About 50 mummies discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings

CAIRO: Remains of about 50 mummies, including newborn babies, thought to belong to the 18th Pharaonic dynasty were found in a huge tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in Luxor, antiquities minister Mohamed Ibrahim said on Monday.

Wooden coffins and death masks were found beside the bodies, probably dating from the New Kingdom, state news agency MENA quoted Ibrahim as saying, referring to Egypt's 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties between about 1567 and 1085 BC.

According to initial studies of the find, princes and princesses were among the bodies found in the tomb, which had been raided in previous eras, MENA reported.

The discovery was made by a Swiss team from the University of Basel working with the Egyptian government.

Antiquities are vital to Egypt's tourist trade but, beset by insecurity and political chaos in the three years since the Arab Spring, the country has failed to secure ancient sites and stop theft from museums, mosques, stores and illegal excavations.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bihar minister files case against Ramdev

PATNA: Bihar minister and JD(U) leader Shayam Rajak on Monday filed a complaint case against yoga guru Ramdev for his uncharitable remarks on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi pertaining to dalits.

Rajak filed the case in the court of chief judicial magistrate Ramakant Yadav.

The matter will come up for hearing tomorrow. Rajak submitted in his petition that Ramdev's statement "Rahul Gandhi visits Dalits' houses for honeymoon" had insulted the downtrodden.

He sought action against Ramdev under IPC 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 and relevant sections of SC & ST Act.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Teacher admits campaign to install Muslim staff in UK schools

LONDON: Amid reports that UK authorities are investigating about 25 state schools in Birmingham for their alleged radical "Islamisation", a teacher at the centre of the plot has acknowledged the existence of such a campaign to install Muslims in governing roles.

The schools are currently being probed after reports that there existed a "Trojan Horse" plot aimed at takeover of the secular state schools by religious hardliners.

The reports claim male and female students were segregated, sex education banned and extremist clerics praised in assemblies.

But one of the teachers said the controversial plot was aimed at raising the attainment levels of Muslim students after years of under-achievement.

Speaking anonymously to Channel 4 News last night, the teacher said: "This is about the proportion of representation and leadership on boards of schools that serve predominantly Muslim children.

"These teachers and leaders have a deeper understanding of the view of the population in these schools. I think the needs of Muslim children have been neglected for many, many years."

Birmingham has a large Muslim population — nearly 22 per cent, according to the 2011 census.

The "Trojan Horse" plot involves the alleged takeover of secular state schools and the removal of secular head teachers in Birmingham by radical Muslim staff and governors.

Five non-Muslim heads have left their posts in a tiny area of the northern England city over the past six months.

Britain's schools inspectorate, OFSTED, is set to publish its final inspection reports on the Operation Trojan Horse by the second week of May.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Deceased YSR Congress leader still a contestant, EC clarifies

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission on Monday clarified that YSR Congress's Shobha Nagi Reddy, who died in a road accident last week, will still be treated as a candidate in the elections to Andhra Pradesh's Allagadda assembly constituency and if she gets elected, a by-election will be held.

In a communication to the YSR Congress, the poll panel made it clear that the votes polled for the deceased candidate will not be treated as votes cast for NOTA (None of the above) option. It also dismissed the view that even if the deceased gets highest number of votes, the candidate with maximum number of votes among the remaining contestants will be declared elected.

Shobha, a candidate of YSR Congress from Allagadda in Kurnool district, died in a road accident last Thursday. However, the Election Commission did not countermand the election as YSR Congress is not a recognized party.

As her name was already included on the ballot paper, she remained a contesting candidate. State's chief electoral officer Bhanwarlal had earlier stated that votes polled for Shobha would have no validity and that they would be treated as votes for NOTA option.

The Election Commission's clarification came as a relief for YSR Congress, which was left without a candidate in the constituency.

