Egypt election: Will Egyptians respect the outcome?

An artist puts the finishing touches to a mural depicting some of the candidates alongside faces from the old regime

When polling stations open for Egypt's presidential elections on Wednesday, voters will be choosing between an extraordinary range of options.


The choice they make will not just determine the country's immediate future - it will decide what sort of Egypt will be built on the foundations of last year's uprising against authoritarian rule.


Among the 12 candidates, there are some who would see themselves as guardians of the spirit of last year's Tahrir Square uprising, others who are Islamists, and one or two with roots in the old political system.

In many ways, those latter candidates are the most interesting.

Building a democracy


Amr Moussa was once Hosni Mubarak's foreign minister, although he was eventually sidelined - apparently for becoming too popular - and ended up running the Arab league.

He has experience which many older Egyptians find reassuring, but he is also able to argue that his relationship with the old regime was somewhat semi-detached. Read More...

CBI raids homes of Yeddyurappa and family

Bangalore, May 16 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided residences of former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his kin here and in Shimoga early Wednesday for their alleged role in the multi-crore mining scam  in the state.

"Our teams are searching for certain documents in the residences of Yeddyurappa and his relatives in Bangalore and Shimoga. The search is still on," a senior CBI official told IANS here.

The pre-dawn raids in Bangalore and Shimoga, about 270 km from here, began after CBI late Tuesday registered a case against Yeddyurappa, his two sons, B.S. Vijayendra and B.S. Raghavendra, son-in-law Sohan Kumar and mining baron Praveen Chandra under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Read More... 

Lawyers for China dissident's nephew say they face threats

Blind activist Chen Guangcheng (C) speaks with his wife Yuan Weijing (2nd R) and children as U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke (facing camera, 3rd R) and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell (facing camera, 4th R) stands nearby in a Beijing hospital, in this handout picture from the U.S

(Reuters) - Chinese legal authorities have confiscated the license of one lawyer and threatened to do the same to another after they volunteered to defend Chen Kegui, the nephew of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng.

The moves come as Chen Guangcheng, whose escape last month sparked an international furor, said Chinese officials were "going crazy" with reprisals against his family in eastern Shandong province in revenge for his recent escape from house arrest.
Chen Guangcheng's escape caused embarrassment for China and led to a diplomatic crisis in U.S.-Sino relations.

The Chinese Communist Party has always been wary of lawyers, who officials suspect could challenge one-party rule through their advocacy of the rule of law. Authorities have frequently sought to prevent lawyers from taking up politically sensitive cases by suspending their licenses to practice law.

Chen Wuquan, a lawyer based in the southern province of Guangdong, told Reuters the Guangzhou Lawyers' Association had confiscated his license "temporarily" last week during a standard annual renewal of licenses. The lawyer Chen is not related to the Chen family from Shandong. Read More...

Fat Future: 42% of Americans May Be Obese by 2030

May 7, 2012 -- By 2030, 42% of Americans will be obese and 11% of Americans will be severely obese, Duke University and CDC researchers predict.

These shocking numbers actually are conservative, note study researchers Eric A. Finkelstein, PhD, and colleagues.

Finkelstein's team based its calculations on self-reported weight and height from people participating in the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Obesity is defined by body mass index (BMI). People tend to underestimate their weight and overestimate their height.

There's some good news. The study suggests that adult obesity in the U.S. is leveling off, albeit at an unacceptably high level. Previous estimates had suggested that 51% of Americans would be obese in 2030. But consideration of other factors suggests that figure is too full.

Obama: Time to shift attention from wars to home

President Barack Obama reaches out to students and parents at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Va., after speaking about his efforts to prevent interest rates from doubling on federal student loans, Friday, May 4, 2012.

WASHINGTON — Placing a final punctuation mark on a week devoted to foreign policy, President Barack Obama on Saturday declared that his goal of defeating al-Qaida was within reach and said it was now time to turn the country's attention to more domestic concerns like strengthening the middle class.

Just four days after a surprise 36-hour round trip to Afghanistan, Obama said that money saved from ending wars should be used equally to pay down the debt and to spend on health care, education and infrastructure.

"After more than a decade of war, it is time to focus on nation-building here at home," he said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

The president took note of the agreement he signed with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday that shifts security to the Afghan people and reminded the American public, once again, of the special forces operation that killed Osama bin Laden a year ago. Read More...

Sachin Tendulkar's Rajya Sabha nomination perfectly valid: P Chidambaram

PTI Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's nomination to Rajya Sabha is perfectly valid under the provisions of the Constitution

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's nomination to Rajya Sabha is perfectly valid under the provisions of the Constitution.

