Month: June 2009

Remarks on burqa only to provoke Muslims: Bukhari

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New Delhi, June 25: Muslim leaders slammed French President Nicolas Sarkozy for describing burqa as a sign of “subservience”, saying it was a “direct attack” on Islamic identity and meant to “provoke” the community.

“Sarkozy’s statement on burqa is a direct attack on Islamic identity and shows the level of hatred he has towards Islam and Muslims,” Shahi Imam of Delhi-based Jama Masjid Ahmed Bukhari said.

The French President had told a special session of Parliament that “the burqa is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience.”

N Korea threatens to wipe out US ‘once and for all’

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Washington, June 25: “North Korea threatened Wednesday to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days,” the Associated Press reports.

“If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will … wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all,” the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Govt to spend Rs 1,500 crore on rural road connectivity

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Hyderabad, June 25: The state government would spend Rs 1,500 crore over the next three years to ensure rural road connectivity to thousands of scheduled
caste colonies and tribal hamlets across the state.

Addressing a joint press conference, panchayat raj minister B Satyanarayana and rural development minister V Vasant Kumar on Tuesday said both the departments would act in a cohesive manner to achieve 100 per cent success in the implementation of the programme.

Adnan’s father to be buried in Islamabad

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Mumbai, June 24: Singer Adnan Sami said his father, a prominent Pakistani diplomat, passed away in a hospital here Monday and as per his last wish the body will be flown to Islamabad to be buried near his home.

Arshad Sami Khan died from cancer of the pancreas and the funeral is to be held Friday, the singer said.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani are expected to attend Arshad Sami’s state funeral in Islamabad.

Former detainees allege abuse by US

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London, June 25: Former inmates of the main US military base at Bagram in Afghanistan say they were abused and neglected while being held there, reported.

The BBC said it had interviewed 27 former inmates who were held at the US air base between 2002 and 2008 under suspicion of belonging to or helping the Taliban or Al Qaida.

The former inmates said they were beaten, deprived of sleep, hung from the ceiling and threatened with dogs at the air base outside Kabul.

Rare gems of Madan Mohan unearthed in ‘Tere Bagair…’

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Mumbai, June 25: A rare treasure, a glimpse into the unseen, an unexplored world of legendary composer Madan Mohan, call it what you want. ‘Tere Bagair…’ is a collection of 15 songs, all composed and recorded by the composer that remained unreleased until now. The songs are from shelved films between 1964 and 1972.

Iran-West tension mounts

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Tehran, June 25: Protesters and riot police clashed in the streets around Iran’s parliament as hundreds of people converged on a Tehran square in defiance of government orders to halt demonstrations demanding a new presidential election, witnesses said.

Iran’s supreme leader said the government would not give in to pressure over the disputed presidential election.

Iranian reformist leader Mir Hussain Mousavi’s website carried news of the protest, which it described as an independent demonstration.

Microinsurance industry sees profits from the poor

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Mumbai, June 25: Slum-dweller Krustin bin Juri lost everything when floodwaters swept through his home and shop on the banks of Jakarta’s filthy Ciliwung river two years ago.

But when the next flood hits, and wit will because Jakarta sees frequent floods in the rainy season, bin Juri may have a modicum of protection thanks to a low-cost insurance policy that he purchased this month.

PersonalFinance-Don’t wait for Congress, be your own regulator

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Washington, June 25: President Barack Obama’s plan to create a federal agency to protect consumers from tricky or hazardous financial products may never make it through the Congress, if the bankers have their say.

Financial services companies are coming up with cash nobody knew they had to fight the proposal, which would put hidden credit card fees on a par with faulty bike helmets and flammable pajamas.

Desperate Saif gives into botox jab to look young

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Mumbai, June 25: Saif Ali Khan is decidedly looking smooth and young! No, it has nothing to do with his flamboyant love for Bebo. Like so many celebrities, who are always under the pressure to look young, Saif Ali Khan has undergone botox treatment to look youthful for his upcoming film, ‘Love Aaj Kal’’.

Look at him closely in the promos of the film, there are no laugh lines or wrinkles, all thanks to the wonder cure botox.

Girl with tattooed face lied

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Brussels, June 25: The Belgian teenager who made headlines across the globe after claiming a tattoo artist had drawn 56 stars on her face, rather than the three she asked for, has admitted she lied.

Kimberley Vlaeminck from the city of Kortrijk, 90km northwest of Brussels said she fell asleep during the procedure, and woke up in pain when her nose was being tattooed.

But the 18-year-old was caught off camera on Dutch television when she said she quite liked the tattoo, but lied about asking for all 56 stars when she saw her father’s furious reaction.

Producers want to CUT film workers’ wages

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Bangalore, June 25: Karnataka Film Producers’ Association says the move is aimed at reducing production costs; workers’ association cries foul

After overseeing the demise of film-related parties, the Karnataka Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) is now training their guns on film workers. It wants to cut short the wages of dancers, stuntmen, junior artists, light boys, drivers, costumers, production assistants and others.

‘Harassed for dowry’ woman jumps to death from Ghaziabad mall

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Ghaziabad, June 25: A 23-year-old married woman jumped to death from the third floor of a mall on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border Wednesday afternoon, police said, suspecting it to be a “case of dowry-harassment” by her in-laws driving her to commit suicide.
Saraswati had gone to the East Delhi Mall (EDM) in Kaushambi Towers with her husband Dhirendra Kumar, a property dealer of Bhovapur locality in Ghaziabad.

