Month: July 2013

CPC projects Bo’s case as leadership vow to root out graft

by

Bracing for the high profile trial of disgraced leader Bo Xilai, China’s ruling Communist Party has launched a media blitzkrieg projecting his indictment as the new leadership’s determination to root out corruption with an iron fist.

“The Bo case, once again, proves the anti-corruption determination of China’s ruling Party and the whole society. Such determination comes from the political consciousness of rulers on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is the unwavering choice of a society that values the rule of law”, an editorial in the state-run Global Times said.

Landmine blast kills 2 in northwest Pakistan

by

Two members of the minority Shia community were killed and six more injured when a pick-up truck hit a landmine in the restive Kurram tribal region of northwest Pakistan today, officials said.

The truck was on its way to Parachinar, the main town of the semi-autonomous Kurram Agency, when it hit the landmine near Khar Pata area, officials of the political administration said.

Two persons were killed instantly. The injured were taken to a hospital in Parachinar.

All the dead and injured belonged to the Shia sect.

IIP proposes packaging solution for safer mid-day meal scheme

by

The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) is exploring the possibility of lending its expertise to the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme in the country to ensure that quality food is served to the children.

“We took the initiative last year. In Maharashtra and West Bengal, we did a survey at 35 centres which are implementing the mid-day meal project.

Get ready for a TV-like Twitter: scientists

by

Social networking site, Twitter, which has more than 500 million registered users, will become comparable to a non-evolving, static structure like TV in the future, a new study predicts.

The study from scholars at Columbia Business School and the University of Pittsburgh questions the sustainability of Twitter.

“Get ready for a TV-like Twitter,” said Professor Olivier Toubia, co-author of the study.

The research examined the motivations behind why everyday people, with no financial incentive, contribute to Twitter.

SC directs Pandey to appear before court, no arrest till then

by

The Supreme Court today directed senior Gujarat IPS officer PP Pandey, an abscounder in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, to appear before a trial court in Ahmedabad on July 29 and restrained the CBI from arresting him till then.

A bench heased by Justice B S Chauhan, however, made it clear that the protection from arrest to Additional DGP Pandey, a 1982-batch IPS officer, will come to an end if he fails to appear before the special CBI court on Monday.

Pakistan agencies pressurising ULFA for action: Assam DGP

by

Pakistan agencies are pressurising Paresh Barua-led ULFA faction for “action” and the two recent grenade blasts in Assam are a result of this, according to state Director General of Police Jayanta Narayan Choudhury.

“We have intelligence inputs that agencies in Pakistan are putting pressure on the Paresh Barua-led ULFA to carry out subversive activties in the run-up to Independence Day”, Choudhury told a local news channel here today.

Cong distances itself from meal remarks of Babbar, Masood

by

Put on the backfoot, Congress today distanced itself from the remarks by two of its leaders that one could have meals at Rs 5 and Rs 12 which have been ridiculed by several parties.

“We do not agree with Rs 12 & Rs 5 statement of some leaders,” said Ajay Maken, Congress General Secretary and Incharge of Communication Department.

The meal remarks made by Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar and another party leader Rasheed Masood were dubbed as “absurd”, “foolish” and “illogical” by various parties putting the Congress on the defensive.

Rajnath dares Cong. to declare PM candidate

by

The BJP president Rajnath Singh on Friday challenged Congress to declare its prime ministerial candidate before losing sleep over the nominee of his party.

“Will the Congress dare announce who will be the prime minister candidate before the general elections?” he said addressing members of the India-America Chamber of Commerce in New York.

Konda Surekha may quit YSRCP

by

Former Minister Konda Surekha is most likely to quit the YSR Congress party following resignation of party’s 16 MLAs over Telangana issue.

Earlier on Friday, Surekha had given an ultimatum to party’s Honorary President YS Vijayamma asking her to clarify on the mass resignation of party MLAs demanding the Centre to keep Andhra Pradesh united. She said Vijayamma has to clarify whether the decision to resign from the post was taken on an individual basis by the MLAs or was it party’s decision to take an anti-Telangana stand.

T-action shifts to AP Bhavan

by

The AP Bhavan at Ashoka Road here became the epicenter of politics with the leaders from all three regions holding meetings throughout the day both in favour and against formation of Telangana State.

Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi not fit for PM’s post: Anna Hazare

by

Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said that both Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi are “unacceptable” as Prime Minister as both are “not fit” to acquire the dignified post.

“Both Modi and Rahul Gandhi are unacceptable to me for prime ministership as both are not fit to take over the dignified and respected post,” Hazare said responding to a question by reporters on different forces depicting the two as the Prime Minister’s candidate.

PCB appeal challenges IHC judgement stripping Sethi of ‘all powers’

by

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed an intra-court appeal against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judgement removing acting chairman Najam Sethi’s authority to manage the affairs of the board.

Although the IHC had softened its stance on the eligibility rules for the elections of the PCB chairman by removing the ‘graduate’ and ‘cricketer’ conditions, its 30-page judgement stripped Sethi of his main powers and termed him as caretaker chairman until elections are held in 90 days time by the election commission of Pakistan.

French mag editor formally charged for publishing Kate Middleton’s topless pics

by

Laurence Pieau, the editor of the French magazine Closer, which published topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge, has been placed under formal criminal investigation for allegedly breaking France’s strict privacy laws.

According to Yahoo! France, Pieau was taken under custody earlier in July and will now face a trial with publishing director Ernesto Mauri, and at least two photographers, Us magazine reported.

