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Mayawati cabinet members have criminal antecedents too
Lucknow, May 14 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has made intentions clear on making the rule of law in the state as her first priority, but her own council of ministers, which was sworn in yesterday, has a few members having criminal antecedents.
At least two new Ministers of State with Independent charge were facing serious criminal charges like attempt to murder, extortion and kidnapping.
Minister of State with Independent charge Badshah Singh is facing six criminal charges which included attempt to murder, extortion and kidnapping.
Interestingly Singh, who was earlier in the BJP, was also one of the members of a group formed to lend support to Raghuraj Pratap Singh, when Singh and his father were slapped with NSA during Mayawati's previous stint as Chief Minister.
Similarly Minister of State with Independent charge Anand Sen Yadav faces 12 criminal cases which included attempt to murder and is currently lodged in Faizabad jail.
Yadav could not be sworn in yesterday as he was shifted to the hospital from jail on medical grounds.
Significantly Yadav is the son of BSP MP from Faizabad Mitra Sen Yadav whose name has cropped up in the human trafficking case.
Other ministers facing criminal charges were Jamuna Nishad, Awadh Pal Singh Yadav, Sangram Singh and Shahjil Islam. PTI
Amar Singh dares Mayawati, Sonia to get him sent to jail
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today virtually dared Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to get him arrested.
"I will feel very happy if I am sent to jail. Jail is a nice place and Mayawati will do a good service by sending me to jail," Singh told CNN-IBN.
The Samajwadi Party MP said he was not afraid of Sonia Gandhi, CBI, IB or RAW and added that a "collective onslaught" of Sonia and Mayawati was "most welcome".
Singh, who was admitted to a hospital for treatment of a kidney problem, said he was not a criminal that he would leave the country.
Putting up a brave face after SP's battering in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Singh said it would have been worse if the party had not worked hard.
He said all leaders inclding BJP top leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and Jan Morcha leader V P Singh and even SP dissidents were "collectively targeting" his party.
"Had there not been this campaign, things would have been worse," he said.
In the just-concluded elections, the SP bagged 97 seats, 46 less than its previous tally. PTI
NRAI drops six shooters for Munich World Cup
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Six shooters, including World Junior Rifle Champion Navnath Fartade, have been dropped from the 22-member team for the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany for their unimpressive performance in the recent competitions.
Fartade, Ronak Pandit, Sushil Ghaley, Deepak Sharma, Surendra Singh Rathore and Deepali Deshpande have been asked to practice in the country for the Asian Championships as their other teammates take part in the year's fourth and final World Cup for rifle and pistol shooters from May 28 to June 4.
After the Munich World Cup, Asian championships will be the last chance for shooters to book Olympic quota places and their may not be any more ISSF World Cup competitions in the 2008, which is the Olympic year.
A National Rifle Association of India official said the shooters' scores in ISSF World Cups at Fort Benning (USA), Sydney and Bangkok apart from Australia Cup in Sydney were not "up to the mark" because of which for the first time the NRAI acted tough on the players.
"We have removed six players from the team on the basis of their performance. They will now prepare for a place in the team for the Asian Championships," NRAI's Rajiv Bhatia told PTI.
"Earlier teams never went on such long tours and players were selected on the basis of their scores in the national championships and selection trials.
"But this time we do not have much time and we will go by their scores in the recent competitions they participated in," he said. PTI
Azlan bronze proves Indian hockey is not dead: Olympians
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Hailing the bronze medal finish at the Azlan Shah tournament, former Olympians said the unexpected good show is a proof that despite the odds, Indian hockey can still be a force to reckon with.
The Indian team, despite missing senior players like Dilip Tirkey and Gagan Ajit Singh, managed to retain its third place in the tournament. This was also the first major test of the newly-appointed coach Joaquim Carvalho.
The former players, however, felt that the youngsters still had to improve a lot as they will be up against tougher competition in the upcoming Olympic qualifiers.
Former great Aslam Sher Khan said, "Ours is a young team and their performance at the Azlan Shah shows that Indian hockey is still strong. If we keep improving at this pace, then we can upset any major team in big tournaments." Hero of the 1975 World Cup Ashok Kumar, meanwhile, felt both Indian Hockey Federation chief K P S Gill and Carvalho should have showed more faith in the players.
"Both said don't expect miracle from the team, which means Mr Gill and even the coach were unsure about the team's prospects. You should not say such things abut your players if you want them to perform well." He, however, patted Carvalho for guiding the young players to the podium finish and said, "The new coach and the young players herald a new start for Indian hockey." PTI
Team targets clean sweep tomorrow: Dravid
Sirshendu Panth
Chittagong, May 14 (PTI) Unwilling to lose momentum after clinching the series, Indian skipper Rahul David today stressed that his team will stick to the target of making a clean sweep of the three-match series to gear up for tougher challnges in the coming months.
"We are very keen [to make it 3-0]. That was one of our goals when we started the one-day series to win it 3-0. We still have one game to play and that still remains our target," Dravid told reporters.
