India News

Vadodara: The first match of the seven-game ODI series between India and Australia in Vadodara had a thrilling finish on Sunday, as the Indian players failed to hold on their nerve and fell short by four runs.

At one point the match did seem like heading towards Australia’s grip after the Indian star batsmen were unable to score freely on a batsman-friendly pitch, but the late heroics by Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar made the last 10 overs of the second innings added sparkle to the match.

Earlier, opting to bat first Australia scored a respectable score of 292 for eight wickets after a splendid batting performance by captain Ricky Ponting (74 runs), Michael Hussey (73 runs), Tim Paine (50 runs) and Cameron White (51 runs).
 
With a target of 293 on the board, the Indian team required a good start from its openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, but both the batsmen struggled in front of Australian spearheads Brett Lee and Shane Watson.

Having a disciplined bowling and tight fielding, the Australians were able to contain the openers for cheap and have a check on the middle order batsmen, where except for Gautam Gambhir who scored 68 runs, Virat Kohli (30 runs), M. S. Dhoni (34 runs), Suresh Raina (9runs) and Ravindra Jadeja (5 runs) found it tough to score runs.

The plot was out of consideration after reeling at 201-7, however, lower order batsman Harbhajan (49 runs) and Praveen (40 runs not out) added 84 runs from 57 balls for the eighth-wicket, to give the Vadodara spectators something to cheer about.

Harbhajan and Praveen were able to bring the target down to nine runs from the last over from Peter Siddle, but the quick conceded only four runs while clean bowling Harbhajan.

At the end the Team India fell short by four runs, courtesy a tight over by Siddle.

The second ODI of the series will be played at VCA Stadium in Nagpur on Wednesday.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Even as West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is trying to put up a brave face claiming to teach Maoists a lesson, CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat was in a flux on Sunday to react on the State Government’s recent swap deal with the Maoists.

Addressing a press conference after a three-day meeting of the CPI (M) Central Committee in the national capital, Karat tried to deflect the questions raised on the swap deal and said that those who were released were not Naxal activists.

“Those people who were released were ordinary people and had been mobilized by the Maoists. Our job is to politically isolate the Maoists. We have decided to conduct a vigorous campaign against the Maoists,” Karat said.

On Thursday, the Maoists released an abducted West Bengal police officer, Attendranth Dutta, at Domohini forest after the State Government reportedly agreed to release women Maoist activists in exchange for him.

Karat further stressed that the Maoists menace in West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand is of significant threat and said: “The Government should deal with the real problem of the tribal people.”

After abducting Attendranth Dutta, Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji had said that Dutt would be released only if a swap deal was made by the West Bengal Government.

The West Bengal Government did not confirm Rao’s claim, but 26 women were reportedly released in exchange for Dutta.

Rao had also asked the West Bengal and the Union Governments to halt police action or risk harm to kidnapped police officer Dutta.

Source ANI

Varanasi: The banks of the River Ganga in Varanasi recently turned into a sea of humanity on the occasion of ''Nag Nathaiya'' meaning dance on the hood of a cobra, the mythical Kalia Nag.
 
Thousands of devotees including foreign tourists converged on the riverbanks here to witness a 400-year-old traditional festival and fair named ''Nag Nathaiya'', as it was celebrate with deep fervour on Friday.
 
Legend has it that Kaliya, the serpent, used to in River Yamuna that flows past Mathura and it used to trouble the local people.
 
It is said Lord Krishna, who spent his childhood in the vicinity of Mathura, tamed this evil snake by dancing on its hood and had freed the locals from the serpent''s scare.
 
At Varanasi, ''Nag Nathaiya'' is an enactment of that episode from the life of Lord Krishna.
 
Young boys dressed as Lord Krishna with flutes in hands and peacock feathers on heads performed this act of taming of the serpent.
 
The devotees, led by a priest, offered prayers and performed rituals as well as witnessed the ''Krishna Leela'', the enactment of anecdotes from Lord Krishna’s life. However, the festival over the past couple of years, has become even more relevant in today''s time such as it is being used as an occasion to spreading awareness on social causes including the need to keep the River Ganga free from pollution.
 