Mauri was formally charged in April alongside photog Valerie Suau.

BJP’s ‘dictatorial mentality’ detrimental to nation’s progress: Nitish Kumar

by

As the controversy surrounding Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra’s demand for stripping Nobel laureate Amartya Sen of the ‘Bharat Ratna’ award escalated, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said it is reflective of the saffron outfit’s dictatorial mentality.

“The Constitution has given the right to everyone to express their opinions freely. But threatening Prof. Amartya Sen by taking away his ‘Bharat Ratna’ for expressing his opinion shows the dictatorial mentality of the BJP. It is against the Constitution and we highly condemn it,” he told the media here.

Digvijay maintains Batla House encounter was fake, says will never apologise to BJP ever

by

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded his apology for having earlier raised questions about the genuineness of the Batla House encounter, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Friday said he still stands by his earlier statement that the incident was fake.

“My fight with the BJP is of different ideologies. In my lifetime, I will never apologize to the BJP,” Singh told media here.

“Whatever I had said was after a lot of thinking, based on facts,” he added.

Saying that food is available for Rs.5 is mocking the poor: Nitish Kumar

by

Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rasheed Masood’s statement that ‘one can eat well’ for Rs 5 in Delhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Friday that these kind of statements mock the plight of the poor in the country.

“I heard someone recently giving a statement that you get food for Rs. 5 in a certain place, but if you go to any Gurudwara, you get free food in the langar (community kitchen). It is a serious situation and all these things are mocking the poor of this country,” he told media here.

Teachers caught cheating in examination

by

Twenty-two teachers of government-run primary schools appearing for the certified training (teaching) examination were caught cheating in Kendrapara district, official sources said on Friday.
The teachers, who had no qualification for training, were writing the examination on Thursday, they said.
The teachers were debarred from taking examination in other subjects, officials of the schools and mass education department said.

–PTI

Court rejects bail plea of accused in Shamli rape case

by

The bail plea of four accused in the Shamli gang-rape case has been rejected by a local court here.

The Additional District Sessions Judge Jai Shri Ahuja turned down the bail plea of Irshad, Furkan, Mannu and Ikram yesterday saying there was no ground for them to get bail.

A 21-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by six persons in Shamli district on June 15.

The rape case had led to angry protests by locals led by state BJP leader Hukum Singh during which vehicles and shops were allegedly damaged.

Woman gangraped by 6 in Ghaziabad

by

A 32-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by six persons when she went to relieve herself in a field in Muradnagar area, police said.

Four accused have been arrested while two others are absconding, they said.

According to police, the woman lodged a complaint yesterday stating that the six accused had gangraped her on Tuesday morning.

Search is on for the remaining accused, police said.

–PTI

Sonam keeps a check on what I wear: Anil Kapoor

by

Actor Anil Kapoor says his stylish daughter Sonam Kapoor always keeps a tab on his wardrobe as he does not take fashion trends so seriously.

Anil, who was the showstopper for designer Raghavendra Rathore at the India Bridal Fashion Week (IBFW), looked dapper in a black kurta teamed with white churidar. It was his golden embroidered sleeveless short jacket which gave a festive look to the outfit.

Subbarao meets FM ahead of July 30 policy review

by

Amidst bankers and industry crying foul over RBI’s move to squeeze liquidity, Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao today met Finance Minister P Chidambaram ahead of first quarter policy review next week.

The meeting assumes importance in the backdrop of RBI taking a series of measures to tighten liquidity and check import of gold with a view to arrest rupee fall.

In its first quarterly review of monetary policy to be unveiled on July 30, RBI will have to take a call on interest rates and improvement of the liquidity situation.

Don’t poke nose into politics: Uddhav to Amartya Sen

by

Shiv Sena today deprecated BJP MP Chandan Mitra’s demand for stripping Nobel laureate Amartya Sen of Bharat Ratna over his comments on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi but advised the seasoned economist “not to poke his nose” into politics.

“Sen is an economist of international repute and such demands (stripping him of Bharat Ratna) shouldn’t be made by his detractors,” Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

Yashwant Sinha suggests all-party meeting to discuss poverty

by

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha said on Friday that recent remarks made by Congressmen Raj Babbar about eating a “full meal in Mumbai for Rs. 12” were utterly ridiculous. He also described the matter as laughable, with regard to Congress leader Rashid Masood”s view that a complete meal can be had for as low as Rs. 5 near the Jama Masjid in New Delhi. Sinha said it is simply shocking that Congress spokespersons are simply defending the government and belittling the issue of poverty in the country.

Ex-Pak law secretary blamed for missing files in Zardari’s Swiss money laundering cases

by

The former law secretary Yasmin Abbasey has been held responsible for the missing record relating to the revival of 60 million dollars graft cases by Swiss authorities against President Asif Ali Zardari, an inquiry committee said.

The Dawn News reports that Abbasey had written a ‘secret’ letter to Dr Nicholas Jeandin Avocat of the law firm Fontanetassocies Geneva in Nov 2012 to order non-entry into the money laundering cases against President Zardari.

Muslim brotherhood likens coup against Morsi to destroying holy shrine ‘Kaaba’

by

The Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie has made a harsh statement comparing the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi to be worse than hypothetical destruction of Islam”s holiest shrine, Kaaba.

Badie’s comment comes in as mass rallies were promoted by General Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi as a show of support for planned action by the military and the police to stop violence and terrorism by Morsi”s Islamist supporters, the News24 reports.