Allagadda is one of the 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra going to polls on May 7.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Deceased YSR Congress leader still a contestant, EC clarifies

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission on Monday clarified that YSR Congress's Shobha Nagi Reddy, who died in a road accident last week, will still be treated as a candidate in the elections to Andhra Pradesh's Allagadda assembly constituency and if she gets elected, a by-election will be held.

In a communication to the YSR Congress, the poll panel made it clear that the votes polled for the deceased candidate will not be treated as votes cast for NOTA (None of the above) option. It also dismissed the view that even if the deceased gets highest number of votes, the candidate with maximum number of votes among the remaining contestants will be declared elected.

Shobha, a candidate of YSR Congress from Allagadda in Kurnool district, died in a road accident last Thursday. However, the Election Commission did not countermand the election as YSR Congress is not a recognized party.

As her name was already included on the ballot paper, she remained a contesting candidate. State's chief electoral officer Bhanwarlal had earlier stated that votes polled for Shobha would have no validity and that they would be treated as votes for NOTA option.

The Election Commission's clarification came as a relief for YSR Congress, which was left without a candidate in the constituency.

Allagadda is one of the 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra going to polls on May 7.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fire breaks out in lawyers' chamber block in Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: A fire broke out in a lawyer's chamber block in the Supreme Court premises today and four tenders were rushed to douse the blaze.

Fire brigade officials said that the fire, which broke out in the R K Jain lawyers' chamber block, had been brought under control.

While there was no immediate report of any casualty, the damage was being assessed.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Was Polo castrated?

MYSORE: Whether or not country's lonely gorilla of Mysore zoo, for whom the authorities frantically tried to find a companion or partner, was castrated before he was handed over to Mysore zoo is a question that remains unanswered.

Polo, 43, a western lowland gorilla, an endangered species was the only representative of his species in India. He lived with Sumathi, before her death in 2000. Since then, zoo authorities were looking for a suitable female gorilla to partner with Polo to continue his progeny.

Though search proved a failure, a zoo official ,couple of years ago, revealed that Polo would not be able to mate with the new partner as he had no reproductive organs.

According to this official Polo's genitals appear to have been removed before he was shipped to India. Attendants who bathed the gorilla had mentioned to the higher ups the lack of genital in Polo and his failure to impregnate Sumathi even once though despite both being in the prime of their life and health. Even the officials then who failed to witness any aggressive sexual behaviours of Polo with Sumathi had revealed to this paper that Polo simply lies on Sumathi when they were allowed to mate. Zoo authorities then who saw any arousals on the part of Polo had even showed the films of other Gorillas mating and porno films to arouse his sexual desires and mate with Sumathi. Irony was Polo was selected as Sumathi's partner because he had a record of fathering many baby gorillas in Dublin zoo.

However, the authorities who denied the castration story and claimed that they were looking for the partner then were on Sunday said to be discussing the issue at a closed door meeting held at Mysore zoo earlier. Zoo sources disclosed to Times Of India that the remnant of the Polo's testicles which were very small in size have been sent for biopsy to a research institute at Bangalore to find out whether they were "active or not".

Usually the gorillas have a life span of 40 to 45 years in natural habitats , they live till the age of 55 to 60 in captivity.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Coal scam: CVC may back CBI on closure of about 20 cases

NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is likely to support CBI's recommendation for closing about 20 preliminary enquiries (PEs) filed by the agency in connection with the multi-crore coal blocks allocation scam.

The Supreme Court had on March 28 asked CVC to peruse the coal blocks allocation cases in which there was a difference of opinion within CBI on the closure issue.

CVC, which exercises superintendence over CBI for overseeing corruption cases, has reviewed files relating to these cases and is likely to support the probe agency in its report to be filed in the apex court early next month, official sources said.

The commission is also likely to get its report vetted by legal experts before filing it in the court next week, the sources said.

There are about 20-22 PEs in which CBI officers — investigating and supervising — have divergent views.

