Month: March 2010

India expects $ 5 bn Canadian investment in road sector

by

Toronto, March 26: India expects a big investment of $ 5 billion (around Rs 22,800 crore) from Canada in the country’s road development programme over the next three to four years, Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath has said.

“I am looking at Canada looking beyond NAFTA,” Mr. Nath said after meeting with top Canadian ministers and executives of financial institutions here yesterday.

“Canadian pension funds and financial institutions are actively considering participating in the National Highway Development Project (NHDP),” he added.

Shahrukh and I share amazing chemistry – Kareena

by

Mumbai, March 26: Kareena Kapoor is paired with Shahrukh Khan in his latest home production. She was also his co-star in his second production Asoka. On the second day of shooting, she gets nostalgic…

They are paired together in his home production Ra.1 directed by Anubhav Sinha. The last film they had acted opposite each other was another SRK’s home production – Asoka (2001).

She squeals excitedly from Goa, “After Asoka, we worked together in K3G but we weren’t paired romantically. I did a song with him in Don and Billu. Ra.1 is his most ambitious project yet.”

Aishwarya Rai is a sleeping volcano ready to erupt

by

Mumbai, March 26: Aishwarya Rai gave some easy life to other contemporary actors like Priyanka Chopra, Vidya Balan, Kareena Kapoor.

And the likes as Ash was keeping a low profile as far as her celluloid career was concerned.

In the course of the last 3 years, younger actresses have grabbed the Filmfare Award starting with Kareena Kapoor (Jab We Met)

And then followed by Piggy Chops (Fashion) and lately by Vidya Balan (Paa). But, all this while,Aishwarya was calm akin to.

Amrita Rao’s glamorous look!

by

Mumbai, March 26: Amrita Rao has gone all glam with her latest photo-shoot. From a fairly normal girl, she’s turned into a babe. We asked her what had convinced the girl who was launched in Ishq Vishq and acted in Bhagat Singh, Main Hoon Na and Vivaah to suddenly take a turn into the land of plunging necklines.

She is a beautiful woman whom every man would like to marry because she is not like other actresses who does bold scenes to become famous, she is sweet and beautiful lady who speaks her heart. She has launched with Ishq Vishq and then.

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in Clean and Juicy Ad Face-Off!

by

Mumbai, March 26: While we still can’t say for sure whether Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan are together or not, we do know that both B-town actors like to keep things clean and juicy! The Bollywood beauty recently starred in a commercial for Slice Mango Juice, while B-town’s bad boy has shot an ad for Active Wheel Detergent.

No trust motion against BJP government rejected

by

Dehra Dun, March 26: A no-confidence motion moved by main opposition Congress against the Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank government in Uttarakhand was today rejected amid pandemonium in the state Assembly.

When the House met for the day, the opposition members created a din during the Question Hour and trooped into the well on the issue.

Amid noisy scenes, Speaker Harbans Kapoor asked members supporting the motion to raise their hands.

Army busts three hideouts in JK

by

Srinagar, March 26: Security forces have busted three hideouts in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from them. A hideout was busted today during security operation launched by 48 Rashtriya Rifles troops in Sabzian area near the Line of Control in Poonch district, security officiers said.

The recoveries from the hideout included 3.5 kgs of RDX, 9 detonators, 8 chinese grenades, 3 AK magazines. Another hideout was busted this morning by the security forces in Triyath belt of Rajouri district.

We will wait and watch

by

Dhaka, March 26: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), whose top leaders are expected to be tried for alleged war crimes during Bangladesh’s independence movement, has adopted a wait and watch policy as judges were named for the trial.

‘We’ll give our reaction once we learn about the government’s aims and objectives behind the trial,’ quoted JeI secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed as saying.

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said the proposed trial was politically motivated and aimed at embarrassing the opposition parties.

Data network to link educational institutes

by

New Delhi, March 26: The government on Thursday approved a project to connect 1500 educational institutes across the country through high-speed data communication network.

A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) approved the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) at an outlay of Rs 5,990 crore to be implemented by the National Informatics Centre over a period of 10 years, a spokesperson said.

Bin Laden in 9/11 execution warning

by

London, March 26: A message said to be from Osama bin Laden threatens to kill Americans if the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks is executed by the US.

In the 74-second audiotape aired on Al-Jazeera television, the al-Qa’ida leader mentions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003. He is the most senior al-Qa’ida operative in US custody and is detained at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

UN passes Islamophobia resolution

by

Geneva, March 26: The U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution condemning Islamaphobic behavior, including Switzerland’s minaret building ban, despite some states’ major reservations.

The resolution, which was criticized by the United States as “an instrument of division,” “strongly condemns… the ban on the construction of minarets of mosques and other recent discriminatory measures.”

In a November referendum Swiss citizens voted to ban the construction of new minarets, a move that drew criticisms worldwide.

Stephen Court fire toll rises to 25

by

Kolkata, March 26: With the recovery of one more body from fire ravaged Stephen Court, toll mounted to 25 on Friday.

The body was found from the fifth floor of the building and its gender was yet to be ascertained, the police said.

The body, charred beyond recognition, was taken to SSKM Hospital for postmortem.

Several persons are still missing after a massive fire swept through the 150-year-old multi-storeyed heritage building housing offices and residences in Kolkata’s busy Park Street on Tuesday.

Drink Alcohol, face lash: Sudan’s President

by

Khartoum, March 26: Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir warned on Thursday that making, selling or consuming alcoholic drinks will be punishable by the lash under the country’s Islamic laws.

