Ogidi, Nigeria: Writer Chinua Achebe shunned Nigeria's corrupt politicians and twice turned down national honors, never fearing to criticize those he felt ruined his country. On Thursday, however, the lawmakers and the country's elite came to praise him.
Hundreds attended Achebe's funeral among the rolling hills of his eastern Nigeria home, a service that saw President Goodluck Jonathan literally hold up the writer's books. The gold plaque on his coffin simply called him the "eagle atop the Iroko tree" in his native Igbo language.
It was a fitting tribute to the respect Achebe carried among the people here and for many others around the world who knew him through his books, which many say is the first African voice heard in modern literature.Chinua Achebe's funeral. AP.
"Chinua Achebe gave Africa its confidence," said Emeka Anyaoku, an Igbo elder....
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10:56 AM, May 24, 2013
Sofia: Bulgaria has seized 350,000 fake ballot papers, prosecutors said on Saturday, a day before a parliamentary election that is likely to deliver no party a majority and more political turmoil in the EU's poorest country. Prosecutors said the ballots were found at a printing house owned by the company of a local councillor from the centre-right GERB whose government resigned from office during protests against low living standards and...
01:40 AM, May 12, 2013
Health officials in India have revoked Johnson & Johnson's license to make cosmetics at a plant outside Mumbai after they discovered the company had used an unauthorized process for sterilizing its baby powder. J&J said in a statement on Friday that it is in "ongoing discussions" with Indian regulators. "We understand their concerns and are diligently working with them to resolve the issue," Peggy Ballman, a J&J spokeswoman, said in...
06:11 AM, May 04, 2013
New Delhi: Holding that hate speeches targeting a section of society were weakening the country's social fabric, the Supreme Court on Monday urged the central and the state governments to demonstrate courage and proceed against political and religious authors of these speeches. A bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde told the government that it must have courage to take action against the...
04:59 AM, Apr 30, 2013
New Delhi: Country's largest steel maker SAIL has said it expects the domestic demand for the metal to grow by 7-8 per cent in 2013, although prices may hover at the current level. "If you see the demand for the first four months of the current calendar year, year-on-year basis globally, even in China, even in India, it is better than the corresponding period of 2012, Steel Authority of India...
02:05 PM, Apr 28, 2013
New Delhi: At a time when Delhi government is strongly pushing for regularisation of over 1,600 unauthorised colonies, home to around 60 lakh people, Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin has decided to launch a detailed probe into alleged irregularities in the process initiated for their regularisation. The decision by the Lokayukta came after Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna in March asked him to file a final report on the politically sensitive matter...
11:40 AM, Apr 28, 2013
Goa, south India. A beautiful holiday hideaway where hippies and backpackers while away the hours. But beneath the clear blue skies lies a dirty secret. Simran Singh is desperate for a break and some time away from her busy job as a social worker-come-crime investigator. And so the unspoilt idyll of Goa seems just the place - white beaches, blue seas and no crime. But when a disturbing video appears...
04:57 PM, Apr 26, 2013
Patiala: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has no issues on Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh joining the camp here any time as he has got clearance from the NADA. SAI director general Jiji Thomson told reporters here on Thursday that Vijender can join the camp anytime now. "He has been given clean chit by NADA and therefore we absolutely have no issues with him. He is currently on...
10:35 PM, Apr 25, 2013
New Delhi: News broadcasting fraternity on Monday condoled the death of Justice (Retd) JS Verma who passed away after a brief illness. Justice Verma was appointed the first Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), a self- regulatory body set up by News Broadcasters Association on October 2, 2008. "In his frequent interaction with members of NBA, he would tell them that in a democracy, it was the media's...
10:50 AM, Apr 23, 2013
Mumbai: Space crunch may hit parking of helicopters and small airplanes at the two airports in Mumbai, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) planning to implement stringent guidelines to decongest the aerodromes and their runways. Lack of parking space is more acute at the main Chhatrapati Shivaji International (CSI) Airport and implementation of the guidelines would begin soon, airport sources said, adding "parking is a major issue due to...
01:43 PM, Apr 17, 2013
Nagpur: Aadhaar cards will henceforth bear date of birth of the holder, facilitating people to avail benefits of several government and non-governmental schemes which require age validation. Till now, only year of birth was mentioned in the card, but now, it has been agreed in-principle to insert the date of birth, said city-based RTI activist Avinash Prabhune, who pursued the matter with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and...
12:45 PM, Apr 09, 2013
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir on Sunday cautioned judges against interfering in the government's policy matters, unless these were in conflict with the statute, and also against making unnecessary comments on constitutional authorities. "Unnecessary comments should not be made...I agree on that," Chief Justice Kabir said replying to a question on the gag provision in the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill which is before the Rajya...
05:32 AM, Apr 08, 2013
New Delhi: The Unique Identification (UID) Aadhaar number will soon be a "valid" proof of identity and address to obtain a PAN card. A proposal for inclusion of Aadhaar in the existing list of valid proof of identification and proof of address for allotment of PAN was sent to the Finance Ministry by the Unique Identification Authority of India. The Ministry has decided to notify rules in this regard. It...
09:53 PM, Apr 07, 2013
Mumbai: In order to further rationalise money changing activities, the Reserve Bank on Friday allowed authorised money changers (AMCs) to sell Indian rupees to foreign tourists against international debit cards. This facility was earlier limited only to international credit cards. "...it has been decided that Authorised Money Changers (AMCs) may sell Indian rupees to foreign tourists/visitors against International Credit Cards/International Debit Cards," RBI said in a notification. RBI added that...
04:15 AM, Apr 06, 2013
In one of Maharashtra's worst building collapses in a decade, 58 people have died and 61 have been injured after a seven-storeyed building in Laxmi Compound in Mumbra, a suburb of Thane, crashed down like a pack of cards into a heap of rubble on Thursday evening. However, even after a day, authorities are struggling with rescue operations. ...
11:59 PM, Apr 05, 2013
Thane: In one of Maharashtra's worst building collapses in a decade, 58 people have died and 61 have been injured after a seven-storeyed building in Laxmi Compound in Mumbra, a suburb of Thane, crashed down like a pack of cards into a heap of rubble on Thursday evening. However, even after a day, authorities are struggling with rescue operations. A population spurt in the Mumbra-Kalwa belt in Thane district has...
07:59 PM, Apr 05, 2013
Vijender has been on leave since the first week of March and has not attended the camp for a day. ...
02:48 PM, Apr 03, 2013
Hyderabad: Shortage of fuel - both gas and coal - was the only reason for the growing electricity scarcity in the country, particularly in the south, Central Electricity Authority Chairman AS Bakshi said in Hyderabad on Saturday. "Coal shortage will continue for at least 3-4 years though we have adequate reserves. Domestic coal supply to power generating stations has increased by eight per cent in 2013, but still there will...
02:30 AM, Mar 31, 2013
New Delhi: At 98, Khushwant Singh counts himself lucky that he still enjoys his evening drink and relishes tasty food, but feels sad that he has always been a bit of a lecher and looked at women as objects of lust. In " Khushwantnama: The Lessons of My Life", the country's most prolific writer and columnist reflects on a life lived fully and the lessons it has taught him. He...
03:29 PM, Mar 29, 2013
Tiruchirapalli: Airport Authority of India (AAI) is considering developing 20 airports in the next five years, according to a senior official. "Subject to cooperation from the respective state governments and access to suitable sites free of cost, AAI is hopeful of developing 20 airports in the next five years," GK Chaukiyal, member (operations), AAI told reporters here on Wednesday. "With the government's policy of special focus on the development of...
12:24 PM, Mar 28, 2013
