Month: March 2011

Obama names two more Indian-Americans to key posts

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Washington, March 30: US President Barack Obama, who already has over two dozen Indian Americans serving in top jobs in his administration, has named two more from the community, Deepa Gupta and Nisha Desai Biswal, to key posts.

While Gupta has been named as a member of National Council on the Arts, Biswal, currently Assistant Administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will in addition serve on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

I’ve stopped being fussy, says world’s wealthiest person

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Mexico City, March 30: Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who is ranked by Forbes magazine as the wealthiest person in the world, said he was no longer as capricious and did not lose sleep when deciding what work to add next to his 66,000-piece art collection.

“There is no other piece that keeps me awake, I’ve stopped being fussy, I was as a child but not now,” Slim said in a press conference held Monday ahead of the opening to the public of the Soumaya Museum.

Michael Clarke appointed Australia captain

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Melbourne, March 30: Michael Clarke was on Wednesday appointed as captain of Australia’s Test and one-day cricket teams, a day after embattled Ricky Ponting stepped down after the team’s unceremonious exit from the ongoing World Cup.

Clarke, nicknamed ‘Pup’, who became Australia’s 43rd Test captain, will lead the team in its tour of Bangladesh.

Shane Watson was named as Clarke’s deputy, while Cameron White would continue as the Twenty20 skipper.

The 29-year-old batsman, widely tipped to lead the team, will immediately take charges.

Asif Balwa arrested by CBI in 2G scam

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New Delhi, March 30: CBI arrested on Tuesday two more executives in a multi-billion dollar telecoms corruption case as they prepared to make the first formal charges in a scandal that has embroiled the government and business magnates.

Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the telecoms probe, a spokeswoman for CBI said.

India among the most corrupt nations surveyed by PERC

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Singapore, March 30: India finds itself bracketed with countries like Philippines and Cambodia, rated as the fourth most corrupt nation among 16 countries of the Asia Pacific region surveyed by leading Hong Kong-based business consultancy firm PERC.

The Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC) rated India at 8.67 on a scale of zero to 10 with the high end being the worst case of corruption scenario and ahead of the Philippines (8.9 points), Indonesia (9.25 points) and Cambodia (9.27 points).

Indo-Pak Semi-final: Mohali opens hearts & doors to Pak fans

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New Delhi, March 30: For visitors from across India and abroad coming to Mohali to watch the India-Pak world cup semi-final , Chandigarh residents have opened up not only their hearts but also their abodes. The city’s government has asked its residents to offer any vacant rooms for two days to people traveling to witness the historic clash. Industrialists from the region who travel to Pakistan for trade started welcoming guests from across the border before the government’s announcement .

Gaddafi’s onslaught compels Libyan rebels to push back

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Bin Jawwad, March 30: Libyan government tanks and rockets have driven back rebels who attempted an assault on Moammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte. Opposition fighters fleeing in a panicked scramble pleaded for international airstrikes that never came.

Gaddafi’s forces drove the rebels out of Bin Jawwad, a hamlet east of Sirte, on Tuesday. Cars and trucks of the retreating rebels filled both lanes of the highway east to the oil port of Ras Lanouf.

India shuts down for India-Pakistan cricket showdown

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Mohali, March 30: Cricket-crazy Indians will be calling in sick to work, shutting shops early and even cancelling doctor`s appointments to make sure they watch Wednesday`s much-hyped World Cup semi-final match against arch rivals Pakistan.

Daily life will grind to a halt in cricket`s spiritual home as fans from all walks of life settle down to watch one of the sport`s most intense rivalries.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani are among those scheduled to watch the encounter, along with Bollywood celebrities and corporate czars.

Asian stocks higher after Wall Street gains

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New York, March 30: Asian stocks were higher early Wednesday, boosted by a display of confidence on Wall Street.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 1.2 percent to 9,574.68 following the release of data showing the country’s industrial production climbed for the fourth straight month in February. Factory output rose 0.4 percent from January on the back of strong demand for cars and machinery.

US overturns Gitmo detainee release

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Washington, March 30: US Federal appeals court has overturned a lower court decision to release Guantanamo Yemeni detainee Uthman Abdul Rahim Mohammed Uthman.

A three-judge panel of US Federal appeals court ruled that it was unlikely that Uthman is innocent.

The court also found that Uthman traveled to Afghanistan along a route used by al-Qaida recruits and was seen at an al-Qaeda guesthouse. Uthman said none of that proved he was a member of al-Qaeda.

‘US operations in Libya cost $550mn’

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Washington, March 30: The US military expenditures for ongoing airstrikes in Libya have topped $550 million amid warnings that a protracted conflict could emerge in the country, the Pentagon says.

According to the US Defense Department, 60 percent of the funds were spent on munitions, mostly Raytheon Tomahawk missiles and bombs, with the rest going toward deploying troops and covering the costs of combat, including additional fuel needed for US aircraft and ships, AFP reported on Tuesday.

Interim monitoring system needed to prevent torture: rights groups

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Beirut, March 30: The ongoing cabinet formation process must not inhibit the adoption of an interim monitoring system to prevent torture, a collection of human-rights groups and lawyers said Tuesday.

“Our objective is to maintain momentum despite government paralysis,” said Suzanne Jabbour, vice president of the United Nations subcommittee on the prevention of torture.

Riyadi win helps keep WABA league final hopes alive

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Beirut, March 30: Nate Johnson and a newly fit Loren Woods led Riyadi to a 101-85 victory against Syrian side Jala’a to keep their hopes of winning the West Asian league alive Monday.

