Month: September 2009

Fardeen’s the best son-in-law

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Mumbai, September 25: We all know that Fardeen Khan has been a perfect beta to his father. Now, he is playing the perfect jamai to his in-laws. Last week he went abroad with wife Natasha, to celebrate pa-in-law’s birthday. While things on the family front seem to be settling down, Fardeen has sworn to invest most of his time in his career now. He wants to do everything he can to augment his career, and he’s started with knocking some flab off his face. A good start, indeed.

—Agencies

Pakistani Taliban stronger than ever: Militant

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Islamabad, September 25: Pakistan’s Taliban movement is stronger than ever despite the killing of its top commander and will stage more suicide attacks if the army launches another offensive against it, a top militant has claimed. Qari Hussain Mehsud, known for training Taliban suicide bombers, met with an AP reporter Thursday at a secret location in North Waziristan, near the Afghan border, just hours before a U.S. missile strike hit the tribal region and killed 12 people.

Australian envoy downplays support to China

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New Delhi, September 25: Australia’s new high commissioner Peter Varghesedownplayed onThursday his government’s support of China’s stand on Arunachal with regard to a loan application from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), claiming the Oz vote was “neither pro-China nor anti-India”.

Rani speaks out!

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Mumbai, September 25: With a petite frame and a million watt smile, Rani Mukherjee knows to charm her audience in real as well as reel life.

Unsettled India aim to win CT opening against Pak

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Centurion, September 25: Ravaged by injuries and unsettled by a disappointing build-up, India would seek to draw inspiration from history when they clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in their Champions Trophy opener here tomorrow.

Already missing star performers like opener Virender Sehwag and pacer Zaheer Khan, India were dealt another massive blow when middle-order mainstay Yuvraj Singh was forced to return home owing a fractured right-hand finger.

Illegal arms factory unearthed, one arrested

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Bijnor (UP), September 25: Police today claimed to have unearthed an illegal arms factory and arrested a person in village Bhoganwala here.

According to police, the arrested Zakir had been manufacturing illegal arms in his house and supplying them to anti-socials.

Several fire arms, including three guns and two pistols, were recovered from the place.
–PTI

M&M may buy Kirloskar Oil’s stake in Swaraj Engines: Report

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Mumbai, September 25: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd is planning to up its stake in Swaraj Engines by buying out Kirloskar Oil Engines’ stake in the latter, a financial daily reported on Friday.

Swaraj Engines was formed in technical collaboration with Kirloskar Oil, which currently holds 17.39 percent stake in the firm.

Mahindra & Mahindra, India’s top tractor maker, has a 33.2 percent stake in Swaraj Engines and is planning to consolidate its stake in the firm to expand the diesel engines business, the paper said quoting bankers familiar with the development.

Congress goes northwards to win Mumbai

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Mumbai, September 25: The Congress’ decision to field more North Indian candidates in the city is part of a well thought out strategy to encash and consolidate the non-Marathi votes in its favour.

Assembly Elections 2009Sensing that 26% of Marathi votes would be split between the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Congress has stuck to its pan-Indian image, giving greater preference to the non-Marathi candidates in Mumbai, which has 36 assembly seats.

Rupee depreciates by 30 paise at 48.25 in opening trade

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Mumbai, September 25: The Indian rupee on Friday fell by 30 paise against the dollar in opening trade on expectation of fresh capital outflows as markets may open with losses in line with other Asian bourses.

Dollar’s gain against other Asian currencies and demand for the US currency from importers also put pressure on the Indian rupee.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange
(Forex) market, the domestic unit declined by 30 paise to 48.25 a dollar over its previous close. The rupee appreciated by 3 paisa to close at 47.95/96 in the previous session.

Sesa Goa to raise up to Rs 6,000 cr

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Mumbai, September 25: Domestic mining firm Sesa Goa on Friday said it will raise funds to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore through the issue of various securities
in domestic as well as overseas markets.

The company plans to raise the said amount through the issue of Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds
(FCCB), qualified institutional placements, global depository receipts, warrants or any other securities.

A shareholders meeting would be held on October 20, to consider the fund raising of up to Rs 6,000 crore and an FCCBs issue of USD 500 million, Sesa Goa informed the BSE.

Aamer targets Tendulkar’s wicket tomorrow

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Karachi, September 25: Pakistan’s teenage pace sensation Muhammad Aamer is targetting the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in tomorrow’s hugely anticipated Champions Trophy clash with India in Centurion, South Africa.

“He is a great batsman and I would love to get his wicket. I have worked out a plan on how to bowl to him but it will all depend on what sort of pitch they have at the Centurion,” Aamer said from Johannesburg.

The 18-year old left arm pacer said he has always dreamed of playing for Pakistan against India.

Haryana polls will be multi-cornered

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Chandigarh, September 25: Unlike the previous assembly elections, especially the last one in 2005, the polls in Haryana next month will be a multi-cornered one on all 90 seats.

