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Turkey to bring China’s clashes to UNSC

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Ankara, July 09: The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for an urgent end to the ethnic clashes in China’s Xinjiang province, which has killed over 150 people.

“The pictures [of the clashes] hurt everybody,” Erdogan said.

“We expect the clashes, which are mounting to brutality, to be stopped urgently,” the Yeni Safak newspaper quoted Erdogan as saying on Wednesday.

“We are following the situation with great anxiety and sorrow,” he added.

Roadside bomb kills 14 in Afghanistan

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Kabul, July 09: A deadly roadside bomb explosion has claimed over a dozen lives in Afghanistan’s central Logar province, say local police officials.

Provincial police chief Mustafa Khan said the incident took place on a road on Thursday, resulting in the death of 10 civilians and four police officers, AP reported.

The blast happened hundreds of kilometers away from the southern Helmand province, where the US military is engaged in a massive offensive against Taliban fighters.

Officials could not immediately confirm if the two incidents were related.

——Agencies

Mortaza focussed on task at hand

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Dhaka, July 09: The Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has told his players to focus on their preparations and ignore the troubles in the West Indies’ camp.

As of now, the future of the series is still uncertain after the clash between the WIPA and the WICB, and there is considerable doubt as to whether the first Test in Kingston, scheduled to start today, will even go ahead.

PCB yet to get invite for WC Committee meet

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Karachi, July 09: Pakistan is still waiting an official invitation to attend a meeting of the 2011 World Cup Central Organizing Committee in India on July 14.

“We are still waiting and watching. But obviously if we are still a host partner of the World Cup we expected to be invited to the logo unveiling ceremony and the meeting,” one source told PTI.

The International cricket Council has moved Pakistan’s share of 14 matches to the other host countries — India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — due to security conditions in the country.

Iran detainees describe beatings, false confessions

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Washington, July 09: Iranian political detainees who have been released from prison say they were beaten and subjected to other harsh treatment by Iranian authorities trying to force them into false confessions, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday.

One 17-year-old ex-detainee described being blindfolded and forced to stand for 48 hours until he signed a blank confession.

The report follows the crackdown on Iranian demonstrators who protested alleged election fraud on June 12 when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reaffirmed.

Cristiano Ronaldo arrives in Madrid for packed presentation

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Madrid, July 06: Cristiano Ronaldo flew into Madrid at lunchtime on Monday, in order to prepare for what promised to be a spectacular presentation to the Real fans on Monday night.

Around 80,000 “Madridista” fans were expected to pack Real’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to welcome Ronaldo, world football’s most expensive player, to the club.

Hamas alleges Israel spying network had support of Abbas

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Gaza, July 06: The de-facto prime minister of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniya, alleged Monday that his security forces had unveiled a spy network in the Gaza Strip that served Israel through the Ramallah- based administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“In recent arrests, the security services were able to dismantle several security cells that chanelled dangerous but false information to Ramallah and then to the Israeli occupation,” Haniya told reporters in Gaza.

Pakistan yet to respond to BSF protest after ‘rocket’ attack

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Attari, July 06: concerns in Punjab’s border belt following Saturday night’s ‘rocket’ attack on Indian territory from the Pakistani side, the Border Security Force (BSF) is awaiting a response from Pakistan Rangers regarding the incident.

The BSF had lodged a ‘strong protest’ with the Pakistan Rangers, the border security agency of Pakistan, Sunday following three ‘rockets’ fired into Indian territory from the Pakistani side of the border.

Obama arrives in Moscow for nuclear reduction talks

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Moscow, July 06: US President Barack Obama has arrived in Moscow ahead of talks with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev which will aim to reduce the two countries’ nuclear stockpiles.

The issue of the conflict in Afghanistan, plus relations with Iran and North Korea are also to be on the agenda.

The president’s plane, Air Force One, touched down amid rain at the Russian government’s airbase at Vnukovo on Monday morning.

Both countries have said that they want to reduce their nuclear warhead stockpiles to 6,000 each.

Galle hundred most memorable: Yousuf

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St Lucia, July 06: Senior Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has rated his comeback century against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle as the most memorable and important innings of his career.

Yousuf, who made a triumphant return to the Pakistan team with his 24th career century, said he rated his hundred very high as he was under lot of pressure to perform and prove himself.

Dravid among India probables for Champions Trophy

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New Delhi, July 06: Rahul Dravid has been named among the Indian team probabales for the ICC Champions Trophy in September this year.

The all-India senior selection committee at its meeting held in Chennai today selected 30 players for the tournament to be held in South Africa.

—–Agencies

US pressurized Israeli firm on IAF deal: Reports

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Washington, July 06: Reports The United States, according to media reports, has used its pressure to persuade Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to come out of bidding of new fighter jet, announced by the Indian Air Force. India would get 18 jets from the final bidder, while the remaining jets will be manufactured in India under exchange of technology.

The deal, worth Rs 42,000 crore, by IAF, is aimed at acquiring 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for Indian Air Force.

Funds for minority welfare up by 74 percent

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New Delhi, July 06: The budget has increased the outlay for the minority affairs ministry from Rs.1,000 crore last fiscal to Rs.1,740 crore with a focus on educational schemes.

The funds have been hiked to implement projects for the welfare of the minorities, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced while presenting the union budget on Monday.

“The plan outlay for the Ministry of Minority Affairs has been enhanced from Rs.1,000 crore in 2008-09 to Rs.1,740 crore for 2009-10, registering an increase of 74 percent,” he said.

