Month: May 2013

Syria serious threat to Middle East: Tunisia

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The situation in Syria poses a serious threat to the entire Middle East region, Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh said Monday.

“I’ve been shocked by the death toll and the scale of destruction in Syria. We can see how dangerous this situation is for the future of Syria as well as for the region as a whole,” he told Voice of Russia.

Tunisia will support any initiative to stop the civil war, he said, including the idea of holding an international conference on Syria proposed by Russia and the US.

Four held for duping people through fake company in AP

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Police have arrested four persons from the city who had allegedly run away after duping about 1,800 people to the tune of Rs five crore by promising hefty returns.

K Vishnu Vardhan Goud, Surineni Upender, Mohamoud Jahangir, who had set up money-laundering finance company Suraksh Infra Group at Akkayyapalem last year, were arrested from Visakhapatnam railway station on Sunday evening, DCP (Law and Order) P Viswa Prasad said today.

Another person, identified as MRJ Kumar of Munagapaka area, was also arrested yesterday, he said.

SC to hear plea of Rajesh and Nupur Talwar

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The Supreme Court will hear the plea of dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar on Tuesday seeking deposition of 14 people as witnesses in the murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. The plea includes deposition of ADG (Law and Order) as one of the witness.

The Supreme Court had earlier rejected the same plea of the Talwars directing them to approach the High Court first. The couple then challenged the special CBI court order rejecting their pleas for recording 14 people as witnesses.

UNHRC to hold urgent debate on Syria

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The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold an urgent debate on Syria Wednesday as requested by Turkey, Qatar and the US, the council announced Monday.

The three countries handed in the request May 24, asking for an urgent debate during the council’s 23rd session on the deteriorating situation of human rights in Syria and the recent killings in its Al Qusayr city, reported Xinhua.

EU extends police mission in Afghanistan

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The European Union (EU) Monday extended the bloc’s police mission in Afghanistan until the end of 2014 and allocated an additional budget of 108 million euros (about $140 million), reported Xinhua.

Originally set up in 2007, the mission aims to help the Afghan authorities in developing their civilian policing capacities. It has approximately 350 international and 200 local staff, from 23 EU member states as well as Croatia and Canada.

Over 30 people arrested for betting

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About three dozen people were arrested for allegedly placing bets on IPL matches and over Rs 90,000 cash seized from them during searches at various areas in the district, police said today.

The searches were conducted in areas including Sakthikhand and Nandgram by separate teams, and some of the accused were caught with ledgers containing information of transactions worth lakhs of rupees, SSP Nitin Tiwari said. The accused are being questioned, he said, adding that 20 mobile phones and a TV were also seized.

—PTI

Guantanamo Bay prison guard converts to Islam because of the living faith of Muslim detainees

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Terry Holdbrooks Jr., was a guard at Guantanamo Bay where military prisoners were held in the U.S. While  guarding the detainees, Terry began to see the piety and righteousness of the Muslims in the cells. They had nothing with them, except their Qur’an and still, they all seemed happy and satisfied with their condition. When Terry asked them the reason for this behaviour, they just said one thing that, Allah is testing their faith, and they must sit tight and pass it. They felt that Allah was with them through everything they faced. This had an emotional impact on Terry.

Candle light rally against Jagan’s arrest organised yesterday

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On completion of one year of arrest of YSR Congress President, Mr. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy a candle rally was organised at Necklace Road yesterday to protest the arrest of Jagan Mohan Reddy. Ms. Viajyamma will organise dharna program today at Indira Park. Ms. Bharati, wife of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy participated in candle rally organised in Narasapuram in which Jagan’s sister, Ms. Sharmila also participated. Ms. Bharati told that her husband, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been arrested because he was protecting public interests. Inspite spending one year in jail, Jagan’s ambitions are higher. Mr.

Noida Board approves Rs 10,017 crore budget

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Noida Board today gave its approval for a Rs 10,017 crore budget for the year 2013-14, which is 43 per cent more than last year’s budget. “Last year the budget was Rs 7,021 crores. This year budget has been enhanced to Rs 10,017 crores. This year’s budget is deficit budget. “Total receipts from property and loans would be Rs 9,995 crore.

Don’t buy lands in Survey number 78 of Hafizpet- GHMC warns

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Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has cautioned the public for not buying lands in survey number 78, Gokul plots in Hafizpet village of Serilingampally mandal. According to the Press Note of the GHMC these lands are Govt. properties and they are entered in revenue records. Most of the occupants do not posses legal documents of ownership. They have constucted illegal buildings. Some other persons are still constructing houses illegally. According to GHMC act, notices are being issued to stop illegal constructions. GHMC has also being dismantling these illegal buildings from time to time.

Police must account for Malegaon probe

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It has taken six years, four agencies — state and Central — and a confession by the “real” accused for four Hindu right-wing men to be established as the masterminds behind the Malegaon 2006 serial blast case.

Rs.10 lakh reward for informers of Dilsuknagar Bomb blast

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Govt. of A.P. has announced a reward of Rs.10 lakh to those who furnish any information or clue to the bomb blast occurred on 21st February. This reward will be given to persons who furnish information about inviduals or organisations. This reward is in addition to the reward already announced by central investigating agencies.

Russia to deploy four new Arctic warships

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The coast guard division of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) will deploy four new warships to protect the nation’s Arctic zone by 2020, the FSB press service has said.

Eleven border protection facilities are to be built in the Arctic, while automated surveillance systems are to be deployed in the area as part of the Russian Federation State Border Protection programme for 2012-2020, an FSB representative said.

