Month: December 2010

Michelle busy to decorate white house

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Washington, December 03: With Christmas fast approaching, even America’s First Lady has to help out with a few festive tasks.

And on Wednesday, Michelle Obama pitched in to make seasonal decorations and treats after unveiling the newly decorated White House to specially invited guests from military families.

“ It’s Christmas. It’s exciting!” she told the assembled press before helping her younger guests make festive crafts and cards.

The First Lady helped decorate a card and fold magazine pages to make a recycled Christmas tree.

BJP No Better Than A Drama Company: Cong

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New Delhi, December 03: On a day when BJP claimed greater Opposition unity on the issue of 2G spectrum scam, Congress today hit out at the party accusing it of doing “no better than a drama company” on corruption.

Giving examples of corruption cases during NDA regime, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that in none of these cases the then central government had offered any Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe and there was “no CBI, no ED, no JPC” to investigate the matter.

Court allows NIA to quizz 4 Ajmer dargah blast accused

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Ajmer, December 03: A court here has allowed National Investigation Agency (NIA) to interrogate four accused belonging to Hindu outfits, who are lodged in a jail here, in connection with Samjhauta Express explosion in February 2007.

District and Session Judge Prashant Kumar Agarwal has given persmission to NIA to question Lokesh Sharma and Devendra Gupta, both members of right wing group Abhinav Bharat, in connection with Samjhauta Express blast.

Jagan to float a new political party

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Hyderabad, December 3: Taking advantage of the crisis generated after cabinet formation Jagan Mohan Reddy who resigned from Congress and Lok Sabha has decided to launch a new political party and has started holding consultations with the like-minded leaders of the three regions. He can announce the formation of new party anytime.

Congress high command appointed Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy as the chief minister, dropping off K Rosaiah to handle the deteriorating situation. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telangana issue are the biggest challenges for high command.

Thackeray Flays Shah Rukh for His ‘Love for Pakistan’

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Mumbai, December 03: Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has described as “height of stupidity” Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s “love for Pakistan”.

In an editorial in today’s issue of party mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray said the actor who considers himself a ‘badshah’ has been shown his place by the Sena by protesting against his participation in an entertainment show to raise funds for Pakistani flood victims in London on November 28.

“He came to his senses and cancelled his participation,” Thackeray claimed.

Dissidence in Andhra Ministry Over Portfolios Ends

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Hyderabad, December 03: The dissidence in N Kiran Kumar Reddy ministry in Andhra Pradesh over allocation of portfolios ended today with Congress high command succeeding in mollifying the sulking ministers.

Nine of the 10 ministers who were unhappy with the portfolios given to them attended the cabinet meeting held here this evening but V Vasant Kumar, who sent his resignation to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy late last night, stayed away.

‘In US, 80 agencies eye coup in Iran’

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Tehran, December 03: Iran’s intelligence minister says as many as 80 organizations have been established in the United States for the sole purpose of attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic government.

“These 80 organizations are actively operating in the United States with an estimated annual budget of 2 billion dollars,” said the Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi, adding that “there are numerous like-minded institutions and agencies inside and outside of Iran, whose missions are mainly focused on toppling the Islamic establishment in the country.”

China to open activity centre for gay men

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Beijing, December 03: China will soon open an activity centre for gay men, where the homosexuals will receive training on HIV prevention and will be given condoms free of cost.

The Chongqing Rainbow Floating Population Activity Centre will be officially opened in Chongqing city after the Spring Festival in 2011.

It will be reportedly be the first organisation in China to hold HIV prevention training for gay men, according to the Chongqing Business Daily.

26 yrs on, woes refuse to end for Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims

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Bhopal, December 03: Even as the 26th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas disaster is being observed in the city on Friday, its victims continue to be plagued with a number of problems that have not been resolved over the years.

Abdul Jabbar, convenor of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangthan, the first and the biggest organisation working for the disaster victims told a news agency that they were not suffering from one single problem alone.

Pak Man Claims, Amitabh Bachan Is His Younger Brother

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Faisalabad, December 03: A Pakistani man Jaffar Hussain, hailing from Faisalabad, has claimed that Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is his younger brother, Geo News reported.

Jaffar Hussain, resident of Nawanpind, Faisalabad says Amitabh had run away to Karachi with one Amir Badshah, and later to Mumbai at the age of 14, adding that his Islamic name was Subh Sadiq.

He said that Amitabh Bachchan was keen to work in movies since childhood. He said his father Abdul Haq was a goldsmith, who had registered a case against Amir Badshah in 1963.

Vidya is dead fussy, but in a good way: Sujoy Ghosh

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Mumbai, December 03: Director Sujoy Ghosh, who has roped in Vidya Balan for his forthcoming film Kahani, believes the actress can identify good scripts.

“What I like about Vidya is that she is dead fussy, but in a good way. She has an uncanny sense about scripts,” Ghosh said in a statement.

Ghosh is justified in his belief – with roles like a struggling mother of a progeria patient in Paa to a brutally seductive rural woman in Ishqiya, she has always treaded different path.

Vidya is dead fussy, but in a good way: Sujoy Ghosh

Pak can’t survive without US support: WikiLeaks

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New York, December 03: The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has been creating more trouble to United States by the release of diplomatic cables. The new release exposed the secret alliance between US and Pakistan.

According to the cables sent by former US ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, United states supported Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)’s request to make India delay the release of 2008 Mumbai attack information.

Surrogate couple have had sex with 5,400 people – and counting

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London, December 03: A 40-year-old man and his 39-year-old girlfriend work as surrogate sexual partners for someone else’s husband or wife and have had sex with a combined total of 5,485 people.

