7 school children, autorickshaw driver killed in accident in Tamil Nadu

PUDUKOTTAI: Seven school children were crushed to death when an autorickshaw, doubling up as a goods carrier, in which they were travelling, was hit by a private bus in Pudukottai district in central Tamil Nadu at 9.30am on Wednesday. The autorickshaw driver too was killed in the violent collision, police confirmed. Three other students, who suffered serious injuries, have been admitted in the Thanjavur medical college-cum-hospital. Twelve students, between the age group of 12 and 15, were crammed into the autorickshaw when the accident occurred.

The students from Kaikurichi were on their way to Vallathirakottai government higher secondary school, some 20 km from Pudukottai when the gruesome accident occurred. The condition of the three children, who were injured, is said to be critical, according to doctors. Three of the students, who were killed, belong to a family.

Officials said the students had to travel in the goods carrier autorickshaw as there were not enough public transport facilities in the area. Officials said the private autorickshaws did not follow norms prescribed for the school buses and the students hitched on to it in an attempt to reach the school in time. It is common for such vehicles in the area to cram in as many as 12 to 15 students. Such accidents are common in rural Tamil Nadu.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Madhya Pradesh announces Rs 5 crore aid to Uttarakhand

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an assistance of Rs five crore to the monsoon-ravaged Uttarakhand state where heavy rains and landslides have created havoc.

Chouhan made this announcement on Tuesday after receiving reports of major damage in the hill state, famous for the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri, official sources said.

The chief minister also set up a cell in the CM Secretariat to provide help to the stranded pilgrims. Under Secretary, Neeraj Vashishta has been appointed as its coordinator, they added.

Chouhan's secretary, Hariranjan Rao will work in coordination with the State's Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, Shailendra Singh for relief measures, sources said.

Besides, the state disaster management body has also started an Emergency Control Room headed by District Commandant, Santosh Jat (Mob No. 09926769808 and Landline No 0755-2556422) for providing relief to the stranded persons.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rajya Sabha polls: MMK's two MLAs to support Kanimozhi

CHENNAI: Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi, which has two members in Tamil Nadu Assembly, on Wednesday extended its support to DMK candidate Kanimozhi in the June 27 biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.

"We met DMK chief M Karunanidhi and extended our support in the RS polls," MMK leader M H Jawahirullah said.

MMK has two members -- Jawahirullah (Ramanathapuram) and Aslam Basha (Ambur) in the Assembly. DMK, which has 23 members in the Assembly, is set to contest the sixth seat with principal opposition DMDK's candidate A R Elangovan. DMDK has 29 members, including seven dissidents and has sought the support of Congress, which has five members in the Assembly.

The last day for withdrawal of nominations for the polls to six Rajya Sabha seats is June 20. The ruling AIADMK is already assured of four seats with its strength of 151 members in the 234-member Assembly. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had agreed to withdraw the candidature of her party's K Thangamuthu, who was nominated for the fifth seat, in favour of CPI's D Raja and he is expected to gain the required 34 votes for victory.

Following is the party position in the assembly: AIADMK 151, DMDK 29, DMK 23, CPM 10, CPI 8, CONG 5, PMK 3, MMK 2, Puthiya Thamilagam 2, All India Forward Bloc 1.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

CBI registers 13th FIR in coal blocks allocation scam

NEW DELHI: CBI has registered a fresh case in connection with its coal blocks allocation probe against a Delhi-based steel company and carried out searches at its premises in the National Capital Region.

CBI sources said a case has been lodged against Rathi Steel and Power Limited, its director Udit Rathi and unknown others for alleged cheating and misrepresentation of facts while applying for a coal block.

The sources said the company earlier known as Rathi Udyog Limited was allocated Kesla North coal block in Korba, Chhattisgarh for its sponge iron plant on August 5, 2008.

They said the company has allegedly misrepresented facts while applying for the coal block.

This is the 13th FIR in connection with the coal blocks allocation scam probe.

Soon after registering the FIR, CBI teams carried out searches at various residential and official premises of the company in Delhi and Ghaziabad.

CBI is probing alleged irregularities in the allocation of 192 coal blocks which were made between 1993 to 2011. The agency has registered three preliminary enquiries in this connection-- related to allocation between 2006-09, allocation between 1993 to 2004 and allocations given to joint ventures.

So far, the agency has registered FIRs arising out of its preliminary enquiry covering allocation between 2006-09.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Karnataka sends team to Uttarakhand to ensure its people's safety

BANGALORE: Karnataka government has sent a three-member team to Uttarakhand to ensure safety of people from the state stranded there due to floods. "We are in constant touch with the Centre and Uttarakhand government to get information on safety of our people stranded in Uttarakhand," chief minister Siddaramaiah told reporters.