The game was the third in a best-of-five series in the West Asian League final. Defeat would have meant elimination for Riyadi after Jala’a won the first two games in Aleppo, but Johnson – 30 points, eight rebounds – and Woods – 25 points, 17 rebounds – dominated throughout to lead the Lebanese champions to victory.

Mothers and wives of prisoners call for amnesty outside Justice Ministry

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Beirut, March 30: Mothers and wives of prisoners staged a sit-in at the Justice Ministry Monday calling for the issuance of a general pardon for offenders.

The 100-strong crowd of female relatives presented their demands to caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and general prosecutor Saeed Mirza in a letter, which also called for judicial reform and the fast-tracking of legal proceedings.

Ahmad Hariri warns against Syria speculation

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Beirut, March 30: Future Movement secretary-general Ahmad Hariri said Monday his movement was as concerned about the security situation in Syria as the security situation in Lebanon. “I urge media outlets to refrain from involving Lebanon in what is happening in Syria because Lebanon’s stability stems from Syria’s stability,” Hariri said.“We consider that Syria is a state whose stability concerns us. The Syrian people do not need a custodian since they are adults and I call on all parties to refrain from provocations,” Hariri added.

Shami discusses regional developments with Tehran

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Beirut, March 30: Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Shami discussed the latest regional developments with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Monday.

Shami was in Tehran to congratulate the Iranian president on behalf of his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri on the occasion of the Iranian new year of Nowruz. Prior to his return to Beirut, Shami discussed the promotion of Lebanese-Iranian bilateral ties with his counterpart Ali Akbar Salihi and later met with Speaker Ali Larjani.

——–Agencies

Hezbollah seeks Red Cross aid to find missing Lebanese

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Beirut, March 30: Hezbollah’s Sheikh Naim Qassem called Monday on the International Committee of the Red Cross to pursue efforts to reveal the fate missing and imprisoned Lebanese in Israel, particularly those who remained in contact with their families through the Red Cross committee.

The Hezbollah deputy secretary general discussed with Beatrice Rogo, head of ICRC’s North Africa and Middle East committee, the latest developments in Lebanon and the region. Qassem underscored the party’s commitment to continue cooperating with the ICRC.

——–Agencies

Rape charges waived off after victim refuses to co-operate

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Ghaziabad, March 30: Police today waived off rape charges against four persons after the 23-year-old victim refused to record her statement in the court.

The four have now been booked for robbery, SSP Raghubir Lal said.

He said rape charges were waived off after the woman, an accountant by profession, and her family refused to co-operate with the police.

Lal said the victim threatened to consume poison if police forced her to record her statement.

The woman was allegedly raped and robbed by the four persons on the night of February 5 in Kamala Nehru Nagar here.

17 murders, over 900 thefts in Guj temples, ashrams in 5 yrs

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Gandhinagar, March 30: There have been 17 murders and over 900 cases of theft and robbery in temples and ashrams across Gujarat in the past five years, Minister of State for Home Praful Patel said today.

In a written reply to a question asked by Gujarat Congress president and Porbander MLA Arjun Modhwadia, Patel told the state Assembly, that in all there have been 17 cases of murder of temple or ashram authorities in the last five years across the state.

I-T officer held while taking bribe Rs one lakh in MP

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Damoh, March 30: An income-tax officer was today caught red-handed by the CBI here while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs one lakh at his residence from a businessman, CBI sources said.

Income tax officer P C Bangaria was caught red-handed when he was taking the bribe from Surendra Agrawal at his residence in Vaishali Nagar, the CBI sources said.

Bangaria had already taken Rs 10,000 from Agrawal and demanded an additional Rs one lakh following which the businessman lodged a complaint with the CBI.

Meanwhile, CBI teams were carrying on searches at Bangaria”s residence and office.

Two students assaulted in ragging incident in engineering college

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Ghaziabad, March 30: Two students of an engineering college here were injured after allegedly being assaulted by their seniors who tried to rag them.

A few senior students of ITS College in Mohan Nagar tried to rag the juniors who resisted the attempt. Two junior students — Vishwendra Kumar and Nitin Kumar, were injured after being beaten by the seniors, police said.

Both the injured students were admitted in hospital for treatment and they have lodged a report in connection with the incident, the police said.

Sangakkara: Sri Lanka needs more work before final

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Colombo, March 30: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara wants his teammates to “keep their heads down” before playing in the World Cup final at Mumbai on Saturday.

Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the semifinal on Tuesday and will meet the winner of Wednesday’s high voltage semifinal between Pakistan and India in the deciding match at Mumbai.

Sangakkara says his team should understand that “there’s a lot of work to do in the next three days to play in the biggest match of our lives.”

Elephant calf falls into well, dies

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Krishnagiri, March 30: A three-year old elephant calf died today after falling into a well in a village near Hosur in the district.

A herd of 13 elephants was passing through Thallasur village this morning when the calf fell into the well, which was not protected with side wall.

As the well was around 30 feet deep, the calf could not come up. The other elephants, which tried to save the calf, stood around the well and raised an alarm.

Chidambaram asks partymen to work like bees

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Sivaganga, March 30: Senior Congress leader and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today asked party workers not to be distracted by anti-incumbency and asked them to work like bees to ensure the victory of DMK-Congress combine in the April 13 Assembly elections.

“The party offices should be like wedding houses with cadres moving around working like bees and they should shift to election mode and not lose hope,” he told a workers” meeting of Congress and the alliance parties here, his native district.