Month: July 2009

Germany indicts man for supplying al-Qaeda

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Berlin, July 07: Germany indicts man for supplying al-QaedaKarlsruhe, Germany – German authorities indicted an ethnic Turkish man Tuesday for allegedly donating money and sending equipment by courier to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda.

The man, identified as Sermet I, a 31-year-old German national, was arrested at an airport as he arrived home in Germany in February.

He is accused of membership in a foreign terrorist group and breaches of German laws against exporting military goods.

IPL Miss Bollywood winners to debut with ’24×7 Raftaar’

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New Delhi, July 07: Dune Kossatz, Genna Cloud and Dunay Nortje – the three winners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Miss Bollywood contest in South Africa – are set to make their debut in tinsel town with “24×7 Raftaar”.

All the three South Africans, who were chosen during the five-week Twenty20 extravaganza in April, will be seen together in Percept Picture Company’s (PPC) movie along with Indian actors Emraan Hashmi, Aditya Pancholi, Neha Dhupia and Sagarika Ghatge, said a press release from the film production company.

Egypt says believes captured Israeli soldier well

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Cairo, July 07: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday he believed an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants three years ago was well and that he hoped the issue would not take long to resolve.

Militants of the Hamas Islamist group and other gunmen launched a raid into Israel in June 2006 from the Gaza Strip, killing two soldiers and capturing Shalit. Egypt has sought to mediate a deal between the Palestinian group and Israel.

North Korean missile launch is provocative action: US

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Washington, July 07: Condemning the missile launch by North Korea on July 4, the US has said it is a provocative action.

“These launches are provocative, but they are nothing new,” the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, said at his daily press briefing at its Foggy Bottom headquarters.

“We continue to call on North Korea to refrain from these kinds of provocative actions that aggravate tensions and do not contribute at all to regional security,” Kelly said.

Sensex closes above 12,000-mark

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Mumbai, July 08: In what was the biggest gain in a single day since Oct 31, 2008, a key index of the Indian equities markets soared more than 700 points, raising hopes that the rally that has kept the bourses in green for eight-nine weeks can be sustained.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 11,635.24 points, rose 731.5 points or 6.41 percent from the previous close to end trade at 12,134.75 points.

Similarly, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) gained 4.96 percent to close at 3,646.35 points.

India blames developed world for slowdown, climate change

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New Delh, July 07: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday blamed developed countries for the global economic slowdown and called for a coordinated response to deal with the challenges.

“This has not been a crisis of our making, but we have had to bear its consequences. The slowdown in the advanced economies has affected our exports, strengthened protectionist sentiments and impacted credit and capital flows,” Singh said before leaving for the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy.

Israeli president arrives in Cairo for peace talks

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Israel, July 07: Israeli president arrives in Cairo for peace talksCairo – Israeli President Shimon Peres arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for talks with his Egyptian counterpart Hosny Mubarak on among other matters, the Middle East peace process, the official MENA news agency reported.

The two would discuss “ways to promote a regional peace agreement between Israel and Arab states,” Peres’ office said in a statement. They would also discuss “at length” the issue of the Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza, Gilad Shalit.

The Nobel laureate’s visit was expected to last only a few hours.

Singapore woman on trial for letting husband cane her son 100 times

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Singapore, July 07: A Singapore woman has to stand trial for allowing her husband to cane her 10-year-old son with 100 strokes as punishment for lying, media reports said Tuesday. The 39-year-old woman, who was not identified to protect the boy’s identity, could be fined up to 4,000 Singapore dollars (2,745 US dollars) or jailed for up to four years or both.

The court was expected to deliver its judgment later this month.

The husband, 39, hit his step-son with two tied rattan canes on his buttocks, arms and back, the online edition of Straits Times newspaper said.

Jackson’s mother lost bid to control estate

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Mumbai, July 07: Michael Jackson’s mother lost her bid to control his estate after a court here granted the pop star’s former lawyer John Branca and music producer John McClain temporary power to oversee his affairs.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge gave Branca and McClain temporary control of Jackson’s estate yesterday overruling the objections of his mother Katherine Jackson.

Katherine, who is the temporary guardian of Jackson’s three children, expressed concerns about McClain and Branca’s financial leadership.

Sports helped me tackle success and failure: Deepika

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Mumbai, July 07: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone feels that her sports background has equipped her to balance the highs and lows in the film industry.

“I know how to deal with success and failure. Success of ‘Om Shanti Om’ did not affect me nor did failure of ‘Chandni Chowk to China’. I have learnt this as a sportsperson myself and from my father as a child,” Deepika, daughter of Badminton ace Prakash Padukone, said here on Tuesday.

Carbohydrates ‘can suppress tumours’

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Washington, July 07: Make sure that your daily diet contains breads, beans, potatoes, rice and cereals, for a new study says that these foods that are high in carbohydrates act as tumour suppressors in breast and prostate cancers.

A team at Burnham Institute for Medical Research has discovered that specialised complex sugar molecules (glycans) which anchor cells into place suppressors tumours in breast and prostate cancers.

Microsoft warns of serious Internet Explorer security hole

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Washington, July 07: Microsoft has taken the rare step of warning about a serious computer security vulnerability it hasn’t fixed yet.

The vulnerability disclosed yesterday affects Internet Explorer users whose computers run the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating software.

It can allow hackers to remotely take control of victims’ machines. The victims don’t need to do anything to get infected except visit a website that’s been hacked.

Don’t pull your hair out, try a health supplement

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Washington, July 07: Are you tired of compulsively pulling your hair? Well, now a common anti-oxidant, easily available as a health food supplement, may curb this habit.

