Cairo, January 02: A council of leading Muslim clerics has supported the Egyptian government’s construction of an underground barrier along the border with Gaza to impede tunneling by smugglers, a report said on Friday.
The Islamic Research Council of Al-Azhar University said that the tunnels were used to smuggle drugs and threatened Egypt’s security, the Al-Masri Al-Yawm newspaper reported.
Tehran, January 02: Iran’s opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi on Friday pledged to remain defiant in the face of new threats — including calls by hard-liners for his execution — and said he would sacrifice his life in defense of the people’s right to protest peacefully against the government.
Mousavi’s remarks come after the worst unrest since the immediate aftermath of the disputed June presidential election. At least eight people died during anti-government protests on Sunday.
New Delhi, January 02: The Medical Council of India(MCI) has taken a though stand with the introduction of a new code which will ban doctors from endorsing or accepting any kind of hospitality from pharma companies.
The MCI via amendment to the “Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation 2002”, has brought out the code of conduct which includes not accepting any gifts or travel facility from any pharmaceutical company or the health care industry.
Chennai, January 02: The Centre’s decision to carve out a separate Telangana State from Andhra Pradesh was not taken in haste, Senior Congress leader and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said today.
In a brief chat with newspersons after calling on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence, Mr Chidambaram said thedecision(to create a separate Telangana State) was not taken in haste. Enough thought was given to the issue.
New Delhi, January 02: There is good news on New Year’s day from the country’s agriculture sector.
The rabi (winter sowing) season shows signs of improvement in production of wheat, rice and pulses.
“Data received from states reveals that sowing of rabi crop is progressing well,” said an agriculture ministry statement here today.
The worst monsoon in nearly four decades and unexpected floods in some parts of the country had spoiled the country’s kharif season, pushing up food prices.
New Delhi, January 02: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has received lots of compliments for his performance in “Paa” and the latest to join the bandwagon is Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.
“Sachin Tendulkar called to personally compliment me on ‘Paa’,” the 68-year-old posted on his blog.
“I was waiting for him to finish his cricket matches with Sri Lanka and then invite him over to see the film at a private screening. But he beat me to it and went to a theatre and saw the film,” Amitabh added.
Washington, January 02: In a rebuke to government prosecutors, a US federal judge on Thursday dismissed criminal charges against five Blackwater security guards accused of fatally shooting 14 people in Baghdad in September 2007. The ruling sparked outrage among Iraqis and a government spokesman said Iraq would “act forcefully and decisively to prosecute the Blackwater criminals.”
Jeddah, January 02: About four million foreign pilgrims are expected to come for Umrah during 2010, said Saad Jameel Al-Qurashi, chairman of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah on Friday.
Speaking to Arab News, he said Umrah service providers in the Kingdom would be able to cover the losses they suffered in 2009 during the upcoming Umrah season.
He said the number of foreigners overstaying their Umrah visas declined to 12,000 last year. “I wish that this year would be the first season without overstayers,” he added.
Tehran, January 02: Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani has called for calm in the face of recent unrest in the country which he described as an “ordeal.”
“The [true nature of the] ordeal will be laid bare, if faced with patience and tolerance [on the side of the Iranian nation]. Another means of confronting [the rioters] is making attempts to return calm,” Larijani said on Friday, Mehr News reported,
Islamabad, January 02: Pakistan’s interior minister rejects reports of any contract between Blackwater (now known as Xe Services LLC) and Pakistani Intelligence Agency.
Rehman Malik said on Friday that Blackwater is not registered as a security firm in the country denying presence of the notorious US private security firm in Pakistan, a Press TV correspondent reported.
“No such agency named Blackwater is working in Pakistan,” the minister told a delegation of traders and businessmen in the port city of Karachi.
New Delhi, January 02: Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath on Friday apprised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about developments in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case that has grabbed national headlines.
Tirath had gone to meet the prime minister to wish him on New Year day and also apprise him about the case. National Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas was present on the occasion, official sources said.
Washington, January 02: Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in the US are urging the Obama administration to reconsider its plan to close the Guantanamo prison as the nation faces new ‘terrorist threats.’
President Obama has already announced that he will fail to live up to his promise to close the notorious detention center within one year of his reign at the White House.
Aurangabad (Bihar), Jan 02: A ‘drunk’ Special Auxiliary Police jawan allegedly gunned down two of his colleagues before killing himself following a quarrel over a trivial issue in the district, police said today.
During patrolling in Khairi village, the jawan Fulwendra Singh entered into an argument with his colleagues fired from his official carbine killing Balkishore Singh and Anil Singh on the spot last night.
Police suspect that the jawan was in a drunken state.
He later committed suicide by shooting himself, police said.
The three bodies were brought here for autopsy.
Porayar, January 02: Noted music director A R Rahman, who won two Oscars for the original score and original song of the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, today offered worship at the famous Nagore Dargah in Nagapattinam district.
