Month: August 2014

Pentagon Tuesday confirmed that a US army general was killed in Afghanistan by a man believed to be an Afghan soldier, media reports said.

The American general was killed Tuesday when the suspect opened fire at a military training base on the outskirts of Kabul, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The man, dressed in an Afghan army uniform, opened fired on a group of international soldiers. He was subsequently killed, Kirby said.

The attacker wounded 15 people, roughly half of them Americans, according to the New York Times.

At least 17 people have been killed and over 3,000 homes destroyed in the Sudanese capital Khartoum by the rains and floods which hit wide areas in the African country during the past weeks, media reports said Tuesday.

“The rains and floods which recently hit wide areas led to the death of 17 people and collapse of 3,077 homes in Khartoum State, ” official SUNA news agency quoted the governor of the Khartoum state Abdul- Rahman Al-Khader as saying, according to Xinhua.

Jordan Tuesday sent a convoy of humanitarian assistance to Gaza Strip, media reports said.

The 12-truck convoy is laden with medical supplies, medicine and foodstuff and will be distributed to Gazans upon arrival, Xinhua reported citing the state-run Petra news agency.

The aid convoy, dispatched by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, seeks to reduce the suffering of the Palestinians after the halt of the Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip. The organisation said it will continue sending aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.

Police in Zimbabwe said Tuesday that 13 people were killed and 18 others seriously injured in a road accident involving a state-owned company bus and a truck along the Harare-Nyamapanda highway.

Ten people died on the spot when a Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) bus coming from Malawi side swiped an international truck along the highway Monday night, while three others died on admission at a hospital in Harare, Xinhua quoted the police as saying.

Police urged drivers, particularly those travelling at night, to be alert and avoid speeding to safeguard lives.

Only nine of 161 Chinese cities reached the new — and stricter — air quality monitoring standards in the first half of this year, according to the ministry of environmental protection (MEP).

Zhoushan, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Zhanjiang, Yunfu, Beihai, Sanya and Lhasa are the cities which reached the standard, Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

China in February 2012 issued a new air quality monitoring standard which includes the monitoring of ozone, carbon monoxide and PM2.5, plus that of PM10, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Commitments worth over $30 billion were announced at the first US-Africa summit to boost economic ties between the world’s largest economy and the continent, the White House said Tuesday.

President Barack Obama announced $7 billion in new financing to promote US exports to and investments in Africa under the Doing Business in Africa (DBIA) Campaign at Tuesday’s US-Africa business forum during the summit, Xinhua quoted the White House as saying in a statement.

US companies also announced new deals on clean energy, aviation, banking, and construction worth more than $14 billion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he has ordered the government to think over retaliatory measures against Western sanctions, the media reported.

“Political tools of pressure on the economy are unacceptable and contradict all norms and rules. The Russian government has already proposed a number of measures in retaliation to the so-called sanctions by some countries,” Putin said at a working meeting with the acting governor of the Voronezh region, south of Moscow, Xinhua reported.

At least 285,000 people have fled Ukraine’s restive areas as of early August, up 55,000 from the number of mid-July, according to a UN report.

Among the affected population are people who have been displaced from southern Crimean peninsula, Lugansk and Donetsk regions in the eastern part of the country, according to the document released Tuesday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Xinhua reported.

A local court today directed the police to investigate and file a case against TRS MP K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on a complaint over her alleged remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana states.

Based on a complaint filed by K Karunasagar, advocate and BJP city legal cell convenor, the Seventh Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court gave these directions in this regard, police said.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today said the state government will purchase share of the Central government in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).

He also appealed to people to bear with ongoing power cuts as the state is building necessary infrastructure for strengthening power transmission.

Iraqi soldiers have clashed with militants from the Islamic State group in the hometown of late President Saddam Hussein, damaging his tomb.

In a statement posted on a jihadi website frequently used by the group, it claimed that Hussein’s tomb has been destroyed in the fighting.

A government official in Ouja confirmed the clashes today but said the tomb suffered only minor damage. He spoke anonymously for safety concerns.

BJP national general secretary Jagat Prakash here on Tuesday announced appointment of G. Kishan Reddy as Telangana BJP president.