Flash floods in Uttarakhand have claimed over a hundred lives and left thousands of pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The government has also set up helplines to get information on Kannadigas going on pilgrimage and their whereabouts, Siddaramaiah said. Former minister Shobha Karandlaje is among scores of people from Karnataka stranded in Uttarakhand. She, however, is safe, according her family sources.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

India moves closer to hosting a Pakistani panel in connection with 26\11 probe

NEW DELHI: Moving closer to host a Pakistani judicial commission, which will cross-examine four witnesses in the 2611 Mumbai terror attack case, New Delhi has sent copies of the Bombay high court order in this regard and statements of the witnesses, to Islamabad.
"Pakistan will produce these documents before its anti-terror court in Rawalpindi and decide on the date of visit of its judicial commission", said a senior home ministry official.

He said Islamabad was likely to take a decision on this soon, as there had been no issue pending before it or India, in this regard. "Since the Bombay high court has already given its approval, we don't expect any obstacle from Pakistani court now," he added.
The agreement on the second visit of the panel was finalized on December 25 last year in Islamabad, following several rounds of discussions on complex technical and legal issues between a four-member visiting Indian delegation and Pakistani officials.

During its visit, the Indian team secured assurance from Pakistani authorities that the findings of the second judicial commission would not be summarily rejected by the anti-terrorism court that is conducting the trial of the seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists including the outfit's operational commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

The panel had visited Mumbai for the first time in March last year. But, it was not allowed to cross-examine the witnesses. It had then, just recorded the statement, and, returned. Its findings were subsequently rejected by the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, as the panel's members were not allowed to cross-examine the Indian witnesses.

The witnesses are metropolitan magistrate RV Sawant Waghule, who recorded the confessional statement of LeT terrorist Ajmal Kasab, investigating officer Ramesh Mahale and two doctors from the state-run hospitals who had conducted autopsies of nine terrorists.

The cross-examination of the four witnesses is required to take the ongoing 26/11 case in a Rawalpindi court to its logical conclusion.

After the judicial panel visits India and cross-examines the four witnesses, Islamabad will be expected to reciprocate by granting an Indian judicial commission's access to Pakistani suspects, when it visits the country at a later stage.

The trial of the Pakistani suspects has made little or no headway for months due to various technical and legal issues. The Lahore high court has barred the anti-terrorism court from using Kasab's confession, while defence lawyers have contended that existing Pakistani laws do not allow witnesses in another country to depose via video conferencing.

08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

PIL filed in SC on US surveillance of internet data

NEW DELHI: The issue of the US National Security Agency monitoring internet data of India today reached the Supreme Court with a PIL filed seeking its direction to the Centre to initiate action against internet companies for sharing information with foreign authority in "breach" of contract and violation of right to privacy.

The PIL, filed by a former dean of law faculty of Delhi University Professor S N Singh, alleged such largescale spying by the USA authorities is detrimental to national security and urged the apex court to intervene in the matter.

"As per reports, US-based nine internet companies, operating in India through agreements signed with Indian users, shared 6.3 billion information/data with National Security Agency of USA without express consent of the Indian users. Such largescale spying by the USA authorities besides being against the privacy norms is also detrimental to national security," the petition, filed through advocate Virag Gupta, said.

Singh submitted it is a breach of national security as government's official communication has come under the US surveillance as the services of private internet companies are being used by them and he also referred that after the Mumbai terror attack the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement from a Hotmail address of Microsoft Corp.

"Petition filed in Public Interest seeking a direction to Centre to take urgent steps to safeguard the government's sensitive internet communications which is 'Record' as per provisions of Public Records Act and it's secrecy to be maintained as per Official Secrets Act but same is being kept outside India in US servers, which is unlawfully intruded by USA Intelligence Agencies through US-based internet companies under secret surveillance program called PRISM," he said.

He submitted the government and its officials be restrained from using US-based internet companies for official communication and all such companies, which are doing business in India, must establish their servers here so that they can be regulated as per Indian Laws.

08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Over 1,000 complaints pending against 28 companies for over 2 months

NEW DELHI: Over 1,000 investor complaints have been pending against 28 listed companies, including ONGC, Coal India, ITC, Sterlite Industries and Zylog Systems, for more than two months, according to the regulator Sebi.

According to the Sebi's Online Complaints Redress System (SCORES) data, a total of 28 listed companies had ten or more complaints pending against them for a period of more than 60 days, as on May 31, 2013.

At the end of fiscal 2012-13, there were collectively 911 complaints pending against 23 companies.

Of the total 1,035 investor complaints pending against 28 companies at May-end, the maximum number of complaints (193) were pending against Vatsa Corporations. The company had 191 complaints registered against it as on March 31, 2013.

There were 154 investor grievances against Malanpur Steel, 145 against Acropetal Technologies and 111 against state-run giant ONGC.

Zylog Systems (46), Coal India (28) Sterlite Industries (21) and ITC Ltd (11) are among other firms against which investor compalints were pending.

A total of 115 complaints were pending for over two months against three merchant banks, two mutual funds and one registrar to an issue/share transfer agent (Karvy Computershare Private Ltd).

The merchant bankers included Enam Securities (27), Citigroup Global Markets (13) and Kotak Mahindra Capital (12).

Besides, Reliance Mutual Fund and UTI Mutual Fund had 33 and 13 investor complaints respectively pending against them.

