Month: July 2013

Five killed in rains in UP

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Two persons were killed and three others injured today in a house collapse incident following heavy rains in Uttar Pradesh even as major rivers in the state continued to show rising trend at some places.

Two youths Suman (35) and Rampyare (32) were killed and three others were injured when the roof of their house collapsed in Balrampur district on Sunday, police said.

On Sunday, the Met officials forecast heavy rains at one or two places over the state during the next 48 hours.

Cobra creates panic in Karnataka HC

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A king cobra which slithered into the ground floor corridor of the Karnataka High Court created panic among the lawyers and others.

However, within seconds it slid away into the Cubbon Park just adjacent to the court, shedding its skin, court sources said.

Safest seat to survive aircrashes revealed

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Where a person sits on a plane may prove to be the difference between life and death in a crash, experts have revealed.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, only one in 1.2 million flights end up in an accident, but there are still precautions passengers can take to prepare for emergency situations, ABC News reported.

Professor Ed Galea of the University of Greenwich, who studied the seating charts of more than 100 plane crashes and interviewed dozens of survivors, has found that survivors move an average of five rows before safely exiting a burning plane.

Broccoli Paratha(Broccoli Chappatti)

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This paratha is a small variation to the traditional parathas. Instead of stuffing the vegetables inside rolled out rotis, we grind the vegetable into a smooth paste and add the paste to the atta while kneading the dough. So am not sure whether to name it as paratha or vegetable chappatti. Whatever be the name given, it is definetely a healthy food and an easier way to eat the vegetables.

Sohail says Misbah-ul-Haq best bet for captain in absence of suitable options

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Former Pakistani cricket Aamir Sohail has said that Misbah-ul-Haq is clearly the best person to lead the national team, with the Pakistan Cricket Board having no other better option.

According to the Daily Times, Sohail thought the lack of options was due to limited club cricket being played in Pakistan, and said that the country needed to improve its schools, colleges, universities and club cricket to get better players in the future.

The former player also talked about the coaching staff associated with the team and said immediate changes were needed in the staff.

Strauss backs Pieterson to deliver during Ashes

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Former England captain Andrew Strauss has said he believes Kevin Pieterson would come out strongly to restore his reputation amongst the British public, and make his mark in the Ashes series that gets under way on Wednesday.

According to Sky Sports, Strauss’s retirement last summer had come amid a high-profile blow-up with Pieterson regarding text messages sent to opposition South African players.

The former player wrote in an article that Pieterson’s best performance was his innings at The Oval in 2005 and if England wants to seek any inspiration this summer, he had to deliver.

13 bombs were planted in Mahabodhi temple complex : Shinde

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As many as 13 bombs were planted inside the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya of which ten had exploded injuring two monks, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Monday.

“Today, I have the information of 10 blasts. A total of 13 bombs were placed there. I will not go into details where they were kept and all. Two persons have been injured– 50-year-old Dorji and Bala Sanga (30),” Shinde told reporters here.

Shinde was speaking on the sidelines of a function for inauguration of a hospital of Central Reserve Police Force in Talegaon, about 100 kilometers from Pune.

Former FBI director warns of ‘crippling effect’ cyber terrorism can have on US infrastructure

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Former FBI director Louis Freeh has warned the US intelligence and security officials about the growing cyber terrorism and the necessity of doing a ‘better job’ at analyzing and thwarting cyber-related crimes.

Freeh said that hackers could go beyond stealing someone’s credit card number or hacking the ATM machines and gain access to computer systems controlling power plants, the navigation of aircraft and ships even switching of street lights which could possibly used to gridlock societies and kill large number of people, the Politico reports.

US Congress divided over Egyptian $1.5 billion annual aid following Morsi ouster

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Congress senators were divided over suspending U.S. aid to Egypt after the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was removed in a military coup.

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cited long-standing U.S. law to cut off funds when an elected president is removed in a military coup.

The Fox News reports that McCain led the call to suspend the to Egypt.

Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that the United States should first focus on trying to restore calm in Egypt.

BJP dares Congress, says ‘its ready to face snap polls’

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said it is ready to face snap polls if the ruling Congress Party opts for it.

Senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar, who was talking to the media here after his party’s Parliamentary Board meeting, alleged that the Congress might go for early polls.

Highlighting the failures of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, he said the BJP would go to polls with development and good governance as its main agenda.

Chiranjeevi condemns attack on Mahabodhi temple

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Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi has strongly condemned the attack on the Mahabodhi temple complex at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

In a statement issued here today, Chiranjeevi deeply regretted the injuries caused to the pilgrims and damage to the property by this attack.

The Minister urged all sections of the society to be tolerant to each other in the matter of religious faith and work towards building one humanistic society on the path shown by Lord Buddha.

BJP, Congress lock horns over Bodh Gaya blasts

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday lashed out at the ruling Congress Party over the serial blasts in the temple town of Bodh Gaya, and alleged that it cannot shed off the responsibility by claiming to have passed on the information regarding a probable attack.

BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it would be better for the nation if the Congress focused more on targeting militancy rather than attacking their political opponents.

Be more proactive on disaster management: NDMA to states

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The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) today asked states to be more proactive on disaster management and appoint full-time chiefs for disaster management authorities.

