Month: July 2014

Israel embarked on an “unlimited ceasefire” policy in Gaza Monday morning after 21 days of conflict claimed over 1,030 Palestinian lives.

The new policy, adopted amid mounting international pressure to halt hostilities, means the Israeli military will halt the deliberate attacks in Gaza and will open fire only in retaliation to Gaza militant fire, an Israeli official told Xinhua.

“We are now on ‘unlimited ceasefire’, as decided by the political echelon,” the source said. The Prime Minister’s Office was not immediately available for comment.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Dr T Rajaiah on Monday hoped that 16 out of 20 students, who were injured in train-bus mishap at Musaipet on July 24, are recovering well and they might be discharged from the Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad, soon.

Three people were killed and over a dozen injured Monday when a minor brawl turned ugly in Rampur town of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

The incident took place in Mehndipur village when a motorbike hit some people. A verbal spat soon turned into a violent clash and shots were fired at the scene.

Three people – Danish, Jalish and Munna – were killed on the spot while over a dozen sustained injuries.

Rampur is state minister Azam Khan’s home town. He is also the legislator from there.

Delhi’s Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today extended his warm greetings to the citizens of the National Capital on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr.

“May the Almighty grant his choicest blessings to all the citizens of our great Nation.

“Idu’l Fitr is a celebration of the culmination of the holy month of Ramzan which entails prayers, self-denial and selfless service to others. This festival strengthens our faith in oneness, compassion and tolerance and instills a sense of camaraderie and goodwill towards all,” said Jung in his message.

Representatives of Palestine and Israel to the UN Monday voiced disappointment at a Security Council statement endorsing a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The presidential statement, which was adopted at an emergency council meeting in the early hours of the day, expressed “strong support for the call by international partners and the secretary-general of the UN for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, Xinhua reported.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer to the UN, was the first to speak of disappointment.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Monday unveiled the “Blueprint for IT, Electronics & e-Governance” for the state.

The Calcutta High Court Monday ordered the West Bengal CID to probe and submit a report regarding the rape-and-violence remarks made by Trinamool Congress parliamentarian Tapas Paul, a counsel said.

The order by the court of Justice Dipankar Dutta came in a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking criminal proceedings against the Lok Sabha member from Krishnanagar who was caught on successive tapes exhorting people in his constituency in Nadia district to kill activists of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and rape their women.

Defending Israel’s position on the Gaza crisis , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly said that he realizes that with every Palestine civilian felling to death by an Israeli bullet, the world opinion on Israel is shifting away from his side but the erosion of trust and reputation cannot supersede the country’s security concerns.

Alleging that the Islamist militant group, Hamas, is using human shields against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, Netanyahu maintained that Israel is not targeting civilians in Gaza, reported News 24.

Heavy police force was deployed in a Kashmir village Monday after clashes broke out between two communities.

A senior police officer told IANS in Jammu that heavy police force was deployed in Poond village of Kathua district after clashes erupted following alleged animal slaughter by members of one community.

Five shops were torched after the clashes.

Senior police and civil administration officials have rushed to the village, 130 km from Jammu, to restore calm.
(IANS)

Scientists found that targeting a molecule in blood vessels can make cancer therapy significantly more effective.

According to researchers at Barts Cancer Institute, a molecule, called focal adhesion kinase (FAK), signals the body to repair itself after chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which kill cancer cells by damaging DNA and when they removed FAK from blood vessels that grew in melanoma or lung cancer models, both chemotherapy and radiation therapies were far more effective in killing the tumours.

Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest commercial airline, is set to suspend operations to Monrovia in Liberia and Freetown in Sierra-Leone following the first Ebola virus death officially confirmed here.

The suspension was a precautionary measure and would be in force until further notice, Xinhua reported citing an airline statement.

The Nigerian government confirmed Friday a Liberian national, who had arrived in the country last week, died of Ebola virus in Lagos, the first case in Nigeria.

The Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board have made elaborate arrangements for proper water supply during the Ramzan Festival as done during the Bonalu festival recently.

The Board has arranged two lakh Sachets of drinking water .

——————— (INN)

After partial relaxation of curfew for few hours in selected areas of Saharanpur, the district administration has now relaxed the curfew in the old city.

District Inspector General (DIG) of Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) Deepak Ratan confirmed the report saying, “After the relaxation in curfew that we imposed in the morning, the people very enthusiastically came out and fulfilled their daily needs. Now a similar relaxation has been given in the old city, it’s completely peaceful here and the people are fulfilling their daily necessities.”

