| Security
beefed up in Jodhpur after intelligence alarm Jodhpur:
Security of the Jodhpur city has been beefed up, following inputs from intelligence
agencies suggesting that Pakistan based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba was planning
to strike the city. "A high alert was sounded for three days after we received
information. We held a meeting yesterday with local people, shop owners, hotel
owners and businessmen alerting them to inform us about suspicious vehicles, item
or persons," said Giriraj Meena, SSP, Jodhpur. Police have tightened the security
arrangements in tourist spots, busy markets and temples to avert any kind of untoward
incident. "Today being a Saturday we have made adequate security arrangements
especially outside Shanidev temple. Elaborate security arrangements have been
deployed to protect sensitive areas. QRT (Quick Response Team) and SHO's (Station
House Officer) have been deployed," Meena said. In the wake of last year's Mumbai
terror attacks, National Security Guards (NSG) have been incorporated in Bangalore
and Jodhpur to thwart off any terrorist strike. Army
sacks lady officer for making false allegations Top New
Delhi: A military court on Saturday sacked Captain Poonam Kaur on charges
of disobedience and levelling false charges of physical and mental harassment
on her seniors. Last year in July, Captain Poonam Kaur of Kalka based Army Services
Corps Battalion had accused her commanding officer Colnel R K Sharma, Lieutenant
Ajay Chawla and Major Suraj Bhan of physically and mentally harassing her for
several months. Ten charges were levelled against Captain Poonam Kaur and the
military court found her guilty of most of the charges. A court martial will be
conducted on her once the Convening Authority, the Western Command Headquarters,
confirms the charges. However, Kaur has the option of appealing against the order
in a civilian court. Earlier, Capt Poonam Kaur had claimed that the harassment
was going on ever since her posting to the ASC unit in October 2007, she had also
her seniors of keeping her in illegal confinement in her quarters at the military
station. She had also highlighted that her efforts to resolve the problem with
the intervention of Army authorities failed, when her mother and younger brother,
who were staying with her, were thrown out of the quarters and she was illegally
detained there. Denying the allegations, the Army had said that the charges levelled
by Captain Kaur were baseless. More
intellectuals to be involved in governance: PM Top New
Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that Nandan Nilekani's appointment
has been widely welcomed and there would be involvement of more and more top intellectuals
in the process of governance. Addressing a press conference onboard after attending
the G8-G5 summit at L'Aquila in Italy , Dr. Singh said, "I would like to involve
more and more intellectuals in the process of governance in our country. In due
course of time, we could enlarge this process. We need all the wisdom, knowledge
and experience." "There is enormous reserve of wisdom, knowledge and experience
outside the political system. It has to be harnessed in the service of Indian
people. It will be my effort to do so at a pace which it does not have side effect,"
he added. Nilekani left Infosys on July 9 to serve as the chairperson of the Unique
Identification Authority of India, in the rank of a cabinet minister under invitation
from Dr. Singh. In January, the Government of India has notified the creation
of the National Authority of Unique Identity. The ambitious plan of unique identification
has been allocated Rs 100 crore in the interim budget of 2009-10. The unique identification
number aims at eliminating the need for multiple identification mechanism prevalent
across various government departments, and it will ensure that each Indian citizen
will carry a permanent identifier from birth to death. Manmohan
Singh to be chief guest at French National Day Top New
Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will be chief guest at the French
National Day Celebrations in Paris on July 14. Dr. Singh was invited by French
President Nicholas Sarkozy, who was chief guest in last year's Republic Day celebrations.
His invitation to Dr. Singh is a gesture of reciprocation. He will reach Paris
on his way to the Egyptian city of Sharm-el-Sheikh to attend the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) Summit . Cambodian President Hun Sen, who will be on a bilateral visit to
France , will also be the guest of honour along with German President Horst Kochler.
A contingent of 400 soldiers from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force will also
participate in the French National Day Parade. The French National Day marks the
anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison on July 14, 1789.
