Month: November 2014

France takes in UN worker with Ebola

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France’s government says it has taken in a UN employee infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone for treatment.

The ministry said in a statement late yesterday that the patient was evacuated in a special flight and is undergoing
treatment in “high-security isolation” in the Begin Army Training Hospital in Saint-Mande, near Paris.

It didn’t identify the patient or the UN agency the patient works for.

France took in a medic with Doctors Without Borders in September who had Ebola. She later recovered from the
infection.

Iranian n-talks in Oman Nov 11

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Iran and six world powers will hold nuclear talks in Oman Nov 11, Iran’s nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said Sunday.

The talks between Iran and the P5+1 group will be held Nov 11 following the trilateral meeting between Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Muscat, IRNA news agency reported.

Zarif will meet Kerry and Ashton in Muscat Nov 9-10 to discuss Iran’s nuclear standoff, just two weeks before the Nov 24 deadline for a comprehensive deal on the controversial nuclear programme.

KCR vows to expose “misdeeds” of Chandrababu in Vijayawada

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Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao today made a sensational statement that he would expose the “misdeeds” of his AP counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu. If necessary, he said, would organize a public meeting in Vijayawada and expose “true colours” on Chandrababu Naidu to people of Andhra Pradesh.

India’s e-commerce industry booms, public listing next

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After foreign investors injected some mega millions into India’s e-retail companies in recent months, including the $627 million for SnapDeal by Japan’s Softbank, public listing of shares and consolidation are seen as next big developments for this booming industry, seen as a $100 billion market in five years.

This, industry experts said, is not only to realise value for these companies but also to raise the $500 million that’s seen as the immediate funding needed for infrastructure, logistics and warehousing, which could go up to a whopping $950 million to $1.9 trillion by 2017.

Bureaucracy ‘killed’ Indo-US statement on HFCs: Jairam Ramesh

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Former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today sought to blame the bureaucracy in the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the lack of progress on the issue of harmful greenhouse gas hydrofluorocarbons despite a statement signed with the US.

“Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama signed a joint statement on September 27, 2013. Narendra Modi and Obama signed a joint statement on September 30, 2014. On HFCs, both statements are identical. So, now, there is political consensus that India must change its position on HFCs,” he said.

Dattatraya leaves for Chattisgarh

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Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has invited Secunderabad MP and BJP national vice-president Bandaru Dattatreya to visit his State.

Informed sources said Raman Singh rang up and invited Dattatreya, who is leaving for Chattisgarh this evening. Dattatreya is likely to discuss with Chattisgarh CM about the power crisis being faced by Telangana. It may be mentioned here that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chattisgarh CM Raman Singh for supply of 1000 mw of power to tide over power crisis in his State. (NSS)

Ready to work in villages; to continue stir for facilities, say medicos

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The striking junior doctors of Telangana State here on Sunday declared that they were ready to work in the rural areas provided the government provide all facilities to them in the villages. Stating that the government should continue the present system, the striking medicos said they were agitating for provision of all the needed facilities for them in the rural areas.

Citizens can write letters to me: Narendra Modi

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Citizens who do not have access to internet and social media can write letters offering suggestions related to various issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday.

Addressing the nation in his second “Mann Ki Baat” radio address, he said he had been told that many people don’t have access to e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.

“Citizens who have suggestions related to ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and want to write to me can write letters at Mann Ki Baat, Akashwani, Sansad Marg, New Delhi. The letters will reach me,” Modi said.

KCR reaches Chattigarsh to sign power deal

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao reached Chattisgarh on Sunday to formalise the power deal.

Accompanied with Finance Minister Etela Rajender and eight senior officials, KCR left for Raipur through a special flight from Begumpet Airport. On his arrival at Swami Vivekananda Airport, KCR and his team was given a warm reception by the Chattisgarh officials and was taken in a 25-vehicle convoy. KCR and Chattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh will formally sign the agreement on Monday wherein Telangana will get 1,000 MW of power supply from this neighbouring State. (INN)

Bayern beat Dortmund, Wolfsburg crush Stuttgart

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Bayern Munich reaped a 2-1 comeback win over Dortmund while Ivan Perisic’s brace helped Wolfsburg to crush Stuttgart 4-0 in the 10th round of Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich came from behind with two second half goals against a struggling Dortmund Saturday. Marco Reus caught the ‘Bavarians’ flat-footed with the opener at the half hour mark but Bayern remained unimpressed to score two goals within 13 minutes in the closing period, reports Xinhua.

Rs 5/- meal scheme will be launched in all hospitals: Mayor

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GHMC Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain announced that Rs 5/- per meal scheme would be launched in all government hospitals in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

The Mayor made this announcement while launching the Rs.5/- food scheme in Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences here on Sunday. Khairtabad MLA C Ramachandra Reddy, GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar, Corporator Raju Yadav and senior officials of GHMC and NIMS were also present on the occasion.

Nachika surrender may boost anti-Maoist drive: Police

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With the surrender of Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) leader Nachika Linga, police hope to make its anti-Naxal drive more effective in Maoist-hit Narayanpatna area of the district.

Maoists have taken advantage of CMAS’ influence over tribals. Anti-Maoist operation will be intensified in the region in the coming days,” south western range IG Y K Jethwa said today.

The IG expressed hope that extremists would now surrender and return to the mainstream.

Nachika, Odisha’s most wanted tribal leader, surrendered on October 28.

