Month: July 2010

Ishrat’s family denies all charges, seeks clarification from PC

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Mumbai, July 06: The family of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed along with three alleged terrorists in 2004 in an encounter, yesterday repudiated media reports attributed to LeT operative David Headley that she was a ‘fidayeen’ and sought clarity on the issue from Home Minister P Chidambaram.

“I believe that my daughter was innocent and that she could never have done this. We always teach our children to love our country and this report is incorrect,” her mother Shamima Kausar told reporters.

Fire at Indian restaurant in Australia

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Sydney, July 06: Four people had a miraculous escape after an explosion in an Indian restaurant severely damaged the property.

Police are hunting for two men seen running from the scene after the blaze at the restaurant in Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, broke out Monday night, the Australian news agency AAP reported.

Four people in a residential property above the business escaped, the report said.

About 20 fire tenders managed to bring the blaze under control just after midnight, a spokesman for New South Wales Fire Brigades said.
–IANS

First Muslim girl from Bihar to get Fulbright fellow

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Patna, July 06: Bringing laurel to Bihar and her community, Zeeshan Ali has won Fulbright Fellowship from the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF). She will be the first Muslim girl from Bihar to have been awarded the prestigious fellowship.

“I was quite surprised when the news was broken on me. I really feel honored. I am happy beyond bounds,” says Zeeshan, Patna University Ph.D. student, talking to TwoCircles.net.

SIFAA plans to blacklist Asin

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Mumbai, July 06: Actress Asin, who was in Colombo for the shooting of the Bollywood film Ready, has irked the bosses of South Indian Film Artistes Association (SIFAA).

Now, several Tamil associations are gunning for the actress for travelling to Sri Lanka by bypassing the Tamil sentiments.

The secretary of Nadigar Sangam, Radha Ravi has said that he is in discussion with several organization.

And action will be taken in coming days. The SIFAA is planning to blacklist Asin. Earlier, SIFAA took a firm stand and urged to boycott IFAA Awards.

Honour killings: Young Indians defy outdated taboos

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New Delhi, July 06: Sixty-five-year-old Suhkdev Singh Darswal, a Rajput, is a happy man. His four daughters have settled down with men of their choice, making their family as diverse as India is as a nation.

He wonders why people kill their children in the name of honour. Darswal says his family represents secular India as his daughters are married to a Bihari, a Muslim, a Baniya and a Punjabi.

Aish finally in Vishal’s next movie after constant denials

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Mumbai, July 06:Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan could not make it possible to float over the waves of box office.

But the leading lady of the movie, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is still in demand. She is still the ultimate choice. There is cluster of directors who aspires to have Ash in their movies. Vishal Bhardwaj is one such distinguished self.

Who is craving to do film with Aishwarya Rai for long and has attempted at times but in vain. He intended to take her in his debutant directorial venture Timbucktoo.

Muslims unable to gain from govt welfare schemes

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Ghaziabad, July 06: Chief Development Officer, Zaheer bin Saghir said here in a meeting of Multi-Sectoral District Development Plan (MSDDP) that central and state governments have introduced many projects for the all-round progress and development and for improvement of life of people of minority communities, particularly Muslims, but because of their illiteracy and ignorance, they are unable to take advantage of these schemes.

Queen’s return to the UN after a 53-year absence

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New York, July 06: Just as they emerge from a long weekend celebrating America’s independence from Britain, the citizens of New York will pause today to welcome Queen Elizabeth II into their midst before she addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations and take a tour of ground zero where the Twin Towers once stood.

Hafiz Saeed barred from leaving Pak

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Lahore, July 06: Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who India says masterminded the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has been barred from travelling abroad after the Pakistan government banned 23 terror groups operating under new names after being outlawed.

The Punjab government directed the police to keep a strict vigil on 1,690 office-bearers and workers of the banned outfits.

Most wanted Nazi fugitive hiding in Germany

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London, July 06: A member of German dictator Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party who escaped from a Holland prison after being convicted of mass murder in 1947 has been hiding in Germany, a report said.

Evil Klaas Faber, 88, looked like an ordinary old age pensioner. But his white hair and glasses hide a shocking past as a bloodthirsty killer who volunteered for Hitler’s notorious SS party and a roving Gestapo death squad, The Sun reported.

Faber was sentenced to death after being convicted of war crimes in 1947. But his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

India, UAE vow to preserve cultural ties

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Abu Dhabi, July 06: India and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to cooperate in preserving documents related to the cultural ties between the two countries.

M.K. Lokeesh, Indian Ambassador to UAE, visited the National Centre for Documentation and Research (NCDR) and discussed on establishing ties between the NCDR and the National Archives of India as well as other Indian cultural institutions.

Charges framed in 2009 Russian woman’s rape case

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Panaji, July 06: A court Monday framed charges against local politician John Fernandes for the rape of a 25-year-old Russian woman in December 2009.

Fernandes had been booked by the police for rape and destruction of evidence, in a case which made international headlines for days together.

The police, in their charge sheet, said that the politician had spiked the drinks of the victim – who used to work at a five-star hotel as a liason officer, and subsequently raped her.

Paes steady, Sania drops further in tennis rankings

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New Delhi, July 06: Veteran Indian tennis ace Leander Paes, who clinched his 12th Grand Slam with the Wimbledon mixed doubles’ title, remained steady at sixth in the ATP list but Sania Mirza’s free-fall continued in the WTA chart issued today.

