'Fully satisfied' with metro work, says Chief Minister
Work on the 25 km Aluva-Petta first phase stretch of Kochi Metro project will be completed on schedule and government was 'fully statisfied' with the work undertaken so far, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said. Chandy, who visited the Kochi Metro project sites at MG Road, North overbridge, Kaloor, chengampuzha park, Pulinchoodu and DMRC piling yard at nearby Kalamassery, told reporters that he was 'fully statisfied' with the work. Seeing the pace of the work...

Narendra Modi cannot be pardoned for communal violence in Gujarat: Beni Prasad Verma
Senior Congress leader and Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma today said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi cannot be pardoned for the 2002 riots in Gujarat, even if he apologised a hundred times for the same. "Even if he (Modi) apologises a hundred times, he cannot be pardoned (for the riots)... He is a blot of Gujarat," he told reporters. Verma was reacting to All-India Muslim Personal Law Board Vice-President Maulana Kalbe Sadiq's statement that he can vote for...

Sahara defaults despite reminders, BCCI ousts Pune from IPL
With a defiant Sahara group refusing to furnish the requisite bank guarantee, the BCCI today decided to terminate Pune warriors from the IPL after a meeting of its all-powerful working committee here. The decision to terminate Pune, owned by Sahara, would leave the IPL an eight-team affair for the time being. "Given Sahara's continued position that it would not deliver the bank guarantee, the Working Committee unanimously determined to terminate the Sahara franchise...

India eyes $15 bn subsidy costs rollover into next budget
Finance Minister P Chidambaram is finding it harder and harder to meet the government's budget promises and may sweep as much as USD 15 billion in subsidy costs into next year's accounts to ensure he hits fiscal targets ahead of national elections, ministry officials say. Chidambaram insists that the fiscal deficit target of 4.8 percent of GDP for the year to March 31, 2014, is a red line that will not be breached. The worst economic downturn since 1991 and a fall in the rupee to a...

Am open to questioning by CBI on coal blocks: PM
Answering questions on way back from his visit to Russia and China, the prime minister said: "I am not above the law of the land. If there is anything that the CBI or, for that matter, anybody wants to ask, I have nothing to hide." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been demanding that the prime minister be called for questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the coal blocks allocation issue. The prime minister held the coal portfolio in 2006 during...

Saritha Nair granted bail
The Perumbavoor Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here on Monday granted bail to Saritha S. Nair, accused in the solar cheating case. The court granted bail as the charge sheet in the case had not been filed within 60 days from date of arrest. Saritha will however continue to be in custody as she is under arrest for several other cases as well. The bail was granted in the case of cheating of Sajjad, a businessman from Perumbavoor.

NIA team may visit Italy to question four Italian witnesses
A team of NIA sleuths is likely to visit Italy to question four Italian marines, who were witness to the killing of two fishermen off Kerala coast in 2012, after their refusal to come to India for deposition before investigators. Notwithstanding New Delhi's consistent request to send the witnesses, Rome has made it clear that the four will not come to India to appear before investigators in connection with the case in which two Italian marines are accused. After Italy's...

Satisfied with results from Russia, China trips, says PM
Returning home Thursday after a five-day trip to Russia and China, where he inked a slew of agreements, including a key pact with Beijing to reduce tensions on the disputed border, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was "satisfied with the results" and the visits had "served their purpose". In his Russia visit, from Oct 20-22, the Prime Minister attended the 14th India-Russia Annual Summit with President Vladimir Putin. He has described Russia as a "key...

Death sentence for first accused in Salim murder case
The Principal Sessions Court here awarded death sentence to first accused Sherif and life term for second accused Zanobar in the Salim murder case. Zanobar has also been fined Rs 10 lakh. Sherif was found guilty on counts of kidnapping, conspiracy, poisoning, murder and destruction of evidence. Zanobar was found guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder. Salim, an NRI businessman hailing from Varkala, was murdered on July 9, 2011. The accused ran an illegal money-lending...

India to launch Mars Orbiter Mission on November 5
India will launch its first interplanetary probe, Mars orbiter spacecraft, at 2.36pm on November 5 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Isro said on Tuesday. The launch, which was scheduled on October 28, got postponed because of a delay in one of the ships carrying radars for monitoring the rocket in reaching the south Pacific Ocean. The Rs 450-crore Mars Orbiter Mission involves a complex set of operations including injection of the spacecraft into an earth orbit,...

