Month: June 2009

CM denies implicating TDP MLA

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Hyderabad, June 29: Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy informed the TDP delegation which met him at his camp office Sunday that the CID probe was ordered into the allegations of rape and murder of a nursing student allegedly by TDP MLA TV Rama Rao only to ascertain the facts.

He said investigation into the allegations against the MLA was not confined to the State. Some information had to come from Kerala. That was why the government ordered the CID probe, he explained.

NKorea slams Hawaii missile deployment

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Pyongyang, June 29: North Korea has condemned the US for stationing missile defense systems around Hawaii, deeming the move warmongering of Washington’s forces.

“Through the US forces’ clamorous movements, it has been brought to light that the US attempt to launch a pre-emptive strike on our republic has become a brutal fact,” North Korea’s main newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary on Monday.

Larijani to Obama: Stop ‘interfering’ in ME affairs

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Tehran, June 29: Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has recommended the US administration to abandon its “interfering” policies and respect rights of all nations.

“This change will be beneficial both to the region and to the US itself,” Larijani said in an address to the 21st Executive Committee meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States in Algerian capital Algiers on Sunday.

“Terrorism and occupation are two sides of a coin. Islamic countries should try to make occupiers cease their occupation in order to put an end to terrorism,” he added.

OC employees oppose quota in promotions

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Hyderabad, June 29: The Electricity OC Employees Association has urged the government to scrap reservation for SC and ST employees in promotions and give the promotions according to seniority.

In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy here today, association’s president G Karunakar Reddy and State Electricity OC Employees Welfare Association president R Sudhakar Reddy said reservation in promotions was against the orders of the Supreme Court. As such, promotions already given to SC and ST employees on the basis of reservation should be withdrawn, they pleaded.

“Salman never watches any of Katrina Kaif’s Films”

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Mumbai, June 29: Even as Bipasha Basu rushed back from Goa to Mumbai to watch her boyfriend John Abraham’s career-defining performance in New York, the film’s leading lady Katrina Kaif whose performance has been bathed in praise is yet to convince her companion to watch what the world is raving about .

MLA-doctors row continues

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Warrangal, June 29: The standoff between Warangal East MLA Baswaraju Saraiah and the junior doctors has led to inconvenience to the patients at MGM Hospital here.

The junior doctors have boycotted duties Sunday insisting that cases be registered against the MLA and the Mattewada SI for being rude towards them.

One of the MLA’s followers was admitted to the hospital last night after being injured in an accident. On information that the junior doctors on duty did not take proper care of the patient, the legislator himself descended on the hospital.

After Nano, Tata launches luxury Jaguar, Land Rover

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Mumbai, June 29: Three months after launching Nano, the world’s most inexpensive family vehicle at the Rs.1 lakh, Tata Motors Sunday launched here the iconic Jaguar and Land Rover cars, to cost between Rs.63 lakh and Rs.92 lakh in India.

Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata said initially, three Jaguar and two Land Rover models would be available in the country.

While Jaguar models will be available in the price band of Rs.63-92 lakh, the Land Rover will be in the Rs.63-89 lakh range. They will be available in five-six cities after checking out the response in Mumbai.

Shades of Lara in Darren Bravo: Gayle

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Colombo, June 29: West Indies captain Chris Gayle found Brian Lara’s shadow in rookie Darren Bravo and felt the youngster did a good job in his debut match against India.

Gayle said Bravo not only has a technique which reminds him of that of Lara but the youngster also resembles the left-handed batting great in his appearance.

“There are some similarities, like the batting technique and they look alike a bit. Brian is his idol, and he now has the ability to grow from strength to strength,” said Gayle of Bravo, who managed to impress during his 16-ball 19 at Sabina Park.

Police arrest Raj Thackeray after surrender

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Mumbai, June 29: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was on Monday arrested after he surrendered before a Kalyan court in connection with a 2008 riot case, in which North Indians appearing for railway recruitment examination were assaulted.

The Bombay High Court had issued a directive to Raj to surrender before the court.

After presenting himself before the court, Thackeray, who was accompanied by his wife, moved an application saying he was surrendering. He has now been taken to the Kalyan Railway Police Station.

Jackson had just pills in his stomach, reveals autopsy

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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.

Federer, Williams resume bids for sixth Wimbledons

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Wimbledon, June 29: As Week 1 gives way to Week 2 at Wimbledon on Monday, the primary story lines have not shifted since the beginning of the tournament.

Will Roger Federer win a sixth Wimbledon championship and record 15th Grand Slam title?

Will Andy Murray end Britain’s 73-year wait for a male singles champion at the All England Club?

Will Venus Williams become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win the Venus Rosewater Dish three years in a row, bringing her career haul to six?

Fardeen, Farhan ape WWF wrestlers!

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Mumbai,June 29: Rumour has it that Fardeen Khan and his sister Laila’s boyfriend Farhan Furniturewala do not get along.

Late Saturday night, both men nearly came to blows at a nightclub in Andheri East. Fardeen, Laila, Farhan, Farah Ali Khan and her husband DJ Aqeel were together when the fight happened.

