Lokpal: We had objected at Cabinet meeting itself, says TMC

New Delhi: Two days before the Lokpal Bill was introduced in Parliament, the Trinamool had objected to the inclusion of the Lokayukta chapters in the draft. This happened at the December 20 cabinet meeting which cleared the draft.

Cyclone Thane: TN parts, Pondy pulverised

CUDDALORE/PUDUCHERRY: The much-dreaded ‘Cyclone Thane’ crossed the coast between Cuddalore and Puducherry around 6.30 am on Friday with wind speeds of 120 km per hour, leaving a trail of destruction and taking a toll of at least 28 lives, uprooting lakhs of trees and damaging roads, fishing boats and houses, besides snapping electricity and communication lines, thus disrupting normal life.

2012, the year when Lokpal movement will play a bigger role

Several major events took place in the country this year: India won the cricket world cup, assembly elections were held in five states, inflation skyrocketed, etc. But if there is something that sustained throughout the year and played a significant role not only in politics, but also in bringing a change in social consciousness, it was the Lokpal movement — Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption.

Knighthood for Indian-origin scientist V Ramakrishnan

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, the Indian-origin scientist whose pioneering work in Molecular Biology won him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has been knighted in the New Years Honours List 2012. Ramakrishnan, a US citizen, is based at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. he has been conferred knighthood "for services to Molecular Biology", according to an official announcement here.

Stay off betrayers, Jayalalithaa warns cadre

CHENNAI: In a clear-cut message to party functionaries of all levels that the ouster of V K Sasikala and her family members from the AIADMK was final, party leader and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday warned that “those who are acting according to the wishes of the persons who have been expelled from the party for their betrayal, will not be pardoned at any time.”

Maya sacks 4 more ministers, one quits

Lucknow Continuing her efforts to refurbish the BSP’s image, Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday sacked four more ministers and decided to not nominate them for the Assembly elections, saying they had neglected people’s problems and party workers, causing resentment in their constituencies.

Flier's nightmare as fog jams IGI airport

NEW DELHI: The worst fog of the season brought operations to a near-standstill at IGI airport - 44 flights were cancelled and over 300 delayed. While fog lingered outside, passengers complained that they got little help from airlines on cancelled and delayed flights. A Verma, who flew in from Abu Dhabi and had a connecting flight to Patna found himself in Jaipur instead as his flight was diverted. By the time he made it to Delhi at 11am, his Patna flight had already taken off. 

Indian student's murder: UK police apologises to Anuj Bidve's father

London:  A British police force apologised on Friday after it confirmed that the father of an Indian student shot dead in Manchester found out about his son's murder on Facebook.

Cyclone Thane batters Puducherry, TN; 33 dead

PUDUCHERRY/CHENNAI: Packing a wind speed of 140km per hour, Cyclone Thane pummelled the Tamil Nadu coast and the Union territory of Puducherry on Friday morning, leaving in its wake 35 dead besides untold devastation. The cyclone made its landfall between Puducherry and Cuddalore district in the state, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rains all along the coast.

MPs do not want Lokpal

The very idea of an ombudsman who has the authority to oversee their activities is anathema to the elected representative. "Who is this nominated person who shall have the power to oversee our performance?" former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan asked in the Rajya Sabha.

Pakistan Court Approves Coup Memo Investigation

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has approved an investigation into a controversial memo seeking Washington’s support to prevent a possible military coup in Pakistan after the U.S raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The court on Friday set up a three-member judicial commission to probe the memo and collect evidence within and outside Pakistan in connection with the scandal. 

Police apologise and offer £50,000 reward to find Anuj’s killer

Police on Friday announced a reward of £50,000 to find the killer of the Indian university student Anuj Bidve and apologised for the delay in informing his family about the tragedy after his father Subhash Bidve complained that they first learned about it through Facebook.

RS fiasco triggers all out war between Congress, Opposition

The government on Friday blamed the BJP and other opposition parties for the lokpal bill fiasco in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday night. 

Pakistan court approves 'memogate' probe

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday said it would establish a commission to investigate a controversial unsigned memo asking for American help in curbing the power of the military.

New Clashes in Syria as Monitors’ Mission Is Challenged

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian security forces killed at least five people in Hama on Friday, according to a rights group, as hundreds of thousands of people staged protests across the country that were intended to show visiting Arab League monitors the extent of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

Criticism after India corruption bill vote delayed

India's opposition parties have bitterly criticised the government for its failure to put the controversial anti-corruption Lokpal bill to a vote in the upper house of parliament.

Fashionable clothes provoke rape: AP DGP

Andhra Pradesh police chief on Friday sparked a controversy by attributing increase in rape cases to women provoking men by wearing "flimsy and fashionable" clothing, a view dismissed by Home minister P Chidambaram who said there can no policing on the choice of clothes.

High alert in States bordering Pakistan: Chidambaram

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday said that a high alert has been sounded in all States, including Jammu and Kashmir, bordering Pakistan following inputs that militants from across the border could be planning some action in India.

