Month: January 2010

Bomber has provided ‘actionable’ intelligence to FBI

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Washington, January 06: Nigerian terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, charged in a botched al-Qaeda plot to blow up an American airliner, has provided useful “actionable intelligence” during his interrogation by FBI sleuths, the White House has said.

“FBI interrogators spent quite some time with him. I don’t want to get into all the specifics, but I think they would agree and I would say that he has provided in those interrogations useful intelligence,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs briefing.

Students’ JAC unhappy with talks

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Hyderabad, January 06: Describing today’s talks by the Centre on separate Telangana as delaying tactics, the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (JAC) demanded that all the elected representatives right from village level to Member of Parliament (MP) should resign and join the Telangana movement.

“We demand all the leaders, right from sarpanch to MP, to resign and join the people’s movement,’’ JAC leader M Anil Kumar said.

The JAC leaders would meet all the elected representatives in the coming days seeking their resignations.

Rupee gains 15 paise against dollar in early trade

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Mumbai, January 06: The rupee today appreciated by 15 paise to 46.09 a dollar in early trade on sustained capital inflows into stock markets.

Dealers said increased capital inflows by funds into equities, helped the rupee gain in early trade.

Dollar’s weakness against other Asian currencies also supported the rupee sentiment.

The rupee had ended 5 paise higher at 46.24/25 yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex opened up 104.09 points at 17,790.33, the highest level since February 2008.

—-PTI

Sensex gains 104 pts in opening trade on Asian cues

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Mumbai, January 06: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today rose by 104 points in opening trade on sustained buying by foreign funds, tracking firming Asian bourses.

The 30-share index gained 104.09 points, or 0.58 per cent, at 17,790.33 points, a level not seen since February 2008.

All the sectoral indices were trading in positive zone with gains up to 0.92 per cent.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty regained 5,300 points level after February 28, 2008 to trade 32.95 points, or 0.62 per cent, higher at 5,310.85 points.

18 China miners killed in fire, 12 missing: govt

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Beijing, January 06: A fire in a coal mine in central China has killed 18 miners, authorities said today, as rescuers searched for 12 others still missing.

The accident occurred yesterday at the Lisheng mine in the city of Xiangtan in Hunan province, the local government said in a statement on its website. Nine bodies were recovered late yesterday, and the rest today.

The government had earlier said it hoped to find the miners alive. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Chidambaram’s opening remarks

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New Delhi, January 06: ‘‘I welcome you to this consultation on issues arising out of the recent agitations in Andhra Pradesh in favour of and against a separate State of Telangana. Each one of you represents a recognised political party and, therefore, I would respectfully submit that each one of you bears a responsibility to help in resolving the differences and finding appropriate answers.

Massage centres can make you a victim of AIDS

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Hyderabad, January 06: Your desire for a `massage’ in the nearby `special massage/ beauty parlours’ could make you an easy victim of HIV/AIDS. The risk is more in case of these `massage centres’ located in urban areas.

Despite the decreasing number of HIV/AIDS cases in the State, a visible increase in new ways of contracting the disease was witnessed in several urban areas.

Pakistani sentenced in US for creating fake identity

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Washington, January 06: A Pakistani national has been sentenced to two years of probation by a US court for creating a fake identity by using a counterfeit passport to file an application for a social security card.

Amjad Iqbal, a citizen of Pakistan lawfully residing in Connecticut, had pleaded guilty.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 13, 2001, Iqbal, using a counterfeit Pakistani passport and Immigration and Naturalisation Employment Card in the name of Asif Ali, filed an application for a social security card.

Train movement hit due to fog

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New Delhi, January 06: Dense fog in the city and parts of North India disrupted movement of trains today with two of them being cancelled and over two dozen running behind schedule.

The cancelled trains include Sitamarhi-bound Licchavi Express and Gaya-bound Mahabodhi Express.

Bhopal Shatabdi, Puri Express and Taj Express were rescheduled while over two dozen trains were running late, some by five to ten hours.

—-PTI

Bollywood has mental disabilities too on mind

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Mumbai, January 06: Bollywood is known to bat for the underdog and often one with certain mental disabilities as we saw Hrithik Roshan in “Koi Mil Gaya” and Anil Kapoor in “Yuvvraaj”. And now superstar Shah Rukh Khan will explore yet another illness plaguing the human mind in “My Name Is Khan”.

Directed by Karan Johar and co-produced by his Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh’s Red Chillies Entertainment, “My Name Is Khan” is about Rizwan Khan, a man with Asperger syndrome, who is mistaken for a terrorist while travelling in the US.

SIT recommends handing over of Ruchika case to CBI

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New Delhi, January 06: The Special Investigation Team probing the molestation of Ruchika Girhotra by former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore has recommended handing over of the case to CBI, highly-placed sources in Haryana government said here tonight.

The seven-member SIT set up by the state government in the face of a national outrage over the light punishment of six months in jail given to Rathore by a trial court in Panchkula has recommended in its report that CBI be handed over the investigation into the case, they said.

Worker dies in mishap at Lanco Hills project

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Hyderabad, January 06: A construction worker died and another was injured after solidified cement bags fell on them at the Lanco Hills Project construction site at Manikonda on Tuesday morning.

According to the police, the incident took place around 8 am in one of the 35-storeyed towers being built on the project site when workers dumped the bags into the elevator duct as part of a routine debris clearing exercise. The injured M Sailu (50) and P Sanjeevulu (40) were rushed to hospital but the former died midway while the latter is undergoing treatment.

Female warden selling drugs at Bangalore jail

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Bangalore, January 06: Powerful inmates at the Parappana Agrahara central jail in Bangalore enjoy ‘cell delivery’ of all essential items — food, mobile phones, even a drink or two. No one, least of all the authorities, objects.

