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Suspended Cop Kidnaps SP

A Superintendent of Police attached to the Police Transport Organisation (PTO) who was held captive by a suspended head-constable in Saifabad area of Hyderabad was freed after a five hours. The SP, Lakshmi Narayana was taken hostage by head-constable, identified as Giriprasad Sarma, who threatened to set fire to the room, if any attempts were made to free him. Seeking disciplinary action against Lakshminarayana, Sarma blamed the SP and other senior police officials of PTO of harassing him and suspending him. The head constable was suspended six months ago for irregularities and he even went to the Lokayukta for his reinstatement, but his plea was rejected.  

Death toll in Pak factory fire rises

At least 60 people have been killed in a fire that raged in a garment factory in the southern city of Karachi, bringing the death toll in two deadly fires in the country to 85. 60 bodies had been taken to the hospital. He said many were so badly burned that it was impossible to tell whether they were male or female. The fire in Karachi, Pakistan’s economic heart, was one of two deadly blazes to erupt in Pakistan late Tuesday. The other at a shoe factory in the eastern city of Lahore killed 25 people.

10 killed in Russian plane crash

Ten people died and four were seriously injured when a plane crashed on Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. A 4-year-old girl was among the dead, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the ministry of civil defence. The Antonov An-28 went down near the village of Palanka. The propeller plane had 12 passengers and two crew on board. It took off from the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Situation under control in Kudankulam

Situation in Tamil Nadu’s Idinthakarai village, the movement against the Kudankulam nuclear project, was under control after three days of protests. The fast at Idinthakarai village in Tirunelveli, against the Kudankulam nuclear power project, is still on, he said. On Tuesday night, protest leaders went missing after their abduction by local fishermen. Leaders of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy were abducted by fishermen to prevent them from surrendering to police.  However, in a dramatic turn of events, fishermen took away  Udayakumar and Pushparayan in a boat. Their current whereabouts were not known. 65 people have been arrested over the last two days, following the violence and over the Kundankulam project. Long movement against the Kudankulam nuclear power project had turned violent Monday, leaving one agitator dead in police firing in Tuticorin district and several injured. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister  Jayalalithaa had justified the police action. She also announced compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the kin of the protester killed.

His hand was removed with axe when he asked for salary

In a shocking case, a labourer's hand was chopped in Garhwa district of Jharkhand allegedly after he asked his employers for his salary. The incident happened on Sunday. The proprietors who run an illegal alcohol making unit, punished labourer Aliyaar when he demanded his three month's pending wages to feed his family. He is being treated at Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences and may not be able to work for life. The state government's indifference came to light when Chief Minister Arjun Munda said his state has the lowest crime rate as he was asked about this incident.

Narendra Modi's election campaign kicks off on Advani's rath today

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will begin his month-long yatra from the religious town of Becharaji in north Gujarat today, which will cover major parts of the state. Interestingly, the name of Modi's yatra is Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra, which will begin on the day when spiritual leader Swami Vivekanada made his historic speech at the Chicago Conference of World Religions, 150 years ago. Billed as a beginning of his electoral campaign, the rath yatra will cover all the districts of the state. Interestingly, Modi will move in the same rath which was used by senior party leader LK Advani during last year's jan chetna yatra. Modi is seen as a favourite to win yet another election, but this time around he faces numerous issues including the emergence of Gujarat Parivartan Party, led by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, and also the huge response to Congresses free housing scheme for women which seem to have rattled the chief minister. Last time Modi undertook a similar exercise was in 2002 when he took out his Gaurav Rath Yatra, ahead of the Assembly polls and after his resounding victory in the post-Godhra riots case. He returned to power with a thumping majority.

Hindu migrants seek refugee status

Representatives of Hindu migrants from Pakistan, who arrived by the Thar Express on Sunday, met Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday in Jodhpur and sought refugee status for them. The group of 171, comprising 35 women and around 70 children and youth, appeared determined as they told Mr. Gehlot that they did not want to go back. The migrants were led by Hindu Singh Sodha, Jodhpur-based social activist. He has been working for the rehabilitation and citizenship of the “displaced” Hindus from Pakistan. Mr. Gehlot promised “all possible” help and instructed the District Collector to provide all help to the migrants. In the meantime, he would talk to the Centre on the issue, Mr. Gehlot told Mr. Sodha at the Jodhpur airport where they had the meeting. This has been the biggest ever group to migrate to west Rajasthan from the adjoining districts on the other side of the border in Pakistan and it appears to be only the beginning if the border watchers are to be believed. Having crossed the border by train, they escaped near-bonded situations from the districts of Sanghar, Hyderababad and the newly formed district of Matiari in Sindh province. The migrants have come on religious visa for 30 days. Prior to this, the largest number of Hindus seeking asylum or refugee status in India arrived in 1965 after the India-Pakistan war. There is an estimated 1.20 lakh persons from Pakistan living in India as migrants.

