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Wed, 29 January 2014
Lady cop files case of intimidation against Tejpal

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23:12   Lady cop files case of intimidation against Tejpal

The lady investigating officer in the sexual assault case against journalist Tarun Tejpal has filed a complaint that he had threatened her during the probe. Panaji police today registered non-cognisable offence of criminal intimidation under section 506 of the Indian Penal Code against Tejpal, following the complaint by Sunita Sawant, the police officer.    

 

Tejpal was interrogated by Sawant between November 31, 2013 till December 10, 2013 while he was in police custody, and he threatened her during the interrogation, she alleged.     

 

Sawant had mentioned this before sessions court during the hearing on Tejpal's bail plea, and the judge had noted it in the order dismissing his plea, a senior police officer told PTI.     

 

Tejpal, founder-editor of Tehelka magazine who was accused of sexual assault by a woman colleague, is currently lodged in Sada sub-jail.

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20:51   Moderate tremor felt near India-Myanmar border
A moderate intensity earthquake jolted the Manipur-Myanmar border today but there was no report of any damage or casualties, officials said.

The tremor hit at around 7.16 pm today, was also felt in neighbouring Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, officials at the Regional Seismological Centre here said.

The epicentre of the 5.1 magnitude quake measured on the Richter Scale was recorded at a depth of 33 km in Manipur along the international border with Myanmar. The exact location was traced to be in 93.9 E Longitude and 23.9 N Latitude, as per the IMD report.

Manipur and all states in the northeast are categorised under zone V on the country's Seismological map considered to be highly active.
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20:41   Road toll system will continue: Maharashtra CM
Indicating that the toll system would continue despite the recent violent agitations at many places, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said the system was put in place to facilitate speedy construction of new roads.     

Sources also said that senior ministers were of the view that scrapping of the system was not a good idea.     

Without naming MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who had asked his followers not to pay the toll and thrash anyone who objected, Chavan said action against the vandals would be taken as per the law.
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20:39   Why didn't Congress punish culprits of 1984 riots: Badal
Demanding strong action, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today joined the attack against Congress over Rahul Gandhi's "admission" that some Congress leaders were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.        

Badal asked the Congress vice-president what deterred his party and government from acting against those Congressmen who were involved in the riots.       

"Instead of taking any action against these tainted leaders, Congress has not only been protecting them but they are being rewarded by the party with pivotal posts," the chief minister alleged.
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20:38   Interest rate hike in public interest: RBI chief
A day after he surprised the markets with a 0.25 per cent hike in key rates, Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan today defended the move citing public interest and took a dig at analysts and economists for labelling him a hawkish monetarist.        

"We can't talk only to analysts who are steeped in inflation targeting and speak their language. We also have a broader audience that we have to take along," he said at the customary post-policy analysts con-call today when asked about the dissonance in the December statement and the current rate hikes.
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20:36   Praful entitled to his own views on Guj riot cases: Congress
Congress today sought to downplay ally NCP's contention -- that any judicial pronouncement on Narendra Modi's alleged involvement in the post-Godhra riots should not be questioned -- saying that everybody was entitled to their own opinion.        

"All political parties are entitled to an opinion on political issues. (NCP leader) Praful Patel is entitled to his own opinion," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.
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20:34   No issue over Kumari Selja's nomination to RS: Hooda
A day after his known critic and Congress MP Kumari Selja filed her nomination to Rajya Sabha, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said the decision was taken at the party level and the former Union minister was "acceptable" to him, like any other party leader.        

Selja, a prominent Dalit face in Haryana and a MP from Ambala, had filed her nomination as Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from her home state.        

Selja, a former Union minister, is a known detractor of Hooda and had been taking the chief minister head-on for alleged discrimination against Ambala constituency, represented by her, on the issue of development.
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20:33   Jalpaiguri blast mastermind held
The police today arrested three ultras of the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation including the mastermind of the December 26 blast in Jalpaiguri that left six persons dead.        

Three KLO persons -- two senior leaders and a courier-- were arrested from Adhikari from near the Indo-Nepal border in Darjeeling district, IG (North Bengal) Jawed Shamim said.        

