US calls Israeli minister’s reported comments ‘offensive:
Egypt votes on constitution as violence highlights divide:
Negligence caused bridge collapse: Official report:
Murder suspect arrested in EP 12 hours after crime:
Historic Jeddah ready to be included in World Heritage List:
6 rescued from under collapsed mosque roof:
Saudis get extra shopping hours at Dubai malls:
Makar Sankranti, Milad-un-Nabi celebrated Peacefully in AP:
ROME: The United States on Tuesday rebuked Israel for comments attributed to the Israeli defense minister suggesting that US Secretary of State John Kerry’s quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace is messianic and obsessive.
“The remarks of the Defense Minister (Moshe Yaalon) if accurate are offensive and inappropriate especially given all that the United States is doing to support Israel’s security needs,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a brief statement that constituted a rare rebuke to close ally Israel.
She made the comment after Israel’s biggest-selling newspaper quoted Yaalon as saying “John Kerry — who has come to us determined and is acting out of an incomprehensible obsession and a messianic feeling — cannot teach me a single thing about the conflict with the Palestinians.”
Psaki issued the statement in Rome, where Kerry made a brief stop before traveling on to Kuwait.
“Secretary Kerry and his team including General (John) Allen have been working day and night to try to promote a secure peace for Israel because of the Secretary’s deep concern for Israel’s future,” she added. “To question his motives and distort his proposals is not something we would expect from the Defense Minister of a close ally.”
“The remarks of the Defense Minister (Moshe Yaalon) if accurate are offensive and inappropriate especially given all that the United States is doing to support Israel’s security needs,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a brief statement that constituted a rare rebuke to close ally Israel.
She made the comment after Israel’s biggest-selling newspaper quoted Yaalon as saying “John Kerry — who has come to us determined and is acting out of an incomprehensible obsession and a messianic feeling — cannot teach me a single thing about the conflict with the Palestinians.”
Psaki issued the statement in Rome, where Kerry made a brief stop before traveling on to Kuwait.
“Secretary Kerry and his team including General (John) Allen have been working day and night to try to promote a secure peace for Israel because of the Secretary’s deep concern for Israel’s future,” she added. “To question his motives and distort his proposals is not something we would expect from the Defense Minister of a close ally.”
Egypt votes on constitution as violence highlights divide:
CAIRO: Egyptians queued to vote on a new constitution Tuesday amid high security, in a referendum likely to launch a presidential bid by the army chief who overthrew Islamist president Muhammad Mursi.
An Islamist coalition led by the former president’s Muslim Brotherhood had called for a boycott and protests during the two days of polling.
A small bomb exploded outside a Cairo court shortly before polls opened in the morning, even as hundreds of thousands of soldiers and police deployed to guard polling stations.
The blast caused no injuries, but a hospital official said one man was killed in clashes between the Islamists and civilian opponents in the central province of Beni Sweif, while police dispersed small pro-Mursi rallies elsewhere in the country.
The incidents again highlighted the government’s precarious grip on the most populous Arab country, still reeling from the ouster of Mursi and a bloody crackdown on his Islamist supporters.
The interior ministry has pledged to confront attempts to disrupt voting.
Defense minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the general who overthrew Mursi in July, visited a polling station at a north Cairo school after voting began to survey the security preparations.
“Work hard. We need the referendum to be completely secured,” he told soldiers guarding the school.
The government hopes a large turnout in favor of the constitution will bolster its disputed authority, while Sisi will monitor it for an “indicator” of his popularity, an official close to the general said.
Interim president Adly Mansour entreated voters to cast their ballots.
“The people must prove to dark terrorism that they fear nothing,” he said after casting his ballot.
“The voting is not only for the constitution, but also for the road map, so the country can have an elected president and a parliament.”
The referendum will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections.
The police and army have deployed hundreds of thousands of personnel to guard polling stations amid fears that a spate of militant attacks and protests would keep voters at home.
At one polling station for women at a school, dozens lined up to cast their ballots, some waving Egyptian flags and chanting pro-military slogans.
“We must be with our police and army so that no one can terrorize us. Even if a bomb exploded in my polling station, I would vote,” said Salwa Abdel Fattah, a 50-year-old gynaecologist.
While it is uncertain how many Egyptians will vote amid concern over violence, the constitution appears certain to pass.
The charter has done away with much of the Islamist-inspired wording of Mursi’s constitution, suspended on his overthrow, and its supporters say it expands women’s rights and freedom of speech.
