CBI approaches Thai authorities on KP’s detention
By IANS
New Delhi : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Thai authorities through diplomatic channels to confirm the detention of Kumaran Pathmanathan, a key member of Sri Lanka's rebel Tamil Tigers.
"We have not received any reply from the authorities there. First of all we need to know whether he (Pathmanthan) has been arrested or detained," CBI director Vijay Shankar said on the sidelines of an Interpol conference on cyber-crime being held here.
Indians held for marriage of convenience in Philippines
By IANS
Manila : Two Indians have been arrested by the Philippines immigration department for marrying Filipino women for what is being described as marriages of convenience in order to acquire resident status in the country.
Agents of the Bureau of Immigration arrested Pawan Kumar, 32, and Bhattal Singh, 22, Tuesday from their home in La Loma, Quezon city. They may now be deported back to India, the online edition of Inquirer reported.
Indian workers can still take advantage of UAE amnesty scheme
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS
New Delhi : Indians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who could not take advantage of the amnesty scheme for illegal foreign workers before the Sep 2 deadline can apply for emergency papers in the one-month grace period that the government there has allowed.
"Initially, they (the UAE authorities) did not want fresh applications for emergency certificates from foreign workers during the grace period after the expiry of the deadline, but now they have agreed," said India's Ambassador to the UAE Talmiz Ahmad.
India, Pakistan to hold anti-terror talks in October
By IANS
New Delhi : Shaken by a recent spate of suicide bombings and keen to signal its seriousness about countering terrorism, Pakistan, after much dilly-dallying, has finally agreed to hold the second meeting of the anti-terror mechanism with India here next month.
The anti-terror meet will be held here Oct 21-22, official sources told IANS. These talks will be followed by a dialogue on conventional and non-conventional confidence-building measures, the sources added.
US Congress will put 123 agreement to Hyde test
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The 123 civil nuclear cooperation agreement between India and the US takes some of the sting out of the contentious Hyde Act from the Indian point of view, but the US Congress will study the pact closely to see whether it is consistent with the US legislation, say leading US experts.
Slithering snakes, rats scare people in flood-hit Assam
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Majuli (Assam) : Rabin Payeng is a worried man as his wife and three children are scared to sleep under a makeshift tarpaulin tent pitched on an embankment with poisonous snakes slithering around.
"I was awake the whole night to guard against rats and snakes which were seen in large numbers in the area," said Payeng, a farmer in Majuli, South Asia's largest river island in Assam.
Massive traffic jams as VHP blocks roads in Delhi, Haryana
By IANS
New Delhi/Chandigarh : Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Wednesday blocked roads all over the Indian capital and the National Highway Number 1 in Haryana to protest the Sethusamudram canal project in Tamil Nadu that they say will destroy a 'bridge' that is held sacred in Hindu mythology.
The activists blocked bridges across the Yamuna in Delhi and some arterial roads in west and central Delhi, leading to major traffic snarls in the morning rush hour.
Indian American empowers Sunderban fishermen with IT skills
By IANS
New York : An Indian American techie who helped set up Hewlett Packard's first overseas centres 20 years ago is now busy providing IT training to the fisher folk of Sunderban, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
It is not a passing fad for Radha Basu who has been interested in the Sundarban and its people for a long time. She wants to improve the standard of living of residents in that part of West Bengal.
Apex court permits dismantling of ‘Blue Lady’
By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday finally paved the way for dismantling of Norwegian cruise liner 'Blue Lady' at Alang cost in Gujarat, where the ship allegedly laden with toxic waste is anchored.
A bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapadia granted permission on the basis of a report by an expert technical committee, which examined the environmental and other consequences of dismantling it.
It allowed the dismantling observing that the process had become "irreversible" after "beaching" of the ship at the Alang coast.
Court notice to AIIMS, Safdarjung on burns deaths
By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notices to the central government and the capital's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Safdarjung Hospital on news reports claiming that three burns patients died due to lack of treatment after they were refused admission in the two government-run hospitals.
Justice S.N. Agrawal asked the governement and the two hospitals to file their replies by Sep 19 stating the reasons for not admitting the patients who had approached AIIMS and Safdarjung.
No evidence against teacher in TV sting, say police
By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi Police investigating a fake TV sting operation Tuesday informed the state government that no evidence was found against a government schoolteacher sacked after the report alleged she was forcing her students into prostitution and pornography.
"We have sent a report to the state government mentioning that no incriminating evidence was recovered against Uma Khurana," Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.
However, Delhi's Education Director Vijay Kumar said his department had not received any report from the police, clearing Khurana.
Gujjars, Bakarwals were declared as schedule tribe in 1991: Hasham Ali
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : Gujjars Welfare Shaba, Samba has strongly condemned the Pahari Leaders who according to them are opposing tooth and nail the political preservation in favour of schedule tribes of Jammu and Kashmir State, particularly Gujjars and Bakarwals who were declared as schedule tribe in the state in April 1991.
Overstaying in government houses should be criminal offence: SC
By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the central and state governments to examine the feasibility of amending the law to make overstaying by politicians and government officials in their official accommodation a criminal and non-bailable offence.
A bench comprising of Justices B.N. Agarwal, P.P. Naolekar and D.K. Jain asked the governments to apprise it of their views by Sep 19 - the next date of hearing of the matter.
Impostors posed as TV journalists to extort money: police
By IANS
New Delhi : Three men posing as TV journalists, who reportedly trapped and extorted money from Jharkhand MPs, also duped countless other people while claiming to conduct sting operations to expose corruption, the police revealed Tuesday.
"The men - Rajiv Patel, Pankaj Gupta and Ratan Deep Gupta - don't belong to any television channel. But they have rendered their services on contract basis to a well-known Hindi television channel for conducting sting operations," a senior police official investigating the case told IANS.
He did not name the channel.
Top MP officers suspended after unearthing of disproportionate assets in IT raids
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), ruled Madhya Pradesh Government has shown its commitment towards honesty and clean administration by honouring its Cabinet decision, taken a couple of days back, of taking strict action against public servants found guilty of corruption, irregularities and misconduct by suspending two its top government functionaries for accumulating disproportionate wealth to their known source of income.
‘Submarine missile launch capabilities being tested’
By IANS
New Delhi : Indian defence scientists are testing capabilities to launch submarine-based missiles, the defence ministry said Tuesday.
"Development of technical elements for potential underwater launch capabilities is in progress," a defence ministry spokesperson said, clarifying that no test firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) had been undertaken.
On Tuesday, there were reports that scientists of the Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) had tested a 1,500-km range SLBM in the Bay of Bengal.
15 Uttar Pradesh cops get life term for fake encounter
By IANS
Lucknow : As many as 15 Uttar Pradesh policemen were awarded life imprisonment Tuesday for their role in a fake encounter involving a physically challenged person in the state's Etawah district way back in 1992.
Fifteen years after one Raj Narain Pandit was done to death by a team of policemen on the banks of Chambal river in the Chakar Nagar area of Etawah district on Jan 28, 1992, special sessions judge R.P. Sharma pronounced the verdict in a crowded Etawah court, about 250 km from here.
MP CM presents Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia & Rani Avantibai awards
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has conferred the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia social service award and Rani Avantibai bravery award on Mrs. Manorama Joshi of Indore and Miss Anita Lodhi of Panna respectively.
Court holds Mid-Day editors guilty of contempt
By IANS
New Delhi : The editor, publisher, resident editor and cartoonist of Mumbai-based afternoon tabloid Mid-Day were Tuesday held guilty of contempt of court for writing and publishing unsubstantiated and slanderous articles against former Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal.
