Hope to see Telugu people unite one day, Kiran Reddy says

VIJAYWADA: With Telangana set to become a reality in just over two months, Jai Samaikhyandhra Party founder and former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday expressed the hope the Telugu people will unite one day.

"I hope the Telugu people will unite again one day," Reddy said even as he lashed out at political parties, which supported the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

He was speaking at a 'meet-the-press' programme organized by Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists here.

The former Congress leader said he has launched his party to unite the Telugu people and fight for their honour.

He blamed the Congress, BJP, TDP and YSR Congress for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Most of the political parties in the "third front" were opposed to bifurcation of a state without the Assembly concerned passing a resolution to this effect, Kiran said.

Telangana Bill was passed in Parliament despite it being rejected by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, he said.

The Jai Samaikhyandhra Party leader is on a two-day tour of Krishna district.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Maid murder: Delhi court grants two months' interim bail to BSP MP

NEW DELHI: BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, who along with his wife Jagriti Singh have been charged in connection with murder of their maid, was granted interim bail for two months by a Delhi court.

Additional Sessions Judge Lokesh Kumar Sharma granted interim bail to Dhananjay, a sitting MP from Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur constituency, on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties of the like amount.

However, despite getting interim bail, Dhananjay, who was arrested on November 5 last year, will have to remain in Tihar jail under judicial custody as he has not been granted bail in a separate rape case in which he is facing trial.

During the arguments, Delhi Police opposed the bail plea of Dhananjay saying there was no new ground or change in circumstances for releasing him on bail.

The police, however, told the court that the two prime witnesses in the case have been provided security in pursuance to the order passed by a magisterial court last year.

Senior advocate Hariharan and advocate SPM Tripathi, who appeared for Dhananjay, argued that since the two key prosecution witnesses in the case had already been provided protection by police, there was no likelihood of him trying to intimidate them.

The defence counsel also argued that there was no possibility that the MP would tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses in the case.

They also said that Dhananjay has to look after his ailing father and as charge sheet has already been filed, no useful purpose would be served by keeping his client in custody.

Earlier, the court had directed police to apprise it about whether they have provided protection to the key witnesses in the case.

Dhananjay had approached the court after his bail plea was dismissed on February 22 by the court on the grounds that, being an influential person, he could intimidate the witnesses who are yet to be examined.

The magisterial court, while dismissing the bail plea of Dhananjay on November 20 last year, had directed police to provide protection to the principal witnesses till the time their statements were recorded.

Dhananjay was chargesheeted for various offences under IPC, including for alleged destruction of evidence and abetment of the offences of murder and attempt to murder.

Jagriti has been chargesheeted for offences under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 344 (wrongfully confining for 10 or more days), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

The couple were arrested on November 5 last year in connection with the death of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi Bhadra, a resident of West Bengal.

Dhananjay and Jagriti, a dental surgeon at a government hospital here, are lodged in jail in judicial custody.

The police, in its charge sheet, had alleged that Jagriti used to "mercilessly beat" her three domestic helps and had "compelled" them to work by holding them captive.

Rakhi's body, with injury marks on her legs, chest and arms, was recovered from Dhananjay's South Avenue residence on the evening of November 4, 2013.

Earlier, police had chargesheeted Dhananjay in a separate case for allegedly repeatedly raping a 42-year-old railway employee for nearly four years.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hope to see Telugu people unite one day, Kiran Reddy says

VIJAYWADA: With Telangana set to become a reality in just over two months, Jai Samaikhyandhra Party founder and former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday expressed the hope the Telugu people will unite one day.

"I hope the Telugu people will unite again one day," Reddy said even as he lashed out at political parties, which supported the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

He was speaking at a 'meet-the-press' programme organized by Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists here.

The former Congress leader said he has launched his party to unite the Telugu people and fight for their honour.

He blamed the Congress, BJP, TDP and YSR Congress for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Most of the political parties in the "third front" were opposed to bifurcation of a state without the Assembly concerned passing a resolution to this effect, Kiran said.

Telangana Bill was passed in Parliament despite it being rejected by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, he said.

The Jai Samaikhyandhra Party leader is on a two-day tour of Krishna district.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Polling ends peacefully in Maldives parliamentary elections

MALE: Polling ended peacefully in the Maldives parliamentary election despite the arrest of at least six people for minor violations, an official said on Saturday.

At least six people were detained by police for showing their marked ballot cards as well as other misdemeanors such as attempting to offer bribes and obstructing the police, Xinhua reported.

Observers have also noted that the turnout has been less than expected.

"We have received 25 complaints about the voting process," Elections Commission member Mohamed Farooq told reporters.

