Month: January 2011

India eyeing historic Test series win against South Africa

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Cape Town, January 01: India head into the final Test here Sunday with an eye to a historic series win in South Africa. After a humiliating defeat in the Centurion Test, India did well to score surprise victory in Durban and levelled the series. And now they are on the verge of creating history against the Proteas.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows that the win in Durban has boosted the confidence of the team and has made them believe that they can win a Test series in South Africa.

It’s a chance to create history: Dhoni

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Cape Town, January 01: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Saturday that the team is geared up for a historic series win in South Africa when they face the hosts in the third Test at the Newlands here Sunday.During the last series in 2006-07, India were faced with a similar situation when the series was levelled at 1-1, but lost the series 1-2.

Mobile calls take Varanasi blast trail to Mumbai

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Lucknow, January 01: Two calls received by a particular cell phone in Varanasi’s Dashawamedh Ghat area are believed to have provided major leads to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Dec 7 blast in the holy city. Two people were left killed and 30 injured in the blast.

NIA and Intelligence Bureau (IB) are now trying to zero in on the owner of the cell phone to which these calls were made from Bhendi Bazar area in Mumbai, officials said.

Yuvraj in British paper’s ‘top ten sporting egos’

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London, January 01: Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh finds himself in a rather unflattering list with a British newspaper naming him as one of the ‘top 10 sporting egos’ of recent times.

Yuvraj, who has failed to find a place in India’s Test squad for some time, was described as a talented cricketer whose ego has been inflated by the moolah from the Indian Premier League.

“The Twitter biography says it all, really: ‘Cricketer, Celebrity, Entrepreneur, budding Philanthropist aka Yuvi’,” ‘Daily Telegraph’ said.

Pointing can beat Sachin’s run record in Tests: McGrath

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Melbourne, January 01: Out-of-form Ricky Ponting is facing the heat from all quarters after Australia failed to retain the Ashes from England but his former team-mate Glenn McGrath feels the Aussie skipper will beat Sachin Tendulkar for the record of maximum runs in Test cricket.

The former Australian pace spearhead was of the view that Ponting, 36, would finish his career with most runs in the history of Tests ahead of India’s champion batsman Tendulkar.

“I always had a lot of faith in Ricky (Ponting) as a captain and a bloke. I’d play under him any day of the week.

Dressing room atmosphere is best in last 5 years: Dhoni

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Cape Town, January 01: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons that the dressing room atmosphere of this current Indian team has been “the best” during his five years in international cricket.

“It’s the best dressing room atmosphere, I have felt in the last five years that I have played international cricket.

Most of the guys have achieved a lot in their Test careers. So they are enjoying their cricket and it feels a very complete dressing room now,” Dhoni said on the eve of the crucial third Test against South Africa.

Wilders to publish anti-Islam book

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Amsterdam, January 01: The blasphemous Dutch politician Geert Wilders to once again split venom on Islam by publishing a book highly critical of Islam in 2011, he revealed in a newspaper interview Friday.

The book, following his blasphemous 2008 anti-Islam film called Fitna, is particularly aimed at the American market, Wilders.

The head of the Party for Freedom (PVV) told the book would be ‘about how we can better fight the Islamisation of the world.’

Headley was a Pakistani spy working for ISI

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Washington, January 01: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Headley, who scouted targets in Mumbai for 26/11 attacks, was a Pakistani spy working for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), whose chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha was possibly aware of the plot to strike India’s financial hub, claims an investigative news report.

“In essence, US and Indian officials say, Headley was more than a terrorist. He served as a Pakistani spy,” investigative American journalist Sebastian Rotella wrote in ‘ProPublica.Com’.

VHP demands land for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya

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Lucknow, January 01: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today said it would launch a fresh agitation if the entire 67 acres of land at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site here is not alloted for the construction of the Ram temple.

“We require the entire land for the grand temple that we want at the birthplace of Lord Ram,” VHP president Ashok Singhal told newspersons here, adding the work for carving of stones for the proposed temple would begin in a month’s time.

PM has accepted failure in his New Year message: BJP

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New Delhi, January 01: BJP on Saturday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has “accepted” in his New Year message that his government has failed to control prices, tackle terrorism, and fight corruption. “Most of the time the Prime Minister’s new year message is a mere ritual…. In a way, he has accepted for the first time that his government has failed to control prices of essential commodities, fight terrorism, take the welfare schemes to the poor, and fight corruption,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Tahir gets South African citizenship, may play ODIs against India

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Durban, January 01: Pakistan-born spinner Imran Tahir was finally granted South African citizenship, but he won’t be considered for the final Test against India in Cape Town. The leg-spinner, however, can feature in the five-match ODI series starting Jan 12.

Tahir was granted South African citizenship by naturalisation Friday and is now eligible to play for the Proteas with immediate effect. Tahir has also fulfilled the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) regulations to represent his new country, not having represented the country of his birth at any level for more than 4 years.

BJP MP, supporters booked for attacking police

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Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), January 01: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and around 60 of his supporters were Saturday booked for attacking police and freeing three men from custody in this Uttar Pradesh city, officials said.

Kamlesh Paswan, who represents Bansgaon constituency in Gorakhpur district, and his supporters attacked the police party late Friday near the Gulharia Bazar and freed three men held for drunk driving and creating nuisance on the New Year Eve.

Iraq moves to ban toy guns to protect kids

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Washington, January 01: The Iraqi health ministry has urged the government to ban the sale of toy guns in the country as “they make it easier for a child to make the next step to real violence”.

