Month: July 2010

I’ve always found women superior: Anil

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Mumbai, July 06: Actor-filmmaker Anil Kapoor is happy to see that women are finally getting their due in male-dominated Bollywood. And one girl in particular is making him proud – younger daughter Rhea who has just wrapped up her maiden production venture “Aisha”.

“I have always believed in different qualities between men and women; I have always found women superior to men. I am not saying it for the sake of it. If you see, my children have grown up so well, that’s because of their mother and because of me,” Anil, 49, told IANS in an interview.

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.

Aziz Ansari is the next big thing: Forbes

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Washington, July 06: Indian American actor comedian Aziz Ansari has been named “The Next Big Thing” among 17 stars to watch by the US business magazine Forbes.

“Funny People” grossed $70 million at the global box office last year, but the film introduced the world to the foul-mouthed standup comic Raaaaaaaandy, a creation of comic Aziz Ansari, 27, whose parents emigrated from Tamil Nadu.

Reduce my burden, Sharad Pawar tells PM

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New Delhi, July 06: Just as talk in town about Sharad Pawar was how he has too much on his plate after taking charge as president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), here comes news from the horse’s mouth.

“I met the prime minister today and asked him to reduce my burden. I want to devote time to my party work,” the Union minister of agriculture, who is also the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), told reporters on Monday.

Mumbai grinds to a halt as BJP scores political point

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Mumbai: Normal life took a hit across the country on Monday due to the Bharat bandh call given by the united opposition against price rise, but the impact of the call was particularly visible in Mumbai, with the city grinding to a halt.

Transport was crippled as taxis and autos stayed off the roads. Offices and schools wore a deserted look.

The surprising element of the bandh was not its apparent success, but who gained from it all.

Bandh costs Rs. 13,000 crore

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New Delhi, July 06: A day-long general strike disrupted normal business activities across India, affecting key sectors of the economy and causing losses anywhere between a conservative Rs.3,000 crore ($666 million) and a humoungous Rs.13,000 crore ($2.8 billion) to the country.

The 12-hour strike called by opposition parties against the recent fuel price hike threw road and rail transport and cargo handling out of gear, particularly in the Left and Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.

Over 60 long-distance trains were cancelled or disrupted, according to railway ministry officials.

SPS Rathore’s counsel questions ‘late’ reaction of Ruchika, friend

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Chandigarh, July 05: Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore’s counsel wife Abha, who has challenged his conviction in Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, today questioned why the victim and her friend remained “silent” about the incident for three days.

As the day-to-day hearing on the revision petition resumed today in the Punjab and Haryana high court, Abha contended that the lower court had not dealt properly with the issue of “late” reaction of the victim.

Tolerance foundation of development: Kalam

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New Delhi, July 05: Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said Monday “tolerance is the foundation stone of sustainable development” that will bring prosperity to all sections in the country.

Delivering the third annual National Commission for Minorities Lecture here, Kalam said an “inclusive and happy society can be built only on the principles of sustainable development”.

NDA has no right to call Bharat bandh: Lalu

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Patna, July 05: NDA had no right to call Bharat bandh as they were also responsible for price rise of essential commodities, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad claimed today.

“NDA has no right to give the call for Bharat bandh on the issue of price rise as it was also responsible for the same,” he told reporters on the occasion of party’s 14th foundation day celebrations here.

The RJD-LJP combine has given a ‘Bihar Bandh’ call on July 10 to protest rise in the prices of petroleum products and essential commodities.

Lanka court takes up fraud case against Rajapaksa

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Colombo, July 05: A Sri Lankan court today kick-started the process for hearing charges of fraud filed by detained former army chief Sarath Fonseka against President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Colombo High Court decided to take up a petition filed by General Fonseka alleging election malpractices during the January 26 presidential polls, which the incumbent Rajapaksa won by a wide margin.

The former top general quit the military before an unsuccessful bid to unseat Rajapaksa from the presidency.

Bharat bandh evokes mixed response in Andhra

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Hyderabad, July 05: The nationwide bandh called by NDA and Left parties to protest fuel price hike evoked mixed response in Andhra Pradesh.

The bandh was partial in the state capital and other cities like Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.

Former chief minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu were among the prominent leaders arrested while staging protests.

Court issues notice to CBI in Bhopal gas case

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Bhopal, July 05: The Sessions Court here today issued a notice to CBI, the prosecuting agency in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case, asking it to present its side in the court following an appeal by the Madhya Pradesh government seeking enhancement of the punishment meted out to seven accused in the case.

District and Session Judge Subhash Kakde directed the CBI to file its reply by July 16.

The CBI is the prosecuting agency in the case but now the state government too has got into the act after the CJM court’s verdict on June 7, and wants that the convicts should get more punishment.

Man falls on burning coke, dies

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Jaipur, July 05: A tea vendor was killed today when he slipped and fell over a heap of dumped burning coke at a power plant at Sindhri in Rajasthan’s Barmer district.

The body of 40-year-old man, who used to serve tea to company employees, had been sent for post mortem, SP Santosh Kumar Tukaram told PTI here by telephone.

Enraged over the death of the tea vendor, villagers staged a protest demanding compensation of Rs 50 lakh from the company, he said.

They dispersed only when the company agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh to the bereaved family, the SP said.

–Agencies

Engineering student killed in group rivalry

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Chennai, July 05: An engineering student hailing from Jharkhand was killed here today in a group rivalry over payment of commission for seats in some private engineering institutions in Tamil Nadu, police said.