Cyclone Thane leaves at least 19 dead in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu

Chennai/ Puducherry:  Cyclone Thane hit the coast of Tamil Nadu on Friday, making landfall between Puducherry and Cuddalore that has resulted in the death of 19 people so far. So far 12 people have been reported dead in Cuddalore and seven dead in Puducherry.

Team Anna blames Hamid Ansari for Lokpal fiasco in Rajya Sabha

Team Anna today faulted Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for abruptly adjourning the upper house sine die without a vote on the Lokpal bill.

BJP choreographed murder of democracy: Pawan Bansal

Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal on Friday put the blame for non passage of the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha on the BJP saying that they had choreographed the murder of democracy. Bansal said that the BJP never wanted the Lokpal Bill to be passed and they acted last night in a particular manner keeping in mind the upcoming state elections

Cyclone Thane leaves six dead in TN and Puducherry

CHENNAI: The very severe cyclonic storm, 'Thane', today crossed the Tamil Nadu coast, leaving six persons dead and causing extensive damage to Cuddalore and the neighbouring Union Territory of Puduchery which remained cut-off from the nearby districts of the state.

Anuj Bidve's family writes open letter to SM Krishna, asking for help

Pune:  The family of 23-year-old Anuj Bidve, who was shot dead in Manchester early on Monday, has sought External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's help in getting his body back to Pune. His father and cousin have applied for an emergency visa to speed up the process after being advised to do so by the Consulate General of India in Birmingham.

North Korea's new leaders lash out at South Korea and allies

SEOUL | Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:46am EST :North Korea sounded a bellicose note in its first communication with the outside world since the death of leader Kim Jong-il, saying its confrontational stance against South Korea would not change and labeling its opponents "foolish."

Rahul falls back on Indira slogan

Forty years after Indira Gandhi got a huge mandate with her slogan of “garibi hatao”, Rahul Gandhi evoked the same slogan in the battle of ballot in Uttar Pradesh. “Garibi hatao” and “pichrapan hatao”, he told the crowd, was the true meaning of politics.

Dense fog engulfs Delhi

Dec 30,  11:43 AM
Dense fog continued to put life out of gear in the national capital. Road, rail and air traffic was disrupted due to poor visibility.

AL monitoring unlikely to end Syria unrest quickly

DAMASCUS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- An Arab League (AL) monitoring mission to Syria is carrying out its field monitoring amid violence and "terror attacks" in restive Syrian cities. However, their work can not satisfy Syrian government, opposition groups and international community at one time but aroused dispute and accusation among them.

Lokpal Bill tabled in Rajya Sabha; debate begins

New Delhi, Dec 29: A bill to provide for establishment of Lokpal and Lokayuktas in states to go into corruption cases in government organisations was introduced in the Rajya Sabha today.

Anna Hazare leaves for Ralegan Siddhi

MUMBAI: Anna Hazare left for his home Ralegan Siddhi Thursday, a day after he broke his fast to press for a strong Lokpal. 

Australia knock out India in Boxing Day Test, lead series 1-0

Melbourne: Australia's fast men obliterated India with bowling of sustained hostility and direction to deliver a handsome 122-run victory to the hosts, on day four of the first Test at the MCG.

Kim Jong Il son declared ‘supreme leader’ of North Korea’s people, party and military

PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea declared Kim Jong Il’s son and successor “supreme leader” of the ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the government’s first public endorsement of his leadership.

Cyclone 'Thane' likely to intensify in the next 12 hours

Chennai:  If you don't have any pressing engagement for the day, you'd best stay at home. For, the weatherman has predicted that severe cyclonic storm Thane is heading right at us. Thane is likely to bring with it strong winds, very heavy rainfall and a high surge of waves.

Team Anna puts up a brave face as Mumbaikars stay away from fast venue

MUMBAI: With Anna Hazare ailing and Mumbaikars largely staying away, the anti-graft campaigner's fast appears to have fizzled out on the second day today.

North Korean heir, Kim Jong Eun, leads funeral procession for father

SEOUL — In a city of gray buildings, with snow covering the wide streets and wailing mourners lining the sidewalks, North Korea on Wednesday staged an extravagant farewell to dictator Kim Jong Il, his casket covered in a red revolutionary flag.

4.5 sub-quota for OBCs among minorities: Salman Khurshid

NEW DELHI: Only backward sections of the minorities will be entitled to 4.5 per cent reservation within 27 per cent quota for OBCs, the government clarified today in the backdrop of protests by some parties. 

Syria frees 755 prisoners as Arab League observers visit

The mission, which on Wednesday returned to Homs, the scene of bitter fighting between regime troops and the opposition, was initially barred from the flashpoint district of Baba Amr because it was accompanied by a regime lieutenant colonel.

Coastal Andhra braces for cyclone 'Thane'

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert, one step below the red alert put out for a really severe cyclone. According to the IMD, 'Thane' remained practically stationary and later intensified into a severe cyclonic storm. It lay centred about 500 km east-southeast of Chennai.