Month: July 2010

Venkat Reddy, KCR deny Code violations

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Hyderabad, July 27: Information Technology Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Monday replied to the notice issued to him by the Election Commission for violating the Model Code of Conduct during campaigning for the Assembly by-elections.

Mr Venkat Reddy stated in his explanation that he had only responded to the problems mentioned by some youths and had not made any promises.

The Information Technology Minister was issued a notice by the EC after it received some visuals related to code violation by Mr Venkat Reddy.

Heart of Indian culture lies in Islam: Khurshid

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New Delhi, July 27: Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday said Islam has played a “great role” in shaping the country’s “Indianness” in terms of art, culture and social behaviour.

“Islam stands for peace, brotherhood and prosperity and in India this religion has played a great role in shaping the art, culture and social behaviour that today typically signifies the ‘Indianness’,” Khurshid said, releasing a book on Islam here.

He stressed on the need to “soak our souls into the idea of secularism”.

Sex appeal is more than just looking good: Katrina

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Mumbai, July 27: Actor Katrina Kaif might have won many polls that have chosen her to be the sexiest Bollywood actor but this one’s certainly special. After Hrs asked 100 men in Mumbai to pick their kitten and the majority picked the curvaceous lady who really turns them on.

Some even have a wish-list on Kat — while some want to see her in a bikini, some want her (like Mandakini) wearing nothing but a white sari. In short, Katrina, who is ruling the roost among Bollywood ladies with the number of hits that she has delivered, is the hot number one for fantasies.

HC reserves verdict on Ayodhya title suits

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Lucknow, July 27: Sixty years after the first suit in the matter was filed, the Allahabad high court today reserved its’s verdict on the four Ayodhya title suits after conducting a detailed hearing.
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A special full bench comprising Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma of the Lucknow bench of the high court reserved its judgement on these title suits this evening.

The judgement on these title suits, of which the first was filed 60 years ago, may now be pronounced in mid September this year.

YSR involved in Sohrabuddin case: Gadkari

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Mumbai, July 27: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari told that the former Andra Pradesh Congress Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was involved in the arrest and encounter death of Sohrabuddin Sheik.

Nitin Gadkari also told that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a tool against opponents. He termed CBI as the a political arm of the UPA government.

Wonder how ‘Sholay’ entered the Indian psyche so deeply: Javed Akhtar

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Mumbai, July 27: Thirty-five years on, even Javed Akhtar, who co-scripted “Sholay” with Salim Khan, wonders how a film could enter the Indian psyche so deeply, its ensemble cast more entrenched and more remembered than even an iconic character like James Bond.

“I wonder how a film has entered the Indian psyche so very deeply. It had never happened before in show business,” Akhtar, 65, told IANS in an exclusive interview.

Four dead in Israeli military helicopter crash

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Bucharest, July 27: At least four soldiers were killed when an Israeli military helicopter crashed in Romania during a training exercise, the ministry of defence in Bucharest confirmed late Monday.

Seven soldiers – six Israeli and one Romanian – were on board the helicopter when it came down in the Carpathian mountains.

Four bodies have so far been recovered from the crash site, near the city of Brasov. The mountainous scene of the crash and heavy fog were making access difficult for rescuers.

Bombings kill 40 Shiite pilgrims in Iraq

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Baghdad, July 27: At least 40 people were killed and 68 injured in two bomb attacks Monday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala as large crowds gathered for a religious ceremony, witnesses and doctors said.

In the first incident, a suicide bomber killed 18 people when he blew himself up in the middle of a large group of pilgrims. Minutes later a car bomb exploded some 300 metres away from the initial blast, killing at least another 22 people.

Both explosions took place some 4 km from the centre of the city located some 118 km from the capital Baghdad.

NATO rocket killed 52 Afghan civilians: Hamid Karzai

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Kabul, July 27: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that NATO troops had fired a rocket that killed 52 “innocent” villagers in southern Afghanistan, as leaked documents laid bare the civilian toll of the US-led war.

An investigation by the National Directorate of Security found that a house in Helmand province’s Sangin district was hit on Friday “by a rocket launched by NATO/ISAF troops, leaving 52 civilians dead, including women and children,” a statement from Karzai’s office said.

Kerala CM slammed by Muslims over Islamic byte

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Thiruvananthapuram, July 27: Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan incurred the ire of Muslim organisations and political parties for stating that radical outfit Popular Front wanted to turn the state into a Muslim-majority through their communal and divisive activities.

Man jailed for Muslim veil attack

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Glasgow, July 27: A man who ripped a veil from a Muslim woman’s face as she walked though Glasgow has been jailed for two years.

William Baikie, 26, admitted racially assaulting 26-year-old Anwar Alqahtani by forcibly removing her niqab in the city’s Hope Street on 27 April.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how Baikie, who has previous convictions for racist behaviour, ran off but was later identified through CCTV footage.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Lindsay Wood branded the assault “shameful”.

Shab-e-Baraat

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Tonight is the auspicious Night, known variously as the Night of Salvation, as the Night of Privilege, and Night of Accountability, for seeking the forgiveness of the Almighty. And the Muslims all over the world will be observing the night with due solemnity and religious fervour. Lailat-ul-Barat, popularly known as Shab-e-Barat in this sub-continent, is indeed a glorious and important occasion in the life of every God-fearing Muslim.

Church plans to burn Quran on 9/11 anniversary

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Florida, July 27: The Westboro Baptist Church currently holds the title of most insane thing purporting to be a Christian church in America, but could a small congregation of horribly misguided Christians in central Florida soon be taking their place?

