Balaraju condemns ex-colleagues for criticizing Congress
Former minister P Balaraju condemned his former colleagues for criticising the Congress after joining the other parties.
Month: March 2014
Four DCCS appointed
The PCC Chief Botcha Satyanarayana has stated that an extended meeting of the Seemandhra leaders will be held at party head quarters on March 5. He told media persons that the meeting is aimed at strengthening the party in Seemandhra region where there is a sort of discontent over bifurcation of the state.
TENA to give annual awards in five fields
Telangana NRI Association (TENA) has decided to give TeNA Honorary Awards for Telangana Renaissance, every year, in five fields.
The Awards will be: Kaloji Award for best literary work; Chindula Yellamma Award for best Telangana cultural initiative; Prof, JayaShankar Award for Best Research work; Komaram Bheem Award for an individual/organization that works for bringing reforms in Social sphere; and Suravaram Pratap Reddy Award for encouraging publication of new writers.
Mala Mahanadu to float a new Party
Mala Mahanadu State President Dr Ratnakar on Saturday announced that he would float a new political party shortly to achieve political power to Dalits.
Massive arrangements for Narendra Modi’s rally
Massive arrangements have been made for BJP leader Narendra Modi’s rally here at Ramabai Ambedkar ground tomorrow.
National general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in the state, Amit Shah and state unit president Laxmikant Bajpai who inspected the rally venue this evening claimed that ‘vijay shankhnaad rally’ would have a “historic turnout”.
Minor girl raped; woman held for abetment
A 13 year old girl from Shil-Daighar in Thane district has been raped, police said today.
One 22-year-old woman has been arrested for alleged abetment to rape while the main accused, identified as Mahadu Rathod, is absconding, police said adding the incident had taken place on February 26 in a slum colony in Kausa.
According to Police Inspector (Crime) Gauriprasad C Hiremath of Shil-Diaghar police station, the arrested woman Laxmi Baban Rathod had taken the victim to her house on the pretext of giving her a job of cutting logs of woods.
Pakistani Taliban announce month-long ceasefire
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Saturday announced a month-long ceasefire in what is being seen as a move to break a deadlock in peace talks with the government.
According to TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, the umbrella organisation has directed all groups to honour the ceasefire, Dawn online reported.
He said that all major militant groups under the TTP have been directed to cease attacks against the state and security forces.
Bihar’s lone LJP MLA joins JD-U after resigning
Three days after resigning from the Lok Janshakti Party over the party’s alliance with the BJP, Zakir Anwar, the lone LGP legislator in Bihar, joined the Janata Dal-United Saturday.
Anwar hit out at LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, describing him as an “opportunitist” who made a deal of Rs.50 crore for the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Paswan has taken huge amounts for alliance with the saffron party at the cost of principles of his party,” Anwar said.
He said people of Bihar are making jokes and poking fun at Paswan’s alliance with the BJP.
Jaspal Bhatti’s widow is AAP’s Chandigarh choice
Late comedian-actor Jaspal Bhatti’s widow Savita is the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAPs) choice for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat. The party announced her name in New Delhi Saturday.
Savita, a mass communications post-graduate has also acted in films and television.
She is the first candidate to be announced by any major political party for the seat, as the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are yet to make their picks.
Noted academician G.K. Chadha is dead
Noted economist and academician G.K. Chadha died Saturday after a heart attack, a statement said. He was 73.
The first president of the SAARC-established South Asian University, Chadha was associated with the university since its inception in 2008, said a university statement.
Born in 1940, Chadha was also the former vice chancellor and professor emeritus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Chadha had also served as member of the Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister and chaired the UGC Pay Review Committee (Sixth Pay Commission) for university and college teachers.
Putin gets parliament’s nod for armed forces in Ukraine
Russian Federal Council, or upper house of the parliament, Saturday approved President Vladimir Putin’s request for using armed forces in Ukraine.
After the approval, Putin, as the commander-in-chief, could decide the number of troops and their armaments that were to be deployed in Ukraine, Xinhua quoted Vladimir Ozerov, chairman of the Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee, as saying.
UNSC to hold emergency meet on Ukraine crisis
The UN Security Council (UNSC) will meet behind closed doors for the second consecutive day for discussing the prevailing situation in Ukraine Saturday afternoon, council president said.
The urgent council meeting will begin at 1900 GMT Saturday, Xinhua quoted the council president as saying in a message to council members as sent by the UN spokesperson’s office.
The 15-nation UN body met in an emergency session Friday afternoon at the request of Kiev’s UN ambassador to discuss the latest development in Ukraine.
Blast rocks Afghanistan’s Herat city
A blast rocked Afghanistan’s Herat city Saturday night. However, there was no immediate report of any casualty, a security source said.
“An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated near the Herat sport stadium at around 07.45 p.m. Saturday,” Xinhua reported citing a police department.
“The blast caused damages but no human casualties occurred as a result of the incident.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
–IANS
China capable of exploring Mars: Scientist
A top space scientist linked with the China’s lunar probe mission has said the country holds the capability of exploring Mars.
China is capable of sending a probe to circle Mars and having it land on the planet, Xinhua quoted Ye Peijian as saying Saturday and adding that the country has no problems with tracking control and communications technology.
