RSS Feed (xml)NEW DELHI: Ending the stalemate over a payment dispute, India's revolting tennis players on Saturday said they will represent the country in the upcoming Davis Cup tie and Commonwealth Games after being given an assurance by the Sports Ministry.
The star quartet of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna had written a joint letter to AITA threatening to pull out of Games if their dues for the CWG preparations will not be paid.
The four players issued a joint statement, confirming their participation but also hit out at All India Tennis Association for leaking their 'private' mail and not submitting bills to the government for clearance in time.
They asserted that they have submitted all their bills to AITA and the onus is now on the national Federation to get expedite the reimbursement process.
"It is true that we wrote a letter to the AITA to voice some concerns we had about expenses that we were promised over the last year and a half.
"We have all submitted bills to various people at the AITA over this period and now that the AITA has nominated us to represent India we requested them to make sure that the promises made are kept.
"We would like to put all speculation to rest and confirm we will be present in full strength to represent India against Brazil in Chennai in September," the players said in the statement.
The players said they have been assured by the Sports Ministry Joint Secretary (International sports division) that all the dues will be settled soon.
"As for the CWG, Mr. Rahul Bhatnagar has confirmed to us personally there will be no issues on payments once the AITA releases all the bills we have submitted over time and more.
"The issue was meant to be a private matter between the players and the Federation and it deeply disturbs us that all our communication to the AITA was sent out to the media from the AITA office.
"We had no intention to create a media frenzy, just wanted to make sure we get what is due to us. We are hopeful that our genuine concerns will be addressed by our federation transparently without any delay.
Players say they will play in CWG, Davis Cup
Afghan woman, 2 children killed in Taliban facilitator pursuit
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan and coalition forces accidentally killed a woman and two children during a pursuit of a Taliban facilitator, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Saturday.
The forces were tracking a Taliban facilitator in Farah province Friday, according to the ISAF.
The facilitator is known to traffic foreign fighters and weapons from Iran, and associate with senior Taliban and al Qaeda leadership, the ISAF said.
The security force followed a vehicle carrying several armed insurgents to a compound in Farah, the ISAF said. After determining "hostile intent" from the group, the security force killed six men.
An air weapons team also struck the targeted vehicle, which exploded. The vehicle may have been full of homemade explosives, the ISAF said. A woman and two children were found dead at the scene.
"We deeply regret what occurred on [Friday's] operation," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command. "We are taking a step-by-step approach in investigating what went wrong and are always working to reduce civilian casualties. Our condolences go out to the family of these civilians."
In addition to the insurgent and civilian deaths, several suspected insurgents were detained, the ISAF said.
"We know the measure by which our mission will be judged is protecting the population from harm by either side. We must continue our emphasis on reducing the loss of innocent civilian life to an absolute minimum," Torres said.
India sees solution on BlackBerry emails next week: source
Research In Motion (RIM) faces an August 31 deadline to give Indian authorities the means to track and read BlackBerry Enterprise email and its separate BlackBerry Messenger service.
The government, concerned about the potential for militants to use the secure BlackBerry network to carry out attacks, has vowed to shut the services if RIM fails to comply, cutting it out of one of the world's fastest-growing telecoms market.
An RIM technical team in New Delhi has been working with the department of telecoms and security agencies to find a way out.
"We are expecting they will come up with some solution for Enterprise mail next week," the source said. He did not want to be named as RIM's discussions with the government are not public.
India said this week that it would allow the messenger service to continue beyond the deadline as it had been assured access to the services, but could shut down the secure email service if access is not given by then.
India is one of a number of countries putting pressure on RIM, which has built the reputation of the BlackBerry, popular with business professionals and politicians, around confidentiality.
Government officials have said RIM has assured manual access to BlackBerry instant messenger by September 1, and automated access by year-end.
A majority 69.2 per cent of women do not suffer from any side-effects after partaking emergency contraceptive pills, but a small percentage might have complaints of headaches, nausea and abdominal pain, a government study says. The Indian Council of Medical Research initiated a pilot study on emergency contraception through eight human reproduction research centres of ICMR in medical colleges and hospitals across the country. Majority (69.2 per cent) of the pill users did not have any complaints after using the pills. Of the remaining women who had complaints, the reasons were nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache in 10 per cent to 14 per cent, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. Explaining further, he said EC pill I-pill containing the hormone Levonorgestrel prevents possible pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual act. It usually acts by inhibition or delay of ovulation and may also inhibit implantation.
The ICC on Saturday gave a clean chit to Kumar Sangakkara, who was involved in an unsavoury incident with New Zealand all-rounder Nathan McCullum during a tri-series match, saying the Sri Lanka captain was found not guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
Match referee Alan Hurst gave Sangakkara the benefit of doubt after watching video recording of the incident in which he had collided with McCullum, trying to ground his bat while taking a run during the washed out match in Dambulla, on Friday.
"I looked at video footage of the incident from various angles and considered the detailed evidence of the umpires. I found that video evidence that was put forward by the player provided reasonable doubt as to whether the contact was deliberate," Hurst said.
Sangakkara was charged with a Level 2 offence, contrary to clause 2.2.4 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players or Team Officials, which relates to "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players in the course of play," the game's world body said in a release.
No side-effect of emergency contraceptive
A majority 69.2 per cent of women do not suffer from any side-effects after partaking emergency contraceptive pills, but a small percentage might have complaints of headaches, nausea and abdominal pain, a government study says.
The Indian Council of Medical Research initiated a pilot study on emergency contraception through eight human reproduction research centres of ICMR in medical colleges and hospitals across the country.
Majority (69.2 per cent) of the pill users did not have any complaints after using the pills. Of the remaining women who had complaints, the reasons were nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache in 10 per cent to 14 per cent, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Explaining further, he said EC pill I-pill containing the hormone Levonorgestrel prevents possible pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual act.
It usually acts by inhibition or delay of ovulation and may also inhibit implantation.
I'll not stop for anything or anybody: Deepika Padukone
She is young and raring to go. Deepika Padukone says she is hardly content with what she does and even though she has managed seven films in her three-year-old Bollywood career, she wants a lot more.
"I live life on my own terms. I have certain goals that I have set for myself, I want to achieve those goals and I expect a lot from myself. I'm extremely ambitious and I will not stop for anything or anybody. I am a go-getter and I am very rarely satisfied with what I do," said Deepika.
The 24-year-old, who was at the Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM studio in the capital to promote her film Lafangey Parindey, says she may have achieved a lot of success in no time, but it motivates her to continue doing good work.
"It is still the beginning for me. I have just done around seven films. So there is a lot more that I want to do, a lot more films, work with a lot of directors, give a lot of hit films and get hit songs to my credit which I can perform to later. I know I have come a long way from where I started, but still I have a lot to achieve," she said.
Deepika, the daughter of legendary badminton ace Prakash Padukone, stepped into showbiz as a model and started her movie career with Kannada movie Aishwarya in 2006, after which she made a dream debut in Bollywood opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om.
