Month: June 2009

Priyanka bags Jin Jue Award

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Mumbai, June 29: Priyanka Chopra was invited by the Shanghai International Film Festival for their closing ceremony on June 21, where she was presented with the Festival’s top award – The Jin Jue Award.

This award marks the tenth award for her in the past six months.

The award, a symbol of the traditional orient culture, is an ancient antique Chinese wine container which has a uniquely beautiful shape. Priyanka was the first Indian actor to be presented with this honour on an international platform for her contribution to cinema.

No election complaints filed as deadline approaches;partial

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Tehran, June 29: No Iranian presidential candidates had filed complaints as a Monday deadline approached in the country’s disputed presidential election, state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported.

The powerful conservative Guardian Council last week extended the deadline for filing complaints after two candidates — Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi — questioned the legitimacy of the June 12 vote count.

When Katrina couldn’t hold back her tears!

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Mumbai, June 29: Last week at a special screening of Kabir Khan’s New York, Katrina Kaif broke down after watching the film. “It was embarrassing.

This has never happened to me before. I was deeply moved by the film. And I couldn’t believe what my director Kabir Khan had achieved in my performance. I kept staring at myself. ‘That’s me!’ I exclaimed at the end of the film.”

Congress threaten to resign if party takes action

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Puducherry, June 29: Students Congress Puducherry unit today threatened to resign enmasse, if action was taken against a few under the pretext of indulging in anti-party activites.

It may be noted that show-cause notice answerable in seven days were sent to eight party workers, including a few Students Congress members, who were supporters of former Chief Minister N Rangasamy, for their alleged anti-party activites during the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Gay Activists Hold Parades In Bhubaneswar

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Bhubaneshwar, June 29: gays and lesbiansOver 150 gays and lesbians form different parts of Orissa on Sunday came out of closet and participated in a rally to press for their rights.

The rally named Rainbow Pride Walk was started by Solidarity and Action against the HIV Infection in India (Saathi) with support of different NGOs.

The members of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) from different district of the state participated in this rally.

Mortar hits Pak mosque killing 3 tribesmen

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Islamabad, June 29: Pakistani fighter jets bombed suspected Taliban hideouts on Monday and a stray mortar crashed into a mosque during prayers as violence in the volatile northwest on claimed more than 20 lives.

The air strikes hit a guest house being used by militants in the village of Kani Guram, in South Waziristan, where government forces are readying an offensive against Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. Four militants were killed, three intelligence officials said.

4 killed by lightning

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Rajkot, June 29 : Four people were struck by lightning in Surendranagar and Jamnagar districts in the last 24 hours as heavy to moderate rains lashed several parts of Gujarat.

Three people were killed in Jesada village in Surendranagar after lightning struck them last evening.

The victims, identified as Suresh Lakshman (27), Rajesh Bhoja (31) and Vishnu Avchar (18), were returning home from their farms when the incident occurred.

Another man, Rajendrasinh Jadeja (24) was hit by thunderbolt in Chavda village of Jamnagar while he was working on his field.

Crime Branch Police Registers Case Against Casino Mgmt For Cheating Tourism Minister

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Goa, June 29: A case of cheating against staff and management of the in-house Treasures casino at Majorda beach resort has been registered by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police on Saturday.

The case against the five star hotel’s casino management has been registered as they failed to cough up Rs 1.25 crore to state tourism minister Fransisco Pacheco which he had won in gaming.

The casino management has been booked under section 420 read with 34 of IPC.

In his complaint, Pacheco had blamed the casino management of duping him to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore.

Meet Dr Khan

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London, June 29: King Khan has been nominated to receive an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain’s University of Bedfordshire. The actor would receive the doctorate on July 10 by Routes to Roots, an NGO and a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organization (WANGO) that works closely with universities in various countries.

Jackson’s doctor off suspect list after police interrogation

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Los Angeles, June 29: Dr Conrad Murray, the cardiologist who was the only person in the room when pop legend Michael Jackson suffered cardiac arrest was interviewed by the Los Angeles Police Department for over three hours.

After the long interrogation, Murray’s spokeswoman released a statement saying,”Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy,” reported Los Angeles Times online.

“He helped identify the circumstances around the death and clarified some inconsistencies,” added the statement.

Argentine leader suffers sharp blow in vote

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Buenos Aires, JUne 29: Argentine President Cristina Fernandez suffered a stinging blow in Sunday’s mid-term, losing her majority in the lower house as voters rejected her combative politics and handling of an economic slowdown.

In a humiliating defeat for Argentina’s first couple, her powerful husband and predecessor, former President Nestor Kirchner, was upset in a high-profile congressional race.

The result heightened political uncertainties in Latin America’s No. 3 economy, potentially setting off a power struggle in the ruling Peronist party.

300 Pak pilgrims offer prayers at Ajmer Sharif

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Ajmer, June 29: A group of 300 pilgrims from Pakistan today paid obeisance at the tomb of Sufi saint Hazarat Khawaja Moinuddeen Chisti on the occasion of 797 Urs and prayed for peace and amity between India and Pakistan.

The pilgrims from the neighbouring country moved in a huge procession amid tight security and reached the dargah two hours later where they offered ‘Chadars’.

Rashid Ali Miyan, who led the group, said they had also brought a ‘chadar’ on behalf of the Pakistan Government to offer at the dargah.

