Riyadh, June 02: Saudi Arabia’s religious police are trying to bring to court three Saudi youths for challenging the kingdom’s austere lifestyle on an MTV reality show a new test of the country’s stated commitment to reform.
Divisions have emerged within the influential religious establishment, including the religious police body itself, over long-held restrictions that have been enforced in the world’s leading oil producing country and key U.S. ally.
Mumbai, June 02: The Mughals could not stop the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Raigad fort on June 6, 1674. “So, who are the present day Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials to stop Shiv Sena from celebrating the anniversary of his coronation at the historic venue,” party chief Bal Thackeray said.
“He was surrounded by the Mughals from all sides, and yet Shivaji Maharaj conducted his coronation ceremony. No Mughal emperor could stop him. So, who are the present day ASI officials (to stop us)?” Thackeray wrote in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna.
New Delhi, June 02: Ever since a ‘Hindu’ link to terrorism surfaced in the form of ‘sadhvi’ Pragya Singh Thakur, many in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have been spending sleepless nights, wondering where police investigations will lead once the agencies are able to connect all the dots that have emerged over the past two years.
New Delhi, June 01: Presenting his government’s report on completion of first year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today vowed to fight terrorism “root and branch” and enforce the writ of the State in dealing with naxalism and political extremism.
He identified price rise as one of the major problems and said necessary corrective steps would be taken to rein in inflation.
Rewari (Haryana), June 01: In a shocking incident, a man murdered his two minor nephews following a land dispute with his brother and later committed suicide by consuming poison in Mohalla Khasapura area here, police said today.
Dhruv (12) and his younger brother Nikhil (9) were hammered to death allegedly by their uncle Sandeep late last night. The accused earlier had a dispute with his elder brother Rajesh, they said.
Apparently fearing consequences of the twin murder, Sandeep later ended his life by consuming poison, they said.
Bangalore, Jun 01: Two South African nationals allegedly involved in a fake currency racket were arrested today, police said.
The accused were identified as Qamar Joseph Dawooda (35) and Verony Anthony Citalu (36) from Swaziland.
They said the duo contacted a businessman through another person on May 18 and told him they had one million Euros for investing in his business. However, the amount was with the Swaziland Embassy in Delhi and they could get it for him if he gave Rs two lakh as advance payment.
New Delhi, Jun 01: The government is understood to have decided to give extension to the Wage Boards for working journalists and non-journalists till December 31 this year.
Chairman of the Boards Justice Gurbax Rai Majithia had sought an extension till December 31 to finalise his recommendations on revision of salary and other benefits.
The term of the Wage Boards had ended on May 23.
Sources in the Labour and Employment Ministry said a notification in this regard would be issued in a couple of days.
New Delhi, Jun 01: The much-awaited UPA report card presentation ceremony turned out to be a sombre affair as the government did away with its earlier plans of a gala dinner and the usual hype surrounding such events in the wake of the recent Mangalore air crash.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Congress colleagues must have heaved a sigh of relief when Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee made a rare appearance at today’s programme.
Mumbai, Jun 01: Maharashtra Government today transferred 66 police officers, including senior IPS official Vishwas Nangre Patil, who was in limelight during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Nangre Patil, DCP in south Mumbai, has been shifted as SP in neighbouring Thane district, Home department sources said.
During the 26/11 attacks, Nangre Patil and his team moved to the security control room on the second floor of the Taj hotel, braving terrorists.
Earlier, he busted rave parties in Pune and Mumbai, exposing rampant drug abuse among youth.
New Delhi, Jun 01: A security guard, manning an under-construction Metro station in south Delhi, was injured early today after being shot at allegedly by two of his colleagues.
Manish Kumar, 25, received bullet injuries following a verbal duel involving his colleagues Raman Kumar and Ram Prakash who were “drunk”, police said.
Raman and Ram Prakash alongwith the victim were posted at under-construction Jaunapur metro station in Fatehpur Beri in south Delhi, they said.
Sitamarhi (Bihar), Jun 01: Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) seized ganja worth Rs 25 lakh from Surasand area along Indo-Nepal border in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district today.
Acting on a tip-off, SSB personnel conducted a raid and recovered two bundles of the contraband weighing 16 kg and 14 kg, police said.
Four persons, involved in smuggling the contraband managed to escape, the police said.
SSB guards the 1751-km long Indo-Nepal border.
–Agencies
New Delhi, Jun 01: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said his government plans to increase nuclear power generation by setting up four more atomic power plants by next year.
