Month: December 2009

EU leaders want details on China emissions plan

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Beijing, December 01: European leaders called on China to provide details on how it plans to curb its greenhouse gas emissions, saying today that Beijing’s status as the world’s largest polluter gives it a special responsibility to combat global warming.

India, meanwhile, is under growing pressure to offer up a plan of any kind with less than week to go before 192 nations gather in Copenhagen to try to craft an international agreement for controlling emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases believed responsible for global warming.

Soyuz TMA-15 undocks in Moscow

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Moscow, December 01: In adding another cap to mankind’s quest for knowledge, Russian manned spacecraft Soyuz TMA-15, was undocked from International Space Station (ISS), Xinhua has informed from the Mission Control Center outside Moscow.

The spaceship, with three ISS crew members aboard, undocked from the station at 6:56 a.m. Moscow time (0356 GMT), the Mission Control said.

The spacecraft’s reentry vehicle is to land near the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan at about 10:16 a.m. Moscow time (0716 GMT).

‘Your touch spreads love, not AIDS’

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Washington, December 01: Love transcends all boundaries. It is love, which brings two strangers together. It helps in a better understanding between friends. It is the only way to show and express human emotions. A mere expression and true gesture of love can make anybody yours. However, the word is losing its force in today’s scenario and sex is gaining momentum. Sex – though, an essential aspect of anybody’s life – is incomplete without love.

Late cancer diagnosis kills 10,000 a year in UK

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London, December 01: Nearly 10,000 cancer patients needlessly die every year in Britain due to of late diagnosis, an official report has said.

The figure is double the earlier estimate of 5,000 fatalities, according to the report by the government’s director of cancer services.

Professor Mike Richards, who prepared the report, revised the estimate after studying the three deadliest forms of the disease — lung, bowel and breast cancer — that together kill almost 63,000 people a year in UK, The Guardian reported.

Loneliness ‘spreads like a disease’

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London, December 01: Believe it or not, loneliness spreads like a disease.

An international team has carried out the study and found that people who feel lonesome can spread that feeling to others “like a cold”.

The study found that lonely people tend to spread their outlook on life to others and that over time the whole group of lonely, disconnected people move to the fringes of society, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported.

Fear of anxiety makes worriers prone to depression

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Washington, December 01: The fear of anxiety may put people who are already severe worriers at risk for depression, says a new study.

Understanding this specific sensitivity may make it a potential target for treating depression in the future.

“Anxiety sensitivity has been called a fear of fear,” said Andres Viana, graduate student in psychology at Penn State University (PSU).

“Those with anxiety sensitivity are afraid of their anxiety because their interpretation is that something catastrophic is going to happen when their anxious sensations arise,” he said.

Sharmila calls for better focus and face to raise profile of IFFI

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Panaji, December 01: Veteran Actress Sharmila Tagore called for raising the profile of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) by getting a prominent film personality to be the face of the festival and ensure a better focus for the event.
“International film festivals need a face to raise its profile. Bureaucrats gets transferred whereas prominent film personalities are a continuity. The face of the festival can be a prominent artiste. Besides, Indian cinema does not mean Bollywood. In the last few years, I have seen this event getting Bollywood-centric,” she told reporters.

Naseeruddin Shah, Padmini Kohlapure team up for `Bolo Raam`

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New Delhi, December 01: After a long gap Bollywood verterans Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Padmini Kohlapure will be seen together in murder mystery `Bolo Raam`.

The film, which is releasing on December 31, marks the debut of Rishi Bhutani and has been directed by theatre actor Rakesh Chaturvedi `Om`.

`Bolo Raam` is the story of a boy Raam Kaushik (Rishi), who is charged with the murder of his mother Archana, played by Kohlapure. Raam falls in to a state of shock, brief psychotic disorder, after his mother`s death and become silent, refusing to talk or react in any manner.

Salman Khan to play a superhero in ‘Mr India 2’?

