Daily Latest News

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• Oil Spill Gulf of Mexico 2010: Oil Spill Likely To Reach Coastline By April 30 If Not Controlled on Time
• Drilling for uranium in Meghalaya held in abeyance
• Over half of world’s chemical weapons destroyed: UN
• Two policemen killed in blast in Russia’s Dagestan
• Steve Carell to quit ‘The Office’
• Oil spill heads for US coast
• Scherzinger has ‘no life’!
• Uma Thurman nearly quit acting for children
• Bill Condon to direct final ‘Twilight’ movie
• South Park Cripple Summer: Catch Whole Editions HD Online
• JMM ready to support BJP-led government: Hemant Soren
• Tata BP Solar increases cell production capacity
• Three Ganga dolphins found dead in Patna
• Government committed to privacy: Chidambaram
• Apex court to have a woman judge after four years
• Orissa to build 164 cyclone shelters by March 2011
• Pakistan denies reports on troop shift
• Gilani invites Manmohan to visit Pakistan
• Road safety campaign launched in Gurgaon
• Madhuri Gupta Suspected to be Shia Muslim: Reports

Oil Spill Gulf of Mexico 2010: Oil Spill Likely To Reach Coastline By April 30 If Not Controlled on Time Posted: 29 Apr 2010 11:08 AM PDT Oil Spill Gulf of Mexico 2010 Oil Spill in the gulf is getting out of control day by day than everyone imagined. Now for bringing it under control Bp has pleaded before the US army for help. The case of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has got worse so what it means that it may become a huge ecological disaster. Exxon Valdez Oil spill in the Prince William Sound Alaska in the year 1989 may also cause the damage through it. Though not much oil will come from the profound water Horizon drilling rig. Now BP has openly claimed that in order to put check on the oil spill they do need US military to lend them a helping hand.  The statement of the BP Chief operating Officer Doug Suttles is enough for giving us all for depicting us that how worse the condition is? In his statement he said that if anyone is willing to help us so they will take it warmheartedly. Well the oil is not far away from the coast line and it is expected to reach the coast if by April 30 something is not done in time to put check on the oil spill. From coast line oil is merely 12 km away.  This is just nothing for adding more to the trouble there is another leak in the water that is spilling oil five times more then any other leak. Through this leak 5000 barrel oil is getting into the water. Moreover, there is no way for knowing that how much oil is under the water and on the surface. As our trusted sources if no serious steps are taken in this regard so it will take much worse shape. It means almost 4.2 million gallons of oil, in other words nearly 100,000 barrels will spill into the Gulf. In order to stop this oil spill in the Mexico gulf experts tried their hands on controlled oil burn. It is certainly to be successful. But there is a one big hindrance in the way of its success that it is not able to continue because winds that are blowing in the gulf right now are too strong for under control burn. As per the local authorities fisherman are getting cross at this and calling it a lazy response by the government. There is a rumor that the local fishing fleet can be asked to lend a helping hand for spreading booms so that oil can be stalled as it is heading towards some seafood grounds that are one of the best grounds for awesome seafood A case has been filed by two commercial shrimpers named Acy J. Cooper Jr. and Ronnie Louis Anderson against Transocean, BP, Halliburton Energy Services Inc., and Cameron International Corp. They have filed a class-action lawsuit so that they get five million dollars as a compensation for their loss. Owing this Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon rig eleven Crew members are also still missing. Enter your email address:

Drilling for uranium in Meghalaya held in abeyance Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:28 PM PDT Shillong, April 29 (IANS) The Meghalaya government Thursday decided to keep in abeyance the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside the ecologically-fragile Balpakram National Park (BNP) in South Garo Hills district. ‘We have decided to communicate to the centre the sentiments of the local people on the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside Balpakram,’ Chief Minister Mukul M. Sangma told IANS. Sangma, who held a closed door meeting with the Garo Student’s Union (GSU) over the exploratory drilling, added that the government will take people into confidence through deliberations and to enlighten the people about the proposed drilling exercise. ‘Yes, the government (Meghalaya) has endorsed our appeal in good spirit and the government has decided to keep in abeyance the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside BNP,’ GSU General Secretary Sanjeeb Sangma said. The GSU, including six other NGOs under the banner of Balpakram Anti Uranium Mining Forum (BAUMF), have opposed the Department of Atomic Energy’s proposal to conduct exploratory drilling inside the ’sacred’ BNP. ~ Rest Continues Below ~ ‘What has caused us greatest resentment is that the DAE has chosen Balpakram, which has great cultural and religious significance for the Garos. This is where we believe the spirits of all our ancestors dwell,’ Sanjeeb said. The government’s move assume significance as the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) had approved the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)’s proposal to conduct exploratory drilling of uranium in the ecologically fragile Rongcheng plateau of the BNP. The NBWL is headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Last year, the DAE has asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to de-notify an area of eight sq km on the Rongcheng plateau along the environs of Balpakram National Park in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills for exploration of uranium. The 400-sq km BNP is a known habitat for the Asian elephant, tiger and other endangered animals such as, Hoolock Gibbon and Slow Loris, apart from being home to rare and endemic plants. The park is also called land of the eternal death in Garo mythology, as it is believed that the spirits of the dead reside here. It is also believed by Hindus that Hanuman, while looking for the herb ’sanjeevani’ with which to cure Laxman, who was injured in the battle against Ravana, found it in Balpakram. ‘Even considering the desecration of Balpakram is a sacrilege that is absolutely unacceptable,’ Sanjeeb said. Earlier this week, a NBWL member, Bibhab Talukdar, who has been assigned to lead a site inspection team to South Garo Hills to seek the views of people on the DAE’s proposed exploratory drilling of uranium, and submit a report to the standing committee, has decided not to visit the national park. ‘I have informed the board that I will not be visiting the place following people’s protest against the government’s proposal,’ Talukdar said. The Garo National Liberation Army, a mitant group has warned the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden from going ahead with exploratory work for uranium mining in and around the national park. ‘Survey in the recent years has identified the possibility of economical uranium mining in the Rongcheng plateau of Balpakram,’ a DAE official said. He said the DAE wanted to start the exploration exercise to confirm the uranium deposits to meet the country’s nuclear energy requirement which will be to the tune of 20,000 MW by 2020. The DAE has discovered about 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits in Meghalaya. The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral a day. It has also proposed to set up a Rs.1,046-crore open-cast uranium mining and processing plant in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district, which has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits. Shillong, April 29 (IANS) The Meghalaya government Thursday decided to keep in abeyance the proposed exploratory drilling for uranium inside the ecologically-fragile Balpakram National Park (BNP) in South Garo Hills district.

Over half of world’s chemical weapons destroyed: UN Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:28 PM PDT New York, April 29 (DPA) More than half of the world’s chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed in the 13 years since the UN Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday. Ban said the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which was set up to monitor the convention, has certified the destruction of 58 percent of the weapons as of the end of March. It has also verified that 89 percent of chemical weapons production facilities have been destroyed and converted to peaceful uses. Countries that have begun eliminating their stockpiles include the US, Russia and Iraq, while others like Libya, Albania and India have reported total destruction of their chemical weapons. The organization has also conducted more than 4,000 inspections in 81 countries that signed the convention, including verification at commercial enterprises. ‘On this annual observance, let us honour the victims of chemical warfare by re-affirming our commitment to strengthening the convention,’ Ban said. ‘Let us also remember the suffering of families of these victims as we work together to free the world once and for all, from the horror of each and every weapon of mass destruction.’ New York, April 29 (DPA) More than half of the world’s chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed in the 13 years since the UN Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday.