"The way people are dirtying our mother River Ganga (Ganges) is alarming. Sewage pipes are opening into it. So this fair (festival) has become even more relevant in today''s time. The way Krishna killed the poisonous Kaliya serpent by dancing on its hood and saved the river Yamuna from its poison, in the same way many the people of Varanasi hope the festival will help in cleansing the river from pollution. Because Ganga Ma (Mother Ganga) is our cultural heritage," said Ashok Pandey, a local resident of Varanasi and devotee at the ''Nag Nathaiya'' festival.
 
The Hindus regard River Ganga as the holiest. However, it has been reduced to a dirty drain with untreated effluents, industrial waste and sewage of scores of big and small cities being emptied into it.
 
Although the federal government of India set up a Ganga Action Plan in 1985 to cleanse the river, much of the ''action'' seems to have been confined to paper and files.
 
Amidst these trends, ''Nag Nathaiya'' festival was observed a-la two birds with one stone - to keep the tradition alive and to create mass awareness about the river pollution.
 
The festival attracted people from different parts. Alisha, an Italian said that she had travelled all the way from Italy to witness the annual ceremony.
 
"This is a really nice fair. I''m really interested in the show, this kind of culture. It''s really very nice. I''ll see Krishna and the snake. I''m very happy," noted Alisha, an Italian tourist.
 
The festival is believed to have started by noted poet Tulsidas over 400 years ago.
 
According to Hindu legend, young Krishna while playing with his friends, accidentally tossed the ball into the River Yamuna. And when he dived to retrieve the ball, he encountered Kalia, the dreaded serpent.
 
Not to lose heart, the young Krishna fought with the monstrous Kalia and killed it while his panic-stricken friends summoned the elders who were amazed to see him dancing on Kalia''s hood.

Source ANI

Dharamshala: Tibetan monks and nuns residing at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh are outraged over the alleged execution of four Tibetan activists by the Chinese administration over their role in last year''s riots in Lhasa.
 
On Sunday, a group of activists staged a protest by holding a 12-hour hunger strike to draw public attention and condemn the alleged executions.
 
Activists of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC) also participated in the hunger strike to express their solidarity with the suffering Tibetans in China.
 
“We are here today for the solidarity for the people who are suffering in Tibet and especially those who are sentenced to death penalty in Tibet,” said Tenzin, a monk participating in the strike.
 
Meanwhile, the activists also organised a mass signature campaign and called for the intervention of international community to condemn the death penalties being meted out to helpless Tibetans in China.
 
“China is the only country where maximum number of death penalties have been given. So, we believe it is the time that US Government, UN Human Rights Council and European Commission to pressurize, oppose and strongly condemn such kind of death penalties being given to innocent Tibetans and ethnic Chinese,” said Sonam, President of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress.
 
Though, China is yet to confirm the executions, according to the information received by Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), as many as four Tibetans were executed for their alleged involvement in the 2008 anti-China unrest in Lhasa.
 
Repeated calls to get a confirmation of the executions from Chinese Government offices in Lhasa were not answered.

Source ANI

Angara (Jharkhand): Four Maoists have been killed and three arrested in an encounter at Jonha, about 40 kilometres from State capital Ranchi by the Jharkhand Police and Central paramilitary forced in a joint operation, police said on Sunday.
 
According to police, following a tip off about Maoists’ movement taking place towards Purulia district in the neighbouring West Bengal State, the security forces laid a trap by putting blockades at various places. A fierce gunfight took place at Jonha, about 40 kilometres away from State capital, Ranchi.
 
"We had placed blockades at six places which were there continuously for the past 2 days. We were successful near Jonha area where following an encounter four Maoists were killed, though we have only found one body. The search operation is on to find rest of the Maoists. We have found three rifles, backpacks, their vehicle, a motorcycle and lot of ammunitions," said Praveen Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ranchi.
 
Police also confirmed of having arrested three Maoists.
 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described Maoists as the biggest internal security challenge since independence, which began four decades ago championing the cause of poor peasants in the east, but has now spread to about 20 of India''s 29 states.
 