A division bench of the Delhi High Court in its ruling said: "There is sufficient material to hold them guilty of contempt of court. The Supreme Court judgments have laid down a 'Lakshman rekha', which the publication has crossed."
UNESCO team to examine Kalka-Shimla rail track
By IANS
Shimla : A Unesco team of experts began examining the Kalka-Shimla rail track Tuesday, in Himachal Pradesh, to decide whether to grant it an official world heritage status.
The two-member team headed by Robert Lee, a Unesco consultant, will study the 96 km century-old track for the next three days and submit its report.
Indian railways hopes to get heritage status for the track like the Darjeeling railway line, to boost its earnings from tourism.
Power for every village by 2009
By IANS
New Delhi : Each of India's 600,000-plus villages will be electrified by 2009 and every household will have electricity by 2012 after the 11th Five-Year Plan is implemented, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said here Tuesday.
"The capacity addition of over 78,000 megawatt is not an ambitious target. It is crucial for India to grow at over nine percent," Shinde told the 10th Power Forum, speaking on the topic "Power Sector-Driver of Growth".
Model contract for overseas Indian workers finalised: minister
By IANS
New Delhi : In order to safeguard the interests of overseas Indian workers, the government has finalised a model work contract that will be binding on both the workers and their foreign employers.
"We have finalised a model work contract which every worker emigrating will have to sign as also his foreign employer," Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told newspersons here Tuesday.
Girl students on hunger strike against infected food
By IANS
Patna : Girl students of a residential school in Bihar's Ara town are on hunger strike to protest the insect-infested food served to them while nine girls who ate the food were hospitalised Tuesday after their condition worsened.
Students of the Ambedkar Residential Girls High School in Ara, the district headquarters of Bhojpur, began their hunger strike on Sunday.
"We decided to go on a strike after school authorities refused to listen to our grievances," said Manju, one of the students admitted to hospital.
Interstate dispute over Salem railway division resolved
By IAns
New Delhi : A two-year-old dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu over creating a Salem railway division was resolved Tuesday as a new formula of sharing the railway network was agreed to.
At a meeting convened by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, MPs belonging to the two states have agreed that 79 kilometres of railway line from the Madurai division would be transferred to the Palakkad division making the bifurcation of the latter more equitable.
Indian Air Force plane crashes, two pilots dead
By IANS
Hyderabad : Two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed early Tuesday when their trainer aircraft crashed at Hakimpet Air Force Academy on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Academy officials said the small aircraft crashed in the sprawling academy premises and both the trainer and trainee pilot were killed. They have been identified as Squadron Leader H.K. Bhagat, 33, and Flight Cadet U.C. Sati, 26, both residents of Lucknow.
India to tap Bulgaria for NSG support
By IANS
New Delhi : India will seek the support of Bulgaria, the southeast European country which is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), for global civil nuclear cooperation when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets his Bulgarian counterpart Sergei Stanishev here Wednesday.
"Bulgaria is a member of the NSG that has a positive attitude towards nuclear energy and is likely to take a favourable view of the India-US civil nuclear deal," an official source told IANS.
Climate change leading to water scarcity in India: PM
By IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday highlighted the huge climate change challenge for India and appealed all panchayat and municipal bodies to come forward with their water conservation strategies, while putting commercial users of water on notice about possible water charges.
"Water is life. Yet, humankind has not done enough to replenish, conserve and safeguard our sources of water supply. On the contrary, given the threat of climate change and global warming, we face the real prospect of reduced supply of water," Manmohan Singh said.
School buses are killers on wheels in Ranchi
By IANS
Ranchi : School buses have become terrors on wheels in the capital of Jharkhand, snuffing out lives at regular intervals.
On Monday, two persons were crushed under the wheels of school buses here. The first incident took place at Kokar, where a Delhi Public School (DPS) bus ran over a pedestrian who was crossing the road. The second incident occurred on Kake Road when a school bus hit a motorist.
Angry residents set ablaze the buses but the drivers and conductors managed to escape.
Emirates airlines to launch direct flight to Ahmedabad
By IANS
Dubai : Emirates airlines will start its six-flights-a-week service to Ahmedabad in western India from Oct 28, senior officials have said.
The non-stop flight from Dubai will be the airline's ninth destination in India, and second in the country's western region in two decades after it connected Mumbai in 1985, its Vice-President in charge of commercial operations in West Asia and Indian Ocean Salem Obaidallah was quoted by WAM news agency as saying Monday.
Kashmir protests turn violent, dozens injured
By IANS
Srinagar : Dozens of people were injured in north Kashmir's Baramulla district Tuesday when protests over the killing of a youth by security forces in an alleged fake encounter turned violent.
Hundreds of protesters in Dangiwacha village, over 65 km from here, blocked roads and pelted stones at police personnel, who had to resort to baton charging and use tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Eight policemen and nearly 25 civilians were wounded in the clashes.
Commercial use of water cannot continue to get subsidy: Manmohan
By IANS
New Delhi : The government cannot continue to subsidise commercial use of water, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Tuesday, putting industrial and agricultural users of water on notice.
"Every living being has the right to potable water. However, for the economic use of water, especially in irrigation, construction and other sectors, we must emphasise the importance of efficient, economical and more rational use of water," Manmohan Singh said.
Indian Air Force plane crashes, two pilots killed
By IANS
Hyderabad : Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots were killed early Tuesday when their trainer aircraft crashed at Hakimpet Air Force Academy on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Academy officials said the small aircraft crashed in the sprawling academy premises and both the trainer and trainee pilot were killed. They have been identified as Squadron Leader Bhagat, 33, and trainee pilot S.C. Pathi, 26, both residents of Lucknow.
Cops quiz teacher framed in fake TV sting
By IANS
New Delhi : Uma Khurana, a government schoolteacher who was granted bail Monday after being falsely framed in a fake sting operation of a television news channel, was Tuesday questioned by Delhi Police's Crime Branch.
"We have questioned Uma Khurana in the afternoon to take further the probe into the sting operation conducted by a television news channel," a senior Crime Branch official investigating the matter said.
Need community based, region specific strategy to conserve water: PM
By IANS
New Delhi : Underlining the need to address the water crisis issue urgently and with a warning about the danger of water scarcity due to retreat of glaciers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday urged all Panchayat and municipal bodies to come forward with their water conservation strategies.
"Any strategy for water conservation, management and utilization cannot be imposed on the country from here in New Delhi. We need a community based, region specific strategy that is owned by the people who have to implement it," Manmohan Singh said here.
Indian philosophers to attend Int’l congress of Vedanta
By NNN-PTI
Washington : About 100 philosophers from India, the United States and Canada are assembling for a three day conference of the International Congress of Vedanta to be held at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio later this month.
Several delegates from India who will be attending the Congress between September 20 and 23 have been sponsored by the Indian Council for Philosophical Research and Kendriya Samskrita Samsthan.
BSNL launches Wi-Fi service in Himachal
By IANS
Shimla : Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has started the Wi-Fi internet service in Himachal Pradesh.
The NIC (network interface card) data card for both laptops and desktops was launched here Monday by BSNL's Himachal Pradesh chief general manager Anil Kaushal.
"The data card has speeds of up to 140 kbps. The signal is available across the state including the remote mountainous regions of Kinnaur and, Lahaul and Spiti," said Kaushal.
"The data card works on CDM technology and voice calls can also be made for which charges will be separate," he said.
Indian Govt to come out with steps to protect women emigrant workers
By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Realising that women are the most vulnerable among emigrant workers, the Government has decided to unveil steps for their protection abroad and amend the Emigration Act to provide for strong punishment for those indulging in human trafficking.
