Month: March 2010

Two fighter jets crash in South Korea

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Moscow, March 02: Two fighter jets crashed into a mountain in South Korea during a routine training flight Tuesday, news agency reported.

The accident took place near the coastal city of Gangneung, about 237 km east of Seoul.

‘We are currently searching for the missing pilots near the area,’ quoted an air force official as saying.

The official said two rescue helicopters have been dispatched to the site where the two F-5 Tiger fighter jets crashed.

South Korea reportedly has 174 F-5E/F Tiger II fighters in service with its air force.

—-IANS

US seeks to smooth China ties

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Washington, March 02: Top US and Chinese diplomats will grapple with how to deal with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea in meetings that Washington hopes will help ease tensions with Beijing.

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and the National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs, Jeffrey Bader, were due to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for the talks with Chinese officials.

Australian police head to Israel over Dubai slaying

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Jerusalem, March 02: Australian police and passport officials are being dispatched to Israel to meet with three dual Australian—Israeli nationals whose passports were used in the slaying of a top Hamas operative in Dubai, a spokeswoman for Australia’s department of foreign affairs said on Tuesday.

The spokeswoman, speaking from the Australian capital, Canberra, had no details on when the team would arrive in Israel. She spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

Regular use of pain killers worsens hearing in men

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Washington, March 02: Regular use of pain killers like aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ups risk of hearing loss in men below 60.

Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the US, afflicting over 36 million people. Not only is hearing loss highly prevalent among the elderly, but approximately a third of those aged 40-49 years already suffer hearing loss.

Six injured in factory blast

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Hyderabad, March 02: Six workers were injured in a reactor blast at Velgan Hydraulic limited near Balanagar on Tuesday morning, police said.

The six injured were hospitalised in a serious condition. Police said that the condition of two injured were very critical.

The reactor blew up when the workers were mixing some chemicals. Police have launched an inquiry.

—-Agencies

Putin visit to India in March

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New Delhi, March 02: A host of big ticket agreements, including at least three major defence deals and a contract for a dozen nuclear reactors, are likely to be signed by India and Russia when prime minister Vladimir Putin visits the country in the second week of March, government officials said.

The former Russian president’s visit would propel Indo-Russian ties back to what it was during its best days, officials said.

18 killed in Yemen dynamite warehouse explosion

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Sana’a, March 02: At least 18 people were killed and several injured in an explosion at a dynamite warehouse in the southern Yemeni city of Taiz Tuesday, witnesses and rescuers said.

Witnesses told that the pre-dawn explosion destroyed three buildings housing eight families near the warehouse in Yemen’s second-largest city.

They said the store was owned by an arms dealer and was used for road construction in the mountainous province of Taiz.

‘The explosion tore apart three buildings,’ Muhammad Saeed, a witness said by phone. ‘Many people are still under the wreckage.’

Katrina Kaif awaiting Rajneeti release

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Mumbai, March 02: Indian actress Katrina Kaif, who will be seen in a new avatar, donning a de-glam look in her upcoming film Rajneeti, says her instincts and script prospects take precedence while choosing a movie.

“I go by my instincts and the potential of the script, and I am looking forward to the release of Rajneeti this yearwhere I get to share screen space with some of the finest talents of the film industry,” the 25-year-old actor told.

Rajneeti, a political saga, directed by Prakash Jha is scheduled for a June 4 release.

It does feel bad

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Mumbai, March 02: For the second time in less than a year, Irfan Pathan has been left out of a list, which selectors believe is of the best 30 cricketers in the country. Last July, the all-rounder did not find his name among the probables for the Champions Trophy.

This time he has not figured in the list for the World Twenty20 that begins in the West Indies on April 30.

7 killed, 9 injured as car collides with lorry

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Nalgonda, March 02: Seven people, belonging to a family, were killed and nine were seriously injured when a car in which they were travelling collided with a lorry at National Highway near Velinedu in Chityal Mandal of Nalgonda district, late last night.

Police said in all, 16 members of a family were returning to Hyderabad after attending a function in Avanigeda in Krishna District when the car driver, while overtaking a vehicle, dashed against the onion-laden lorry proceeding towards Vijayawada from Hyderabad, killing six people on the spot.

TDP President asks CM to hold all-party meeting on OMC

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Hyderabad, March 02: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu today urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah to call an all-party meeting urgently to discuss illegal mining in Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) and devise ways for protection of natural resources in the state.

Operate multiple accounts with single password

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Sydney, March 02: A little-used internet authentication system from the 1980s could enable web users to securely log in only once per internet session, says a new study.

PhD researcher S. Suriadi from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Information Security Institute said a secure single sign-on system was more than simply using the same password for multiple accounts.

Suriadi said any future single sign-on system, which could potentially give web users

access to a multitude of accounts, including e-mail, bank and shopping, would require

AI baggage handler arrested for molesting

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Kolkata, March 02: An Air-India employee was arrested and another detained early today for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl at NSC Bose International airport here. The police said AI baggage handler Ahamed Reza molested the girl when she came to the airport at about 1.30 am to catch a flight.

Another baggage handler, Binoy Sanyasi was detained for questioning, the police said. The incident took place when the girl was waiting after luggage checking in the airport, the police said.

Hyundai drives past Feb with highest sales ever

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New Delhi, March 02: The country’s second largest carmaker Hyundai Motor India today reported its highest domestic sales ever at 31,001 units, a jump of 46.13 per cent over the same month a year ago.

