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Sat, 14 September 2013
Live! Land Acquisition Bill can reduce naxal influence: Ramesh
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23:33 Land Acquisition Bill can reduce naxal influence: Ramesh
Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the passage of landmark Land Acquisition Bill could gradually eliminate naxal influence in tribal-dominated areas.
"Naxalites are holding their influence in tribal areas on the issues of forest and land. In the new Land Acquisition Bill various options are made available for farmers, tribals and others. Considering this we can hope that the influence of naxals among them will gradually wane," Ramesh said.
The Land Acquisition Bill was passed recently by Parliament. It seeks to provide fair and just compensation to farmers and to those who lose livelihood on account of acquisition.
"Naxalites are holding their influence in tribal areas on the issues of forest and land. In the new Land Acquisition Bill various options are made available for farmers, tribals and others. Considering this we can hope that the influence of naxals among them will gradually wane," Ramesh said.
The Land Acquisition Bill was passed recently by Parliament. It seeks to provide fair and just compensation to farmers and to those who lose livelihood on account of acquisition.
20:07 Bomb in auto-rickshaw passenger's bag explodes, 1dead
A passenger of an auto-rickshaw was killed and its driver injured when a bomb kept in a bag held by the passenger exploded in South 24 Parganas district today, the police said.
Three passengers alighted the auto-rickshaw from Suryapur under Baruipur police station.
After hitting a bumper on the road near Krisnachandrapur, the three-wheeler got a jolt and the bomb kept in the bag went off. The passenger who was holding the bag died and the driver got injured.
The other two passengers fled. The bag also contained two fire arms which were seized, the police said.
Three passengers alighted the auto-rickshaw from Suryapur under Baruipur police station.
After hitting a bumper on the road near Krisnachandrapur, the three-wheeler got a jolt and the bomb kept in the bag went off. The passenger who was holding the bag died and the driver got injured.
The other two passengers fled. The bag also contained two fire arms which were seized, the police said.
19:59 RSS forced BJP to name Modi as PM candidate: Paswan
Lokjanshakti Party President Ramvilas Paswan today said that the RSS has forced BJP to declare Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate to check its falling stock, but there was not the 'remotest' chance that the party would come to power.
"Worried over falling stock due to BJP remaining out of power in the last 10 years, RSS forced BJP to declare Narendra Modi in place of L K Advani as Prime Ministerial candidate," Paswan told reporters.
"But, it will not help RSS as there is not even the remotest chance that the BJP will come to power after the 2014 elections," the LJP chief, who is a partner of Lalu Prasad's RJD in Bihar, said. Blaming Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Paswan said.
"His constant support for L K Advani and opposition to Narendra Modi provided an opportunity to RSS to play its communal card by getting him anointed as PM nominee."
"Worried over falling stock due to BJP remaining out of power in the last 10 years, RSS forced BJP to declare Narendra Modi in place of L K Advani as Prime Ministerial candidate," Paswan told reporters.
"But, it will not help RSS as there is not even the remotest chance that the BJP will come to power after the 2014 elections," the LJP chief, who is a partner of Lalu Prasad's RJD in Bihar, said. Blaming Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Paswan said.
"His constant support for L K Advani and opposition to Narendra Modi provided an opportunity to RSS to play its communal card by getting him anointed as PM nominee."
19:04 1 killed, 5 injured in blast in Pakistan
At least one person was killed and five others were injured today when a remote-controlled bomb exploded during an archaeological excavation in a volatile tribal region of northwest Pakistan.
The explosive device went off with a big bang at the site in the mountainous area of Darra, 20 kilometres northeast of Khar, the main town of Bajaur Agency.
The blast killed one person and wounded five others, officials said, adding the injured have been admitted to a hospital. About a dozen tribesmen and members of the agency administration were digging at the site in Salarzai tehsil when the blast occurred, they said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. The members of the Salarzai Peace Committee have started investigation into the blast.
The explosive device went off with a big bang at the site in the mountainous area of Darra, 20 kilometres northeast of Khar, the main town of Bajaur Agency.