Thurman to replace Parker in ‘The Slap’

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Actress Uma Thurman will reportedly replace Mary-Louise Parker in the TV mini-series “The Slap”.

According to a report on TV Line, Thurman was signed at the last minute because Parker is recovering from pneumonia, reports variety.com.

Produced by NBC, “The Slap” is an upcoming American adaptation of an Australian family drama series of the same name.

The mini-series will also star Melissa George, Thandie Newton, Peter Sarsgaard and Zachary Quinto.

(IANS)

Will get back every paisa of black money:Narendra Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday promised that he will get back “every paisa” of black money stashed aborad. In his “Mann ki Baat” radio address, the prime minister said that the people of the country should have faith in him and his assurance on this matter.

“I want to tell the people that please have faith in this pradhan sevak (prime servant) of yours…that this is an article of faith that every paisa that has gone will come back,” he said in his second “Mann ki Baat” radio address aired on All India Radio, Doordarshan and online.

Rihanna’s Ninja outfit bags best dress at Halloween do

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Singer Rihanna’s teenage mutant Ninja Turtle costume won the best dressed Halloween award at a do here.

The 26-year-old star donned the get-up and completed the look with green face paint, when she stepped out with her pals Friday night, reports mirror.co.uk.

Dressed like the character Raphael, the singer wore a red mask, green gloves, leggings, and gladiator sandals. She even had the character’s twin sai weapon.

(IANS)

‘Zid’ trailer crosses million hits online

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It seems “Zid” trailer, packed with scorching-sex scenes, has had the desired effect – the erotica has crossed over one million views on the YouTube ever since its launch on Oct 29, much to the delight of its co-producer Anubhav Sinha.

Raving about the hits, Sinha, who has co-produced it with Mushtaq Sheikh, tweeted: “For over 30 hours #ZID trailer continues to be the MOST POPULAR video in the country. 1.34 Mil Views in 4 days,” he tweeted.

Kenyan army foils attack on navy camp, six killed

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The Kenyan military Sunday said it foiled an attempt to forcefully enter a navy camp in the coastal city of Mombasa, and shot dead six attackers.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman David Obonyo said that close to 15 attackers engaged in a pre-dawn assault on the heavily-guarded barracks, reported Xinhua.

“An unknown attacker armed with a machete first approached the sentry, and before the soldier could interrogate him, other attackers emerged from the nearby forest, prompting the soldiers to open fire,” said Obonyo.

No substantial headway in Burdwan blast probe

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Exactly a month after the Burdwan blast in which two suspected terrorists were killed, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) appears to have made no substantial headway and is hot on the trail of the absconding accused.

After an initial head start by the central intelligence agency post October two blast inside a house at Khagragarh
locality of Burdwan district, a majority of the accused are still on the run after managing to give a slip first to West
Bengal police and later to the sleuths of NIA.

Woman, three others arrested for robbing train passengers

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Four persons, including a 28-year-old woman, have been arrested in Mughalsarai area here for allegedly robbing train passengers, police said here today.

Raju, Firoz, Dayanand and Jhumri Devi were arrested by Government Railway Police (GRP) yesterday for carrying out loots with railway passengers, GRP inspector of Mughalsarai Ratan Singh Yadav said.

All four were nabbed at the Mughalsarai railway station at night, he added.

The gang operated between different railway stations.

They have been in the activity for many years, he said.

Speech analyser could reveal mental health

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A programme that analyses speech and uses it to gain information about one’s mental health is in the works.

The idea to develop such a device came when researchers, including an Indian-origin scientist, from the University of Maryland in the US found that certain vocal features change as patients’ feelings of depression worsen.

“This system could monitor both physical and psychological symptoms of mental illness on a regular basis and provide both patients and their mental health providers with feedback about their status,” the authors said.

Mauritius’ Aapravasi Ghat: Remembering the pain of half a million Indian workers

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A flight of 14 steps on which the first batch of 36 Indians climbed after they landed on Mauritian soil on Nov 2, 1834 to work as indentured labourers still stands. The steps, on which almost half a million Indians climbed over the next 80 years at the Aapravasi Ghat here, are a symbolic reminder of the British Empire’s ‘Great Experiment’ – using “free” labour to replace slaves to work in their sugar plantations.

17 militants killed in Afghan operation

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At least 17 Taliban militants were killed in fresh military operations across Afghanistan, the country’s interior ministry said Sunday.

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) carried out operations in Nangarhar, Kandahar, Laghman, Badakhshan, Zabul, Uruzgan, Ghazni and Farah provinces Saturday night, Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by the ministry.

Seventeen armed Taliban militants were killed, 22 wounded and one militant was arrested by the ANSF.

Another British-era structure gutted in Shimla

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Minto Court, one of the last few iconic structures of the Queen of Hills, has been gutted. It joins a list of British-era buildings that went up in flames in the recent past.

“I am really saddened with this loss,” Raaja Bhasin, co-convener of the Himachal Pradesh chapter of Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) told IANS.

The fire burned for more than five hours before the firefighters could bring it under control, fire official M.L. Thakur told IANS Sunday. It is unclear how the fire started.

Climate change mitigation efforts need to be pursued: Pachauri

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Humanity will face immense difficulty in coping with the climate change after a point. But options are available to adapt to climate change and implement stringent mitigation activities so that the impact is within manageable range, a top environmental scientist said Sunday.

“Beyond certain point it will be difficult for human society to cope with climate change. If we delay the mitigation activities, then they will become more expensive and not implementable,” R.K. Pachauri, chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told select Indian media over phone from Denmark.