She followed up the success of her first film with Bachna Ae Haseeno, Love Aaj Kal and Housefull.
She is seen as a blind woman in her just released Lafangey Parindey.
"But what the film is going to do for me professionally, I will have to see after it releases and stays in theatres for a while. For now, the only thing I know is that it has been the most challenging film for me physically, mentally and emotionally," said Deepika who plays Pinky, a visually challenged girl with an ability to dance on skates.
Up next after this Pradeep Sarkar film will be a tough phase for Deepika as two of her awaited projects - Danish Aslam's romantic comedy Break Ke Baad and Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey - will release at a space of one week.
"My next film is Break Ke Baad with Imran Khan. It will release in the last week of November, and exactly a week after that, it will be time for Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey on Dec 3...tough time"," said Deepika.
Her Break Ke Baad is a romantic comedy while in Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, Deepika will portray the role of revolutionary activist Kalpana Dutta, who took part in the Chittagong uproar for Indian independence in the 1930s.
The film is said to be based on the book Do And Die by Manini Chatterjee, the daughter-in-law of Kalpana Dutta, and Deepika will sport a sari-clad, non- glamorous look in the film.
SRK lends his ‘robot’ to Ash, Rajni!
It’s so sweet. Shah Rukh Khan had parted ways with Shankar the director on a not-very-nice note. The title of Shankar’s film, to make things worse, was registered with SRK’s company, Red Chillies, which was then meant to produce Robot, the latest Rajnikant-Ash starrer.
However when Shankar requested Khan to release the title of the flick to avoid any legal glitches, the superstar had no second thoughts. All bad vibes were dissipated with this kind gesture.
It can be recalled that Shah Rukh Khan and Shankar got together to make Robot, a project which was extremely close to both their hearts. Both of them worked on the script for months before they began squabbling over creative differences.
SRK refused to do the film and announced to the world that he was no longer associated with Robot.
This was two years ago, just prior to the release of Om Shanti Om. Shankar went ahead and made the film with Rajnikant and Aishwarya Rai. SRK though always wanted to do a superhero film; so he is now making Ra.One.
Both the films have similarities. However when Shankar decided that he wants the title Robot for its Hindi version, he wrote a letter to SRK requesting him to part with the title. When contacted Shankar said, “It is very nice of Shah Rukh to give us the title. It was registered with him company Red Chillies.”
Start-up of Iran's Bushehr plant under way: report
BUSHEHR Iran (Reuters) - The start-up of the Russian-built reactor at Iran's first nuclear power plant got under way on Saturday, Russia's state-run RIA news agency cited Russian nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko as saying.
Technicians at the plant in Bushehr were to begin moving uranium-packed fuel rods to the reactor from a storage area, setting its launch in motion more than two decades after construction began.
* Most Popular * Most Shared 1. Factbox: Haitian hip-hop star tripped up in presidential bid 20 Aug 2010 2. Private spaceship carrier plane damaged in test 20 Aug 2010 3. Gold bullion stolen from Florida treasure museum 19 Aug 2010 4. Israel and Palestinians agree to direct peace talks | Video 20 Aug 2010 5. Google makes Chrome devs dig into pockets 20 Aug 2010 6. Biden says voters won't like Republican alternative 20 Aug 2010 7. Second Iowa farm recalls eggs in salmonella sweep 12:03am EDT 8. Scientists Map Massive North Atlantic Garbage Patch 19 Aug 2010 9. Police bust Paris "booby" trap gang 18 Aug 2010 10. Facebook Places could spark new privacy fire 20 Aug 2010 1. Israel and Palestinians agree to direct peace talks | Video 20 Aug 2010 2. Biden says voters won't like Republican alternative 20 Aug 2010 3. Factbox: Haitian hip-hop star tripped up in presidential bid 20 Aug 2010 4. Gold bullion stolen from Florida treasure museum 19 Aug 2010 5. English spelling "truely atrosious", says academic 07 Aug 2008 6. Facebook Places could spark new privacy fire 20 Aug 2010 7. Scientists Map Massive North Atlantic Garbage Patch 19 Aug 2010 8. Campaign Contributions Fallout for Target, Gilt 12:09am EDT 9. China tobacco firms accused of targeting children 19 Aug 2010 10. China renewables to power ahead without CDM: report 20 Aug 2010 Commentary Residents at the Shorja wholesale market during a sandstorm in Baghdad, June 7, 2010. REUTERS/Saad Shalash Iraq, America and hired guns In the often perverse logic that has driven America’s war in Iraq, as U.S. soldiers are withdrawn the number of private security contractors is set to rise, writes Bernd Debusmann. Commentary Analysis: No major Haiti risk seen from Wyclef election bar
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - If protests do break out in Haiti to contest Friday's decision to bar hip-hop star Wyclef Jean from running for the presidency of his earthquake-shattered homeland, they may only be short-lived.
Haiti's electoral authority said Jean did not meet the requirement that presidential candidates have five consecutive years of residency in Haiti prior to running.
At worst, some had feared the ruling could spark riots in the poorest country in the Americas, which has been ravaged by political upheaval, dictatorship and military rule since a slave revolt threw off French colonial rule 200 years ago.
"They say Wyclef is no longer in the race but he is the one whom the population is marching behind -- 100 percent," said one disappointed supporter, Michel Jerome, who ekes out a living charging cellphones in Port-au-Prince.
But following the late-night decision by the electoral council, the streets of the capital appeared calm.
And the 40-year-old singer-songwriter himself seemed anxious to defuse any potential trouble, quickly issuing a statement in which he "respectfully" accepted the electoral council's decision and urged his supporters to do the same.
"Ultimately, we must respect the rule of law in order for our island to become the great nation we all aspire for it to be," Jean said.
His jump into politics had been widely credited with injecting fresh blood into the Haitian political scene, stoking enthusiasm among the country's restless, widely unemployed youth, who saw him as a symbol of hope and success.
But unlike former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was overthrown by an armed revolt six years ago, analysts say there was no conclusive evidence that Jean could mobilize the masses as a political leader and fully capture the support of Haiti's overwhelming majority of poor peasants and workers.
Jean left Haiti with his family to live in New York at the age of 9 and launched his music career in the United States.
He is admired for never having forgotten his Haitian roots and he has sought, through his Yele Haiti Foundation, to help in Haiti's recovery from the January 12 earthquake that killed up to 300,000 people.
But he recently boasted about being able to make "millions of dollars a day" by living and working in the United States, giving him little in common with most people in the Caribbean nation of 9 million people who live on less than $2 a day.
Eduardo Gamarra, a political science professor at Florida International University, said Jean was very popular in some areas of the capital Port-au-Prince.
But he said the fact that Jean announced his presidential bid on CNN and in other major U.S. media outlets highlighted his image, not as a grass-roots political leader, but as "a media star."
"A GOOD ARTIST" -- BUT LEADER?
"There's an assumption that his popularity as a rap singer has translated into an organized political movement. And I think that that's a leap," Gamarra said.
