Kashmir Times

Varun claims death threat from underworld

2009-07-06T17:21:00.003+05:30

In a startling revelation, BJP leader Varun Gandhi on Sunday claimed that he was facing threat from the underworld.

Varun’s claim came just a day after the Delhi Police arrested in the national capital six sharpshooters of the Chhota Shakeel gang, who during the interrogation reportedly revealed that the Gandhi scion was their target.

Reacting to the alleged deployment of Chhota Shakeel’s henchmen to kill him, the controversial MP from Pilibhit said, “This is the second time that such a conspiracy has been hatched against me.

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Venus set on path to success by Serena

2009-07-04T13:34:00.002+05:30

A display of raw desire over a decade ago from sister Serena inspired Venus Williams to ascend the summit of the women’s game but there will be no room for sentiment when the siblings meet for the fourth time in a Wimbledon final on Saturday.

As 29-year-old Venus chases a coveted sixth Wimbledon singles crown, she recalled how her sister’s early mettle made a big impression.

“We were playing in Sydney, I think she was playing (Lindsay) Davenport, who at the time was at least in the top five or maybe higher.

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Central forces to be relocated by July 31

2009-07-03T10:58:00.004+05:30

Union Home Ministry action plan for next 100 days till September 30, 2009 includes steps to relocate and rationalise central para-military forces from Jammu and Kashmir. The copy of action plan with the KTNS has set a time line of July 31 to move central forces from public premises and also to rationalize their deployment.

The action plan also promises to sort out difficulties in cross-LoC trade by July 15 and to settle pending claims under Security Related Expenditures (SRE) by July 31. The Home Ministry will also review actions taken by the state government for implementation of Prime Minister’s package announced on April 25, 2008.

The package included
i) Return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants,
ii) One-time compensation of Rs. 5.00 lakh to the next of-kin of civilians killed in militancy related incidents in lieu of compassionate appointment,

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Another youth dies, Baramulla toll up to 4

2009-07-02T11:36:00.004+05:30

The death toll in police and CRPF firing on protesters today rose to four with one more injured succumbing to injuries, while Baramulla town was handed over to army. Atleast 65 persons were injured and one woman was critically in fresh clashes.

The army was brought into action to maintain law and order hours after government had replaced CRPF deployments in Baramulla with J&K Armed Police.

Amir Rashid Mir son of Abdur Rashid Mir of Tawheed Gunj Baramulla injured during a clash between people and police over the alleged misbehavior with a woman by police on June 29 succumbed at the SKIMS, Soura today morning.

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Obama marks Paris milestone: Statue in wax museum

2009-07-01T10:43:00.003+05:30

Complete with new gray hairs and two fake bodyguards, a wax version of President Barack Obama took a trip on Monday to the Eiffel Tower.

After visiting France’s most famous monument, the statue traveled to Paris’ Musee Grevin wax museum, where it will stand alongside the likenesses of Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin.

Sculptor Eric Saint Chaffray had never seen Obama in person. “The main difficulty is making it without meeting him, from press photos,” he said as the statue was unveiled today. The hot summer sun at the Eiffel Tower threatened to melt the fake president’s face, prompting helpers to shade him with an umbrella,

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Maya gets Supreme Court notice for Rs 1,000-crore statues

2009-06-30T11:11:00.004+05:30

The Supreme Court issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh government for using public money for installing statues of Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday.

A vacation bench of the Supreme Court took up a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Mayawati for allegedly misusing public money for installing statues of prominent Dalit leaders like Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram besides party symbols.

The PIL seeks a stay on the inauguration of these statues on July 3.

The petitioner has alleged that the multi-crore projects of installing statues are being carried out as a state policy, which is arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution.

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Raj Thackeray to surrender before court on Monday

2009-06-29T13:14:00.003+05:30

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray will surrender before a Kalyan court on Monday in connection with his role in a 2008 riot case in which North Indians appearing for railway recruitment examination were assaulted.