CBI is probing at least 16 cases of alleged misappropriation in coal blocks allocation.

The apex court's direction to CVC had come following filing of two closure reports last month in coal blocks cases in which DIG Ravi Kant, who supervises the probe along with other two officers of the same rank, had given opinion for filing of charge sheets in them.

The court, while hearing coal block cases, had late last month asked Central Vigilance Commissioner and two vigilance commissioners to give their suggestions whether the cases can be closed or CBI can go ahead with the filing of charge sheets in them.

CBI had last week filed closure reports in two coal cases related to JLD Yavatmal Energy and JAS Infrastructure Pvt Ltd on the ground of lack of evidence of criminal conspiracy or cheating against them.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

China buries over 100 stray dogs alive, triggers massive online outrage

BEIJING: Around 100 stray dogs have been buried alive in northern China, triggering a massive online outrage over welfare of animals in the communist country.

A post on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, appealed for help on Wednesday night to save scores of stray dogs trapped in a big pit near a garbage dump in Alxa Left Banner in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

"Yinchuanshouhuzhedongwuzhijia" or "Home for Stray Animals in Yinchuan", a non-governmental organization (NGO), posted pictures of the dogs in the pit, including a close-up of a baby dog, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The photos were taken by a woman, surnamed Tan, who went to the site with five friends on Wednesday to search for a pet dog.

"We saw around a hundred dogs in a pit, but we could not get down into it because it was too deep," Tan said, adding they tried to save the dogs using ropes. They saved over 20.

She said that the dogs must have been in the hole for a long time, because they were thirsty.

A volunteer at the NGO said eight members of the agency went to rescue the dogs on Thursday, only to find the pit had been filled. Several dogs were running around, said the volunteer, without giving her name.

"The pit was five to six-metres deep. We could not dig as we didn't have proper tools," she said.

Another group said a number of dead dogs were retrieved from the pit on Friday.

Rumors on the internet said that the local Chengguan, or urban management officers, had buried the dogs alive, although the city management bureau denied such cruelty.

A member of staff with the bureau said they had caught dozens of stray dogs and put them in a rented yard because of complaints from residents that people and domestic animals had been bitten.

"We went to the yard after hearing about the reports, but only a few were there," she said.

The incident has angered many, and a post about it had been forwarded more than 18,000 times by Sunday morning.

Chinese netizens called the act "inhumane" and "shameful".

"Life is equal, how could thugs conduct such a massacre?" wrote a Weibo user with the screen name "MingyangsihaiUSA".

Stories regarding stray animals have made the headlines, causing a wave of public fury.

In May 2013, dozens of stray cats were abused and slaughtered in a residential district in Beijing, with the fur of the animals almost completely plucked out.

An activist said the government should step in and tackle the problems regarding oft-neglected stray animals.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

ED to summon West Bengal Left leaders now in Saradha scam

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Widening its probe into the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has brought under its scanner three leaders of West Bengal CPM for their alleged business association with the schemes launched by the defunct group at some point of time.

Sources said that the agency's Kolkata zonal office was preparing to summon atleast three CPM leaders "to obtain their side of information" in the case in which depositors have raised their grievances for being duped by the group through alleged chit fund operations.

After a five-month long probe, the agency has found some connection of these leaders with Sudipta Sen, the promoter of the Saradha group, and some of his associates, sources in the ED said.

They added that while the Left leaders have not been named in its FIR filed in the case under Money Laundering Laws, the versions of CPM leaders were important before filing of charge sheet or any further action by them.

The central probe agency will soon issue summons to these leaders to "join investigations."

"These leaders have already given their side of the evidence to state investigating agencies after the scam came to the fore and hence it was felt necessary to seek their statements in the money laundering case," ED sources said.

The Rs 2,460 crore chit fund scam in West Bengal involving the Saradha Group came to the fore last year when 80 per cent of the depositors complained that their money still remained unpaid.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More