The blast killed one person and wounded five others, officials said, adding the injured have been admitted to a hospital. About a dozen tribesmen and members of the agency administration were digging at the site in Salarzai tehsil when the blast occurred, they said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. The members of the Salarzai Peace Committee have started investigation into the blast.
18:19 Teenager gang-raped by three cops in J-K, two arrested
A teenage girl was allegedly abductedand gang-raped by three police personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.
The girl was abducted from Talwara Migrant camp in Reasion Thursday evening by Assistant Sub Inspector Mahesh Mehta,Satvir Singh, personal assistant to Reasi SSP, and Special Police Officer Karnail Singh, a senior police official said.
On a complaint of the girl's parents yesterday, policeraided a house in Marhi area and arrested the ASI and SPOwhile Satvir managed to flee, the official said, adding thegirl was also rescued.
"We have launched a hunt to nab Satvir," Reasi SSP M SChouhan said.
The girl was abducted from Talwara Migrant camp in Reasion Thursday evening by Assistant Sub Inspector Mahesh Mehta,Satvir Singh, personal assistant to Reasi SSP, and Special Police Officer Karnail Singh, a senior police official said.
On a complaint of the girl's parents yesterday, policeraided a house in Marhi area and arrested the ASI and SPOwhile Satvir managed to flee, the official said, adding thegirl was also rescued.
"We have launched a hunt to nab Satvir," Reasi SSP M SChouhan said.
16:57 Nepal, India discuss water resources, flood control
Nepal and India have reviewed progress made by bilateral water resources projects and discussed issues related to water resources, electricity, flood forecasting and flood control.
The matters were discussed during the two-day Nepal India Joint Technical Standing Committee meeting, held after a gap of two years, according to a press release issued by the department of energy, Nepal.
The two sides reviewed progress made by bilateral water resources projects and discussed issues relating to flood forecasting and flood control, water resources and electricity.
16:55 Easy for western countries to talk, to criticise us: Rajapaksa
Dismissing allegations about the poor human rights situation in Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said a stable and powerful government is essential for the country's development and the western countries continued to criticise him without "clear understanding".
"The development of a country requires a stable government. A stable government is a powerful support to a country. A powerful government with full support by the people is the most important factor for us to push forward," he said in an interview.
15:31 Confident of winning 2014 polls: Rajnath
A day after Narendra Modi's anointment as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, party president Rajnath Singh today exuded confidence that along with allies, the party would be able to form the next government at the Centre.
"We hope to get 272 plus seats in the 2014 elections. Give us 272 plus seats and we will form a government whose economic policies will restore India's pride globally," he said.
15:14 Watch out BJP! Advani to drop a bombshell on Sunday
From a correspondent in Delhi: Watch out for a sensational blog post by sulking BJP leader L K Advani on Sunday.
Advani is expected to write a damning post about his displeasure with BJP President Rajnath Singh and the latter's handling of the nomination of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate.
BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar, who called on Advani on Saturday morning, have seen the draft of the blog.
They have urged the veteran leader not to publish it.
Close associates of Advani want the blog to hit the headlines on Sunday. This will spoil the mood for the much-hyped public rally, scheduled to be addressed by Modi in Rewari, where former army chief General VK Singh is expected to formally join the BJP.
14:34 BJP youth wing chief faces odd request
From a correspondent in Delhi: BJP's youth wing chief Anurag Thakur is under tremendous pressure from a senior leader of the party to accommodate his 'dear friend' as the general secretary of the Bharatiya Yuva Janata Party under the 'women's quota'.
14:34 3 Union ministers pay the price for Telengana
From a correspondent in Delhi: Three Union ministers have decided to vacate their official premises by the end of September as they are not sure of contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Even if they do manage to get tickets from their party, they are not confident of winning the election.
Interestingly, all three hail from Seema-Andhra region, and they had only been given ministerial berths earlier this year.
14:33 New voting machines to replace ancient ones in Parliament
From a correspondent in Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has approved the purchase of voting machines worth Rs 3 crore, which will be installed inside the Lok Sabha.
