Month: November 2014

IICT Scientist, Dr. Venkat Mohan gets Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar award

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Principal Scientist of BEES Division of Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Tarnaka Hyderabad was awarded the prestigious Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar award for 2014 in recognition of his contribution in Engineering Sciences. The award consists of Rs. 5 lakh in cash and a certificate. This award will be presented to him in a special function to be organized in New Delhi. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India will present this award to him.

–Siasat News

Lok Adalat of TRANSCO today

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Telangana State’s TRANSCO bench of Lok Adalat will hold its session today at 2:15 p.m. at its office at Mint Compound, adjacent to Secretariat. Justice (Rtd.) Vaman Rao, Mr. Meer Kamaluddin Ali Khan and Ms. E. Urmila will hear the cases of electricity consumers. All the complainants are requested to be present on this occasion.

–Siasat News

US, EU to meet Iran over nuke talks

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US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Oman early next month for meetings with his Iranian and EU counterparts to push for a comprehensive deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme by Nov 24, the State Department said Friday.

The top American envoy will be in Muscat, Oman’s capital, Nov 9-10 for a trilateral meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Catherine Ashton, EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, department spokesperson Jennifer Psaki said, according to Xinhua.

UN warns of worsening food crisis in Somalia

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A UN food agency Friday warned that poor rains in Somalia may worsen the country’s food crisis, a spokesperson said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) issued the warning that an estimated one million people were now in urgent need of assistance, said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a daily briefing, Xinhua reported.

The number has grown by 20 percent in just six months, the FAO said, adding that another two million people in Somalia were experiencing food security threats.

The FAO also said the current situation is worse than any pre-famine period in the past.

Dhoni is an amazing captain and a strong leader: Gilchrist

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Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist on Friday said he did not agree with his countryman Ian Chappell’s demand for Mahendra Singh Dhoni relinquishing Test captaincy and hand over the reins to Virat Kohli.

“I have said it number of times before that I am very impressed with Dhoni right from the moment he arrived into the scene. He is an amazing captain and has won India T20 and ODI World Cups and also India reached the pinnacle by reaching the number one spot in Test cricket,” he told reporters at an event organised by University of Wollongong, Australia.

Sheila Dikshit moves Delhi HC against Rs 3 lakh fine

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Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Rs 3 lakh fine imposed on her by a lower court for failing to appear before it in a defamation case filed by her against BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

The trial court had on August 30 imposed the fine on Dikshit, who stepped down as Kerala Governor on August 26. The court had earlier also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on her for her non-appearance, which was deposited by her in January.

Justice Sudershan Kumar Misra fixed the matter for hearing on December 3.

1.26 mn uprooted Iraqis need shelter: UN

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The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that some 1.26 million internally displaced people (IDPs) throughout Iraq need shelter and basic supplies, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Friday.

“Of that number, an estimated 600,000 people need immediate help to deal with the winter, particularly in the north,” Xinhua quoted Dujarric as saying at a daily press briefing.

UN agencies and their partners urgently require approximately $172 million to help the most vulnerable IDPs, to get shelter, food and core relief items and health services, he said.

Coldest October in Hyderabad

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Due to Niloufer Cyclone and low pressure built in Bay of Bengal, the weather in A.P. and Telangana States is changing rapidly. Adilabad was the coldest area which recorded 13.7 degree Celsius yesterday. Hyderabad City recorded 16 degree Celsius which was the coldest day of the weather yesterday. Chintapally of Agency area recorded 10 degree Celsius which was the coldest areas in both the States. The weather has become cold in coastal Andhra districts due to Hudhud cyclone.

HC declares Moharram holiday on 4th November

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According to a press note issued by the Registrar of Hyderabad High Court, Tuesday 4th November will be a holiday on account of Aashura (10th Moharam). Accordingly, all the Courts, Labour Courts and Tribunals, High Court legal Service Committee and other offices will remain closed on 4th November. On Monday, 3rd November, optional holiday has been declared.

–Siasat News

New human remains found at MH17 crash site: Dutch PM

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The Dutch mission in Ukraine has recovered new human remains of victims of the MH17 crash in eastern Ukraine, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in press conference here Friday.

