Striking medicos suffer wrath of stranded motorists

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Hyderabad, June 13: Junior doctors of Gandhi Hospital who intensified their protests on the third day of their strike on Friday tasted the wrath of motorists who took strong objection to the medicos blocking the road in front of the hospital on Friday.

Motorists, who were stranded because of the doctors staging a sit-in on the road, vent their anger at the striking employees for trying to disrupt traffic flow. Total chaos prevailed as traffic was blocked up to Musheerabad crossroads and beyond.

Six more MMTS trains for the city

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Hyderabad, June 13: With the increase in the number of commuters taking MMTS trains and demand from passengers, six more trains will be added to the MMTS fleet.

These trains will have more commuter-friendly features when compared to the existing ones, including an increase in seating capacity.

The MMTS project wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) ordered for the six trains recently from the Integral Railway Coach Factory, Chennai.

PM must make AP his first visit: YSR

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Hyderabad, June 13: Andhra Pradesh is lucky for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, feels chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Firmly believing that the PM’s visit to AP, first to any state after assuming office in 2004, augured well for the party and the country, the chief minister has written to Manmohan Singh urging him to visit Andhra Pradesh first again in his second stint.

74-yr-old kills wife, grandchildren look on

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Bangalore, June 13: A 74-year-old retired defence officer murdered his wife by assaulting her with a crow bar, even as she was playing with their
10-month-old grandchild and their seven-year-old granddaughter was crying.

Soon after assaulting Rosylin, 58, K V Benny drank phenyl and tried to commit suicide. He is now recovering in hospital.

Flavia Agnes on Muslim personal law

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New Delhi, June 13: Flavia Agnes is a leading feminist scholar, women’s rights lawyer and social activist based in Mumbai. She has written and worked extensively on Muslim women’s issues, communalism and religion-based personal laws in India. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, she talks about her work.

Q: Could you tell us something about your own background?

Delhi’s plan to modernize Madrasas

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New Delhi, June 13: The National Capital Territory of Delhi is all set to modernise Madarsas to promote education among the Muslims. The Directorate of Education (welfare branch) under the local Government today invited proposals from the Islamic seminaries for their modernisation.

The scheme known as ‘programme for the modernisation of Madarsas’ is full financial backing of the union Human Resources Development ministry. According to the sources in the HRD ministry the scheme is a pilot project in Delhi and after response from here it would be implemented across the country.

2 held for raping 16-year-old

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New Delhi, June 13: Two people from Ghittorni village on the Gurgaon-Mehrauli border were arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl. A case of rape has been lodged against accused Pramod (20) and Irfan (21). Both the accused are tailors and worked in a nearby shop.

Man held for eloping with minor

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Pune, June 13: The Cantonment police on Thursday traced a 17-year-old girl from the city, who had gone missing, to Nashik. Her 23-year-old boyfriend, who went with her, after promising to marry her, has been arrested on charges of abduction.

Minor gangraped, filmed in car

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Ahmedabad, June 13: The diamond city, considered one of the safest for women, woke up to a rude shock on Friday when a teenaged girl belonging to a well-known family was gangraped around daybreak. Two of the alleged rapists are sons of policemen.

The 17-year-old class XII student was going to tuition classes along with a friend when three people tricked her into a car near Civil Hospital crossroads at 5.30 am.

Worse, the entire crime was captured by the culprits on a cell phone, with the idea of blackmailing the victim.

West Indies stun India by 7 wickets

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London, June 13: Let down by their much-vaunted top order, defending champions India flunked their first Super Eight test and sunk to a seven-wicket defeat against the West Indies in the Twenty20 World Cup on Friday.

Dwayne Bravo scalped four Indian wickets with the ball and then returned to hit an unbeaten 36-ball 66, studded with three sixes, to seal the match.

Earlier, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to bat first boomeranged as the Indian top order crumbled and it required Yuvraj Singh’s (67) 43-ball blitzkrieg and Yusuf Pathan’s (31) cameo to reach a competitive 153 for seven.

Snake served with mid-day meal, 55 kids fall ill

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Kolkata, June 12: Fifty-five children were treated for shock and nausea in a children’s care centre in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Friday after they found a dead snake in their mid-day meal.

The food was prepared at the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) centre in Kabirajpara near Rampurhat. Hospital superintendent Himadri Halder said no symptoms of food poisoning had been found so far.

Iran’s Ahmadinejad wins presidential election with majority of votes

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Tehran, June 13: Iranian incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has won the 10th presidential election with the majority of votes, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

By getting more than 75 percent of votes in the rural areas of the country, Ahmadinejad determinately wins the election, the IRNA said.