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the government was willing to talk to the Maoists about issues such as poverty and corruption that are often blamed for stoking the insurgency, but insisted the rebels must first stop violence.

Source ANI

Darjeeling: World famous toy train of Darjeeling in West Bengal has received vestibule coaches, which now enables its passengers, who had to earlier jump off the train to enter another compartment, to amble along from one end to the other.
 
Speaking to media after conducting the first successful trial run, Subrata Nath, Director of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), disclosed it to media persons on Sunday (October 25).
 
"We are going to introduce vestibule coaches where a person can move from one coach to another coach. And we are taking a trial run. We have already taken one trial. We will take another one or more trials. This will be the first time in any of the India hill railway that vestibule coaches are introduced," said Subrata Nath, Director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways.
 
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is popularly known as the Darjeeling toy train. The train with vestibule coaches is expected to become operational from November 1.
 
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), which runs the toy train, was conferred world heritage status in 1999. It is the second railway line in the world to be declared a UNESCO heritage site, the first being the Zemerin in Austria.
 
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) route passes through Ghoom, the second highest railway station in the world, situated at a height of 7,407 feet. The arc shaped loop at Ghoom as the train chugs up or down the tracks is a prominent tourist attraction.
 
This narrow gauge train is referred as ''Toy'' because of its relatively small size and the snail pace at which it chugs vis-à-vis other trains hauled by powerful diesel or electric locomotives.
 
The train still maintains its quaintness with wood compartments and no brakes. It travels at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour.
 
The engineering marvel used by DHR was inspirational for several mountain railways in the world. For this very reason, the UNESCO declared it as a world heritage site in 1999. As such it is still preserved and operated despite several constraints such as the cost and other odds encountered during monsoon season.
 
DHR was the result of the sole effort of Frankin Prestage, Agent of the then Eastern Bengal Railways, who not only envisioned it but also played a major part in its construction.

Source ANI

Mathura/Varanasi: The win of a local boy in a music-based Reality Show on Saturday night has spread a wave of cheer across the Mathura city.
 
Hemant Brijwasi, the teenaged singer, won the ''Hero Honda Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa Li''l Champs'', a music competition watched by millions of people across the country with great enthusiasm on TVs.
 
The declaration of Hemant as the winner of the music competition was hailed by his friends and family members along with people across the Mathura city, as almost all residents of Mathura were hooked to their television sets on Saturday (Oct. 24) evening for the grand finale of this singing contest meant for children.
 
Winner Hemant Brijwasi''s mother and sister danced to the tunes of Hindi tracks along with other family members and friends.
 
"Like any other mother, I would like to say that he becomes famous in Brijsthan, the region of Mathura. Yes, it all happened by God''s grace. He (God) made him win," said Shashi Brijwasi, mother of Hemant Brijwasi, winner of Hero Honda Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa Li''l Champs.
 
Sonu Brijwasi cousin of Hemant was all praise for her brother.
 
"I am feeling very happy and can''t control my happiness. I can''t believe that my brother has reached such height and has made his family and his native place proud. But all this has happened because of Lord Krishna. He (Lord Krishna) helped him win the competition," opined Sonu Brijwasi, cousin of Hemant Brijwasi, winner of Hero Honda Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa Li''l Champs.
 
Meanwhile, in Varanasi, supporters of Yatharth Rastogi, the first runner up singer in the contest also hailed their local boy’s  feat. He lost by a narrow margin in the judges'' voting for the best.
 
To watch the grand finale, a special screening of the show was arranged inside the school premises where Yatharth studies.
 
His fellow classmates were all eyeing on the results. But they didn''t let their spirits down after hearing the announcement of Yatharth being the first runner-up, they equally celebrated and burst firecrackers.
 
Meanwhile, Shreyashi Bhattacharya of West Bengal was declared as the second runner-up.

Source ANI

Srinagar: With incidents of burglary in shops or houses becoming a day-to-day affair, the demand for security gadgets is on the rise in the Valley.

Close-circuit television cameras (CCTV), spy cameras and beam sensors are high in demand as many private establishments including hotels, jewellery stores and electronic shops are showing interest to buy them.

