Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on Friday announced the launch of a tariff scheme for the festival season. It has introduced night packs where the user would be charged 20 paise per minute for local calls and 50 paise per minute for STD calls between 11 pm and 7 am, BSNL said in a statement.
Under its GPRS plan, BSNL will provide unlimited data usage for Rs 230, it added. It has also launched two SMS packs for Rs 30 (all local and national messages would be charged at 10 paise) and Rs 50 (300 local and national SMS free).
“BSNL has launched aggressive pricing strategy to increase penetration in the country as well as to make its products competitive and value for money in this fiercely competitive market,” BSNL said. The teleco has also introduced one paise per second pulse (for local calls) and two paise per second pulse (for STD calls) in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Patna, Oct 2 - At least 50 Maoist guerrillas attacked a Bihar village and brutally gunned down 16 people, including five children, after tying their hands and legs, police said Friday. Angry villagers attacked the deputy chief minister and other politicians who visited the spot.
The massacre, which appeared to follow a dispute over land, took place late Thursday in Amausi village in Khagaria district, about 200 km north of Patna.
Villagers told police that the guerrillas had tied the hands and legs of the victims before shooting them dead.
Eleven people have been detained and are being interrogated.
The issue gained political overtones with demands for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s resignation from opposition leaders Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan.
Angry villagers attacked the vehicle of state Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and roughed him up when he visited the spot. Agriculture Minister Renu Devi and a local legislator Punam Yadav, who were accompanying Modi, were also assaulted.
‘Angry villagers shouted slogans against the state government and Modi. They roughed up Modi, who was somehow saved by police and left the village immediately,’ a villager said.
The villagers were angry over failure of the local police to provide security to them and take any action despite being informed about the threat four months ago.
Bihar police chief Anand Shankar said that the priority was to arrest those involved in the incident.
‘Over 50 armed Maoist rebels attacked Amausi village and shot dead 16 villagers, including five children,’ Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Pandey said, adding that the killing appeared to be over a land dispute but that the police were still investigating.
‘All senior district officials are camping in the village and security forces have been deployed. The Special Task Force along with district police have launched combing operations against Maoists in Khagaria,’ Pandey added.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned the incident and asked top officials of the state administration to investigate.
Dublin, Oct 2 - Voting got off to a slow start Friday as Ireland went to the polls to decide — for the second time — on the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty.
Several polling stations in Sligo in the north-west of the country were reporting ‘a very slow start’ to voting with very low numbers turning out so far.
Just 14 people out of 650 had voted in one booth by 9 a.m. in Tubbercurry.
In Dublin city there was an average voter turnout of 4.4 percent by around 10 a.m.
Turnout in the south-western city of Cork was estimated at around 5 percent by 10 a.m.
In County Kerry, in the south-west, the turnout in urban polling stations in Tralee and Killarney is estimated to be also at 5 percent.
Opposition Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who campaigned for a ‘Yes’ vote, voted in Castlebar, Co Mayo, in the West of Ireland, where polling was reportedly ‘quiet’.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Brian Cowen, whose unpopularity is expected to cause some voters to vote ‘No’ in protest, made an eve-of-poll appeal to voters to come out.
‘People will go to the polls in one of the most important votes in recent Irish history,’ he said on a last-minute walkabout of his native Tullamore in the midlands Thursday evening.
‘The outcome will determine the future direction of our country and I am urging people to go out and vote and to think clearly before making this vital decision.’
Polling began at 7 a.m. in 43 constituencies, with 3.1 million eligible to vote, and was to continue until 10 p.m.
The Lisbon Treaty was rejected by the Irish electorate in a first referendum in June 2008, with the ‘No’ side winning 53.4 percent of the vote.
All the major Irish political parties have been campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote, with nationalist Sinn Fein the only parliamentary party to oppose the treaty.
Although the final polls indicate this time the ‘Yes’ side have a comfortable lead — with around 55 percent support — there were concerns at the close of the campaign that the ‘No’ side was gaining ground among the 18 percent undecided voters.
This trend was ‘directed at the government’, said the Labour Party’s European Affairs spokesman Joe Costello.
