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Sensex up 453 pts on strong global cues, rain forecast

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Mumbai, July 14: Strong global cues and a forecast of favourable rainfall in July today propped up the BSE Sensex as the benchmark bounced back after a four-day losing streak by a whopping 453 points, the biggest gain since June 9.

Market sentiment was also bolstered by reports that Singapore upgraded its growth forecast after the construction and pharmaceutical sectors registered growth.

The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer settled the day at 13,853.70, netting a rise of 453.38 or 3.38 per cent over its previous close.

Alam, Younus build lead in Pak vs Lanka 2nd Test

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Colombo, July 14: Debutant Fawad Alam and skipper Younus Khan put on a record stand of 200 as Pakistan consolidated their position in the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka here today.

The overnight pair batted a major part of the morning session of the third day to take Pakistan to 294-2 in their second innings by lunch, a lead of 144 runs with eight wickets in hand.

Left-handed Alam, who reached his century yesterday evening, continued in the same vein to reach 164 not out at the end of a profitable session for the batsmen at the P Sara Oval.

Never seen Prabhakaran: Rajapaksa

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Colombo, July 14: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that he had never seen the slain LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and would have preferred to chat with him.

“I would have preferred to bring him here and have a chat with him. I have never seen this man, Rajapaksa said.

In an interview to TIME magazine, when asked what he would have wanted to know from Prabhakaran if he had got the opportunity to talk to him, Rajapaksa said “Why he did all these mad things. What else can I ask him?”.

NHAI to borrow Rs 5,000 cr in FY10

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New Delhi, July 14: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is in talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to raise USD 100 million (about Rs 500 crore) this financial year, taking its overall borrowing to Rs 5,000 crore in the current fiscal.

“We have a negotiation going on with ADB for 100 million dollar in 2009-10. Our total borrowing for the current financial year will be Rs 5,000 crore,” NHAI Member Finance A Didar Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of a CII conclave on National Highways Development.

No mad rush to complete work on Metro: Minister

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New Delhi, July 14: The government today sought to allay apprehensions that safety norms were being flouted in order to complete Metro construction in the capital ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“The government is in no mad rush for the completion of the project. Safety is of primary concern,” Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Roy said in the Rajya Sabha.

He was responding to concerns of members who demanded better safety at Metro construction sites to prevent mishaps.

Trooper kills wife, baby, himself

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Tripura, July 14: A trooper of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) strangled his wife and 46-day-old daughter to death and then committed suicide, police said Tuesday.

Ashutosh Debnath, 32, a rifleman, killed his wife Gopa Debnath, 26, and daughter Laxmi late Monday at Amtali in west Tripura, a police spokesman said.

Debnath, who was plagued by family disputes, then killed himself.

In a separate incident Monday, a woman driven by poverty poisoned her three-year-old son to death and then took the poison at Jubarajnagar in northern Tripura.
–IANS

Thousands to pay tribute to Afghan casualties

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Kabul, July 14: The bodies of eight British soldiers killed during the army’s bloodiest 24 hours in Afghanistan will be flown home to a military base today.

The bodies of eight British soldiers killed during the army’s bloodiest 24 hours in Afghanistan will be flown home to a military base today.

Thousands are expected to line the streets of Wootton Bassett, near RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, to watch the men’s cortege – the largest yet to drive through the market town.

Microsoft reveals first peek at Office 2010

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Washington, July 14: Microsoft is giving a select group of technology-savvy testers an early peek at its Office 2010 software, but it’s keeping a key development – free web-based versions of programs such as Word and Excel – under wraps a little while longer.

The launch of this “technical preview” indicates Office 2010 is still on track for release in the early part of next year.

Blind athlete hopes to make mark at world stage

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New Delhi, July 14: Blindness has not been able to diminish his thirst for life and 15-year-old Ankur Dhama is out to win the world when he takes part in the IBSA World Youth and Student Championships, beginning in Colorado Springs from tomorrow.

Dhama is the only one who is totally blind in a group of eight visually challenged athletes who will represent India in the world meet.

He clinched gold in both 400 and 800m at the 16th National Sports Meet for the Blind in Ludhiana that fetched him a spot in the national team.

Women flogged for wearing trousers in Sudan

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Sudan, July 14: Police in Sudan arrested 13 women in a raid on a cafe and flogged 10 of them in public for wearing trousers in violation of the country’s strict Islamic law, one of those arrested said today.

The 13 women were at a cafe in the capital, Khartoum, when they were detained on Friday by officers from the public order police, which enforces the implementation of Sharia law in public places.

The force randomly enforces an alcohol ban and often scolds young men and women mingling in public.

Swine flu vaccination compulsory for Haj pilgrims: Tharoor

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New Delhi, July 14: Haj pilgrims from India this year will have to compulsorily get themselves vaccinated against swine flu to avoid getting quarantined in Saudi Arabia, as per the latest requirements of the government there.

This was announced today by Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor who also advised that elderly, pregnant women and children should avoid making the pilgrimage this year due to the pandemic.

Nehru Vikas Kendra activities to be extended, says Gill

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New Delhi, July 14: Government is planning to extend the activities of the Nehru Yuva Kendras in the remaining 122 districts during the current financial year, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister M S Gill told the Lok Sabha today.

Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) scheme is at present functioning in 501 districts, he said.

Replying to supplementaries, Gill said it would be his endeavour to get more funds sanctioned for the NYKs.

He said enrollment of about 32 lakh National Service Scheme volunteers has been sanctioned for 2009-10.