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Mumbai, December 01: There is something about Salman Khan’s attitude and style that makes filmmakers aspire to do a heroic film with him. When the actor thumps his well-sculpted chest and gnarls in aggression, then unreal becomes real and that’s why films like ‘Wanted’ go on to be a super-hit. Latest news has it that after the period melo-drama ‘Veer’, Salman may be seen as a superhero in the sequel of the super-hit film ‘Mr India’.

Farhan Akhtar ditches childhood pal Abhishek Bachchan

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Mumbai, December 01: They might have been childhood friends but Farhan Akhtar is not willing to share screen space with Abhishek Bachchan. The actor, who was all set to be a part of Rohan Sippy`s film has now walked out of the project for reasons unknown.

The film that was to be made with Abhishek Bachchan, Pratik Babbar and Farhan is now short of a lead actor. Sources suggest that since Rohan was childhood friends with Abhishek and Farhan, he did not see this coming and is now desperately looking for a third actor for his flick.

China justifies Ladakh road protest, wants row resolved

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Srinagar, December 01: A day after reports emerged about China objecting to the construction of a road in Ladakh and the government of Jammu & Kashmir stopped it, the Chinese government on Tuesday justified its stance, saying the two countries had a problem on the border which needed to be resolved.

“China has a dispute with India on the border issue. The two sides should work together to ensure peace and stability in the border area until the pending dispute is resolved. Until pending issue is resolved peace should prevail,” China’s Foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said.

I was called terrorist lawyer in court: Kasab’s ex-lawyer

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Mumbai, December 01: Abbas Kazmi, who was sacked as the lawyer of Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab by a special trial court, on Tuesday alleged that he had to face

“I was called a terrorist lawyer in the court. I was called Abu Abbas and it was said that Pakistan was going to reward me. Finally I was called a liar,” Kazmi told reporters a day after his removal.

He alleged that on one occasion when the court was recording the testimony of FBI official, prosecutor Nikam said, “Now the terrorist lawyer will cross-examine you.”

Obama to send 30,000 more troops to Afghan

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Washington, December 01: President Barack Obama will announce he is sending 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan within six months in a swift surge but limit the duration of their deployment.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of Obama’s nationwide address on his new Afghan war strategy later Tuesday, said that the president would insist on establishing a ‘back-end’ to the new deployment.

MTNL launches per second billing plan

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New Delhi, December 01: State-run telecom service provider Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) Tuesday announced per second billing scheme for its 2G and 3G customers in the Delhi and Mumbai circles.

Under the plan, calls made within the MTNL network will be charged half paise per second, while calls to other networks across the country will be charged one paise per second, the company said.

MTNL will also provide video calls across its 3G network for one paise per second.

Tata Motors sales up 65 percent in November

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Kolkata, December 01: Auto major Tata Motors has reported 65 percent rise in its commercial and passenger vehicle sales in November compared to the corresponding month last year.

The company sold 54,108 vehicles (including exports) last month as against 32,696 vehicles sold in November 2008, it said in a statement Tuesday.

Domestic sales stood at 50,114 vehicles, up 64 percent from 30,556 sold in the Indian market in November last year.

Tight security for second phase of Jharkhand polls

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Ranchi, December 01: Amid Maoists’ call for poll boycott, elaborate security arrangements including air surveillance have been put in place for the second phase of elections to 14 assembly seats, most of them Naxal-hit, in Jharkhand tomorrow.

“There will be helicopter surveillance while adequate security forces are there at all sensitive booths,” Inspector General of Police V H Deshmukh told PTI here today.

A total of 30,96,854 electorates are eligible for voting in Kodarma, Barhi, Mandu, Ramgarh, Gandey, Giridih, Dumri, Gomia, Tamar, Silli, Khijri, Mandar, Khunti and Pakur.