Bus falls into gorge, 35 killed

Thirty-five persons were feared dead as a State-run bus skidded off the road and fell into a 1,000-metre deep gorge near Mallu area in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday evening. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus, carrying about 40 persons, was on its way from Palampur to Ashapuri temple when it fell down from a hilltop on Palampur - Ashapuri road, 40-km from the spot. The number of casualties was likely to be high, they said. Darkness and soil, which has become slippery due to heavy rain in the area, is hampering the rescue operation as trudging on steep and slippery slopes was risky. So far only one body has been recovered but the chances of survival of passengers were very remote, officials said.

Shinde sees foreign NGOs’ hand in Kudankulam

The Centre on Monday blamed foreign non-governmental organisations for aiding protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu and reiterated that the government was committed to producing clean and cheap nuclear energy in the country. Pushing the case for nuclear energy, Shinde said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made it clear that India needed nuclear energy, which was clean and a cheap source of energy. Shinde says that Initially, the costs are high for setting up the nuclear power plant, but in 4-5 years it becomes a cheap source of energy. The cost of nuclear power is very low and the country must have such energy. Following protests against the project earlier this year, the government blamed some U.S.-based NGOs for trying to sabotage the plant.

Murray beats Djokovic to win First Grand Slam Title

Murray became Britain's first major champion since Fred Perry claimed his third American title in 1936, the year the Spanish Civil War started and Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-elected US president. History making Andy Murray ended Britain's 76-year wait for a men's Grand Slam champion when he beat 2011 winner Novak Djokovic 7-6 (12/10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 in an epic US Open final on Monday. In a roller-coaster final, which witnessed a 54-shot rally, numerous 30-stroke exchanges, as well as a record-setting tie-breaker, the 25-year-old Murray held his nerve in a knife-edge final set. The Olympic champion led 3-0 in the decider, dropped serve but broke again for 5-2 when Djokovic called a medical time-out. But Murray wasn't to be denied, taking the historic crown when Djokovic went long with a forehand on a second match point in what was, at four hours and 54 minutes, the equal-longest US Open final of all time. Murray had lost all of his four previous Grand Slam finals -- to Roger Federer at the US Open in 2008, the 2010 Australian Open and this year's Wimbledon, as well as to Djokovic in Australia in 2011.  

Kudankulam protests: One killed in police firing

One person was killed in police firing when a crowd of anti-Kudankulam protestors attacked a police check post in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district Monday, police said. Three police officials were injured in the attack, A mob of around 400 people protesting against the baton charging of fishermen protesting against the nuclear power plant in Kudankulam attacked a check post at Manapaddu village. There were four police personnel at the check post, including one women constable. Three of the police officials, including the policewomen, were injured and the one remaining policemen opened fire in self-defence, resulting in one death," said the police official, who did no want to be named. The incident happened at around 4.45 p.m. he said. Meanwhile, an around 500-strong mob was holding a protest at the Tuticorin railway station, thereby delaying the departure of two trains. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has announced compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the kin of the dead protestor.

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi Sent to Jail

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi: Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was sent to judicial custody till September 24 by a local court here on Monday. The Mumbai Police had arrested the India Against Corruption (IAC) member on charges of sedition. Kanpur-based Trivedi was arrested after a court issued a non-bailable warrant against him.   The Mumbai police told the court that the cartoonist’s custody was no longer required. Their decision comes after Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil this morning said that police had no grounds to arrest Trivedi. While on his way to court, undeterred Assem said, “Whatever I have done I am proud of that. This is second freedom of struggle.” Aseem said he wants sedition charges to be dropped first, then only he will apply for bail.

Infosys to buy Lodestone for $349 Million

Infosys Lodestone, Lodestone Infosys: Infosys has agreed to buy Zurich-based Lodestone Holding AG in a deal valued at 330 million Swiss francs. The acquisition may take Infosys a step closer to its goal of becoming a software-and-services giant providing clients with higher value services and consulting. The company has recently completed implementing Infosys 3.0, a strategy that it expects will take it towards this goal.   "This acquisition fits perfectly into that strategy," chief executive SD Shibulal said in a statement.  Infosys, which symbolises India's rise as an outsourcing powerhouse, has struggled this year. It has missed sales targets, lost market share, put off an annual pay rise and seen its stock battered. India's No 2 software services provider, expects to conclude the all-cash deal by October, the Bangalore-based company said. Lodestone will add 850 employees to Infosys' 150,000, including 750 consultants experienced in advising clients on the use business management software from SAP AG. It will also increase Infosys' clients to more than 900 from its current 700. "The acquisition fits well with Infosys' business profile and the endeavour of the management to maintain strength in consulting and high-value added services," ICICI Securities analyst Kuldeep Koul said in a note to clients. Koul has a "buy" rating on the stock.

