Month: February 2011

Intellectuals urged to vote with conscience

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Vizianagaram, February 28: Expressing concern over violation of legislations by those who enacted them, K. Nageshwar, MLC, has said that representatives having criminal record are entering the Legislature and Legislative Councils and hence, there is every need for intellectuals to elect a candidate who would fight for the cause of people.

At a talk on ‘Medhavulu-Chatta Sabhalu’ (intellectuals-Legislature), organised by the Udyoga, Upadyaya and Karmika Ikya Vedika at Ananda Gajapathi Auditorium here on Sunday, Prof. Nageshwar said 400 families in politics are ruling the country.

Pranab’s budget has Rs.8,000 crore for Kashmir’s development

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New Delhi, February 28: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday said Rs.8,000 crore would be given as special developmental assistance to the troubled Jammu and Kashmir in the current fiscal. This is in addition to the special support of Rs.28,000 crore already earmarked by the central government.

“The government’s special support to Jammu and Kashmir is anchored in the Rs.28,000 crore Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan. In addition, for the current year, about Rs.8,000 crore has been provided for the state’s development needs,” Mukherjee said in his budget speech.

Scoreboard of Zimbabwe’s innings against Canada

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Nagpur, February 28: Scoreboard of Zimbabwe’s innings against Canada in a World Cup Group A match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha here Monday.

Zimbabwe:
Brendan Taylor lbw Chohan 0
Charles Coventry lbw Baidwan 4
Tatenda Taibu c Davison b Rao 98
Craig Ervine c Bagai b Rao 85
Elton Chigumbura c Bagai b Cheema 5
Sean Williams c Bagai b Rao 30
Greg Lamb b Rao 11
Prosper Utseya c Hansra b Chohan 22
Graeme Cremer b Baidwan 26
Ray Price not out 10
Chris Mpofu not out 3
Extras (lb 2, w 1, nb 1) 4
Total (for nine wickets in 50 overs) 298

Stirs paralyse education system

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Adilabad, February 28: Not even the hardcore of Telangana protagonists from the teaching community deny the fact that the separate State movement has caused derailment of education in Adilabad district.

Students, they say, have irrevocably lost focus on studies owing to the rather prolonged struggle which has also witnessed participation of teachers at all levels.

Air travel to be more expensive

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New Delhi, February 28: Travelling by air is set to become costlier with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee increasing service tax on air travel in the union budget for 2011-12 presented in parliament Monday.

“I propose to raise the service tax on air travel by Rs.50 in the case of domestic air travel and Rs.250 on international journeys by economy class,” Mukherjee said.

The minister also increased the service tax by 10 percent on business and first class travel only on domestic routes to bring the fares at par with international journeys in similar categories.

Rising Airfares Reflect Mideast Turmoil’S Effect on Oil Prices

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Denver, February 28: US airlines have hiked airfares in the last week as oil prices have surged because of turmoil in the Middle East, according to media. On Wednesday, United Airlines, the world”s largest airline, imposed a $10 per one-way fuel surcharge as oil topped $100 per barrel. It is the highest that oil prices have been since 2008,the media said. While fuel surcharges are attached to many international flights, travelers in the United States haven”t paid them for more than two years, when they were made part of fares.

4 Die in Plane Crash in UAE

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Abu Dhabi, February 28: Four people are confirmed dead after a plane crash while en route to Saudi Arabia from Al Ain International airport in the United Arab Emirates. According to news agency, the small aircraft departed from Al Ain International Airport for Riyadh in Saudi Arabia at 20:07 (local time) and shortly after liftoff the aircraft veered to the left and crashed on taxiway kilo. The airport fire and rescue services responded immediately and the accident site was secured by the Al Ain Police, the agency added.

——Agencies

11 Missing after Fishing Boat Hits Rock in E China Sea

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Beijing, February 28: Eleven people are missing after their fishing boat hit a rock near Dongji Isle off the coast of Taizhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Monday morning.