It will also soon establish a council to serve as a think tank to help emigrant workers benefit from the labour supply gaps in the overseas job market and set guidelines in the Act to hold recruiting agents in the country accountable.
CID to probe murder case against Congress leader’s son
By IANS
Hyderabad : The Andhra Pradesh government has handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) the murder probe involving the son of senior Congress party leader K. Keshava Rao, who resigned as the party's state unit president Monday.
Venkat Rao, a real estate businessman, allegedly shot dead his business partner Prashant Reddy, at his residence Sunday evening. Venkat's family members claimed that Prashant committed suicide but the latter's relatives say it was a murder.
Flood situation in Assam still critical, 10 million hit
By IANS
Guwahati : More than three million people have been displaced in Assam over the past week as the Brahmaputra river inundated vast swathes of the region, a situation the government described as "very critical".
"The situation is still very critical with the third wave of floods wreaking havoc in at least 20 of the state's 27 districts with an estimated three million people stranded since Wednesday," said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
US Suggested India blow up Chinese intallations in Tibet:Book
By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : The United States had asked India to threaten China with military action in 1964 if it did not remove defence installations from Tibet, a new book has revealed.
The suggestion was made during discussions the then US Ambassador to India Chester Bowles had in 1964 with the political leadership, including Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, said a book "India & the United States: Politics of the Sixties" authored by senior journalist Kalyani Shankar.
I believe charges against me will prove fictitious: Uma Khurana
By Sahil Makkar, IANS
New Delhi : City schoolteacher Uma Khurana said she was "shocked" with the fake sting operation by a television news channel framing her in a prostitution racket and was confident that all charges against her would be proved "fictitious".
"I was teaching the girl students (of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya at Asaf Ali Road) and not aware of the telecast of the sting operation. All this happened all of a sudden and left us in shock," Khurana, who was granted bail Monday, told IANS.
Indian Air Force plane crashes, two pilots killed
By IANS
Hyderabad : Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots were killed when their trainer aircraft crashed at Hakimpet Air Force Academy on the outskirts of Hyderabad early Tuesday.
Cyberabad police said the small aircraft crashed in the academy premises and both the trainer and trainee pilot were killed. They have been identified as Squadron Leader Bhagat and trainee pilot S.C. Pathi, both residents of Lucknow.
The Kiran aircraft caught fire soon after the crash and was completely gutted. The bodies were charred beyond recognition.
India’s ties with Israel don’t worry Arab world: envoy
By IANS
Jeddah : India's growing defence ties with Israel have not caused concern in the Arab world, says a top diplomat, even as he restates New Delhi's commitment to the Middle East peace process and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Naseer masterminds July 11 bombings in ‘Wednesday’
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS
Mumbai : Debutant director Neeraj Pandey has almost completed his film 'Wednesday' on the July 11, 2006 commuter train bombings that rattled Mumbai. The film puts Naseeruddin Shah in the never-before role of the mastermind behind the blasts.
"I took on this role because I've never played anything like this before," Naseer told IANS.
Pandey has titled his "realistic thriller" Wednesday, because the gruesome catastrophe struck Mumbai on that particular day of the week. Anupam Kher plays a cop investigating the bombings.
Girl student as rebel courier has Kashmir cops worried
By Binoo Joshi, IANS
Jammu : The arrest of a brilliant woman student from Jammu allegedly carrying rifle grenades meant for Hizbul Mujahideen has got police worried over the possibility of more such cases emerging in troubled Jammu and Kashmir.
In Jammu's first case of a woman student acting as a courier for a militant group, Naheeda was nabbed last Friday with rifle grenades meant to be delivered to Hizb activists in Srinagar. The explosives were meant for a strike at the civil secretariat in the valley.
US consulate to issue more visas this year
By IANS
Kolkata : With a growing number of Indians flying to the US every year, the US mission in India and the Consulate General office in Kolkata have decided to increase the infrastructure and other facilities to expedite visa processing.
Fire breaks out in Orissa assembly
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : A fire broke out inside the Orissa assembly Monday, destroying several computers and equipment kept in a room. An electric short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the blaze, the police said.
"The blaze broke out in the computer section of the assembly. The actual loss of property is yet to be estimated and detailed information is awaited," a police official told IANS.
"The fire probably broke out due to an electric short circuit," he said.
Amarinder defends Virk, says arrest ‘illegal’
By IANS
Chandigarh : Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh Monday defended former state police chief S.S. Virk, arrested on corruption charges, and warned the Parkash Singh Badal-led Akali Dal government not to tread on a "dangerous path".
Visiting Virk, who served over two years as director general of police (DGP) during his regime (2002-07), at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and research (PGIMER) here Monday evening, Singh said that the former top cop was being unfairly targeted by the Badal government.
Income tax raids on health officials in Madhya Pradesh
By IANS
Bhopal : In a crackdown against defaulters, the Income Tax Department officials in Madhya Pradesh seized millions in cash and unearthed similarly high-valued assets from premises of some health officials and their business associates here.
Officials seized Rs.1.3 million in cash and property documents worth in millions from the premises of State Health Director Yogiraj Sharma. Residences of two other health officials were also searched.
400 paratroopers to take part in India-Russia drill
By IANS
New Delhi : Some 400 crack paratroopers from the Indian and Russian armies will participate in a joint airborne drill that begins at the chillingly cold riverine plains of Pskov in Russia on Tuesday.
Codenamed Indra-2007, this will be the second in a series of joint drills that began in the deserts of Rajasthan in October 2005.
Orissa shutdown successful amid stray violence
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Orissa observed Monday a total and successful 12-hour state-wide strike on the Congress party's call supported by other opposition parties to protest the "total failure" of the Naveen Patnaik government. Stray incidents of violence were reported during the strike.
The strike was supported by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Orissa Gana Parishad (OGP), Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Indo-Bangladesh ties need new approach: Ansari
By IANS
New Delhi : Lamenting lack of sufficient political will to infuse momentum in India-Bangladesh cooperation, Vice-President Hamid Ansari Monday called for an alternate approach to achieve inter-state cooperation.
Rajasthan court allows Gujjar mass meet
By IANS
Jaipur : The Rajasthan High Court Monday allowed Gujjars to hold a mass meeting in Dholpur on Sep 13 to press their demand for tribal status, but subject to the district authorities granting permission. It also directed the government to ensure the meet is held peacefully.
Competition bill passed by parliament
By IANS
New Delhi : The Competition Bill that seeks to eventually repeal the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act and give regulatory powers to the Competition Commission has been passed by both houses of parliament.
The commission would now act as an expert body and a market regulator for preventing and regulating anti-competitive practices in accordance with the new act and also play an advisory and advocacy role.
Lok Sabha passes Aircraft Act amendments
By IANS
New Delhi : The Lok Sabha Monday passed a bill to amend the Aircraft Act of 1934 that seeks to give more powers to the government in areas like regulation, licensing, certification, safety and penalties.
"The existing powers of the Directorate General for Civil Aviation to issue directions needed to be amended," a civil aviation ministry statement said, explaining the need for the amendment in the Aircraft Act.
The Rajya Sabha will now take up the bill when it reconvenes.
Uttar Pradesh chemists shut shops for a day
We’ve lost faith in TV channels, says mother of Uma Khurana
By Sahil Makkar, IANS
New Delhi : Uma Khurana, a government schoolteacher falsely framed in a contrived sting operation of a television news channel, was Monday granted bail even as her family said TV channels had ruined their lives and they had lost their faith in the media.
"We have completely lost faith in the media, especially television channels, as they have ruined our lives. Now we don't trust any of their reports. Our reputation has been tarnished," Khurana's mother Vidya Gandhi told IANS.
