Month: January 2015

3 killed, 40 injured in TN bus-lorry collision

by

Three persons were killed and 40 others injured, most of them seriously, when a bus and a lorry collided head-on at Alangulam in the district today.

Drivers of the state-owned transport corporation bus and the lorry and an unidentified aged woman were killed in the mishap that occurred tonight, police said.

The injured have been rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital here, they said.

The bus was on its way here from Tenkasi while the lorry was coming from the opposite direction.

US condemns deadly terror attacks in Egypt

by

The US condemned the deadly attacks in Egypt’s North Sinai province that has so far left at least 26 Egyptians dead, and pledged to continue support for the Egyptian government’s anti-terrorism efforts.

“A prosperous and strong Egypt requires an environment of security and stability, and the United States remains steadfast in its support of the Egyptian government’s efforts to combat the threat of terrorism in Egypt as part of our continuing commitment to the strategic partnership between our two countries,” Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by the US State Department Thursday.

Pakistan: Over 400 Hindu families are seeking Indian citizenship

by

More than 400 Hindu families from Pakistan who are living in Gujarat on Thursday attended a camp held by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the district collector’s office.

The two-day camp has been organised on demand from those seeking the citizenship. “Around 400 to 450 families participated. The criterion for accepting the citizenship form is that the person must have been living in India for more than seven years. 28 persons who belong to the minority community in Pakistan today filed applications,” said resident deputy commissioner MS Gohil.

Swine flu: Two more succumb in Andhra Pradesh

by

With temperatures remaining cool, 26 more cases of swine flu have been reported from Andhra Pradesh, with two people succumbing to the virus.

Provincial Minister for Information and Public Relations (I-PR) Palle Raghunatha Reddy said that the government was monitoring the situation in Visakhapatnam.

“In Andhra Pradesh, the viral disease swine flu has extended all over the 13 districts of the state, of which 49 cases were reported. Around 26 cases are positive and two deaths have occurred. In order to prevent all these disease we are taking many steps,” he said.

Two crore toilets to be built in villages, linked to MNREGA

by

Over two crore toilets will be built in select villages across the country under a programme of making India open defecation-free by 2019 which the government decided to link to MNREGA.

The government will also deploy specially-trained women workers to give basic lessons about the use of toilets in the villages.

The over 2 crore toilets will be constructed in select villages under MNREGA, a rural job scheme, said an official of the Rural Development ministry which is the nodal body for it.

Compulsory Kannada row: Karnataka Govt to amend Education Act

by

State Government today decided to amend the Karnataka Compulsory Primary Education Act, 2012 to impart primary education in Kannada in the state and strengthen its case before the Supreme Court where a related case is pending.

“We have decided to amend the present act to impart primary education in Kannada. The proposed amendment will strengthen the state’s case when the apex court takes up the curative petition,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters during a cabinet briefing.

Maoist sentenced to ten years imprisonment

by

A Maoist, who was booked under Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2004, was today sentenced to ten years rigorous imprisonment by a special court here.

Finding Maoist ‘sub-zonal commander’ Sunil Ganju guilty in cases of murder, extortion, kidnap and loot on January 27, the special POTA court of S H Kazmi pronounced the judgment and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000.

Ganju, who is in Chatra jail now, appeared through video conferencing. He was arrested on February 2, 2004 in Hazaribagh’s Keredari area when POTA was in force then.

Stalin reappointed DMK Youth Wing chief

by

M K Stalin, DMK Treasurer and son of party patriarch M Karunanidhi, was today reappointed party Youth Wing Secretary, a post he has been holding for the past three decades.

62-year old Stalin, first named youth wing Secretary in 1984, has been holding the post since then while steadily climbing in the party hierarchy. He was re-elected Treasurer for the second five-year term earlier this month.

BSF foils infiltration bid along IB in Jammu

by

Border Security Forces (BSF) tonight foiled an infiltration bid by a group of about 8 militants along the international border (IB) in Jammu district.

