Month: March 2013

Pakistan to hand over 11 Indian prisoners today

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Pakistani authorities will hand over 11 Indian prisoners, including seven fishermen, to Indian authorities at the Wagah land border crossing on Friday, officials said.

The seven fishermen were released last morning from a jail in the southern port city of Karachi and sent by bus to Lahore.

The four other Indians would be released from jails in Lahore, officials of the Indian High Commission said.

The Indians are being released as they had completed their prison terms.

The fishermen were arrested on the charge of violating Pakistan’s maritime boundary.

Libya govt says Lockerbie bombing case ‘closed’

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The new Libyan government has poured cold water on hopes of British police expecting a more open investigation in to the Lockerbie bombing case after Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster, saying the case is now ‘closed’.

Senior officials from the Libya’s justice department declared the matter “over” and “something of the past”.

Libyan Deputy Justice Minister Hameda al-Magery said that they ‘want to move forward to build a new future and not to look back at Gaddafi”s black history.’

Pope Benedict XVI”s tweets deleted following resignation

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The Vatican authorities have deleted all of Benedict XVI”s tweets sent from the @Pontifex account in less 12 hours since the Pope officially resigned.

The Pope’s final tweet read, “Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives.”

According to News.com.au, any re-tweets by followers will disappear from their timelines.

The account is still active and will return to its normal feed once a new Pope is installed, which the Vatican hopes will be before Palm Sunday, on March 24, the report said.

Phone tapping of BJP leaders their internal operation: Rawat

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Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat on Friday termed attempt to tap phones of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley’s cell, as an internal operation of the BJP.

“According to information this phone tapping of BJP leaders is their internal operation. A part of their personal tussle,” Harish Rawat told ANI.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is likely to make a statement in Rajya Sabha today on the alleged attempt to tap Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley”s phone.

Crime In Hyderabad (1.3.2013)

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Man attempted suicide, dies in hospital
(Siasat News): Sheikh Sajid who was very upset over the domestic problems, had attempted suicide but was immediately shifted to a hospital where he died during the treatment.

According to Jubilee Hills police, the deceased was a car driver and was the resident of Yousufguda.

Due to the domestic problems, he wanted to kill himself by hanging but was immediately shifted to the hospital where he died during the treatment last night.

A case has been registered and further investigations are on.

Spin coach MacGill warns playing ‘no Test bowler’ Doherty in Hyderabad Test may ‘backfire’ on Oz

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Australia’s new spin coach Stuart MacGill has warned that sending Xavier Doherty to India for the second Test may backfire, as he claimed that Doherty is not a Test bowler. The warning came with MacGill’s revelations that he will personally contact spinner Nathan Lyon to boost his confidence after observing his form in Australia’s first-Test defeat, News.com.au reports.

Warner feels ‘totally safe’ in Hyderabad for second Test despite bomb alert

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Australian cricketer David Warner has said that he feels totally safe in Hyderabad which will be hosting the second Test between India and Australia, following the bombings in the city last week which left 15 people dead and more than 100 injured.

Warner, who made his Test debut in the Chennai clash, said that he is not afraid for his life because he feels that the security and traffic closures have been satisfactorily increased in the city by the local police, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Hanif urges Whatmore to learn Urdu to communicate better with players

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Former Pakistani captain Hanif Mohammad has said he believes that it is important for coach Dav Whatmore to learn Urdu in order to have better communication and success with the Pakistani players. Whatmore had to face a lot of attack and criticism after Pakistan suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series in South Africa, and for failing to ensure that the team was motivated enough to take any of the matches into the fifth day, Sport24 reports.

Modern women `piling on the pounds due to lack of household chores`

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Lack of household work for modern women might be contributing to obesity, a new study has claimed.

According to researchers, since the 1960s, more women have taken desk jobs and cut back on physical activity like household chores.

In 1965, the average women spent nearly 26 hours per week on chores like cooking, cleaning and doing the dishes. Women today allot about half that time for chores, the study revealed.

Tapping phones of MPs a serious issue: Mulayam Singh

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Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday termed tapping of phones of Members of Parliament as a serious issue, and asked the government to take tough action against culprits.

Singh said: “Tapping of phones of MPs is a serious issue. The Government should get the entire incident investigated and take tough actions to stop such incidents from happening in future.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the attempt to secure the Call Data Records (CDR) of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley”s mobile phone as a serious matter .

No breakthrough in Hyderabad terror attack probe

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A breakthrough eludes police even a week after the terrorist attack in Hyderabad that killed 16 people and injured over 100.

Despite claims by the police of obtaining many clues, it appears to be still groping in the dark. No one has been arrested so far in connection with the twin bomb blasts, though police picked up for questioning many youth including some who were acquitted in 2007 Mecca Masjid blast.

The multi-agency investigators have yet to establish identity the terror group behind the blasts.

Journalist’s killing upsets Pakistani daily

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Empty words need the flesh of arrests, prosecutions and convictions on them if they are to mean anything, said a Pakistani daily following a journalist being shot dead earlier this week.