India to frame law to reinforce research, innovation
By IANS
New Delhi : Aiming to position India as a global leader in science, the government has decided to bring in a comprehensive legislation to give a fillip to research and innovation, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said here Monday.
Addressing the first meeting of the 'Indo-US Task Force on Shaping the Global Innovation Economy - Enhancing Cooperation in India-US Relations', Sibal said: "We want to bring in an India Innovation Act to spur innovation in the country."
Indo-US nuclear deal a door to opportunity: Sibal
By IANS
New Delhi : The India-US civil nuclear deal is a gateway of opportunity for both countries, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said here Monday.
Addressing the first Meeting of the 'Indo-US Task Force on Shaping the Global Innovation Economy - Enhancing Cooperation in India-US Relations', Sibal said collaboration was at the heart of the nuclear deal.
Novel eligibility test for civic body poll aspirants
By IANS
Bangalore : Over 80 aspirants to a seat in the Mysore city corporation took an eligibility test organised by a non-governmental organisation - the first such in the country for aspiring poll candidates.
The Common Eligibility Test, held in the city of palaces Sunday, lasted two hours during which aspirants had to answer objective-type questions, write a 100 word piece on the problems of Mysore and fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
Turkmen airliner’s wing damaged at Amritsar
By IANS
Amritsar : Passengers aboard a Turkmenistan Airline's scheduled flight to Birmingham had a narrow escape Monday at the Rajasansi Airport here after a wing of the aircraft brushed against an airport building and was damaged.
Nearly 200 persons on board the Boeing 757 were off-loaded immediately after the incident at 11.30 am.
The aircraft was heading towards the runway from the tarmac when one of its wings brushed against an airport building and was damaged.
Andhra suspends three engineers for flyover collapse
By IANS
Hyderabad : The Andhra Pradesh government Monday suspended three engineers of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and ordered a probe into the collapse of a flyover that killed two people and injured nine Sunday evening.
The engineers were suspended for failing to monitor the work being carried out by the construction firm. State Labour Minister Mukesh Goud told reporters that a five-member expert committee had been constituted to probe the incident. He said stern action would be taken against those found responsible for negligence.
Nawaz deportation Pakistan’s internal matter: India
By IANS
New Delhi : Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif's deportation on arrival in Islamabad was that country's internal matter, India said Monday, even as New Delhi wished to have a "stable neighbour".
"It is an internal problem (of Pakistan), but I would like to have a stable neighbour," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in Parliament House when asked to comment on the events following Sharif's return to Islamabad Monday morning and his subsequent deportation.
Arrested Punjab Police ex-chief on ‘hunger strike’
By IANS
Chandigarh : Former Punjab director general of police S.S. Virk was admitted to hospital here Monday, a day after he went on "hunger strike" to protest his arrest on corruption charges.
Virk, who was arrested by the Punjab Police on Sunday in New Delhi, was taken to the super-specialty Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here under tight security and was being examined by a team of senior doctors.
Virk has refused to eat anything since Sunday.
10 million hit in Assam’s worst ever floods
By IANS
Guwahati : An estimated 2.8 million people have been displaced in the past six days in the worst ever flooding in Assam in recent years, officials said Monday. The total number people hit by floods since July has reached 10 million and 54 persons have been killed, they added.
"This is one of the most prolonged floods and by far the worst ever in recent years that left about 10 million people displaced in about 9,000 villages since July," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told journalists here.
Paying tribute to a forgotten freedom fighter
By Hemant Kumar Rout, IANS
Chasakhand (Orissa) : A group of 10 freedom fighters Monday came from West Bengal to Chasakhand, a sleepy village in Orissa's Balasore district that sees a flurry of activity every year Sep 10 - the death anniversary of freedom fighter Baghajatin and his four companions.
The place wears a festive look and thousands pay tribute to the revolutionaries on this day. And politicians give speeches, promising that Chasakhand would soon be developed into a tourist site.
New evaluation system for elementary schools in Himachal
By IANS
Shimla : In a significant step, the education department of the Himachal Pradesh government is planning to start a new evaluation system for its elementary schools in 12 districts, which would do away with written exams.
Children up to class five would no longer have to write long answers, instead, the teachers would now evaluate them over a set of 200 objective type questions.
This is being planned to do away with the conventional system of exams, which had failed to evaluate their all-round development and had put more stress on their young minds.
Bihar to raise women’s battalion
By IANS
Patna : Bihar will raise a women's battalion, on the lines of a similar one in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), to arrest the crime graph in the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had approved the police department's proposal and the process of recruitment would start next month, Bihar police chief Ashish Ranjan Sinha said Monday.
Sinha said 800 women constables would be appointed in the proposed battalion as commandants, deputy commandants and other officers.
Three die after inhaling poisonous gas in Jharkhand
By IANS
Ranchi : Three people died in Jharkhand after inhaling a suspected poisonous gas in Lohardagga district, about 90 km from here, police said Monday.
Ruduwa Oraon, 45, who entered a sanitary tank for repairing it on Sunday evening in Juria Kataratoli village, cried for help when he started to feel suffocated.
Rajendra Oran, 19 and Lalit Oran, 40, then entered the tank to rescue Ruduwa. They also fell unconscious. Later, villagers brought them out and took them to a hospital.
All three were declared brought dead by the doctors at the hospital.
Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die
By IANS
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha was Monday adjourned sine die after the opposition continued its protests demanding the formation of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the India-US nuclear deal.
Mohammad Hamid Ansari, the chairman of the upper house of parliament, made the formal announcement as members of the opposition led by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) once again shouted slogans demanding a JPC to study the implications of the nuclear deal.
The monsoon session of parliament was originally scheduled to conclude Sep 14.
Compulsion to earn forces children to leave schools: Survey
By IANS
Ranchi : The compulsion to earn a livelihood forces hundreds of students to drop out of schools in Jharkhand, a survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted by different agencies and compiled by the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC), was carried out among 25,703 school dropouts in the age group of 6 to 14.
Sonia hails Kashmiri women’s courage in troubled times
By IANS
Srinagar : Terrorism cannot match the strength and unity of the people in Kashmir, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said here Monday, adding that the courage shown by women in preserving the spirit of Kashmiriyat in troubled times was indeed praiseworthy.
My reporter is a criminal: Live India Editor
By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : The CEO and editor of the Live India television news channel that broadcast a fake sting operation that purported to show the alleged involvement of a teacher in a prostitution racket and set off a riot in the process said the reporter who carried out the investigation was a "criminal and breached the trust".
"The reporter kept me in dark and breached the trust. He is a criminal and a hazard for journalism," Live India editor Sudhir Chaudhary told IANS.
Orissa cop suspended for arresting innocent woman
By IANS
Balasore (Orissa) : An Orissa police official has been suspended for dereliction of duty as she had arrested an innocent woman in a case of mistaken identity and put her behind bars, police said Monday.
"Balasore District Superintendent of Police P.S. Ranpise has placed Sarojini Singh, the erring sub-inspector posted at the Jaleswar police station, under suspension after an inquiry made by himself," a police officer told IANS.
Kerala fishermen to get communication centres
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala government is setting up state of the art communication centres for fishermen in various districts, Fisheries Minister S. Sarma said in the assembly Monday.
"This would be basically an information centre with computers, internet and a host of facilities for the benefit of the entire fishing community," Sarma said in reply to a question.
He added that a public address system would publicise all necessary information on weather conditions and potential fishing zones.
Parents welcome ban on students’ union elections
By IANS
Lucknow : Even as students went on rampage and resorted to arson in several parts of the state to mark their protest against the Uttar Pradesh government's ban on students' union elections, serious students and a large number of parents welcomed the decision.
