Month: June 2010

Plastic bag ban moves ahead in California

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California, June 03: It could soon cost California shoppers at the checkout aisle if they forget to bring their own bags to the store under what would be the nation’s first statewide plastic bag ban.

The California Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation prohibiting pharmacies and grocery, liquor and convenience stores from giving out plastic bags. The bill also calls for customers to be charged for using store-issued paper bags.

BP oil spill now threatens Florida beaches

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Florida, June 03: The BP oil slick drifted perilously close to the Florida Panhandle’s famous sugar-white beaches Wednesday as a risky gambit to contain the leak by shearing off the well pipe ran into trouble a mile under the sea when the diamond-tipped saw became stuck.

NATO chopper downed in Afghanistan

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Kabul, June 03: Another NATO chopper has been destroyed in northern Afghanistan following an emergency landing, the second helicopters lost by the US-led force in the past three days.

NATO officials in Afghanistan said one of its helicopters was deliberately demolished after making an emergency landing in the northern part of the country on Wednesday, a Media correspondent reported.

The chopper landed in Baghlan province, according to the officials, due to technical problems and was then destroyed by NATO fighter jets out of fear of falling into the hands of Taliban militants.

No ‘ Reliance’ tag in competing biz

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Mumbai, June 03: The Ambani brother — Mukesh and Anil — will not use the ‘ Reliance’ brand name in any of the competing businesses they may chose to enter.

This is one of the clauses of the new agreement signed by the brothers recently to create an environment of harmony, cooperation and collaboration between the two groups, said a source, who wished to remain unnamed.

Stephen Hawking honored at NYC science gala

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New York, June 03: Luminaries from the fields of physics, opera, poetry, theater, music and dance gathered to pay tribute to British physicist Stephen Hawking on Wednesday, with performances and speeches at a gala in his honor.

After outliving his predicted death from his degenerative disease by more than 40 years, Hawking told the audience filling Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall that he is thinking about what he will leave behind.

Mallika Sherawat courting trouble

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Mumbai, June 03: Mallika Sherawat walked out of Kundan Shah’s Masquerade after a tiff with the director, now IMPAA has instructed her to return half the signing amount to the producers

Mallika Sherawat has a knack for courting trouble. We had reported earlier that Studio 18 had filed a case against Mallika Sherawat at Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) to return the signing amount that she had taken for Kundan Shah’s Masquerade.

India imp, Pak indispensable in Afghanistan: US

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New Delhi, June 03: The US Wednesday said while India had a very important role in Afghanistan through its development programmes, the action against terrorism in the war-ravaged nation will not succeed without the aid of Pakistan.

“We have strongly welcomed the important role that India has played through its various reconstruction and development projects,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake said in a webchat from Washington, relayed through the state department website.

For Rs 50, I lost 1 lakh RS valuables

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Mumbai, June 03: A businessman from Malad fell for one of the oldest con tricks in the book.

Two men stole valuables worth Rs1.26 lakh from Viral Doshi’s car outside Shoppers Stop in Kandivli (West) on Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, Doshi was supposed to meet one of his suppliers near the store at 1pm.

“Doshi reached a little early. He was sitting in his car waiting for the supplier, who lives in a building adjacent to the store,” said S Ghatge, senior inspector, Kandivli police station.

Kareena-Aamir’s Lajjo to be revived by Ratnam

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Mumbai, June 03:Mani Ratnam’s passionate period film Lajjo, set during the Partition with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead, is all set to be revived. It was earlier set aside after the songs had been written by Gulzar and composed by AR Rahman because the budget for a Partition film was considered prohibitive.

But now with Aamir and Kareena’s jodi in 3 Idiots proving to be a rage, there were discussions with Mani to look into the project again. According to a source, Mani plans to go into Lajjo before he begins his film with Ranbir Kapoor.

Two Maoists killed

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Munger, June 03: Two hardcore Maoists were killed and a rifle along with forty live cartridges was recovered from one of the ultras during an encounter with police at Baghail forest under Bhim sanctuary in Munger district today.

The encounter ensued when policemen were carrying out a combing operation in the forest to flush out the ultras this morning, Kharagpur DSP, K. Chandra said.

—-Agencies

S.Africa’s Zuma seeks to boost trade links with India

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Mumbai, June 03: South African President Jacob Zuma, in India on his first state visit to Asia since taking office, was due to meet business leaders Thursday in Mumbai in a bid to boost trade ties.

Zuma, who arrived in India on Wednesday, was to jointly launch a bilateral trade forum with India’s commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma and address captains of industry.

The 68-year-old president is accompanied by a 200-strong business delegation as well as key ministers.

Jagan camp still hopeful of party nod for Odarpu

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Hyderabad, June 03: The emphatic instructions from the Congress Central leadership to Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy against resuming his Odarpu Yatra in the State notwithstanding, his camp followers are still hopeful of securing the high command’s goahead for the Srikakulam leg scheduled for June 8.

Talking to newsmen near Jaganmohan’s Banjara Hills residence here, loyalist and Rayachoti MLA Srikant Reddy claimed that “discussions” were taking place with the party high command in this connection. The Kadapa MP would decide on the tour at an “appropriate time”, he added.

