New Delhi, January 27: The DRDO-FICCI Accelerated Technology Assessment and Commercialization (ATAC) Programme reached a new landmark on Monday with the signing of 6 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and leading industry players.
Colombo, January 27: Sri Lanka’s presidential challenger Sarath Fonseka on Wednesday sought protection of a “neighbouring country” to guarantee his safety, his spokesman Mano Ganeshan said.
“I am going to meet a diplomat of a neighbouring country to seek assurances of the safety of Sarath Fonseka,” Ganeshan told reporters in an apparent reference to India.
Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse was set for re-election Wednesday after counting showed he had secured more than 50 percent of total votes cast in a bitterly fought election.
Washington, January 27: According to NPR, “In 2003, a survey of female veterans found that 30 percent said they were raped in the military. A 2004 study of veterans who were seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder found that 71 percent of the women said they were sexually assaulted or raped while serving. And a 1995 study of female veterans of the Gulf and earlier wars, found that 90 percent had been sexually harassed.”
Washington, January 27: According to NPR, “In 2003, a survey of female veterans found that 30 percent said they were raped in the military. A 2004 study of veterans who were seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder found that 71 percent of the women said they were sexually assaulted or raped while serving. And a 1995 study of female veterans of the Gulf and earlier wars, found that 90 percent had been sexually harassed.”
New Delhi, January 27: An 11-year-old boy studying in G.D. Goenka Public School, Rohini, was allegedly kidnapped and released after his parents paid a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore.
Police arrested two of the accused – Kamal Goel (40) a manager in a multi-crore construction company and Vinay Mishra (25) a self-proclaimed national level boxer – and recovered Rs 1.4 crore from them.
According to the police, the boy, whose identity has been concealed on the request of the family, was kidnapped on January 22.
Melbourne, January 27: The Australian government has confirmed that an Australian man, convicted of murder in Afghanistan, has been sentenced to death in the war-torn country.
Robert Langdon, 38, a former soldier from South Australia, was originally found guilty last October of killing an Afghan security guard by shooting him and then accusing the Taliban for the crime.
Mumbai, January 27: The rupee today depreciated by 15 paise against the US currency in early trade on continued capital outflows by foreign funds from equities.
At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the Indian rupee fell by 15 paise to trade at 46.27 a dollar. The rupee ended a shade higher at 46.12/13 in the previous session on Monday.
Dealers said increased capital outflows by foreign funds from equity markets and some dollar demand from importers weighed on the rupee’s sentiment.
Jakarta, January 27: Indonesians, who welcomed Barack Obama as one of their own two years ago, now want a statue commemorating his Jakarta school years to be removed, a sign the US president’s global appeal may be warning.
The statue of Obama as a 10-year-old was installed in Menteng park in central Jakarta in December 2009 to mark the four years during which he attended a local primary school there while living in Jakarta.
Mumbai, January 27: After directing Hrithik Roshan in forthcoming film ‘Kites’, director Anurag Basu has now roped in Abhishek Bachchan for his next project.
The film will be produced by Junior B’s good friend Goldie Behl, who had last directed the ‘Guru’ actor in box office dud ‘Drona’
According to sources close to Basu, the role in the untitled project was sketched out specifically keeping Abhishek in mind and is Basu’s biggest project till date.
“The movie will be Anurag’s most ambitious project till date. It truly has a genius script,” sources said.
Muzaffarnagar, January 27: A woman was arrested today for allegedly killing her husband at Dholra village in the district last week, police said.
Rukmani Devi (25) allegedly murdered her 26-year-old husband, Binu, with the help of her sister’s husband Rajkumar, after Binu objected to their illicit relationship, SP Rajiv Malhotra told reporters.
Rajkumar has also been arrested.
–PTI
Mumbai, January 27: Film maker Madhur Bhandarkar isn’t resting. After travelling to Ajmer Sharif to thank the almighty for two more National Awards that have been attached to his name (courtesy FASHION), the film maker has now left for Washington for a quick trip.
He would be there on 30th January, 2010 as a Cultural Ambassador and Guest of Honour in a function organized by Indian community to celebrate India’s 60th year of independence.
Bhopal, January 26: (Pervez Bari) The Indian sports managers mud-slanging continues as sportspersons suffer. Close on the heels of former hockey Olympian and India’s former captain Pargat Singh another ex-Olympian Ashok Kumar has reportedly held Indian Olympic Association, (IOA), chief Suresh Kalmadi responsible for all the mess in Indian hockey and also for the postponement of the February 7 Hockey India, (HI), elections.
Lahore, January 27: Upset by the ‘humiliating’ treatment meted out to Pakistani players at the IPL auction in Mumbai last week, Sports Minister Ijaz Jhakrani has demanded the Indian government to carry out an inquiry into the issue.
