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.