Washington, March 26: The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a package of changes to President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare overhaul and sent it to the House of Representatives for final passage.
The changes put the finishing touches on the sweeping healthcare reform bill already signed into law by Obama, who visited Iowa on Thursday as part of a public relations blitz to sell the new plan.
New Delhi, March 26: The honeybees that swarmed Mayawati’s public meeting 10 days ago created a buzz that seems to have affected the Special Protection Group (SPG). Officers in charge of Rahul Gandhi’s security have asked the Sultanpur district administration to remove beehives outside the venue of a meeting the Congress general secretary is scheduled to attend on Friday.
Several beehives outside Vikas Bhawan in Sultanpur were destroyed last night. However, the bees returned during the day. A second operation was planned for Thursday night.
Bangalore, March 26: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s winning streak came to an end as a phenomenal performance by Delhi Daredevils earned them a 17-run victory in the 20th match of the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.
Bangalore, who had been banking on their strong batting line-up to chase a competitive target of 184 runs, failed to get a strong partnership and losing wickets at regular intervals further deteriorated their pace. The final overs proved to be very crucial for them as they lost five wickets in the last five overs.
London, March 26: UK airport worker plans action after colleague passed a lewd remark on her ‘nude’ image when she mistakenly walked into an X-ray machine
A 29-year-old airport security worker plans to take legal action after a colleague passed a lewd remark on her `nude’ image when she mistakenly walked into an X-ray machine, a media report said Thursday.
Jo Margetson plans to sue the authorities concerned and spent Wednesday in talks with Heathrow owner BAA, The Sun reported.
Dubai, March 26: Dubai and Abu Dhabi stocks surged on Thursday following Dubai government’s debt proposal for creditors of Dubai World.
The emirate unveiled a plan on Thursday to restructure state-owned Dubai World’s $26 billion debt. Dubai promised to recapitalise Dubai World and Nakheel property unit with $9.5 billion aid through its Dubai Financial Support Fund.
Karachi, March 26: Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi and former captain Younus Khan have appealed against the penalties imposed on them by the country’s cricket board.
Afridi has filed an appeal against the Rs 3 million fine and six months probation imposed on him, while Younis has challenged the indefinite ban placed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“Yes I have sent a notice to the Chief Operating Officer of the Board Wasim Bari asking him on what grounds have I been fined by the Board,” Afridi said.
Bhopal, March 26: The Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly Thursday passed a stringent anti-terror law, despite strong resistance from the opposition Congress, the state government saying that it was the need of the hour and not targeted against any community.
While 61 members voted in favour of the bill, 26 voted against the Madhya Pradesh Terrorist and Disruptive Activities and Control of Organised Crimes Bill 2010, which has the provision of death penalty.
Panaji, March 26: Concerned about the safety of tourists visiting Goa, in the wake of recent high-profile crimes against foreigners, the Goa government has allocated Rs.5 crore in its annual budget towards setting up a “beach safety management system”.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, also the finance minister, in his budget speech in the Goa legislative assembly said that at least 1,000 Goan youth would be recruited under public-private participation (PPP) for the purpose.
Noida, March 26: Three persons were arrested Thursday for killing a 20-year-old Amity University student after abducting him from this satellite town March 20 and disposing of his body in Aligarh, police said.
Rohit Singh, son of a government contractor, was in second year doing a B.Tech course. He belonged to Aligarh.
Raipur, March 26: More than 90 Maoist militants were killed and 12 terror camps dismantled during the government’s anti-Maoist Operation Green Hunt, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said on Thursday.
“As many as 90 Maoists were killed and 12 of their terror camps were destroyed till Feb 27 this year in the state’s Bastar region under Operation Green Hunt,” the minister told the assembly during question hour.
New Delhi, March 26: Firebrand Hindutva leader Uma Bharti Thursday quit the Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS), a party she floated four years ago following her expulsion from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There is talk she may return to her parent party.
Though Uma Bharti has said she was quitting on health grounds, her surprise resignation comes amid speculation she may return to the Nitin Gadkari-led BJP.
Gadkari, the new BJP chief, had earlier expressed his readiness to take back some popular disgruntled party leaders.
Gandhinagar, March 26: Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), a voluntary organisation supporting the 2002 Gujarat riot victims’ quest for justice, has complained of manhandling of some key witnesses in the Odh massacre case by policemen assisting the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Mexico City, March 26: Fortyone inmates, most of them facing charges of murder or abduction, escaped from a prison in the northern Mexican city of Matamoros, authorities said.
All but three of the escaped prisoners were facing charges for federal offences such as murder and kidnapping. Two prison guards also fled with them, Ives Soberon Tijerina, public safety secretary of Tamaulipas, said Thursday.
Two officials have been sacked and some 100 guards and administrative employees were being interrogated in this connection, he said.
