Gali Nagaraja

Twelve people dead in cloudburst in Uttarakhand

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Twelve people died and four others were injured as dozens of houses caved in following a cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district on Friday.

A large number of people are feared trapped in the debris and rescue operations have been launched, Disaster Management and Mitigation department officials in Dehradun said citing initial reports.

Incessant rains since Thursday followed by a cloudburst in the wee hours on Friday have left a trail of destruction in Timada, Sansari, Giriya, Chunni and Mangali villages in the district, they said.

Bus unions demand immediate fare hike

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In the wake of the abrupt Rs.5 hike in diesel prices, bus and minibus operators in West Bengal Friday threatened to go on an indefinite strike if fares were not immediately raised.

“How will we run buses if we don’t have the money? With an increase of Rs.5 per litre, it is next to impossible for us to run buses under this current fare structure. The fares have to be increased,” said Aboshesh Da of a minibus union.

CPI-M threatens nation-wide protest against diesel price hike

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Condemning the abrupt hike in diesel price, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat said Friday his party in coordination with other parties would organise a nation-wide protest to force the government to rollback the diesel price hike.

“We condemn this decision of diesel price hike and restricted availability of cooking gas cylinders per family to six per year. We strongly oppose this decision,” Karat told reporters here.

UN chief slams `hateful film’, calls for calm

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Calling for calm and restraint at the time of rising tensions, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned as “hateful” the anti-Islam that triggered anti-American protest in the Middle East and North Africa.

“The secretary-general is deeply disturbed by the recent violence in Libya and elsewhere in the Middle East,” said a statement issued here late Thursday by Ban’s spokesperson.

“Nothing justifies such killings and attacks”, Xinhua reported, quoting the statement.

CPI-M slams diesel price hike and restricting LPG supply

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Slamming the Centre for hiking the price of diesel and restricting supply of cooking gas, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat on Friday said his party will hold discussions with other parties on organising a stir to press for roll back.

“Both the decisions of hiking the diesel price and restricting the supply of subsidised cooking to six cylinders per household in a year are going to hit the common people badly,” he told reporters at the airport here.

‘Preity Zinta is a businesswoman in her head’

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She is a successful actress, has represented many brands, co-owns an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and is now ready with her debut film production. Preity Zinta has a good business sense, says Prem Raj, director of her home production “Ishkq In Paris”.

“She is a taskmaster. She is a businesswoman in her head. She has worked a lot, owns an IPL team. So it is not possible that she will not have a business sense,” Raj said during a media interaction.

He was particularly happy that Preity, who also plays the lead in the youthful romantic drama, was a director’s producer.

Former Pakistani PM’s son arrested

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Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani was arrested Friday from the gate of the Supreme Court while he was on his way to appear for a hearing in a case related to quotas for the drug ephedrine, a media report said.

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) personnel took Musa Gilani into custody when he arrived at the apex court’s gate to appear for the hearing in the ephedrine quota case, reported Dawn.

Musa Gilani offered resistance when ANF personnel tried to take him into custody.

Rs.500 penalty for negligence in Pakistan factories

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The factory owner in Karachi will have to pay a measly Rs.500 penalty for negligence, said a media report after nearly 300 people were killed in a blaze in Pakistan’s port city.

Under the Factory Act 1934, the owner will have to pay only Rs.500 in penalty over negligence in the protection of workers, Geo News reported Friday.

Changes had been made in the Factory Act 1934 that had been promulgated during British rule. But it was not completely changed.

Bomb explodes in intelligence office complex in Manipur

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A bomb exploded in the office complex of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and special bureau in Imphal west district of Manipur but no casualty was reported, officials said on Friday.

The bomb, which was an improvised explosive devices (IED) was allegedly planted by suspected insurgents with a timer, went off on Friday partly damaging some trees but no one was hurt, they said.

US warships not on Libya mission: Pentagon

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None of the US Navy’s warships deployed in the Mediterranean have been assigned any specific mission to Libya in the aftermath of the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi that killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens, the Pentagon has said.

However, a Pentagon spokesman asserted yesterday that its naval assets in the region are prepared for any contingencies.

US Senator moves bill to strip aid to Pak, Egypt and Libya

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An influential American Senator has moved a Congressional amendment to strip all US aid to Pakistan, Egypt and Libya – totaling about $4 billion per annum – and divided the fund equally for veterans jobs bill and deficit reduction programme.

Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky, who has been trying to strip Pakistan of all US aid till Dr Shakil Afridi is released from jail, made another attempt by introducing a new amendment to the veterans jobs bill.

US warns of more violence over anti-Islam video

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With anti-US protests over an anti-Islam video spreading to 11 nations, Washington braced for a growing furore threatening US interests abroad and at home ahead of Friday, the traditional Muslim day of prayers.

Amid continuing protests over the US made film, “Innocence of Muslims”, ridiculing Prophet Mohammed, the US Department of Homeland Security and FBI warned Thursday that the outrage, and dangers to Americans could worsen in the coming days.

Indian American director’s thriller wins another US award

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“9 Eleven”, a Bollywood-style thriller by Indian American director Manan Singh Katohara, has won the Best Narrative Feature Award at the 2012 Third World Independent Film Festival (TWIFF).

The San Francisco festival celebrates established and emerging filmmakers from third world countries and filmmakers from developed countries whose topics deal with issues of the developing world.

The film, which earlier won the Best Feature and Best Director awards at the 2012 World Music & Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) in Washington, is set for its West coast premiere Sep 22.

