Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran
Cleric Hassan Rouhani has officially replaced Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran. Mr Rouhani's election has been endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a ceremony in the capital, Tehran. He won the presidential poll in June, promising to reform and to put an end to Iran's international isolation. The ceremony marks the handover of power, but his public inauguration does not take place until Sunday. The 64-year-old is a former nuclear negotiator for Iran and was...

India may have at least 50 states in future
India may have at least 50 states in future if demands for new states are to be conceded as the Home Ministry has received representations for creation of more than 20 states. The demands for separate states have come from across the country -- for Kukiland in Manipur to Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu, for Kamatapur in North Bengal to Tulu Nadu in Karnataka. However, except Uttar Pradesh, which during the Mayawati- led BSP government proposed to create four states dividing the...

Centre has sought a report from government on suspension of an IAS officer,
The Centre has sought a report from Samajwadi Party-led Uttar Pradesh government on suspension of an IAS officer, who had cracked down on sand mafia involved in rampant quarrying along the banks of Yamuna river. The move comes in the backdrop of Congress President Sonia Gandhi yesterday writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that Durga Sakthi Nagpal, a 2010-batch officer, should not be "unfairly treated". The Prime Minister holds the charge of Ministry...

UN agency lauds Kerala’s plans to revive ’Spice Route’
Kerala's initiative to revive and promote the two millennia-old spice route, that links the south western coast of India up to Europe, through tourism has received a boost, with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) pledging support to the venture. Delegates at a three-day international meet on Silk Road tourism organised by the UNWTO in the northwestern Chinese city of Dunhuang from August 1-3 appreciated a presentation on Spice Route made by the Kerala Tourism...

United Democratic Front allies should not intervene in the issues of Congress - Aryadan
Hitting back at Kerala Congress (M) supremo K M Mani,  Minister for Electricity and Transport Aryadan Muhammed Sunday said that the United Democratic Front allies should not intervene in the  issues of Congress party. He said if Kerala Congress (M) has any complaints , they should raise them in the UDF. Issues in Congress  will be solved within the party, he added.

Goa's prison department has decided to initiate disciplinary action against food poisoning
Goa's prison department has decided to initiate disciplinary action against its officials named in an inquiry committee report in the food poisoning suffered by 100-odd jail inmates in May. The Jailor of Central Jail at Aguada, Vithal Gawas, is among those indicted by the high-level probe panel, police sources said. A prisoner, Mahadev Gaonkar, died and 100-odd others were taken ill on May 31 after they suffered food poisoning at the Central Jail and also at a sub-jail in...

BJP may not be able to form a government with Narendra Modi's leadership- Sharad Pawar
NCP President Sharad Pawar feels that BJP may not be able to form a government with Narendra Modi's leadership. He also does not see the possibility of a Third Front government saying the government after elections will either be led by Congress or be supported by it. "I cannot say. I said that in coalition politics very few partners, political parties will support BJP this time with this leadership," Pawar told CNN-IBN. He was asked if he sees Modi emerging as...

Suicide bombersdetonated explosives-packed vehicle near the Indian Consulate
Suicide bombers Saturday detonated explosives-packed vehicle near the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city, bordering Pakistan, killing at least eight children and wounding 21 others. Confirming the blast by suicide bombers in front of the consulate, official sources in New Delhi said, "all Indians are safe and there was no major damage to the consulate." "The situation is still very fluid," sources told press. Nangarhar province Police Chief...

Chennithala will not become a minister in the state cabinet
KPCC President, Ramesh Chennithala will not become a minister in the state cabinet. The High Command has approved Chennithala's stance that he would not accept a role in the ministry. After meeting Sonia Gandhi, Chennithala said that he would continue as KPCC President. The ongoing meetings for a cabinet reshuffle has been called off and Ramesh said that there would be no reorganisation in the state cabinet. He said that he would now focus his energies on strengthening the...

70% of the followers of Narendra Modi are ‘fake followers.‘
With social media such as Twitter and Facebook expected to play a major role in influencing the urban electorate in more than 150 Lok Sabha constituencies across India, political leaders such as Narendra Modi are on a war footing to increase their followers online. But a study recently conducted by a new media technology firm, www.nextbigwhat.com, revealed that more than 70% of the followers of Narendra Modi are ‘fake followers.‘ This has cast a dark shadow over the...

