World / Social Life
Urals remains belong to last Russian tsar's children - DNA test -2
16.07.2008 10:23
rian.ru
DNA tests have revealed that bones found near the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals belonged to Prince Alexei and his elder sister Maria, the children of Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II, investigators said on Wednesday.
Russia
Social Life
Medvedev pushes European summit to agree security treaty
16.07.2008 09:20
rian.ru
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated Wednesday a proposal to hold a pan-European summit to draw up a common security treaty.
Russia
Social Life
Russian doomsday prophet too ill to attend court
16.07.2008 09:20
rian.ru
The Russian sect leader whose followers recently spent more than six months underground in central Russia will take no further part in court sessions to decide if he should be held criminally responsible for his actions, a Penza Region judicial spokesman said Wednesday.
Russia
Social Life
Antony orders inquiry into harassment of woman Army captain
16.07.2008 08:27
b4uindia.com
Defence Minister A.K.Antony on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into an allegation of physical and mental harassment that was leveled by Captain Poonam Kaur of the Kalka-based Army Services Corps (ASC) battalion against her superior officers. Capt. Kaur has accused her seniors, including her commanding officer, of physically and mentally harassing her over the past few months. However, the Army has described the allegations as baseless. Capt. Kaur was posted to Kalka on October 18, 2007 from Eastern theatre. In December, she requested for allotment of married accommodation on compassionate grounds. Though she was unmarried and not authorised to get married accommodation, her case was sympathetically considered and granted by the Army. On June 30, Capt. Kaur was ordered to move to Pathankot to command a detachment of her unit located there. She initially accepted the orders, but then requested that the posting be delayed till July 11 for personal reasons. The Army said that this request was also accomodated. On July 11 Capt. Kaur was again instructed to move, but she again requested that she be allowed to leave on July 12, which was also agreed to. On July 12, Capt. Kaur refused to move to Pathankot, thereby disobeying legal and legitimate orders. The Army said that on July 13, she asked for an interview with the Major General ASC headquarters, Western Command. She was granted the interview on July 14 and when she was asked to give her grievance in writing, she refused and returned to her unit. When the Major General visited the ASC battalion at Kalka on July 15 to meet Capt. Kaur, she refused to come out of her quarters to meet him. The Army clarified that the officer in question has not been placed under any restrictions and is totally free to move around. “During her last posting at Misamari in Assam, the officer had indulged in similar activities. She had refused to carry out her assigned duties, and when questioned, had alleged mental harassment,” the Army said. These were inquired into and disciplinary action was contemplated. Keeping in view of her young age and pleadings by her mother, she was let off. However her “mental weakness” was recorded in her profile, it added. Capt. Kaur has alleged that her commanding officers -- Colonel R K Sharma, Lt Colonel Ajay Chawla and Major Suraj Bhan -- had physically and mentally harassed her after she had turned down their physical advances. She also accused them of keeping her in illegal confinement in her quarters at the Kalka military station. Capt. Kaur claimed that the harassment has been going on ever since her posting to the ASC unit in Kalka in October 2007. She said her efforts to resolve the problem with the intervention of the Army authorities had failed on Tuesday, when her mother and younger brother, who were staying with her, were thrown out of the quarters and she was illegally detained there. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Military honours for World War II hero
16.07.2008 08:27
b4uindia.com
The Army bade farewell to their World War II veteran Subedar S.K. Thangaraj with full military honours here today. Subedar Thangaraj of Eleven Madras Engineers Regiment took part in World War II, riot control activities in Punjab during partition, Indo-China War 1962 and Indo-Pakistan War in 1965. He was cremated with full military honours by local Army unit. His body was draped in tri-colour and was given final gun salute with bugle calls of ''Last-Post''. A two-minute silence was observed before his mortal remains were consigned to flames. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Jammu shuts down over Amarnath land transfer issue
16.07.2008 08:27
b4uindia.com
Pro-Hindu organisation activists today observed a shutdown in Jammu over the issue of forest land not being transformed to the Amarnath Shrine Board. It may be recalled that initially the Congress-led State Government of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had ordered the transfer of the land to the shrine board, but when Muslims in the Kashmir Valley raised strong objections to the move, the order was withdrawn. Thereafter, the State Government said that it would be taking responsibility for activities associated with the Amarnath Shrine including staying arrangements for pilgrims, much to the chagrin of Hindus in the state. Wednesday’s shutdown saw shops and business establishments closed and public transport being affected. Protesters also clashed with policemen and marched through deserted streets. They said they would keep up their agitation till their demand of restoring the land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) was met. The nearly 100 acres of forestland was to be used for the building of temporary shelters for pilgrims who trek annually to the shrine.
