Month: June 2009

Sparkle of 300,000 crystals in Jackson’s shows

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London, June 24: Pop legend Michael Jackson is using 300,000 Swarovski crystals to light up his sets and costumes in his comeback shows.
The “Thriller” singer, whose 50-night “This Is It” residency at London’s O2 arena begins next month, will have over 1 million pounds worth of gems in 53 shapes, 40 sizes and 27 colours added onto his costumes and the stage to dazzle fans, reports contactmusic.com.

“As the King of Pop it is only natural for him to be crowned in crystal,” said Nadja Swarovski, vice president of Swarovski Crystal Business.

Heat grips North; Hisar sizzles at 45.8

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New Delhi, June 24: Heat wave continued to sweep the Northern belt on Wednesday with Hisar in Haryana sizzling at 45.8 degrees Celsius even as the government said monsoon rainfall is likely to be less than what the weatherman had forecast.

Rajasthan, intense heat wave prevailed in most parts of Punjab and Haryana with the mercury remaining between one to five degrees above normal in the two states.

Churu was the second hottest place in Rajasthan with a maximum of 43.6, a fall by a degree from yesterday.

Indians were reluctant to play us in T20 World Cup, says Afridi

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Islamabad, June 24: The Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni was reluctant to play against Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup and it showed in their attitude, alleged flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

Even though the arch-rivals did not meet in the main tournament, they featured in a sold-out warm up match and Afridi alleged Dhoni and his men did not look keen to play Pakistan even though they claimed so.

Arabs vow to support Obama’s Mideast peace drive

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Cairo, June 24: Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo vowed on Wednesday to support US President Barack Obama’s Middle East peace efforts, but said normalisation with Israel depends on its halting settlement activity.

Arab countries “are prepared to deal positively with the proposals of President Obama to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict,” the ministers said in a statement after a meeting at the Arab League headquarters.

Fresh Clashes in Tehran as Cleric Says Iran Will Not Yield

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Tehran, June 24: Hundreds of protesters clashed with waves of riot police and paramilitary militia in Tehran on Wednesday, witnesses said, as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted the authorities would not yield to pressure from opponents demanding a new election following allegations of electoral fraud.

No Blank cheque to Air India: Praful Patel

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New Delhi, June 24: PM Manmohan Singh is ready to extend full support to the ailing national carrier Air India on the condition that it cuts its cost and restructures its organisation, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Wednesday.

“The Prime Minister was sympathetic. But he has asked to plan out the strategy, cost cuts, judicious use of resources and restructuring of Air India,” Patel said.

Amidst speculation over the bailout package to Air India, Patel said the government supported the national carrier but refused to divulge the amount of bailout.

‘Depressed’ over losing job,software engineer from Maharashtra ends life

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Hyderabad, June 24: Allegedly depressed over losing his job, a software engineer “ended his life” by hanging himself at Kachiguda here, police said today. Sachin B Khandewar (29), a native of Solapur in Maharashtra hanged himself, by using a nylon rope, to the ceiling fan in his room between 11.15 pm and 12.00 pm last night, Kachiguda police said.

Sachin’s relatives came to know about the incident at about 6.30 am today after one of his aunts noticed his body hanging in the room, an investigation officer said.

Toyota to invest Rs.8 bn more in India plant

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Bangalore, June 24: Japanese auto major Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will invest an additional Rs.8 billion ($165 million) in its Indian joint venture with the Kirloskar group to expand capacity of its Bangalore plant and roll out a small car for the domestic market, Karnataka Industry Minister Murugesh R. Nirani said Wednesday.

Government to bring education reforms soon: Sibal

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New Delhi, June 24: Stating that the government was committed to improve and reform education standards in India, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday an apex panel on higher education will be formed soon.

The autonomous National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which will encompass in itself the existing professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Medical Council of India and the AICTE, will be formed within the first 100 days of the new government, Sibal told reporters.

