Month: February 2014

Cong leadership meets party leaders from Seemandhara

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A week after parliament gave its nod to the Telangana Bill, Congress central leadership today held a crucial meeting with Seemandhra state ministers.

The meeting, chaired by AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, deliberated on a slew of issues concerning Seemandhra region in which central ministes such as Jairam Ramesh and J D Seelam were present.

According to sources, Seemandhra ministers raised certain issues pertaining to development of the region which had not figured in the Telengana Bill.

Government keen to create human resource in health: Azad

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The government is keen to create human resource as well as infrastructure in the health sector, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Tuesday.

Inaugurating the residential block at the Lady Hardinge Medical College here, Azad said huge infrastructure has been created in India under the National Rural Health Mission.

During the United Progressive Alliance-I and UPA-II governments, 18,000 and 33,000 hospitals have been added respectively at the sub-centre, primary health centre, community health centre and at district-level hospitals in the country, he said.

–IANS

Kejriwal likely to undertake roadshow in UP in March

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After launching Aam Aadmi Party’s national campaign from Haryana on Sunday, Arvind Kejriwal may undertake roadshow in Uttar Pradesh from next month.

The party wants to organise roadshow at a big level, similar to the rally it had recently organised in Rohtak.

The roadshow may start from Delhi or the border of Noida and Ghaziabad, on March 1 and end in Kanpur on March 2. However, the details are yet to be finalised by the party.

Sources said that the party was contemplating the move with an aim of garnering public support in Uttar Pradesh, where it has high electoral hope.

Can’t let schools be run as ‘teaching shops’, LG tells court

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Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung has defended his decision to cancel the “management quota” in the criteria for nursery school admissions, and told the Delhi High Court that “commercialisation of education” cannot be allowed.

Jung filed his response on a petition by the Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools against the December 2013 guidelines for nursery admission in the national capital. The matter will come for hearing March 25.

Delhi HC asks Kejriwal, Bharti for response on poll expense

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The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former minister Somnath Bharti to respond within two weeks on a plea seeking cancellation of their election for exceeding the expenditure limit in assembly polls.

The court sought their response by April 17 on petitions by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Vijender Gupta and Arti Mehra alleging that Kejriwal and Bharti each spent beyond the statutory limit of Rs.14 lakh.

11 parties form front, to jointly contest Lok Sabha polls

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The grouping of 11 non-UPA, non-NDA parties will contest the coming Lok Sabha elections and ensure defeat of the Congress and the BJP, CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said here Tuesday.

Briefing reporters after meeting of 11 parties, which include the Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and four Left parties, Karat said the parties will work to provide an alternative to the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party at the centre.

“Leaders of 11 parties have resolved to fight upcoming Lok Sabha elections together,” he said.

Poo fuelled cars set to hit roads

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Hyundai has recently announced plans to begin leasing a new vehicle this spring, which will be powered by processed sewage. Last fall, Tesla’s Elon Musk was calling hydrogen fuel cell technology for vehicles “bullsh*t.

Former RAW chief joins BJP

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Indian spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing’s (RAW) former chief Sanjeev Tripathi Tuesday joined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Tripathi joined the party in the presence of BJP president Rajnath Singh.

A 1972-batch Indian Police Service officer, he was the chief of the RAW from Dec 30, 2010, to Dec 29, 2012, and hails from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

Eighty percent Afghans believe government still in control of country: Survey

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A majority of Afghans reportedly believe that the government is in control of the country despite surging violence, and are opposed to the return to the Taliban, a survey revealed.

The study, conducted by ATR Consulting, comes as the United States is readying up to withdraw most of its troops this year, ending the long war that was waged post September 11, 2001 attacks.

Pakistan puts off Iran-Pak gas project temporarily

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Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project was now off the table, a senior Pakistan official has said. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi informed the National Assembly that the project couldn”t go any further at the moment because of international sanctions against Iran were a serious issue.

Woman raped on pretext of marriage

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A 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a man on the pretext of marriage in Pratap Nagar area of the district, police said today.