Baghdad’s toy markets are stocked with plastic weapons in all prices and sizes: toy guns, tanks, knives, uniforms, even silencers. According to the New York Times, the ministry has urged the government to ban all toy weapons.

94 journalists killed in 2010

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Islamabad, January 01: At least 94 journalists died in violence this year, the International Federation of Journalists said Friday, adding that Pakistan was the most dangerous place in 2010 for media workers.

“Journalists and media personnel remain prime targets for political extremists, gangsters and terrorists,” the Brussels-based organisation said in a report, adding that another three died in accidents over the past 12 months.

The death toll came at the hands of “targeted killings, bomb attacks and crossfire incidents,” it said.

In 2009, the total was 139 journalists.

Scam & sham top of the mind in 2010

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New Delhi, January 01: Corruption scandals that rattled the country in 2010 topped the end-of-the-year online popularity poll conducted by Dentsu India.

The FIFA World Cup and the Radia tapes secured the No. 2 and 3 spots in the ET-Dentsu Top Hits 2010 survey that polled 2,271 Indians in the 16-65 age group.

Gold, silver welcome 2011 with gains

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Mumbai, January 01: Gold prices recovered at the bullion market here today due to fresh buying by stockists and local demand amidst firm overseas trend.

Silver also rebounded to scale an all-time high on the back of speculative buying and industrial users. In Delhi, the white metal surged by Rs 250 to Rs 46.70 per kg as retail customers indulged in token purchases of silver objects on the first day of the new year. With a firming general trend, gold also climbed by Rs 70 to Rs 20,960 per 10 grams.

AP to challenge Krishna panel verdict in SC

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Hyderabad, January 01: The Andhra Pradesh government will file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the award of the Justice Brijesh Kumar- led Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal.

In its petition, the government will question the panel’s rationale in distributing the Krishna’s surplus waters among Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

On Friday, a high- level meeting of irrigation department officials as well as legal and irrigation experts discussed the panel’s verdict on the sharing of the Krishna’s waters.

Big B wants dance lessons

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New Delhi, January 01: Bollywood’s angry young man Amitabh Bachchan danced his way into the New Year in Goa, but feels he needs to take some serious dancing lessons soon.

“Moving on the dance floor after ages has shown how rusty I have become. This has to change. Dancing lessons, I presume, during the gym hours I would imagine is the nearest course of action that could be taken. But yes, I was surprised at the fact that a few parts of my body still move in rhythm,” Amitabh posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.

Development remark irks T-leaders

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Hyderabad, January 01: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders from Telangana have taken strong exception to some of the remarks made by members of the Srikrishna Committee.

Senior TDP leader and convenor of TDP Telangana Forum Nagam Janardhan Reddy said Saturday the remarks were provocative and have hurt the sentiments of the Telangana people.

“Some members of the committee were quoted as saying that Muslims and Christians want development. Yes, they want development, but in a separate state of Telanagana,” he told reporters.

Secret IAF file found on roadside in Delhi

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New Delhi, January 01: A secret file related to over USD 11 billion deal for procuring 126 multirole combat aircraft went missing from the Defence Ministry and has been found on the roadside in New Delhi, prompting the Indian Air Force to order a probe into the incident.

The secret file is related to the Offsets clause in the deal and was found on the roadside in a Delhi locality recently, IAF officials said, adding that the file has been recovered.

Rajnath flays Cong for remarks on Sanjay Gandhi

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Badaun (UP), January 01: Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh has said that the Congress was holding Sanjay Gandhi responsible for the emergency as his wife and son are now in the saffron party.

“Indira Gandhi and her government were responsible for emergency as her membership in the Parliament was under threat at that time,” Rajnath told reporters while rejecting Congress claim that Sanjay Gandhi was responsible for emergency.

The former national president also said that Congress is now holding Sanjay responsible as Maneka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi are in the BJP.

India, Pak exchange list of nuclear installations

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New Delhi, January 01: India and Pakistan on Saturday exchanged the lists of their nuclear installations for the 20th consecutive year under an agreement which prohibits any kind of attack on such facilities.

The lists were exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, a statement by the External Affairs Ministry said here.

I don’t unite any ruffles around me: Anushka Sharma

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Mumbai, January 01: Anushka Sharma has now notched up her third straight success in a row with ‘Band Baaja Baaraat’ doing quite well at the box office. Before that, she has enjoyed some great times with ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (Superhit) and ‘Badmaash Company (Semi hit). Nevertheless, doesn’t this girl from Bangalore feel disheartened that despite enjoying a cent percent record so far, she is yet to get her due?

Vidya Balan celebrate her 35th brithday

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Mumbai, January 01: The very name of Vidya Balan brings to us the image of a sweet and homely girl, whom everybody wants to take home before their mothers! Vidya is someone for whom every color in the world holds lots of significance. Her career will surely be ever-green with many sensational films under her belt. Let’s face it…looking at her glowing and growing career, there are many heroines out there, who go green with envy!

Congress wins Chandigarh mayor poll by one vote

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Chandigarh, January 01: The ruling Congress Saturday managed to scrape through in the crucial election for the mayor of Chandigarh.

Congress candidate Ravinder Pall Singh won by just one vote, defeating the rebel Congress candidate, Jagjit Singh Kang.

Out of the 33 votes counted, Ravinder Pal Singh got 17 while Kang got 16.

Kang, a Congress councillor, quit the party Tuesday after he was denied nomination. But he received support from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Akali Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).