Nahan, Nov 17 (PTI) A 21-year-old woman was critically injured when she was hit by a stone tossed up by the tyre of a truck passing through Rajpur village, following which villagers blocked the Rajpur-Badhana main road for over five hours today, police said. Neelam (21) was rushed to Paonta civil hospital and her condition was serious, DSP Paonta N S Negi said. The driver of the truck fled from the scene, after which agitated villagers blocked the main road, the DSP said. The administration and police persuaded the people to lift the blockade and normal traffic resumed at 6:00 PM, Negi said. He said the villagers agreed to end their agitation after Assistant Engineer of PWD assured them that steps would be taken to ensure that such incidents do not occur again. PTI PCL MNS
Villagers block road after local girl hit
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 18 November 2012 | 23.55
Car bomb kills seven foreign Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least seven Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims from Iran and Pakistan were killed in Iraq on Saturday when a car bomb went off by a restaurant in a city north of the capital, police and hospital sources said.
The attack took place a few days into the holy month of Ashura, which is of special significance to Shi'ite Muslims, who are targeted by al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate and other Sunni Islamist insurgents.
Police said a parked car blew up near a restaurant on the outskirts of Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, killing the pilgrims, who were travelling back to the capital from the Shi'ite holy city of Samarra.
A further 25 people were wounded in the blast, medics said.
Almost one year after the last U.S. troops left Iraq, al Qaeda's local wing has vowed to revive attacks against the country's Shi'ites in an attempt to reignite the kind of sectarian violence that drove the country to the edge of civil war four years ago.
Attacks against Shi'ites have often increased during Ashura, when Shi'ites commemorate the death of the Prophet's grandson Imam Hussein.
(Reporting by Gazwan Hassan; Writing by Suadad al-Salhy; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
China's Xi praises Hu for voluntarily giving up power
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's president-in-waiting Xi Jinping has praised his predecessor Hu Jintao for voluntarily stepping down from both his party and military posts, promising to uphold his legacy of defence modernisation, state media said on Saturday.
Hu, who remains China's president until March's parliament session, relinquished the much more powerful post of Communist Party boss on Thursday at the close of the once-every-five-year congress that selects the party's new leadership line-up.
The question had loomed whether Hu would stay on as head of the powerful Central Military Commission, thereby preventing a full takeover of the party and armed forces by Vice President Xi.
Hu's predecessor Jiang Zemin remained chief of the military commission for two years after Hu took over as president and party boss.
"Chairman Hu, giving full consideration to the development of the party, country and military, voluntarily proposed no longer holding the positions of party general secretary or chairman of the military commission," the official Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.
"The entire 18th Party Congress respected Chairman Hu's willingness (to step down), and agreed to his request," Xi said at a military commission meeting held on Friday.
"Chairman Hu's very important decision fully showed his deep consideration toward the development of the Party, the country and military, and fully showed his foresight as a Marxist statesman and strategist, and his broad mind and noble character," Xi added, using typically turgid communist phraseology.
Hu had made modernising China's outdated, massive armed forces a key platform of his time in office, overseeing the launch of the country's first aircraft carrier and development of stealth fighters.
Xi said the military must "work hard to promote its revolutionary modernisation".
He added that the party must "unswervingly" remain in control of military, reflecting the leadership's determination to ensure that the People's Liberation Army remains the ultimate shield of their authority.
"Ensuring the absolute leadership of the party over the military ... concerns the lasting stability of the party and the country," Xi said.
(Reporting by Terril Yue Jones; Editing by Ben Blanchard)
Badal doubles cash amount for Shiromani Awards
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 22:06
Badal doubles cash amount for Shiromani Awards
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Badal doubles cash amount for Shiromani Awards
Badal doubles cash amount for Shiromani Awards
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Badal doubles cash amount for Shiromani Awards
Badal doubles cash amount for Shiromani Awards
Chandigarh, Nov 17 (PTI) Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced to double the cash amount of Shiromani Awards bestowed upon litterateurs, scribes, poets and other eminent personalities for their outstanding contribution in promotion of the Punjabi language, literature and culture. The sole motive to enhance the cash award was to give due recognition to the outstanding contribution made by these noted personalities for the promotion of the Punjabi language, literature and culture, he said addressing a gathering here. On the occasion, he felicitated 43 literary personalities with Shiromani Sahit Rattan and Shiromani Sahitkar awards. The CM said that personalities to be honoured with Shiromani Sahit Rattan award from next year would be given a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh instead of Rs 5 lakh. Similarly, the cash award for Shiromani Sahitkar award has been doubled and the recipients would get Rs 5 lakh from the next year. He also announced that to introduce another award to honour the enormous contribution of journalists of Punjab origin, who have settled abroad. Badal asked the Education Minister to ensure to hold a function every year to felicitate the litterateurs in respective fields. The Chief Minister said that it was the SAD-BJP government which enacted a legislation to make the use of Punjabi language in all government and semi-government offices mandatory and to introduce it as a compulsory subject in schools. PTI VJ KAS
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IMF'S Lagarde says Greek deal should be 'rooted in reality'
Cutting short a visit to Asia to attend a eurogroup meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, Christine Lagarde, the IMF's managing director, told Reuters it was important that an agreement provide a lasting solution to Greece's debt to avoid prolonged uncertainty and further damage to the Greek economy.
