Month: June 2009

Only three Indians in ICC Hall of Fame

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Mumbai, June 28: Only Indian greats, left-arm spin magician Bishen Singh Bedi, prolific opener Sunil Gavaskar and champion all rounder Kapil Dev, have been named by the International Cricket Council in its 55-strong Hall of Famers list, which has 22 Englishmen in it.

The ICC, while announcing Colin Cowdrey as the 19th cricketer to be formally inducted in its elite list of cricket greats, provided the list of persons who have been chosen for the Hall of Fame, but yet to be formally inducted.

Paris Hilton’s hotel suite goes up for auction

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Dubai, June 28: A five-star hotel where Hollywood actress Paris Hilton stayed has offered an online auction for the room.

Want to stay in the room occupied by socialite Paris Hilton here? Go online to bid for the coveted suite.
A five-star hotel where Hollywood actress stayed has offered an online auction for the room among several others.

Hilton’s suite costs USD 13,400 (49,000 dirhams) a night.

Arshad Hussain, the Monarch hotel’s director of business development, said they are opting to go for online auctions instead of lowering its prices.

Iran’s Karroubi demands independent poll probe

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Tehran, June 28: Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi on Sunday demanded an independent panel to probe irregularities in the disputed Presidential Election.

“If an independent panel is set up by the Guardians Council with full responsibility to investigate all aspects of the election, I will welcome it and later nominate my representative,” the reformist Karroubi wrote in a letter to the council which was published in his newspaper Etemad Melli.

Iraq to open up oil fields for first time in four decades

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Baghdad, June 28: Iraq will this week unveil which foreign firms have won contracts to develop its oil and gas fields, nearly four decades after Saddam Hussein nationalised the country’s energy infrastructure.

The deals, likely to be announced live on television on June 29 and 30, 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.

Chidambaram seeks review of VIP security

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New Delhi, June 28: Finding that a number of persons were enjoying VIP security without any justification, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has sought a review to scale down the facility extended to them.

The review is being carried out by Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, who has been given a list of over 100 VIPs, including former Ministers Shivraj Patil, Natwar Singh and Jagmohan who have been given such protection.

In some of the cases, it was observed that VIPs were enjoying state security more as a status symbol and not because of any threat.

Pakistan offers 5 crore bounty on Baitullah Mehsud

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Islamabad, June 28: Pakistan has offered a Rs 50 million reward for information on Baitullah Mehsud, a senior leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban who is linked to the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Advertisements have appeared in newspapers here offering reward on information that leads to the arrest of Baitullah Mehsud and his accomplices.

The rewards are for militants, including three from South Waziristan, another three from Bajaur, two from Mohmand, two from Darra Adamkhel and one from Kurram Agency.

Raj Thackeray to surrender before court on Monday

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Mumbai, June 28: Complying with a Bombay High Court directive, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray will surrender before a Kalyan court on Monday in a 2008 riot case in which North Indians appearing for railway recruitment examination were assaulted.

After presenting himself before the court, Thackeray would move an application saying he was surrendering, his lawyer Sayaji Nangre said.

After the court grant him custody, Thackeray would immediately move for bail.

Deepika’s summer scorcher

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New Delhi, June 28: Delhi’s terrible summer heat went up a few notches as the Bachna Ae Haseeno actress, Deepika Padukone touched down in the Capital in a sultry avatar. The temperatures would have killed, but that could not deter Padukone’s fans from lining up to catch a glimpse of the dusky beauty. The 23-year-old was a stunner in her knee-length green dress.

N Srinivasan unanimously re-elected TNCA President

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Chennai, June 28: BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan was today unanimously re-elected as the President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for the year 2009-10.

Mr Srinivasan was elected on the floor of the House at the 79th Annual General Meeting of the TNCA held here.

All the office bearers, including Secretary K S Viswanathan, were also elected unanimously.

Following are the other office bearers: Vice-Presidents (City): K V Aiyappan, S Ganesan, U Prabhakar Rao, Dr D N Seshagiri.

Vice-Presidents (Districts): N R Manivannan, K G Muralidharan.

Kangna carries off 25-kg gown with ease!

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Mumbai, June 28: Have you ever worn a 25 kg gown? Well, Kangna Ranaut did exactly that at the recently concluded IIFA awards.

“My designer friend Rik Roy had created a special outfit for me for the Green Carpet. The gown weighed 25 kg and was studded with Swarovski crystals.

It was surprisingly easy to carry and wear it. I was flooded with compliments,” she writes on her blog.

Senior Congress leader passes away

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Hyderabad, June 28: Senior Congress leader and former Minister E Ayyapu Reddy died here last night in a private hospital following illness.

He was 90. Mr Reddy was a leading champion for the cause of development of Rayalaseema region. His son E Prathapa Reddy was a Congress MLA from Srisailam constituency in Kurnool district.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy today visited Mr Reddy’s residence and expressed his sympatheis to the bereaved family members.

—Agencies

Al Qaeda linked group behind terror attacks in Pak: FBI

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Islamabad, June 28: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has informed Pakistan that the al Qaeda-linked Al Kini group was behind a series of terrorist attacks in the country, including last year’s suicide car bombing of the Marriott Hotel.