"He is a good artist but I don't think he can lead the country," Saurel Jean-Jacques, a Port-au-Prince hairdresser, said on Friday.
Jean has signaled he has no intention of fanning the flames of popular unrest in Haiti, and he may even wind up throwing his high-profile support behind another of the 19 presidential candidates approved on Friday.
He made clear he intended to continue to use his international celebrity profile in Haiti's reconstruction.
"Do not think that my role in the future of Haiti is over; it's just a different role than I had anticipated it to be. Rest assured, this isn't the end of my efforts to help improve my beloved country but only marks a new beginning," he said.
Outgoing President Rene Preval's government and the more than 9,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti have succeeded in calming gang violence in the Port-au-Prince slums and elsewhere across the country in recent years.
Analysts say the Haitian National Police, which replaced the dreaded army in the mid-1990s, has also gained more public support recently, as it helped to maintain order and quash delinquency amid popular frustration over the slow pace of post-quake rebuilding efforts.
Despite widespread popular distrust and resentment of powerful political and business elites in Haiti, the local and international security forces were among factors weighing against political bloodletting or any organized attempts to disrupt the November elections, analysts said.
Pranab meets Lalu, Mulayam on MPs' pay hike
New Delhi: Congress party's chief trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee met Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday to break the deadlock over salary hike for MPs.
The Bill that seeks to increase the salaries of the MPs is likely to be introduced today. On Friday, the Cabinet had approved a 300 per cent hike in the MP's salaries from 16,000 to 50,000 rupees. But the amount was promptly rejected by several parties mainly the Samajwadi party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. They argued it should be, at least, 80,001 rupee more than the highest paid bureaucrat.
On Friday, the Union Cabinet cleared a 300 per cent salary hike for MPs that will take their salaries from Rs. 16,000 a month to Rs. 50,000 a month. But some MPs say this is not enough. Forum:Will higher salaries for MPs help reduce corruption?)
Their daily allowance of Rs. 1000 when Parliament is in session has been doubled. Their monthly constitution allowance has also doubled from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 40,000.
For their office expenses, they now get Rs. 40,000 - twice what they were entitled to so far.
More good news for them. Their conveyance allowance has gone from 1 lakh to 4 lakh.
Spouses are entitled to free train travel from their place of residence to Delhi. Spouses also get upto eight free plane tickets from their place of residence to Delhi.
Lalu Prasad Yadav had led the campaign for new salaries after the Cabinet indicated it wanted to defer a hike. Ministers who said the timing was not correct for higher salaries included Home Minister P Chidambaram and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
They believe that the recent hike in petrol prices as well as the bevy of corruption allegations for the Commonwealth Games make it tough to justify a raise at this point. However, MPs pointed out that they are among the lowest-paid public representatives in the world.
MPs unhappy? Uproar in Lok Sabha over salary hike
Samajwadi Party (SP), Baujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members on Friday forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha for an hour voicing dissatisfaction over the quantum of proposed salary hike for MPs.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for an hour on Friday as SP, BSP and RJD members voiced dissatisfaction over the quantum of proposed salary hike for MPs.
Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) and Lalu Prasad (RJD) were on their feet during Question Hour claiming that the government had insulted Parliament by rejecting the recommendation of its Committee to raise the basic salary to Rs. 80,001 per month.
The Cabinet, at a meeting, approved a proposal to raise the basic salary of MPs to Rs. 50,000 from present level of Rs. 16,000.
"The government decision is an insult of Parliament. The bill should be torn to pieces," Yadav said in the Lok Sabha.
SP members, led by Yadav, backed Prasad and trooped to the well demanding that the MPs' Salary Bill be taken back.
BSP members and a lone JD(U) member who was present were also seen on their feet supporting the issue.
Amidst the ruckus, the government got two bills passed - the medical council of India bill and the trade mark bill. BJP MPs, especially Uday Singh and Kirti Azad protested over the manner in which the government got the bills passed and RJD and Samajwadi Party MPs were upset over the quantum of the salary hike and refused to leave the House after it was adjourned.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/pranab-meets-lalu-mulayam-on-mps-pay-hike-46116?cp
Israel and Palestinians agree to direct peace talks
Palestinian women cross towards Jerusalem through Israel's Qalandiya checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Ramallah during the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan August 20, 2010.
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel and the Palestinians accepted on Friday an invitation by the United States and other powers to restart direct talks on September 2 in a modest step toward forging a deal within 12 months to create a Palestinian state and peacefully end one of the world's most intractable conflicts.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with President Barack Obama on September 1, before formally resuming direct negotiations the following day at the State Department in Washington.
"There have been difficulties in the past, there will be difficulties ahead," Clinton said in a statement.
Clinton added that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah also were invited to the talks, which will mark the first direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 20 months.
"I ask the parties to persevere, to keep moving forward even through difficult times and to continue working to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region," Clinton said.
Clinton's announcement was echoed by the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations -- which issued its own invitation to the talks and underscored that a deal could be reached within a year.
Netanyahu quickly accepted the U.S. invitation and said reaching a deal would be possible but difficult.
"We are coming to the talks with a genuine desire to reach a peace agreement between the two peoples that will protect Israel's national security interests, foremost of which is security," a statement from his office said.
After a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian leadership announced its acceptance of the invitation for face-to-face peace talks with Israel.
SETTLEMENT ISSUE
But Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, warned that the Palestinians would pull out of the new talks if the Israelis allow a return to settlement building on lands that the Palestinians seek for a future state.
Israel's 10-month moratorium on Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank is due to end on September 26.
The invitation to the talks "contains the elements needed to provide for a peace agreement," Palestinian leaders said.
"It can be done in less than a year," Erekat said. "The most important thing now is to see to it that the Israeli government refrains from settlement activities, incursions, fait accomplis policies."
The two sides are coming together for talks after decades of hostility, mutual suspicion and a string of failed peace efforts.
The Quartet statement was aimed at the Palestinians, who believe that the group's repeated calls for Israel to stop building settlements in the West Bank and accept a Palestinian state within the borders of land occupied since the 1967 Middle East war are a guarantee of the parameters for the talks.
Clinton's invitation was aimed at Netanyahu, agreeing with his demand that the talks should take place "without preconditions" and giving little sense of any terms that the Israeli leader fears could box him in.
The Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza and refuses to renounce violence against Israel, said the proposed peace talks would do nothing to help the Palestinian cause. U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Hamas would have no role in the peace talks.
Middle East analysts say the peace process, which began in the early 1990s, established the basic outlines of a deal acceptable to both sides and identified crunch issues remaining to be resolved -- though most say the task is daunting.
Clinton said the talks should include the "final status" issues such as the boundaries of a future Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the right of return of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem. She urged both sides to refrain from provocative acts.
"As we move forward, it is important that actions by all sides help to advance our effort, not hinder it," Clinton said.
Mitchell, who spent months working to persuade both sides to restart direct talks, said the onus was now on them to produce results. He said the United States could offer "bridging proposals" if necessary.
