Month: July 2009

Counter-terror book is blocked

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London, July 03: The publication of a book by a former top counter-terrorism officer has been blocked by the Attorney General.

Baroness Scotland obtained an injunction preventing The Terrorist Hunters from hitting the shelves as planned today.

The book, by the retired Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Andy Hayman and the former BBC home affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore, focused on the struggle against terrorism since the July 7 attacks. It also looked at the murder of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko and gave a glimpse of top-level political and intelligence work.

UP govt gives nod to filing chargesheet against Varun

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Lucknow, July 03: Uttar Pradesh government today gave the green signal for filing of chargesheet in a court against BJP MP Varun Gandhi for making allegedly inflammatory speeches in Pilibhit, moving a step closer to his trial in the case.

“The government has given a go-ahead to the District Magistrate of Pilibhit to file chargesheet against Gandhi accused of delivering inflammatory speeches during Lok Sabha polls”, Secretary (Home) Mahesh Gupta told PTI.

Jackson did not like being black: Quincy Jones

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London, July 03: Michael Jackson had attributed his changing skin colour to the rare disease of vitiligo but his close friend and ‘Thriller’ producer Quincy Jones has come out saying that the singer altered his appearance because he did not like being black.

Jones claims that Jackson, who died last week, lied about his skin condition as he just “didn’t want to be black”, Sun online reported.

Lalu: Mamata’s budget ‘impractical’

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New Delhi, July 03: Dismissing Mamata Banerjee’s Railway Budget as “impractical”, RJD chief Lalu Prasad today said it was based on his achievements when he was at the helm and questioned the need for issuing a white paper on the situation of the ministry during his tenure.

“Banerjee’s vision 2020 for railways is based on the achievements made during my five year’s stint as Railway Minister,” he said.

When asked if she read out a budget presented by him earlier, Prasad said, “She did not present the right budget of Lalu.”

Life with a control order: a wife’s story

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London, July 03: Mahmoud Abu Rideh has spent four years behind bars and another four years on a control order. A father of six, he is in a wheelchair and has never seen the evidence against him.

Today he goes to the High Court, backed by Amnesty International, in a plea to leave Britain. Here Dina Al Jnidi, his wife, describes the family’s descent into a nightmare.

India not a bully: ICC President David Morgan

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New Delhi, July 03: India is not a bully at the International Cricket Council (ICC), the cricket’s governing body said today.

“I have never regarded India as a bully at the ICC,” ICC President David Morgan said in response to criticism by some cricket commentators that India always had its way because of its financial muscle.

Morgan referred to his experience with India at the ICC under the leadership of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar and Shashank Manohar and said he would never accept that India acts as a bully.

7,000 kg of artificially ripened mango, papaya seized

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Chennai, July 03: The Chennai Corporation today seized 7,000 kg of mangoes and papaya, artificially ripened by carbide stones, saying it could pose health hazards.

Fruit shops at various places in Chennai, including Koyambedu, Royapuram and Royapettah, were raided and 5,000 kg of mangoes and 2000 kg of papaya, ripened artificially, were seized, a release from the civic body said.

Mamata to bring out White Paper on railway finances

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New Delhi, July 03: The Railway Ministry will shortly come out with a White Paper on its current financial status.

“This will help us in formulating the Railways’ future plan,” Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters soon after presenting the 2009-10 rail budget in Parliament today.

The document will be based on Railways’ performance during the last five years, she said.

The Ministry was headed by RJD chief Lalu Prasad in this period, which was the first tenure of the UPA government.

Teenagers who mishear sex noises attack woman’s lover

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Washington, July 03: US police say a teenage girl overheard her mother’s screams during sex and thought she was being assaulted, so she rounded up some friends to attack the woman’s lover.

A 16-year-old girl misinterpreted the woman’s amorous screams, and she and four other teens went to the woman’s bedroom in the Torrington home, police Lt. Bruce Whiteley said.

One of the teens beat the 25-year-old man with a bat and others punched him, police said. He suffered a black eye and several bruises.

Syria’s Assad offers informal invitation to Obama

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Syria, July 03: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued an informal invitation to President Barack Obama to visit Damascus for talks, in a sign that relations between the two countries may gradually be thawing.
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We would like to welcome him to Syria, definitely,” Assad told Sky News in an interview broadcast today. “I am very clear about this.”

Asked whether a meeting could take place any time soon, Assad replied: “That depends on him.” Smiling, he added: “I will ask you to convey the invitation to him.”

BJP rubbishes Rail Budget, Lalu less than impressed

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New Delhi, July 03: Mamata Banerjee’s first Railway Budget was today rubbished by her predecessor and RJD chief Lalu Prasad as also BJP but Left parties and Samajwadi Party gave a mixed view on it.

Prasad, who is out in the cold despite supporting the government, said many proposals in the budget, including launch of double-decker train service and non-stop quick trains, were “impractical”.

Appeal filed in Pak against Saeed’s release

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Islamabad, July 03: Government of the Punjab province of Pakistan on Friday filed an appeal in the Pakistan’s Supreme Court against release from detention of Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafeez Mohammad Saeed, who India claims is the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The appeal against the Lahore High Court order, filed in the apex court this morning, said Saeed needed to be detained for his own “protection”.

Saeed was released as per the Lahore High Court order on June 02.

I am a victim of conspiracy: Shiney Ahuja

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Mumbai, July 03: Incarcerated actor Shiney Ahuja, held on charges of raping his domestic help, today pleaded for bail before a local court saying he was victim of a “well-hatched conspiracy” to malign and extort money from him.

