Month: August 2010

Tendulkar to become most-capped Test player

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Colombo, August 02: Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is all set to add another milestone in his illustrious career by becoming the most-capped Test cricketer when he plays in the third and final match of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.

The 37-year-old champion batsman, who holds almost every batting record that is there in international cricket, will overtake retired former Australian captain Steve Waugh when he plays in the 169th match of his career.

No credibility in CBI’s Sohrabuddin case: Jethmalani

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New Delhi, August 02: Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who is representing former Gujarat minister Amit Shah arrested in Sohrabudding Sheikh fake encounter killing case, on Monday said they are planning to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the transfer of the case to CBI.

“The case should not have gone to CBI. We are thinking of filing a review petition in the Supreme Court,” Jethmalani told mediapersons in Ahmedabad.

Pakistan has bigger nuke arsenal than India: Report

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Washington, August 02: Racing to beat India in the nuclear race, Pakistan has already stockpiled more nuclear warheads than India and has produced enough fissile material to double its nuclear arsenal, according to a new report.

While India is estimated to have assembled 60-80 warheads and produced enough fissile material for 60-105 nuclear warheads, Pakistan is estimated to have assembled 70-90 warheads and produced fissile material for as many as 90 warheads, it says.

E Rajender elected TRS leader in AP Assembly

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Hyderabad, August 02: TRS MLAs on Sunday elected Huzurabad MLA E Rajender as their leader in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Siddipet MLA and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s nephew T Harish Rao has been elected deputy leader at a meeting of the 11 MLAs held in Hyderabad. K Eswar and E Ravinder Reddy would be the secretary and whip of TRS Legislature Party respectively.

The TRS MLAs are likely to take oath tomorrow.

TRS has retained all the Assembly seats held by it in the recently held by-elections.

Obama says he’s on track to end Iraq war

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Washington, August 02: President Barack Obama will tell Americans on Monday he is on track to carry out his campaign promise of ending the Iraq war as he marks a milestone in winding down major combat operations there this month. Despite a deadlock in Baghdad on efforts to form a new government,

Obama will highlight achievements in Iraq and discuss the formal shift taking place in the disposition of US troops as they transition to a more advisory role.

Swine flu spreads in Bengal, affects 102

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Kolkata, August 02: Eight new cases of swine flu, which has claimed three lives in West Bengal, were registered today as the total number of those affected by the deadly virus mounted to 102.

The condition of two persons was critical, a health department bulletin said.

Claiming that the situation was not alarming though it was yet to be brought under control, health officials said that state and private hospitals and clinics have been asked to open quarantine wards for swine flu victims.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and have taken adequate steps,” the bulletin said.

CBI chargesheets NEC officials in corruption case

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Shillong, August 02: The CBI has filed a chargesheet against four officers of North Eastern Council (NEC), including three retired officials and the principal and vice principal of a college here for financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 4.98 crore.

Mercedes Benz India logs record July sales

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Chennai, August 02: Luxury car maker Mercedes Benz India closed last month with a record sales of 521 units – the highest ever monthly sales in its 15-year existence in India.

The company’s record sales is driven by its popular E class models which found 212 buyers and sports utility vehicles (SUV) numbering 62 units.

Mercedes Benz sold 288 units in July 2009. For the period Jan-July 2010, the company has sold 2,922 units, up from 1,670 units sold during the corresponding period the previous year.

Pranab appreciates MPs’ cooperation in LS

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New Delhi, August 02: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, whose efforts ended the week-long logjam in Parliament, today appreciated the members of Lok Sabha for completing two bills in one sitting.

“I deeply appreciate the members’ cooperation in completing two legislative business in one afternoon,” he said in the Lok Sabha while replying to a debate on the State Bank of India Amendment Bill, 2010.

“This means that something can be done if you want to do it,” the Leader of the Lok Sabha added.

Sohrabuddin killing: Shah to move apex court against CBI probe

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Ahmedabad, August 02: “I intend to move the Supreme Court to recall the order of transfer of the case to CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation),” Ram Jethmalani, counsel for former Gujarat minister Amit Shah in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh killing, said Monday.

Jethmalani was addressing the media at a press conference after seeking bail for Shah, former minister of state for home, in a Special CBI court here.

HC defers Kasab’s case to Aug 12

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Mumbai, August 02: The verdict of the trial court awarding death sentence to Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Kasab in the 26/11 terror attack case came up on Monday for confirmation before the Bombay High Court which adjourned the matter to August 12.

Justices Ranjana Desai and Vijaya Tahilramani deferred the matter after public prosecutor Pandurang Pol informed that the state would file an appeal within a week against the acquittal of Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Shaikh in the same case.

Tata Motors loses second spot to Hyundai in July

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New Delhi, August 02: A good surge in sales of Nano in July notwithstanding, Tata Motors has lost its position as India’s second biggest car maker to Hyundai, just a month after it had gained the spot.

As per the figures released by the two companies, while Tata Motors sold 27,864 units last month, Hyundai clocked a total sale of 28,811 units in the domestic market.

While Hyundai Motor’s domestic sales increased by only 24.22 per cent in July, that of Tata Motors rose by 62.08 per cent — boosted by good Nano sales.

Controversial Koda in Parliament after 10 months

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New Delhi, August 02: Former Jharkhand chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha member Madhu Koda today attended Parliament for the first time since November last year, when he was arrested in connection with a money laundering case.

