Month: January 2015

New Saudi King announces major govt shake-up: royal decrees

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Saudi Arabia`s King Salman on Thursday named a new intelligence chief, replaced part of his cabinet and fired two sons of the late king Abdullah in a major government shake-up seen as further entrenching the new monarch`s power.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud issued a royal order today, relieving Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, Chief of General Intelligence, of his post,” the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The announcement came a week after Salman acceded to the throne following the death of Abdullah, aged about 90.

Shah confident of two-thirds victory in Delhi polls

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Ruling out any rifts within the BJP, its chief Amit Shah on Thursday said that the party would emerge victorious with two-third majority in the upcoming Delhi elections.

Claiming that the induction of former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi as the party’s chief ministerial candidate was not a “compulsion”, he said her clean image would help the party.

When asked about reports suggesting that certain Delhi BJP leaders were not happy with the move to get Bedi into the fold, he said that he could not “change his strategy as per media’s perception”.

Militant strikes in Egypt kill 20

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Mortar attacks in Egypt’s North Sinai province Thursday killed 20 people and injured 36 others, according to a report in Egyptian state TV.

“At least 20 were killed and 36 others injured in anti-security attacks in Arish city,” the state TV quoted a health ministry official in North Sinai as saying.

The casualties included security men and civilians, the official said.

Clashes in eastern Ukraine leave 19 dead

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At least 19 people have been killed and several others wounded in clashes, since Wednesday, in eastern Ukraine, underscoring an escalation of tension in the nearly ten-month conflict, according to reports Thursday.

“The situation remains tense. In the past 24 hours, armed groups carried out 103 attacks on Ukrainian positions,” an official statement said.

Intense fighting was reported from the main rebel-controlled city of Donetsk and near the town of Debaltsevo, which lies on the highway linking Donetsk with another insurgent stronghold of Lugansk.

EU steps up assistance to tackle Syria crisis

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The European Union (EU) increased its humanitarian assistance to deal with the Syria crisis by 136 million euros (about $154 million), the European Commission announced here Thursday.

According to a Xinhua report, half of the funding was to go towards meeting the needs of people within Syria, and the other half to the Syrian refugees and host communities in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. This included 37 million euros (nearly $42 million) to Lebanon and 20 million euros (nearly $23 million) to Jordan in 2015.

Lebanon against full-blown war with Israel

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Lebanon Thursday called for avoiding a full-blown war with Israel, a day after a Hezbollah attack killed two Israeli soldiers in Shebaa Farms at the intersection of the Lebanon-Syria border and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

According to Lebanese Information Minister, Tamzi Jreij, the cabinet discussed the situation in the southern part of the country and all parties showed keenness to avoid deterioration of the situation, Xinhua reported, citing Lebanon’s state-owned National News Agency.

China urges Malaysia to continue MH370 search

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called on Malaysia to continue all efforts to find the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared in March last year while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

China’s call came after the Malaysian government officially declared Thursday that flight MH370 met with an accident, and all the people on board were presumed dead.

New Ebola cases lowest in seven months: WHO

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The number of new cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the three worst-affected countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia has fallen to the lowest level since late June, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Thursday.

The three countries had a combined total of 99 new cases for the week ending Jan 25, CNN reported , citing the WHO.

Out of this total of 99 new cases, 65 were reported from Sierra Leone, 30 from Guinea and four from Liberia.

Delhi elections : Modi was wearing Rs 10-lakh suit, Rahul Gandhi says

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at PM Narendra Modi saying that he has ‘fooled’ the nation on the issue of black money stashed in foreign accounts.

Speaking at a rally in Dehli’s Seelampur, Rahul said that the PM misused public money to get himself Rs 10 lakh suit during US President Barack Obama’s India visit. The PM’s suit had stripes that spelled out his name all over it.

BJP says no manifesto for Delhi polls, to pose 5 questions daily for Kejriwal

BJP posers: Kejriwal asks why it shying away from debate

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AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal today took a jibe at BJP for its plan to pose five questions to him, wondering why the party was attacking him hiding “behind a veil” and not accepting his challenge for a public debate.

 

“I have been asking them for a public debate for a long time now. Why they are asking question hiding behind a veil? Come debate and answer the questions of the public. Why they are not ready?” the AAP chief retorted.

 

Three minors injured in Odisha firing

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Tension is prevailing at a steel plant in Odisha after private security guards fired at three minors Thursday, prompting authorities to launch a probe into the incident.

Soon after the firing took place in Bhusan steel plant in Dhenkanal district, villagers locked the main gate of the plant and demanded action against the culprits and compensation. However, normalcy returned after intervention of police.

Two injured boys were admitted to a private hospital while one was shifted to a government hospital at Angul, said police.

Vasanthakumar new chief justice of Kashmir

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Justice Narayanan Nadar Paul Vasanthakumar of the Madras High Court has been appointed the chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, it was announced Thursday.

“President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Justice Narayanan Nadar Paul Vasanthakumar as the chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court,” an official statement said here.

“The appointment is in exercise of powers conferred by section 95 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and will be effective from the date he assumes charge of his office,” it said.

