Month: December 2013

Kejriwal high on his new-found power: Khurshid

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Union Minister Salman Khurshid today said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was at present high on his new-found power, even as he described the AAP leader and Narendra Modi as drums whose sound was understood only by those in the orchestra.

Reacting on the ten days time sought by Kejriwal to put a system in place to address the grievances of people in Delhi, Khurshid said governments do not run on sentiments and that the Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were right now high on their victory and new-found power.

Bank Manager sent to three years jail in bribery case

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A special CBI court in Bhopal has sentenced a Punjab+National+Bank” target=”_blank”>Punjab National Bank (PNB) Manager to three years of rigorous imprisonment for taking bribe in return for approving a loan.

The banker, identified as S C Nanda, was also fined an amount of Rs 10,000 in the 2007 case.

Deepika approached for Sooraj Barjatya’s next with Salman

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Actress Deepika Padukone has been approached for a Sooraj Barjatya film starring Salman Khan.

The superstar will be teaming up with Barjatya for a film after 14 years. Their last outing together was ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.

“Sooraj ji met her (Deepika) at her birthday party. Talks are on with her but nothing is finalized yet. Lot of actresses have interest in this film and he is meeting other actresses as well,” sources close to the development told PTI.

Adele to get cookery lesson from Nigella Lawson

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Singer Adele will get a personal cookery master class with popular chef Nigella Lawson.

She has received the special opportunity as a gift from one of Adele’s 14-month-old son Angelo’s “godfairies”, reports dailystar.co.uk.

“Adele has a group of close male friends who she calls ‘Angelo’s Godfairies’, because she isn’t religious and doesn’t believe in traditional godparents. One of her close circle thought to give her the Nigella present this Christmas because she’s become so keen on cooking,” said a source.

————IANS

Modi speaks untruth wrapped in oratory: Congress

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In a rejoinder to Narendra Modi’s charge that Jharkhand has lagged behind Chhattisgarh in progress, Congress today said the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate spoke untruth wrapped in oratory.

Jharkhand PCC president Sukdhdeo Bhagat told a press conference here that Modi made statements yesterday without realising that it was the “visionless” BJP which laid the foundation for the state 13 years ago.

Kejriwal announces Rs one crore compensation for slain cop

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In one of the highest such compensations, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today granted Rs one crore financial assistance to the family of a Delhi Police constable who was allegedly beaten to death by suspected liquor mafia in Ghitorni area of South Delhi last week.

In a letter to Sabita, wife of deceased Vinod Kumar, Kejriwal said the government will provide all possible help to the family besides the compensation.

For Paloma Faith, fashion is ’empowering’

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Singer Paloma Faith chooses her stage outfits depending on whether they give her confidence. She says her clothes are like an “armour”.

She says getting dressed for a show gives her extra “confidence” for her performance.

“Fashion should be fun and empowering. It gives me confidence, it’s like armour for me. I love getting dressed up before a show – psychologically it’s really powerful,” contactmusic.com quoted Faith as saying.

Whenever she makes a an “odd fashion faux pas”, she said: “I forgive myself”.

Ban seeks South Sudan parties’ cooperation to solve crisis

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The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for “full cooperation” of all parties in finding a peaceful solution to the crisis of South Sudan Monday, in a phone call with its president Salva Kiir.

Ban welcomed Kiir’s commitment to a cessation of hostilities and readiness to engage opposition leaders in dialogue and encouraged him to consider the early release of political prisoners, Xinhua reported citing the UN spokesperson’s office.

10 killed in trailer-minibus collision in Bolivia

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At least 10 people were killed and five seriously injured in Bolivia when a minibus collided with a trailer, Xinhua reported.

The accident occurred Monday at an exit along the highway linking the capital La Paz with El Alto, when the minibus rear-ended the trailer, the press said, citing Juan Luis Cuevas, chief of the Police Departments’ Traffic Division.

The driver of the minibus, belonging to public transportation line 233, died in the crash.

Cuevas said 15 passengers were on board the minibus, and five were seriously injured in the incident.

UP top babu’s wife stuck in traffic, 4 cops suspended

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Four policemen have been suspended for stopping traffic to clear the way for the vehicles a former UP police chief and his family that apparently left many commuters stranded including the wife of a top bureaucrat in the state.

Former Director General of Police Prakash Singh and his family were on their way to a memorial of the founder of the Radhasoami faith in Dayalbagh yesterday when the traffic was allegedly held up by the cops to let their cars pass.

US disappointed over Shinzo Abe’s visit to war shrine

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The US is disappointed at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to a controversial war shrine, the State Department said Monday.

“We were disappointed that Japan’s leadership has taken an action that will exacerbate tensions with Japan’s neighbours,” reported Xinhua citing spokeswoman Marie Harf at a press briefing, adding that “our message is very clear from the words we chose”.

UN peacekeepers in DR Congo on alert after clashes

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UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are on alert amid ongoing clashes between government forces and unidentified armed men, a UN spokesperson said here Monday.

In the DRC, there have been clashes between government forces and unidentified armed elements in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Kindu, Xinhua reported citing Martin Nesirky, spokesperson for UN secretary-general, at the daily briefing.

UNSC outraged by second terror attack in Russia

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The UN Security Council Monday strongly condemned a terrorist attack targeting a bus in Russia’s Volgograd city, saying it is “outraged” by the second suicide bombing in the city within a 24-hour period.