The report came just minutes after Iran’s reformist candidate and former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi called himself “definite winner” in the presidential election.

Ash teaches women a lesson!

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Mumbai, June 12: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is spearheading a training programme for young underprivileged women that will see her actively champion the cause of promoting education among girls hailing from socially and economically backward areas of India.

Obama sees ‘possibility of change’ in US-Iran ties

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Washington, June 12: US President Barack Obama said Friday that he thought there was a “possibility of change” in US-Iran relations as the Iranian people
voted in closely-fought elections.

“We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran,” Obama told reporters.

“And obviously after the speech that I made in Cairo, we tried to send a clear message that we think there’s the possibility of change, and, you know, ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide.

Sania winning Aegon Classic

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Poutchek at the Aegon Classic on Tuesday, shrugging off a persistent wrist injury that had threatened to end her career.

The 22-year-old from India hit the ball well and moved superbly. She made a rampaging start, breaking serve immediately and then winning a third game that went to eight deuces and which lasted more than a quarter of an hour.
“After what I have been through I am thankful to God that I am back,” she said, referring to the multiple problems with the wrist which required surgery and prolonged rehab.

Razzaq’s return will be good for us: Younis

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London, June 12: Pakistan captain Younis Khan is looking forward to welcome back Abdul Razzaq into the fold after the all-rounder’s late call up into the World Twenty20 squad in England.

Razzaq has been given his chance after Yasir Arafat was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring injury.

His return also marks his re-integration into the Pakistan side following an amnesty for former players in the Indian Cricket League – the rival Twenty20 event to the officially sanctioned Indian Premier League.

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 19 runs

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London, June 12: Sri Lanka kept their composure to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in their opening Super Eights match in the World Twenty20 at Lord’s on Friday.

Defending a total of 150 for seven, Sri Lanka remained unbeaten at the tournament as they held Pakistan to a total of 131 for nine. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga took three wickets for 18 runs.

Blogs: The Dhoni Debate – II | Game, Shame and Name

Pvt varsities found lacking were suddenly cleared after review

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New Delhi, June 12: How does a private educational institution found lacking in infrastructure or faculty by one University Grants Commission team, be found
fit for deemed university status a few months later by another? That’s a question UGC and the HRD ministry need to answer if the quality of higher education is to be maintained.

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind campaign to promote education

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Hyderabad, June 12: The State Chapter of Jamaate- Islami Hind and Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) have decided to launch a massive State-wide campaign from June 11 to June 20 for educational awakening and developmental awareness among the people, particularly the Muslim community, said JIH State secretary for Education MA Raqueeb Lathweefi.

SIO State Secretary Zainudhhin Pasha, JIH State Secretary Azarudhin, JIH Assistant Secretary Educational department Malik Dawood, SIO PR Secretary Mohammed Mujahid were also present at the press conference.

Jodha Akbar, Rock On top contenders at IIFA awards

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Macau, June 12: ‘Jodha Akbar’ the epic drama starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai will fight it out with ‘Rock On’, a contemporary story of friendship for the top honours at the tenth edition of IIFA awards this year.

While Ashutosh Gowarikar’s historical love story is leading with nominations in all the 13 categories, Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal starrer Rock On is not far behind as it is contending in eight different sections.

Mayawati blames UPA for power crisis in UP

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Lucknow, June 12: Accusing the Congress-led government at the Centre for existing power crisis in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today said the state was not getting its genuine share of electricity from the central pool.

“The state is not getting its genuine share of power from the central sector, as against total availability of 1,399 MW power in the central pool, only 328.2 MW had been allocated to UP, which is only 23 per cent. This has resulted in power crisis in the state,” Mayawati said during a high-level review meeting here.

Thackeray says Padmasinh’s suspension from NCP is a farce

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Mumbai, June 12: The suspension of MP Padamsinh Patil, arrested for his alleged involvement in a double murder case, from the primary membership of NCP is a farce, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today said.

“His suspension is a farce. Any political suspension is a drama and if those in question are either from the Congress or NCP, the drama is well-performed,” Thackeray said in the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“People know that the suspension is a farce. NCP did not have an alternative because of the mounting public pressure and the tightening of the noose by CBI,” Thackeray said.

Jaitley asks Karnataka BJP leaders to maintain discipline

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Bangalore, June 12: Amid reports of dissidence in its Karnataka unit, BJP today asked party leaders to maintain discipline and work unitedly and refrain from doing anything that will tarnish the image of the state government.

“I have directed all senior leaders to maintain discipline and do nothing that would dent the image of the government and the party,” senior party leader Arun Jaitley told reporters at the end of his two-day trouble-shooting mission.