But as a female warder found out to her cost on Tuesday, when it comes to drug delivery, the stakes are higher. Jyothamma, a female warden was caught red handed while supplying 850 gm (69 packets) of ganja to an inmate on Tuesday.

Rights of Kashmiris suppressed: Zardari

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Islamabad, January 06: Engaged in a full-fledged battle for survival in office, President Asif Ali Zardari displayed an uncharacteristically hawkish view on the Kashmir issue on a visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on Tuesday, his first to the territory since taking office in 2008.

Gone was the Zardari who said in March 2008 that the Kashmir issue should be put on the back-burner so that India and Pakistan could focus on improving trade relations.

Centre may form a panel to hold talks

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Hyderabad, January 06: In the end, the T meeting in Delhi was not as hot as expected.

Reason: There was no vociferous argument in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh while the Telangana Rasthra Samithi (TRS) conveyed that it was willing to give Centre some more time to hold negotiations as long as it does not go back on its T promise.

Having heard all the parties, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has firmly kept the keys in his pocket. Indications are that the Centre may soon constitute a committee headed by a senior bureaucrat to carry forward the consultations.

Jailed Chandigarh councillor faces cheating charge

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Chandigarh, January 06: Jailed Chandigarh Municipal Corporation councillor Devinder Singh Babla of the Congress faced further trouble as police Tuesday slapped fresh charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and forging documents.

Babla, who is also a general secretary of the Congress’ Chandigarh unit, surrendered before police Dec 28 after evading them for over four months.

Automakers end dreadful year; hopes for recovery in 2010

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Detroit, January 06: Automakers in the U.S. ended their worst year in almost three decades with hints of a recovery in December.

Many, especially those selling small or inexpensive vehicles, reported improvements last month and expressed hope for a mildly better 2010.

It was a positive finish to one of the toughest years on record for the industry, with U.S. sales of cars and light trucks down 21 per cent to 10.4 million as drivers blew past showrooms due to a shaky economy.

Farooq Abdullah takes taxi to reach IIT function

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Kolkata, January 06: New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah, one of the most high-security political leaders in the country, Tuesday took a taxi ride in the city sans any security cover. “Mazaa aa gya (It was fun),” he said later.

Abdullah, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister enjoying Z plus security category, was scheduled to go to Kharagpur to attend an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) programme, but had to cancel his plan after his helicopter could not take off from the airport here due to bad weather.

Australia urges India to avoid hysteria over student’s killing

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Melbourne, January 06: Australia’s Acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean has urged India not to fuel hysteria over the killing of a student in Melbourne even as India issued an advisory asking Indians studying or working in Australia to take extra security precautions while moving around.
Crean maintained there was no evidence the attack was racially motivated.

“It so happens that one of the victims is Indian Melbourne is not the only city in the world where this happens. It also happens in Delhi and in Mumbai,” Crean was quoted as saying by The Age.

Weak backs and shoulders ail computer workers

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Gurgaon, January 05: Those who work for long hours on computers become victims of weak backs and shoulders, an affliction that doctors believe has multiplied over the years.

“Gurgaon is an IT hub and the problem is definitely severe here. I have seen a nearly 10 fold increase in the number of shoulder and back ache patients. They are falling flat on weak shoulders,” said I.P.S. Oberoi, a senior orthopaedic doctor at the Artemis Health Institute in Gurgaon.

Shilpa’s excited about reception in House of Commons

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Mumbai, January 06: After a giddy round of partying and holidaying, Shilpa Shetty is now in London for her wedding reception Wednesday in the House of Commons. Much excited, the actress feels she should have gotten “married earlier”.

Shilpa said Tuesday: “The House of Commons reception is being thrown for Raj and me by British MP Keith Vaz who’s a dear friend of ours.”

Gujarat to host international kite festival

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Gandhinagar, January 06: Gujarat is all set to host a five-day international kite festival, which will draw participants from 34 countries next week, officials said Tuesday.

The 20th international kite festival would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati riverfront Jan 11, state Tourism Minister Jaynarayan Vyas told reporters here.

The fest would include a kite-flying and kite-making competition with the international teams fanning out to Surat in south Gujarat and Porbandar in Saurashtra region to demonstrate their skills.

Jolie voted most beautiful star of past decade

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New York, January 06: Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has been hailed as the most beautiful star of the past decade, according to a British poll.

The “Tomb Raider” actress was voted the most attractive female celebrity of the ‘noughties’, followed closely by former “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston, who was previously married to Jolie’s current partner, Brad Pitt, reports hollywood.com.

The survey, carried out by British beauty retailer Superdrug, placed Australian singer Kylie Minogue in third place, while Welsh Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones was at number four.

Remembering Rahman’s best songs on his 44th birthday

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Mumbai, January 06: Rahman’s magic reached crescendo when he became the first Indian to win double Oscars for the song Jai Ho in the film Slumdog Millionaire, a BAFTA award and a Golden Globe award. On the home front, he has been honoured four times with National Film Awards.

From Roja to Jai Ho, AR Rahman, who turns 44 on Wednesday, has endeared himself to millions with his lilting melodies and created history with his double Oscar.

Google unveils its first mobile phone

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San Francisco, January 06: Internet search giant Google unveiled its first mobile phone on Tuesday as it increased the pressure on Apple’s iPhone in a mobile market that many analysts predict will come to dominate the internet in the coming years.

Google previously released its Android operating system for phones, which has been adopted by manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola and HTC.

But the Nexus One announced Tuesday is the first device to be branded by Google and sold directly to customers.