After presenting himself before the court, Thackeray is expected to move an application saying he was surrendering, his lawyer Sayaji Nangre said. Thackeray would then move an application for bail.

The Bombay High Court had on June 16 set aside an anticipatory bail granted to Thackeray in the same case by a lower court and asked him to surrender before the court concerned by June end.

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Makhan Pan Shop at Bahu Plaza

2009-06-26T11:07:00.003+05:30

With globalization, multinational companies have shown a rapid increase.Jammu has also become a vital part of this globalised economy. One such business hub constructed by the Jammu development authority is Bahu Plaza complex. Almost all the private company offices and Banks are situated there.

A heavy rush is witnessed there and while coming to this place, one cannot miss the opportunity of having taste of famous Pan Wala- Makhan Pan Shop. Everyone must have heard the song ‘khaikey pan bana Banaras wala’ of the movie ‘Don’. One of the relish mouth fresheners that most of the people would love to have is the pan.

This shop is a place for the lovers of pan who want to have different variety or flavors of Pan from the usual one which they have been getting from the past so many years

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Pakistan court rejects Sarabjit’s death sentence appeal

2009-06-25T11:57:00.003+05:30

Pakistan’s Supreme Court dismissed on Wednesday an appeal by Sarabjit Singh, an Indian man seeking a review of a death sentence imposed on him for spying and carrying out bombings in the 1990s.

The rejection came as relations between old rivals India and Pakistan inched towards improvement following a meeting last week between their leaders, the first since last year’s militant attack on Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.

Singh was sentenced to death in 1991 for spying and bombings that killed 14 people. His family said he was innocent and had crossed the border into Pakistan accidentally in 1990 while he was drunk. Pakistani officials said Singh was arrested while trying to slip back into India after the bomb blasts

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Clones of 9/11 hero dog unveiled in Los Angeles

2009-06-24T12:38:00.003+05:30

Five clones of a search and rescue dog, which helped locate people trapped in the rubble of the 9/11 attacks, were formally presented to their ancestor’s former handler.

James Symington, a former Canadian police officer, choked back tears as he formally took possession of the five descendants of his beloved German shepherd named Trakr, who died in April.

Symington was presented with Trakr’s offspring after winning a competition organized by California firm Bio Arts International the “Golden Clone Giveaway” to find the world’s most “cloneworthy” dog.

Symington said he hopes the puppies Trustt, Valor, Prodigy, Solace and DejaVu will go on to follow in Trakr’s footsteps.

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World Cup triumph vital for Pakistan’s recovery paki

2009-06-23T10:15:00.003+05:30

Former Pakistan players hailed the side’s Twenty20 World Cup win and hoped the victory can go some way towards unifying the troubled nation and restore its position on the international cricket map.

Pakistan crushed Sri Lanka by eight wickets at Lord’s yesterday, the final win providing a vital lift to a country that has seen the side starved of action following a series of violent attacks that led visiting nations to cancel tours.

The team went without test cricket in 2008 and the International Cricket Council (ICC) moved 2011 World Cup matches due to be staged in Pakistan to overseas venues.Skipper Younus Khan and many of his team mates spoke of the healing touch the win would provide their countrymen, while former captain Ramiz Raja said it offered a ray of hope. “

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Suspected Maoists kill three workers in West Bengal, more clashes reported

2009-06-18T11:28:00.005+05:30

Three workers of the ruling party were killed by suspected Maoist rebels in West Bengal state Wednesday as paramilitary troops were sent to help quell the violence.

Three members of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M), the leading partner in West Bengal’s ruling coalition of leftwing parties, were shot dead in Jhargram block of West Midnapore district, about 178 kilometers southwest of state capital Kolkata, a news agency reported.

Six youths on two motor cycles opened fire on the victims at a roadside tea shop. The party workers had just returned from patrol in nearby forests to guard against Maoist backed tribal agitators, police said.

