Month: July 2009

Modi Govt. appoints commission to study polarization of population; fear grips minorities

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Ahmedabad, July 07: Narendra Modi, the poster boy of Hindutva, is never short of ideas. His government has now set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe into the changing demographic profile of the state since Independence.

The commission headed by Justice (retd) B J Sethna, a controversial retired judge of the Gujarat High Court, is to submit his report by January 2011.

Among many other things, the commission has been assigned to study the reasons for “polarization of population’’, specially shifting of Muslims from one area to another area, in the last 60 years.

Sanjay Dutt ditched Manyata for 10 Ka Dum?

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Mumbai, July 07: The second season of Salman Khan’s television show Dus Ka Dum seems to be doing well enough. Many top Bollywood names have been star guests at the show so far, and future episodes also promise to have lots of dhamaal and masti packed with the promise of many more stars coming in.

France protests as Iran detains woman for spying

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Paris, July 07: France has demanded the immediate release of a French woman academician who has been arrested in Iran on charges of spying, the French foreign ministry said late Monday.

“The charge of espionage is without foundation,” the ministry said in a statement.

“We call on the Iranian authorities immediately to release our citizen and allow her to leave Iran for France, where her family awaits her,” it said.

It said the woman had been arrested on July 1 as she was leaving at an airport at the end of a five-month visit. The French ambassador immediately protested.

US Kids spending more time online: Study

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San Francisco, July 07: Time spent online by children aged between two and 11 in the US has surged by 63 percent in the last five years, according to a new study.

The average time spent online per month by children in the US has increased from nearly seven hours in May 2004 to more than 11 hours in May 2009, marketing information company Nielsen said in its report released Monday.

In comparison, time spent online for the overall US population grew 36 percent in the same period.

Security Council condemns North Korean missile launches

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New York, July 07: The UN Security Council has condemned the recent missile launches by North Korea and urged the communist country to fully comply with its obligations and relevant UN resolutions.

The Security Council “condemned and expressed grave concern at the (missile) launches, which constitute the violation of UN Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to regional and international security,” Uganda’s ambassador to the UN Ruhakana Rugunda said Monday.

Three arrested for running “Hundi” Business in city

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Hyderabad, July 07: The sleuths of Commissioner’s Task Force West Zone Team apprehended three persons at Troopbazar, Hyderabad today for carrying out illegal money transfer.They also Seized net cash of Rs.20, 60,900/- from their possession.
According to the official sources Bharath Bhai B. Suthar,Mukund Kumar Ganda Bhai, Chandu Bhai all hailing from Gujarat state arte working in Bhavani Express Couriers at Flat No. 103, Pride Residency, Hanuman Tekdi,Hyderabad.

Speeding Army Truck kills two in city

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Hyderabad, July 06: A speeding Army truck killed two teenagers at Trimulgherry on Monday. Deepak Chahal, 16, a class X student and Abhishek Chowhan, 17, a hotel management student, died on the spot when the truck rammed into their motorcycle. Deepak and Abhishek were on their way to Abhishek’s college, said the Trimulgherry sub-inspector, Mr S. Anand. The bodies have been shifted to Gandhi Hospital for post-mortem.

Abuses against Muslims in U.S.

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Washington, July 06: The day U.S. President Barack Obama reached out to Muslims around the world through his speech at the Turkish Parliament, saying the United States “is not and will never be at war with Islam,” Muslim Americans described what looked like a war on their community in the U.S. The American Muslim Taskforce (AMT) on Civil Rights and Elections, a coalition of major national Islamic organizations, discussed their concerns at a briefing at the National Press Club on April 6.

Fake passport case: Witness refuses to identify Salem

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Bhopal, July 06: One more witness today refused to identify underworld don Abu Salem during the trial in a fake passport case in a lower court here.

Though three persons – Javed, Siraj and Khallelullah Khan – were to be examined, only the last witness turned up at the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Mohan Prakash Tiwari’s court.

Khan, a notary advocate, refused to identify Salem saying he does not know who had come to his office for attesting the papers necessary for acquiring passport as the case was “too old”.

Williams sisters retain doubles title

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Wimbledon, July 06: Serena Williams won a pair of Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, just like her sister Venus did last year.

Serena added the women’s doubles title to her take at this year’s tournament, teaming with big sister Venus to beat Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6(4), 6-4 on Saturday.

It is their fourth Wimbledon title together, part of their haul of nine Grand Slam women’s doubles championships.

“There’s nothing like winning a title with your sister,” said Serena, who has won 11 major singles titles. “It’s really a good feeling.”

Pakistan still owes India Rs 300 crore as pre-partition debt

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New Delhi, July 06: Pakistan is yet to clear a pre-partition debt of Rs 300 crore to India, which has been carrying forward year after year in its Budget
account as a “liability”.

The Budget books refer to this Rs 300 crore as “amount due from Pakistan on account of share of pre-partition debt.”

The amount was entered as a liability in the first Budget of independent India in 1950-51 and has been there ever since.

14-year-old girl killed in accident, residents torch buses

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Kolkata, July 06: At least five buses were torched and several others damaged by a mob in West Bengal’s Howrah district after a 14-year-old girl was killed when she came under the wheels of a speeding bus Monday, police said.

“Riya Das, a class-VII student of Darnagar St Thomas High School in the district, was run over by a bus at Domjur locality. Soon after the accident, local residents went on the rampage and started ransacking several buses on the streets,” a police officer said.

The angry locals also set afire five buses and ransacked several roadside shops in the locality.