11 killed, over 25 missing as Boat Capsizes in Bihar

Boat Capsizes in Bihar : At least eleven people were killed when a boat capsized in Sone river in Bihar's Bhojpur district on Monday. Several were feared missing in the accident, the police said. The overcrowded boat was carrying over 40 people from Bhojpur district's Dhauri village to Masarwa village in Arwal district when the mishap occurred. According to reports, at least six people swam to safety while some of the passengers were rescued by local villagers. The National Disaster Relief Team (NDRF) divers from Patna have been deployed for rescue and search operations. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of those dead in the mishap.The ex-gratia amount comprised of Rs.1.50 lakh each from the disaster relief fund and Rs.50,000 each from the Chief Minister's Relief fund. 

Serena Williams Wins Fourth US Open title

US Open 2012: Serene Williams continued her good run in 2012 as she defeated Victoria Azarenka on Sunday to win the women’s singles US Open title. Serena defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 on Sunday night for her fourth championship at Flushing Meadows and 15th Grand Slam title overall. The crowd hasn’t witnessed too many three-set finals at New York. Azarenka rose to the occasion and won the first set after which Serena made a fight back to lift the trophy. Azarenka who won the Australian Open this year, was denied a second major this season but will remain atop the rankings.

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi Arrested

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who was arrested on the basis of complaints against him for insulting national symbols in his anti-corruption cartoons, was on Sunday placed in police custody for a week by a Mumbai court.   He was charged with sedition under Section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code, which is a non-bailable offence. He was also charged under the IT Act and the 1971 National Emblem Act. The cartoons by Trivedi reportedly depicted Parliament as a commode and showed the national emblem with wolves instead of lions. The police claimed that Trivedi had earlier exhibited similar cartoons at a rally organised by India Against Corruption (IAC) at the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai in December 2011.

Sushma Swaraj is Bal Thackeray's Choice for PM

Hailing Sushma Swaraj, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader would be a suitable Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. In an interview given to his party's mouthpiece 'Saamna', Thackeray reportedly said: "Sushma Swaraj is a smart, brilliant choice for PM candidate. She is hard working, she will be the right choice for PM candidate.   His statement came days after the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha met him at his residence in suburban Bandra, 'Matoshree'. "I met Balasaheb Thackeray and his son Uddhav as both were unwell recently. It was a mere courtesy call," Swaraj had said. Bal Thackeray also hit out at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), saying the coalition lacked leadership. "Previously, the NDA had a strong leadership in Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Today, the NDA lacks leadership," he said.

ISRO's 100th mission, PSLV Rocket lifts off Successfully

The hundredth space mission programme of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took off on Sunday at 9.51 am from the space centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The historic milestone comes in the form of two foreign satellites that will be put in orbit by ISRO's workhorse PSLV rocket.   Prime Minister Manmohan Singh witnessed the launch of PSLV C-21 that is carrying French advanced remote sensing satellite 720 kg SPOT-6 and its 15 kg Japanese micro satellite PROITERES. The mission is without any Indian satellite. India is expected to earn over Rs 100 crore from the launch. The 51-hour countdown began at 6.51 am on Friday.From the time of its humble beginnings when it launched the indigenous 'Aryabhatta' in Russia on April 19, 1975, it has been a long and successful odyssey for ISRO. SPOT-6 is the biggest commercial lift so far since India forayed into the money-spinning commercial satellite launch services after 350kg Agile of Italy was put in orbit in 2007 by PSLV. Twelve other foreign commercial satellites were less than 300 kg. France's five earlier SPOT satellites were launched by European Araine rocket.   SPOT-6, built by ASTRIUM SAS,a subsidiary of EADS, France, is an earth observation satellite, while PROITERES, developed by students and faculty of Osaka Institute of Technology, will study Kansai region of Japanese island of Honshu.

Thackeray won’t tolerate Pakistani, Bangladeshi Muslims

Issuing a stern warning to extremist elements in the wake of the August 11 rioting near Azad Maidan here, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said he would not tolerate Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh inside Maharashtra.The Shiv Sena is firm on not letting cricket relations resume with Pakistan, he said in an interview in his party mouthpiece  Saamna. Thackeray’s solution to root out Pakistan-sponsored terror is that he be given charge of the Indian Army. The Sena leader also lashed out at Bihar’s politicians, asking them to nip rioters in the bud if they did not want the Maharashtra police to nab riot-mongers from their State. A slanging match occurred between Bihar politicians and the Thackeray cousins — Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj and Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav — after the Bihar administration took offence at the Mumbai Crime Branch arresting an alleged Azad Maidan rioter from Sitamarhi district. Lauding his estranged nephew, Raj’s efforts at mobilising a rally to condemn the Azad Maidan rioting Thackeray said only his household reacted to the August 11 incident.