Local shop owners selling gadgets say security gadgets has registered a significant increase in the sale.

“We deal in CCTV cameras and Infrared cameras. We give advertisements and get around 10-15 calls per day. When we give a demonstration of these cameras to customers they usually get satisfied and give us orders,” said Saleem Ahmed, a dealer of security cameras, Srinagar.

“I feel that the local public need to be aware of its positive aspects,” Ahmed added.

Ghulam Hassan, a shop owner, said security devices are a technological boon which should be used by people.

“For the past 20 years there has been turmoil here. Houses get burgled and even shops; hence installing these cameras would help reduce the crime rate,” Hassan said.

Source ANI

Coimbatore: Hundreds of enthusiasts participated in a walkathon in Coimbatore in a bid to increase the awareness level about obesity and its ill effects.

Wearing white t-shirts and orange caps, men and women walked through the busy streets of the city to urge people to fight obesity and lead a healthy life.

“Today, India is on of the ten countries, which have highest number of obese people. But in future it is going to be worse. That''s why this walkathon is going to make a good impact on the common public,” said Dr. Palanivelu, a medical practitioner and organiser of the Obesity Awareness Walk.

Cases of obesity are on rise in India, especially in the metro cities.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 300 million people are facing obesity across the world.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the proportion of obesity is increasing at 33-51 percent in Indian cities.

Around 27 percent of urban population is overweight in comparison to 11 percent people in the rural areas.

More women than men are overweight. According to NFHS, 24 percent of women are overweight.

Source ANI

Chandigarh: Bhupinder Singh Hooda was sworn in as Haryana’s Chief Minister for a second consecutive term on Sunday.

Governor Jagannath Pahadia administered the oath of office and secrecy to Hooda in a ceremony held at the Haryana Raj Bhavan.

All the newly elected members of the assembly were also present during the oath-taking ceremony.

Earlier in the day, Hooda''s name was decided by the Congress High Command in New Delhi, as Sonia Gandhi was authorized to decide the Haryana leadership issue.

Along with Hooda, names of Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja and Congress MP from Ambala were also reportedly discussed by party’s high command.

Previously, Hooda has been the Lok Sabha member for four terms in 1991, 1996, 1998, 2004 and the leader of opposition in Haryana''s Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2004.

He also served as the President of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) from 1996 to 2001.

In March 2005, Hooda replaced Om Prakash Chautala as the Chief Minister of the State.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Protesting against the inequality in new and old pensions, hundreds of ex-servicemen on Sunday returned their medals to the President of India.

These retired personnel from the three wings of defence forces - Army, Navy and Air Force, also staged a sit-in protest against the non-implementation of equality in pension, popularly known as ''One Rank-One Pension''.

“We are demanding just equality between the old and the new pension. If two pensioners are put in the same number of years of service, have undergone the same hardships, same risks, dangers, same separation, their services to the country have been same, then their pension also must be same," said Lieutenant General (retired) Raj Kadyan, Chairman of Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM).

The ''One Rank-One Pension'' was introduced in 2009-2010.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his speech at the Independence Day, had also stated that pensions of some ranked officers have been improved.

However, according to the ex-servicemen, the government hasn''t issued the orders as yet.

The IESM has been protesting for the last one and half year against the injustice to the pensioners of defence forces.

"We tried our best initially to make representation to the Government, to meet the leaders and talk to them but nothing happened. Depositing of medal is the biggest hurt that a soldier can express to the government," Lt. Gen (retired) Kadyan said.

The ex-servicemen have already deposited 20000 medals with the President.

Source ANI

New Delhi : Director General (Administration) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Marshal Naresh Verma flagged in the Air Force Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II here on Sunday.

The expedition was organized as a part of the IAF’s plan to train women air warriors mountaineering team for Mt. Everest expedition to be conducted in 2011.

This was the second expedition for the IAF women team after Mt. Stok Kangri (6153metres) carried out successfully in August.

On October 14, the five member team led by Wing Commander Bhavna Mehra successfully summitted Mt. Bhagirathi-II located at a height of 6512 metres in the Gangotri region of Uttarakhand.