He was speaking at BJP Telangana State Council meeting held at Balaji Gardens in Sangareddy town of Medak district.

On the report of Commissioner and Director of School Education, the Telangana government on Tuesday constituted a State-level committee for selection of teachers for State Awards for 2014 and to decide the number of Awards to be given for the Telangana State.
According to GO Rt. No. 40, the selection committee comprises Education Minister as chairman, Secretary of School Education department as vice-chairman, the Commissioner and Director of School Education as convener, SCERT director and IASE principal, Osmania University as members. (NSS)

The Kamalanathan Committee today called on Telangana State Chief Secretary Dr Rajiv Sharma at the Secretariat here.
Kamalanathan’s meeting with the CS assumes significance in the wake of deadline for objections on employees’ distribution completing on August 5. They are said to have discussed on finalising guidelines which were sought to be changed by both Telangana and AP employees in the Secretariat. While Telangana employees insisted on Nativity, their AP counterparts sought options. (NSS)

With Supreme Court ordering conduct of EAMCET 2014 counseling without causing loss to the students and stop politicizing the issue, both Telangana and AP governments are mulling options. Though the AP government, which moved the Apex Court is happy with its judgment, the Telangana State government is planning to tackle the issue. The TS Govt is awaiting final verdict on August 11 to come up with an action plan on counseling.

The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to develop the port city of Visakhapatnam as a hub for film industry-related activity. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu conveyed this to a delegation of film personalities, who called on him here today.
Visakhapatnam, located on the east coast of the country, is endowed with picturesque locales which are a favourite destination for filmmakers to shoot their movies. Film shootings happen regularly in the coastal districts of East and West Godavari neighboring Visakhapatnam.

Speakers of Telangana and AP Assemblies today held discussions on forthcoming budget sessions. Telangana Speaker Madhusudhana Chary and AP Speaker K Sivaprasada Rao are said to have exchanged views on business rules, sessions to be conducted, allotment of buildings and quarters and related issues. While AP Govt is to begin the budget session from Aug 16, TS Govt plans to conduct the same in September first week to avoid a clash. (NSS)

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Police department are striving to make Hyderabad and Cyberabad as safe and secure places for the citizens.

The Cyberabad Police Commissionerate conducted an awareness program for commercial and business establishments and others on Public Security Act at Silpakala Vedika at Hitec city on Tuesday.

Andhra Pradesh government has set up a committee to control increasing prices of essential commodities and vegetables.
The committee would be headed by the Chief Secretary.
According to a GO, the committee would consist of 14 officials of different departments. (NSS)

Telangana Secretariat Employees’ Association president Narender Rao today demanded that the State government make immediate changes in the guidelines framed for distribution of officials.

Deputy Chief Minister handling Medical and Health Dr T Rajaiah today warned the doctors working in Government Hospitals of dire consequences if they neglect their legitimate duties.

AP Minister for Civil Supplies Paritala Sunita today said she has urged Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to allocate Rs 4,000 crore for her department.

International Plastics Exhibition (IPLEX) will be held here from August 8 to 11 at Hitex Exhibition Center.
Giving details to the media here today, IPLEX-14 the convener V. Anil Reddy informed that the four-day Mega Plastics Show, which was conceived and nursed to promote the growth of plastics processing industries in South India will be formally inaugurated by Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers on August 8 at 5pm. However, the Exhibition will be on right from the morning of August 8, he informed.

Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today said the government would supply irrigation waters to five lakh acres in Mahbunagar district in the next Kharif season.

Sri Shyam Mandir Seva Samithi is celebrating Sri Krishna Janmastami on August 18 from 8 am at Sri Shyam Mandir at Veerannagutta, Kacheguda here.

In a pressnote here, Samithi secretary Shiv Shanker Agarwal, has stated Sri Shyam devotees carrying His colourful flags will be welcomed from 8 am. One Shyam Premi of Hyderabad will organize a huge procession “Shri Shyam Nishan Yatra” at 6.30 am from Shri Mata temple, Siddiamber Bazaar near Agrasen Bank via Afzal Gung, Chaderghat, Nimboliadda to Shri Shyam Temple Kacheguda.