SIT must probe Chhattisgarh attack: Rajnath Singh

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A court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) should investigate the killing of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, BJP president Rajnath Singh said Monday.

He said in an interview that the probe into the Saturday killings in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state should not be done by an agency “controlled” by the central government.

“This whole incident should be probed by a SIT monitored by the Supreme Court. What were the reasons, what happened,” Rajnath Singh said.

Yerawada authorities move court against home food for Dutt

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Yerawada jail authorities on Monday moved a designated TADA court in Mumbai against allowing home food to actor Sanjay Dutt citing the prison manual which does not provide for extension of such a facility.

Dutt, who is lodged in Yerawada Central prison in Pune, was allowed to have home food and medicines by the TADA court when he surrendered on May 16 to serve his remaining 42 months sentence following his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

The application was filed today and would be heard in due course, according to jailor Yogesh Desai.

Man held for raping 12-year-old daughter

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A man from Mumbra in the district was yesterday arrested for allegedly raping his 12-year-old daughter, police said.

The accused had been sexually abusing his daughter since the past four months, they said.

The victim’s mother, who lodged a complaint with Mumbra police, said her husband also used to force their daughter to watch obscene videos.

“The arrested accused lived in the township with three children (two daughters and a son) and his wife,” a police inspector said.

Further investigation into the case is on, police said.

—PTI

Pakistani troops violate ceasefire in Poonch

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Pakistani troops started unprovoked firing and shelling in Chakan da Bagh area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir Monday, exactly three days after their firing in Nowgam sector injured an Indian army officer, an army source said.

The Pakistani shells and gun fire targeted the forward Indian posts in Chakan da Bagh, about 240 km north of Jammu, in the morning, the source said.

This was the second ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in recent days. On May 24, their shelling injured a brigadier in Nowgam sector in Kupwara district in north Kashmir, he said.

Iran asks India to buy more crude

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Sanction-hit Iran Monday discussed marine insurance and reinsurance on shipment of oil with India as it pressed for more crude purchases.

According to a petroleum ministry statement here after talks between visiting Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi and Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily, the “Indian side explained that it would encourage companies to maintain their engagement (with Iran) in terms of crude oil purchase”.

Two refiners – Hindustan Petroleum Corp, and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd – had halted Iranian oil purchases in April due to insurance problems.

Minor raped by relative in Delhi

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An eight-year-old girl was raped by her 21-year-old maternal uncle at her house here Monday afternoon, police said. The accused has been arrested.

The incident occurred at Seemapuri area in east Delhi.

“The victim was in her house with her 10-year-old brother. Their parents had gone out. Alam, the children’s maternal uncle, who lived in the neighbourhood, went to their house. He threatened the siblings and raped the girl,” said a police officer.

Police said the victim’s brother told a neighbour about the incident.

34 killed, 155 injured in Iraq attacks

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As many as 34 people were killed and 155 wounded in at least 10 car bomb explosions in different parts of Baghdad Monday, an interior ministry source said.

A car bomb and a roadside bomb ripped through Um al-Maalif area in southern Baghdad, killing up to six people and wounding 34, reported Xinhua citing a source.

Another car bomb went off in Kadhmiyah district in northern Baghdad, killing two people and wounding eight others, the source said.

Two foreigners kidnapped in Yemen

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Unidentified men abducted two foreign tourists in Yemen’s Taiz province Monday, said a government official seeking anonymity.

“The two tourists are a couple and believed to be from South Africa,” reported Xinhua citing the interior ministry official.

They were abducted by unidentified gunmen from outside a hotel in Howban town, about 250 km from capital Sana’a, he added.

–IANS

Two Taliban militants killed, eight held in Afghanistan

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Security forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand province killed two Taliban militants while detaining eight others in two separate incidents Monday.

A police official said armed Taliban militants were arrested during a security operation by Afghan National Police (ANP) in Nad Ali district overnight.

The raid helped in “capturing six armed Taliban militants”, reported Xinhua citing police officer Omar Jan Haqmal. The ANP also destroyed a militant hideout and seized a handful of weapons.

Bollywood actors perform in support of anti-tobacco movement

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Bollywood actors took part in a musical concert here in support of an anti tobacco drive and to generate awareness about cancer and other deadly diseases. “I and my husband, both of us don”t smoke. People smoke, because they are not aware. They think smoking looks cool but it”s actually not so, because it finishes you from the inside. Be it cancer, your lungs or heart diseases they all are associated somewhere to excessive smoking. So what is the need to smoke?

Chhattisgarh Naxal attack: Sharad Yadav, Nilotpal Basu question security lapse

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Two days after Naxals wiped out a majority of the Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar District, opposition leaders, while expressing their shock over the tragedy, simultaneously questioned the security lapse that led to the deaths of 28 people and injuries to more than 30 others. In Gurgaon, after visiting a critically injured former cabinet minister Vidya Charan Shukla, Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav described the latter as a brave man who was fighting with his pain.

Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu has a new Air Force Station

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Defence Minister A.K. Antony today dedicated to the nation the new Air Force Station at Thanjavur at a brief function held to mark the occasion.

Speaking to reporters, Antony said the operationalisation of the Air Force Station, Thanjavur would strengthen the air defence capabilities of the Indian Air Force in general and the Southern Command, in particular.

He said various sensitive, strategic, industrial, aerospace and economic assets are coming up in the Southern Peninsula and the Station will play a vital role in providing protection to those assets.