Month: April 2010

KJo has just about had it with ‘parent-loving’ titles

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Mumbai, April 02: Karan Johar to drop title Love You, Maa; feels two films in recent memory expressing love for parents is enough

Karan Johar’s film is back to square one. The title Love You, Maa for producer Karan Johar’s remake of Stepmom which had been arrived at after much deliberation has been dropped, no thanks to two recent films with similar titles.

Says Karan, “After Irfan Kamal’s Thanks, Maa and Shyam Benegal’s Well Done, Abba we’ve had just about enough of titles expressing appreciation for the parent. So yes, I’ve abandoned plans of calling our film Love You, Maa.

Al-Sadr holds key to power in Iraq

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Baghdad, April 02: In a demonstration that the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is Iraq’s new political kingmaker his supporters are holding a referendum today and tomorrow to choose the next Iraqi prime minister.

The referendum has no legal standing but it shows the confidence of the Sadrists after they unexpectedly won at least 39 seats in the 325-member Iraqi parliament. They have demanded that prime minister Nouri al-Maliki step down as the price of their support for a government led by his party.

All is not lost, can stage a comeback: Gilchrist

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Kolkata, April 02: They might have lost four matches to lie currently at the seven spot but Deccan Charges skipper Adam Gilchrist said the reigning champions are not out yet and they can still stage a comeback like last season.

“All is not lost. We have one win less what we were this time last year. After seven games, we had memorable four wins to be back. It goes without saying that there is much work to be done,” Gilchrist said after their 24-run defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders here.

Shoaib’s ex trouble for Sania Mirza

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Mumbai, April 02: Shoaib Malik’s ex-wife Ayesha Siddiqui to move court; former Pak skipper plans to follow suit

Controversy is already cropping up days after Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and tennis player Sania Mirza announced their marriage plan.

Malik, who allegedly married Ayesha in 2002, was forced by her family to get a divorce after he claimed there was no formal nikah between the two in 2008. Now, Malik plans to sue Ayesha Siddiqui’s family based in Hyderabad.

Riot act result of turf war?

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Hyderabad, April 02: Are the recent communal clashes in the State capital a result of turf war between two political parties? Preliminary investigation appears to suggest so.

Sources close to the investigation told that an MLA was present on the spot when a bank employee was stabbed to death in Falaknuma on Monday.

IPL cheerleaders draw wrath of Congress MLAs

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New Delhi, April 02: The Delhi Assembly was today rocked by vociferous protests from ruling Congress MLAs over alleged obscene dance by cheerleaders and consumption of liquor in stadium during IPL cricket matches, with a few lawmakers even demanding a ban on the event in the city.

Finance Minister AK Walia assured the House that he will seek a detailed report on the matter and appropriate action will be taken.

Unprecedented security for Friday prayers

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Hyderabad, April 02: Curfew or freedom. All the residents of Hyderabad and Secunderabad will have to choose either of these two on Friday.

For the first time in the history, the Hyderabad City Police will be allowing Friday prayers in curfew-bound areas. While there is still no clarity on how that would be done, unprecedented security arrangements are being made to ensure smooth conduct of prayers.

US warship captures five ‘Somali pirates’

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Washington, April 02: A US warship has captured five suspected pirates who had opened fire from a small boat in the Indian Ocean near the Seychelles, the US Navy says.

On Thursday, The USS Nicholas, a US Navy frigate, was in the Indian Ocean just west of the Seychelles when it began to take fire from a suspected pirate vessel shortly after midnight local time.

The navy ship returned fire and pursued the pirate skiff for over an hour until it broke down and US sailors were able to board the vessel.

Obama cannot drive Israelis out of al-Khalil: MK

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Jerusalem, April 02: An Israeli Knesset member says even US President Barack Obama will not be able to remove Israelis from the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron).

Ayoob Kara, of the ruling Likud party, said on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “needs to say ‘no’ to ‘Barack Hussein Obama,’ and ‘yes’ to the people of Israel, who have come here in their multitudes today. He needs to grant permits to start building in settlements and in all of Israel,” he added.

He also said that Israelis should not be told where they can or cannot build settlements.

Islamic scholars at Saudi meet urge ‘extremists’ to repent

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Riyadh, April 02: Muslim scholars from around the world who met this week in Saudi Arabia’s holy city Medina have denounced “terrorism” and appealed to “extremists” to repent, a statement said.

The four-day Islamic conference, sponsored by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz and organised by the Islamic University of Medina, drew some 500 participants, according to press reports.

The scholars condemned “all acts of terrorism wherever they take place and whoever is behind them,” said the concluding statement from the conference, which wrapped up yesterday.

Obama praises healthcare reform law

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Washington, April 02: US President Barack Obama praised his healthcare reform law as a ‘victory,’ but warned that it will not cut the budget deficit overnight.

Obama made the remarks during a speech in the northeastern state of Maine. He tried to focus attention on the immediate benefits of the new overhaul for small businesses.

Obama said the sweeping reforms pave the way for a boosted economy and employment. The US president also noted that children would remain on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26.

Planned Palin speech at CSU stirs controversy

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Washington, April 02: A controversy is erupting over Sarah Palin’s June speaking engagement at a campus of California State University (CSU).

The California State University Stanislaus Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the state college is bringing the former vice presidential candidate to its Turlock campus for a black-tie fundraiser on June 25.