But it has bolstered the military’s powers, granting the army the right to appoint the defense minister for the next eight years and to try civilians for attacks on the armed forces.
The runup to the vote was marred by a deadly crackdown on Mursi’s supporters and arrests of activists who campaigned for a “no” vote.
The capital has been festooned with banners urging Egyptians to vote “yes,” often featuring military motifs such as a general’s hat, an allusion to Sisi, who is also army chief.
Many Islamists revile Sisi as the man who overthrew the country’s first freely elected and civilian president, but the general is adored by the millions who took to the streets in July to demand Mursi’s resignation.
He is widely expected to run for president, and has said he would stand for election if he felt there was “popular demand,” state media reported this week.
The authorities are worried that a low turnout would empower their Islamist opponents in Mursi’s Brotherhood and cast further doubt on their legitimacy, analysts say.
“Prove to the world that what happened was a popular revolution,” interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim in a visit to a polling station, referring to Mursi’s overthrow.
Backers of the constitution are hoping for at least a 70 percent vote in favor of the constitution as a satisfying majority.
Mursi’s constitution passed with 64 percent of the vote, but on a turnout of barely 33 percent of the country’s 53 million voters.
At least 1,000 people, mostly Islamists, have been killed in street clashes, and thousands have been imprisoned since the ouster of Mursi, whose supporters continue protests almost every day.
An Islamist coalition led by the former president’s Muslim Brotherhood had called for a boycott and protests during the two days of polling.
A small bomb exploded outside a Cairo court shortly before polls opened in the morning, even as hundreds of thousands of soldiers and police deployed to guard polling stations.
The blast caused no injuries, but a hospital official said one man was killed in clashes between the Islamists and civilian opponents in the central province of Beni Sweif, while police dispersed small pro-Mursi rallies elsewhere in the country.
The incidents again highlighted the government’s precarious grip on the most populous Arab country, still reeling from the ouster of Mursi and a bloody crackdown on his Islamist supporters.
The interior ministry has pledged to confront attempts to disrupt voting.
Defense minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the general who overthrew Mursi in July, visited a polling station at a north Cairo school after voting began to survey the security preparations.
“Work hard. We need the referendum to be completely secured,” he told soldiers guarding the school.
The government hopes a large turnout in favor of the constitution will bolster its disputed authority, while Sisi will monitor it for an “indicator” of his popularity, an official close to the general said.
Interim president Adly Mansour entreated voters to cast their ballots.
“The people must prove to dark terrorism that they fear nothing,” he said after casting his ballot.
“The voting is not only for the constitution, but also for the road map, so the country can have an elected president and a parliament.”
The referendum will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections.
The police and army have deployed hundreds of thousands of personnel to guard polling stations amid fears that a spate of militant attacks and protests would keep voters at home.
At one polling station for women at a school, dozens lined up to cast their ballots, some waving Egyptian flags and chanting pro-military slogans.
“We must be with our police and army so that no one can terrorize us. Even if a bomb exploded in my polling station, I would vote,” said Salwa Abdel Fattah, a 50-year-old gynaecologist.
While it is uncertain how many Egyptians will vote amid concern over violence, the constitution appears certain to pass.
The charter has done away with much of the Islamist-inspired wording of Mursi’s constitution, suspended on his overthrow, and its supporters say it expands women’s rights and freedom of speech.
But it has bolstered the military’s powers, granting the army the right to appoint the defense minister for the next eight years and to try civilians for attacks on the armed forces.
The runup to the vote was marred by a deadly crackdown on Mursi’s supporters and arrests of activists who campaigned for a “no” vote.
The capital has been festooned with banners urging Egyptians to vote “yes,” often featuring military motifs such as a general’s hat, an allusion to Sisi, who is also army chief.
Many Islamists revile Sisi as the man who overthrew the country’s first freely elected and civilian president, but the general is adored by the millions who took to the streets in July to demand Mursi’s resignation.
He is widely expected to run for president, and has said he would stand for election if he felt there was “popular demand,” state media reported this week.
The authorities are worried that a low turnout would empower their Islamist opponents in Mursi’s Brotherhood and cast further doubt on their legitimacy, analysts say.
“Prove to the world that what happened was a popular revolution,” interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim in a visit to a polling station, referring to Mursi’s overthrow.
Backers of the constitution are hoping for at least a 70 percent vote in favor of the constitution as a satisfying majority.
Mursi’s constitution passed with 64 percent of the vote, but on a turnout of barely 33 percent of the country’s 53 million voters.