Nation is with you, Shinde tells jawans
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday discussed the security scenario with top functionaries of the Jammu and Kashmir government and senior security and intelligence officials at a special meeting of the Unified Headquarters in Jammu.   The meeting, attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, focused on the marked increase in infiltration attempts from across the International Border and the Line of Control.   Official sources said views were exchanged on...

US sought Pakistan's help in 1998 to avert al-Qaida attack: Document
The US sought Pakistan's help in 1998 to prevent Osama bin Laden from launching an al-Qaida attack against it, with then President Bill Clinton asking Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to personally use his influence to prevail over the Taliban in averting the imminent strike. Clinton called up Sharif from his Oval office and asked for his personal help after an intelligence input about an imminent al-Qaida attack, according to the declassified memorandum of the telephonic conversation...

Unfair to axe a player on basis of one or two performances: Dhoni
Despite some dismal performances by a few players, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today came out strongly in their support, saying that frequent changes might hamper the team in the long run. "It will be unfair that all of a sudden when you lose one or two matches and you want playing eleven bowler to be removed and thrown out of the team by saying he is not good," said Dhoni at the post-match press conference here last night. "It's very important to persist...

Dhoni blasts non-performing bowlers, says can't be "spoonfed"
A disappointed Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today did some plain talking directed to some of his non-performing bowlers and said that international cricketers need not be "spoonfed" and they should bowl at their strengths and not bleed runs. "I think the last few overs were disappointing, it is an area of concern and it is getting worse. There was a bit of dew but not like in the last game. The individuals will have to step up, they have to come up with their plans...

Achuthanandan turns 90, vows to fight Chandy
Former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan celebrated his 90th birthday on Sunday and said he will not sit idle and continue “tirades against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy”. Mr. Achuthanandan began the day with a brief morning walk at his official residence in the city and then attended to congratulatory phone calls from fellow comrades and ministers, wishing him a long life. Among the callers were CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Minister...

China, Russia visit to create strategic opportunities: PM
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday his visits to Russia and China would help strengthen India's relations with two of its most important partners and create strategic opportunities for India's growth, prosperity and development in a stable external environment. In his departure statement prior to embarking on a five-day visit to Moscow and Beijing, the prime minister said the annual summit he would be holding with Russian President Vladimir Putin Oct 21 is an...

Fear grips Jammu villages after night of Pakistan shelling
More than 40,000 people living in villages close to the International Border in the Jammu region are tense with fear after a night of shelling by Pakistan Rangers at 25 locations. They said Saturday they haven't seen such fierce firing in 10 years. "There has been no firing since this (Saturday) morning. But Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing at 25 places on the international border during the night," a senior Border Security Force official...

China's planned n-reactors in Pakistan matter of concern: India
India said Friday that China's plans to build two 1,000 MW nuclear reactors in Pakistan are a "matter of concern" and the issue is likely be discussed during Prime Minister Manmohan's Beijing visit Oct 22-24. Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, addressing reporters ahead of the prime minister's back-to-back visits to Moscow and Beijing from Sunday, said China's plans to build the reactors in Karachi "are a matter of concern for India". Asked if the...

New Range Rover Sport launched at Rs. 1.1 crore
Tata Motors-owned carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched an all-new premium sports SUV Range Rover Sport in the domestic market in both diesel and petrol variants with a price tag of Rs. 1.1 crore to Rs. 1.65 crore. The new Range Rover Sport delivers the brand's high on-road dynamics together with class-leading Land Rover's all-terrain capability, Rohit Suri, vice president of Jaguar & Land Rover India, said in a statement late on Thursday. The new model sports a...

Solar Scam – V.S to approach High Court
Opposition leader, VS Achuthandan  to approach the high court to highlight the lapses occurred in the solar scam investigations. CPM state Secretary has also given approval to this. He will be lodging a complaint against some political top leaders and the CJM court.   No investigations had been carried out so far based on Sreedharan Nairs statement.   Jiku mon and Salim Raj who is accused of involving in solar scam has not yet been...