At least 19 people were killed and 13 others injured Monday in an ambush staged by members of the militant group Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines province of Sulu, the military said.

The Abu Sayyaf gunmen, estimated at around 50, waylaid about 40 people, including children, who were on board two vehicles at around 8.30 a.m. in Lumapid village in Talipao town of Sulu, said Martin Pinto, commander of the Sulu-based 2nd Marine Brigade of the government troops.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid criticised the government for lack of transparency over the news of bugging devices found inside Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s residence.

“What comes as a surprise is that a government that is committed to transparency, is so not transparent,” said Khurshid.

He added that as said earlier by former Prime Minster Manmohan Singh, the government must come up clean in the parliament over the issue.

The Price structure relating to essential commodities position was reviewed by Chief Secretary Krishna Rao and it was observed that most of the commodities prices are normal compared to last year and there is no abnormal increase except in the case of Tomatoes.

At least 1,129 people have been killed and 3,442 others wounded in the violent conflicts in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, the UN said Monday.

According to a report released by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the conflicts have also displaced over 100,000 people.

It also voices concern over escalating violence in eastern Ukraine, saying that armed groups continue to abduct, detain, torture and execute people in the restive Lugansk and Donetsk regions, Xinhua reported.

The second Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka ended in a draw after being affected by frequent showers of rain.

South Africa has won the two-match Test series between the two teams after winning the first Test and with the second one having ended in a draw.

The hosts had put up a score of 421 and 229 in their two innings, which was followed by South Africa putting up 282 and 159 in their innings.

On the solemn occasion of the culmination of Holy month of Ramzan as Id-Ul-Fitr, Governor ESL Narasimhan has extended his warm greetings and good wishes to all Muslim brethren.

In a note released here on Monday, the Governor said the teachings of Holy Quran have shaped the lives of the society over the ages since the advent of the Prophet. Its tenets of love, compassion, brotherhood, sacrifice and charity have helped humanity to transcend into a world free from greed, violence and strife where all humanity is united in a bond of brotherhood and love.

The rupee today ended lower by 3 paise to end at nearly a one-week low of 60.13 against the American currency on month-end dollar demand from importers and banks.

The rupee resumed lower at 60.12 per dollar as against the last weeekend’s level of 60.10 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market.

It hovered in a range of 60.08 per dollar and 60.1650 per dollar before ending at 60.13 per dollar, a marginal loss of three paise or 0.05 per cent. Today’s closing is the rupee’s weakest since July 22 (60.24).

In three straight days, rupee has now fallen by 8 paise.

Investigators probing the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in rebel-held east Ukraine have determined the crash was caused by “massive explosive decompression,” Ukrainian security officials said today.

“Experts from committee … Studying the causes of MH17 crash: cause of destruction – ‘massive explosive decompression’,” Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council wrote on Twitter.

Andhra Pradesh RTI commissioner P Vijaya Babu today said that he recently imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on assistant labour commissioner, Machilipatnam.

Babu also said that a penalty of Rs 10,000 each was imposed on deputy labour commissioners of Eluru and Nellore, and of Rs 5,000 on Joint Labour Commissioner, Guntur.

The penalties were imposed for failing to respond to notices from the RTI commissioner’s office, which had scheduled inquiries regarding pending RTI applications, he added.

Andhra Pradesh government aims to attract investment of Rs 12,000 crore in the Information Technology sector and that of Rs 30,000 crore in the electronics sector by 2020, which is expected to generate five lakh jobs.

The government also aims to create “at least one IT literate per family” besides an IT entrepreneur, according to the IT and Communications Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu released “a blue print” for IT, electronics and e-governance here today.

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets plunged 216.73 points or 0.83 percent Monday as metal stocks dipped.

Most of the stocks were trading in red and selling pressure was seen in metal, oil and gas, banking and auto sectors.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 26,173.47 points, was trading at 25,910.02 points (at 12.42 p.m.) in the early session, down 216.73 points or 0.83 percent from the previous day’s close at 26,126.75 points.

Gold extended gains for the second day with prices rising by another Rs 20 to Rs 28,370 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday on scattered buying by stockists for the festive season demand.

Silver, on the other hand, remained flat at Rs 44,800 per kg on selective buying support.

Marketmen said some buying by stockists and jewellers to meet the festive season demand mainly influenced gold prices but a weak trend in overseas markets capped the gains.