Meanwhile, taking serious note of the protests that culminated into tearing and defacing of her posters and hoardings that dot the skyline all over the state, Chief Minister Mayawati has ordered a crackdown on protestors.
Waterman chants new mantra to tackle Bihar floods
By IANS
Patna : Bihar could get rid of annual floods in three years by adopting decentralised water management, 'waterman' and Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh said Monday.
"Decentralised water management is the need of the hour to get rid of floods in Bihar. It will be a cost-effective measure which can replace the need for construction of dams and embankments," Singh told IANS.
Six killed by lightning strike in West Bengal
By IANS
Kolkata : Six farmers have been killed and eight injured in various incidents of lightning strike in West Bengal's West Midnapore district.
Kharagpur sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Subrata Ganguly said the incidents occurred between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Sunday when torrential rains with gusty wind lashed East and West Midnapore districts.
The victims were from five different areas of West Midnapore - Narayangarh, Debra, Belda, Kesari and Sabang.
Indian missions to play lead role in protecting workers abroad
By IANS
New Delhi : Indian missions abroad will get to play a statutory role in the protection and welfare of overseas Indian workers once amendments to the Emigration Act 1983 come into effect, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said here Monday.
"The amendments to the Emigration Act have been finalised" in consultation with the missions and "are expected to be in place shortly", Ravi said while inaugurating the second annual meeting of the heads of Indian missions in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Malaysia, Jordan, Yemen and Libya.
Chhattisgarh governor blocks anti-conversion bill
By IANS
Raipur : Chhattisgarh Governor S.S.L. Narasimhan has withheld assent to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's much publicised anti-conversion bill passed last year with the aim of banning religious conversions either by force or allurement.
"The governor has objected to at least two provisions of the legislation, including one that asks a person who wants to convert to get written approval for a change of faith 30 days in advance from the district magistrate," said official sources.
Construction firm blames sewage board for flyover mishap
By IANS
Hyderabad : The construction firm building the flyover that collapsed in Hyderabad Monday blamed digging work being carried out by the sewage board for the mishap Sunday evening that killed two people and injured nine.
Gammon India General Manager K. Jayachandran said work by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Works and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) to lay pipelines near the flyover might have loosened the soil, resulting in the accident.
Probe into Assamese woman’s death by security forces
By IANS
Guwahati : The Assam government has ordered a magisterial probe into the death of an elderly woman, allegedly killed by security forces while conducting anti-insurgency operations, officials said Monday.
A government spokesman said the inquiry team headed by a magistrate would submit its report within seven days to investigate allegations that 60-year-old Savitri Rajbonshi died after being hit by rifle butts late Saturday at Noamati village in Barpeta district, about 120 km west of here.
Policy framework for safeguarding overseas Indian workers soon
By IANS
New Delhi : The government is working on a policy framework for safeguarding the interests of overseas Indian workers, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said here Monday.
"It is... imperative that we develop a policy framework and an institutional arrangement that will best serve the overseas Indian workers over the medium to long term," the minister said while inaugurating the second annual meeting of the heads of Indian missions in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Malaysia, Jordan, Yemen and Libya.
People read law in bad faith to misunderstand it: law secretary
By IANS
New Delhi : Ever wondered why legalese happens to be so obscure that Charles Dickens was prompted to decry law as an ass in his celebrated work "Oliver Twist"?
"The law often turns obscure also because of the people who read it in bad faith to misunderstand it," says Indian Law Secretary T.K. Vishvanathan, quoting an English judge and legal luminary Justice Stephen.
Army called out in flood-hit Assam, 8 million displaced
By IANS
Guwahati : The army has been called to rescue marooned villagers in Assam after flash floods displaced 800,000 people overnight, taking the total number of people hit by floods since July to eight million and the number killed to 54, officials said Monday.
"The flood situation has worsened with the Brahmaputra rising menacingly, inundating thousands of villages thereby rendering an estimated 800,000 people homeless since Sunday," Bhumidhar Barman, Assam revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister, told IANS.
Army called out in flood-hit Assam, 8 million displaced
By IANS
Guwahati : The army has been called to rescue marooned villagers in Assam after flash floods displaced 800,000 people overnight, taking the total number of people hit by floods since July to eight million and the number killed to 54, officials said Monday.
"The flood situation has worsened with the Brahmaputra rising menacingly, inundating thousands of villages thereby rendering an estimated 800,000 people homeless since Sunday," Bhumidhar Barman, Assam revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister, told IANS.
Army called out in flood-hit Assam, 8 million displaced
By IANS
Guwahati : The army has been called to rescue marooned villagers in Assam after flash floods displaced 800,000 people overnight, taking the total number of people hit by floods since July to eight million and the number killed to 54, officials said Monday.
"The flood situation has worsened with the Brahmaputra rising menacingly, inundating thousands of villages thereby rendering an estimated 800,000 people homeless since Sunday," Bhumidhar Barman, Assam revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister, told IANS.
Rescue work ends at flyover collapse site, two dead
By IANS
Hyderabad : Rescue operations drew to a close Monday morning at the site where a flyover under construction in one of the busiest areas of Hyderabad collapsed Sunday evening, claiming two lives and injuring nine.
Two heavy cranes had cleared most of the debris of the collapsed portion of the flyover in Punjagutta, one of the busiest commercial areas in the city.
On-schedule Hyderabad international airport raises quality bar
By Neelam Mathews, IANS
Hyderabad : Construction of India's most modern airport at Hyderabad is in full swing with over 82 percent of the work completed. Flight tests are scheduled in January 2008.
To be called the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, the first phase of the GMR-promoted construction, costing $247.8 million, will be completed in March 2008. The international airport would then double its capacity to 12 million passengers a year.
Over 200 Manipuris migrate to Israel
By Sangzuala Hmar, IANS
Aizawl : More than 200 people from Manipur migrated to Israel on tourist visas last month, claiming they were descendants of one of the 10 lost Biblical tribes.
Members of the Shavei Israel Organisation (SIO) in Israel received a group of 231 people from Manipur's Churachandpur district who went in two batches about a fortnight ago.
Colombo somersault marks India’s Sri Lanka dilemma
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS
New Delhi : Sri Lanka's embarrassing denial of its own claim that it had formed a military panel with India comes at a time when the island nation is finding itself in knots as it grapples with the unending ethnic conflict.
In an admission of a diplomatic goof up, the presidential secretariat in Colombo said Sunday that it erroneously reported that an India-Sri Lanka defence committee was set up following high-level discussions in New Delhi earlier this month.
No social security for Rajasthan’s mineworkers
By Anil Sharma, IANS
Jodhpur : The much-publicised social security schemes of the state and central governments are still far from reaching Rajasthan's sandstone mineworkers, a survey has revealed.
Conducted by Rajasthan NGOs Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS) and Health, Environment and Development Consortium (HEDCON) among the sandstone mineworkers of the Jodhpur region, the survey shows that the government schemes have not even been properly implemented in these areas.
In 10 years, no increase in Delhi’s traffic police personnel
By Sahil Makkar, IANS
New Delhi : Here's a set of surprising statistics: in the past decade, the number of vehicles in the Indian capital has almost tripled, but there has been no addition to the strength of traffic police personnel.
Officials complain this is one of the major reasons behind the capital's traffic worries.
"We are operating with the same strength of just 3,000 traffic personnel, which was sanctioned to us in 1998," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Qamar Ahmed told IANS.
Advani’s role not peripheral in Babri Masjid demolition: Anupam Gupta
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Anupam Gupta, lawyer for the Liberhan Commission blamed L. K. Advani for the destruction of the Babri Masjid on 6th December 1992.
