Month: April 2010

Centre owes explanation on DA case against Lalu: Nitish

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Patna, April 06: Castigating the Central government for its stand on the disproportionate assets case against Lalu Prasad, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the Centre owed an explanation as to why it did not grant sanction to CBI to challenge the RJD chief’s acquittal.

“The CBI Director has informed that there have been sufficient evidences in the case to challenge the RJD leader’s acquittal, but the Centre didn’t allow the agency to do so,” Kumar told reporters in Patna.

Obama keeps promise; US to adopt narrower nuke policy

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Washington, April 06: The Obama administration is adopting a new policy limiting the circumstances under which the U.S. would use nuclear weapons, keeping with the President’s pledge to give the nuclear arsenal a less prominent role in U.S. defense strategy.

In line with an in-depth review of U.S. nuclear weapons policy, the administration also hopes to persuade Russia to agree to open talks on mutual cuts in nuclear arsenals that go beyond a new arms treaty to be signed this week, U.S. officials said.

Republican National Committee’s Chief of Staff quits

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Washington, April 06: Amid unrelenting criticism of how the Republican National Committee has spent donors’ dollars, Chairman Michael Steele on Monday accepted the resignation of his chief of staff and allowed one of his senior advisers to leave as he tried to reassure GOP donors upset about his leadership. The turnover hinted at future changes that some top Republicans hoped would include the chairman himself.

3 cops injured in accident

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Mumbai, April 06: Three constables of Kherwadi police station were injured after a truck collided with their Qualis on Monday at Nagpada. A police officer from the Nagpada police station said, “The officers had come to Nagpada police hospital for the check-up of an accused.

They were on their way back when the incident took place.” Brijesh Kumar Yadav (30), the truck driver, was arrested.

He was charged with rash and negligent driving.

—-Agencies

Blood donations ban on gay men in for a review

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World, April 06: It’s reviewing whether to repeal its lifetime ban on donations from gay men, the U. S. agency that regulates the nation’s blood supply says.

A recent Food and Drug Administration statement said, “We are considering the possibility of pursuing alternative strategies that maintain blood safety.”

Since 1977, the ban excludes blood donations by men who have had sex with another man, even one time.

The AIDS virus, HIV, can be spread through blood transfusions and gay men were considered more likely to be HIV-infected than the general population.

Pope says Church in ‘times of difficulty’

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Italy, April 06: Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the Roman Catholic Church is in “times of difficulty” but avoided direct comment on sex abuse, as the Vatican faced fresh criticism over the scandal.

After a series of paedophile revelations which cast a pall over the holiest week in the Christian calendar, the embattled pontiff spoke Monday of priests’ special responsibility to society in an Easter Monday prayer.

Man caught stealing laptop on CCTV at airport

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Mumbai, April 06: The security force at the city airport caught a 50-year-old man allegedly stealing a co-passenger’s laptop, the closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage. This is the second case in less than three weeks.

A businessman Shashank Gang, who was to board an Air India flight to Jodhpur, forgot his laptop at the security hold. The CCTV footage caught Jayant Chandra Rai (50), who was travelling to Ranchi, loitering in the area for 15 minutes before picking up the laptop, said a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official.

900 deaths avoided yearly, if mother go for 6 month only breastfeeding

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London, April 06: According to researchers if mothers followed the U. S. government’s recommendation of six months of exclusive breastfeeding, some 900 deaths may be avoided yearly.

MedPage Today had reported that study authors Dr. Melissa Bartick of Harvard Medical School and Arnold Reinhold of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, both in Boston, also estimate if 90 percent of new mothers exclusively breastfed — no water, infant food, juice, formula, cow’s milk or sugar water — infants for six months, it could save $13 billion annually.

Mulayam wants reservation for women in IIMs, govt jobs

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New Delhi, April 06: Raising a new demand on the women’s bill, Samajwadi Party today sought 50 per cent quota to women in educational institutes as well as jobs.

The demand was made by Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has already called for “reservation within reservation” for Muslim women and backward classes in the Women’s Reservation Bill.

He said political parties should be asked to give reservation to women in distribution of election tickets and representation should be given to those from backward classes and also Muslims and Dalits.

warship catches up with hijacked tanker

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Seoul, April 06: A South Korean navy destroyer caught up with a hijacked supertanker carrying about $160 million of crude oil and was maneuvering nearby in the Indian Ocean, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The supertanker, on its way from Iraq to the United States, is believed to have been hijacked by Somali pirates, the latest high-value bargaining chip for the sea bandits. Similar seizures of oil supertankers in the waters off the coast of lawless Somalia have yielded ransoms as high as $5.5 million.

I fooled myself for so long

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New Delhi, April 06: Disgraced golfer Tiger Woods finally broke his silence in a press conference where journalists from all over the world had gathered. The golfer answered all questions stoically but politely and firmly refused all personal questions.

He once again admitted his mistake and accepted full responsibility for his “horrible actions”. “The way I was thinking was not correct, I lied to myself, was in denial.

No consensus on Women’s Bill; Mamata joins chorus for sub-quota

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New Delhi, April 06: Government’s efforts to ensure early passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha today received a setback with its ally Trinamool Congress joining Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD(U) in opposing the proposed legislation in the present form.

An all-party meeting called here to break the logjam over the bill failed as differences persisted, prompting even UPA allies and those supporting the proposed legislation not to rush through its introduction till there is consensus.

