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Indians among 30 dead as boat capsizes off Qatar coast Doha:
About sixteen Indians were feared to be among 30 dead in a tragic incident in
which a vessel, ‘Damas Victory’, hired by a Qatar-based oil firm, capsized off
the coast of Qatar on Wednesday. The incident took place about two nautical miles
off Doha at around 6.30 am local time on Tuesday. The vessel had 35 people including
19 Indians on board. According to the Indian Embassy in Qatar, five people were
rescued from the boat, including three Indians. “Rescue operations are underway
and five people, including three Indians, have been saved. There is no hope of
any more survivors,” an official said, adding that the Embassy was in touch with
the Qatar Coast Guard. Qatar Coast Guard recovered seven bodies. However, they
were yet to be identified. The rescued Indians have been identified as Jaison
Verghese, Balakrishnan Velayudhan, and Prabhu Chellam. The boat, which belonged
to a Dubai-based ‘Demas Marine’, had been hired by HBK Power Cleaning company.
Petrol prices
hiked by Rs 4 a litre, diesel up Rs 2 Top New
Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday announced a rise in the price of petrol and
diesel by Rs 4 and Rs 2 per litre, respectively. Petroleum Minister Murli Deora
said that the new rates will come into effect from Wednesday mid-night. The Government
was constrained to revise the rates since long time following heavy losses being
borne by the petrol companies due to unstable crude oil prices in international
market. Crude oil prices, which had sunk to 35 dollars level, are now hovering
around 70 dollar mark. Deora had recently favoured an increase in petrol prices.
The prices for kerosene and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will remain unchanged.
Parliament session
to begin on Thursday Top New
Delhi: The next session of Parliament will begin on Thursday. The Economic
Survey will be presented in the Lok Sabha on July 2. The Railway Budget will be
presented on July 3 and the General Budget on July 6. Ahead of the session, Lok
Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has convened an all-party meeting here today. The meeting
is being held to ensure smooth conduct of the session, which will conclude on
August 7. Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal has also convened a meeting
of leaders of all political parties. J
and K Govt withdraws CRPF from Baramullah Top Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to withdraw the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) from law and order duties in Baramullah district, following protests
by local residents over the deaths of some of them. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,
in a late night development, asked the Jammu and Kashmir Reserve Police to replace
the CRPF. The alleged harassment of a Muslim woman by CRPF personnel and the deaths
of four protestors is believed to have prompted the decision. According to state
police officials, a case has been registered against a CRPF personnel and officers
have been asked to hand him over to the State police for custodial investigation.
The State Government has initiated a magisterial enquiry into the incident. Twent
four-year old Amir, one of the protestors received a bullet injury allegedly when
security forces opened fire on a mob in the Khanpora locality on Tuesday evening.
Amir died at the Soura Medical Institute here early Wednesday. On Wednesday, thousands
of protesters took to streets in defiance of a curfew imposed in Baramullah. Protestors
chanted anti-India slogans in anger against the recent incidents involving local
residents. Police tried to disperse the mob, but failed. They carried the body
of a young dead protester. The recent unrest began Monday when thousands protested
in Baramulla town against the alleged harassment of a Muslim woman by police.
In a bid to maintain law and order and quell the protestors, police resorted to
firing live rounds, which killed two of the demonstrators. The firing incident
provoked many more local people onto the streets and the unrest spread to the
neighbouring town of Sopore , prompting the district authorities to impose curfew
in both towns. On Tuesday a third protester was killed, and the latest victim
died from his injuries on Wednesday. The situation in the Baramullah town is reported
to be quite tense. "Police have registered a case of murder against the CRPF trooper.
Officers of the CRPF unit have been asked to hand him over to the police," said
a police officer. In the wake of this incident, the state government late Tuesday
decided to withdraw the CRPF from law and order duties in Baramulla town. A police
officer said that the CRPF had been withdrawn from the town and being replaced
by the local armed police. As per officials, the government has already ordered
a magisterial probe into the firing incident. The investigations is likely to
completed within 10 days. Another
terror strike from West coast possible: Chidambaram Top Hyderabad:
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday revealed that intelligence agencies
have warned about the possibility of another terror strike from the west coast.