According to news agency, the city’s maritime affairs authority said it had sent two professional rescue vessels after it received a signal from the boat for help around 1 a.m., while requesting civilian ships in the vicinity to help search for the boat.

Rescuers had not found the boat and suspected it could have sunk.

——–Agencies

Prisoners were released in Oman

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Muscat, February 28: A number of Omani protestors in Dhefar province conveyed a letter to Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed of Oman, . Media said that rioters in Sahar Province were released today adding that one of the Omani citizen has died during the recent unrest there.

Minister of the Omani Sultanate Court Ali bin Humoud Al Busaeedi asked to meet protestors in the presence of Chairman of Omani Shura Council Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Esay according to directives issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed.

Kuwaiti students in France mark national festivals

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Kuwait, February 28: The National Union of Kuwaiti Students in Paris and neighboring countries has held a reception for Kuwaiti students to celebrate Kuwait’s national celebrations.
Speaking to media on the sidelines of the ceremony, held late Sunday, the union’s secretary general, Ahmad Abdelkarim, vowed that all Kuwaiti students would do their utmost to contribute to building a future Kuwait in light of the country’s development blueprints.

Crime In Hyderabad (28.02.2011)

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Girl student ends life

Hyderabad, February 28 (Siasat News): A degree student ended her life when her lecturer for not completing her project scolded her. According to S R Nagar police, Parineeti was the degree student.

She was assigned a project work but she could not get it completed on time. For this, her lecturer had scolded her. Out of disgust, Parineeti took the extreme step at her residence by using excess sleeping pills and died.

A suicide note was also found beside her dead body. Further investigations are on.

1989 massacre marked by Venezuela

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Venenzuela, February 28: Venezuelans are commemorating the 22nd anniversary of their government’s massacre of thousands protesting the International Monetary Fund’s policies.

”This is a historic moment to commemorate those who died for our independence.
We’re here to remember those who died for noble and just causes,” Mayor of Santos Michelenas, Jose Gregoria Diaz told a Media correspondent.

Warne a genius to have predicted a tie: Strauss

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Bangalore, February 28: He was a genius with the ball and England captain Andrew Strauss said Shane Warne proved as much a genius with predictions by correctly forecasting that the pulsating India-England match would end in a tie even before the players had walked out on the field.

Sonakshi Sinha unsure of Kamal Hassan’s project

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Mumbai, February 28: It seems Sonakshi Sinha is confused over whether to sign Kamal Hassan’s next project or not. The actress is in two minds to give the nod considering the fact that Kamal is almost her father’s age.

Sonakshi has admitted that she has received an offer for Kamal Hassan’s next but she is yet to give the nod for the project. The actress has said that she is yet to hear the narration and it is only after that she could announce her decision.

England skipper defends struggling James Anderson

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Bangalore, February 28: England skipper Andrew Strauss defended James Anderson after the struggling fast bowler returned the worst World Cup bowling figures for an English player.

Anderson’s 9.5 overs against India in Sunday’s tied match cost 91 runs and yielded just one wicket, topping Derek Pringle’s none for 83 against the West Indies at Gujranwala in 1987.

“Opening the bowling out here is hard work, and bowling most of your overs in powerplay is not easy,” Strauss said of Anderson.

“Jimmy’s got a lot of skills. Anyone who writes a guy of that quality off is pretty naive.”

Farm loans at 4 pc; credit target raised to Rs 4,75,000 cr

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New Delhi, February 28: In a bonanza to the farming community, the government today announced loans at interest rate of four per cent — three per cent less than market rate — for farmers who pay their dues in time and raised the credit target for farm sector by Rs 1 lakh crore.

“The existing interest subvention scheme of providing short-term crop loans at seven per cent interest rate will continue during the 2011-12 fiscal,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Budget proposal

16-year old Nitish, youngest to make his WC debut

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Nagpur, February 28: Canada’s 16-year old schoolboy Nitish Kumar became the youngest cricketer to make his World Cup debut when he was drafted into the playing XI against Zimbabwe in a group match.