Two policemen killed in blast in Russia’s Dagestan Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:26 PM PDT Makhachkala (Russia), April 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Two police officers were killed and seven wounded in a blast near a police station in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan Thursday, a police spokesman said. ‘According to preliminary information, a Lada Priora car exploded near a police station killing two and wounding seven policemen,’ he said. He added that the car blew up when police stopped it to inspect the driver’s documents. Russia has been fighting militants in the North Caucasus for almost two decades, including two brutal wars against separatists in Chechnya. Makhachkala (Russia), April 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Two police officers were killed and seven wounded in a blast near a police station in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan Thursday, a police spokesman said.

Steve Carell to quit ‘The Office’ Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:26 PM PDT London, April 29 (IANS) Hollywood funnyman Steve Carell has confirmed he is quitting hit comedy show ‘The Office’ after one more season. The actor has played embarrassing boss Michael Scott on the series since 2005, in a role based on Ricky Gervais’ original star turn in the British version of the show but Carell, who won a Golden Globe for the role in 2006, admits the upcoming seventh season of ‘The Office’ will probably be his last, reports starpulse.com. ‘(My) contract (runs) through next season,’ he said. Asked whether he will continue with the show after that, he replied: ‘I don’t think so. That will probably be my last year.’ London, April 29 (IANS) Hollywood funnyman Steve Carell has confirmed he is quitting hit comedy show ‘The Office’ after one more season.

Oil spill heads for US coast Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:24 PM PDT Washington, April 29 (DPA) US officials Thursday declared the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico to be of ‘national significance,’ signalling the full engagement by the federal government and possibly the military in containing the damage. A mammoth crude oil slick from three leaks in a BP exploratory well was headed to the fragile wetlands along the Louisiana shore near the Mississippi River delta, officials said. It was expected to arrive by later Thursday, the Louisiana state government said, faster than original estimates of a Friday landfall. Among the most vulnerable wildlife were the shrimp, oysters and birds along the coast. Louisiana officials said they would open a special early shrimp season at 6 pm Thursday along the Breton and Chandeleur Sounds to allow fishing boats to harvest as many shrimp as possible before the oil reaches the area. Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana stressed that Louisiana seafood – a major industry along the coast – is currently safe to eat. The United States expects BP to comply with the law by reimbursing the government for its response to the spill. ‘BP is ultimately responsible,’ White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. ‘BP is required to fund the cost of the response and cleanup operations and they are doing so.’ The estimated rate of leakage from the damaged well was raised to 5,000 barrels a day Thursday, five times more than the 1,000 barrels a day previously feared spilling, BP confirmed. The three leaks followed an explosion on an exploratory rig in the Gulf last week that killed 11 rig workers before it sank. The leaks are equivalent to nearly 800,000 litres of crude oil per day, a rough estimate issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The resulting brownish slick has moved near enough to the Louisiana Mississippi River delta to be spotted by a local ship captain about 6 kilometres off shore, said Damen McKnight, who owns a tour company that takes out fishing boats with tourists. Several branches of the US government were mobilizing to contain the spill, including the Coast Guard, the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and possibly the military. The US military’s Northern Command was reviewing ways it could help in the effort but has yet to receive a request, said Stacey Knott, a spokeswoman for the Colorado-based command. ‘Northern Command is looking at where military assets could be used for assistance,’ she said. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said while the immediate focus is on addressing the spill and minimizing ecological damage, the US government will ensure that taxpayers are reimbursed for the cost. Napolitano said the disaster will be declared as one of ‘national significance,’ which triggers a government ability to rush emergency assets to the scene and centralize the response. Napolitano said 685,000 gallons of oily water have been collected and that there are ongoing operations to skim the water for oil or burn it off. Meanwhile, barriers were being laid off the shores of the southern states to help prevent the oil from reaching land. Napolitano and other top officials were to depart Washington to the region to help coordinate the response. To protect the coastline as much as possible, more than 40,000 metres of floating yellow and orange booms – connected like sausage links – have been deployed off the coast, said Cory Mendenhall of the US Coast Guard. Managers of shoreline wildlife refuges were preparing to herd birds away from the shoreline with fireworks and other noise devices before the slick makes landfall. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said it may work with corrections officials to to train prisoners to help clean birds that may be impacted by the oil. Washington, April 29 (DPA) US officials Thursday declared the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico to be of ‘national significance,’ signalling the full engagement by the federal government and possibly the military in containing the damage.

