Month: September 2009

Lead poisons 121 children in eastern China

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Beijing, September 27: Medical tests have shown at least 121 children living near a battery plant in eastern China are suffering from lead poisoning, the latest in a recent string of such cases that have affected hundreds.

Two medical agencies tested 287 children younger than 14 years of age for lead poisoning and found 121 of them had excessive levels of lead in their blood, the government of Shanghang county in Fujian province said in a statement late Saturday. An investigation was ongoing, it said.

In Afghanistan they held a recount, but not many cared

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Kabul, September 27: Surveying the dried-up farmland around him, Ghama gave a wry smile when asked what he thought of the government in Afghanistan.

In Yatimchay, a remote part of Helmand within touching distance of the Taliban front line, the current row over election fraud is irrelevant to farmers whose greatest concern is bringing in a crop and keeping their children from stumbling on scattered bombs.

Blast in Afghan west kills at least three – residents

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Kabul, September 27: An explosion outside a school on Sunday in Afghanistan’s western city of Herat killed three people and wounded 16, residents and a doctor said, but its cause was not immediately clear.

A private television station said the blast was caused by a suicide bomber as a cabinet minister was passing on a road leading to the city’s airport.

The network said Ismail Khan, minister for power and water, survived the attack. No government official was available for comment.

-Agencies

Iran tests new missiles in war games – state TV

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Tehran, September 27: Iran tested new missiles as its elite Revolutionary Guards began several days of war games on Sunday, state television reported.

Iran’s English-language television channel Press TV said the tests included short-range missiles and a multiple missile launcher.

-Agencies

Myanmar opposition unsure on election boycott

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Bangkok, September 27: Myanmar’s junta has not yet fixed the dates for elections in 2010 but the opposition is already debating whether to boycott them and lose all influence or take part in what critics say is a sham.

The military regime forced through a new constitution in 2008 — just days after Cyclone Nargis devastated the country leaving 138,000 people dead — under which the first national polls for 20 years will be held.

”Make war ruins peace heritage sites”

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New Delhi, September 27: War ruins should be declared peace heritage sites to end raging conflicts and promote peace tourism, an activist has proposed here. Sandeep Silas, a 1984-batch Indian Railway Traffic Services officer, has conceptualised ”Garland of Peace” as an initiative to his demand for declaring war ruins as peace heritage sites.

Congress playing big brother in Goa: NCP

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Panaji, September 27: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the junior partner in Goa’s ruling coalition, has alleged that the Congress is trying to marginalise it, accentuating the rift within the alliance.

‘The Congress is trying to play big brother here. They seem to be upbeat after the results of the last general elections. There are clear attempts to marginalise the NCP in Goa,’ Avinash Bhonsle, the party’s state general secretary, told IANS.

Iran defiant over secret nuclear facility

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Tehran, September 27: In an atmosphere beginning to seem increasingly like a brinkmanship contest, Iran and the rest of the world exchanged pugnacious messages yesterday over the nation’s burgeoning nuclear capability, and the threat it poses to non-proliferation.

Diwali bonuses likely as India Inc optimistic

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New Delhi, September 27: As India Inc treads with cautious optimism amid improving economic climate, it is likely to brighten this Diwali for its employees with bonuses, though tempered ones, experts say.

After weathering difficult days due to the global downturn companies are seeing positive sentiment trickling in, which may propel them to dole out bonuses this Diwali.

Japan mulls Afghan military aircraft plan: report

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Tokyo, September 27: Japan is considering using military aircraft to deliver relief supplies to Afghan refugees as an alternative to its naval mission supporting US-led operations in Afghanistan, a report said Sunday.

Newly elected Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama plans to end the Indian Ocean naval refuelling mission, which expires in January.

The alternative plan would use C-130 transport aircraft to deliver food, tents and other supplies to the estimated 1.8 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the Japanese business daily Nikkei reported, without naming sources.

Motherhood made Lopez a better actress

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London, September 27: Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez may be juggling her career with motherhood, but the experience has made her a better actress. The singer-actress credits her toddler twins, Max and Emme with husband Marc Anthony, for giving her a new perspective on tackling movie roles.

The 40-year-old actress who is making a comeback after taking two years off to nurse the twins, says that she has emerged a better actress. “I”d done it before, I”d had children in movies.

But now I have a whole new perspective. That makes it more real,” said Lopez.

My father never gives me career advice: Riteish

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Mumbai, September 27: Bollywood’s boy-next-door Riteish Deshmukh has been in the industry for six years now, but he says his politician father has never interfered in his career or given him professional advice.

‘My father never gives me career advice because in our house it’s always giving each one his own space and allowing them to make their own decisions. There is no interference,’ Riteish told IANS.

The 31-year-old, who will be seen in films like ‘Do Knot Disturb’ and ‘Aladin’, is the son of former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

-IANS

My egg-faced fiance scared baby away: Rakhi

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Mumbai, September 27: Rakhi Sawant chose her fiance, Canada-based businessman Elesh Parujanwala, from among 16 prospective grooms on a TV show, but the item girl now says her would-be husband has ‘an egg-like face’.