Patients with the disorder, known as trichotillomania, reported an improvement after taking the supplement.

“Trichotillomania is compulsive in the sense that people can’t control it. People feel unable to stop the behaviour even though they know it is causing negative consequences,” said Jon Grant, professor of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota (U-M).

Eight suspected cases of dengue found in Nasik

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Nasik, July 07: Eight patients suspected to be suffering from dengue like symptoms were found here, an official said on Tuesday.

The blood samples of these patients have been sent to Pune’s National Institute of Virology for examination, health officer, Nasik Municipal Corporation, Dr Kondiram Pawar said.

Our staff is conducting survey to find out patients suffering from same symptoms and asking people how to take precautions, he said.

—PTI

Chemicals in consumer products likely to cause premature births

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Washington, July 07: A common contaminant present in consumer products, including cosmetics, may be causing an alarming rise in premature births, according to a new study.

Phthalates are commonly used compounds in plastics, personal care products, home furnishings (vinyl flooring, carpeting, paints etc.) and many other consumer and industrial products.

Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (SPH) found that women who deliver prematurely have, on average, up to three times the phthalate level in their urine compared to women who carry to term.

Over 1,400 arrested in China as fresh protests erupt

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Urumqi(China), July 07: Fresh unrest broke out today in China’s restive northwestern region of Xinjiang, where at least 156 people died in the worst communal flare up in decades leading to the arrest of over 1,400 people, including 55 women, in a massive crackdown.

A crowd of around 300 people staged a fresh protest in the regional capital Urumqi as a group of Beijing-based foreign journalists arrived in the city for reporting on the deadly riots between the ethnic Muslim Uygur community and the majority Han Chinese.

Coming soon: A thinking cap that can help the brain learn!

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London, July 07: It’s often said that the spark of genius lurks hidden within all of us. And, now scientists have claimed that a “thinking cap” which could enhance the brain’s ability to learn has moved a step closer.

A team at the University of British Columbia came to this conclusion after it carried out a study which found that magnets could boost brain power.

In fact, the scientists discovered that the ability of the brain to learn a task and remember was greatly enhanced when a magnetic pulse was applied to the premotor cortex ie, the area of the brain just behind the forehead.

Why Maldives will be LeT’s next terror hub

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Maldives, July 07: The Maldives chapter of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba, in association with the Al Qaeda, is one of the most ambitious plans of the two dreaded organisations till date.

The two outfits have decided to move out of Pakistan and make Nepal their new headquarter, and the plan to spruce up their Maldives base has begun to materialise.

Five women boxers leave for Russian tournament

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Mumbai, July 07: A five-member Indian team, along with two coaches, left on Tuesday from Delhi to take part in an international women’s boxing tournament at St. Petersberg in Russia from Wednesday.

Asian champion Kalpana Choudhary (48 kg) of Assam, who is also a bronze medal winner in the 2005 world championship, would lead the Indian challenge in the tournament, which concludes on July 11, a media release from the Indian Boxing Federation said on Tuesday.

AP based engineer killed in South Africa

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arangal, July 07: A software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, who was shot at by unidentified assailants in South Africa, today succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Johannesburg. On Thursday last in Johannesburg, the assailants attacked B Kiran, a native of Arepalli village near Warangal who was on his way from work, and fled away with his laptop, his father B Sankaraiah told. Four bullets hit Kiran, two in stomach and two in thigh.

Court frames charges of extortion against Abu Salem

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New Delhi, July 07: A Delhi court today framed charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy against underworld don Abu Salem, paving the way for his trial in a 7-year-old case.

Salem, who was brought to the capital from Bhopal amid tight security arrangements, was produced before chief metropolitan magistrate Kaveri Baweja who framed criminal charges against the extradited gangster.

Arvind Shukla, counsel for Salem, claimed that there was insufficient evidence to frame charges against the accused.

G8 leaders focus on economy, Iran, climate change

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Rome July 07: Leaders of the Group of Eight will push for common positions on promoting democracy in Iran, combatting climate change and coordinating their exits from huge government stimulus measures _ even amid a growing sense that the group’s pre-eminence may be fading.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the host, boasts that 90 percent of the world economy will be represented by 39 nations at the G-8’s annual three-day summit, which was moved from sun-drenched Sardinia to quake-stricken L’Aquila to boost the local economy and reconstruction efforts.

CMs of Naxal-hit States to meet next month: Chidambaram

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New Delhi, July 07: A meeting of Chief Ministers of Naxal-hit states will be held next month to discuss the menace which has assumed alarming proportions in some States.

The meeting will discuss threadbare the Naxal problem and finetune plans to tackle the threat posed by the rebels to internal security, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The Home Minister also asked the Chief Ministers of the affected States to renew their appeal to the Naxal leaders to lay down arms and come to the negotiating table.

Zelaya to discuss Honduras crisis with Clinton

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Honduras, July 07: Diplomatic efforts to restore Manuel Zelaya to Honduras’ presidency shifted back to Washington on Tuesday, as supporters of the ousted leader threatened to escalate protests and disrupt business across the poor Central American nation.

A day after failing to land in Honduras to confront the interim government that ousted him in a coup, Zelaya boarded a plane bound for Washington, where U.S. officials said he would meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Rail-roko by BJD in Orissa against Railway budget

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Bhubaneswar, July 07: Train services were affected in Orissa on Tuesday by a two-hour state-wide ‘rail roko’ agitation held by BJD workers in protest against reduced allocation for ongoing projects in the Railway budget.

About half-a-dozen trains were stopped by BJD activists at several places, including Balugaon, Khurda Road, Berhampur and Jharsuguda, during demonstrations at railway stations, railway officials here said.