Month: September 2009

Yasin Malik returns home with Pakistani bride

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Srinagar, September 07: Separatist leader Yasin Malik returned to this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital along with his Pakistani wife Mishaal Mullick Sunday.

The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman had married the Pakistani artist Feb 22 this year.

As the couple arrived at the Srinagar airport, they were warmly received by friends and relatives. Later, they reached their Maisuma residence where hundreds of supporters, mostly women, had gathered and greeted them with songs.

Railway exams in all regional languages: Mamata

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Kolkata, September 07: Railway recruitment examinations will now be conducted in all major Indian languages, including Urdu, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said here Sunday. Speaking to newspersons at an iftar party hosted by union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed, Banerjee said: “Those appearing at Railway Recruitment Board examinations can opt for any regional language, including Urdu.”

Karzai edging closer to victory in Afghan election

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Kabul, September 07: With some three quarters of vote counted, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has edged closer to the absolute majority needed to avoid a run off with his main challenger Abdullah Abdullah, the country’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) said Sunday.

Karzai has received 48.6 percent of votes from nearly 75 percent of polling stations tallied by Sunday, Daoud Ali Najafi, head of the IEC told a news conference. The incumbent is more than 17 points ahead of Abdullah, who garnered 31.7 percent.

Air India (Blue) beat Tata Sports Club, enter final

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Mohali, September 07: Air India (Blue) beat Tata Sports Club by five wickets in a semi-final match of the Sahara Corporate Cup at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here Sunday.
With this win, Air India (Blue) have cemented their place in the Sep 8 finals.

Air India Blue elected to field and with the help of some tight spells from its bowlers, they managed to bundle out Tata Sports for 267 runs in 49.4 overs.

Iran’s nominates another woman for education ministry

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Tehran, September 07: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has nominated another woman for the education ministry after his first female nominee was rejected by the parliament, a media report said Sunday.

Ahmadinejad has introduced parliament deputy Fatemeh Alia as replacement for the rejected Susan Keshavarz, the official news agency IRNA reported.

The parliament Thursday rejected both Keshavarz for the education and Fatemeh Ajoulou for the social welfare ministry.

Venezuela to export petrol to Iran

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Tehran, September 07: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday at the end of his two-day visit to Iran that his country would export petrol to the Islamic republic, ISNA news agency reported.

A ban on petrol export to Iran was supposed to be one of the sanction items by the world powers if Iran refused to meet the September deadline for resuming nuclear negotiations.

In contrast with the Western powers, Chavez has constistently supported Tehran’s controversial nuclear programmes and defended Iran’s right to pursue peaceful nuclear projects.

Bomb blast kills three in Nepal

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Kathmandu, September 07: Three people were killed and seven others injured Sunday in a bomb blast in western Nepal, a media report said.

The blast took place in Malakheti village in Dhangadhi area of Nepal’s
western Kailali district, Nepalnews.com reported. Three of the injured were in serious condition at a hospital.

Chief district officer Shiv Prasad Nepal said the explosion occurred Sunday evening in the courtyard of the house of Harka Bahadur Mohta.

The police have launched an investigation into the incident.

–IANS–

Mexico swine flu toll rises to 207

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Mexico City, September 07: Eight more people have died of swine flu in Mexico raising the number of fatalities from the viral disease to 207, health officials said Sunday.

Till date 22,763 people have been infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus, also known as swine flu, since the first case of the viral disease was detected in April in the country.

Germany, Britain announce meeting on Afghanistan’s future

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Berlin, September 07: Germany and Britain announced a new initiative Sunday for an international conference on Afghanistan, to be held later this year after the outcome of the Afghan presidential election is known.

The gathering, at a venue still to be decided, would be held to discuss the best way forward for Afghanistan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in Berlin.

Hillary wishes Brazil on Independence Day

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Washington, September 07: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton greeted Brazil on its 187th Independence Day.

“On behalf of the people of the United States, I extend warm wishes and congratulations to the people of Brazil as they celebrate 187 years of independence. We value the bonds of friendship and mutual respect between our two nations,” Clinton said in a statement issued by the US Department of State.

India quits Iran gas pipeline deal

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Tehran, September 07: India has exited from a gas pipeline deal it earlier planned with Iran and Pakistan, Mehr news agency reported citing a Pakistani diplomat.

“India definitely quitted the IPI (India-Pakistan-Iran) gas pipeline deal,” the report said citing Pakistani ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Bux Abbasi, as saying here Sunday.

Abbasi added that Pakistan plans to increase its crude oil import from Iran.

Iranian officials, however, said India has not yet officially declared its intention.

‘Slumdog…’ fame kid’s father dies of tuberculosis

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Mumbai, September 07: Mohmmed Azharuddin, who featured in the Oscar winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”, has lost his father in Mumbai, a family aide said.

“Ismail Shaikh had been suffering from advanced tuberculosis since past two years. He had a very painful death on Friday at his Santacruz home where the family had shifted a few months ago,” Dinesh Dubey, Azharuddin’s business representative told IANS.

Shaikh, 46, is survived by his widow Shamim, son Azharuddin, an older son and two daughters.

My biggest fear is facing failure: Mandira Bedi

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Mumbai, September 07: Popular actress and TV host Mandira Bedi says she got a chance to experience the “huge aura” around Akshay Kumar while shooting with the Bollywood superstar in South Africa for the forthcoming adventure reality show “Khatron Ke Khiladi-Level 2”.

