Man arrested for allegedly molesting women on public bus






SINGAPORE: Police have arrested a man for allegedly outraging the modesty of two women on a public bus.

The 29-year-old suspect was nabbed at about 2:45pm on Saturday.

His victims, aged 21 and 35, were molested on separate occasions on board the same bus, in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.

Upon being alerted of the incidents, the bus captain immediately stopped his vehicle and closed the doors to prevent the suspect from escaping.

Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division soon arrived and placed the suspect under arrest.

The man will be charged in court on Monday.

If convicted he could be jailed up to two years and caned.

- CNA/ck



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Odisha to hand over 1554 acres of land to Posco

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is all set to hand over 1554 acres of land to Posco-India for setting up its proposed mega steel project in Jagatsinghpur district, official sources said today.

"The state government has already handed over 546 acre of land to Posco and rest 1,554 acres is ready to be handed over to the company," official sources said quoting recent status report on Posco-India project.

The government expects that with the handing over of the land, the company would expedite its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities at the proposed plant site villages, sources said.

The state government maintains that the South Korean steel major required 2,700 acre of land for its 8 mtpa capacity steel facility near Paradip on stage-1. Of the immediate requirement of 2,700 acre of land, the state owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has already acquired 2100 acre of land, it said.

"Balance 600 acre of land is expected to be acquired within the next four months. After that, IDCO will be in a position to hand over this land to Posco," it said adding that the company required a total of 4,004 acre of land for setting up its proposed 12 mtpa greenfield steel project at an investment of Rs 52,000 crore.

The required land (4,004 acre) would be acquired from eight villages like Nuagaon, Dhinkia, Noliasahi, Gobindpur, Polang, Bayanalakanda, Bhuyanpal and Jatadhar, sources said.

This apart, the state owned Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited ( IPICOL) has also recommended 1,500 acre of land for township at Paradip and 20 acre of land for Posco-India's corporate headquarter at Bhubaneswar, they said.

The state government has also accorded administrative approval for 437.69 acre of private land for the project site and 52.30 acre for township, they said.

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LAPD Reopens Case of Suspected Cop-Killer's Firing













The Los Angeles Police Department announced today it will reopen the case of the firing of Christopher Dorner, but said the decision was not made to "appease" the fugitive former cop suspected of killing three people.


Dorner, a fired and disgruntled former Los Angeles police officer, said in the so-called "manifesto" he released that he was targeting LAPD officials and their families and will keep killing until the truth is known about his case.


"I have no doubt that the law enforcement community will bring to an end the reign of terror perpetrated on our region by Christopher Jordan Dorner and he will be held accountable for his evil actions," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement released tonight.


He spoke of the "tremendous strides" the LAPD has made in regaining public trust after numerous scandals, but added: "I am aware of the ghosts of the LAPD's past and one of my biggest concerns is that they will be resurrected by Dorner's allegations of racism within the Department."


To do that, he said, full re-investigation of the case that led to Dorner's firing is necessary.


"I feel we need to also publicly address Dorner's allegations regarding his termination of employment, and to do so I have directed our Professionals Standards Bureau and my Special Assistant for Constitutional Policing to completely review the Dorner complaint of 2007; To include a re-examination of all evidence and a re-interview of witnesses," he said. "We will also investigate any allegations made in his manifesto which were not included in his original complaint.






Irvine Police Department/AP Photo











Christopher Dorner Search: Officials Search for Ex-officer in the Mountains Watch Video









Hundreds of Officers on Hunt for Alleged Cop Killer Watch Video







"I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do."


PHOTOS: Former LAPD Officer Suspected in Shootings


As police searched for Dorner today in the San Bernardino Mountains, sources told ABC News that investigators found two AR-15 assault rifles in the burned-out truck Dorner abandoned.


The truck had a broken axle, which may be the reason he decided to set fire to it, the police sources said.


A man identifying himself as Dorner taunted the father of Monica Quan four days after the former LAPD officer allegedly killed her and just 11 hours after he allegedly killed a police officer in Riverside, Calif., according to court documents obtained by ABC News


A man claiming to be Dorner called Randall Quan and told him that that he "should have done a better job of protecting his daughter," according to the documents.


In his 6,000-word "manifesto," Dorner named Randal Quan, a retired LAPD captain and attorney who represented him before a police review board that led to Dorner's dismissal from the force.


"I never had an opportunity to have a family of my own, I'm terminating yours," Dorner wrote, and directed Quan and other officials to "[l]ook your wives/husbands and surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead."


Monica Quan and her fiancé Keith Lawrence were gunned down last Sunday in their car in the parking of their Irvine, Calif., condominium complex. Both were struck with multiple gunshot wounds.