However, he said that the Indians were not taking anything for granted as they had to play "very good cricket" to complete the series on a winning note.
Asked how much should be read into the victory over Bangladesh, Dravid admitted that there were bigger challenges ahead but felt the series had given the Indians a good start after the World Cup disappointment.
The Indians would next leave for England before hosting Australia and Pakistan later this year.
Dravid said that the Indians were aware that they needed to improve and were focusing on lifting their game.
Regarding his own position in the batting order, the 34-year-old said he was coming down the order to utilise his experiences in positions considered difficult.
"We are just trying to get some of the other guys like Yuvraj (Singh) who I felt now need to be batting up the order and taking on a lot more responsibility. I am hoping that they establish themselves in those positions so we can have options in various conditions." PTI
Kapil Dev to head Executive Board of Indian Cricket League
Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) Former India captain Kapil Dev will head the Executive Board of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL), it was announced here today.
The other members of the Board include former stumper and ex-chief selector Kiran More, former England captain Tony Greg and Australian cricketer-turned-commentator Dean Jones.
While making the announcement, Himanshu Modi, Business Head of Zee Sports, said more positions would be finalised later.
Kapil said he was delighted to be associated with the League and would utilise his experience to nurture young talent.
"It's great pleasure to lead the Executive Board of the ICL, the first Professional League. I will try and utilise my experience of motivating and guiding players, both as captain and coach, to take the young talent to the pinnacle of success," said country's lone World Cup winning captain. PTI
Kuala Lumpur to host Inaugural Asian Sports Awards
Chennai, May 14 (PTI) The inaugural Asian Sports Awards being organised on the lines of world known Laureas Sports Awards, would be held in Kuala Lumpur on August 11.
The Asian Sports Awards, billed as the Oscars of Sports, is a collobrative effort between the Asian Sports Press Union (ASPU) and the Hong Kong based Stropt and Sports.
The Asian Sports Journalists body would select Asian sportsman and sportswomen of the year 2006, best Asian teams (men and women), Lifetime achievement Award and Humanitarian award.
The Awards would be promoted through ESPN Sports Centre with exposure on the ESPN and STAR Sports Channels.
The 'Viewers choice' will be an interactive award and candidates will be picked and voted in by the viewers of these channels by SMS, which will be tabulated by Grant Thornton, the ASA's independent auditors' Lee said. PTI
TDSAT seeks details of pacts on global roaming calls
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Telecom tribunal TDSAT today directed private telecom operators to submit the documents regarding agreements between them on sharing revenue on international roaming calls.
"Produce the accounting papers and papers showing revenue distribution between private operators of roaming charges," a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) bench, headed by Justice Arun Kumar, said.
The Bench was hearing a cross-appeal filed by BSNL and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) against telecom regulator TRAI over revenue share on roaming calls.
During proceedings, BSNL, which is seeking a higher booty on international calls, opposed TRAI's regulation on roaming calls. It contended that telecom firms are charging more than Rs 100 per minute for international roaming using its network.
"If they are charging extra by using our network... Then (they should) pay us extra. We are entitled for that," the BSNL counsel said.
Opposing TRAI regulation on roaming, which entitles it only 30 paisa per minute, the state-run telecom giant argued the regulator had no right to intervene into the interconnect agreements signed by it with private operators.
BSNL contended in a previous ruling TDSAT had directed the regulator not to supervise the interconnect agreements as it was on mutually negotiated terms and conditions.
"TRAI has no jurisdiction to intervene into interconnect agreement between the parties," the BSNL counsel said.
BSNL has already entered into agreement with telecom firms on this issue and is charging more. PTI
Par approves National Institutes of Technology Bill
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Parliament today approved a bill seeking to convert all Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) into National Institutes of Technology (NITs) with the Lok Sabha passing it by a voice vote without discussion.
Piloting the National Institutes of Technology Bill, 2007, Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandeswari said the Centre had decided to convert all 20 RECs into NITs.
They would be accorded the status of deemed universities and provided 100 per cent central assistance from 2003-04 onwards, she said.
She said the Bihar Engineering College in Patna, Raipur Engineering College and Tripura Engineering College in Agartala too have been converted and notified as NITs in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively.
The Minister said the bill sought to empower the institutions to grant degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions.
She said a high-power Review Committee under the chairmanship of DG CSIR R A Mashelkar in its report in 1998 had recommended that the RECs be empowered through an Act of Parliament to award degrees.
It also suggested that the possibility of setting up new RECs be examined on a case-to-case basis. PTI
RCL acquires 5 per cent stake in Network 18
Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group firm Reliance Capital today said it has acquired a 5 per cent stake in Network 18, the group holding company of broadcasters TV18 and GBN.
Reliance Capital acquired 25.55 lakh shares, representing 5.02 per cent stake in Network 18 Fincap Ltd through open market transaction on May 10, RCL informed the Bombay Stock Exchange.
When contacted, an RCL spokesperson approved of the deal.
The transaction comes on the heels of RCL's open offer for acquiring 20 per cent stake in television broadcaster TV Today Network Ltd, which runs Hindi news channel Aaj Tak and English news channel Headlines Today.