The three are KLO Deputy Commandant Ilyias Siddiquialias Pradip Roy, KLO Assistant General Secretary Tarun Thapaalias Narayan Roy and Ramshankar Basak, a courier.
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19:45   PM dismisses Jaitley's concerns over Lokpal ads
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has rejected BJP leader Arun Jaitley's contention that the government had flouted rules by issuing an advertisement inviting applications for the posts of Lokpal chairman and members.        

Replying to a letter written by Jaitley, the prime minister said the advertisement issued recently was within the prescribed rules notified recently.        

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had alleged that the advertisements issued by the Department of Personnel and Training were "illegal" and against rules.        

"May I, at the outset, assure you that the advertisement issued in this regard is strictly in terms of the provisions of the (Lokpal) Act and the rules framed there under," Singh said in his letter.
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19:20   SC to hear death convicts' plea in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case
The Supreme Court will take up the plea of three death convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case -- who are seeking commutation of their death sentence to life imprisonment citing delay of over 11 years in deciding their mercy petitions by the President.        

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam turned down the plea of the Centre which pleaded for posting the case for another day after senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for the condemned prisoners Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, said he suspected that the government is trying to delay the case.
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19:19   Foreign funding to Cong, BJP: PIL transferred to another bench
The Delhi high court today transferred to another bench the PIL seeking a probe against the Congress and the BJP, alleging that they received funding from UK-based firm Vedanta Resources in violation of various laws.        

"We are sending the matter to other bench which is hearing a similar case (a PIL on foreign funding of Aam Aadmi Party)," a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said.        

The PIL, which also seeks confiscation of funds allegedly received from abroad by the two parties in violation of Indian laws, will now be listed before a bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog on February 5 which will also hear another PIL against AAP's funding on the same day.
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18:36   Delhi govt moves Supreme Court over CNG policy
Delhi's ruling AAP government has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Centre's CNG gas distribution policy.
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18:35   Court rejects Salman Khan's plea to club two cases against him
A Jodhpur court today rejected actor Salman Khan's plea to club the two cases against him lodged under the Arms Act and the Wildlife Act and directed him to continue recording his statement in connection with the first case.        

Chief Judicial Magistrate (Rural) Chandra Kala Jain rejected Khan's plea to club the two cases and listed the matter for hearing on March 10 for defence to produce evidence.        

The actor had requested the court to club the two cases -- one under the Arms Act and the other related to poaching of blackbucks in Kankani on the intervening night of 1-2 October 1998 -- on the ground that both are related to each other.
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18:34   Sonia cautions against weakening secular ethos
Batting for minority rights, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today cautioned people against forces weakening the country's secular ethos and said communal harmony should not be disturbed over small, local incidents.        

In her address at the inauguration of the National Waqf Development Corporation, Gandhi also sought to underline the secular credentials of the Congress party.     

She expressed hope that the Communal Violence Bill would soon be tabled in Parliament, saying it is aimed at protecting social amity and the nation's secular legacy.
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17:17   Israel troops kill Palestinian teen in West Bank: medics
Israeli soldiers shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian north of the West Bank city of Ramallah today, Palestinian medical and security sources said. 

The shooting, which took place just north of the Ofra settlement, was confirmed by the Israeli army in a statement that said a "terrorist" had opened fire at troops and they had returned fire, hitting him.
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17:17   Bal Thackeray, Sachin among water bill defaulters in Mumbai
Late Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and SP leader Abu Azmi are among the two lakh water bill defaulters in Mumbai. 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which recently made public the list of defaulters on its website, has named several biggies including former Maharashtra Chief Minister A R Antulay for non-payment of dues.
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17:16   No recent evidence to suggest Pak wants a permanent solution to Kashmir: Omar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said there was no "recent evidence" to suggest that Pakistan wants to negotiate a permanent settlement to the Kashmir issue. 

Omar also said that India and Pakistan do not have "good neighbourly relations" and that some people in that country would like nothing more than to see the "end" of him.
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16:55   Snowden nominated for Nobel Peace
A former Norwegian minister nominated fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize today in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. 

