Month: February 2011

Red Nev ends Manchester United passion play

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London, February 03: Gary Neville called an end to a glittering career of devoted service to his beloved Manchester United and England by announcing his immediate retirement.

The 35-year-old right back spent 20 years at United, playing over 600 matches for the Old Trafford club and helping them win a raft of trophies including the Champions League and eight Premier League titles.

“I have been a Manchester United fan all my life and fulfilled every dream I’ve ever had,” Neville said in a statement on the club website.

Record cyclone hits Australian coast

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Queensland, February 03: Cyclone Yasi has hit the state of Queensland on the northeastern coast of Australia, where authorities are trying to prepare people to face unprecedented devastation.

The cyclone plowed into the coast on Wednesday night, packing winds of up to 290 kilometers per hour before making its way inland, AFP reported.

Police received numerous reports of widespread damages, but no reports of injuries or deaths in the storm which has affected the tourism cities of Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville.

Hamas to boycott PA elections

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Gaza, February 03: Hamas has announced that it would boycott Palestinian municipal elections in the occupied West Bank.

Hamas has said that the presence of PA security forces, who collaborate with the Israeli occupation in the West Bank, does not create a proper atmosphere for holding fair elections, a Press TV correspondent reported from Gaza.

The government of acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas has decided to hold municipal elections in the West Bank after they were cancelled last June.

For cops release, no army training centre: Maoists

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Raipur, February 03: Maoists in Chhattisgarh say they will release five captive policemen only if the government gives up its plan to set up an army training centre in a forested territory.

This is one of 11 demands put forth by the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the Bastar region. The policemen have been in their captivity since Jan 25.

US says willing to assist India-China dialogue

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Washington, February 03: The US is willing to take steps to improve relationship between India and China and wants to work closely with New Delhi on a wide range of issues in East Asia, a top Obama Administration official has said.

“We frankly support an improvement in dialogue between India and China, and we would seek to take steps to facilitate that as we move forward,” the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell yesterday told foreign journalists here.

Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan

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Kabul, February 03: The Australian Defense Department has confirmed that one of its soldiers lost his lives and another sustained injuries during a roadside explosion in Afghanistan.

Corporal Richard Edward Atkinson, 22, was killed on Wednesday in Uruzgan’s Deh Rahwod district in southern Afghanistan while was on a foot patrol with Afghan soldiers.

Parents refuse to receive psychopath killer’s body

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Nizamabad, February 03: The parents refused to receive the body of notorious psychopath killer Nalla Nagender Reddy, who was shot dead by the Bengaluru cops in an encounter on Tuesday. Nagender Reddy was reportedly involved in 13 heinous crimes including six murders. Following the Red Corner notice issued by the Interpol, the police in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka was on a lookout for him.

Muslims seek change in their Hollywood story

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Los Angeles, February 03: After years of watching Muslims portrayed as terrorists in mainstream TV and movies, an advocacy group hopes to change that image by grooming a crop of aspiring Muslim screenwriters who can bring their stories – and perspective – to Hollywood.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council is hosting a series of workshops taught by Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated veterans over the next month, an initiative that builds on the group’s outreach for a more representative picture of Muslim-Americans on the screen.

Cases against Muslim youth to be lifted

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Hyderabad, February 03: Announcing a slew of measures for the residents of the Old City on Wednesday, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said the state government will lift cases against all youth from the Muslim community who were booked after the Mecca Masjid blast in 2007. He also announced a rehabilitation package for them.

Addressing an MIM-organised public meet at Barkas as part of the Rachchabanda programme, the CM said the CBI, which had probed the blast, has found out the blast was the handiwork of right-wing organisations and not the boys who were arrested.

-Agencies

CPI hails Raja’s arrest; demands Sibal to quit

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Hyderabad, February 3: Terming the arrest of former Telecom minister Raja as a good development in 2G Spectrum scam, the CPI State Council Secretary, Dr K Narayana, said that the Union Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, who supported the tainted person, had no right to continue in the post. He also underlined the need to find out big heads in the scam.

Salman Khan hates Bollywood

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Mumbai, February 03: Mumbai is the hub of Indian film industry, known the world over as Bollywood but leading actor Salman Khan says the name is “disgusting”.

“Hate this name, Bollywood. Koi naam hai kya? Disgusting,” Khan tweeted.

The word ‘Bollywood’ is commonly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai and is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema.

-Agencies

DD correspondent bags prestigious international award

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Hyderabad, February 3: Senior journalist E Krishna Rao, who is a well known face as the Doordarshan’s News Correspondent from Hyderabad E Krishna Rao was on Wednesday named the winner of the prestigious ‘Swiss TV Award’ for his entry ‘Let’s Play Please’.

An official statement from Doordarshan Kendra said the award would be presented to Mr Krishna Rao at Basel, Switzerland, on February 5.

The entry deals with stigma and discrimination attached to children living with HIV.

“SUPER AQUA” water jars seized in BIS raid

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Hyderabad, February 3: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has conducted a raid on Sai Balaji Charitable Trust at Kukatpally which was manufacturing packaged drinking water with brand name ‘Super Aqua’ with spurious BIS standard mark i.e. ISI mark and license numbers without having valid license.