Jackson wanted to quit music for filmmaking

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London, July 06: Pop legend Michael Jackson was desperate to quit music in the months leading to his death as he had picked up an interest in filmmaking, close friend Bryan Michael Stoller has revealed.

Stoller said the superstar, who was addicted to prescription drugs, was “like a bag of bones”, frail and tired, according to mirror.co.uk.

The revelations shatter the image that Jacko was 100 percent committed to his 50-date musical comeback at London’s O2 Arena.

Heavy security for Jackson’s funeral

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London, July 06: Michael Jackson fans who try to enter the venue of the King of Pop’s funeral in Los Angeles Tuesday without a ticket will be dealt with strictly, police said Monday.

Officials have warned fans to stay away from the star’s memorial service as they can face a hard response from police if found without a ticket, reports contactmusic.com.

Los Angeles Police Department Assistant chief Jim McDonnell insisted Jackson fans will get no sympathy from officers, who fear the crowds could turn violent.

Musharraf walks away with gifts worth Rs40m

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Islamabad, July 06: Former president Pervez Musharraf, has taken away 168 expensive gifts worth about Rs40 million at the pitifully low official price, given by top foreign dignitaries along with him, mostly free of cost, before leaving Pakistan to settle in London, said a news report.

However, Musharraf insists that he has not moved abroad permanently and is only there for the convenience of his lecture tour.

5 killed, 45 hurt in Cotabato City blast

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Manila, July 06: A bomb exploded outside a church in the southern Philippines during Sunday morning mass, killing five people and wounding 45, an army spokesman said.

Rogue Moro rebels were suspected of placing the bomb near a food stall outside the church in Cotabato City, said Colonel Jonathan Ponce. The device was detonated when an army truck was passing by, he added.
“This is the handiwork of the rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” Ponce told reporters.

Make Haj easier, Naif tells officials

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Jeddah, July 06: Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, has called on agencies participating in Haj works this year to make the Haj easier with security and peace of mind for the pilgrims.

This is a strategic goal, Prince Naif said adding that there should be no laxity or negligence in implementing the Haj plan.

7 in family die in highway pile-up

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Riyadh, July 06: Seven persons from a single family died and 12 others were injured in a 25-vehicle pile up near the town of Al-Azama on the Jizan to Bish highway Sunday.

The accident, reportedly a result of poor visibility due to high winds and dust, was said by eye witnesses to have begun when a fuel truck collided with a car transporting the family.

Rescue services were rushed to the site and the injured were taken to Bish Hospital, only a few kilometers from the scene of the accident.

–Agencies–

Australia unseeded for 2010 World Twenty20

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London, July 06: Reigning 50-over world champions Australia, have been ranked below Bangladesh for next year’s World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, organisers announced Sunday. Seedings are based primarily on the results of last month’s second edition of the tournament in England, which saw Pakistan, losing finalists in 2007, beat Sri Lanka at Lord’s to take the trophy.

Indian boxing team leaves for Russia

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New Delhi, July 06: A six-member Indian boxing team left for Russia Monday to participate in the Magomed-Salam Umakhanov Memorial Boxing Championship starting Tuesday.

The team comprises Amandeep Singh (48 kg) and Kuldeep Singh (75) from Punjab, Akshay Kumar (57) from Delhi, Jai Singh Patil (69) and Manpreet Singh (91) from the Services, and Jasveer Singh (81) from the Railways.

In addition to these six boxers, chief coach Shiv Singh, coach Ramanand, referee and judge R. Rajendran have accompanied the team.

–IANS–

Paes stays at sixth spot, Bhupathi eighth

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New Delhi, July 06: Leander Paes stayed in the sixth place while Mahesh Bhupathi gained one spot to eighth in the Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) doubles rankings released Monday.

French Open champions Paes and Czech Republic’s Lukas Dlouhy had a disastrous Wimbledon outing, stunned by American James Blake and Mardy Fish in the first round.

Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas made it to the quarterfinal where they lost to South African Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman of Belgium.

Chandigarh all set to host its first marathon in 2010

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Chandigarh, July 06: Chandigarh is all set to host its first ever marathon in February and the administration here is projecting it as a big tourism-oriented sports event.

Plans to host the Chandigarh Marathon-2010 were finalised in a meeting held here Monday under the chairmanship of home secretary Ram Niwas.

The marathon, which covers 42.195 kilometres, will cover the neighbouring towns of Mohali and Panchkula.

Manuja, Reddy advance in ITF tournament

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New Delhi, July 06: Ronak Manuja and Vikram Reddy advanced while Aditya Madkekar fell short in the first round of the $15,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament at the DLTA complex here Monday.

Madkekar gave third seed Hyun-woo Nam of South Korea a fright before losing 2-6, 6-1, 3-6. Nam next plays the winner of the match between Uzbek Vaja Uzakov and qualifier Karunuday Singh.

India’s health budget up by nearly Rs.4,000 crore

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New Delhi, July 06: India’s health budget has gone up by nearly Rs.4,000 crore to Rs.21,113.33 crore ($4.35 billion) with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday giving special emphasis to the rural healthcare.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) that aims to provide quality healthcare to villagers Monday saw its budget allocation increase by Rs.2,057 crore.

Panjab University hails budgetary grant

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Chandigarh, July 06: The faculty and students of Panjab University, where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was both a student and a teacher, Monday hailed the budgetary grant of Rs.50 crore (Rs.500 million) to the cash-starved institution.

Many said they were grateful to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as well as Manmohan Singh for coming to the aid of one of India’s oldest universities, set up originally in Lahore.