The call, according to court records, was traced to Vancouver, Wash., but law enforcement officials do not believe Dorner was there at the time at the call.


Dorner is believed to have made the call early Thursday afternoon, less than half a day after he is suspected of killing a police officer and wounding two others early that morning, sparking an unprecedented man hunt involving more than a thousand police officers and federal agents spanning hundreds of miles.


FULL COVERAGE: Christopher Jordan Dorner






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Bilateral ties between S'pore, Germany are very strong & substantive: K Shanmugam






SINGAPORE: Germany and Singapore enjoy very strong and substantive bilateral ties, Foreign Affairs Minister, K Shanmugam said.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with his German counterpart Minister Dr Guido Westerwelle in Singapore, Mr Shanmugam said Singapore looks forward to a stronger role, a greater role that Germany can play in this region.

With Asia being an economically vibrant area, the minister believes it's a win-win situation for both Europe and Southeast Asia.

The German Minister said his country sees Singapore as both a financial hub and a hub of creativity.

Dr Guido Westerwelle said: "I think it is remarkable that more and more German scientists are coming to Singapore and are part of this success story in Singapore, want to be part of the success story in Singapore. The deep relations between our countries, the bilateral relations are really a very good sign, and a very good signal that it is necessary to bring our regions together and this is what we want to continue."

Mr Shanmugam said: "Last year in December, we concluded the negotiations for an EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Germany has been a strong supporter of it, believer of free trade. Doing a free-trade agreement with Singapore, is generally not so costly because we are an open economy, but what it is significant for is that if you can do a deal with Singapore, then it benefits EU as a whole because that is a building block for a free-trade agreement with ASEAN, and that, we believe will add to Europe's own growth significantly."

- CNA/ck



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Karnataka releases Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

HUBLI (KARNATAKA): Karnataka has started releasing Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court, chief minister Jagdish Shettar said on Saturday.

"We have to respect the Supreme Court directive. We will petition the court Monday for relief as we ourselves are facing severe shortage," he said in this north Karnataka town, 400 km from Bangalore.

The Supreme Court Thursday directed Karnataka to release 2.44 tmc (thousand million cubic) feet of water to Tamil Nadu to save crops in that state.

The water is being released from the KRS (Krishnaraja Sagar) reservoir near Mysore, 130 km from Bangalore.

Police imposed prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people around a three kilometre radius of the reservoir to prevent farmers and Kannada organisations to lay siege to it.

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Space Pictures This Week: Sun Dragon, Celestial Seagull








































































































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Northeast Shuts Down as Blizzard Batters Millions













A blizzard of possibly historic proportions battered the Northeast Friday into Saturday, and forecasters feared as much as two feet of snow and strong winds could shut down densely populated cities such as New York and Boston, where cars were ordered off the streets.


State officials declared states of emergencies throughout the region, and utilities estimated more than a half-million customers were without power by late Friday night.


Some wondered if the storm could top Boston's all-time single-storm snowfall record of 27.6 inches, set in 2003.


By 9 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service, the storm was spinning off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., and expected to move north-northeastward past New England's coast before its effects tapered off on Saturday afternoon.


"Storm total snowfall accumulations of 1 to 2 feet ... with locally higher amounts are possible across much of the Northeast," the National Weather Service said. "The heaviest snow is forecast to fall across parts of eastern Massachusetts ... Connecticut and Rhode Island where snowfall amounts higher than two feet are possible. In addition to the heavy snowfall ... wind gusts as high as 70 mph are possible ... especially near the coasts."


By 9 p.m. Friday, parts of Connecticut and New York had the highest actual snowfall totals listed by the National Weather Service, with 13 inches measured in Ogdensburg and East Setaukey, N.Y., and Lisbon and North Branford, Conn.


Peak wind gusts included a 71-mph measurement in Buzzards Bay, Mass., the National Weather Service said.


Power outages also were reported across the region. As of 11 p.m. Friday, for instance, approximately 300,000 Massachusetts customers were without power, ABC News station WCVB reported. Utilities also reported approximately 170,000 without power in Rhode Island, 30,000 in Connecticut and nearly 20,000 in New York.


The blizzard conditions came together after a storm from the west joined forces with one from the south to form a nor'easter.










Hurricane Sandy Victims Hit Again, Survivors Prepare for Worst Watch Video









Weather Forecast: Blizzard Headed for Northeast Watch Video





The storm showed the potential for such ferocity that, before it even hit with full force, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon and signed an executive order banning vehicular traffic on roads in his state effective at 4 p.m. ET. It was believed that the last time the state enacted such a ban was during the blizzard of 1978. Violating the ban could result in a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $500 fine.