The woman lodged a complaint yesterday accusing one Bhagwan Singh of raping her on the pretext of marriage.

“The woman has mentioned in her complaint that she came in contact with Bhagwan Singh a year ago and they started living together. The accused promised that he would marry her and raped her,” a police official said

No arrest has been made so far, he added.

–PTI

Pentagon proposes to shrink US Army to lowest level post WWII

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Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed to shrink the US Army. The move, which could close military bases and making other military-wide savings as part of a broad reshaping after more than a decade of war, will shrink the size of the US Army to its smallest size in 74 years.

According to news24, Hagel outlined his vision in a speech at the Pentagon, a week before President Barack Obama is to submit his 2015 budget plan to Congress. Under the Hagel plan, which Congress could change, the active-duty Army would shrink from its current 522 000 soldiers to between 440 000 and 450 000.

Fatwa can’t be forced upon people: SC

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Fatwa issued by Muslim clerics cannot be forced upon people and the state has to protect persons who are harassed for not following such dictates, the Supreme Court today said while expressing reservation in interfering with Shariat courts.

Holding that it’s a matter of choice for the people to accept fatwa or not, the apex court said running of institutions like Darul Qaza and Darul-Iftaa is a religious issue and the courts should interfere only when someone’s rights are violated by their decision.

Pakistan court declares NATO supply blockade illegal

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A court in Pakistan Tuesday declared as illegal blockade of supply line for NATO troops in neighbouring Afghanistan by the ruling party in the country’s northwest.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, which leads a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has blocked NATO supply trucks in protest against US drone strikes in the tribal regions.

Activists of PTI and its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, forcibly stop NATO trucks from entering Afghanistan via the main Torkham border point.

Traders had challenged the blockade in a court on the plea that it has affected their business.

Now, Malala backs campaign against female genital mutilation in UK

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Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls education, has offered her support to a campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain. The FGM campaign is originally begun by a 17-year-old British student, Fahma Mohamed.

Court adjourns hearing in Italian Marines case

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A court here Tuesday adjourned for March 31 the hearing in a case against two Italian Marines allegedly involved in the killing of two Indian fishermen in 2012.

Additional Sessions Judge Bharat Parashar adjourned the hearing after National Investigation Agency (NIA) lawyers and defence counsel apprised the court that certain applications related to the case are pending in the apex court, which is scheduled to hear the case after two weeks.

Ravindra Jadeja expresses love for horses

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Ravindra Jadeja has said that excluding cricket, he is passionate about horses.

He revealed that he has three horses on his farm, and that he loves riding, FHM India Magazine reported.

Jadeja also said that he had bought a Hayabusa, but added that he does not get time to ride it though. (ANI)

F1 ace Schumacher”s boss insists attempts to wake him up continue

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Formula one legend Michael Schumacher”s manager, Sabine Kehm has insisted that attempts to wake Schumacher up are continuous and the fight would go on. Sabine denied that the doctors had given up on reviving the ace Formula one racer, as fans feared the worst after reports said that they were no longer trying to get Schumacher out of his induced coma.

Majority of women spend an hour daily on their appearance

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A new study has found that 78 percent of women spend almost an hour every day working on their look.

The findings of the `Ideal to Real` body image survey, conducted by the `Today` show and AOL on over 2,000 adults and 200 teens over 16, showed that women spend 335 hours on their hair and makeup per year, which equates to about 55 minutes a day, the Huffington Post. The research also revealed that 60 percent of women and 78 percent of teenage girls have something bad to say about their looks. (ANI)

Coleen Rooney flaunts sexy post-baby body in 60s-inspired fashion collection

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Coleen Rooney showed off her svelte post-baby figure in a range of bodycon dresses, as she posed for a new fashion collection for Littlewoods.com. The WAG was seen wearing a series of tight-fitting dresses, featuring python prints and bright block colours, the Daily Express reported. The 27-year-old, who gave birth to her second son Klay just nine months ago, looked stylish and sophisticated in all the dresses. (ANI)