"Our aim is to secure 65 seats in the parliament," Maldives President Abdulla Yameen told reporters after casting his vote.

"If we secure the majority in this election, we will prioritize bills on economic development and the amendment of the penal code. Our coalition is not going to fall apart after this election," he added

His main rival former president Mohammad Nasheed who heads the Maldives Democratic Party and currently has a majority in parliament was also upbeat.

"The elections are being held after consulting the committees that were formed to instruct and advise the Elections Commission. I believe - God willing — the election will be fair and will proceed without disruptions," former President Nasheed said after voting.

There are 85 candidates contesting from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP); 50 from the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM); 28 from the ruling government's coalition partner Jumhoory Party; seven from the government's coalition partner Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA); 12 from religious conservative Adhaalath Party; six from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and 114 independent candidates.

Capital Male has the largest number of constituencies at 13, with seven in Addu City and the remaining 65 constituencies scattered across the island nation.

The run-up to the elections have been steeped in controversy after the Maldives Supreme Court earlier this month handed down suspended prison sentences to the elections commissioner and his second-in-command.

The controversial ruling also removed the two from their posts leaving a virtually headless commission to oversee the parliamentary election. The Supreme Court March 9 issued a suspended six-month prison sentence to Elections Commission Chair Fuad Thaufeeg and declared void the membership of the commission's chair and vice chair.

The prison sentence has been suspended for three years.

The Maldives Supreme Court has repeatedly come under fire from the international community for failing to meet international standards and has been accused of attempting to undermine the independence of the Elections Commission.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Strong quake off Chile coast, no known damage

SANTIAGO, Chile: Seismologists said that a magnitude-6.2 earthquake struck off Chile's northern coast, alarming local residents but causing no reported damage.

The US Geological Survey said that the quake hit at 7.59am (8.59 EDT; 1259 GMT) and it was centered 60 miles (96 kilometers) north-northwest of the coastal city of Iquique.

Chile's national emergency office said there were no reports of damage or problems with infrastructure.

Officials discounted any possible tsunami. They had evacuated thousands of people from the shore last week as a precaution after a magnitude-6.7 quake in the same region.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

General Motors chief to testify in Congress over recall probe

The author has posted comments on this articleAFP | Mar 21, 2014, 08.10PM IST

WASHINGTON: General Motors boss Mary Barra will testify April 1 before a congressional committee investigating why the largest US automaker failed to react for years to a defect linked to 12 deaths.

The chief executive is expected to face a grilling from lawmakers over why it took the US auto giant until last month to recall 1.62 million vehicles in North America, more than a decade after the problem was first detected.

Barra, who took the reins of the company in January, and acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration David Friedman will testify before an oversight panel of the house energy and commerce committee.

"Their testimony is critical to understanding what the company and NHTSA knew about the safety problems, when they knew it, and what was done about it," committee chairman Fred Upton and congressman Tim Murphy said in a statement Thursday.

GM is the focus of multiple investigations by US authorities for being too slow to react to a defective ignition switch it linked to 31 accidents and 12 deaths in its 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion models.

The problem was detected as early as 2001, but GM waited until last month to issue its recall.

NHTSA is also under the gun for not acting despite being aware of complaints that the ignition would turn off while the cars were in motion.

GM suffered a further setback Monday when it recalled an additional 1.8 million vehicles linked to three new problems.

Barra responded forcefully, announcing she would release an "unvarnished" report following a thorough review and vowing to improve how GM handles defect reports.

In a recent video statement to employees, Barra called the federal probes "serious developments that shouldn't surprise anyone."

"After all, something went wrong with our process in this instance and terrible things happened," she said.

Barra, 52, is the first woman to lead a major automaker.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

​Maid murder: Delhi court to hear arguments on BSP MP Dhananjay Singh's bail tomorrow

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court will tomorrow hear the arguments on the bail plea of BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, who along with his wife Jagriti Singh, has been charged in connection with the murder of his maid.

Additional sessions Judge Lokesh Kumar Sharma, who was scheduled to hear the arguments on the bail plea today, posted it for tomorrow as the investigation officer of the case could not appear before the court.

The court had earlier asked the Delhi Police to apprise it whether they have provided protection to the key witnesses in the murder case and had directed it to file a written submission in this regard.

Dhananjay, a sitting MP from Jaunpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, had approached the court after his bail plea was dismissed on February 22 by the court on the ground that, being an influential person, he could intimidate the witnesses who are yet to be examined.

In his bail petition, Dhananjay had said that since the two key prosecution witnesses in the case had already been provided protection by police, there was no likelihood of him trying to intimidate them.