During the recent monsoon session, the Lok Sabha Secretariat found itself in a tight spot over the failure of electronic voting machines, which are now a decade old.
14:32 Will Advani contest Lok Sabha polls from Gujarat or MP?
From a correspondent in Delhi: Another question doing the rounds is whether L K Advani will seek re-election from Gandhi Nagar parliamentary constituency in Gujarat.
Having openly snubbed Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, will Advani still be able to contest as a BJP candidate from the state?
Some have been heard wondering if Advani will try his luck by contesting from a constituency in Madhya Pradesh this time.
14:31 M M Joshi in the running for NDA Parliamentary Party chief?
From a correspondent in Delhi: Will senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi be appointed the chairman of the NDA Parliamentary Party during the winter session of Parliament, which commences in November?
Senior BJP leaders are tight-lipped about the likelihood of such a move.
"Let us wait and watch the internal developments in the BJP," said a leader of the Shiv Sena.
14:30 Why Advani didn't want a photographer at Modi meeting
From a correspondent in Delhi: It was a visibly moved Advani who met Narendra Modi, after the latter's appointment as the BJP's PM candidate, at his residence on Friday evening.
During the meeting, Modi handed over a bouquet of flowers to Advani and touched his feet to seek his blessings.Insiders say Advani had tears in his eyes.
While the proceedings were videographed, journalists and photographers were not allowed to witness the meeting.
Advani did not want Modi to have a photo opportunity with him, according to a source close to the party patriarch.
14:28 PM, Akhilesh to visit Muzaffarnagar
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit violence-hit Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
UP CM Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to visit the town, which has witnessed incessant communal riots for over a week, today.
14:27 Syria shifts stockpile of chemical weapons
A secretive Syrian military unit is reportedly moving its stockpile of chemical weapons to as many as 50 sites in order to further complicate US efforts to track them.
Officials said that the shifting of the arsenal of poison gases and munitions can complicate a possible US military strike on Syria over the Damascus regime's alleged use of chemical weapons.
According to News24, the officials, on conditions of anonymity, did not confirm if the stocks have been shifted to 50 sites, but said that the Syrian military is indeed dispersing all of their military equipment and material in anticipation of a possible attack.
14:22 Nobody is upset: Sushma after Advani meeting
Senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Ananath Kumar on Saturday morning met party patriarch L K Advani, reportedly to pacify him, in the wake of the nomination of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as the party's PM candidate for the Lok Sabha polls.
Advani had made his opposition to Modi's elevation clear by refusing to attend the party parliamentary board's meeting.
Swaraj and Kumar are both considered to be close to Advani.
However, when Swaraj was asked about Advani's stand after the meeting, she said, "Nobody is upset."
She denied that Advani's scathing letter to Singh had even been discussed.
13:00 Curfew lifted from most Kashmir towns
Curfew was today lifted from parts of Kulgam and Pulwama districts, while it remained in force in Shopian township for the third consecutive day, following the killing of five persons in firing by security forces.
"The curfew has been lifted from everywhere except Shopian town, where it will continue today," a police spokesman said.
He said the restrictions were lifted as the situation remained by and large peaceful.
12:58 Syria's use of chemical weapons a criminal act: Obama
US President Barack Obama has said that the use of chemical arms by Syria is a "criminal act" and as such it becomes important for the international community to respond, so as to deter the repeated use of such weapons and to move them out of the war-torn country.
Obama made his remarks after his bilateral meeting with Kuwaiti ruler Amir Al-Sabah, during which Syria was on top of their agenda.
"Our two countries are in agreement that the use of chemical weapons that we saw in Syria was a criminal act, and that it is absolutely important for the international community to respond in not only deterring repeated use of chemical weapons, but hopefully getting those chemical weapons outside of Syria," he said.
10:32 Only 2 forensic expert per 143 rape cases in India!
India has only 25 forensic laboratories and 60 experts to analyse evidence for thousands of crimes committed across the country.
