Violent protests in Kashmir Valley, dozens hurt
Srinagar, July 28 (IANS) Over a dozen people, including five security men, were injured in incidents of stone pelting by protesters in the shutdown-hit Kashmir valley Wednesday.

Life was thrown out of gear in summer capital Srinagar due to a separatist-sponsored shutdown and strict curfew-like-restrictions imposed in major parts of the city by authorities but protesters took to the streets in many areas.

Authorities had deployed police and paramilitary contingents in the Old City as well ... Read More

Price rise ghost continues to haunt parliament, both houses adjourned
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Chaos, protests, slogan-shouting, disruptions and finally adjournment - the scenes in parliament Wednesday were no different from what it was like the day before, and at the centre of the monsoon storm were the spiralling prices of essential commodities.

Both houses of parliament were adjourned for the day for the second consecutive day without conducting any business due to protests by opposition members who adamantly demanded an adjournment motion that entails ... Read More

Pakistan's India obsession behind its double game: US experts
By Arun Kumar

Washington, July 28 (IANS) Leading US analysts find nothing shocking or surprising about "revelations" of Pakistani spy agency ISI's links with Taliban given Islamabad's India obsession, but they differ on what the US should do in Afghanistan.

Most experts call for a "recalibration" of US policy towards Pakistan after the leak of tens of thousands of documents about the war in Afghanistan, but George Friedman, founder of strategic think tank Stratfor, suggests that the ... Read More

Activist criticises politicians for supporting khaps
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) A woman activist Wednesday criticised politicians who directly or indirectly support the diktats of khap panchayats against same gotra marriages.

Speaking on 'honour killings' during a lecture at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) here, Jagmati Sangwan, president of the Haryana unit of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), said politicians should refrain from supporting the khaps.

Targeting leaders like former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and MP Naveen Jindal, she ... Read More

Restrictions in Kashmir to prevent separatist protests
Srinagar, July 28 (IANS) Restrictions were again imposed in Srinagar and other towns in the Kashmir Valley Wednesday to prevent separatist sit-ins and protests, authorities said.

Separatist Hurriyat group leader Syed Ali Geelani has asked people to protest alleged human rights violations by the security forces in Kashmir.

“Areas in the old city and some parts of uptown Srinagar have been placed under restrictions to prevent violence by anti-social elements. Restrictions have also been imposed in ... Read More

Haryana's grassroots democracy scores many firsts
By Jaideep Sarin

Kurukshetra (Haryana), July 28 (IANS) When nearly 68,000 elected representatives, including 24,800 women, from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) stood up in this Haryana town to take their oath, it was the first time such a huge congregation had gathered to be part of India's grand experiment in democratic devolution.

And Haryana's panchayat polls this year had many other firsts too.

To start with, the elections saw the highest number of candidates entering the fray ... Read More

CBI summons ex-Gujarat police chief P.C. Pande
Gandhinagar, July 28(IANS) Former Gujarat director general of police P.C. Pande was Wednesday summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the 2005 killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a staged shootout.

He has been told to appear before the CBI Aug 11, CBI sources said.

Pande was the Ahmedabad commissioner of police during the 2002 communal riots and was the state police chief when a bulk of the shootouts by the police, including the one ... Read More

West Bengal announces surrender policy for Maoists
Kolkata, July 28 (IANS) The West Bengal government Wednesday announced a surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy for the Maoist guerrillas with immediate effect.

As per the package, based on guidelines formulated by the union home ministry, surrendering Maoists would get a monthly stipend of Rs.2,000 for a period of three years, while the state government would make a fixed deposit of Rs.1.5 lakh for three years for each.

Once the fixed deposit matures, the entire money would be handed ... Read More

Orissa examines textbook after protest by JMM
Bhubaneswar/Ranchi, July 28 (IANS) The Orissa government Wednesday said it is examining complaints over allegedly objectionable remark about the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in a state text book, a decision that followed protests by the party.

"It has come to our notice and we are examining it (the content in the book). We will take appropriate action soon," Madhu Sudan Padhi, secretary of the Orissa's higher education department told IANS.

