Month: February 2010

PM will inaugurate assembly complex on March 13

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New Delhi, February 25: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the new Tamil Nadu assembly complex in Chennai next month, DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan said Thursday.

‘The prime minister will inaugurate the new complex March 13. The budget session of the Tamil Nadu assembly is likely to be held in the new complex,’ the parliamentarian told reporters here.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is in the capital to formally invite Singh for the opening of the new building in the centre of Chennai.

Constable remanded in 11-day judicial custody

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Srinagar, February 25: A BSF constable arrested in connection with the killing of a 16-year-old boy in the valley which had sparked widespread protests early this month, has been remanded in 11-day judicial custody.

Constable Lakhvinder Kumar, accused of killing 16-year-old Zahid Farooq of Brein-Nishat on February five, was in police custody since February 10.

He was produced before Srinagar Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Ibrahim yesterday by the officials of SIT seeking judicial remand for 15 days.

It”s an honour to be called diva

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New Delhi, February 25: Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen, who is known for living life on her own terms, says she takes her diva image seriously. Former Miss Universe was overwhelmed to receive the Best Diva honour at the third Pevonia AsiaSpa India Awards 2009.

Wearing a black cardigan with a tube top and trousers, the 34-year-old beauty said, “It is an honour to be called a diva.” She also added that she is a regular at spas to destress herself and replenish her outer beauty.

Single, unhappy men more likely to have fatal stroke

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Washington, February 25: Single men or those leading an unhappy married life run a higher risk of fatal stroke in their later decades, says a new study.

The findings are based on a survey of 10,059 civil servants and municipal workers (average age 49) who participated in the Israeli Ischemic Heart Disease Study that started in 1963.

Using the national death registry and other records, researchers tracked the fate of the men through 1997, the last year for which underlying causes of death had been coded.

Russia ‘alarmed’ at NATO expansion

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Moscow, February 25: Russia has warned that it will respond to NATO’s eastward expansions and the US plans for a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.

In an interview with Russia Today, top Russian military official General Nikolai Makarov expressed serious concerns over NATO’s eastward advancements and the US defense shield system in Eastern Europe.

Makarov called on the world nations to work together and tackle such issues together instead of backing military blocs near the Russian border.

“This means we have to take appropriate measures in response,” he said.

Iran ‘to study Japan offer to enrich uranium’

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Tehran, February 25: Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has announced the Islamic Republic will study a Japanese offer to enrich uranium for Tehran.

“It has the substance to be worth discussing. We want to deepen the discussion on it,” Nikkei Business Daily quoted Larijani as saying in Tokyo late Wednesday.

According to an earlier report by the Japanese newspaper, Tokyo made the offer in December while Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was visiting the country.

Police officer, Maoist killed in West Bengal

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Kolkata, February 25: The officer-in-charge of a police station and a Maoist were killed in a gun battle in West Bengal’s Bankura district, police said Thursday.

Bankura Superintendent of Police Vishal Garg told IANS that a group of heavily armed Maoists abducted and shot Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Tarashankar Patra Wednesday night.

When police inspector Rabi Lochan Mitra led his men in search of the guerrillas, they opened fire, triggering the gun battle.

Ajay Devgan’s harrowing experience

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Mumbai, February 25: Actor Ajay Devgan, who celebrates his marriage anniversary with his family, had a tough time while on his way to attend the celebrations.

Actually, this year Ajay and Kajol are celebrating eleven years of marital bliss. As is the ritual, Ajay Devgan and Kajol spend the day together no matter wherever they are in this world in connection with their work.

CHINA warns US to ‘ACT CAUTIOUSLY’

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Beijing, February 25: China warned the United States on Thursday to “speak and act cautiously” to avoid further strains in ties and denied any military involvement in recent cyberattacks against Google.

A defence ministry spokesman also said Beijing’s position on suspending military exchanges with the United States over arms sales to Taiwan remained unchanged, after the Pentagon said at least three visits had been postponed.

Raj Thackeray gets bail in rioting cases

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Aurangabad. February 25: MNS chief Raj Thackeray today surrendered before a court here in connection with four cases of rioting registered against him in 2008, and was later released on bail.

Raj presented himself in the court of Judicial Magistrate, First Class, in Gangapur area here in Central Maharashtra. The court released him on a bail of Rs 15,000 in all the four cases.

He was accompanied by his lawyer Sayaji Nagare.

Now pay Rs.28K to cut a tree

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New Delhi, February 25: THE Delhi government has decided to increase the security deposit for cutting a tree from Rs 1,000 to Rs 28,000.

The state cabinet approved the changes on Wednesday.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit said she hoped it would discourage people from cutting trees unnecessarily.

As of now, people who want to cut a tree are required to take permission and then deposit Rs 1,000 per tree as security money, which is refunded after they plant 10 trees for each one they cut.

Deepika Padukone KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK uff teri adaa rocking!!