OBAMA'S INVOLVEMENT
The Washington talks also signal a deeper personal involvement by Obama, who has repeatedly said that resolving the impasse between Palestinians and Israel is one of his chief diplomatic priorities.
"He is putting his political future into the process," said Middle East analyst Stephen Cohen, president of the Institute for Middle East Peace and Development.
"He has entered a process that is supposed to reach its conclusion just at the time when he is going to be running heavily for president again, so he will have a lot riding on this," Cohen said.
Others have just as much riding on the talks. In one year, the Palestinian Authority government plans to have established all the attributes of statehood, raising speculation that it might declare independence should talks fail to make progress on a "final status" treaty.
Abbas, whose Fatah party rules the West Bank, broke off talks with the previous Israeli prime minister in 2008. Contacts were frozen after Israel's massive offensive in the Gaza Strip in that same year against Hamas.
Mitchell, speaking after Clinton's announcement, said the climate of mistrust would have to be overcome.
"We don't expect all of those differences to disappear when talks begin. Indeed, we expect that they will be presented, debated, discussed, and that differences are not going to be resolved immediately," Mitchell said, adding that a final peace deal was in everyone's interest.
Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington said the real test would be how soon and how thoroughly the root causes of the conflict are addressed.
"If they simply have a set of episodic meetings, you know you haven't made progress ... but if they are followed by continuing talks at the working level, you know that something serious is going on," Cordesman said. "It is dangerous to assume that we are going to be able to rush forward."
I'm ready to prove conspiracy, Sushma Swaraj tells Sonia
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Friday charged the Congress with hatching a conspiracy to destabilise the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka and prop up the “tottering” Congress government in Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing the party's fifth and last janajagruti rally, organised here to counter the Congress' padayatra, Ms. Swaraj said she had all information that a person holding constitutional authority, whom she did not wish to name, had tried to woo the Reddy brothers, Janardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy, — both Ministers in Karnataka — to join the Congress. When the attempt failed, the Congress was up to its tricks to destabilise the first BJP government in the south.
“If AICC president Ms. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh invite me to their house, I am ready to go there and give them all the details as to who are behind the conspiracy.” Ms. Swaraj wanted Ms. Gandhi to accept her claims as a challenge.
When the Reddy brothers rejected the Congress' offer, it came out with a series of programmes to defame and destabilise the BJP government, which included a padayatra.(The 320-km ‘Bellary chalo' padayatra was organised by the Congress to protest against the failure of the BJP government to check illegal mining of iron ore.)
Commending Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for taking a bold decision on banning export of iron ore with the aim of protecting the resource, Ms. Swaraj sought to know what prevented the Congress, in its over six decades of its rule, from taking such measures.
“We are for a ban on exports of iron ore. If the Congress introduces a Bill [in Parliament] on banning exports of ore, then we are ready to support it even without discussion.” She wanted the UPA government to come out with legislation in this matter.
Senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said if the Union Government was concerned at the loot of iron ore, let it ban exports. “Congressmen have become fish out of water and have been striving hard to come back to power [in Karnataka], which is impossible. For, you [Congress] are for power and we [BJP] are for development and people have realised it.”
Ananth Kumar, MP and BJP general secretary, criticised the Congress MPs and Ministers representing the State for absenting themselves when the illegal mining issue was debated in the Lok Sabha. This exposed their hollow claim that they were concerned about protecting mineral resources.
Mr. Yeddyurappa; State BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa and Ministers Janardhan Reddy and B. Sriramulu spoke at the rally held on the Municipal School grounds.
Uco Bank Recruitment For 1000 Clerks
Uco Bank invites application for the post of clerk. Uco bank needs to 1000 clerks for the state of Andaman & Nicobar UT, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh UT, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshwadweep UT, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, New Delhi, Orissa, Puducherrey UT, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
Uco Bank, formerly United Commercial Bank, established in 1943 in Kolkata, is one of the oldest and major commercial bank of India.
Total 1000 Posts (SC- 148, ST- 129, OBC-276, GEN-447)
Pay Scale: Rs 7200 – 19300
Age Limit: (As on 01.07.2010 ):Minimum 18 Years, Maximum 28
Minimum Qualification: Pass with 60% marks in 10+2 examination or its equivalent OR a degree in any discipline. For SC/ST/ Ex-Servicemen/PC Category candidates: Pass with 50% marks in 10+2 examination or its equivalent OR a degree in any discipline.
Impotant date for online apply:
Opening Date for Online Registration : 21.07.2010
Closing Date for Online Registration: 28.08.2010
Tentative Date of Written Examination: 14.11.2010
you can get more information about uco bank at official website of its that is http://www.ucobank.com/
Ravi Teja's brothers caught in drugs scandal
Actor Ravi Teja's brothers Raghu Babu, Bharat and their friend Naresh along with a Nigerian national were caught by the task force in Hyderabad on Thursday for alleged dealing with banned drugs.
Report says that actor Raghu Babu and Bharat were arrested by Banjara Hills police while they were purchasing drugs from a Nigerian. Police have seized approximately 50 grams of Cocaine and have registered a case against them.
This is not the first time where Raghu Babu has been nabbed by the police. Earlier,he was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).
Shahrukh almost bumps into Salman
It is said that Shahrukh was shooting for a TV commercial at Mehboob Studios. Interestingly, Salman too was giving interview in the same vicinity for his forthcoming film Dabangg. The actors however averted bumping into each other. Salman was spotted hanging around for a while but Shahrukh chose to remain on the set.
The duo were very much aware of each other's presence though. “They took a long stare at each other’s vanity van while the other was shooting,” The Times of India quoted a source as saying. “Yes, Shah Rukh and Salman were present at Mehboob around the same time on Wednesday,” a male attendant from Mehboob confirmed.
Now, the big question is – when will the actors sort out the differences? Only time can tell this!
Bangalore beggar deaths: 20 deaths in 48 hours, 13 in critical condition
Eight more inmates of Beggars’ Colony at Sumanahalli on Magadi Road died on Thursday, taking the death toll to 20 in the last 48 hours, since Tuesday night. The continuing deaths have enhanced the shame of Bangalore, which appears to have neglected the inhuman conditions in which 2,500 of its citizens live right under its nose.
The preliminary findings of the inquiry committee instituted by social welfare minister D Sudhakar, and headed by social welfare department commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, indicate an epidemic outbreak within the colony due to lack of immunity among the inmates and unhygienic conditions in the colony, which falls in the jurisdiction of the social welfare department.
1 in 5 Americans See Obama as 'Muslim'
A new public opinion poll shows 18 percent of Americans wrongly believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim. The number of Americans with that mistaken idea has risen in the past year, although Obama is a practicing Christian and has made many public statements about his faith.
The poll released Thursday by the Pew Research Center indicated that only 34 percent of people know the president is Christian. A larger number -- 43 percent -- say they are not certain what religion Obama practices.
The survey found that those who believe the President is a Muslim overwhelmingly disapprove of his job performance. Obama's faith has long been the subject of Internet rumors. During his run for president, his detractors occasionally questioned the significance of his middle name "Hussein."