The remains were brought to the city of Kharkiv for a preliminary forensic check, after which they will be transferred to the Netherlands for further identification, Xinhua reported.

The findings were made after a mission in cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES).

Three Iraqis arrested on terror charges in Switzerland

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Swiss authorities Friday said they arrested three Iraqi nationals suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Europe.

The office of the attorney general of Switzerland said in a statement that the suspects were arrested and held in pre-trial detention at the end of March, Xinhua reported. The office has been conducting criminal investigations ever since.

It added the arrests were confirmed only now to prevent jeopardising the outcome of ongoing probes which “aim to identify possible accomplices and to uncover networks in Switzerland and abroad”.

Canada suspends issuance of visas to Ebola-hit African countries

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Canada has suspended issuance of visas to residents of West African countries with “widespread and persistent-intense transmission” of Ebola virus disease, a media report said Friday.

The Canadian government has stopped issuing visas in the worker, student or visitor class and won’t issue any pending permanent residency visas for people from those countries either. Any applications already in the system will also not be processed at this time, Xinhua quoted Canada TV as saying.

United States to assist Sri Lanka in landslide rescue and relief efforts

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The U.S. State Department has confirmed that it has received an official request from the Government of Sri Lanka for assistance in rescue and relief efforts at the site of a major landslide that has devastated the village of Koslanda- Meeriya Bedda in northern Badulla District.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Michele Sison, has requested the assistance from Washington, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said at the media briefing on Thursday.

Cyclone Nilofer has weakened, says met dept.

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The Meteorological Department on Friday said that Cyclone Nilofer, which is scheduled to hit the coast of Gujarat on November 1, has weakened and turned into a depression, adding that its impact will only be a moderate rainfall.

“Cyclone Nilofer has weakened after moving in the northeast direction. It has become a low pressure area. There is moderate rainfall taking place in the Saurashtra and Kutch areas. The wind speed is expected to be around 35-45 kilometres per hour along the north Gujarat coast,” Cyclone Warning Division chief Mrityunjay Mahapatra said.

Israel to reopen key holy site in Jerusalem post Palestinian outrage

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Israel has reportedly said that it will reopen an important holy site in Jerusalem on Friday, a day after it was closed due to unrest in the city.

The Haram al-Sharif or Temple Mount, one of Islam and Judaism’s holiest sites, was closed on Thursday after a Jewish activist was shot, reported the BBC.

A spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas had earlier dubbed the closure of the holy site as a “declaration of war.”

The announcement came amid flaring tension in Jerusalem following several attacks.

IED bomb recovered in J-K

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Security forces on Friday recovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) bomb in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, weeks ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

The IED, weighing about four kilograms, was hidden inside a small gas cylinder.

“Finding the bomb is a great achievement because it could have killed many people, be it civilian or a soldier,” Major Vishal Kumar said, adding that the intended target of the incendiary device were security forces passing through the area.

India to take legal route to contest death sentence of fishermen by Sri Lanka court

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India has decided to legally challenge the death sentence passed on five fishermen from Tamil Nadu by a court in Sri Lanka.

“It is true that a lower court in Sri Lanka has passed the death sentence to five Indian nationals. The Government of India, through a lawyer, will contest that decision. The legal process not yet complete; this is the first step that has been taken,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told the media here.

Palestinians protest against Israeli measures in Jerusalem

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Clashes broke out Friday between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers in several West Bank towns when hundreds rallied in Gaza against the recent Israeli measures in Jerusalem.

Medics said that at least eight Palestinians were shot and injured Friday evening during clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian stone throwers at an Israeli checkpoint in northern Jerusalem, Xinhua reported.

Jadavpur referendum: Majority of arts students vote for VC’s removal

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A whopping 80 percent of students, belonging to the arts faculty of Jadavpur University, voted for the removal of Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti in the referendum that spanned Thursday and Friday.

In the first phase of the referendum, as many as 2,602 students cast their votes. The results were declared Friday evening. The second leg which includes the science and engineering departments would begin Nov 11.