Coast Guard identifies vessel which rammed fishing boat off Kozhikode coast

KOCHI: The Coast Guard on Thursday identified the Panama flag merchant vessel which rammed a fishing boat off Kozhikode coast injuring three fishermen.

According to Coast Guard officials, the vessel has been identified as M V Isumo. ''We have directed the vessel to come to Kochi for further inquiry in connection with the incident," the Coast Guard officials said.

Officials said that the vessel immediately fled the scene after the accident and the vessel was traced after the Coast Guard launched a Dornier aircraft and two fast patrol vessels to track it.

It was on Wednesday afternoon that three fishermen were injured when their boat collided with the merchant vessel off Beypore coast near Kozhikode. The fishing boat sank in the collision and the fishermen were rescued by another fishing boat which was in the vicinity.

According to the coastal police officials, the fishermen jumped into the sea on seeing the ship approaching towards their boat.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pakistan police disperse families protesting with coffins

PESHAWAR: The pre-dawn operation was launched about 13 hours after around 300 people staged a sit-in outside the governor's house in the northwestern city of Peshawar along with bodies of those killed in the raid on Tuesday night.

The protesters blamed security forces and refused to bury the bodies until they get justice.

"We used tear gas and dispersed the protesters because they were creating a law and order situation in Peshawar," senior police officer Kamal Hussain said.

The bodies were taken to their home town of Bara in the tribal district of Khyber and handed to the local administration for burial, he said.

Local police station chief Shabih Hussain confirmed the tear gas shelling, adding that 17 people were arrested and later released.

Residents said armed men attacked five homes in Bara and killed 14 people on Tuesday night.

"They entered our houses and killed our relatives to avenge the killing of six security personnel in the same area of Bara on Monday night," said local resident Muhammad Shabbir, a former member of the Frontier Corps paramilitary, told AFP.

Security and military officials denied that security forces were involved and said it was militants who attacked the homes.

Shabbir said his father, five brothers and two cousins were among the dead.

The government ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident and decided to pay 400,000 rupees ($4,000) each to the families of the deceased, Hussain said.

Pakistani troops have been fighting Islamist militants and local militia for months in Khyber, which is part of the semi-autonomous tribal district on the Afghan border where the Taliban and other Islamist groups have strongholds.

Wednesday's protest was the second of its type in a week in Pakistan. Islamic custom dictates that the dead should be buried the same day or a day later.

In the southwestern city of Quetta, thousands of Shia Muslims demonstrated for four days after the worst-ever bomb attack on their minority community in Pakistan killed 92 people.

They refused to bury the dead, demanding the army take over security in Quetta. The protest mainly by ethnic Hazara Shias ended after Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf sacked the provincial government.

Last month, Amnesty International said both the Pakistan military and the Taliban were guilty of rights abuses in the tribal belt. The military rejected the allegations as a "pack of lies".

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chautala's supporters create chaos outside Delhi court

NEW DELHI: Thousands of INLD supporters created chaos outside the Rohini court complex on Thursday when former Haryana CM OP Chautala arrived in the jail van prior to the hearing of arguments on his sentencing in the case of illegal recruitment of 3206 junior teachers in the state.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supporters holding the party flag tried to stop the jail van outside the court and even climbed on to the vehicle, forcing the driver to stop it.

The police personnel tried to disperse the crowd, which was shouting slogans against the authorities and the cops present there, and also closed the main gates of the premises.

The large number of supporters kept on standing outside the court lock-up, where Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and other convicts are being kept.

All the roads leading to the court complex were full of cars and SUVs of INLD supporters and workers.

Around 300-350 supporters stood outside the court room where the case is being heard.

Other than the 55 accused, their counsel, prosecutors and the court staff, the judge has not allowed anyone else to enter the court room during the hearing.

Relatives and family members of the accused, INLD supporters and mediapersons have been asked to stand behind barricades set up outside the courtroom, as the proceedings continued amidst tight security.

Chautala, his MLA son Ajay and 53 others including two IAS officers were on Wednesday convicted on corruption and other charges by a Delhi court for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior teachers 12 years back, and were sent to Tihar Jail.

The court has fixed January 22 to pronounce the sentence.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Post one special juvenile police officer in every police station: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and all state governments to post one special juvenile police officer in every police station to deal with juveniles arrested for an alleged offence.

The apex court said on Thursday that each district must have a unit of specially trained police officers to deal with juveniles.

The SC also directed that police must register FIR in every case of missing child reported to it.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

52-year-old man arrested for entering ISRO centre using fake ID

TIRUNELVELI (TAMIL NADU): In a security breach, a 52-year-old man entered the sensitive area of ISRO's cryogenic engine testing centre at Mahendragiri near here using a fake identity card and was arrested along with two others who facilitated his ingress.

Police said Jaya Singh, who is the father-in-law of the space agency's contract employee Krishnakumar, had entered the area using a fake ID card given by him and an ISRO contractor Diraviyam before he was picked up on suspicion by the Central Industrial and Security Force manning the centre.

Singh gave contradictory replies when questioned by the CISF who later handed him over to police.

Singh, an employee of the Oman Government Transport Corporation, claimed that he had come only to have a look at the centre where the cryogenic engine was tested but he also entered the liquid propulsion testing area, both out of bounds for outsiders.

Krishnakumar and Diraviyam were arrested for giving him the fake ID card to gain entry into the centre, police said.

All the three have been booked on charges including trespass, forgery and violation of the Official Secrets Act.

