Month: September 2009

10 killed, 25 injured in Mumbai landslide

by

Mumbai, September 04: At least 10 people were killed and 25 injured after a landslide triggered by heavy rains hit Saki-Naka area of northeastern Mumbai, authorities said Friday morning.

According to fire brigage officials, the landslide, which occurred around 11.30 p.m. Thursday at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar slums, buried more than two dozen shanties in the area.

The officials with help from locals have so far managed to save two dozen people who were trapped under the debris. Several people are still feared trapped under the debris, the police said.

Jordan, Iraq sign free-trade agreement

by

Amman, September 04: Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi made a whirlwind visit Thursday to Baghdad, signing a free-trade agreement that Jordan hoped would serve as a catalyst for boosting trade with neighbouring Iraq, the official Petra news agency reported.

Dahabi, who met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, expressed Jordan’s desire to establish “strategic ties” with Iraq, Jordan’s top trade partner for almost two decades.

Musharraf leaves for London after 3-day visit to Saudi

by

Islamabad, September 04: Former president Pervez Musharraf has left Jeddah for London following a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia amidst speculation that the Saudi royal family is engaged in efforts to prevent his possible trial in Pakistan on charges of treason.

Details about Musharraf’s meeting with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, which began late on Tuesday night and continued till early hours yesterday, were not immediately available but sources close to the former military ruler said he was in “high spirits” after the talks.

Reliance-Spielberg’s DreamWorks announce three films

by

Mumbai, September 04: Anil Ambani’s Reliance Big Entertainment and Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Studios have announced its first three films.

DreamWorks Studio, a 825 million US dollar deal, is a 50:50 partnership between Reliance Big Entertainment and Steven Spielberg.

The names of the three projects are -Pirate Latitudes, I am Number 4 and Harvey.

A Reliance Big Entertainment (RBE) statement issued here today said the three projects are a mix of adventure along with book/ play adaptations.

Transformers director Michael Bay may direct the filmI Am Number 4.

India, Russia agree to cooperate in fields of N-energy, trade

by

Moscow, September 04: Heralding a new chapter in their “time-tested” partnership, India and Russia today agreed to enhance the bilateral ties in spheres like trade, peaceful use of nuclear energy and military-technical cooperation and vowed to tackle the menace of terrorism jointly.

President Pratibha Patil, who is on a four-day state visit here, held wide-ranging talks with her Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev and both agreed to intensify the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Dalai Lama wraps up sensitive Taiwan visit

by

Taipei, September 04: The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, ended his sensitive Taiwan visit Friday, leaving Taipei to mend the damage to its relations with Beijing from his visit.

Hundreds of Tibetans and Taiwan disciples saw off the Dalai Lama at the Howard Plaza Hotel in Taipei, and hundreds more waited for him at the Taoyuan International Airport outside Taipei.

At both the hotel and the airport terminal, dozens of supporters of Taiwan-China unification protested the Dalai Lama’s visit, but police removed them by force.

Sushmita Sen’s dream project on hold ‘indefinitely’

by

Mumbai, September 04: Beauty queen-turned-actress Sushmita Sen has long dreamt of playing legendary freedom fighter Rani Laxmi Bai on the silver screen, but she will have to wait. Her pet project is “indefinitely on hold” due to cash constraints, Sushmita admits.

“‘Rani Laxmi Bai’, my home production, is indefinitely on hold till I have the funds to make the film the way I want to,” Sushmita told IANS on phone from Mumbai. ” ‘Laxmi Bai’ to me is a dream, it’s not just a film. So I can’t compromise with it at all.

Woman says life easier after breaking long nails

by

Washington, September 04: A Salt Lake City woman who held a Guinness World Record for her long fingernails before they broke off in a car crash says it was the most dramatic event of her life. But Lee Redmond, who lost the fingernails in February, says it’s now much easier to do things and her hands seem to fly with the weight of the nails gone.

The 68-year-old won’t grow her nails out again, saying it took 30 years the first time and she may not live for another 30.