"[It] could definitely be a historic winter storm for the Northeast," said Adrienne Leptich of the National Weather Service in Upton, N.Y. "We're looking at very strong wind and heavy snow and we're also looking for some coastal flooding."


Airlines began shutting down operations Friday afternoon at major airports in the New York area as well as in Boston, Portland, Maine, Providence, R.I., and other Northeastern airports. By early evening Friday, more than 4,300 flights had been cancelled on Friday and Saturday, according to FlightAware. Airlines hoped to resume flights by Saturday afternoon, though normal schedules were not expected until Sunday.


The snow fell heavily Friday afternoon in New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said clearing the roads was his main concern, and the city readied 1,700 snow plows and 250,000 tons of salt to clear the streets.


New York City was expecting up to 14 inches of snow, which started falling early this morning, though the heaviest amounts were expected to fall at night and into Saturday. Wind gusts of 55 mph were expected in New York City.


"Stay off the city streets. Stay out of your cars and stay at home while the worst of the storm is on us," Bloomberg said Friday.


Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy declared a state of emergency, deploying National Guard troops across the state to assist in rescues and other emergencies. Schools and state courthouses were closed, and all flights after 1:30 p.m. at Bradley Airport, north of Hartford, Conn., were cancelled. The state's largest utility companies planned for the possibility that 30 percent of customers -- more than 400,000 homes and businesses -- would lose power.


Malloy also directed drivers to stay off the state's major highways.


"Please stay off of 95, 91, 84, Merritt Parkway and any other limited-access road in the state," he said Friday evening.


PHOTOS: Northeast Braces for Snowstorm


Boston, Providence, R.I., Hartford, Conn., and other New England cities canceled school today.


"Stay off the streets of our city. Basically, stay home," Boston Mayor Tom Menino warned Thursday.


On Friday, Menino applauded the public's response.


"I'm very pleased with the compliance with the snow emergency," he said. "You drive down some of the roadways, you don't see one car."


Friday evening, Gov. Patrick also applauded the public's cooperation with the statewide vehicle ban, noting the clear roads were helping utility crews get their work done.


"It's been a great, great help and I thank everyone," Patrick said. "I know it's been an imposition."


As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Department of Defense, 837 National Guard soldiers and airmen under state control had been activated in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York in anticipation of the storm -- 552 in Massachusetts, 235 in Connecticut and 50 in New York. The extra hands were helping with roadways, transportation, making wellness checks on residents and other emergency services.


Beach erosion and coastal flooding was possible from New Jersey to Long Island, N.Y., and into New England coastal areas. It was feared some waves off the coast could reach more than 20 feet.






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Lawmakers divided on Postal Service plan



Donahoe moved to circumvent Congress’s long-standing resistance to the proposal for five-day delivery, a move the Postal Service thinks will save about $2 billion annually and help ease its financial losses. The agency lost $15.9 billion in the last fiscal year.


The postmaster took advantage of legislators’ own dysfunction over budget matters this week, gambling that lawmakers will not thwart his plan after Congress’s temporary spending measure expires March 27.

The spending plan includes language requiring six-day delivery, but lawmakers have not said whether they will insist on the language in the next spending bill.

It appeared Thursday that the issue was shaping up among lawmakers like the discussions over the automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration, which are set to kick in March 1.

Legislators questioned the legality of Donahoe’s plan and pointed fingers over Congress’s inability last year to achieve comprehensive postal reform, but none outlined a strategy to prevent the Postal Service’s effort.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement Thursday that such a drastic policy move requires congressional approval.

“The Postmaster General relied on flawed legal guidance to claim that he can circumvent Congress’s authority,” he said.

Reid also expressed frustration at lawmakers’ failure last year on postal reform. “This unfortunate scenario could have been wholly prevented if the House had passed the Senate’s bipartisan postal reform bill in the last Congress,” he said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and supported the Senate’s bill last year, said, “The Postal Service’s decision to eliminate Saturday delivery is inconsistent with current law and threatens to further jeopardize its customer base.”

Other Republicans applauded Donahoe.

Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which oversees the Postal Service, supports the plan. His office said the Postal Service could legally alter Saturday mail services despite any future provisions Congress might enact to require six-day delivery. “In its announced change, USPS is not eliminating a day of delivery, but rather altering what products are delivered on that day,” a spokesman said.

The Postal Service did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Although it plans to end Saturday mail delivery, it has said that it will continue delivering packages on Saturdays and that post offices will be open to sell stamps and other materials. Post office boxes will receive mail on Saturdays, but magazines and some newspapers, catalogues and Netflix will not reach homes that day.

Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), who opposes Donahoe’s decision, said in an interview Thursday that he would fight any effort to remove the six-day-delivery requirement from the next spending bill. But he stopped short of saying he would vote against an appropriations bill that does not include the mandate.

“The future of the Postal Service is very important, but it has to be looked at in a broader context,” Sanders said.

Last year, the House and Senate produced competing bills to help staunch the Postal Service’s financial losses. The Senate approved legislation that would have delayed five-day mail delivery for two years while trying out other cost-saving tactics, but the House never voted on the measure. A House bill that would have ended Saturday delivery right away never reached the floor.

House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) said he had no idea what his committee would do about the postal plan.

Said Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.): “I think the problem is the will of the Congress has not been expressed. Congress has not acted, and I think that left a vacuum.”

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Riot police fire water cannon at India rape protestors






THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India: Riot police fired water cannon on Friday at hundreds of protestors in the Indian state of Kerala demanding the resignation of a lawmaker over allegations he raped a schoolgirl 17 years ago.

P.J Kurien, 72, the deputy speaker of the state's upper house, was acquitted of rape in a trial in 2005 but he has come under new pressure after his accuser demanded a fresh probe in the wake of the storm over a deadly gangrape in Delhi in December.

The resurrection of the allegations have embarrassed the ruling Congress party, which promised to get tough on sex attackers in the wake of the Delhi gangrape.

Demonstrators have been camped outside the state assembly for the last five days to demand Kurien's resignation, and managed to stall proceedings by preventing local lawmakers from entering the building.

"It's a disgrace for India and the women of this country that Kurien can chair a debate on laws to protect women," VS Achuthanandan, Kerala's veteran Communist party leader, told AFP.

The alleged victim's mother has written to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to urge her to sack Kurien, who has been a lawmaker in Kerala for the last 19 years.

Kurien says the accusations are part of a politically-driven media smear campaign.

"I've been exonerated by the Supreme Court and acquitted after three police investigations," Kurien said.

Meanwhile in the capital New Delhi, a judge on Friday summoned a federal lawmaker over allegations that he ordered the abduction of a minor who was later raped.

Mahabal Mishra, who is a Congress representative, has ignored a previous summons. His office said that Mishra was in Allahabad where the Maha Kumbh Mela -- a massive religious festival on the banks of the Ganges -- is taking place.

- AFP/al



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Jagadish Shettar presents populist budget for poll-bound Karnataka

BANGALORE: The last budget of BJP's first government in the south, before it goes for assembly polls in April-May, is full of promises and scores of populist announcements.

With focus on "aam admi" chief minister Jagdish Shettar presented his budget on Friday, amidst threat by former chief minister and Lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa to topple the government.

The budget, with the total expenditure of Rs 1.17 lakh crore, does not announce any new tax proposals.

Heeding to the long-pending demand of the people, Shettar, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced creation of 43 new taluks.

Continuing with the tradition of Yeddyurappa, the chief minister has earmarked nearly Rs 150 crore for various caste-based mutts in the state, particularly the Lingayat run institutions. Lingayats, considered as strong patrons of BJP and responsible for bringing the party to power in 2008, have been taken care of by the govt.

Keeping "common man" in mind, the budget promises to exempt tax on footwear costing up to Rs 200 per pair. Tax on doors and window frames and door and window shutters have been reduced from 14.5% to 5.5%. The govt also promises to set up one cyber cafe in every village.

The BJP government has given huge weightage to Bangalore city's infrastructure development by announcing new infrastructure projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore.

With Bangalore having 28 assembly segments, highest in the state, the budget assures to provide Rs 750 crore financial assistance to the BBMP for undertaking 75 major infrastructure development projects under its jurisdiction. "Highest priority would be given for solid waste management. An exclusive agency for waste management will be set up," Shettar said.

The BJP has gifted loads of schemes to the coastal belt of the state, its strong bastion. A drinking water scheme "Soubhagya Sanjeevini" focusing on three districts - Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada - will be taken up at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Perhaps, to silence his bete noire Shobha Karandlaje, Shettar announced another drinking water project for 2,106 fluoride affected villages at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

Trying to corner Congress's trump card of giving special status to Hyderabad-Karnataka region, Shettar in the last budget has announced to create a special cell at a cost of Rs 3,114 crore to implement and supervise constitutional amendment activities to six backward districts - Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir and Bellary.

It is no secret that Yeddyurappa tried hard to stop Shettar from presenting the budget thinking the chief minister would become popular when elections are round the corner.

For this, Yeddyurappa ensured that 13 BJP MLAs resigned, but failed to impress further more MLAs.

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