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Alleged lover of Asia’s richest woman testifies

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Hong Kong, June 24: The alleged lover of the late Nina Wang, Asia’s richest woman when she died, testified today for the first time in the Hong Kong court case to decide if he will inherit her multibillion-dollar estate.

Feng shui adviser Tony Chan Chun-chuen, 49, claims he was romantically involved with Wang and that the real estate tycoon left her fortune to him in an October 2006 will.

But the Chinachem Charitable Foundation which was set up by Wang and her late husband, holds a July 2002 will that bequeaths Wang’s estate to the charity.

Monsoon plays truant; Govt preparing plan of action

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New Delhi, June 24: What should the government do to tackle a possible failure of monsoon? Agriculture Secretaries of states that have not received rainfall will meet Union Agriculture Secretary tomorrow and search for answers.

About 60 per cent of the total cultivable area of 140 million hectare is rain fed, while the rest is irrigated.

Southwest monsoon, which had brought cheer to the farming community due to its early onset on May 23, had stopped in its tracks over Konkan region of Maharashtra on June 7.

Alleged lover of Asia’s richest woman testifies

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Hong Kong, June 24: The alleged lover of the late Nina Wang, Asia’s richest woman when she died, testified today for the first time in the Hong Kong court case to decide if he will inherit her multibillion-dollar estate.

Feng shui adviser Tony Chan Chun-chuen, 49, claims he was romantically involved with Wang and that the real estate tycoon left her fortune to him in an October 2006 will.

But the Chinachem Charitable Foundation which was set up by Wang and her late husband, holds a July 2002 will that bequeaths Wang’s estate to the charity.

Taliban leader killed by guard who was ‘planted by rival ‘

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Islamabad, June 24: A Taliban leader who had emerged as a potential rival to Pakistan’s most wanted militant has been assassinated by a guard, alleged to have been planted by the feared Baitullah Mehsud.

Qari Zainuddin was shot several times by one of his own guards who had stormed into his office following morning prayers and then fled in a car. Mr Zainuddin was rushed to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

Couple arrested for kidnapping two-year-old girl

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New Delhi, Jun 24: A couple, who allegedly kidnapped a two-year-old girl from India Gate on Thursday last week and let her off after a day, have been arrested, police sources said today.

The couple Jugal Kishore and Rekha, who had gone out of Delhi after the girl’s missing case hogged limelight, was caught by a team of Delhi Police from outside the national capital, they said.

They are being taken to the capital, they said without revealing from where the couple was picked up.

Woman gangraped in east Delhi home

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New Delhi, June 24: A 22-year-old woman was raped allegedly by three men, including her husband’s friend, in her east Delhi residence, police said today.

The incident was reported from Bholanath locality last evening.

The three men came to her residence on the pretext of meeting her husband and then allegedly raped her, a senior police official said.

According to the woman’s statement, the three raped her and threatened her of dire consequences if she made a noise.

Her husband claimed that he came back home in the night and found his wife crying.

Dinosaurs may not have been as huge as thought: Study

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New Delhi, June 24: Gigantic dinosaurs, as shown in Hollywood movies, may not have been as huge when they actually walked on the earth, scientists have said.

Scientists at the Colorado University in the US claimed to have found that the original statistical model, used to calculate dinosaur mass, was flawed.

The model showed dinosaurs as oversized animals due to the imperfection of the evaluating techniques, they said.

Noted Shia scholar among 3 elected to AMU Court

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Aligarh, June 23: Noted Islamic scholar Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji, Maulana Ataur Rahman Qasmi and chaudhary Mateen were elected as members of Aligarh Muslim University Court which is the supreme governing body of the university.

Former Chief Justice of India and Chancellor of AMU, justice A M Ahmadi presided over the meeting where the three were elected.

The court passed the annual accounts of the University and the audit report of the Principal Accountant General, an AMU spokesman told newsmen here today.

CITU open to support Air India employees

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Kolkata, June 23: CPI(M) trade union wing CITU today said, if was approached, it would support any agitation by the Air India employees, who are currently facing the possibility of having their June month’s salaries delayed.

“Though, we do not have presence among Air India employees, we are open to support (them),” CITU state secretary Kali Ghosh said here today.

On the proposal for wage cut in AI, he said, CITU was opposed to it.

Missing teenager traced with help of Google

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New Delhi, June 23: Scoring less than expected marks in CBSE Class XII examination made him run away from his house in Delhi but a scrap he sent to his friend on ‘Orkut’ helped police to track him.

Delhi Police had last week tracked Siddhant Singh, the 18-year-old son of a Special Cell Sub-Inspector, who went missing on May 22, the day when the result for class XII was announced.

The teenager, who had ran away from his house in Geeta Colony here, was tracked to Ambala with the help of a friend on a social networking site who got in touch with his family, who informed police.

No one safe under NDA’s rule in Bihar: Lalu

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Patna, June 23: Intensifying his attack on Bihar’s NDA government led by Nitish Kumar, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today alleged that there was “complete breakdown” in law and order situation of the state and nobody felt secure and protected under the present regime.

“There is a complete breakdown in law and order. We can rather say that there is no law and order worth the name prevailing in Bihar at present,” Prasad said while addressing a dharna organised by his party’s city unit to highlight law and order problems in the state.

Lord Swraj Paul appointed member of Queen’s Privy Council

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London, June 23: Lord Swraj Paul was today appointed by the Queen as a member of her Privy Council, the British monarch’s advisory group whose members include the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers and other eminent personalities.

The 78-year-old NRI industrialist, the first Asian to hold the office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, thus became the first India-born to be appointed to the Council, which also includes the Prime Ministers of Australia and Canada.

