Month: August 2010

6 students arrested for ragging, assaulting junior

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Tiruchirapalli, August 26: Police arrested six under-graduate students of a private College at Puthanampatti, near here last night, under the Prohibition of Ragging Act.
Police said four second-year students Ganesan, Babu, Sakthivel and Prabu, and two third-year students Balaji and Kalyanasundaram had caused mental and physical harassment to the complainant, Dinesh Kumar, a first-year student of B.Sc Physics. He was staying in the college hostel.

The arrested had beaten up Dinesh Kumar, inflicting injuries, due to which he had to be admitted to a private hospital at Thuraiyur.
–UNI

Artificial corneas restore sight for the first time

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London, August 26: Lab grown artificial corneas have been transplanted into patients’ eyes for the first time, offering hope to millions of partially sighted people.

The new technique involves growing human tissue or collagen in the lab and then shaping it, using a contact lens mould.

Damaged and scarred tissue from the front of the eye is then removed and the “biosynthetic” replacement is stitched in its place, reports the Telegraph.

Ultimately, existing cells and nerves in the eye grow over the artificial cornea, incorporating it fully into the eye.

Talk to agitating Kashmiris to restore calm in the state: Habibullah

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New Delhi, August 26: To restore calm in Jammu and Kashmir, the government should reach out to people and hold talks with the agitating Kashmiris, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said on Wednesday.

“Not just Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, but other ministers and top officials should contact people at the grassroots level and hear their agony as this was one of the best ways of governance, especially in difficult times,” Habibullah said in an interactive session with women journalists here.

Minissha ensures safety of ‘ass’ests

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Mumbai, August 26: Actress Minissha Lamba seems to be under lot of wrong notions that she has got the best butt in town. So much that she went on to insure them.

She is these days busy studying the insurance policies to safeguard her derriere and we also hear she would be getting hefty cover for it. According to her she’s received lot of compliments for her butt while she’s traveling abroad. In fact as per what she says people think that she’s Brazilian. It is all a fun compliment to her which she reciprocates by a smile.

Delhi needs leaders at the ground level: Kiran Bedi

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New Delhi, August 26: India’s first woman Indian Police Service officer and social crusader Kiran Bedi, who is often described as a national role model, says the capital has fallen back on visible leadership at the ground level.

“The capital needs visible leadership on ground. We have given up on certain problems, resulting in frequent violations of law,” Bedi told IANS here.

“We have to deploy more resources, better technology with a certain amount of innovation for better enforcement of law and regulation,” she added.

Gul’s director wants premarital sex

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Mumbai, August 26: When the filmmaker Prakash Jha asked his young lady director Alankrita Srivastav that is the premarital sex required to be shown in her upcoming film Turning 30.

Apparently, the young-lady who is herself turning 30 soon answered that even though it is rom-com she wants to keep it real. According to her premarital sex is prevalent in society and has also been accepted.

Bollywood may have usually shied away from addressing such real issues but the director was clear that she would rather talk reality in her film than just the platonic friendship.

Salman makes Kat cry

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Mumbai, August 26: Throughout the six years of her turbulent relationship with Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif might have kept mum on the nature of their romance, but after her beau made their break-up public, the actress had to face a series of brunt questions at a press conference that left her in tears.

Organised to promote a new brand that Katrina will now endorse, the press meet turned into an attack on Katrina’s personal life as reporters constantly darted her with all sorts of personal questions.

Man who slashed Muslim charged with hate crimes

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New York, August 26: A 21-year old man was arraigned Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court, accused of attempted murder and hate crimes on a Muslim taxi driver, New York authorities said.

Michael Enright calmly discussed Islam with the cabbie before slashing him from behind with a utility knife, authorities said.

He faced charges of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, first-degree assault as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon.

Enright, who could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted, was ordered held without bail.

Talk to agitating Kashmiris: Habibullah

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New Delhi, August 26: To restore calm in Jammu and Kashmir, the government should reach out to people and hold talks with the agitating Kashmiris, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said Wednesday.

“Not just Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, but other ministers and top officials should contact people at the grassroots level and hear their agony as this was one of the best ways of governance, especially in difficult times,” Habibullah said in an interactive session with women journalists here.

I’m lucky to get Saif as partner

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Mumbai, August 26: Kareena Kapoor is all praise for her beau Saif Ali Khan, with whom she is shooting for director Sriram Raghavan`s `Agent Vinod`, and says she is lucky to have him in her life. “Very few people get love in life and such a supportive partner.

Of course, I am very lucky that I have got a partner like Saif. He is a very unique man. His thoughts are much different from others and he always encourages me to work,” said Kareena.

She maintains that Saif is like a Hollywood actor, who is ignorant about what’s happening around and enjoys his own world.

Hillary Clinton condemns sexual violence in Congo

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Washington, August 26: US Secretary of State has expressed her “deep concern” over reports of mass rape of women and children in Congo by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and other groups.

“This horrific attack is yet another example of how sexual violence undermines efforts to achieve and maintain stability in areas torn by conflict but striving for peace,” Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

Cab Driver stabbed for being Muslim

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New York, August 26: A Manhattan cabbie who was stabbed Tuesday night by a Putnam County man questioned Wednesday whether the attack stemmed from the contentious debate over creating a mosque near ground zero.

Ahmed H. Sharif, 43, of Queens, was stabbed several times by Michael Enright, 21, of Southeast, N.Y., after Enright had asked Sharif if he was Muslim and the cabbie responded that he was, a police spokesman said.