 "He has contributed to revealing the extreme level of surveillance by nations against other nations and of citizens," former Socialist Left Party minister Baard Vegar Solhjell told AFP, explaining his move.
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16:28   No PM can revoke Kashmir's special status, says Omar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said no prime minister can revoke Article 370 of the Constitution granting special status to the state"without calling into question" its accession to India.   

Dismissing a question on whether he was worried at the prospect of BJP's Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister, Omar said, "It does not matter whether he is the prime minister or the president or (holds) any other position.   Constitutionally, he cannot revoke Article 370 without calling into question the accession of J&K to India. Now as the prime minister of India, if he wants to rewrite accession to India, he is welcome to it. But I do not think any PM would be as foolhardy as that," he said.
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16:08   Govt approves creation of 75 posts in DGCA
Under pressure to avoid a downgrade by the United States aviation regulator FAA, the government has approved creation of 75 crucial posts in the DGCA to carry out safety inspection of airlines and private charter companies. All these positions, like chief flight operation inspector, deputy and senior FOIs, would be created in the flight standards directorate of the DGCA.

The 75 posts have been created on the basis of International Civil Aviation Organisation standards meant for aircraft and helicopter operations, an official spokesperson said, adding it has also been decided to pay salaries to the new recruits as per industry standards to attract talent.
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16:05   Now, MPs demand special treatment at airports
Airports and private airlines have been asked to give special privileges to parliamentarians after some of them complained of "discourteous behaviour" by the DCGA officials.

MPs have reportedly asked for advance notice on flight delays, special assistance from check-in to boarding and priority security clearances, besides lounge access and complementary snacks -- privileges that they are offered by national flag carrier Air India but not private airlines, reports NDTV.  

Union minister Praful Patel sought to downplay the demand to airlines, saying if an MP "is given a little respect, I don't think this should be blown out of proportion."
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15:21   Supriya Sule on NCP leader's sexist remark: Giving such advise part of our culture
NCP's leader Surpiya Sule comes in defence of Asha Mirje, who has been under fire for her sexist remarks. "Mirje was speaking like a grandmother would. Giving such advise is part of our culture," Sule to CNN-IBN.

Sule went on to say that Mirje has worked for the rehabilitation of gang-rape surviors. She also added that the leader had apologised for her remarks. 
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15:11   Kejriwal demands a SIT probe in 1984 anti-Sikh riots
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal meets Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today. He raised the issue of a Special Investigation Team probe in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The riot victims and their lawyer H S Phoolka are also backing a SIT probe.   
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15:06   Adarsh scam: 'CBI couldn't suggest even a grain of truth against Chavan'
Poking holes into CBI's evidence against former chief minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam, Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan has said the agency failed to produce evidence which could disclose "even a grain of truth".

On the allegation that inclusion of civilians in the Adarsh Society, meant for Kargil widows and defence personnel, was proposed by Chavan, the governor said the agency proceeded on a "sheer assumption and conjecture".

"The correspondence collected by the CBI itself discloses that the main accused have been engaged in correspondence with various authorities for allotment of land much prior to June 2, 2000," he said in an order provided to former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi under RTI Act.
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14:34   We are in an era where judicial system is the final recourse'
Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel has joined the controversy over the 2002 Gujarat riots, sparked off by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments in a television interview on Monday.

On Wednesday, Patel said, "I don't want to comment on anybody's interview, but the fact is we are in an era where we believe the judicial system is the final recourse to getting justice on any issue or to bring a finality to any controversy."  

"And if the judicial system has given a pronouncement, then we ought to respect it. We need to not question it further. Politics is not just about the judicial system. Politics is also about perception and I think it is important for political parties to go to the people based on what we believe in," he said.

Now let's sit back and await the political storm.
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14:30   Cong to ask U'khand CM Bahuguna to go ahead of Lok Sabha polls?
Congress President Sonia Gandhi held a meeting with senior party leaders today amid reports that a final call on the fate of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna will be taken soon.    

Party General Secretary Ambika Soni was present during the meeting besides senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Janardan Dwivedi and Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to the Congress chief.

