L A T E S T      N E W S

Jwala-Diju, archers lose; Kashyap keeps hope alive

LONDON: India's campaign in the Olympics failed to sputter to life on day one as the mixed doubles duo of V Diju and Jwala Gutta lost their opening group game in badminton and the men's archery team was eliminated at the pre-quarterfinal stage in London today.

Parupalli Kashyap, on the other hand, gave India its first win in badminton in the men's singles.

Kashyap defeated Yuhan Tan of Belgium in his Group D match 21-14, 21-12 in 38 minutes at the Wembley Arena.

The country's bid to reap rewards on the badminton court suffered a setback when Diju and Jwala, a settled pair hunting for a medal, were beaten in straight games by Indonesia's Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir in their opening Group C match here.

Jwala and Diju lost 16-21 12-21 in just 25 minutes at the Wembley Arena.

The Indians will take on the Danish combination of Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in their next match on Sunday.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the archery venue -- the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground -- failed to provide cheer for the second day running when the men's team of Jayanta Talukdar, Rahul Banerjee and Tarundeep Rai were knocked out after losing to Japan in a tense pre-quarterfinal shoot-off.

The Indian trio, who had qualified bottom of the heap at 12th in the rankings round yesterday, were tied with their Japanese rivals at 214 after the regulation four rounds.

But the threesome of Yu Ishizu, Hideki Kikuchi and Takaharu Furukawa edged past the Indians 29-27 in the shoot-off in which the archers shoot alternatively.

The Indians were leading by two points in regulation play before the Japanese equalised to force a tie-breaker.

The trio will now be seen in action in the individual elimination rounds that will commence on Monday.

All eyes will next be on the women's team, led by world no. 1 Deepika Kumari, which will compete in the Eliminator tomorrow against Denmark. The women's team was ranked ninth after preliminary round on Friday. — PTI

Anna Hazare threatens fast-unto-death from tomorrow

NEW DELHI: A poor crowd on a weekend at Team Anna's indefinite fast on Saturday did not deter Anna Hazare to threaten a fast-unto-death from tomorrow on Lokpal issue and talk about a political alternative in the 2014 elections.

Hazare also took on Congress and BJP saying the country's future does not lie safe in their hands but said he himself will not fight the elections though he would campaign for those with clean background selected by people.

He also accused the government of cheating them repeatedly on the issue of Lokpal and that he is forced to fast again and again, which is "not a happy thing".

"I will fast until we get Jan Lokpal," Hazare, whose four-day ultimatum to government on a decision on his demands ends today, told a crowd of around 1,000 this afternoon.

Talking about a political alternative for next Lok Sabha elections, the 74-year-old activist said if "good people" do not enter Parliament, there will be no change in system and country will not get a strong Lokpal.

"For a vote, Rs 15,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 30,000 are given (to voters). Those who get elected are making money and they don't know where to keep this money. So they send it to foreign countries. Now its time to awaken the voters.

"Some are saying that we should give alternative, we should form a party. Rs 15-20 crore is spend by a candidate for Assembly elections and Rs 50 crore for Lok Sabha polls. I will not fight elections. I will not put up a party," he said.

However, Hazare said, he will tour the country urging people to select people to fight elections. He said the team will probe their background and then put their names of Internet seeking people's opinion about them. — PTI

PM announces Rs 300-crore relief for Assam victims

GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday announced Rs 300-crore assistance for relief and rehabilitation measures for the violence-affected areas of Assam.

Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House in Kokrajhar after visiting two relief camps located near the town, the Prime Minister announced a special central assistance of Rs 100 crore as immediate relief and another Rs 100 crore under special plan assistance for development of the violence-affected areas. 

Manmohan Singh also assured another additional amount of Rs 100 crore under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) scheme to the affected people.

He also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the kin of those people who had lost their lives in the violence. The injured persons will also be paid Rs 50,000 to Rs 30,000 depending on the nature of their injury.

Sharing the "pain" of Assam riots victims, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said it was now "time for healing."

Manmohan Singh, who reached Kokrajhar earlier in the day to visit relief camps for victims of the clashes between Bodos and Muslims, also appealed to the people of the state to shun recriminations and to help efforts for rehabilitation and to foster peace.

"I have come here to share your sorrow and pain. This is a time for healing," the Prime Minister said at an interaction with media persons following a visit to a relief camp where around 1,500 people driven out of their homes by rioters are staying at present.

"This is no time for recriminations. We need to first help the people to rehabilitate and bring peace," he added.

Kokrajhar and Chirang, which form the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) along with Baksa and Udalguri districts, were severely hit the past week after clashes broke out between the dominant Bodos and the Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers since July 19.

The violence soon spread to contiguous Dhubri and Baksa districts.

The violence has till now claimed the lives of 45 persons and an estimated 2.5 lakh people have been rendered homeless.

Manmohan Singh is accompanied on the visit to Assam, a state he represents in the Rajya Sabha, by Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

He had earlier in the day arrived in Guwahati and left by a helicopter to Kokrajhar district. However, his helicopter had to initially return to Guwahati and he could reach Kokrajhar only in the second attempt.

Indian Air Force sources said the first attempt to reach Kokrajhar had been aborted due to a minor technical snag in the helicopter. However, the same chopper had got airborne with the prime minister on board after the snag was rectified and had reached Kokrajhar, they added.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Governor JB Patnaik too joined the Prime Minister on his visit to the riot-hit parts of the state, where he also visited two relief camps and met victims, civilian officials, police and the Army troops that are at present deployed there.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by its chief Badaruddin Ajmal met the Prime Minister at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport and asked him to step up efforts for the safety and security of people in the district.

Ajmal submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister, urging him to dissolve the Bodoland Territorial Council that runs the administration in four districts on the ground of total breakdown of law and order in two districts. — IANS

1 Indian among 15 killed in Nepal accident

Kathmandu: At least 15 people, including an Indian, were killed when a jeep they were travelling in veered off some 100 metres down the road in western Nepal’s Palpa district early Saturday.

Earlier reports had said that all those killed were Indians. However, the police later confirmed that the victims included 14 Nepalese and an Indian.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also confirmed that only one Indian was among those killed.

Nine women, two men and four children were killed when the jeep fell down the road on a slope at Jorte of Deurali Bhire area of Palpa district, police said.

Two injured passengers have been shifted to Lumbini Medical College for treatment, police said.

The passenger had hired the jeep for a pilgrimage to the local Rishikesh temple in western Nepal, they said. The jeep was taking them to Ridi in Gulmi district of western Nepal when the accident took place, police said.

A team of police led by Deputy Superintendent Mira Chaudhary has been dispatched to the accident site. 

Samajwadi Party sacks Shahid Siddiqui

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party on Saturday sacked leader Shahid Siddiqui, in the wake of the latter taking an interview of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for an Urdu weekly .

Intitially SP leader Ramgopal Yadav denied the party was sacking him. “When he is not a member of the Samajwadi Party, how can we sack him,” Yadav said in response to a reporter’s question.

He added that Siddiqui may be wanting to join Modi that’s why he took his interview.

It may be noted that Siddiqui, the editor of Urdu weekly Nai Duniya, was one of the most visible faces of the Samajwadi Party.

Yadav appealed to the media to “not to portray Shahid Siddiqui as part of the Samajwadi party". 

"Shahid Siddiqui had fought the Lok Sabha elections from Bijnore for the BSP; he is not part of the SP," he added.

SP was miffed that through the interview, Siddiqui gave Modi – a political rival - platform to appease voters.