Couple held for kidnapping child from India Gate

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New Delhi, June 24: A couple who allegedly kidnapped a two-year-old girl from India Gate Thursday last week and abandoned her a day later, has been arrested, police said Wednesday.

Jugal Kishore and Rekha were caught by a team of Delhi Police from outside the national capital. The police, however, refused to say from where and when the couple were arrested.

“We are taking the couple to Delhi,” a senior police officer said.

The girl, Gungun, was found at a temple in central Delhi’s Jhandewalan 40 hours after she went missing from India Gate lawns Thursday.

Varun meets RSS leaders, wants to strengthen BJP in UP

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Lucknow, June 24: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi, who courted controversy with his alleged hate speeches during the run-up to the recent Lok Sabha elections, on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting in Lucknow with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders, party sources said.

The meeting assumes significance against the backdrop of the demand by a section of the party to make him the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh president.

Beauty tips: Beat the monsoon blues!

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London, June 24: Come monsoons and you are sure to experience mixed feelings! On one hand there is mischief, playfulness, fun, romance, while on the other, there is misery, gloominess, filthiness and irritation.

In fact, getting caught in rain showers unprotected can convert even the most perfect makeover into a complete disaster. Constant care is therefore required to keep your hair lustrous and your skin glowing.

2nd gangrape: Woman accuses husband’s friend of rape

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New Delhi, June 24: In the second incident of gangrape reported in the capital in as many days, a 22-year-old woman has alleged that she was assaulted by three men in her east Delhi home, police said on Wednesday.

According to the woman, three men, including her husband’s friend, raped her when she was alone at her Bholanath Nagar residence in east Delhi Tuesday evening.

“I was alone when they entered into the house on the pretext of meeting my husband. They raped and threatened of dire consequences if I said anything about it,” the woman said in her police complaint.

Two arrested for alleged rape of minor in Surat

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Surat, June 24: Two persons have been arrested for alleged abduction and rape of a minor girl in Surat, police said on Wednesday.

The duo identified as Vishnu Chauhan and Kanti Chauhan had allegedly abducted and raped the 14-year-old victim on June 18 after drugging her, according to the complaint filed by the maternal uncle of the girl, on Tuesday evening.

The girl, hailing from Anand district, apparently had a relationship with Vishnu, police said. When her parents came to know about them, they sent the girl to her uncle’s place in Surat, they said.

Aishwarya should have got IIFA award for Jodhaa Akbar: Jaya

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Mumbai, June 24: Priyanka Chopra is a “good actress”, but daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai was more deserving for the Best Actress award for her work in Jodhaa Akbar at the 10th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Macau, says Jaya Bachchan.

“For all I know she must be really good in Fashion. I have not seen it. But I’ve seen Priyanka’s work in Dostana and liked it. She’s undoubtedly a good actress,” Jaya told.

Bigg Boss 2 winner jailed for drunken driving

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Mumbai, June 24: Bigg Boss 2 winner Ashutosh Kaushik was on Tuesday sent to judicial custody for a day in a drunken driving case, police said.

He was held while riding a bike without a licence and under the influence of alcohol at suburban Andheri on June 13.

“Ashutosh was produced before a magistrate in Andheri court who sent him to judicial custody for a day. He was fined Rs 3,100 and his license has been suspended for two years,” senior police inspector of Airport Traffic Division, NB Patil told PTI.

Pakistan SC rejects Sarabjit’s mercy petition

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New Delhi, June 24: Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s review petition challenging his death sentence in the 1990 Lahore bomb blast case.

The petition was rejected by a three -member bench led by Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed on the grounds of non-pursuance of the case by his lawyer. The court also upheld the death sentence awarded to him by an anti-terrorism court in 1991.

Sarabjit’s lawyer Rana Abdul Hamid was not present on Wednesday despite a directive to him. The lawyer was also absent for the last hearing on Monday.