The shortage of manpower especially affects investigations into rape cases, which hinge largely on DNA evidence.
10:30 Archbishop of Bombay reaches out to gay community
Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, has reached out to the homosexual community in the city by assuring them, "The church loves everybody, including those with different sexual orientations".
In a letter written to the LGBT group Queer Azaadi Mumbai, Cardinal Gracias has assured them that he would urge priests to be more sensitive while talking about such sensitive issues.
10:03 Khurshid meets Sharif's adviser
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid met Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Khurshid and Aziz reportedly discussed a possible meeting between Sharif and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at New York later in September, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
09:58 Bachchan gets an award from International Broadcasters Conference
Actor Amitabh Bachchan has received an award from the International Broadcasters Conference in Amsterdam.
Bachchan tweeted on Saturday evening, "The International Broadcasters Conference in Amsterdam confers an Award .. !! I am humbled and grateful !!"
09:57 14 Maoists killed in Odisha encounter
As many as 14 Maoists have been reportedly killed in an encounter with security forces in Malkangiri District of Odisha, reports Times Now.
A huge cache of arms has been recovered from the Maoists.
The encounter is still going on, said the media report.
09:53 Obama, Dr Singh meeting to focus on economic issues: U
The meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama at the White House later in September will primarily focus on economic issues, a senior US administration official has said.
"I think this will be a visit that is very focused on economic issues, what the US and India can do together to generate economic growth," the official said at a media briefing.
03:08 'Julian Assange tried to talk me out of WikiLeaks film'
Actor who plays WikiLeaks founder in The Fifth Estate says he received long email plea day before filming began.
03:03 Black France
A three-part series on Al Jazeera looking at the history of France's black community and their long struggle for recognition.
03:01 Israel wants peace. Period.
Since 1947, Israel has pushed for peace with Arab neighbours but has been met with violence, says Israeli journalist.
02:57 Chemical weapons used in Syria, UN to confirm
A UN report expected next week will "overwhelmingly" confirm that chemical weapons were used in Syria last month, the secretary general says. Ban Ki-moon made no comment on who was to blame for the 21 August attack in the Ghouta area of Damascus, as that is not part of the report's remit.
But he did say Syria's president was guilty of "crimes against humanity". The US and Russian foreign ministers are continuing their talks on a plan to make safe Syria's chemical weapons. A spokeswoman for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva would head into the night, adding: "They are working on some real substance."
01:11 U.S. may still strike Syria, Kerry warns
We have talks about talks on Syria but no answer to the main question: Will the United States launch a military attack? Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart announced Friday that while negotiating a solution to the crisis over Syria's chemical weapons, they also would try to restart parallel talks on the broader issue of ending the Syrian civil war.
The mind-numbing prospect of yet another round of negotiations in the next few weeks signaled a potentially bigger endgame for the United States and Russia in the hastily arranged meeting they began on Thursday in Geneva and continued Friday.
00:21 Al-Qaeda chief urges 'lone-wolf' attacks on US
The leader of al-Qaeda has issued a message marking the 12th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks. In the audio message, Ayman al-Zawahiri talks of the need for small-scale attacks - and even a boycott - to damage the US economy.
The message may be seen as a sign of diminishing ambitions and a more realistic assessment of what al-Qaeda's central organisation can achieve. Zawahiri's message also praised the bombings in Boston in April.
00:20 Live! Top headlines ta this hour
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Non-NDA parties' reactions vary from indifferent to hostile
Congress will not name Rahul as Modi's rival
Modi's meteoric rise from RSS pracharak to BJP PM nominee
Delhi rapists will be HANGED
Our daughter has finally got justice: Delhi braveheart's family
From brutal gang rape to judgment day: The story that moved India
Men who were HANGED for what they did
UP: Death toll touches 47, curfew eased in Muzaffarnagar
Imphal: 8 killed, 7 injured in blast at labourers' camp
US, Russia begin day 2 of crucial Syria talks
Shopian protest: 12 injured in clashes, Yasin Malik detained
Hazare to launch fast for Lokpal Bill during winter session
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