Congress decides to hold all-party meet on Lokpal issue

NEW DELHI: With the issue of bringing the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal remaining a controversial issue, the government is expected to soon call an all-party meeting to seek views across the political spectrum. This became clear on Saturday after a meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had with top party leaders favouring such parleys against the backdrop of widening differences between...

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Rs 10,000 fine imposed on 'Traffic' Ramaswamy

CHENNAI: Social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy has been asked to pay Rs 10,000 by the Madras high court for making a false statement in an affidavit submitted to the court in support of his writ petition. In the petition, filed as a public interest litigation, Ramaswamy had sought appropriate action to be taken on a fax representation, dated April 21, 2011, sent by him to the President, asking for the inclusion of a member from the southern...

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GSLV to launch GSAT–14 during mid-2012

The Indian Space Research Organisation, which has planned to put three satellites into the orbit with its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle before end of this year, will send its GSAT -14 with its indigenously developed Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle D-5 during mid-2012, Chairman, ISRO, K. Radhakrishnan has informed. Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the two-day national conference on ‘Expanding frontiers in propulsion technology'...

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Identical twins score identical marks in class XII exams

Mumbai:  Competition between the twin brothers started at the time of their birth, with one seeing the light of the world two minutes before the other. After 16 years the race is still on, but this time it ended in a tie with both the siblings scoring the same percentage 90.73 in the SSC exams. Family, friends and teachers of Pratik and Purvik Gohil, residents of Kandivli, could not believe their ears when they were...

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I will be back in "Rana", says Rajnikanth

Addressing his fans for the first time after being discharged from the hospital in Singapore where he was undergoing treatment Actor Rajinikanth swore that his goal would now be to entertain them. He also promised that he would appear in the K.S.Ravikumar film "Rana".  "I have no words to thank you," he said, in a hand written note released to the media. This he stated, after apologising for not having spoken to his fans earlier. In his...

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TN sets up panel to examine Samacheer Kalvi syllabus

In line with a Supreme Court order on the Uniform System of School Education (Samacheer Kalvi), Tamil Nadu government on Friday set up a panel to examine the syllabus and text books for over two crore children in the State.  Chief Secretary Debendranath Sarangi will head the nine-member panel, comprising members including those from the National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT), School Education Secretary and educationists,...

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33 trawlers with 550 fishermen missing in Bay of Bengal

Kolkata:  As many as 550 fishermen in 33 trawlers went missing in the Bay of Bengal today in rough weather due to heavy rains triggered by a depression, prompting a search by a Coastguard ship and a Dornier aircraft. The trawlers had set sail from Kakdwip and adjacent areas in South 24-Parganas district yesterday and were reported missing in heavy rains following the depression lying 80 km east of Kolkata, District...

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India could be key target of new al-Qaeda chief

India could be one of several new theatres targeted by al-Qaeda's newly-appointed chief to establish his authority over the jihadist group and its allies, intelligence sources say.  The appointment of Osama bin-Laden's long-standing lieutenant to lead al-Qaeda was made public on Thursday, in a three-page online communiqué, which announced “the undertaking of responsibility of the amir [supreme leader] of the group by Sheikh Dr. Abu Muhammad...

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Notice issued to city airport for power theft

The Chennai airport authorities have been slapped with a notice by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) for a case of power theft.  The TANGEDCO has also imposed a penalty of Rs. 22.04 lakh.  A notice issued by the TANGEDCO's Executive Engineer (Operation and Maintenance), Tambaram, on May 4 referred to the inspection carried out at 5-30 p.m. on May 3. It stated that “it was found that an offence of theft...

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Madras HC transfers advocate son's murder probe to CBI

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has transferred the investigation of the murder of Sathish Kumar (24), son of advocate R Sankarasubbu, to the CBI. In his petition, the advocate had alleged that two police inspectors, Riyasudhin and Kannan, were responsible for the murder as he had obtained an order against them in an earlier case. Sankarasubbu had sought an interim direction to transfer the investigation of the case to the CBI. While the order was given on Thursday, advocates also organised a one-day boycott of courts demanding justice...

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Mankatha in post production

Thala Ajith's much-awaited film Mankatha, directed by Venkat Prabhu, has completed its entire shooting schedule recently. The film is currently in its post production stage and is likely to grace theatres for Independence day (August 15, 2011).  The film has been shoot in Chennai, Dharavi slums in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangkok and Macau. Mankatha, Ajith's 50th film, has a huge star cast which includes Trisha, Arjun, Lakshmi Rai, Anjali,...

