Month: August 2010

I can’t have birth certificate plastered on my forehead: Obama

by

Washington, August 30: US President Barack Obama says he’s not concerned about rumours about his birthplace or faith blaming an online campaign of misinformation by his conservative enemies for perpetuating the myth that he’s a Muslim.

There’s “a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly,” Obama said in an interview Sunday with NBC in New Orleans after marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Jon Stewart show wins Emmy for outstanding series

by

Los Angeles, August 30: “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (1996) has won outstanding variety, music or comedy series trophy at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Meanwhile, Julia Ormond has won the outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie gong for “Temple Grandin” (2010) and David Strathairn won the outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries trophy for the biopic directed by Mick Jackson .

–IANS–

‘Modern Family’ declared best comedy series at Emmy

by

Los Angeles, August 30: “Modern Family”, which takes a satirical look at three families and their problems, was declared the outstanding comedy series at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday.

The half-hour series has been created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan and Fox Television Studios produced it.

–IANS–

‘PM must ty to settle Ayodhya issue out of court’

by

New Delhi, August 30: With the Allahabad High Court likely to deliver its verdict on the title suit of Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Mosque next month, a prominent Muslim group has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explore efforts to find out an out of court settlement.

Schools, colleges in Andhra region call for strike

by

Hyderabad, August 30: While students from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions have called for a strike on Monday to protest against the attack on their teachers by pro Telangana students, Telangana activists prevented candidates from other regions from appearing in job interviews in Mahbubnagar district on Sunday.

In a development, which was likely to further inflame the protests, pro Telangana students forced candidates from Andhra region to go back from Mahatma Gandhi University in Nalgonda, where interview for a lecturers’ job on Sunday was being held.

Execution of Iranian woman for adultry on hold

by

Tehran, August 30: The Human Rights Headquarters of the Iranian Judiciary said Sunday that the death sentence awarded to a woman for adultery is final, but has been put on hold for the time being.

Given the conclusive evidence in her case file, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted of adultery and complicity in murder. Nevertheless, the stoning to death sentence has not been executed yet as the human rights body is seeking further proceedings, Press TV reported citing the statement.

Under Iranian Islamic Law, adultery is a crime punishable by stoning.

Lalit Modi’s disciplinary hearings next month

by

New Delhi, August 30: The Indian cricket board’s disciplinary committee looking into the suspension of Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi Sunday fixed two sets of dates for the hearings in September.

In a statement, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said the dates for recording of evidence and cross examination were fixed Sep 13-15 or Sep 26-28.

Enemy spies active in universities: Iran

by

Tehran, August 30: Spy agencies of several “enemy” countries are striving hard to infiltrate and influence Iran’s academic centres, Minister of Science, Research, and Technology Kamran Daneshjoo said Sunday.
“Enemies are trying to change the Islamic atmosphere of the universities into their own favourite atmosphere of liberal-democracy and to give a new definition for Islamic values based on their own views,” Daneshjoo said.

Imran Khan says allegations could be damaging for cricket

by

Islamabad, August 30: Pakistan’s former captain Imran Khan today expressed disappointment over allegations of spot-fixing against some Pakistani players and said the charges if found true had the potential to cause great damage to cricket in the country.

Asif’s ex-girlfriend claims he was in touch with bookmakers

by

Lahore, August 30: Popular Pakistani actress Muhammad Asif’s former girlfriend, Veena Malik, has added to the woes of the embattled pacer by claiming that she has proof of his involvement in spot-fixing and that he has been in touch with bookmakers in the recent past.Veena, who had a much publicised break up with Asif earlier this year, said on a television that Asif used to be in touch with an Indian bookmaker named Dikshit, who paid him for spot-fixing in matches.

Karisma Can’t Play Kajol’s Role In ‘We Are Family’: Kareena

by

Mumbai, August 30: Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor, who essays the role of a stepmom in ‘We are Family’ dreads and dismisses the possibility of being pitted against her elder sister actress Karisma instead of Kajol in the upcoming film.

“No way…She (Karisma) can’t do it, because in the film we are married to the same man! Otherwise, both (Karisma and Kajol) are hands-on mothers. They are the same when it comes to raising children,” Kareena told PTI.

Kishen Reddy to go on Fast-Home guards problems

by

Hyderabad, August 30: The BJP Legislator Mr G Kishan Reddy has decided to go on one day hunger strike at Indira Park hereon September 1, to protest against the Government’s indifferent attitude towards the long pending problems of Home Guards.

According to a BJP press note here today, Mr Reddy has taken the decision as nearly 50,000 home guards in the State were leading miserable life for the past 30 years. He requested leaders of other parties also to join the fast and express their solidarity to the cause.

——-NSS

Applications invited for BBA, PGDB courses

by

Hyderabad, August 30: The Prof. G. Ram Reddy Centre for Distance Education, Osmania University, has invited applications for admission to Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A) and Post Graduate Diploma in Bioinformatics from candidates without entrance test across the country.