Rakhi and Elesh are part of a new reality show ‘Pati, Patni Aur Woh’ on NDTV Imagine, where they will be seen taking care of babies of different ages. Rakhi said the first kid was scared of Elesh because of his face.

‘The kid we were given initially used to start crying whenever he used to see Elesh. I think that’s because Elesh has an egg-like face,’ she quipped.

Establishing identity a cellphone call away: Nilekani

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New Delhi, September 27: Establishing the identity of any person would be a cellphone call away once the ambitious Unique Identity Project (UIP) becomes operational, perhaps making it the first such initiative across the world.

The UIP, which aims to build a database on details of every Indian resident, will provide authorities to cross-check identities of persons they are dealing with using a cellphone, Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) Chairman Nandan Nilekani said here today.

N-order can’t discriminate: Krishna to UN

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United Nations, September 27: India on Saturday said it supports a world free of nuclear weapons, but maintained that any international accord to achieve this goal cannot be discriminatory.

“The international order cannot be discriminatory. States must fulfil the obligations they have undertaken,” External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said at the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly here.

“India attaches the highest priority to the goal of nuclear disarmament and has an impeccable non proliferation record,” he said.

Karan Johar Recreates Himself on Screen

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Mumbai, September 27: Karan Johar has decided to have a character based on none other than himself in his next film ‘I Hate Love Stories’. The film stars Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor in the lead.

The film is based on the life of a film director who makes romantic films, the real life inspiration for this character will be Karan himself and the role will be played by Sameer Dattani on screen.

US to go ahead with India n-deal: Hillary Clinton

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New York, September 27: The United States has reassured India that it would move forward with their landmark civil nuclear deal notwithstanding New Delhi’s position that it would not sign the discriminatory Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conveyed this to External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna as they met here Friday to discuss the shape of their emerging strategic partnership, said Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake briefing reporters on the meeting between the two leaders.

70 set off on cycles to conquer rocky Himalayan terrain

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Shimla, September 27: Seventy intrepid cyclists set out from here Sunday morning to conquer the rocky Himalayan terrain for the fifth edition of the Hercules Mountain Biking Himachal-2009, considered India’s toughest cycle rally.

During the 652-km expedition, the cyclists will test their level of endurance and skill on the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas over the next 10 days, cycling over hills and through streams of the picturesque state.

No discrimination against Bharti-MTN deal: SA Prez

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Bangalore, September 27: The proposed $23-billion Bharti-MTN deal, which had run into trouble over the issue of dual listing and the revised Sebi takeover norms, received a shot in the arm with the South African President Jacob Zuma assuring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the deal would not be subject to any discriminatory treatment in his country.

IAF women officers to scale Mt Everest in 2011

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New Delhi, September 27: A team of IAF”s women officers will make an attempt to conquer the Mount Everest, the world”s highest peak, in 2011. “An all-woman IAF mountaineering team of 20 officers will endeavour to scale the 8,848-metre high Mount Everest in 2011,” IAF officials said here.

Blast outside school in west Afghanistan – residents

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Kabul, September 27: An explosion was heard outside a school on Sunday in Afghanistan’s western city of Herat, residents said, but the cause was not immediately clear and it was not known if there were any casualties.

A private television station said the blast was caused by a suicide bomber as a cabinet minister was passing on a road leading to the city’s airport

—Agencies

Two die of swine flu in Gujarat; toll reaches 30

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Ahmedabad, September 27: Two persons died of swine flu in Gujarat in last two days, taking the toll due to the deadly virus in the state to 30, a senior health official said today.

Muljibhai Prajapati, 48, who had tested positive for H1N1 virus, died at a private hospital in Surat today, Ravi Saxena, Principal Secretary (health), said.

Another person, a 37-year-old Meenaben Pokia, who was undergoing treatment at the New Civil Hospital here, died of the infection yesterday, he said. So far, 190 positive cases of swine flu have been reported from the state.

-PTI

China formally begins probe into U.S. chicken parts

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Beijing, September 27: China on Sunday formally launched an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into chicken parts imports from the U.S., two days after U.S. lawmakers agreed to end a gag order that prevented the U.S. from even considering importing Chinese cooked poultry.

China had said it would investigate chicken wings and feet, as well as automotive imports from the U.S., immediately after the Obama administration decided to impose hefty “safeguard” duties on Chinese-made tires.

India shouldn’t hold back ties on 26/11 probe: Pak

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New York, September 27: The Indian and Pakistani Foreign Secretaries met in New York on Saturday to prepare the ground for the crucial talks between their Foreign Ministers.

With India insisting on concrete steps against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan said India should not hold the relationship back on a single issue as it has done what was “required” in the case.

Bharti-MTN talks could go into overtime: analysts

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New Delhi, September 27: Talks between India’s top mobile firm Bharti and South Africa’s flagship cellular group MTN may have to be extended due to new hurdles in their bid to create a telecoms giant, analysts say.

But a deal could still emerge despite regulatory obstacles that have cropped up in the complex 24-billion-dollar share-swap negotiations, they said.

The latest deadline set by Bharti Airtel, owned by tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal, and MTN to wrap up exclusive talks to create the world’s third-largest mobile phone operator by subscribers expires Wednesday.