Month: December 2009

Minaret vote weakens Switzerland’s human rights stance: UN

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Geneva, December 01:The Swiss referendum approving a ban on construction of minarets puts the country on “a collision course with its international human rights obligations,” a UN official warned Tuesday.

Sunday’s vote was a surprise both domestically and internationally and left many Swiss concerned that the decision would make their country look intolerant.

“I hesitate to condemn a democratic vote,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a press statement in Geneva.

Bihar legislator’s father held for torture on her complaint

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Patna, December 01: A man, who allegedly tortured his wife and has not been providing financial assistance to her, was arrested on the complaint of his daughter, who is a Bihar legislator.

Janta Dal (United) legislator Guddi Devi’s father Radhey Shayam Singh was arrested in Sitamarhi district.

“Police arrested Singh after a complaint against him was filed by his daughter Guddi Devi,” a police officer said.

Guddi Devi, legislator from Runni Saidpur, had complained that her father was torturing her mother and had stopped providing financial assistance to her.

PDP slams centre’s power policy in Kashmir

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Srinagar, December 01:The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday slammed the central government for allotting large electric power projects in Jammu and Kashmir to NHPC Ltd and leaving “crumbs in the form of mini hydel projects” for the state government.

Germany, Pakistan forge economic deal, pledge cooperation

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Berlin, December 01:Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised closer cooperation between their two countries Tuesday, and heralded the signing of a new economic agreement in Berlin.

Gilani is on a four-day visit to Germany to discuss economic cooperation, as well as the insurgency along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Sonia seeks explanation from MPs who missed parliament

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New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi has sought an explanation from party MPs on their absence from the Lok Sabha Monday when question hour virtually collapsed because of missing members, a party official said Tuesday.

Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha Paban Singh Ghatowar, who has been tasked to contact the absentee MPs, told IANS: “I am contacting them to know the reason (for their absence).”

Ghatowar said some MPs said they were absent as their trains had arrived late.

GM India November sales up 65 percent

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Mumbai, December 01:The Indian arm of the US-based auto giant General Motors has reported a 65 percent jump in its November sales as compared to the corresponding month last year.

General Motors India sold 7,118 units last month as against 4,307 units in November 2008, the company said in a regulatory statement.

The auto industry saw a slowdown last year due to the global financial crisis, but the stimulus packages announced by the government helped the sector return to growth.

Dubai International Rally to start Thursday

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Dubai,December 01: The 31st Dubai International Rally would start here Thursday, WAM new agency reported Tuesday.

Sheikh Majed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum will flag-off the rally, the final round of the 2009 Middle East Rally Championship, Thursday evening from the start ramp in Burj Dubai.

Interpol red alert for Mujib killers

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Dhaka, December 01: Interpol has issued a red alert for six former Bangladesh Army officers who have been convicted for killing the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 34 years ago.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun, who made the announcement Tuesday, asked the top functionaries of the government to ‘keep mum for the time being’ on the issue, Star Online reported.

Ranji Trophy scoreboard: Delhi vs Saurashtra

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New Delhi, December 01:Scoreboard on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Super League match between Delhi and Saurashtra here Tuesday.

Saurashtra first innings:

Chirag Pathak c Kohli b Rajat Bhatia 138

Sagar Jogiyani lbw Awana 26

Shitanshu Kotak c Bisht b Suyal 14

Jaydev Shah c Bisht b Suyal 0

Cheteshwar Pujara lbw Bhatia 83

Ravindra Jadeja c Kohli b Manhas 29

Prateek Mehta b Sangwan 8

Sandeep Jobanputra c Kohli b Sangwan 4

Sandeep Maniar not out 11

Jayesh Odedra lbw Sangwan 0

Balachandran Jadeja c Jain b Awana 5

Extras:( 1-b, 1-lb, 14-w) 16

Akshay is Farah’s new best friend

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Mumbai, December 01: When a friendship goes sour, it is bound to have repercussions. Especially when the friends happen to be Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan. The effect of the fallout between the two buddies is that now Farah has a new friend – Akshay Kumar, who is starring in her next, Tees Maar Khan.

And he is an appreciative and handy man to have around. He’s putting in a word for Farah with the builder to help her get a good deal for a flat in a posh Lokhandwala building.

I’m blessed: Salman

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Mumbai, December 01: On World AIDS Day, Salman Khan writes on the films he did to spread awareness about AIDS and HIV…. In 2004, Revathi wanted to make her directorial debut in Hindi and was looking for actors for Phir Milenge.

Air India losses double to Rs.5,000 cr

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New Delhi, December 01: Cash-strapped national carrier Air India’s losses for last fiscal are expected to more than double to Rs.5,000 crore owing to the economic meltdown and low yields, Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Tuesday.

Air India had incurred a loss of Rs.2,226.16 crore during 2007-08, Patel told the Rajya Sabha.

The flag carrier of the country is making losses since 2004-05.

Sibal slams IIMs, orders probe into CAT glitch

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New Delhi, December 01: Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday slammed the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and ordered an enquiry into what prevented a large number of students from taking the online CAT entrance examination on the scheduled dates.

