Month: April 2010

Jacqueline Fernandez and her Hindi woes

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Mumbai, April 01: Jacqueline Fernandez, who will be seen playing an alien in Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, says she was stunned when director told her to dub for the movie as her Hindi is not very good.

“I am new to Hindi and this is why I was relieved when someone else dubbed for me in my debut Aladin. I was under the impression that same would be repeated in Jaane Kahan.. So I shot my scenes without worrying much about pronunciation and spacing, ” said Jacqueline.

Chechen rebel leader claims Moscow attacks

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Moscow, April 01: A Chechen rebel leader last night claimed responsibility for the Moscow suicide bombings and promised more bloodshed to come, as Russian officials pointed the finger at Georgia for abetting the militants.

US stocks fall on fresh jobs fears

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New York, April 01: US stocks declined Wednesday after a private survey suggested that March was a worse than expected month for the struggling US labour market.

ADP Employer Services predicted that US firms shed 23,000 jobs over the month, dealing a blow to the hopes of economists that the labour market would finally begin emerging from a prolonged slump.

Economists have predicted that 40,000 jobs were added in March, according to a Bloomberg News survey. The government’s official monthly tally will be released Friday.

Censors pass Male Smooch and shocking morphed Nude shot

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Mumbai, April 01: While the fate of the kissing scene between Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur in Onir’s film Omar hangs in balance, Bengali filmmaker Sudipto Chattopadhyay’s gay kiss in Pankh featuring Maradona Rebello and Amit Purohit has been passed by the censors, untouched.

This would be the first time Hindi audiences will see two men kissing on screen. Madhur Bhandarkar had earlier deleted a male kiss featuring Samir Soni before submitting his film Fashion to the censors.

Child abuse compaign launched in Dubai

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Dubai, April 01: A campaign was launched here to highlight the issue of child abuse, WAM news agency reported.

The month-long “Protect Childhood Campaign” was unveiled Wednesday by the NGO Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC).

The NGO stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance to protect children from various abuses, including sexual assault.

The awareness campaign each week will be conducted at different venues, such as Dubai Mall, Children’s City, Al Ghurair Centre and Arabian Centre.

Mere Ghar Ayee Ek Nanhi Pari: Dibakar adopts a Girl

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Mumbai, April 01: Saturday 27 March was a very special and auspicious day in the life of the Love Sex Aue Dhokha director Dibakar Banerjee.

This Saturday Dibakar and his wife Richa brought home an adopted little daughter. Thus ended months of paper work, interviews and cross-checking before a reputed orphanage in Mumbai allowed the couple the right to adopt a child.

Rosaiah welcomes Right to Education bill

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Hyderabad, March 01: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today said the state government would wholeheartedly support ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009’.

Rosaiah today deliberated with officials on the steps to be taken for effective implementation of the Act, which becomes effective from tomorrow, an official release said.

Welcoming the move, the Chief Minister observed that it is a historic Act that mandates eight years of free and compulsory quality education to all children in neighbourhood schools.

Rakhi wins ‘Kamine’ battle against Censor Board!

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Mumbai, April 01: In a turnaround of sorts, Rakhi Sawant and IshQ Bector have emerged victorious in their battle against the Censor Board.

The jhagdes finally seem to have ended (hopefully) as the Board’s Revising Committee has lifted the ban on the word ‘kamine’ in the duo’s controversial music video ‘Bhoot’ from the album ‘Jhagde’, which they produced together.

It can be recalled that when the Board had asked the producers to bleep out the word ‘kamine’ from the video, Rakhi and IshQ had sent them a Legal Notice, questioning their decision.

Pentagon extends tanker deadline to accommodate EADS

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Washington, April 01: The US Defence Department said Wednesday it was willing to issue a 60-day extension of the deadline for bids on a lucrative contract to build the next generation of aerial refuellers.

The decision would push the May 10 deadline to July 9, allowing the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) more time to come up with a proposal after its US partner, Northrop Grumman, dropped out earlier this month.

Bhutto commission will not reopen inquiry

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United Nations, April 01: Following the decision that the Independent Commission of Inquiry will delay disclosing its findings, the United Nations said today that the Commission will not reopen its investigations into the death of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in light of Islamabad’s assertions that two heads of state have additional information on the matter.

“The Commissioners have informed the United Nations that the report is complete,” UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told journalists here.

Rahul Bose: I don’t have sex appeal to be mainstream actor

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New Delhi, April 01: Rahul Bose has commercial hits like “Jhankaar Beats” and “Pyar Ke Side Effects” to his credit, but the immensely talented actor prefers offbeat films because he feels he doesn’t have the sex appeal to be a mainstream actor.

“I am seen less in out and out commercial films because my preference has always been world cinema. Whether it is ‘Split Wide Open’ or ‘English, August’, my inclination has been offbeat cinema,” Rahul, 42, told IANS in an interview.

Join India’s IT boom, Canadian companies told

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Toronto, April 01: Sachin Pilot, India’s minister of state for communications and information technology, Wednesday asked Canadian companies to invest in India to take advantage of the IT revolution in the country.

Pilot, who is here to meet with leaders of Canadian companies such as BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) to discuss investment opportunities and issues related to cyber security, said there is a huge scope for Canadian IT companies in India’s telecom sector because of its on-going “exponential growth.”

Warrantless wiretapping illegal

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Washington, April 01: Ruling that a Bush administration programme continued by President Barack Obama of domestic surveillance without a warrant is illegal, a federal judge has held the government liable for illegally wiretapping an Islamic charity.

