Kakdwip, Kolkata, 4 November : The trawler which capsized in the Muriganga river with 246 people onboard was retrieved today, while the death toll reached 83 after two more bodies were fished out.Fishermen saw a piece of wood floating in the middle of the river last evening near Chakfuldubi village bearing the trawler's name 'Ma Durga' and pulled it to the Majarchar village and informed the authorities. The police this morning reached the spot with a launch and divers to determine if it was indeed the elusive trawler that was carrying 246 passengers.
Ropes and drums were used to lift the trawler which had sunk near Talpatty island, sources said adding it was being pulled to lot No. 8 in Kakdwip. န File Photo : Reuters
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SUCI party to boycott Barack Obama's Parliament address
Kolkata, 4 November : The SUCI today said its lone MP Tapan Mondal would boycott the Parliament address by US President Barack Obama.
"Our decision to boycott the address by Obama will be communicated to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister in writing," Social Unity Centre of India general secretary Provas Ghosh said here. He said Obama's visit would serve the interest of corporate entities alone and added that his party would organise demonstrations on 8 November.
Kolkata, 4 November : The SUCI today said its lone MP Tapan Mondal would boycott the Parliament address by US President Barack Obama.
"Our decision to boycott the address by Obama will be communicated to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister in writing," Social Unity Centre of India general secretary Provas Ghosh said here. He said Obama's visit would serve the interest of corporate entities alone and added that his party would organise demonstrations on 8 November.
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Assam government not to oppose bail plea of ULFA leaders
PTI, New Delhi, 4 November : To facilitate their participation in peace talks, the Assam government has decided not to oppose the bail pleas of top ULFA leaders, including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who are currently lodged in jail.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said his government was sincerely working to initiate the dialogue process with the ULFA and hence the prosecution will not oppose bail pleas of any of the top ULFA leaders.
PTI, New Delhi, 4 November : To facilitate their participation in peace talks, the Assam government has decided not to oppose the bail pleas of top ULFA leaders, including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who are currently lodged in jail.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said his government was sincerely working to initiate the dialogue process with the ULFA and hence the prosecution will not oppose bail pleas of any of the top ULFA leaders.
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Nandigram injured get compensation from WB government
Nandigram, 4 November : West Bengal government today paid Rs one lakh each each to 90 of the 159 persons injured in the Nandigram police firing in March 2007 following a Supreme Court directive.Local block development officer handed over cheques to 81 persons and paid the sum in cash to eight others who did not have any bank account. District Magistrate Archna Meena said the money was paid to 81 people and the other injured would also get the money the government releases the money.
Two days after the Supreme Court directed the government to pay compensation to the injured, the state government on 29 October issued an order for payment of compensation totalling Rs Rs 1.59 crore to those injured in the firing at Nandigram on 14 March, 2007. န File Photo : Raghunandan Mallick
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Heavy rains likely in AndamanNicobar Islands in next 48hrs
New Delhi, 4 November : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today said that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur at a few places over the Andaman & Nicobar Islands during the next 48 hours.
In a bulletin, the IMD said strong winds with speed reaching 35-45 kmph were likely over and around the islands and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hous and 45-55 kmph during the next 24 hours. The bulletin advised fishermen to be cautious while venturing into the sea.
New Delhi, 4 November : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today said that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur at a few places over the Andaman & Nicobar Islands during the next 48 hours.
In a bulletin, the IMD said strong winds with speed reaching 35-45 kmph were likely over and around the islands and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hous and 45-55 kmph during the next 24 hours. The bulletin advised fishermen to be cautious while venturing into the sea.
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One killed in clash between Joint forces and PCPA group
Midnapore, 4 November : One person was killed and 25 others were injured, including 18 security personnel, when supporters of the Maoist-backed People's Committee Against Police Atrocities attacked the joint security forces at Chunapara in West Midnapore district today.
The joint forces opened fire to repulse the PCPA supporters armed with bows and arrows, lathis and sharp weapons when they went to the area on a tipoff that a meeting was being held by them, ASP Mukesh Kumar said. Three policemen, including the Officer-in-charge of Sankrail police station Uttam Debnath, were seriously injured, he said.
Midnapore, 4 November : One person was killed and 25 others were injured, including 18 security personnel, when supporters of the Maoist-backed People's Committee Against Police Atrocities attacked the joint security forces at Chunapara in West Midnapore district today.
The joint forces opened fire to repulse the PCPA supporters armed with bows and arrows, lathis and sharp weapons when they went to the area on a tipoff that a meeting was being held by them, ASP Mukesh Kumar said. Three policemen, including the Officer-in-charge of Sankrail police station Uttam Debnath, were seriously injured, he said.