“This should not have happened. As government we are very concerned,” Sibal told reporters. CAT is the common admission test for entry into the premier business schools.

PM assures constructive role at Copenhagen

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New Delhi, December 01 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday assured US President Barack Obama that India is willing to play a constructive role in the negotiations over emission cuts during the forthcoming summit on climate change in Copenhagen.

Singh told Obama that New Delhi is ready for the emission cut commitments, but with certain conditions attached to it. The Prime Minister also said that he was looking forward to a successful outcome in Copenhagen.

Chidambaram backs Central team’s visit to WB, Left fumes

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New Delhi, December 01 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram Tuesday defended the Centre’s decision to send athree-member team to review situation in West Bengal in the wake of recurring political clashes between the Left parties and Trinamool Congress over the past few months.

Justifying the move, Chidambaram said, “It was strictly in accordance with the Constitution.”

The Home Minister made this remark while presenting the monthly progress report of his Ministry here.

Seven killed in shootout at Colombian cemetery

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Bogota, December 01: A shootout between suspected gang members during a burial at a cemetery left seven people dead in the southwestern Colombian city of Cali over the weekend, officials said.

Six of the victims belonged to a family that was visiting a grave at the cemetery Sunday, Cali Metropolitan Police chief Col. Miguel Angel Bojaca said.

The seventh victim belonged to one of the gangs that engaged in the shootout at the Central Cemetery in Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca province.

BJP, Left join hands to attack Govt

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New Delhi, December 01: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the CPI(M) found themselves on the same side in Parliament on Monday. The two sides came together against the visit of a Central team to the Marxist-ruled West Bengal to check on the law and order situation, following the Trinamool Congress’ complaint of attack on its workers. Earlier, the entire Opposition united on sugarcane pricing to force the government to amend the Fair and Remunerative Price Scheme.

Suicide bomber kills Pakistan parliamentarian

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Islamabad, December 01: A suicide bomber killed a provincial parliamentarian in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday after walking into the official’s house along with guests and blowing himself up.

More than a dozen people were wounded in the attack in Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan, police said.

The army, battling a Taliban insurgency, launched an offensive in Swat in late April and says it has cleared most of the area, but it still faces pockets of resistance.

Residents stage protests over power cuts

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Srinagar, December 01: Upset over unscheduled power cuts in the valley, residents today staged a dharna blocking vehicular traffic for several hours. The angry people staged protests at over dozen places including Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla districts in north Kashmir, Budgam in central and Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama in south Kashmir asking the government to provide uninterrupted power supply to the areas.

Rahul Gandhi is top newsmaker of the year on Yahoo!

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New Delhi, December 01: ”Oomph” factor does make the likes of Katrina Kaif and Rakhi Sawant popular in online media, but they have been beaten by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the top newsmaker on the popular search engine. According to Yahoo! India News, the leading online news website, Rahul emerged clear winner in the newsmaker category, followed by cricketers and Bollywood stars.

Boys found dead in pit in Delhi park

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New Delhi, December 01: Two young boys, who were missing for the last one week, were today found drowned in a seven-feet deep pit in an MCD Park in the national capital with police suspecting that they fell into it while playing. The incident was reported from the park in Shakur Basti, near the victims” home, this morning, a senior police official said.

Some construction activities were being undertaken in the park. The bodies of Arishit (4) and Arman (8) were found floating in the pit, which is filled with water upto five feet, by a group of children who were playing there.

MPs want fair deal to Bhopal gas victims

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New Delhi, December 01: A fair deal to the victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy, a fitting celebration on 150th Birth Anniversary year of Rabindranath Tagore and plea for better preservation of remains of the ancient Vikramshila university were among several issues raised in the Lok Sabha today.

Iran warns tough actions against British sailors

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Tehran, December 01: Iran says it will take strong action against five British sailors detained by the Iranian navy after their racing yacht was stopped last week in the Persian Gulf if it is proven they had “bad intentions.”

The British government says the yacht strayed inadvertantly into Iranian waters while en route from Bahrain to Dubai to join a race.

37,000 Kerala expats lost jobs due to recession: Study

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Thiruvananthapuram, December 01: At least 37,000 emigrants from Kerala have lost jobs overseas because of the global

recession, says a report released Tuesday by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), a city-based think tank.

The study, titled “Impact of Global Recession on Kerala Emigrants: Unemployment, Return Migration and Remittances”, was

conducted by demographers K.C. Zachariah and S. Irudaya Rajan and funded by the state government’s Non-resident Keralites

Affairs Department.

‘Not thinking of rankings, focus on winning series’

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Mumbai, December 01: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said his team was not giving much thought to the prospect of becoming world’s number one Test side as it would only add to the pressure when they take on Sri Lanka in the third and final match starting here tomorrow.

Leading 1-0 in the series, a win in the match starting tomorrow would catapult India to the top of the ICC list but Dhoni said thinking about the rankings would not let the side focus on the task at hand.