‘We want to get the message out quite clearly that this is not a vote against the government,’ he stressed.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the momentum was with the pro-treaty side.
This time, farming leaders, business leaders, public sector leaders and bishops have all supported a ‘Yes’ vote, he added.
Anti-treaty campaigner and Libertas leader Declan Ganley, who spearheaded the successful anti-Lisbon campaign in June 2008, said Ireland had nothing to lose and everything to gain by voting against the referendum.
The millionaire businessman said the EU reform package had not changed at all since the Irish people rejected it last year.
The Czech Republic and Poland are the other two countries that have not yet ratified the pact — which under EU rules must be unanimously approved by all members for it to come into force.
Ireland is the only one of 27 EU member states to hold a public referendum on the treaty.
Vote counting begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with official results expected to be announced by late afternoon.
Hamilton (New Zealand), Oct 2 - A mega function would be held here Saturday by the Indian community in New Zealand to mark the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. And a New Zealander of British ancestry will be one of the sponsors of the programme.
Richard Howard, managing director of reputed immigration consultancy Pathways, is only happy to chip in for the patriotic function being organised by the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust in Hamilton and will deliver a keynote address for the gathering of around 1,500 Indians.
‘Without going into good or bad sagas of history, I wish to establish a good rapport with each ethnic community in New Zealand, including Indians, who are emerging as a major international market,’ said Howard.
The British rulers in India had hanged to death the revolutionary Indian patriot along with two associates, Rajguru and Sukhdev, in 1931 when he was just 23.
‘The ceremony turns out to be great for us as a British-New Zealander, Richard Howard, has agreed to be the part of it as a sponsor. We welcome this gesture to garner better ties,’ said Jugraj Singh Mahil, chairperson of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust, which was set up in 2008.
New Delhi, Oct 2 - As India celebrated 140 years Friday since the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, hundreds of children and adults flocked to various sites associated with him to remember the man whose message of non-violence and peace is still relevant — even in these frenetic times.
For the not-so-young, this was a day of solemn introspection perhaps, and for the young, a chance to get a closer glimpse into the man they have read about in textbooks.
Yash Vaghela, 11, couldn’t contain his excitement when he saw a Parker pen used by the father of the nation.
‘I also use a Parker pen and he also used it. I am going to tell all my friends that Gandhiji used the same pen. Wow, I will be popular,’ said Vaghela as he went around the Gandhi Museum, near the Gandhi memorial Rajghat where VVIPs and common people came in droves to pay homage to the apostle of peace.
The museum, which has five galleries, showcases a range of Gandhi memorabilia — his notebook, letters, spectacles, the utensils he used as well as the clothes he was wearing when he was assassinated on Jan 30, 1948. The bullet that was used is also on display.
Vaghela, a Class 6 student of Mayo International, a resident of Noida, had come with his parents, neighbours and friends to the Gandhi memorial complex on the Ring Road in central Delhi.
‘I have come here for the first time. My parents told me that it is Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and we are celebrating it. We have read about him, but not much,’ Vaghela told IANS.
His friend Daniel Abhishek said they had read about Gandhi leading a peaceful struggle for India’s freedom. ‘But after seeing all this, we realised we actually did not know much. I am happy I came here.’
And saying this, both friends went around clicking photographs on their mobile phones.
Even as the children chatted loudly about the Mahatma, 44-year-old Murali Khanna took notes.
‘I had come here 10 years ago. This is my second visit. I am a Gandhian and I believe in peace and harmony,’ he said.
When asked what he was writing, the businessmen, who runs a handicraft store in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, just smiled.
‘I am going to spread the message of Gandhiji to the people I will come in contact with. Someone has to carry his message forward. Even today, he is so relevant.’
Toledo, who did not give his second name and had come all the way from Spain to pay homage, said Gandhi was one of the greatest figures of history.
‘When I think of Gandhi, I think of freedom and peace. He is a great historical figure… But very few individuals know about him,’ he added.
Kiran Saini, who acts as a guide at the museum, said children showed maximum interest in Gandhi and his teachings.