At least 1,000 people, mostly Islamists, have been killed in street clashes, and thousands have been imprisoned since the ouster of Mursi, whose supporters continue protests almost every day.
Negligence caused bridge collapse: Official report:
The collapse of the Al-Jamal flyover on the Riyadh-Dammam highway was caused by negligence, a government-appointed technical committee has found.
The committee, comprising academics from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, recently completed its investigation into the incident and sent its report to Minister of Transport Jabara Al-Seraisry.
The committee found that due to lack of maintenance, rust and corrosion had set in weakening the concrete structure that collapsed on Dec. 20 but caused no harm.
The committee had conducted various technical and scientific tests at the site, a source said.
“The committee filed a comprehensive report about the reasons for the collapse with the Ministry of Transport, which ends its role in the investigation,” the source said.
“The committee followed routine procedures, starting with a visit to the location, taking samples and analyzing them,” the source said.
The source said the investigation showed there was nothing wrong with the design and building of the 30-year-old flyover. The problems had arisen because of the lack of maintenance.
Members of the committee had completed the investigation out of a sense of national duty and not for any financial gain, according to the source.
The bridge consists of two symmetrical halves, with each side fixed onto a concrete frame in the middle. The collapse occurred on one side close to the supporting frame in the middle. The other side was intact.
Othman Subhi Al-Shamrani, assistant professor of civil engineering at the department of architecture and planning at Dammam University, who had examined the bridge earlier, said the collapse might have been caused by water accumulating inside the concrete structure because of a lack of drainage. This may have caused the metal to rust and weaken, he said.
Al-Shamrani said members of the engineering faculty who examined the bridge had found rust and corrosion in the iron inside the structure. He said the design had not taken into account the effect of rain, which caused the formation of a thick layer of mud around the structure.
The committee, comprising academics from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, recently completed its investigation into the incident and sent its report to Minister of Transport Jabara Al-Seraisry.
The committee found that due to lack of maintenance, rust and corrosion had set in weakening the concrete structure that collapsed on Dec. 20 but caused no harm.
The committee had conducted various technical and scientific tests at the site, a source said.
“The committee filed a comprehensive report about the reasons for the collapse with the Ministry of Transport, which ends its role in the investigation,” the source said.
“The committee followed routine procedures, starting with a visit to the location, taking samples and analyzing them,” the source said.
The source said the investigation showed there was nothing wrong with the design and building of the 30-year-old flyover. The problems had arisen because of the lack of maintenance.
Members of the committee had completed the investigation out of a sense of national duty and not for any financial gain, according to the source.
The bridge consists of two symmetrical halves, with each side fixed onto a concrete frame in the middle. The collapse occurred on one side close to the supporting frame in the middle. The other side was intact.
Othman Subhi Al-Shamrani, assistant professor of civil engineering at the department of architecture and planning at Dammam University, who had examined the bridge earlier, said the collapse might have been caused by water accumulating inside the concrete structure because of a lack of drainage. This may have caused the metal to rust and weaken, he said.
Al-Shamrani said members of the engineering faculty who examined the bridge had found rust and corrosion in the iron inside the structure. He said the design had not taken into account the effect of rain, which caused the formation of a thick layer of mud around the structure.
Eastern Province police arrested a Saudi who reportedly murdered a fellow Saudi citizen in Dammam on Sunday.
The victim, an employee at a security department in his thirties, was found dead in a pool of blood after being stabbed repeatedly, an official said.
“The man was stabbed early Sunday morning at a district in Dammam during a dispute between him and another man,” he said.
Col. Ziyad Al-Roqaiti, a spokesman for the Eastern Province Police, said that police in the region were placed on high alert, which led to the arrest of the suspect in less than 12 hours.
The suspect, in his twenties, was handed over to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution following the arrest.
A police control room received word of the murder and news that the suspect had fled the scene at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday. Police teams were instantly sent to the scene of the crime.
The body is being kept in a morgue and will be handed over to relatives upon completion of formalities.
The victim, an employee at a security department in his thirties, was found dead in a pool of blood after being stabbed repeatedly, an official said.
“The man was stabbed early Sunday morning at a district in Dammam during a dispute between him and another man,” he said.
Col. Ziyad Al-Roqaiti, a spokesman for the Eastern Province Police, said that police in the region were placed on high alert, which led to the arrest of the suspect in less than 12 hours.
The suspect, in his twenties, was handed over to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution following the arrest.