An editorial in the News International said that yet another journalist has been murdered – this time in Miranshah, North Waziristan. Malik Mumtaz Khan, who was gunned down Feb 27, was the 13th journalist to be killed in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) since 2002.

BJP leaders to brainstorm for three days

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With an eye on the general elections next year, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will meet in the national capital for three days beginning Friday.

The meeting of party’s national executive will be inaugurated by party president Rajnath Singh at 3.45 p.m. Friday. It will be followed by a meeting of the party’s national council Saturday and Sunday.

The national council will also endorse Rajnath Singh as party president.

US sees India as anchor of stability: Lawmaker

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Ted Poe, an influential Republican member of the US House of Representatives, has expressed confidence in the future of the India-US strategic partnership, underscoring the shared values and interests of the two countries.

The US looked upon India as an anchor of stability in the region and as an important partner in promoting regional and global peace, security and development, he told the Indian ambassador to US, Nirupama Rao, during a meeting Thursday at Capitol Hill, according to a media release from the Indian Embassy.

Bangladesh Islamic leader sentenced to death;35 killed in protests

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A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal today handed down death penalty to a top leader of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami for “crimes against humanity” during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, triggering fierce clashes across the country that left at least 35 people dead.

73-year-old Delwar Hossain Sayedee, vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of eight counts out of 20 involving rape, mass killings and atrocities during the nine-month freedom war.

Overturn ban on gay marriage: Obama admin to SC

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Making its strongest declaration in support of gay rights, US President Barack Obama’s administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn California’s same-sex marriage ban and turn a sceptical eye on similar prohibitions across the country.

“Throughout history, we have seen the unjust consequences of decisions and policies rooted in discrimination,” Attorney General Eric Holder said.

Rs. 3.73 lakhs donated to Bibi John a victim of husband’s brutality

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The heartrending story of 21 year old Bibi John who suffered the violent behavior of her drunkard husband was published in Siasat. Her wicked husband, demanding more dowry, cut off both her hands. Bibi John is resident of Tenali, Guntur district of coastal Andhra.

Siasat not only published her story but also opened an account in her name. After reading the news and watching her video on internet a number of NRI’s came forward and deposited money in her account which amounts to 3.73 lakh.

10th Pay Revision Commission formed

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Chief minister Mr. N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday formed the 10th Pay Revision Commission for state employees. Retd. Special chief Secretary and present Director General National Academy of Construction Pradeep Kumar Agarwal will be its chairman.

US Army private Manning pleads guilty to some Wikileaks charges

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Washington, Mar 1(Xinhua-ANI): A U.S. Army judge on Thursday accepted the guilty plea of Private First Class Bradley Manning, the central figure in a controversy involving whistle-blower website WikiLeaks and classified U.S. government files.Manning admitted to sending hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports, State Department diplomatic cables and other files to WikiLeaks while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad. He said he did so to expose the U. S. military”s “bloodlust” in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rahul Gandhi to meet party workers in Mumbai today

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Mumbai, Mar 1 (ANI): Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will meet party workers in Mumbai today.During his one-day visit, Gandhi will have a meeting with the district Congress committee and block Congress presidents of Mumbai.his will be followed by a meeting with elected members of the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

BJP national executive meet today

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All eyes would be on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi when Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national executive committee will meet in Delhi on Friday. The national council – over the next two days – will discuss the preparations for assembly polls later this year and the Lok Sabha polls scheduled in 2014.

It will be first meeting of national council after Modi’s third successive win in the assembly polls in Gujarat and amid voices demanding that he be declared as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the general elections.

Chavez’s battle for health, life continues: vice president

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President Hugo Chavez is continuing his battle for “health and life” following his recent cancer treatment, said Venezuela’s Vice President Nicolas Maduro Thursday.

The 58-year-old Chavez has been battling cancer since 2011. He was re- elected to another six-year term in October 2012, following a contentious campaign against a coalition of conservative parties.

The ailing president faces “delicate health condition” because he worked tirelessly without rest for the people, said the country’s vice president during a public ceremonial event here, Xinhua reported.

Sketches of suspects to be released soon

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“There are a lot of eye-witnesses and with inputs provided by those injured in the blasts we are trying to prepare the sketches of suspects, which will be released shortly,” the DGP told reporters.

Investigators were working on some clues, he said.

On February 21, two powerful bombs made with ammonium nitrate exploded in the crowded Dilsukhnagar area, leaving 16 dead and injuring 117.

The state government has formed 15 probe teams. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also probing the case.

US to give direct aid to Syrian rebels

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The US will send the Syrian opposition an additional $60 million and provide rebel forces with direct aid meant to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday.

“For more than a year, the United States and our partners have called on Assad to heed the voice of the Syrian people and to halt his war machine. Instead, what we have seen is his brutality increase,” Kerry told reporters in Rome.

He said during a global conference of world leaders and after he met with the leader of Syria’s opposition coalition Moaz al-Khatib.