Month: September 2009

Pak deliberately stifling Mumbai probe: Chidambaram

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New Delhi, September 06: India has slammed Pakistan accusing it of deliberately “stifling” probe into the Mumbai attacks and made it clear that action against the perpetrators of the strikes was a condition for resumption of dialogue.

Home Minister P Chidambaram put Pakistan in a spot over Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed by citing details about his involvement in the Mumbai attacks, information regarding which has already been given to Islamabad.

“…We are thoroughly, totally dissatisfied with the Pakistani response,” he told a news channel.

Yemen Fighting Flares Up, Many Dead

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Sana’a, September 06: Deadly fighting flared up in northern Yemen Saturday, between Yemeni troops and Shiite rebels, leaving dozens of people killed.

“The armed forces and rebels engaged in violent clashes overnight which continued until dawn on Saturday in Malaheez and Hafr Sufyan,” a military source told.

“Dozens of people have been killed and wounded in both camps.”

No official confirmation of the toll was available.

The fighting came after a brief ceasefire broke down in the northern province of Saada.

Talks necessary for trade: Pak Comm Sec Suleman Ghani

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New Delhi, September 06: Yesterday Pakistan pressed for the resumption of a composite dialogue with India, saying it was essential for improving trade ties and realisation of the potential of taking commerce to the USD 10-billion mark.

Pakistan Commerce Secretary Suleman Ghani, who was here for the WTO mini-ministerial talks, noted that trade in South Asia had been affected by the “historical” baggage which the countries of the region should shed.

Data from Chandrayaan-1 being used for 2nd moon mission

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Chennai, September 06: Further research was being carried out for the Chandrayaan-2 project, based on the quality data and photographs taken by Chandrayaan-1, whose mission came to an abrupt end last week, a top ISRO official said today.

“We have received about 70,000 photographs and data from Chandrayaan-1. Based on these data, further research is being carried out for the Chandrayaan-2 project, which is expected to be completed by 2012”, Project Director of the Chandrayaan-1 mission M Annadurai told reporters here.

‘Late-night snacks could pack on the pounds’

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Washington, September 06: Midnight raids on the refrigerator may have worse consequences than indigestion — a study in mice boosts the theory that when you eat affects whether the calories go to your hips or get burned off.

Mice fed during the daytime — when they normally would be sleeping — gained more weight than mice fed at night, Fred Turek of Northwestern University in Illinois and colleagues found.

BJP’s Muslim leaders: Their induction in party is an RSS strategy

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New Delhi, September 06: Eyesores or cynosures, they are for keeps. The saffron robed Muslim leaders are now an inseparable part of the Hindutava campaigner Bharatiya Janata Party.

And it is not by chance but because of a well thought-out Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) strategy that these ‘opportunist Muslim’ leaders have been allowed to prosper in the party.

Key component in preeclampsia development identified

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Washington, September 06: Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have found a key contributor in the development of preeclampsia in pregnant women – a condition that can result in miscarriage and maternal death.

The researchers in the study focused on identifying the differences in the uteri of pregnant women with and without preeclampsia and how the mother”s tissues vary from the immediately adjacent foetus” tissue in preeclamptic women.

Fast to Understand Muslims: London Mayor

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London, September 06: London Mayor Boris Johnson has urged non-Muslims to fast a day during the holy month of Ramadan to help get a better understanding of their Muslim neighbors, reported.

“I urge people, particularly during Ramadan, to find out more about Islam,” Johnson said during a visit to East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre.

“Increase your understanding and learning, even fast for a day with your Muslim neighbor and break your fast at the local mosque.”

Sulabh adopts ‘miracle baby’ with protruding heart

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New Delhi, September 06: The 10-day-old baby who has undergone a rare surgery here after he was born with a protruding heart has found support from the NGO Sulabh International.

Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Thursday operated upon the infant and pushed the heart inside the body after creating space for it. The boy, whose parents are poor, is now recovering at the hospital.

Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak Saturday said he will look after the post-operative care of the baby and give a job to his father Chander Majhi in his organisation.

Smaller thighs linked to heart disease risk, premature deaths

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Washington, September 06: Men and women whose thighs are less than 60 cm in circumference have a higher risk of premature death and heart disease, says a new study.

Berit Heitmann, based at Copenhagen University Hospital, says his research may help doctors identify patients who are at an increased risk of early death and developing heart disease.

While several studies have already demonstrated that being either very overweight or underweight are related to premature death and disease, this is the first to investigate the implications of thigh size on health.

Found: Antibodies to target HIV more effectively

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Washington, September 06: The discovery of two powerful new HIV antibodies will help tackle HIV more effectively. Researchers will now try to exploit a newfound vulnerability on the virus to craft novel approaches to designing an AIDS vaccine.

Besides, the global collaboration that led to the discovery of the two new broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) are likely to produce more such antibodies.

They may further reveal additional vulnerabilities of HIV, adding still more vitality to the effort to develop a vaccine against AIDS.

Health freak Salman Khan trying to quit smoking finally!

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New Delhi, September 06: He might be known as the Bollywood brat, but it looks like Salman Khan is now trying to turn a new leaf. He says he is trying to quit smoking.
Asked about the habit that is hard to kick, he said: “I`m trying to (quit smoking)… Smoking is something people start to either enter a social circle or to show off.”

But he does have a word of advice for others trying to quit cigarettes too.

