Month: May 2010

Verdict on Kasab’s fate in 26/11 case tomorrow

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Mumbai, May 02: Seventeen months after terror merchants from Pakistan unleashed death and destruction on the country’s financial capital, a court here will pronounce its verdict tomorrow on the fate of lone surviving 26/11 gunman Ajmal Kasab and two alleged Indian conspirators.

Kasab, a native of Faridkot, along with nine slain terrorists, has been charged with killing 166 people, including 25 foreigners, and injuring 304 others at the instance of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pleasant morning in Delhi, rains expected

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New Delhi, May 02: Delhiites woke up to a pleasant morning Sunday after the city saw light showers the night before. The met department has forecast thundershowers in the evening.

“The national capital can expect a partly cloudy sky with possibility of thunderstorm in some areas later in the evening,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Though there was a cool breeze blowing, the minimum temperature was five degrees above average at 26 degrees Celsius.

Maoists begin Nepal shutdown as PM refuses to quit

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Kathmandu, May 02: With a constitutional crisis and President’s Rule threatening Nepal, its former Maoist guerrillas Sunday began an indefinite general strike paralysing the entire nation after talks with the ruling parties failed and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal refused to quit.

After an impressive show of might in Kathmandu and other major cities on May Day when red-flag waving Maoist cadre and supporters turned the capital red, the sea of protesters continued to roll through Sunday cutting off transport, closing shops, markets and industries and disrupting school examinations.

Sonam Kapoor -Punit Malhotra are NOT dating

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Mumbai, May 02: Sonam Kapoor is not dating anyone. The reports of her link-up with her director Punit Malhotra have also been denied.

Punit, who is directing Sonam in his upcoming film “I Hate Luv Stories” has denied that he is going around with the actress. In fact Punit feels that the media is cooking up the stories out of their own imagination when the truth is not that.

The director accepts that such link-up stories disturb him and he cannot figure out the reason why such baseless reports are published.

Google soon to launch TV software

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Washington, May 02: US search engine giant Google is planning to introduce Android-based television software in May which will enable the users to access television through internet.

The new software, designed to open set-top boxes, TVs and other devices to more content from the internet, is attracting interest from partners that include Sony Corp., Intel Corp. and Logitech International SA, which are expected to offer products that support the software, according to people familiar with the matter.

New Yorkers accused of aiding al-Qaeda

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New York, May 02: Two former resident of New York City’s Brooklyn neighborhood have been charged with providing al-Qaeda with computer advice and other types of assistance.

According to an indictment unsealed Friday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, the men identified as Wesam El-Hanafi, 33, an American citizen, and Sabirhan Hasanoff, 34, a dual citizen of the United States and Australia, are accused of running errands for Osama bin Laden’s network in New York.

3rd suspect arrested in Ajmer blast case in MP

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Shajapur (MP), May 02: Rajasthan Anti Terrorism Squad arrested two more persons, including one with alleged links with Hindu outfits, for their suspected involvement in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast.

Chandrashekhar, suspected to have links with Hindu outfits, was arrested yesterday from Madhya Pradesh while Vishnu Patidar was apprehended today at Shajapur in the same state.

Chandrashekhar was today produced before an Ajmer court which remanded him in 11-day police custody.

Pope to overhaul scandal-scarred order

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Brazil, May 02: The Roman Catholic Church is set to name an interim leader for the Legion of Christ amid abuse scandals engulfing the ultra-conservative congregation’s late founder.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi announced the overhaul on Saturday, saying Pope Benedict XVI will name an interim leader within weeks.

The decision comes in the light of new revelations concerning involvement of Legion’s deceased founder Marcial Maciel in sexual abuse. The Church is also under immense pressure to crack down on abusers and their protectors in the hierarchy.

Car found with explosives in New York

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New York, May 02: New York police have evacuated several blocks around the city’s Times Square after it found a car with explosives, gasoline, propane and burned wires.

A Fire Department officer said that a man was seen fleeing the dark-colored sports utility vehicle on Saturday night.

The vehicle was smoking and from which popping sounds were heard earlier.

A bomb squad responded and a small fire was extinguished, said New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne.

Times Square is one of the city’s most high profile attractions and police are deployed there in large numbers.

Karnataka minister in sex scandal resigns

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Bangalore, May 02: After Nityanand, another sex scandal surfaced in the state.Karnataka’s Food and Civil Supplies minister Hartal Halappa on Sunday resigned following his alleged involvement in sexual assault case.

He resigned after a news paper reported his involvement in sexually assaulting friend’s wife four months ago.

The minister will not be arrested as no FIR has been registered in this connection.

However, ruling BJP has said that this is a conspiracy of opposition to defame the party and government ahead of the panchayat elections.

52 Palestinians gassed in 4 months

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Gaza, May 02: Since the beginning of this year, Egyptian authorities have “deliberately” gassed 52 Palestinians to death in border tunnels, a report says.

The Palestinian Human Rights Foundation (PHRF) reported Friday that the Palestinian residents “were gassed deliberately,” while trying to bring in food, medicine and essential supplies not found in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israeli siege.

Now Canada issues terror advisory for Delhi

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Toronto, May 02: Canada has joined US and Australia in warning their citizens who may be travelling to India about a threat of an imminent terrorist attack in the capital New Delhi.

In an email circulated on Saturday to registered Canadians living in India, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said, “while there is a continuing threat of terrorist attacks throughout India at all times, credible and specific reporting indicates that a terrorist attack could be carried in the following days or weeks, in market areas of Delhi frequented by foreigners.”

Clinical India outclass debutant Afghanistan

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St Lucia, May 02: Chasing a modest total of 116 runs for victory against debutant Afghanistan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni led India side romped home with facile win in the opening Group C match of the ICC T20 World Cup in the Beausejour Cricket Ground here at St. Lucia, West Indies.