Reliance Capital announces expansion plans

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New Delhi, July 06: Reliance Capital, a subsidiary of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has been working out plans to expand its business, including the company’s foray into banking sector within three to five years. The company aims at increasing its base to 50 million customers by globalization of its operations.

Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Capital, said: “We have drawn up exciting growth plans for the next three to five years.”

UN holds 2nd round of public hearings on Gaza war

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Gaza, July 06: A UN human rights mission investigating possible war crimes in the Gaza Strip has resumed its public hearings with the victims of Israel’s deadly offensive.

The two-day session at the UN’s human rights headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, which follows a first set of hearings in Gaza nearly 10 days ago, aims at giving a chance to those who were not able to travel to Gaza to present their testimony.

In Gaza, Palestinians who were trapped in the three-week onslaught detailed the gory killing of their relatives to the fact-finding mission one after another.

Kidnapped UN workers freed in Afghanistan

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Kabul, July 06: Sixteen Afghan nationals working for the UN-sponsored demining agency, who were kidnapped over the weekend, have been freed unharmed.

The personnel from the Mine Detection and Dog Centre (MDC) — which is part of the overall UN mine clearing agency in Afghanistan known as UNMACA — were seized by unknown gunmen in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia province on Saturday.

The provincial tribal chiefs were able to secure the release of the men late on Sunday after making contact with the kidnappers, Sherin Agha Ahmad Shah, head of the MDC in Paktia said on Monday.

Israel denies Saudi green light for Iran attack

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Tel Aviv, July 06: has denied reports that suggest Israeli bombers have been allowed to use Saudi airspace for an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.

The denial came after unnamed Israeli diplomatic sources told The Sunday Times that Saudi officials have secretly agreed to allow Israeli fighter jets to fly over the kingdom to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.

BJP terms budget ‘routine’, CPI ‘inconsequential’ Text

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New Delhi, July 06: The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday described the 2009-10 budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as “routine” while the Communist Party of India (CPI) termed it as “inconsequential” and not addressing the real economic issues.

“It is a routine budget. There is no suggestion to meet the global economic recession,” BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters.

He, however, welcomed the government’s decision to implement one-rank-one-pension scheme for ex-servicemen and for lifting the fringe benefit tax.

Nishank allocates portfolios, keeps key departments

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Dehra Dun, July 06: Nearly a week after being sworn-in as the Chief minister, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank has allocated portfolios among his cabinet colleagues but retained most of the key departments with himself.

Nishank, who allocated the portfolios last night, kept a total of 21 portfolios with himself, including home, personnel, power, PWD, Finance, Civil Aviation, Health, Sports, Information and IT, an official release said here.

Viva Palestina to break Gaza siege agian

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Gaza, July 06: In another attempt to break the crippling Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, a group of ‘Viva Palestina’ activists has arrived in Egypt on a humanitarian mission.

About 100 US activists with tons of medical supplies arrived in Egypt on Sunday on their way to Gaza, hoping to break the deadly Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the territory –home to 1.5 million Palestinians.

The activists are part of a convoy of at least 200 people – all Americans – planned to be in Gaza by July 13. The convoy will head to the border after the rest of the group and supplies arrive.

Malaysian court backs Islamic ruling in religious conversion case

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Kuala Lumpur, July 06: Malaysia’s High Court on Monday upheld an Islamic court decision that ruled that a Sikh man had converted to Islam before his death, rejecting claims by his family that he did not die a Muslim.

The case of Mohan Singh has taken centre stage in an increasingly controversial issue of religious freedom in multi-ethnic and multi-religious Malaysia.

Islamic authorities had claimed that Singh, a 41-year-old film director who died of a heart attack last month, had converted to Islam in 1992 and therefore should be buried under Muslim rites.

Krejza delivers victory for Australia A

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Melbourne, July 06: Jason Krejza reminded the national selectors of his value with a four-wicket haul that helped deliver Australia A a tense victory over Pakistan A in Townsville.

As Australia consider a spinner-less Test team in Cardiff, Krejza and his fellow slow bowler Jon Holland combined for six wickets on the final day to hand the home team a 1-0 series win.

UN: Progress too slow to meet 2015 development goals

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Geneva, July 06: The global economic crisis will likely hamper efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals, which, in part, were already lagging behind the targets, the United Nations warned in a report released Monday.

Aid to the world’s poorest countries was falling short of pledges made by richer states, and the recession would probably cut into assistance budgets further.

The development goals, adopted by the UN in 2000, aim to dramatically reduce poverty and increase food security and access to health care by 2015.

Iran deploys fresh warships to Gulf of Aden

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Tehran, July 06: The Iranian Navy has deployed two warships to join international efforts to preserve shipping security in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden.

Iran’s Deputy Naval Commander, Gholam-Reza Khadem, said Monday that the dispatched warships are set to replace aging vessels and protect Iranian merchant containers and oil tankers from Somali pirates in the volatile Gulf of Aden.

The dispatch comes only a week after the Iranian navy saved one if its giant oil tankers from the grips of Somali pirates.

My first day as host : Shweta Gulati

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Mumbai, July 06: Shweta Gulati Shweta Gulati is the new face of the Sony’s, Dekh India Dekh. The vivacious doctor of Sanjeevini is now seen hosting a comedy show. The actress shares her experience on the first day of shoot.

“My first day on the sets of DID was ok, as I was new to them and vice-versa. The contestants as well as judges were very warm and nice to me but it was more like a professional relation than a friendly one. Though I still enjoyed my stint and believe that as the day passes, we will know each other in better way,” states Shweta.