The five brave air warriors who climbed the peak were Flight Lieutenant Lalita Mishra, Flight Lieutenant Punita Aswal, Master Warrant Officer Nizzamuddin, Junior Warrant Officer Suresh Pal and Corporal DK Vyas.

According to the IAF, on October 3 the team acclimatized in the area at a rapid rate and proceeded to set up their base camp at Upper Nandanvan, negotiating the treacherous terrain of Gangotri Glacier.

The team was welcomed with a spell of heavy snowfall on reaching the abode of Gods. At the first sight of the clear skies after two days, the team set out to open the route and establish higher camps.

Camp-I was set up at the height of 5060meters. For the summit camp the team could somehow put up three small tents in a precarious position on a steep slope October 9.

Next few days saw the real toil when the lead climbers of the team with two sherpas took turns to secure the route to summit by fixing ropes.

On October 13, the first summit party took their position for the final climb and in the wee hours of October 14 saw the team commence its climb in the area with the icy cold temperatures of less than -10 degree Celsius.

After a marathon effort of about 10 hrs of continuous climb over steep slopes of snow and ice with a dangererous loose rocks looming large, and ready to fall the team was poised at the summit with the tri-color and the IAF flag.

Source ANI

New Delhi/Patna/Mumbai: Hundreds of thousands of devout people offered water to the sun in different parts of the country on the last day of three-day Chhath festival, on Sunday morning.

The festival holds big significance for Hindus living in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in particular.

During Chhat festival, the married women observe a two-day fast without water. They offer prayers to the Sun God, standing waist-deep under water. To mark their prayers, fruits and flowers are also offered to the Sun God.

In Delhi, thousands of devotees converged along the banks of River Yamuna and offered prayers during sunrise, despite the early winter chill on Sunday morning. The devotees prayed for the prosperity and well being of their families.

"We perform this Puja for our husband and sons and, thus, it holds great significance for us. The people of Bihar celebrate it with great fanfare and it is one of our biggest festivals," said Seema, one of the devotees.

In Patna, the women stood waist deep in water and offered prayers to the Sun for the well being of their families.

"Chhath holds great significance. It is celebrated for the well being of the family. We pray to the god to keep our family members happy and prosperous," said Shweta, a devotee.

In Maharashtra, Mumbai’s Juhu Beach teemed with devotees as they performed the Chhath rituals with deep fervour and devotion. People celebrating the Chhath festival said that the last day of this religious festival is quite important as even a slight mistake can ruin the hard work and devotion put in by the devotee.

"We start preparing for the Puja, months in advance. Today is the last day and even if there is a slight mistake on our part, we will have to bear its consequences straight away. This festival is of great importance. Whatever we ask for is fulfilled during the festival," said Shuhasita Sanjay Singh, another devotee.

People go to the bathing Ghats of the river and pay obeisance to both the rising and the setting sun during the festival, celebrated on the sixth and the seventh days after Diwali, the festival of lights.

Source ANI

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has convened a high level meeting with senior officials of the state administration at the Writers Building here on Sunday to take stock of anti naxal plan in the state.

The meeting is also likely to discus the anti Naxal strategy in the aftermath of police officer Attindranath Dutt kidnap incident.

The West Bengal Government came under heavy fire for its decision to enter a swap deal with Maoist to release Dutta.

On Saturday, addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the CPM central Committee meeting in New Delhi, Bhattacharjee said the release of 26 tribal women in exchange for a police officer abducted by Maoists was an exception and clarified that his government was trying to get back two policemen who were kidnapped earlier.

"I am sorry if there was confusion in my remarks in the capital today concerning these two policemen -- Kanchan Gorai and Sabir Mollah. The state government is making all efforts to trace these two policemen who have been abducted by Maoists from Dharampur on July 30," Bhattacharjee had said.

Source ANI

Srinagar: Parts of north Kashmir witnesses massive protest on Sunday over killing of a 25 year old man when a soldier opened fire at him after he ignored a warning to stop at a security check post.

On Saturday, a person identified as Sajad, was killed in Rafiabad town when the security personnel opened fire at him.

