New CEC prefers simultaneous polls (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: India's new election chief said on Sunday forthcoming national and state polls will be held simultaneously. TS Krishnamurthy was talking to reporters in New Delhi after assuming office of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He said that the Commission would prefer holding simultaneous polls wherever possible. "Officially only the Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim have informed us about the dissolution of their Houses. But as I told you, our intention is to conduct simultaneous elections. But if there are difficulties, we may have to decide on different dates. But as far as possible, we desire that it should be held simultaneously," Krishnamurthy said.

          Krishnamurthy, who has served as India's Election Commissioner for more than four years, succeeds JM Lyngdoh, the man who led the world's largest democracy through two of its most trying yet successful state elections. Lyngdoh retired yesterday, three years after serving as the CEC.

         Sixty-three-year old Taruvai Subbayya Krishnamurthy, the first Indian Revenue Service official who became an Election Commissioner in January 2000, will hold the post till May 2005. Krishnamurthy will also face the daunting task of scheduling and holding the coming national elections. The 13th Lok Sabha, or Lower House of Parliament was dissolved on Friday.

          Earlier in the day, N Gopalaswami, an Indian Adminstrative Service officer, also took over as the third Election Commissioner. Gopalaswami was Home Secretary since October 2002. He will have a tenure of more than five years in the three-member poll panel. The other Election Commissioner is BB Tandon.

Anil Baijal takes over as new Union Home Secretary (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: IAS officer Anil Baijal on Sunday took over as the new Union Home Secretary succeeding N Gopalaswami who has taken over as Election Commissioner. Gopalaswami, who spent 16 months as Home Secretary, drove to his North Block office and handed over charge to Baijal, a 1969 batch IAS officer of the Union Territory cadre. Both posed for photographs but did not talk to waiting reporters. Later, Goapalaswami went to Nirvachan Sadan to take over as Election Commissioner.

Sonia calls 'feel-good' slogan a fallacy (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday lashed out at the ruling party saying that it was spending millions of rupees for propaganda than on projecting reality. Addressing members of the "Sewa Dal" or the service wing of the party, in New Delhi, she alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's claim of a "feel-good" factor was a fallacy."These people (the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party) say "India is shining." Was India in darkness before that? Those people are talking all this who did not even take part in the independence struggle. They are those people who just did nothing except creating problems during the making of policies of the country. They are those people in whose rule there is corruption and they have nothing to do with the lives of people," Sonia Gandhi said.

          Buoyed by bumper crops and booming consumer spending, the BJP-led coalition government is seeking an early election nearly six months ahead of schedule in April-May in a bid to capitalise on the economic boom, gains in state polls and peace moves with Pakistan. India's 13th Lok Sabha was dissolved on Friday paving the way for early polls. Both the ruling and the opposition parties have intensified their campaign as the election commission is expected to announce the poll dates early next week. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's coalition partners in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal launched their campaign from Amritsar.

Uttaranchal police seize 16 country-made pistols (Go To Top)

          Udhamsinghnagar: Uttaranchal police on Sunday seized over a dozen country-made pistols from an illegal arms factory. Officials said the people running the clandestine factory in Udhamsinghnagar town were apprehended after an encounter. "Last evening, after an encounter we were able to apprehend a man who alongwith a few others, who was running an illegal arms factory. We have seized 16 country-made pistols and others which were semi-finished and also the raw materials used in making them," Surendra Singh Negi, senior Superintendant of police, said. Police have strengthened vigil in the area, which borders Nepal, roiled by a violent Maoist rebellion. Local reports also said Maoist rebels have been sneaking into the Indian territory. India and Nepal share a 1,747 km-long porous border. Nepal's Maoist rebels fighting against the constitutional monarchy has been running a bloody campaign for a one-party communist republic. More than 7,200 people have lost their lives since the revolt started in early 1996.

Debt-ridden man drowns his five daughters (Go To Top)

          Bahruch (Gujarat): Police in Bahruch town on Sunday recovered the bodies of two girls, thrown into a river by their father. Salim Sheikh, an autorickshaw driver, drowned his five daughters, all between three and nine years of age, on Friday because of inability to repay loans. According to local eyewitnesses, Salim Sheikh threw them one by one into the Narmada river from the Sardar Bridge. Sheikh's wife, Muina said he was under severe pressure because of his poverty and was being hounded by creditors. "He killed all my daughters by throwing them off the bridge," said Muina. Divers along with search teams from the police and the fire brigade are still looking for the bodies of the three other girls. The divers have expressed their inability as Narmada opens into the sea a little distance from Bahruch.

Client murders two women lawyers (Go To Top)

          Cyberabad: Police in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday arrested three men, who had allegedly murdered two women lawyers for not returning the money they paid to get a bail. The two women advocates - Swarnakumari, 32, and her assistant, Satyavathi, 27 - were found dead in Cyberabad town on Saturday. Police officials said the accused had planned the murder.

