Roadside bomb kills 10 in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR: A police truck packed with officers and detainees struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan’s largest city, killing 10 of those aboard, officials said on Sunday.

It was the fourth deadly bombing on a day that left at least 24 people dead across the country.

The Kandahar city police had driven out into a residential neighbourhood of the city late Saturday to inspect a bomb that had been found there, said Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial government.

They detained three suspects and were driving back with them in a police pickup truck when the vehicle struck another explosive buried in the road. Eight police officers and two detainees were killed in the blast.

Earlier Saturday, 10 policemen were killed when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up in Kunduz province in the north.

Meanwhile, a remote-controlled bomb planted on a bicycle exploded in the eastern city of Ghazni, killing one police officer and a civilian.

League, Congress lock horns over aided status issue

MALAPPURAM: The differences of opinion between the Muslim League and Congress in connection with the aided status to 33 schools in Malabar, has turned serious. Muslim League general secretary KPA Majeed said they are firm in their earlier stand seeking the status to 33 schools in Malabar. He termed as meaningless  to attitude of the congress rejecting it.

Majeed said, “The UDF government had granted aided status to 11 schools. I don’t understand why caste is being dragged into it now. Some are trying to indulge in caste-based separation.”

Meanwhile, KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala said the congress had already made their stand clear. Salary and benefits will be provided to the teachers in Malabar.

League, Congress lock horns over aided status issue

MALAPPURAM: The differences of opinion between the Muslim League and Congress in connection with the aided status to 33 schools in Malabar, has turned serious. Muslim League general secretary KPA Majeed said they are firm in their earlier stand seeking the status to 33 schools in Malabar. He termed as meaningless  to attitude of the congress rejecting it.

Majeed said, “The UDF government had granted aided status to 11 schools. I don’t understand why caste is being dragged into it now. Some are trying to indulge in caste-based separation.”

Meanwhile, KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala said the congress had already made their stand clear. Salary and benefits will be provided to the teachers in Malabar.

Roadside bomb kills 10 in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR: A police truck packed with officers and detainees struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan’s largest city, killing 10 of those aboard, officials said on Sunday.

It was the fourth deadly bombing on a day that left at least 24 people dead across the country.

The Kandahar city police had driven out into a residential neighbourhood of the city late Saturday to inspect a bomb that had been found there, said Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial government.

They detained three suspects and were driving back with them in a police pickup truck when the vehicle struck another explosive buried in the road. Eight police officers and two detainees were killed in the blast.

Earlier Saturday, 10 policemen were killed when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up in Kunduz province in the north.

Meanwhile, a remote-controlled bomb planted on a bicycle exploded in the eastern city of Ghazni, killing one police officer and a civilian.

Four dead as house boat capsizes in Alapuzha

Alappuzha : Four tourists from Tamil Nadu drowned as the houseboat they were cruising tilted and capsized at Punnamada lake here today, police said. 

The boat had 61 tourists and all but the four, including three women and a child, were rescued. They were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead, sources said.The deceased are Rohini, Sweta, Elakkiya and Sukeshini.

The mishap happened close to the landing point where the tourists were being shifted from one boat to another. The boat tilted to one side before it partly got submerged into water.

Those who died had got trapped in the submerged part of the boat.

The exact place in Tamil Nadu from where the tourists had come was yet to be ascertained, police said.

Punnamada lake is the hub of water tourism in Kerala where a large number of houseboats operate.

Four dead as house boat capsizes in Alapuzha

Alappuzha : Four tourists from Tamil Nadu drowned as the houseboat they were cruising tilted and capsized at Punnamada lake here today, police said. 

The boat had 61 tourists and all but the four, including three women and a child, were rescued. They were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead, sources said.The deceased are Rohini, Sweta, Elakkiya and Sukeshini.

The mishap happened close to the landing point where the tourists were being shifted from one boat to another. The boat tilted to one side before it partly got submerged into water.

Those who died had got trapped in the submerged part of the boat.

The exact place in Tamil Nadu from where the tourists had come was yet to be ascertained, police said.

Punnamada lake is the hub of water tourism in Kerala where a large number of houseboats operate.

Major fire at Munduparampu sub station

Malappuram: A major fire was reported at the Munduparampu 110 KV sub station in Malappuram district on Saturday in the wee hours. The fire was first noticed at the control panel of the sub station at around 4 am. The fire spread to the nearby transformer, which caused a loud bang. Natives were woken up hearing the loud bang. Fire force officials who reached the spot immediately extinguished the fire fighting for an hour. As the transformer was fully gutted in the fire, electricity distribution was disrupted in several places of the area.

Major fire at Munduparampu sub station

Malappuram: A major fire was reported at the Munduparampu 110 KV sub station in Malappuram district on Saturday in the wee hours. The fire was first noticed at the control panel of the sub station at around 4 am. The fire spread to the nearby transformer, which caused a loud bang. Natives were woken up hearing the loud bang. Fire force officials who reached the spot immediately extinguished the fire fighting for an hour. As the transformer was fully gutted in the fire, electricity distribution was disrupted in several places of the area.

Kerala must go for modern farm technology: Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala should embrace modern technology in agriculture, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Saturday.

'While several Asian countries are progressing rapidly in this sector, we have not been able to do,' the chief minister said in his Republic Day address here.

'The need of the hour for Kerala is to see that we adopt modern technology in agriculture,' he said after hoisting the national tricolour at the Central Stadium.

Chandy added that one lakh families in Kerala will be given three cents of land -- amounting to 1,300 sq feet -- before Aug 15th.

He lauded the pace of growth Kerala has achieved.

'Not long ago Kerala's growth rate stood at around 2 percent. In 2005-06, it rose to an all-time high of 10.6 percent,' he said.

But he admitted that the agrarian sector had not progressed as it should have.

Chandy urged the young in Kerala to make use of opportunities by joining skill development programmes for self employment.

'We have seen that five million of our people are working abroad. For most families this has come at a cost as they had to suffer in the absence of the head of the family.

'We do not want this to happen to the new generation.'

Kerala must go for modern farm technology: Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala should embrace modern technology in agriculture, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Saturday.

'While several Asian countries are progressing rapidly in this sector, we have not been able to do,' the chief minister said in his Republic Day address here.

'The need of the hour for Kerala is to see that we adopt modern technology in agriculture,' he said after hoisting the national tricolour at the Central Stadium.

Chandy added that one lakh families in Kerala will be given three cents of land -- amounting to 1,300 sq feet -- before Aug 15th.

He lauded the pace of growth Kerala has achieved.

'Not long ago Kerala's growth rate stood at around 2 percent. In 2005-06, it rose to an all-time high of 10.6 percent,' he said.

But he admitted that the agrarian sector had not progressed as it should have.

Chandy urged the young in Kerala to make use of opportunities by joining skill development programmes for self employment.

'We have seen that five million of our people are working abroad. For most families this has come at a cost as they had to suffer in the absence of the head of the family.

'We do not want this to happen to the new generation.'