Indian American announces run for US Congress

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Washington, July 14: Indian American Democrat Raj Goyle yesterday announced that he would run for the US House of Representatives next year.

If elected, he would be the third Indian American to be elected to the US Congress after Dilip Singh Saund and Bobby Jindal. Goyle is currently State Representative in Kansas.

“I am running because too many Kansas families and businesses are struggling right now. We need strong, independent leadership to tackle these challenges,” Goyle said.

‘SankatCity’ a sincere tribute to Mumbai: Pankaj Advani

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New Delhi, July 14: Riding high on the critical acclaim of his first mainstream film ‘Sankat City’, director Pankaj Advani says it is his sincere tribute to Mumbai, a city which inspired him to sketch real-life characters from different cultures and languages.

“I always wanted to make a film about the city I love.

The hero of the film is its script and there are excellent performances by all the actors. It was not an easy film to make with 18 important characters and 60 shooting locations,” says the director.

A software engineer who writes with both hands

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Tiruchirapalli, July 14: She is a software engineer with a difference. While she writes with her right hand, her left hand simultaneously generates mirror images of those words.

Possessing an ability to effortlessly write with both her hands, R Vaishnavi can write English, Tamil, Hindi and Sanskrit.

Vaishnavi, who had completed her B E in computer science, writes with her right hand as most people do, but at the same time she can generate mirror images of those words with her left hand.

Investor offer values Facebook at USD 6.5 billion

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New York, July 14: A Russian Internet company is offering to buy USD 100 million worth of stock from Facebook employees in a deal which values the fast-growing social network at USD 6.5 billion.

The Russian company, Digital Sky Technologies (DST), which invested USD 200 million in Facebook in May, is offering USD 14.77 per share of Facebook common stock.

The tender offer will close “some time in August,” said Jennifer Gill, a DST spokeswoman.

Britain punishes Israel for Gaza naval bombardment

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Jerusalem, July 14: The British Government has reacted to Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza last January by barring further exports of components used in naval gunships which took part in the three-week operation.

Britain has officially told Israel’s embassy in London that it is revoking five licences for exports of equipment used in Saar 4.5 vessels because they violate UK and EU criteria precluding military sales which could be used for “internal repression”.

Rupee stronger by another 32 paise against dollar

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Mumbai, July 14: The Indian rupee today surged by another 32 paise to 48.76 against the greenback in morning trade in tandem with a strong rally in stocks amid steady dollar overseas.

In quiet trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (forex) market, the capital market resumed firm at 48.83/85 a dollar against its last close of 49.08/09 a dollar and later spurted to 48.76 before being quoted at 48.81/82 a dollar in late morning deals.

Forex dealers said the rupee drew support as the equity market rallied sharply in morning trade.

Now, a novel in SMS format!

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New Delhi, July 14: Tired of reading content in a book format?
Now, mobile phones can be an alternative as a leading publisher has come up with, what it claims, to be the first work of fiction in the Indian subcontinent in SMS format.

According to HarperCollins India, Pinki Virani’s “Deaf Heaven” is the first literary cell-novel and an adult audio-mobile book in the subcontinent.

The literary cell-novel will be made available in 90 SMSes and the adult audio-mobile book in two short-duration downloads by Reliance Mobile.

Mahmadullah has WIndies in a spin on debut test

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Kingstown, July 14: Mahmudullah completed a memorable debut Test, when he cruelly exposed West Indies’ frailty to spin, and bowled Bangladesh to a historic 95-run victory in the opening Test here on Monday.

The 23-year-old off-spinner captured five wickets for 51 runs from 15 overs, as West Indies, chasing 277 for victory, were dismissed for 181 in their second innings about 20 minutes before the scheduled close on the fifth and final day at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

Obama’s judge denies race bias

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Washinghton, July 14: President Barack Obama’s choice for a soon-to-be-vacant seat on the nine-member Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, found herself centre-stage in a predictably partisan burst of political theatrics on Capitol Hill yesterday as her confirmation hearings finally got under way.

Flintoff a second hand car, no more key to success: Atherton

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London, July 14: Andrew Flintoff is as reliable as a second hand car and England should not unnecessarily panic over the fitness of the all-rounder who is no more the talisman he was four years ago, according to former captain Mike Atherton.

As England sweat over Flintoff’s fitness after a knee injury rendered the all-rounder doubtful for the second Ashes Test, Atherton said it was not the end of the world for the hosts.

“Whisper it…but the injury to Andrew Flintoff is not necessarily bad news for England.

Miracle of the girl with two hearts

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Britain, July 14: For 10 years, Hannah Clark was known as the girl with two hearts. She was barely a year old when her parents rushed her to hospital because the tiny heart she had been born with simply wasn’t strong enough to pump blood around her body.

Do’s and dont’s now for budding child artists

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New Delhi, July 12: A child crying inconsolably after being ousted from a reality TV show, his parents watching in dejection and the audience clapping in sympathy may push up TRP ratings. But it may also cause immense trauma to the child.

Now the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has come up with a strict list of do’s and don’ts for TV shows involving children. These call for a counsellor on the sets of the show, limited work hours and no deep make-up for the kids.

CPI-M central committee meeting ends, Kerala CM skips session

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New Delhi, July 12: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today ended its two-day central committee meeting here to resolve the factional war in its Kerala unit, with speculation rife that Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan may be dropped from the politburo.

The chief minister, who attended the first day’s session on Saturday, skipped today’s meeting. A formal statement of the party’s decision is expected later in the day.