”We want the government of India to intervene in this issue and let us know who were responsible in keeping Pakistan cricketers away from the IPL,” Jhakrani said.
”From day one our stance is that the IPL decision was an influenced one.” All the 11 Pakistani players in the auction list found no takers at the glitzy IPL3 auction.
Washington, January 27: US President Barack Obama is reportedly planning to freeze salaries of top White House officials and other top political appointees across his government.
A senior administration official said Tuesday the plan would likely be mentioned in Obama’s first State of the Union address to Congress on Wednesday.
The decision would affect some 1,200 people in the government who earn more than $100,000.
They include White house officials, politically appointed ambassadors and other top administration appointees.
Gaza, January 27: A number of US congressmen have written to President Barack Obama, urging him to pressure Israel to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip over humanitarian concerns.
“We ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts,” said a letter signed by 54 lawmakers.
The impoverished coastal sliver has been under an Israeli blockade since June 2007. The siege has hampered the ability of relief agencies to distribute much needed aid amongst some 1.5 million people.
New Delhi, January 27: Gold prices gained Rs 68 to Rs 16,531 per ten gram in futures trading today on fresh buying by traders influenced by a firming global trend.
Gold for February month contract gained Rs 68 or 0.41 per cent to Rs 16,531 per ten gram at the Multi Commodity Exchange with an open interest of 12,945 lots.
The metal for delivery in April contract also traded lower by a similar margin at Rs 16,586 per ten in a turnover of 7,360 lots.
Market experts said fresh buying by traders in tandem with a firming global trend led to a rise in gold prices at the futures market.
New Delhi, January 27: Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt’s son Rahul Bhatt claims that he was convinced terror suspect David Coleman Headley worked for the American agencies.
“I’m convinced Headley was working for the Americans, for the FBI. I’d nicknamed him agent Headley,” Rahul claimed in an interview to UK’s Channel 4.
Singapore, January 27: Oil prices dipped but stayed above USD 74 in Asian trade today as demand uncertainty weighed on investors already wary from recent economic policies in the United States and China.
New York’s main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, fell 18 cents to USD 74.53 a barrel.
In intraday trade Tuesday, the contract fell to USD 73.82, its lowest level since December 22. Brent North Sea crude for March shed 22 cents to USD 73.07.
Johannesburg, January 27: South Africa’s selection panel has been sacked by the board ahead of South Africa’s tour of India. Mike Procter, chairman of selectors, confirmed the same on a local radio station.
A cricinfo report quoted Procter as telling Talk Radio 702 that Cricket South Africa had fired the entire selection panel, comprising Procter himself, Craig Matthews, Winky Ximiya and Mustapha Khan.
“It came as a huge shock to us all,” Procter was quoted as saying.
Washington, January 27: The Pakistani port city of Karachi is increasingly becoming a safe haven for Taliban and other extremist elements in the country, an article in a US magazine said.
“It is clear that fighters from multiple Taliban factions are increasingly moving to the city,” said the article in the latest issue of CTC Sentinel of the Combating Terrorism Centre of the US Military Academy.
New Delhi, January 27: After exit of Amar Singh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) Wednesday appointed veteran leader Mohan Singh as party general secretary to fill the incumbent.
Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also accepted the resignation of actor-turned-politician Sanjay Dutt, who quit with Amar Singh, as party general secretary.
Amar Singh had sent his resignation to Mulayam Jan 6 from Dubai where he was holidaying. Mulayam Singh accepted the resignation on Jan 18 “with a heavy heart”.
–Agencies
Mumbai, January 27: Author backed roles are in for Vidya Balan. Right from playing the title role of PARINEETA to being a modern day ‘maa’ in her last release PAA, Vidya has picked roles that have been substantial.
New Delhi, January 27: In a bid to decongest over-crowded prisons in the capital, a Delhi Court today conducted a special hearing to facilitate release of undertrials languishing in jails in connection with petty offences.
Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and Delhi High Court Justice Madan B Lokur witnessed the special court proceedings, undertaken in pursuance of a recent government plan to release on bail the offenders involved in petty offences.
Mumbai, January 27: Bollywood actress and IPL team owner Preity Zinta spent 10 minutes stuck in a toilet at the Delhi airport last night.
“I spent 10 minutes stuck in the toilet at the airport. Finally had to climb the wall and jump over… People were calling out my name,” the actress, who was to board a Mumbai-bound flight, wrote on her Twitter account.
“Being a tomboy when I was younger definitely helped.
Trying to climb a wall is never easy,” she said, adding that the incident happened as the door got jammed.
Coimbatore, Jan 27: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said serious efforts are on to make the country free of terrorism and communal tension to achieve nine per cent growth rate and increase foreign investments.