The ruling Congress, whose government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda got the previous assembly dissolved seven months ahead of schedule, seems to be on a strong political footing. But there are many other players wanting to test the waters for the Oct 13 polls.

Centre to introduce EOC bill: Khurshid

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Hyderabad, September 25: The Centre today said it will introduce Equal Right Opportunities Commission bill in the Parliament’s winter session.

The EOC would be a major step towards doing away with majority/minority and public/private sector divides, Union Minister of State for Corporate and Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid said.

The ministry is contemplating providing jobs to Muslims by offering private sectors various sops on the lines of SEZs and subsidies, Khurshid said while addressing a seminar at Osmania University here.
–PTI

Is Karishma pregnant?

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Mumbai, September 25: The perennially svelte Karisma Kapoor, whose figure has been the envy of many a successor in Bollywood, is looking curvier than usual these days.

The rumour that her daughter, Samaira, might have a little sibling soon is also strong, after sis Kareena reportedly told the media that she’s very excited about her sister expecting a second child. At a recent Delhi do, when DT asked Karisma if the good news was true, she only smiled and replied gaily, “It’s something very personal. All I would say is that we are very happy at the moment.”

Kalavati files papers from Wani assembly seat

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Nagpur, September 25: Ending uncertainty over her contesting polls, Kalavati Bandurkar, whom Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mentioned in Parliament to highlight the plight of debt-ridden farmers in Vidarbha, today filed nomination papers from Wani assembly constituency as an independent.

Kalavati, who was hospitalised late last night after she complained of chest pain, was accompanied by a physician and Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJS) President Kishori Tiwari, when she drove in an ambulance to the Assistant Returning officer in Wani to file the papers, Tiwari told PTI.

Cipla to raise Rs 676 cr via QIP issue

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Mumbai, September 25: Drug Firm Cipla on Friday said it will raise Rs 676 crore through the issue of equity shares on institutional placement basis.

The board of directors of the company have approved the issuance of up to 2.56 crore equity shares at Rs 263.75 per equity share, thus garnering Rs 676 crore, Cipla said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The QIP issue closed on Thursday.

Shares of the company were trading at Rs 261.50, up 0.97 per cent on the BSE.

The filing further said the price of the QIP issue was fixed at Rs 263.75 per share.

–Agencies

49.1 per cent of Indians in high heart attack risk zone

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Chennai, September 25: It is that time of the year when you listen to your heart, quite literally. World Heart Day, falling on the last Sunday of September every year, is only a reminder to do the above. World Heart Day, the World Heart Federation tells us, was created to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.2 million lives each year.

G20 leaders agree on bonuses, divided on IMF

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 25: Leaders of the main world economies began a summit hosted by Barack Obama, looking to curb bankers’ pay and agree on how best to overhaul the financial system.

Even before the US president and First Lady Michelle Obama sat down for a gala dinner to host their first major summit, tough new rules on limiting bonuses and executive pay were in the offing.

Disputes on the long-awaited reform of the International Monetary Fund, however, opened a rift between Europe and emerging nations as voting rights came to the fore at the Group of 20 summit.

G-20 meet: Consensus still eludes on outcome

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Pittsburgh, September 25: As the US stepped up efforts to clinch an agreement at the G-20 Summit here tomorrow for a sustainable economic growth, countries like India are still not ready for withdrawing the global economic stimulus package as they feel it is necessary to quicken the recovery process.

Despite differences, US officials are confident that a broad consensus has been evolved at the preparatory meetings on the need for higher capital reserve requirements in banks and other financial institutions, the lack of which led to collapse of institutions last year.

ING to sell Australia, NZ jv to ANZ for $1.6 bn

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Amsterdam/Sydney, September 25: ING said it will sell its 51 percent stakes in ING Australia and ING New Zealand to joint venture partner ANZ for USD 1.6 billion in cash as part of its global restructuring.

ING Groep NV, which received 10 billion euros (USD 14.7 billion) in state aid last October and a 22 billion euro government asset guarantee in January, is raising 6-8 billion euros through asset sales as part of a restructuring plan announced in April.

Diouf faces racism police probe

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Merseyside, September 25: Merseyside Police have pledged to investigate race allegations against El Hadji Diouf with rigour, while Everton have called on the Blackburn striker to apologise and retract his claim that he was subjected to racial abuse during Sunday’s Premier League match at Goodison Park.

‘India’s moon water probe could yield more finds’

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New Delhi, September 25: Indian space scientists whose satellite detected water on the Moon’s surface said Friday their programme might yield further discoveries once all the data is analysed.

“Chandrayaan I has found water on the moon, it is a grand success,” the chairman of the Indian Space Research Management, G. Madhavan Nair, told reporters.

“Our team is analysing all the details. There could be much more interesting facts. We will talk about all of it once we have concrete data analysis report.”