The JMM has alleged that ... Read More

Tharoor's third wife a Kashmiri beautician?
Tejinder Singh

NEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor was back in news on Sunday, this time for his personal life, with reports that the minister of state for external affairs was intending to marry a Kashmiri beautician after divorcing his Canadian wife.

Sources close to the 54-year old Tharoor declined to comment on the reports, urging the media to respect his privacy. "He will announce whatever, when he has something to announce," the sources said.

Media reports said ... Read More

India's longest Expressway - Hyderabad
The 11.66 km expressway aims at cutting travel time and offering a seamless traffic movement between the city and the international airport at Shamshabad. ... Read More

Who gains from Budget 2010, who doesn’t Reuters
Finance Minister presents Union Budget 2010 February 26, 2010

Mumbai: The country needs to review public spending and improve its fiscal position, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Friday, kicking-off the presentation of his budget for the fiscal year that starts on April 1.

Following are the major sectors that are likely to gain or lose from the proposals of the budget: .

WINNERS: .

Construction and engineering companies such as Larsen & Toubro, GMR Infrastructure, Jaiprakash ... Read More

Nair to head international aerospace body
Panaji, Aug 31 (IANS) Indian Space Research Organisation chairman G. Madhavan Nair has been elected as the president of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), becoming the only Indian and the first non-American to head the renowned scientific body, an official said here Monday.

Nair, who is presently IAA's vice president for scientific activities, will take over from Edward Stone, during the International Astronautical Congress to be held in Korea later this year, IAA secretary general ... Read More

Jairam Ramesh against reducing buffer zones around Goa sanctuaries
Panaji, Aug 31 (IANS) The central government is not in favour of Goa's recommendation to reduce the buffer zones around the sanctuaries in the state, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here.

The central government will not be "sympathetic to any move by the state government to reduce buffer zones in the state's wildlife sanctuaries to zero kilometres", Ramesh told IANS Sunday.

"While a uniform 10-km buffer zone may not ... Read More

Lawyers' association seeks inquiry against apex court judge
Kozhikode (Kerala), Aug 28 (IANS) The Kozhikode Bar Association Friday decided to request the Supreme Court to conduct a detailed inquiry against apex court judge Cyriac Joseph, who had allegedly viewed the CD of the narco-analysis of the suspects in the Sister Abhaya murder case and stated it to be genuine.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary general body meeting of the association, with 180 members voting in favour of the resolution and six opposing ... Read More

More economic focus needed on Africa, Latin America: Sharma
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) India should focus more on its economic engagement with Africa and Latin America, Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma said here Tuesday.

“I feel that it is time we diversify our markets to buffer the impact of this slowdown and also to take us back on high growth trajectory. Africa and Latin America afford a huge opportunity and it shall be my endeavour to intensify our economic engagement with the ... Read More

Sibal launches physical education-sports programme
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Tuesday launched the Physical Education Cards (PEC) India programme, an initiative that will combine physical education and sports to empower youngsters.

The programme focuses on physical education and sports to engage school children and local communities.

The project is being piloted by the British Council, in collaboration with UK Sport and Unicef in the run-up to the 2010 London Olympics and Paralympic Games. It ... Read More

Madhya Pradesh chief minister praised for action against hoarders
Bhopal, Aug 24 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has received a pat on the back from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for his action against hoarders, official sources said.

Chouhan is emboldened by the Congress chief's praise for his measures against sugar hoarders and is now mulling the idea of starting a helpline for people to complain against hoarders and officials.

At a meeting of the Congress Working ... Read More

Antony leaves for Maldives, seeking enhanced defence ties
New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Seeking a greater foothold in the Indian Ocean Region, Defence Minister A.K. Antony Thursday left for a three-day visit to the Maldives during which a pact for greater defence cooperation is expected to be signed.

According to defence ministry sources, the island nation has sought greater defence cooperation from India in terms of coastal security and patrolling of the waters around it.

"Shortly after his arrival at the Maldivian capital ... Read More