Policeman killed while defusing bomb in Bengal

 Kolkata: A member of a bomb disposal squad was killed and two others were injured when an explosive device blew up while they were defusing it in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place barely a week after seven people were injured when a bomb exploded inside a Bhutan-bound bus in nearby Barobhisa area in the same district Aug 18.

"A police officer has been killed and two others injured while trying to defuse the explosive device," an official said.

The explosive along with timers was kept on a cycle in Chowpothi in Alipurduar sub-division early on Thursday.

"We suspect the involvement of KLO (Kamtapur Liberation Organisation)," said Alipurduar sub-divisional police officer Biswachand Thakur.

No arrest has been made yet.

Centre asks Raj govt not to give special treatment to Asaram

     New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The Centre today asked the Rajasthan government not to give special treatment to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is accused in a sexual assault case.

    In an advisory, the Home Ministry said the Rajasthan government should not give Asaram Bapu any preferential treatment, and treat him as a commoner.

    "Though the law and order is a state subject, it is our advice to the state government that there should be no exception in law enforcement. Asaram Bapu should only enjoy the rights that any other accused of a sexual offence would under the similar circumstances. No special treatment should
be given to him," the advisory sent to Rajasthan government said.

    The controversial godman, facing allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, has sought more time from Jodhpur Police probing the case to appear before it for questioning.

    The police is yet to take any decision on his request.

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today promised "strict action" based on the outcome of the probe into the allegations against Asaram Bapu.

Hyderabad blasts: Charges to be framed against IM men tomorrow

     Hyderabad, Aug 27 (PTI) A local court today posted for tomorrow the framing of charges against four accused in the August 2007 twin bomb blasts here that killed 42 people.

    Anique Shafiq Syed, Mohammed Sadiq, Akbar Ismail Choudhary and Ansar Ahmed Badhsah Sheikh -- all alleged Indian Mujahideen operatives -- were produced in the metropolitan sessions judge's court.

    After hearing the arguments of prosecution and defence over framing of charges against them, the court posted the matter for tomorrow.

    The IM men are among those arrested by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in October 2008 and later taken into custody by Gujarat Police for questioning in connection with the serial explosions in Ahmedabad in July that year.

    Andhra Pradesh Police filed charge sheet in the twin blasts case and secured permission for their prosecution. The near-simultaneous August 25 blasts at the popular eatery Gokul Chat killed 32 people, while 10 people died at the open air theatre at Lumbini Park, a few metres away from
the State Secretariat.

Bring back Lord Buddha's begging bowl from Afghani

New Delhi: A strong demand for bringing back the begging bowl of Lord Buddha from an Afghan museum and installing it at its "original" place at Vaishali in Bihar was made by RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he said the Buddha, who was on his way to attain 'nirvana' (salvation), had presented the 'bhikshapatra' (begging bowl) to the people of Vaishali.

The bowl was later taken away to the capital of Kanishka, 'Purushputra' (now Peshawar), by invaders and then further to Kandahar (then Gandhar), Singh, who represents Vaishali constituency, said, adding several noted historians have written about the historicity of the vase.

As din prevailed in the House, Speaker Meira Kumar told the members, "He (Singh) is raising an issue concerning Lord Buddha. Please maintain peace in the House."

Singh said he had referred the matter to former External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and learnt that the vase was now kept in Kabul museum.

He urged the External Affairs Ministry and the Archaeological Survey of India to take steps to bring it back to India and install it at its "original place in Vaishali." Anto Antony (Cong) wanted establishment of a national monument in memory of the martyrs of the First War of Indian Independence in 1857.

He lamented that it was tragic that the country did not have a memorial to remember those who had made supreme sacrifices for the nation and spread the message of national unity 155 years ago

Mumbai photojournalist gang-raped: two accused arrested, hunt on for three others

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has arrested two of the five men accused of a gang-raping a 22-year-old photojournalist in Mumbai on Thursday evening. More than 20 teams, including 10 from the elite Crime Branch, have been formed to track down the three others.

Both the accused will be produced before a court in the city later today.

Mumbai's Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh had said yesterday that the arrested man, in his early 20s, has confessed to the crime and has helped them identify four of his alleged accomplices. The Mumbai Police had released the sketches of the five accused early on Friday morning based on the detailed statement given to them by the young photojournalist.

The woman, reportedly an intern with an English magazine in Mumbai, is undergoing treatment at Mumbai's Jaslok Hospital. Doctors said she had both external and internal injuries but was stable now and "doing well."

The attack took place at about 6 pm on Thursday evening as the woman and a male colleague were taking photographs of old buildings at the abandoned Shakti Mill compound.

The pair was approached by two men and told they should not be there. The men, who were joined by three others, then tied up the woman's colleague with a belt and raped her repeatedly.

Inside the mill compound, the accused allegedly tied up the woman's colleague with a belt and then raped her repeatedly.