Addressing the media after inaugurating the National Security Guard (NSG) hub
in Hyderabad, Chidambaram however said the nature of the probable attack is still
not known. We have shared this information with the State Governments of Goa,
Gujarat, and Maharashtra, as per the practice established, Chidambaram said. He
also said that a unit of the Special Forces would be deployed for providing security
to the famous Tirupati -Tirumala Hills. Earlier in the day Chidambaram inaugurated
the Chennai hub of the NSG. Speaking on the occasion, he said the NSG hubs would
respond quickly and decisively during a crisis. The regional hubs of the elite
commando force would also raise the level of the government's preparedness in
facing challenges forced upon the country. He also said the Army will set up special
anti terror units in Bangalore and Jodhpur, and Border Security Force (BSF) would
set up a special anti terror unit at Guwahati. Each of the regional hubs of the
NSG would have the strength of 241 commandos and six officers. The Home Minister
also stated that the central government is considering to set up a "Regional Center
of NSG" at Hyderabad with the capacity of 5,000 commandos on the lines of the
NSG headquarters in Haryana. The Mumbai unit was operationlised from June 30 and
the fourth hub at Kolkata will be inaugurated by this evening. Anti-terror
units to come up in Bangalore, Jodhpur, Guwahati Top New
Delhi: The Army will set up special anti-terror units in Bangalore and Jodhpur,
Home Minister P. Chidambaram said after inaugurating the Chennai hub of the National
Security Guards (NSG). After 26/11 Mumbai attack, different state Governments
had demanded deployment of a unit of the elite NSG. The Para Commandos, a unit
of the Indian Army's special forces is already located in Bangalore. Chidambaram
also said that a special anti terror unit of the Border Security Force (BSF) would
be set up in Guwahati. Regional units of the anti terror squads and the NSG increase
its flexibility and reach quickly during times of crises. Chidambaram said state
governments could take help of the NSG to train state police. The Chennai hub
of the NSG at Nedunkundaram near Chennai is the first of the elite commando unit
in South India. Nearly 250 commandos will be deployed in Chennai unit. On Tuesday
he inaugurated the NSG hub in Mumbai. Chidambaram said the NSG hubs would respond
quickly and decisively during a crisis. These hubs would also raise the level
of the government's preparedness in facing challenges forced upon the country,
at any time, he added. The Chennai NSG hub, is situated in a 85-acre area, and
is the largest commando unit in the country. Chidambaram also said the UPA Government
has achieved the target of setting up of NSG hub by June 30 or July 1 as per the
assurance given after the 26/11 attack on Mumbai. The Home Minister will also
inaugurate two other NSG units in Kolkata and Hyderabad today. Chidambaram expressed
hope that permanent units of the NSG in these cities would be operational by November.
Second Jacko
autopsy leaves his family reeling Top London:
The Jackson family were left reeling after a private second autopsy on the singer's
body confirmed the appalling findings of the first one. The family had demanded
their own private autopsy after LA coroners ruled out foul play in the first one.
Leaked autopsy details from the first report suggested that the late King of Pop
was a virtual skeleton, barely eating and with only pills in his stomach while
his body was riddled with needle wounds and surgery scars at the time of his death.
Jackson's hips, thighs and shoulders reportedly bore the needle punctures, stemming
from alleged injections of narcotic painkillers, given three times a day for years.
A mass of surgery scars was also apparently spotted due to at least 13 cosmetic
operations, while investigating the icon's shock death in Los Angeles on June
25. And now, the Jackson family's attorney Brian Oxman has said the results from
the second report were consistent. "The second autopsy is done...Any autopsy report
would note a number of unique and significant marks and injuries on the body of
Michael Jackson," British tabloid The Sun quoted him as saying. "Firstly the four
puncture marks on his chest from the needle. Well I've seen those marks on his
chest - I've seen his body - so I know they're there. "His weight - we know he
was incredibly lean. Regarding baldness, Michael does have a distinctive patch
on the side of his head. I know that his brother, who is only six years older,
has a similar fuzz from losing his hair and has to dye it. "Regarding the tablets
in his stomach - well we know he was taking a lot of prescription drugs. That
hasn't been denied," he added. |
