Month: October 2014

A new Boko Haram video shows the beheading of a man identified as the pilot of a missing Nigerian Air Force jet and burnt out parts of a plane the first indication that Nigeria’s homegrown Islamic extremist group has the capability to bring down aircraft.

It also allegedly features Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, a man Nigeria’s military twice has claimed to kill in 2009 and again last year. Two weeks ago the military said they had killed in battle a Shekau lookalike who had posed in the group’s videos.

Holding that it was AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa who had paid for the arrangements for the lavish marriage of her now estranged foster son V N Sudhakaran, the special court in the disproportionate assets case against her pegged the expenses incurred by her at Rs three crore.

Sudhakaran’s marriage, dubbed as “mother of all weddings” was held in 1995 when Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister and had raised a huge controversy, inviting public criticism for ostentation, protests and petitions to court.

The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has launched its direct container shipping service between India and Myanmar and it plans to commence soon vessels to Thailand and Vietnam in line with the government’s look east policy.

The fortnightly service was flagged off at Krishnapatnam Port, one of the fastest growing ports on the East Coast of India, after it sailed from Chennai late Friday.

The new service, with a 1,200 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) vessel MV

Kamal, will connect Chennai-Krishnapatnam-Yangon- Colombo. It is expected to facilitate faster trade at low cost.

Despite being tagged as “mindless”, “loud”, “dumb”, “pointless” and “exhausting”, action thriller ‘Bang Bang!’ has emerged as a clear winner at the box office with business of Rs.27.54 crore on the first day with simultaneous release ‘Haider’ minting just Rs.6.14 crore.

‘Bang Bang!’, reportedly made at a budget of Rs.180 crore, was pitted against Rs.24 crore film ‘Haider’, which is Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, with both releasing Thursday.

A major fire broke out early on Saturday morning in the famed Lohar Gali here, gutting approximately 250-300 shops.

One of the locals present at the spot said, “Nobody is listening to us. The traders are continuously trying to contact the SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police), but his phone is switched off.”

Around eight fire brigade vans were called in to control the blaze that began at around 2 a.m. Locals also raised the need for calling the military.

The estimated loss till now is being pegged at around Rs. 40 crores. (ANI)

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, people from across the country Friday posted pictures of cleaning their surroundings and neighbourhoods on social sites.

Modi had Thursday urged people, especially the youth, to connect through social media, including Facebook and Twitter and asked them to upload photos and videos of the cleanliness work done by them and on social media at #MyCleanIndia.

As a result, the page saw regular updates all through the day.

Noted singer K.J. Yesudas is upset in the manner his Thursday’s women dress code remarks are being taken forward, CPI-M politburo member M.A. Baby said Friday.

Speaking to IANS, Baby who was also the state culture minister (2006-11) said he came to know this after a chat with Yesudas’s wife Prabha.

Baby said: “She told me that he (Yesudas) is pained in the manner in which his good intentional remarks to women in general that they should be modestly dressed was taken out of context and is being discussed.”

He added that she said Yesudas never meant to portray women in bad light.

The most crucial inclusion in the India-US Joint statement issued on Sep 30 is the strategic partnership on energy and climate change. The actions agreed will have far reaching impacts on India’s poor, neo-middle class and youth. They will also enhance the image of an India as a steward in international negotiations on environment.

A new study has shown that people who have gout face increased risk of developing diabetes, especially women.

Previous research had suggested that gout might be associated with diabetes, but the findings were restricted to one study of men at high risk of heart disease and stroke. The researchers wanted to know if the link existed in the general population, and also applied to women.

They searched the Health Improvement Network (THIN), an electronic database of the anonymised health records of almost 7.5 million patients registered with 477 general practices across the UK.

The aroma of biryani slow-cooked over wood fire, a unique flower festival, beautiful waterfalls inside pristine tiger forests, Hyderabad’s famous Charminar and Salar Jung Museum and a modern IT hub: all this has led the newly-created state of Telangana to dream big about its tourism potential.

Barely three months into existence, India’s 29th state, Telangana, has set its eyes on developing a robust tourism industry by investing Rs.100 crore (over $15 million) to erect hospitality infrastructure, increase convenience for in-bound travellers and promote its unique cultural identity.

People here are mourning the death of their near and dear ones in a stampede that took place here and claimed at least 32 lives yesterday.

At least 15 others were injured in the Gandhi Maidan stampede, which occurred when people were returning from Dussehra celebrations.

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has announced a compensation of Rs. three lakhs to the next of kin of each of the dead, Rs. 50,000 to those seriously injured and Rs. 20,000 to those with less grievious injuries.

At least four persons were injured today after Pakistan violated the ceasefire at RS Pura’s Arnia sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

The injured have been admitted to the hospital.

Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing in Arnia from 7:00 pm after violating the ceasefire in Saujian sector of Poonch in which a 17-year-old girl lost her life.