“Whoever makes, drinks or sells alcoholic drinks in Khartoum will be whipped, regardless of what the United Nations or human rights groups have to say about it,” said Bashir, who is seeking re-election next month.

Student kidnapped for ransom, killed

by

Noida, March 26: He expressed his anger and shock with practiced ease and offered support to the family, which needed it badly. But they were in for a rude shock on Thursday when they got to know that the same man had murdered their son.

Noida police have arrested Vivek Patel and his accomplices Saurabh Punjabi and Vishal Sachdeva for kidnapping and killing Rohit Singh (23). They have also recovered the car in which they kidnapped the victim from his paying guest accommodation in Noida’s Sector 41 on March 20.

Two boys killed to ‘appease’ goddess

by

Ranchi, March 26: Eight people have been arrested while a woman is on the run in Jharkhand after they killed two minor boys in a gory display of ritualistic ‘sacrifice’, police said.

Police said three-year-old Sanatan’s throat was slit by a woman, Tulsi, in Ulihatu village in Jagannathpur district Tuesday in the presence of many villagers. The woman escaped after the killing.

In another incident, eight men and women were taken into custody after the mutilated body of six-year-old Aman, who had been missing since March 20, was found near his house.

One injured in grenade attack

by

Srinagar, March 26: A civilian was today injured in a grenade explosion by militants in Sopore town of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Unidentified militants hurled a grenade on a CRPF bunker near State Bank of India branch in the town, 55 kms from here, around noon.

It, however, exploded on the road injuring a civilian. The injured was taken to hospital, they said, adding security forces and police immediately cordoned off the area.

—–PTI

7 members of family commit suicide

by

Jaipur, March 26: Seven members of a family, including a five-year-old boy and four girls, were killed in an apparent suicide pact in a place 35 km from Jaipur. Bansi Lal Jat (40) allegedly poisoned his son Babu (5) and daughter Babli (15) on Wednesday night and later jumped before a moving train with his wife Sita (36) and three daughters, Shravani (13), Kali (7), and Hansa (8).

Their bodies were found on Thursday morning. Jat and his daughters died on the spot while his wife died on the way to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur.

Stop suing journalists: RSF tells Singapore leaders

by

Singapore, March 26: Media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders has urged Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his father Lee Kuan Yew and other top officials to stop taking “libel actions” against journalists.

RSF secretary general Jean-Francois Julliard wrote an “open letter” to the Singapore leader Thursday asking for a meeting about the group’s observations and proposals “for guaranteeing press freedom” in the affluent city-state.

Shatrughan takes a dig at Amitabh for his endorsements

by

Mumbai, March 26: Taking an apparent potshot at megastar Amitabh Bachchan, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha wondered why the veteran appeared in candy and hair oil advertisements.

“I do not understand the need for him (Amitabh) to appear in endorsements and ads for things like ‘Hajmola’ and various hair oils. I would advise him to refrain from this,” Sinha said here at a function yesterday.

The BJP MP was in the city for the promotion of his son Luv Sinha’s Bollywood debut vehicle ‘Sadiyaan’, starring yesteryear actors like Hema Malini, Rekha and Rishi Kapoor.

‘After financial crisis, a currency crisis likely’

by

Mumbai, March 26: Even as the global economic meltdown is beginning to fade, the world might be in for another crisis — a currency crisis, a noted expert warned.

“The next biggest problem may be a currency crisis. It is a possibility that the next crisis awaiting the world is a currency crisis,” renowned currency expert and Non-Executive Director of Elara Capital, Avinash Persaud, told a news agency here.

Bharti Airtel forms 2 special vehicles for Zain deal: Report

by

Mumbai, March 26: Bharti Airtel has formed two special purpose vehicles in the Netherlands and Singapore to execute its $9 billion purchase of Zain’s African assets, a newspaper said.

The SPVs will own the acquired assets and will repay the debt from the cash flows from the African operations, but Bharti will step in if there is a default, the newspaper said on Friday.
A spokesman for Bharti declined to comment on the report.

Prince Charles visits Afghanistan

by

Camp Bastion, March 26: On an unannounced trip to Afghanistan, Britain’s Prince Charles recalled how he much he worried when his youngest son, Harry, served in the country’s south for 10 weeks until his secret deployment was leaked to the media.

Charles, wearing military fatigues, spent today in Helmand province and other parts of Afghanistan where he listened to the security concerns of local residents and encouraged British forces, deployed mostly in the violent south. Since the war began, Britain has lost 276 troops.

Pakistan delegation in US to discuss jailed scientist: PM

by

Islamabad, March 26: Pakistan’s prime minister said on Thursday that top officials currently visiting Washington would raise the issue of a female Pakistani scientist found guilty of trying to kill US servicemen.

A US jury last month found Aafia Siddiqui, 37, a mother and neuroscientist trained at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, guilty on all charges and she could face life in prison when sentenced on May 6.

Curcumin in Turmeric helps slow down auto-immune diseases of the liver

by

Austria, March 26: Turmeric, hailed as a wonder spice by Ayurvedics has now gained recognition amongst researchers as well. As per a study by Medical University Graz, Austria, Turmeric has been associated with slowing of liver damage. Turmeric is generally added to dishes for imparting food a bright yellow color. The research has been published in the Gut magazine.

US to construct priority road in NWFP with Pak

by

Washington, March 26: The United States and Pakistan on Thursday signed a USD 40 million letter of intent regarding cooperation in construction of priority roads in Pakistan’s NWFP to aid in Malakand Reconstruction.

The letter of intent was signed by US Deputy Secretary of State Jacob J Lew and Pakistan’s Finance Secretary Salman Siddique at a ceremony held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.