Two courses that will help you switch over to science stream

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New Delhi, June 03: Two science courses, BSc mathematical science and BSc computer science, are most sought after in Delhi University ( DU) this time round.

The university authorities said they had received many enquiries for the courses. And this, they said, was because both the courses provide a good option to the students from all the three streams — arts, commerce and science — to enter into the science stream.

Obama to highlight opportunities for Indo-US cooperation

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Washington, June 03: In a special gesture, President Barack Obama will attend a reception to be hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her Indian counterpart S M Krishna here, during which he will highlight opportunities for increased bilateral cooperation in areas like defence, trade, energy and climate change.

Turks try to identify dead activists

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Istanbul, June 03: An Islamic charity group that organized the aid flotilla to Gaza says its workers and relatives are trying identify nine bodies at an Istanbul morgue.

Turkish planes brought back hundreds of activists early Thursday following a bloody raid by Israeli commandos on a pro-Palestinian flotilla. The activists returned to a hero’s welcome with thousands of supporters chanting “God is Great!”

The IHH charity group says they are having difficulties in identifying five of the bodies. Four of them have been officially confirmed to be Turks.

Chidambaram invokes YSR, backs Rosaiah

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Hyderabad, June 03: A day after the Congress high command snubbed Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy over his Odarpu yatra caper, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday praised Chief Minister K Rosaiah and made it clear that he had the full backing of the party’s national leadership.

Chidambaram, after inaugurating a series of development projects at Kalikiri, 80 km from Tirupati, felt life must go on though a great leader like YSR was no more. “We can pay homage to YSR by pledging to continue his schemes,” he said adding that money was no problem.

Three killed in Central Europe floods, hundreds moved

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Prague, June 03: Three people were killed and hundreds evacuated after days of heavy rain in central Europe caused flooding that cut off villages and threatened to burst dykes, authorities said Wednesday.

Two men drowned in swollen rivers in the Czech Republic where a 19-year-old man died when his car hit a truck after skidding on a road that was suddenly flooded, authorities said.

In neighbouring Hungary, about 2,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes in the northern towns of Paszto and Hasznos after flooding and because a dyke threatened to burst.

Suspect in Holloway case sought in Peru killing

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Lima, June 03: A young Dutchman previously arrested in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba is the prime suspect in the weekend killing of a Peruvian woman, police said Wednesday.

Joran van der Sloot is being sought for Sunday’s death of 21-year-old Stephany Flores in a Lima hotel, police Gen. Cesar Guardia said at a news conference. He said the suspect crossed into Chile the next day by bus.

BJP is only party committed to India’s rebuilding: Gadkari

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Amravati, June 03: The BJP sees politics as a tool for socio-economic reforms and will work towards ending fear, hunger and terrorism in the country, party President Nitin Gadkari said today.

“I promise that the party will work for ending fear, hunger and terrorism as well as to make India a developed nation,” he said at a public meeting here in Maharashtra.

The meet was organised by local BJP unit to felicitate Gadkari and new State party President Sudhir Mungantiwar on their maiden visit to the city after assuming their posts.

Rupee climbs 39 paise against dollar in early trade

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Mumbai, June 03: The Indian rupee appreciated by 39 paise to 46.59 a dollar in early trade today on the back of fresh capital inflows by foreign funds into equities and the dollar’s loss against other Asian currencies.

The domestic currency had closed 18 paise higher at 46.98/99 in yesterday’s session.

Forex dealers said the rupee strengthened against the U.S. currency largely because of increased capital inflows by foreign funds into equities and dollar’s weakness against other Asian units.

‘I may look like Madonna when I grow old’

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London, June 03: Singer Lady Gaga thinks she may look like pop diva Madonna when she grows old because her mother looks like the pop superstar.

The “Poker Face” singer finds her comparison to the Queen of Pop funny and more of appearance based rather than performance, reports contactmusic.com.

Land grab slur on Ruchika lawyer

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Chandigarh, June 03: The Punjab Police have conducted raids in Chandigarh to arrest Pankaj Bhardwaj — who played a key role in the conviction of the disgraced former Haryana DGP, SPS Rathore.

Bhardwaj is one of the key accused in a multi- crore land case lodged with the police in Amritsar.

Bhardwaj is the counsel for Anand and Madhu Prakash — parents of the sole eyewitness and Ruchika’s friend Aradhna. The lawyer did not appear in the court on Tuesday to attend the hearing on Rathore’s bail petition. Bhardwaj did not charge the Prakash family for his services.

UP sacks teachers who bunk schools but draw salaries

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Lucknow, June 03: The Uttar Pradesh government has dismissed 295 “ absentee” primary school teachers and suspended three others in order to make way for new ones.

The move, the government says, would help cleanse the education system and fulfill the requirement for the implementation of the Right to Education Act in the state.

The sacked teachers were absent from duty for the past few years but they were still drawing salaries. This has over- burdened the state exchequer, which has suffered a loss of Rs 180 crore.