Scherzinger has ‘no life’! Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:24 PM PDT London, April 29 (IANS) Pop singer Nicole Scherzinger has revealed she is doing such excessive rounds of training for reality show ‘Dancing With The Stars’, she no longer ‘has a life’. ‘I actually don’t have a life anymore. All I do is dance and sleep when I can. Even then I dream about dancing. I don’t know what else is happening with anything else in my life right now,’ contactmusic.com quoted Nicole as saying. She and her professional partner Derek Hough have topped the show leaderboard almost every week but she admits her ‘perfectionist’ attitude can be frustrating for the dancer. ‘I always feel like I’m rehearsing. I’m a workaholic. But you’ve got to let go and trust and enjoy… I’m a real perfectionist. Derek sometimes gets frustrated, and it can hinder me sometimes,’ she said. ‘It’s probably my biggest disadvantage. But as long as I can go out there, trust in the work and just have fun – that’s what matters,’ she added. London, April 29 (IANS) Pop singer Nicole Scherzinger has revealed she is doing such excessive rounds of training for reality show ‘Dancing With The Stars’, she no longer ‘has a life’.

Uma Thurman nearly quit acting for children Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:22 PM PDT London, April 29 (IANS) ‘Pulp Fiction’ actress Uma Thurman has revealed she almost quit acting to look after her children. Thurman who has two children from her former marriage to actor Ethan Hawke – daughter Maya, 11, and eight-year-old son Levon – admits she struggles to juggle her film career with being a mother, reports imdb.com. ‘I love and adore being a mother. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. Having children flips the game from being about you to about what you can create in a home and what your responsibilities are,’ she said. ‘I’ve thought about quitting acting, but I love what I do so much – it’s the big conundrum of my life. So I’m fighting to keep my foot in the business, be creative and stimulated, and still take care of my children,’ she added. London, April 29 (IANS) ‘Pulp Fiction’ actress Uma Thurman has revealed she almost quit acting to look after her children.

Bill Condon to direct final ‘Twilight’ movie Posted: 29 Apr 2010 12:22 PM PDT London, April 29 (IANS) Putting all speculations to rest, the producers of ‘Twilight’ have announced that Oscar-award winning Bill Condon has been signed up to direct the final instalment of the hit vampire franchise. The filmmaker who was among a number of names mooted to direct the movie, including Sofia Coppola and Gus Van Sant has been picked by Summit Entertainment, to shoot the fourth and final instalment ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn’ in the vampire franchise based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. ‘I’m very excited to get the chance to bring the climax of this saga to life on screen. As fans of the series know, this is a one-of-a-kind book and we’re hoping to create an equally unique cinematic experience,’ Condon said in a statement. Summit have yet to announced if the new movie which features the last chapter in the love story of vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) will be split into two films, although it is widely believed it will be. Erik Feig, president of the film studio, claimed Condon whose credits include writing and directing ‘Dreamgirls’, ‘Kinsey’ and ‘Gods and Monsters’ had just the right amount of ’subtle sensitivity’ to shoot the movie. ‘Bringing Stephenie Meyer’s ‘Breaking Dawn’ to the screen requires a graceful and intelligent hand and we believe Bill Condon is exactly the right steward, having shown equal and abundant talents of immense creativity and subtle sensitivity,’ Feig said in a statement. The third film in the franchise ‘Eclipse’, directed by David Slade, will hit the US screens June 30. London, April 29 (IANS) Putting all speculations to rest, the producers of ‘Twilight’ have announced that Oscar-award winning Bill Condon has been signed up to direct the final instalment of the hit vampire franchise.