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Russia hosts second day of key security summit

2009-06-17T11:17:00.003+05:30

Russia hosted the second day of a key security summit seen as a counter to US power with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, making his first foreign trip since his disputed re-election, in attendance.

Ahmadinejad arrived early Tuesday to attend the high-profile get-together dominated by Russia and China, being hosted by the Kremlin in the Urals Mountains deep inside Russia.

The summit organizers broadcast live footage showing a widely-smiling Ahmadinejad, wearing a dark suit but not tie, shaking hands with a beaming Medvedev before the leaders went into the second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

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Prime Minister leaves for Russia

2009-06-16T10:55:00.003+05:30

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday left for Russia on a three-day visit to attend two multilateral summits - his maiden overseas visit since beginning his second term last month that will also be marked by his first meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

In his first trip abroad during the second term, Singh will visit Yekaterinburg to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRIC) Summits, the main agenda of which is expected to include the global financial crisis, terrorism and food security.

A significant aspect of the visit in IndoPak context would be a meeting between Singh and Zardari on the sidelines of the two Summits which may break the ice in bilateral ties.

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Iran calm after vote fraud claims trigger clashes

2009-06-15T15:02:00.004+05:30

Tehran was mostly calm on Sunday after election fraud claims triggered violent street clashes, but the government maintained fairly tight control of information flow and new details emerged of arrests of high-profile reformists.

The efforts seemed aimed at avoiding a repeat of the chaos that lasted past midnight Saturday. Opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad set buses and cars ablaze in the capital and threw rocks at police to protest what they viewed as his illegitimate victory.

Iran restored cell phone service that had been down in the capital since Saturday. But Iranians could not send text messages from their phones, and the government increased its Internet filtering in an apparent bit to undercut liberal voices.

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Pilgrims being forced to buy mineral water bottles at exorbitant rates

2009-06-12T11:20:00.004+05:30

Water scarcity cries have begun renting airs in and around the pilgrimage city of Katra in Reasi district with pilgrims being forced to buy mineral water bottles at ‘exorbitant rates’ from the shopkeepers on the way to cave shrine.

With Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) maintaining a complete silence towards this problem, Shopkeepers enroute the cave shrine are selling the water bottles at exorbitant rates. At a time, when the rush of pilgrims is set to increase, water scarcity enroute the cave shrine would add to the woes of the people.

Summer is a time when the rush of pilgrims multiplies at Katra. With closure of educational institutions, a good number of children can be seen accompanying their parents for this pilgrimage and water scarcity would make life difficult for the families coming for pilgrimage to this place.

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Saina in round two of Singapore Open

2009-06-11T11:36:00.002+05:30

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal came up with a gritty performance to edge out qualifier MajaTvrdy of Slovenia in a hard fought first round game at the Singapore Open Super Series here today.

The sixth seeded Saina came back from a set down to register a thrilling 18-21, 21-11, 21-16 victory within 50 minutes.

The 20-year-old from Hyderabad will now take on Adrianti Firdasari of Indonesia in the second round tomorrow.

Firdasari hardly faced any trouble in her opening match with a comfortable 23-21, 21-15 victory over qualifier Moon Hi Kim of Korea

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‘Women’s bill a conspiracy to finish regional parties’

2009-06-10T10:42:00.005+05:30

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday joined SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in opposing women's reservation bill in its present form, alleging that it was a "big conspiracy" to prevent the backward sections from coming up and to "finish" the regional parties.

Prasad, who was joined by former Uttar Pradesh CM Kalyan Singh, warned of a major movement if quotas for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and minorities was not included in the legislation.

Participating in the debate in Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address, Prasad said "Mulayam Singh had said there was a conspiracy (in bringing the bill in its present form) and I am now exposing it."