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BNP's Khaleda Zia demands mid-term polls in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 4 November : Bangladeshs opposition leader Khaleda Zia has demanded that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should test her popularity by holding a mid-term parliamentary poll."The people have already lost their confidence in the government," Zia, a two-term prime minister, told a lawyers forum close to her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tuesday.
Citing a survey report on the Hasina governments performance, Zia said: "98 percent people favoured holding of mid-term polls." "The government is now in an awkward situation. People have shown their no-confidence in this government," the New Age newspaper quoted her as saying.
Zia alleged that the government was not holding election to the Dhaka city corporation as it feared a repeat of its debacle in the Chittagong city corporation polls in which the Awami League city mayor had lost. The call for mid-term poll was given earlier this week by the BNPs secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain.
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2 Maoists arrested, gelatine sticks seized in Bankura
Bankura, 4 November : Two Maoist cadre were arrested and several detonators and gelatine sticks seized today following a raid in Ranibandh in Bankura district.
"Acting on a tip-off, Maoist guerrillas Rabin Tudu and Chittaranjan Murmu were arrested from a place near Baro Mile jungle in Ranibandh. They were evading arrest and were hiding for a long time," Superintendent of Police, Pranab Kumar. Twenty gelatine sticks and 40 detonators were seized from them.
Bankura, 4 November : Two Maoist cadre were arrested and several detonators and gelatine sticks seized today following a raid in Ranibandh in Bankura district.
"Acting on a tip-off, Maoist guerrillas Rabin Tudu and Chittaranjan Murmu were arrested from a place near Baro Mile jungle in Ranibandh. They were evading arrest and were hiding for a long time," Superintendent of Police, Pranab Kumar. Twenty gelatine sticks and 40 detonators were seized from them.
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Love-struck medical student kills himself for "Orkut lover"
Agartala, 4 November : A love-struck medical student, Rupak Nath, committed suicide in Agartala as he felt his Orkut friend Rima (name changed) had ditched him. The fourth year medical student of Agartala Government Medical College had never met the Kolkata girl. But apparently, he had fallen madly in love with her after they came to know each other through the social network site Orkut.Rima studies in a south Indian college though her father, a doctor, works in Agartala. Police said Rupak's friends were alerted by Rima when she found he was not responding her calls since morning. The students rushed to his hostel room and forced open the locked door to discover his body hanging from the ceiling fan.
"Rima's name was written by blood in the walls of the room. Before committing suicide Rupak inflicted cuts on himself to write her name in blood", said an AGMC student.
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Pranab can be CM if alliance wins in WB : Mamata on TV
Kolkata, 4 November : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said ally Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee could head the government in case the alliance came to power in West Bengal after the Assembly elections next year.
In a Star Ananda TV programme, she said the alliance with the Congress will be kept intact for the Assembly elections, but warned that she would not tolerate any "blackmail". Responding to a question, she said she might not contest the Assembly polls and devote time for campaigning though she could always enter the House within six months in the event of becoming the chief minister.
Kolkata, 4 November : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said ally Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee could head the government in case the alliance came to power in West Bengal after the Assembly elections next year.
In a Star Ananda TV programme, she said the alliance with the Congress will be kept intact for the Assembly elections, but warned that she would not tolerate any "blackmail". Responding to a question, she said she might not contest the Assembly polls and devote time for campaigning though she could always enter the House within six months in the event of becoming the chief minister.
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Congress-ZNP ally win Aizawl Municipal Council elections
PTI, Aizawl, 4 November : The ruling Congress and its ally Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) today won the first election to the Aizawl Municipal Council by a narrow margin.
The Congress-ZNP got 10 of the 19 seats, while the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) and Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) combine won nine seats.
PTI, Aizawl, 4 November : The ruling Congress and its ally Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) today won the first election to the Aizawl Municipal Council by a narrow margin.
The Congress-ZNP got 10 of the 19 seats, while the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) and Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) combine won nine seats.
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'Rabindranath Tagore' turns 'muse' in Bengali comedy film
PTI, Kolkata, 4 November : Rabindranath Tagore's works have provided fodder for many a film over the years, but for the first time the Nobel laureate himself is the subject matter of an upcoming Bengali movie.Tagore has a significant presence in ace ad filmmaker Amit Sen's debut film 'Natobar Not Out' which is releasing soon to coincide with the 150th birth anniversary of the Bard. Sen insists that the release is a coincidence rather than an attempt to cash in on the sesquicentennial birth anniversary of the poet and the Bengali sentiment associated with it.
"Tagore is a very important, integral and significant part in the form of a Muse in 'Natobar Not Out' which has north Kolkata as the backdrop where the great poet was born and raised," Sen told PTI.
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