Month: November 2013

Right-wing extremists had no hand in Dabholkar’s murder: police

by

Pune Police today told the Bombay High Court that there was no evidence suggesting involvement of right-wing extremists in the killing of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.

Dabholkar, who spearheaded the anti-superstition movement in Maharashtra, was shot dead on August 20 in Pune; the police are as yet clueless about identity of the culprits.

A public interest litigation filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar has sought a probe by National Investigating Agency, alleging that Hindu right wing activists were involved.

Congress using websites to target Modi: Jaitley

by

With its vice president Rahul Gandhi’s rallies not making an impact on the people, the Congress is using websites to target BJP chief ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, party leader Arun Jaitley said Friday.

In a post on social networking site Facebook, Jaitley said that environment at Modi’s rallies was electrifying and claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s rally scheduled for Delhi has been cancelled to prevent comparison with Modi’s rally on the same day.

BJP is only the face of RSS: Ghulam Nabi Azad

by

Lashing out at the opposition party, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said BJP is only the face whereas its heart, mind and body is of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Addressing a poll rally in Naval Sagar on the last day of electioneering today in support of Mamta Sharma, National Commission for Women chief and Congress candidate from the Bundi assembly segment, Azad alleged that the RSS and BJP have made no contribution in the country’s freedom struggle.

Meet the Chinese man born with heart in abdomen

by

A Chinese man was born with his heart in his abdomen and is hoping that doctors will put it in the right place.

Ho Zhiliang is suffering from congenital cardiac exposure syndrome, where his heart is seen visible right below the skin of his abdomen, the New York Daily News reported.

According to Xie He Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, more than 90 percent of the people born with this rare condition die at birth or soon afterwards.

Mother-to-child HIV infections decreasing: UN

by

The UN Children’s Fund says it is alarmed about increasing HIV and AIDS rates among adolescents over the last seven years and is advocating an aggressive program that includes condom distribution and antiretroviral treatment.

In a more positive development, UNICEF found that mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus has been dramatically reduced and estimated that some 850,000 cases were prevented in low- and middle-income countries.

SC notice to CBI on Lalu Yadav’s bail plea

by

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the bail plea of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who is undergoing a five-year jail term after being convicted in a fodder scam case, and sought response from CBI.

A bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed CBI, which is the prosecuting agency in the fodder scam case, to file its response within two weeks and posted the case for hearing to December 13.

Nuts reduce death risk, says study

by

Consuming nuts at least seven times a week can reduce risk of death from any cause by 20 percent, says a new study.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), also establishes a significant association between the consumption of nuts and a lower incidence of death due to heart diseases, cancer and respiratory diseases.

The study said nutrients in nuts, such as unsaturated fatty acids, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants may confer heart-protective, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

BJP lampoons Congress for hinting at coalition with AAP

by

Former Bharatiya Janata Dal Party President Nitin Gadkari on Friday lampooned Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, for hinting at working out a coalition with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “We have been saying this from day one, that the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have formed a coalition, which was proven by Sheila Dikshit”s statement, that they might have to take their help. The Aam Admi Party is working as Team B of Congress. We already have the information that Sandeep Dikshit (Sheila”s son) is internally guiding them,” said Gadkari. Gadkari also said the Congress would lose in Delhi.

Manohar Joshi apologises to Uddhav Thackeray

by

Shiv Sena leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi Friday tendered a public apology to party president Uddhav Thackeray for questioning his leadership credentials.

In a signed statement, Joshi said that if his comments had lowered the dignity or insulted the party chief, then: “I hereby tender a public apology.”

Joshi’s statement came barely hours after a stern Thackeray warned that those party leaders – who are dissatisfied with his leadership – were free to leave the party.

By-poll for two Rajya Sabha seats from UP Dec 20

by

By-elections to fill two Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will be held Dec 20, the Election Commission announced Friday.

One seat was lying vacant following the death of Samajwadi Party member Mohan Singh in September while the other held by Congress’ Rasheed Masood, fell vacant after he was disqualified in the same month following his conviction.

The poll panel said the results will be announced the same day.

SC notice on PIL seeking independent regulator for electronic media

by

The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the central government, the Election Commission, and Press Council of India on a PIL seeking framing of guidelines and setting up an independent body for regulating electronic media that has a wide reach and influence on the masses.

A bench of Chief Justice P.Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi also issued notice to News Broadcasters Association, Indian Broadcasting Association and the Advertising Standards Council of India on the PIL petition by NGO Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.

Cabinet meet on Telangana likely Dec 3

by

The union cabinet is expected to hold a special meeting Dec 3 to discuss the report of the Group of Ministers on Telangana looking at ways to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, informed sources said Friday.

The cabinet is also expected to discuss the draft Telangana Bill on Dec 3 but the same may not come in the winter session of parliament Dec 5-20, said the sources.

Before the cabinet meeting, the GoM headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde could hold a meeting early next week to finalise the draft bill, said the sources.