Besides, President Sarkozy will host a working lunch for Dr. Singh where they
will discuss a wide range of issues, ranging from bilateral issues like defence
ties, counter-terrorism cooperation and civilian nuclear trade to global issues
like the global economic crisis. Gujarat
rejects Mallya's suggestion to rethink prohibition Top Ahmedabad:
Rejecting liquor baron Viajy Mallya's suggestion to rethink the state's prohibition
policy, the Gujarat government said, that he should look at his liquor business
and keep out of state's affairs. With the death toll of state's worst liquor tragedy
nearing 130, Mallya, the owner of United Breweries, had said the enforcement of
prohibition is becoming a mockery, which leads to illegal, unhygienic and unsupervised
production of poisonous cocktails that claim innocent lives, and called the politicians
to rethink over the prohibition policy in the interest of the people. State's
Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas, said Mallya's statement is unfortunate and coming
at an inopportune time. Mallya being a liquor baron should not have commented
on the issue at all, Vyas added. Vyas said state's like Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
and Delhi, which do not practice prohibition have had far larger tragedies. The
phenomenon of consuming spurious liquor is a social and poverty related issue.
As a large number of people are still being brought to hospitals, Gujarat police
suspect that a some quantity of same batch of the illicit liquor may still be
circulating in parts of the city. Gujarat is the country's only state where sale
and consumption of liquor is banned as a mark of respect to Mahatma Gandhi. Ahmedabad
tragedy is the biggest hooch tragedy in the history of Gujarat after the 1989
Vadodara hooch tragedy, which claimed 132 lives. Cops
probing MJ's death launch murder probe Top London:
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has launched a murder investigation into
King of Pop Michael Jackson's death, owing to the mysterious circumstances surrounding
the case. Police chief William Bratton has revealed that the singer's medical
records have been subpoenaed. He said that since the late star appeared to have
died after allegedly taking a cocktail of prescription drugs, somebody has to
face trial over his death. Bratton revealed that they had seized a number of items
from the singer's home at the time of his eath, and were waiting for toxicology
reports to come in. "Based on those we'll have an idea of what we're dealing with.
Are we dealing with homicide? Are we dealing with an accidental overdose? What
are we dealing with?" the Daily Star quoted him as saying. "At the time of the
death with search warrants, we were able to seize a number of items from the residence
where the death had occurred and those will assist in the investigation," he added.
The news came after Jackson 's father, Joe, alleged that his son was murdered.
At the time, Joe insisted: "I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that.
Yes." Meanwhile, homicide police were reportedly on the look out for Jackson 's
several former doctors, and will also be re-arranging interviews with all the
current medics involved with the star, who died aged 50 on June 25. Truth
behind Obama's 'rear view' G-8 pic revealed Top Washington:
A reporter behind the controversial G-8 photo, which depicts U.S. President
Barack Obama seemingly checking out a woman's rear, has now lent some clarity
to it. "There has been interest in a certain photo of the president during this
photo-op, and I have mentioned what I saw from my perspective to several of you,
so here it is for everyone," the Politico quoted Pool reporter Stephen Dinan of
the Washington Times as saying in an addendum sent to White House reporters. Obama
was the centre of attention for most of the event. All eyes were on him, particularly,
when the group entered, and as the juniors-the teen student that accompanied each
leader-were leaving the stage. Dinan says that he did not look anything from his
perspective that looked like Obama checking out anyone. He says that he did see
Obama act as a traffic cop, and keep things running. "Obama greeted most, if not
all, of the juniors," the reporter said. "For the photo Obama was standing in
between Sarkozy (on his left) and the US junior, with Lula's junior and then Lula
to right of them. The juniors were led out by summit staff one-by-one to the right
of the stage, while the leaders remained for their own photo. It was at this point
that your pooler did see Obama, Lula and Sarkozy laughing and appearing to needle
each other over something as they were looking toward their right," the reporter
added. |
