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Bazee.com chief’s bail plea rejected
Draft minority protection Act speedily, says Tarlochan
HAL to initiate joint ventures with Russian companies
Natwar meets PM, clarifies stand on
N-policy |
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Basu meets Sonia, discusses CMP priorities
TN Congress presents united front
Cong plans to rebuild base in UP
HVP out of Cong manifesto panel
CPM to have pact with RJD in Bihar
Telgi alleges threat to life
Govt may ease curbs on Hurriyat leaders’ travel
India, Nepal to discuss militants’ links
India may accept UNSC seat without veto power
Another boy with dystrophy wants to donate organs
Fog delays flights, trains, hits road traffic
Kareena case: tabloid expresses regret
Daylight bank robbery in Hardwar
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Bazee.com chief’s bail plea rejected
New Delhi, December 18 The Metropolitan Magistrate, Ms Nivedita Anil Sharma, sent the accused in judicial custody for 14 days. Bajaj was arrested yesterday under Section 67 of the IT Act and Sections 292 and 294 of the Indian Penal Code, on charges of transmitting and selling obscene and pornographic material. The Delhi Police has sought judicial custody of Bajaj, who has moved a bail application for his release. After hearing the prosecution and the accused, the Metropolitan Magistrate rejected his bail plea. Meanwhile, the court has issued a non-bailable warrant against the suspected students of the DPS, who was allegedly involved in the sex scandal case. |
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Draft minority protection Act speedily, says Tarlochan
New Delhi, December 18 Speaking to The Tribune on the sidelines of the symposium on “Ways to strengthen communal harmony” on Minorities Rights Day at Jamia Hamdard today, Dr Tarlochan Singh liberally praised the Constitution of India, which, he said had been drafted keeping in mind the rights of the minority communities in the country. Urging for a broad-based dialogue process between the members of majority and minority communities, he said people in India did not want extremist and fundamentalist groups to emerge. On the occasion, the commission conferred the National Integration Award 2004 on Dr Rafiq Zakaria, an internationally acclaimed scholar, who has authored several books on various stages of freedom struggle, Indian affairs and Islam, for outstanding contribution in promoting the national integration, communal harmony and efforts in bridging gaps between communities. |
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HAL to initiate joint ventures with Russian companies
Bangalore, December 18 Addressing his maiden press conference after taking over as Chairman on December 1, he said that HAL’s order book position was valued at Rs 18,000 crore, and the thrust of his vision, focused on catering to their primary customers, the Indian Air Force. Ideas for joint ventures (JV) with the Russians had just been mooted internally, but nothing was discussed with the delegation led by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visited HAL recently, Mr Baweja said. Other JVs with Elbit of Israel and Snecma were at an advanced stage. The LCH proposal was at an advanced stage, and they would need 25 months to fly from date of project launch and another two years for weaponisation. As for the twin-engined CAT, it would be positioned somewhere between the Hawk 100 AJT and the LCA. “It can be used for both advanced training and in some combat roles,” he said. HAL is currently upgrading the Mig-21 BIS with a new radar and weapon systems for the IAF (a total of 125 aircraft) and other upgrade programmes on the Jaguar and the Mig-27 M, aimed at enhancing their navigation and attack capabilities are also underway. Helicopters like the Mi-17 and the Navy’s Ka-25 would also be upgraded, a proposal to give the Navy’s Sea Harrier an upgrade was in the advanced stage, he said. The Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) was a key focus for the overseas marketing thrust, he said. They were in the
competition to sell Dhruv’s to the armed forces of Chile, where a recent evaluation exercise was successfully completed. Two had been sold to Nepal and one to Israel. Confirming an incident where one of the Dhruv’s in Nepal had a hard landing after the `spider assembly’ flew off from the tail rotor of the aircraft, he said; “We don’t know why it happened. We’ll get to the bottom off it, but indications are it is a one-off kind of incident.” On HAL’s participation in the international consortium to build a 60-95 seater with Sukhoi, Boeing, Ilyushin and Yakolev, he said the proposal was for HAL to develop the tail section empennage. |
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Natwar meets PM, clarifies stand on
N-policy New Delhi, December 18 The meeting, however, was
officially described as a briefing on the five-days visit of the
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi starting Sunday. This
will be Mr Badawi’s first visit to India after he assumed office in
October last year. During his stay, the Malaysian leader will hold
wide-ranging discussions with his Indian counterpart on a host of
important bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual
concern. Mr Natwar Singh, who returned from South Korea after a
three-day visit this morning, had told a South Korean newspaper ‘Korea
Times’ that two Koreas should not be emulating India’s example of
becoming a nuclear power. Reportedly, Mr Natwar Singh had also sought
to blame the previous NDA government for the 1998 nuclear tests and the
subsequent problems with Pakistan. While External Affairs Ministry
officials declined to comment on what transpired at the meeting but
sources said the issue was believed to have figured. The NDA, led by
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh, had taken strong
exception to Mr Natwar Singh’s reported remarks in ‘Korea Times’
and had demanded a statement from the Prime Minister in Parliament. The
Prime Minister on Thursday declared in the Rajya Sabha that India was a
responsible nuclear power and asserted that “my assessment was that
the reported remarks appears to be in context to questions from
journalists and what he (External Affairs Minister) said was not a
statement on foreign policy”.