          Police said Prashanth Kumar, one of the murderers, had paid Rs 30,000 to Swarnakumari to get him bail in a murder case. When she failed to get the bail, Kumar demanded the money back, which she refused. The accused then laid a trap to kill her, saying he wanted her to take up another case in a land dispute. The victims took a lift in their car. Swarnakumari's throat was slit while the other victim was strangled. Blood-stained clothes, weapons, gold and silver jewellery were also recovered from the arrested persons.

US safeguarding Pak nuclear arsenal: Official (Go To Top)

          Washington: The US is closely safeguarding Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, thereby not letting it fall into the hands of extremists, a senior American official has said. Stating that the US is working with Pakistan to protect its nuclear technology, the official said: "We have had discussions with Pakistan on the need to safeguard its technology and its nuclear material. We are confident they are taking the necessary steps." The reports about the US' role in protecting Pakistan's assume significance as it came in the midst of revelations that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan sold nuclear secrets to Libya, North Korea and Iran.

          American nuclear experts grouped as the "US Liaison Committee" have spent millions of dollars to safeguard more than 40 weapons in Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, the News quoted him as saying while reacting to a report in a NBC TV's news programme. The TV report had said: "Meeting every two months, they are helping Pakistan develop state-of-the-art security, including secret authorisation codes for the arsenal." The US official said that US law and the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, a cornerstone of efforts to curb the spread of weapons, "prevent any direct involvement with (Pakistan's) nuclear weapons. So we've had discussions with them generally about how they safeguard nuclear material," he said. "We don't want their materials to get into the wrong hands but won't go over the edge of our law and the NPT," the official on the condition of anonymity added.

Ashok Leyland begins truck supply to Iraq (Go To Top)

          Mumbai: Ashok Leyland Ltd, India's second-biggest truck and bus maker, has shipped a consignment of trucks to Iraq as part of its 46 million dollar export order under the United Nations' Oil for Food programme. Ashok Leyland, the flagship in India of the UK-based billionaire Hinduja brothers, despatched 912 trucks, the first batch of the order for 1,661 trucks each to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Minsitry of Transport of the Government of Iraq. Ahmed Aabboush, Executive Manager of Belhasa group in Iraq said, much more was needed for the war-ravaged country. Under a separate contract, Ashok Leyland is supplying 500 minibuses, assembled in Egypt, to Iraq's transport ministry. Madras-based Ashok Leyland, which mainly competes with market leader Tata Motors Ltd in the Indian market, exported 2,550 vehicles in the past fiscal year to March 2003, earning revenue of 2.03 billion rupees. In the first nine months of fiscal year 2003/04 (April-March), the company exported 2,275 vehicles.

Aussies repeat a Johannesburg (Go To Top)

          Sydney: Australia won the second final and wrapped up the VB Series by 208 runs at Sydney on Sunday. Matthew Hayden, with his fourth ODI century, his third against India, led the onslaught as the Indian bowlers were pummeled all over the park. Thus the hosts turned the two finals into a one- sided affair. Australia scored 359/5 - a World Cup final repeat at Johannesburg in 2003, and set a difficult task for Indians. Opener Sehwag hit the first ball of the innings from Gillespie for a six. At (12 off 7 balls) he played a rasping short for a boundary but on the next delivery from Gillepsie was caught by Brett Lee. Later Sachin Tendulkar batting on 27 (39 balls) was also caught by Lee off Gillespie.

Indian eves win Asia hockey Cup (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Buoyed after their resounding victory over defending champions South Korea on Thursday, a rejuvenated India beat favourites Japan 1-0 to claim its maiden Asia Cup Women's Hockey title on Sunday. Indians displayed an all-round brilliant performance, by not only keeping the fast moving Japanese at bay, but also maintaining an upper hand for most part of the 70 minutes. Jasjeet Kaur, the youngest player in the team, scored the winner in the 64th minute. The win ensured Indians a direct entry into the 2006 World Cup to be played in Spain. Sixteen-year old Kaur was later adjudged the youngest promising player of the tounament. Goal-keeper Helen Mary, adjudged the best goal-keeper of the tournament, was also instrumental in the victory foiling the 10 penalty corners earned by the Japanese.

          Indian skipper Surajlata Devi said the team was happy to have qualified for the 2006 Women's World Cup with this win. "It's a dual win for us today. We have also qualified for the World Cup. This will help us to provide a platform for women's hockey to be at par with other sports," said Surajlata Devi. Indian coach M.K. Kaushik attributed the win to team spirit. "Basically our short passes, and lodging are a plus point. I would rather say the whole team is a plus point," Kaushik said. With this win, India also took a sweet revenge for the defeats suffered by them against Japan in the Busan Asian Games in the league stage and the bronze medal match.