Earlier, the company had announced that the open offer would be made at a price of Rs 130.50 per share, amounting to approximately Rs 150 crore.
On May 3, RCL had acquired 13.52 lakh equity shares of Network 18 Fincap at a price of Rs 399.22 in a bulk deal on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The shares of RCL were trading at Rs 807.60, up 2.29 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange. PTI
Judge quits bench hearing Chaudhry case; Court official killed
K J M Varma
Islamabad, May 14 (PTI) In yet another turn in the case relating to suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry, a Supreme Court judge today quit the 14-member bench hearing charges against him even as a senior court official was shot dead at his home, described by his family as a targeted killing.
Meanwhile Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi, which witnessed large-scale violence on Saturday, was by and large peaceful while a general strike was observed in the city to protest against the killings in clashes between the supporters of President Pervez Musharraf and those of Chaudhry.
Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwan Das today reconstituted the full bench of the court after senior judge, Falak Sher, quit the 14-member bench saying that he had in the past challenged Chaudhry's elevation superseding him, therefore it was not appropriate for him to continue to be part of the bench.
Interestingly, Sher had not expressed any such reservations when the bench was constituted. But chose to do it in the open court today.
He apparently had issues relating to seniority with some of the members of the bench, including Justice Khalil-u-Rehman Ramday, who headed the panel.
Sher declined to continue even after Chaudhry's counsel, Aitejaz Ahsan, expressed full confidence in him. Thereafter Justice Ramday referred the issue to the Acting Chief Justice, who in turn formed a new bench with remaining 13 judges and asked them to continue the day-to-day hearing from tomorrow. PTI
Party spokesmen defend Hasina, Zia amid calls for reforms
Dhaka, May 14 (PTI) Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League have hit back at detractors within their parties who are demanding curtailment of powers of their leaders, saying reforms were needed but not by excluding Sheikh Hasina and arch-rival Khaleda Zia.
Senior party leaders within the two parties have in recent days demanded reforms to clip the "unlimited power" of the former prime ministers.
But Awami League general-secretary Abdul Jalil defended Sheikh Hasina, calling her the "symbol" of the party, adding that the former prime minister "did not want to be president but party leaders and workers made her chief in her absence to save the party from falling apart" in early 1980s.
"The leaders and workers of the party have an emotional relationship with Sheikh Hasina. In her they see Bangabandhu," Jalil told BDnews24 news agency.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan, refuting some senior leaders' remarks branding the party as a 'Zia dynasty', said Khaleda Zia's "long political struggle" transcends her family identity.
"Ignoring that struggle and calling it a dynasty are part of an unacceptable smear campaign," Khan said.
Both Jalil and Khan, however, admitted their parties needed reforms, but not by excluding the two top leaders.
Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was killed along with most of his family members in an abortive military coup on August 15, 1975. Zia is the wife of slain president General Ziaur Rahman, also killed in a coup on May 30, 1981. PTI
China-Africa Development Fund to boost business links
Anil K Joseph
Beijing, May 14 (PTI) China has established the China-Africa Development Fund with a corpus amount of one billion US dollars to help promote the communist country's investments and businesses in the huge African continent.
The setting up of the fund was approved by the State Council, the Chinese cabinet, vice governor of China Development Bank (CDB), Gao Jian said.
The approval comes ahead of the 2007 Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of African Development Bank Group which will be held in the eastern Chinese metropolis, Shanghai from May 16 to 17.
This is the second time the ADB is holding its annual meetings outside Africa and first time it is held in Asia, signalling the importance Africa is attaching to its ties with China. Beijing joined the ADB in 1985.
CBD, as the main initiator of the fund, has drafted the plan on establishing the China-Africa Development Fund, Gao said while addressing the Development Finance and Sino-Africa Economic Cooperation Forum in Shanghai yesterday.
According to the draft plan, the fund will start from one billion U.S. Dollars, and then add up to three billion U.S. Dollars in the second phase, until eventually amount to five billion dollars.
The business scope of the fund mainly includes equity and quasi-equity investment, fund investments, fund management, investment management and consulting services, Xinhua news agency reported. PTI
Bhutan may ban import of Indian poultry products
Thimphu, May 14 (PTI) Bhutan may enforce a ban on import of chicken meat and eggs from India if reports of death of nearly 5,000 poultry birds due to bird flu in a poultry farm in West Bengal are proved true, officials have said.
"There will be a total ban immediately, if it is confirmed," said director of the livestock department, Tenzin Dhendup.
"But as of now the import is still on. Without confirming, we do not take any action," he said.
The department has already sent a veterinary doctor and a Bhutan Agriculture Food and Regulatory Authority official to Matigara in Darjeeling district where the farm is located.
Arambagh in India is the sole supplier of dressed chickens to Bhutan and there are five suppliers for eggs.
Bhutan had imposed an indefinite ban on the import of poultry and related products from India in midFebruary last year following the outbreak of H5N1 virus in poultry in Maharashtra state. PTI
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