Month: August 2013

Pak vows to complete Iran gas project despite US sanctions threats

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Pakistan will complete the gas pipeline project with Iran, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said, adding that no external pressure would be tolerated in this regard. Talking to a private TV channel, he said that energy policy would be changed to generate cheaper electricity, addressing the energy crisis, the Nation reports. The United States has threatened that the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project could invoke sanctions on the country in the future.

Yemen says US, UK evacuation of embassies will give further fillip to terrorists

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Yemen has criticized the decisions by American and British embassies to evacuate staff from the Arab nation. The Embassy in Washington said that the decision to evacuate embassies serves the interests of the extremists and undermines the cooperation between Yemen and the international community in the fight against terrorism. According to news24, appreciating the concern of foreign governments for their citizens, it insisted that the government has taken all precautions to ensure the security of foreign missions in Sanaa.

Anti-Telangana stir hits bank transactions worth Rs 10K cr in AP

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The ongoing agitation against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has hit banking transactions worth Rs 10,000 crore in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.

Many ATMs located in the region ran dry as many banks could not refill cash amid protests.

“As per rough estimates Rs 10,000 crore worth transactions were affected during the past one week. Approximately, all banks put together there are 3000 ATMs and 4000 branches in coastal and Rayalaseema regions catering to public needs,” B S Rambabu, Andhra Pradesh Bank Employees Federation General Secretary told PTI.

Heavy rains damage crops and houses in Andhra Pradesh

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Standing crops in 73,098 hectares and about 1900 houses suffered damages due to heavy rains that lashed Andhra Pradesh during the current spell of monsoon in the state, officials said here today.

Horticulture crops in 3,075.80 hectares, 541 minor irrigation tanks and 2,072.7 km of roads were also badly hit by the rains, officials said.

The government organised 158 relief camps providing shelter to 48,735 people from June 1 to the end of July.

In August, 174 relief camps were organised in Khammam, East Godavari, Warangal and Adilabad districts, they said.

Government should clear its stance on LoC killings, suggests Mayawati

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Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday said that the UPA-led government and the Indian Army were not speaking in a united voice, and that the former should clarify its account of the Poonch District incident in which five Indian soldiers were ambushed by the Pakistani army on Tuesday morning. “This issue is extremely serious. …The Government and the Indian Army are not speaking in the same voice. The House was prematurely adjourned again today because their statements are not aligned. This is a worrisome and serious matter.

Khurshid defends Antony, says his statement based on facts

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External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Wednesday defended Defence Minister A.K. Antony after the opposition criticized him over his ‘terrorists in Pakistan Army uniform’ remark made in Parliament, and said that the latter made the statement based on facts. “Mr. Antony made statement as was briefed by the Army. There is no contradiction. The Army’s statement (that the attack was carried out by a Pakistan Border Action Team, which indicted the Pakistan Army) was corrected before the Defence Minister made a statement based on corrected version,” he told media here today.

Congress rules out going back on Telangana amid statehood demands

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Congress today categorically ruled out going back on Telangana statehood decision even as it set up a four-member committee headed by Defence Minister A K Antony to address concerns arising out of the decision to carve out a separate state out of Andhra Pradesh.

“No…There is no question of going back. There are many other things to be decided. This (Committee) is to implement the decision not to put the decision on hold,” party spokesperson PC Chacko told reporters at the AICC briefing. Earlier in the day, the party announced the setting up of the four-member committee.

Bihar CM Nitish says ‘Antony must make statements based on facts’

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has announced state funeral for martyred soldiers of his state killed in firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch District, today said Defence Minister A.K. Antony must make statements based on facts.

“The Defence Minster must make statements based on facts and after careful thinking,” he told media here when asked to comment on the BJP’s demand that Antony owes an apology to the nation for letting Pakistan off the hook with the statement he made in Parliament on the LoC killing.

Sonia Gandhi condemns LoC killings, asks Govt. to take it up at highest level

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Congress President Sonia Gandhi has expressed her grief on the killing of five Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, and asked the government to take up this matter at the highest level with Pakistan.

“The Congress President has expressed her deep grief and shock on this incident and she has extended the Congress Party’s and the whole country’s sympathies to the bereaved families and she has asked the government to take up this matter at the highest level and appropriate action should be followed,” said Congress spokesperson P.C. Chacko.

No roll back of T’gana amid statehood demands:Cong

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Congress today categorically ruled out going back on Telangana statehood decision even as it set up a four-member committee headed by Defence Minister A K Antony to address concerns arising out of the decision to carve out a separate state out of Andhra Pradesh.

“No…There is no question of going back. There are many other things to be decided.

—PTI

Bodo leaders meet Manmohan Singh in Delhi

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A delegation of Bodo leaders met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here on Wednesday, and demanded the creation of a separate Bodoland state.

Lok Saba MP Sansuma Khungur Bwiswmuthiary, who was a part of the Bodoland People’s Front delegation, after the meeting said that the Prime Minister assured them of starting a discussion on the issue at the highest political level.

“He gave us a patient hearing and told us that political level discussion will start very soon at the highest level . He will entrust the task to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for this,” he said.

“We want peace and a united Bengal”: M.K. Narayanan

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West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan on Wednesday avoided commenting on the ongoing protests for the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland on the lines of Telangana, and said his priority is to ensure that there is peace and the state is united. “What we want is peace and we want to keep Bengal united. Whether you negotiate or do something else that is the matter of the Government. Telangana came in and that made a big issue,” he said. The indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) demanding a separate Gorkhaland state entered its fifth day.

