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Seven injured in grenade attack

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Srinagar, July 11: Seven persons, including a CRPF jawan, were injured as militants exploded a hand grenade at Magam in Budgam district this afternoon, police said.

The grenade was lobbed at the CRPF vehicle, they said.

The incident occurred at around 1 PM at the main chowk in the town, 25 kms from here, police said, adding the area was cordoned off.

The injured, which included six pedestrians, were rushed to hospital.

No militant outfit owned responsibility immediately for the act.

–PTI

Nothing to worry about availability of food grains: Pawar

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Hyderabad, July 11: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there was nothing to worry about the availability of food grains in the country even though the monsoon situation was not normal.

“Things should, however, improve as the Indian Meteorological Department predicted bountiful rains across the country in the month of August though the downpour would be less than normal this month,” Mr. Pawar told reporter here.

As per the IMD’s forecast, only 86 per cent rainfall was expected this month and 101 per cent in August.

Mallya wants Gujarat govt. to revise alcohol policy

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New Delhi, July 11: Liquor-baron Vijay Mallya on Saturday virtually asked the Gujarat government to lift prohibition in force in the State.

Saying that “blanket prohibition has never worked in this free world,” Mr. Mallya, in the wake of recent hooch tragedy in the state which claimed more than 100 lives, said his United Breweries Group would be ready to work with the Gujarat government in revisiting its alcohol beverage policy.

High insulin levels enhance breast cancer risk

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Washington, July 11: Elevated insulin levels in the blood seem to raise the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women, according to a new study.

Increased breast cancer risk for post-menopausal women has previously been linked to obesity and diabetes. Both conditions involve insulin resistance, which causes increases in circulating levels of insulin.

Since insulin is known to promote cell division and enhance breast tumour growth in animal models, Einstein College of Medicine scientists reasoned that relatively high insulin levels may contribute to breast cancer risk in women.

Air India likely to take action against more staffers by tomorrow

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New Delhi, July 11: Air India, which derostered nine employees including two pilots for taking on board three passengers in excess of the aircraft capacity two months ago, is likely to take action against more staffers by Sunday.

“We will take action against those guilty by tomorrow,” an airline official said.

The incident occurred on May 5 when its Mumbai-Mangalore flight IC-179 took off with three extra passengers, with one of them seated in the cockpit.

J&K strike enters 4th day, situation tense in Srinagar

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Srinagar, July 11: The situation in Srinagar continued to be tense, as shops and business establishments remained closed for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday protesting against the alleged high-handedness of the police and paramilitary forces.

The separatists, who had called for strike yesterday, had appealed people to resume their normal activities today.

Pak needs to shed path of terrorism: PM

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New Delhi, July 11: On Board Air India One, July 11: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that he had asked influential countries of the G-8 and G-5 to exert pressure on Pakistan to leave the path of terrorism and choose friendship with India.

Dr Singh also expressed hope that he would come out of his meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani next week in Egypt convinced that Pakistan will bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai “massacre” and not allow terrorism directed against India from its soil.

India, China have to resist pressure on climate change: PM

Britney spears converting to Judaism?

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London, July 11: The pop princess Britney Spears is reportedly converting to Judaism so that she could marry her boyfriend Jason Trawick, according to new reports.

The ‘Womanizer’ singer is reportedly so keen to marry her agent Trawick and she is willing to ditch her Christian faith and become a Jew, Contactmusic reported.

The 27-year-old star has been photographed wearing a Star of David necklace during her world tour and is said to have recruited a rabbi to help her study the faith.

“Britney wants to try the religion Jason was brought up with,” a source close to the star said.

‘Jackson died of lethal levels of potent medicines and drugs’

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London, July 11: The leaked toxicology report of Michael Jackson claims that the pop star had lethal levels of potent painkillers and drugs in his body at the time of his death, triggering suspicion that it may be a case of homicide.

Jackson was on a diet of deadly cocktail potent enough to have killed a normal person instantly but his body had developed a tolerance due to the longtime use of huge doses, the British newspaper Sun claimed quoting the findings of his preliminary toxicology reports.

IDBI Bank expects lower loan, deposit growth

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Kolkata, July 11: State-run IDBI Bank is expecting a loan disbursement growth of 18 per cent and deposit growth of 20 per cent this fiscal, considerably lower than that achieved in the last financial year, a top bank official said here on Friday.

In 2008-09, its loan portfolio grew at 26 per cent and deposit at 56 per cent.

“The economy is not doing too well, so we can’t expect the same growth to take place this year,” IDBI Chairman and Managing Director Yogesh Agarwal told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing Banking Conclave.

Kingfisher to expand global network

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New Delhi, July 11: Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines is set to expand its global network with the launch of flights on eight international routes this year.

The airline will start flying on the Mumbai-Singapore and Mumbai Hong-Kong routes on September 16, a company spokesperson said on Saturday.

The remaining six routes on which the airline will launch flights are Delhi-London Heathrow, Delhi-Bangkok, Delhi-Dubai, Mumbai-Bangkok, Mumbai-Dubai and Mumbai-Colombo.

Bank of Baroda opens two branches in Trinidad

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Port-of-Spain, July 11: Bank of Baroda has created history by opening two branches in one country in a day, according to M.D. Mallya, global chairman and managing director.

Mallya underscored this point in an address at the opening of the Bank of Baroda’s second branch in Chaguanas, Central Trinidad, Friday. The other one was opened in San Fernando.