South Park Cripple Summer: Catch Whole Editions HD Online Posted: 29 Apr 2010 05:34 AM PDT timmy jimmy south park JIMMY & TIMMY get diverted to SUMMER CAMP with all their handicapped companions in an all-new episode of "South Park" entitled "Crippled Summer" was premiered on Wednesday, 28th April at 10:00 p.m. on COMEDY CENTRAL. "Competition" is the name of the sport this summer. There is no time for Jimmy & his companions to feeling relaxed. They're doing practice to become the winner this year's champions at summer camp. Jimmy prepares hard to cut up in the yearly surfing contest. As South Park admirers are already utilized to this South Park Cripple Summer (Season 14 Episode 07) event alongwith another South Park Episodes can be viewed online in HD at South Park Studios website.

JMM ready to support BJP-led government: Hemant Soren Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:36 AM PDT Ranchi, April 29 (IANS) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is ready to support a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in the state, JMM chief and Chief Minister Shibu Soren’s son Hemant Soren said Thursday. ‘The BJP should initiate the process for a new government in Jharkhand,’ he said at a press conference here. Hemant, however, urged the BJP that the chief minister should be a tribal only. Relations between the two parties soured after Shibu Soren, who has not given up his Lok Sabha membership, voted in favour of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during the cut motions moved by the BJP. The BJP announced it would withdraw support to the Soren government Thursday, but significantly delayed meeting Governor M.O.H. Farook throughout the day. Ranchi, April 29 (IANS) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is ready to support a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in the state, JMM chief and Chief Minister Shibu Soren’s son Hemant Soren said Thursday.

Tata BP Solar increases cell production capacity Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:34 AM PDT New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Tata BP Solar, the joint venture between Tata Group and BP Solar has increased its manufacturing capacity to produce photovoltaic cells by 62 percent. A company press release said Tata BP Solar has added a new production line of 32 megawatt at its plant in Bangalore, which will increase the total cell capacity to 84 MW. Tata BP Solar chief executive officer K.Subramanya said that the company was ready ‘with the additional cells capacity to service the new market opening up in India in the context of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNSMM)’. The JNNSM has a target of generating 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Tata BP Solar, the joint venture between Tata Group and BP Solar has increased its manufacturing capacity to produce photovoltaic cells by 62 percent.

Three Ganga dolphins found dead in Patna Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:34 AM PDT Patna, April 29 (IANS) Suspected poachers killed three Ganga dolphins, an endangered species, on the banks of the Ganga river here, police said Thursday. The dolphins were found dead near Keshavrai Ghat here. ‘Some local people informed forest officials. The dolphins were suspected to have been killed by poachers,’ a police official said. The forest officials have launched investigations to identify the killers and take action against them under the Wildlife Protection Act. R.K. Sinha, head of Patna University’s zoology department and an expert on Ganga dolphins, said more than a dozen dolphins had been reportedly killed in different parts of Bihar in 2009. Experts estimate the current numbers of the Ganga dolphins, declared the national aquatic animal early this year, at around 2,000. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says that in the 1980s, there were around 3,500 dolphins in the Ganga delta region alone. Patna, April 29 (IANS) Suspected poachers killed three Ganga dolphins, an endangered species, on the banks of the Ganga river here, police said Thursday.