Museum manager Bhaswati Ray Choudhari said about 200 visitors come every day. This goes up to 800 people on days like Gandhi’s birth and death anniversaries.
There were some who said Gandhi’s message had been forgotten.
Like Murali Srivastava, the managing director of an automobile company, who said: ‘He has just become a face on the wall. No one believes in his teachings or philosophy.’
London, Oct 2 - Hollywood star Tom Hanks has won the latest round of his legal battle with a construction company he has accused of ‘shoddy’ workmanship.
Hanks and wife Rita Wilson hired contractors Storey Construction to build their Sun Valley, Idaho villa in 2000 but tried to take the firm to a tribunal after discovering faults with the work. The bosses of the construction company refused to attend the hearing, insisting they had already been to arbitration, with a lower court later ratifying their claim.
But on Wednesday, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously ruled Hanks can take the dispute to a hearing by an impartial third-party. And the Hollywood couple hopes the ruling will benefit others in the same situation, reports contactmusic.com.
‘We believe the Supreme Court’s decision will have an impact far beyond our case, helping homeowners who have been wronged in ways that remain hidden long after their home has been built. Like anyone else in the same position, we simply wanted Storey Construction to reimburse us for what we have spent fixing shoddy and defective construction,’ said a statement released by the couple.
Hanks first battled Storey Construction in a disagreement over payment - the firm sought arbitration after alleging the couple failed to settle the bill.
Washington, Oct 2 - President Barack Obama said that Americans owe an enormous gratitude to the father of the Indian nation as the US has its ‘roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the non-violent social action movement’ he led for India’s independence.
‘His teachings and ideals, shared with Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American society through our civil rights movement,’ Obama said in a message to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Friday, which is being celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence.
‘The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the non-violent social action movement for Indian independence which he led,’ Obama said in a statement.
On behalf of the American people, Obama said he wants to express appreciation for the life and lessons of Mahatma Gandhi on the anniversary of his birth.
‘This is an important moment to reflect on his message of non-violence, which continues to inspire people and political movements across the globe,’ he said.
‘We join the people of India in celebrating this great soul who lived a life dedicated to the cause of advancing justice, showing tolerance to all, and creating change through non-violent resistance,’ Obama said.
As the world remembers the Mahatma on his birth anniversary, Obama said: ‘We must renew our commitment to live his ideals and to celebrate the dignity of all human beings.’
Last month Obama had said that if given a chance he would love to have a dinner meeting with Mahatma Gandhi.
‘Dinner with anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead or alive, that’s a pretty big list,’ Obama said in response to a question from a student during his discussion with 9th graders at a high school in Arlington, Virginia, he joked.
Then added seriously: ‘You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine.’
‘Now, it would probably be a really small meal because he didn’t eat a lot,’ he said amidst laughter. ‘But Mahatma Gandhi is someone who has inspired people across the world for the past several generations’, he said.
Kathmandu, Oct 2 - For the first time in its history, Nepal will form a Border Security Force to patrol its northernmost tip of the border it shares with Tibet in a bid to prevent anti-China activities by Tibetan dissidents, Nepal’s Home Minister Bhim Rawal said.
Accompanied by the heads of different security wings, the home minister Thursday paid a surprise visit to Mustang, Nepal’s northernmost district that was once part of an ancient Tibetan kingdom which escaped the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 and still retains its old culture.
Rawal’s field visit was meant to gather first-hand information about the security situation in Mustang after the Chinese government urged Nepal to curb ‘Free Tibet’ activities by Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
Mustang has remained an Achilles’ heel for China since the uprising by Tibet’s Khampa community in 1959, a section of whom continued guerrilla attacks from Mustang and were trained and funded by the CIA.
Prior to Rawal’s visit, China’s Ambassador to Nepal Qiu Guohong also made a surprise visit to Mustang last month.
Besides the Chinese concern that Tibetans could slip into Nepal via Mustang and vice-versa, Beijing is also watching the dharamshala (wayside inn) built at the Muktinath shrine by the Indian government.
The Nepal government has agreed to deploy its new Border Security Force, to be carved out of the Armed Police Force, along the Mustang-Tibet border.