A group of 7 to 8 suspected militants were seen infiltrating into this side of IB in Jabowal areas of Jammu district tonight, a BSF officer told PTI.

Their movement was picked up by the handheld thermal imager, he said, adding that BSF troops guarding the border fired on them.

The group escaped back thereby foiling an infiltration bid under the cover of Pakistani firing, he said.

Subhash Ghisingh, the fallen hero of Gorkhaland movement

by

Subhash Ghisingh, once the uncrowned king of Darjeeling who championed the cause of Gorkhaland, today passed away in oblivion in New Delhi, far away from his love -Darjeeling hills.

The founder of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) Ghisingh (78), died in a hospital today in New Delhi after suffering from liver ailments and cancer for last few years.

Born in 1936 in Darjeeling, Ghisingh joined the Indian Army at a young age of 18 in 1954, but left it in 1960 and worked as a teacher in a primary school in the hills.

Siasat, MDF organise Du Ba Du programme for Shia

by

Siasat Daily and MDF will organise the first free Du Ba Du programme for the parents and guardians of Shia boys and girls in collaboration with Markazi Seeratuz Zahra Committee on Sunday, February 8, at Husainia Nawab Inayat Jung Bahadur Purani Haveli, Mandi Meer Alam from 2 to 6 pm. Siasat editor Mr. Zahed Ali Khan will preside over the function.

Ecuador probes string of Indian helicopter mishaps

by

Ecuador has restricted operations of three Indian-made Dhruv military helicopters after a string of accidents, Security Minister Cesar Navas said in an interview published today.

Two people were injured Tuesday in the latest accident involving a Dhruv helicopter, in Ecuador’s Amazon region.

The Dhruv FAE 605 caught fire after taking off at a military base in Tena, a provincial capital, on a flight to Guayaquil.

It was the fourth Dhruv to suffer an accident since 2009, of seven that Ecuador bought from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Syria opposition ’embassy’ renewing passports in Qatar

by

Syria’s opposition “embassy” in Qatar began today to renew expired passports for some of the estimated 60,000 Syrians living in the tiny Gulf country, its chief said.

Nizar Haraki, the opposition envoy, said this would help thousands of Syrians who fled the country to escape the conflict, which has killed at least 200,000 people since it erupted in 2011.

It was not immediately clear whether the service would extend to Syrians living elsewhere.

Gas blast at Mexico children’s hospital, at least 4 dead

by

A powerful gas tank truck explosion shattered a maternity and children’s hospital in Mexico City today, killing at least three adults and one baby and injuring dozens.

Claudia Dominguez, spokeswoman for the city’s civil defense agency, confirmed the deaths and said she expected an updated toll soon.

She said she could not confirm the report by the local borough chief, Adrian Rubalcava, that seven had died Rescuers continued digging through the rubble even as smoke rose from remaining fires.

Woman facing leg amputation ends life

by

A 56-year old woman, facing amputation of a leg due to diabetic complications, allegedly committed self-immolation here today, police said.

Banumathi, wife of watchman Radhakrishnan (65), was a diabetic and already four fingers of her right leg were removed surgically.

Doctors had recently said the leg itself needed to be amputated and asked her to get it done in Chennai.

In this situation, she doused herself in kerosene and set herself afire, police said.

NRI found dead in hotel

by

An NRI, settled in Dubai, was found dead at hotel here today where he was staying during his visit to attend a friend’s wedding.

The deceased was identified as Sunil Virmani (35), who had done MBA from Australia and settled in Dubai.

On January 27, he had come to attend the marriage of his friend being held at a hotel. He was staying in room number 1008 with another friend Nikunj and last night, a group of friends had a liquor party, police said.

Fighter jets bomb Nigeria town held by Boko Haram: witnesses

by

Fighter jets have bombed the northeast Nigerian border town of Malam Fatori, controlled by Boko Haram Islamists.