The young woman was unconscious when they fled the spot. When she regained consciousness around 8 pm, she untied her friend and they went to Jaslok Hospital on Peddar Road, around four kilometres away, where doctors called in the police.

A first information report was registered post midnight against unknown people. The statements of the girl and her colleague were recorded on Friday morning.

The incident has stunned the city, seen as far safer for women than others. It has also fuelled protests across the country and stirred memories of a similar attack last December in Delhi, when a 23-year-old woman was gang-raped by six men in a moving bus. Her male companion was also beaten up. She died two weeks later from severe injuries. A trial in the case is in its final stages.

Modi blasts 'mute' PM, says both UPA & rupee have lost value

Rajkot, Aug 24 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today continued his tirade against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the falling rupee, saying both he and the domestic currency have turned 'mute'.

     "There was a time when Indian rupee was making lots of noise. But today it has lost its voice. And similarly we are unable to hear the voice of our Prime Minister. Both have turned mute," he said here in Saurashtra region.

     The Chief Minister was speaking at a function organised to felicitate him for creation of Morbi as a separate district carved out of Rajkot. Modi, on August 15, had announced the formation of seven new districts.

     The BJP Election Campaign Committee Chief, in his Independence Day speech, had attacked Singh on various issues, including the falling rupee and the stand-offs with Pakistan and China.

     Expressing serious concern over the continuous fall in the value of rupee, Modi said, "today our currency is on deathbed. It is in terminal stage and urgently needs attention of a doctor."

     Training guns at the Congress-led ruling coalition at the Centre, he said "at the time of coming to power this Government had promised to reduce inflation within 100 days, but that has eluded the country."

     "At present both - rupee and UPA Government, have lost their value. Time has come to stop our country from destruction. The Central Government is misguiding the country. People need to know why our country is heading towards destruction."

     At the function, Modi was weighed in silver and around 80kg of the white metal was presented to him by representatives of ceramic industry of Morbi.

     Modi announced that proceeds from the donated silver will be used for building the proposed 'Statue of Unity' monument of Sardar Patel on Narmada river.

     In his almost hour-long address, Modi singled out the Congress, which is out of power in the state since mid-1990s, for criticism. "The party should ponder why people are not allowing it to enter Gujarat."

Minor girl raped by witch doctor

Palanpur , August 23:

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a self-proclaimed witch-doctor at her residence in the wee hours today in Deodar taluka in Banaskantha district here, police said today.
The victim's father filed a complaint with Deodar police today.

According to police, the accused, identified as Hari Brahman, was acquainted with the victim's family and used to frequently visit their place, located in Baba Society here.

In the wee hours today, the accused went to their residence and woke up the family, all of whom were asleep, for performing a puja.

On the pretext of removing an evil spirit, he claimed that a small girl was required as she possessed divine qualities. Barring the victim, he asked all the family members to move out of the room, police said.
He then shut the door and bolted it from inside. The suspect then raped the girl.

According to Deodar Police Sub Inspector R P Patel, the family was engaged in a prolonged land dispute and was facing several other family problems.

Police said that Brahman, who belongs to Sardarpura (Ravela) village, is on the run and search has been initiated to nab him.

Govt says PM 'may intervene' on missing coal files, session extended to September 5

 New Delhi: The government today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may intervene on missing coal allocation files, a major concession to the Opposition at a time it is desperate to pass its ambitious Food Security Bill.

The monsoon session will also be extended by one more week till September 5, to enable the passing of key Bills that have been stalled due to incessant disruptions - mainly the Food Bill and the Land Acquisition Bill.

The developments followed a compromise formula worked out between the government and the Opposition, after which the ruling Congress relented on the BJP's demand for the PM's statement - its condition for letting the Houses run.

"The government is ready for a discussion, the PM, if required, may intervene," said Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla in the Rajya Sabha, in the presence of a silent Prime Minister, who was relentlessly targeted by a united Opposition on missing files related to the allocation of coal blocks to private companies at throwaway prices.

In the Lok Sabha, the government said the PM would speak after the Coal Minister.

The opposition alleges some of the missing coal files were from the time the PM was in charge of the coal ministry.

The government had earlier dismissed the Opposition's demand. "The PM is not a custodian of files. He does not sit in store rooms, does not need to reply," Kamal Nath had said in the morning.

But despite the coal compromise, the Lok Sabha erupted over the suspension of 11 MPs from Andhra Pradesh - including seven Congress members - for their persisting protests against the creation of a new Telangana state. Ironically, it was BJP's Sushma Swaraj, the Leader of Opposition in the lower house, who opposed the suspension.

Disruptions like this have stalled key measures like the Food Bill, which will lapse if it does not get Parliament's approval in this session.

The landmark pro-poor scheme, which aims at providing highly-subsidised food to nearly 70 per cent of India's population at a cost of some Rs. 1.25 lakh crores, is being seen as the Congress's main lifeline as it seeks a third straight victory in national elections, due by May

Asaram Bapu booked for sexual assault on minor

New Delhi: Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu has been booked for sexual assault following a complaint from a 15-year-old girl who has been staying in a hostel operated by the godman's trust in Jodhpur, Delhi Police said today.

