Month: October 2014

Gujarat heaves sigh of relief as ‘Nilofar’ fizzles out

by

Gujarat today heaved a sigh of relief as the severe cyclonic storm ‘Nilofar’ further weakened and will have no major impact except moderate rains along with windy weather in some coastal areas of the State.

The Meteorological Department said the depression over west-central Arabian Sea has further weakened into a ‘well-marked low pressure’, which will leave no major impact on Gujarat, which had been bracing for heavy rains and high speed winds in the wake of Nilofar.

Vodka thief locked in supermarket freezer

by

A woman suspected of stealing a bottle of vodka spent an hour locked in a freezer in a supermarket in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, a local police spokesman said Friday.

The woman, locked up by the supermarket’s shop assistants, did not suffer from the freezer’s temperature of minus 15 degrees Celsius and used her cellphone to call the police, the spokesman said.

The woman was allegedly caught stealing vodka on the shop’s security cameras, he said adding that the theft had not been reported to the police.

“She was locked when she came to the supermarket again,” he said.

Indian Navy ships reach Mauritius

by

On a two-month-long overseas deployment, Indian naval ships Mumbai, Talwar and Deepak arrived in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, Friday, a statement said.

Under the Command of Rear Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, the three ships, along with INS Teg, will be going to different parts of east Africa and the south Indian Ocean region.

The visit aims at bolstering ties and reinforcing cooperation in maritime security between India and Mauritius.

Coal scam: Court grants bail to ex-coal secy H C Gupta, others

by

A special court today granted bail to former coal secretary H C Gupta and four others, including two serving public servants, in a coal blocks allocation scam case.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar released on bail Gupta, the then Joint Secretary of Coal K S Kropha, the then Director (Coal Allocation-I section) K C Samaria and two officials of Madhya Pradesh-based company Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL) after they appeared before the court in pursuance to summons issued against them.

‘Nakhriley’ from ‘Kill Dil’ out

by

The cast of forthcoming film “Kill Dil” Friday unveiled the song “Nakhriley” from the film and also performed live.

“The song is one of our favourite songs. It’s an important and fast song from the film,” Parineeti Chopra told reporters at the event organised at YRF Studios here.

She was joined by her co-star Ranveer Singh, who seen wearing a hat to cover his shaven head, and Govinda.

The film is made by Yash Raj Films and Govinda said he feels lucky to be associated with the prestigious banner.

Asian and Commonwealth Games squash medallists feted

by

Gold medallists at the Asian and Commonwealth Games and other medallists as also the fresh Arjuna Award winner Anaka Alankamony were felicitated here Friday by the Squash Rackets Federation of India.

Barring Saurav Ghosal, Alankamony and Mahesh Mangaonkar, the rest – Dipika Pallikal, Joshna Chinappa, Aparajitha Balamurukan, Harinderpal Sandhu, Kush Kumar – were present to receive a plaque each from the day’s chief guest V.K. Jeyakodi, member secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.

Bahrain on alert over jihadi threat to school teachers

by

A security alert has been issued by the US Navy warning of jihadi calls to attack Western school teachers in Bahrain.

Drawing attention to the danger, the Naval Support Activity Bahrain in an Anti-Terrorism Force Protection advisory notice has highlighted an “anonymous posting on a jihadist website encouraging attacks against American and Western teachers at international schools in the Middle East, to include Bahrain”, Gulf Daily News reported Friday.

Moscow airport chief engineer charged over French jet crash

by

The Russian Investigative Committee Friday charged a third person in the criminal case over the crash of a French Falcon jet in which France’s energy giant Total CEO Christophe de Margerie died at Moscow airport Vnukovo.

“Today chief engineer of Vnukovo airport service Vladimir Ledenev was charged with violation of jet operation rules that entailed the death of two and more people through negligence. Ledenev was questioned as a defendant. He is currently under arrest,” the committee’s spokesman Markin said.

UP mulling freeholding industrial plots

by

The Uttar Pradesh government is considering declaring industrial plots in the state freehold, an official said Friday.

“Decision to make industrial plots freehold is under serious consideration of the state government. It has been a long standing demand of industries, however, various factors have to be taken into account for assessing long-term impact of this step before a final decision”, principal secretary, Infrastructure and Industrial Development, Sanjiv Saran, said.

LeT module busted in Srinagar, two arrested

by

A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit module in Srinagar has been busted and two people arrested, police said Friday.

“Srinagar city police busted a LeT sleeper cell that was planning to carry out subversive activities in the city. Two militants have been arrested so far and large cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from them,” a police statement said.

It said the city police received a specific input regarding the activities of the sleeper cell of LeT outfit active in Nowgam-Chanpora areas.

Nearly 2000 athletes to attend forest sports meet in Goa

by

Nearly 2,000 athletes drawn from forest departments across the country will participate in the 21st All India Forest Sports meet which gets underway in Goa from Nov 5.

The four-day meet will feature 162 events which include 58 athletic events, 14 in swimming, eight in weightlifting, etc, according to principal chief forest officer for Goa and chairman of the meet Richard Vaz.

“The biggest contingent is from Madhya Pradesh with 182 athletes,” Vaz said.

Bodo faction threatens to quit peace process

by

The pro-talk NDFB faction Friday threatened to pull out of the peace process if the government does not release its president Ranjan Daimary and others by Nov 30.