J&K wants anti-Islam video blocked

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The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked the central government to block access to an anti-Islam video posted on YouTube, saying that it can potentially cause a law and order problem in the state.

“We have approached the central government asking them to block the ‘Innocence of Muslims’ video on YouTube, as it can cause a law and order problem in the state,” Home Commissioner B.R. Sharma told IANS here Friday.

Three kids die in Siberian building collapse

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At least three children have died and two injured after an abandoned building collapsed in the Siberia’s Novosibirsk region.

“Five children aged 12 to 13 sneaked into an abandoned garage in search of non-ferrous scrap metal. The concrete wall of the garage suddenly collapsed, killing three children,” the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement Thursday.

The two others were hospitalised with minor injuries and later released.

—IANS

China shuts websites, microblog accounts over fraud, blackmail

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Several websites and microblog accounts have been closed in China for being involved in fraud and blackmail, the country’s National Internet Information Office announced Thursday.

According to the National Internet Information Office, China has closed over 130 such websites this year.

Also, over 4,000 microblog accounts have been found to be fraudulent, falsely assuming identities ranging from education institutes to news organisations to celebrities, Xinhua reported.

Angelina Jolie visits Syrian refugees in Turkey

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Hollywood star and UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie Thursday visited two Syrian refugee camps in Turkey.

Accompanied by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonia Guterres, Jolie met some of the 12,000 refugees at Oncupinar camp in Kilis city. She also joined the Syrian children who were singing in Turkish, Xinhua reported.

Jolie also visited Gaziantep province’s Islahiye tent city, sheltering nearly 8,000 Syrians who fled the relentless violence that has engulfed Syria for 18 months.

Sonakshi’s song in OMG is a marketing gimmick, says Akshay

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Actress Sonakshi Sinha will be seen grooving to item song Go Go Govinda for Akshay Kumar starrer Oh My God and the Khiladi feels that the number can be described as a marketing gimmick.

“I think yes one can say this. It can be a marketing gimmick. There is somebody performing a song during Gokul Ashtami. We requested Prabhu Deva and Sonakshi to do it and they agreed,” Akshay said.

It is for the first time that Sonakshi Sinha has performed a special song with the ace choreographer-director in a film. It’s a Janmashtmi number.

Actors are like little children: Sanjay Gadhvi

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Director Sanjay Gadhvi compares young actors with little children and says they need same kind of pampering and caring on the sets.

The director has worked with many newcomers in his past films.

“If you look back at my films ‘Tere Liye’ and ‘Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai’, every film has featured newcomers or not-so-old stars. I love working with newcomers. New actors are like children, you need to take care of them and pamper them,” Gadhvi told IANS.

30 injured in clashes in front of US embassy in Egypt

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At least 30 people were injured in clashes in front of the US embassy in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, the state TV reported Thursday, quoting the Eygyt’s health ministry.

Sixteen protestors and 14 security personnel, including three officers and 11 soldiers, were injured, reported Xinhua.

The Egyptian Ambulance Authority said most injuries are being treated on the spot and are in stable conditions, but seven protesters have been transferred to the neighbouring governmental hospitals.

A police vehicle was set ablaze by the protestors.

Honor Killing: Father goes on trial for killing Daughter’s Boyfriend

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(Siasat News)Geeta Rani, a degree student was in relation with Raghavendra for the past several months.

Geeta’s father Krishna Gowd, who was upset with her daughter’s relation, attacked Raghavendra with the agricultural tool.

When he was attacking Raghavendra, her daughter tried to intervene. Due to her intervene she got injuries.

Listening Geeta’s screams Neighbors rushed the spot. They then rushed her to the Kurnool government hospital where her condition is said to be critical.

However Krishna Gowd surrendered to the Nandikotkur police.

—-Siasat News

Another water protest, now against Kudankulam n-plant

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Hundreds of people from Tamil Nadu’s Idinthakarai village, the epicentre of the protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), stood in the sea water Thursday to give expression to their anger at moves to load uranium fuel in one of the two reactors.

Buffeted by the sea waves, the villagers say they will carry out their ‘jal satyagraha’, or peaceful water protest, till 6 p.m.

Early Lok Sabha polls likely: Mulayam

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Lok Sabha elections could be held before 2014, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said Friday while declaring he would like to strike equations with like-minded regional parties as the Congress and BJP were weakening.

“Looking at the current situation it seems that there can be early polls before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. But I can’t say that for sure,” Mulayam Singh said at a press conference after the two-day national meeting of the SP here.

Legendary Pakistani actor Lehri dead

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Legendary Pakistani comedian Safirullah Siddiqui, also known as Lehri, died here Thursday after a prolonged illness.

According to family sources, the veteran actor, 83, died from his illness Thursday morning. His son-in-law Asad Mehboob said that the actor was on the ventilator for the past many days after his health deteriorated, reports Geo News.

Lehri was one of the country’s greatest comedians who made his name in Urdu films in his three decades long acting career.

PM lays foundation stone for Kochi Metro

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday laid the foundation stone for the Kochi Metro Rail project and said it would facilitate the city’s “overall social and economic development”.

“Kochi’s transport infrastructure is already under severe stress, with the demand for travel having risen steeply in recent years. The Metro would provide this area with a modern mass transport system, not only making it convenient for the residents to commute, but also further facilitating Kochi’s overall social and economic development,” said Singh.