Pakistan among top 10 failed states: Report

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Washington, June 29: Pakistan, plagued by insurgency and the worst-ever economic crisis, has been named among the “top 10 failed states” by the U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine.

Pakistan, bracketed along with countries like Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan, has improved its position only by a notch — it is placed 10th in the index for 2009 published in the July-August issue of the magazine.

The fifth annual ‘Failed States Index’ is a collaboration between The Fund for Peace, an independent research organisation and Foreign Policy.

Anil Kapoor’s ‘Shortkut’ to people’s heart

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London, June 29: After playing a mean quiz-master in the Oscar-award winning film Slumdog Millionaire, Anil Kapoor is back with his home production Shortkut which the actor says will be a “shortcut to the people’s heart.”

“The film is not a non-sensical comedy but one which will tickle the funny bone of audiences. It is a short-cut to the heart of the people,” Kapoor told PTI from New York where he is currently busy promoting the film.

Jackson’s ex wife bows out of custody battle

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London, June 29: Debbie Rowe, the mother of late Michael Jackson’s two children will not fight for their custody, wanting instead increased access to the two.

The 50-year-old Australian nurse who had given full custody of the two children, Prince Michael, 12, and Paris Katherine, 11, to Jackson in 1999 will not take the star’s family to court to regain her parental rights, reported Sunday Times online.

The star’s family had threatened to fight her “tooth and nail” if she resisted plans by his mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, to look after them.

Jackson was a virtual skeleton: Autopsy report

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Los Angeles, June 29: The autopsy details of pop star Michael Jackson gives a horrifying picture of the singer at the time of his death – he was a virtual skeleton as he was barely eating, there were only pills in his stomach. He was bald, bruised and also had broken ribs and needle wounds.

His hips, thighs and shoulders were riddled with needle wounds believed to be the result of injections of narcotic painkillers, given three times a day for years.

Iraq to open up oil fields for first time

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Baghdad, June 29: Iraq is this week due to unveil which foreign firms have won contracts to develop its oil and gas fields, nearly four decades after Saddam Hussein’s party nationalised the country’s energy infrastructure.

The deals, likely to be announced live on television, will provide the government with much-needed revenue as it struggles to rebuild the country after three wars and 20 years of debilitating economic sanctions.

Umar shines with century in draw

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Karachi, June 29: Australia A 399 and 5 for 256 (White 77, Paine 54*) drew with Pakistan A 338 and 5 for 207 (Umar Akmal 100*, Sarfraz Ahmed 50*)
Scorecard

Umar Akmal scored his fourth first-class century as the match between Pakistan A and Australia A petered out to a draw in Townsville. Chasing an unlikely 318 for victory, Pakistan finished on 5 for 207 with Umar unbeaten on 100 and Sarfraz Ahmed on 50.

Siasat announces Dr. Afzaluddin Iqbal Award

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Hyderabad, June 29 (Siasat News): “The people who are always in touch with the legacies left behind by their ancestors can really be called ‘alive’. Those who have forgotten the history of their ancestors, find themselves in the darkness of oblivion.”

These were the words of Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, editor Siasat who was delivering a speech at Siasat’s golden jubilee hall on the occasion of the book release on the late author, academician and former president of Osmania University’s department of Urdu, Md. Afzaluddin Iqbal.

AP Minister escapes unhurt after dais caves in

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Vijayawada, June 29: Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K Rosiah escaped unhurt when a dais on which he was standing suddenly caved in at Mylavaram in Krishna District last evening.

Party Sources told UNI that Mr Roasiah was in Mylavaram in connection with unveiling statue of former Congress MLA Chanumolu Venkat Rao.

As soon as the minister climbed on the two-foot stage, there was a mad rush among Congress leaders and workers to greet him after Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal invited them to the dais. As the stage could not withstand the weight, it suddenly caved in.

Grievance redressal a phone call away

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Tirupati, June 29: Manjusha of Kennedy Nagar was surprised when the municipal corporation workers came to her street to catch stray dogs, promptly responding to her complaint. In fact, she half-heartedly dialled 103 and complained to the Tirupati Municipal Corporation call centre about the stray dog menace in her locality as her school going children got scared of them.

1,000 teacher posts to be filled

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Vijayawada, June 29: Higher Education Minister Sridhar Babu said here Sunday that the State Government would soon issue a notification for filling 1,000 teacher posts in the State.

He was speaking at a function after inaugurating the statue of Raja Rangiahappa Rao, former zamindar of Nuzvid and founder of SRR & CVR Govt Degree College on the college premises.

TTD EO waits 12 hours for Sarva Darshan

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Tirupati, June 29: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer IYR Krishna Rao chose to spend Sunday in a rather different way to take stock of things on the hill shrine.

Rao who went for a walk around 7 am without his attendants, did not return to the camp office, but chose to join Sarva Darshan queue at Shankumitta as a common devotee. It took him nearly 12 hours to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

He carried a notebook in which he had jotted down his findings as a common pilgrim.

VHR livid over notice from Lagadapati

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Hyderabad, June 29: The gloves are off and a bare-knuckle confrontation between AP Olympic Association president and MP Lagadapati Rajagopala Rao and fellow Congress MP and association member V Hanumantha Rao looks imminent.

Already seething over “irregularities” in the conduct of elections to the body on June 21, Hanumantha Rao blew his top on Sunday when he received a legal notice from Rajagopal and said he would challenge the election in court.