Month: February 2014

Cong, TRS ties run into rough weather

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TRS today hit out at Congress for “poaching” its leaders and accused the national party of not showing respect towards it, even as the regional party’s chief K Chandrasekhar Rao trained his guns on Union minister Jairam Ramesh terming his reported comments an “insult to Telangana”.

Addressing a party meeting here this evening, Rao asked TRS activists whether they favoured merger with Congress or not, to which he got a reply in the negative as the suspense over whether his party would go in for a merger or alliance mounted.

Women succumbs to burn injuries near pahadi shareef

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A 23 year old women died of burn injuries which she suffered on Feb 24 at her residence in Habeeb nagar Colony of Pahadi shareef.

According to Pahadi Shareef police, the deceased Fatima Begum W/o Mohammed Hafiz Ali, while cooking on stove accidentally flames caught her on Feb 24. Immediately she was rushed to Osmania General Hospital for treatment where she died on Friday night hours.

Pahadi Shareef police registered a case after autopsy deceased body handed over to her relatives. (INN)

Afghanistan to slide into chaos after NATO troops leave: US

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Afghanistan’s slide towards chaos and political disintegration is likely to be more rapid after US and NATO forces withdraw from the war-torn country by the end of this year, a top American official warned today.

The presence of US and NATO forces is essential to train and assist Afghan security forces, which despite remarkable progress still need international help, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins said.

Lakshminarayana denies joining BJP; Rubbishes reports

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Former Joint Director of Central Bureau of Investigation, Hyderabad V V Lakshminarayana here on Friday said news reports about his joining Bharatiya Janata Party are far from truth. He emphatically said he was neither interested nor joining politics and the reports to that effect were concocted.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Lakshminarayana said reports were appearing in the media that he was plunging into politics. Such reports are totally false and the media was fabricating such things for sensationalism only.

Panel recommends action against Kalmadi over 2008 CYG

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A legislative panel Friday recommended criminal action against suspended Congress parliamentarian Suresh Kalmadi, who headed the 2008 Pune Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) organising committee, for alleged misappropriation of funds.

Girish Bapat, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Maharashtra legislature, told the assembly that Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had allowed the organising committee three months to submit its final statements of expenditure.

Failure to do so would entail criminal action against Kalmadi, a Lok Sabha member from Pune, he added.

Bodies of elderly couple found in well

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The bodies of a panchayat sevak and his wife were today found in a well at Tankadih village in Khunti district of Jharkhand, the police said.

The police recovered the body of Loharsi Manki (55) and his wife Subodhini (50), who were missing from February 25, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Deepak Kumar Sharma told reporters here.

Manki was working as a sevak at Mandar panchayat in neighbouring Ranchi district, he said.

India lose to Sri Lanka in Asia Cup

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Sri Lanka defeated India by two wickets in an Asia Cup match at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium here Friday.

Kumar Sangakkara took Sri Lanka to victory with 103 runs off 84 balls, chasing down India’s 264 for nine with four balls to spare.

Minister announces $90,000 grant to help Indio-Canadian children

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Manmeet Bhullar, Indian origin human services minister of the Canadian province of Alberta, has announced a CAD100,000 (nearly $90,000) grant to help sexually abused Indo-Canadian children in the city of Calgary.

The money will be used by the Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse to remove barriers for members of the Indo-Canadian community seeking help, specifically around language and culture, along with improving awareness and increase prevention, the Calgary Sun reported Thursday.

Indian man indicted in Nigeria for swindling

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A court in Nigeria indicted an Indian man for swindling a Nigerian man of six million Nigerian naira (around $36,324).

Thakkar Mitulkkma was charged with two counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating in the Karu Senior Magistrates’ Court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja Thursday, the Nigerian Bulletin reported.

Prosecutor Atteh Effiong told the court that Adigwe Lawrence, owner of an electronics shop, De-law Technology Computer Limited in the city, gave the accused the sum to supply laptops and some electronics but he never supplied them.

Only 65 percent Class 3 kids able to listen and respond

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About 65 percent of Class 3 children are able to listen and respond to language correctly and 86 percent are able to recognise a given picture, Human Resource Development Minister M.M. Pallam Raju said here Friday.

“About 65 percent of the children were able to listen and respond correctly and about 86 percent of the students were able to recognize a given picture,” he said citing a survey.

“In mathematics, 70 percent of the kids were able to handle simple multiplication and 84 percent were able to handle data relevant to their context,” he said.

Delhi HC notice to centre on AirAsia approval

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The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the central government asking it to respond to a plea seeking quashing of the approval granted to Malaysia-based AirAsia to start flight operations in India.

The plea was filed by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA).

Justice Manmohan also sought response from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).

The government March 26 last year had approved AirAsia’s proposal to set up a new airline in India in partnership with the Tata Group and the Arun Bhatia-promoted Telestra Tradeplace to create a low-cost airline in India.

Snag hits Delhi Metro services

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Thousands of commuters Friday reached their respective offices late following a technical snag in a Delhi Metro train that delayed services during the morning rush hour on the metro’s yellow line, officials said.

“A technical issue was detected in the automatic train protection system of one of the trains which caused a pile-up,” a metro official said.

A Delhi Metro statement said the Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre line was affected for more than half an hour from 8.58 a.m. to 9.32 p.m.