Govt. playing with students’ sentiments: TDP

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Hyderabad, February 3: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday demanded that the state government to initiate steps to immediately release fee reimbursement arrears for students.

Addressing a press conference, TDP general secretary Varla Ramaiah alleged that the Kiran Kumar Reddy government was not being concerned about the students’ issues; even while claimed to be aware of their problems.

Iran wants ‘another Gaza’ in Egypt: Israeli PM

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Jerusalem, February 03: Israel’s Prime Minister on Wednesday said Iran wants to take advantage of the chaos in Egypt to create “another Gaza” there, run by Islamic fundamentalists.

Speaking before the Israeli Parliament, Benjamin Netanyahu said he expects any new government in Egypt to honour its three-decade-long peace agreement with Israel.

But he warned that Islamic groups have already taken over by democratic means in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza.

California university offers to set up facility in AP

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Hyderabad, February 03: Pepperdine University of California has come forward with a proposal to set upeducational facilities in Andhra Pradesh.

A nine-member delegation from the University, led byTimothy M Chester, met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy heretoday and submitted the proposal.

Pepperdine, one of the top-20 universities in the world,sought about 600 acres of land on the Nalgonda-Warangal routefor setting up its campus with an investment of Rs 1,000crore, a press release from the Chief Minister”s Office said.

Rural technology mela begins

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Hyderabad, February 3: The National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) is organizing a Rural Technology Mela from February 2 to 5 at Rural Technology Park as part of its endeavour to boost technology transfer. A total of 180 stalls have been put up for technology developers and developing of products and sale which include stalls for exhibition also.

The cultural events of the Mela seeks to bring to limelight on the fast disappearing folk art forms, State dramas and so on besides expositions on other programmes like mimicry, humors etc.

Egyptian Prez backers open fire at protesters

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Cairo, February 03: Supporters of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak opened fire on protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Thursday, killing four people and wounding 13, witnesses and television said.

It was the biggest spike in violence since protesters angered by oppression and hardship launched an unprecedented challenge to Mubarak’s 30-year-rule 10 days ago. Many accused the government of backing the pro-Mubarak supporters.

Doctors to embark on car rally to Warangal for T

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Hyderabad, February 3: Expressing solidarity for the demands of a separate Telangana state, doctors of the Osmania Medical College on Wednesday said that they would take out a car rally to Warangal on February 6.

The doctors would address a public meeting at Warangal when they reach there. The doctors would also meet the people on the way and try to create awareness among them about the need for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Cuban woman marks 126th birthday

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Ceiba Hueca, February 03: Relatives and friends of a Cuban woman have celebrated what they say is her 126th birthday, though that claim to longevity is not recognised internationally. Cuba’s Prensa Latina agency says Juana Bautista de la Candelaria Rodriguez has a civil registry document that states she was born on February 02, 1885, in the town of Ceiba Hueca, where she still lives.

Written test for recruitment of constables on June 5

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Hyderabad, February 3: The Staff Selection Commission will be conducting written examination for recruitment of constables (general duty) in Central Police Organisations (CPO) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on June 5.

According to a pressnote, the Commission has stated that for the first time the government has decided to conduct a common recruitment examination for recruitment of Constable (general duty) in all he CPOs through the Staff Selection Commission. Earlier, the respective CPOs used to make recruitment of Constables (GD) their own.

Sensex gains 57 points in opening trade

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Mumbai, February 03: The Sensex gained over 57 points in opening trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Thursday on selective buying by cautious investors in the absence of any cues from other Asian markets.

The 30-share index of the BSE, which rose by 68.40 points in yesterday’s volatile session, moved up by 57.32 points, or 0.31 percent, to 18,147.94 today, with metal, IT and banking stocks leading the rise.

In a similar fashion, the broad-based National Stock Exchange Nifty index gained 10.35 points, or 0.19 percent, to 5,442.35 points.

Govt moots steps to curb frauds in NREGS

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Hyderabad, February 3: The state government on Wednesday mooted the introduction of biometric identity cards for labourers and giving powers to the district Collectors to punish corrupt officers who are found guilty of resorting to malpractices in the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Ikebana, flower rangoli contest in city

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Hyderabad, February 3: The Agri-Horticultural Society, in association with the OHORA School, Hyderabad Chapter, will be organising a competition and display on flower arrangement, Ikebana and Floral Rangoli show on its premises in Public Gardens, here on February 5 and 6.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the AHS secretary, Mr Vasanth Yadgirkar, said that the Ikebana floral arrangement, western type of flower arrangement, Floral Rangoli and the cut flower arrangement would form contents of the two-day show.

Vamshi Chand’s expulsion revoked

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Hyderabad, February 3: The PCC Chief, Mr D Srinivas, has revoked the expulsion of NSUI former president Mr Vamshi Chand Reddy on Wednesday, with immediate effect. Mr Srinivas also advised Mr Vamshi Chand to take membership of Congress party.

Mr Vamshi Chand has been suspended from the party for involving in SMSes issue.

NSS