Iran president to be sworn in July 26-Aug 19

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Tehran, June 23: Iran’s president and new cabinet will be sworn in before parliament between July 26 and August 19 following the presidential election, the official said today.

“Parliament’s board of directors set July 26 to August 19 as the period for the president’s swearing-in and the introduction of the new cabinet,” it said.

It did not specifically mention President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was declared the winner of the June 12 election despite opposition complaints of irregularities.
–Agencies

TDS assessees need to quote unique number in I-T return

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New Delhi, June 23: Assessees whose tax is deducted at source will have to wait for some time this year before filing returns as they will be required to quote a new number in the form.

The new number, Unique Transaction Number (UTN), has been made mandatory because there are some lacunae like individuals having more than one permanent account number (PAN), sources said.

The income-tax department has asked individual assessees whose tax is deducted or collected at source to quote the UTN.

Obama braced for health battle

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Washington, June 23: US President Barack Obama issued an urgent call yesterday for quick action on sweeping health-care reforms in an attempt to deliver on his most important domestic policy promise from last year’s campaign, against fierce opposition from Republicans and much of the medical industry. It “cannot wait”, he said.

Non-bailable warrants issued against Hafeez Saeed, Laqvi

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Mumbai, June 23: The trial court hearing the 26/11 terror attack cases today issued non-bailable warrants against 22 absconding accused, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafeez Saeed and head of operations of Lashkar-e-Toiba Zaki-ur-Rehman Laqvi.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam submitted a list of the absconding accused along with their addresses to the trial court and sought issuance of warrants against them.

Judge M L Tahaliyani directed the Mumbai police Commissioner and CBI Director (Police) to execute the warrants through interpol.

Indians among highest visa rule breachers in Australia

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Melbourne, June 23: Indian students have been placed in the high risk group for visa breaches in Australia along with Bangladeshis and Cambodians, a development that may result in tightening of immigration rules for them.

Based on a review of the student visa programme by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship across all applicant countries, Indians were bracketed with Bangladeshis and Cambodians as a ‘level-four’ risk, which is the second highest risk category.

Shiney not under the influence of alcohol: Reports

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Mumbai, June 23: Medical reports of actor Shiney Ahuja, arrested for allegedly raping his 20-year-old domestic help, have suggested that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of incident, police said.

“The blood and urine samples have shown that the actor was neither under the influence of alcohol nor drugs. He was in his complete sense when he allegedly raped the maid. We are awaiting the DNA reports,” Assistant Police Commissioner Dilip Suryawanshi told PTI.

Pune University opens centre in UAE

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New Delhi, June 23: Pune University has become the first government-run institution in the country to open a centre abroad.

The university has recently opened a campus in UAE. The centre is set to offer courses from this session.

“The university is also planning to open another centre in Uganda. The intention is to expand the reach globally in providing quality education,” Dr Narendra Jadhav, who was the vice chancellor of the university till last week, told PTI.

Gayle, Sarwan wary of depleted India

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Kingston, June 23: The Indian team sports a distinctly depleted look in absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan but West Indies captain Chris Gayle said he would not make the folly of underestimating the visitors in the forthcoming four-match ODI series starting on Friday.

After arriving here from England along with Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor and Xavier Marshall, Gayle said India maybe without some of the star players but West Indies would do well not to take them lightly.

Bangladesh captain sacked after T20 exit

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Dhaka, June 23: Bangladeshi cricket authorities have sacked the national team captain, an official said, 10 days after returning home to fans angry at an early exit from the World Twenty20 tournament.

“Mohammad Ashraful has been removed from the captaincy because of poor batting,” an official, who declined to be named. The 24-year-old middle order batsman bore the brunt of the blame for the team’s disastrous performance in the competition in England which saw them exit after the first round of play.

Miandad wants Younis to stay on

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Islamabad, June 23: Pakistan Cricket Board Director General Javed Miandad wants Younis Khan to take back his decision of retiring from Twenty20 cricket, saying his presence was important to defend the World T20 title next year and win the 2011 ODI World Cup.

“The next T20 World Cup is just a year away and then we have the main World Cup in early 2011 so it would be better if Younis remained captain in all forms of the game,” he said.

AP govt will not accept World Bank’s terms: Reddy

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Hyderabad, June 23: Asserting that the World Bank had no authority to dictate terms to him, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today told yesterday his government would not accept the bank’s conditions for any loan.

“My people are my boss and not the World Bank or any other international agency,” a release from the Chief Minister’s Office said quoting Reddy today.

Reddy was presiding over a review meeting on minor irrigation when a senior official referred to the World Bank aided minor irrigation and modernisation programmes in the state.

Sensex falls 309 points on global cues

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Mumbai, June 23: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today plunged by over 309 points in opening trade on heavy selling by funds, tracking a weak global trend.

The 30-share index, which had lost over 195 points yesterday, fell further by 309.27 points at 14,016.95.

Similarly, the National Stock Exchange’s Nifty tumbled by 92 points at 4,143.25 in opening trade as heavy-weight stocks like Reliance Industries and Infosys recorded heavy losses.

Marketmen said a steep fall in the global stock markets, led by Hong Kong, mainly influenced the trading sentiments here.

Joy of victory briefly unites a nation scarred by ethnic conflict

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London, June 23: Scarcely had the players stepped off the field at Lord’s when celebratory gunfire began to crackle nearly 4,000 miles away. Sweets were thrust into smiling mouths. Children danced with unrestrained glee. And cars raced through the streets, packed with revellers as they whooped with delight and waved the Pakistani flag.