shameen Brasilia, August 07: Brazil’s Supreme Court has approved the extradition to Argentina of retired Uruguayan military officer, Manuel Cordero, wanted for his role in Operation Condor, a plan to eliminate political opponents, in the 1970s.
The top Brazilian court said on Thursday that Cordero faces several charges, including responsibility for the 1976 “disappearance” of Argentine child Aldaberto Soba Fernandes.
Melbourne, August 07: A Uighur activist called on Friday for a UN investigation of recent violence in western China as 100 people demonstrated outside the Chinese consulate in Melbourne.
Rebiya Kadeer told protesters waving the light blue flags of the World Uighur Congress that Beijing had blamed her for inciting the violence in Xinjiang province in order to cover up “their heinous crime”.
New Delhi, August 07: The BJP on Friday postponed its brainstorming session, scheduled for August 17-19 in Shimla, by two days in view of a meeting of chief ministers and by-elections in some states.
“The BJP Core Group in its meeting today decided that the ‘Chintan Baithak’ will now be held from August 19 to 21 in Shimla. It had to be postponed by two days as the Prime Minister has called a meeting of chief ministers to discuss internal security on August 17 and there are Assembly by-elections on August 18,” BJP president Rajnath Singh said.
New Delhi, August 07: The new chief of the Tamil Tigers who is now in Sri Lankan custody was one of the rare few outside the group’s intelligence set-up who knew months earlier that former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was to be assassinated.
Without taking Gandhi’s name, Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP told a Sri Lankan Tamil in Tamil Nadu in November 1990 that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would soon target the “Indian leadership”.
New Delhi, August 07: Leader of Opposition L K Advani on Thursday said after the Indo-Pak Joint Statement at Sharm-el Sheikh, the government may be “inclined to settle” the Kashmir issue in blatant violation of the unanimous resolution on it in Parliament in 1995.
“The joint statement in Sharm-el Sheikh is a curtain raiser to the UPA government’s surrender to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue under external pressure. The government seems inclined to ‘settle’ the Kashmir issue in blatant violation of the unanimous resolution by both Houses of Parliament,” Advani said.
Lucknow, August 07: Gearing up the party for ‘Mission 2012’ of coming to power in UP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today directed his lieutenants to take on Mayawati government on the issue of development while harping on mobilising youths to reach out to the common man.
“The fight of Congress is not with any political party. We should concentrate on connecting with the people by raking up issues of development and reaching their homes in times of grief and celebrations,” Gandhi was quoted as saying at a meeting of party’s state coordination committee here.
Cairns, August 07: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Friday assured External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that all steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of Indian students as they discussed the issues in the backdrop of recent attacks.
After the 20-minutes-long close door meeting, Krishna expressed his satisfaction at the steps taken by the Australian government to stop attacks on Indian students.
“I am satisfied with the assurances give to me by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd,” Krishna told reporters after emerging from the meeting.
Pune, August 07: The city of Pune is fast emerging as the epicenter of swine flu outbreak in the country, with two more patients reported to be critical and on ventilator support on Friday.
The two patients – a 36-year-old Ayurveda doctor and a 35-year-old pharmacist – have both tested positive for swine flu or H1N1 influenza A virus and are admitted to government-run Sassoon General Hospital. Both are in critical but stable condition, doctors said. A definite report on their condition is expected later in the day, they added.
New Delhi, August 07: Two suspected Hizbul Mujahideen militants, arrested in the capital Thursday night, were planning terror strikes in the city ahead of Independence Day, police sources said on Friday.
Javed Ahmed and Ashiq Ali were apprehended by the Delhi Police’ elite anti-terror wing from Central Delhi’s Daryaganj locality around 11 pm last night.
The sources said the two were planning to attack the capital ahead of the national day but refused to give further details.
Mumbai, August 06: With their stupendous film deals and whopping endorsements and not to forget the highflying glitzy lifestyle, Bollywood actors always figured on Income Tax department’s hit list. And the latest actor to be in the line of fire is Shah Rukh Khan, who has been dragged to Bombay High Court over his earnings as a brand ambassador for Swiss Luxury giant Omega.
New Delhi, August 06: A 26-year-old model was arrested for allegedly murdering a young woman IT professional in the city, police said on Thursday.
Himanshu was arrested on charges of killing Veerpal Kaur Gill (24), a Project Manager in an IT company, in her rented accommodation in south-east Delhi`s Kalkaji in the last
week of July.
Mumbai, August 06: The Kapoor clan may be known for its illustrious filmi background that has given several superstars from a single family, yet, it is believed that Kareena Kapoor’s and Ranbir Kapoor’s family hardly socialize!
According to that latest B-town gossip, Deepika (Ranbir’s girlfriend) and yesteryears multitalented actor Rishi Kapoor shared silver screen with Kareena’s beau Saif Ali Khan in ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and surprisingly none of the actors let their personal issues foreshadow their professional commitments.
Mumbai, August 06: Basking in the glory of thumping success of ‘Love Aaj Kal’, actor-producer Saif Ali Khan is on seventh heaven these days! The suave Chote Nawab is elated with the response his first production has received and huge collections at the Box Office.
