Month: July 2014

Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of air raids on the Gaza Strip Friday, as Palestinian militants continued to fire rockets into Israel, security sources said.

Israeli warplanes carried three air raids on a Hamas military site in the city of Rafah and another Hamas site in Khan Younis city, both in southern Gaza Strip, the sources told Xinhua, adding that more airstrikes targeted open space in Rafah and Khan Younis. No casualties have been reported so far.

Andre Schurrle believes Germany’s 1-0 victory over France Friday is proof that the team is capable of ending their near-quarter-century FIFA World Cup drought.

Joachim Loew’s team will now play either Brazil or Colombia in Belo Horizonte Tuesday for a place in the final of football’s premier event, reports Xinhua.

“We have this feeling. We are really close and you can feel that everybody wants it,” Schurrle said.

“We have a big chance to win it. We have been close the last few years. We want this so much now. I hope we can do it.”

Ukraine Friday opened a criminal case against the head of the Russian Border Service in a chain of retaliatory moves.

“The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) opened criminal proceedings against the head of the Russian Border Service,” said SBU chief Valentin Nalivaichenko, Xinhua reported citing Interfax news agency.

Nalivaichenko said the SBU detained Russian agents, including those working for the Federal Security Service (FSB), on charges of financing and supporting insurgents in Ukraine, as well as arms smuggling to the rebellious Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

At least 22 people were injured Friday during clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi who held anti-government protests across Egypt, a health ministry official said.

“As many as 17 people were injured in Cairo’s Ain Shams area, one at Giza’s Pyramids City and four at a square in Fayoum province,” Xinhua quoted Mohamed Sultan, head of ministry’s emergency care department, as saying.

A private firm executive has been arrested here on the charges of allegedly repeatedly raping a Mumbai-based background dancing artiste on the pretext of marrying her, police said on Friday.

Vipul Juneja, a sales manager in a private company, was arrested after the victim lodged a complaint at Jagatpuri police station here.

In her complaint, the woman, who was residing at Kotla Mubarakpur area here till last year, alleged that she was working in a pharma company where Juneja was also employed.

India’s Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek suffered a shocking defeat against an unseeded pair in the men’s doubles semi-final of the Wimbledon here Friday.

Paes and Stepanek, seeded fifth, went down 6-7, 3-6, 4-6 to the unseeded Canadian-American pair of Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock.

Paes and Stepanek failed to win any of their break points.

Pospisil and Sock served well as they fired seven aces Paes and Stepanek got just one.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today downplayed the demand made during the BJP state executive meeting about going solo in the upcoming Assembly elections, saying that the saffron alliance put together by its top leaders was strong and intact.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a book release function, Uddhav said, “The Sena-BJP alliance was the legacy of late Bal Thackeray, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani. Hence, views of others don’t matter.”

“Only if the state BJP chief Devendra Fadanvis speaks to me about it, I will consider it official,” he said.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) won 10 out of 11 c hairperson posts to 11 urban bodies elections held in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

P Rajani Sesha Sai of TDP bagged Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation Mayor seat and Vasi Reddy Rambabu of TDP is his deputy, according to an official release.

TDP won posts of one mayor and deputy mayor, seven chairman and vice chairman posts in seven municipalities.

TDP bagged the deputy mayor’s post in Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation and vice chairman’s posts in seven municipalities.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today sought expeditious completion of pending Railway projects and modernisation of train stations in the newly formed state.

Rao discussed the issue of pending projects and the status of ongoing work in Telangana with South Central Railway General Manager P K Srivastava here.

The CM recalled his Government has already written to the Prime Minister about the pending rail projects, problems and proposals related to Telangana, according to a release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

The campaign for the release of Indian nurses held in Iraq was led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj herself, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said here Friday.

Giving credit to Sushma Swaraj for efforts to secure the release of the nurses, the spokesperson said: “EAM has been at this 24 hours. She has been doing at least 3-4 times more than what has been reported (in the media).”

All 46 Indian women nurses seized by Sunni insurgents in Iraq were freed Friday after intense diplomatic efforts, and were set to return to Kerala Saturday morning.

The Supreme Court Friday reserved its order on the plea by Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy seeking the court’s nod for selling its three overseas hotels to generate Rs.10,000 crore and for his release on 40 days parole to put through the international transaction.

Roy and two other directors Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary are currently under custody since March 4 for the failure of two group companies to comply with the apex court’s Aug 31, 2012 and Dec 5, 2012, order to return investors’ money, which in 2012, was Rs. 24,000 crores.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko Friday expressed his readiness for new European-mediated talks Saturday to end the violence in the eastern regions.

“To implement the Berlin agreements of the four states’ foreign ministers, Ukraine is ready for further work in the trilateral contact group, for the next meeting on July 5 in particular,” Xinhua quoted the presidential press service as saying Friday.

“Ukraine has proposed the place and time and is expecting the confirmation of other parties.”

Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani Friday held an over hour-long meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat.

On her maiden trip to the state since becoming minister, Irani also held talks with state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was present during her interaction with the chief minister.

Though there was no official briefing on what transpired at the meeting, it was understood that the state government suggested extension of the midday meal scheme to classes 9 and 10.

Iraq’s incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Friday denied he was withdrawing his candidacy for a third term in office.

“I will never abandon my candidacy for the post of prime minister as the Coalition of the State of Law is the largest bloc that has the right to assume the premier post,” Xinhua quoted Maliki as saying in a statement broadcast on state media.

“No party has the right to put conditions, which is dictatorial act which we strongly reject,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Modi on Friday dedicated to the nation the 240 MW Uri-II hydropower project built by NHPC at a cost of Rs. 2290 crore in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi said his government is committed to dispel darkness from the country. He said this project was conceived during the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and we have fulfilled that vision. He also said the country has hydropower potential of 1.5 lakh MW, but has not been able to harness much of it so far. “Today, when global warming is an issue that affects all mankind, we will place maximum emphasis on renewable energy sources.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here on Friday to discuss the issue of safe evacuation of Kerala Nurses struck in the violence hit zone in Iraq. Forty-six Indian nurses who were stranded in a hospital in Tikrit in war-torn Iraq have reportedly been forced to shift and are in the captivity of the Sunni militant group ISIS.

A delegation of Confederation of Industry (CII) met Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung here on Friday. The delegation was led by Shreekant Somany, Deputy Chairman, CII Northern Region and Chairman and Managing Director, Somany Ceramics Limited and Arjun Wallia, Chairman, CII Delhi State Council and Group Founder and Chairman, The Walsons Group and Securitas India. The CII delegation discussed the areas of cooperation between CII and Government of NCT of Delhi which included Industrial Development with a focus on MSMEs, Environment, Skills and Education.

Goa governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo stepped down from his post on Friday over the Agusta Westland VVIP Chopper scam Earlier today, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had questioned Wanchoo over the Chopper scam. The statement was recorded as the witness in the case under Section 161 CrPC. He is the second governor who has been questioned by the CBI in this case after West Bengal Governor M. K. Narayanan. Earlier this year India had cancelled the 3600 crore rupees deal with AugustaWestland for the supply of 12 AW101 helicopters. (ANI)

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday expressed his joy over the expected return of the 46 Indian nurses stranded in Iraq tomorrow and said that he was relieved that the latter have reached a secure area in Iraq. “I am happy and relieved that 46 nurses from Tikrit have reached a secure area in Iraq. I look forward to their (46 Indian nurses in Iraq) early and safe return to India,” said Mukherjee.

Bihar Governor D.Y. Patil took additional charge of West Bengal today after President Pranab Mukherjee appointed him as acting Governor of West Bengal following M K Narayanan”s resignation. The President had accepted the resignation of M.K. Narayanan as West Bengal Governor and had asked Patil to hold additional charge of the post in the adjacent State until a regular arrangement is made. Narayanan resigned as the Governor of West Bengal on Monday after completing more than four years of his five-year term.

Union HRD Minister Smiriti Irani today met SSC aspirants, who have been fasting after not being recruited even after passing the Teacher Eligibility Test.

Irani met a delegation of Short Service Commission aspirants, who have passed the TET exam, at BJP state headquarters here.

“We have brought this SSC aspirant delegation to meet HRD minister Smriti Irani. The minister paid a patient hearing to the complain,” said Subir Haldar, president of ABVP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday, after inaugurating a train service from Katra to Udhampur. Earlier today, Modi flagged off a new train to Katra and congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for helping the project see the light of day, and said the new facility will not only be beneficial to Kashmiris, but also to all who want to visit the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the Badami Bagh Army Cantonment in Srinagar. He addressed the Army Jawans and officers. Praising the valour and courage of the soldiers, the Prime Minister asserted that self-reliance in defence manufacturing was essential for the security (aatma-raksha) of the nation. Praising the Indian defence forces, Prime Minister said that strong armed forces were necessary for an atmosphere of peace, amity, harmony and brotherhood in the country, and this was the foundation on which India would achieve new heights of development.

The Supreme Court was moved Friday for a NIA probe into the circumstances leading to the death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of former union minister Shashi Tharoor, on the grounds of an alleged ISI dimension to the case.

The petitioner, lawyer N. Rajaraman, contended that he had made an online request to the President for a NIA probe into the case because of the ISI angle as was spelt out by Sunanda Pushkar herself.

A Saudi security official was killed in an attack by armed assailants near a border post with Yemen today, the interior ministry said.

The ministry said three assailants also died in an exchange of fire.

In Yemen, a security source said earlier that suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen attacked a military post on the Saudi border, triggering a clash that killed one soldier and wounded another.

The assailants used machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades to attack the Yemeni side of Wadia border post, the source said, adding that the gunmen managed to flee.