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Inter Services Intelligence maintains link with militant commanders: Musharraf

2009-06-09T12:20:00.003+05:30

Former Pakistan president General Parvez Musharraf has conceded that his country’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) maintains link with militant commanders like Sirajuddin Haqqani, suspected of having masterminded the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Musharraf said that ISI had “used Haqqani’s influence” to get Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, who was kidnapped by Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, released.

Haqqani, “is the man who has influence over Baitullah Mehsud, a dangerous terrorist, the fiercest commander in South Waziristan and the murderer of Benzir Bhutto, as we know today,” Musharraf told Der Spiegel in an interview.

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Yatra rescheduling, strike reduces air fare

2009-06-08T09:55:00.005+05:30

Following the rescheduling of Amarnath Yatra and the ongoing general strike, the air fare to Kashmir witnessed a drastic slash.

Prior to the rescheduling of the pilgrimage and the general strikes, the seats of the aircrafts, being operated by different airlines from Delhi were booked till almost August, said Naseer Ahmad, an official in a travel agency.

“If somebody wanted an air ticket at that time from Delhi to Srinagar or from Srinagar to Delhi he or she had to pay an amount of anything between Rs 14,000 to 20,000 for return fare.But the one way ticket is now being sold between Rs 3,000 to 6, 000,” he said.

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Over 100 injured, Yasin arrested

2009-06-06T11:02:00.003+05:30

Thousands of people defied undeclared curfew restrictions at Shopian and down town here and held massive protest demonstrations against the alleged gang rape and murder of a woman and a girl at Shopian. Big protest demonstrations were held in other parts of the Valley also after Friday prayers.

Police and CRPF used massive force to disperse the demonstrations.It included firing in the air, bursting of smoke shells and resorting to cane charge. Even the houses were ransacked at several places and people dragged out of their homes and beaten. Unofficial reports also said police opened fire on protestors on the outskirts of Shopian.

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Injured Barzulla youth dies, mourners face brutalities

2009-06-05T10:35:00.000+05:30

While undeclared curfew continued in down town and general strike in rest of the Valley amid massive protests for the fourth consecutive day today against the Shopian incident, Nisar Ahmad Mir, who was injured in police action at Barzulla three days back, succumbed to his injuries in SKIMS. Police and CRPF used massive force including firing in air, lobbing scores of tear gas shells and lathi-charge to disperse peaceful protestors carrying his body at Haiderpora.

More than three dozen persons were injured there as cops rained teargas shells and resorted to heavy cane charge at protestors from all directions.

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Sri Lanka to hold victory march

2009-06-04T09:42:00.000+05:30

Sri Lanka would hold a national victory parade Wednesday to mark the crushing of the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), officials said.

A military parade will be held in a ceremony attended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Galle Face Green, a sea front ground in Colombo, Wednesday morning.

The military will display some of the equipment captured from the rebels as well as the tanks, multi barrel guns and rocket launchers used against the rebels in the fight which lasted nearly three years before the rebel leadership was killed on May 18.

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AIIMS denies leak of MBBS entrance papers

2009-06-02T09:55:00.004+05:30

The AIIMS has denied that there was any leak of question papers of its MBBS entrance examination which is being held across the country on Monday.

Suspected leak of AIIMS paper; 3 held”No absolutely, not,” AIIMS spokesperson YK Gupta said when asked about the reports of the alleged leak.

“There is no substance in the allegations of any such leak,” he said.

Earlier today, Ghaziabad police had detained three persons along with a set of question papers suspected to be that of AIIMS entrance test.

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45 Taliban militants killed in Pak tribal belt

2009-06-01T10:15:00.002+05:30

At least 45 Taliban fighters and four security personnel were killed when Pakistani troops repelled an overnight attack by militants on a paramilitary camp in the troubled South Waziristan tribal region, officials said today.

The attack on the security forces’ camp near the border with Afghanistan sparked a gun battle that lasted for eight hours, officials were quoted as saying by television news channels.

The officials said 45 militants and four security personnel were killed in the skirmish. However, Geo News channel has put the number of militants killed at 50.

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