High Court declared its IPL spot-fixing probe "illegal and unconstitutional"
N Srinivasan's desperate bid to return as BCCI President was thwarted with the under-fire Board deciding to call off its Working Committee meeting here on Friday fearing legal trouble after the Bombay High Court declared its IPL spot-fixing probe "illegal and unconstitutional". Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was named the interim chief after Srinivasan had stepped aside pending an internal inquiry into the IPL spot-fixing scandal, will continue in the position for the time...

കേരള അസോസിയേഷന്‍ ഓഫ് ന്യുജേഴ്സിയുടെ ഓണാഘോഷത്തിന്റെ കിക്കോഫ് ശനിയാഴ്ച
കേരള അസോസിയേഷന്‍ ഓഫ് ന്യുജേഴ്സിയുടെ ഓണാഘോഷത്തിന്റെ കിക്കോഫ് ശനിയാഴ്ച നടക്കും ഒട്ടനവധി പുതുമകള്‍ നിറഞ്ഞ ഏകദിന പിക്നിക്കായ സമ്മര്‍ ബാഷിനോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ചായിരിക്കും കിക്കോഫ് ....

Congress alone cannot decide on the post of deputy chief minister - K M Mani
Reacting to the issue of DCM's post, Finance Minister K M Mani has said that the Congress alone cannot decide on the post of deputy chief minister and it has to be discussed in the UDF. Even the decision on chief minister was made after holding discussions in the UDF. He has also mentioned that cabinet reshuffling has to be done soon. A union cabinet berth is the privilege of Kerala Congress (M) Mani said and pointed out that he did not go to Delhi as he was not called by the...

Protests continue over Telangana
Stepping up the pressure on Congress leadership to rescind its decision on Telangana, a minister, nine MLAs and four MLCs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema Thursday resigned as widespread protests continued in non-Telangana regions for the second day today. Jittery over the fallout of the Telangana move in two other regions of Andhra Pradesh, two days after the Centre's ruling UPA and Congress put their stamp of approval on the proposal to carve out a new state, Minister of...

High Court cancelled the case of sexual harassment against Thettayil
High Court on Thursday cancelled the case of sexual harassment against Jose Thettayil MLA. The court's verdict has come in response to an appeal by Thettayil seeking cancellation of the FIR of sexual abuse registered against him. The court in its ruling observed that no offence of sexual violence stands against Thettayil and the complainant has not been able to produce any concrete evidence to prove any sexual violence meted out against her. The court dismissed the complainant's...

Chennithala to become minister
It is almost certain that Ramesh Chennithala would become a minister in the state cabinet. After a meeting with party President Sonia Gandhi, Chennithala, who did not divulge the details of the meeting to the press, said that he had apprised her about the political situation in Kerala. It is expected that an official announcement declaring Chennithala a minister would be made once Chief Minister Oommen Chandy reaches New Delhi. There are also reports that efforts are being made to...

High Command has asked Ramesh Chennithala to stay back in the capital
The Congress High Command has asked Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala to stay back in the capital for further discussion related to the cabinert reshuffle in Kerala. A meeting between Chennithala and Defence Minister A K Antony has been scheduled for Wednesday. The leaders of UDF factions will fly to Delhi for participating in discussions related to the cabinet reshuffle. As a prelude to this, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has met K M Mani and P K...

High command on cabinet reshuffle, and buy louboutin schuhe from vilouboutin
With a consensus eluding Congress over a cabinet reshuffle by inducting KPCC Chief Ramesh Chennithala, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will again hold talks on Thursday in Delhi with the party high command. "I will be going to Delhi on Thursday. The high command has already started discussion on ministry revamp and a final decision will be that of the party leadership," Chandy told reporters during weekly cabinet briefing here. You know women like to buy louboutin schuhe...

Anti Telangana ministers in Andhra submitted their resignation
In protest to the historical decision to form Telangana as the 29th state of the nation, the anti-Telangana ministers in Andhra submitted their resignation to the Chief Minister. According to reporters six ministers quit demanding a united Andhra Pradesh. The Union ministers from non-telengana region had met Digvijaya Singh, in charge of Congress party in Andhra Pradesh, to avoid the splitting of the state.The crucial decision to form Telangana state were taken by the Congress Working...

Ramesh Chennithala would become a minister -Mullappally
Union Minister of state for Home Affairs, Mullappally Ramachandran, has opined that KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala would become a minister. The minister said that it was up to the High Command to give a suitable portfolio to Chennithala. Saying that a majority of Congressmen wanted Chennithala to become a minister, Mullappally said that Oommen Chandy would continue as Chief Minister and that he would solve all issues that the government is now facing.

