Month: August 2013

Three Naxals held in Chhattisgarh

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Three Naxals, including a woman member, were arrested today during a search operation in Maoist-hit Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The cadres were nabbed by a joint contingent of district police force and CRPF from forests of Kiskoda village in the district,” Narayanpur DSP NK Sahu said.

The patrol party was mobilised based on a tip-off about the movement of ultras in the forests in Narayanpur, about 350 km from here.

The ultras were identified as Fulsingh Salaam (30), Baijnath (25) and Punaye (40), the female member. They were

Pakistan, India should cut defence spending: PM Sharif

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Calling for an end to the arms race in the region, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked India to join Pakistan in taking steps to cut defence expenditure.

Regional peace will remain under threat until there is a balance in armament…We want peace and for that, both
countries must put a cap on their defence spending,” Sharif said.

No one, apart from common people, has suffered from the wars between us,” Sharif was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune during an interaction with a delegation of the Pakistan Journalists Forum in Jeddah yesterday.

5.95 mln people suffer water shortage due to drought in China

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Nearly 6 million Chinese people are facing acute water shortage since mid June due to drought that has caused direct economic losses of USD 1.98 billion, the government said today.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, this drought has caused direct economic losses of USD 1.98 billion and affected about 2.09 million hectares of farmland, leading to nearly 350,000 hectares unharvestable.

Nearly 4.3 million people among those affected live in Guizhou and Hunan provinces, with the rest are in Hubei,Chongqing, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, state-run Xinhua quoted the ministry.

iant rubber duck set to “attack” Taiwan

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A giant yellow rubber duck is heading to Taiwan for exhibition starting next month as part of its global tour of “spreading joy around the world,” the Greater Kaohsiung City Government said.

Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu Monday told a press conference that she is glad Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman
picked Kaohsiung as the first city in Taiwan to exhibit the massive, inflatable rubber duck.

———-(Kyodo) VG

Ten year old boy killed in school boundary wall collapse

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A ten year old boy was killed and two others injured when a school boundary wall crashed after being hit by a mini-truck today, police said.

The deceased Vevek Kechua (10), a student of Class IV in Sector-6 NAC Steel Township Primary School, was crushed
under a wall which collpased after being hit by the truck.

The mini truck had brought rice to the school for mid-day mill programme. After unloading the goods, the truck was reversing to go back when it hit the boundary wall.

It was around 11.15 AM and the school had just completed its morning session. There were students in the

Priyanka pays tribute to cops in special ‘Zanjeer’ song

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Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra will be seen in a never before avatar in a special song for her upcoming release ‘Zanjeer’ which salutes the bravery of Mumbai Police.

The song called ‘Mumbai Ke Heroes’, is dedicated to the cops. It is the film’s way to salute the unsung heroes.

The actress will be seen donning a khaki uniform in the number, a statement issued by the makers said.

“Priyanka looks stunning in her police attire. She was very excited for this look,” a source close to the production unit said in the statement.

HC to probe into complaint against Magistrate

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Kerala High Court’s Registrar (Vigilance) will probe into complaints of alleged “procedural lapses” against Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) N V Raju, while hearing the solar panel scam case.

The administrative order in this regard was issued on complaints from A Jayashankar, General Secretary of the Indian Association of Lawyers, Kerala, and BJP General Secretary, K Surendran seeking disciplinary action against the magistrate and to suspend him immediately.

Youths are architect of new, model Kashmir: Omar

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Youth in the Valley are the architects of new and model Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said.

I want to see you ruling the roost in all fields of life and steering Jammu and Kashmir towards the shore of peace, prosperity and development,” Omar told a youth delegation during his weekly public meeting here.

The Chief Minister listed the necessary provisions incorporated in the State’s Development policy for the
empowerment and development of youth.

He listed the measures initiated by his government to expand the orbit of opportunities for youth of Jammu and

Four-year-old boy re-elected mayor of Minnesota town

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Four-year-old Robert ‘Bobby’ Tufts has been re-elected as mayor of a tourist town in Minnesota for a second term.

Fox News reports that Tufts was re-elected mayor of Dorset during an annual ‘Taste of Dorset’ Festival.

Dorset has a population of 22 to 28, and no formal government.

The votes, at a cost of one dollar, are being used to raise money for the Dorset Festival.

Emma Tufts, Bobby’s mother, said her son wants to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley in Fargo of North Dakota and a new welcome sign for Dorset.

5 Jamia law students acquitted of rape charges

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Five law students of Jamia Millia Islamia have been acquitted by a Delhi court of charges of kidnapping and gangraping a 16-year-old student after she failed to identify them.

Additional Sessions Judge Gulshan Kumar let off Pulkit Chaudhary, Amandeep Kadian, Sharad Shekhar Tomar, Roopenshu Pratap Singh and Vikas Punia who were charged with wrongfully confining, abducting, gangraping and cheating by personation and common intention under the Indian Penal Code.

The five have also been acquitted of the charges under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual

Government preparing cabinet note on Telangana: Chidambaram

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A cabinet note is being prepared to deal with procedural issues around formation of Telangana, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told parliament Monday.

“In the matter relating to the separate state of Telangana, the Constitution of India lays down a procedure for formation of new states,” Chidambaram said in a brief statement in the Rajya Sabha.

“Besides, a number of substantive matters have to be addressed with the formation of new state. These matters are under consideration of the government,” he said.

HC judge recuses from hearing on Hasan Ali’s bail plea

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A judge of the Bombay High Court today recused from hearing on the bail plea of Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali Khan, facing charges of money laundering and stashing huge amount of black money in foreign banks.

Justice Abhay Thipsay said he had granted bail to Ali on earlier application, which was set aside by the Supreme
court.