The girl submitted a written complaint against Asaram Bapu at Kamala Market police station in central Delhi on Tuesday evening.

The girl, who is Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, from has alleged in her complaint that she was molested by Asaram Bapu in his ashram in Jodhpur. She has also said that when her father brought her to Delhi to meet the godman at a camp earlier this month, he left without meeting them. Her father then lodged a complaint with the police.

Her father insisted that the case should be registered in Delhi as he feared that it will be suppressed in Rajasthan. A Delhi Police official said a case was registered but was later transferred to Jodhpur.

Asaram Bapu, who has a large following, was earlier in the news after Gujarat Police filed a case of attempted murder against him and two others. He was also accused of illegal land-grabbing in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

After the December 16, 2012 gang-rape of a 23-year-old student in a Delhi bus, Asaram Bapu attracted much attention for his remark that the victim could have escaped rape if she had called her attackers brothers, and pleaded to be let off.

சென்னை தினம் கொண்டாட்டம்

சென்னை தினம் கொண்டாட்டம் தொடங்கிய நாள் (ஆக.22, 2004)

சென்னை தினம் என்பது தமிழ்நாட்டின் தலைநகரமாகிய சென்னை தோற்றுவிக்கப்பட்டதாகக் கருதப்படும் கி.பி. 1639, ஆகஸ்ட் 22 ஆம் நாளை நினைவூட்டும் வகையில் அமைக்கப்பெற்ற ஒரு சிறப்பு தினமாகும். இந்நாள் 2004 ஆம் ஆண்டில் இருந்து நினைவு கூறப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

பத்திரிக்கையாளர்களான சசி நாயர், மயிலாப்பூர் டைம்ஸின் ஆசிரியரான வின்சண்ட் டிசோசா, மெட்ராஸ் மியூசிங்ஸின் ஆசிரியரான முத்தையா ஆகிய மூவரும் இணைந்து உருவாக்கியதே இந்த சென்னை தினம்.

முதன் முதலில் ஒரு சில கருப்பு வெள்ளைப் படங்களுடன் 2004-ஆம் ஆண்டு தொடங்கிய இந்தக் கொண்டாட்டம் இன்று வளர்ச்சியடைந்து புகைப்படக் கண்காட்சி, உணவுத் திருவிழா, மாரத்தான் ஓட்டம் என பல பரிமாணங்களில் கொண்டாடப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

AK Antony statement in Parliament

Defence Minister AK Antony makes statement in Parliament on ceasefire violations

 New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony made a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the continued ceasefire violations along the Line of Control or LoC. The government has been under pressure from the Opposition over the rising violence at the LoC.

Here are the highlights:

    My statement was based on details available then

    Now, it's clear that Pakistani troops were involved

    Nothing happens without facilitation of the Pak Army

    Guilty should not go unpunished

    This incident will have impact on Indo-Pak ties

    Our restrain should not be taken for granted

    Pakistan Army was involved in the attack

    Brutal killing will not go unpunished

    Internal explosion in INS Sindhurakshak

    It was docked in Mumbai

    Internal explosion in forward compartment followed by other explosions and fire

    Explosion and damage indicates personnel would not have survived

    Navy could only access some parts of the submarine

    There is offer from Russia to assist

    A board of inquiry has been constituted to investigate

    Deeply saddened by the incident and loss of life

    A special family cell has been made at Mumbai

US woman attacked with blade on Mumbai train

Mumbai: An American woman was attacked with a blade on a local train in Mumbai on Sunday and shockingly, denied any help by two Railway security personnel who claimed it was "not their concern".

24-year-old Michelle Mark, who has been working in Mumbai for three years and regularly takes the train, told the police that on Sunday evening, a man got on her compartment and tried to snatch her handbag. Ms Mark had boarded the largely empty compartment from the Churchgate station in south Mumbai.

When she resisted, the man, said to be in his 20s, attacked her with a small blade and slashed at her face, arms and neck. He then snatched her iPhone and ran away.

But after the incident, when the bleeding woman asked for help, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable posted at the Charni Road station and the station master both refused, and asked her to go to the Government Railway Police office (GRP) instead.

The personnel allegedly said: "It is not our concern."  The callous response highlights how the safety of passengers could be endangered by inter-departmental tussles.

The GRP says both RPF personnel as well as station master should have offered medical help.

The police are checking CCTV footage to track the attacker. They say they suspect the man was a drug addict and has a record of such crimes.

On July 26 this year, another woman was attacked inside the ladies compartment near Mahalaxmi station when she resisted a molestation attempt by a man.

Heavy rains cause massive traffic jams, waterlogging in Delhi

The national capital witnessed heavy rain Friday morning, with the minimum temperature settling a notch below average for this time of year at 24.5 degrees Celsius. The Met department has forecast rain till Saturday morning.