The new poll was conducted before the president came out to support the rights of developers to build a Muslim cultural center in New York near the site of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Obama's opinion on the subject angered opponents of the cultural center who say it is offensive to build a Muslim site that includes a mosque so close to the scene of an attack by Islamist extremists.
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan organization that gathers information about issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The Pew group conducts public opinion polling and social science research by analyzing news coverage and by holding forums and briefings.
Anushka Rizvi celebrates the success of Peepli Live
Anusha Rizvi deserves to be lavished with a shower of praise for her directorial debut Peepli Live. Aamir Khan has produced the movie. Peepli Live is one of the best movies and must watches of the year till date.
In an interview, the journalist cum director shared her feelings about the success of her first directorial venture. She seemed to be in a state of euphoria and said that she is happy with the enormous response of the audience of all ages groups to her cinematic attempt.
Anusha said that her effort to transform a slice of life into a silver screen, is shown from the rational enjoyment of people. She is celebrating her achievement with the movie’s cast and crew, consisting of 150 people.
When asked about the reviews, the director said with pleasure that reviews from all over, are positive and overwhelming. The reviews were beyond her expectation. She was not sure if the detailing that she put into the film would be noticed. But the audience has taken note of it and that is why, she is on high. Her face gleamed with a smile when she expressed her joy to have received kudos from Amitabh Bachchan and other such stalwarts from the industry.
Pakistan accepts Indian aid offer
Pakistan has finally accepted the $five million aid offered by India for flood relief victims and said such a gesture was appreciated. "I can share with you that the Government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer (of $5 million aid)," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
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said on the sidelines of the special session of the General Assembly on Pakistan at the United Nations headquarters.
The US had on Thursday asked Pakistan to accept $five million in flood aid from India, as politics should have no role in disaster response.
The Foreign Minister asserted that Pakistan was not playing any politics on aid offer from India.
"We are not playing politics. Let me acknowledge the fact that the Minister for External Affairs, Mr SM Krishna, called me in Islamabad and he expressed sympathy, he condoled with me on the loss of life, and offered assistance to Pakistan," he told the NDTV in an interview.
Qureshi was at the United Nations headquarters in New York to attend the special session of the General Assembly on Pakistan.
Qureshi thanked Krishna, Indian Government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for this very "positive" gesture.
"It's highly appreciated by Pakistan and we have recognised it. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Prime Minister Gillani and they have also exchanged views on the evolving flood situation in Pakistan.
"He has reiterated the offer made by the foreign minister, and I can share with you that the government of Pakistan has agreed to accept the Indian offer," Qureshi said.
"I think this initiative of India is a very welcome initiative and I'm looking forward to further engagements with my counterpart to improve the environment, to build confidence and to bridge the trust deficit between the two countries," the Pakistan Foreign Minister said.
When asked about reports that Islamic extremist groups might take advantage of this opportunity to win over hearts and minds, Qureshi asserted this will not happen.
"I think what we saw today and the UN will not permit them to take advantage of the situation. I think the international community is now forthcoming and the international community is responding and they are responding quickly, and we will not allow them to exploit that situation," Qureshi said.
Sony Ericsson Announces A Range of New Phones in India
Sony Ericsson has unveiled its six new phones, including smartphones, GreenHeart and walkman phones; comprising the Xperia X8, GreenHeart Cedar and Aspen,and Walkman phones – Yendo, Spiro and Zylo.
XPERIA X8
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is an entertainment smartphone that extends the functions of the Xperia collection to new market segments.
The user interface is similar to that of the Xperia X10 mini, with the four-corners that give one hand use and can be customised for one touch access to preferred applications.
The Xperia X8 also includes Timescape for access to all social networking and the infinite button for one click access to a world of content. The open Android operating system delivers access to thousands of applications on Android Market.
X8 - Rs. 15,000
Personal take - It's being dubbed the X10 Mini and it really is. The UI was fairly smooth even for a prototype. It's a sleek handset that's designed to offer Android lovers who can't afford the X10 but are still looking for the same experience at a lower price. Design-wise it's a just a more compact version of the X10 and although the colors may seem a little on the girly side, I have to give it up to SE fro trying to spruce things up a bit.
ASPEN
Sony Ericsson Aspen is a business phone, perfect for any consumer or company who want to make a green choice in their daily work life. A GreenHeart phone with the latest version of Windows Phone, the Sony Ericsson Aspen has rich user interface and powerful productivity tools.
But it’s not all about work, stay in touch with the fun parts of life with Media Browser and PlayNow, with access to social networks and to media files. Also comes with a-GPS, Google Maps and snap pictures with the 3.2megapixel camera.
Aspen - Rs. 15,500
Personal take - The Aspen's keypad is definitely one of the better designs out there and makes for speedy typing. I would have liked the handset a lot more had there been a slightly more customized Windows Mobile 6.5 UI. The touchscreen was quite responsive but they could have reduced the price a bit by doing away with that feature. It's part of their eco-friendly GreenHeart range of handsets which means that it's made of recycled materials and has an eco-friendly charging system as well which SE says they will be incorporating into more handsets.
YENDO
Sony Ericsson Yendo with Walkman, the first full touch Walkman phone which combines music, social networking and communication in one colourful phone.
The four corner touch UI also allows users to find the most important phone features. So whether it’s text messaging, Facebook or email, users can experience a touch experience on a 2.6’’ display.
Consumers have a number of color combinations to choose from so they can personalize their handset to suit their mood and make sure it stands out from the crowd.
Yendo - Rs. 8,000 - Rs. 9,000
Personal take - I'm a fan of the four-corner button UI as well as the Walkman brand. However, the prototype was running quite sluggishly and although the design is now quite generic to the X8/X10, it's still quite attractive. A few of the panels might be included with the package, while the others will be available for purchase separately. The only drawback could be that it's not of the Android variety.
CEDAR
Sony Ericsson Cedar, the mobile phone for consumers looking for a way to stay connected at an affordable price. The phone offers consumers browsing capabilities with features such as 3G HSPA and access to e-mail and social networking sites. Part of the Sony Ericsson’s GreenHeart portfolio, the phone offers users a social networking experience with the Widget Manager 2.0 – an application which allows users access social networking via the stand-by screen.
Cedar - Rs. 6,000 - 7,000
Personal take - I thought the Naite was a great handset and it seems like SE just might have another winner with the Cedar. Like the Naite, it's also an eco-friendly handset with 3G and built in social networking features. At the kind of price it's being positioned at, it's going to give handsets like the LG Cookie Plus serious competition. The design with the Human Curvature concept is lightweight and very comfortable to use.
ZYLO & SPIRO
Sony Ericsson Zylo and Spiro provide consumers with the music experience they have come to expect from Walkman phones and also go one step further and marry music with social networking.
From Twitter to Facebook, consumers can catch up with friends at a touch of a button while still listening to their music on the Walkman player. Another key function available on both phones is TrackID – which allows consumers to access the name and artist of a track they hear playing wherever they are. This function has proved popular with music lovers world-wide with 129 million TrackID lookups in 2009 alone.
