Month: August 2010

Pak ready to walk ‘extra mile’ with India: Qureshi

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Islamabad, August 09: Notwithstanding the lack of progress in July 15 talks, Pakistan has said it is ready to walk the “extra mile” as it wants to “move forward” in building relations with India but insisted that the two countries need to be “mutually accommodative”.

Pressing for a “comprehensive and sustained” engagement, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi maintained that Kashmir issue would have to be the part of any discussions and “selective” approach would not be helpful.

10 die in Indonesian boat sinking

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Jakarta, August 09: At least 10 people were killed and 32 others were missing and feared drowned after a boat sank Monday off a remote eastern Indonesian province, a rescue official and media reports said.

The boat was believed have carried around 80 people when it was hit by high waves near Adonara island off East Nusa Tenggara province, said Madjit Abdul Laduma from the province’s search and rescue agency.

‘We have reports from the field that at least 32 people were still missing from the accident,’ Laduma said, adding rescue workers retrieved 10 bodies and 47 survivors.

North Korea fires artillery shells near maritime border

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Seoul, August 09: North Korean forces fired over 100 artillery rounds into the Yellow Sea near the disputed border with the South Monday, a media report said.

About 110 rounds were fired on North Korea’s side of the maritime border, the Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korean military officials.

The firing followed five days of South Korean naval exercises near the sea border. North Korea had threatened ‘strong physical retaliations’ to the manoeuvres.

Somdev loses top-100 status, Sania out of top-150

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New Delhi, August 09: Somdev Devvarman’s stay in the top-100 lasted just one week as the Indian suffered a huge loss of 15 positions to find himself at 111th spot in the latest ATP rankings, issued today.

He failed to defend 55 points at Washington event last week and could not even qualify for the main draw, thus suffering a huge blow.

In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza’s slide continued as the Indian found herself at number 153 after a loss of 15 spots.

No halal vaccine yet, top pharmacist says

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Jakarta, August 09: The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) claimed it has been able to provide halal meningitis vaccines to haj pilgrims this year.

But the top executive of a state-owned vaccine and serum producer said Saturday the ability to produce a porcine-free vaccine was still very far away.

While repeatedly emphasizing his respect for the religious council, Iskandar, the president director of Bandung-based PT Bio Farma insisted that there were currently no halal meningitis vaccines available in the world.

Congress padayatra ends, party holds rally in Bellary

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Bellary, August 09: In a show of strength at the end of its 320-km padayatra, Congress today stormed the mining bastion of Bellary, targetting ruling BJP on illegal mining and corruption and warned it that the Centre will not remain a mute spectator to the ‘loot’ of natural resources.

Congress leaders claimed the countdown for the fall of the first-ever BJP government in the south has begun and unleashed a barrage of attacks on ministers and the Reddy brothers — the mining magnates who hail from Bellary — accusing them of looting the state’s resources.

Jamia to organise book donation camp

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New Delhi, August 09: As part of its community development initiative, the Jamia Millia Islamia University in collaboration with the Youth Empowerment Services NGO is organising a book donation programme for distribution to the needy.

The two-day programme will be held Aug 10-11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Jamia campus.

As part of the initiative, the student volunteers would set up three stalls at the main gates of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, the university campus, and the Jamia School.

The books collected at these centres would be distributed among the needy people.

TRS takes on Andhra ministers over ‘anti-national’ remark

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Hyderabad, August 09: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Monday said ministers from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions will not be allowed to move in Telangana if they fail to apologise for describing those demanding a separate Telangana as “anti-nationals”.

Addressing a meeting at the party headquarters here, he said the TRS, Telangana Joint Action Committee, students’ groups and all other organizations fighting for a separate Telangana state should not allow the ministers to move in the region unless they apologise.

Sena says it will continue to raise border dispute issue

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New Delhi, August 09: Demanding a discussion on Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute over Belgaum in the Rajya Sabha, Shiv Sena today said it would continue to raise the issue during Question Hour till its demands were not met.

“A discussion on the issue was allowed on August 11. But on Friday, we were informed that the discussion has been cancelled. When we raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, we were informed that the discussion has been cancelled as the matter is sub-judice,” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told reporters here.

Inzamam responsible for current crisis in Pak batting: Aamir Sohail

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Lahore, August 09: With Pakistan struggling to produce quality batsmen in the recent past, former Test captain Aamir Sohail blamed Inzamam-ul Haq for the perennial problem, saying he never allowed players to settle down in the team.

Sohail said the team was far better when legendaries Imran Khan or Javed Miandad retired, but by the time Inzamam, country’s one of the most capped batsman, retired he had disturbed the national team leaving it to face numerous problems.

Board to regulate madrassa education planned

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Lucknow, August 09: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is all set to create its independent education board to institutionalize and modernize madrassa education in the country.

Lucknow’s Naib Imam and prominent member of AIMPLB national executive Maulana Khalid Rasheed told IANS here Monday: “The new board would be set up on the pattern of CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and ICSE (Indian Council of Secondary Education), with a view to promote literacy among Muslims.”

Girls shining shoes for brother’s sake

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Kanpur, August 09: Two sisters, aged just 10 and 13, are shining shoes to earn a huge amount of Rs 20 lakh for surgery of their younger brother.

They also hope to raise the money by August 24, the day on which the festival of Raksha Bandhan falls this year. The festival celebrates the love between sisters and brothers.