“He (Akshay) has a very huge aura about him. There used to be this deadly silence whenever he came in. Though he would joke and stuff with us, at the end of the day he was he and we were who we are, ” Mandira told in an interview.

Fatso Aamir- All play and no work makes Aamir fat

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Mumbai, September 07: Aamir Khan has grown fat. The actor, who hasn’t had much time to workout because of having to cope with wife Kiran’s miscarriage, had put on 7 kgs.

Aamir is currently holidaying in Europe with Kiran and is supposed to shoot a song on 21 September for Three Idiots with Kareena Kapoor.

But being the perfectionist he is, he wants to look his best for the song. So, he looked up a badminton coach in Europe online, to get back in shape.

SRK to turn Superhero with Ra 1

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Mumbai, September 07: After making highly acclaimed films like Tathastu and the last release Cash, Anubhav Sinha is now moving on to make an action thriller.

According to reliable sources, Anubhav is putting all his best to make his next film a grand project.

And so he has roped in Badshah Khan’s production house- Red Chillies Productions, as a foolproof formula for the success of his ambitious film.

Jaya Bachchan and Ayesha Takia: Aap Ke Liye Hum

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Mumbai, September 07: Family matters kept Jaya Bachchan away from her rare film assignment. Marriage and honeymoon kept Ayesha Takiya away.

The two are now back together playing mother and daughter in Revathy Sharma’s film about an ‘adopted’ mother abandoned by her wretched son, played by Ranvir Shorey who was the last to join the cast.

Shooting resumes on September 5. “It would have started two days earlier. But my cast got busy with Ganesh Chaturthi, ” sighs the director.

Prachi Desai finally plays her age with serial kisser

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Mumbai, September 07: Mature actor at young age, Prachi Desai is now keyed up to do a film based on underworld ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai’. Apart from Prachi Desai, the film also stars fashionable Kangana Ranaut, angry-young-man Ajay Devgan and serial kisser Imran Hashmi.

“Film is about Mumbai in its 70s. I am playing a young Muslim girl in the film, ” she briefs. She is head on heels in love with her role in the film as for a change she is playing her age onscreen.

Actress Divya Dutta buys Ludhiana Gully Cricket Team

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Mumbai, September 07: After the craze for owning a Twenty 20 team, now the game’s T-10 format, called Gully Cricket, has started attracting celebrities. Actress Divya Dutta has become the first proud owner of the Ludhiana team.

Divya bought the Ludhiana Gully Cricket team Saturday for season two that will kick-start Sep 19 and end in a grand finale at Kanpur Nov 20, a spokesperson said here Sunday.

Don’t Pray for Non-Muslims Downfall: Scholar

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Riyadh, September 07: An eminent Saudi scholar is calling on Muslim imams and preachers to avoid praying for the downfall of non-Muslims during their religious sermons.

“Praying for the ruin and the destruction of all infidels is not permitted,” Sheikh Salman Al-Ouda told.

“(This is ) because it goes against God’s law to call upon them … to take the righteous path.”

Some imams and preachers close their sermons with prayers that call for the downfall of enemies of Muslims, especially Israel and its allies.

‘US killed Gen Zia with Pak insiders’ help’

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Islamabad, September 07: US and “internal powers” were behind the 1988 plane crash that killed General Zia-ul-Haq, who ruled Pakistan from 1978 till his death, a former Pakistani spymaster has claimed.

Imtiaz Ahmed, a former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, said the US collaborated with “internal powers” in Pakistan to assassinate Zia.

Ahmed, who also served in the ISI, has shaken up political parties with revelations of huge payments allegedly made by the Inter-Services Intelligence to strengthen the opposition to former premier Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

China’s strategy on India: provoke, pressure

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New Delhi, September 07: Chinese troops are challenging India again. Reports say Chinese troops entered the international border in Ladakh and painted “China” in Cantonese on boulders and rocks in Indian territory.

Indian border patrol found on July 3 that Chinese troops had entered nearly 1.5 km into Indian territory near Mount Gya, which is recognised as international border by both countries.

Life returns to normal in Xinjiang capital

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China, September 07: Life gradually returned to normalcy Sunday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang region Sunday, where police have eased traffic restrictions imposed in the wake of public protests.
The city had witnessed widespread protests in the past several days after many people were stabbed by syringes. Five people were killed and at least 14 people injured in the protests.

Vehicles and streams of people were also back in the streets in the city’s downtown area.

China spends $146 bn on ecology in decade

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Beijing, September 07: China has spent nearly 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion) on ecological conservation and environmental protection over the past decade, a senior official said Sunday.

Of the total expenditure, more than 700 billion yuan went to projects to reforest cultivated land, return grazing land to protected grassland, protect natural forests and conserve river sources on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and for the south-to-north water diversion programme, according to Du Ying, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Kareena Kapoor returns with a pretty smile

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Mumbai, September 07: Among some of very famous known hot couples of Bollywood Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor have again a lot for airing gossips to their movie buffs.

Now-a-days, Bebo and Chhote Nawab Sahab are in lime light for delivering longest bed scene ever in the world of Indian Cinema. For this scene, damsel has exposed her bare back for the audiences for bed chemistry.