Spiro - Rs. 5,000; Zylo - Rs. 8,000
Personal take - Both of these slider handsets are seriously funky and quite versatile feature-wise, for the price. Audio quality was pretty good even though these were just prototypes. The design is slick and these devices could fare very well with the hep crowd looking for cool handsets in a colorful range.
At the end of the day the only disappointment from SE was that the Xperia X10 was getting upped to Android 2.1 in October while the rest of the planet moves on to 2.2 aka Froyo. The company says there's a possibility that the X10 could simply skip Froyo and move on to Gingerbread, which means if you're waiting for an update, you've got a long wait ahead of you.
All prices quoted are approximate MOPs. Official prices will be issued later on. The handsets are expected to be launched by late September or early October.
Merc rolls out new E-Class at Rs 64.5 lakh
NEW DELHI: Mercedes Benz is on a roll in India. The company has managed to regain lost ground from BMW in 2010, spurred by new launches.
With a massive 79% rise in sales in the first seven months of 2010, Mercedes on Tuesday drove in the cabriolet version of its E-Class — a four seater convertible with soft top — priced at Rs 64.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The company's aggressive stance can be gauged by the fact that it has launched more than a dozen new cars since January this year, including variants of its C, E and S-Class models.
"The Indian economy is growing rapidly and so are the aspirations... people want to invest in luxury and cars," said Wilfried Aulbur, MD, Mercedes Benz India. The company launched SLS-AMG sports car last month with a hefty Rs 2 crore price tag and managed to sell ten units despite the steep price. The E-Class cabriolet is another aspirational product and Aulbur said these products go a long way in strengthening the brand. Rival BMW has already launched its 650i convertible in India.
Aulbur said demand for luxury cars is expected to remain strong and the market could grow manifold from its current 10,000 units. "The purchasing power of all income groups is going up and will drive the growth in luxury cars. The confidence of the Indian industry has increased, there is growth in real estate and stock market, finance is readily available and the exposure to luxury products is high."
The company has been ramping up production to meet demand. It sold 2,921 units in the January-July period against 1,629 units in the same period last year.
Cabinet approves bill to hike MPs' salary
Salaries of MPs will be hiked by more than three times with the Union Cabinet today approving a bill over which differences among ministers had surfaced earlier this week.
A meeting of the Cabinet gave its nod to the bill under which the basic salary of the MPs will be hiked from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 per month.
However, this is much less than the figure of Rs 80,001 recommended by the parliamentary committee which had said the MPs should get more than government secretaries as the former are above them in the hierarchy.
The Cabinet also approved increase in office expenses of parliamentarians from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. The constituency allowance has also been doubled from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month, government sources said.
The limit for interest-free loan for MPs for buying a personal vehicle has been hiked four-fold to Rs 4 lakh from the present Rs 1 lakh.
The government also approved a hike in road mileage rate for vehicles used by MPs from Rs 13 per km to Rs 16 per km.
Spouse of a parliamentarian can now travel any number of times in first class or executive class, the sources said.
Pension benefits have also been increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000 per month.
Earlier this week, the Cabinet had deferred a decision on it in view of lack of consensus.
The dissenting Ministers had referred to the farmers' suicide and allegations of corruption in Commonwealth Games while making the point that the hiking the salaries of MPs at the moment would be seen in the bad light.
We won’t allow terrorists to take advantage of situation: Pakistan
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Islamabad will not allow terrorists to take advantage of humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country.
“We are not going to allow them to take advantage or exploit this natural disaster,” said Mr. Qureshi, who was here to attend a special meeting on Pakistan, underlining the need for immediate “international assistance“.
“The gains we have made against the terrorists are substantial yet we remain exposed. If we fail it would undermine the hard won gains made by the government in our difficult and painful war against terrorism...we cannot allow this catastrophe to become an opportunity for the terrorists,” he said speaking at the UN General Assembly.
Meanwhile, the U.S. yesterday announced an additional USD 60 million to Pakistan, bringing it’s total contribution to the flood relief efforts to more than USD 150 billion.
“We will be with you as rivers rise and fall, we will be with you as you replant your fields and repair your roads,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said while addressing the meeting at the General Assembly after Mr. Qureshi.
Secretary—General Ban Ki—moon called the UN member states to amp up the response to provide aid for more than six million people who need urgent assistance, which include 3.5 million children.
Mr. Ban noted that nations should not fall pray to what has been described in the media as “donor fatigue” in providing money to Pakistan.
The total number of people impacted by the flood is about 20 million.
“That is more than the entire population hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake, Cyclone Nargis and the earthquake in Haiti, combined,” he said.
The latest figures indicate that the UN has now received contributions worth USD 252 million, or 55 per cent of its initial appeal of USD 460 million for the first three months.
The UN member—states also unanimously passed a General Assembly resolution to provide emergency relief to Pakistan.
The resolution also said that “unprecedented floods” reflected “the adverse impact of climate change and the growing vulnerability of countries to climate change a reason for the flooding in Pakistan.”
Ward for swine flu patients restarts
NAGPUR: Although the death toll of H1N1 patients admitted in both government hospitals in the city has touched 10, most patients are from neigbouring towns and cities. Authorities continue to insist that there is no cause to panic. However, in case of increase in inflow of patients to and from the city, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has restarted a 20-bed dedicated isolation ward since last Sunday for swine flu.
Speaking to TOI, GMCH dean, Dr R M Powar said that although GMCH is prepared to handle swine flu patients, it is unfortunate that almost all patients are reaching the hospital in a bad condition.
"Private and government doctors in the district and other towns should first start treating any suspected case with tamiflu and not wait for the report of blood sample or for the condition to worsen before referring to GMCH. Two pregnant women as well as two other patients who died at GMCH came in morbid conditions," he said.
At present, GMCH has three ventilators in ward No. 25. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has offered to lend one while the directorate of medical education and research has initiated the process for procuring five more for GMCH and two for the super specialty hospital. Dr Powar said that the hospital has the necessary infrastructure as well as medicine stock.
The dean feels that compared to Mumbai, Pune and other cities in western Maharashtra, the death toll in the region is negligible and that there is no reason to panic. Since people have already been exposed to the virus once, the threat will be lesser now. Since deaths at GMCH are from outside the city and from isolated places, the disease has become like any other viral disease.
"It is more important to see that we have successfully treated almost all patients who were brought with initial infection stage," the dean said. Four doctors at GMCH and three from the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College have recovered well from the infection.
Dr Y B Bansod, professor and head of the medicine department said that WHO has declared that the swine flu pandemic is over and that India's management of the disease has been appreciated.
Of the ten deaths since April, eight, including five at GMCH, have taken place in the last fortnight.
Two patients, Dhulichand Narnavare (56) from Jaripatka and Prakash Chaoji from Mahal died at a nursing home in Jaripatka and one patient (Kamal Jaiswani) from Jabalpur, who was brought on a ventilator to the Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI), died in the last four days.