In an interview given to the news magazine Outlook, Gupta said that “it is inconceivable that the masjid could have been demolished without the movement preceding it.”
20 feared killed in Hyderabad flyover collapse
By IANS
Hyderabad : At least 20 people were feared killed and 15 were injured as a portion of a flyover under construction collapsed in Hyderabad Sunday evening, police and eyewitnesses said.
The mishap occurred between the busy Panjagutta and Nagarjuna Circle traffic junctions in the heart of the city while it was raining heavily. Huge concrete slabs and equipment fell on the vehicles passing on the either side of the flyover, trapping several people.
10 feared killed in Hyderabad flyover collapse
By IANS
Hyderabad : At least 10 persons were feared killed and several were trapped as a portion of an under-construction flyover collapsed in Hyderabad Sunday evening, the police and eyewitnesses said.
The mishap occurred in the busy Nagarjuna Circle area in the heart of the Andhra Pradesh capital amid heavy rains. Huge concrete slabs and equipment fell on the vehicles passing on either side of the Punjagutta flyover.
Five feared killed in Hyderabad flyover collapse
By IANS
Hyderabad : At least five persons were feared trapped in debris and killed when a flyover under construction in Hyderabad collapsed Sunday evening, the police and eyewitnesses said.
Some 20 people were injured in the collapse in the upscale Panjaguta commercial area of the Andhra Pradesh capital.
Many vehicles plying under the flyover were trapped in the debris that came flying down, the eyewitnesses said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse.
Orissa steel plant pollution triggers rehabilitation demand
By IANS
Jajpur (Orissa) : Villagers staying close to the Nilachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) steel plant in Orissa's Kalinga Nagar industrial complex Sunday demanded to be rehabilitated elsewhere as the plant was causing pollution.
The villagers of Sarangapur locked all the entrance and exit gates of the steel plant by burning tyres and stopped the entry of employees.
The NINL is situated inside the Kalinga Nagar industrial complex in Jajpur district, about 120 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.
India to host international meet on cyber crime
By IANS
New Delhi : India will host from Wednesday a three-day international conference on cyber crimes that are growing at an alarming rate with the Internet becoming a potent tool in the hands of criminals and terrorists.
The meet, to be organised here by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), will be attended by about 100 representatives from more than 40 countries. Over 40 senior police officers and forensic scientists will be among the participants, said a CBI release Sunday.
Indian Navy adopted NATO procedures during war games
By IANS
New Delhi : In what could signal a paradigm shift in its philosophy, the Indian Navy adopted NATO procedures during the five-nation war games also involving the US that concluded in the Bay of Bengal Sunday.
These procedures have largely been evolved by the US and are familiar to the Australian, Japanese and Singaporean navies that participated in the five-day Malabar-2007 joint drill and to that extent, were a unique first for the Indian Navy.
Flood situation worsens in Assam, thousands displaced
By IANS
Guwahati : Large swathes of Assam were flooded Sunday displacing thousands of people, taking the total number of those rendered homeless by the devastating floods to 7.2 million since July, officials said.
A Central Water Commission bulletin said the main Brahmaputra river and its tributaries were flowing above the danger level in at least 19 places and in full spate.
Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dhemaji, North Lakhimpur, Golaghat and Sivasagar districts of the state were the worst affected, the Assam government said in a press release.
India will have to wait for APEC membership
By IANS
Sydney : India's hopes of joining the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) suffered a setback with Australian Prime Minister John Howard Sunday announcing that all new aspirants will have to wait for at least three years to be admitted to the forum.
"We agreed to revisit the issue of membership in 2010," Howard said at the end of APEC'S annual summit, at which India's case for accession to the regional grouping was also discussed.
Gujjars plan massive protests in Rajasthan
By IANS
Jaipur : The Gujjar community in Rajasthan will start "massive protests" again if the state government fails to send a letter to the central government recommending tribal status for them by Sep 12.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the community's leaders at Badke-Balaji near here late Saturday.
In case, the state government fails to meet the Sep 12 deadline, "massive agitations" would be held all over the state so that it becomes memorable for the coming generations. The protests would be non-violent, a source from the community told IANS Sunday.
VJAS takes strong exception of Vaghela’s statement calling Vidarbha farmers lazy
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), has taken strong exception and termed Union Minister for Textiles Shankar Singh Vaghela's statement in Akola (Vidarbha) Cotton Farmers Conference that Vidarbha cotton farmers are lazy and that's the reason they are committing suicide as very unfortunate.
Kannada film inspires farmers’ protest
By R.G. Vijayasarathy, IANS
Bangalore : Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar's "Mathadu Mathadu Mallige", about a farmer's struggle to bust the corporate-bureaucrat nexus, has influenced over a hundred farmers of in a Karnataka town, who have decided to oppose a plan to build a thermal power plant on their land.
Last week, the farmers of the Nandagudi town and surrounding villages in the Hoskote taluk of Bangalore district walked into a small town theatre, watched the film, and came out to stage a sit-in against an alleged attempt to acquire their land.
Rains cease in West Bengal
By IANS
Kolkata : After triggering floods and landslides in West Bengal in the past few days, torrential rains finally showed signs of ebbing away with the sky clearing up Sunday.
No fresh reports of landslides were reported from Darjeeling, Siliguri and Kalimpong in the northern part of the state.
A red alert - sounded for all northern West Bengal rivers like Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Leesh and Gheesh - has been withdrawn by the district administration.
Bombay judge faces prosecution
By IANS
Mumbai : Justice Jaynarayan Patel, senior judge of the Bombay High Court, may face prosecution for violating the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA) in a land deal he transacted in Nagpur over four months ago.
The judge and his two brothers Shrinarayan and Harinarayan have not yet filed the mandatory return of their ancestral land in Nagpur's Chinchbhuvan, which they sold to a realty firm. It has been almost a month since the deadline given to them by the ULCA authority has elapsed, official sources said.
IAF choppers may be used for anti-insurgency operations
By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : After equipping its helicopter squadrons in the east with night vision devices, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is shifting its focus to units in the western region where such aircraft could be used for casualty evacuation and also come to the aid of troops in militancy-hit areas like Jammu and Kashmir.
‘Kidneys for sale’, say hapless parents of Dalit boy
By Imran Khan, IANS
Patna : The son of a Dalit couple in Bihar is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. But while his impoverished parents are willing to sell off their own kidneys to raise money for the expensive procedure, they have so far found no takers.
Yoginder Paswan and his wife, Bulbul Devi, residents of Sivainsinghpur village in Darbhanga district, about 130 km from here, say one of them will donate a kidney to their 18-year-old son while the other will sell a kidney to raise the required Rs.1 million.
Former Punjab DGP arrested over corruption charges
By IANS
New Delhi/Chandigarh : Former Punjab Police chief S.S. Virk was Sunday morning arrested in New Delhi for amassing assets "worth Rs.1 billion" through corrupt means.
Virk, who was DGP of Punjab Police till January, was taken into custody from the Maharashtra Bhavan in the capital. Virk is a serving DGP rank officer in Maharashtra police.
Indian, Thai armies hold joint counter-insurgency exercise
By IANS
Ranchi : Armies of India and Thailand are sharing anti-terror tactics in a joint exercise underway at The Sikh Regiment Centre at Ramgarh in Jharkhand.
A hundred army personnel, 50 from each side, are participating in the 17-day joint exercise that began on Sep 3 and will end on Sep 19.
The joint exercise aimed at enhancing coordination and cooperation between the two armed forces in areas of defence and security has been codenamed Exercise Maiteree-07.