Deadly Defoe plays patience game before striking out

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England, September 06: As a dress rehearsal it was satisfactory rather than exhilarating, although Wednesday night’s production, with Croatia stepping in for yesterday’s understudies from Slovenia, is the one that matters.

The opposition had been chosen for their stylistic similarities to Slaven Bilic’s team, but he is likely to have at his disposal an attacking player or two with a sharper edge than their former Yugoslav countrymen. Even so, the visitors still angered Fabio Capello with a late goal, denying England one of their rare clean sheets.

Railway women employees to test food in trains

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Kolkata, September 06: Call it the influence of a woman railway minister or an acknowledgement that the fairer sex is a better homemaker – the South Eastern Railway (SER) has deployed a team of its female employees to test the quality of food and beverages served in trains.

The initiative is a brainchild of SER general manager AK Jain who constituted the team comprising five women officials spearheaded by assistant commercial manager Indrani Bandyopadhyay.

The officials will pay surprise visits to trains in five different SER divisions to check the quality of food items.

Gandhi, My Father wins 3 national awards

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Mumbai, September 06: The official announcement of the 55th National Awards may have been delayed due to the demise of Andhra Pradesh CM, Y S Reddy. However, according to sources, three55th National Awards, 2007 have been awarded toAnil Kapoor’s Gandhi, My Father.

The awards are Best Film which goes to Anil Kapoor, Best Screenplay to Feroz Abbas Khan (who also directed the film) and Best supporting actor award to Darshan Zariwala. GMF was pitted against commercial successes like Taare Zameen Par and Chak De.

Ramzan Special: Shami Kebab

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Break your Ramzan fast by digging into these rich and succulent kebabs.

Ingredients

½ kg minced meat without fat
2 tbsp chana dal (split gram) washed and soaked in water for ½ hr
2 pieces dalchini (cinnamon)
3 cloves
1 piece ginger
1 tsp coriander and cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala (mixed spices)
10 garlic flakes
2 elaichi (cardamom)
1 tsp chili powder
A pinch of pepper. A handful of Kothmir and chopped pudina (mint leaves)
1 egg
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 finely chopped onion
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Cong has task cut out to keep support base

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New Delhi, September 06: The Congress party has lots to worry about as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned in the post YSR scenario. Seniosr Congress leaders returning after paying their respects to the late chief inister fear that the party has its task cut out, both, to find a suitable Chief Ministerial candidate replacement for YSR, as well as somebody who at least can retain the support base of the party in the state. “It’s a big big loss, nobody knows how we will fill this void” says a senior political manager of the Congress party.

Lapses leading to fire are a shocker

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New Delhi, September 06: The shocking incident of an Air India Boeing 747 aircraft catching fire due to fuel leakage at Mumbai airport on Friday has set alarm bells ringing in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the aircraft was given an airworthiness certificate just three days earlier.

Nepal deplores attack on Indian priests, promises action

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Kathmandu, September 06: Indian priests Raghavendra Bhatta and Girish Bhatta, who were attacked by Maoists on Friday, performed puja at the Pashupatinath temple here amid tight security.

The Armed Police Force mobilised a special platoon for the newly appointed Indian priests.

Minister for Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary and Cultural Affairs Minendra Rijal visited the temple to assess the security situation when the priests began their job.

Manmohan, Mulayam, Rajnath, Thackeray play together here

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Lucknow, September 06: Here Jayalalithaa takes Bal Thackeray on her lap when he sobs, Manmohan Singh is fond of riding on Mulayam Singh’s shoulders, while Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh have no differences and love playing cricket with Giani Zail Singh. The next one to join them could well be Mayawati.

Daily wage labourer Mithai Lal, 45, and his wife Chandrasena, 42, named their seven children after the political leaders due to their belief that this would bring good fortune to the family.

When I want to make people laugh, I work with David Dhawan: Sushmita Sen

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New Delhi, September 06: Former beauty queen Sushmita Sen, who teams up for the fourth time with David Dhawan for forthcoming comedy ‘Do Knot Disturb’, says she never thinks twice before saying yes to the maker of comedies.

‘I enjoy doing comedy and David Dhawan is the one who brought me into it with ‘Biwi No.1′. So every time I want to laugh and make people laugh, it is with him. He is always there for me so I end up doing the same,’ Sushmita told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

G20 nations agree on measures to counter tax havens

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London, September 06: Finance Ministers of G20 countries, including India, on Saturday decided to take counter measures against tax havens, particularly the non-cooperative ones, to prevent money laundering and terror financing from March next year.

Following up on the decisions taken at the G20 summit here in April, the meeting decided on steps that could enable governments get information from such tax havens.

India upset with Pak’s upgradation of Harpoon

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New Delhi, September 06: The Government is registering a strong protest with Washington on Pakistan reported upgradation of the Harpoon missile. America’s continued aid to Pakistan and its silence on the issue is worrying the MEA.

US Ambassador Timothy Roemer’s first brush with an angry South Block – a demarche from Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.

Ideal Rashid is ready to turn heads

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Oval, September 06: The one-day match played at The Oval on Friday will soon be forgotten. Most of the 20,000 who watched it might have struggled to recall it by the time they reached the Hobbs Gates on the way out of the ground.

In one important respect, however, the first match of the 2009 NatWest Series between England and Australia will be recalled down the years. It was the day – the day-night, to use the correct one-day parlance – on which an international cricketer emerged.