Rain started at 8 am, causing peak-hour commuters to get stranded in parts of the city as major roads were flooded on account of poor drainage.

"We are getting many complaints of traffic jams due to choked drains. Traffic is slow in Nizamuddin, Greater Kailash 1, and Safdarjung in south Delhi," a traffic police official said.

Pedestrians and people riding motorcycles and scooters were seen taking shelter under Metro over-bridges and other places, creating traffic bottlenecks.

"I am stuck on the Ring Road. I don't understand why, as soon as rain starts, the roads start getting choked," Akansha Singh of south Delhi said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city received 15.6 mm of rain from 8.30 am on Thursday to 8.30 am Friday.

Friday morning also saw spells when the rain was reduced to a drizzle.

"The sky will remain cloudy, with rain and thundershowers in some parts of the city," an IMD official said, adding that maximum and minimum temperatures will stay around 32 and 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. Friday stood at 97 %.

Since the monsoon's arrival in June, Delhi has received 539.6 mm of rain, 29 % more than average.

Thursday's maximum temperature was three notches below average for the season, at 30.7 degrees Celsius. The minimum was two notches below average, at 24.7 degrees Celsius.

‘Desperate’ Modi won’t be able to unfurl tricolour at Red Fort even in seven lives: JD-U

New Delhi: Janata Dal-United leader Shivanand Tiwari on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi following his criticism of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s speech on the occasion of India’s 67th Independence Day, and said the BJP’s much-talked about Prime Ministerial candidate would not be able to unfurl the tricolour at the historic Red Fort even in seven lives.

Referring to Modi’s ambition to become the next Prime Minister, he said “Saath janam mein bhi Modi Lal Qila pe jhanda nahi phaira sakte (Even in seven lives, Modi cannot unfurl the flag at the Red Fort).” “This is a country of Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi. Dividing communities along communal lines never work for Modi and his dream to become the Prime Minister,” he added.

Tiwari further said that Modi’s speech was an outcome of his desperation to become the next Prime Minister. “Narendra Modi is very desperate to become the Prime Minister and it can be seen through his statement he made on Wednesday that his speech on the occasion of Independence Day would be equal or better than that of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” he said.

He also said that Modi is trying to create hatred and intolerance in the same way as the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) who were allegedly held responsible by Sardar Patel for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. “In his speech, he mentioned about Sardar Patel and Lal Bahadur Shashtri. But both these great leaders did not belong to Narendra Modi’s legacy, they were a part of the Congress. I don’t know if Narendra Modi remembers that after Gandhiji’s assassination, Sardar Patel banned the RSS and wrote a letter to Guru Golwarkar accusing the RSS of creating widespread hatred and intolerance, which he held responsible for Gandhi’s death. That same kind of hatred and tolerance is being created by Modi,” he added.

Modi earlier in the day dubbed the Prime Minister’s speech as uninspiring, and accused him of taking a soft stand against Pakistan despite the recent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC).

Indians to be king makers in next UK elections

LONDON: Indians may be king makers in the next general elections in UK scheduled for 2015.

A close look into the present electorate has revealed that Indians make up the largest Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) group in 175 constituencies in England and Wales. Of these 60 are marginal seats.

Indians are also the largest group in several 'safe' seats - both for Labour and Conservative. These seats are believed to be safe because the MP has the support of these communities.

The ground-breaking research by Operation Black Vote found that in addition to the 203 marginal seats where the BME vote has a significant impact on the result (including 168 marginals where the BME electorate exceeds the MP's majority), there are important patterns relating to individual communities.

Pakistanis make up the largest BME group in 36 constituencies where the overall BME population is over 20% of the total population. Indians are second with the largest BME group in 34 such seats and Bangladeshi's in four. That means South Asian groups are the dominant BME communities in 74 seats.

Using the 2011 census, analysts looked at the BME electorate in all 573 of the seats in England and Wales and found 168 marginal seats where BME voters outnumber the majority held by the sitting MP. Entitled 'The Power of the Black Vote in 2015', the report reveals 168 constituencies in both urban and suburban areas, demonstrating that the BME electorate have never been more powerful.

With more marginal seats and more BME voters right across the geographical map, power is shifting.

OBV said, "Political parties must wake up and realise that without the BME vote they could lose - and therefore devise policies to tackle persistent race inequalities."

In the constituency Ilford North for example, Conservatives have a majority of 5,404 and a BME electorate of 35,051. In Cardiff Central, Liberal Democrats have a majority of 4,570 and a BME electorate of 12,445 while in Bristol East, Labour have a majority of 3,772 and a BME electorate of 11,420.

OBV Director Simon Woolley said, "This is great news for BME communities and democracy. Many individuals feel powerless, particularly in the face of rising racial tension and the apparent inability by political parties to acknowledge persistent race inequalities, much less have a plan to deal with it. The power to help decide who wins and who loses the next General Election will no doubt focus the minds of vulnerable politicians and their leaders."