However, the police claimed that the man did not heed the sentry at the army bunker, attacked the guard on the gate with an axe.

In the scuffle that ensued, the guard''s gun discharged, killing Sajad instantly and injuring the jawan, police added.

But the locals and family maintain that Sajad was killed and demanded an inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, the police have registered two separate cases--a murder case against the security personnel and an attempt to murder case against the dead person.

Source ANI

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty was engaged to Raj Kundra, a London-based millionaire businessman at his apartment here last evening.

"I seek everyone''s blessings. Thank you very much," said Shilpa Shetty.

The 34-year old actress was seen wearing an exclusive creation of Manish Malhotra.

According to reports, only family members and close friends were invited for this engagement ceremony.

Shamita Shetty, sister of Shilpa could not make it to the engagement ceremony as she was participating in the ''Big Boss''.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Noted designer Anamika Khanna showcased her colourful collection on the first day of ''Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week''.

The gala fashion event commenced on Saturday.

Top of the line models sashayed down the ramp wearing ensembles in colour texture of black, white and blue to showcase Anamika''s Spring Summer ''10 Collection.

The collections boasted of an edgy and eclectic take on Indian sensibilities and craft. It was dedicated to the bold and adventurous women.

The collection was a compilation of broad pants, drape easy pieces contrasted with deconstructed structure, skinny leggings and layers.

"Collection was suitable for summers. Chiffons, muslins and georgettes were the main fabrics and we have also used summer silks," said Anamika.

The current ''Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week'' will witness 110 designers displaying their collection by over 48 models displaying their creations.

The 14th edition of India''s biggest fashion trade event will culminate on October 28.

Source ANI

Siliguri: Two children succumbed to a major fire that broke out in a slum colony during the early hours of Sunday in Siliguri.

An unattended burning lamp is being held responsible for causing the fire which quickly spread and engulfed almost all the 200 shanty houses of the Matangani Hajra Colony located at Tikiapara in Siliguri.

Since each of the hutments were adjoining with no space in between them, the fire engulfed all the houses.

A child that was rescued is reportedly in serious condition.

Seven fire engines were pressed into the service to contain the fire that started at around 4:30 a.m.

"Someone must have left a lamp unattended. The entire shantytown has been engulfed. Seven fire brigade engines were deployed. Since all the houses were adjacent to each other, the fire spread out quickly. Somehow fire brigade managed to contain the fire," said Tapan Ghosh, divisional fire officer, Siliguri.

Since all the residents of the colony had gone out to the nearby river to offer prayers on the occasion of Chhat Puja, a major tragedy was averted.

"Everyone had gone out to the river bank for the festival of Chhat celebrations. Someone left a lamp burning which caused the fire to break out," Ajay Prasad, a resident.

The hapless residents have lost whatever little they had saved with their hard-earned money.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Bollywood actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar rocked the audience with his songs at a music concert here last evening.

Farhan sang songs from ''Rock On'' that had been a huge hit after its release and had made him into a youth icon.

The enterprising filmmaker, who has made quite a mark with his earlier films, is all set to floor the audience with his forthcoming venture ''Karthik Calling Karthik''.

The film has an unusual theme of a man receiving phone calls from none but himself.

"We''ve tried our best to present a new kind of story in a new kind of way. The director, Vijay Lalwani, it is his first film," said Akhtar.

''Karthik Calling Karthik'' is slated to hit the screen across India in 2010.

Source ANI

Itanagar: Dorjee Khandu has been sworn in as the  Chief Minister for another term here on Sunday.

Governor J.J. Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to 54-year-old Khandu in a glittering ceremony at the Durbar hall of the Raj Bhavan.

All the newly elected members of the assembly were present during the oath-taking ceremony.

Former Chief Minister Gegong Apang, Union Minister of State for Planning V Narayansami, Congress working Committee (CWC) member Luizinho Falerio and All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Sanjay Bapna were also present on the occasion.

Khandu who hails from Tawang District, also had a brief stint in the Indian Army. He was awarded commendation from the Army Chief for his meritorious service in intelligence gathering during the Bangladesh War.