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Basu meets Sonia, discusses CMP priorities New Delhi, December 18 Briefing newspersons, Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the former West Bengal Chief Minister and senior party leader urged Ms Gandhi for her cooperation for expediting implementation of the CMP, which had been a demand of the Left parties. He said the UPA chairperson agreed that the CMP, which was the binding factor in the coalition, should be executed in letter and spirit. Describing the 30-minute meeting, which was also attended by MrYechury, Mr Basu, a “courtesy call”, the Politburo member said the veteran Marxist leader had called on her as he could not attened the dinner hosted by Ms Gandhi on Thursday night. In the meeting, Mr Basu stressed that differences on various issues, especially in the economic arena, should be discussed and sorted out only at the UPA Government-Left Coordination Committee. This is all the more necessary in view of the upcoming elections in three states, followed by some others, Mr Basu told Ms Gandhi, he said.
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TN Congress presents united front Chennai, December 18 Mr Chidambaram, who joined Congress just before the Lok Sabha poll, said, “the Congress headquarters ‘Sathyamurthi Bhavan’ is not new to me. I have worked here for many years. I had been away from it for some time, but then the history of the Congress over the past 100 years has seen many people keeping away from it only to return to its fold against. Even when I was not in the party, I was considered a Congressman in Delhi circles.” He said, “we had some issue-based differences, but these have been resolved and we have come back to work together.” The Union Minister of State for Commerce and former TNCC president, Mr Elangovan, said, “we are determined to work together for strengthening the Congress. This is not for political gain, but for bringing about a new dawn in Tamil Nadu.” Mr Vasan, who is not in good books of either Union Ministers said three of us under the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi would make Congress the “number one party in the state”. Mr Chidambaram was visibly irked when a reporter asked whether he would be the Congress Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2006 Assembly elections.
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Cong plans to rebuild base in UP
New Delhi, December 18 Congress sources said the first two-day session — on January 17 and 18 — will be held at Chitrakoot while the second, fixed tentatively from February 1 to 3, will be organised at Sarnath. The first session, it is stated, is essentially targeted at grooming younger leaders in the state.A host of young persons, representing different castes, communities and regions of the state, have been identified for participation in this session. In addition, present and former MPs and legislators along with district presidents and PCC members will also attend the brainstorming-cum-leadership training programme. The second session, which is contingent on the schedule of the coming Assembly elections, is meant for senior persons and will be a larger group as it will also include several Central ministers. A host of outside experts are being invited to discuss “all socio-economic issues” though the focus of these intensive interactions will be “UP centric,” AICC sources said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be invited to address separate sessions, it is learnt. |
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HVP out of Cong manifesto panel
New Delhi, December 18 Birendra Singh, former state party chief, has been named convenor of the committee while other members were Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) President Bhajan Lal, his predecessors Harpal Singh, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Dharampal Mallik, former Speaker Tara Singh, former minister Ram Prakash, acting legislature party leader Ajay Singh Yadav and the newly-appointed working President of the PCC Randeep Singh Surjewala. Members of the Bansi Lal-led HVP, who joined the Congress recently, have not been included in the manifesto committee. They are also out of the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC). Making these announcements today, Mr Janardan Dwivedi, AICC general-secretary and in charge of Haryana, said now that the election schedule has been announced, preparations for the Haryana Assembly poll would be intensified. |
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CPM to have pact with RJD in Bihar
New Delhi, December 18 Party Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters that, “our efforts to keep communal forces out of power and our alliances with secular parties like the RJD will continue.” Reiterating party’s long-standing understanding with the RJD in Bihar, he said, “we feel it (RJD) is the main force which can keep the communal forces at bay in the state.” On the poll alliance in Jharkhand, he said talks on seat sharing were continuing with “secular” parties, including the RJD. Meanwhile, the CPM cold-shouldered moves by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to form a third front at the Centre. |
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Telgi alleges threat to life Mumbai, December 18 On being produced before Additional Sessions Judge V. V. Borikar of the Special Court, Pune, constituted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Telgi alleged he was already being administered poison. Telgi, who is an HIV positive patient, was among 60 others produced before the court in the fake stamp paper racket case. Telgi accused the authorities of the Yervada Jail in Pune, where he is lodged of being careless “despite knowing well that my condition was not good.”
