Month: February 2015

Sensex surges over 200 points; capital goods stocks gain

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A benchmark index of Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex), Friday surged 213 points or 0.74 percent in the early session as capital goods stocks gained.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading 55.45 points or 0.64 percent up at 8,739.30 points.

The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 28,865.12 points, was trading at 28,959.65 points (at 9.16 a.m.) in the early session, up 213 points or 0.74 percent from the previous day’s close at 28,746.65 points.

Telangana & AP industry body welcomes Rail Budget

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A top body of industries in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh today welcomed most of the Rail Budget proposals, but said the move to increase freight rates for some commodities will make raw materials costlier adversely nearly all business segments.

Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTAPCCI) thanked Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for not increasing passenger fares and proposing to invest Rs 8 lakh crore over the next five years towards passenger amenities.

Chavan rubbishes BJP claim that he sought changes to land act

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Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said that BJP’s claim that he had opposed the land acquisition bill of UPA government was “mischievous”.

“As part of the consultation process, the (then) Union Minister Jairam Ramesh sought views of all the state governments and we gave our suggestions. This was much before the land acquisition Act was passed in the previous Lok Sabha,” Chavan told PTI this evening.

“Our suggestions were regarding ongoing projects in the state and also about the need to balance the interests of the industry and the farmers,” he added.

AP enhances land pooling package for capital construction

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The Andhra Pradesh government today announced an enhancement of the benefits package for farmers and land owners in the Vijayawada region, where the proposed state capital is to be constructed.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told reporters tonight that annual payments to farmers who are part of the land pooling exercise would be made from March 1 this year. Crops can be cultivated in the lands till end of April.

Woman arrested for slapping a lady constable

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Chaos erupted in the court campus at Ambala city today when a woman allegedly slapped a lady constable who was on security duty there, police said.

The incident took place today when Rachna Gupta, a resident of Ambala Cantt, had come to the court complex to appear in a case, police said.

When she was walking in the corridor, constable Simran who was on duty there asked her to get her purse checked. There was an exchange of words between the two over it and Rachna allegedly slapped the constable.

EU invites Russia, Ukraine to fresh gas talks

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The EU said it has invited the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers to Brussels on Monday for talks on resolving a bitter gas supply dispute which threatens deliveries to Europe.

Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom threatened on Tuesday to cut off deliveries to Ukraine, diverting deliveries instead to eastern parts of the country controlled by pro-Kremlin rebels.

Indonesian in city hospital with swine flu symptoms

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An air passenger from Indonesia displayed swine flu-like symptoms today after arriving here in a flight, a top official of N S C B International airport said.

Diya Satysrini, a resident of Indonesia, showed flu like symptoms on arrival at the airport from Kuala Lumpur late last night.

Satyasrini, who had arrived in Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata flight, was today admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Beleghata after her swab sample was sent for test.

An attending doctor at ID Hospital said, she was put in isolation ward and under observation.

AP CM reminds Centre of railway zone for AP, other promises

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said he would follow up with the centre on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, especially the special railway zone for the state.

“Grave injustice was done to the state during the last 10 years in (sanctioning) lines, trains, development etc. In the bifurcation Act, it is said that special zone will be created at Visakhapatnam….It did not come in this budget. I feel bad about it,” he told reporters here.

SC asks Gujarat police to share details of documents with Teesta

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The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Gujarat Police to give social activist teeta Setalvad and her husband the list of documents needed from them in the probe against them in a case of alleged embezzlement of funds for a museum at Ahmedabad’s Gulbarg Society that was devastated in the 2002 riots.

A Bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Adarsh Kumar Goel said the accused are also entitled to have the list which the state police has already provided to the apex court.

Objectionable comment on social networking, youth injured by friends

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3 youth stabbed their friend over objectionable comment on social networking. The incident occurred at Chandrayangutta. According to inspector Mr. Rama Rao 19-year-old Irfan R/O of Shah Ali Banda, Qazi Pura was attacked by his 3 friends Shaikh ba Wazeer, Khaled and Obaid, leaving him injured. They told that Irfan had used indecent words against his friends while commenting on social networking website facebook. So the 3 youth attacked Irfan to take revenge. Chandrayangutta police arrested the youth and registered a case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code.

AAP holds nat’l executive meet; Strategy, expansion plans on

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AAP today held its first national executive meeting following its landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly polls with party leaders expected to discuss its future course of action and expansion plans as part of the deliberations.

The meeting, which is being attended by AAP leaders from the various states will also determine whether the party should contest polls in other states. Also, AAP leaders from across the country will be assessing the impact of the Delhi poll victory in their regions.

2 Patna blast suspects being brought to Blr for questioning

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Two suspects in the Patna blast case are being brought from that city to Bangalore for questioning in connection with the December 28, 2014 blast here, a top police official said here today.

The blast, triggered by an IED in front of a popular restaurant on a busy road here on December 28, killed a woman and injured three others.

“Two persons are being brought from Patna for questioning in the December 28 Bengaluru blast case. These persons are suspects involved in the Patna blast case and other cases,” City Police Commissioner M N Reddi said.

BJP asks Sonia to rein in Cong leaders ‘foul-mouthing’ PM

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Condemning “intemperate” remarks by Congress leaders against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP today asked party President Sonia Gandhi to rein in her party leaders and demanded an apology from her.

BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said Congress leaders, including former MP Raj Babbar, at a rally at Jantar Mantar yesterday had used foul language against the Prime Minister which is “condemnable”.

India keen on deepening strategic ties with Russia: Prez

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President Pranab Mukherjee today said India is desirous of deepening its strategic ties with Russia in a host of areas and subjects.

This was conveyed by Mukherjee to visiting Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Sergey Naryshkin, who called on him at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Interacting with Naryshkin and his delegation, the President said India-Russia strategic partnership has a long and illustrious history.

US woman sent to judicial custody

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An American woman who was arrested at the Airport here allegedly with 25 live imported cartridges has been sent to judicial custody today, police said.

Manjita Kaur Dhillon (52), whose grandparents hailed from Punjab, was arrested yesterday at Guru Ram Das International Airport (Rajasansi Airport) when she was preparing to board a Jet Airways flight to Delhi.

Yesterday, on being questioned about the recovery of live cartridges in her luggage, the woman has expressed ignorance.

China bans ivory imports for 1 year to protect elephants

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China imposed a one-year ban on ivory imports that took immediate effect today amid criticism that its citizens’ huge appetite for ivory has fuelled poaching that threatens the existence of African elephants.

The State Administration of Forestry declared the ban in a public notice posted on its official site, in which it said the administration would not handle any import request.

SICCI welcomes railway budget

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The Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) today welcomed the Railway budget, saying the intention of the Centre was to make railways a modern, safe and business oriented institution.

“SICCI welcomes the long-term orientation of the Minister to achieve sustainable and rapid growth of the Indian railways through strategic transformation of rail infrastructure,” SICCI President Jawahar Vadivelu said.

Shopping mall guard beaten to death, act caught on CCTV camera

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A young security guard was allegedly beaten to death today by a group of about seven persons, with the act being captured by CCTV cameras, police said.

Sunil Kumar, (29) of Chamaria village here, was attacked with sticks by the group in the parking lot of the shopping mall in the wee hours today.

Police said they went through the CCTV footage, in which Kumar can be seen coming under unprovoked attack by the group which attack him indiscriminately.

One more security guard who came to his rescue also sustained injuries and was shifted to hospital.

SCR gets Rs 2,768 crore for infrastructure development

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An amount of Rs 2,768 crore has been sanctioned in the railway budget for the year 2015-16 towards infrastructure development in South Central Railway (SCR), amounting for 24 per cent more than last year, official sources said here today.

The total outlay earmarked for new lines, doubling bridges, road over bridges, traffic facilities and other specified works is Rs 984.33 crore, which is 60 per cent higher as compared to Rs 616 crore during the previous financial year, SCR General Manager P K Srivastava told reporters.

WWII bomb defused near Borussia Dortmund stadium

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Authorities have defused an unexploded World War II bomb close to Borussia Dortmund’s stadium after evacuating the area.

Dortmund’s city government said the 250-kilogram British bomb was defused today.

The bomb had been unearthed after authorities evaluated aerial photos ahead of planned construction work, and a 250-metre radius around the site was evacuated.

Because the stadium was inside the evacuated area, the club relocated the news conference of coach Juergen Klopp ahead of the Ruhr derby against Schalke to another facility.

MP Governor attends Mulayam-Laloo reception; may meet Prez

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Under pressure from the Centre to resign over his alleged involvement in MPPEB forest guard recruitment scam, Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav arrived here today and is likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee.

Soon after he reached Delhi, Yadav attended the marriage reception of kin of opposition leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav.

Five new secretaries appointed; Jugal Mohapatra gets Rural

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Senior IAS officer Jugal Kishore Mohapatra was today made the new Rural Development Secretary in an appointment that came at a time when the controversial land acquisition bill was facing growing opposition.

Mohapatra, a 1979 batch officer of Odisha cadre, was among the five new secretaries appointed by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, two days before the presentation of the Union Budget.

Mohapatra, who is presently Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, has come in place of L C Goyal, who was earlier appointed as Home Secretary.

Adani Power is top private electricity seller to Gujarat Govt

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Adani Power Ltd (APL) has emerged as the biggest private sector electricity seller to the Gujarat government in the last two years.

The government purchased 26,235 million units (MU) of electricity, nearly half of the total produced by state-owned entities, from Adani Power in the last two years, the Gujarat Assembly was informed today.

This makes Adani Power the biggest private sector electricity supplier to the state government.

Number of Syrian Christians abducted by IS rises to 220

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The number of Christians abducted by the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria has risen to 220 in the past three days, as militants round up more hostages from a chain of villages along a strategic river, activists said today.

In Iraq, the IS extremists released a video purportedly showing militants using sledgehammers to smash ancient artifacts in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, describing the relics as idols that must be removed.

Report: China loaned USD 22 billion to Latin America in 2014

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Chinese state-owned banks loaned USD 22.1 billion to Latin American countries last year, helping to keep afloat struggling economies that have been hit hard by a fall in prices for oil, minerals and other commodities that they export, according to new numbers released today by the US think tank the Inter-American Dialogue.

That annual loan total is the second highest in a decade, behind only 2010, and surpassed combined loans to the region from multilateral lenders the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, the data show.