New Delhi: Amid speculation that the Congress is exploring government formation in Jharkhand -- which is under President's rule -- party vice president Rahul Gandhi reviewed the political situation with state leaders on Friday. A section of the Congress has been in favour of exploring ways to form a government in the state with the support of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), said party sources in Delhi.
However, the opinion was divided on the formation of a government in Jharkhand and polls to the state assembly could well be announcedm, the sources said. Some state leaders are opposed to the alliance with the JMM, while others think it could be of help now and later in the 2014 general elections too, said the sources.
Jharkhand Congress legislators recently met party leaders in Delhi on the issue. Gandhi was instrumental in the recent appointment of Sukhdeo Bhagat as head of the party unit in the predominantly tribal state. Jharkhand was placed under President's rule in January 2013, which ends in July.
The central rule was imposed after BJP's Chief Minister Arjun Munda resigned and his government was reduced to a minority after JMM withdrew its support. Gandhi instructed state leaders to strengthen the party and gave them targets for political activity over the next three months....
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05:22 AM, May 25, 2013
Washington: Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan on Thursday scripted history after he was confirmed as the first South Asian judge to America's second highest court. Described as "trailblazer" by US President Barack Obama, Chandigarh-born Srinivasan's nomination to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was unanimously approved by the Senate with 97 voting in favour. With Senate confirmation, 46-year-old Srinivasan has become the first Indian-American to be appointed...
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The royal and ancient game of golf, renowned for its etiquette and self-imposed penalties, has undergone many changes to the rules over its 600-year history but few issues have triggered as much debate as the proposal to outlaw the anchoring of putters. In a genteel sport where an inadvertent cough on a downswing can create controversy, the announcement by golf's rule-makers on Tuesday that anchoring would be banned from 2016...
01:48 PM, May 23, 2013
Washington: Ahead of an expected Senate vote on the nomination of Chandigarh-born Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth Srinivasan to a top US court, 21 lawmakers have penned their support for him. Srinivasan, 46, currently principal deputy solicitor general of the US last week won unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee for his nomination as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the American capital. "Sri Srinivasan would be...
10:40 AM, May 23, 2013
New York: General Motors Co is recalling worldwide more than 27,000 Cadillac crossover vehicles whose wheels could fall off due to potentially loose wheel nuts. GM said on Wednesday it knows of no crashes or injuries due to the issue and that no wheels have separated from the sport utility vehicles built on car-based platforms. The recall by the largest US automaker affects certain 2013 Cadillac SRX models equipped with...
09:12 AM, May 23, 2013
Washington: The US government formally acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that it had killed four Americans, including militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who died in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan. Attorney General Eric Holder named the dead US citizens in a letter to members of Congress a day before President Barack Obama is expected to promise more transparency on national security issues in a speech on counterterrorism. A...
06:48 AM, May 23, 2013
Washington: The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would bring about the biggest changes in US immigration policy in a generation, setting up a spirited debate in the full Senate in June 2013. By a vote of 13-5, the panel approved the nearly 900-page bill that would put 11 million illegal residents on a 13-year path to citizenship while further strengthening security along the southwestern border with Mexico,...
06:51 AM, May 22, 2013
Kolkata: The State Election Commission on Tuesday agreed to the formula proposed by the West Bengal government for district wise holding of the panchayat elections in three phases and said the polls would be notified this week. "As of now, yes. We will issue the notification by this week," State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey said when asked whether the SEC has agreed to the 9-4-4 district distribution formula by the...
02:01 AM, May 22, 2013
Washington: The United States and India on Tuesday asked the international community to take effective steps towards eliminating sanctuaries and infrastructure that support terrorism. After talks between visiting Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, a joint communique said the two countries also agreed to enhance bilateral co-operation to combat terror financing and currency counterfeiting. The communique, issued after Napolitano and Shinde co-chaired...
12:30 AM, May 22, 2013
Washington: The US on Monday welcomed India's generous bilateral assistance to Afghanistan but remained non-committal on reports about Kabul seeking supply of military equipment from New Delhi. "We welcome efforts by Afghanistan's neighbours and other regional actors to promote Afghanistan's stability and economic development," State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell told reporters. He was responding to questions on the India visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai during which according to media...
09:56 AM, May 21, 2013
Washington: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has visited America's top counter-terrorism center, to have the first-hand experience of its functioning. Shinde, who arrived here on Sunday, visited the centre on Monday. He is leading a high-powered India delegation for the second India-US Homeland Security Dialogue with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. He also visited the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center where he was given a tour and presentation...
09:17 AM, May 21, 2013
Seoul: North Korea fired two short-range missiles on Monday, making six launches in three days, and it condemned South Korea for criticising what it said were its legitimate military drills. South Korea's Defense Ministry said North Korea had fired one missile on Monday morning and a second one in the afternoon. Both were fired into the sea off North Korea's east coast, a ministry official said. The launches come hard...
03:17 PM, May 20, 2013
Washington: US President Barack Obama has asked Americans to be more competitive as millions of young people from countries like India, China and Brazil are joining the global workforce. "In today's hyper-connected, hyper-competitive world, with millions of young people from China and India and Brazil - many of whom started with a whole lot less than all of you did - all of them entering the global workforce alongside you,...
12:16 PM, May 20, 2013
Washington: A US-based Sikh group on Monday said that it will challenge the decision of an American district court last week to dismiss alleged human rights violations case against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The Sikh for Justice (SFJ) had filed the case of alleged human rights violations against Badal in 2012, but it was dismissed by a US district court in Wisconsin last Friday. The group said it...
11:40 AM, May 20, 2013
Singapore: Gold fell for an eighth straight session on Monday to its weakest level in over a month, as fears that the US Federal Reserve may wind back its economic stimulus programme hurt the metal's appeal as a hedge against inflation. Investors have been dumping gold, which is down 20 per cent so far this year, as stocks and the dollar continue to outperform. If gold closes in the red...
11:30 AM, May 20, 2013
Washington: Tornadoes tore through three central American states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa with baseball-sized hail and wind blasts ripping roofs off homes and turning trees to matchsticks, as severe weather swept the region. A large "violent and extremely dangerous" tornado was spotted on Sunday night on the southwest side of Wichita, Kansas and a second confirmed one was seen near Edmond, Oklahoma, the National Weather Service said. Another tornado...
11:17 AM, May 20, 2013
Kolkata: In the backdrop of the chit fund scam, the State Bank of India on Saturday said Reserve Bank of India or Securities and Exchange Board of India should take up major campaigns to create awareness among investors being lured to ponzi schemes. "RBI...or SEBI should begin a major campaign in line with Jago Grahak Jago, woolmark or hallmark (gold) to create awareness among the investors about these ponzi schemes,"...
08:20 AM, May 19, 2013
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07:50 AM, May 19, 2013
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12:32 PM, May 18, 2013
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11:10 AM, May 18, 2013
