Month: April 2010

Maha govt to introduce DNA-PCR for new born babies

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Mumbai, April 04: In an effort to prevent parent-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, Maharashtra Government has decided to introduce ‘DNA-PCR’ test from this year for new born babies.

“Using the sophisticated Polymerised Chain Reaction (PCR), it would be possible to identify whether the six-week old new born has been affected with the HIV transmitted from the mother. Therefore treatment can be started immediately with navirapine prophylaxis and can be made available to the mother and the baby,” Health Minister Suresh Shetty told PTI.

Andaman earthquake confirms worst fears: Geologist

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Bangalore, April 04: The 6.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred north of the Andaman Islands on March 30 is yet another confirmation that this particular region will continue to be source of severe earthquakes, says a leading Indian geologist.

“This is what we had been worried about,” Vineet Gahalaut at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad told IANS in an interview.

He and his colleagues had warned that a segment of the “plate boundary fault” left unruptured after the deadly 2004 Andaman earthquake would be a source of high magnitude earthquakes.

After Uma, Govindacharya quits his organisation

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Bhopal, April 04: Close on the heels of Uma Bharti’s resignation from the president’s post of her party, Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS), her mentor and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ideologue K.N. Govindacharya has quit as national convenor of his own organisation – Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan (RSA).

He left for Delhi shortly before the organisation’s two-day national executive meet was to begin here Saturday.

Govindacharya’s decision to quit the RSA post was announced at the organisation’s meet Saturday and Rakesh Dubey was nominated as RSA’s national convener.

Zac Efron perfect boyfriend for older lady: Cox

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London, April 04: Actress Courteney Cox believes that actor Zac Efron would be a “perfect” boyfriend for an older lady.

Cox, who is currently seen in the US drama “Cougar Town”, thinks the “High School Musical” star is a prime target for other “cougars”, despite thinking he is too “confident” to be seduced”.

“My husband’s seven years younger than me so I must be a cougar. older women have more experience,” contactmusic.com.quoted her as saying.

Geri Halliwell compares Posh to Marmite

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London, April 04: Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell compares bandmate Victoria Beckham to Marmite saying “you can either love her or hate her”.

“I absolutely love her. The girl that I know has got absolutely nothing to do with the one I see in the media,” hollywood.com quoted her as saying. She said this in a TV interview while talking about her relationship with Victoria.

Asked how she felt about being voted Britain’s most popular Spice Girl, Geri says she was surprised by the result.

Shoaib still in Sania’s house, marriage may be advanced

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Hyderabad, April 04: Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik continued to stay in the residence of Indian tennis star Sania Mirza amid speculation that their marriage was being advanced to avoid any problems due to the raging row over Shoaib’s alleged first marriage with a resident of this city.

Shoaib, who arrived here Friday night from Dubai, did not come out of Sania’s house in Jubilee Hills. With Sania’s relatives and friends visiting her till late Saturday night, speculation was already doing the rounds that the marriage, originally scheduled for April 15, had been advanced.

Minor girl challenges expulsion from school in court

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New Delhi, April 04: A 12-year-old girl, who was dropped from the rolls of St. Xavier’s School here last month after she failed in her class 6 examinations, has approached the Delhi High Court challenging her expulsion.

“The school’s action is illegal, specially at a time when the Right to Education Act (RTE) has been enforced in the country.” said Ashok Agarwal, counsel of Suman Bhati.

Indian schools allowed to expand operation in Abu Dhabi

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Abu Dhabi, April 04: Indian and other foreign curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi will be allowed to expand operations under a new plan aimed at improving standard of private school education in the country.

“ADEC is working to enhance the private education sector by improving standards while maintaining reasonable fees and increasing capacity for our multicultural communities. We are committed to ensure that every child of school age has access to an affordable and high quality education,” said Mugheer Khamis Al-Khaili, Director General of ADEC.

