Month: January 2010

Japan leader wants equal ties with US

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Tokyo, January 04: Japan’s prime minister said Monday he will press for more equal ties with Washington this year, the 50th anniversary of a joint security treaty that grants many special privileges to U.S. troops stationed in the country.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, in a New Year’s speech shown live on national television, said he hopes the alliance will evolve to become more open and candid.

It is important “for both sides to be able to firmly say what needs to be said, and to increase the relationship of trust,” he said.

Yemen Shi’ite rebels say 16 dead in Saudi airstrikes

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Sanaa, January 04: Yemeni Shi’ite rebels who have launched a rebellion in the north of the poorest Arab country said on Monday Saudi Arabian warplanes killed 16 Yemenis in a barrage of strikes over two days in the Yemen-Saudi border area.

The Houthi rebels — named after their leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi — said on their website six people were killed and six more wounded when strikes destroyed two houses on Sunday.

Strikes killed 10 and wounded 13 in a market in another area on Saturday, the rebels said in a separate website statement.

I want to do a romantic film with SRK: Neha Dhupia

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New Delhi, January 04: Neha Dhupia, who had once famously proclaimed that only sex and Shah Rukh Khan sells in Bollywood, is in awe of the ”King Khan” and wants to do a romantic film with him. “Strangely, I haven”t done a romantic film yet and I am looking forward to do one with Shahrukh Khan.

Food inflation to ease next month: Montek

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New Delhi, January 04: The Planning Commission on Monday said food inflation will come down next month from a more than a decade’s high of around 20 per cent, as apprehensions about adverse effect of drought were easing.

“I think this fear of negative impact of drought being reduced, there will be a softening in food price inflation in the next month,” Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told reporters on the sidelines of a FICCI function here.

NATO: 4 US service members dead in Afghan blast

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Kabul, January 04: NATO says that four U.S. service members have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in southern Afghanistan. The British Ministry of Defense separately reported the death of one of the country’s soldiers in an explosion.

A statement from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said the explosion that killed the U.S. service members took place Sunday in southern Afghanistan, but did not give further details on the location or the victims’ branch of service.

Ajay Devgn seeks blessings in Ajmer for new film

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New Delhi, January 04: Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn recently visited the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan to seek blessings for his forthcoming movie “Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge”.

The film’s trailer and posters have hit the theatres Dec 25.

Scheduled to release Feb 26, “Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge” is based on noted satirist Sharad Joshi’s short story. Co-produced by Warner Bros. Pictures India and Wide Frame Films, the laugh riot also stars Konkona Sen Sharma and Paresh Rawal.

Directed by Ashwin Dhir, the film revolves around a middle class couple who have an unexpected guest at home.

Chidambaram to meet leaders of eight AP parties on Tue

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New Delhi, January 04: A meeting of eight political parties convened by Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi on Monday will try to devise a mechanism and roadmap to resolve the vexed Telangana issue, even as leaders from three regions of Andhra Pradesh are sticking to their known stands.

Coming nearly a month after the Centre announced that it would initiate the process of formation of Telangana, the meeting will see the participation of Congress, TDP, TRS, Praja Rajyam, CPI(M), CPI, BJP and MIM – the eight registered political parties in Andhra Pradesh.

Shutdown paralyses Andhra, Rayalaseema regions

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Hyderabad, January 04: Life in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema and Andhra regions ground to a halt on Monday as the shutdown called by various groups opposing statehood to Telangana evoked total response.

State-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses went off the roads in all 13 districts of the two regions while shops, business establishments, banks, petrol pumps, cinema halls and educational institutions remained closed.

Drivers of Gorakhdham and Licchavi Express suspended

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Kanpur, January 04: Railway authorities have suspended the drivers and assistant drivers of Gorakhdham Express and Licchavi Express that rammed into stationary trains even as the toll in the rail mishap near here rose to 11 with one more woman succumbing to injuries.

Chief PRO of North Central Railway R D Bajpai said the driver of Gorkahdham Express that rammed into the stationary Prayagraj Express, Jaipal Singh, and his assistant have been suspended. Also, the driver of Licchavi Express that rammed into the stationary Magadh Express, Awadesh Kumar, and his assistant have been suspended.

Telangana makes friends enemies

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Hyderabad, January 04: Over 1,800 suicide attempts in a fortnight, 72 of them successful. More than 40,000 casualties injuries from lathi-charges and stone-throwing, and deaths of hospital-bound patients because of blockades.

Yet these figures from the first 15 days of the month-old Telangana agitation don’t give the entire picture of the human costs, even when you take into account the shortage of milk and vegetables and the steep auto fare hikes because of stalled buses and trains.

Saudi-Iran frictions at graves revered by Shiites

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Jeddah, January 04: At the cemetery where the Prophet Muhammad’s family is buried, an Iranian Shiite Muslim pilgrim overcome with emotion was jerked by a Saudi soldier, who barked a sharp order: “Stop crying!”

The soldier, a gun at his hip, then hovered over the pilgrim as he wrapped up his prayers to make sure he didn’t start weeping again.

Mercedes sales decline over 10 p.c. in India

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New Delhi, January 04: German luxury carmaker Mercedes on Monday said it has lost leadership position in the premium segment in India to rival BMW and reported a decline of 10.43 per cent in sales in the country for the last year.

However, the company is expecting a double digit growth during this year on the back of a host of new launches.

“We are behind BMW in 2009 because of limited availability of our E-Class car … I don’t want to focus on leadership. We want to have a profitable growth,” Mercedes Benz India Managing Director and CEO Wilfried Aulbur told reporters here.

