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Why Abbas chopped Naseeruddin, Ratna’s role?

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Mumbai, July 06: After “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”, Naseeruddin Shah and his wife Ratna Pathak became lucky mascots for Abbas Tyrewala, but he has deleted their roles from his next “1:800 Love”.

Have Tyrewala and the two veteran artists fallen out?

“Nothing of the sort,” laughed Tyrewala. “I had written roles specially for Ratna and Naseer. They were supposed to play a husband and wife, this time both alive and kicking. So the rumours that their roles would be reversed and Naseer would be talking to Ratna’s portrait were completely wrong,” Tyrewala told media.

Shahbad hockey girls make India proud

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New Delhi, July 06: They struggle to make ends meet but dream of donning the national colours and playing hockey. For the girls in Haryana’s Shahbad town, the sport is a key to social security and a comfortable lifestyle.

The town in the historical Kurekshetra district, which is barely a four-hour drive from the national capital, is a budding nursery for women’s hockey and has produced a steady stream of players in the past decade or so. Around 25 internationals have made their mark in the national team so far and the list is even bigger in domestic competitions.

Higher edu gets boost, IITs, NITs bags Rs.21 bn

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New Delhi, July 06: Continuing its thrust on higher education, the union budget 2009-10 today proposed to allocate over Rs.21 billion for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

“I am allocating Rs.2,113 crore (Rs.21.13 billion) for IITs and NITs, which includes a provision of Rs. 450 crore for new IITs and NITs,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while presenting the budget.

Currently, there are 12 IITs and 20 NITs operating across the country including the new ones.

Federer takes place in history on longest day

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London, July 06: We thought we had seen everything when Roger Federer lost in the greatest final in Wimbledon history 12 months ago, but the Swiss returned to Centre Court last night to emerge triumphant after another extraordinary ending to the world’s most famous tennis tournament.

Obama aims to ‘reset’ relations with Russia

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Washington, July 06: The US President Barack Obama and Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev are to announce a framework deal on arms cuts at a Kremlin summit on Monday intended to “reset” difficult relations between Moscow and Washington.

A US official told Reuters that negotiators from both sides had agreed the text of an outline deal on cutting Russian and US nuclear arsenals to put to the two presidents.
–Agencies

Woman along with kids commits suicide in UP

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Sant Kabir Nagar, July 06:) A 35-year-old woman along with her two kids jumped to death before a train at Mukhlispur railway crossing in the district, GRP sources said today.

Efforts were on to identify the woman, the sources said, adding the two children aged around two and four years.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, they said.
–PTI

Union Budget: 2009-10

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New Delhi, July 06: Giving relief to Delhi government, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today proposed to substantially enhance the allocations for the next year’s Commonwealth Games to Rs 3,472 crore.

Presenting the Union budget in the Lok Sabha, Mukherjee proposed to increase the allocation from Rs 2,112 crore in the interim budget to Rs 3,472 crore.

“The Commonwealth Games present the country with an opportunity to showcase our potential as an emerging Asian power,” Mukherjee said.

Varun alleges plot to kill him, mother Maneka writes to PM

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New Delhi, July 05: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi today alleged that members of underworld mobster Chhota Shakeel’s gang were plotting to kill him while his mother and party leader Maneka Gandhi complained to the prime minister that the home ministry was treating the threats to his life casually. A day after six sharpshooters of Chhota Shakeel – one of India’s most wanted gangsters – were arrested from various parts of the capital, Varun Gandhi urged Home Minister P. Chidambaram to take urgent action in the matter.

Assam flood situation grim, Brahmaputra crosses mark

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Guwahati, July 05: One person was swept away in Majuli islands as the flood situation in Assam turned critical with river Brahmputra and its tributaries crossing the danger mark, affecting over five lakh people in ten districts.

Normal life was crippled as large parts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh districts, Jorhat in upper Assam, Morigaon in central Assam and Barpeta, Kamrup (Guwahati), Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Baksa in lower Assam were submerged by the swollen rivers due to incessant rains in catchment areas.

Jackson family divided over funeral: manager Tohme Tohme

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London, July 5: Michael Jackson’s family is divided over the public memorial and funeral of the ‘King of Pop, his manager Dr Tohme Tohme has revealed.

The Lebanese-born businessman was with the Jackson family at the UCLA hospital when the star died after a suspected cardiac arrest on June 25.

Jackson’s public memorial is scheduled for Tuesday at Staples Centre after the plan to hold a grand public viewing at the pop star’s fantasy-themed Neverland was cancelled.

Sporting ties with India not possible right now: Jillani

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Karachi, July 5: Pakistan sports minister Aftab Shah Jillani does not foresee restoration of sporting ties with India in the near future.

“I don’t think it is possible to restore bilateral sporting ties with India at this stage and in these existing circumstances,” Jillani told reporters at a function in Karachi.

He said the sporting ties were determined by the government level ties between the two countries.

“As soon as conditions improve and official contacts are made the sports ministry will seek advice from the foreign ministry,” he added.

ACA women wing chairman appointed vice-president

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Vijayawada, July 5: Controversy-ridden Andhra Cricket Association has appointed its women wing chairman J Narendra and Anantapur District Association chief M Ferrer as the vice-presidents after three state government officials resigned in the wake of ACA general secretary’s sacking.

The ACA took the decisions in its executive committee meeting yesterday and also accepted resignations from two IAS officers M G U K Bhanu, M Ravichandra and IPS officer AK Khan, ACA president Gokaraju Gangaraju told PTI.

