Jerusalem, August 30: Israel’s former Premier Ehud Olmert has been indicted on graft charges including fraud, breach of trust and tax evasion, making him the first former prime minister in the country’s history to face criminal charges.
He was formally indicted on three counts of corruption, including charges of fraud, breach of trust, cronyism, falsifying corporate records and tax evasion, the State Prosecutor’s Office said.
Chennai, August 30: One of the “favoured investment destinations” in the country, Tamil Nadu had attracted Rs 30,512 crore worth industrial investment in 2008-09, bettering the target of Rs 30,000 crore, Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin said here today.
Dedicating the Cheyyar Special Economic Zone, located inside the Cheyyar SIPCOT Industrial Park near here, he said this was possible due to 19 additional industrial investments in the year. The state had so far attracted Rs 37,595 crore of investment since the DMK government came to power in May 2006, he claimed.
Jamnagar, August 30: Mother of a 17-year-old girl has registered a complaint saying that her daughter was allegedly kidnapped by seven persons and gangraped several times over a period of one week, police said today.
According to police complaint registered yesterday, the girl was gangraped between August 21 and August 26 in Jamnagar and Mumbai by seven persons several times.
On August 21, the girl, who lived with her father here, boarded a private bus from the city to go to meet her mother living in Ahmedabad, the complaint said.
Thane, August 30: A high-level delegation of representatives of Small and Micro Industries associations called on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently.
The delegation, led by Micro Small and Medium Industries, Dinsha Patel, apprised the Prime Minister of the problems being faced by the sector due to global meltdown.
The issues raised by the delegation included need to enhance the credit flow to the sector from 4.9 % of gross credit to 6 %, establishing national fund, setting up SME Exchange to help this sector raise equity finance, etc.
London, August 30: R n B star Rihanna was taken aback when she heard that DJ Am has passed away. The singer went in shock on hearing this.
According to TMZ online, “Rihanna’s stunned expression after hearing about the death of DJ AM is pretty much the same reaction everyone had on the DJ died.”
The dear ones of DJ are helpless over the loss of their beloved.
—Agencies
Mumbai, August 30: Bollywood’s actress Kareena Kapoor, who turns 29 on September 21st, will be having a hectic schedule as the shoot for “3 Idiots” with Aamir Khan is on its way to start, so poor Saif Ali Khan will have to rework on whatever surprise he had in mind for his loving girlfriend.
Kareena had actually planned to rejoice her birthday moments with beau Saif, mom Babita, sis Karizma and niece Samaira. But heartbreak took place. The shoot of Aamir’s movie is said to be beginning just few days before Kareena’s B’day.
New Delhi, August 30: India’s healthcare industry registered 42.44 percent growth in net profit during April-June, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham).
“When the whole world was reeling under global slowdown, the domestic healthcare sector registered healthy growth during the first quarter of the current fiscal,” the chamber said in a study “Financial Health of the Indian Healthcare Industry”.
Mumbai, August 30: The Pulses Importers Association ask the government to allow private companies to import pulses as well as give a subsidy to importers to keep a check on prices which have shot up recently.
The rising pulses price have already created panic-like situation in the country, as pulses prices have gone beyond the reach of a commonman.
“The better way to keep a check on prices will be to let private companies import and government can give subsidy to importers to keep a check on prices,” the Pulses Importers Association’s President, K C Bhartiya said in a statement here.
New Delhi, August 30: With the stage set for a mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) here this week, a leading industry lobby in India has urged the member countries to prepare an action plan for the early conclusion of the Doha Round trade talks.
If the world leaders reach a consensus on the Doha Round, it will boost global exports by $185 billion, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said in a report.
Mumbai, August 30: The restatement of fraud-hit Satyam Computer’s accounts is likely to be completed by end-December, a top official said.
“It is a difficult task — over eight years of accounts have to be looked at. However, we are hopeful of completing the accounts restatement by end-this year,” Satyam’s Government-appointed Director, C Achuthan, told.
Patna, August 30: After having fruitful talks with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Microsoft chief Bill Gates’ The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has deputed a taskforce, led by its countryhead Ashok Alexander, to explore the areas of cooperation in the health sector in Bihar.
The eight-member taskforce visited several flood-hit areas in Bihar before meeting Kumar at a high-level meeting here yesterday, state Health department’s Principal Secretary C K mishra said today.
Mumbai, August 30: BSE-listed global visual entertainment services major, Prime Focus, has restructured its leading businesses into three verticals with a CEO in charge of each to drive its future growth.
“We built our business from scratch and now that we have achieved a certain scale, we have set up these three verticals to focus on specific businesses to rapidly grow them,” Prime Focus’ Founder and Managing Director, Namit Malhotra, told.
New Delhi, August 30: Pulses traders are complaining of harassment by authorities briefed to crack down on hoarders and warned that they might stop importing the commodity compounding its shortage in the market.
“We have been informed by our members about serious harassment of importers in and around port areas, resulting in panic sales,” Pulses Importers Association President K C Bhartiya said in a statement.
