Jaipal Reddy hints at hike in petrol prices

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New Delhi: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Jaipal Reddy has hinted at a hike in petrol prices. He said petrol prices needed to be relooked at. "Prices of all petroleum prices need to be looked at again. However, we are living in a real world, so for those decisions I will have to go to the group of empowered ministers. I can't say anything without meeting the ministers," Reddy said.

He also said that the Petroleum Ministry will independently deal with petrol prices. "Petrol prices will be dealt with independently by our ministry. Before we instruct the oil companies, we have to take all matters into consideration," he said.

On regulation of petrol, Reddy said, "We are not contemplating regulation of petrol. Petrol continues to be deregulated, there is some kind of discontinuation of deregulation but we will have to go back to deregulation."

He also added that India will continue to import oil from Iran. "Our companies need oil from Iran and we will continue to import oil from the country," Reddy said.

Since Januray 2011 petrol prices have been increased five times. In January 2011 the price of petrol was increased by Rs 2.5 per litre and then in May 2011 there was another steep hike of Rs 5 per litre. The next time the price was increased was June 2011 when there was a minor increase of Rs 0.33 per litre.

In September and November 2011, the prices were increased again by Rs 3.14 per litre and Rs 1.8 per litre respectively.

Hyderabad: 12-year-old student dies after fight with classmate

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Hyderabad: A 12-year-old student studying in Class 8 died after a scuffle with his classmate in Hyderabad on Thursday night. The boy was a student of Hyderabad's Little Scholars School.

The boy was involved in a fist fight with another student during the school's annual function which he fell unconscious. The school authorities rushed the boy to a hospital where he was declared dead.

"We were here for our annual day function when one of the two students came running and informed us that a student has fallen unconscious. We rushed the boy to hospital where he succumbed," said Singaiah, a school official.

Leonardo DiCaprio dislikes deodorants, avoids bathing

Los Angeles: Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly refuses to use deodorants, while his girlfriend, model Erin Heatherton, wants him to clean up and be hygiene-conscious.

"Leo has let his love for the environment take over his whole world and it's killing his love life, he only showers a couple of days a week to conserve water and he considers deodorant to be unnatural," showbizspy.com quoted a source as saying.

"Erin loves him dearly but is starting to feel like Leo loves the environment more than her. Erin has warned him to clean up his act and his hygiene. If not, he may wind up chasing off the woman of his dreams," added the source.

All-party meeting on Lokpal Bill today

New Delhi: The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold an all-party meeting of Rajya Sabha members on Friday in an attempt to end the deadlock over the crucial Lokapl Bill. This meet comes ahead of a possible fast by Anna Hazare on March 25 to push forward the legislation.

Singh on Thursday said the all-party meeting on Lokpal was part of government's effort to achieve a "meaningful consensus" on the issue.

The Prime Minsiter will meet senior leaders of all parties at his residence to discuss the controversial bill, to which 97 amendments have been moved by Opposition members in Rajya Sabha.

The bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha in the last winter session, remained short of going through the procedures of passage in the Upper House at that time as the term of the session had expired.

Opposition parties have moved 97 amendments to the Bill in Rajya Sabha some of which were contentious and the meeting would discuss ways to evolve consesus on them, sources said.

Some of the amendments, the sources said, are for bringing the Prime Minister's Office under the Lokpal, seek exclusion of Lokayukta from the Bill, abolition of minority quota and inclusion of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha as one of the members of the selection committee.

Government is keen on passing the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha even as the opposition and social activist Hazare have renewed pressure on the issue.

Delhi: Abducted 20-year-old found dead, 4 'friends' arrested

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New Delhi: Crime is back in focus in the national capital. The body of a 20-year-old student was found on Thursday evening by the Delhi Police in Rohini.

While a post-mortem is awaited, the police suspect he was strangled to death. Four of his classmates have been arrested.

The police are on the lookout for a few other friends too.

The initial probe suggests the boy was drugged and abducted by his friends. His father said he received a ransom call with a demand for Rs 50 lakh.

"I got a call at 7:30 pm in the evening informing me that my son has been kidnapped. They asked for a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The police supported me a lot and cracked the case by 11 pm but my son got killed," the boy's father said.

Swine flu scare returns, 12 die in two weeks

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Mumbai: After a calm year, swine flu has again reared its head in Maharashtra, with 69 cases and seven deaths reported in the last fortnight in Pune.

At least 27 cases of swine flu have also been reported in Andhra Pradesh and 28 in Rajasthan with 5 deaths.

Transmission in Pune has shot upto 15 per cent in this month, according to the National Institute of Virology. Authorities are releasing additional funds for equipment like ventilators at government hospitals and are also looking to rope in private hospitals for treatment.

"We will be visiting hospitals, me and other MLCs. We hope that with the summer months coming, the infection will die down." Pune MLC Neelam Gore said.

However, doctors insist the virus has lost its sting and the Pune spurt is an aberration due to erratic weather changes. Influenza of any kind increases during the changing months. The good news is that experts have not noted any significant mutation in the H1N1 virus, so Tamiflu, the first line of treatment, continues to remain effective.

Taking a cue from the 2009 experience, when hundreds of students were infected, triggering closure of many schools and colleges, health authorities are focusing on children.

"Seven days of no school will not make your child any less of an Einstein, so please avoid school when ill. Give them fresh food, fresh fruits, cross ventilation, wash hands," Lung Specialist at Lilavati Hospital Doctor Suresh Rang said.

Though doctors maintain there is no cause for alarm just yet, if you're down with flu like symptoms, don't self medicate and get medical help immediately.