The Liberal Democrat Deputy leader, Simon Hughes MP, said the findings were "very significant".

He added, "Unless all parties and candidates engage with and seek to win BME support, they could be in political difficulty locally and see their general election prospects significantly set back".

Conservative vice-chair Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West, who has been given the task of boosting the party's ethnic minority appeal, said, "The analysis speaks for itself in highlighting seats with larger numbers of voters with an ethnic minority background and their potential electoral impact."

Shadow justice minister Sadiq Khan, the MP who ran Labour leader Ed Milliband's leadership campaign said, "The DNA of politics needs to change in the light of this research. This research shows how important the ethnic minority electorate is going to be in future general elections. Any party that seriously wants to win needs to take the ethnic minorities with them."

LoC flare-up gives sleepless nights to residents

SRINAGAR: Raja Zaffar expected another bumper walnut crop before exchange of fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir almost became routine since the night of August 6 when five Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush by Pakistani troops and jehadi elements.

For the 41-year-old small-time farmer, the crop is the only source of income. But now he fears for his livelihood amid escalation of cross-border tensions while the harvest season is round the corner.

Zaffar did odd jobs in Srinagar to sustain his family before he returned home in remote Tanghdar village in Karnah area, nearly 180km from Srinagar, to look after his walnut farm after the India and Pakistan signed the LoC ceasefire agreement in 2003.

The end of hostilities along the LoC was a life-changing experience for hundreds of farmers like Zaffar, who could not have even dreamt of attending to their fields like they do now as the region earlier reverberated with artillery fire every day.

"You cannot imagine how the ceasefire transformed our lives. Far from cultivating our fields, we were always running for our lives,'' Zaffar told TOI from Tanghdar.

He had to walk a kilometre to speak to TOI from an STD booth, now a rare sight elsewhere in the country, but the only source of communication for a majority of people in Karnah. The remote area, one of the most backward regions in the state, has no mobile phones for security reasons due to its proximity to PoK.

The ceasefire was largely observed till the last few years when the violations became regular. The tensions particularly heightened after the killing of Indian soldiers along the LoC and mutilation of their bodies in January this year.

"We had sleepless nights then too. We feared the situation may deteriorate. But fortunately it did not. Now it is the same old uncertainty,'' said Zaffar.

Zaffar's story mirrors that of hundreds of people who suffered due to the routine exchange of fire along the 740-km LoC.

Residents say the area is not prepared to face the pre-2003 situation. Just before the ceasefire agreement, the government had started giving monetary support to residents to build bunkers.

"The agreement made officials complacent and the support was discontinued. Now if the situation worsens, people will be left to fend for themselves,'' said Asim Behzad Awan, a Karnah-resident, who now lives in Srinagar.

Awan is among hundreds of people, who had migrated to Srinagar before the 2003 ceasefire. Many of them later returned to their native place for jobs and businesses.

"My family decided to migrate to Srinagar as my education suffered as schools remained closed due to cross-LoC shelling,'' said Awan. "We are anxious about the safety of our relatives back home.''

This is a crucial time for Karnah residents, who begin stocking up supplies for the winter before snow cuts it off from the outside world for months. Residents fear the cross-LoC shelling could hamper this process.

There are virtually no medical facilities in the region and the evacuation of wounded residents in winter months is a tricky issue. Airlifting of the sick is subject to clear weather, a rarity in winters.

Arjuna Award for Virat Kohli, PV Sindhu; Ronjan Sodhi gets Khel Ratna

Two of India's brightest young sporting talents Virat Kohli and PV Sindhu will be given the Arjuna Award. Virat Kohli recently captained India  to a 5-0 One-day international series victory in Zimbabwe while PV Sindhu won a historic bronze medal at the recently-concluded world badminton championships.

Meanwhile, ace shooter Ronjan Sodhi is set to be awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour. The double Olympic trap shooter was picked for the award by a selection committee. Sodhi is a double trap specialist and is a multiple-time world cup medalist, including two golds at the 2010 and 2011 editions in Turkey and UAE respectively. Sodhi also won gold at the 2010 Asian games in China.

Kohli and Sindhu are among 14 sportspersons to be given the Arjuna Award. Kohli has been rewarded for exceptional performances with the Indian cricket team, including captaining the side on many occasions over the past couple of months. PV Sindhu created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the singles bronze medal at the world badminton championships last week.

Full award list:

Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Ronjan Sodhi

Arjuna Award:

Chekrovolu Swuro (Archery)                         

Renjith Maheshwary (Athletics)         

PV Sindhu (Badminton)                          

Kavita Chahal (Boxing)                     

Rupesh Shah (Snooker and Billiards)                      

Virat Kohli (Cricket)                     

Abhijeet Gupta (Chess)                 

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Golf)          

Saba Anjum (Hockey)                       

Rajkumari Rathore (Shooting)            

Joshna Chinappa (Squash)             

Neha Rathi (Wrestling)                         

Dharmender Dalal (Wrestling)          

Amit Kumar Saroha (Athletics)

Zimbabwe President tells defeated foes to commit suicide

Harare: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe today said those upset by his disputed landslide election victory could "go hang".