N Korea ‘at final uranium stage’

by

Pyongyang, September 04: North Korea is in the final stages of enriching uranium, the country’s state media has said, a process that could give it a second way to make nuclear bombs.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean officials have informed the UN Security Council that the process of enrichment was entering “the completion phase”.

The country has already tested two plutonium-based nuclear weapons and has long been suspected of running a parallel effort to develop uranium-based weapons.

Paine to replace Haddin in Australia squad

by

Dubai, September 04: Injured Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin will be replaced by Tim Paine while West Indies’ Kevin Mclean will come in the side in place of Darren Powell for the Champions Trophy in South Africa later this month.

International Cricket Council’s (ICC) event technical committee confirmed the two changes here Thursday.

YSR search operation details

by

New Delhi, September 04: The following is the timeline of the search operations to locate the helicopter carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy:

Wednesday, Sep 2:

8.30 a.m. – Bell 430 helicopter carrying YSR and four others takes off from Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport.

9.35 a.m. – Radio contact lost with helicopter.

1 p.m. – Indian Air force receives request for search and rescue operations.

1.15-1.20 p.m. – Two Chetak helicopters take off from Hakimpet training base in Secunderabad.

Time limit to Afghan war

by

Kabul, September 04: The US only has a limited time in which to gain victory in Afghanistan, Michael Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, has said.

Speaking on Thursday at a press conference with Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, Admiral Mullen said: “Time is not on our side.”

He said the Pentagon was aware there must be a “sense of urgency” in Afghanistan, but he added there was no prospect of US troops being pulled out.

“I certainly don’t think it’s time to leave,” he said.

Salman snubs Shahid Kapoor on Dus ka Dum

by

Mumbai, September 04: This was Dus Ka Dum episode like never before. Rani and Shahid made at an appreance at Salman’s popular game show to promote their upcoming movie Dil Bole Haddipa but cold vibes were apparent between the Khan and Kapoor boy.

While he was very friendly and cordial with Rani Mukherjee Sallu maintained distance from Shahid throughout the show. Actually, the duo developed cold vibes during the Rockstar tour three years ago. Since then, the duo always avoided each other

Akhsay Kumar tells why he fell in love with Twinkle

by

Mumbai, September 04: Akshay Kumar maintains that women are stronger than men when it comes to mental strength and says he chose Twinkle as his life partner because she has the courage to “kick” people in the “butt”.

“I didn’t fall in love with my wife because she could dance around a tree. I fell for her strength as an independent woman. She kicked butt at school and she could do it now if she wanted. She is fearless to the outside world and I think it’s a great perception for women, ” Akshay told from Italy where he is currently shooting for Sajid Khan’s “Housefull”.

Elaborate security for Panjab University student union polls

by

Chandigarh, September 04: Chandigarh Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the Panjab University Campus Students Union (PUCSU) elections Friday, officials said Thursday.

“To keep an eye on any anti-social elements, our officials will be deployed at various sensitive positions of PU. Police are on vigil all through day and night. We are also raiding boys’ hostels to keep a check on any outsider coming to the university,” said a senior official of Chandigarh police here Thursday evening.

Girl child found raped, strangled to death

by

New Delhi, September 04: The body of a three-and-half-year-old girl, who had allegedly been sexually assaulted and strangled to death, was discovered from a house in Adarsh Nagar area of northwest Delhi Thursday, police said.

“The victim’s body was wrapped in a ‘durri’ (rug) and was found in a store of a house near her residence Thursday morning. The girl had gone to a park near her house with her two-year-old brother for playing. Her brother returned home after some time but she didn’t,” a senior police officer said.

Nowadays I’m a sucker for recipes

by

Mumbai, September 04: Shilpa is India’s new mistress of spices to Britain. And she’s taking her job very seriously.

It looks like a sabbatical from acting for Shilpa as she gets busy in her new role as an international cuisine queen.

And the best thing about her new role is, Shilpa doesn’t want to go the Tarla Dalal or Madhur Jaffrey way. No instant cook books for the latest recipe Rani. Shilpa wants to go the whole hog.

On the lookout for the rarest and most exotic and undiscovered dishes Shilpa will now cruise to the remotest parts of India in search of new recipes.