India captain brought up the winning runs with well flicked two on a Nowroz Mangal’s gentle off spin with 7 wickets and 5.1 overs remaining.

India, who struggled initially with Gautam Gambhir struggling to get into grove, were helped by Murali Vijay’s well brought up 48 runs.

When Hrithik’s narrow 32 inch waist shot to almost 36

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Mumbai, May 02: Our BTown celebs put a lot of effort into a role. So dedicated are they to their craft that they’re willing to transform themselves to portray a character. While Aishwarya Rai learnt sword-fighting for Jodha Akbar, Lara Dutta learnt swimming for Blue.

While Kareena shrunk for Tashan, Aamir beefed up for Ghajini. Similar is the tale of iconic actor Shabana Azmi and Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan. Both had put on weight for their roles in It’s a Wonderful Afterlife and Guzarish respectively. By weight, it not some pounds but several of them.

End offering namaz on roads

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New Delhi, May 02: Some Muslim community leaders have suggested an end to the practice of offering Friday prayers on public roads, an outcome of lack of space in urban mosques but sometimes a subject of political controversy.

The Zakat Foundation of India, the largest Muslim charity in the country, is spearheading a nationwide search for space so that prayers do not have to spill over from mosques to roads on Fridays or during festivals such as Id. The foundation has support from the likes of the Muslim Council and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, India’s largest Muslim organisation.

Pragyan Ojha to marry on May 16

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Bhubaneswar, May 02: Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha who was the highest wickettaker in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League is ready to marry Karabee, a PhD scholar, at his home town Bhubaneswar on May 16.

Ojha, who represents Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy and also plays for Deccan Chargers in IPL, met Karabee more than two years ago when she was in the city to pursue her PhD.

“I have just finalised on this. I am very happy for him.

Pragyan knew her more than two years and afterwards he introduced her to me,” Pragayan’s mother Bidyutlata told PTI.

Hyderabad police crack ‘Nigerian fraud’, one arrested

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Hyderabad, May 02: Cyber crime sleuths claimed to have cracked a case of ‘Nigerian fraud’ with the arrest of one person in Maharashtra for duping a resident of Hyderabad.

Alok Raj Saxena, a resident of Hussaini Alam in the Old City of Hyderabad, was duped to the tune of Rs.10.7 lakh by internet fraudsters on the pretext of providing a job in the Emirates Airlines in Britain.

Rahul Koshte was arrested in Badlapur in Thane district of Maharashtra two days ago and remanded to judicial custody. Three others, including two residents of Mumbai and a Nigerian, are absconding.

Salem: Charges framed under MCOCA

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New Delhi, May 02: Disregarding the Supreme Court of Portugal’s directives, a city court on Saturday framed charges in an extortion case under the stringent MCOCA Act against extradited gangster Abu Salem.

The court said no new offence had been added in the FIRs or the chargesheets, and all the offences were in knowledge of the Portugal court.

Extradited from Portugal in 2005, Salem is accused of demanding Rs 5 crore from Delhi businessman Ashok Gupta.

Vote for Shiv Sena in elections: Bal Thackeray

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Mumbai, May 02: Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Thackeray said that everybody should accept Marathi as their mother tongue and converse in Marathi only.

He also appealed to the Maharashtrains to vote for Sena in the BMC elections in 2012.

“Why talk in Hindi? It’s not our national language. It is the language of communication. Speak in Marathi,” said Thackeray. He was addressing the audience on the occasion of Maharashtra Day at Bandra-Kurla complex. He added, “On the year of BMC election, Sena should be elected back to power.”

Maid abuse is institutionalized in Gulf

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Jeddah, May 02: Employers in the Gulf may be hiring maids just to abuse them, says a rights group.

A leading international rights group says reforms undertaken by governments in the Middle East to protect female domestic workers from abuse are insufficient.

The Human Right Watch says millions of Asian and African women working as house maids in the Mideast remain at risk of exploitation and violence.

Imran next Gay icon?

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Mumbai, May 02: Imran Khan’s fiancé Avantika should be a worried lady.

Ever since Imran’s shirtless pictures were splashed in various newspapers, the phones at Dharma productions (Karan Johar’s company which is producing Imran’s next, I Hate Luv Storys) have almost been ringing off the hook with calls from gay fans requesting an autographed picture of the actor.

Not ashamed being RSS worker

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Lucknow, May 02: Chandrashekhar Patidar, arrested by the Rajasthan ATS in Madhya Pradesh in connection with the October 2007 Ajmer dargah bombing, is an active RSS worker, says his brother.

“Why should we be ashamed of our association with an organisation that works in the national interest,” Chandrashekhar’s elder brother Satish told. Satish confirmed that both Chandrashekhar, 38, and he have been associated for long with the RSS.

Chandrashekhar, who has a polytechnic diploma, has helped to manage an RSS-run Saraswati Shishu Mandir school in Khopra Kalan village in the past.

CBI to quiz Pragya, Purohit

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New Delhi, May 02: The CBI special task force investigating the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case has sent officials to Nashik to interrogate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Prasad Purohit about fresh leads emerging from the interrogation of the two persons arrested in connection with the Ajmer blast.

Lenient marking on account on ‘T’ agitation

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Hyderabad, May 01: Lenient marking by evaluators of Intermediate II Year papers in view of the agitations that hit teaching schedules across the State, helped students record their best performance in the last three years.

Releasing the results in the city today, School Education Minister D Manikya Vara Prasad declared that this year the pass percentage was 64.69 per cent. And, as in the case of I Year examinations, girl students outdid boys.