Month: July 2009

German Olympic Committee reacts with caution to Pechstein case

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Hamburg, July 04: The German Olympic Committee on Saturday reacted with caution to a doping ban on the nation’s most successful Winter Olympian, speed skater Claudia Pechstein.

Pechstein, 37, was banned for two years by the ruling body ISU because she had abnormal blood values and abnormal changes of blood values at several tests, most notably at the allround world championships in February in Norway.

Pechstein is the most successful German athletes in Winter Olympics history, with five gold, two silver and two bronze medals 1992-2006.

Omar welcomes HC order on Shopian killings

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Srinagar, July 04: Welcoming the High Court order to exhume the bodies of two women allegedly raped and killed in Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the move will help in establishing the facts in this case which have evoked strong reactions in the valley.

The Chief Minister was of the view that any move that will help establish the fact in this case will go a long way in addressing the anger of people.

Iranian hardliner calls opposition leader US agent

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Tehran, July 04: A top aide of Iran’s supreme leader has called the country’s main opposition figure a US agent and accused him of committing crimes against the nation.

Prominent hardliner Hossein Shariatmadari cited “undeniable documents” linking opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to foreign powers in a Saturday editorial in the daily Kayhan.

He called for Mousavi and former reformist president Mohammad Khatami to be tried in court for treason.

This is the first time Mousavi has been publicly called a foreign agent.

Iranian state-run newspaper accuses Moussavi, Khatami of treason

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Tehran, July 04: The chief editor of Iran’s state-run newspaper Kayhan accused opposition leader Mir-Hossein Moussavi and former president Mohammad Khatami of treason Saturday.

“The two main protagonists Moussavi and Khatami should face an open trial for their clear treason (against Iran’s Islamic establishment),” Hossein Shariatmadari wrote in his column.

At least 7 police killed in Russia’s Ingushetia: Reports

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Moscow, July 04: At least seven members of the Chechen police force were killed when their car came under fire in the neighbouring Russian region of Ingushetia, Russian news agencies reported.

The Interfax news agency quoted security sources as saying that seven police had been killed while the RIA-Novosti and ITAR-TASS agencies said that eight had lost their lives.

The vehicle came under grenade and gun fire as it was travelling on a road in Ingushetia at around 0530 GMT and burst into flames, the news agencies said.

BCCI Technical, NCA Committees to meet on July 8

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Mumbai, July 04: The Cricket Board’s Technical Committee and the National Cricket Academy Committee are to meet here on July 8 ahead of the 2009-10 season.

“The Technical Committee meeting will be chaired by Mr Sunil Gavaskar and would undertake a review of the 2008-09 season,” said BCCI’s CAP, Prof Ratnakar Shetty.

Gavaskar used to have a meeting with the Ranji Trophy captains and coaches for getting feedbacks at the end of the season but that meeting could not be held this year because of the Indian Premier League that was held in South Africa.

UN’s Ban denied Suu Kyi meeting

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London, July 04: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he was “deeply disappointed” that military-ruled Myanmar’s top general had rejected his request to meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ban, who was made to wait overnight for the decision, said junta supremo Than Shwe’s reason for the denial was because Suu Kyi was on trial and he did not want to be seen to interfere with the judicial process.

“I’m deeply disappointed,” Ban told reporters after his 30-minute meeting with the regime’s reclusive 76-year-old leader.

NCW for rehabilitation scheme for rape victims

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New Delhi, July 04: The National Commission for Women (NCW) today rooted for a rehabilitation scheme for rape victims which would help them get back their life on track.

The commission, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, demanded that the scheme should be brought out as soon as possible.

“We have met the Prime Minister on this scheme and also sent him a detailed letter yesterday on why rehabilitation of rape victims was necessary,” NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas said.

British embassy staff to stand trial over protests

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Tehran, July 04: A leading Iranian cleric sharply and unexpectedly raised the temperature in the crisis over the detention of British embassy staff yesterday by announcing that the two employees still being held would be forced to stand trial for inciting post-election violence against the Islamic regime.

The threat prompted a coordinated European Union protest to Iran and a warning that all EU member states may recall their ambassadors in retaliation.

Dhoni guides India to last over win

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New Delhi, July 04: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck an unbeaten 46 off 34 balls to guide India to a six-wicket victory, under the Duckworth-Lewis method, in a rain affected third one-dayer against West Indies on Friday.

India, who now lead the four-match series 2-1, needed 11 to win off the final over of the game and Dhoni whacked Jerome Taylor’s second ball for a big six high over midwicket to make the task manageable.

Michael Jackson: Bad! And very dangerous

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Washington, July 04: The barrage of utterly inane celebrity tributes (“inspirational”, “a true hero”, “a genius”, “a gentle soul” “a treasure”) was to be expected. The howling fans across the world, broken and gibbering nonsense for the rolling TV news crews (“he … he died for all of us” etc), the inevitable autopsy results in a few weeks, with their Swiss laboratory inventory of prescription tranquilisers, all this too is standard operating procedure.

MJ was the reason I started loving music: Priyanka Chopra

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Mumbai, July 04: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra says it was pop legend Michael Jackson’s songs that made her start loving music.

“You never know what you have until it’s gone – music just doesn’t sound the same without Michael Jackson. He was the reason I started to love music,” Priyanka said in a press release.

Arjun Rampal can’t do without Shah Rukh Khan!