The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville is hosting “International Burn a Quran Day” on the 9th anniversary of September 11th. This, of course, will come a little more than a month after their “No Homo Mayor” protest.

Man kills pregnant wife over suspect affair

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Gurgaon, July 27: A man allegedly strangulated his pregnant wife to death after suspecting her of having an extra-marital affair, police said.

Sachin Yadav, husband of victim Sheetal Yadav (21) hailing from Sector 3 here, surrendered himself to the Model Town police today and confessed to the crime.

At his disclosure, police recovered decomposed body of Sheetal Yadav from a well in Gheelawas village of Gurgaon district, 12 km from here, they said.

Sachin told his interrogators that he had thrown Sheetal’s body into the well after strangulating her to death on July 16, police said.

Call for Muslim maids only: Saudi cleric

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Riyadh, July 27: A Saudi cleric said only Muslim housemaids should be allowed in the oil-rich country and they should be kept segregated from men in the home, an online news site reported.

“If there is a need to import workers as female domestics, they should be Muslims,” Sheikh Yusef al-Ahmad, a strong opponent of men and women mixing in the ultra-conservative kingdom, told the sabq.org website.

US paying Pak to kill troops?

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Washington, July 27: Fresh diplomatic fury over alleged Pakistani ties to the Taliban flared anew as the White House scrambled to downplay a trove of leaked U.S. military documents that show the blow-by-blow of six dismal years of war in Afghanistan.

The Obama administration, which initially condemned as a “national security threat” the Sunday release of a 200,000-page archive by the non-profit group WikiLeaks.org, now is dismissing the data as largely inconsequential.

Cong demands withdrawal of Speaker’s comment

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Bhubaneswar, July 26: Terming as “unfortunate” Orissa Assembly Speaker Pradeep Kumar Amat’s reported comment that the House could function in the absence of the opposition, the Congress today sought its withdrawal.

“We demand withdrawal of the statement made by the Speaker on July 20. No Speaker in any state Assembly or Parliament had ever made such statement in the past,” Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan said.

Azhar-Jwala episode act of individuals within BAI: Sinha

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New Delhi, July 26: BAI Secretary General Vijai Sinha has alleged that certain individuals within the federation are fuelling rumours about star shuttler Jwala Gutta’s link-up with former India skipper Mohd Azharuddin.

Sinha called upon the officials and members of the Badminton Association of India to stand alongside players under attack and foil all the ill attempts being made against them.

“Unbecoming action and behaviour of certain individuals within BAI was bringing bad name to the entire Association,” Sinha said in a statement.

AP for provision of seed prices’ regulation in Bill

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Hyderabad, July 26: The Andhra Pradesh government today requested the Centre to incorporate provisions for regulation of seed prices and royalty in the Central Seed Bill, which is expected to be passed in Parliament in the current monsoon session.

Appreciating the Centre’s initiative in moving the Seed Bill, state Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy said that regulation of sale price has become essential with several international players entering the Indian market.

Bridge gives way, Kanwaria dies

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Dehradun, July 26: A Kanwaria (devotee of Lord Shiva) was swept away by gushing waters of river Bhagirathi after a bridge collapsed following heavy rains in Uttarkashi district today.

Other Kanwarias wallking along with him on the bridge were rescued, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arun Mohan Joshi said.

The devotees were on their way to Gaumukh glacier, the origin of river Ganga, when the bridge gave way, they said.

–Agencies

Police fires in the air to disperse angry tribals

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Udaipur, July 26: Irate tribals agitating over the alleged abduction and killing of a youth today tried to attack the houses of a minority community in Sarada, prompting police to burst teargas shells and fire in the air to disperse them.

The trouble started on Sunday only when tribals of Sarada 80 kms from here and their leaders held a meeting on Sunday to decide the strategy after the arrest of Shahjad Saradi, who is accused of kidnapping a tribal youth Mohan Lal Meena alias Monti and later killing him in his car, police said.

Official booked for beating man to death

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Lucknow, July 26: A criminal case was Monday registered against a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) as a man died allegedly after being beaten by him in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district, police said.

SDM Santosh Kumar has been accused of manhandling Lallan Pandey who died inside his office.

“After registering the criminal case, we have initiated an enquiry into the case,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Bahadur told reporters in Basti, some 300 km from Lucknow.

Pandey, 55, a resident of the Buxar village in Basti, had gone to meet the SDM for some personal work.

Government not serious about resolving Babhali dam row: Naidu

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New Delhi, July 26: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, whose attempted march to the Babhali dam last week led to tension in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as part of an all-party delegation but claimed later that the government was “not serious” about resolving the row.

Naidu said he was not satisfied with the prime minister’s response.

I’m delighted for my teammates: Afridi

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Karachi, July 26: Shahid Afridi, who resigned as Pakistan captain after the first Test against Australia at Lord’s, has expressed his delight and satisfaction at seeing his teammates level the Test series against Australia at Headingley.

Afridi said he could not watch the whole match, but followed the score and action whenever he could.

PMO denies Manmohan ticked off Krishna over Pillai comments

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New Delhi, July 26: The government Monday rejected a media report that suggested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed his unhappiness to External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna for criticizing Home Secretary G.K. Pillai for his remarks on the eve of the India-Pakistan talks.

Reacting to a report in The Indian Express, media adviser to the prime minister Harish Khare dubbed it as “false and mischievous.”