Netherlands to include same-sex couples in textbooks

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Amsterdam, August 26: The Netherlands was the first country in the world to grant same-sex marriages and allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. Now the Dutch are taking the next logical step and are introducing same-sex couples into the nation’s schoolbooks. However, not everyone in the country approves.

Two fathers go out to buy a guinea pig that costs 17.95 euros in the pet shop. The shop owner gives them a discount of 20 percent. How much must Jan’s fathers pay?

More Americans have unfavourable views on Islam

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Washington, August 26: The number of Americans viewing Islam favourably has declined since 2005, but there is little change in those saying that Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence, according to a new poll.

As was the case a year ago, slightly more people say the Islamic religion does not encourage violence more than other religions (42 percent) than say that it does (35 percent), the poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Centre found.

Dispute over Saudi princess mysterious death

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Cairo, August 26: Hours after the death of Hind Al Fassi, a Saudi princess who had been living with her family in Cairo, her brother and husband got involved in a heated dispute inside the hospital where she passed away. Their disagreement soon developed into a legal tug-of-war.

“I have some proof, which I want to bring to the attention of investigators,” Aalal Al Fassi, Hind’s brother, said.

He added that he suspects that her son and daughter as well as their father Prince Turki Bin Abdul Aziz, the brother of Saudi King Abdullah, had killed her.

Zakir confess of providing shelter to Viquar

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Hyderabad, August 26: Mohammed Zakir, alleged member of the militant outfit Tahreek Ghalba-e-Islam (TGI), had acted as a courier between the convicted and jailed Hizbul Mujahideen leader Mujeeb Ahmed and his associates in Kashmir.

Americans have unfavourable views on Islam

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Washington, August 26: Favourable opinions of Islam in the US have declined since 2005, with 35 per cent Americans believing that it encourages violence more than any other religions, according to a new poll.

The poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, Between August 19-22 among 1,003 adults, finds that Favourable opinions of Islam have declined since 2005.

US military computers hacked with Flash drive

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Washington, August 26: An infected flash drive put in a US military laptop in 2008 set off the most significant cyberattack ever against the military by a foreign spy agency, according to a top US defence official.

The previously classified incident, which took place in 2008 in the Middle East, was disclosed by Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn in an article titled “Defending a New Domain” posted on Foreign Affairs magazine’s web site Wednesday.

Saudi family hammers 23 nails into maid’s body

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Dubai, August 26: In a gruesome incident, a Saudi family has allegedly hammered 23 nails into a Sri Lankan maid’s body, a media report said, quoting a senior diplomat in the Lankan Embassy in Riyadh.

“We have received this complaint from Foreign Ministry in Colombo, who said the maid has been allegedly tortured by her sponsor.

“We are looking for the sponsor. We were able to track down the Saudi recruitment agent in Riyadh and we will summon the sponsor to discuss this issue,” the diplomat from the Sri Lankan mission in Riyadh told ‘Arab News’.

I can solve problems better than Raj Thackeray: Rakhi

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Mumbai, August 26: Rakhi Sawant is big-mouthed, they say. The celebrity item girl, who will soon play agony aunt in a new reality show “Rakhi Ka Insaaf”, claims she has better solutions to Mumbai’s growing migrant population than Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

“Come to my show, I’ll even solve that. I’ll solve it better than our friend Raj Thackeray,” she said when asked about a solution to the growing number of outsiders coming into Mumbai.

Maoists attack police station in Jharkhand

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Ranchi, August 26: Maoist rebels attacked a police station, torched six trucks and blasted the office of a political party in two districts of Jharkhand while enforcing their 24-hour strike in parts of the state early Thursday.

Nearly 200 Maoists attacked Pirtand police station at around 1 a.m. in Giridih district, some 210 km from here. A fierce gun battle ensued with the police which lasted for about four hours.

The guerrillas escaped after the gun battle and blasted the office of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik near the police station.

Muslim can’t survive, if they don’t eat beef?

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Bangalore, August 26: The controversial Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2010, which is now awaiting approval by President Pratibha Patil, has taken centrestage in Karnataka. The governor, HR Bharadwaj, expressed his displeasure over the bill and forwarded it to the President for a decision. Peeved by this, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has announced week-long protests from September 1.

Inquiry urged into Israeli killing of teens

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West Bank, August 26: Two 19-year-old cousins were reportedly working in their fields in the West Bank village of Awarta on March 21, 2010, when Israeli soldiers shot them from close range and left the area, without giving any reason.

According to a medical report, Mohammad Faisal Mahmoud Qawariq was hit by seven bullets and Salah Mohammad Kamal Qawariq was hit by three bullets.

But Israeli soldiers had claimed that the two men, using a pitchfork and a broken glass bottle, had attempted to attack them.

Obama’s approval rating at new low: Poll

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Washington, August 26: Obama’s disapproval rating rose to 52 percent, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll. This is the first time more Americans disapprove than approve of Obama.

67 percent of those polled said they were very concerned about government spending, while 62 percent stated that they feel the country is going in the wrong direction.

Unemployment topped the list of economic worries with 92 percent of those surveyed expressing concern. The unemployment rate in June and July was 9.5 percent.

‘US facilitates peace talks with Taliban’

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Washington, August 26: General David Petraeus said that the Obama administration backs Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s initiative to talk peace with Taliban figures who break with al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

“The US is very much in the information loop and in a couple of cases has helped in a sense, but is not doing the negotiation,” said Petraeus in a Wednesday interview with the Fox News Channel.

“Actually in a couple of isolated cases there’s been a degree of facilitation, if you will,” he said.