Adah Sharma and Aditya Narayan in love?

by

Mumbai, September 04: Aditya Narayan and Adah Sharma are the new young couple in love.

If sources are to be believed the young couple is more than just friends, as they claimed, “Adah went to visit him on the set of Shaapit with a special lunch for the two of them.

They spent the whole lunch break together, and were even holding hands on the set.”

We also hear that the two were seen cozying up at a suburban restaurant, where they were seen blushing and laughing.

Iranian parliament rejects two female ministers

by

Tehran, September 04: The Iranian parliament Thursday rejected two of the three proposed female cabinet ministers and approved only Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi as health minister, the first-ever female minister in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic.

The two other female nominees, Susan Keshavarz for the social welfare ministry and Fatemeh Ajorlou for education, were rejected by the 286 deputies present at the voting.

A third rejected minister was Mohammad Ali-Abadi, a close aide of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was nominated for the energy ministry.

Shocking: Akki turns party animal, Thanks to Arjun

by

Mumbai, September 04: The last thing you expect Akshay Kumar to is to be the life and breath of a party. He shocked his friends by being a lot more at the wrap-up party of Housefull in London on August 25.

Everyone who knows Akshay Kumar knows he’s extremely wary of socializing and partying. At least that’s how he used to be. Even at his own party for Kambhakkt Ishq two months ago Akshay let his friends have fun. He stood in a corner smiling with a glass of juice in his hand.

Ayesha Takia married but can’t do without mommy

by

Mumbai, September 04: It’s marital bliss for Ayesha Takia. But that doesn’t stop her from meeting her mother. She can’t stay a day without meeting her mother, Faridah.

And as her mother stays in Andheri and she lives in Colaba, they have to travel quite a bit to meet up.

Usually Faridah goes to meet Ayesha in Colaba, but sometimes they meet up in Ayesha’s husband, Farhan Azmi’s restaurant in Bandra.

Still, to cut down on her traveling by at least an hour, Faridah is planning to shift to Bandra.

Meera professes love for Attiqur Rehman in video

by

Karachi, September 04: Lollywood actress Meera can be seen professing her love for her alleged husband Attiqur Rehman in a video recording, which was released to a private TV channel on Tuesday.

“I love you more than anything else in the entire world, ” quoted Meera as saying in the tape.

In the recording, she could be seen uttering those words during a conversation in which Rehman asked her how much she cared for him. The TV channel in possession of the view said that Meera was trying to resolve the situation without involving the police.

Jinnah-Nehru style row on Salman’s Dus Ka Dum!

by

Mumbai, September 04: The last time we saw them together on screen it was for Manoj Kumar’s Santosh in 1989. Now Shatrughan Sinha and Hema Malini are back together on Dus Ka Dum, apparently on Shatru’s insistence.

Salman Khan’s very popular game show Dus Ka Dum has bonus guests. In an additional episode that was shot on Sunday (August 30) Salman brought two of his favorite people Shatrughan Sinha and Hema Malini, both BJP workers, together for what turned out to be quite a show of strength.

10 workers killed in Chhattisgarh road accident

by

Raipur, September 04: At least 10 labourers were killed when a tractor trolley in which they were travelling turned turtle in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district late Thursday night, police said.

The accident took place at Katghora area in the district, some 200 km north of capital Raipur.

Officials at the police headquarters here said the driver of the tractor trolley, that was full of daily wagers, lost control of the vehicle while crossing a small bridge and it turned turtle, killing 10 workers.

Six other workers were seriously injured and were taken to a government hospital.

South African man kills self after failing to get ID papers

by

Durban, September 04: A South African man committed suicide after failing to get identity papers, BuaNews reported Thursday.

Douglas S’khumbuzo Mhlongo, 22, reportedly committed suicide after his urgent ID application papers were torn up by a Pinetown home affairs’ official.

According to the department, the man was applying for an urgent ID so he could start a on a new job Monday but department officials refused to help him as they suspected him of being a foreign national.

He is believed to have subsequently committed suicide Friday night.