Kerry’s remarks part of US ‘hostile policy’: North Korea
North Korea Saturday rejected US Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks terming the country as an “evil place”, saying they were “another vivid expression of the US hostile policy” toward it.
North Korean foreign ministry dismissed the remarks as no more than “a manifestation of (Kerry’s) frustration and outbursts”, adding Kerry should be aware that “no pressure is workable” on North Korea, Xinhua reported.
China rejects US GM corn shipments
China has returned 887,000 tonnes of US corn shipments that were found tainted with a genetically-modified (GM) strain not approved by the country’s agriculture ministry since last October.
These corn shipments were found to contain the unapproved MIR162, a strain of insect-resistent transgenic corn, Xinhua quoted the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine as saying.
China detected the first batch of MIR162 tainted corn shipment from the US in last October in Shenzhen, and found several batches at the country’s different ports after that.
Iran, Poland to strengthen ties
Iran and Poland are determined to boost their cooperation in diverse areas, their foreign ministers said Saturday.
Referring to the historic relations between the two countries, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif called for enhancement of political, cultural and economic relations, Xinhua reported.
There are many untapped capacities concerning the mutual relations, for instance in petrochemical and medical sectors, which could be explored, Zarif said during a joint press conference with the visiting Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
Iraq violence kills 18
At least 18 people were killed and 16 wounded Saturday in unabated incidents of violent attacks in different parts of Iraq, mainly in Anbar province, police said.
Six militants, suspected to be linked to the Al Qaeda organisation, were killed in clashes with army in Al-Sijar area, north of the Fallujah city, some 50 km from Baghdad, Xinhua quoted a provincial security source as saying.
Four policemen were killed when suspected Al Qaeda militants attacked two checkpoints in Anbar’s provincial capital city of Ramadi, some 110 km from Baghdad, the source said.
Iran to start work on Bushehr nuclear plant in April
The Islamic republic plans to begin developing project of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in April, an Iranian atomic official said Saturday.
The developing stage of the plant would begin April 9, the National Nuclear Technology Day, Xinhua quoted Asghar Zare’an, deputy director for Protection and Security at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), as saying.
Earlier, the AEOI announced that it was in negotiations with the Russian side over the construction of the second phase of Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Aamir Khan to get bulletproof Mercedes after threats increase
According to the Press trust of India Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has quashed rumours that he has been receiving threats after covering sensitive topics in his highly-successful talk show ‘Satyamev Jayate’.
Khan, who is gearing up to host the second season of the reality talk show –which kicks off tomorrow, further said he is not afraid of any threats.
The Press Trust of India quoted the ‘Peekay’ star as saying, “I have not got any threats. I don’t fear… threats. Do not go with the rumours. There is no threat to me.”
Rahul Gandhi likely to visit West Bengal
Dismissing the probability of an alliance with the Trinamool Congress, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Saturday that party vice president Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit West Bengal soon.
“He (Gandhi) has been interacting with the common man in other parts of the country so we have proposed that similar programmes be held in West Bengal as well. It will allow the party to get closer to the people and at the same time encourage and enthuse party workers,” Chowdhury said.
Rajnath Singh did not apologise over Gujarat riots:Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
BJP on Saturday said that party president Rajnath Singh had not apologised to Muslims for the 2002 post- Godhra riots in Gujarat, contrary to some media reports.
“The BJP president did not apologise. We want people from all sections of society to come with us. We don’t feel the need to apologise,” party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here.
“He (Singh) has not apologised for any past (issues). We believe in taking everybody along. We talk of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Great India),” he added.
I am daughter of BJP: Rakhi Sawant
It seems Narendra Modi has found another admirer in Rakhi Sawant. With the elections nearing closer, Rakhi Sawant has expressed her desire that she wants Modi to become India’s next prime minister.
Sawant, who recently visited the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) headquarters, described herself as the daughter of the party.
According to a report published in ANI, Rakhi Sawant said, “I have just come to the office. I do not know anything about joining the party. The senior leaders will be able to say better. I haven’t thought of anything as yet.”
Chargesheet filed in IAS couple’s disproportionate assets case
The Lokayukta Special Police Establishment (SPE) on Saturday filed a chargesheet in the district court against tainted IAS couple Arvind and Tinoo Joshi, besides 17 others, in connection with the couple’s assets disproportionate to the known sources of income.
Lokayukta sources said the chargesheet was filed against 19 persons, including the IAS couple, Arvind Joshi’s father HM Joshi, mother Namrata Joshi, sisters Abha and Vibha, associate SP Kohli, his wife and sons Simat and Sahil, Delhi-based stamp vendor, Raj Rani, insurance agent Seema Jaiswal and property broker Pradeep Jain.
Knife-wielding men kill 27, 109 injured in China train station
At least 27 people were killed and 109 others were injured in a China train station attack on Saturday, a local media report said.
As per initial reports, a group of knife-wielding men attacked passengers at the Kunming Railway Station in Yunman province, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
“The men were wearing uniforms when they stormed the railway station,” a local media said.
Police have cordoned-off the entire area and the states run TV station, K said that several of the attackers were shot by police and that victims were being transported to local hospitals.