Month: May 2010

I’m getting stronger on the wrist, ready for action: Yuvi

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St Lucia, May 02: Having rediscovered his touch during India’s seven-wicket win over Afghanistan, left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh said he is getting stronger on the wrist and is ready for action in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup.

The powerfully built batsman made an unbeaten 22-ball 23 but more than the runs he scored, Yuvraj was happy that his injured wrist held good in the game.

“I am getting much stronger now on the wrist and am ready for action,” said Yuvraj.

Pvt detectives for commission to check ‘IPL fraud’

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New Delhi, May 02: An umbrella body of about 400 private investigators has written to IPL Commissioner Chirayu Amin to constitute an independent oversight commission for an in-depth probe into the alleged scam in the mega sporting event.

According to the Association of Private Detectives and Investigators (APDI), a team of internationally reputed fraud examiners has expressed its willingness to help the IPL commissioner and the Government of India to undertake such an assignment to bring facts related to the case under the knowledge of the people.

Pietersen won’t hesitate to walk-off mid-match

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Gros Islet (St. Lucia), May 02: England batsman Kevin Pietersen said he won’t hesitate to walk off the field mid-match during the World Twenty20 and fly home if his wife goes into labour with their first child.

Pietersen’s wife, pop star Jessica Taylor, is due May 16 – the day of the World Twenty20 final in Barbados.

Barbara Mori to star in another Bollywood project

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Mumbai, May 02: Barbara Mori is coming back to Mumbai for another film after Kites. The effervescent actress says, “I’ve another film in India to be shot in January. I can’t talk about it right now, but I can tell you it’s a big film. I’d love to do many films in India.”

Twin blasts wound 100 in Iraq

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Mosul, May 02: Two bomb explosions hit buses in northern Iraq, leaving at least one person dead and 100 others injured amid a new wave of violence ripping through the country.

A car bomb went off near buses carrying university students close to the city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, followed by a roadside bomb, Reuters reported on Sunday.

The dead man was a Christian shop owner near the blast scene, Iraqi police said.

The buses were transporting the students from the mainly Christian town of Hamdaniya, 40 km (25 miles) east of Mosul.

No US visas for Iran press

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Tehran, May 02: An Iranian press delegation slated to accompany President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his upcoming visit to New York have been denied US visas.

The US government has refused to issue visas for the Iranian press delegation that was scheduled to cover the president’s trip to New York and his participation in a nuclear conference, Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday.

Ahmadinejad, who is to attend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference at the United Nations headquarters, left for New York on Sunday as the head of Iran’s high-ranking delegation.

US base remains issue for Japan

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Tokyo, May 02: Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is scheduled to discuss a new site for a controversial US military base amid criticism from the opposition over the plan.

Hatoyama will hold a meeting with three mayors from Tokunoshima island in southwest Japan where a new site has reportedly been identified for the US Marine Corps’ Futenma Airbase.

The site, which was due to be relocated elsewhere on Okinawa under a 2006 agreement with Washington, has become a major issue for the premier after the plan for alternative locations provoked mass protests.

Iran denies running ‘spy cell’ in Kuwait

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Tehran, May 02: A senior Iranian military official has denied reports that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has been running a “spy cell” in Kuwait.

Kuwait’s Al-Qabas daily had claimed in a report on Saturday that security agencies in Kuwait have busted a spy cell working for the IRGC.

Lieutenant General Ramezan Sharif, the head of the IRGC public relations department, said that the claim is part of a “project to create a phobia towards the IRGC” in the region.

Israel agrees with AL on peace talks

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Jerusalem, May 02: Israel has welcomed the Arab League’s endorsement of renewed peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, an Israeli news source announces.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday night that Israel is ready for the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.

“Israel is willing to renew negotiations with the Palestinians at any time and at any place,” Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz quoted Netanyahu as saying.

He added “This time the talks will take place without preconditions, unlike in the previous 16 years.”

4 education Bills to be tabled in parliament

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Bangalore, May 02: Union Minister for Human Resources Development, Kapil Sibal, said four bills related to education would be tabled in the parliament on Monday.

He was speaking after opening the new campus of National Assessment and Accreditation Council on Saturday.

The four bills are: Foreign Education Providers Bill; Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill; Educational Tribunals Bill; National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill.

CM hints at another phase of land distribution

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Hyderabad, May 02: The state government has decided to go in for the sixth phase of land distribution in the state. The fifth phase of the programme is coming to a close tomorrow. Chief minister K Rosaiah will participate in the valedictory of the fifth-phase programme at Nellore tomorrow.

Rosaiah made the announcement on the next phase of land distribution at a review meeting he held with chief secretary SV Prasad, revenue minister D Prasada Rao and municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) minister A Ramanarayana Reddy here today.

Pharma firms flouted Medical Council’s ban on freebies to doctors

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Bangalore, May 02: Ever since the Medical Council of India (MCI) banned doctors from accepting gifts and freebies from the pharma and healthcare industry, some companies have openly induced the medical profession to disobey the directive, according to a New Delhi-based industry watchdog.

The Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS) has collected data on violations of the MCI code by drug companies.

Never do a bikini shoot: Leona Lewis

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London, May 02: Singer Leona Lewis has vowed she won’t ever strip off for sexy photo shoots.

‘I would never do a bikini shoot. It’s too embarrassing. No weird sex books for me either,’ contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

Although she refuses to strip in public, Leona has previously confessed to finding swimming naked ‘liberating’.