The incident comes nearly four months after a 41-year-old woman created a scare when she breached layers of security to gain entry into the headquarters of Indian Space Research Organisation at Bangalore using a fake identity before being arrested.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Somalia's Shebab say they have executed French hostage

NAIROBI: Somalia's Shebab Islamists said on Thursday they have executed a French agent they have held since 2009, as France said the hostage was likely killed several days ago in a failed rescue attempt.

"16:30 GMT, Wednesday, 16 January, 2013. Denis Allex is executed," the group said on its Twitter feed Thursday, with the report confirmed by a senior Shebab official who said the group would release audio and video of the "execution."

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Govt seriously considering revising diesel, LPG rates: Moily

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Jan 16, 2013, 12.51PM IST

NEW DELHI: The government is "seriously" considering revising rates of auto and cooking fuels but no decision has been taken as yet, oil minister M Veerappa Moily said on Wednesday.

"All price hike or price reduction... proposals are under serious consideration. We have not taken any decision," he told reporters here.

The ruling UPA's political leadership is holding consultations on options like raising diesel and LPG prices to cut an unprecedented Rs 1,60,000 crore revenue loss expected from selling auto and cooking fuel below cost this fiscal.

He refused to be drawn into what his ministry was proposing or when and at what forum would such a decision be taken.

"What Cabinet will discuss, that is a matter which I cannot disclose. What Cabinet proposal will be there, I dont think it is a matter of discussion here," he said.

The ministry is suggesting revision in diesel, domestic cooking gas (LPG) and kerosene rates to the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs based on recommendation of the Vijay Kelkar Committee, which was appointed by the finance ministry to suggest a roadmap for fiscal consolidation.

"(Kelkar Committee) report has already been submitted. he has given number of proposals. That is under serious consideration of the government," Moily said.

The panel had recommended an immediate hike in price of diesel by Rs 4 per litre, of kerosene by Rs 2 a litre and of LPG by Rs 50 per cylinder. Thereafter, it suggested raising rates on a monthly basis till the revenue losses are wiped off.

Moily refused to comment on his ministry's wishlist for the Budget 2013-14 saying taxation matters were a perogrative of finance minister P Chidambaram.

He refused to comment on raising supply of subsidised cooking gas cylinders for households to nine a year from the current cap of six saying the moment he utters a word, he would get a notice from the Election Commission.

Model code of conduct is in place as assembly elections in three states have been declared.

Price of diesel, which currently costs Rs 47.15 per litre in Delhi, was last revised on September 14 when it was hiked by a steep Rs 5.63 per litre. Kerosene rates have not changed since June 2011 and it currently costs Rs 14.79 per litre in Delhi.

Subsidised LPG costs Rs 410.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder and any household requirement beyond current cap of 6 cylinders is to be bought at near market price of Rs 895.50 per bottle.

State-owned oil companies currently sell diesel at a loss of Rs 10.16 per litre, kerosene at Rs 32.17 a litre and LPG at Rs 490.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Army chief to visit Lance Naik Sudhakar's family on January 18

SIDHI (MP): Army chief General Bikram Singh would pay a visit to the family members of martyr Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh at his native Dadhiya village in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh on January 18.

Minister of state for defence Jitendra Singh would also accompany General Singh, official sources said here on Wednesday.

A special team of Army has already reached here to prepare for the General's trip, they said.

On January 8, the two soldiers -- Lance Naiks Sudhakar Singh and Hemraj Singh were killed near the LoC by Pakistani troops. The jawans belonged to 13 Rajputana Rifles.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Somali Islamist rebels sentence French hostage to death

MOGADISHU: Somali militants linked to al-Qaida said on Wednesday they had sentenced a French agent to death several days after an attempt by French armed forces to rescue him failed.

Al Shabaab said in a statement the decision to kill Denis Allex, held hostage in Somalia since 2009, was unanimous and followed three years of what it called "exhaustive attempts at negotiations" over his release.

"With the rescue attempt, France has voluntarily signed Allex's death warrant," the militants said in an emailed statement that was also posted on the group's official Twitter handle.

France's Chief of Defence Edouard Guillard, asked to react to the statement, told Europe 1 Radio that Allex was presumed dead.

"We have nothing since Friday's raid on Denis Allex being alive. We think he is likely dead," Guillard said.

It was not immediately clear whether the rebels were saying they had already killed Allex.

"It is the government of France ... which must bear full responsibility for the death of Allex," al Shabaab said.

Guillard said the militants were engaging in "media manipulation."

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hate speech case: Owaisi back in jail after questioning by Andhra police

HYDERABAD: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was sent back to jail on Wednesday after four days of questioning by police in a hate speech case.

Police in Adilabad district did not question the legislator for the fifth day and produced him before a magistrate in Nirmal town, about 200 km from here. He was later sent back to the district jail in Adilabad, some 90 km from Nirmal.

A police official said they completed the questioning in four days, although the court had remanded the MIM leader to their custody for five days.

The police had arrested the MIM leader on January 8 and the next day a Nirmal court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days for the hate speech he delivered at a public meeting in Nirmal town on December 22.

Akbar, a member of the Andhra Pradesh assembly from Chandrayangutta constituency in the old city of Hyderabad, is facing charges of sedition, waging war against nation and criminal conspiracy.

The court will later take up the hearing on a petition filed by police, seeking its permission to take Akbar's voice sample as he reportedly denied during questioning that the voice in the compact discs shown to him was his.

The voice sample is likely to be sent to a forensic laboratory in Chandigarh for audio and video authentication.

In another development, the MIM leader's lawyers filed a bail petition in the Adilabad sessions court. The petition is yet to be listed for hearing.

17.34 | 0 komentar | Read More