Five deaths at GMCH (between August 5 to 12) include 2 pregnant women, one each from Kalmeshwar and Mouda. They were brought in a critical condition.
Three other patients, a 15-year-old boy suffering from blood cancer from Kamptee, another from Ashti and one from Mouda too were brought in a serious condition. These were declared swine flu deaths as their H1N1 status report arrived three days after their death.
Read more: Ward for swine flu patients restarts - Nagpur - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Ward-for-swine-flu-patients-restarts/articleshow/6328330.cms#ixzz0wwLZwLr3
Deepika Padukone gets proposed in Delhi, says no!
NEW DELHI: She may be the dreamgirl for many but not everyone has the courage to go up and propose to Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone.
But the 24-year-old actress was shocked when a youngster went down on his knees and asked her, "Will you marry me?"
An amused Deepika turned down the proposal saying, "I am not ready for marriage yet."
"But I am ready for you," shot back the youth, which left the former model laughing.
Deepika, who turned up in a gorgeous white saree to promote her upcoming film 'Lafangey Parindey' along with co-star Neil Nitin Mukesh and his father, has constantly been linked to liquor baron Vijay Mallaya's son Siddhartha.
The actress, who was previously dating Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, was first spotted with Siddhartha at an IPL match cheering for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Deepika had earlier said that she will not stop leading a normal life because of the media's excessive interest in her personal life.
"It does not matter if you link me up with someone because I know that I am leading a normal life. I have my guy friends with whom I go out like everybody else," she had said.
And at the ongoing India International Jewellery Week in Mumbai where she walked the ramp, Siddhartha was in the front row cheering for her.
Her latest film has beend directed by Pradeep Sarkar of 'Pareenita' fame and releases on August 20. The story revolves around a group of youngsters living in the backstreets of Mumbai and sees Deepika playing a blind girl.
Pakistan aid 'will not fall to extremists'
Pakistan has sought to reassure international donors that funds to help victims of its devastating flooding will not fall into extremists' hands.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the BBC the Taliban would not be allowed to take advantage of the crisis to increase its support.
Continue reading the main story
Pakistan's Monsoon Floods
* Special report: Floods
* Satellite tracks Pakistan floods
* Floods threaten 'engine of growth'
* Pakistanis on aid effort
The UN has said it has now raised nearly half of the $460m (£294m) it needs for initial relief efforts.
Meanwhile new flood warnings have been issued in some areas of Pakistan.
The authorities say as many as 20 million people are affected by the floods. The UN says six million desperately need emergency aid but most still have not received it. Ten of thousands of villages remain under water.
There are growing health concerns for those surviving without proper shelter, food or clean drinking water, three weeks after the country's worst natural disaster in modern times began.
Overwhelmed
Survivors have criticised the government's response to the disaster, saying aid has been too slow to arrive and there are increasing reports of victims staging protests to demand help from the government.
Mr Malik said he was satisfied that the government had coped with the initial response but that it had been overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis.
Flood victims reach for aid in Baluchistan province, Pakistan (17 August 2010) Relief agencies say aid has yet to reach tens of thousands of the flood survivors
"What happened was never expected. In the history of the whole subcontinent there was never such a disaster," he said.
Mr Malik said he was aware of the danger that the Taliban could increase its foothold in flood-hit areas by taking on charitable roles and winning support from survivors.
But he said this would not be allowed to happen and blamed the concerns on internal "party politics".
The US ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, also played down the fears, saying stories that extremists groups were the only organisations involved in relief work in some areas were "greatly exaggerated".
The UK's International Development Minister, Andrew Mitchell, who has been visiting north-west Pakistan, said he felt the Pakistani relief teams were doing well in getting supplies to many of the victims, in the face of great difficulties.
US Senator John Kerry, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is also due in Pakistan to view relief efforts.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is travelling to Russia for a regional summit, but is only expected to stay for a few hours. Mr Zardari was criticised after not returning home from a trip to Europe earlier this month to deal with the growing crisis.
'Never expected'
There have been fresh flood warnings, with a series of towns in north-west Sindh, close to the border with Baluchistan, placed on high alert. Rising floodwaters, carried by the River Indus, are travelling south and are expected to hit the region soon.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Donors are realising the scale of the disaster. But the challenges are absolutely massive and the floods are not over”
End Quote Maurizio Giuliano UN spokesman
UN officials say the floods are now covering an area the size of England. At least 1,600 people have been killed, with health officials warning the toll could rise as water-borne diseases spread.
Aid agencies say six million people are in need of immediate assistance but many have received no aid at all.
The distribution of supplies has been hampered by severe damage to the country's infrastructure, with roads and bridges washed away or blocked by landslides.
The UN has been struggling to raise the money it says is urgently needed for the immediate relief effort.
UN spokesman Maurizio Giuliano told Reuters news agency there had "been an improvement" in donations, but he added: "The challenges are absolutely massive and the floods are not over."
Unicef, the UN's children's fund, called for "an urgent effort" from donors.
"Two million dollars are needed every day to provide water - this is not sustainable. We don't have two million dollars a day," said Unicef's regional director, Daniel Toole.
As well as buildings, large areas of crops and farmland have been washed away, leading to fears of food insecurity in the future.
Aid graphic
"If immediate steps are not taken, we fear a famine," said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a provincial information minister in north-west Pakistan.
"The farmers have lost everything: their crops, their machines, their houses, their seeds."
The World Bank has said it is redirecting $900m in existing loans to Pakistan to flood relief and recovery.
Pakistani officials have said it could take five years and up to $15bn for the country to recover.
Parliament adjourns till noon after BSP ruckus over illegal mining
Parliament was today adjourned till noon after ruckus over demand by BSP for dismissal of Karnataka government following allegations of illegal mining in the state and RJD claims of a deal between the government and main opposition BJP in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, BSP members trooped into the well waving placards demanding dismissal of the BJP-led government in Karnataka.
Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) and Lalu Prasad (RJD) waved copies of a newspaper carrying reports related to the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.
Mr. Mulayam Singh and Mr. Prasad claimed that BJP and Congress have struck a deal as per which a key witness in the Soharabuddin fake encounter case has retracted his statement on the role of Gujarat police in alleged extortion rackets in the state.
The two leaders were seen waving copies of the Ahmedabad edition of a newspaper which was strongly objected to by Speaker Meira Kumar.
BSP members were in the well demanding the sack of the Karnataka government on allegations of illegal mining against some of the ministers in the state.
As the uproar continued, Ms. Kumar adjourned the proceedings till noon.
In the Rajya Sabha, the trouble began soon after the House met with Satish Mishra (BSP) stating that his party has given a notice for suspension of the Question Hour so that the issue of illegal mining of iron ore in Karnataka can be taken up.
When Chairman Hamid Ansari wanted to take up Question Hour, BSP members carrying banners moved in the aisles and started raising slogans demanding dismissal of the BJP-led government there for allegedly allowing illegal mining.
“This is Question Hour...no display of banners please,” Mr. Ansari said.