Nirbhay Kumar Singh (21) was killed allegedly by a group of students belonging to another engineering college over a dispute on admitting students in some private engineering institutions in the state for a commission in which they were involved.

Defiant Jagan to resume yatra

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Hyderabad, July 05: Andhra Pradesh Congress MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today appeared defiant as he announced his decision to go ahead with his controversial yatra from July 8 despite party chief Sonia Gandhi’s reservations about it.

Jagan, who defied the party directive against undertaking the yatra earlier, had met Gandhi along with his family members on June 29 to seek her permission for the tour. The meeting took place in New Delhi on the request of Jagan?s mother Vijayalakshmi.

Srikrishna Committee visits Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, July 05: The Srikrishna Committee, appointed by the Centre to look into the Telangana issue, began a three-day visit to the city from today.

The multi-member panel had meetings with various groups, including Telangana Federation of Working Journalists and Arya Pratinidhi Sabha.

Congress leaders from Telangana are expected to meet the committee members tomorrow to place their demand for granting statehood to the region.

After the consultation process, the panel members would begin field visits, either collectively or individually, by the end of this month.

Opposition shutdown pure sensationalism, says Congress

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New Delhi, July 05: The Congress Monday slammed the opposition for the nationwide shutdown and charged it with indulging in “pure sensationalism”.

Congress party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that people were asking if the shutdown was in their interest or against it.

“Does it (bandh) do anything constructive, solve any problem. Has the opposition offered any constructive suggestions?” Singhvi asked.

He said the opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left, could have raised their issues through the media or in parliament.

Lahore shrine attack: 12 suspects arrested

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Islamabad, July 05: Pakistani authorities Monday arrested 12 suspects over last week’s suicide bombings at a Sufi shrine in Lahore that killed 42 people, but the identity of those who carried out the attack remains a mystery.

Ammunition and weapons were recovered during raids in two areas in Lahore, police said.

Five police officers were also suspended for the security lapses that led to the tragedy July 1 at the Data Ganj Baksh shrine which also injured 175 people.

Meanwhil, the Taliban has said that it was not involved in the attack on the 11th century shrine.

Tripura court sends ISI agent to police custody

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Agartala, July 05: A Tripura court Monday sent a suspected Pakistani agent and six others, arrested for illegally entering India from Bangladesh, to 10 days police custody.

Suspected agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Manir Khan alias Omar Ashraf, 36, was presented in the court in Agartala, along with other accused, and charged with waging war against Indian government, violation of The Passports Act, collection of arms, conspiracy, cheating and violation of The Foreigners Act.

The accused were arrested Saturday night.

Iran to stop subsidised petrol sales from Sept

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Tehran, July 05: Iran is to halt the sale of subsidised petrol from late September as part of plans to phase out subsidies on energy products, ISNA news agency reported today.

“Based on decisions taken, from the second half of this (Iranian) year (late September), the rationed petrol sales will be stopped,” said Mohammad Royanian, head of Iran’s fuel transportation organisation, quoted by ISNA.

Iranians are currently allocated 60 litres of petrol a month at a subsidised rate of 10 US cents. These sales would be stopped, according to Royanian, who did not reveal the new price.

Swine flu situation grave in five states

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New Delhi, July 05: The swine flu situation continues to be serious in the four southern states and Maharashtra, which have reported 366 of the 370 H1N1 infections in the last one week, official figures show.

Kerala remains the worst affected state with 222 confirmed reports of swine flu. A rise in number of swine flu cases has been reported from all severely affected states with Maharashtra reporting 72 cases, Karnataka 31, Tamil Nadu 22, and Andhra Pradesh 19.

GoM on AI recovery to meet next month

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New Delhi, July 05: The Group of Ministers, which is reviewing the recovery path of Air India, will meet next month to discuss the infusion of Rs 1,200 crore as equity and review the steps taken by the national carrier for achieving a turnaround.

“First, we will discuss about the turnover strategy and the entire revival plan of the company within the organisation and also with the employees’ unions. After that, we will brief the GoM (Group of Ministers) meeting next month,” Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told PTI here.

Court hears Abu Salem’s bail plea in extortion case

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New Delhi, July 05: A Delhi court today heard the bail plea of extradited gangster Abu Salem in a 12-year-old case of alleged extortion in which he has sought his release on the statutory ground that he has been in jail for more than the prescribed sentence for the offence.

“The accused deserved to be released on bail on this ground alone that he has spent more than three years in jail, which is more than the prescribed punishment for the offence of extortion,” Arvind Shukla, appearing for Salem, told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kiran Bansal.

BSE Sensex down by 20.86 points in early trade

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Mumbai, July 05: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex dipped by 20.86 points in early trade today on fresh selling in banking sector stocks after a hike in interest rates.

The Sensex, which had lost 48.38 points in the previous session, fell by 20.86 points to 17,440.09 points in the first five minutes of trading as some of the leading banking stocks declined.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange Nifty declined by 11.25 points to 5,225.85 points.

Past ACRs can’t be used to sack an employee: SC

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New Delhi, July 05: The Supreme Court has ruled that an employee cannot be sacked on the basis of past Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) without giving him or her an opportunity to defend or explain about the charges.

The apex court said sacking a person on the basis of previous ACRs without giving him or her an opportunity to be heard would go against the principles of natural justice and such dismissal or removal is liable to be quashed.