“The states have to become more proactive. The responsibility to respond to any disaster is with them. I know many states who are not aware what funds are available with them for natural disaster. We need to really educate the states,” NDMA’s Vice Chairman M Shashidhar Reddy told PTI in an interview.

BJP in election mode, ready for snap polls: Ananth Kumar

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BJP on Monday said it has come into election mode and is ready for snap polls for which it has laid down a roadmap making good governance and development as its poll planks.

The opposition party said it will form several committees in the next few days to highlight the failure of the Congress-led UPA government on various issues like corruption, price rise and on the economic front.

13 bombs were planted in Mahabodhi temple complex: Shinde

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As many as 13 bombs were planted inside the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya of which ten had exploded injuring two monks, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Monday.

“Today, I have the information of 10 blasts. A total of 13 bombs were placed there. I will not go into details where they were kept and all. Two persons have been injured — 50-year-old Dorji and Bala Sanga (30),” Shinde told reporters here.

Shinde was speaking on the sidelines of a function for inauguration of a hospital of Central Reserve Police Force in Talegaon, about 100 kilometers from Pune.

Modification in AFSPA should be looked at: Omar Abdullah

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Seeking a way out of the impasse over the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today suggested modification of the law that gives immunity to the armed forces operating in disturbed areas.

If revocation was not acceptable to the Centre, modification should be looked at, he said about AFSPA that was made applicable to the state 23 years ago and is a major political issue in the run up to the Assembly polls due by November 2014.

UAE free zone operator plans to open offices in India

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A Gulf-based company operating a free economic zone in United Arab Emirates’s port city of Ajman is planning to expand its global reach by opening offices in key markets like India.

The Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA) said that opening these offices in the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the UK were in line with its plans to attract global investors to its premises, which now houses over 7,000 companies.

Evidence in ex-minister sexual abuse case not tampered: CM

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Dismissing reports that he had seen the CD purportedly showing former state finance minister Raghavji in a compromising situation, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said the evidence in the case has not been tampered.

“I am saying with full authority that the evidence in the case was not being tampered with,” Chouhan told reporters in the state Assembly press room.

“I have not seen the CD,” he asserted.

Man shot dead for demanding arrest of gangrape accused

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A 45-year-old man was allegedly shot dead for demanding the arrest of some gangrape accused at Mandawar village here, police said today.

Mehraj, a wood trader by profession, was shot dead yesterday allegedly by two gangrape accused and their supporters, police said.

The police have registered a case against seven persons– Bhura, Afzal, Mehtab, Yusuf, Farid, Hashim and Islam.

The accused are absconding, they said.

The investigation in the case is on.

Attacks in China’s Xinjiang aimed at causing violence: Militant

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The recent attacks in China’s Muslim Uygur majority Xinjiang province that left 35 people dead were “carefully planned” and did not target any particular ethnic group, according to a captured militant.

“We were assigned different tasks in the attack. Mine was to attack the police station from the front entrance,” said Wulayin Ali, the only surviving member of a 16-member group that carried out attacks on a police station and surrounding areas at in Lukqun township, Turpan prefecture recently.

Solar Scam: HC gives 2 weeks time to govt to decide on CBI probe

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Kerala High Court today gave the Kerala government two weeks time to inform its views regarding entrusting of investigation to CBI in the solar scam, which has rocked the state since the past few days.

The direction in this regard was issued by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice K Vinod Chandran on a petition by one K Sudhakaran of Kottarakara seeking CBI probe into the scam.

When the petition came up before the bench, Advocate General K P Dandapani did not express any opinion regarding the probe.

Demand for SSCP not aimed at publicity, says Karunanidhi

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Making a strong pitch for the multi-million rupees Sethusamudram Shipping Canal project, DMK president M Karunanidhi today said such mega size projects will ensure national development and that his cry for its implementation was not aimed at publicity.

Leading state-wide protests of his party from this coastal town demanding implementation of the project, Karunanidhi said the project had been supported by the likes of party founder C N Annadurai.

BJP terms UPA’s ordinance on food security a “poll gimmick”

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Dubbing UPA government’s move to bring an ordinance on food security as an “election gimmick,” BJP national secretary Dr K Laxman today accused the Congress of running away from a debate on the crucial issue in Parliament.

“Without consulting opposition parties or experts, the Congress-led UPA government chose a route to implement the Food Security Bill by issuing an ordinance, to gain political mileage,” Laxman alleged while talking reporters here.

Digvijay singh said today Decision on Telangana Soon

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As the UPA government weighs its options on the demand for separate Telangana, Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said he had submitted his proposal in this regard to party president Sonia Gandhi.

A decision would be taken soon, the party general secretary, who is in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, told reporters.

He said the timing of the decision would depend on the preparedness of three state leaders — the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president — as they would have to present their case before the party’s top brass.

Parvez Rasool arrives at NCA, works on his fitness with trainers

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Parveez Rasool, who became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to be included in the Indian team, spent his first day at the National Cricket Academy preparing for the upcoming tour to Zimbabwe beginning July 24.

Hailing from Beijbehara, a small town in Kashmir, the off-spinner arrived at the NCA here today around 10am as advised by legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi.

He spent his time indoors at the NCA, working on his fitness with the trainers.