Sebi online complaint redressal system, SCORES, lists all entities functioning in the capital market, including listed companies, stock exchanges, merchant bankers and mutual funds.

The list includes those entities against which more than ten complaints are pending for more than 60 days. Sebi has excluded entities against which enforcement action has been initiated by it for non-redressal of investor complaints.

On April 17, this year, Sebi had directed stock exchanges and listed companies to redress investor complaints within a month of receiving them. The regulator has said that failure to adhere to these directions would attract penal action.

SCORES which was launched by the regulator in June 2011 provides a centralised database of all complaints, online movement of complaints to the concerned listed companies, online upload of Action Taken Reports (ATRs) by the concerned companies. It also helps investors view, track and follow up the actions taken on their grievance.

The shift to the online redressal system has significantly helped reduce the processing time of complaints. PTI SSMOver 1,000 complaints pending against 28 cos for over 2 months

New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) Over 1,000 investor complaints have been pending against 28 listed companies, including ONGC, Coal India, ITC, Sterlite Industries and Zylog Systems, for more than two months, according to the regulator Sebi.

According to the Sebi's Online Complaints Redress System (SCORES) data, a total of 28 listed companies had ten or more complaints pending against them for a period of more than 60 days, as on May 31, 2013.

At the end of fiscal 2012-13, there were collectively 911 complaints pending against 23 companies.

Of the total 1,035 investor complaints pending against 28 companies at May-end, the maximum number of complaints (193) were pending against Vatsa Corporations. The company had 191 complaints registered against it as on March 31, 2013.

There were 154 investor grievances against Malanpur Steel, 145 against Acropetal Technologies and 111 against state-run giant ONGC.

Zylog Systems (46), Coal India (28) Sterlite Industries (21) and ITC Ltd (11) are among other firms against which investor complaints were pending.

A total of 115 complaints were pending for over two months against three merchant banks, two mutual funds and one registrar to an issue/share transfer agent (Karvy Computershare Private Ltd).

The merchant bankers included Enam Securities (27), Citigroup Global Markets (13) and Kotak Mahindra Capital (12).

Besides, Reliance Mutual Fund and UTI Mutual Fund had 33 and 13 investor complaints respectively pending against them.

Sebi online complaint redressal system, SCORES, lists all entities functioning in the capital market, including listed companies, stock exchanges, merchant bankers and mutual funds.

The list includes those entities against which more than ten complaints are pending for more than 60 days. Sebi has excluded entities against which enforcement action has been initiated by it for non-redressal of investor complaints.

On April 17, this year, Sebi had directed stock exchanges and listed companies to redress investor complaints within a month of receiving them. The regulator has said that failure to adhere to these directions would attract penal action.

SCORES which was launched by the regulator in June 2011 provides a centralised database of all complaints, online movement of complaints to the concerned listed companies, online upload of Action Taken Reports (ATRs) by the concerned companies. It also helps investors view, track and follow up the actions taken on their grievance.

The shift to the online redressal system has significantly helped reduce the processing time of complaints.

08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

G8 calls for Syria peace conference as soon as possible

ENNISKILLEN, United Kingdom: G8 leaders on Tuesday strongly endorsed calls for peace talks to be held in Geneva on the Syria conflict "as soon as possible".

At the end of a summit in Northern Ireland, the leaders also called for an agreement on a Syrian transitional government "formed by mutual consent", noting that military forces and security services needed to be preserved or restored.

08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sun reporter, prison officer charged in British bribery probe

LONDON: The chief foreign correspondent for Rupert Murdoch's top-selling British tabloid The Sun has been charged for allegedly paying public officials for information, prosecutors said.

Journalist Nick Parker faces three counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office relating to alleged payments to a prison officer and a police officer between 2007 and 2009.

The prison officer, Lee Brockhouse, also faces two related charges of misconduct and conspiracy to commit misconduct, said Gregor McGill, a senior lawyer with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The allegations state that between April 2007 and October 2009, The Sun paid £1,750 (2,000 euros, $2,700) to Brockhouse for information about the movement of prisoners, prison procedures and methods used by prisoners to smuggle items into jail.

Brockhouse, who worked at Swaleside prison in Kent, east of London, is also accused of providing similar information to the rival People newspaper for £900.

Parker also faces two charges of conspiring with an unnamed police officer to commit misconduct in public office in March-April 2009 and December 2009.

The CPS said it had decided not to charge another journalist arrested over related allegations.

An internal message to staff at News International, Murdoch's British newspaper division, confirmed proceedings had been dropped against John Sturgis, the deputy news editor of The Sun.

News International chief executive Mike Darcey said in the message that he was disappointed at the charges brought against Parker and said he would be given legal support.

The police investigation into alleged bribery of public officials, dubbed Operation Elveden, was launched following the phone-hacking scandal at Murdoch's News of the World tabloid.

The weekly was shut down in July 2011 after it emerged it had illegally accessed the mobile phone voice mails of hundreds of high-profile figures, including a missing teenager who was later found murdered.

08.21 | 0 komentar | Read More