A Monapa Budhist leader, Khandu, made his debut to the state assembly in 1990 by getting elected unopposed from Mukto constituency.

In 1995 he became Minister of State for Co-operation and was elevated to cabinet rank as minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Dairy in 1996. He also handled ministries of power, relief, rehabilitation and disaster management between 1998 and 2007.

In 2007, Khandu replaced powerful Gegong Apang as the Chief Minister of the state.

Source ANI

Chennai: Huma wife of former Pakistan cricket skipper Wasim Akram, passed away here on Sunday after suffering multiple organ failure.

On Tuesday, Huma, 42, was admitted to Apollo Hospital here after the air ambulance carrying her to Singapore from Lahore made an emergency landing for refueling at the Chennai International Airport.

According to sources, Huma suffered a cardiac arrest and slipped to emergency condition while on board, following which the Pakistani doctors accompanying her suggested to admit Huma to a hospital.

According to Hospital sources, Huma was put on ventilator support.

A trained medical practitioner, Huma had a stint with some of the leading hospitals in Pakistan as a psychologist and a Hypnotherapist.

Akram was married to Huma for 14 years and the couple has two sons, Taimur and Akbar.

Source ANI

Coimbatore: Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, A. Raja, has said that action would be taken against those responsible in the wireless spectrum fraud.

"I made it clear any deviation in the lower level after the policy decision, which was taken by the government, to show favouritism to a specific company by a lower level officer, it will be dealt with," Raja said on the sidelines of a function here on Saturday.
Raja added that the spectrum allotment was made under the regulator''s guidelines.

"I told the issuance of licences and the spectrum allotted for the licenses were taken in accordance with the recommendations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India after the consultations with the Prime Minister," Raja said.

India had awarded several new telecom licences in 2008.

On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had searched the offices of the Department of Telecom in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum to some new companies.
 
According to CBI sources, a team of its sleuths conducted a search at Sanchar Bhawan here after registering a case in this connection.
 
In 2008, eight new companies were given licenses along with bundled 4.4 MHz spectrum to start mobile services.
 
Earlier, the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) had criticized the Telecom Ministry for doling out spectrum to a very cheap compared to its actual market value.
 
The CVC had recommended a CBI probe into the procedures followed for selecting companies for giving 2G spectrum.

Source ANI

Bijapur (Chattisgarh): A Maoist was killed by the security forces in an encounter in the dense forests of Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh on Sunday.

According to Chattisgarh Police, the encounter which started late on Saturday evening is still continuing.

The security forces smelled the presence of about 30-40 red ultras in the forests.

Police party encountered the red rebels immediately after launching search operation based on a tip off.

The Chattisgarh Police confirmed the killing of a Maoist in the encounter and also added that the police party has recovered arms and ammunition including rifles and 15 kilograms of IED from their hideout.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Designer Ashish Soni showcased his collection on the first day of ''Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week'' here last evening.

Soni showcased his Spring Summer ''10 Collection, which had the top of the line models sashaying down the ramp in mainly black colored western outfits.

The collection saw the use of diverse fabrics.

"The collection was very simple. It was very easy to wear and lot of focus was on tailoring. There was a lot of evening wear," Soni.

This year 110 designers will showcase their collection with over 48 models displaying their creations.

The 14th edition of India''s biggest fashion trade event, starting on Saturday, will see around 110 designers displaying the very best of Indian fashion under one roof.

Source ANI

Moradabad: Kin of Arif Hasan, a sailor aming 24 Indians on board the ship MV al Khaliq, hijacked by Somali pirates, has urged the Indian Government to take strict action against the kidnappers.

"We want that the government should take a strong action on pirates who are involved in ship hijacking. I want that my son should be released at the earliest," said Arif Chaudhary, Hasan''s father.

Hasan is a resident of Sirsi in Uttar Pradesh''s Moradabad district.

Pirates hijacked MV al Khaliq, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, in the early hours of Thursday and took its crew hostage off the coast of Somalia.

The vessel was Indian managed and had 26 crew, most of them Indians.