According to dargah sources, Rahman arrived at the dargah yesterday’s night and was greeted by a huge crowd of people.
Rahman is a staunch devotee of the Dargah of Saint Hazrath Syed Shahul Hameed Quadir Wali at Nagore, which is more than 500 years old, they said, adding he participates in annual festivities every year.
Mumbai, January 02: The Indian cricket team left for Dhaka this morning to participate in the three-nation ‘Idea Cup’ with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, starting from Monday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led squad will begin its campaign in the tournament on January 5 against Sri Lanka.
The tri-series will be followed by a two-match test series against Bangladesh in Chittagong (Jan 17-21) and Dhaka (Jan 24-28).
Melbourne, January 02: A man has been charged with assaulting three police officers in Melbourne’s CBD early this morning.
Two officers were allegedly bitten, and one is believed to have a broken knee cap, after they struggled with a man who had collapsed at a Flinders Street convenience store.
Scott Delaney, 21, from Melbourne will face court on Monday, charged with assaulting police and intentionally causing serious injury.
–Agencies
Mumbai, January 02: On the first day of the New Year, Mahendra Singh Dhoni sprang a surprise, saying that India are in dire need of a bowling and a fielding coach to give some respite to Gary Kirsten.
Talking to the media ahead of Team India’s departure for a tri-series involving Sri Lanka and two Tests in Bangladesh, the captain admitted that there is a need for specialist coaches.
Islamabad, January 02:At least 95 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), with many children feared to be among the victims.
More than 100 people were injured in Friday’s attack, which took place at a volleyball match in Shah Hassan Khan village, some 30 km south of Lakki Marwat town.
Mohammad Ayub Khan, the district police chief, said the bomber detonated his explosives-laden car near the sporting field where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the match.
Islamabad, January 02: The Pakistani authorities may ask their Indian counterparts to send a fresh dossier on the trial of Ajmal Kasab, as they believe the earlier one has lost its importance following the recent retraction by the lone Pakistani terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Interior ministry sources said the main source of information in the dossier remained the accused, Ajmal Kasab, who retracted his confession, saying he was forced and tortured to make the statements by his captors.
New Delhi, January 02: At least 13 more people have died due to swine flu in India taking the toll due to the pandemic virus to 967, health authorities said Friday.
Of the 13 deaths, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand reported three deaths each, and Delhi and Karnataka reported two deaths each. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab reported one death each.
With these deaths, the casualty figure has reached 268 in Maharashtra and 133 in Karnataka. While 13 people have so far lost their lives in Uttarakhand, the number of deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are nine and 33, respectively.
New Delhi, January 02:Neha Dhupia says she had to be goaded quite a bit to throw a goody bag full of condoms and contraceptive pills at a college crowd here to promote her film “Raat Gayi Baat Gayi” but realised it was a great marketing strategy that sent out a positive message.
“We had gone to the Mood Indigo festival at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) in Mumbai and I was asked to throw around this goody bag. I said ‘No! I’m not throwing it’,” Neha told IANS. “But my producer (Rangita Nandy) insisted that ‘You must because it’s got everything to do with the film’.
Chandigarh, January 02: NEW YEAR brought some cheer for former Haryana director- general of police ( DGP) SPS Rathore.
A court in Panchkula on Friday granted him interim bail in two fresh cases registered against him on the complaints of Ruchika Girhotra’s father and brother.
The interim relief protects Rathore from being arrested till his anticipatory bail plea is heard by the court on January 7.
Rathore has been convicted of molesting Ruchika, then 14, in 1990. She had committed killed herself three years after the cop molested her.
New Delhi, January 02: Dense fog reduced the visibility to zero metre and runway to 100 metre. The CAT III B instrument landing could not be used due to fault in the RVR instrument
Flight operations at the IGI airport here came to a standstill on Saturday morning due to dense fog and fault in instrument landing system, which led to diversion of several flights to other cities.
Srinagar, January 02: Teachers are supposed to be role models for society. But this one from Kashmir allegedly drugged and sexually exploited a 29-year-old woman for nine years, ultimately driving her to suicide.
Police have arrested Ghulam Mohammad Dar of Brakpora, 56, a senior teacher at a local government school, for rape and abetment to suicide under sections 306, 376, 376 B of Ranbir Penal Code. He has been also placed under suspension.
In an eerie reminder of the Shopian rape and murder case, the body of the woman was found in a spring at Sherbagh, Anantnag, on December 17.
Hyderabad, January 02: UPA govt considers Union Territory status for state capital to end bickering between Telangana and Coastal Andhra
IF ALL goes according to the Centre’s proposed plan to diffuse the Telangana crisis, Hyderabad could go the Chandigarh way — a Union Territory that acts as the capital for two states. The cybercity has emerged as a major bone of contention between the Telangana region ( in which it lies), and the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region, and both are laying claim to it.