Maoist violence: 61 killed in Orissa last year

Maoists killed 28 civilians and 33 security personnel in various incidents during 2009 in Orissa, the state assembly was informed. The ultras also lost 20 cadres to the police in the same period, according to a white paper prepared by state home department. The white paper, tabled in the Assembly yesterday, stated that 182 Maoists were arrested during the year. The state witnessed 149 violent incidents related to Left Wing Extremism in the same period.

"Eight Maoist cadres surrendered before the police while 11 others were neutralised," the white paper said while claiming that the state government had successfully contained the ultras attempt to create another Lalgarh in Narayanpatna area in Orissa's Koraput district.

Though there was no major communal violence in 2009, the white paper mentioned of 15 disputes in 2009. All the religious groups observed their respective festivals without any trouble during the period, it said.

The state government also claimed that it had contained and ensured peace in Kandhamal district which witnessed large scale violence in 2008 in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.

Kandhamal, where communal violence took place in December 2007, witnessed the killing of 38 persons besides burning of hundreds of houses and scores of churches in 2008.

The state, however, overcame communal bitterness lat year, it claimed.

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Paris never wears the same outfit again

Socialite Paris Hilton, who has fronted advertising campaigns for Christian Dior, Marciano and Tommy Hilfiger, says she never wears an outfit more than once.

"I never wear an outfit more than once unless it's like a really cool pair of jeans or a leather jacket," contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

The 29-year-old admits she gives most of her clothes to friends or donates them to charity.

"I still have so many clothes in my closets that have the labels on. I see them so often I think I've worn them but then I realise I haven't. So I either give them to my friends or donate them to a charity so they can auction them off," she added.

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Mumbai girl wins International Physics Olympiad

Aakanksha Sarda has created history and made India proud by winning a gold medal at the International Physics Olympiad held in Croatia.

She`s just 18 years old but shot to fame in no time as she is the first Indian woman to reach the milestone.

Not only this, Aakanksha also stood first among the girls at the olympiad.

Five students each from 82 countries took part in this olympiad and overall, India stood sixth.

"The first girl to represent India at the olympiad in 2006 had managed to bag a bronze. Aakanksha has become the first Indian girl to win the gold medal," Vijay Singh, national co-ordinator of science olympiads was quoted as saying by TNN.

"It`s an amazing feeling...It hasn`t sunk in yet. People say girls aren`t good at physics, I think I have made a point here," said Akanksha Sarda, Gold Medalist, International PhysicsOlympiad.

"Noam Chomsky is not a scientist, but he practically invented modern linguistics. He is so multi-faceted. I hope to work with him when I go to MIT," she added.

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Obama to Gates attend Chelsea Clinton's wedding

Highly influenced with the teachings of Islam, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of most powerful parents of America, is getting married on coming Saturday.

Chelsea Clinton, 30, the only child of former United States President Bill Clinton and current US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will marry her fiance and long-time companion and investment banker Marc Mezvinsky.

The tiny Rhinebeck village in New York state will be the site of the ceremony, which remains cloaked in secrecy. According to reports, the exclusive guest list could include US President Barack Obama, talk show magnate Oprah Winfrey, former United Kingdom Prime Minister John Major,Microsoft boss Bill Gates and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Sources inform that NRI businessman and close family friend of Clinton family,Sant Singh Chatwal is looking after the arrangements s of marriage function.

Chelsea was just 12 years old when her father became the US president in January 1993, she has lived under intense media scrutiny from an early age. Trying to avoid unwanted attention, she has always avoided the press, to the point of refusing all interviews. Her wedding has proven no different, leading to much speculation and little fact. C linton and Mezvinsky first met at Stanford University, from where Clinton graduated in 2001 before heading to the University of Oxford in the UK for her master`s degree in international relations.

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Student fired at his schoolmate in capital

A Class IX student today allegedly fired at his schoolmate with an air-pistol leaving him injured during a clash between two groups in a South Delhi school.

The incident took place in Veer Chandra Garwhal Public School. The injured has been identified as Gaurav Yadav, a Class VIII student.

The student opened fire using the 0.22 bore air-pistol when two groups of students clashed in the playground over some issue during playing cricket match.

It is said that the Class IX student had brought the air-pistol to the school. During the fight, he allegedly opened fire in which Gaurav suffered minor injuries on his shoulder," the official said.

Gaurav was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre from where he was discharged after treatment, he said.

The student who allegedly opened fire has been taken into police custody. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.

According to one student, "We were playing cricket. The accused threw stones at us and there was an argument. There was a fist fight between us and then suddenly he pulled out the gun from his bag and opened fire.

Another student said many students bring arms to the school. There is a shortage of teachers. When it is prayer-time, many students are there in the playground. Many students brings thins like knives and surgical blades to the school.

An air pistol fires projectiles by means of compressed air in contrast to a firearm which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition.

These are normally used for hunting, pest control, recreational shooting, and competitive sports, such as the Olympic 10 m Air Rifle and 10 m Air Pistol events.

The .22 bore pellets are the most common calibre for hunting as it delivers large amounts of energy on impact.

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No non-Muslim maid in Saudi Arabia

Lakhs of foreign-based maids in Saudi Arabia are feeling threatened with Islamic clerics insisting that only Muslim maids will do.

A Saudi cleric said only Muslim housemaids should be allowed in the oil-rich country and they should be kept segregated from men in the home.

It may be recalled that thousands of Indian ladies also work as a maid in Sudia Arab and other parts of gulf region "If there is a need to import workers as female domestics, they should be Muslims," Sheikh Yusef al-Ahmad, a strong opponent of men and women mixing in the ultra-conservative kingdom, told the sabq.org website.

He also said female domestics should cover themselves in the home, and that following Islamic requirements for Saudi women, they should also be required to have a male relative guardian, or mahram, with them inSaudi Arabia.

"They should be required to work in the home covered with the hijab (veil), and not mix with men in the home, not enter their rooms or the hall or serve them," he said. Islamic scholar and ex IAS officer Zafar Iqbal condemned the call of cleric saying," this should not be accepted. It must be condemned by one and all."

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Passenger plane crashes in Islamabad; 152 killed

A passenger plane, with about 152 passengers onboard, crashed into Margalla Hills in Islamabad on Wednesday morning. All the 152 passengers and crew staff were perished, police sources said. However, there are also some reports that five people were saved.

The private airlines flight traveling from Turkey to Islamabad via Karachi, lost contact with the control tower of Islamabad airport, a private TV reported. Police and rescue teams have been dispatched to the site of crash. The plane crashed behind the mountainous range of Margalla Hills, near the Damanekoh resort.

Fire is visible from the picnic spot of DamaneKoh and rescue teams are trying to reach the site. Eyewitnesses have seen the aircraft taking a very low flight. It was a private aircraft coming from Karachi to Islamabad, local media reported. It is raining in Islamabad and dense fog might have caused the incident, a source in the Rescue-1122 emergency services told media on phone.

Many flights have been grounded due to bad weather in eastern city of Lahore. The well guarded hills surrounds northeast of the capital city. Some parts of it are fitted with anti-aircraft guns and many troop checkpoints are located on the hills.

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