The 89-year-old vowed never to let go of his victory as his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai lodged a petition in court challenging the election outcome.

"Those who were hurt by defeat can go hang if they so wish," Mugabe told thousands at a rally to honour heroes of the country's liberation wars.

"Never will we go back on our victory," he said in his first public address since the July 31-vote. Mugabe was declared the winner with 61 percent of the ballots, against Tsvangirai's 34 percent.

He insisted that the Zimbabwean people's choice in government was clear. "We are delivering democracy on a platter. We say take it or leave it, but the people have delivered democracy," he said.

Tsvangirai meanwhile vowed to expose "glaring evidence of the stolen vote" through a court bid. His lawyers on Friday filed a petition at the Constitutional Court challenging the poll, which extended Mugabe's 33-year rule by another five years.

"All I can see is a nation in mourning over the audacity of so few to steal from so many," he said in a statement. But "the thief left so much evidence at the scene of crime as we shall expose in the people's petition that we filed last week."

The elections were to end a shaky power-sharing government formed by Mugabe and Tsvangirai to avoid a tip into conflict in the aftermath of a bloody run-off election in 2008.

Tsvangirai's defeat has relegated his Movement for Democratic Change back to the opposition benches. Local observers have called the polls flawed and Western powers have raised serious doubts over the vote.

However, regional organisations the African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) were less critica.

Your conduct makes bail impossible: Supreme Court to cop PP Pandey in Ishrat Jahan case

New Delhi: "The Supreme Court has become a safe haven for the criminals", the top court said today while dismissing the anticipatory bail plea of Gujarat Additional Director General of Police P P Pande, who has been named an accused in the killing of Ishrat Jahan and three others in a fake encounter in 2004.

Dismissing Mr Pande's plea, the Supreme Court said: "You were an absconder earlier also. Your conduct makes you dis-entitled to anticipatory bail."

In further rebuke to the senior cop, Justice BS Chauhan added, "I can say it on oath that we are not devoting even five percent of our time for the common man. It is senior counsel and criminals who take up most of the time."

Mr Pande had gone missing after being made an accused in the encounter case two months ago. He surfaced last month, making a couple of dramatic appearances in the court, first on a stretcher and then in a wheelchair.

The 1982-batch IPS officer was Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ahmedabad, when Mumbai-based Ishrat, her friend Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, and two other persons, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar, were killed by Crime Branch officials on June 15, 2004 on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

In its first chargesheet filed last month, the CBI listed Mr Pande as one of seven policemen who allegedly were involved in the conspiracy to kill her in what it described as a "staged encounter" committed "in cold blood".

The Gujarat Crime Branch had then claimed the four were terrorists, on a mission to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

வெனிசுலா: மின்னல் தாக்கி எண்ணெய் சுத்திகரிப்பு ஆலையில் பயங்கர தீ விபத்து

வெனிசுலாவின் வடக்குப் பகுதியில் உள்ள புவேர்டோ லா குருஸ் என்ற நகரத்தில் அரசின் எண்ணெய் சுத்திகரிப்பாலை இயங்கி வருகிறது.

நேற்று மதியம் இந்தப் பகுதியில் ஏற்பட்ட மின்னல் ஒன்றினால் ஆலையின் ஒரு பகுதியில் வெடி விபத்துடன் தீப்பிடித்ததாக அந்நிறுவனத்தின் துணைத் தலைவர் அச்ட்ருபால் சாவேஸ் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். நேற்று மாலை 3.15 மணி
அளவில் எண்ணெய் ஆலையின் வளாகத்திற்குள் இருந்த குளத்தில் முதலில் மின்னல் தாக்கம் ஏற்பட்டது என்று அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர்.

இந்த விபத்தினால் யாருக்கும் காயமேற்படவில்லை என்று
தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது. ஆயினும், பாதுகாப்பு காரணமாக அருகில் குடியிருந்த
அனைவரும் பத்திரமாக வேறு இடங்களுக்கு அப்புறப்படுத்தப்பட்டனர்.
தீயணைப்பு வீரர்கள் கொழுந்து விட்டு எரியும் தீயை அணைப்பதற்கு போராடிக்
கொண்டிருக்கின்றனர்.

கச்சா எண்ணெய் சுத்திகரிப்பில் இந்த ஆலை முக்கிய பங்கு வகிப்பதாக அரசு நிறுவனம் தெரிவிக்கின்றது. 1000-க்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் இந்த ஆலையில் பணி புரிவதாகவும் அரசுத் தகவல்கள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. வெனிசுவேலாவின் அதிபர் நிக்கோலஸ் மதுரோ இந்த மீட்புப் பணியினைத் தொடர்ந்து கண்காணித்து வருவதாக இணையதளத்தில் செய்தி வெளியிட்டுள்ளார்.