The company had sold 21,215 units in the domestic market in February 2009, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said in a statement.

Domestic sales of the company is the highest since inception when HMIL launched its flagship small car Santro, it added.

The company’s total sales rose by 42.85 per cent at 54,617 units against 38,235 units in the year-ago period.

Lara Dutta officially with Mahesh Bhupathi, Dino back with Mahtani!!

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Mumbai, March 02: Lara Dutta, the sizzling hot babe of bollywood with a perfect figure who scorched the silver screen with bikini sequences.

In Akshay Kumar-Sanjay Dutt starrer ‘Blue’, has made her relationship with tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi public.

After much denial about the affair, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi attended the fifty-fifth Filmfare award function together.

And made their intention clear by posing unhesitatingly for the camera. Sources close to couple say that.

Two customs officers arrested in duty evasion scam

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Panaji, March 02: Two customs and central excise officers have been arrested by the CBI in connection with a tax evasion scam here that also saw arrest of Ahmadabad-based Adani Group MD Rajesh Adani.

Both the senior officers were arrested yesterday from their residences in Goa, CBI’s Anti Corruption Bureau SP S S Gavli told today, refusing to divulge the exact location and names and designations of the officers.

Normalcy returns in Pattan town

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Srinagar, March 02: Normalcy returned today to violence-hit villages of north Kashmir”s Pattan town where curfew was imposed on February 25 after clashes broke out between two sects of Muslims.

Shops and business establishments reopened after remaining closed for five days at various places in Baramulla and Budgam districts as the curfew was lifted last evening, officials said.

I suffered silently, says Jiah Khan

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Mumbai, March 02: Actress Jiah Khan has had enough. She hadn’t spoken a word when she was unceremoniously replaced with actor Genelia D’ Souza in the much hyped but flop movie Chance Pe Dance.

Shahid Kapoor, the male lead of the movie, had then made it clear that it was director Ken Ghosh’s directive to replace Jiah overnight.

He had said, “It was totally his (Ken’s) decision (to replace Jiah). I was equally sad when I was told that Jiah was being replaced.

Chopra ‘stops speaking to Ratonsey’

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Mumbai, March 02: Priyanka Chopra has reportedly stopped speaking to Mubina Ratonsey, a friend of her ex-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor.

According to The New Nation, the actress cut herself off from Ratonsey after she allegedly leaked secrets about the couple’s private life.

Reports have suggested that Ratonsey denied ever revealing any of Chopra’s secrets when the star confronted her.

However, Chopra reportedly decided to sever their friendship after more information was leaked.
–Agencies

Maoists kill two villagers

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Patna, March 02: Two villagers were killed by Maoists at Goghaldiha village in Kharagpur police station of Bihar’s Munger district, the police said on Tuesday.

“An armed Maoist squad raided the village last night and dragged Kailash Pundit and Ramsunder Mandal from their houses.

The Maoists took them to a secluded place and slit their throats after holding a ‘Jan Adalat’ (Kangaroo court),” Superintendent of Police Ashish Chandra told reporters here.

They were alleged to have been working as police informers, he said.

Katrina Kaif signed as brand ambassador for Lux Purple

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Mumbai, March 02: She is what Superstars are made up of! An actress on every director’s wishlist.

She is none other than Katrina Kaif, the lady who is giving not just the Bolly heroines, but also top models.

A marathon run for their money. After having launched a thousand (well… make that a million plus)

Products with her ravishing smile, Katrina Kaif is now all set to do it all over again, this time round with the prestigious Lux soap.

The news of Kats becoming brand ambassador has really many minds thinking since till now it was the eternal beauty.

PM meets Naga leaders

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New Delhi, March 02: Leaders of a frontline Naga separatist outfit on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after several rounds of talks with a government-appointed interlocutor, a separatist leader said.

The top leadership of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN—IM) is here for the peace talks which resumes after a gap of nearly a year.

“The leaders are in a meeting with the Prime Minister at his residence. We hope the talks will be honest and sincere,” V.S. Atem, convener of the steering committee of the NSCN-IM, told.

US Dy Secy of State in China on diplomatic mission

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Beijing, March 02: A senior US diplomat was due in China Tuesday for talks aimed at getting Sino-US relations back on track, with tensions high over US arms sales to Taiwan and a White House visit by the Dalai Lama.

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will also focus on efforts to bring North Korea back to stalled nuclear disarmament negotiations, and try to persuade Beijing to back new sanctions against Iran over its atomic programme.

Priyanka visits Twitter HQ

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Mumbai, March 02: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who is set to cross the 200,000 mark in Twitter followers, visited the headquarter of the micro-blogging website in San Francisco after being especially invited there.

Priyanka tweeted about her visit to the headquarter where she met Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder.

“My day was really interesting because I was invited to Twitter headquarter in San Francisco! Had a great time.

Thanks Biz and team for the wonderful hospitality,” she posted. The 27-year-old, who has been shooting.

Lyondell rejects Reliance bid: Report

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Mumbai, March 02: Bankrupt petrochemicals firm LyondellBasell has rejected a bid by Indian energy major Reliance Industries, a news agency reported, citing two people briefed on the matter.

Reliance, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is likely to turn its attention to other acquisition opportunities if its bid for Lyondell, valuing the bankrupt firm at $14.5 billion, falls short.

Weighed down by massive debts, LyondellBasell’s US operations and one of its European holding companies had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009.

-Agencies