“A 17-year-old girl died in the firing and four civilians got injured. Today is the third day of firing from the Pakistani side. Huge amount of mortar shelling has been done,” said Poonch Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shamsher Hussain. (ANI)

The Pentagon said Friday that it may send 4,000 troops to Liberia as part of a comprehensive assistance plan against the deadly Ebola outbreak, but stressed that the actual number may change.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved 4,000 troops for potential deployment to Liberia, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told a press conference. “But I want to make one thing real clear, that that’s a potential deployment. That doesn’t mean it is going to get to that number,” Xinhua quoted Kirby as saying.

A Colloquium on “Protection of the cultural heritage of Urdu” will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday 11th October at Masdoosi Hall, Moghalpura under the chairmanship of Prof. S.A. Majeed Bedar, former Head of the Department of Urdu of Osmania University. Dr. Basheer Ahmed, Research Scholar, Mr. Sadiq Naveed, Maulana Nadir al-Masdoosi and Maulana Abdur Rasheed Khan, will be the guests of honor.

–Siasat News

Shabbeer Institute of Information Technology is arranging free coaching classes for the students SSC and Intermediate at Himayath Nagar and Azad Nagar of Amberpet area from 10th Ocober exclusively for girls. The classes will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and from 2:00 to 8 p.m. daily. Islamic knowledge will be imparted for half an hour. Computer education will also be officer. Interested girl students may contact Rahman Education Society functioning under Shabbeer Institute of Information Technology. For further details please contact cellphone numbers 8885366316 or 9392666316.

Dr. Asma Zehra, Member of All India Muslims Personal Law Board, in a press statement issued yesterday said that the statement made by Justice Katju depicts his hatred towards the Muslims and Islam. He targeted certain basic tenets of Islam. Islam is the only religion which has protected the rights of women and there is no scope for any kind of injustice or cruelty in Islam. Women as wives, daughters, mothers and daughter-in-law have been given right to property which does not exist in any religion. Islam does not like to keep a woman as his wife if he does not like her any more.

Coordinator of Minorities Department of Indian National Congress, Mr. Khaleelqur Rahman strongly condemned Justice Markanday Katju for his remarks on Muslim Personal Law and demanded unconditional apology from him. It seems that Mr. Katju wants to become Chairman of Press Council of India for the second term and hence he is making such irrelevant statements only to please the ruling class. He is opposing Muslim Personal Law to gain the favour of Hindutwa forces.

Britain has named Alex Younger, a career intelligence officer, as the next chief of the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) announced Friday.

The SIS, commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), refers to the British intelligence agency supplying foreign intelligence to the British government, according to Xinhua.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday signed into law the treaty on establishing Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) after the parliament of Russia ratified the pact late last month.

Russia thus became the first of the three EEU proposing member states to have completed all legal procedures needed for the start of the proposed new union as scheduled for Jan 1, 2015, Xinhua reported.

While talking on the issues of women in New Delhi on 30th September, Justice Markanday Katju, former Chief Justice of India, presently working as Chairman of Press Council of India made certain remarks criticizing the status of Muslims women and the system of pronouncing divorce thrice on a single occasion etc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday shared stage with his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi here when they joined thousands of people to celebrate Dussehra.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari led the celebrations at Subhash Maidan in north Delhi here in the presence of Modi, Singh and Gandhi.

Addressing the gathering in Hindi, President Mukherjee said the day symbolises victory of good over evil. “It inspires us to face difficulties come, let us work together for development,” he said in his brief address.

Leaders of Elders’ Think Tank appealed to the Govt. of Telangana to implement 15 point program of Prime Minister of India which is meant to improve the economic and educational status of Minorities. The press statements was signed by Prof. Keshav Rao Jadhav, Prof. Ramesh Reddy, Prof. Rehana Sultanta, Prof. Venkata Rajam, Justice E. Ismail, Dr. Raheemuddin Kamal, Mr. K. M. Arifuddin, Sardar Nanak Singh Nashtar, Mr. Bhasker Beni and others. They said that all sections of the society participate in Telangana Movement actively including Minorities. It is therefore, necessary for the Govt.

Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu entered Secretariat as Chief Minister after a gap of 10 years and started functioning. He stepped into his office on the auspices occasion of Dassehra festival at 2:15 p.m. On his arrival in Secretariat, Ministers and Andhra employees welcomed him. His chamber is in L-Block of Secretariat which is equipped with the latest gadgets. He stepped into the chamber amidst chanting of slokas by pundits. After entering into his chamber, Mr. Naidu performed Puja and affixed his signature on some important files. Present on this occasion were Mr. D.

According to information received from Met office, Coastal Andhra will receive rain in the next 2 or 3 days. However, the weather will be dry in most parts of Rayalaseema and Telangana. In the next 4 days, there is no likelihood of change of weather in both the States. In Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Sky will be partially cloudy and the weather will be dry.

–Siasat News

As Eid-ul-Azha is approaching near, sheep and goats from other States like Andhra, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan started coming in Hyderabad. Yesterday, 400 Lorries full of sheep and goats arrived in Hyderabad. The rates of sheep are between Rs. 4000 and Rs. 18000 depending upon their weights and race.

–Siasat News