The Tatopani border checkpost between China-controlled Tibet and Nepal has been closed as China began celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of its people’s republic from Thursday.
The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu has also stopped issuing visas till Oct 8 in a bid to preempt Tibetan demonstrations.
Despite the tight security, Beijing has been stung by repeated demonstrations against it in Kathmandu.
Even on Thursday, ignoring the beefed up security at the Chinese embassy and visa-issuing centre, dozens of Tibetans courted arrest displaying banners that said ‘Free Tibet’ and unfurled the flag of independent Tibet.
Hyderabad, Oct 2 - The Andhra Pradesh government Friday called in the army while six helicopters of Indian Air Force were pressed into service to rescue marooned people as the flood situation in the state continued to be grim.
The worst floods in the Krishna river in 100 years have so far claimed 26 lives while thousands of people remained trapped in flood waters in Kurnool and Mantralayam towns and dozens of villages in Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts.
Terming the flood situation as ‘serious’, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said army personnel were deployed for rescue and relief operations.
Six helicopters have also been pressed into service to rescue people. While four helicopters are being used to airlift the flood-hit in Kurnool district, two choppers were deployed in Mahabubnagar district. A helicopter rescued 15 people in Mantralayam town.
Six power boats of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation were also being used to rescue people.
Revenue and Relief Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao said 120 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force based in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, were rushing to Andhra Pradesh for rescue operations.
Rosaiah spoke to Defence Minister A.K. Antony and union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to seek the help of defence and paramilitary forces for rescue and relief.
Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP) battalions were also deployed for rescue and relief.
The unprecedented inflows in Srisailam across the Krishna river following heavy rain in upstream Karnataka have triggered the worst floods in the Krishna basin in 100 years.
Floods in the Tungabhadra river and its tributaries added to the misery of people in five districts, especially in Kurnool and Mahabubnagar.
Almost the entire Kurnool town, about 250 km from state capital Hyderabad, and Mantralayam town in Kurnool district are marooned.
The floods have hit over a million people. In Kurnool district alone, half a million people were affected. Officials said 100,000 were shifted to relief camps.
Hundreds of villages in Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Krishna and Guntur districts were cut off following incessant rain over the last two days under the influence of a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.
The continuing massive inflows in Srisailam, downstream Nagarjuna Sagar and Prakasam barrage posed flood threat to several villages in Nalgonda, Guntur and Krishna districts. As a precautionary measure, the authorities have begun evacuating people from low-lying areas in Vijayawada city in Krishna district.
The Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers are reaching danger levels while several rivulets are overflowing. Over 350 tanks have breached, inundating towns and villages in the affected districts.
Flood waters from Srisailam have flooded Kurnool town, while the Tungabhadra’s waters have gushed into Mantralyam town, 120 km from Kurnool town.
The bus station in Mantralayam town is under water. Some passengers have climbed to the top of the building. The Raghuvendraswamy temple is completely under water, officials said.
The chief minister has asked all district collectors to remain on high alert as weather experts have forecast more rain till Tuesday. According to the Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre, heavy rain under the impact of the low pressure area was likely in north coastal Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema regions.
Meanwhile, road and rain transport to Rayalseema was badly hit by the floods. The state road transport corporation has stopped all buses to the region, comprising worst-hit Kurnool and three other districts.
Since the Hyderabad-Bangalore national highway is under water at several points, road transport between the two cities has come to a halt.
Train services, too, were hit by the floods. As many as 15 trains to the region were cancelled. A part of the track was washed away near Mantralayam, forcing the authorities to either cancel or divert trains, including those going to Bangalore.
Korolyov (Moscow Region), Oct 2 - Russia’s Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) Friday, a report said.
The spacecraft lifted off on board a Soyuz-FG rocket Wednesday from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan. Its crew include US astronaut Jeffrey Williams, Russian cosmonaut Maxim Surayev and a Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberte.
The crew members will be carrying out 48 scientific experiments and work with the crews of three US space shuttles scheduled to arrive there during the next six months.
The ISS now hosts three Russian spaceships, including the Soyuz TMA-14 and the Soyuz TMA-15.
—RIA Novosti
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