Sarah Moore and boyfriend Geoff Daniels have been sex surrogates for 19 years, during which Sarah has had sex with 3,323 men, including 52 virgins, while US-born Geoff has slept with 2,162 women, helping 49 of them lose their virginity, The Sun tabloid reported.

The pair are trained surrogate sexual partners and work to help men, women and couples overcome sexual problems in the bedroom.

BJP offers alliance with YS Jagan

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Hyderabad, December 03: Trying to fish in muddy waters, Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) is in a move to make an alliance with former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who is launching his new political party in Andhra Pradesh.

Sources reported that BJP leaders have contacted YS Jagan, son of former Chief Minister late YS Rajashekhara Reddy, and extended their offer of tie-up to form a new political block in Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier on Thursday, Dec 2, YS Jagan had announced his plan of launching the new party. He also invited other Congress leaders to join his party.

Israel calls for help to fight blaze

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Jerusalem, December 03: Israel Thursday asked the international community to send firefighting aircraft to help put out a huge blaze in the country’s port city of Haifa that left at least 40 people dead, reports Xinhua.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Thursday urged Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Russia to send the aircraft. Israel doesn’t have one. Meanwhile, Greece and Cypriot have promised to immediately dispatch the planes.

Congress assures change in Andhra ministers’ portfolios

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Hyderabad, December 02: The Congress’ central leadership Thursday assured of changes in the portfolios of Andhra Pradesh ministers as the state government plunged into a crisis, a day after the new cabinet was sworn in. A minister resigned over the portfolio given to him and several others openly expressed their resentment.

Senior ministers, who were unhappy over a particular community being given all key portfolios, claimed that the central leadership had promised to address their grievances.

Congress assures change in Andhra ministers’ portfolios

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Hyderabad, December 02: The Congress’ central leadership Thursday assured of changes in the portfolios of Andhra Pradesh ministers as the state government plunged into a crisis, a day after the new cabinet was sworn in. A minister resigned over the portfolio given to him and several others openly expressed their resentment.

Senior ministers, who were unhappy over a particular community being given all key portfolios, claimed that the central leadership had promised to address their grievances.

Assange escapes arrest in Britain on legal point

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Melbourne, December 02: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing sex crime charges in Sweden, escaped arrest in Britain Thursday as Swedish authorities failed to fill out an arrest warrant correctly, it was reported here.

British authorities are believed to know where the WikiLeaks’ founder is staying, thought to be a location in country’s southeast, the Herald Sun reported.

Assange is believed to have supplied Scotland Yard with contact details upon arrival in Britain in October.

Assange escapes arrest in Britain on legal point

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Melbourne, December 02: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing sex crime charges in Sweden, escaped arrest in Britain Thursday as Swedish authorities failed to fill out an arrest warrant correctly, it was reported here.

British authorities are believed to know where the WikiLeaks’ founder is staying, thought to be a location in country’s southeast, the Herald Sun reported.

Assange is believed to have supplied Scotland Yard with contact details upon arrival in Britain in October.

Assange escapes arrest in Britain on legal point

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Melbourne, December 02: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing sex crime charges in Sweden, escaped arrest in Britain Thursday as Swedish authorities failed to fill out an arrest warrant correctly, it was reported here.

British authorities are believed to know where the WikiLeaks’ founder is staying, thought to be a location in country’s southeast, the Herald Sun reported.

Assange is believed to have supplied Scotland Yard with contact details upon arrival in Britain in October.

Assange escapes arrest in Britain on legal point

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Melbourne, December 02: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing sex crime charges in Sweden, escaped arrest in Britain Thursday as Swedish authorities failed to fill out an arrest warrant correctly, it was reported here.

British authorities are believed to know where the WikiLeaks’ founder is staying, thought to be a location in country’s southeast, the Herald Sun reported.

Assange is believed to have supplied Scotland Yard with contact details upon arrival in Britain in October.

Assange escapes arrest in Britain on legal point

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Melbourne, December 02: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing sex crime charges in Sweden, escaped arrest in Britain Thursday as Swedish authorities failed to fill out an arrest warrant correctly, it was reported here.

British authorities are believed to know where the WikiLeaks’ founder is staying, thought to be a location in country’s southeast, the Herald Sun reported.

Assange is believed to have supplied Scotland Yard with contact details upon arrival in Britain in October.

Maoists kill surrendered Naxal, TDP leader in AP

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Hyderabad, December 02: Maoists shot dead a surrendered Naxal and a local TDP leader while abducting at least three others in separate incidents in Andhra Pradesh, police said today.

The banned CPI(Maoist) which is celebrating the anniversary of its People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) from December 2 to 8, carried out the killings and abductions to demonstrate the party’s influence, they said.

‘Indian chemical industry to be worth $200 bn’

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Ahmedabad, December 02: The Indian chemical industry is expected to be worth $200 billion by 2020, an official said here Thursday.

Ravi Kapoor, chairman Indian Chemical Council (ICC), Gujarat, said that according to a report prepared by Tata Consultancy Services, Gujarat would contribute about $60 billion to the total Indian market in ten years.

“Industrial activity constitutes 21 percent of our GDP, of which 11 percent comes from the chemical industry. Ten percent of our exports account for chemicals and petrochemicals and the industry is a net foreign exchange earner,” he added.

France wants India to stick to global n-liability standards

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New Delhi, December 02: Ahead of French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s visit here, India and France have accelerated negotiations to wrap up a framework agreement for civil nuclear cooperation even as Paris has asked New Delhi’s civil atomic liability rules to be brought in conformity with global standards.

France is understood to have conveyed that India must ensure the legal security of French suppliers of nuclear equipment and has pressed New Delhi to bring its civil liability law in conformity with international standards.