India
Social Life
If the UPA govt falls on July 22, let it fall, says Rahul Gandhi
16.07.2008 08:26
b4uindia.com
AICC General Secretary and Nehru-Gandhi family scion, Rahul Gandhi today said that the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal was in the national interest, and if the Congress-led UPA Government falls on July 22 during the trust vote on the deal, "let it fall". Fully backing Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for going ahead on the nuclear deal, a mature-looking Rahul said, "sometimes one has to take risks in life (in the national interest). Our prime minister has shown a vision, and I give a 100 percent backing to him. I would say that he should try for such a deal again and again until it was finalised (with the US)." "Those opposing the deal say that uranium could produce only three percent power. How do we know it.......may be some bright scientist in our country works on it and successfully produces 70 percent power out of it," he added. Speaking to press reporters during his visit to Amethi, he claimed that young MPs across the party lines were supporting the deal saying that they fail to understand why their party leadership was against the deal. "Even a section of BJP MPs, particularly young, have confided in me that they support the deal. They also tell me that their party leadership was against the deal," he said and added that the deal was in national interest but those opposing it were doing so only due to "political and ideological" reasons. Drawing a parallel between the deal and computerisation being introduced by his late father Rajiv Gandhi during his prime ministership, he said, "when I was a young boy, my father talked about computerisation. But people opposed the idea saying that India lived in villages and how would a computer help a farmer. Today you can see how much a computer has changed our lives........today everyone of us has a computer in our houses." Castigating the Uttar Pradesh government for not doing enough to eradicate poverty, he said: "today the priority for the present day Uttar Pradesh government, or any government in the country, should be remove poverty. In my opinion, the UP government is not doing enough in this direction." (ANI)
India
Social Life
Khadi industry set to be come more competitive
16.07.2008 08:26
b4uindia.com
Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Mahabir Prasad today said that the Government is proposing to provide Rs.84 crore as assistance for 200 institutions for replacement of Charkhas and looms and for making the Khadi industry more competitive and profitable. Speaking at the inaugural session of the third meeting of the National Khadi and Village Industries Board (NKVIB) here, Prasad said his ministry is planning to include 45 institutions managed by persons belonging to SC/STs under this scheme with a view to promote inclusive growth. This scheme will make the Khadi Industry more market driven and provide higher wages to artisans, he added. "For Khadi artisans, the Government had introduced a pilot scheme of ''Workshed for Khadi artisans'' under which worksheds would be provided to 38,000 Khadi artisans, at a maximum cost of Rs.25,000 per unit," he said. Through this scheme, he said that the Government is hopeful of providing the spinners in particular, a better working environment, which will improve their productivity and income. Spelling out the Government''s steps to make the Khadi sector more competitive in this era of globalization, Prasad said that his ministry has recognized the need for modern marketing strategies in the sector and is formulating a new scheme on marketing development assistance to Khadi institutions. "The new scheme is expected to provide assistance towards renovation, computerization, marketing infrastructure, quality improvement of products and better packaging of Khadi products," he said. Prasad said his Ministry is planning to strengthen the Rural Employment Generation Programme by bringing in wide spread improvement in the scheme. He further added that he would request banks particularly those operating in the far flung areas to cooperate in the implementation of Khadi schemes, which are related to increase in employment opportunities. The day-long meeting discussed among other things agenda items relating to improving the marketability of Khadi Village Industry products, role of science and technology in the changing market scenario, streamlining of Khadi sector, export performance of KVICs and pereformance of various schemes in NER. (ANI)
India
Social Life
Serb foreign minister to discuss Kosovo in Russia - 2
16.07.2008 08:25
rian.ru
Serb Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic will meet with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on July 17 to discuss means of restarting talks on Kosovo's status.
Russia
Social Life
Court Releases Person Suspected Of Riot In Hrafska Quay In Sevastopol On Bail Of UAH 17,000
16.07.2008 08:25
ukranews.com
Ukrainian News has learned this from a spokesman of the public relations department of the Sevastopol police directorate.
Ukraine
Social Life
Pet Lovers Flock to New Online Social Network
16.07.2008 07:22
prweb.com
New online social network for pets and pet owners. Connect with other pet lovers around the world and share stories, photos, comments, and videos. Find other pets and pet owners in your area. (PRWeb Jul 16, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/07/prweb1110364.htm
World
Zoos
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