Mallya praised the government of Trinidad and Tobago and the central bank for their cooperation in bringing this project to its conclusion.

A robot that has learned to smile!

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Washington, July 11: Scientists have developed a a hyper-realistic Einstein robot which they claim has learned to smile and even make facial expressions through a process of self-guided learning.

A team at California University used machine learning to “empower” their robot to learn to make realistic facial expressions.

Eating soy ‘deters lung disease’

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Washington, July 11: Want to stave off lung disease? Eat tofu, natto, bean sprouts and soy milk daily.

Soy products have long been lauded for their perceived health benefits. Now, a new study has found that eating soy products reduces the risk of getting a dangerous lung disease, and even relieves the symptoms.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, most commonly affects smokers and is a major cause of lung-related deaths in may parts of the world.

Ban to brief UNSC on Myanmar

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Washington, July 11: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would brief Security Council on his recent visit to Myanmar on Monday, a UN spokeswoman said on Friday.

Ban had visited Myanmar last week, wherein the Myanmar’s military junta denied him permission to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader.

When asked about Ban’s meeting with the National League for Democracy (NLD) while he was in Yangon, the Spokeswoman, Michele Montas, noted that Ban had asked to see the opposition parties in the country and was able to meet with them.

–PTI

North Korea is a serial proliferator: US

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Washington, July 11: The Obama Administration has alleged that North Korea is a “serial proliferator” and expressed concerns that it might try to ship various things to other nations of the world.

“I believe that we have concerns that North Korea may try to ship a variety of things in a variety of directions. North Korea is a serial proliferator,” the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, told reporters at the daily State Department press briefing.

Six new Senators join Senate India Caucus

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Washington, July 11: Six new Senators have joined the Friend of India Caucus in the US Senate taking the total strength of this five-year-old Congressional caucus to 36.

The six Senators are Sherrod Brown from Ohio, Mark Begich from Alaska, Jhonny Isakson from Georgia, Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, Dianne Feinstein from California and Roger Wicker from Mississippi.

While Brown, Begich, Feinstein and Shaheen are from the ruling Democratic Party; Isakson and Wicker are Republicans.

Afghan war will end if militants lay down arms: US

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Washington, July 11: Ruling out talks with Taliban till they renounce violence and repudiate al-Qaeda publicly, a top Obama Administration official today said that the war against terrorism in Afghanistan would end only after the militant group lays down its arms.

“This war is not going to end on the decks of the USS Missouri, like World War II did. This war is going to end when the Taliban lay down their arms and reintegrate into society.

And that’s always been an option,” Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said.

Australian shot dead at Freeport mine in Indonesia

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Jakarta, Indonesia July 11: An Australian working for mining giant Freeport in Indonesia’s restive Papua was shot and killed at dawn Saturday, possibly by a sniper, police and company officials said.

It was the latest incident at the Grasberg site, one of the world’s largest open-pit mines, where two Americans were killed in an ambush in 2002.

Papua, a desperately poor and militarized province on Indonesia’s easternmost tip, is home to separatist rebels who denounce PT Freeport as a symbol of Jakarta’s rule.

Manmohan arrives in Delhi

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New Delhi, July 11: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here on Saturday after a four-day trip to Italy where he attended a summit of G-8 and G-5 leaders.

The meetings discussed the current global economic crisis, issues of climate change and the stalled Doha round trade talks and various other issues.

–PTI

Hooch tragedy: Death toll mounts to 122

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Ahmedabad, July 11: With the death of nine more persons overnight, the toll in the Ahmedabad hooch tragedy has risen to 122.

“So far, 122 people have died, while 227 people have been admitted to various hospitals in the city,” police officials said on Saturday.

Deaths from spurious liquor from various parts of the city have been reported from the last five days after the first case came to light on Tuesday.

The Crime Branch, investigating the case, has found that the spurious liquor was sourced from Mahemdabad town in neighboring Kheda district.

PM to head Cabinet Committee on infrastructure

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New Delhi, July 11: The government on Saturday constituted a high-powered Cabinet Committee on infrastructure to be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The constitution of the committee comes in the backdrop of the government according high priority to infrastructure development and seeing it as a key to economic growth.

‘Indo US relationship has improved a lot’

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Washington, July 11: The United States has said that its relationship with India has improved over the last 20 years and India is playing a growing role in world issues.

“Relations between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy have improved significantly over the last 20 years,” the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, said yesterday.

India, Crowley said at the State Department briefing, is playing a vastly more significant role on issues ranging from climate change to non-proliferation, extremism, global economy and food security.

Thousands show up for event in Jackson’s hometown

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Gary, Indiana July 11: The city where Michael Jackson spent the first 11 years of his life bade farewell to the late pop icon Friday evening as several thousand people showed up to watch performers sing and dance to his hits.

Gary Mayor Rudy Clay said Jackson had made the city known worldwide and told the crowd that he has moved on to a better place.

“He’s going to put on those golden slippers and he’s going to dance all over God’s heaven,” Clay said to the more than 6,000 people gathered at the Steel Yard, Gary’s minor league baseball park.

Indian students win NASA contest

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Washington, July 11: An undergraduate team from the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Institute in Gujarat has been declared runner-up in the non-US category of a NASA competition to design supersonic airliner.

Named “Rastofust”, the design of the supersonic airliner was designed by Sahaj Panchal and Dhrumir Patel, NASA said yesterday while announcing the result of its contest.

The top slot in the non-US category was grabbed by students from the University of Tokyo, Japan.