Asked about questions being raised on the nomination of the cricketer under Article 80 of the Constitution, Chidambaram said: "That is not our reading of the Constitution provision. I think the Constitution provision is very clear and I urge all of you to read it once again."

"Hence, Sachin Tendulkar's nomination is perfectly valid under that provision," he added.
Tendulkar, who has brought many laurels to the nation through his remarkable achievements in the game of cricket, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi along with his wife Anjali at the former's residence on Thursday.

Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket.

In 2002, just 12 years into his career, Wisden ranked Tendulkar the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Donald Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. He was also a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team.

Thunderstorm wreaks havoc in Pollachi

A summer thunderstorm devastated parts of Pollachi and surrounding areas on Friday night

POLLACHI: A summer thunderstorm devastated parts of Pollachi and surrounding areas on Friday night, damaging houses and crops and throwing normal life out of gear. The countryside presented a devastating sight with broken coconut trees and flattened plantain trees. Farmers were crestfallen with their hard labour of months destroyed in 10 minutes, when powerful wind accompanied by rain swept the land.

The loss is estimated to be more than Rs 2 crore. Thousands of coconut trees standing in 200 acre of land were damaged and 50,000 plantain trees flattened. Electric poles have been uprooted plunging nearly 10 villages in darkness. Villages including C Gopalapuram, Aradhanairpalayam, Palakkarai, Keerapalayam and R Ponnapuram near Pollachi were affected by the storm.

For S Jayaprakash, a farmer from C Gopalapuram, the loss was a twin blow. An hour after the strong winds that accompanied the thundershower destroyed his crops, his mother died. "Will I take care of the damaged crops or make funeral arrangements? My mother was ill for a long time and she was 92. So I guess it is ok. But I am unable to cope. We do not know whom to turn to at this moment of crisis and personal loss," said Jayaprakash. Read More!!!

Tamilnadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's speech at internal security meet

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said the Centre must evolve NCTC in consultation with the states.

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday slammed the Centre and said that the government was making repeated efforts to interfere with the powers of the state governments. "Constant attempts to reduce states to the level of glorified municipal corporation heavily dependent on the Centre for funds," Jayalalithaa said, addressing the Chief Ministers' meeting on internal security in the national capital.

Following is the full text of Jayalalithaa's speech at teh Chief Ministers' meeting in the national capital:

Hon'ble Prime Minister and dignitaries participating in the Conference today, Public order and Police are subjects that top the list of items under the State List of the Constitution. The founding fathers of our Nation clearly delineated the functions of the Central and State Governments, and accordingly made Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies the law making Institutions for the smooth performance of these functions.

It is in this context that the subject of internal security must be understood, and appreciated. This Conference on internal security seeks to address a host of issues such as the Crime and Criminal tracking network system, Modernization of the Police Force, Border Management, Coastal Security, preventing the circulation of fake Indian currency notes, strengthening of the Intelligence Wings and separation of Criminal Investigation and Law and Order. Read More...

North Korea rocket breaks up in flight

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN) -- Defying warnings from the international community, North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Friday, but it broke apart before escaping the earth's atmosphere and fell into the sea.

The launch drew condemnation from United States and countries in the region, as well as an unusual admission of failure from Pyongyang, which had invited in journalists and space experts from around the world for the occasion.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet Friday to discuss the launch, which North Korea insists was intended to put an observation satellite in orbit. The United States, South Korea and Japan say the operation is a cover for a ballistic missile test.

In a break from previous practice, the North Korean state media announced that the rocket had not managed to put the satellite into orbit. In the past, North Korea has insisted that failed launches have been successful. Read More...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Launch makes food aid "impossible," Obama administration official says
• North Korean state media say the rocket failed to put satellite in orbit
• U.N. Security Council will meet Friday on the matter
• Short-lived flight never escaped the atmosphere, officials say

Boom, boom, boom!' Navy jet crash stuns Virginia neighborhood

A Navy F/A-18D fighter slams into apartments in Virginia Beach, setting buildings aflame. No deaths and only a few injuries are reported.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Robert Leggett is accustomed to the deep roar of Navy jet fighter planes flying over his rooftop in this military town. But at lunchtime Friday, the F/A-18D Hornet that flew screaming above his apartment window didn't sound right.

"It sounded way too low," Leggett, 27, recalled. He should know. He's a Navy enlisted man who repairs Navy jet fighters.

Spilling fuel, the Hornet slammed into an apartment complex 100 feet from where Leggett stood in his bedroom Friday afternoon. Remarkably, there were no initial reports of deaths after about 40 units in the complex were destroyed or damaged by flames.

"The whole rooftop was in flames," Leggett said, describing plumes of black smoke that rose high into the clear blue spring sky. "I saw six or eight people on their hands and knees, crawling out of their apartments." Read More...