A magisterial court had dismissed the bail plea of Dhananjay on November 20 last year and directed police to provide protection to the principal witnesses till the time their statements were recorded.

Dhananjay was charged for various offences under IPC, including for alleged destruction of evidence and abetment of the offences of murder and attempt to murder.

Jagriti has been charged for offences under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 344 (wrongfully confining for 10 or more days), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

The couple were arrested on November 5 of last year in connection with the death of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi Bhadra, a resident of West Bengal. Dhananjay and Jagriti, a dental surgeon at a government hospital here, are lodged in jail in judicial custody.

The police, in its chargesheet, had alleged that Jagriti used to "mercilessly beat" her three domestic helps and "compelled" them to work by holding them captive.

Rakhi's body, with injury marks on her legs, chest and arms, was recovered from Dhananjay's South Avenue residence on the evening of November 4, 2013.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Western railway to run summer special trains from Ahmedabad to meet vacation rush

AHMEDABAD: In order to give more connectivity to the people during the summer vacation, the western railway has introduced summer specials from Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Hapa.

The Ahmedabad -Mangalore Jn (Weekly) Superfast Special train (Via Vasai Road) will have 26 services. The train will depart from Ahmedabad at 4.20 pm on every Monday and reach Mangalore at 7.30 pm the next day. The train will begin its journed from April 7 and continue till June 30.

Similarly, Train No. 09419 Mangalore-Ahmedabad Weekly Superfast Special train will depart from Mangalore at 9.30pm on every Tuesday and reach Ahmedabad at 01.10am on Thursday from 8th April to 1st July, 2014.

The train will halt at Nadiad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Vapi, Boisar, Vasai Road, Panvel, Roha, Mangaon, Khed, Chiplun, Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri, Kankavali, Kudal, Thivim, Karmali, Madgaon, Karwar, Kumta, Bhatkal & Udupi stations in both the directions. The Ahmedabad-Patna Weekly Special Train (via Nadiad-Godhra) will also have 26 services.

The train Ahmedabad-Patna (weekly) Special train will depart from Ahmedabad at 9.50 pm on every Sunday and reach Patna at 07.25 an on Tuesday. This train will run from 6th April to 29th June, 2014.

Similarly, train No. 09412 Patna-Ahmedabad will depart from Patna at 09.45 am on every Tuesday and reach Ahmedabad at 7.10 pm he next day. This train will run from 8th April to 1st July, 2014.

The train will halt at Nadiad, Godhra, Dahod, Ratlam, Bhavani Mandi, Ramganj Mandi, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Bayana, Agra Fort, Tundla, Kanpur, Allahabad, Mughalsarai, Buxar, Ara and Danapur stations in both directions.

The western railway also announced summer special trains between Bandra Terminus-Bhavnagar Weekly Special Train which will leave Badra on evwery Monday at 1.15 pm, while the return train will leave Bhavnagar on every Sunday at 7.35 am.

The train will halt at Borivali, Vapi, Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Nadiad, Ahmedabad, Viramgam, Joravarnagar, Botad, Dhola and Songadh stations in both directions.

The Hapa-Raipur weekly Summer Special train will leave Hapa on every Tuesday at 10 pm and reach Raipur at 3 am on Thursday; the return train will leave Raipur at 4.10 am on Thursday and reach Hapa the next day at 3.25 pm

The train will halt at Rajkot, Wankaner, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Surat, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Bhusawal, Malkapur, Akola, Badnera Jn., Wardha Jn., Nagpur, Gondia, Rajnandgaon and Durg in both directions.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

​BJP aiming for 300 seats on its own, Venkaiah Naidu says

VIJAYAWADA: Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said his party was aiming to win 300 seats on its own in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Naidu addressed the first meeting of the executive committee of the residual Andhra Pradesh (Seemandhra) unit of BJP here.

Regional parties by themselves can not rule at the national level and they should support the national parties, he said.

Some regional outfits may form an alliance with BJP in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Union finance minister P Chidambaram was "running away" from elections and many other Congress leaders were doing the same thing, Naidu said.

The Congress-led government failed all-round, but especially on the economic front, he said.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

​BJP aiming for 300 seats on its own, Venkaiah Naidu says

VIJAYAWADA: Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said his party was aiming to win 300 seats on its own in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Naidu addressed the first meeting of the executive committee of the residual Andhra Pradesh (Seemandhra) unit of BJP here.

Regional parties by themselves can not rule at the national level and they should support the national parties, he said.

Some regional outfits may form an alliance with BJP in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Union finance minister P Chidambaram was "running away" from elections and many other Congress leaders were doing the same thing, Naidu said.

The Congress-led government failed all-round, but especially on the economic front, he said.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More