After the meeting, party sources said that a decision on continuance or otherwise of Bahuguna as chief minister will be taken soon.     

Bahuguna has been under pressure ever since he was appointed. The flash floods that hit Uttarakhand last year and the massive rescue and rehabilitation work they entailed also brought his leadership skills into question.
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13:46   24 hours after daring Rs 7.6-cr heist, Delhi police still clueless
More than 24 hours after a daring heist, in which around Rs 7.69 crore was robbed in busy Lajpat Nagar area in south Delhi, police is yet to make any headway in the case.

According to police sources, a two-pronged investigation is going on in the case. Investigators are trying to zero in on the robbers to nab them and recover the money, the sources said. They are also trying to find out the source of the huge amount of cash which was robbed yesterday.

The police is also investigating hawala money trail in the case, they said. The sources said Rajesh Kalra, whose name had alsocropped up as a bookie in Hansie Cronje match fixing case, andhis partner Gurgaon-based businessman Rahul Ahuja, to whom thecash belonged, are not showing "very keen" interest in thecase.
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13:20   Kejriwal seeks clemency for Delhi blasts convict Bhullar
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for convict on death row Devinder Sing Bhullar.

Bhullar is convicted in the 1993 Delhi blasts case.
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13:16   Andhra CM requests for extension of deadline of debate Telangana Bill
The Group of Ministers on Telangana will meet in first week of February to decide Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy's request for extension of deadline to discuss separate statehood bill.  
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12:34   All those who are born have to die: Stalin on Alagiri's remarks
DMK leader Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin today made light of his elder brother Alagiri's alleged remarks on his death. "All those who are born have to die one day," he said.

Laying focus on party discipline, he said, "Elder brother Alagiri's effigies should not be burnt."

Read: 'Alagiri threatened me that Stalin will die in 3 months'



Karunanidhi explained yesterday the reason behind the sudden suspension of  Alagiri from the party for indiscipline. In an television interview, Karunandihi said Alagiri used "harsh words' against his younger brother Stalin.

"Alagiri came to my house on January 24 and complained regarding Stalin and troubled me and used harsh words. Alagiri told me Stalin will die in three months. No father can tolerate such words against his son," Karunanidhi had said.
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12:01   AAP has not given funding info to us: Centre tells court
The Aam Aadmi Party leaders have not provided information sought by us on their funding, Centre tells the Delhi high court today, reports NDTV.

The case is based on a public interest litigation, which seeks a probe into the source of foreign funding received by the AAP.

The home ministry was ordered by the court in November to investigate the allegations. 
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11:06   Raj Thackeray booked for ordering MNS to vandalise toll booths
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has been booked in two cases by the Pune police for ordering his party workers to vandalise toll booths in Maharashtra, reports NDTV.

Since his provocative instruction on Sunday, MNS workers have continuously targeted toll booths in Mumbai, Pune and other parts of the state. Over of them have been arrested so far.

Thackeray now has 97 cases registered against him across the country.

He had said on Sunday, "I am ordering my workers to ensure that no toll tax is charged at any booth in Maharashtra. If anyone asks for toll tax, then phod dijiye, pitiye (attack, thrash them), whatever be the consequences."
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10:45   Robbery reporterd on Rajkot Express near Mumbai
Dharmesh Thakkar tweets: Robbery in Rajkot Express near Mumbai at midnight; Surat bound Hyderabad passengers looted of gold and diamond jewelry
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09:33   NCP leader's SHOCKING remark: Women's clothing, behaviour play part in sexual assault
Nationalist Congress Party leader Asha Mirje's sexist comment has sparked a row. Mirje, who is also a member of the Maharashtra Women's Commission, said, "Women too are responsible to an extent for rape. Women's clothing and behaviour too play a part in sexual assault."

Image: A protest against increasing cases of sexual assault    
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09:26   Tata Motors' Karl Slym 'committed suicide' after argument with wife: Thai police
Karl Slym, Tata Motors managing director, apparently committed suicide after arguing with his wife and reading a note written by her that referred to "domestic problems", Thai police said.

In a fresh twist to Slym's death in mysterious circumstances, police said the three-page handwritten note found in the hotel room from which the 51-year-old executive plunged to his death, was written by his wife Sally.

