Month: July 2009

Deaths as Afghan offensive expands

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Kabul, July 06: At least two Nato soldiers have been killed in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, as thousands of US marines moved deeper into the province to tackle Taliban fighters.

The British defence ministry confirmed on Sunday that two of its soldiers had died in separate incidents in Gereshk district the previous day.

One of the soldiers died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack and the other when a suspected roadside bomb exploded, the ministry of defence said.

Class XI admission will be delayed by 10 days

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Pune, July 06: Admission process to class XI of science, commerce and arts courses will be delayed by at least 10 days, while that of bifocal by four to five days.

The release of provisional merit list of bifocal courses, scheduled to be out on Monday, has been postponed until the final verdict on 90:10 formula. The decision was taken during an urgent meeting called by officials of the education department on Sunday.

Chavez calls Honduras coup leaders coward

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Caracas, July 06: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called Honduras coup leaders ‘coward’ after they did not allow the deposed president’s jet to land in Honduras.

The Venezuelan plane carrying ousted President Manuel Zelaya was kept from landing at Tegucigalpa’s airport by troops who blocked the runway.

At least one person was killed and two others were wounded in clashes with soldiers after thousands of pro-Zelaya supporters rallied at the airport, emergency service officials said on Sunday.

China blames exiles for Uighur riot

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Beijing, July 06: China’s government has blamed Uighur exiles for inciting a riot in the country’s western Xinjiang region that it says left more than 100 people dead.

The official Xinhua news agency said the deaths came in the city of Urumqi on Sunday after a protest against the government’s handling of an industrial dispute turned violent.

Xinhua said rioters burned and smashed vehicles, and fought with police, while state broadcaster CCTV showed footage of people throwing rocks at police and overturning a police car.

Varsity woos students with scholarships to BSc courses

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Pune, July 06: Dearth of good students in basic science programmes at the undergraduate level has pushed the University of Pune (UoP) to think of a plan that will make at least some brilliant students turn to BSc courses.

The varsity plans to give scholarships to the students who get above 90 per cent marks in class XII. In most colleges affiliated to the university, BSc seats have been going vacant for the past few years, as students prefer professional courses such as engineering or medical after class 12.

Kareena Misses Her Dad

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Mumbai, July 06: Of late, Kareena has been bonding big-time with her Dad. And Randhir Kapoor couldn’t have chosen a worse time to be out of the country. Just when Kareena’s most important film is being released both her sister and dad are out of the country, hence their absences from the special screening on Tuesday night when Kareena invited just her family and no friends, not even best friend Amrita Arora.

260 patients examined at free medical camp

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Ludhaina, July 06: As many as 260 patients were examined today at a free medical camp organized by DMCH in the OPD block of the hospital. The consultants from the specialties of Medicine, Pediatrics, Skin, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Eye, ENT and Urology examined the patients.

Zelaya’s plane circles Honduran runway, can’t land

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Honduras, July 06: Ousted President Manuel Zelaya was kept from landing at the main Honduras airport Sunday because the runway was blocked by military vehicles and groups of soldiers, some of them clashing with a crowd of thousands outside.

His Venezuelan pilots circled around the airport and decided not to risk a crash.

Zelaya instead headed for El Salvador, and vowed to try again Monday or Tuesday in his high-stakes effort to return to power in a country where all branches of government have lined up against him.

CM against Central university status for PU

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Chandigarh, July 06: While the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) and other university authorities are planning to initiate a campaign to seek Central university status for the Panjab University, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has made it clear that it will not allow the university to attain the Central university status.

Austin and Tamim shine in draw

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Dhaka, July 06: After a poor first innings, the Bangladeshis got themselves some useful batting practice on the final day against West Indies A at Bridgetown. It was a satisfactory day for the tourists after they were dismissed for 195 on day one, with most of their remaining recognised batsmen spending time at the crease.

Helpline in Chennai turns into a lifeline for lesbians

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Chennai, July 06: The Delhi high court may have given great relief to gays by making sex between them legal, but the first “lesbian helpline” (044-65515742) in India by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation has been of “great help” in bringing the community together.

Howrah toll 12, bodies given to kin

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Kolkata, July 06: The death toll in the Saturday’s minibus accident in Howrah rose to 12, with two of the injured, including a six-month-old baby, succumbing to their injuries.

Nine persons were killed on the spot when a minibus plying on the Sankrail-Howrah route skidded off the Bankim Setu and crashed down onto the tracks of Howrah station on Saturday.

A family in Entally lost three of its members — Pradip Das (27), his 22-year-old wife Suparna and six-month-old daughter Pooja. The bodies were handed over to the family after postmortem.

Bowlers the key to success – Dhoni

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New Delhi, July 06: India clinched their fifth straight ODI series when rain forced the abandonment of the final match against West Indies in St Lucia, and the captain MS Dhoni believes it is tribute to his core unit.

“I think we really have a very good side,” said Dhoni after India won the series 2-1. “It’s a pleasure to win series out of the country. The bowlers took the initiative, we have a very good bowling attack and the youngsters who came in and got a chance have proved himself.”

