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want to apologise personally to Kalam: Continental Airlines New
Delhi: Reacting to former president APJ Abdul Kalam's statement that he has
not received any communication from Continental Airlines, the US-based airline
today said that they want to apologise personally to him. "Since he is not in
Delhi, we are waiting for him to return so that we can apologise personally to
Dr. Kalam," the airline said. The development came shortly after Dr. Kalam said
he is yet to receive an apology from the airlines for frisking him at the Indira
Gandhi International Airport in April this year. Earlier, Continental Airlines
had issued a public apology for subjecting Kalam to a security frisking at the
airport prior to his boarding a US-bound flight of Continental Airlines on April
21. Terming the incident as a case of misunderstanding, the airlines tendered
an apology after the Government had filed an First Information Report (FIR) against
it for breaching Indian aviation rules. The case was registered after the Bureau
of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) approached the police against the staff of the
American airliner for carrying out a pre-embarkation body check of Kalam, which
it maintains, is in gross violation of a BCAS circular which exempts specified
VVIPs/VIPs from security checks. Continental Airlines had clarified that it didn't
insult Kalam by frisking rather it was done following American aviation policy
to frisk everyone, including VIPs and VVIPs. The incident created a furore inside
Parliament. Parliament
adjourned over reduction in security for Mayawati Top New
Delhi: Parliament was adjourned on Wednesday till 2 pm after the Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) members trooped into the wells of the LoK Sabha and Rajya Sabha to
protest against the withdrawal of security cover to their leader and Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Mayawati. Mayawati is enjoying the Z plus security cover. After
the 26/11 attacks, the Home Ministry has been thinking about withdrawing the National
Security Guards from some politicians. As soon as the house began business at
11a.m., the irate BSP members started shouting slogans against the UPA Government.
BSP members rejected Speaker Meira Kumar's request to raise the matter during
Zero Hour. This forced Kumar to adjourn the house for first time for 30 min. As
the situation continued even at 11.30 a.m., Kumar adjourned the house till 2pm.
In the Rajya Sabha, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra led BSP members in shouting
slogans against the move to downgrade Mayawati's security cover. Union Minister
of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan said he had discussed the
matter with Home Minister P Chidambaram who told him that no such proposal had
come before him. The review of security cover is a routine, Chavan added. As members
continued to disturb the proceedings of the House, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned
till 2 pm. The Home Ministry is currently reviewing the security provided to VVIPs
and has suggested that the security status of politicians like Mayawati, Lalu
Prasad, Mulayam Singh, Rabri Devi, and Murli Manohar Joshi be downgraded. Stray
snake disrupts Orissa Assembly proceedings Top Bhubaneshwar:
A stray snake brought the State Assembly to a standstill for several hours in
Orissa on Thursday. A cleaner spotted the intruder, believed to be a king cobra,
while sweeping in the morning and called the Assembly's watchman. Speaker Pradip
Kumar Amat adjourned the House as security personnel, wildlife officials and a
member of a snake help line searched unsuccessfully for the creature with the
help of a sniffer dog. "I do hope the snake is found soon. And the democratic
work of the legislature continues normally," said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Snakes are stray frequently into built-up areas because construction has driven
reptiles out of their natural habitat, said wildlife expert Biswajit Mohanty.
Nandan
Nilekani takes over as chairman of UIADI Top New
Delhi: Nandan Nilekani took over as chairman of the Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIADI) here today. Interacting with the media on the occasion,
Nilekani said Unique Identification Numbers would ensure multifarious benefits
by enabling different applications. "Unique number will include personal and demographic
detail of the residents. Common man will be empowered by establishing his identity
across the country through a unique number," he said. Replying to queries, he
said that data base of residents from various sources will be used for biometric
identification. "Authority will include best available technical experts from
private and Government sector both," he added. He expressed the hope that first
set of Unique Identification Numbers will be issued within the next 12-18 months.
In January, the Government of India had 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
Numbers 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. The permanent identifier
which will also cover children, will help in at establishing citizenship, reducing
identity related frauds, addresses security issues and prevent leakages in different
government schemes. In the beginning, the Unique Identity Number will be given
to all voters who are on current electoral rolls, and gradually, the other persons
including those below 18 years of age will be added to the database. Photographs
and biometric data will be added to make the identification perfect. Tarzan's
'Jane' passes away at 92 Top London:
Actress Brenda Joyce, who became famous for her role of 'Jane' in Tarzan movies,
died of pneumonia on July 4 at a hospital in Santa Monica. She was 92. A family
friend, David Ragan, revealed she suffered from dementia for a decade, the Telegraph
reports. Joyce, real name Betty Leabo, succeeded Maureen O'Sullivan for the character
of 'Jane' in the jungle flicks, a step which increased her popularity. She was
cast in five Tarzan movies in the 1940s, alongside Johnny Weissmuller and later
Lex Barker, making her the only actress to star as Jane with two different heroes
playing Tarzan. David added that after retiring from films in 1949 Joyce worked
for the immigration department and helped immigrants search for home and jobs
for almost ten years. A son, two daughters and three grandchildren survive her.
Six
people injured in gunfire at Texas University Top New
York: At least six people have been injured in a gunfire at a University campus
in the southern US state of Texas. The Wednesday night shooting took place over
gang-related violence after a passing vehicle opened fire around the campus of
the Texas Southern University in Houston , local police say. The victims have
been transferred to local hospitals where some of them are being treated for serious
injurious. One male student was among the six people who were shot and treated
for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, TSU spokeswoman Eva Pickens said.
Witnesses told police that one car drove by and opened fire on the parking lot
where a popular Houston rapper was promoting community service and voter registration,
The New York Times quoted Pickens, as saying. Campus police believe the incident
resulted from a rivalry between two gangs, one from Missouri City , a suburb southwest
of Houston, and the other from Fresno , a small town outside Missouri City . Among
the rally participants was Houston City Councilman Peter Brown, who is running
for mayor in November's election. Texas Southern is a historically Black university
in Houston with an enrollment approaching 10,000 students. |