Paes, who partnered Zimbabwean Cara Black to lift his sixth mixed doubles Grand Slam yesterday in London, has 5,960 points in the doubles rankings.

With the Wimbledon triumph, Paes went one better than his estranged partner Mahesh Bhupathi in the number of Grand Slams titles and he maintains that upperhand even in rankings.

UAE world’s sixth in infrastructure quality

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Abu Dhabi, July 06: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been ranked sixth in the world in terms of the quality of its infrastructure.

The country has the 23rd position in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) among 133 countries, the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum (WEF) said in its report.

In the index of competitiveness, the UAE has beaten India, Russia, China, Malaysia, Ireland, Italy and Brazil, the report said, adding that the UAE posses advanced infrastructure in public premises, roads, ports, aviation and electricity.

Married woman, lover murdered in Delhi, six arrested

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New Delhi, July 06: Police Monday claimed to have cracked the murder of a government employee and his lover, a married woman, with the arrest of six people in south Delhi.

The matter came to light June 27 after the brother of one of the victims reported that his younger brother Uttam Kumar was missing. The victim was working in the electricity division of Central Public Works Department, police said.

During the inquiry it came to light that Uttam, a Jatav by caste, was in love with Anju, who belonged to the Balmiki caste, and was already married.

Never took money from parents: Gaga

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London, July 06: Pop star Lady Gaga refused to take money from her parents at the start of her career because she was determined to succeed without “handouts”.

The “Poker Face” singer enjoyed a comfortable family life growing up in New York, attending an exclusive private school before she moved out of home and attempted to find success as a singer on the city’s club scene.

Gaga admits she struggled financially during her formative years, but she refused to accept any help from her loved ones especially her folks, reports express.co.uk.

Another ‘honour killing’ in Delhi; woman, lover murdered

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New Delhi, July 06: In yet another case of “honour killing” in the capital, a class IV government employee and his lover were murdered allegedly by the woman’s husband and cousins, her brother and one of her paramours.

The incident was reported from south Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar and the victims have been identified as Uttam Kumar and Anju. Six persons, including Anju’s husband Karambir, were arrested in this regard.

The arrested have been identified as Anju’s alleged paramour Navin Kumar (24), Jagphool (23), Shokeen (24), Manoj (27) and Rishi Das (21), her brother.

No more selling music on Internet: Prince

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London, July 06: Pop superstar Prince is adamant he will never sell his songs on the Internet, insisting web-based outlets will soon disappear because they are no longer “hip”.

The “Purple Rain” hitmaker has long battled to keep his music offline – in 2007 he sued video sharing website YouTube.com as well as eBay.com claiming they “are clearly able (to) filter porn and paedophile material but appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorised music and film content which is core to their business success”.

Margo Stilley quits Madonna’s film

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London, July 06: Actress Margo Stilley has quit work on Madonna’s upcoming film “W.E.” over “artistic differences”.

“I had the role, but we had artistic differences. She (Madonna) is really something. I wish the cast luck because they are all really talented,” dailystar.co.uk quoted her as saying.

Stilley had signed up to play Lady Thelma Furness in the movie which tells the story of King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne after falling in love with American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

South Africa enters Guinness book with largest soccer ball

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Johannesburg, July 6: South Africa may be out of the World Cup football tournament but the host country has got a place in the Guinness World Records by creating the world’s largest soccer ball.

The ball with a diameter of 15.66 metres and weighing 650 kg, was officially recognised as the world’s largest by the Guinness World Records at Emperor’s Palace Monday.

Robert Molloy, an adjudicator from Guinness World Records, inspected the ball which met all the requirements of becoming the replica of a FIFA soccer ball, South African news agency BuaNews reported.

Al Qaeda biggest threat to UK

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The Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda inspired terrorism remains the biggest threat to the UK’s national security and over 2,000 people in the UK, including many of Pakistani origin, pose a threat to the country, a report by a top British think-tank has suggested.

The report, ‘Islamist Terrorism : The British Connections’, compiled by London-based Centre for Social cohesion, said most terrorism in Britain is committed by home-grown terrorists.

Mother to be stoned to death

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Tehran, July 06: A veteran Iranian human rights activist has warned that Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, could be stoned to death at any moment under the terms of a death sentence handed down by Iranian authorities.

Only an international campaign designed to pressure the regime in Tehran can save her life, according to Mina Ahadi, head of the International Committee Against Stoning and the Death Penalty.

“Legally it’s all over,” Ahadi said Sunday. “It’s a done deal. Sakineh can be stoned at any minute.”

Please No Sex, we’re teenagers

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New York, July 06: The Twilight series may be the first teen flicks to prompt serious concern about the lack of sex.

IF YOU’VE had only the slightest media exposure in the past few years, you probably know that the phenomenally successful Twilight film and novel franchise centres on a bunch of teenagers completely failing to have sex with one another. As a US film commentator put it this week: ”Twilight’s like soccer. They run around for two hours, nobody scores, and its billion fans insist you just don’t understand.”

Jesus on Google earth

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London, July 06: An Internet fan has claimed that he saw Lord Jesus Christ’s image in a farm on Google Earth.

Zach Evans, 26, spotted Christ’s image as he strolled the map site looking for holiday destinations.

Reportedly, Christ can be clearly seen in satellite pictures of a field on farmland near Puspokladany, Hungary.

“I’m not a religious person looking for images of Mary or Jesus in everything, but this is obvious,” the Sun quoted Sales assistant Zach, a resident of Southampton, as saying.

–Agencies–