Talking to a newspaper, a visibly excited Saif said, “Believe me, there are so many nuances that you would catch in the film when you will watch it the second time round. The film comes with an acquired pace and you get more familiar with the characters when you hear them conversing all over again.”
Mumbai, August 06: Director Vishal Bharadwaj, who is known for his novel scripts, has come up with a rather different idea to attract attention towards his soon to be released flick ‘Kaminey’. Just a few days before the release of the film, Bhardwaj has changed its climax.
According to reports, Vishal has shot a special song that will be used at the end of the film and will in a way alter the climax a bit too.
Toronto, August 06: Women count their calories when dining with men, but not so when eating with other women, says a new Canadian study.
Research at Canada’s McMaster University at Hamilton near Toronto has found that a woman dining with a man will gobble fewer calories than if she dines with another woman.
Researcher Meredith Young says what a person chooses to eat at lunch or dinner is influenced by who they eat with and the gender make-up of the group, a university statement said Wednesday.
Karachi, August 06: Pakistan captain Younis Khan has dismissed reports that he was running a one-man show in the national team and had assured the role of a `dictator.`
“I really don`t know from where all these stories are coming from. Because I can safely say I am not a dictator by any stretch of imagination and I consult everyone before taking decisions,” Younis said from Colombo today.
The senior batsman, who is under fire after his team`s disappointing defeats in the Test and one-day series, said he believed in taking all the players along.
Chennai, August 06: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is confident India`s cricket authorities will eventually comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency`s “whereabouts” rule, its chief executive Haroon Lorgat has said.
The cash-rich Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rejected the controversial “whereabouts” rule, backing its players` refusal to sign the directive.
“It is a difficult situation to be in no doubt but we are confident of convincing the Indian players and the BCCI,” Lorgat told an Indian newspaper.
Kathmandu, August 06: Maoist chief Prachanda has made a sensational charge that India and the US had planned to launch anti-China campaign, even a possible attack on the Communist giant, using Nepalese territory.
“I had to quit the post of Prime Minister as my party was opposed to allow our territory to be used against China,” Prachanda was quoted as saying by the Rajdhani daily.
Dhaka, August 06: Banned Islamist group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had hired Indian terrorists to assassinate top Bangladeshi leaders, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her BNP rival Khaleda Zia, ahead of the parliamentary polls last year, according to sources in the elite security force RAB.
Islamist militant outfits, including JMB and Harkatul Jihad Islami (HuJI), have carried out a series of terrorist attacks to establish a sharia-based Islamic state, leading to the death of hundreds of people in the last few years.
Kuala Lumpur, August 06: A Malaysian man who forced his wife to have sex with him has been sentenced to the maximum five years in jail, in what appears to be the country’s first successful prosecution under a new law against stop marital rape.
An official in the Sessions Court in eastern Pahang state said the man was sentenced yesterday.
The New Straits Times reported that the sentence is thought to be the first under a 2007 law that makes it illegal for a husband to cause “fear of death or hurt to his wife to have sexual intercourse”.
Washington, August 06: A jury on Wednesday found former Congressman William Jefferson, in whose freezer police found a stash of cash, guilty of corruption charges.
In a trial held in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, the Louisiana Democrat was found guilty of seeking and collecting bribes for his personal business interests in Africa.
In all, he was convicted on 11 of 16 counts.
In a 2005 FBI raid on his home, agents found USD 90,000 in his freezer, wrapped in foil and hidden inside frozen food packaging.
–IANS
Yangon, August 06: The poor health of a hospitalised American on trial for entering the house of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi could delay next week’s verdict, Suu Kyi’s lawyer said.
A US embassy spokesman said on Thursday that its consular official, Colin Furst, was allowed to visit 53-year-old John Yettaw late Wednesday at Yangon General Hospital after initially being denied access.
Yettaw was admitted on Monday after suffering seizures in prison.
Sydney, August 06: Leaders gathered in Australia for the annual Pacific Islands Forum on Thursday endorsed Fiji’s suspension from the 16-member grouping and called for concerted action on climate change at the UN-sponsored Copenhagen summit later this year.
Fiji strongman Frank Bainimarama has angered Australia, New Zealand and other forum members by declaring himself interim prime minister, overturning the Constitution and postponing Parliamentary Elections.
Dubai, August 06: Amid the global scare following the outbreak of swine flu, Saudi Arabia has asked Haj pilgrims to provide health certificate showing that they have received flu shots two weeks prior to their departure for the holy sites in the country, Health Ministry said.
“The country will also require pilgrims to show proof they have received flu shots at home,” a local newspaper quoted Khaled Al-Mirghalani, Saudi Health Ministry’s spokesman, as saying.
New Delhi, August 06: Both houses of Parliament were adjourned Thursday morning due to noisy protests over a reported move to have separate gurdwara management committees in different states.
MPs from the Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party were on their feet in both houses, protesting against what they termed as the government’s move to have separate Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees (SGPC) in each state. Currently, the SGPC in Amritsar is the supreme body controlling Sikh shrines and religious affairs.