Baseless charges causing unacceptable injury: Reliance

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Reliance Industries Friday said “false and defamatory allegations” carried by a section of the media had caused it unacceptable injury and inflicted disrepute among millions of stakeholders across the globe.

Referring to the charges against it Thursday by Prashant Bhushan, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party and a senior lawyer, the company said such selective leaks on matters residing in courts were misleading the global public.

Women empowerment must for development: Rahul Gandhi

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said “focalizing energy is a dynamic and effective process that makes Indian women fearless”, while holding an interactive session with women here on Friday. He listened to the plight of women and answered their question, giving a conclusion that states where women were suppressed would never progress.

Canada, India can collaborate on education: Governor general

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Canada’s Governor General David Johnston Friday urged the need for educational collaboration to build a fruitful relationship with India.

“India tends to simplify things and produce innovations that are cost-effective. Creating a strong innovation culture requires us to communicate and work together closely,” Johnston said in a speech on “Driving Economic Growth Through Innovation” at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B).

The Canadian head of state also interacted with the students and faculty members during his visit to the IIT-B campus.

Stipend programme boosted primary education in Bangladesh: study

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A new study shows Bangladesh’s primary education stipend programme has increased geographical coverage, enrolment, attendance and gender parity in elementary education.

The findings of the study, titled ‘Bangladesh Primary Education Stipends: Achievements and Challenges’, were released Thursday, Xinhua reported.

The study also showed that reducing dropout rates and improving class performance require immediate attention of policymakers.

12-year-old girl raped, commits suicide in shame

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A 12-year-old girl immolated herself in shame today after she was allegedly raped by a neighbour in Burdwan district here, police said today.

The class VI student was allegedly raped by her neighbour when she was alone in her house following which she poured kerosene and set herself on fire, said S M H Mirza, SP, Burdwan district.

She was rushed to Katwa hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, he said.

Winning potential key factor for candidates: BJP leader

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Administrative experience and the potential to win were the key factors in selecting candidates in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, BJP leader Siddhartha Nath Singh said Friday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday announced its first list of 54 candidates for the polls, including 17 for West Bengal.

The names include former lawmaker Tapan Sikdar (Dum Dum), state party president Rahul Sinha (Kolkata Uttar), and magician P.C. Sorcar Jr. (Barasat).

Husband of woman who accused Narayan Sai of rape attacked

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Husband of the woman, who had accused self-styled godman Asaram’s son Narayan Sai of repeated sexual assault, was severely injured after he was attacked by unidentified persons here, police said.

“The victim’s husband was coming back from his office at ESCI hospital in heart of the city this morning when some unidentified men attacked him from behind with sharp weapons. They stabbed him on his back and then on his face many times,” police said.

Three sentenced to life for murder of Army man’s wife

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A fast track court today sentenced three persons, including a woman, to life imprisonment for murdering the wife of an Army personnel in 2012.

Special judge of the fast track court Vimlesh Tanwar pronounced the sentence on Unita alias Sapna, her brother Rajpal and another person, Rajan. Unita’s husband Karamveer was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

Two of the accused — Rakesh and Harbhajan — were acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence against them.

We canonize our leaders, says Ansari

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Indians develop “reverential attitudes” towards personalities because we canonize them, Vice President Hamid Ansari said Friday.

Ansari made the remark at an event where he released a book, “Ambedkar Awakening: India’s Social Conscience”, authored by Narendra Jadhav, a member of the Planning Commission.

“(This) is an intellectual biography in the best sense of the word,” the vice president said.

“We in India canonize personalities and because we do that, we develop reverential attitudes.”

‘Centre had no option but to impose President’s rule’

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Reacting to the union cabinet’s decision to impose President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh, leaders of the Congress and other parties said the central government had no other option.

Congress leaders from both Telangana and Seemandhra said it was an appropriate decision in the present situation.

Former finance minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy said it was the right decision by the leadership. He said when the election notification was likely to be issued in three-four days, there was no need for forming a government.

Lok Satta party welcomes decision to impose Prez rule in AP

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Following Union Cabinet’s approval today to impose President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh, the Lok Satta Party welcomed the move saying it would help restore amity and goodwill between people of Telangana and Seemandhra regions.

“There is no alternative to President’s rule in the murky circumstances prevailing in Andhra Pradesh,” Lok Satta Party national president Jayaprakash Narayan here said.

More than 90 poor families provided houses with HUDCO aid

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Chief Minister N Rangasamy today said the measuring upto the expectations of the poorer sections of people and taking care of their basic amenities.

Handing over keys of houses constructed by the Puducherry Adi Dravidar Welfare Corporation with funds available from Housing and Urban Development Corporation to more than 90 poor families of Karikalambakkam village here, he said HUDCO had made available Rs 6 crore for the project.

He said the administration was meeting the housing and other basic requirements of the downtrodden people.

Indian man charged with swindling USD 9,700 in Nigeria

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An Indian man has been indicted by a court here for swindling a Nigerian man of 1.6 million naira (USD 9,700), according to a media report.

Thakkar Mitulkkma was charged with two counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating by the court yesterday. He pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, Mitulkkma faces eight years in prison with an option to pay a fine.

The prosecutor, Sgt Atteh Effiong, identified the alleged victim as Adigwe Lawrence, owner of an electronics shop, the Nigerian Bulletin reported yesterday.