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.