However, a student protest group and other critics want the university to reveal how much they are paying her, which they suspect might be more than USD 100,000.

NTR-Lakshmi Praneetha engaged

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Hyderabad, April 02: It is not a hoax, it is true, Jnr NTR engagement with Pranathi was held today early morning in a private hotel, Hyderabad. The function was attend by couples immediate family and few noted names of cine fraternity which includes Meher Ramesh, Dil Raju, VV Vinayak, Rajamouli.

Lakshmi Pranathi, daughter of Narne Srinivasa Rao and Narne Mallika. Mallika is the niece of the Telugu Desam Party President Nara Chandrababu Naidu Pranathi is 18 yrs old and is currently doing her final year Intermediate at a private college in Hyderabad.

No decision on direct access to Headley for India

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Washington, April 02: The US has reiterated its stand of sharing full information on David Headley with India but says no decision has yet been made on whether New Delhi will have direct access to the Pakistani-American terror suspect.

“We understand that there’s a lot of information that Headley has that is of great interest to India, particularly because he was scouting out some possible sites,” Assistant Secretary Of State For South And Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake told reporters Thursday.

It’s for India, Pakistan to work out Kashmir, water issues: US

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Washington, April 02: Ruling out once again a US role in resolving either Kashmir or water issues between India and Pakistan, a senior official has said it was for the two countries to work things out.

“It’s like water. Kashmir always comes up in everything,” Assistant Secretary Of State For South And Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake told reporters Thursday in a briefing about his recent trip to India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

75 locals arrested for riots

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Hyderabad, April 02: After stinging criticism that the real culprits behind the communal clashes were being allowed to go scot-free, the police on Thursday arrested an estimated 75 local residents belonging to both the communities. Most of them were put behind bars on charges of taking part in the rioting.

7 visas issued for Shoaib

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Lahore, April 01: Seven visas for India have been issued to Shoaib Malik’s family.

Family sources of Shoaib Malik told Geo News that among the persons issued the visa are Shoaib’s mother, brother, sister, brother-in-law and children while one of his sisters and a few close relatives have applied for Indian visa from Germany.

Sources said that as the marriage will take place on April 11, the Shoaib’s family will leave for Hyderabad Deccan three days earlier for attending other wedding rituals and both families are finalizing dates in this regard.

Education is now a fundamental right of every child

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New Delhi, April 01: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised on Thursday to launch a guarantee of free elementary education, in a fresh sign the government was focusing on big-ticket programmes to consolidate its rural and poor voters.

The implementation of the law, passed last year to fulfil a promise made at the birth of the republic in 1950, comes days after Sonia Gandhi, the powerful chief of the ruling Congress party, was named the chair of a top policy panel that would advise the government on social programmes.

CBI should file appeal in Lalu case, says BJP

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New Delhi, April 01: BJP today said with the Supreme Court ruling that Bihar government had no authority to challenge Lalu Prasad’s acquittal in a disproportionate assets case, the CBI – which is the prosecutor – should file an appeal in the matter.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad maintained that the judgement of the Patna court in the disproportionate assets case against Lalu was “grossly vulnerable in law and a travesty of justice”.

Man gets 10 year jail term for stabbing woman to death

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New Delhi, April 01: A court here today sentenced a man to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for stabbing to death a woman last year, holding him guilty for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Convict Mahseh Singh, who was initially charged with the offence of murder, was convicted under milder penal provision as the court held that he did not intend to kill.

‘Decision not to summon Gujarat CM not final’

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Ahmedabad, April 01: The Nanavati Commission probing the 2002 riot cases today kept the option of questioning Chief Minister Narendra Modi open when it told the Gujarat High Court that its decision not to summon him was “not final”.

The Commission was clarifying its position while responding to a poser by the High Court on March 22 that it communicate by today whether its decision not to summon the 59-year-old BJP leader for questioning was tentative or final.

Finally, we got justice: Lalu

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Patna, April 01: Hailing the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Bihar Government had no authority to challenge him and his wife’s acquittal in a disproportionate assets case, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today said he finally got justice from the apex court.

“Finally, we receive justice from the apex court,” Prasad said while talking to reporters.

Welcoming the verdict, the RJD chief said,” Supreme court is like a God and we all respect, welcome and accept the verdict being delivered by it.”

They’re innocent, framed: kin of youth on death row

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Jalandhar, April 01: From miles afar, they wanted their voices to be heard at the highest level as relatives of 17 Indians awarded death penalty by Sharjah’s Shariah court pleaded innocence by putting forward little arguments in their support.

Holding photographs of their dear ones — some as small as passport-size — they put across their side of the story saying those being framed are the sole bread earners for their families.

This was among the many heart-rending scenes at a press conference by Lok Bhalai Party chief B S Ramoowalia which was also attended by the relatives.

Income-Tax employee arrested in graft case

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Jodhpur, April 01: An employee of the Income Tax department was today arrested here along with three other persons in a graft case.

DIG (ACB) Govind Gupta said Rajendra Singh Sisodia, a staff of the department, was arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 1.21 lakh from a jeweller Om Prakash Soni, threatening him with imposition of penalty if he did not pay the sum.

A trap was laid after Soni contacted the Anti-Corruption Bureau and Sisodia was arrested while taking the money from a mediator, the DIG alleged.