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Mamata asks CPM to stop negative criticism

Kolkata: In an apparent reference to the CPI(M)'s accusation that her government lacked a clear policy in various sectors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday asked the party not to indulge in negative criticism and warned it against resorting to bandhs. "Those who are jealous take to negative criticism. I ask them to be positive. We are being accused of not having any vision. Those who themselves have...

Defa-e-Pakistan against MFN-status to India: Saeed

Karachi: Thousands of members of hardline and outlawed extremist groups joined a rally in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on Sunday, with Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed using the occasion to target the US and India. In a fiery speech, Saeed said the 40-odd members of the Defa-e-Pakistan Council would oppose any move by Pakistan to give India Most Favoured Nation-status. "India will not be a favoured nation. We...

'Lost respect' for Suarez, says Ferdinand

Manchester: Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he has "lost respect" for Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan refused to shake hands with Patrice Evra prior to Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford. Saturday's encounter between the two sides saw Suarez start for the first time since returning from an eight-match suspension after being found guilty of racially abusing Evra last October. Ferdinand told MUTV: "After seeing what I...

Dalglish defends Suarez after handshake snub

Manchester: Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish claimed he was unaware that Luis Suarez had refused to shake Manchester United defender Patrice Evra's hand before their defeat at Old Trafford, and insisted the Uruguayan was not to blame for a tense match on Saturday. Suarez, who was given an eight-match ban earlier in the season for racially abusing the Frenchman, rejected the leftbacks attempts to shake his hand just before kick-off. The...

Mamata Banerjee to write lyrics for a film?

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also an acknowledged painter and poet, is now turning lyricist for a film on girl trafficking by cinestar-turned-MLA Chiranjit. The popular actor, who won the last Assembly election on a Trinamool Congress ticket, said 'Didi' had expressed readiness to pen the lyrics for one of the songs of the film. "Let's see how things progress," Chiranjit told PTI. Asked what made...

Gunmen kill provincial judge, child in Afghanistan

Kabul: Afghan officials say gunmen have killed a provincial judge and his young niece in eastern Afghanistan. A district official in Nangarhar province says the head of the appeals court for neighboring Kunar province was visiting family in a village outside of Jalalabad on Saturday when gunmen burst into the house and opened fire. Khogyani District Administrator Mohammad Asan says Judge Mohammad Nasir was killed, along with his eight-year-old niece....

Mandela's image to appear on S African banknotes

Pretoria: The image of 93-year-old Nelson Mandela will appear on South Africa's new currency notes to mark the 22nd anniversary of the anti-apartheid icon's release from prison. "On behalf of Government and the people of South Africa, it is my honour and pleasure to announce that the new South African bank notes will bear the image of President Mandela, the President of a free, democratic South Africa," South African President...

Devas deal: Government mulls probe by ED, I-T

New Delhi: The government is mulling a probe by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department into the role of two Mauritius-based entities to identify their stakes in Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd which executed the controversial S-band deal with the ISRO. It is also contemplating investigation into activities of certain unknown government officials for their "collusive behaviour" and acts of omission and commission in extending undue favours to Devas...

Trinamool pursuing undemocratic policies: CPM

Kolkata: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Saturday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of pursuing "undemocratic and anti-people" policies after it decided to revoke subsidies to the transport corporations. "What kind of a policy is this? It is not necessary that all corporations will have to make profit... but now the government is saying that they will not give any subsidies to the corporations,"...

'Suarez should never play for Liverpool again'

London: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has slammed Luis Suarez, saying he should never play for Liverpool again after refusing to shake the hand of Patrice Evra before Saturday's Premier League match between the fierce rivals. Wayne Rooney scored twice, before a late consolation from Suarez, as Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 in an ill-tempered match that was overshadowed by the tension between Suarez and Evra. Ferguson said after the...

Watch: Suarez refuses to shake hands with Evra

Manchester: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez refused to shake Manchester United defender Patrice Evra's hand, when the two were involved in an angry confrontation on Saturday during a pre-match handshake in the players' first meeting since the Liverpool forward was banned for racially abusing the France international. Evra extended his hand to the Uruguayan striker but Suarez appeared to ignore the defender and refused to shake hands with Evra when the...

We don't support separatists, says Mamata

Siliguri: Ahead of her meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) top leaders on Saturday on the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said she did not support separatists. "We do not want any division (between the hills and the plains). But we want unity among the hills and the plains. I do not support separatists," Banerjee said while inaugurating the week-long North Bengal Utsav. GJM...

Swiss bank says US tax case a 'major challenge'

Geneva: A state-owned Swiss bank has described a US tax evasion probe as "major challenge" to it and Switzerland's entire banking industry. Zurich-based Zuercher Kantonalbank is one of at least 11 Swiss banks under pressure from the US to give up tax-evading American customers and the bankers who aided them. ZKB said on Friday it never actively sought customers in the United States but did receive millions of dollars in...

We don't support separatists, says Mamata

Siliguri: Ahead of her meeting with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) top leaders on Saturday on the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said she did not support separatists. "We do not want any division (between the hills and the plains). But we want unity among the hills and the plains. I do not support separatists," Banerjee said while inaugurating the week-long North Bengal Utsav...

Enjoyed playing activist in 'Shanghai': Kalki

New Delhi: Actress Kalki Koechlin says she enjoying playing a student activist in Dibakar Banerjee's political thriller 'Shanghai'. Kalki, 28, who started her career with 'Dev D', is reuniting with Abhay Deol in the political thriller. "I play a character called Shalini. She is a political activist student who is very innocent and [passionate, realistic about the world. She fights for the corruption in Indian politics today," Kalki told PTI....