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Viswaroopam – The tidbits!

There is always a lot of spice attached to any project which has Kamal’s name on it. First, it was said Selvaraghavan will direct Kamal Haasan in his upcoming ‘Viswaroopam.’ We then had news flowing in that the director has opted out of the project citing time crunch! The next news to hit stands was that Kamal will take ‘Viswaroopam’ under his wing and take the director’s chair. In accordance with this we heard news that Sonakshi Sinha will...

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Fire in SEZ factory in Sriperumbudur, no casualty

A fire broke out today in a factory located at the Special Economic Zone in Sriperumbudur, about 40 km from here, officials said.  “No one was injured in the fire at Perlos factory, a vendor company of mobile manufacturer Nokia,” Divisional Fire Officer, Kancheepuram, Parthiban said, adding the blaze was brought under control. A Nokia release said its manufacturing facility and facilities of its other suppliers within the SEZ were safe...

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Chennai ranks lowest in elder abuse

Chennai ranks the lowest among the major cities in the country in the ill-treatment of the elderly. A report released by HelpAge India to mark ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day', on Wednesday, has put the figure at two per cent. “Awareness levels among the educated middle class and support systems for the elderly are much stronger in Chennai. Yet, in 90 per cent of the cases, abuse is not reported. The elderly believe the repercussions will...

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UPA ‘playing tricks’ with people on Lokpal: Hazare

Accusing the UPA of “playing tricks” with the people of the country, Anna Hazare on Thursday questioned the rationale behind sending two versions of Lokpal Bill to the Cabinet for consideration. Mr. Hazare also said he would have to restart the protest at Jantar Mantar if a “weak” anti-corruption legislation is cleared by the government, which he alleged was going back on its promises.  A day after the “deadlocked” meeting of the joint...

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Karunanidhi asks Rajinikanth to focus on health

A day after superstar Rajnikanth told Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that Tamil Nadu was “saved” after her party won the recent assembly polls, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Thursday spoke to the actor asking him to focus on his health and “not to consider anything else.” “You have faced so many ups and downs in life. It is important that you take care of your health. You should not consider anything (else) big,” Mr. Karunanidhi said in his telephonic...

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Country witnesses century's longest and darkest lunar eclipse

NEW DELHI: Moon's bright white glow turned crimson brick red when it delved into the dark centre of the Earth's shadow during the century's longest and darkest lunar eclipse. The awesome spectacle of the moon being eclipsed was visible all over the country, including the national capital. The full moon appeared much dimmer than usual, but sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere gave the lunar surface a deep reddish hue. This was...

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Delhi University Cut-off 100% needed for B Com at SRCC

New Delhi:  You are 18. Have been slogging it out for the last two years to ensure you get admission to a top college in Delhi University. Well, if you are looking to do a B Com Honours course at the Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), you need to have scored 100 per cent in your class 12 board exams to even try for the first list. (First cut-off list for Arts and Commerce) At the nearby Hindu College you'll need 99 per cent marks and if you...

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11 killed in van-truck collision

Eleven persons, including eight women, were killed when the van in which they were travelling collided with a lorry at Rasipalayam village near Mohanur in this district on Wednesday.  Police said the dead were among 23 persons returning to Thanjavur after paying condolences to a relative who died at Mohanur on Wednesday morning. It is said that the van was negotiating a blind curve when it collided with the lorry.  From initial...

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Rajnikanth discharged from Singapore hospital

Superstar Rajinikanth has “recovered completely” and has been discharged from the Mount Elizabeth Hospital here after being treated for respiratory problems. “Superstar discharged from hospital. He has recovered completely and taking rest,” his son-in-law, actor Dhanush tweeted. Rajinikanth, 61, was admitted to the hospital here on May 28 after being flown in from Chennai a day earlier after he was discharged from Sri Ramchandra medical centre...

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Probe sought into Nigamanand’s death

Family members of Swami Nigmanand, who died at a hospital in Dehradun after fasting for over two months, on Wednesday demanded a thorough probe into the circumstances leading to his death. Uttarakhand government’s insensitivity can be gauged from the fact that it arranged the best medical facility to Yoga guru Ramdev at the same hospital in Dehradun where Nigmanand died for lack of treatment, Nigmanand’s father Subhash Chandra Jha, grandfather...

