Month: July 2009

Workplace harassment: Women turn the tables

by

Jeddah, July 05: Cases of sexual harassment usually involve men as the perpetrators and women as the victims. The tables are, however, turning, as men report increasing incidence of women harassing them, usually in the workplace.

Muhammad Naif, a young Saudi who works at a store, said a woman entered his shop and asked for his number before leaving. “I gave her the shop’s card, which had a landline number on it. She then asked me to write my name on the back, which I did. She then left,” said Naif, adding that the woman began ringing him at work everyday.

Iraq will see difficult days ahead: Obama

by

Washington, July 05: President Barack Obama warned ‘there will be difficult days ahead’ in Iraq and said the US will remain a strong partner to Iraq for its security.

Obama, speaking to military families invited to the White House for Independence Day festivities, praised Iraq’s independence and thanked troops for their service. Because of the courage, capability and commitment of soldiers who have served in Iraq, the country is now “taking control of its own destiny,” he said.

Value of Saudi shares falls to SR780 billion

by

Jeddah, July 05: After falling 0.17 percent last week, the Saudi stock market continued its downward movement on Saturday.

Petrochemical and banking stocks led the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) to a lower close after rising over the previous three sessions.

The index closed 2.35 percent down at 5,467.81 points on Saturday, its lowest close since April 27.

Muslim boy-Hindu girl marriages into probe

by

Mumbai, July 05: Maharashtra’s criminal investigation department (CID) meant to probe high-profile cases will now investigate love affairs that have resulted in marriages between Hindu girls and Muslim boys.

CID has been told to check whether Muslim boys are enticing Hindu girls as part of a ‘conspiracy’. Minister of state for home (rural) Nitin Raut had announced this in the assembly on the last day of Maharashtra’s budget session a fortnight back.

Talat Aziz attends a ghazal mehfil in Afghanistan

by

Mumbai, July 05: Last month when I got a call for a concert in Kabul, Iwas completely taken aback. For so manyyears now, one has heard about Afghanistan for all the wrong reasons. I was in twominds. Inquiries revealed the bonafides ofthe invitation. Despite some of my friends advising me against it, Idecided to make the trip. Thankfully my music companion Jeetu Shankar, the tabla maestro, also agreed and we were on our way.

Talat Aziz was completely taken aback when he got a call for a concert in Kabul.

Into unknown territory

Saudi terror awareness campaign for imams, preachers gets under way

by

Riyadh, July 05: As part of the Saudi government’s comprehensive national strategy to fight terrorism, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance has launched an awareness campaign for imams and preachers.

Nearly 300 imams and preachers in Riyadh will benefit from the Islamic jurisprudence course on ‘Development and Citizenship’ organised by the Institute for Imams and Preachers under the ministry, which got under way yesterday.

Bank that loans money for soul

by

London, July 05: Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? In Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union, you can.

Such a deal is being offered by the Kontora loan company, whose public face is Viktor Mirosiichenko, 34. Clients have to sign a contract, with the words “Agreement” in bold letters at the top. The client agrees to the collateral, “that is, my immortal soul.”

Student Alleges Rape by Legislator

by

Hyderabad, July 05: The murder and rape case against a legislator of Andhra Pradesh’s main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) took a new turn when another student of a nursing college run by him complained to the state’s home minister that he raped her.

The student along with four others and their parents, all hailing from Kerala, met Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy to complain against TDP legislator from Kovvur assembly constituency T.V. Rama Rao.

US woman accuses Indian priest of sexual abuse

by

New York, July 05: A 20-year-old woman sued the Catholic diocese of Crookston this week, alleging that in 2004, when she was 15, her parish priest, Reverend Joseph Jeyapaul, sexually abused her in the Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenbush, Minnesota.

The Crookston diocese, like the Roman Catholic Church in many other parts of the West, has been dealing with a shortage of priests by importing clerics from India. Jeyapaul was a manpower quick-fix and worked in the US diocese less than a year before returning to India in September 2005.

NZ airline issues nude safety video

by

Wellington, July 05: New Zealand’s national airline has adopted a cheeky way to encourage passengers to watch its in-flight safety video: The cabin crew’s uniforms are nothing but body paint.

The “Bare Essentials of Safety,” screening in the cabins of planes flying Air New Zealand’s main domestic routes, has gone viral online. It had 1.2 million YouTube views by Friday, four days after it was launched.

In the video, three cabin staff and a pilot, all in full body paint applied to look like their uniforms, talk viewers through the aircraft’s safety procedures.

African student thrashed in Delhi to avenge Oz attacks

by

New Delhi, July 05: Agitated India may be protesting against racial attacks in Australia, but Delhi doesn’t seem to be any better for foreigners.

As a large crowd of shoppers looked on, a group of youngsters in the national capital pounced upon an African student last week and brutally attacked him, saying they were taking revenge for the Australian attacks.

The city police are yet to make any breakthrough in investigating the incident.

Only a Dalit will be my successor: Mayawati

by

Lucknow, July 05: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national general secretary Satish Misra may continue to remain her confidant, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has no intentions of letting him don the mantle of her successor as she said only a Dalit will succeed her.