Srishti, 13 and Muskan, 10 said their little brother Anuj was in hospital. Doctors describe his condition as Aplastic anemia, caused by bone marrow failing to produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells.

MP ignores govt order to amend notice on Ministers

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New Delhi, August 09: Madhya Pradesh’s BJP government hasn’t rescinded its controversial circular issued this April that made Bhopal’s prior approval a must for hosting union ministers. But it has claimed the directive wasn’t aimed at curtailing movement of central ministers but facilitating them. In a controversial move, the state government had directed all departments and districts to inform and secure approval from the government before organising functions and meetings taken by union ministers and central dignitaries.

New ration cards by Aug-end: Jupally

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Hyderabad, August 09: Minister for Civil Supplies Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday stated that the government will issue new ration cards by the end of the month to eligible applicants.

Talking to media persons the Minister said the government will issue new ration cards to applicants based on the biometric method to prevent misuse of the public distribution system by ineligible people.

Quality education govt’s top priority: Governor

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New Delhi, August 09: Governor ESL Narasimhan on Monday stated that the state government will take all steps necessary to provide quality education to the students in universities and colleges.

Talking to media persons, Mr Narasimhan said that qualified professors and other faculty members would be appointed in universities so that the highest quality of education can be available for students of the state.
The Governor is in New Delhi to brief Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram over the state of affairs in Andhra Pradesh.

Chiru denies making comments against Jagan

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Nellore, August 09: Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi on Monday denied making any personal comments against YSR district (formerly Kadapa) MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by saying that he was misquoted by the media.

The actor-turned-politician clarified that his words were directed against all those who had amassed wealth through dubious means and not against the son of former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

BJP demands university for tribals in state

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Hyderabad, August 09: The State Bharatiya Janata Party president, Mr G Kishen Reddy, on Monday, demanded that the State government set up a university exclusively for the tribals and a Special Tribal Commission for speedy development of that community.

Mr Kishen Reddy was speaking as the chief guest at the World Adivasi Day celebrations organised in the State BJP office here on Monday. Earlier, Mr Reddy garlanded the statue of great tribal freedom fighter Komaram Bheem and paid rich tributes to his memory.

TV most challenging format: Amitabh

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Mumbai, August 09: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is all set to host the fourth season of the popular game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC) on Sony, says the small screen is not only the “most challenging format”, it is a “lot tougher” as well.

Now, MNS to clean up Mumbai

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Mumbai, August 09: After politicians got into Mumbai clean up drive in the backdrop of rising Malaria cases, MNS chief Raj Thackeray also asked his party men to take up the responsibility of cleaning the metropolis. Raj today directed his partymen to clean the city with the help of civic officials and local people.

“Wherever you find garbage, clean it to control the diseases,” he said. He made it clear that this was not a publicity stunt. “Many (political leaders) have published their photographs cleaning Mumbai but it was a publicity stunt,” he added.

Karan Johar restless, itching to direct again

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New Delhi, August 09: Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar is itching to go behind the camera once again.

“The director in me is restless and wants to break free… can’t wait to be back on set and yell ‘Action’… my job is truly my best friend,” Johar posted on his Twitter page.

His last directorial venture was “My Name Is Khan” starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Juhi Chawla is still Anu for Onir

Even five years after working with Juhi Chawla in “My Brother… Nikhil”, filmmaker Onir still calls her by her character’s name Anu in the critically acclaimed film.

Dev Eloquent In Praise Of Frieda

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Mumbai, August 09: Actor Dev Patel, who shot to limelight on strength of his role in the Oscar winning, Slumdog Millionaire, has recently revealed that his girlfriend and co-star Freida Pinto is the secret to his happiness.

Dev says effusively, “I find inspiration in Frieda. I love the way we chill out with together without any inhibition even in the public.” Expressing his heart-felt desire to be with her he adds, “When I am with her, I am the real Dev not the one that people see on screen.”

All is not well with Saif Ali Khan

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Mumbai, August 09: Buzz is that all’s not well with actor Saif Ali Khan’s upcoming film Agent Vinod. Sources say that the intricate action sequences that director Sriram Raghavan had planned to shoot in Morocco with Saif under the Prince Of Persia action director Cedric Proust were cancelled.

Golden girl Tejaswini returns home

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Bangalore, August 09: Tejaswini Sawant, who made India proud by winning the 50m rifle prone gold at the World Shooting Championship, returned home to a rousing reception this morning.

Tejaswini became the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold in World Championship. She also equalled the world record, as she shot 99 in her last attempt. Had it been 100, it would be a world record.

After arriving here, the Indian markswoman said the morale-boosting historic triumph sets her up perfectly for the Commonwealth Games this October.

Political players in Bahrain

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Bahrain, August 09: Bahrain said it will hold parliamentary elections on October 23, a poll that is not expected to meet demands by the Shi’ite opposition for more political participation in the Gulf Arab state.

$1 billion loan from India suicidal: Khaleda Zia

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Dhaka, August 09: Bangladesh’s opposition leader Khaleda Zia has termed as “suicidal” the $1 billion deal the government signed with India’s Exim Bank last Saturday.

The Sheikh Hasina government has rejected the charge.

“There was no need to borrow the amount from India now. People will have to shoulder the burden,” Zia was quoted as saying by New Age newspaper on Monday.

Zia, who is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s chairperson, called the deal suicidal.