Moores sacking came at the right time: Pietersen

Sydney, December 31: England batsman Kevin Pietersen Friday said his team would not have retained the Ashes had he not been in the forefront of a campaign to remove former coach Peter Moores.The star player also said that his stepping down from England captaincy that time also helped the team.

WikiLeaks show U.S. frustrated with Egypt military

Cairo, December 31: Egypt’s military, the biggest recipient of U.S. military aid after Israel, is in decline, according to American diplomats, who blame the Arab nation’s top brass for failing to modernize and adapt to deal with new threats.

Angelina Jolie: Nothing Is Impossible For The Wonder Woman

Los Angeles, December 31: With Johnny Depp and it was there that she decided on her latest venture.

Angelina’s decision to work in French movie stems from the fact that she probably wants to pay a tribute to her late mother Marcheline Bertrand. Angelina’s mother was from France and French is Angelina’s mother tongue. Angelina has hopes of making an art house movie and is in the process of getting her French right.

Benazir assassination plot hatched at brigadier’s home: report

Islamabad, December 31: The plot to assassinate former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 was hatched at the official residence of an army brigadier, a fresh probe report has disclosed in a dramatic revelation.

The new probe conducted under the interior ministry’s supervision has also found the role of nine men, including the army brigadier, in the Dec 27, 2007 killing of Benazir Bhutto, Express Tribune said Friday.

Bollywood Comes Out In Support Of Adnan Sami

Mumbai, December 31 :The entire Bollywood fraternity has come out in support of Pakistani singer Adnan Sami after the Enforcement Directorate ordered attachment of his properties on grounds that he was a Pakistani national, reports the Media.

Veteran star Dev Anand has gone to the extent of offering his Pali Hill bungalow for Adnan and his wife to stay in the event of their becoming homeless, the report says.

“Mumbai is my home and I am not going anywhere, especilly after the overwhelming response and support I received from Mumbai film industry”, said Adnan Sami.

Nizam’s property dispute, court recorded compromise

Hyderabad, December 31: A division bench of the AP High Court comprising Justice Seshasayana Reddy and Justice P Durga Prasad on Thursday put to rest 15 year old royal row among the Nizam’s kin over sharing of property worth 14 crore, recording a compromise between rival claimants.

UP Cong demands action against BSP MLA

Lucknow, December 31: Uttar Pradesh Congress today asked Chief Minister Mayawati to arrest a BSP MLA and his associates for allegedly raping a girl belonging to the backward class and falsely implicating her in a theft case.

“A most backward minor girl was raped by BSP MLA Purshottam Narain Dwivedi and his associates in Banda and she was later lodged in the jail on charges of stealing the legislator”s licensed pistol and Rs 5000,” Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi told reporters.

CM directs to reconstruct demolished mosque

Hyderabad, December 31: Taking strong note of the demolition of mosque for construction of highway near Suryapet Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy directed district officials to reconstruct the mosque at the same place.

In view of Muslims’ protest against the demolition of mosque neither district officials nor Highway authorities are taking the responsibility of demolition on themselves.

District officials told chief ministers that orders for demolition of the mosque were never issued.

‘Israel planned to nuke Arabs in 1980’

Jerusalem, December 31: A newly-released state document in Britain reveals that Israel was prepared to use a nuclear bomb in the event of an armed conflict with Arab neighbors, a report says.

The official paper discloses communications between John Robinson, a former British ambassador to Tel Aviv, and the UK Foreign Office, in which the former diplomat cautioned about an Israeli nuclear attack.

Lyricist asked me to threaten Rani Chatterjee, says tantrik

Mumbai, December 31: Investigation into the extortion case involving popular Bhojpuri actress Rani Chatterjee has thrown up the name of lyricist Ritu Raj.

Ajay Pandey, the school teacher posing as tantrik, who threatened the actress to pay him more than Rs. 15 lakh if she didn’t want him to kill her using mantras, told the Thane Court that Raj had asked him to do so.

Pandey revealed that the idea of threatening Rani was Raj’s to begin with. “Raj assured me that nothing would happen to me and asked me to threaten Rani,” he told the court.

Michelle Williams wants daughter to see ‘Brokeback Mountain’

Los Angeles, December 31: Actress Michelle Williams wants her daughter to watch “Brokeback Mountain” because this is the film which had brought her closer to Heath Ledger.

Michelle met Ledger on the sets of the cowboy drama in 2004 and welcomed Matilda the following year. However, the couple parted ways in 2007 and a year later, Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose in his New York City apartment.

Draft action plan for old city’s development: KKR to GHMC

Draft action plan for old city’s development: KKR to GHMC
Hyderabad, December 31: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has advised Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials for drafting an action plan for development of Old City of Hyderabad.

Speaking at a prize distribution ceremony for the winners of the GHMC sports meet, the Chief Minister said that for the development of Hyderabad city was essential to the development of the state.

Ponting’s absence big loss for Australia, says Anderson

Sydney, December 31: England pacer James Anderson Friday said Ricky Ponting’s absence in the fifth Ashes cricket Test in Sydney will be a “big loss” for the struggling Australian side.Anderson said despite the Australian captain’s poor form, Ponting remains a threat to the opposition because of the wealth of experience he possesses.