"I am always trying to be constructive but I am driven by two objectives," she said in an interview, "to build and approve a program for Greece that is solid, that is convincing today, that will be sustainable tomorrow, that is rooted in reality and not in wishful thinking.
"The second objective is to maintain the integrity, credibility and quality of advice that we are giving, not for the Fund itself, which obviously is a concern of mine, but to lend that to the Europeans because that is what they are interested in," she said late on Saturday.
The IMF and euro zone governments are at loggerheads over how to reduce Greece's massive debt load, which is holding up the release of 31 billion euros in emergency loans to Athens.
Arsenal seize derby spoils after Adebayor sees red
REUTERS - Arsenal ruthlessly exploited Emmanuel Adebayor's moment of madness to come from behind and beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 in another eventful north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Adebayor, who had given Spurs a 10th-minute lead against his former club in the Premier League's early kickoff, was shown a red card for a two-footed challenge on Santi Cazorla seven minutes later, and the visitors never recovered.
Germany defender Per Mertesacker equalised for Arsenal with a powerful header after 24 minutes, and Arsene Wenger's side scored twice in the last three minutes of the first half -- through Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud -- to take control.
Spaniard Cazorla made it four from Podolski's cross on the hour, and although Gareth Bale gave Spurs some hope, Theo Walcott rounded off the scoring in injury time as Arsenal produced a repeat of their 5-2 victory over Spurs in February.
"If we show that ambition and courage, we can climb right up the table," Walcott told Sky Sports. "I think we shut a few people up with how good we were today."
Wenger, whose team leapfrogged Spurs into sixth place before the later kickoffs, said: "People are there to question us when we are not at the top but I have great confidence in this team.
"I believe it has something special, and what we want to do now is show it on a consistent basis."
The day ended with Arsenal in high spirits, though the game's opening half-hour -- breathless and anxious -- reflected the mindset both sides had brought into the contest.
Arsenal, who had wasted a two-goal lead in their previous two games, were trying to deal with their worst start to a season since 1982-83. Tottenham, having beaten Manchester United in September, had just lost two in a row to give the critics of manager Andre Villas-Boas more ammunition.
There is not much a manager can do, though, when one of his strikers attempts to win an innocuous 50-50 ball by diving in with both feet off the ground around the halfway line.
Arsenal fans bayed for blood, and the referee, Howard Webb, showed Adebayor a red card.
Until then Spurs had looked the more threatening.
England forward Jermain Defoe brilliantly turned Mertesacker to latch on to Jan Vertonghen's lofted pass, and although Defoe's sidefooted shot was palmed away by Wojciech Szczesny, Adebayor was there to tap the ball into an unguarded net.
Both managers agreed with Webb's decision to send Adebayor off, though Villas-Boas said he had no plans to punish his player. "It was one of those things that can happen," the Portuguese said. "It was a normal situation when a player disputes a ball, there was no intention to do any harm."
Spurs winger Aaron Lennon had a chance to make it 2-0 before Adebayor was dismissed, but thereafter Arsenal responded well.
After Mertseacker's equaliser, Giroud forced two sharp saves from French compatriot Hugo Lloris.
In the 42nd minute, Podolski squeezed home Arsenal's second with a left-foot shot that squirmed off the heel of Spurs defender William Gallas, and just before halftime the excellent Cazorla rode a challenge, burst into the area, and crossed low for Giroud to turn the ball past Lloris.
Cazorla made it 4-1 on the hour before Bale drilled a right-foot shot past Szczesny from 20 metres to give Spurs hope.
"There were two key moments," Villas-Boas said. "When we (gave them) a 3-1 margin (at halftime), and when we had a couple of chances at 4-2.
"But the result does not leave us down. To play with 10 men for so much time ... I am proud of my players."
Walcott's future at Arsenal has become the subject of speculation, but after he slotted home in injury time, Wenger said: "Theo was tremendous, from the first minute to the last. I have not changed my mind in trying to keep him."