Nicknamed ‘Tendulkar’, Nitish was born in May, 1994, four and half years after Sachin Tendulkar’s international debut against Pakistan in 1989.

Interestingly, Nitish will open the innings with the oldest player of the World Cup, 40-year-old John Davison who is playing his third World Cup.

Teenager commits suicide

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Lalitpur, February 28: A teenaged girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her room in Nai Basti area here, police said today.

The 17-year-old student took the extreme step yesterday, they said.

The girl was depressed for her intermediate exams, which are scheduled for next month, her father said.

The police is probing the matter.

——–PTI

Fiction on Indian spirituality popular in Germany

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New Delhi, February 28: A fictional story that explores themes like life after death, healing, commitment and faith in the master among others is picking up popularity in Germany, says its Indian author Ruzbeh N Bharucha.

“It is amazing because a backpacker who happened to be travelling to India picked up a copy of my book and loved it so much that she gave it to her publisher back home in Germany. They thought it would sell a few copies but the number turned out to be 20,000 and more,” says Barucha.

Low-cost housing loans of Rs 15 lakh to get 1% interest sop

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New Delhi, February 28: The government today said low- cost housing loans of Rs 15 lakh will be eligible for one per cent interest subsidy, which will help in increasing the demand for such housing.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he is liberalising the existing scheme of one per cent interest subvention on housing loans up to Rs 15 lakh, where the cost of house does not exceed Rs 25 lakh.

The existing interest subsidy is on loans of Rs 10 lakh where the cost of house is Rs 20 lakh.

Woman raped by her father-in-law

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Lucknow, February 28: A woman was allegedly raped by her father-in-law in Mohanlalganj locality here, police said today.

The 22-year-old victim in her FIR has alleged that her father-in-law Radha Krishan Tripathi raped her after giving sedatives in a cold drink, they said.

She also alleged of being harassed by her in-laws over dowry.

The FIR was registered under various sections of IPC on charges of rape, dowry harassment and threatening, they said.

——–PTI

Why SRK is so keen on getting Lady Gaga

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Mumbai, February 28: Shah Rukh Khan is keen on getting Lady Gaga for his sci-fi fantasy film Ra.One. So much that he’s asked Akon to convince Gaga to do a music video for the film.

Recently, the international pop singer hinted to a US based news channel that she has some special plans for India. When asked what they were, she replied, “can’t disclose, but it’s a collaboration with some local people.”

There has always been speculation that SRK would rope in an international singer for a music video for Ra.One.

Ranbir Kapoor to play 17th century warrior

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Mumbai, February 28: After pulling off an affable Sardarji in Rocket Salesman Of The Year and attempting a rock guitarist in Rockstar, Ranbir Kapoor now moves on to playing a 17th century a warrior in the Hindi remake of the 2009 Telugu blockbuster Magadheera.

The director of the original S S Rajamouli has been retained for the R 90 crore reboot. With reincarnation as the central theme, it is set in contemporary times and in medieval times as well.

How Ajay Devgn is planning to make it up to Kajol

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Mumbai, February 28: It was one of those rare occasions that Ajay Devgn was separated from wifey, Kajol on their anniversary (February 24) as the star was busy shooting for Sanjay Dutt’s Rascals yesterday in Bangkok.

A source close to Ajay says, “Ever since his marriage (1999), AJ has made it a point to be in Mumbai almost every year to celebrate his wedding anniversary with Kajol and his close friends and family.

This year too, the couple had decided to spend their 12th wedding anniversary together but in Bangkok, where Ajay was shooting for Rascals.

Ranveer Singh giving SRK, Salman run for their money

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Mumbai, February 28: Band Baaja Baraat actor Ranveer Singh is leading over Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in India’s first annual Facebook Movie Awards.

FBMA has users of Facebook vote for their favourite movie star for 2010. Started by social media marketing professionals, it is an initiative to give film folk a transparent award based on viewer choice who are on social networking space. The FBMA entries close by June-end.

Meanwhile…

Ranveer Singh has landed an endorsement deal. He has been signed as the new face of a cola which is being re-launched.