporters during a
news conference announcing the charges.

Apollo Hospitals unveil vaccination drive for adults

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Apollo Hospitals, country’s pioneering healthcare group, today announced the launch of a largescale nationwide vaccination drive to create awareness and encourage Indians to take precautionary steps and avoid easily preventable diseases.

Titled “Apollo Protect”, the campaign will focus on encouraging vaccinations for adolescent and adult population
and will be driven across the group’s integrated healthcare network of hospitals and medical centres across the country, Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy said in a statement here.

Study reveals decreasing trend in emigration from Kerala

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Amid fears among emigrants from Kerala of losing jobs in Saudi Arabia in the wake of new labour policy ‘nitaqat’, a recent study has indicated a decreasing trend in emigration from the state.

The number of Kerala emigrants living abroad in 2011 is estimated to be 2.28 million, up from 2.19 million in 2008,
1.84 million in 2003 and 1.36 million in 1998, indicating that the increase during inter-survey periods shows a decreasing trend, study by K C Zachariah and S Irudaya Rajan of Centre for Development Studies here.

Ryder out of ICU, says “I’m ok”

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Three days after suffering severe head and lung injuries in a fight outside a Christchurch bar, New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder has been moved out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and has reassured his well-wishers about his well-being, saying, “I’m ok”.

Ryder is in a stable condition in a general ward at the Christchurch hospital.

I just want to let everyone know that I’m ok.

I feel heaps better today but still really tired,” Ryder stated in a press release by New Zealand Cricket.

Two more persons rescued, search on for missing three

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Two more persons, missing after a cargo-laden dhow sank in the Arabian sea near here, were today rescued as the search for tracing three others were on, Coast Guard sources said.

Three persons were rescued and five reported missing in the incident yesterday.

The rescued sailors are Bhaskaran and Keni and they have been admitted to hospital, the sources said.

The dhow ‘Arul Seeli’ with an eight-member crew was on its way to Lakshadweep islands from Beypore near here when it sank 24 nautical miles off the coast after developing a leak, they said.

——–PTI