Myanmar president says by-elections "Very Successful"

Myanmar's President Thein Sein arrives for the 20th ASEAN summit meeting at the Peace Palace in the Office of the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh April 3, 2012.

Myanmar President Thein Sein said on Tuesday the country's by-elections at the weekend, which were swept by the opposition, were carried out successfully.

"It was conducted in a very successful way," the retired general told reporters during a summit of Association of South East Asian Nation leaders in Cambodia, his first public comment on Sunday's elections for vacant parliamentary seats.

Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a landslide in the vote, a victory she hailed as a "triumph of the people" after decades of military dictatorship.

Her party won 40 of the 45 seats being contested, the Election Commission announced on state television, dealing a crushing blow to a ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) created by the former military junta.

Thein Sein's USDP still holds most of parliament's 664 seats, thanks to 2010 elections held while Suu Kyi was in detention and her party boycotted the polls.

SKorea to work with US to reduce Iran oil imports

Barack Obama speaks in Seoul, South Korea. The president is moving ahead with tough new sanctions aimed at squeezing Iran's oil exports after determining there is enough crude on world markets to take the step without harming U.S.

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean officials say they will continue working with the U.S. to reduce oil imports from Iran after President Barack Obama greenlighted potential sanctions against countries that continue to buy Iranian oil.

South Korea is one of several major importers of Iranian oil that have not received exemptions from the U.S. sanctions.

Foreign Ministry officials in Seoul said Saturday that they expect to reach an agreement with Washington by late June on reducing oil imports from Iran. The officials declined to be named because discussions were still under way.

South Korea has already restricted financial dealings with more than 200 groups and individuals with suspected links to Iran's nuclear program. Seoul relies on Iran for up to 10 percent of its oil.

Maharashtra: Naxals blow up CRPF bus in Gadchiroli, 11 killed

Mumbai: Naxals struck again in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra killing at least 11 CRPF men and injuring 29 others by triggering a landmine blast. The death toll is likely to rise as the blast targeted a bus full of CRPF personnel. The blast took place at an area under Dhanora police station near Pushtola killing the personnel belonging to the CRPF's 192 Battalion.



The 40 CRPF personnel were a part of a road opening party and were travelling from Pushtola to Gatta in the district, which has Chhattisgarh on its east, Andhra Pradesh in the south and Madhya Pradesh on the north. The area around Pushtola, where the blast took place, is isolated and therefore, it is difficult for relief and rescue to reach the area immediately.

A rescue helicopter reached to spot and the injured were being flown to Gadchiroli.

The Maharashtra state DGP headed to Gadchiroli immediately after the news of the incident. CRPF Chief K Vijay Kumar is on a tour of Maharashtra and was in Gadchiroli area after he started from Nagpur this morning, CRPF officials said, adding he was now on his way to the attack spot.

This is not the first time that Naxals have struck in the area. In 2009, 17 people were killed, while in 2011, four policemen were killed in the area.

Obama heads to SKorea for nonproliferation summit

President Barack Obama has departed for Seoul, South Korea, for an international summit

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AP) — President Barack Obama has departed for Seoul, South Korea, for an international summit on keeping nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.

More than 50 world leaders are expected to attend the gathering on Monday and Tuesday.

Obama's visit comes amid new tension with the North over a planned long-range rocket launch. The U.S. has said the plan jeopardizes a deal to provide American food aid.

Obama's first stop on Sunday morning will be at the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. His visit is likely to be read by the North as a special show of strength to its new, untested leader.

Air Force One took off from Andrews Air Force Base after midnight.

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Sankarankovil SC Bye Election 2012 Latest Results News and Election Updates

Sankarankovil  - Sankara Narayanar, Gomathi Ambal Temple 

Sankarankovil is one of the main constituencies of the district Tirunelveli. The results of Sankarankovil candidates from major parties contested in Tamil Nadu state assembly by poll election 2012 are listed.

SadhanThirumalaikumar.T	MDMK
Velladurai.P	Independent
Ganesan.S	AIJMK
Sankar.G	Independent
Murugan.L	BJP
Udayar.P	Independent
Ayyanu.M	Independent
Muthukumar.K	DMDK
Perumal.S	Independent
Arumugam.S	Independent
Nageswara Rao.K.S	SP
J JawaharSuryakumar	DMK
Muthuselvi.S	AIADMK

Sankarankovil SC Bye Election 2012 Latest News and Election Updates: The Sankarankovil Bye Election 2012 is to be held on 18th of March 2012, Sunday as announced by the Election Commission of India in a report. The Tamilnadu Sankarankovil Bye Election 2012 will be conducted on behalf of the death of C. Karuppasamy death on... Read More about SNKL