Police said Slym could have taken the "extreme step" after reading the note by his wife of 30 years that mentioned "domestic problems".
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08:52   America must move off a permanent war footing: Obama
Further talking on Afghanistan, Obama said, "By year-end, our longest war will finally be over. America must move off a permanent war footing."

Obama said that America would help veterans get the support they need. "Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy."


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08:46   'We won't be safer if people believe we strike their countries'
On the war in Afghanistan Obama said, "When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future."

"We won't be safer if people around the world believe we strike their countries without regard for consequences. American diplomacy, backed by threat of force, is why Syria's chemical weapons are being eliminated."
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08:43   'Citizenship means standing up for lives that gun violence steals from us'
"Citizenship means standing up for lives that gun violence steals from us each day. It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that should drive our democracy," Obama said.

"We can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family. Because of this law, no American can ever again be denied coverage for a preexisting condition."
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08:41   Diplomacy is reducing Iranian nuclear weapon: Obama
"It is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iran's nuclear program -- and rolled parts of that program back - for the very first time in a decade. With our allies and partners, we're engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama said.

"Diplomacy is reducing Iranian nuclear weapon. We must give diplomacy a chance to succeed. I will veto an Iran sanction bill."   
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08:38   I will reform the surveillance programme: Obama
Obama said, "I will reform the surveillance programme. This year will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. I will limit the use of drones."  
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08:36   I will not send our troops into harm's way unless it's truly necessary: Obama
Talking on security, Obama said, "The fact is, that danger remains and the United States had to remain vigilant in face of changing global threats. I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone."

"As commander-in-chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office. But I will not send our troops into harm's way unless it's truly necessary."
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08:32   I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy: Obama
Obama pushed again for more government support to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, saying: "I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as possible."

He said he will "cut red tape" to help states get factories built, and this "Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas."
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08:30   When women succeed, America succeeds: Obama's State of the Union address
Talking on more empowerment to women, Barack Obama said, "Women comprise half of our workforce. Women deserve equal pay. When women succeed, America succeeds." 
     
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08:24   Let's get immigration reform done this year: Obama
"Let's make this a year of action. Let's do more to help entrepreneurs who create most new jobs in America," US President Barack Obama said.

"Let's get immigration reform done this year. America does not stand still - and neither will I," he added.
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08:21   Give America a raise, says Obama
Obama in his State of Union address said, "After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth. The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it. For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed."

"Say yes. Give America a raise. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. Support a proposed bill that would hike the base rate nearly 40 per cent," he said.
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08:15   US economy poised for breakthrough after recession: Obama
United States President Barack Obama begins his State of the Union address in which he is expected to focus on the American economy, his government's policy in dealing with terrorism across the globe and how he plans to deal with the Iran nuclear programme.

"The US economy poised for 'breakthrough' after recession. US is the No 1 investment hub and not China," he said.    
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03:32   UN chief meets with Fidel Castro in Havana

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Havana. Ban's office tweeted that the two met for about 55 minutes Tuesday. The U.N. chief is in Cuba for a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.

 

The U.N. office said it would provide details on the meeting shortly. Ban met Monday with Cuban President Raul Castro, the younger brother of Fidel. Ban's office said the two discussed the U.S. embargo on Cuba and the human rights situation on the island. Ban's office says it's his first visit to Cuba.

 

Read more on ABC News

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03:31   Number of US nuclear 'cheats' doubles: Officials

The number of US airmen embroiled in a nuclear cheating scandal has doubled to several dozen, officials speaking on condition of anonymity say. Thirty-four US Air Force officers in charge of launching nuclear missiles were suspended earlier this month. They are accused of cheating in monthly proficiency tests.

 

The US Air Force said some staff had texted answers to the routine tests to others, while others had known about the cheating but failed to report it. The ranks included captains.

 

The allegations emerged during investigations into alleged drug use by personnel at other bases. It was not immediately clear whether the additional 30 or so airmen implicated were alleged to have participated in the cheating or were involved in an indirect way.