A police control room received word of the murder and news that the suspect had fled the scene at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday. Police teams were instantly sent to the scene of the crime.
The body is being kept in a morgue and will be handed over to relatives upon completion of formalities.
Historic Jeddah ready to be included in World Heritage List:
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in coordination with Jeddah municipality and other government agencies has completed the nomination file for registration of Jeddah historic area in the UNESCO’s World Heritage site list, the SCTA’s media center said on Monday.
Stating that the file has since been submitted to the UNESCO, an SCTA official said: “According to the established procedure for seeking inclusion in the World Heritage site list, after formal acceptance, the file should be referred to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to ensure the site’s eligibility for joining the heritage list before the final stage of registration.”
The final stage includes voting on the site at the meeting of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee,” the officials said, adding the various stages progress as per a specific time-frame, and in concurrence with the work of a number of committees and sectors specialized in studying, evaluating and analyzing the nomination.
Accordingly, the Jeddah historic area file is expected to be submitted for voting by the World Heritage Committee during its 38th session to be held in Qatar in June, 2014, he said.
The commission is also putting in all effort in Jeddah historic area in accordance with the project for development and rehabilitation of historic centers which is carried out by the SCTA in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the official underlined.
He said the project aims to develop and preserve important historic sites and transform them into tourism and business locations to score points for inclusion in the list.
From Thursday, Jeddah city will be hosting the 10-day “Jeddah Historic Area Festival” under the patronage of Prince Mesh’al bin Abdullah, Governor of Makkah. It will also be attended by the SCTA president Prince Sultan bin Salman, the official informed.
Through development of the historic area, the SCTA aims to preserve, rehabilitate and develop it architecturally, culturally and economically in a sustainable manner and highlight its heritage, urban and cultural features and encourage area owners to preserve and protect their properties.
Working on the rehabilitation of the area with local authorities, the SCTA has carried out several responsibilities including preparation of the basic document for the King Abdul Aziz project for preservation and development of the historic area.
A number of committees were formed for the project, the most important of which is the ‘Supreme Committee’ under the chairmanship of the Governor.
According to the official, there are a number of projects, valued at over SR 50 million, in progress in the historic area. These include consultation services for restoration of heritage buildings in Al Balad area, supplying and installing lighting columns, establishing parking lots and pavements for cars, cleaning and maintenance of the historic area, maintenance and restoration of buildings and museums inside the area.
Earlier, the SCTA in collaboration with Jeddah municipality, had conducted a number of workshops and participated jointly in evaluation of schematic studies for the development of the area.
It was also involved in preparing the plan for executive projects, besides signing a contract with an international consulting firm to set up preservation plan and management of the historic area in preparation of finalyzing its registration in UNESCO’s heritage list.
Besides, several heritage buildings were chosen and one of them was selected for restoration and conversion into a heritage hotel by the Saudi Heritage Hospitality Company.
Moreover, the SCTA in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Dawa and Guidance, undertakes several issues related to endowment as it is keen to develop and preserve the historic area in a sustainable manner since it is considered to be only remaining city representing the architectural style of the Red Sea basin.
Stating that the file has since been submitted to the UNESCO, an SCTA official said: “According to the established procedure for seeking inclusion in the World Heritage site list, after formal acceptance, the file should be referred to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to ensure the site’s eligibility for joining the heritage list before the final stage of registration.”
The final stage includes voting on the site at the meeting of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee,” the officials said, adding the various stages progress as per a specific time-frame, and in concurrence with the work of a number of committees and sectors specialized in studying, evaluating and analyzing the nomination.
Accordingly, the Jeddah historic area file is expected to be submitted for voting by the World Heritage Committee during its 38th session to be held in Qatar in June, 2014, he said.
The commission is also putting in all effort in Jeddah historic area in accordance with the project for development and rehabilitation of historic centers which is carried out by the SCTA in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the official underlined.
He said the project aims to develop and preserve important historic sites and transform them into tourism and business locations to score points for inclusion in the list.
From Thursday, Jeddah city will be hosting the 10-day “Jeddah Historic Area Festival” under the patronage of Prince Mesh’al bin Abdullah, Governor of Makkah. It will also be attended by the SCTA president Prince Sultan bin Salman, the official informed.
Through development of the historic area, the SCTA aims to preserve, rehabilitate and develop it architecturally, culturally and economically in a sustainable manner and highlight its heritage, urban and cultural features and encourage area owners to preserve and protect their properties.