Ayesha Siddiqui gets public sympathy in Pakistan

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Karachi, April 04: Shoaib Malik claims to have been cheated and deceived by her but public sympathy in Pakistan seems to be with his alleged first wife Ayesha Siddiqui if an opinion poll conducted by a television channel here is anything to go by.

A show on ‘Geo TV’ on Shoaib’s much-anticipated wedding with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza put a question to the viewers, asking “Who is in the wrong in the Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Siddiqui controversy.”

During the show itself 62 per cent of the polled votes blamed Malik and only 38 per cent said Ayesha was in the wrong.

Shoaib’s past will do him no good: Akram

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New Delhi, April 04: Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has wished Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza a happy married life but he feels the all-rounder’s controversial past involving an alleged first wife Ayesha Siddiqui will do him no good.

“First up, many congratulations to Shoaib Malik, although the juicy news about his previous relationship will do him no good. Whatever the facts are, I would like to wish Sania Mirza and Shoaib a good life together. Marriage is sacred,” Akram wrote in a column for ‘ESPN’.

11-digit mobile numbers soon?

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New Delhi, April 04: There is no consensus yet among the major service providers on the issue of an early migration to an 11-digit sequence

The unprecedented growth of cellular telephony in India has forced a rethink on the national mobile numbering plan much earlier than anticipated.

Eggs with pearls, crystals to be showcased in Delhi

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New Delhi, April 04: Art is charting an eclectic course in the capital. After its brush with cereal art, glass art and vegetable art – Delhi is now readying for egg art.

Egg carving is a fragile art form that uses ostrich, emu, goose, duck, turkey and hen eggs to create colourful but detailed miniature art.

Artist Farha Sayeed, who ventured into egg art nearly a decade ago, cuts and handcrafts her eggshells with pearls, beads, crystals, brocade, velvet, satin, golden laces and rhinestone chains.

Terror infrastructure in Pak remains intact

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New Delhi, April 04: The government has said the terror infrastructure in Pakistan continues to remain intact and infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir remains unabated with a substantial increase in 2009.

“There are reports to indicate that the infrastructure for training terrorist elements across the border continues to remain intact,” the 2009-10 annual report of the Home Ministry said.

It said the government was firmly committed to thwarting the challenge posed by terrorists and violence sponsored from across the border.

Katrina refuses to share space with Priyanka Chopra

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Mumbai, April 04: Priyanka and Katrina’s rivalry has taken a new turn. The gorgeous lass from UK took a strange decision to walk out of Anurag Basu’s ‘Khamoshi’ as soon as she heard that Priyanka Chopra has also been added to the cast.

Basu had purportedly planned a casting coup by finalizing Ranbir, Katrina and Priyanka for the same film.

Confirming Katrina’s decision, her close friend said, “When Katrina agreed to do Anurag Basu’s film with Ranbir, no mention was made of another heroine, and certainly not of Priyanka.

Deepika Padukone falls into a deep muddy hole

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Mumbai, April 04: Luckily Deepika Padukone escaped unharmed. But this has to be the riskiest stunt ever done by a female actor in Bollywood.

It’s not just Kareena Kapoor who is playing one of the boys in Gol Maal 3. Before Kareena even started shooting in Goa, Deepika Padukone was busy shooting some of the most daredevil stunts for Lafange Parindey where she gets into a full-on boys’ mould, riding bikes in leather jackets, jumping over walls and doing spins and somersaults.

Group that asked US governors to quit

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Washington, April 04: The Guardians of the free Republics, an anti-government group that recently asked 50 US governors to quit office within three days, claims their ideology is non-violent and inspired by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the letters sent to the governors this week, the group demanded they leave office within three days or they would be removed. There were no details about how exactly that would be achieved.

I know the truth of Shoaib’s ‘marriage’: Sania Mirza

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Hyderabad, April 04: The controversy regarding Sania mirza and Shoaib Malik’s wedding is just refusing to die dwon. Talking to a leading daily Farisa Siddiqui, mother of Ayesha Siddiqui said, “Shoaib married and abandoned our daughter and did not even give a divorce.

