Month: September 2009

Indian Fans pray for Pak Victory in Champions Trophy

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New Delhi, September 29: It never ever happened that Indian cricket fans prayed for Pakistan’s victory in any form of cricket. But the biggest irony is that they have been forced to do so, thanks to India’s lacklustre performance, which may cost them a semifinal berth in the ICC Champions Trophy. Indians now hope that Pakistan beat Australia in its last group encounter and then India beat West Indies by a big margin to qualify for the semifinals.

UPA ministries arrogant, lack humility: Arun Jaitley

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Chandigarh, September 29: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former union minister Arun Jaitley today said certain ministries of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government were “arrogant” and “lacked humility” in governance.

“There is a sense of arrogance in some of the ministries. There is no humility in their functioning,” Jaitley, who was here to release the party’s election manifesto for next month’s assembly poll in Haryana, told media persons.

“Humility has become foreign to the UPA government,” Jaitley added.

‘No need to increase borrowing target for 2009-10’

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New Delhi, September 29: The government today said it does not intend to increase borrowing target for the current fiscal 2009-10, which has been pegged at Rs 4.51 lakh crore.

“There is no intention to increase that number,” Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla told reporters ahead of the meeting to decide the borrowing schedule for the second-half of the fiscal.

Chawla further said increasing borrowing limits is not necessary and that is not on the table.

Nuclear prog has allowed India to think big: PM

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New Delhi, September 29: Prime minister Manmohan Singh said today the country’s nuclear energy programme has allowed India to “think big” and that power from nuclear plants would reduce its over dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change over the next decades.

He also said there will be “huge opportunities for the global nuclear industry to participate” in India’s nuclear industry which is “poised for major expansion”.

Abhishek and Aish Makes An Appearance On Oprah

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Mumbai, September 29: The tone was all set for the “desi” beats on the Oprah Winfrey Show, when the power couple of the Bollywood entertainment industry, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made a joint appearance at the first ever television appearance together. Oprah welcomed the duo on the show, saying, “They stopped production on eight major movies and flew eight thousand miles to be here for their first ever television interview together.”

Court raps government as eco-tribunal remains headless

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New Delhi, September 29: Delhi High Court Tuesday criticised the government for not appointing the head of the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) after eight years, and asked it to explain why court orders in this regard were not implemented.

“Why our directions are not being followed till date? There is no website, no address… Where will the appellant go with his problem?” a division bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice Manmohan asked.

Pilots across carriers planning single union

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New Delhi, September 29: Pilots of various airlines are looking at forming a single union to collectively air their grievances.

“I don’t know why there is so much fuss over our salaries,” said Girish Kaushik, a senior pilot with Jet Airways.

“We are looking at forming a single union and are in touch with pilots of other airlines,” Kaushik, who was one of the negotiators on behalf of Jet Airways pilots during the five-day stand-off at the carrier earlier this month, told IANS.

Parrikar, Shatrughan to campaign for BJP in Maharashtra

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New Delhi, September 29: Despite Atal Bihari Vajpayee being in retirement mode owing to his ill-health, the former Prime Minister figures among BJP’s 40 top campaigners for Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The BJP top brasses L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj are there along with Vajpayee, so also Manohar Parrikar, whose ‘rancid pickle’ remark against Advani had recently created a flutter.

Shatrughan Sinha, who has created a stir by praising Rahul Gandhi, is also among the 40 star campaigners.

Limited edition Mont Blanc pen with Gandhi as theme

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New Delhi, September 29: Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic Dandi march in 1930 against the British salt tax has inspired classic pen makers Mont Blanc to come out with a limited series pen on the Father of the Nation.

But the pen can burn a hole in your pocket as it is priced at about Rs 14 lakh, according to a watch retailer in a five-star hotel.

Rahul Gandhi and Aishwarya Rai awarded as Youth Icons…

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New Delhi, September 29: Last evening Rahul Gandhi and Aishwarya Rai along with others were honoured as the Youth Icons during inaugural Videocon India Youth Icon Awards in a grand evening hosted by Wizcraft International Entertainment at Hotel Leela Kepinski, Gurgaon.

Strauss was right to deny Smith a runner: Hussain

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London, September 29: England captain Andrew Strauss did no wrong by denying his South African counterpart Graeme Smith a runner during their teams’ Champions Trophy clash as Smith was merely tired not injured, feels former skipper Nasser Hussain.

“Andrew Strauss was right to deny Graeme Smith a runner at the climax of England’s outstanding win over South Africa.

Harmison must be in test team, says Flintoff

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South Africa, September 29: Andrew Flintoff believes England must select Durham pace bowler Steve Harmison for the winter’s Test series in South Africa.

Harmison has told the England selectors, who have delayed finalising their Test squad, to pick him or he will retire from internationals.

But Flintoff, who has retired from Test cricket, has no doubts that his great friend should be on the plane.

“Of course he should,” said Flintoff. “We had the biggest game of the summer in the Ashes at The Oval and he (Harmison) was playing.

26 drown, 40 missing as two boats capsize in Bihar

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Khagaria (Bihar), September 29: At least 26 people, mostly minors and women, were drowned and 50 others missing after two boats carrying Durga Puja revellers capsized in the swollen Bagmati and Kamala Balan rivers in Bihar, police said today.

Eighteen people drowned and 45-50 others were missing after an overcrowded country boat, carrying over 100 people, sank in the Bagmati river near Fultora ghat in Khagaria last evening, Superintendent of Police, Indranand Mishra said. The passengers were returning after a Vijaya Dashami fair.