 

Read more on BBC

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03:30   Putin warns EU: Stay out of Ukraine

President Vladmir Putin warned Europe to keep its hands off Ukraine on Tuesday, as Brussels sent its top foreign policy envoy to Kiev to try to mediate in the 10-week stand-off between President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition on the streets.

 

Russia's intervention in Brussels followed Yanukovych's biggest concession to the opposition, the sacking of his hardline prime minister and government and a promise to repeal draconian laws criminalising protest and freedom of speech.

 

Putin met EU leaders for the first time since November's clash between the Kremlin and Europe over the future of Ukraine triggered the crisis in Kiev. Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, took part in the meetings with Putin in Brussels then travelled to Kiev to try to mediate between the opposing sides. "The more intermediaries there are, the more problems there are," Putin said.

 

"I am not sure Ukraine needs intermediaries." He pointedly noted that European leaders would complain if Russia sent envoys to mediate in the Greek crisis of the past four years.

 

Read more on The Guardian

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03:20   Mexico changes tack on vigilante groups

In a sudden turnaround this week, the Mexican government will provide vigilante groups fighting a drug cartel in western Mexico a path to become recognized, moving away from earlier calls for the groups to disarm.

 

The state of Michoacan, long a flashpoint in Mexico's drug war, has of late been the scene of fighting between a cartel calling itself the Knights Templar and so-called "auto-defense" groups that have armed themselves and patrolled the streets. The vigilante groups grew from complaints that the government was not doing enough to protect citizens from the drug cartel.

 

The government acted this month, sending federal forces to the region and ordering the vigilante groups to lay down their weapons. But Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto appears to have abandoned that call, and instead announced a plan wherein the vigilante forces -- if they meet certain criteria -- can become part of a government-sanctioned Rural Defense Corps.

Read more on CNN

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01:33   ICC meeting in Dubai ends in stalemate

The battle between cricket's haves and some of its have-nots ended in a tense '" and probably brief '" stalemate on Tuesday after the first day of a board meeting in Dubai as important as any the International Cricket Council (ICC) has had in years.

 

Cricket Australia (CA), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) were keen on implementing a number of resolutions that would drastically restructure the governance and finance distribution models of the ICC, concentrating control and power in their hands; the boards of Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were in the opposition. Ultimately both sides claimed little victories.

 

The four smaller boards managed to defer voting and signing on the resolutions, moving one of the board officials to say it was "a big thing that we managed to get the resolution to not go through'. But an ICC news release after the meeting said there had been "unanimous support for a set of principles relating to the future structure, governance and financial models of the ICC'.  

 

Read more on The Nation

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01:15   Defamation suit will give a chance to clarify stand: Anurag

BJP MP Anurag Thakur today welcomed the Delhi High Court's decision to issue notices to him and his brother Arun Dhumal on a defamation case filed by industrialist Vakamullah Chandrashekhar, saying it would give them an opportunity to clarify their stand on the issue.        

 

The defamation suit was filed following allegations levelled by Anurag and Arun, sons of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal, over financial dealings between Chandrashekhar's firm and present CM Virbhadra Singh and his family members.        

 

Addressing a series of rallies in Sujanpur area of Hamirpur district, Anurag said once the matter had come before the court everything would become clear, and claimed since they were on the right side the decision would be in their favour.         He requested the Delhi High Court authorities to hold day to day hearings in this important case to decide "who is right and who is wrong".

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00:09   North Carolina church shooting leaves boy, 12, critically injured

Police in a North Carolina town are searching for a shooter who sprayed a church playground with gunfire, hitting four youths playing basketball and critically wounding a 12-year-old boy. The Reverend James Gailliard at Word Tabernacle Church in Rocky Mount said the shooting took place Monday shortly before 6pm, as neighborhood teens played basketball on courts behind the sanctuary.

 

The pastor said he heard more than 15 gunshots and then comforted a boy shot in the head until the authorities arrived. The child was taken to a hospital by helicopter, where he remained in a critical condition. Police said the others shot '" who were aged 13, 17 and 19 '" were treated and released. The shooting came just over a week after a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed nearby.

 

Read more on The Guardian

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