(IANS)

Indian woman dies in Oman accident

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An Indian woman died and three people were seriously injured when the car they were travelling in hit an electric pole in Oman’s Sur city, a media report said Thursday.

Khadeeja died of burn injuries in the accident near Ras Al Hadd Wednesday. The driver of the car, a woman co-passenger and Khadeeja’s son were battling for life in hospital, Times of Oman reported.

It added that Indian social workers in Sur were coordinating with police to prepare the papers required to send the woman’s body back to India.

(IANS)

17th century cannon found in Hyderabad

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A cannon dating to the 17th century and believed to have been used by the forces of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb during the attack on Golconda Fort here has been recovered here, police said.

The six-feet-long cannon was found by a person during digging work at Nayapul near Musi River in the old city of Hyderabad. Acting on a tip-off, police recovered the antique from Lateef, a contractor, and Thursday handed it over to the department of archaeology and museums of Telangana.

Over 50 countries to participate in BioAsia 2015

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Over 50 countries will participate in BioAsia 2015, the annual international life sciences conference scheduled here Feb 2-4.

Over 100 speakers at 40 sessions will speak during the event whose theme is ‘New era of life sciences – opportunities in transition’.

BioAsia provides an opportunity to explore business partnerships between the industry and academia. It will cover contemporary developments in research and will assist in building technology capabilities for life sciences and medical sciences sector, said a statement by the organisers Thursday.

Over 400 Pak Hindu families are seeking Indian citizenship

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

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 M S Gohil.

Pakistan shelling in Jammu district, three civilians injured

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Three people were injured Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu district following heavy shelling by Pakistan Rangers on the international border, police said. The Border Security Force retaliated to the firing.

“Pakistan Rangers used mortars to target civilian habitations in R.S. Pura and Arnia areas of Jammu district Thursday evening. Three people indentified as Bhole Devi, 45, wife of Nand Lal, Darshan Lal, 40, son of Devraj and Vikki, 20, son of Tarseem, all residents of Arnia town, were injured as Pakistan fired shells on the town,” a senior police officer told IANS here.

Seven killed in Mexico gas explosion

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At least seven people, including four children, were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a government hospital here Thursday, a media report said.

More than 50 people were injured, among them 22 children, CNN quoted Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera as saying. Besides, an unknown number of people were trapped inside the building, according to the mayor.

A truck was supplying natural gas to the Cuajimalpa Maternal Hospital on the southwest outskirts of Mexico City when apparently a hose burst and the resulting leak caused an explosion, Mancera said.

Feuding in T Congress to the fore!

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As usual, leaders in the Congress party started accusing each other openly and the turmoil between senior leaders broke out on Thursday. Former minister and GHCC president Danam Nagendar, who was reportedly planning to defect to the ruling party, lashed out at TPCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah and another senior leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy.
Marri, accompanied by party leaders on Thursday submitted a representation to Governor ESL Narasimhan on the local issues. But Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee president Danam Nagendar was conspicuously absent.

No need for worry on H1N1:HM&FW

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The Principal Secretary of Health and Medical and Family Welfare has stated there was no need of panic of the Swineflu. He asked the hospitals to send the patients with swineflu positive cases to IPM and treat at notified hospitals without any further delay.
From January 1 to 28, out of 1398 samples tested so far, 509 were confirmed positive while 21deaths reported due to other complications and swineflu. Till January 28, 42 confirmed positive out of 101 tested. The hospitals are prepared to address the problem and the people and youth are needless to be panic, the pressnote stated.

T Congress against shifting of Chest hospital

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Telangana Congress leaders today extended support to the protest of doctors and other medical staff of Chest and TB hospital at Erragadda, who are against the government’s move to shift the Chest hospital to Ananthagiri in Vikarabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district.

Lambada festival from Feb 15-20: Minister

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Tribal Welfare Minister A Chandulal today said that they will conduct Lambada festival of Sevalal Maharaj Jayanthi celebrations from Feb 15 to 20. Talking to press persons, along with TRS MLC Ramulu Naik, after a review meeting with Banjara Associations of 10 districts at Secretariat here he said that the celebrations will be conducted in a grand manner with the support of the government. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for each district for the purpose. (NSS)

Rush at MRO offices for house plots; Congress men urge Guv to order CID probe

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Telangana Congress leaders here on Thursday demanded a CID inquiry into a campaigning in the city on giving free housing to poor without any government order.
A delegation of senior party leaders, including Marri Shashidhar Reddy, Anjan Kumar Yadav, Rajaiah, MLC M S Prabhakar, M. Ranga Reddy, Niranjan and Banda Karthika Reddy called on the Governor and submitted a representation to Narasimhan urging to order probe into the false campaign and call for report within a fortnight.

Shankar demands probe against all ministers from 2004 to 2014

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Stating that some Congress leaders were alone destroying the party in the Telangana State, Congress leader and former minister P. Shankar Rao has alleged that the party was rejected by the people in the last elections because of rampant corruption during 10-year Congress rule from 2004 to 2014.