“Four more reactors are under advanced stages of construction and on completion will take the installed capacity to 7280 MWe by 2011,” said a ‘Report to People’ presented by Singh on the occasion on completion of one year of his second stint in office.
New Delhi, June 01: Describing the Right to Education Act a “historic step”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said his government will work in tandem with the states to make it a reality.
“The Right to Education Act is a historic step that will give every Indian child the means to become productive, responsible and active citizen of the country. We will work in cooperation and partnership with state governments and other stakeholders to make the fundamental right to education a reality,” the prime minister said after releasing the UPA-II’s report card to mark one year in office.
Bangalore, Jun 01: Sri Sri Ravishankar’s ashram would continue to be open for devotees despite Sunday’s “shooting” incident, the Art of Living Foundation said today.
“Except for the residential areas, devotees could continue to freely access other areas in the ashram”, a spokesperson of the ashram, Charu told PTI.
Access to satsangs, ashram-run courses and kitchen area, where devotees are free to help themselves to food, would continue to be thrown open to all.
“Sri Sri is keen that there are no restrictions and devotees are free to intermingle and interact,” she said.
New Delhi, Jun 01: Seventeen national footballers today signed contracts with the AIFF with the players, who recently struck deals with new clubs with increased pay packages after the I-League season, getting almost the new amount while others got 15 per cent hike to their existing salary.
The arrangement would mean that players like Steven Dias and Mohammad Rafi, who signed new contracts with Churchill Brothers, will get the same amount as their new salary. They were reportedly getting lesser amount from their former club Mahindra United as compared to other top players.
New Delhi, June 01: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday singled out resilience of the Indian economy in times of global meltdown as a signature achievement of UPA II’s first year in office, and pushed for “new frontiers” in implementing the social inclusion agenda, including food security act and education for all.
In a spirit of introspection, Manmohan Singh, however, admitted that soaring prices of basic commodities remained a source of concern and stressed that his government will take whatever “corrective steps” are necessary to rein in inflation.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 01: Kerala Chief Minister and CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan today blamed the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front for growth of communalism in the state, where Assembly polls are due early next year.
“The move to win support of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and the merger of Kerala Congress factions under pressure from the Christian church are clear indications of the way the UDF is moving,” he told a press conference here.
Mohali (Punjab), June 01: The mother of a 13-year-old boy died of shock after she learnt that her son was thrashed and humiliated by his teacher during a school trip to Manali, the family said Tuesday.
Rattanpreet Singh’s mother died Friday after learning that her son had been beaten up for no fault of his.
The Class 8 student of Yadavindra Public School here had gone on a week-long school trip with 56 others to Manali in Himachal Pradesh May 23.
Ahmedabad, June 01: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today reviewed the situation arising from the threat of cyclonic storm ‘Phet’ in the Arabian sea which could possibly hit the coastal regions of the state.
Modi asked top officials to monitor the situation and prepare a contingency plan to deal with any eventuality, an official statement said.
Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh), June 01:In an alleged attempted “honour killing”, a man poured acid on his daughter and threw her into a canal for planning to marry a man from another religion Tuesday, police said. The girl is in critical condition in hospital.
Gulistan, 18, daughter of Asghar Ali of Charaura village in Bulandshahr district, 350 km from Lucknow, fell in love with Ravinder, 20, who ran a medical store in the village and often came to their house to deliver medicines.
New Delhi, Jun 01: The Government is making efforts to cut down pendency of cases from the present 15 years to just three years and bring transparency in judicial process, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today.
“The UPA government has drawn up a blueprint for judicial reforms for reducing pendency in courts, providing quick and effective justice, introducing accountability of judges and bringing transparency in the judicial process for litigants,” Singh said in the Report to the People on completion of one year of the UPA’s second term in office.
New Delhi, June 01: With Jharkhand coming under the Central rule after political parties failed to form an alternative government, Congress today alleged that BJP’s lust for power led to the current situation.
The party also stressed the need for a democratically elected government in the state, but added it is not in a hurry to initiate fresh efforts for forming a government.
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Ajmer, June 01: A district court here on Tuesday send Lokesh Sharma, an accused in the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast case, to 14-day judicial custody.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) awarded judicial custody to Sharma till June 14 after ATS presented him in his court on completion of police remand.
Soon after the order he was taken to central jail Ajmer.
Two other accused Devendra Gupta and Chandra Sekhar are already in judicial custody in the blast case in which two persons were killed.
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