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Mumbai, February 25: Deepika Padukone, the sizzling hot leggy beauty of bollywood who plays the character of Sonali Mukherjee in upcoming ‘Karthik Calling Karthik’ opposite Farhan Akhtar, is very excited about the film as its hot number Uff Teri Adaa has already become a rage with the audiences.

Better than Bradman: Nasser Hussain

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London, February 25: Former England captain Nasser Hussain is convinced that Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, better than even the iconic Don Bradman.

“I have never liked comparisons between great players, but after Wednesday’s incredible game it must be said: Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time,” Hussain wrote in his column for ‘The Daily Mail’.

It’s Amitabh Bachchan v/s Farhan Akhtar

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Mumbai, February 25: The relatively new actor Farhan Akhtar would never like to cross paths with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan but he is helpless. His film Karthik Calling Karthik has to clash with Amitabh’s Teen Patti at the box office, as both the films are releasing tomorrow, February 26.

The makers of Karthik Calling Karthik just couldn’t avert the clash, as preponing would mean competing with Shahrukh Khan’s My Name is Khan and postponing would mean losing to IPL.

Tendulkar the history man

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New Delhi, February 25: It is the hunger that is perhaps most remarkable about Sachin Tendulkar. Yesterday was his 442nd one-day international – in a career spread over four decades – and his best yet as he became the first player to score an international double century in the history of the limited-overs game.

He chose army over MNC job

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Ghaziabad, February 25: AT 23, Devinder Singh Jass had the world at his feet. Armed with an engineering degree and three months away from his MBA, Jass had already landed a job in one of the world’s top accounting firms, Deloitte.

But fate, as they call it, had other ideas.

Ever since childhood, Jass had wanted to join the army. Having completed his schooling from Guru Har Kishan Public School near India Gate, he enrolled for a degree in computer engineering at IIIT, Allahabad.

While pursuing engineering, he applied for the army but could not clear the test.

Economic Survey for more stimulus to export sector

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New Delhi, February 25: The pre-Budget Economic Survey on Thursday favoured providing further stimulus for the exports sector, arguing that the recovery prospects in global markets are still fragile.

It said that despite some improvement in global trade environment, the downside risks makes it imperative for the government to reform policies concerning imports as well.

British media praise for “finest batsman”

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London, February 25: Sachin Tendulkar’s stupendous feat of becoming the first cricketer to score a double century in one-dayer was on Thursday hailed by the British media, which described the little master as the “finest batsman” ever.

“Tendulkar underlined his sensational class with a double century in Gwalior. To have reached such a landmark, with a single in the final over, only serves to underline his class and add to the legacy that already surrounds arguably the finest batsman to have played the game,” BBC Sports said.

Per capita CO2 emissions to rise 3-fold by 2030

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New Delhi, February 25: India’s per capita carbon dioxide emissions will increase by nearly three-fold to 3.5 tonnes by 2030, the Economic Survey 2009-10 said on Thursday.

“India’s Five-Year Plans include a strategy for sustainable growth resulting in low-carbon sustainable development. The Eleventh Five-Year Plan includes an indicative target of increasing energy efficiency by 20 per cent by 2016-17,” the Survey, tabled in Parliament, said.

Survey hits out at poor food management policies

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New Delhi, February 25: Concerned over the sluggish performance of agriculture sector, the Economic Survey hit at food management policies that have led to very high inflation and asked the government to take serious policy initiatives for a targeted four per cent farm sector growth.

Pointing out that farm sector, which is still the mainstay of Indian population, continues to be a cause for concern, the Survey said there is a need for serious policy initiatives to reach the four per cent growth target.

Farm sector growth is estimated to decline by 0.2 per cent in 2009-10.

Sallu, Hrithik, SRK bond over chaddis

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Mumbai, February 25: Film stars are usually known to be brand and status conscious. But gone are the days when A-listers endorse only brands which are eye-catching, trendy and aristocrat. When a whopping amount is offered to them, they are ready to give their name to the brand no matter how funny those brands might sound.

Sudan frees 60 Darfur rebels

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Sudan, February 25: President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan said his government has released nearly 60 rebels from the Darfur region following Tuesday’s ceasefire agreement with the Justice and Equality Movement.

President Bashir said the war was over.
–Agencies

S.Korea court says executions not unconstitutional

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Seoul, February 25: A top court ruled Thursday that capital punishment is constitutional in South Korea, which last sent a convict to the gallows in 1997.

“Capital punishment is not a breach of the constitution,” the Constitutional Court said in a statement after a five-to-four decision by its judges.

It was ruling on a 2008 petition filed by a provincial appeal court at the request of a 72-year-old fisherman convicted of multiple murders.

The death penalty “is a legal punishment that can deter crime for the sake of the public”, the statement said.

Son held over killing of blind woman

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London, February 25: A 100-year-old woman was found stabbed to death at her home yesterday. Hannah Fitzgibbon, who was partially sighted, was discovered with a single stab wound to her neck at her bungalow in Whitechapel, east London.

Her son Michael, 61, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and remained in police custody last night.