Microsoft releases anti-virus software freebie

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Washington, September 29: Microsoft says its new computer security program can be downloaded starting today.

Microsoft Security Essentials, as the free antivirus software is called, has been available in a beta test version since June.

The software updates daily to stay current with the latest malicious programs, which can steal passwords or turn PCs into spam servers. Microsoft says it won’t make computers run slower.

Microsoft has said it isn’t out to steal business from companies like McAfee and Symantec, which make popular antivirus programs with more features.

AI suspends booking of tickets, cancels morning flights

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New Delhi, September 29: Air India has suspended booking of tickets till further notice and decided to cancel a majority of its morning flights to cut down inconvenience caused to passengers by last minute cancellations in view of the ongoing agitation by the executive pilots.

“We have suspended the booking of tickets till further notice in order to save the passengers from inconvenience caused by the cancellations of flights due to the agitation,” Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav told reporters here today.

Iran to give time soon for atom plant inspection: Report

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Tehran, September 29: Iran will soon inform the UN nuclear watchdog of a timetable for inspection of a newly disclosed uranium enrichment plant, its atomic energy agency chief was quoted as saying.

State Press TV said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, made the comment late Monday, three days before crucial talks between Tehran and world powers worried about the Islamic state’s nuclear ambitions.

“Yes, the inspectors will come and inspect,” Salehi said, adding Tehran was in constant contact with the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

India will wipe off Pak, but at a heavy price: Report

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New York, September 29: In the event of Indo-Pak nuclear war, India will emerge as the ultimate winner after wiping off Pakistan, but lose up to 500 million of its own people, a book on former US President Bill Clinton’s presidential years has claimed.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning author and historian Taylor Branch claimed that the Indian leaders had portrayed such a scenario in the event of an Indo-Pak nuclear war (during Kargil conflict in 1999) to the then US President Clinton.

Baked Potato Soup

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This is an interesting soup made of bacon, shallots, baked potatoes and cheese.

Ingredients:

• 10 Bacon slices
• 2/3 Cup margarine
• 2/3 Cup all-purpose flour
• 6 Cups milk
• 4 Large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 Green onions, chopped
• 1 1/4 Cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ground black pepper

Procedure:

• Place bacon slices in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat till brown.
• Drain, crumble and set aside.
• In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat.

Indian Airlines hijacker seeks nod to practise law in Canada

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Toronto, September 29: The mastermind of the 1984 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight to Lahore, who took refuge here 14 years ago and faces deportation to India, has now sought permission to practise law in Canada.

Parminder Singh Saini, now 46, was the ring leader of five Sikh youths who hijacked an Indian Airlines flight from Srinagar to New Delhi in 1984 and took it to Lahore.

The hijack drama ended after a 17-hour stand-off, with the hijackers surrendering to the Pakistani authorities.

Teen gets life term for murder at girlfriend’s behest

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Toronto, September 29: Canada’s sensational love-cum-jealousy murder case where a teenager killed a girl at his jealous girlfriend’s behest has resulted in life behind bars for the boy.

Nineteen-year-old David Bagshaw had stabbed to death Stefanie Rengel, 14, on New Year’s day here last year. The case had shocked the nation as the boy was pressured to commit the murder by his girlfriend Melissa who felt Stefanie was her rival for his love.

Centre gives 2500 cr to 90 minority districts

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Farrukhabad (UP) September 29: The Centre has sanctioned over Rs 2,500 crore for the all-round development of 90 minority-dominated districts across the country.

Of the 90 districts, 21 are in Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed said here yesterday.

Khursheed said his ministry was in favour of including in the scheme, districts with 15 per cent minority population.

This will increase the number of such districts in Uttar Pradesh by another 15, including Farrukhabad.

The government will engage NGOs to monitor the progress of the scheme, he said.

Nuclear energy to overcome power shortage:Pranab

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New Delhi, September 29: India needs to give a major thrust to nuclear energy to overcome power shortage and fuel economic growth, given the limitations of the conventional sources of energy, said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

“Our all requirement (of energy) will only be met by considering nuclear and non-conventional resources,” he said while releasing commemorative coins to mark the birth centenary of nuclear scientist Homi Bhabha.

SC bans construction of places of worship on public land

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New Delhi, September 29: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that there shall be no fresh construction of places of worship at public places throughout the country.

The restriction would apply to temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and places of worship of all other communities, a Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Mukundakam Sharma said in an interim order.

The Bench said its order would be enforced till the issue relating to construction of places of worship at public places is finally resolved by the apex court.

Army says 40 Taliban killed in western Afghanistan

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Kabul, September 29: US Marines and Afghan soldiers killed 40 Taliban fighters in a joint operation in Afghanistan’s west on Monday, the Afghan Army said.

“At the request of the local population an operation was launched by the Afghan army and the US Marines in the district of Bala Buluk” in the western province of Farah, Afghan Army Commander Jalandar Shah Dehnam said.

During this operation 40 Taliban were killed and a number were injured, he said, adding that six Afghan soldiers had also been wounded.

“We do not know if the Americans sustained any casualties,” he said.

Black-money: SC issues notice to Centre

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New Delhi, September 29: The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking disclosure of certain vital documents in connection with the issue of black-money stashed in foreign banks.

The apex court sought the response from the government on allegations by eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani and others that authorities were withholding vital documents relating to the case.