US embassies to reopen after al-Qaeda terror alert

The US says 18 of the 19 diplomatic missions recently closed due to security threats will reopen on Sunday.

The state department says its embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa will stay closed "because of ongoing concerns".

The US closed 19 diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa last Sunday in response to what it said was a threat of a terrorist attack.

The consulate in the Pakistani city of Lahore, which closed after a separate threat, will also not reopen yet.

"We will continue to evaluate the threats to Sanaa and Lahore and make subsequent decisions about the reopening of those facilities based on that information," said spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

"We will also continue to evaluate information about these and all of our posts and to take appropriate steps to best protect the safety of our personnel, American citizens travelling overseas, and visitors to our facilities."

On Thursday, at least 14 suspected al-Qaeda militants - reportedly including seven from Saudi Arabia - were killed in Yemen in three drone strikes, Yemeni officials said.

The number of US strikes in Yemen has been stepped up over the past month.

Yemen is a stronghold of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) - an al-Qaeda offshoot considered by Washington to be the most dangerous to the West.

Staff evacuated

The US statement said the Sanaa embassy would stay closed because of concerns about a "threat stream" emanating from AQAP, without providing further details.

Most US employees at the Sanaa embassy were ordered to leave the country on Tuesday.

The embassy closures, along with a US global travel alert, came after the US reportedly intercepted al-Qaeda messages.

Reports said they were between senior figures talking about a plot against an embassy.

The US closed its consulate in Lahore on Thursday and evacuated all non-essential staff following what it described as "a credible threat".

US officials said the evacuation was undertaken as a precaution and not related to the closure of the other diplomatic missions.

AQAP targeted

Thursday's drone attacks in Yemen targeted a group of suspected militants, killing four of them in Wadi al-Jadd in the southern province of Hadramout, Yemeni officials told the BBC.

A day earlier, Yemen said it had foiled a major al-Qaeda plot against oil pipelines and ports.

Two strikes in Marib and Hadramout provinces killed 10 suspected militants, the security officials said, while another seven people died in a drone attack on Wednesday.

While the US has acknowledged targeting militants in Yemen with drones, it does not comment publicly on its policy or the raids.

About 30 suspected militants have been killed in a series of such raids in Yemen since 28 July, news agencies report.

On Thursday, Yemeni counter-terrorism forces raided a number of addresses north of the capital Sanaa after a tip-off that they were being used by AQAP, a Yemeni security source told BBC Arabic.

Seven dead in landslide in Odisha coal mine

 Sundergarh: A landslide in a coal mine in Sundergarh district of Odisha today killed at least seven people and injured two others.

According to local media reports, at least 20 more are missing due to the landslide that occurred at about 10 am near an open cast mine area of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).

"So far four bodies have been recovered and five persons rescued from the site at Kulda open cast Basundhara-Garjanbahal coal mine area," Sundergarh Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Arora said.

The incident took place when some people from nearby villages were collecting coal from the "over-burdened" dump yard located near the mining area, an MCL spokesman said.

Some of them came under a heap as a portion of the coal dump suddenly collapsed, probably due to heavy rains that lashed the area yesterday, he said, adding rescue operation was immediately launched at the site.

Afghan president calls on Taliban to stop war

In a speech for the start of a Muslim holiday, the Afghan president has urged the Taliban to lay down their arms, join the political process and stop killing innocent civilians.

Hamid Karzai spoke today after prayers for the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He thanked the Afghan security forces for their sacrifices in the war against the insurgency.

He says too many Afghans have lost their lives to roadside bombs during this year's Ramadan and that the violence should end.

He says the Taliban should, instead of opening an office in the Gulf state of Qatar, open one in Afghanistan, just like any other political party.

The Taliban have stepped up the fight to regain territory as foreign troops withdraw.

Military plane bursts into flames at Mogadishu airport

Mogadishu, Somalia: An Ethiopian military aircraft carrying ammunition crash-landed at Mogadishu's international airport on Friday, bursting into flames and killing at least one crew member, airport staff and security officials said.

The plane got into trouble in the air and then missed the runway, crashing into the ground nearby.

Ethiopian troops are supporting Somalia's fight against al Qaeda-linked militants in the Horn of Africa country, although they are not part of an African Union (AU) peacekeeping force.

"We can hear explosions as it burns. It is burning like hell," said one security source at the airport shortly after the accident.

Yusuf Nur, an airport worker, said rounds of ammunition exploded in the fire.

A convoy of empty Somali military trucks had earlier been seen at the airport.

The fire, which was initially too intense for firefighting crews to tackle, was put out about two hours after the plane crashed. Witnesses said only a blackened shell remained.

Military aircraft regularly land at the city's airport, which also serves as the headquarters for the AU peacekeepers.

Authorities closed the airport, which has received a growing number of passenger flights over the past two years after African troops and Somali government forces flushed Islamist al Shabaab rebels from their bases in the capital.