Sena targets Reliance, says co inflates electricity bills

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Mumbai, June 24: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday staged protest at various places here against the tariff hike announced by power suppliers in the state including the Reliance Energy.

Sena workers torched a truck outside Reliance Energy office in suburban Kandivali, protesting the tariff hike.

“Wednesday’s agitation was the first such protest and if the power companies do not heed to our demand, we will intensify the agitation,” Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.

Meanwhile, party’s mouthpiece Saamana appealed to the consumers not to pay the “inflated” electricity bills.

Delay in rains hits sowing operations in Andhra Pradesh

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Hyderabad, June 24: The delay in rains that prompted rituals to appease the gods across temples in Andhra Pradesh Wednesday has hit paddy sowing but agriculturists are hopeful that the situation would improve in the coming days.

The sowing operations in the fertile Godavari delta, known as the rice bowl of the state, have been hit by the delay in rains. The two districts of East and West Godavari together account for paddy cultivation in 300,000 hectares.

The delay in releasing water through irrigation canals has also led to farmers in the delta area not raising paddy nurseries.

Pakistan court rejects Sarabjit’s death sentence appeal

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Islamabad, June 24: Pakistan’s Supreme Court dismissed on Wednesday an appeal by Sarabjit Singh, an Indian man seeking a review of a death sentence imposed on him for spying and carrying out bombings in the 1990s.

The rejection came as relations between old rivals India and Pakistan inched towards improvement following a meeting last week between their leaders, the first since last year’s militant attack on Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.

New fruit pest identified in SA

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Cape Town, June 24: An insect pest that wrought havoc in the California fruit industry two decades ago has made its appearance in the Western Cape, a University of Stellenbosch entomologist announced on Tuesday.

The Pomegranate or Ash whitefly could severely damage garden shrubs, and apple, pear, olive, citrus and pomegranate trees, Professor Jan Giliomee said in a statement.

Giliomee discovered the insect recently for the first time in South Africa on a wild olive on the Overberg coast, and it was then formally identified by a taxonomist of the National Insect Collection in Pretoria.

Sea floor desert discovered

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Washington, June 24: In an ocean teeming with life, scientists have discovered a barely inhabited sea floor desert.

Researchers curious about the limit to sea floor life turned to the deadest spot in the oceans, the South Pacific Gyre, explained University of Rhode Island oceanographer Steven D’Hondt.

Sediment cores from the region carried as few as 1 000 living cells per cubic centimetre, D’Hondt explained in a telephone interview.

By comparison, nearshore sediments can contain 1 billion living cells per CC and even offshore sediments can have 1 million per CC, he said.

Stapling may cut cancer risk

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London, June 24: Women who have their stomachs stapled not only lose weight, they also may reduce their cancer risk by up to 40%, new research says.

In a study of more than 2 000 obese people who had surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs, Swedish researchers found women who had the procedure were less likely to get cancer than those who did not.

But for some reason, the surgery didn’t have the same effect in men; there was virtually no difference in the cancer rates in men who had the surgery and those who did not.

1st Europeans ‘were cannibals’

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Atapuerca, June 24: The remains of the “first Europeans” discovered at an archaeological site in northern Spain have revealed that these prehistoric men were cannibals who particularly liked the flesh of children.

“We know that they practiced cannibalism,” said Jose Maria Bermudez de Castro, one of the co-directors of the Atapuerca project, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

A study of the remains revealed that they turned to cannibalism to feed themselves and not as part of a ritual, that they ate their rivals after killing them, mostly children and adolescents.

Moon probe enters lunar orbit

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Washington, June 24: A space probe that scientists hope will provide new information about the moon ahead of future manned US moon missions entered lunar orbit on Tuesday, four and a half days after it was launched aboard a rocket, Nasa said.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) space probe successfully entered orbit around the moon at 1027 GMT, the US space agency said in a statement.

Engineers had to perform a mid-course correction while the probe was en route, to ensure it would successfully slip into orbit.