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Govt may ease curbs on Hurriyat leaders’ travel
New Delhi, December 18 The signal to Pakistan is that all sections of Kashmiris are being “involved” in the process for resolution of the protracted issue, government sources said. Except for hardliners Syed Ali Shah Geelani and J and K Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Shah, all other Hurriyat leaders attended the three-day meeting in Kathmandu where they discussed the Kashmir problem at length. There was a consensus that violence should be abjured and the Kashmir problem should solved by means of negotiations. There was no demand for them being “united”. The government feels these as interesting approaches. New Delhi is pursuing a broad and measured approach of rationality and patience without expecting early breakthroughs or quick-fix solutions to complex issues, the sources said. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran will meet his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokhar in Islamabad later this month to discuss peace and security, J and K and review the progress on other subjects of the composite dialogue process.
— PTI
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India, Nepal to discuss militants’ links New Delhi, December 18 India feels that the Nepalese government, despite full cooperation from New Delhi, is not able to come to terms with the Maoist groups as Kathmandu does not have a long-term policy to deal with the militants. Though Maoist leaders in Nepal, some of whom have studied at Jawaharlal Nehru University, have been conveying to the Indian leadership that they are not anti-India, linkages forged between the militant groups of the two countries are a source of alarming concern for the Indian Government, officials said. Anti-India pronouncements are taken in New Delhi with caution. Right from Madhya Pradesh to borders of Nepal in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the militant groups like the People’s War Group and others have been active extending mutual support and preventing action against them by the Indian security forces, sources pointed out. India has been extending both physical and intelligence support to Nepal to deal with these groups but much success has not been achieved.
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India may accept UNSC seat without veto power
New Delhi, December 18 Though UK, France and Russia, three of the five permanent members of the Security Council, support India’s candidature, New Delhi is well aware that getting veto rights may not be an easy task.
— PTI |
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Another boy with dystrophy wants to donate organs
Karimnagar (AP), December 18 Suffering from the incurable Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, just as Venkatesh was, Katla Srinivas has been bedridden for over five years. His poor parents have been knocking on every door to save their son, who has been fighting the disease for the past 16 years. Srinivas told reporters that he was sad that Venkatesh died with his wish remaining unfulfilled. He urged the government to see that the same fate did not befall him. As he was aware that his disease had no cure and that he was going to die sooner or later, Srinivas wanted to donate his organs to those in a critical condition so that their lives could be saved. Srinivas also said he was willing to offer his body for medical research so that a cure could be found for ailments like the one that had affected him and Venkatesh.
— UNI
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Fog delays flights, trains, hits road traffic
New Delhi, December 18 Almost all domestic and international flights operating out of the city were delayed while some had to be diverted to other cities, airport sources here said. Railway schedules went haywire because of heavy fog over northern plains with some running up to 15 hours late. Lucknow: At least 12 persons were killed and 28 injured in separate fog-related road accidents in Uttar Pradesh as poor visibility delayed air and train traffic during the past 24 hours.
— PTI, UNI |
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Kareena case: tabloid expresses regret
Mumbai, December 18 “Our intention was simply to show two young celebrities in love, unconcerned about their very public display of affection,” Aakar Patel, Group Editor-in-chief, said in a statement published in the front page of the daily. “We regret any anguish Kareena and Shahid may have undergone as a result of this,” he said.
— PTI
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Daylight bank robbery in Hardwar
Dehra Dun, December 18 One of them pointed the pistol at Branch Manager J.S. Rawat while others locked all 14 employees and five customers into the strongroom. One of the miscreants snatched the locker keys from Manager Operations K.S. Chauhan and Head Cashier D.S. Negi and emptied the locker and put all the cash in a bag. They even snatched Rs 10,000 from a bank official before leaving. |
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In video: Xavier
Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar files complain after
receiving obscene mails. (