Somalia's aviation record is among the worst on a continent which has a history of plane disasters. Until recently, the carcass of a Russian-made cargo plane lay tilted on its belly between the runway and passenger terminal of Mogadishu's airport.

Somalia is emerging from more than two decades of civil conflict. Security has improved in Mogadishu, which until mid-2011 was the frontline in the battle between government forces and militants, though the capital is still vulnerable to insurgent attacks.

Defence Minister will not apologise for statement, says government

 

New Delhi: The government has said that Defence Minister AK Antony's controversial statement in Parliament yesterday on the killing of five Indian soldiers in Kashmir was based on facts and that he would not issue an apology for it.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said today, "Whatever the Defence Minister said was carefully calibrated, considered, was a thoughtful after-reflection, and was based on facts by the Army," adding, "There is no question of him apologising." (Track live updates)

The main opposition party, the BJP, says Mr Antony owes the country an apology for letting Pakistan off the hook with the statement he made in Parliament on Tuesday. Mr Antony told Parliament that "20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistani Army uniforms" killed the Indians after crossing the Line of Control at Poonch, 200 km south of Srinagar.

The opposition is stressing that Mr Antony's detailing of the deadly ambush differed from the assessment of the Indian army, which initially blamed the Pakistani army for the killings. Mr Khurshid said that initial assessment in an Army press release was a mistake and was later corrected.

"Pakistan is exploiting the divide inside our Parliament...Whether they were the Pakistan Army or terrorists in uniform, the responsibility for attack is Pakistan's," the minister said.

In the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, leader of the opposition, said, "Our Defence Minister has given a clean chit to Pakistan...he must apologise to the nation."

The uproar that followed forced Parliament temporarily to adjourn.

The Defence Minister later said he "made the statement on basis of whatever information" he had and promised to update Parliament after the Army Chief General Bikram Singh's Kashmir visit today.

The Pakistan government has denied any links to the attack.

The PM is meeting senior BJP leaders at his residence; sources in the Congress say he will inform these leaders that despite their urging, he will not alter plans to hold talks next month with the newly-elected Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The leaders are likely to hold separate talks at the UN General Assembly session in New York next month.

On record, Mr Khurshid said it was too early to say whether the meeting in New York would take place.

Nigeria clashes between Boko Haram and Army, 35 killed

 

Abuja: At least 35 people were killed, most of them Islamist extremists, in clashes between Nigerian army and members of radical group Boko Haram in the country's northeastern Borno state, the military said on Monday.

Military spokesman Sagir Musa said 32 of the militants were killed and two soldiers and a policeman lost their lives during the clashes.

"Our troops successfully repelled Boko Haram terrorists who tried to attack a police base on Sunday," he said.

He said a military base in Malam Fatori town came under attack from the militants and a gun duel ensued.

The oil-rich African country's President Goodluck Jonathan had declared a state of emergency in three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, four years after militant group Boko Haram declared war on the Nigerian state.

The group's aim is to establish and Islamic caliphate in the country and more than 2,000 persons have died since it commenced killings and bombings mostly in the northern part of the country.

Nigeria's 150 million people is evenly distributed among Christians and Muslims

Princess Diana was so "madly in love" with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan!

London: Princess Diana was so "madly in love" with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan that she wanted to marry him and was even willing to move to Pakistan, according to Jemima Khan.

Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s former wife, who was a friend of the late princess, has written a detailed account of their friendship in an article for the September issue of 'Vanity Fair' titled 'The Grandmother Prince George Never Knew'.

"Diana was madly in love with Hasnat Khan and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan, and that's one of the reasons why we became friends," she told the magazine.

"She wanted to know how hard it had been for me to adapt to life in Pakistan," she added, in reference to her own marriage to Imran Khan, which took her to Pakistan.

Jemima disclosed that Diana visited her twice in Pakistan to help fund-raise for the hospital where her former husband a distant cousin of Diana's lover worked.

"Both times she also went to meet his family secretly to discuss the possibility of marriage to Hasnat," she reveals.

Diana made every effort to get to know Khan's family but for a son to marry an English woman "is every conservative Pashtun mother's worst nightmare", Jemima says in the article.

The couple are thought to have discussed the possibility of marriage but Khan told police in an interview after her death in a Paris car crash in 1997 that he told her "it was a ridiculous idea" and that the only way they could have a normal life would be to move to Pakistan, where the press "don't bother you".

As her love affair with the doctor began to crumble, Diana began a new relationship with Dodi Al Fayed.

The source of her apparent frustration with Khan his reluctance to marry was no longer an issue with Al Fayed, whom she reportedly believed was going to give her a ring.

She told close friend Rosa Monckton, the former managing director of Tiffany & Co, that the ring was "going firmly on my righthand".

However, according to Monckton, Diana talked much more about Khan than Al Fayed and she still believes she pursued the relationship only to make the doctor jealous.