Working on the rehabilitation of the area with local authorities, the SCTA has carried out several responsibilities including preparation of the basic document for the King Abdul Aziz project for preservation and development of the historic area.
A number of committees were formed for the project, the most important of which is the ‘Supreme Committee’ under the chairmanship of the Governor.
According to the official, there are a number of projects, valued at over SR 50 million, in progress in the historic area. These include consultation services for restoration of heritage buildings in Al Balad area, supplying and installing lighting columns, establishing parking lots and pavements for cars, cleaning and maintenance of the historic area, maintenance and restoration of buildings and museums inside the area.
Earlier, the SCTA in collaboration with Jeddah municipality, had conducted a number of workshops and participated jointly in evaluation of schematic studies for the development of the area.
It was also involved in preparing the plan for executive projects, besides signing a contract with an international consulting firm to set up preservation plan and management of the historic area in preparation of finalyzing its registration in UNESCO’s heritage list.
Besides, several heritage buildings were chosen and one of them was selected for restoration and conversion into a heritage hotel by the Saudi Heritage Hospitality Company.
Moreover, the SCTA in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Dawa and Guidance, undertakes several issues related to endowment as it is keen to develop and preserve the historic area in a sustainable manner since it is considered to be only remaining city representing the architectural style of the Red Sea basin.
6 rescued from under collapsed mosque roof:
Six laborers who were trapped under a collapsed roof of a mosque under construction were rescued by Civil Defense in the neighborhood of Aseelah in Makkah on Monday.
The accident occurred just before noon as they were concreting the 25 by 15 m roof. Three of the injured are in a stable condition and two suffered medium-level injuries.
Six teams participated in the rescue operations commanded by Col. Ali Al-Muntasheri, assitant director of the Civil Defense in Makkah.
“Six workers of Egyptian and Pakistani origin were injured in the collapse and were rushed to hospital,” said Maj. Saleh Al-Olayani, Makkah’s Civil Defense spokesman, adding that search operations for more workers trapped in the debris are underway.
Preliminary investigation, including a statement made by the labor contractor, showed that no other workers were missing.
The Makkah Municipality has set up an engineering committee to find the technical cause behind the building accident, the spokesman said.
The accident occurred just before noon as they were concreting the 25 by 15 m roof. Three of the injured are in a stable condition and two suffered medium-level injuries.
Six teams participated in the rescue operations commanded by Col. Ali Al-Muntasheri, assitant director of the Civil Defense in Makkah.
“Six workers of Egyptian and Pakistani origin were injured in the collapse and were rushed to hospital,” said Maj. Saleh Al-Olayani, Makkah’s Civil Defense spokesman, adding that search operations for more workers trapped in the debris are underway.
Preliminary investigation, including a statement made by the labor contractor, showed that no other workers were missing.
The Makkah Municipality has set up an engineering committee to find the technical cause behind the building accident, the spokesman said.
Saudis get extra shopping hours at Dubai malls:
Major Dubai malls have extended their shopping hours to accommodate the huge influx of Saudi and other tourists expected in the city over the mid-term school holidays.
The extended hours would take effect from Jan. 16 until the end of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) on Feb. 2, according to the Riyadh-based Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Office.
Retail outlets at Dubai Mall will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and food outlets from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. throughout the period.
The Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Center, Mirdif City Center and Dubai Festival City Mall will extend their hours from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. during weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends.
Food outlets at these four malls will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. during weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends. The new hours will mark a departure from their regular mall timings of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The new hours are expected to provide shoppers the chance to get items on discounts of up to 75 percent and use various entertainment facilities.
Laila Mohd Suhail, chief executive officer of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said the city was trying to enhance the shopping experience for tourists.
The extended mall hours will be a boost for the retail sector, which has enjoyed high sales every year during the festival.
In 2012, the DSF attracted 4.3 million visitors to the city who spent a total of AED14.7 billion. Of this, spending on shopping alone accounted for AED8.9 billion. There are 70 malls and over 6,000 retail outlets across Dubai.
APNGOs call for 'chalo Hyderabad' on Jan 22:
The extended hours would take effect from Jan. 16 until the end of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) on Feb. 2, according to the Riyadh-based Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Office.
Retail outlets at Dubai Mall will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and food outlets from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. throughout the period.
The Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Center, Mirdif City Center and Dubai Festival City Mall will extend their hours from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. during weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends.