Sikh woman warned against sleeping with husband

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Justice Holman, sitting at the Court of Protection in Birmingham on Tuesday, said her husband lacked the capacity to consent to a sexual relationship.

“The fact that they are married to each other would be no defence. If she were to have any form of sexual intimacy with him, he would be the victim of a criminal act,” he said in his ruling.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded with the court not to annul her marriage to the man who is being cared for at a local authority home in the West Midlands.

ECI asks States, UTs to implement SC judgement on conviction of sitting MPs, MLAs

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked all states and Union Territories to implement the judgement of the Supreme Court on conviction of sitting MLAs and MPs, and devise a proper mechanism to track cases of their conviction. The Election Commission has in a letter addressed to Chief Secretaries of the states also sought a monthly status report about the cases of conviction of sitting members of parliament or state legislature.

PMO says statement on LoC killing not changed at its behest

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The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tonight rubbished as “mischievous” the reports that a statement on the killing of five Indian soldiers on the LoC was changed at its behest.

“Such allegations being made are mischievous and have no basis,” a PMO spokesman said.

He was reacting to reports that the statement was changed after being drafted by the Army.

Court issues notices to Big B, KBC producer

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A local magistrate’s court issued notices to the producer of TV quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and Amitabh Bachchan, host of its Season-7, among others after a complaint alleged that its promos present the legal profession in a “derogatory” manner.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S V Parekh asked all seven respondents, in an application filed by advocate Davinder Singh Rakkad, to file their response by August 21 when he would hear the case again.

Hope law will act as deterrent to match fixing: Kumble

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Former Indian captain Anil Kumble on Wednesday hoped that the law government is trying to enact to deal with match and spot-fixing will act as a deterrent to the menace.

“The government is making efforts to put in place the new standalone law to deal with `unfair cricket practices` and I only hope it acts a deterrent to curb the menace,” Kumble told reporters on the sidelines of KSCA`s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations here.

Amidst the uproar over IPL spot-fixing, Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal on May 26 had said that the government would make efforts to put in place the law by August.

3 held for Japanese national’s kidnap

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Three men have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a Japanese national here, police said today.

The arrested have been identified as Rishi Raj Singh (33), Pankaj Sharma (43) and Praveen Kumar.

Police have also recovered the extorted gold worth Rs 4.5 lakh and 50,000 Japanese Yen from the trio.

“On Sunday, an information from the Embassy of Japan was received that one of their Japanese nationals has been kidnapped by someone in the garb of business deal, who had extorted money from him by purchasing gold items by using his credit card,” said a senior police official.

–PTI

12 Guntur villages all set for sarpanch polls

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Twelve villages in the strife-torn Palnadu area of Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district go to polls tomorrow to elect sarpanches.

The elections in these villages were deferred by the State Election Commission owing to the law and order situation and allegations of auctioning of posts.

Forty candidates are in the fray for 12 sarpanch posts.

A large police contingent has been deployed in these villages due to the “previous history of electoral violence” in the area, sources said.

–PTI

BJP targets Antony over LoC statement

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Gunning for Defence Minister A K Antony, BJP today escalated the stand-off over his statement on the killing of five soldiers on the LoC and paralysed Parliament, demanding his apology for giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan Army.

Antony, who maintained that he had to be “very careful” when he makes a statement in Parliament, was today forced to give an assurance that he will come back to the House after Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh concludes his visit to Jammu.

Kim Kardashian struggles with baby weight

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Socialite Kim Kardashian, who welcomed daughter North West last month, is finding it hard to get back into shape.

Kim’s mother Kris Jenner said on her talk show “Kris”, that her daughter is doing “eating really well, working out a little bit and nursing” to lose as much weight as she can, but a friend of the Kardashian family says Kim isn’t seeing immediate results.

“As far as Kim’s weight is concerned, she’s got a way to go,” showbizspy.com quoted a source as saying.

628 Agra students get free laptops

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Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department Minister Shivpal Yadav Wednesday distributed 628 free laptops to students here as part of a government scheme.

Yadav said children who earlier could not even afford books were being provided laptops by the Samajwadi Party government to speed up the learning process.

“This is a promise we made during elections and are now fulfilling it,” he said.

Yadav also distributed farmers’ accident insurance cheques. “It used to be Rs.1 lakh earlier. We have increased it to Rs.5 lakh,” he said.

—–IANS

Eid to be celebrated in Kerala today

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Various Muslim clerics and community leaders announced that Eid-ul-Fitr would be celebrated in Kerala Thursday after the moon was sighted in Kozhikode.

Supreme leader of the Indian Union Muslim League Pannakad Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal and other religious leaders made this announcement.

The state government has announced a public holiday for all educational institutions for Thursday and Friday, while for the government offices, Thursday has been declared as a restricted holiday, while it is a public holiday on Friday.

Hyderabad, Bangalore among 4 airports to have VoA facility

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Visa-on-Arrival facility for tourists will now be available at four more international airports across the country, besides the four existing metro cities.

“The Home Ministry has issued orders extending Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility to four more airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Hyderabad and Bangalore with effect from August 15,” said a senior Tourism Ministry official.

Currently, the VoA facility is operational at four international airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.