“He has been out of form but he is a fine player and a real wicket that we cherish and we really want to get so I think he will be a big loss for them,” Anderson was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph Friday.

Karuna Says DMK Will Stay, Jaya Wants Change

Chennai, December 31: With an eye on Assembly elections scheduled in another four months in Tamil Nadu, Dravidian archrivals M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa today virtually turned their customary new year greetings into poll messages.

While DMK president M Karunanidhi, whose fifth term as Chief Minister nears completion, recalled his government’s achievements, especially of those in 2010, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa used the opportunity to call for a change of guard in the state.

Clarke brushes off public sentiments against his appointment

Sydney, December 31: Michael Clarke brushed off the strong public sentiment against his appointment as the captain and said he would use lessons learned from several years under Ricky Ponting’s tutelage to re-ignite the bumbling Australian team.

Reacting to a poll conducted by The Age, Clarke said: “I think it’s part and parcel of what we do now, as a professional cricketer these days you’re spending a lot of the time in the media. I’ve copped a lot of criticism throughout my whole career, it’s no different now.”

Plane makes u-turn to offload unruly passengers

Abu Dhabi, December 31: Don’t create a ruckus inside a plane, you may be taken back to the airport and offloaded!

This is what exactly happened to three unruly and disruptive passengers who caused commotion in a Gulf Air flight, forcing the pilot to turn back to the airport to offload them.

“Three passengers of a group of five on Gulf Air flight GF 019 from Bahrain to Paris behaved in an unruly and disruptive manner onboard after the flight took off from Bahrain airport,” Katherine Genowefa Kaczynska, senior manager of corporate communication, told Gulf News.

SKC Report: govt.’s plea to media for restrain

Hyderabad, December 31: The state government on Thursday appealed to media persons to exercise caution while projecting the news related to Srikrishna Committee report, which was submitted earlier in the day to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Minister for Information and Public Relations D K Aruna told the newsmen present at the state Secretariat that that there was a misconception that something was going to happen after the report was submitted.

Three labourers die as tractor plunges into lake

Prakasam, December 31: At least three labourers were killed and four others suffered grievous injuries in a road accident which occurred at Chandrasekharapuram in Prakasam district early on Thursday morning.

According to Inspector Srinivas Rao, the incident occurred when a tractor in which the labourers were on their way to an agricultural field toppled over and plunged down the steep banks of a lake. Rash and negligent driving on the part of the driver is believed to have been the reason behind the mishap.

Pakistan to defend ISI chief in US court over 26/11

Islamabad, December 31: Pakistan said it will challenge in court a US lawsuit accusing officials of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of providing material support for the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, reported. “The government of Pakistan has taken a firm decision to strongly contest the suit filed against the ISI, its present and past directors general,” the Pakistan foreign ministry said.

The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of two American victims in the attack.

EAMCET to be held on May 8, and ICET on May 15

Hyderabad, December 31: The Minister for Higher Education, Mr Damodar Raja Narasimha, on Thursday announced the dates for conduct of Common Entrance Examinations for professional courses in 2011.

The Minister said that EAMCET examination, which was entrance test for admissions into Engineering, Medicine and Agricultural courses was scheduled to be held on May 8 and within 15 days of the examination, the results would be released.

Clerics Now Ban DJ, Display of Dowry During Weddings

Muzaffarnagar, December 31: The Muslim clerics of Jamiat Ulema Hind have called for a ban on using Disc Jockeys (DJ) and display of dowry goods by community members during weddings’ saying it is against Islamic law.

The clerics also appealed to the ulemas to avoid performing nikah in such marriages.

The decision came during a meeting held yesterday in which several Muslim clerics were present.

The clerics decided to ban DJs and exhibition of dowry goods during marriage saying that it is against the Shariat law.

Iran cites UK role in inciting revolt

Tehran, December 31: Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi has accused the British Intelligence service of collaborating with the opposition in the country’s post-election unrest last year.

“One of the intelligence services that sought to overthrow the Islamic Republic since the advent of the [Islamic] Revolution, was British,” he said during a speech in City of Ray in southern Tehran on Thursday.

WikiLeaks backers bring down Zimbabwe websites

London, December 31: Cyber activists say they have brought down Zimbabwean government websites after the president’s wife sued a newspaper for publishing a WikiLeaks cable linking her with illicit diamond trading.

President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace is suing a private newspaper for $15 million for publishing details from US cables on WikiLeaks saying she gained “tremendous profits” from illicit diamonds.

BSF men posted at secretariat to keep agitators at bay

Hyderabad, December 31: Security was beefed up at the Secretariat as a precautionary measure to check any type of violence by the Telangana activists.

As Justice B N Srikrishna Committee submitted its report to the Centre on Thursday, fool-proof security arrangements were made at the Secretariat to successfully tackle any eventuality.

A large number of Boarder Security Force (BSF) personnel were deployed at the Secretariat. The BSF men carrying sophisticated arms like AK 47s and SLR rifles kept an eagle eye on the surrounding areas of the Secretariat.