Residents in the town of Bosso, which lies next to Malam Fatori but across the border in Niger, said the bombardment began early yesterday and lasted for several hours.

“At around 8:00 am (0700 GMT) we started seeing three military jets encircling Malam Fatori and soon after (they) began dropping bombs,” said Idrissa Ari, a Bosso resident.

His account was supported by three others in Bosso but there was no comment from the Nigerian military on the operation.

Lawyer association chief causes flutter in Par panel meeting

by

A lawyer’s association chief here today caused a flutter when he made some remarks against politicians during a meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on law and justice, prompting calls for apology by the members.

The members of the committee led by E M Sudarsana Natchiappan were taken aback when the President of one of the lawyers association of the Madras High Court Bench here alleged politicians were only interested in ‘election, selection and collection’.

India Pavilion at the Cairo Book Fair inaugrated in Egypt

by

The India Pavillion at the Cairo International Book Fair would create a platform for Indian publishers and distributors to interact with their Egyptian counterparts, India’s envoy to Egypt said today.

India’s Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri inaugurated the India Pavilion at the 46th edition of Cairo International Book Fair.

At the inauguration, Suri mentioned that Indian text books have been traditionally popular in Egypt.

“The Indian Pavilion is expected to create a platform that brings Indian Publishers and distributors together with Egyptian counterparts,” Suri said.

Two held for selling govt land using forged documents

by

Two brothers were arrested today on charges of forging documents and selling government land to a family for Rs.One crore.

Ramesh and his brother Ayyasami, in collusion with some of their relatives, had forged the documents of the piece of land, which was acquired by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board in from their father in 1998.

They had sold the land to one Ramasamy and his daughter in law for Rs.One crore, a few months ago, police said.

Realising that they had been cheated, the buyers lodged a police complaint on October 13 last year.

Syria Kurds kill 22 jihadists around Kobane: monitor

by

Kurdish fighters killed 22 jihadists around Kobane today, days after recapturing the Syrian town, but the Islamic State group still controls hundreds of villages in the area, a monitor said.

“Nineteen IS members were killed in fighting against the (Kurdish) People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the hills surrounding Manaz to the west of Kobane,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

“Another three jihadists died in fighting around villages to the east of Kobane, while the YPG also took one IS member prisoner,” he told AFP.

US says details of aid to Afghan army now a secret

by

The US military has decided it will no longer release facts and figures about its costly effort to assist Afghan security forces, declaring the information top secret, officials said today.

The move marks an about-face for the Pentagon, which for the past six years has proudly reported a range of data about the USD 65 billion program to build up the Afghan National Security Forces.

This included how US taxpayers’ money has been spent and the state of the troubled country’s police and army.

Watchman trampled to death by elephant

by

A 50-year old watchman of a farm was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Nilgiris District today, police said.

Ramiah, watchman of the farm in Gedde village near Manjoor, was chased by the elephant. When he fell down, he was trampled, resulting in his death on the spot, they said.

South Sudan rivals meet for peace talks in Ethiopia

by

South Sudan’s president and rebel leader met today for the latest round of peace talks mediated by East African leaders aimed at ending their 13-month-old civil war.

President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar, whose rival armies continue to clash met face-to-face, met alongside presidents from the East African regional IGAD bloc in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Kiir “is doing his duties trying to restore peace”, his spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told AFP, dismissing reports Kiir was unable to attend talks because he had been sick.

Thorn Birds author Colleen McCullough dies aged 77

by

Internationally acclaimed Australian author, Colleen McCullough, whose novel “The Thorn Birds” sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, died today aged 77.

The best-selling writer passed away in hospital on Norfolk Island, which lies in the remote waters off Australia’s eastern coast, her publisher said in a statement.

HarperCollins Australia publishing director Shona Martyn said McCullough had overcome a string of health and eyesight problems to continue writing through dictation.