Thai protesters clash with riot police

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Bangkok, April 06: Thousands of anti-government demonstrators clashed with Thai police and military troops trying to prevent them from leaving from the capital’s commercial district Tuesday to stage protests elsewhere in Bangkok.

The demonstrators pushed against police lines and pelted the riot squads with eggs and plastic water bottles along a tree-lined boulevard in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.

“Have we reached a point of no return? I hope we don’t have to fight fellow Thais,” said a protest leader, Nattawut Saikua.

Issue of access to Headley being taken up at highest level:US

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New Delhi, April 06: The issue of granting India access to Lashkar-e Taiba operative David Headley is being taken up by the US government at the highest level, its Ambassador Timothy J Roemer said on Monday as he met Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi.

“I just had a very successful meeting with the Home Minister where I talked about working very closely for cooperation with government of India and government of US on counter-terrorism issues,” Roemer told reporters after the meeting.

UAE death row issue: Sukhbir seeks PM’s intervention

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Jalandhar, April 06: Accusing the Union government of not making sincere efforts to save 17 Indians facing gallows in the UAE, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today sought personal intervention of the President and the Prime Minister in the matter.

Chief Minister and SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April seven to take up the issue with him, he told reporters here.

“The Centre has virtually made no sincere efforts to save the Indian youths facing capital punishment in the UAE,” Sukhbir said.

Women’s Bill opponents force govt to redraft statement

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New Delhi, April 06: Opponents of the Bill today forced the government to redraft a statement that was to be issued after the all-party meeting as they had objections to its wording.

After two hours of deliberations, the government wanted to issue a statement saying that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and decency and decorum would be maintained in Parliament, sources said.

It was also proposed to say in the statement that efforts would be made to find an amicable solution to the issue, without mentioning further discussions, they said.

Krishna to take up India’s ‘concerns’ with China

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New Delhi, April 06: India’s concerns on a host of issues, including issuance of stapled visas and “illegal” construction in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, will be taken up by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna during his meetings with Chinese leadership when he visits China from Monday.

Cricket ban could be lifted soon

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New Delhi, April 06: Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik’s cricket ban could be lifted soon, as per PCB’s latest news. He was recently banned for a year by the apex body which seems to be handing him out a marriage gift by telling him to don the nation’s colours again, reports suggested.

Things have been turbulent for the cricketer as reports suggested that he would go for an anticipatory bail as he would be questioned again on Tuesday. This came after Ayesha told the police that she had evidence of her pregnancy.

Govt says needs more time for Food Security Bill

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New Delhi, April 06: Not willing to take chances on UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s pet project, government today said it needs more time to draft a foolproof food security bill giving the poor legal right for wheat or rice at Rs 3 a kg.

After a 90-minute meeting on the draft Food Security Bill, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) asked the Planning Commission to give it the exact definition of the people Below Poverty Line (BPL), who would be entitled to a specified quantity of rice or wheat every month.

3 Indo-Canadians acquitted of smuggling heroin in bats and balls

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Toronto, April 06: A court here has acquitted three Indo-Canadians on charges of smuggling heroin worth millions of dollars in cricket bats and balls from India.

Arundeep Sood, Charanbir Dhillon and Gurdeep Boparai and their two accomplices, who were acquitted earlier, were charged with smuggling the contraband hidden in cricket bats and balls imported from India in March 2007. But the Ontario superior court here acquitted them of smuggling charges as the prosecution failed to produce key evidence, the judge said delivering the verdict.

IAF to operationalise new fighter airfield along Pak border

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New Delhi, April 06: India will operationalise a new airfield for its fighter jets in the Rajasthan desert along the borders with Pakistan in an effort to bridge the air defence gap in the western sector.

The new airfield at Phalodi will be capable of operating all types of fighter, transport and rotary wing aircraft, IAF officials said here on Monday.

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik will inaugurate the airfield on Tuesday, that would be just 102 km away from the international border with Pakistan, they said.

Obama to focus on securing nuclear material

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Washington, April 06: President Barack Obama hopes to use next week’s nuclear security summit to clearly spell out how to secure world’s nuclear material so it does not fall into the hands of terrorists or dangerous states.

“Our expectation is not that there’s just some vague, gauzy statement about us not wanting to see loose nuclear materials,” he said in an interview Monday with the New York Times ahead of the summit that would bring 47 world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, together.

China executes Japanese national for drug smuggling

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Beijing, April 06: China executed a Japanese citizen on Tuesday for drug smuggling, ignoring objections from Tokyo that such a move could harm bilateral ties and inflame public opinion.

China’s official Xinhua news agency, in a brief report, said that the sentence was carried out on Mitsunobu Akano on Tuesday morning in the northeastern province of Liaoning.

Akano is the first Japanese to be executed by China after the two countries normalised diplomatic relations in 1972, according to Japanese media.

SRK joins hands with Vidhu Vinod

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Mumbai, April 06: Shah-Rukh-Khan-Vidhu-Vinod-ChopraIt would be a delight for the film watchers. The two biggest sides of the modern Indian cinema are expected to come together. One of course is King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and the other is one of the biggest and most hit film-makers, Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

After staying away from each other for years, the two have finally decided to make a film together. This is going to be one of the most esteemed projects of Vidhu Vinod, he said.