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Fee panel report disappointing, say private school heads

Heads of private schools across the State, who received the report of the revised fee structures from their respective Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) on Tuesday, said they were disappointed with the new fee amounts.  A section of correspondents said they were contemplating moving the Madras High Court, while another said they might appeal to the Chief Minister.  The reports released by the Private Schools Fee Determination Committee...

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Pakistan arrests CIA informants in Bin Laden raid

Washington:  Pakistan's top military spy agency has arrested some of the Pakistani informants who fed information to the Central Intelligence Agency in the months leading up to the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden, according to American officials. Pakistan's detention of five CIA informants, including a Pakistani Army major who officials said copied the license plates of cars visiting Bin Laden's compound...

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Nithyananda falls from horse, fractures limbs

Bangalore:  Controversial godman Swami Nithyananda was admitted to Manipal hospital with both arms fractured after he fell off a horse he was riding at his Bidadi Ashram last morning. According to the doctors who treated Nityananda, a bone had pierced through his skin and required corrective surgery. Dr Raj Chakravarthy, HOD Orthopedic department Manipal, who performed the surgery on him said that he was brought to...

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Jayalalithaa wants Chidambaram to quit, asks PM to drop Maran

Accusing Home Minister P. Chidambaram of getting himself elected to Parliament through “fraudulent” means, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Tuesday said his continuance in the Union Council of Ministers was untenable and sought his resignation. “Our party has always maintained that Mr. Chidambaram’s victory was through fraudulent means...his continuance in the Union Council of Minsters is untenable,” Ms. Jayalalithaa told reporters...

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Jayalalithaa meets PM, won't call on Sonia

New Delhi:  Everybody loves a winner, nowhere more so than in politics. On her first visit to Delhi after sweeping the Tamil Nadu elections, Jayalalithaa received the political equivalent of a standing, with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and D Raja of the Left all visiting her at Tamil Nadu Bhawan in the Capital. When she left Tamil Nadu House to meet the Prime Minister, it was directly...

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Australia to play three Tests, five ODIs in Sri Lanka

Australia will play three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals when they tour Sri Lanka in August and September this year, the Sri Lanka board has announced.  While the established centres at Galle and the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, are set to host a Test each, Pallekele - situated just outside Kandy - has been awarded the second Test. Pallekele International Stadium, situated which was constructed in the build up to...

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Ferry to Colombo from Thoothukudi ready to sail today (June 13) after 2 decades

The ferry service to Colombo will resume from here on Monday, when MV Scotia Prince sets off for the Sri Lankan capital two decades after the service was stopped due to the civil war in the island nation. Flemingo Liners is to launch its ferry service from Thoothukudi’s V.O. Chidambaranar port. The much-awaited ferry service was delayed for more than a decade. The ministry of shipping in the UPA-I regime had tried to re-start the service...

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Supreme Court issues notice to CBI on Kanimozhi’s bail plea

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Central Bureau of Investigation’s response on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi’s bail plea and also wanted to know the status of Rs. 200 crore allegedly given to Kalaignar TV.  Terming corruption as the worst form of “human rights violation”, the apex court asked the CBI to estimate loss accrued to the exchequer on account of licences issued to telecom operators during the tenure of A. Raja...

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Mogappair residents feel pinch of dwindling number of buses

CHENNAI: Mogappair East residents are fretting over the dwindling bus services to and from their area. Despite being a growing residential and industrial hub, buses connecting Mogappair East to Tiruvottiyur, Parry's Corner, Egmore and Velachery have been out of service for over a year now. P Bose, a regular traveller to Parry's Corner, said, "I have to take an auto to go to Mogappair West bus depot and then catch a bus to Parry's Corner. I don't understand why they should stop services on an existing bus route". The current Anna Nagar...

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Second bus mishap in a week kills one, injures 21 in state

TIRUVARUR: A week after the bus accident near Vellore that killed 21 persons, a government bus on Saturday skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge near Tiruvarur, killing one person and injuring 19 others. Sahul Hameed (35), a vegetable merchant from Koothanallur, died of head injury on the spot, while 19 passengers, including bus driver Selvam and conductor Senthilkumar suffered severe injuries. The public rushed to the spot and...

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