The previous application for bail filed by the applicant was heard by me… On August 12, 2011, I granted
Hasan Ali bail. The order was challenged in the apex court which quashed it,” Justice Thipsay said.

Three die in Pakistan train blast

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Three people were killed and over 15 injured Monday when a bomb went off inside a train in Pakistan, a media report said.

The blast happened at about 1 p.m. inside Shalimar Express when it reached Chatiana area of Toba Tek Singh, a district in the country’s eastern Punjab province, reported Xinhua citing Geo TV.

Police said a home-made bomb packed with at least eight kg of explosive material was put inside a travel bag placed in the washroom of one of the train’s compartments.

Eight die in China landslide

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Eight people died in a landslide Monday in north China’s Shanxi province, authorities said.

The landslide happened around 3 a.m. in the city of Luliang, burying five dwellings, Xinhua reported citing a spokesman.

–IANS

Six die in Philippines blast

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Six people, including a policeman, died and 25 were wounded in a blast in a city in southern Philippines, the military said.

The explosion occurred at around 4.15 p.m. Monday at the corner of Maniara street, a busy residential and commercial area, in Cotabato city, Xinhua reported.

The bomb was placed in a motorcycle that was parked at the commercial area, said Custodio Parcon, commander of the military’s Marine Battalion Landing Team.

Parcon said the blast also damaged four vehicles and three motorcycles. The investigation is ongoing, and no suspects have been found, he added.

IT hiring could come down by 17 pc this fiscal: Nasscom

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Rising automation and low attrition in IT sector may act as a dampener for job seekers with industry body Nasscom expecting hiring to decline by up to 17 per cent to 1,50,000 in the current fiscal.

The USD 108-billion Indian IT-ITeS sector provides employment to about 3 million professionals.”I think we will have net additions of 150,000-180,000 this year. Last year it was about 180,000,” Nasscom President Som Mittal told PTI when asked about the hiring environment.

Sharmila, Vijayamma meet Jagan

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A day after concluding her “Maro Praja Prasthanam” Padayatra, YSR Congress leader Sharmila met her brother and party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at Chanchalguda Jail here on Monday.

Sharmila, accompanied by mother YS Vijayamma and Jagan’s wife Bharathi went straight to meet Jagan after landing at the Shamshabad airport on Monday morning. “Jagan Mohan Reddy is very happy with the way the Padayatra has gone. He appreciated us. And we thank god and all the people who have blessed, co-operated and extended their unfailing love,” she said after meeting Jagan.

SC bar on hiring quotas for super-speciality faculty irks MPs

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Members of Parliament Monday expressed concern over a Supreme Court order barring quotas in recruitment of faculty for super-speciality courses in engineering and medical colleges, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Raising the issue during the zero hour in the Lok Sabha, JD-U MP Sharad Yadav said: “This is an attack on the reservation policy of the state.”

Yadav said that the government should try to find a way out in this matter. “This is a serious issue. Why have we not taken any note of this issue?” he asked.

Salman Khan to shoot for Atul’s next post ‘Kick’

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Super-busy Salman Khan has finally managed to squeeze in dates to shoot a guest appearance for Atul Agnihotri’s upcoming movie “Oh Teri”.

Salman will shoot for actor-producer Atul’s film after he finishes the shooting for “Kick”.

“Salman is very organised and planned. Now he will start shooting for ‘Kick’ and once he is back, he will shoot for my film,” Atul, who is married to Salman’s sister Alvira, told IANS.

Crime Branch-CID IG Manjunatha transferred

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A key member of the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Crime Branch probing the murder of two Sangh Parivar leaders in Tamil Nadu, was transferred today.

CB-CID Inspector General M N Manjunatha was transferred and posted as IG, North Zone, in the existing vacancy, Principal Home Secretary Niranjan Mardi said.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had constituted the SID to probe the murders of BJP’s state general secretary V Ramesh alias ‘Auditor’ Ramesh and Hindu Munnani state president Vellaiyappan.

If Congress, BJP work together, Vidarbha could be created with Telangana: BJP

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Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Monday confirmed his party’s support for a separate state of Vidarbha by saying that if the Congress and the BJP worked together on the issue, it could be created along with the state of Telangana. “ I feel that if the Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party come together, Vidarbha will be created. I appeal to local Congress supporters of Vidarbha to go to Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh to convince them, and make those against its creation understand.

Five members take oath in Lok Sabha today

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Five members, who were elected in the recent Lok Sabha bye-polls, took oath in the house on Monday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar administered the oath to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Prabhunath Singh, Congress leader Pratibha Singh, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Prasun Banerjee and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and Vithalbhai Hanjrabhai Radadiya.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, later introduced the eight ministers, who were inducted in the Council of Ministers.

Protests, shutdown continue in Seemandhra.

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Protests and shutdown continued for the sixth day in Rayalaseema and Andhra regions Monday against the centre’s decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed while buses of state owned Andhra Pradesh State Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were off the roads in major towns of Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra).

Ahmadullah faces Samaikhyandhra activists’ ire

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Minorities Welfare Minister Syed Mohammed Ahmadullah faced the ire of angry protestors when he visited a hunger strike camp of Samaikhyandhra activists at District Collectorate.

The activists gheraod the minister and demanded that he resign from his post. The situation turned tense when some miscreants threw slippers at the minister which provoked his supporters. However, the timely intervention of the police and minister’s soft approach minimised the tension.

Centre examining UP govt report on IAS officer’s suspension

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The Centre is examining a report sent to it by the Uttar Pradesh government on the controversial suspension of IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpal, who had cracked down on mining mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar area of the state.

The report was sent yesterday after the Centre issued three letters to the Uttar Pradesh government. The 2010 batch IAS officer was suspended on July 27.