Month: December 2009

Iraq deaths: US Marines to hold hearing for officer

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Baghdad, December 02: A Camp Pendleton Marine officer whose criminal charges of failing to investigate the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians were dismissed must clear one final hurdle before retirement.

An administrative military panel will begin an inquiry Wednesday to determine if Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, of Rangely, Colo., should be demoted in retirement — something his attorney says could cost Chessani millions of dollars in lost pension, health and retirement benefits.

Corruption, cost escalation in Delhi govt CWG projects: BJP

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New Delhi, December 02: Alleging “massive corruption” in all infrastructure projects linked to the Commonwealth Games 2010, BJP on Wednesday said Delhi Government has been spending huge sum of money “mindlessly” to speed up work on them as the mega event approaches.

Alleging that the Government was responsible for “inordinate delays” in implementation of various key projects, senior party leader V K Malhotra said huge cost escalation of work was only benefitting the builders.

Tata Tele starts TV services on Broadband

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New Delhi, December 02: Tata Teleservices, which offers telecom services on both the GSM and CDMA platforms, today launched a new application, allowing its mobile broadband subscribers watch television channels on personal computers and laptops.

The service – Photon TV – is available to the Tata Photon plus users across 22 states, Anil Sardana, Tata Teleservices Managing Director, told reporters here.

A personal computer and laptop-based video streaming application, photon TV allows users to view sports, news and movie channels.

The photon TV service works on a subscription model.

I can never imagine acting again’

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Mumbai, December 02: Twinkle Khanna seems content and happy as an interior designer and says she doesn’t miss the silver screen

Home is where the heart is. And that’s exactly where Twinkle Khanna’s heart is set. As private and closed as a house, one immediately knows why many top ‘A’ listers choose her to design their humble abode.

An interior designer by profession, Twinkle calls her stint with films as a small phase in her life but the minute you get her to talk about interiors, you’ll see an unmistakable twinkle in her eye.

Large-scale vacancy in teaching posts in IITs, IIMs

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New Delhi, December 02: Centrally-funded technical Institutions, including IITs and IIMs, are suffering due to about 25 per cent shortage of faculty, the Lok Sabha was told today.

The vacancy has arisen due to retirement and resignations in these top institutes, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said in a written reply.

Giving details of the vacancies, he said the faculty position in the IITs stands at 2,983 against the sanctioned strength of 4,267. Similarly, there are 388 faculty members against the sanctioned strength of 468 in the IIMs.

No sponsor in sight, BCCI extends Sahara contract by 6 months

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Mumbai, December 02: Struggling to find a new sponsor for the Indian cricket team, the BCCI today decided to extend its existing contract with Sahara by another six months.

After a meeting of the Marketing Committee presided over by president Shashank Manohar, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said the board has decided to extend the team sponsorship contract of Sahara by six months on the existing terms and conditions.

“Before the expiry of the extension period, a fresh tender would be issued, inviting bids for the same,” Srinivasan said.

Iran releases five Britons detained from yacht

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Tehran, December 02: Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have released five Britons detained in the Gulf after their yacht apparently strayed into Iranian waters, Britain’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday.

Britain had stressed the five men, detained on November 25, were civilians and called for their speedy release. A senior Iranian official warned on Tuesday that Iran would take serious measures against the five if it proved they had “evil intentions.”

“After getting necessary guarantees, Iran released the five,” the Guards said, state radio reported.

Israeli police arrest settler leader in West Bank

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Jerusalem, December 02: Israeli settlers say police have arrested the mayor of a West Bank Jewish community after settlers blocked security from enforcing a construction freeze.

Settler spokesman Yishai Hollender say police apprehended Avi Naim for disrupting a police officer in the line of duty.

He said Naim and a group of settlers blocked the entrance to their Beit Arieh settlement in the central West Bank on Wednesday when troops arrived to hand out orders to cease construction at the site.

I hope ‘New Moon’ breaks all records in India: Pattinson

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New Delhi, December 02: He is the most lovable bloodsucker in Hollywood history with his turn as vampire Edward Cullen and now young heartthrob Robert Pattinson hopes to conquer the hearts of his fans in India with ‘New Moon’.

The film, second in the blockbuster ‘Twilight’ saga, is releasing in India on December 11 and the British actor is confident that it will break all the records in the country.

“I expect that ‘New Moon’ breaks all the records in India too. I hope people like the film and it becomes a craze there,” Pattinson told PTI in an email interview.

Anti-Sikh riots one of the most tragic events: Pranab

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New Delhi, December 02: Amid opposition demands for immediately bringing to book culprits of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Government today described the incident as ‘one of the most tragic events’ and assured Lok Sabha that it would do its best under the given circumstances.

“Everyone of us feels ashamed that this happened. …We cannot get back the lives we lost, we cannot remove the agony (of those affected) … We can take a vow and draw a lesson that in future this does not happen,” Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee said.

‘Pappu’-type civic sense awareness campaign in Delhi

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New Delhi, December 02: Have you met “thu thu kumars”, “kuda kumars” or “poly uncles” on the streets of Delhi?

People who spit, urinate, throw polybags or litter in public places will get a civic sense awareness message from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under an audio-visual and poster campaign to be launched in the city soon.

Aimed at instilling civic sense among citizens and making Delhi cleaner ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the campaign will involve installing nearly 600 huge hoardings at strategic places in the city, including bus stops and kiosks.

Iran frees five detained British sailors, says Fars

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Tehran, December 02: Five British yachtsmen detained last week in southern Gulf waters by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have been released, the elite force said in a statement today.

“The five Britishers who had illegally entered with their vessel into the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran and who were arrested near the Siri island have been freed hours ago,” Fars news agency quoted the statement as saying.