–IANS–
Islamabad, March 26: At least 61 militants were killed in the airstrikes by Pakistan military in the country’s restive northwestern tribal area near Afghanistan border, officials said.
Thursday’s airstrikes killed 64 militants, including dozens of Taliban commanders, who were believed have been meeting at a seminary in the Mamuzai area of Orakzai district, they said.
The seminary was a main centre for Tableeghi Jamaat, a non-violent Islamic missionary group, two intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity.
Mexico City, March 26: Mexico’s federal police arrested the so-called “King of Heroin,” the authorities said Thursday.
Jose Antonio Medina Arreguin, known as the “King of Heroin” and as “Don Pepe,” was arrested Wednesday in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, according to Mexico’s Public Security Ministry.
Medina Arreguin, 36, allegedly exported into the US some 200 kg of heroin per month, which according to Mexican police had a monthly street value of about $12 million. He also dealt in methamphetamines.
Washington, March 26: The US Congress Thursday approved one last round of changes to the landmark health reform bill already signed into law by President Barack Obama, ending a divisive year-long domestic debate that has taken a violent turn this week.
The votes in the Senate and House of Representatives marked the final steps in a complicated set of procedural manoeuvres that have played out in a bid to get Obama’s top domestic priority through the legislature. Republicans, united in opposition to the reforms, have used every available procedure to slow the process.
Mumbai, March 26: Next year, 2011, is going to be the year of sequels in Bollywood with as many as five blockbusters getting ready with the next instalment of their stories — “Race 2″, “Dhoom 3″, “Wanted 2″, “Partner 2″ and “Don 2″.
Like the 2008 hit action “Race”, “Race 2″ is also directed by Abbas-Mustan and produced under the Tips Films banner. The original, which explored themes of sibling rivalry, betrayal and passion, starred Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif in pivotal roles.
Mumbai, March 26: Mumbai Indians continued with their bullish charge ahead in the Indian Premier League, winning another consecutive match, beating Chennai Super Kings by five wickets.
Sachin Tendulkar kept his promise with the home crowd, slamming a super fifty to stamp his authority on a closely fought match. Hitting the tournament’s 200th six, he got out after hitting his highest T20 score of seventy two runs to a change in spell by MS Dhoni, who brought in old warhorse Lakshmipathy Balaji to get a needed break.
Mumbai, March 26: Aparna Sen, whose long-awaited film “The Japanese Wife” will soon be seen in the theatres, says she couldn’t trust anyone but old favourite Rahul Bose to play Snehamoy, the Sundarbans schoolteacher who falls in love with a woman he’s never met.
“To play Snehamoy, I needed an actor who would give me 200 percent,” Sen, who gets back to direction after “15 Park Avenue”, told IANS in an interview.
Noida, March 26: Three persons were arrested for killing a 20-year-old Amity University student after abducting him from this satellite town March 20 and disposing of his body in Aligarh, police said.
Rohit Singh, son of a government contractor, was in second year doing a B.Tech course. He belonged to Aligarh. Presenting the accused in front of the media here, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashok Kumar said the trio kidnapped Rohit from Sector 46, Noida March 20. The three took him in a car to Panipat from where they made a ransom call of Rs.1 crore to his parents in Aligarh.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 26: The driver of the ill-fated bus which plunged into a river at Thazhathangadi in Kottayam killing 10 people on Tuesday afternoon may have dozed off while at the wheels leading to the tragedy.
This was the preliminary finding of the central zone transport commissioner P K Stephen who inquired into the accident.
Washington, March 26: Praising Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism, the United States has pledged tens of millions of dollars of aid for roads and power plants, but sidestepped Islamabad’s demand for an India-type nuclear deal.
The announcements came in a joint statement Thursday as the two countries wrapped up their first Strategic Dialogue at the ministerial level, co-chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Bhubaneswar, March 26: Eight people, including two children, were killed Friday in a road accident in Orissa’s Dhenkanal district, police said.
The mishap took place when a trekker carrying some passengers of Khajuria village in Dhenkanal district had a head on collision with a speeding truck near Baldiabandh on National Highway 42 early Friday. The villagers were returning home after watching the Opera near Khuntuni.
“The driver may have dosed off early in the morning leading to the accident,” a police officer said.
London, March 26: Stronger and more lasting memories are likely to be formed when a person is relaxed and the memory-related neurons in the brain fire in sync with certain brain waves, scientists said on Wednesday.
Researchers from the United States said their findings could help develop new therapies for people with learning disabilities and some types of dementia.
Bangalore, March 26: In an act of unspeakable hatred and cruelty, a 25-year-old mother of three, canvassing for a Congress candidate contesting the civic polls, was allegedly set on fire by her neighbours after she lodged a police complaint against them in D J Halli here on Wednesday night.