Shah Rukh making regular inputs for KKR comeback: Whatmore

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Kolkata, December 01: Undaunted by the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) poor show in the first two editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), franchisee owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is in constant touch with the team as it strives to force a comeback in the coming season of the cash-rich cricket league under a new coach.

“We have been in constant touch with Shah Rukh Khan. There have been regular inputs from Shah Rukh,” the side’s new Aussie coach Dav Whatmore told mediapersons after a two-day camp at the Eden Gardens here.

RSS also helps in evolving culture: Sangh leader

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New Delhi, December 01: RSS is an organisation which not only work towards propogating Hinduism but involves itself in helping the country evolve its culture, a senior Sangh leader said today.

“RSS works for Indian culture which follows the principle of ‘also’ as against the idea of ‘only’ as propogated by foreign cultures,” RSS Sahsarsanghchalak Dattatrey Hosble said here.

Hosble said Indian culture follows the idea of inclusion as against “foreign cultures which do not believe in giving space to others”.

Court upholds life term to man for acid attack on girl

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New Delhi, December 01: The Delhi High Court Tuesday upheld the life term awarded by a lower court to a man for throwing acid on a woman who had rejected his marriage proposal, blinding her in both eyes.

A division bench of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Suresh Kait upheld the life imprisonment of Yashpal alias Mukesh, who had thrown acid on the face of Renu Feb 15, 2006, after she rejected his proposal.

3 more die of swine flu, toll touches

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New Delhi, December 01: Three more persons died due to swine flu even as 198 fresh cases were reported from across the country today.

While two deaths were reported from Rajasthan, the third one was reported from Maharashtra. With this, the total toll has touched 578, the Health Ministry said.

Out of the 198 fresh cases, Delhi reported the maximum number of 92 cases, Harayana and Maharashtra followed the national capital in the list with 30 and 13 cases respectively.

Preparations under way for Etisalat-Sharjah Water Festival

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Sharjah, December 01: Preparations are under way for the Etisalat-Sharjah Water Festival, which kicks off Wednesday on the shore of Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon in United Arab Emirates, WAM news agency reported Tuesday.

The festival, which will run Dec 2-12, is one of the biggest family entertainment events in the region and coincides with the F1 Powerboat World Championship – Sharjah Grand Prix, being hosted by the emirate for the tenth year.

Pleasantly surprised at the way people using RTI: Ansari

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New Delhi, December 01: Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari Tuesday inaugurated the first national Right to Information (RTI) awards here and said that he was pleasantly surprised at the manner in which citizens across the country have taken the RTI route to secure justice.

Tension in Andhra town as police arrest TRS leaders

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Hyderabad, December 01: Tension prevailed in Andhra Pradesh’s Khammam town Tuesday as key Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders were arrested when they tried to meet party chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao, who is on a ‘fast unto death’ in a hospital to press for a separate state of Telangana.

Police arrested TRS chief’s son K. Tarakarama Rao and nephew Harish Rao, both legislators, and other TRS leaders as they tried to meet him at a government-run hospital in Khammam.

Newspapers face no threat from new media: Editors

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Hyderabad, December 01: Newspapers do not face any threat of extinction despite the emergence of the new media, eminent editors from across the world say but stressed that newspapers should establish their credibility by going back to basics.

Taking part in a panel discussion on “Future of Journalism Vs Future of Newspapers” at the ongoing World Editors? Forum at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre here today, the editors noted newspapers should not abdicate their space for spot news and exclusive stories.

SP MLA booked for loot in Jaunpur

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Varanasi, December 01: A Samajwadi party MLA has been booked for allegedly assaulting and looting a man, 60 kilometres from here, police said today. Arun Yadav, son of BJP MP Ramakant Yadav has been booked following a complaint by V K Singh who charged the local MLA from Phoolpur area for assaulting him and later looting his pick-up van alongwith his accomplices, when he was heading towards Shahganj from Jaunpur.

Further investigation in the case is on, they said, adding no arrests have been made so far.

—PTI–