Month: June 2014

Sitaraman asks CMs to implement boilers inspection scheme

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Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has written to all state chief ministers to implement the self-certification scheme for inspection and certification of boilers under the provisions of the Boilers Act, 1923, the commerce ministry said in a statement here Monday.

“Towards this end (of radically improving the ease of doing business in the country) it is our view that self-certification and third-party certification needs to be introduced in boiler,” Sitaraman wrote.

Picking quality bowlers in auction did the trick: Gambhir

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Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir today said the ‘master move’ of picking quality bowlers, instead of buying big batting names during February auction helped the team to pocket its second Indian Premier League title.

“When we went into the auction, we wanted a good bowling attack. A lot of teams might have thought of having a very good batting line-up in the T20 format. A strong bowling attack takes a lot of pressure off batting. But we have batted brilliantly as well,” said Gambhir in the post-match presser.

Bieber apologises for racist joke

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Singer Justin Bieber has apologised for using the N-word during the filming of a 2011 documentary “Never Say Never”.

Bieber used the term when he was 17, but the documentary emerged recently, and Bieber had to issue a long apology for the racist remark, reports contactmusic.com.

The 20-year-old delivered an offensive punch line: “Run n*****, n*****, n*****, n*****, n*****”.

Palestinian unity government sworn in

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The Palestinian national unity government was sworn in Monday by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

As many as 13 ministers, led by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, took the oath at Abbas’s office in Ramallah, while four Gaza-based ministers could not attend the official swearing-in ceremony having been denied access into the West Bank by Israel, Xinhua reported.

This is the 17th cabinet since the creation of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in 1994.

Rahul should have joined UPA government, says Karan Singh

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Rahul Gandhi should have joined the Manmohan Singh cabinet to gain administrative experience, Congress party veteran Karan Singh has said, and noted that the next five years in opposition will be a big learning curve for the party vice-president.

He said that in his view former union minister Kamal Nath should be the party’s choice for Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha if Rahul Gandhi does not accept the role.

Dedicate this IPl triumph to my youngest son AbRam: Shah Rukh

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Kolkata Knight Riders principal owner Shah Rukh Khan today dedicated the team’s second IPL triumph to his youngest son AbRam.

After the finals, Shah Rukh as a goodwill gesture wore the Kings XI Punjab jersey, a custom prevalent among the footballers as he exchanged plesantries with Preity Zinta.

“I dedicated this win to my little child Abram and the hard work done by Gautam and his team. Thank you Bengaluru and thank you IPL. We believed in ourselves and hard work done by the team management,” Shah Rukh told the official broadcasters after the IPL final.

Nearly 60,000 primary schools in Bihar without headmasters

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Nearly 60,000 of the 73,000 government primary schools in Bihar, mostly in rural areas, do not have a “proper” headmaster. In many cases, teachers have been made in-charge on a temporary basis, an official said Monday.

“Eighty percent of the primary schools in Bihar are running without proper headmasters. In many places, teachers have been made in-charge of these schools to manage it on temporary basis…, ” an official of the education department said.

Court issues production warrant against Jundal

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A court here Monday issued a warrant for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Jundal, allegedly involved in terror attacks in the country, to be brought before it.

District Judge I.S. Mehta in an in-camera proceeding issued the production warrant against Jundal and posted the matter for further hearing July 2.

Jundal has been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly attempting to recruit people through internet for joining the banned outfit.

Israel to withhold Palestinian tax transfers over unity government

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Israel’s cabinet has decided in an emergency meeting to withhold tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority as means of sanctions over the new Palestinian unity government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with top members of the cabinet, including eight ministers late Sunday, in order to discuss ways to deal with the new government to be formed by Fatah and Hamas, Xinhua reported Monday.

Indian Mujahideen operative sent to judicial custody

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A court here Monday sent Indian Mujahideen operative Faizan Ahmed Sultan, an accused in the 2008 Delhi blasts, to judicial custody till June 13.

Sultan was deported from Sharjah to Delhi May 2 and arrested here by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The NIA claimed Sultan provided hiding places to top leaders of the Indian Mujahideen since 2008. His name was disclosed by an arrested Indian Mujahideen operative and later by outfit co-founder Yasin Bhatkal.

Sensex closes nearly two percent up; capital goods stocks rise

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A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Monday closed 467.51 points or 1.93 percent up, as capital goods stocks rose.

Healthy buying was observed in interest sensitive stocks like capital goods, bank, oil and gas, automobile and metal sectors ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy Tuesday.

However, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and healthcare stocks came under sustained selling pressure.

Ford India doubles its May sales

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Car maker Ford India Monday said it sold 12,288 units last month, up from 5,993 sold in May 2013.

In a statement, the company said domestic sales stood at 6,053 units last month, up from 4,002 units sold in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The company exported 6,235 vehicles, against 1,991 units in the corresponding period last year.

Mamata changes KKR reception schedule, SRK to attend

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Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has altered her official Bengal tour schedule to felicitate Kolkata Knight Riders on their second Indian Premier League triumph, at the Eden Gardens here Tuesday. Team owner and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan will also be present.

In a series of Facebook posts and tweets, Banerjee congratulated the Knights for their victory in Sunday’s nail-biting final and announced a felicitation programme on public demand.