The 36-year-old actor denied he had raped the 20-year-old domestic help, claiming the act was “consensual”.

However, Police opposed his release and the sessions court deferred hearing of the bail plea till July 7.

The actor did not come to the court but his counsel Srikant Shivade sought time to reply to prosecution’s arguments opposing Ahuja’s bail.

Sangakkara upbeat ahead of first Test as captain

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Colombo, July 03: These are exciting days in the life of Kumar Sangakkara. Last week his wife gave birth to twins, and during that nervous period (“unbelievable feeling, overjoyed”), he was also aware he had a Test match starting on July 4, his first as captain.

Having led Sri Lanka to the World Twenty20 final is all right, but he knows leading in Tests is the real deal.

Sensex closes 254 points higher

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Mumbai, July 03: A key index of the Indian equities markets ended trade today 254 points above its last closing figure, as banking and capital goods stocks picked up.

The benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened at 14,552.72 points, closed at 14,913.05 points – 254.56 points or 1.74 percent higher than Thursday’s close.

Similarly, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) ended the day 1.7 percent up at 4,422.75 points.

‘Loose nukes greatest danger in Pakistan’

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Washington, July 03: The threat of insiders in the nuclear establishment working with outsiders seeking a bomb is nowhere greater than in Pakistan, according to a former officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

“Pakistani authorities have a dismal track record in thwarting insider threats,” writes Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, who served as a CIA officer for 23 years, in the July/August issue of Arms Control Today, published by the Arms Control Association.

WHO reports 337 swine flu deaths

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Mexico, July 03: At least 337 people have died from swine flu, which has also sickened 80,000 others in 121 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday. Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, announced the agency’s updated figures at a two-day summit on influenza being held in the Mexican resort city of Cancun.

Opposition rap on safety panel rattles Congress

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Hyderabad, July 03: Taking strong exception to the Opposition parties’ criticism of the State Government decision to constitute an advisory committee on public safety and security headed by Rajya Sabha member and the Chief Minister’s close friend KVP Ramachandra Rao, the Congress Legislature Party Thursday urged them — particularly the TDP, CPI and CPM — not to resort to “mudslinging’’ against the government.

Samsung sets up its first IT brand shop in the city

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Hyderabad, July 03: Samsung India Electronics Limited has opened its first Samsung IT Brandshop at Arihant Arcade, Ameerpet in the city. The newly opened Samsung IT Brandshop has an ‘Experience Zone’ created to encourage consumers to experience the products on site. The laptops have been displayed at the ‘Experience Zone’ to showcase the commonly used applications like Music, Gaming, Movie and Imaging.

Major rivers in spate in Bihar

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Patna, July 03: Major rivers in north Bihar, especially the Kosi, Gandak, Budhi and Bagmati, are in spate following heavy rains in their catchment areas and are posing a threat of floods, officials said today.

With heavy rainfall recorded in the catchments areas in neighbouring Nepal, the water levels of these rivers have been rising to dangerous levels for the last two days.

“The Bagmati has crossed the danger mark at some points and the water level in Gandak also increased following water discharge into the river from Nepal,” said an official of the central water commission.

Aftab celebrates birthday with Aamna Sharif

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Mumbai, July 03: Aftab Shivdasani ushered in his 31st birthday with Aamna Sharif, who is rumoured to be his girlfriend, and is his co-star from the flop “Aloo Chaat”. He refused to comment about their relationship, but says he is looking forward to marriage.

“Yes, she was in the little party that I had for people close to me on my birthday. Aamna is a very dear friend. Beyond that I don’t want to say anything about the future of our relationship. But yes, I do look forward to marriage, like everyone else. But I still have time,” Aftab told media.

Don’t bypass discussion in Parliament, says Karat

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Hyderabad, July 03: CPM general secretary Prakash Karat Thursday urged the Centre not to foist contentious reforms pertaining to examinations and FDI in education, and privatisation of pension funds — at any rate not without discussion in Parliament. The Centre was proposing bringing in several new policies in 100 days.

“The CPM strongly opposes these and they must be duly discussed before they are enacted,’’ he said.

Speaking to reporters here, Karat opposed proposals by the Human Resources department on scrapping or making optional Class X examinations.

TDP takes up MLA issue with SC panel

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Hyderabad, July 03: The health condition of TDP MLA TV Ramarao’s wife and children deteriorated Thursday as their fast entered the second day.

After the fasting Ramarao was forcibly shifted to hospital, his wife Sesharatnam, son Chandrasekhar and daughter Divya Rani were continuing indefinite fast at Indira Park. Doctors examined their health condition Thursday.

AP records 24.5 per cent increase in IT exports

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Hyderabad, July 03: The state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) recorded a steady growth in IT exports from Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) at Rs 32,509 crore, a 24.5 per cent increase over last year and much above the tentative national average of 20.65 per cent.

Interestingly, the scam-hit Satyam Computer Services Ltd., now rebranded as Mahindra Satyam, continues to be the top performer with Rs 4,231 crore worth software exports registering a 27 per cent increase over the previous year.

YSR nod for another controversial panel

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Hyderabad, July 03: In a decision that is likely to kick up a major controversy, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has given the goahead for the creation of AP Water Resources Regulatory Commission.

At a review meeting on the status of irrigation projects, the Chief Minister approved the proposal to bring in a legislation in the budget session of the Assembly to clear the decks for the constitution of the panel.