Food outlets at these four malls will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. during weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends. The new hours will mark a departure from their regular mall timings of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The new hours are expected to provide shoppers the chance to get items on discounts of up to 75 percent and use various entertainment facilities.
Laila Mohd Suhail, chief executive officer of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said the city was trying to enhance the shopping experience for tourists.
The extended mall hours will be a boost for the retail sector, which has enjoyed high sales every year during the festival.
In 2012, the DSF attracted 4.3 million visitors to the city who spent a total of AED14.7 billion. Of this, spending on shopping alone accounted for AED8.9 billion. There are 70 malls and over 6,000 retail outlets across Dubai.
APNGOs call for 'chalo Hyderabad' on Jan 22:
Hyderabad, January 14:
APNGOs Association, a body of government employees from Seemandhra, Tuesday called for a "chalo Hyderabad" agitation and plans to lay siege to Andhra Pradesh assembly Jan 22 to oppose the state's bifurcation.
Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers' (APNGOs) Association president P. Ashok Babu has asked every household in Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) to send a member for the march to Hyderabad.
As the assembly will be concluding its debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 and send it back to President Pranab Mukherjee with its opinion on Jan 23, APNGOs has called for laying siege to the building on Jan 22 to demand that the bill be defeated.
Ashok Babu said all 159 members of assembly from Seemandhra should vote against the bill. He also appealed to all political parties from Seemandhra to participate in "chalo Hyderabad" and laying of siege to the assembly to oppose formation of separate Telangana state.
"We want to demonstrate how strong is the public sentiment for keeping the state united. Our protest is not against any region," he said.
Ashok Babu said if necessary they would hold a march to parliament to stall the state's bifurcation.
The APNGOs Association withdrew the two-day Seemandhra shutdown call given by it earlier on Jan 17 and 18.
APNGOs had held a public meeting in Hyderabad in September to protest the central government's decision to carve out separate Telangana state.
Over four lakh government employees and teachers in Seemandhra participated in 66-day long strike to demand the central government keep the state united.
-----IANs
Makar Sankranti, Milad-un-Nabi celebrated Peacefully in AP:
Hyderabad, January 14:
Harvest festival Makar Sankranti and Milad-un- Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Mohammed, was today celebrated across Andhra Pradesh.
However, confusion prevailed in the State over the exact date of the main Sankranti/Pongal festival. While some calenders mentioned the main festival on January 14, others indicated it on January 15.
The calendar brought out by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has given January 15 as the date for the winter festival.
Reports in different parts of the state indicated that people are going to celebrate the main festival tomorrow.
Meanwhile, hundreds of devotees thronged to East and West Godavari districts to take a holy dip in river Godavari.
As part of the festivities, people lit bonfires on the streets with agricultural and household waste to mark 'Bhogi', the first day of the three-day harvest festival.
Streets were colourfully decorated with rangolis while houses were adorned with mango leaves and flowers. Young and old alike enjoyed kite flying.
Meanwhile, 'cockfighting', a major rural attraction, was organised in parts of coastal Andhra like West Godavari, East Godavari and Krishna districts.
Cockfighting, an old tradition, has of late become a game of betting involving big money. Authorities have taken steps to curb betting on cockfights.
Meanwhile, thousands of Muslims participated in processions in the Old City and other parts of Hyderabad as part of Milad-un-Nabi celebrations.
Devotees attended noon prayers at Mecca Masjid near historic Charminar and other mosques in the Old City.
Muslim Sangham Committees visit districts:
Hyderabad, January 13:
President All India Muslim Sangham Mr. Khalid Rasool Khan said that various committees formed by the Sangham are visiting districts where Muslim population is 3 to 5 percent. He claimed that after the formation of All India Muslim Sangham the Muslims of the said districts are continuously in touch with the Sangham and are urging to form committees of the Sangham in those districts.
He asserted that Muslims not only suffer inferiority complex at the places where Muslim population is 3 to 5 percent but they are also constantly harassed by communal forces by some way or other.
Siasat news
Hakeem Abdullah bin Badar gets award:
Hakeem Abdullah bin Badar gets award:
Hyderabad, January 13:
Famous Hakeem Abdullah bin Badar of Bharat Unani Health Care Center was awarded “Samaj Ratan Award” on the occasion of 150th birthday celebrations of Swami Vivekananda. The Award was given by Mr. Damodar Raja Narasimha, Deputy C.M.of A.P. Mr. K. M. Mohan, Health Minister applauded the services of Hakeem Abdullah bin Badar.
--Siasat News
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