The FBI has asked Pakistan’s Federal Investigating Agency to share its findings on these attacks that were gathered through interrogation of arrested suspects to help hunt down the top members of the Al Kini group.

Terror Threat: Rakshak cops in city given arms

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Hyderabad, June 28: The daring daylight attacks on policemen in two separate incidents in the last seven months have forced the city police to arm its men on
patrolling vehicle, Rakshak, with guns.

Surprisingly, till date the policemen on beat duty and in Rakshaks do not carry even a baton. The attack on two counter intelligence sleuths in Santoshnagar in December last year and the shooting down of a home guard in Falaknuma last month have woken the police to the changing realities in the city that has reportedly become a hub for many criminals and terrorists.

Chiranjeevi demands ‘Bharat Ratna’ for former PM Narasimha Rao

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Hyderabad, June 28: Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi on Sunday demanded that the government confer Bharat Ratna award on late prime minister PV Narasimha Rao.

“The economic reforms boldly initiated by him helped India march forward on the path of progress. The country has been able to compete with major countries since then,” the Praja Rajyam Party chief, told reporters here.

Myanmar reports first H1N1 case

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Yangon, June 28:Myanmar reported its first case of H1N1 in a 13-year-old girl who recently visited Singapore, state media said Sunday.

The National Health Laboratory on Saturday confirmed that the girl, who has been kept in isolation at Yangon General Hospital for a week, was infected with New Influenza A (H1N1), the New Light of Myanmar reported.

The girl returned from Singapore on June 21, showing no signs of fever or flu.

The newspaper claimed that a teacher providing the girl with private lessons noticed she had developed a cough, and sent her to hospital Friday.

RPF constable kills colleague near Bandra

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Mumbai, June 28: A constable attached with the Railway Police Force (RPF) on Sunday shot dead another RPF constable at suburban Nirmal Nagar, police said.

RPF constable Shivram Sharma shot dead his colleague Udyan Singh with his service rifle at their barrack in Nirmal Nagar near Bandra, they said.

“Sharma has been arrested and investigations are on to ascertain the motive behind the incident,” deputy commissioner of police Nisar Tamboli said.

Singh was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, police said.

—Agencies

No drought-like situation in the country: Pawar

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New Delhi, June 28: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday said there is no drought-like situation in the country due to a delay in the onset of monsoon rains.

“There is no drought-like situation in the country due to delay in monsoons and the loss would be more than made up for in the rains during July and August,” Pawar said. He also denied rumours of a price rise, adding that food procurement was better this year compared to last year.

Madrasa adopts English as medium of instruction

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Thiruvananthapuram, June 28: A Madrasa boarding school in Kerala is planning to change its language of instruction from Arabic to English. The step has been taken in an effort to make students and others interpret Islam correctly.

Iraq blames Arab states for bombings

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Baghdad, June 28: Iraq’s prime minister blames Arab states for fanning the flames of violence in his country by turning a blind eye to the rulings of hard-line religious leaders.

As US troops are preparing to leave the Iraqi cities, there has been a wave of deadly terrorist attacks, which has killed hundreds of Iraqis.

Nouri al-Maliki did not mention any country or group by name, but said, “There are states, which are silent on fatwas (Islamic decrees) urging killings and branding others as infidels,” Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper reported on Saturday.

BJP urges administration to curb anti-socials menace

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Puducherry, June 28: The BJP Puducherry unit today urged the administration to take steps to curb the menace of anti-social elements in the union territory.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the party’s executive committee meeting here.

Another resolution urged the administration to implement the promises given to the people, such as rice Rs one per kg and free Colour TV in the next budget session of the territorial Assembly.

Iran’s president lashes out at Obama, warns him

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Tehran, June 28: Iran’s hardline president lashed out anew at the United States and President Barack Obama on Saturday, accusing him of interference and suggesting that Washington’s stance on Iran’s post-election turmoil could imperil Obama’s aim of improving relations.

“We are surprised at Mr Obama,” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in remarks to judiciary officials broadcast on state television. “Didn’t he say that he was after change? Why did he interfere?”

Jackson was secretly recording a new album: Deepak Chopra

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London, June 28: Michael Jackson had been quietly recording a new album that he hoped would move the world, says his longtime Indian-American friend Deepak Chopra.

The “Thriller” hitmaker passed away Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 50. Hs friend of 20 years, doctor and writer Deepak Chopra, revealed that during a recent meeting, the star had shared with him the new material he had written, reports contactmusic.com.

Staff at British embassy in Iran arrested

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Tehran, June 28: Intensifying the unrest in Iran, the authorities on Sunday arrested eight local staff at the British Embassy in Tehran.

According to Iran’s Press TV, the staff has been arrested for their role in recent unrest in the country following the disputed June 12 Presidential Election.

Earlier, Iran had ordered a BBC correspondent to leave the country and lawmakers called for Tehran to review its often strained relations with London.

Police arrests 3 for loot of Rs 10 lakh from SBI van

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Ghazipur, June 28: Uttar Pradesh police has arrested three criminals who looted Rs 10 lakh from the cash van of State Bank of India(SBI) in the district on June 22.

Police, during a raid last night, have also recovered Rs 1.5 lakh from the arrested criminals, identified as Shailesh, Arif and Siyaram.

Two foreign-made pistols and one country-made firearm, used during the crime, were also recovered from the possession of the trio.