‘Cyber Lab’ starts in city, seventh in the country

by

Hyderabad, August 30: The Director General of the Police (DGP),Mr Girish Kumar on Sunday inaugurated the ‘Cyber Lab’ at CB-CID office, which was seventh such lab in the country.

The Cyber Lab, a joint venture of A P Police and NASSCOM, will help the state police to tackle the cyber crimes.

Regionalism surfaces in recruitments at Nalgonda varsity

by

Nalgonda, August 30: A day after a group of Osmania University Students’ Joint Action Committee attacked `non-local’ lecturers, who came to evaluate B-Ed course papers on Osmania campus, Telangana activists obstructed the interviews conducted for contract basis posts at Mahatma Gandhi University in Nalgonda stating that the posts should not be given to any Seemandhra candidates.

According to sources, tension prevailed on the university campus when the Telangana activists obstructed the interviews to be conducted for recruitment of lecturers’ posts on contract basis.

Top priority to women in all welfare schemes: CM

by

Hyderabad, August 30: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Sunday stated that the government would give top priority for women in all the schemes implemented under centre and state schemes.

Talking to media persons after the inauguration of housing colony constructed under JNNURM at Abdullapurmet in Rangareddy district, the Chief Minister also lauded the Congress president Sonia Gandhi for giving priority to implement welfare schemes for the benefit of women.

Missing YSR sparks protests at housing colony inauguration

by

Hyderabad, August 30: Unsavoury scenes marred the inauguration of a housing colony constructed under JNNURM at Abdullapurmet, Rangareddy district by Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Sunday.

Some mischievous elements raised objections over the absence of any photograph of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy at the inauguration ceremony. The protestors raised slogans ‘YSR Amar Rahe’ and criticised the government for ‘deliberately’ neglecting the former chief minister’s role in initiating the housing scheme under which the colony work was taken up.

Archbishop Joji’s body on way to Vijayawada for funeral

by

Secunderabad, August 30: Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Purandareswari, Member of Parliament JD Seelam, Secunderabad Member of Legislative Assembly Jayasudha, Evangelist Brother Anil Kumar was among thousands of people from across the city and surrounding districts who made their way to St Mary’s church in Secunderabad to have a last glimpse of ‘People’s Archbishop’ Marampudi Joji before his body was taken to Vijayawada for the funeral on Monday.

Power consumers in darkness even after five day wait

by

Hyderabad, August 30: “I have been sitting in the dark since the past few days, just hoping that the APCPDCL employees act on my complaint,” sighs Ghulam Dastagir of Natraj Nagar.

Mr Dastagir had filed a complaint with the Sitarambagh Sub-station, that the loose connections from the power supply line to his electricity meter is leading to sparks, making it unsafe for him to even think about switching on the lights.

Counseling for engineering stream begins

by

Hyderabad, August 30: Counseling for engineering aspirant students began on Sunday with the verification of certificates at 61 helpline centres set up across the state.

According to sources, the certificates of special category students like physically handicapped, NCC, Children of Armed Personnel and Sports would be verified on Sunday and Monday.

The verification of certificates of general category students would begin on August 31. The optional subjects of candidates would be verified from September 2.

CM lays stone for Rajagopuram reconstruction

by

Srikalahasti, August 30: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the collapsed ‘Rajagopuram’ of the Srikalahasteshwara temple in Srikalahasti in Chittoor district.

Mr Rosaiah told media persons after laying foundation stone, that a private firm ‘Navayuva Constructions’ had voluntarily came forward to construct the ‘Rajagopuram’ at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore.

Threat call to Ram Gopal Varma

by

Hyderabad, August 30: Well known film director Ram Gopal Varma on Sunday received telephone calls threatening him with dire consequences if he goes ahead with his political drama ‘Rakta Charitra’.

According to sources, the calls allegedly came from the Obul Reddy group of Anantapur. Obul Reddy is the brother of Maddelacheruvu Suryanarayana Reddy, better known as Suri, who is alleged to have plotted the murder of Anantapur TDP MLA Paritala Ravi.

Israel to blame if talks fail: Abbas

by

Ramallah, August 30: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Sunday warned Israel would foil peace talks to be resumed Sept 2 if it continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

‘Israel’s government would alone bear the responsibility of threatening the negotiations with failure and collapse if all forms of settlement expansions continued,’ Abbas said in a televised speech.

The negotiations will restart in Washington after months of stillness amid huge opposition by most of Palestinian factions.

Unpaid Saudi imam locks worshippers out

by

Riyadh, August 30: Worshippers who arrived to pray at a mosque in a remote area of central Saudi Arabia this week discovered they were locked out by the disgruntled imam because he had not been paid.

Al-Yaum newspaper reported Sunday that the imam, a Sudanese national, had been told a philanthropist would pay for his services as spiritual leader of the small mosque in Najd region. But the benefactor withdrew the funding after local religious authorities failed to confirmed the cleric as the official imam.