“We will felicitate KKR tomorrow in Kolkata for IPL victory. There is a public demand,” she tweeted.

Katju wants TV, social media under Press Council

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The Press Council of India (PCI) should be renamed and its scope should be expanded to include television as well as web and social media, its chairman Markandey Katju said Monday.

The former Supreme Court judge also said the council should be given powers to punish media publications, instead of handing down mere admonishment.

“For better regulation, both TV and electronic media, which includes web and social media, should be brought under the Press Council of India. It should also be renamed as Media Council,” said Katju at a press conference here.

Land gets costlier in Noida

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Land in Noida in the neighbourhood of the national capital would be dearer as authorities Monday hiked prices of residential plots by 10 percent and industrial plots by 7 percent, officials said.

At a board meeting of the Noida authority, a decision was also taken to implement the UP Apartment Act, 2010 in Noida, officials said.

The act was passed in the UP legislative assembly during the Mayawati government. The Noida authority had December 2013 announced appointment of a competent authority for implementing the act but there was little headway in this direction.

Sonakshi turns 27, gifts herself tattoo

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Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, who turned 27 Monday, has given herself a gift for life – a tattoo of a star.

The “Dabangg” actress took to Twitter to share a photograph of herself and her newly acquired inking, and posted: “Surpriiiiise! My birthday gift to myself is this tattoo…My guiding star, now always with me.”

The tattoo is placed above her collarbone.

Telangana formation: Chandrababu congratulates KCR

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Congratulating K Chandrasekhar Rao, who took over as the first Chief Minister of Telangana today, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu wished him success and promised to partner with the new state in development.

Chandrababu, who will be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 8, said, “Congratulations to the people of Telangana, KCR and his colleagues. Wishing them success and we will partner with them in development.”

Kashmir issue should be resolved under UN resolutions: Pak

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Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain today said his country wants to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of people of Kashmir and UN resolutions.

“Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the UN resolutions and aspiration of the people of Kashmir,” he said in his first address to the parliament.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s last week’s visit to India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister was indicative of a desire to build peaceful relations with the neighbouring country.

TDP chief invites Telangana CM to his swearing-in ceremony

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Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu rang up Telangana Rashtra Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), who took over as Telangana’s first Chief Minister today and invited the latter to his swearing-in ceremony as Andhra Pradesh CM on June 8.

Though KCR did not extend a similar courtesy to him, Chandrababu chose not be discourteous towards his erstwhile colleague, TDP sources said.

“Besides congratulating KCR for taking over as Telangana CM, Chandrababu invited him to his oath-taking ceremony on June 8,” sources said.

Gurgaon school staffer hangs himself, three booked

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A supervisor at a private school here committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan, and three members of the management board have been booked for abetment to suicide, police said Monday.

Bhupender Singh, Pramod and Suresh Kumar, all senior members of Pine Crest school management here in Sushant Lok area, have been booked under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.

A case was registered on the complaint of Ram Babu, the younger brother of Rajan alias Rajendra, 32, who committed suicide May 31.

15 killed in Karnataka van-bus collision

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At least 15 people, including three children, were killed and a dozen injured when a van and a bus collided head-on and fell in a ditch in Karnataka, police said.

The accident took place in Aland, 40 km from here and 700 km from Bangalore.

The collision occurred around 5 a.m. on a highway when a pick-up van and a state-run route bus collided head-on at high speed and fell in a roadside ditch, Gulbarga superintendent of police Amit Singh told IANS.

Most of the victims were from the van, which was going to Gulbarga from Akkalgud in Sholapur district of Maharashtra across the border.

More concerned about man made problems: Dalai Lama

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Tibetan religious leader Dalai Lama today said he was more concerned about problems created by human beings like corruption than natural disasters.

“I am not satisfied with the present condition of India. In India, there is less of violence, but too much exploitation and corruption. I am more concerned about these man made disasters than any natural disaster,” he said while addressing students of Somaiya college here.

I was the chosen one of KKR owners, glad to repay faith: Yusuf

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Elated at being part of an IPL-winning team thrice, swashbuckling Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Yusuf Pathan has credited team owners Shah Rukh Khan, Jai Mehta and Juhi Chawla for his fine form, saying that they backed him even after a lacklustre run at the start of the season.

“I would give credit to Shah Rukh bhai, Jai bhai and Juhi behen for backing me. All the three wanted to retain me after the 2013 season but for some reasons they couldn’t. So I have always been their preference and it’s good to be the chosen one. They always want me to do well,” Yusuf told PTI in an interview.

Hyderabad to have international-standard surveillance: KCR

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About 10,000 closed-circuit television cameras would be installed across Hyderabad as part of an effort to put an international-standard surveillance system in place, first Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao announced here today.

“Hyderabad city has got international recognition. We will make it a world-class city with law and order as top priority,” KCR said, addressing the Telangana formation day parade here this afternoon.

Solar plane makes inaugural flight

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A revolutionary solar-powered plane, that will try to fly around the world next year, has successfully made its inaugural test flight in Switzerland.

The Solar Impulse 2 vehicle lifted off from Payerne aerodrome in Switzerland today and returned two hours later.

The single-seater aircraft, with which Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are attempting to carry out the first solar-powered flight around the world in 2015, is the first able to fly day and night without fuel or polluting emissions.