Month: January 2010

Cold wave claims 14 lives in Uttar Pradesh

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Lucknow, January 03: At least 14 people died of intense cold conditions in parts of Uttar Pradesh Saturday and Sunday, an official said.

“The 14 deaths have been reported from many districts, including Banda, Bhadohi, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur and Varanasi,” the official of the disaster management department told.

“Foggy conditions would persist and cold wave will prevail over parts of Uttar Pradesh for at least next two days,” state Met department director J.P. Gupta said.

UPA promoting politics of separatism, says RSS chief

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Allahabad, January 03: Accusing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of promoting “politics of separatism”, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Sunday said the decision to carve out Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh was an example.

“The government has taken the decision (of creating Telangana state) under pressure and it reflects the politics of separatism,” Bhagwat said at an RSS function held at the Sangam Parade ground here.

Earthquake leaves 20,000 homeless in Tajikistan

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Dushanbe, January 03: Some 20,000 people were left homeless by an earthquake which hit Tajikistan’s mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan province, an official said.

The earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale took place Saturday and affected two locations in the province’s Vanchsky district in Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains, a spokesman of the local administration said.

“Several dozens houses inhabited by some 20,000 people have been destroyed completely or partially,” he said.

Cold wave abates, fog throws normal life out of gear

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Chandigarh, January 03: A thick blanket of fog at many places in Punjab and Haryana threw normal life out of gear for the second day today, but there was some respite from severe cold conditions which had gripped the region during the past fortnight as minimum temperatures increased between 2-6 degrees celsius.

Ending the long dry spell, rains lashed many places including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Ambala, Karnal, Hisar and Rohtak, the Met office said here.

Fog continued to engulf the region affecting normal life.

Paparazzi have become more aggressive, says Cameron Diaz

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London, January 03: Cameron Diaz thinks she is pursued more “aggressively” by the paparazzi now than she was when she first shot to fame in 1994.

The actress insists she accepts people will always be interested in her life while she is in the public eye, but thinks photographers have become more aggressive in their pursuit of her since she first shot to fame in “The Mask” in 1994.

“Some people say that being a celebrity I should just deal with things like the paparazzi but, honestly, 10 years ago it wasn’t like this,”quoted Diaz as saying.

Nuclear power seminar to start in Chennai Monday

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Chennai, January 03: Around 600 people connected with nuclear power industry across the world will participate in the three-day conference on ‘Materials and Manufacturing in Nuclear Industry’ organised by Indian Nuclear Society (INS) commencing here Monday.

The conference will be inaugurated by Anil Kakodkar, former chairman Atomic Energy Commission, while P. Rama Rao, president of INS, will deliver the presidential address.

The current chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Srikumar Banerjee will give a plenary talk on Material Science and Technology in Nuclear Industry.

Nitish faces dissent within party on caste issue

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Patna, January 03: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today faced dissent in his own party as senior leader Prabhunath Singh charged him with dividing the society on caste lines.

Singh, former leader of the party in Lok Sabha told reporters here that Kumar was ignoring the forward castes who had played a major role in bringing the NDA to power in 2005 assembly polls.

I prefer to be called cricketer: Azhar

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Hyderabad, January 03: Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin batted liked a seasoned politician.

The stylish batsman, who was here to attend the Veterans Cricket Association of Hyderabad function at Gymkhana on Saturday evening, played a defensive bat when asked about the current Telangana crisis. “It is very tough and I can’t comment since I have been elected from Uttar Pradesh. It is better not to comment. A lot has been said about development.

My saying or anybody saying would not help. Whatever the high command says I think would be final,’’ he said.

1,431-crore World Bank loan for AP civic projects

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Hyderabad, January 03: In a major fillip to the urban development sector in Andhra Pradesh, the World Bank has approved a loan of 300 million US dollars (approximately Rs 1,431.91-crore) under the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Development Project.

Disclosing this at a meeting on urban development today Chief Minister K Rosaiah said the World Bank loan would provide a big impetus to the government’s initiative in taking up qualitative works in various municipalities to meet the civic and infrastructure requirments of urban people.

Khaled washes Holy Ka’ba

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Makkah, January 03: Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, on behalf of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, washed the Holy Ka’ba on Saturday.

A number of Muslim scholars, government officials, dignitaries and diplomats attended the event, which takes place twice a year on the 15th of Shabaan (the month preceding the fasting month of Ramadan) and in mid-Muharram (the month after Dhul Hijjah when Muslims perform Haj).

vidyarthi garjana” (students’ roar)

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Thousands of students from various parts of Telangana gathered at the Osmania University here Sunday to demand that the central government immediately initiate the process for granting statehood to the region.Photo Mazher

Lakhs of students gather for Telangana meet at Osmania varsity

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Hyderabad, January 03: More than one lakh students from various parts of Telangana gathered at the Osmania University here Sunday to demand that the central government immediately initiate the process for granting statehood to the region.

In what was seen as the biggest show of strength by Telangana supporters since the movement gathered steam a month ago, thousands of students from Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region gathered at the sprawling university campus.

Idea Cup:Team India eyes top-spot

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Dhaka, January 03: India will be keen to extend their impressive run in a triangular series starting in Dhaka on Monday and boost their hopes of becoming the top-ranked side in One-day cricket.

They have won six of their last seven bilateral One-day series under Mahendra Singh Dhoni and a title-triumph here against a new-look Sri Lanka and a resurgent Bangladesh would ensure them the number-one ranking.

India, already the top-ranked side in Test cricket, are currently behind leaders Australia in One-day rankings.