Wednesday’s ruling by District Judge Vaughn R. Walker in Northern California District Court reaffirmed an earlier decision that the warrantless wiretaps conducted on an Oregon-based Islamic non-profit organization were illegal, CNN reported.

Jairam Ramesh for task force to tackle mining

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New Delhi, April 01: Concerned over rampant illegal mining across the country, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday favoured setting up of a high-level task force under the Home Ministry to tackle the menace.

“Illegal mining of various important minerals is rampant. The Home Minister (P Chidambaram) has taken note of my suggestion to set up a high-level committee to deal with the problem,” Ramesh told reporters here.

“We need to take up the issue in a systematic manner. So far we have been approaching the mining problem case-by-case,” the minister said.

Lenin’s statue to be restored in Russia

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Moscow, April 01: A statue of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, which was damaged in a bomb blast last year, will be restored in St. Petersburg.

The bronze statue of the communist leader was unveiled November 7, 1926 at the Finlyandsky railway station where he made a historic speech after returning from exile in 1917 to lead the October Revolution. The statue was later moved closer to the Neva River.

Final resting place turns into chill out zone!

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Lucknow, April 01: Situated on the banks of the Saryu river and spread over 3.5 acres, with lush green lawns, gushing fountains and artificial caves, it makes for a perfect picnic spot or wedding venue. However, it is advisable to keep your volume low, as it is actually a cremation ground in an Uttar Pradesh town.

The Muktipath – literally meaning path to salvation – cremation ground in Barhalganj town in Gorakhpur, some 300 km from Lucknow, also boasts of a 62-foot-tall Lord Shiva statue.

Chechen rebels claim Moscow metro bombings

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Makhachkala, April 01: Two suicide bombers killed 12 people, including nine police officers in southern Russia on Wednesday, the same day a Chechen militant leader claimed responsibility for deadly subways bombings in Moscow that shocked the nation two days before.

Shoaib’s family dares Siddiqui to sue him

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Karachi, April 01: The family of Shoaib Malik yesterday challenged M A Siddiqui — who claimed the cricketer had married his daughter Ayesha before dumping her — to sue the former Pakistan captain in court.

The Hyderabad-based Siddique had claimed that his daughter was the legal first wife of Malik and that he wanted the Pakistani cricketer to divorce her before marrying Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.

Siddique said if Malik didn’t give a divorce to his daughter, he would sue him in court and also approach Ulemas for a fatwa against the Pakistani cricketer.

ABVP shutdown begins in Bihar

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Patna, April 01: The statewide dawn-to-dusk shutdown in Bihar called by the students organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Thursday, to protest the government’s decision to set up a branch of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Kishanganj, began on a peaceful note with no reports of violence.

Police sources said security forces were deployed to keep a close watch on the situation.

ABVP activists Monday clashed with the police in Patna during their protest against the setting up of the AMU branch. Ten police officials and students were injured.

BlackBerry holds No 1 position in US

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Toronto, April 01: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) reported 35 percent jump in its revenue over the previous fiscal year, netting in $15 billion in fiscal 2010.

The world leader in wireless communication posted a net profit of $2.46 billion for the current fiscal year ending Wednesday – up 29.8 percent from the previous year.

Hyd violence result of petty skirmishes: Chidambaram

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New Delhi, April 01: Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the riots in Hyderabad were a result of “petty skirmishes” and asserted that all those behind the violence would have to pay a “heavy price”.

He appealed to the people of Hyderabad to keep in mind the “fair name” of their city and state and not be “misguided by a few rowdy and hot-headed elements” who were responsible for the violence.

Chidambaram said he had spoken to Andhra Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Hyderabad Police Commissioner and was confident that the situation would return to normal soon.

Sri Lanka’s national parks reopen after 25 years

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Colombo, April 01: After remaining closed for more than 25 years because of the civil war between the security forces and the Tamil tigers, Sri Lanka’s national parks are once again set to see tourists flocking there.

Designated as a sanctuary in 1905 and upgraded to a national park in 1938, the country’s largest wildlife area, Wilpattu, had been closed to visitors after the Tamil Tigers killed 23 wildlife officers in 1985.

With the war ending in May 2009, the park reopened to visitors last month.

Raju meeting visitors in hospital, can attend court: CBI

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Hyderabad, April 01: Satyam Computers founder B Ramalinga Raju, main accused in the multi-crore accounting scam, is receiving a stream of visitors in the hospital, an indication that he is medically fit to attend the judicial proceedings, the CBI told a special court here on Wednesday.

In violation of the court orders, persons other than Raju’s wife and sons were allowed to meet him in the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), where the incarcerated founder of Satyam (now Mahindra Satyam) is admitted since early December, the CBI counsel said.

Businessman of Indian origin tops Ireland’s rich list

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London, April 01: Septuagenarian Pallonji Mistry, an Indian origin business magnate, has topped Ireland’s rich list with a worth of 3.9 billion pounds.

Mistry, who became an Irish citizen in 2003 through his Irish born wife, has interests in real estate, cars, heavy industry, tea and partly owns the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Mistry reportedly has 18.4 percent stake in India’s largest private conglomerate Tata Sons.

-PTI

All children should have access to education: PM

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New Delhi, April 01: Prime minister Manmohan Singh today said the government was committed to ensuring that all children irrespective of gender and social category have access to education and fund constraints would not be allowed to hamper implementation of the the Right to Education Act.

Education is now a fundamental right of every child Addressing the nation as the Right to Education Act went into force today, he said, “The government is committed to ensuring that all children irrespective of gender and social category, have access to education.”