Month: September 2009

Vettori happy with bowlers performance

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Auckland, September 04: Daniel Vettori was pleased with New Zealand’s fightback which helped them secure a narrow victory over Sri Lanka in the first T201, praising the effort of his bowlers in particular.

“I think we were about 15 runs short, but the history of this track suggests that it gets harder to bat on as the game progresses,” Vettori said.

“We knew we were in with a chance and the fightback after we got Dilshan was impressive.

“The ball stopped a little and we managed to just strangle them and pile on the pressure.

Afghanistan: Will the U.S. Settle for Karzai?

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Washington, September 04: Despite repeated claims of neutrality in the Afghan elections, the Obama Administration is deeply concerned that a Hamid Karzai victory would compound the challenges the U.S. faces in that country. Having made no secret of its dissatisfaction with Karzai’s performance as President, the White House may now have to deal with an ally who feels slighted and scorned – and who has little incentive to go along with U.S. goals in Afghanistan.

Iran taking ‘step backward’ with Vahidi: US

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Tehran, September 04: The United States said Thursday that Iran is taking a “step backward” on US-led efforts to end its international isolation by appointing terror suspect Ahmad Vahidi as defense minister.

“Rather than taking a step forward to engage” the world, it is “taking a step backward by putting into a high office” a man suspected of bombing a Jewish charity in Argentina, the State Department’s PJ Crowley said.

Blasts kill 7 at Serbia munitions factory

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Belgrade(Siberia), September 04: A series of explosions at an underground ammunition factory in central Serbia killed at least seven people and injured 15, police said Friday.

They said the explosions occurred around 10 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) Thursday in the town of Uzice, about 150 kilometers (95 miles) southwest of Belgrade.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, who visited the scene of the explosions, said that out of the seven killed workers, six were women.

Abbas sees Israeli settlement freeze by October

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Jerusalem, September 04: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Thursday that he hopes for Israel to agree to a settlement freeze on occupied Palestinian land by the end of September.

“Concerning the peace process, we reaffirmed that we were entirely disposed to go forward with negotiations for the (Palestinian territories’) final status if Israel stops settlement building,” Abbas said.

U.S. says fill in the gaps on Doha, don’t reopen deal

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New Delhi, September 04: The United States believes World Trade Organization members must work hard to fill in the remaining gaps to clinch a Doha deal, not reopen what has been agreed so far, the top U.S. trade official said Friday.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk dismissed as misplaced widely voiced fears — by Brazil and the European Union among others — that Washington wanted to unravel what has been painfully negotiated over nearly eight years.

“I think a lot of this has been much ado about nothing,” he told Reuters.

Iraq seeks UN help in recent bombings

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Baghdad, September 04: Iraq’s prime minister has asked the U.N. Security Council to investigate recent bombings outside two government ministry buildings in Baghdad and prosecute the alleged perpetrators, the country’s U.N. envoy said Thursday.

Ambassador Hamid Al Bayati said a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon requested the U.N. chief to ask the Security Council to establish an independent investigation commission and an international tribunal.

US open to increase troops in Afghanistan: Pentagon

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Washington, September 04: The US is open to the possibility of sending more troops to the Afghanistan war, where President Barack Obama’s government has ‘limited time’ to show improvement, top defence officials said Thursday.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told a press conference at Pentagon that he has received the assessment report on the Afghanistan strategy by Army General Stanley A. McChrystal, US top commander in the country, and informally forwarded a copy to President Obama.

Astronauts to install ammonia tank during spacewalk

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Washington, September 04: Two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery were working outside the International Space Station Thursday to install a new ammonia tank that is crucial for keeping the orbiting laboratory cool.

US astronaut John ‘Danny’ Olivas and Swede Christer Fuglesang left the ISS at 2212 GMT on a planned six-and-a-half hour spacewalk. They got started nearly an hour later than planned because of problems with a communications device in Olivas’ spacesuit.

US urged to restore protection of Iranians in Iraq

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Washington, September 04: Supporters of an Iranian dissident group based in Iraq called on the Obama administration Thursday to restore U.S. military protection for the exiles, who were attacked by Iraqi security forces on July 28.

They also urged the Iraqi government to release 36 exiles who were taken from the camp during the melee in which 11 Iranians were killed — shot, beaten or run over by military vehicles of Iraqi forces.

Throughout that confrontation, American soldiers who once protected the Iranian opposition group stood by.

Iran approves first woman Minister

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Dubai, September 04: For the first time since 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran will have a woman Cabinet Minister, as Parliament on Thursday approved 18 out of 21 nominees proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his new Cabinet.

Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, who will hold the Health portfolio, will be Iran’s first woman Minister. She is a qualified gynaecologist from Tehran University, and has been a well-known health activist.

Israeli warplanes strike southern Gaza

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Gaza, September 04: Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip early on Friday near the southern city of Khan Yunis, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.

The air strike targeted a tunnel under Israel’s security barrier that was to be used to infiltrate Palestinian militants, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

Palestinian security officials confirmed the air strike, adding that no one was injured.

Five mortar rounds were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Thursday without causing damage or casualties, according to the Israeli military.

90 killed in Afghan explosion

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Kunduz (Afghanistan), September 04:Ninety people were killed Friday when two hijacked oil tankers exploded in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz as Taliban militants were distributing fuel to civilians, said provincial governor Mohammad Omar.