Niloufer the last princess

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On 4th January, 1916, Niloufer was born in the Goztepe Palace in Istanbul in Turkey.  Her mother was Adile Sultan, a grand-daughter of Sultan Murad V, who had been deposed on the grounds of purported mental illness. 

Adile herself was married and divorced and it was with her second husband, Salahuddin Morali, that she gave birth to Niloufer. 

BJP slams Delhi police over escape of Pakistani terrorists

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New Delhi, January 03: BJP Slammed the Delhi police and criticised over the escape of three Pakistani terrorists who involved in blasts near Red Fort from Delhi Police’s custody. The party has demanded an inquiry to fix the onus in the matter.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told that the party strongly condemns the escape of Pakistani terrorist as they were convicted and their free movement is on stake for the nation, as they were confirmed terrorists. It is ridiculous that the capital is being treated in casual manner.
–Agencies

Consistency our target this year: Sehwag

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Dhaka, January 03: Ahead of India’s first assignment this year, vice-captain Virender Sehwag soon after his arrival here told his team mates to maintain the kind of consistency that has made them the No. 1 Test team in the world. Sehwag, who arrived here on Saturday along with the other team members for an ODI tri-series to be followed by a two-match Test series against hosts Bangladesh, said the team would try its best to maintain the high standard that has become the hallmark of the side.

Fearing job loss, 66 p.c. U.S. workers skipped vacations

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Washington, January 03: More than two-thirds of Americans did not avail of their full holidays in the whole of the year just gone-by due to fear of losing the job and intense work pressure, a survey has found.

Out of 667 employees surveyed, as many as 66 per cent did not take their full vacation in 2009, said a survey by Right Management, a division of the U.S.-based consultancy firm Manpower, adding only 34 per cent workers availed of their full vacation.

The survey attributed employees skipping vacations to fear about job security and pressure to do more in streamlined operations.

US probes operations of Rana’s immigration services firm

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Mumbai, January 03: A copy of the passport used by Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a suspect in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Rana allegedly used his visa consultancy services to aid his terror operations. File photo

Chicago: US authorities are probing the operations of Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana’s consultancy firm, for possible acts of immigration fraud as part of wider investigation into an international terror plot.

Ruchika murder: Friend started online petition for the case

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New Delhi, January 03: Ruchika’s friend Aradhana has launched an online public petition to re-ropen the case. According to Indianwebs 2, Aradhana, the only eye-witness in the case, launched an online petition and a Facebook page so as to reach the distant people who are in favor of re-opening the case.

Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, also the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association president in 1990 molested 14-year-old Richika Girhotra in Aug 1990 leading to the victims’ suicide. After 19 years, court finally sentenced him 6 months of imprisonment and also granted bail immediately.

Bomb damages courthouse in south Italy, no injured

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Italy, January 03: A powerful homemade bomb exploded on Sunday outside a courthouse in the southern Italian city of Reggio Calabria, home to one of Italy’s most feared crime groups, seriously damaging its entrance but causing no injuries.

Police sources said the device, composed of explosives on top of a gas canister, detonated in the early hours of Sunday morning when there were no passersby.

Authorities are examining the remains of the bomb but so far have no theory as to who is responsible, the sources said.

HC raps judge for ”forgetting” IPC provisions

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Mumbai, January 03: The Bombay High Court has rapped a lower court judge who convicted a person for murder, but awarded a lesser punishment. “The learned Judge appears to have ignored or forgotten provisions of Section 302,” the court said in a recent judgement.

It held that convict Mohammad Amanat Ansari had not committed murder, but was guilty of “culpable homicide”. Ansari was charged with murder of a boy Uday Bagve during an altercation.

Coal mine blast kills nine in Pakistan

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Islamabad, January 03: An underground explosion in a coal mine in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province killed nine people, a media report said Sunday.

The blast ripped through a gas-filled mine Saturday at the Marwar coalfield, located 80 km from the provincial capital, Quetta.

Rescuers recovered the bodies after a search operation that continued through Saturday night, local official Farooq Ahmad was quoted as saying by the Geo News television channel.

US embassy in Yemen closes over terror threat

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Washington, January 03: The US Embassy in Yemen closed today in response to ongoing al-Qa’ida threats to attack American interests in the Arabian Peninsula country.

The confrontation with al-Qa’ida’s branch in Yemen has gained new urgency after the failed attempt on Christmas Day to bomb a US airliner headed to Detroit.

President Barack Obama said Saturday that al-Qa’ida’s branch in Yemen was behind the attempt. A 23-year-old Nigerian accused in the attack, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has told US investigators he received training and instructions from al-Qa’ida operatives in Yemen.

Mousavi’s statement draws varied reactions

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Tehran, January 03: The Tehran Municipality has been clearing the Iranian capital of graffiti containing negative comments about defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

On January 1, Mousavi issued a statement, wherein he put forward a series of proposals for overcoming the current situation in the country.

In the statement, he made no reference to his earlier demand of holding a new presidential election. He also refrained from denying the legitimacy of the current government.

Abdullah: Cabinet disapproval adds to Afghan woes

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Kabul, January 03: Afghan leader Hamid Karzai’s main rival in the August presidential race, Abdullah Abdullah, says parliament rejections of Karzai’s cabinet will add to the crises in the country.

“What we have is crises in the country not only this one: governance, politics, and security all have been sort of a one-man calamity. There is no doubt that it (rejection of Karzai cabinet) adds to the existing problems and we know who is responsible for this situation,” Abdullah said on Sunday.