(Writing by Stephen Wood; editing by Martyn Herman)
Financial Times Deutschland likely to be shuttered - report
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German publisher Gruner + Jahr (G+J) is likely to decide to stop publishing Financial Times Deutschland (FTD), a German magazine reported, as the daily business newspaper has not managed to break even since its debut in 2000.
A decision to shutter FTD along with two other publications that draw on FTD editorial staff is expected at a meeting of the Gruner + Jahr's supervisory board next Wednesday, weekly Focus reported, citing company sources.
About 330 staff would lose their jobs, the magazine said.
A Gruner + Jahr spokesman described the report as "speculation." He said the publisher was currently considering several options for its business publications but added: "There is no decision."
FTD started as a joint-venture of Financial Times publisher Pearson and Gruner + Jahr, which is controlled by unlisted media giant Bertelsmann, but Pearson sold its 50 percent stake to its German partner in 2008.
A person familiar with the matter told Reuters that a proposal to fold the FTD would be discussed at Wednesday's board meeting. (Reporting by Peter Maushagen; Writing by Ludwig Burger. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Rescue posts set up at Rohtang Pass
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 23:06
Rescue posts set up at Rohtang Pass
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Rescue posts set up at Rohtang Pass
Rescue posts set up at Rohtang Pass
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Rescue posts set up at Rohtang Pass
Rescue posts set up at Rohtang Pass
Shimla, Nov 17 (PTI) Two rescue posts were today set up on either sides of Rohtang Pass to ensure safety of people crossing the 15,050 ft pass, which has been officially closed for vehicular traffic for the winter. The rescue posts were set up at Mari and Koksar on either side of Rohtang Pass. The rescue posts have been set up by the Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti district administration and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Mountaineering and Allied Sports Institute, Manali and rescue team will remain alert to meet any exigency, an official said. Director, Mountaineering and Allied Sports Institute, Capt Randhir Salhuria said that these rescue posts have been set up to help the people crossing Rohtang Pass. People should cross Rohtang only in clear weather conditions, he said. Salhuria said that people should register themselves at Marhi while going towards Lahaul-Spiti and at Khoksar while going towards Manali so that rescue team could help the people at the time of any emergency. The administration has appealed the people to cross the Rohtang Pas crest before 3 pm. Meanwhile, vehicles are plying between Lahaul and Manali frequently despite the fact that temperature has dipped below freezing point during night at Rohtang Pass. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has officially closed the Manali-Rohtang Road on November 10 for the vehicular traffic. Tribal people are crossing Rohtang in compulsion but the tourists are unaware of danger and going towards Rohtang. "Information board regarding closure of Rohtang road has been set up at various points and hoteliers, guides and tourists have been asked to not to go towards Rohtang Pass," said SDM Manali. PTI PCL SHS
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S African Masterchef winner opens restaurant named Aarya
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 23:06
S African Masterchef winner opens restaurant named Aarya
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S African Masterchef winner opens restaurant named Aarya
S African Masterchef winner opens restaurant named Aarya
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S African Masterchef winner opens restaurant named Aarya
S African Masterchef winner opens restaurant named Aarya
From Fakir Hassen Johannesburg, Nov 17 (PTI) Indian-origin Deena Naidoo, winner of the first edition of the internationally renowned Masterchef television series in South Africa, has opened his own restaurant named 'Aarya' here. The famous Butter Chicken that made Deena Naidoo South Africa's first Masterchef was very much on the menu as celebrities gathered at the Montecasino complex here on Thursday for the opening of the restaurant. Named after his ten-year-old daughter, the restaurant's name 'Aarya', Naidoo explained signified in Sanskrit the way of addressing a woman with lots of dignity and respect. The restaurant was part of the prize from leading hospitality group Tsogo Sun, who have provided professional backup for Naidoo to run the signature restaurant for two years at its Sun Square Hotel at Montecasino. "I think I was destined to win that competition and that is why I gave it my best. I was most stressed throughout the competition because I needed to perform at my optimal," he said talking about the cooking competition. Naidoo said he had decided even before he entered Masterchef that if he won, he would make sure that he promotes South African cuisine in all its diversity, and not just the Indian cooking that he prides himself on. "I am proud to be South African," Naidoo said to huge applause. "So many of us preach that ideology, but so few of us walk it. I promised myself that I will walk it if I win. That is why in the menu, you will see a celebration of our nation that we need to be proud of," he said. "It's not an Indian menu, but something found in every part of South Africa that you will find on the menu when you come to Arya," Naidoo said. PTI FH ASK ASK
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Cop-turned-chain snatcher arrested