The militants stopped the two oil trucks Thursday night on the highway connecting Kunduz with the neighbouring province of Baghlan, Omar said. The explosion occurred early Friday as civilians gathered to pick up the fuel, he said.

Not only AP but entire nation has lost a leader: President

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New Delhi, September 04: President Pratibha Patil led the nation in mourning Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.

In a message from Moscow, where the President is currently on a State visit, Ms. Patil described him as a dynamic Chief Minister, and said that in his death the people of not only Andhra Pradesh, but the entire nation, had lost a leader and that his loss would be deeply felt.

Air India plane engine catches fire in Mumbai, passengers safe

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Mumbai, September 04: Nearly 215 passengers and crew of a Riyadh-bound Air India flight had a narrow escape here Friday morning when they were evacuated quickly after one of the plane’s engines caught fire while proceeding for take-off.

The fire was noticed by the ground staff while the aircraft had begun to taxi toward the runway and was immediately doused, Air India spokesperson Jitendra Bhargava said. The AI 829 flight was bound for Saudi Arabia’s capital.

Inmate Guilty of Pushing Drugs

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Dubai, September 04: A 19-year-old unemployed man will spend one in prison after the Court of First Instance on Thursday found him guilty of attempting to smuggle drugs into a police dete-
ntion centre.

The Emirati inmate at the Ghusais police detention centre was found in possession of hashish that concealed in his shoes on January 18 this year.

“We found the drugs as we were carrying out routine search of detainees,” a police officer said.
–Agencies

People Cautioned Against e-fraud

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Abu Dhabi, September 04: Abu Dhabi Police warned residents against e-fraud by international hackers to extract personal data from mobile phones.

The police campaign drew to a close this week after nearly 100,000 text messages, in Arabic and English, were distributed to raise awareness among the public. Police had noticed many cases in which people fell prey to con schemes using phones, email or
 other technology.

Bell offers help to probe YSR’s chopper crash

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Washington, September 04: The manufacturer of Bell helicopters has offered its assistance to Indian authorities in probing into the crash of the Bell-430 chopper which claimed the lives of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy and four others.

“We have offered our assistance to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation,” Bell Helicopter spokesman Gregory Hubbard told PTI.

He, however, refrained from responding to any other question related to the crash of the helicopter.

Reduce tension, keep plants in offices, classrooms

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Washington, September 04: House plants can help reduce tension and stress among office workers, who spend more than 80 percent of the day indoors.

Researchers found the presence of plants in homes and workplaces exerted a positive effect on headaches and fatigue and hoarseness.

Interior plants have also been shown to increase work productivity. In one study, employees’ reaction time on computer tasks improved by 12 percent when plants were present.

Indonesian quake kills 57, leaves dozens missing

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Jakarta, September 04: Children were crowded around a video game console, passing the time before they could break the Muslim holy month’s daily fast, when an earthquake touched off a landslide that smothered their Indonesian village.

Rescuers were searching for those 13 children and several dozen more people buried alive, as officials warned the death toll of 57 is sure to rise.

5.9-Magnitude quake strikes India-Myanmar border

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New Delhi, September 04: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck eastern India near the mountainous border with Myanmar, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Thursday.

The quake hit at 2:21 a.m. local time on Friday/3:51 p.m. EDT/1951 GMT on Thursday about 96 km from Imphal, Manipur, the USGS said. It was 98 km deep.

–Agencies

67 die after YSR’s death, bereaved son appeals for patience

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Hyderabad, September 04: More than 60 people across Andhra Pradesh have died of shock or committed suicide after the death of their chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, prompting his MP son Y.S. Jagannathan Reddy to appeal to his late father’s admirers to be patient and brave.

‘I appeal to all of you to be patient and be brave in this hour of tragedy. He (YSR) wanted to see a smile on the faces of all and if you resort to such things (suicide) this will hurt him,’ said Jaganmohan, trying to hard to control his tears.

EU foreign ministers to discuss Iran, Afghanistan

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Stockholm, September 04: EU foreign ministers will discuss efforts to get Iran to return to international talks over its nuclear program at a two-day meeting starting in Stockholm on Friday.

Diplomats say that new sanctions from the 27-member bloc aren’t on the table, and that the focus is on getting Tehran to answer positively to new overtures on negotiations.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU presidency, has led the bloc’s condemnations against the crackdown on protesters in Iran following June’s presidential elections.

Security assigned to watch guards at Kabul embassy

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Kabul, September 04: The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan has banned alcohol and assigned American personnel to watch the embassy’s security guards following allegations of lewd behavior and sexual misconduct at their living quarters.

The announcement of the crackdown on embassy guards came as NATO reported the deaths of two U. S. service members in southern Afghanistan. A British soldier was also killed, according to the U.K. military.

People ‘interpret faces differently’

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Washington, September 04: It’s often said that seeing is believing. But, a new study says that believing is seeing too — when it comes to perceiving other people’s emotions.

An international team has carried out the study and found that people see facial expressions based on what they expect to see — a pattern that can lead to trouble, the latest issuse of the ‘Psychological Science’ journal reported.

In fact, researchers have found that the way people initially think about the emotions of others biases their subsequent perception and memory of their facial expressions.