Somali pirate gangs have caused havoc in the strategic waterways linking Europe with Asia, even though foreign navies patrol the area, and have made millions of dollars in ransom payments.

On October 15, Somali pirates seized a Singapore-owned vessel, MV Kota Wazir, north of Seychelles and abducted 21 crew including four Indians.

On October 19, a Chinese bulk carrier, the De Xin Hai, with 25 Chinese crewmembers, was hijacked about 700 nautical miles off the east coast of Somalia.

The dreaded pirates of the African nation were responsible for over half of the 306 attacks against ships worldwide in the first nine months of this year.

Source ANI

Chennai: Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has said that the seven-match one-day series between India and Australia would be "hard fought".

The first game of the series is being played in Vadodra today.

"I am expecting a very hard fought series. India would be trying their best back from their disappointment in Champions Trophy and Australia would be on a high from it. So a great rivalry is formed between the two countries and India do play well in their home country. There would be intriguing battle between the spinners of India and batting of Australia," said Gilchrist.

World champions Australia won a second successive Champions Trophy in South Africa, reaffirming their superiority in the one-day game after a 6-1 series victory over England following their Ashes defeat.

World number two India exited in the first round of the Champions Trophy.
Gilchrist also showered praise on the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Indian captain.

"Dhoni is a wonderful cricketer. He has amazing calmness. He doesn''t ever seem to panic," said Gilchrist.

India has been strengthened by the return of the explosive batting pair of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh from injuries while the tourists have been weakened with injuries to leading players.

Source ANI

Mumbai/Haryana/Itanagar: The Congress Party has decided to retain Ashok Chavan and Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Haryana respectively.

A decision was taken by Congress President Sonia Gandhi after she held several rounds of consultations with senior party leaders.
 
Defence Minister A K Antony, who is one of the observers for Maharashtra, said Chavan has been chosen as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the state.

He will be sworn-in as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the second term, Antony added.

Meanwhile, Prithviraj Chavan, observer for Haryana, said Sonia Gandhi has selected Hooda to head the CLP in the state.

Hooda, 62, is likely to be sworn-in as Haryana Chief Minister today.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the CLP has elected Dorjee Khandu as its leader.

Khandu along with the Congress legislators staked claim to form the new government. The sweraing-in ceremony will take place today.

Source ANI

Kolkata: Students and climate activists took out a march here in support of ''350 Day'' - a day dedicated to climate action.

Activists in 170 countries gathered at various cities on Saturday to spread awareness and put pressure on global leaders to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to a healthy level of 350 parts per million.

"Every year, we see summers are getting hotter, the winters are being less cold. But what''s happening is global warming. Because of that the world is in great danger right now," said Nandan Pugalia, a student.

Disputes over 2020 emissions cuts by developed nations and the amounts of cash to help developing nations combat global warming are among the main sticking points in sluggish U.N. talks meant to end in Copenhagen in December.

Developing nations led by China and India say the rich need to make cuts averaging at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst of climate change.

Ashish Ghosh, convenor of the Climate Action Group, urged global leaders to make a collective pledge to save the world.

"We are asking the Governments across the world that if you all group together instead of fighting saying who will reduce how much of carbon, let us take a pledge, collectively we pledge to save the world," Ghosh said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama called on his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in Thailand on Saturday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit to make an international commitment on climate change, saying it was vital for a U.N. deal due in Copenhagen in December.

Source ANI

Ranchi: One policeman was beaten to death and three other received serious injuries when villagers attacked a police team in Jharkhand.

The incident occurred at Irba village on Saturday, when a police team, not dressed in uniform, from Bihar came to the village to arrest a local who was a suspect in an auto-lifting case.

As police returned after nabbing the accused, a bunch of villagers mobbed and beat them severely.

"We went there to arrest a local named Naushad in connection with an auto-lifting case. We received information that Naushad is involved in a case and we arrested him. When we were returning, the villagers surrounded us and attacked," said Surendra Rai, a sub-inspector with the Bihar Police.

The injured police personnel were admitted to the Rajendra Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Police began an investigation into the incident and launched a manhunt to nab the culprits.

Source ANI