‘I was with some girlfriends in Portugal and we went skinny-dipping. One of my friends was going through a hard time with her boyfriend, so we thought let’s do something crazy. It was liberating,’ she added.
–Agencies

Now Lohan embroiled in fashion line lawsuit

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London, May 02: Actress Lindsay Lohnan’s troubles are mounting – the actress is embroiled in a lawsuit from a photographer alleging she hasn’t paid him for pictures he took for her fashion line.

Photographer Scott Nathan filed papers on Friday claiming he was hired to take photographs of the Mean Girls actress for her clothing label 6126, reports contactmusic.com.

In the documents, obtained by TMZ.com, Nathan alleges he was promised one percent interest from the fashion line in return for the images, but he has reportedly received nothing.

Moore wants to make film with daughter

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London, May 02: Holly wood actress Demi Moore is eager to make another film with her daughter Rumer Willis.

A website has quoted her by saying, “Rumer is the only one who is interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and I did a movie with her when she was seven. I also had the opportunity to direct her in a short film last summer and it was an amazing experience and a whole other way of getting to know her. I’d be very open to doing something else with her”.

3 killed, 20 injured as tractor overturns

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Ananthapur, May 02: Three people were killed on the spot and 20 injured when the tractor in which they were travelling overturned near Vaddepalli in Atmakur mandal of the district today.

According to police, about 30 agricultural labourers were proceeding to Atmakur when the driver of the tractor lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve near Vaddepalli. The injured were admitted to local hospital, police said.

—-Agencies

Karuna rules out Raja’s resignation

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New Delhi, May 02: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today virtually ruled out the Opposition’s demand for resignation of Telecom Minister A Raja over the 2G spectrum allocation controversy.

“I have not come here to convey good news to you people,” he said sarcastically when asked by reporters about the Opposition’s demand for Raja’s ouster and whether the issue would come up during his meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

United they stood behind ‘Thimphu thaw’

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New Delhi, May 02: On the face of it, nothing new had happened between India and Pakistan to lead to the dramatic “thaw in Thimphu”. But if Congress sources are to be believed, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it a point to garner solid support within the party before embarking on the peace initiative.

Unlike the Sharm-el-Sheikh declaration that whipped up such a political frenzy in July last year, this time there was a quiet acceptance about dialogue as the only way forward.

Amar Singh forays into Malayalam film industry

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Kochi, May 02: Former General Secretary of Samajwadi Party Amar Singh will be essaying the role of a Hindustani Classical singer in Malayalam film ‘Bombay Mittai’, which would also feature noted actress Dimple Kapadia.

The film, which began its shooting today, also has actor dancer, Neelambari Perumal, daughter of Sri Lankan Tamil leader and former chief of the North East Provincial council of the country Vardaraja Perumal.

Talking to reporters here, Singh said he was not “living in fool’s paradise” to compare himself with Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan or Shahrukh Khan.

ATS seeks permission for narco on Ajmer blast suspect

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Ajmer, May 02: Rajasthan Police has moved a court here for permission to conduct a narco-analysis test on alleged Hindu right-wing activist Devendra Gupta, arrested in connection with the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast which left three dead and over 30 injured.

“We have sought permission from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ajmer, to conduct narco-test on Gupta and a decision on it will be taken in the next hearing tomorrow,” Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) sources said today.

Obama to visit U.S. Gulf as oil slick threatens

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Washington, May 02: President Barack Obama will visit the U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday as his administration seeks to deflect criticism it could have responded quicker to a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens to become an economic and ecological catastrophe.

Efforts to contain the spill and protect sensitive coastline continued on Saturday, but were limited due to rough seas kicked up by heavy winds, authorities said.

NDFB chief is Assam’s ‘Kasab’, say angry blast victims

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Guwahati, May 02: Ranjan Daimary, the arrested chief of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), is Assam’s Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, say residents of the state who recall with horror the Oct 30, 2008 serials blasts he masterminded that killed nearly 100 people.

Drawing parallels with the lone Pakistani terrorist captured after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, people in Assam want Daimary hanged or publicly flogged.

I want to sing for Bollywood films: Farida Khanum

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Mumbai, May 02: Pakistan’s legendary ghazal queen Farida Khanum has a desire — she wants to sing for a Bollywood film.

The 74-year-old who has held audiences spell-bound with her unforgettable melodies like ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’, ‘Dil jalaane ki baat karte ho’, ‘Mere humnawaz’ and ‘Mohabbat karne wale’, has never got a chance to sing for a Hindi film. But she would love to do so now, she says.

Hundreds go nude for art

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London, May 02: Hundreds of men and women stripped naked in a British park -all for the sake of art.

Naked men and women gathered at the Peel Park in Salford to pose for American artist Spencer Tunick who aimed to reflect the work of artist L.S. Lowry, Daily Mail reported.

The volunteers spread out across the park and they received instructions from Tunick through a loudspeaker for the installation called “Everyday People”.

The installation was commissioned by the LS Lowry gallery to celebrate its tenth birthday.

Not looking for revenge against Australia, says Afridi

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Gros Islet (St.Lucia), May 02: Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has said revenge will not be on his mind when the defending champions face Australia in the World Twenty20 here Sunday.

Pakistan started their title defence with a 21-run win over Bangladesh at the Beausejour Stadium here Saturday, but the victory was far from impressive.