Government committed to privacy: Chidambaram Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:32 AM PDT New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The government is committed to privacy and is prepared to strengthen safeguards regarding phone tapping, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday. He also said the government was examining a proposal to bring under ‘a ministry’ the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a highly specialised technical intelligence gathering agency. ‘NTRO does not come under any ministry but reports to the National Security Advisor. It has been necessary to review the position. I had a word with the prime minister. We are examining whether to place NTRO under a ministry so that the minister is accountable to parliament,’ Chidambaram said in his reply to the short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the alleged tapping of telephones of certain politicians. He said the NTRO was a facilitating agency which provides technical capability to gather intelligence. Replying to the points raised by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitely, and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury about the need to protect individual liberty, Chidambaram said the government was prepared to strengthen procedural safeguards regarding tapping. ‘If rules are inadequate, we will amend them… Let there be no doubt that the government is committed to privacy.’ ‘The safeguards should keep pace with technology,’ he said. Chidambaram said that the country faced challenges of terrorism and cyber-crime and the state should keep ahead of technology used by people unfriendly to the country. The minister said that technology available with NTRO, set up in 2004 during the rule of National Democratic Alliance, was not as sophisticated as was being made out. He said agencies of many countries were far ahead of NTRO in the use of technology. Chidambaram did not directly refer to the issue of monitoring phone conversations between a high-profile lobbyist and Communications Minister A. Raja on the allocation of 2G spectrum. He, however, justified authorised tapping in cases relating to tax evasion or commercial transactions needing investigations. He also said the government does not encourage lobbyists. Referring to his earlier statement, Chidambaram said the government had not authorised any phone tapping of political leaders. ‘Further inquiries are being made. The matter will be thoroughly investigated. We will go to the bottom of the truth. If allegations in the magazine (Outlook) are true, we will find out who did it, under what circumstances and take action,’ he said. He said the union home secretary has to state reasons in writing to authorise tapping by central agencies and the state home secretary has to do it in case of police. In his remarks, Jaitley said a parliamentary panel should examine the mismatch between the sophisticated tapping equipment used by the government and the guarantees enshrined in the constitution to protect individual liberty. ‘If you have equipment that can be misused, and there is mismatch between technology and guarantees enshrined in the constitution, it needs to be discussed by a body of parliament, such as JPC (joint parliamentary committee),’ Jaitley said. Jaitley asked Chidamabaram to relook at the government’s position that tax evasion can be a ground to authorise tapping of phones. He said tapping can be done in cases involving public safety and national security. The debate witnessed heated exchanges between the AIADMK and DMK members over phone-tapping allegations and allocation of 2G spectrum. AIADMK member V. Maitreyan alleged that his phone had been tapped by authorities in Tamil Nadu. The Outlook magazine said in a report that the phones of four senior political leaders – union Minister Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Digvijay Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat were tapped. The government has denied the allegation. New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The government is committed to privacy and is prepared to strengthen safeguards regarding phone tapping, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday.

Apex court to have a woman judge after four years Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:32 AM PDT New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The supreme court is all set to have a woman judge after long four years with Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra slated to take oath as an apex court justice Friday. Justice Mishra would be administered the oath of office by the outgoing Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan. Along with her, Madras High Court’s Chief Justice H.L. Gokhale and Bombay High Court’s Chief Justice Anil R. Dave, whose appointment as apex court judges was cleared in March this year by an apex court panel of three senior most judges, will be sworn-in. The last woman judge who held office as an apex court judge was Justice Ruma Pal, who retired in June 2006. After Justice Pal, no woman judge was appointed in the apex court, leading to serious gender imbalance in the country’s highest judiciary. New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The supreme court is all set to have a woman judge after long four years with Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra slated to take oath as an apex court justice Friday.

Orissa to build 164 cyclone shelters by March 2011 Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:30 AM PDT Bhubaneswar, April 29 (IANS) Orissa has decided to built about 164 new cyclone shelters by March next year as a part of its cyclone and flood risk mitigation measures, an official said Thursday. The coastal belt of the state is prone to cyclones as well as storm induced flooding and surges. Nearly 10,000 people had died in a devastating super-cyclone that hit state’s coastal districts in October 1999. ‘The state government has already built 200 multipurpose cyclone shelters in various places of its coastal districts after the super cyclone of 1999,’ a senior official of the state revenue department told IANS. ‘The government has also initiated steps to build 164 more such shelters in the state,’ the official said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday reviewed state’s disaster preparedness and ordered the authorities to complete the construction of all the shelters by March 2011, the official added. Patnaik has sanctioned Rs.28.49 crore from his relief funds for the project, he said adding that the shelters are being constructed at various places under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project and Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme. Bhubaneswar, April 29 (IANS) Orissa has decided to built about 164 new cyclone shelters by March next year as a part of its cyclone and flood risk mitigation measures, an official said Thursday.