We had threatened to sue them, and now they are turning around and daring us? What wrong have we done to get caught up in a controversy? We only asked for justice.”

But Farisa says that although they know Sania’s family well, they won’t try to stop the marriage.

Muslims and their contribution on Freedom struggle

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This year hundred twenty fifth anniversary of its founding is being celebrated. All people of India, irrespective of their religious persuasion richly contributed to the freedom movement through the Indian National Congress. However, due to majoritarian attitude of our leaders and narrow outlook of those who devise our educational curriculum, minorities’ contribution has been totally forgotten.

Break Ke Baad: Imran Khan piggybacks on Deepika

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Mumbai, April 04: Kunal Kohli’s ‘Break Ke Baad’ is turning out to be one fun riot. One look at the picture and you can understand that Deepika Padukone is having a ball with Imran Khan on the sets.

Both Deepika and Imran posted this picture on their respective twitter account to make their fans a part of their fun they are having.

And that’s not all, we hear that Deepika and Imran’s fiancée Avantika also get along like a house on fire and often hang out together after the shoots.

You’ll soon see me romancing again: Neil Nitin Mukesh

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Mumbai, April 04: Neil Nitin Mukesh has made a mark for himself by choosing strong character-driven roles in “Johnny Gaddar”, “New York” and “Jail”. But now the sensitive actor promises his fans will get to see him in a completely romantic role.

“I like character-oriented and character-driven films a lot. There needs to be a certain meaning to the film that you do and that’s how I choose my roles, ” Neil, who was in the capital to launch travel magazine Lonely Planet India, told in an interview.

Christians demand apology from Ramesh over ‘barbaric’ remark

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Bhubaneswar, April 04: A Christian group Sunday demanded an unconditional apology from union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh for terming the wearing of the traditional convocation robe as a “barbaric colonial practice”.

Describing Ramesh’s statement as remarks against Pope and Christians around the world, Sajan K. George, president of the Bangalore-based Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), said the remarks have deeply offended religious sentiment.

I was left with no choice but to wear the bikinis: Lara Dutta

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Mumbai, April 04: Lara Dutta believes in encashing the opportunities – Be it then not waiting for solo heroine role at one hand while on the other hand showcasing her beautiful figure in a bikini.

Lara Dutta speaks in an exclusive chat

Lara Dutta has come a long from Andaaz to Houseful. Lara had bagged the Best Filmfare Debut award for Andaaz and slowly she shifted to comedy films. Lara has also been in news for her name being linked to the cricketers as well as the men belonging to tinsel town.

Group that asked US governors to quit, looked to Gandhi, Mandela

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Washington, April 04: The Guardians of the free Republics, an anti-government group that recently asked 50 US governors to quit office within three days, claims their ideology is non-violent and inspired by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the letters sent to the governors this week, the group demanded they leave office within three days or they would be removed. There were no details about how exactly that would be achieved.

I’m taking a year off to get to know my adoptive girl

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Mumbai, April 04: Dibakar Banerjee won’t be starting another film till next year. He needs to take the rest of the year off to get to know his new adoptive baby Ira.

“Otherwise she’ll never be able to accept me as anything but an alien in her life. At the moment she’s 7 months old. I want to spend some months with her and become an integral part of her life.”

Movies can wait. “I won’t be starting another film till next year.I need to be home, to let my daughter get used to my presence around the house.”

World’s smallest and lightest UAV developed

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Kolkata, April 04: Claimed to be the world’s smallest and lightest, Carbon, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by a private firm can be used for anti-terrorist and counter insurgency operations besides disaster management and aerial photography.

It flies using four high-speed propellers (quadrotor) that allow vertical take-off and landing and built-in intelligence in the controller system makes the UAV to return to the starting point on its own.