An eyewitness said, “It all started with a heated discussion, which soon became an ugly argument. A point came when they both got physical. Onlookers were extremely shocked at their behaviour.”

Brazil rallies past US to clinch Cup

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Johannesburg, June 29: Brazil’s “Beautiful Game” came alive in the second half Sunday with three comeback goals in a 3-2 win over the United States in the Confederations Cup final.

Luis Fabiano scored two of the goals and Lucio added the third in the 84th minute to give Brazil its second straight Confederations Cup title and third overall.

“That defeat really hurt,” said United States coach Bob Bradley. “I’m extremely proud of my players, but it still feels pretty lousy to let this one get away.

10-year-old tests positive for swine flu

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Hyderabad, June 29: A 10-year-old boy who was quarantined by the doctors of the Government Chest Hospital on Saturday, has been found affected by the Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu).

The doctors confirmed that the boy is suffering with the infection and is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

According to the doctors, the 10-year-old boy came from New Jersey to Hyderabad on June 25 and was quarantined at the Chest Hospital after he developed the symptoms of Swine Flu including sore throat, body ache and fever.

TD MLAs stage dharna at CM’s camp office

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Hyderabad, June 29: Crying hoarse that injustice had been done to TV Rama Rao, its MLA from Kovvur in West Godavari district, the party MLAs staged a dharna at the camp office of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy here today demanding immediate withdrawal of cases against the legislator.

Chiranjeevi seeks Bharat Ratna for PV

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Hyderabad, June 29: Praja Rajyam party president Chiranjeevi has urged the Union Government to award the Bharat Ratna to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao “for his multifaceted talent and his contributions to the country as a politician’’.

He was speaking to the media on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the former prime minster at the PV Gnana Bhumi on Necklace Road here today after paying floral tributes. Chiranjeevi said Narasimha Rao was not only fluent in several languages, he was a prolific writer, critic and speaker.

It’s a blast from the past for Bollywood now

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Mumbai, June 29: It was all about looking into the future for Bollywood with films like ‘Aa Dekhen Zara’, ’13 B’ and ‘Kal Kissne Dekha’ hitting the screens in recent times. But now it is flashback time and forthcoming movies will see popular actors exploring the times that have gone by.

These include Saif Ali Khan’s production debut ‘Love Aaj Kal’, “Akshay Kumar’s ‘Action Replay’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’ that stars Emraan Hashmi.

Deepika leaves Kareena out of Love Aaj Kal screening

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Mumbai, June 29: Deepika Padukone will have a trial of her upcoming film. She plans to invite her boyfriend, parents, close friends and “all the wonderful people” in her life. Guess who isn’tone of them… Deepika Padukone is planning to hold a special trial of her film Love Aaj Kal.

Guess who isn’t on the guest list? LAK producer, Saif Ali Khan’s girlfriend, Kareena Kapoor. Director Imtiaz Ali wanted Dippy for the film, while producer Saif later confessed he regretted not having Bebo in the film.

The ‘iPhone killer’ comes calling

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Nokia’s touch-screen multimedia N97 smartphone was designed to take on Apple’s iPhone. The Finnish mobile phone giant dubbed it the “world’s most advanced mobile computer”, promising to bring users closer to the Internet on the move. But that was several months ago during its global launch.

Sibal unites Trinamool, Left

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Kolkata, June 29: Nothing, it had ever seemed, could make the Trinamool and the CPM see eye to eye in West Bengal. Then human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal came along. His idea of education in the country not only created a storm everywhere, it brought together the Trinamool and the Left Front on common ground. Both parties are opposed to the Sibal’s proposals.

Storm in a burqa

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French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s comments on burqa created a storm. Normally, what France, or for that matter any other country, decides on dress code should not be anyone else’s business, but the debate on burqa is of great relevance to India, given that we have the second-largest Muslim population in the world.

A large number of Muslim women in India do not wear the burqa unless required by tradition or pushed by families, and their number is swelling. Therefore, Sarkozy’s decision has reverberations here.

Iran gives Moussavi a say in poll results

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Tehran, June 29: Iran’s Guardian Council has offered opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi a deal to settle the dispute over alleged fraud in the June 12 presidential election. Council spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said a special committee would be formed to review the disputed poll results that gave president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a victory.

Bangladeshi woman whipped over 200 times, critical

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Dhaka, June 29: A widow was whipped 202 times and a man 101 times following a fatwa by a religious leader for their alleged involvement in “anti-social activity” in a village in southeastern Bangladesh, prompting local protests and action by the police.

Piara Begum, a widow of 40, and Mamun Miah, 25, were whipped before hundreds of people at Khaiyar in Comilla district on Saturday night.

The woman fell unconscious and was rushed to hospital. Doctors said she was critically injured and needed to be given intensive treatment.

SC likely to rap Maya for her statue spree

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New Delhi, June 29: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, who has sparked off a controversy with her statue unveiling spree in Lucknow, will face scrutiny of the Supreme Court on Monday.

The apex court had fixed Monday for the hearing of a PIL which sought a CBI probe against Mayawati for “misusing” crores of rupees of public money for installing statues.