Pakistan denies reports on troop shift Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:30 AM PDT Islamabad, April 29 (IANS) Pakistan Thursday denied US reports that it has shifted 100,000 troops from its eastern border with India to its western frontier with Afghanistan, terming the reports ‘baseless, ridiculous and misleading’. About 147,000 security forces personnel were deployed on its western borders to combat the menace of terrorism and no additional forces had been shifted there, Online news agency quoted military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas as saying. ‘Our armed forces are conducting operation against the terrorists on the western borders. We are facing threat of conventional war from the eastern borders, therefore, the troops deployed on the eastern borders alongside India have not been thinned out and nor will this strength be scaled down,’ he said. ‘The number of troops required to be deployed on the eastern border is still there and any question to relocate them to the western border stands ruled out,’ Abbas said, adding that there was ‘no substance’ in the reports published in the US media. In a report to the US Congress, the US defence department said that ‘more than 100,000 PAKMIL (Pakistan military) troops were moved from the eastern border with India. This unprecedented deployment and thinning of the lines against India indicates that Islamabad has acknowledged its domestic insurgent threat’. The ‘Report on Progress toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan’ said over 130,000 Pakistani troops were participating in the ongoing campaign against the Taliban in Pakistan’s tribal region. Islamabad, April 29 (IANS) Pakistan Thursday denied US reports that it has shifted 100,000 troops from its eastern border with India to its western frontier with Afghanistan, terming the reports ‘baseless, ridiculous and misleading’.

Gilani invites Manmohan to visit Pakistan Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:28 AM PDT Thimphu, April 29 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday invited his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan. ‘Prime Minister Gilani invited him (Singh) to visit Pakistan. He said he would love to visit Pakistan,’ Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters here, after a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit here. Praising Manmohan Singh, Qureshi said: ‘He has his heart in the right place. He is a well-meaning man. He is an academic. He is a visionary. He wants to move on.’ Thimphu, April 29 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday invited his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan.

Road safety campaign launched in Gurgaon Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:28 AM PDT Gurgaon, April 29 (IANS) A road safety campaign was launched Thursday among school children in Gurgaon in association with oil major Cairn India, with the theme of ‘Come Home Safely’. The road safety campaign was launched at Delhi Public School here by Gurgaon police. Cairn India has its headquarters in the suburban city. ‘With a road fatality rate of over 1 lakh in a year, there is an urgent requirement for every individual to become safety conscious. ‘Come Home Safely’ campaign is a roadmap to achieve safety on roads and it can be a big success if the young brigade takes the responsibility of implementing and spreading road safety awareness,’ Gurgaon’s Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar Mittal said here at the function. A press release issued by Cairn India said that wrist bands with the message ‘Come Home Safely’ were distributed among the students, who also signed a road safety pledge to promise behavioural change. ‘The aim is to create awareness about road safety and inculcate a culture of returning home safely amongst teenagers in schools, who comprise the highly vulnerable group of road users,’ it said. Gurgaon, April 29 (IANS) A road safety campaign was launched Thursday among school children in Gurgaon in association with oil major Cairn India, with the theme of ‘Come Home Safely’.

Madhuri Gupta Suspected to be Shia Muslim: Reports Posted: 29 Apr 2010 04:24 AM PDT Madhuri Gupta Islamabad: Madhuri Gupta (53), 2nd Secretary taken in custody on the allegations of intelligence work for Pakistan, may have adopted the religion of Islam 6 years before, as per the media reports. The reports too claimed Gupta, who was deputed at the post of Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was may be a Shia Muslim. Reports claim “She was really inspired by the teachings of Islam but was scared to announce her new faith." As per source "Her kin has very close relations with a well-known Muslim family of Ashiq Hussain Jafri in Lucknow. Ms Gupta spent her early life in Lucknow with Jafri’s family where she enthused (sic) Islamic values.” [smartads] Madhuri Gupta was suspected in the month of Ramzan by a domestic reporter wearing a bangle & rings which frequently members of the Shia sect wear. She explained to the reporter “I am fasting and I have great respect for Islam.”

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