Sania out of Wimbledon singles race

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London, June 25: An inconsistent Sania Mirza’s Wimbledon hopes ended with a second round exit at the hands of her friend Sorana Cristea 4-6, 4-6 at the All England Club here Wednesday.

The Romanian teenager continued her cruise in women’s tennis as he dispatched Sania in an hour and 22 minutes to reach the third round.

Cristea had caused a flutter in the Grand Slam at French Open, knocking out former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic to seal a quarterfinal place.

Is Bollywood too late on 9/11 movies?

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Mumbai, June 25: Hollywood has highlighted it, so have others. But the Hindi film industry has barely touched upon 9/11 as a theme, with Kabir Khan’s “New York” coming eight years after the tragic incident in the US.

Experts say it is too “late” to make a film on the subject even as the film is set to be released Friday.

$4,000 tip for Waiter

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Chicago, June 25: Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp shocked restaurant staff in Chicago by leaving a mammoth tip of $4,000. The 46-year-old actor was celebrating the red carpet screening of his new movie “Public Enemies” with a group of friends including his co-star Marion Cotillard and the film’s director Michael Mann at Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse when he left the exhorbitant gratuity for waiter Mohammed A. Sekhani, Chicago Sun Times reported.

Afghan Leader Outmaneuvers Election Rivals

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Kabul, June 25: With a nationwide election only weeks away, the paradox of President Hamid Karzai has never seemed more apparent: he is at once deeply unpopular and likely to win.

Afghani television journalists conducted a report on the first day of Afghanistan’s presidential campaign season in Kabul in June.

Mr. Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, is blamed by many for the failures that have plagued the American-led mission here in the past eight years, from the resurgence of the Taliban to the explosion of the poppy trade.

Over 60 killed in Baghdad market blast

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Baghdad, June 25: More than 60 people were killed and at least 150 wounded Wednesday when a bomb exploded at a crowded market here, media reports said.
The explosion, which took place in the Maridi market in eastern Sadr City area of the Iraqi capital, left 62 people dead and 150 injured, security sources told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani “vehemently condemns the attack”, according to a statement from his office.

The bomb was planted in a motorbike, security sources told DPA. Earlier reports said the bomb was concealed under a vegetable cart.

We will maximise security for international students: Aus PM

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Canberra, June 24: Facing flak for the recent spate of attacks on Indian students, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today vowed to provide “maximum” security to foreigners pursuing education in this country.

“Any assault against any person is one assault too many. I take it (attacks) seriously and have discussed with (Indian) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on this. We will work our way through this with friends in the Indian community,” Rudd said in an interaction with a visiting delegation of Indian journalists in his spacious office in Parliament.

Rudd pledges to provide maximum security to Indians

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Canberra, June 24: Facing flak for the recent spate of attacks on Indian students, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today vowed to provide “maximum” security to foreigners pursuing education in this country.

“Any assault against any person or any visitor to Australia or any international student is one assault too many,” Rudd told a visiting Indian media delegation here.

Two dead as Delhi bus fells into trench

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New Delhi, June 24: Two people died and several suffered injuries when a chartered, privately operated bus in which they were traveling Wednesday evening slipped off a road into a 20-25 feet deep trench near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi, police said.

The bus, going from Okhla to Dilshad Garden, met with the accident when driver Raj Bahadur, 35, lost control over the wheel while trying to save a child crossing the road in Pandav Nagar area near Noida Mor around 7.15 p.m.

Sri Lanka agrees to allow relief ship

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New Delhi, June 24: Sri Lanka has agreed to allow a ship to off-load its contents, relief material sent by Tamil diaspora, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here Wednesday after meeting a delegation from the island.
Krishna told reporters he had urged Sri Lanka to give permission to the relief ship as a “humanitarian gesture”.

“The Sri Lankan delegation kindly agreed to our suggestion and the ship would now be routed to Sri Lanka through the Indian Red Cross,” he said.

Banderas wary of disrobing onscreen

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London, June 24: Spanish actor-singer Antonio Banderas has become wary of stripping onscreen because he is reluctant to flaunt his body as he gets older.
The actor disrobed for passionate scenes with actress Radha Mitchell in upcoming crime drama “The Code” but felt uncomfortable being naked in front of the cameras because the ageing process has affected his confidence, reports express.co.uk.

Chandigarh banks asked to install CCTV cameras

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Chandigarh, June 24: In the wake of increasing cases of fraud and cheating, Chandigarh Police Wednesday urged bank officials to install CCTV cameras in their branches.
At a meeting with over 50 senior officials of private and nationalised banks, police officials suggested various measures to prevent frauds and robberies.

The bank officials were told to coordinate with other banks so that they can verify details of their common clients.

They were also told that customers should be made aware of the growing menace of hacking that is quite common in e-banking.

–IANS–

Rs.11 bn to be spent annually on textile tech upgrade

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New Delhi, June 24: The government will spend Rs.1,100 crore (Rs.11 billion) annually till 2012 to provide subsidies and upgrade technology to the textile sector, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran said here Wednesday.
The Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS), which was launched to improve competitiveness and overall long term viability of the industry, has been extended till March 31, 2012.

“The government will invest Rs.1,100 crore in TUFS,” Maran told reporters while releasing the ministry’s 100-day agenda.