Ex-Israeli PM still comatose 4 years after stroke

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Jerusalem, January 04: Ariel Sharon, the tough Army general turned premier who shocked his hawkish supporters by pulling Israel out of Gaza in 2005, is still lying unconscious in a hospital bed, friends said on Sunday on the fourth anniversary of the massive stroke that put him in a coma.

Sharon, 81, led Israel from 2001 until the January 2006 stroke that left him comatose.

Karachi violence a ‘pre-planned’ conspiracy?

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Lahore, January 04: The violence and a fire that erupted after a blast targeting a Muharram procession in Karachi on December 28 were “thoroughly pre-planned”, according to a private TV channel.

At least 42 people were killed and 83 injured when a suicide bomber ripped through the provincial capital’s central Youm-e-Ashur procession on MA Jinnah Road on Monday.

Markets starts on firm note; Sensex opens up 72 pts

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Mumbai, January 04: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Monday rose by 72 points, or 0.41 per cent, in early trade with markets opening at 0900 hrs on the first trading session in the New Year.

The Sensex moved up by 72.51 points to 17,537.32 points in choppy opening trade on buying in heavyweight stocks by foreign funds and retail investors tracking firm global cues.

The broader National Stock Exchange Nifty gained 23 points, or 0.44 per cent to 5,224.05 points.

Four US troops killed in Afghanistan unrest: NATO

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Kabul, January 04: Four US soldiers serving under NATO’s International Security Assistance Force have been killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said in a statement Monday.

The soldiers died “following an improvised explosive device strike” in the south on Sunday, the ISAF statement said without giving further details.

—Agencies

Malaysian PM calls for calm after protests over ‘Allah’ ruling

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Kuala Lumpur, January 04: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has appealed to fellow Muslims to remain calm as 13 non-governmental organisations protested against the use of the word ‘Allah’ in a Catholic weekly, the Herald.

The issue needed to be ‘handled wisely’, Razak said Sunday.

His government has decided to appeal against a high court verdict that permits the weekly to use the word on its masthead.

‘We understand and care about the feelings of the Muslims. This is an extremely sensitive issue and it touches the hearts of all Muslims.

Justin Timberlake named the most charitable star

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Los Angeles, January 04: Popstar Justin Timberlake has been named the most charitable star of 2009 for his contribution to help sick children by raising almost USD 10 million. The ”Sexyback” hitmaker has been named the most influential celebrity for charitable causes in a survey by US website The Daily Beast.

Flight operations at IGI airport normal

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New Delhi, January 04: Flight operations at the IGI airport were normal on Monday due to a clear sky, a day after over 50 flights were disrupted due to operational reasons.

“Runway visibility was more than 2000 metres and all flight operations were normal,” an airport official said.

Flights operations were hit on Saturday after dense fog and a cable fault in the runway visual range (RVR) measuring equipment led to closure of Delhi airport’s two CAT-III B compliant runways and a halt in operations for over eight hours on.

Woman jumps to death from office building

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Banglore, January 04: A 20-year-old woman died after jumping from the fifth floor of a building on Sunday. Police suspect the incident to be a suicide, but it is yet to be ascertained. The victim, identified as Renuka, was a native of Kondahalli in Chitradurga.

On Sunday at about 10.15 am, she jumped from the fifth floor of MK Retail Shops, located on C M H R o a d .

Re n u k a was working as a supervisor with the company and w a s at work on Sunday.

3 Idiots needs no controversy for promotion: Aamir

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Mumbai, January 04: Film actor and director Aamir Khan has sought to steer clear of the controversy surrounding the credits for the story of the mega blockbuster 3 Idiots. During his visit to Gandhinagar on Sunday, he denied that the controversy was deliberately raised to jack up box-office collections.

He said his latest movie has broken box office records and there was no point to suggest that the controversy over the story was aimed at boosting earnings.

Australia’s cricketers urged to condemn racist attacks on

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Sydney, January 04: Shane Warne and other cricket superstars were Monday urged to condemn the latest assault on an Indian student in Australia.

The call from Gautam Gupta, spokesman for the Federation of Indian Students in Australia, followed the stabbing death Saturday of 21-year-old accounting graduate Nitin Garg.

‘There is a lot of frustration within the Indian community with the way this is being handled,’ Gupta said, calling on Warne and other cricketing heroes who have made fortunes in India to break their silence on the issue.

Prof Sabharwal case: SC refuses to entertain son’s plea

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New Delhi, January 04: The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a petition filed by Himanshu Sabharwal challenging acquittal of ABVP activists in the case of killing of his father Professor H S Sabharwal in Madhya Pradesh.

A Bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam asked the petitioner to approach the appropriate High Court for remedy.

The apex court pointed out that as per procedure the acquittal order of the sessions court should be challenged only in the High Court. In the instant case, Himanshu had directly approached the Supreme Court instead of appealing in the High Court.

Cold wave claims 30 lives in Uttar Pradesh

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Lucknow, January 04: The cold wave has claimed at least 30 lives in Uttar Pradesh since Saturday, an official said Monday. The met office has predicted no change in the weather for the next two-three days.

“Of the 30 deaths, the maximum have taken place in the eastern regions, including Mirzapur district, Ballia district, where five deaths each were reported Sunday,” an official of the disaster management department told IANS.

“The deaths have also been reported from others districts, including Banda, Fatehpur, Sonbhadra, Chanduali, Kanpur rural (Dehat) and Unnao,” he added.

US determined to destroy Al Qaeda in Pakistan or elsewhere: Obama

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Washington, January 04: President Barack Obama’s top counter-terrorism aide says US is determined to destroy ‘Al Qaeda, whether it’s in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or in Yemen.’

The United States has indications Al Qaeda is planning an attack against a target in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, John Brennan, Obama’s assistant for homeland security and counter-terrorism, said in a series of TV talk shows Sunday.