All issues in Congress will be settled -Oommen Chandy
Even as talks with Congress central leadership to find a solution to the issue of Kerala Cabinet reshuffle by inducting KPCC Chief Ramesh Chennithala failed to make any head-way, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said he would hold discussions with UDF partners on the matter. Talking to reporters at the airport here on Tuesday on his return from Delhi after holding talks with party leadership, Chandy said parleys would be held with UDF partners and later talks would be held in Delhi along...

Delhi Police filed its voluminous charge sheet in a court
The Delhi Police Tuesday filed its voluminous charge sheet in a court here in the IPL spot-fixing case naming underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, his close aide Chhota Shakeel and some cricketers, including S Sreesanth, as accused while Rajasthan Royals' captain Rahul Dravid has been made a witness. Besides them, the other accused include suspended players of Rajasthan Royals Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, bookies Ashwani Agarwal, Ramesh Vyas, Deepak Kumar, Sunil Bhatia and Firoz Farid...

Telangana will be 29th state, louboutin sko for women
Brushing aside opposition after dithering for nearly four years, the Congress and the UPA coalition Tuesday unanimously endorsed creation of a separate Telangana state from out of Andhra Pradesh. "It is resolved to request the Central government to make steps in accordance with the Constitution to form a separate state of Telangana ......within a definite timeframe," said a resolution of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy-making body of the party, after over an...

ഇന്ത്യ പ്രസ് ക്ളബ് ഓഫ് നോര്‍ത്ത് അമേരിക്കയുടെ കോണ്‍ഫറന്‍സിന് വി.ടി ബല്‍റാം എം എല്‍ എ
അമേരിക്കയിലെയും കാനഡയിലെയും മാധ്യമ പ്രവര്‍ത്തകരുടെ കൂട്ടായ്മയായ ഇന്ത്യ പ്രസ് ക്ളബ് ഓഫ് നോര്‍ത്ത് അമേരിക്കയുടെ 5- ാമത് ദേശീയ കോണ്‍ഫറന്‍സില്‍ കോണ്ഗ്രസിന്റെ യുവനേതാവും തൃത്താല...

Hartal;Violence broke out in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Kozhikode
Violence broke out in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Kozhikode districts in the first few hours of the hartal clamped in the state Wednesday. The 12-hour bandh called state-wide took effect since six in the morning. The strike was imposed with the demand that the chief minister, who has been tainted in the solar scam case, must resign and face judicial investigation and also in protest against the police action on the MLAs, who took out a demonstration in the state capital on Monday...

Bodh Gaya bomb blasts;Four persons released as therse is no evidence
Four persons, including a woman, who were detained for questioning in connection with the Bodh Gaya bomb blasts, were released Wednesday as no evidence was found against them. "The four have been released after no evidence of their connection with the explosions was found during their questioning," Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI. Besides Bihar Police, they were questioned by NIA and IB but no evidence of any kind of involvement was found against...

Umman Chandy refuses to resign
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday refused to bow down to opposition's demand for his resignation. Firmly holding on to his stand Chandy said he will not resign as it will be an unjustifiable act to the truth. The chief minister said he has not retracted any of his statements he had made earlier on the Solar scam. He accused media of manipulating facts. Regarding the CCTV webcast, he said the the video streaming of his office has no recording capacity. It will only...

High Court stayed all further proceedings against Jose Thettayil
Kerala High Court Tuesday stayed all further proceedings against former Left Democratic Front minister Jose Thettayil in a sexual harassment case. The order was issued by Justice P Bhavadasan on a petition by Thettayil seeking to quash the FIR registered against him in the case. The court also issued notice to the complainant and said she would be heard on Thursday. The Judge observed that prima facie no offence is disclosed in the complaint against Thettayil. Thettayil,...

CM had met and discussed the SOLAR project -Sreedharan Nair
The solar scam, which has brought Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's office under a cloud, continued to haunt the UDF Government with the LDF-led Opposition on Tuesday disrupting the Assembly proceedings seeking Chandy's resignation and a judicial probe. Following this, Speaker G Karthikeyan adjourned the proceedings temporarily. Opposition leaders staged protest with placards and slogans inside the Assembly as the complainant Sreedharan Nair claimed the CM had met and...

CCTV footage of serials blasts at the Mahabodhi temple released
The CCTV footage of serials blasts at the Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas were released Monday in which some people were seen running helter and skelter to save their lives. In the CCTV footage of the blast that took place on the left side of Mahabodhi tree in the temple premises at 5:25 A.M Sunday, a boy and a girl, aged about 25 years, were seen walking on the road immediately before the blast. Taken by surprise at the sound of explosion, the duo were seen stopping for a...