MBA graduate gunned down by Dehradun Police

by

New Delhi, July 05: Policemen pumped bullets into an MBA graduate from Delhi in Dehradun, accusing him of snatching the revolver of a police inspector.

But several inconsistencies in the police statement and evidence that emerged over the next few hours indicated that it may be yet another case of cold-blooded murder by trigger-happy policemen.

Protests rocked Ghaziabad on Delhi’s periphery after news emerged that Ranbir Singh, a resident of the locality, had been shot dead.

Pranab will again try to please madam

by

New Delhi, July 05: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee can hardly have missed the irony of his situation. Twenty five years ago, when he presented his last budget for Indira Gandhi, he played the cautious reformer, taking baby steps to open up a tightly-controlled socialist economy without upsetting the political sensibilities of his Left-leaning party.

Jeddah-Mumbai flight tyres burst on landing, passengers safe

by

Mumbai, July 05: Passengers aboard a Saudia airliner on a Jeddah-Mumbai flight had a scare when its tyres burst during landing at Mumbai airport today evening, an official said.

The Saudia flight, SV-744, was landing around 6.30 p.m. in poor visibility conditions – upto 500 metres only – at the main runway, when the tyres burst.

Following the emergency, airport authorities immediately ordered the runway (0927) to be closed.

They made arrangements to tow away the aircraft but failed on account of the heavy load.

Serena beats Venus, wins Wimbledon

by

London, July 05: Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in the Wimbledon 2009 final on Saturday to record her third win in the biggest tennis event.

The victory added to her 2002 and 2003 wins at the All England Club and shattered Venus’s hopes of a hat-trick of titles and sixth overall which would have taken her level with Billie Jean King.

The sisters have between them eight Wimbledon singles titles now.

Saturday’s final was the fourth all-Williams title match-up at Wimbledon and eighth in all Grand Slams.

Gay sex should not be legalised at any cost: Lalu

by

Patna, July 05: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday denounced Delhi High Court’s ruling decriminalising gay sex and said the Centre should appeal against the judgement in the Supreme Court.

“Gay sex should not be legalised at any cost and the Centre should appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court. I am dead against legalisation of gay sex and will strongly raise the issue in Parliament. Section 377 of the IPC should not be amended,” Prasad said.

Saif On The Dilemma Of Doing Torrid Love Scenes With Kareena

by

Mumbai, July 05: Doing love scenes with Kareena for Rensil d’Silva’s film was not as easy as Saif would have thought.

How far to go with the comfort level? That was Saif’s dilemma. Though they’ve acted together in J.P Dutta’s LOC and Yashraj Films’ Tashan, Saif Ali Khan had so far not done intimate scenes with his lady-love Kareena.

But in Rensil d’Silva’s film, which he insists on calling Jehad, Saif finally gets up-close and personal with the love of his life.

North Korea’s missile launches ‘not helpful’: US

by

Washington, July 05: The United States Saturday called North Korea’s “possible” missile launches “not helpful” but stopped short of confirming them or calling them a violation of UN sanctions.
“We’re waiting until we have all the facts about the violation,” State Department press officer Karl Duckworth told DPA.

Both South Korea and Japan have condemned the firings as violations of UN sanctions, the most recent of which was passed last month in reaction to Pyongyang’s test explosion of a nuclear bomb.

Expectations belied, says State Congress

by

Hyderabad, July 04: The State Congress Committee (PCC) has expressed dissatisfaction at the railway budget presented by Union minister Mamata Banerjee today, saying no new railway lines were sanctioned for the State.

AP gets raw deal in Rail Budget

by

Hyderabad, July 04: Barring two Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs, Mamata Benerjee’s Railway Budget disappointed every one.

People expected that Mamata will reverse the injustice done to the State in the successive Budgets presented by Lalu Prasad Yadav. But, Mamata too followed her predecessor’s line for AP rail projects.

Mamata even turned a deaf ear to the requests of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, son of Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Jagan recently led a delegation of Andhra MPs and requested Mamata to sanction Kadapa- Bangalore line, which will ensure 18 per cent returns.

‘Bhai’ tries to extort Rs 2 cr from hotshot

by

Hyderabad, July 04: “Bhai ka aadmi baat kar raha hoon. Do karod dene ka, nahi to..” On June 26, when a well-known citybased businessman received a telephone call with this threat, he thought it to be a prank.

But as the frequency of calls increased and with the caller claiming to be part of the “Bhai’s gang from Mumbai”, the businessman realised that the matter was serious and promptly approached the police.

As the investigators began their probe, they initially thought that the caller was having links with the DCompany.

2 US troops die in attack on base in Afghanistan

by

Kabul, Jalu 04: Taliban militants fired rockets and mortars at a US base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing two American troops and wounding several more in a two-hour battle, officials said.

During the clash, which ended only after US forces called in airstrikes, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden truck toward the base’s gates. It blew up when American troops fired on it.

Govt plans Hussain Sagar beautification at a cost of Rs10,00

by

Hyderabad, July 04: The State Government has decided to take up upgrading sewerage system in the capital City and beautification of Hussain Sagar at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore.

At a review meeting at his chambers here today, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials to hand over the beautification project to Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.