Finance minister may take middle road

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Mumbai, July 06: A populist budget? A disaster plan? Or a mixed offering with some portions that are good and some that are not? The popular belief is we will be seeing the third alternative today as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee unfurls the pronouncements.

First, for the salaried class: Mukherjee’s predecessor P Chidambaram had in his 2005 budget speech removed the standard deduction available to salaried employees. But income tax experts feel that the deduction should be reinstated.

Kasab safety first, work on monorail project later

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Mumbai, July 06: The Mumbai Police have requested the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to go slow on part of the construction of the country’s first monorail project, for fear that it would put the safety of terrorist Ajmal Kasab in jeopardy.

Part of the monorail is coming up on N M Joshi Marg and Sane Guruji Marg, where Arthur Road Jail is located. Kasab is lodged in the jail and is being tried in a special court on the premises.

‘Hauritz must play’ – Warne

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Melbourne, July 06: Shane Warne believes Australia would be making a serious mistake if they didn’t play Nathan Hauritz in the first Test despite his ugly figures in the two tour matches. There is a strong chance Australia will name a four-man pace attack for the opening Ashes Test, despite the possibility of England taking in two spinners.

Joe Jackson demands for third autopsy

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Mumbai, July 06: Michael Jackson’s father Joe Jackson has demanded that a third autopsy be conducted on the singer because he believes that the pop icon died of poisoning.

The Jackson patriarch who has been excluded from his son’s will which names his mother, Katherine Jackson and his three young children as the beneficiaries, has angered his family members by demanding a third autopsy, reported Contactmusic.

Joe, who was publicly accused of abuse by the ‘Thriller’ legend has been attempting to take control of the late star’s funeral thereby infuriating the family.

Mamata’s white paper a Cong ploy to tame Lalu

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New Delhi, July 06: But the truth is that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement on Friday – during the budget presentation – that her ministry would bring out a “white paper on the organisational, operational and financial status (of the railways) based on last five years’ performance,” had the party’s blessings.

Banerjee’s proposal is seen in political circles as a move – both by her and the Congress – to tame Lalu Prasad, her predecessor in the ministry. It also shows the Congress’s determination to avoid any future association with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar.

15-year-old accuses cop of protecting her rapists

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Lucknow, July 06: A minor girl, who was kidnapped a few months ago, has now accused Sub-Inspector Nafees Ahmed of Nanpara police station of protecting the culprits. She was kept in illegal detention for one-and-a-half months and was repeatedly raped.

The 15-year-old girl, a resident of Nanpara of Bahraich, has accused the officer in a statement recorded before the magistrate of Bahraich. The police, however, claim that her statement differs from what she had told them initially.

Internet data cards, pen drives recovered from Tihar Jail

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New Delhi, July 06: Tihar Jail officials have recovered Internet data cards and pen drives that were being used by prisoners inside the jail premises, raising a question mark on vigilance at the facility. This follows last month’s revelation that mobile phones were also being used inside the jail.

These recoveries were also made last month during a surprise check by authorities.

Ambani bros may meet at father’s prayer ceremony

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Mumbai, July 07: Their fight, despite a family settlement of June 2005, may have reached the Supreme Court but Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil are expected to come together once again — this time for a prayer meeting on their father Dhirubhai’s death anniversary.

The country’s richest siblings may join their mother Kokilaben at the family residence ‘Sea Wind’ on Dhirubhai’s seventh death anniversary tomorrow, family sources indicated.

Gandhi, Mandela among Obama’s heroes

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Washington, July 06: Besides Abraham Lincoln, President Barack Obama looks up to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as his heroes for bringing about transformative change without violence by changing people’s minds and hearts.

“Abraham Lincoln is probably the President who I find most compelling because not only did he deal with probably the biggest crisis in American history, the Civil War, but he also did so in a way that was full of understanding of humanity,” he told Russian state-run Rossiya TV and ITAR-TASS news agency.

Mullen optimistic about victory in Afghanistanii

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Washington, July 06: Admiral Michael Mullen expresses his satisfaction over a new wave of extra troops deployed to Afghanistan, saying that they can seize areas currently under Taliban control.

The US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told CBS in an interview that with the new deployments the troops can defeat the insurgents across the war-torn country.

“We have enough forces there now not just to clear an area but to hold it. So we can build after. That’s really the strategy,” Mullen said.

Major’s wife stirs ‘harassment’ pot

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Chandigarh, July 06: Less than a week after an Army officer’s wife initiated legal action against her husband’s superiors for spoiling his ACR (annual confidential report) for her refusal to participate in the AWWA (Army Wives Welfare Association) activities, another Army Major’s wife has gone public with allegations of harassment.

Rosme Dubey on Sunday produced an MMS clip as evidence of harassment at a media meet in Chandigarh.

On B-Day, expectations run high

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New Delhi, July 06: As Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee prepares to present UPA Government’s first Budget after its return to power, there is an expectancy among the industry and the common people alike. Here’s why:

Real estate firms hope for affordable housing boost

Reeling under the credit crunch and slump in demand, realty firms and consultants expect the Budget to provide more incentives for affordable housing sector and encourage buyers by doubling exemption limit on interest paid on housing loans to Rs 3 lakh.