The Guards said the five sailors were interrogated and “after investigation it became evident that their illegal entry was a mistake.”

Congress is ‘intolerant’ to Orissa: BJD govt

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Bhubaneswar, Decembner 02: Launching a scathing attack on the Centre, Orissa government has alleged that the Congress has always been “intolerant” towards the state.

While replying to a debate last night in the Assembly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro claimed that the Congress leadership had never tolerated leaders like former Chief Minister Harekrushna Mahatab, Biju Patnaik, Nandini Satpathy and J B Patnaik.

Dilshan poised for 2nd century; India fight back

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Mumbai, December 02: India fought back in splendid fashion with three quick wickets in the second session of play on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium here today.

From 117 for one at lunch, the visitors slid to 188 for four before recovering again to reach 213 for four wickets at tea.

Online course in leadership and democracy for women

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New Delhi, December 02: For women wanting to learn the basics of politics, help is now just a click away.

The Centre for Social Research in association with Central Government and UN agencies have launched an online certificate programme in leadership and democracy for women.

The course — which can be accessed through www.womenleadership.in — is free of cost and provides basics for political participation, gender politics and leadership.

According to the organisers, the course seeks to bridge the information gap and empower women to become future leaders.

RS member demands arrest of Google India chief

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New Delhi, December 02: A demand was made in the Rajya Sabha to arrest the chief of Google India and impose a ban on the site for allegedly hosting advertisements related to pre-natal sex determination in violation of law.

“The chief of the Google India site should be arrested and prosecuted immediately and a ban should be put on the Google site,” Brinda Karat (CPI-M) said raising the the issue during Zero Hour.

Wakf board chairman Sait quits

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Hyderabad, December 02: Upset over the increasing political interference by some ministers and legislators in managing the activities of the state wakf board, the board, chairman Iliyas Sait on Monday submitted his resignation to chief minister K Rosaiah.

Though he said that he was quitting on health grounds, board sources claim that Illiyas had taken this decision because the minister for major industries
, K Laxminarayana and Congress MLA from Guntur (east), Mastan Vali were not allowing him to function in free manner since last year.

After ‘break’, KCR resumes fast

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Khammam, December 02: Less than 12 hours after TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao ‘‘broke’’ his fast, party leaders saw a ‘‘conspiracy’’ and asserted that the separatist leader’s indefinite hunger strike was on. That set the tone for the proceedings on Tuesday. The confusion, for a time compounded by rumours, on Rao’s U-turn was replaced by tension and high drama as police and TRS leaders slugged it out at the Government Area Hospital here.

Cops doubling efforts to face ‘Liberhan effect’

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Hyderabad, December 02: With the ‘Black Day’ five days away, it is not only the anticipated protests against the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6 that are worrying the Hyderabad city police this time. The sleuths, in fact, are more worried about the possible reactions to Justice MS Liberhan’s report on the mosque demolition.

‘Muslims will punish Swiss by emptying accounts’

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Ankara, December 02: A Turkish minister has said he expected Muslims to withdraw their money from Swiss banks in response to a referendum vote that banned the construction of minarets in the country, in remarks published today.

“I am certain this (the vote) will prompt our brothers from Muslim countries who keep their money and investments in Swiss banks to review their decision,” State Minister Egemen Bagis, who is also Turkey’s chief negotiator in EU accession talks, was quoted as saying in the mass-selling Hurriyet daily.

Red gram scarce at fair price shops

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Guntur, December 02: With the Government reducing the quota of essential commodities in the district, the people who are dependent on PDS are facing difficulties.

Rice, sugar, red gram and wheat are being sold through PDS. Of late, with the prices of red gram and sugar shooting up in the open market, these commodities are not being distributed through PDS on time.

Ration card-holders are trying in vain to buy essentials at fair prices shops for the last two months. Usually, 548 matric tonnes red gram and 750 matric tonnes sugar are distributed through fair price shops in the district.

ONGC, partners to invest USD 10 bn in Iran projects

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New Delhi, December 02: Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and its partners will invest about USD 10 billion in two giant gas fields and an LNG project in Iran, Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Seifollah Jashnsaz said.

Iran will also sell 6 million tonnes a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India to meet its growing energy needs.

ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of the state explorer, and Hinduja Group firm Ashok Leyland Projects Services (ALPS) late yesterday evening signed agreements to take 40 per cent stake in Phase 12 of the gigantic South Pars gas field, he said.

TRS leaders want KCR shifted to Cherlapalli pris

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Hyderabad, December 02: A delegation of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders today called on Chief Minister K Rosaiah demanding shifting of their party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao from Khammam sub-jail to Cherlapalli Central Prison near Hyderabad immediately. They also wanted the State Government to lift all the cases registered against the TRS president apart from providing police protection.

Elders angry over China objecting to Ladakh border road

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New Delhi, December 02: Members in the Rajya Sabha today took strong exception to halting of work at Ladakh border road because of Chinese objection and said it was “humiliating” and a “challenge to India’s sovereignty”.

Raising the issue in Zero Hour, Shreegopal Vyas (BJP) said, “It is very humiliating and a challenge to India’s sovereignty.”

Noting that 35 members in Lok Sabha have conveyed their concern to the government over the issue, he sought to know why Indian Army did not respond when Chinese forces intruded into Indian territory to stop the construction and beat up workers.

Journalism values take backseat, says Amar

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Hyderabad, December 02: The value of journalism has taken a back seat as the media is giving importance to profits, Andhra Pradesh Press Academy Chairman D Amar said.

Speaking at the 14th Narla Memorial Endowment Lecture on `The Changing Face of Media’ here today, he said Indian journalism can be seen in three parts – Nehruvian era, pre and post Indira Gandhi era. “Till 1960, Indian Press was not a critic of the Government.