Warmth of last India visit deep in our hearts: Japanese emperor

by

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have very fond memories of their last visit to India 53 years ago and the warmth of the greeting they received everywhere in India “still remains deep in our hearts”.

In a message expressing his thoughts ahead of the imperial couple’s six-day visit that begins Saturday, Emperor Akihito said he still recalls fondly how then president Rajendra Prasad, vice president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru welcomed them “most graciously in Delhi”.

Cong. imposes Rs 35K Debt on each person in state: TDP

by

TDP president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu today said nine years of Congress’ rule gifted Andhra Pradesh with a huge debt of Rs One lakh crore.

Naidu, in his tweet, stated that due to this debt each person in the State owes Rs 35,000 debt.
Holding the Congress responsible for this unbearable debt, the TDP supremo said the burden was put on the general public because of scams and irregularities during the Congress government. (NSS)

‘US likely to pull out CIA station chief in Pakistan’

by

The US is likely to withdraw the CIA station chief in the Pakistani capital after his cover was blown when Imran Khan’s party named him in a FIR registered over a recent drone strike, according to a media report today.

The US is “increasingly worried” about the development and is considering recalling its top spy from Pakistan, The Express Tribune quoted its sources as saying.

Tejpal gets interim bail till 10 a.m. Saturday

by

Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, accused in a sexual assault case, has been granted interim bail till 10 a.m. on Saturday by district and sessions judge Anuja Prabhudessai.

Arguments on his anticipatory bail plea continued till late in the evening on Friday.

Mars orbiter to leave earth tomorrow midnight

by

If things go as planned by ISRO, India’s Mars orbiter craft would leave the Earth’s sphere of influence (SOI) shortly after midnight tomorrow on a nearly 300-day voyage in deep space to the red planet after the “most important” manoeuvre of the ambitious mission.

Indian Space Research Organisation is readying for a ‘critical’ Trans-Mars Injection (TMI) with firing of the 440 Newton liquid apogee motor (LAM) on board the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft, launched on November 5, for 23 minutes beginning from 00.49 hours on Sunday (December 1).

“Run for Unity” on Dec 15 to promote Sardar Patel’s statue

by

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust of Gujarat will will organise “Run for Unity” across the country on December 15 to promote the world’s longest “Statue of Unity” of Sardar Patel.

Speaking to media persons here, Law Minister of Gujarat Pradeep Singh Jadega said that the “Run for Unity” was part of awareness campaign launched to promote the 182 metre long statues which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore. He listed out various features of the project which he said would be completed in the next three-four years in two phases.

EX-BJP chief Laxman questions Tejpal’s ‘courage’

by

“This instance, which has come to light, was only possible because of that brave journalist. Otherwise, this has been the practice and method used by Tehelka to get their stories. And once these stories are ready, they use it to either blackmail people, or published it in the name of courageous journalism,” claimed Laxman, who had to as BJP president after a sting conducted by Tehelka showed him taking a bribe in a fake defense deal.

“They have conducted a sting operation. I don’t know why they chose Bangaru Laxman.

Ranatunga fears for bowlers following new ODI rules

by

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga is apprehensive that the repeated changes in the rules of One-Day Internationals have shifted the advantage so overwhelmingly in favour of the batsmen that very few youngsters in future would opt to be bowlers.

Saudi petrochem giant opens tech centre in Bangalore

by

Saudi Arabia’s $50 billion diversified petro-chemicals major Sabic Friday opened its technology centre in this tech hub for research in chemistry, material science, process engineering and analytics.

Saudi Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayana Al-Saud unveiled the $100-million (Rs.62 crore) technology centre, spread over 46 acres in the city’s southern suburb.

Anil Agarwal regrets investing in India

by

With raw material issues casting a shadow on his Rs 50,000-crore aluminium project in Odisha, metal czar Anil Agarwal said he regretted choosing India over an acquisition in the US for the investment.

“You know, how my mind was working at that time. I was buying Asarco, it was ready-made company, (requiring) a couple of billion dollars. Either, I could do Asarco or I could do Vedanta Aluminium.

Japanese engineers plan to turn moon into solar panel station, using robots

by

An engineering firm is planning to install a 6,800 mile ‘solar belt’ around the moon’s equator to make it into a giant solar panel station.

A team of Japanese engineers from Shimizu plan on building the ‘Luna Ring’, which will run around the 6,800 mile lunar equator and be 248 miles in width, by remote-controlled robots, the Independent reported.

The 13,000 terra watts of solar energy collected would be converted and beamed back to earth as microwaves and laser, where would then be converted into electricity and then potentially supplied to the national grid.

BJP youth wing protests, demands Tejpal arrest

by

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists gathered at Goa’s Dabolim airport and shouted slogans against Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal.

Led by Sameer Mandrekar, who heads the BJYM in Goa, the protestors demanded his immediate arrest on arrival at the airport.

An official said police security near the airport was tightened.

Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague twice during a conference the weekly magazine held in Goa earlier this month.

——–IANS