At least 10 people were killed and 10 injured early Monday when a bomb went off in a trolleybus in Volgograd. The attack came a day after a woman suicide bomber blew herself up at a railway station in the city, killing 17 people and injuring 45.

I am not great: Paes

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14 Grand Slam trophies, an Olympic medal and 53 titles on the ATP tour makes him one of the greatest tennis players India has produced but veteran Leander Paes today refused to be labelled as great.

“I don’t have a great serve, a great forehand or backhand. I just do things with my partners, whoever it is,” the 40-year-old star said in a modest self assessment on the eve of Chennai Open.

Paes said he dreams of winning more Grand Slams in 2014 and wants to compete in 2016 Brazil Olympics before hanging his boots.

Ghana to host Glasgow 2014 Queen’s baton relay

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Ghana will host the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay this week, minister of youth and sports Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah said here Monday.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is the traditional curtain raiser to the Commonwealth Games and has been an inclusion in the Games program since the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games in Wales.

Punjab youths in Abu Dhabi jail; family seeks their release

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The family members of fifteen Punjabi youths, who have been languishing in a jail in Abu Dhabi since November 30, met Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna today and sought his intervention in this matter.

The youths, who had gone to Abu Dhabi in search of livelihood, have been imprisoned at Al Wathba jail there following a clash between two groups.

Majority of their parents came to know of their incarceration from their friends.

A deputation of parents of eight youths met the RS MP and urged him to use his office to get them released at the earliest.

Israel keen to increase trade with China

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the country has set a goal to consistently increase trade with China.

“This is one of the main horizons for ensuring the continued growth of the Israeli economy,” reported Xinhua citing Netanyahu during a meeting in his Jerusalem office of the Ministerial Committee on Advancing Economic Ties with China. The goal of the committee is to coordinate overall government activity in order to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Israel frees 26 Palestinian prisoners

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Israel has freed a group of 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a US-brokered agreement for resuming direct peace talks, BBC reported Tuesday.

They released prisoners, making up the third tranche of a total of 104 prisoners set to be freed, were greeted by cheering crowds on their return to the West Bank and Gaza.

Though Israel approved the releases Saturday, they were delayed to allow victims’ families to appeal.

The prisoners committed murder or attempted murder before the 1993 Oslo accords and have served 19 to 28 years.

Lok Satta party may move amendments to AP Reorganisation Bill

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The Lok Satta Party is likely to move amendments to the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, which is presently under consideration of the state Legislature.

“The working committee is considering amendments, the party should move to the Bill to safeguard the interests of the three regions in the state. It is also discussing alternative solutions like carving out Rayalaseema also as a separate state and extending it special economic status provided to most backward states,” a Lok Satta release said.

Open to suggestions to improve building bylaws: Nitish

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The Bihar government was open to suggestions to improve Bihar Building By-laws, 2013, but there would be no compromise on safety measures, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today.

The legislation about the new building by-laws has been made public soliciting suggestions from the people and other stakeholders and it would be vetted before a final decision by the Cabinet, Urban Development Secretary S Siddharth said after Kumar’s meeting with industrialists and builders here.

Will name the industrialist at an “appropriate time: Gadkari

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Former BJP President Nitin Gadkari, under attack for claiming an industrialist had brokered the deal between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress for government formation in Delhi, today said he will reveal the identity of the businessman “at an appropriate time”.

“I will reveal the secret at an appropriate time. This is not the proper time to say anything,” he said.

Preferring to remain silent on the issue, Gadkari, while sticking to his allegations, claimed the identity of the industrialist who had brokered the deal was already known to people in Delhi.

Cong trashes speculation of Madhu Koda’s wife joining party

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Scotching speculation about incarcerated former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda’s wife joining Congress, Union minister Jairam Ramesh today said there is no such proposal and “no tainted leader will be encouraged” by Congress with Rahul Gandhi being there.

Ramesh, however, repeatedly clarified that his remarks are not about RJD chief Lalu Prasad about which there are increasing speculations of an alliance in Congress despite reservations from certain quarters.

Andhra Pradesh: 17-year-old girl gangraped

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A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three persons in Khammam district, while another case of sexual assault was reported in West Godavari district, police said today.

Three persons, identified as Rama Babu, Nagraj and Venkatesh allegedly raped a teenage girl on the outskirts of Bhavannapalem village under V M Banjar police station limits of Khammam last night and fled after the incident, they said.

Efforts on to keep Bhadrachalam with AP after division: Min

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Union Minister for Textiles Kavuri Sambasiva Rao said here today that he has been making efforts to ensure that the Bhadrachalam division remains with the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh after a separate state of Telangana is formed.

The minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a community hall and inaugurating roads at Gopavaram and Velupucherla villages of the Musunur zone in Krishna district.

Dhoni rues bad decisions, but says happy with team performance

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Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today rued a couple of bad decisions which went against his side in India’s 10-wicket loss to South Africa in the second cricket Test here to lose the series 0-1, saying they were “at the receiving end” in the match.

“The first session was crucial, we did not start well, a couple of bad decisions, tough decisions, a couple of bad shots. We were at the receiving end,” he said after India lost the final Test on the fifth and final day at the Kingsmead here.