Veteran music composer K Raghavan Master dies at 99
Veteran music composer K Raghavan Master passed away while under treatment at a hospital here on early Saturday (October 18, 2013). He was 99, and would have turned 100 on December 2, his family said. Raghavan Master was admitted to the hospital on Friday evening, after he complained of breathlessness. His friends and family were readying an intimate, modest, musical celebration of his 100th birthday. Raghavan Master's cremation will take place at Tellichery near here on...

Maldives police defend blocking presidential poll
Maldives police spokesman and Superintendent of Police Abdulla Nawaz told reporters that support could not have been given to an election that did not meet the 16-point poll guideline set by the country's Supreme Court. The Maldives police Saturday defended their move to stop the presidential election scheduled for earlier in the day, and insisted a vote would have been "unlawful" and could have sparked "national instability". Maldives police spokesman...

Sachin Tendulkar to play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy before Test series
In order to prepare for the two-match Test series against the West Indies next month, Sachin Tendulkar will play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy preliminary round match against Haryana at Lahli starting on October 27. Tendulkar, who will retire after playing the second Test (November 14-18) against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium, will play in the Ranji game to warm up for the series. MCA joint secretary Nitin Dalal said that Tendulkar and pacer Zaheer Khan will play for...

Economy will pick up by year-end, says RBI chief
India's economy will pick up by year-end thanks to the start-up of billions of dollars worth of stalled resource projects and a good monsoon season that will bolster agricultural production, the Reserve Bank of India's chief said on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of India is due to review monetary policy on October 29, with a rising pace of inflation bolstering odds for another central bank interest rate hike even as the economy stumbles through its worst crisis since...

Congress acts on hoardings depicting Sonia Gandhi as ill
The Uttar Pradesh Congress committee on Wednesday issued notices to its office bearers in Allahabad for putting up hoardings depicting Congress president Sonia Gandhi as "beemar" (ill). The hoardings also urged Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Phoolpur parliamentary constituency, once represented by the late prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. Confirming that show cause notices have been issued to district secretary Haseeb Ahmad and party leader Shreesh Chandra Dubey,...

Mani should restrain George: Chennithala
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Ramesh Chennithala, on Monday, said that party Chairman K M Mani should restrain and control Chief Whip P C George from passing deregatory comments against the Congress. Ramesh also said that he is not reacting to George's statements because of his respect for democracy. Meanwhile, the youth wing of the Congress has decided not to invite P C George to any programmes organized by the party.

PM decided 2005 coal block allocation: ex-secretary
It was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who decided the allocation of two coal blocks in Odisha in 2005 over which the CBI has filed FIRs, former coal secretary P.C. Parekh said Wednesday. Parekh made the statement a day after the FIRs were filed against Parekh and industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla for alleged irregularities and criminal conspiracy in the allocation of the two blocks. "I don't think this is any serious issue at all. There is no case in what CBI is trying to...

14 dead, 50 missing as typhoon lashes Tokyo area
A typhoon caused deadly mudslides that buried people and destroyed homes on a Japanese island on Wednesday before sweeping up the Pacific coast, grounding hundreds of flights and disrupting Tokyo's transportation during the morning rush. At least 14 deaths were reported and more than 50 people   were missing. Hardest hit was Izu Oshima island about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Tokyo. Rescuers found 13 bodies, most of them buried by mudslides, police and town...

CM’s mass contact programme could run into rough weather
CPM politburo member, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, has said that the Left front would lay a siege on the Chief Minister's upcoming public contact programmes. Balakrishnan said that the mass contact programme of the CM was meant to deceive people. The move from the Left front came after they announced their displeasure over the terms of reference announced by the CM over the solar scam. The CM is planning for the mass contact programme from October 18 and the Left said that it was...

Sachin Tendulkar to play his 200th Test in Mumbai`s Wankhede stadium
The BCCI has confirmed the venues for upcoming West Indies series and has chosen Eden Gardens and Wankhede Stadium for the two Tests meaning Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell game will be played in Mumbai. The board’s Programmes and Fixtures committee in a meeting today allotted the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) the second of the two Tests to be played between India and West Indies which will also be Tendulkar’s last game for the...