Saarc nations to finalise anti-terror pact
By IANS
Dhaka : Experts of eight South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member nations will meet in Colombo Monday to examine an India-prepared draft for a regional anti-terrorism pact.
Home/interior ministers of the member nations - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives - are scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Oct 26 to sign the pact that would be finalized a day earlier by the home/interior secretaries.
Indian army relents, will cooperate with police on Siachen scam probe
By NNN-PTO
New Delhi : Faced with a controversy over the pilferage of food and clothes meant for troops on the Siachen glacier, the army has finally agreed to cooperate with Jammu and Kashmir Police after its attempts to thwart the probe into the matter were countered by the state administration.
The army has said it will cooperate with police once two courts of inquiry, initiated by it into the pilferage cases, were completed. Police could summon the concerned officials if they were not satisfied with the army's report, sources said.
India and Armenia to partake in Minsk celebrations
By NNN-BELTA
Minsk : Foreign delegations intend to take part in the celebration of the Day of the Belarusian capital. Representatives of India and Armenia have already arrived in Minsk.
As Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said to the journalists in the national airport Minsk, India values highly the relations with Belarus and intends to develop mutual contacts in different areas.
India asks Iran to cooperate with IAEA
By NNN-APP
New Delhi : India on Friday asked Iran to cooperate with IAEA actively and in a transparent manner as further progress was needed on Tehran’s nuclear programme to remove all doubts and uncertainty.
Navtej Sarna, spokesman of the Indian External Affairs Ministry said while talking to reporters after a meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari, the special envoy of Iranian President Mohd Ahmedinejad.
During talks the Iranian special envoy briefed India on Iran’s nuclear policy.
Azad, Alderdice talk dialogue & development in J&K
By News Agency of Kashmir
British MP describes Kashmir as extremely beautiful land, its people very hospitable, friendly
Srinagar : Lord Alderdice, former Speaker, Northern Ireland Assembly and Member Independent Monitoring Commission, Northern Ireland, currently on a visit of the Valley, called on Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here this morning. He was accompanied by Radha Kumar of Jamia Millia and Delhi Policy Group.
Mufti Sayeed leaves for USA
By News Agency of Kashmir
New Delhi : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed today left for USA, where he is scheduled to address a conference on Indo-US relations.
Indian envoys to discuss protection measures for overseas workers
By IANS
New Delhi : The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) is organising a conference here Sep 10-11 with Indian envoys in countries with significant Indian presence to discuss policy measures for safeguarding the interests of Indian workers abroad.
"MOIA is organising a conference with our envoys in 10 countries to discuss policy measures for protecting the interests of Indian workers abroad," a senior MOIA official told IANS.
Former Punjab DGP arrested
By IANS
New Delhi/Chandigarh : Former director general of Punjab police S.S. Virk was arrested Sunday by the Punjab Police from the Maharashtra Bhavan in New Delhi in connection with a disproportionate assets case registered against him.
He is a serving director general of police (DGP) rank officer in Maharashtra.
SRTC employees stage `top-less’ protest in Jammu
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : Facing starvation-like situation due to non-release of their salaries, hundreds Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees took out a "semi-nude" protest rally, here today.
Sevak Sanstha expresses gratitude to J&K govt
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : Sarv Shakti Sevak Sanstha, a religious organisation organizing annual Machail Yatra, has expressed gratitude to chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad and the government functionaries who have contributed to the successful annual Yatra, this year.
In a press statement, issued here today, KS Jamwal Pattron on behalf of Sarv Shakti Sevak Sanstha, expressed whole hearted thanks to the Chief Minister and Minister for rural development, who visited Bhaderwah on the last day of the Yatra.
Submit report on 52 PoK detnues; SC tells JK govt
By News Agency of Kashmir
New Delhi : A Division Bench of the Supreme Court today asked the state of Jammu and Kashmir to provide detailed report about the fifty-two detnues from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, who are languishing in various jails of the state.
`Egg scam’ in Indian army: 52 officers served show cause notice
By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu : Controversies continue to surround Indian army as it is now the `Egg scam', which has surfaced in Udhampur based Northern Command. Senior brass in the command have served show cause notice on over fifty-two (52) officers allegedly involved in supply of `under-sized and `under weight' eggs to the troops.
The embezzlement surfaced after the Jammu and Kashmir police unearthed a major scam involving large-scale bungling in special supplies meant for troops deployed in high altitude areas.
Hillary’s India connection comes under scanner again
By IANS
Washington : Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's India connection has come under scanner again with an influential US daily suggesting that she is seeking to strike a delicate balance on the contentious issue of outsourcing US jobs.
The former first lady is doing so as she courts two competing constituencies: wealthy Indian immigrants who have pledged to donate and raise as much as $5 million for her 2008 campaign and powerful American labour unions that are crucial to any Democratic primary victory, the Washington Post said Saturday.
Squeezed by West, Sudan woos India
By Manish Chand, IANS
Khartoum : In Sudan, Africa's largest country and oil mecca that evokes images of a nation in humanitarian crisis, say America and you get hostile looks. But the moment you say India, the Sudanese break into a smile and sometimes even begin to hum a Hindi song.
Ten-year-old US sanctions over alleged human rights violations may have squeezed the Sudanese economy, but it has only spurred a defiant Khartoum to seek new friends and business partners in China and India - both rising Asian powers.
India to meet South Korea in Asia Cup finals
By T.S.V. Hari, IANS
Chennai : India sailed into the finals of the BSNL Asia Cup Hockey Tournament beating Japan 4-1 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here Saturday.
The hosts will now meet Asian Games champions South Korea in the finals to be played here Sunday.
India played true to form and defeated the machinations of Japan who played fast and furious. The half-time score read 2-0 in favour of India.
While Prabhjot Singh scored a brace, Shivendra and Roshan Minz scored a goal each for the hosts.
India to call Wagah border as Attari border
By IANS
Chandigarh : The Wagah check post on the India-Pakistan border will now be known in India as Attari check post.
The central government has notified the name change, a Punjab government spokesman said here Saturday.
The state government had recently recommended to the centre that the name of the post should be changed from Wagah to Attari as Wagah village is located inside Pakistan while the first village on the Indian side is Attari.
Villagers in mourning, as road accident claims 85 lives
By IANS
Udaipur : Villages in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district are in a state of shock after 85 people from the district were killed in a road accident while they were on a pilgrimage.
The accident occurred at around 8 p.m. Friday when a truck carrying about 150 pilgrims, mostly from poor families, fell into a 30-foot-deep gorge in Desuri, about 150 km from Udaipur in southern Rajasthan.
Four killed as small plane crashes near Bangalore
By IANS
Bangalore : Four people on board a private small aircraft were killed when it crashed on the outskirts of Bangalore soon after taking off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport on way to Kottayam, Kerala, Saturday afternoon. The dead included the pilot of the Pilactus 68 aircraft.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar said the four-seater aircraft belonged to Alukka jewellers. The Kerala-based jewellers run a chain of jewellery shops in Bangalore and other places in southern states.
Wrestler Dara Singh’s son gets bail
By IANS
Chandigarh : A local court Saturday granted bail to Amrik Singh, the younger son of legendary wrestler and MP Dara Singh, after he was arrested Friday for allegedly assaulting and outraging the modesty of his wife.
Amrik was arrested with three others, including his maternal uncle and a lawyer, following a complaint made by his wife Amrita Randhawa.
The court asked Amrik to furnish a surety a bond of Rs.20,000.
He has been charged with outraging the modesty of his wife, assault and trespass, a police official investigating the case said Friday.