England has edge over ‘ridiculous’ Australia: Chappell

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New Delhi, July 5: Australia have put together a “ridiculous” squad which gives England a distinct edge in the forthcoming Ashes series, according to former Aussie captain Ian Chappell.

“I thought it was ridiculous,” Chappell said of Australia’s team selection, pointing to Phillip Hughes’ shaky form.

Advani finds support from rivals on EVM issue

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New Delhi, July 5: BJP leader L K Advani today found support from rivals CPI(M), JD(S) and LJP for his suggestion for re-introduction of ballot papers in place of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Advani has not cast any doubts on the results of the Lok Sabha elections but feels the country should revert to ballot papers starting with the Maharashtra Assembly elections in October and some more states later unless the Election Commission was able to ensure that EVMs were fool-proof and every possibility of malfunctioning has been taken care of.

Akshay Kumar And Priyanka To Sizzle

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Mumbai, July 05: Akshay Kumar fans who thought he bonded better on screen with the hot Priyanka Chopra than the sexy Kareena Kapoor and captivating Katrina Kaif, may be in for a total surprise.

The Khiladi, whose pairing with Priyanka came to an end when gossip mills alleged his wife Tina had forbidden their jodi over relationship rumours, is open to working with the actress again.

Ambani Brothers May Come Together For Prayer Meet

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Mumbai, July 05: Their fight, despite a family settlement of June 2005, may have reached the Supreme Court but Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil are expected to come together once again – this time for a prayer meeting on their father Dhirubhai’s death anniversary.

The country’s richest siblings may join their mother Kokilaben at the family residence ‘Sea Wind’ on Dhirubhai’s seventh death anniversary on Monday, family sources indicated.

High Court Gay Judgment, Govt Wants Reason

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New Delhi, July 05: The view that the Delhi High Court judgment de-criminalising sex among consenting adults of the same sex is “reasonable and well-balanced” has gained ground in the Manmohan Singh government, which is unlikely to oppose the order in the Supreme Court.

The government feels that the judgment touched but on a small part of Article 377 when it decriminalised sex between two consenting adults of the same sex in private, and that the alarmist interpretation that the law itself has been upturned should not guide the Centre’s action.

Obama heads to Russia, G8 and Ghana

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Washington, July 05: US President Barack Obama was headed to Russia later Sunday, then on to Italy for the G8 meetings on Wednesday and a stop in Ghana on Saturday. In Moscow, Obama is seeking to “reset” relations by finding cooperation on a number of challenges, including confronting Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions.

Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are to discuss replacement of a nuclear arms-control agreement that expires in December. Both leaders have expressed hope that they can move beyond the strained ties of the past.

Australian foreign minister hails relationship with Malaysia

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Sydney, July 05: Australia and Malaysia have put past troubles behind them and are the best of friends, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Sunday. Speaking ahead of his visit to Kuala Lumpur this week with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Smith said cooperation was the way forward.

“The relationship in recent historical terms has had its moments,” Smith said on local television. “We want to put that, and have put that, behind us, but it is, we think, open to both Australia and Malaysia to enhance and further entrench a very good relationship.”

UPA failed to use Rs.72,500 crore for Dalits: Study

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New Delhi, July 05: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) may wax eloquent about empowering the downtrodden, but in the last five years it has denied the Scheduled Castes (SCs) a whopping Rs.72,500 crore ($15.16 billion) that should have been earmarked for them under a special scheme.

This has been underlined by voluntary organisation National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) after a study of India’s budget documents.

US committed to Iraq withdrawal, says Biden

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Baghdad, July 05: US Vice President Joe Biden Saturday said the United States was committed to withdrawing its soldiers from Iraq by the end of 2011.

Speaking from Baghdad on US Independence Day, less than a week after US soldiers withdrew from Iraqi cities, Biden said the White House would honour pledges to complete the military’s withdrawal from Iraq in two years’ time.

Underworld men plotted to kill me: Varun Gandhi

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New Delhi, July 05: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi today claimed that underworld criminals arrested in Delhi a day earlier were plotting to kill him and urged the home minister to take urgent action.

We didn’t try to poison Sheikh Hasina: Former officials

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Dhaka, July 05: Advisors of Bangladesh’s former caretaker government have denied the charge that they were responsible for serving ‘poisoned’ food to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when she was in jail and have demanded a fair probe.

Hasina’s current health advisor, Syed Mudassar Ali, repeated the charge levelled a week earlier by deputy leader in parliament Syeda Sajeda Choudhury. He claimed that Hasina, who served a year in prison on graft charges, was served ‘poisoned’ food aimed at her slow death.

India grouped with SA, qualifier for 2010 T20 WC

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Dubai, July 05: Dethroned Twenty20 World Champions India have been placed alongside South Africa and a qualifier team in Group C for the next year’s third edition of the tournament to be played in the West Indies.

Holders Pakistan are in the Group A where they will have to ward off the challenges from Bangladesh and Australia to advance in the event starting April 30, according to the 2010 World Twenty20 Match schedule announced by the International Cricket Council today.

Ayatollah’s aide accuses Iran opposition leader of being US agent

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Tehran, July 05: A top aide to Iran’s supreme leader has described the country’s main opposition leader as a US agent and has called for him to be tried for crimes against the nation.

While hardline figures had previously demanded that Mir Hossein Mousavi be prosecuted for describing Iran’s 12 June elections as fraudulent and leading demonstrations, this is the first public declaration claiming that Mr Mousavi is a foreign agent.