Koda, who represents Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency, came to Parliament House in the morning after the day’s proceedings had begun.

Koda is still behind bars in connection with the case against him and came to Parliament on parole to attend the session.

HC dismisses woman wrestler’s plea

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New Delhi, August 02: The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed the petition of a woman wrestler who challenged the selection criteria of the Wrestling Federation of India for the Commonwealth Games.

Justice S. Murlidhar, while dismissing the plea of Sonika Kaliraman, said: “Irrespective of past performances, the Federation is supposed to select players with good current performance.”

Hearing the submissions of WFI, the court clarified that there is no “arbitrariness” on the part of the Federation in rejecting anyone’s participation in the Games.

4 arrested for trying to sell off 12-year-old girl

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Chandigarh, August 02: An alert 12-year-old girl raised a commotion and got a large crowd around her in this Haryana town when she realised that four of her relatives, including two women, were planning to sell her off for Rs.50,000. The four have been arrested, police said Monday.
The girl, Palo, the daughter of Lal Singh, resident of Jiwan Nagar, complained to the police that her relatives were planning to sell her.

MEA is in regular touch with other ministries on Haj

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New Delhi, August 02: The External Affairs Ministry today said there were some ongoing cases relating to Haj matters in various courts and it has been in regular touch with the ministries concerned in this regard to facilitate the timely completion of preparations.

The statement by the MEA official spokesperson came in response to a query on media reports on legal proceedings on Haj matters. According to reports, the MEA has “slammed” the Law Ministry for its “casual” handling of an ongoing dispute in the Delhi High Court on who will organise this year’s Haj.

Malaika ‘Badnaam Munni’ to rock on Eid!

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Mumbai, August 02: Before anyone thinks that we are about to stir a hornet’s nest, please be patient and just read on! Actually we are talking about the rocking item number, Munni Badnaam Huyi Darling Tere Liye from Salman Khan’s upcoming Abhinav Kashyap directed Eid release, DABANGG.

SC declines relief to AP on pilgrimage to Jerusalem

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New Delhi, August 02: The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with the Andhra Pradesh High Court order staying the state government’s special scheme providing financial subsidy to Christians going on pligrimage to Jerusalem.

A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan, however, asked the state High Court to dispose off within four months the petition challenging the Constitutional validty of the scheme announced by the state government in July 2008.

Kangna finds appreciation from Madhavan

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Mumbai, August 02: Kangna Ranaut has come up with a sweet act in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI, something which has seen an all around appreciation from audience as well as critics alike. Meanwhile, her co-actors too are pleased to be working with her, especially so since the film has allowed Kangna to move out of her on-screen schizophrenic world where she mostly played a troubled character.

Tusshar not frustrated by gap in film releases

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Mumbai, August 02: There are some films that seem like a winner in the making even before the first look is out. Of course there is a definite perception factor attached to it but when the franchise is as strong as that of GOLMAAL, it doesn’t require much thought to figure out the anticipation quotient. Add to that the fact that the latest in the series of this Rohit Shetty franchise, GOLMAAL 3, will release this Diwali and it is obvious there would be rousing reception to the film.

Delhi hikes freedom fighters’ pension

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New Delhi, August 02: The Delhi government Monday hiked the monthly pension of freedom fighters by Rs.1,000.

The decision, taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, will benefit 650 freedom fighters in the capital.

“The pension of freedom fighters has been hiked from Rs.3,500 to Rs.4,500 per month with effect from July 1, 2010,” said Dikshit.

The pension was last revised in October 2004.

Dikshit said the city government will have to incur an expenditure of Rs.7.8 million per annum following the decision.

Fuel price hike was necessary, says Sonia

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New Delhi, July 02: Even as Parliament witnessed a week-long logjam over price rise, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has justified the hike in fuel prices saying it was “necessary” and has been done for increasing the availability of funds for social sector schemes.

“An increase in prices is never a pleasant thing.

However, this has been done for a number of reasons including increasing the availability of funds for our social sector schemes,” Gandhi said in her message to Congressmen in party mouthpiece ‘Congress Sandesh’.

Violations of Companies Act in IPL teams: Khurshid

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New Delhi, August 02: The government today said it has found company law violations in the ownership pattern in the several Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket teams and Registrar of Companies has been asked to take penal action.

“The preliminary information/reports have indicated non-compliance of certain provisions of the Companies Act, 1956,” Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Salman Khurshid said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Sonu Sood: Everyone is fighting for power here

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Mumbai, August 02: Promos of DABANGG have hit the screens and it is there for one and all to know that Sonu Sood is playing a baddie in this Salman Khan starrer. However, Sonu is quick to add that his role is not the kind that qualifies to be typically villainous.

“In fact he is someone who is very entertaining and funny,” says Sonu for whom this is yet another big break in Bollywood after SINGH IS KINNG, “There is a certain charm in the way that he creates magic around him. He does things very seriously but still brings on smiles.”

SRK to learn a thing or two from Shahana!

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Mumbai, August 02: Shahrukh Khan has been in the Film Industry since very long. He is a source of inspiration for many actors who learn a lot from him. But did you know that SRK too learns from his co-stars? That’s right. The actor recently was all praise for his RA.ONE co-star Shahana Goswami.

Shahrukh wrote on a micro blogging site, “looking forward to shooting with shahana…i think she is a very very fine actor…will learn a few things from her for sure.”