‘Ignorance, prejudices rule religious reporting in India’
By IANS
New Delhi : The Indian media's reporting on religious controversies has miles to go as it is still ruled by ignorance and prejudices, said veteran journalists here Saturday.
Participating in a symposium on 'Reporting Religious Controversies', a group of senior journalists said the Indian media had to adopt a careful approach while reporting on religious controversies.
Better healthcare for ex-servicemen in Kerala
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Thousands of retired soldiers in Kerala will get better healthcare as authorities Saturday decided to empanel more private hospitals for specialist services under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics of the state.
"This would benefit a large number of ex-servicemen in the state," said Lt. General Saibal Mukherjee, director general of medical services (Army) and Col Commandant, Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army HQs, while addressing jawans at a function here.
Make women’s literacy a priority, urges president
By IANS
New Delhi : Voicing concern over India being home to the largest number of illiterates in the world, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Saturday urged that women's literacy and education be treated as "priority" for the beneficial effect to be felt by society.
Speaking at the International Literacy Day Celebration here in the capital, Patil said: "India is home to the world's largest number of illiterates and this is a matter of great concern. India accounts for 20 percent of the world's out-of-school children and 35 percent adult illiterates.
Delhi teacher framed in TV sting may be free Monday
By IANS
New Delhi : Uma Khurana, the mathematics teacher who was framed in a fake television sting operation purporting to prove her complicity in a student prostitution racket, is likely to be set free Monday as police is not going to oppose her bail plea.
Asked whether police would now request the court to dismiss the false charges against Khurana, a senior police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said she would most likely be out on bail.
Expert team for flood studies at Mullaperiyar dam
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Even as Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has given the go ahead to construct a new dam at Mullaperiyar near the site of an 111-year-old dam on the border with Tamil Nadu, the state government has commissioned a team of experts to do flood studies in and around the old dam area.
Speaking to IANS, State Irrigation Minister N.K. Premachandran said that a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee would arrive later this month to conduct flood routing studies.
Eight killed in landslides in West Bengal
By IANS
Kolkata : Landslides triggered by incessant rainfall have claimed eight lives and displaced over 500 people in Darjeeling district of West Bengal in the past two days.
The landslips have blocked and cut off several roads, including national highways 31 and 31A, that link Sikkim with Darjeeling, parts of Kalimgpong and Kurseong in the district.
This one’s also for the road!
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS
Agra : If it's a Tuesday, don't be surprised to find a group of women offering prayers and performing rituals on an Agra road. For they believe divine intervention will help their near and dear ones ward off road accidents!
"Sadak puja" or road worship has become a regular feature in the city, especially after some recent road accidents.
Protest planned against Sonia’s UN visit
By IANS
New York : A group of pro-Hindutva organisations in the US have planned a protest against Congress president Sonia Gandhi representing India at the UN in New York on Oct 2, when Mahatma Gandhi's birthday will be observed as International Non-Violence Day.
They feel Sonia Gandhi is not a true representative of India and not the best person to deliver a speech on non-violence at the UN.
US, Japan, Australia discuss closer ties with India
By DPA
Sydney : The US and its key regional defence allies, Japan and Australia, discussed at length closer ties with Asian giant India during meetings Saturday, Australia's foreign minister said.
President George W. Bush and prime ministers John Howard and Shinzo Abe met in Sydney ahead of the day's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting. Discussion about India dominated the breakfast meeting, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told reporters.
85 pilgrims dead in Rajasthan road crash
By IANS
Udaipur : At least 85 people have lost their lives and around 60 injured when the truck they were travelling in fell into a gorge in the worst accident in Rajasthan's history, police said Saturday.
"The accident occurred at around 8 p.m. Friday when the truck carrying about 150 people fell into a 30-foot-deep gorge in Desuri area," Rajeev Dasot, inspector general of police (Udaipur range), told IANS. Desuri is about 150 km from Udaipur in southern Rajasthan.
Flash floods in Assam, 51 killed since July
By IANS
Guwahati : Heavy rains have triggered flash floods in Assam displacing thousands of people overnight with the death toll since the first wave of flooding in July mounting to 51, officials said Saturday.
A Central Water Commission bulletin said the main Brahmaputra river and its tributaries were flowing above the danger level in at least 15 places and in full spate.
MP Govt. to re-introduce Moral education in primary schools
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: All is not lost yet. There is hope that a brake can still be put to the ongoing downslide in the moral values in society if good counsel prevails. The society can still be extricated from the morass of degrading values if the new generation, the torch-bearers of the future, are reined-in and right inputs are given to them at right point of time in their formative years before it is too late.
Make a style statement – with recycled polythene bags
By Azera Rahman, IANS
New Delhi : It's hardly getting as much attention as it should be at the fashion week, what with models, designers and the who's who of India's entertainment industry around. But Anita Ahuja's store 'Conserve', with its colourful and trendy bags made out of recycled plastic, is surely making its presence felt.
Implement Law Commission reports: CJI
By IANS
New Delhi : Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Friday lamented that many valuable Law Commission reports were "lying dormant" and asked the central government to consider implementing them.
"Many valuable reports (of the Law Commission) are lying dormant. I feel somebody should look into it," said the chief justice, speaking at the release of the second edition of "Legislative Drafting: Shaping the Law for the New Millennium".
70 pilgrims die in Rajasthan accident
By IANS
Jaipur : Seventy pilgrims, most of them women, were killed when the truck they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Rajasthan late Friday, police said.
The accident occurred around 8.30 p.m. when the 10-wheeled truck was negotiating a mountain road in the Aravali range near Desuri ki Naal town, some 150 km from Udaipur.
The pilgrims were on their way to the Hindu holy town of Ramdevara near Pokhran in western Rajasthan, police said.
Ship stuck off Mangalore safe, say experts
By IANS
Mangalore : A team of experts on marine dynamics and engineering Friday said that MV Chang Lemin, the freighter that is stuck in shallow waters off the Taneerbavi coast near here since Thursday, is safe and there are no chances of it capsizing.
The team that arrived here Friday undertook a survey of the ship and reached the conclusion.
Basing their conclusion on the position of the ship for the last 24 hours, the volume of cargo that was in the hold and the health of the engines, they said the ship was in a stable condition.
Court notice to police on election posters
By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday issued notice to the city police on a contempt petition that alleged that the police had failed to take action against those who defaced public property by pasting election posters.
A division bench comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and Kailash Gambhir asked the police to file their report within four weeks on the action they had taken in compliance with the earlier order of the court.
Reporter behind fake TV sting held
By IANS
New Delhi : Television news channel reporter Prakash Singh was Friday arrested on charges of cheating, fabrication of evidence and criminal conspiracy for his role in the fake sting operation allegedly showing a teacher forcing schoolgirls into prostitution.
"We have arrested Prakash Singh, reporter of Live India channel, for carrying out a fake sting operation, which showed that Uma Khurana (teacher) was forcing her students into prostitution," a senior police official told IANS.
SC wants compliance of Lyngdoh panel report
By IANS
New Delhi : Upset over growing politicisation of university campuses and increasing criminalisation of student politics, the Supreme Court Friday sought strict compliance of the J.M. Lyngdoh panel report by the universities.
A bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice P. Sathashivam asked the central government to apprise it within two weeks of various steps taken by universities to implement the panel's report on use of money and muscle powers in student body elections.
Decision on bringing spectrum policy again deferred
By IANS
New Delhi : Imbroglio over allocation of scarce spectrum airwaves for development of mobile services by private operators continues with the government failing to take a decision on Friday.
"Technical assessment is on," is all that Communications and IT Minister A. Raja told reporters as he came out of a crucial meeting of an empowered group of ministers (EGoM) here.