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Mumbai, July 04: Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, who is best buddies with Shah Rukh Khan since the two actors worked together in ‘Don’ and ‘Om Shanti Om’, seems to be finding it difficult to do without SRK anywhere or everywhere, for the former has deferred the launch of his restaurant by over a month only to accommodate SRK!

Palin resigning as Alaska governor in surprise move

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Alaska, July 04: Sarah Palin, the brash, deeply conservative governor of Alaska who crashed onto the U.S. national political scene last year as the Republican candidate for U.S. vice president, announced abruptly on Friday she was resigning as governor.

‘India’s Muslims, Hindus don’t know about each other’

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Astana, July 04: Tensions exist between India’s Muslims and Hindus because the two communities do not know enough about each other, an Indian delegate at the global faith conference here contended.

“Yes, tensions do exist but they exist because Muslims and Hindus don’t know about each other,” Zafar Yunus Sareshwala, the CEO of Mumbai Stock Exchange-listed financial services provider Parsoli Corporation, maintained during the plenary on “Solidarity specially in the period of crisis”, on the concluding day of the third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions here.

Israel keeps ex-congresswoman McKinney in custody

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Jerusalem, July 04: A former US lawmaker and a number of other human rights activists remain imprisoned in Israel three days after their failed attempt to break Israel’s Gaza blockade.

Tel Aviv has kept most of the peace activists, seized at sea by the Israeli navy, in custody without providing information on their release.

On Tuesday, Israeli authorities seized a ship carrying relief aid for the blockaded Gaza strip. The vessel was also carrying 21 pro-Palestinian international activists.

Man kills himself after wiping out family in UP

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Muzaffarnagar, July 04: In a gruesome incident in Shamli area of the district a local resident Papendra committed suicide after killing his wife and two minor children this morning .

Papendra, resident of village Butrani, took the extreme step as he suspected his wife has having illicit relations with a youth of the village.

He cut the throat of wife Pinki(30) and one three-year-old son while starngulated nine-month-old son. Thereafter he shot himself dead, Superintendent of Police (rural) Raju Babu Singh told UNI.

The bodies had been sent for postmortem, he said.

—Agencies

I have no problem talking about Sex

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Mumbai, July 04: This Monsoon, get ready for some wet and wild talk brings you the first of the four part exclusive series titled ‘INTIMACY’ featuring Minissha Lamba. Go ahead, read it. You might get your confidence back!

Monsoon as wet and wild:

In childhood, monsoon is associated with fun, getting wet in the rain and playing in it. As you grow older, the concept of monsoon becomes more romantic.

Akmal century revives Pakistan A

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Karachi, July 04: Australia A 230 and 0 for 44 trail Pakistan A 333 (Akmal 129, Ahmed 61, Iqbal 52, Bollinger 5-82) by 58 runs Scorecard

Umar Akmal continued his love for Australian attacks and pitches, rattling off his second hundred in consecutive matches to give Pakistan A the initiative in Townsville. Pakistan had resumed the day on 5 for 47 after Doug Bollinger’s rampage on the first evening, but Akmal’s defiance and half-centuries to Fahad Iqbal and Sarfraz Ahmed took them to a strong 333.

26 security personnel killed in Pak chopper crash

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Islamabad, July 04: All 26 security personnel aboard a Pakistani military helicopter were killed in a crash in the country”s restive tribal belt even as the Taliban today claimed responsibility for downing it. The Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter came down yesterday about 20 km from the northwestern city of Peshawar at a spot located along the boundary of the Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions, official sources said.

The sources said 26 security personnel on board the helicopter were killed. They said the helicopter crashed due to a technical fault.

I’m happy, a man now has a right to love another man

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Mumbai, July 04: Bollywood can’t stop talking about the Delhi High Court’s landmark judgement that has decriminalised gay sex.

From Shatrughan Sinha to Sushmita Sen, all say the verdict was long due and celebrates an individual’s right to choose. And they all feel lesbians, gays and transgenders can finally live freely without fear.

Neetu Chandra: “It’s a great move to understand and provide rights to those who were long denied the freedom to be themselves.”

At least 7 police killed in Russia’s Ingushetia

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Moscow, July 04: At least seven members of the Chechen police force were killed when their car came under fire in the neighbouring Russian region of Ingushetia, Russian news agencies reported.

The Interfax news agency quoted security sources as saying that seven police had been killed while the RIA-Novosti and ITAR-TASS agencies said that eight had lost their lives.

The vehicle came under grenade and gun fire as it was travelling on a road in Ingushetia at around 0530 GMT and burst into flames, the news agencies said.

Court issues notice as 2 claim they’re being framed as terrorists

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New Delhi, July 04: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati after two men arrested by the Delhi Police claimed they are innocent but are being framed as Al-Badr terrorists.

While hearing the bail plea of alleged terrorists Mohammed Arif Qamar and Irshad Ali, Justice M.C. Garg Friday termed the case as sensitive and important for the security of the country and issued notice to the attorney general, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Delhi Police.

In Lebanon, spying charges arrest two more men

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Beirut, July 04: Lebanese military intelligence sources have arrested two men, a father and his son, on charges of spying for Israel amid an anti-espionage crackdown in the country.

The National News Agency of Lebanon reported on Friday that the two men were arrested in Naqoura on the Lebanese-Israeli border south of the country.

The security forces said that they would continue to identify and arrest the people who spy for Israeli intelligence agencies.