Bangalore, August 30: In a lucrative offer for jeans lovers in India, the US jeans product Levi Strauss has started selling jeans or denim on credit.
Levi Strauss has offered the shoppers to own a jeans or denim on credit. One can buy a 30 –dollar pair in three dollars.
Even as the idea of selling any product deferred payment has its roots to washing machines or car, Levi Strauss has opted on the concept to cash in on the interest of jeans lovers in India.
The offer of jeans on installment has been offered by Levi Strauss in association with ICICI bank in the IT hub Bangalore.
Thane, August 30: An 18-year-old youth from Manor in Thane district was washed away in the Vaitarna river where he had gone to immerse the Ganpati idol last evening on the seventh day of the festival, a delayed reports reaching the district police headquarters here said today.
The washed away boy is identified as Shiv Dashrath Dalvi and added that he had gone along with several other villagers for the immersion in the river.
Rajahmundry, August 30: ONGC’s Rajahmundry Asset today distributed Rs 3.35 lakh for development activities in Krishna district as part of its corporate social responsibility activities at its installation, Group Gathering Station in Lingala here.
On the occasion, ONGC executive director-Asset Manager, Rajahmundry A A Khan said the company had plans to conduct health camps by specialists and introduce mobile hospital for the senior citizens.
—Agencies
Mumbai, August 30: The Indian Cricket Board will have to shell out Rs 33 crore to the International Management Group (IMG) for the conduct of this year’s tournament, according to BCCI sources.
“The amount for 2009 is around Rs 33 crore,” the sources told PTI today after the BCCI terminated the services of the sports management firm in running the cash-rich tournament.
The sources said the decision to terminate the relationship with IMG in the running of the cash-rich T20 League was taken by the Board at its Working Committee meeting held here on August 13.
Amritsar, August 30: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today here said that there was no room for terrorism in the state.
After paying obeisance in the sanctum sanctorum of the Harmandhar Sahib (Golden Temple) here today, Badal without naming anyone, said that there were certain elements, who wanted to disturb the peace of Punjab, which would never be allowed.
The CM said that Punjab had already witnessed hard days of militancy and the government is committed to maintain peace for the overall development of state.
—Agencies
Purulia, August 30: A couple were killed and their 12-year old daughter was seriously injured when their motorcycle collided with a tractor at Bishkundpa village in West Bengal’s Purulia district today, police sources said.
Hapan Murmu, of Sindri in Jharkhand along with his wife Sarala Murmu and daughter were coming in a motorcycle when it collided with the tractor.
The daughter of the Murmu’s was seriously injured in the accident and admitted to Barabazar health centre.
A mob set on fire the tractor but the driver fled. The local residents also blocked the road for an hour.
Kolkata, August 30: With prices of essential commodities beginning to spiral out of common people’s reach, West Bengal government today said it will sell sugar, pulses and mustard oil at subsidised rates through public distribution system from September One.
Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, after a meeting with Food and Supply Minister Paresh Adhikari and his officials said that both APL and BPL card-holders would get the benefit of this special offer during the Durga puja and Eid-ul-Fitre.
Srinagar, August 30: The Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to introduce a special scheme for the treatment and welfare of children with mental disabilities, considering the rise in such infirmities.
“Government is contemplating to implement ‘special treatment for special children (STSC)’ scheme shortly,” Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo, said after inaugurating a screening camp here today.
The camp was organised by Special Olympic Bharat (SOB) and others.
Chennai, August 30: The two-day immersion of Lord Ganesha idols in and around the city passed off “smoothly” without any incidents of violence, police said today.
Police Commissioner T Rajendiran told reporters that nearly 5000 idols of various sizes were immersed at different designated centres in and around the city on Saturday and Sunday.
Tokyo, August 30: Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso conceded defeat in elections today as media exit polls indicated the opposition had won by a landslide, sending the conservatives out of power after 54 years of nearly unbroken rule amid widespread economic anxiety and desire for change.
“These results are very severe,” Aso said in a news conference at party headquarters, conceding his party was headed for a big loss. “There has been a deep dissatisfaction with our party.”
New Delhi, August 30: India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia says that the team will have to avoid conceding an early goal if they are to defend their Nehru Cup title against Syria here tomorrow.
Bhutia said the home side will have to take the lead to capitalise on the home advantage especially with a large crowd expected at the Ambedkar Stadium.
“Support from big crowd will naturally spur us but we have to take the lead. If we concede a goal then we will be under pressure with the crowd expectation increasing,” said the 32-year-old striker.
Islamabad, August 30: Violence buffeted Pakistan’s restive northwest as a suicide bomber targetted a police station killing 15 policemen in the Swat valley today, while 20 militants and two policemen were killed in clashes elsewhere in the region.
The suicide attacker blew himself up at a ground at the police station in Mingora, the main city in Swat district. The blast killed 15 members of a new community police force raised to help security forces take on the Taliban.
Over 25 others were injured in the attack.