RJD members alleged that BJP and Congress had struck a deal in the Shorabuddin fake encounter case.
“Please go back to your places,” Mr. Ansari said. “This is Question Hour... don’t disrupt Question Hour.”
As the din continued, Mr. Ansari adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House reassembled with BSP members raising slogans seeking dismissal of the Karnataka government.
RJD members also raised the Gujarat fake encounter case.
“Please allow the Question Hour to run,” Mr. Ansari pleaded with the members who were unrelenting.
Sensing their mood, he adjourned the House till 12 noon.
Madani remanded in police custody till August 26
PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani has been remanded in police custody till August 26 by a Bangalore magistrate in connection with the 2008 Bangalore serial blast case. After his arrest in Kollam by Karnataka Police, Madani was flown in here last night and produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan
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Magistrate Venkatesh R Hulagi at his residence.
The court granted custody on conditions that he be allowed to perform all religious rituals during Ramzan and avail all medical facilities any time he so desires.
The magistrate also came out of his residence and spoke to Madani, who has lost one of his legs in a bomb blast, in the car in which he was seated.
The PDP leader, who was arrested from his orphanage-cum-madrassa complex yesterday, was brought in Bangalore from Thiruvanathapuram amid heavy police security, with Joint Commissioner of Crime Alok Kumar and Assistant Commissioner of Police Omkaraiah escorting him.
The two senior police officials had gone to Kerala to execute the arrest warrant.
Based on the confession of LeT suspect T Naseer, Madani was listed as 31st accused in the additional chargesheet in the Bangalore blasts, which left a woman dead and 20 others injured here on July 25, 2008.
No-ball issue: Sangakkara takes the blame
NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara on Wednesday said he has taken responsibility for team action for Suraj Randiv's no-ball to deny Indian opener Virender Sehwag his century.
Sangakkara also said he has faced similar incidents as a player.
"The incident is unsavoury and unfortunate and the issue is under Sri Lanka cricket board."
"The team will put the incident behind them for the next match against New Zealand," said the Lankan skipper.
Earlier, Sri Lankan media report said that it was Tillakaratne Dilshan who suggested off-spinner Suraj Randiv to bowl a no-ball to deny Indian opener Virender Sehwag his century during Monday's controversial tri-series match.
Sri Lanka Cricket, which has ordered an internal probe into the no-ball controversy, is yet to make the report official but according to 'The Island' it was Dilshan who suggested Randiv to bowl a no-ball at the fag end of the match which India won by six wickets.
Sehwag was just one short of his 13th ODI hundred when Randiv, who had not bowled a no ball in the Test or ODI series this season, bowled one which was hit by the opener for a six.
# First Keyboard with the New Rupee Sign Arrives First Keyboard with the New Rupee Sign Arrives
Just weeks after the new symbol for the Indian Rupee was unveiled, there were talks about who would be the first to integrate the symbol to their systems (both, hardware and software). While folks have already made the new Rupee font available for download, what was missing so far was a keyboard that could actually let you type in the symbol with ease.
Well, your wait has ended - thanks to folks over at TVS who have just announced the launch of its latest keyboard, the Gold Bharat which happens to be first keyboard to come with the new Indian Rupee sign. TVS has intelligently decided to launch the keyboard on the eve of
The Gold Bharat keyboard supports up to 50 million strokes per switch. And boasts of a very light touch operating force of 60 + 15 cN. TVS adds that the keytops are etched by laser and are wear resistant well. The keyboard supports both USB and PS/2 interfaces. It is mechanical in nature and is claimed to be highly reliable thanks to its 200,000 hours mean time between failure rating.
The Gold Bharat keyboard will set you back by Rs.1,495.
Lemon iT 717 Launched, Costs Rs. 4,499
With a 1100 mAh battery, the phone can provide upto 5 hours of talktime. The phone comes with Opera Mini and Nimbuzz Instant messenger in the phone.
Cabinet defers bill to hike MPs' salaries
NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet on Monday deferred a bill to substantially hike the salary and perks of members of Parliament, official sources said.
The bill had proposed hiking the basic monthly salary of a MP from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000. It also provided for higher perks, including Rs 20,000 as constituency allowance and more air tickets.
The bill was scheduled to be tabled in the Parliament this week.
Farmer protests rock Parliament, no end to agitation in Aligarh Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/farmer-protests-rock-parliament-no-end-to-agitation-in-aligarh-44811?cp
Aligarh: The violent protests by farmers demanding a higher compensation for their land taken by the Uttar Pradesh government for the Yamuna Expressway continued for the third day in Aligarh today. Yamuna Expressway is a 165-km road corridor between Noida and Agra.
Thousands of agitating farmers gathered in the Jigarpur village where they burnt an effigy of Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati. Mayawati has promised to appoint a committee to look into the farmers' demands.
Rival politicos like Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh Choudhary too flocked to the spot. Backing the farmers' demands, he said that they should receive the same amount of compensation as the farmers in Noida. He also demanded a probe and strict action against the police officers who fired on the protestors.
Aligarh has been the epicentre of violence between farmers and the police since Saturday. The agitation turned violent after police allegedly arrested a leader of the farmers. Three farmers and a policeman died in the clashes yesterday.
Uproar in Parliament over farmer agitation
There was commotion in both Houses of Parliament today over the firing on protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh. Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned repeatedly with the Opposition demanding a discussion over the farmers' demands.
In Rajya Sabha, the BJP and BSP members clashed on the issue of police firing on farmers. The ruling BSP strongly opposed any demand for a discussion saying it was a state subject.
The BJP has demanded the introduction of the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill to address compensation to farmers whose land is acquired by the government.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/farmer-protests-rock-parliament-no-end-to-agitation-in-aligarh-44811?cp
Kashmir encounter over, 3 militants killed
The Jammu and Kashmir police have said that the thee militants killed in the recently concluded gunbattle in Rajouri were part of the team that masterminded and executed the attack last Wednesday on an Army jeep in which two civilians were killed.
Militants attacked the vehicle of the 48 Rashtriya Rifles' commanding officer near Thanamandi in which two jawans were also injured.
The militants were killed by a joint column of Army troops and police in the same area in the encounter that ended in the third day today.
In this encounter, Army jawan S K Singa of 38 Rashtriya Rifles has been killed Major Susheel Mahopatry is among the three people injured. Identifying the other injured as a Special Police Officer Ifitkar Hussain and civilian Khalid Hussain, sources said that Mahopatry has been airlifted to Command Hospital at Udhampur.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rajouri, R K Jalla has said that the gunfight was on in the Shara Wali forest belt in Thanamandi tehsil of the district.
Additional forces have been rushed to the area and the cordon strengthened to prevent the militants from fleeing.
Two Lashker-e-Toiba militants were killed and constable Nasir Ahmed was injured in the exchange of fire in the area on Sunday. The militants were identified as Sajjad Kashmiri and Pakistani national Abu Qamran.
Two AK rifles along with ammunition and explosives have also been seized from the area where one more militant – codename Doctor, also a Pakistani national -- is believed to be holed up.
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