The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) faction, which has been in a ceasefire pact, said this in a statement signed by the outfit’s self-styled lieutenant and information and publicity secretary B. Naijab.

The main accused in the 2008 Assam serial blasts that killed over 100 civilians, Daimary alias D.R. Nabla was arrested in Bangladesh in 2010 and handed over to Indian authorities the same year.

Modi will never bring black money to India: Sharad Yadav

by

JD-U president Sharad Yadav Friday said the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is betraying the people and the country on the issue of bringing black money stashed abroad as he will never bring it back.

“BJP has no intention to bring back the black money from foreign banks,” the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president told reporters here.

He said black money will never return to India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Modi are fooling people and they also know it.

Petrol price cut by Rs 2.41/ltr,diesel rate lowered by Rs 2.25

by

Petrol price was today cut by Rs 2.41 a litre, the sixth reduction since August, and diesel by Rs 2.25 per litre on back of falling international oil rates.

The reduction in rates of petrol and diesel, which was deregulated for the first time in more than a decade, will be effective from midnight tonight, Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest fuel retailer, announced.

Rahul starts deliberations after string of poll reverses

by

Rahul Gandhi has embarked on brainstorming sessions with senior Congress leaders to decide the future course for the party in the wake of a string of electoral debacles since the Lok Sabha polls in May.

As part of the exercise, the Congress Vice President held lengthy consultations today with senior party leaders Sushilkumar Shinde, Amarinder Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Mukul Wasnik, Girija Vyas, Shashi Tharoor and Ajay Maken.

AAP begins preparation for by-elections

by

Aam Aadmi Party today kick started its preparations for the upcoming by-elections in the national capital which will be fought on three Assembly seats next month.

At an internal party meeting held at the party’s office, senior leaders, including party Chief Arvind Kejriwal, held multiple meetings with different wings of AAP, including its MLAs, youth wing and social media team.

U’khand governor speaks against cow slaughter

by

Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi today spoke against cow slaughter, saying that such a practice is in violation of law and an issue to which sentiments of crores of people are attached.

Qureshi, who has taken the Narendra Modi government to the Supreme Court after he was asked to resign, also said that if any one from his community commits cow slaughter he would be ostracised.

“We, the Qureshi community, declare that cow is like a mother and sentiments of crores of people were attached to the issue,” he said at a public event here.

Saudi Arabia facing high child sex abuse: Studies

by

Some studies in Saudi Arabia have revealed that the rate of children’s sexual abuse in the Kingdom is alarmingly high with every fourth child having been exposed to sexual harassment at some point of early life.

The Orphan Care Department in the Eastern Province organised recently a lecture for foster families entitled “Sexual Harassment and Adolescence” to inform parents about the importance of protecting children from sexual harassment.

Compensate African woman for midnight raid: NHRC

by

The NHRC Friday asked the Delhi government to pay Rs.25,000 each to the African women “victims of racial prejudice and unlawful acts” by former law minister Somnath Bharti in a January midnight raid.

“The commission viewed that human rights of the 12 African women were violated and hence it was a fit case for award of monetary relief,” said a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) statement.

It added: “The commission has asked the Government of NCT of Delhi, through its chief secretary, to submit compliance report along with proof of payment within eight weeks.”

Increased tax refunds fuelling fiscal deficit: Jaitley

by

The higher fiscal deficit in the current financial year, that has touched 83 percent of the full year’s target, is the result of increased tax refunds, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Friday.

“Higher tax refunds are getting reflected in fiscal deficit number. This year there were pending tax refunds estimated around Rs.120,000 crore,” he told reporters here.

“It would be challenging to achieve the indirect tax aim. Direct tax target would be achievable. We would strive to achieve fiscal deficit aim for this fiscal,” he added.

10,000 agents searching for missing Mexican students

by

The search for the 43 students who disappeared in Iguala, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, continued Friday with participation of 10,000 agents, including federal forces, investigators, experts and agents of the Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) clarified Thursday that this investigation was accepted Oct 5 and since then, different lines of action have been followed.

Teachers scam: Ajay Chautala’s bail extended

by

The Delhi High Court Friday extended, till Nov 7, the interim bail of Ajay Chautala, sought on health grounds.

Justice Siddharth Mridul extended the bail plea of Ajay Chautala, who has been out on bail after being sentenced to 10 years in prison in the teachers’ recruitment scam case.

His father and Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala, who was also sentenced to 10 years imprisonment but out on bail, surrendered after Oct 10 court’s order.

SC to hear plea for regulatory authority on environment

by

The Supreme Court will hear Nov 14 a plea for setting up of a regulatory authority to look into environmental matters including the impact, assessment and the enforcement of the National Forest Policy as was directed by the court in 2011.

The green bench of Chief Justice H.L.Dattu, Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that they would hear the matter as amicus curiae on environmental matters Harish Salve said that the court in Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd case had directed the setting up of the regulatory authority for the implementation of the National Forest Policy, 1988.

Govt to focus on 100 districts to improve child sex ratio

by

Government has selected 100 districts across the country where various measures will be taken to improve the child sex ratio, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said here today.

Inaugurating the first Regional Consultation of District Collectors/Deputy Commissioners on the District Action Plan of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme’ here, she said the government has chosen 100 districts and each of them will be given up to Rs one crore for the current year under the scheme.