Month: March 2011

Britain mulls ‘mansion tax’ plans

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London, March 29: The British government may bring in new legislation that allows taxing the rich based on the value of their properties in return for a discount in the top rate of income tax.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the government is examining a plan that will change the current income-based taxation methods in favor of property-based taxation.

The proposal by the Liberal Democrat cabinet minister may be a revival of Lib Dems’ former idea of a “mansion tax”, which suggested extra levies for people who own residences worth more than £2 million.

Fox denies marginalization on Libya

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London, March 29: British Defense Secretary Liam Fox has reacted to media reports that he has been “frozen out” of the decisions made in the Whitehall on the military intervention in Libya.

Fox also insisted that there has been no fallout over the issue between him and General Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff.

British media earlier reported that Fox has been marginalized in Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘Libya War Cabinet’ and that General Richards regards him as a ‘light weight’ and prefers to consult directly with Cameron.

‘Cricket diplomacy not a strategic development’

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Mumbai, March 29: Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Monday said that the cricket diplomacy between India and Pakistan with the Pakistan Prime Minister accepting an invitation from his Indian counterpart to watch the cricket World Cup semi-final between the two countries on Wednesday, is at best a welcome engagement and not a strategic development.

Hilton wants to work with Wayne

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London, March 29: Socialite Paris Hilton wants to collaborate with rapper Lil Wayne for her upcoming album.

Hilton had discussed the prospect of collaborating on the music album with Wayne while he interviewed her for a magazine. She had even exchanged contact details with him.

“That would be the sickest thing,” Hilton is said to have told Wayne as they discussed the project together.

–IANS–

Students unveil the meaning of the Muslim hijab

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A group of Muslim students listened to head speaker Doaa Dorgham as she discussed women of Islam and their struggles and triumphs surround the hijab at Riddick Hall on Wednesday.

Donning a colorful scarf over her neck and hair, Kate Watkins, freshman in international studies at North Carolina State University, walked into her yoga class and quickly drew the attention of peers. As a participant in Behind the Veil, an educational event sponsored by the Muslim Student Association, Watkins and other non-Muslim students wore the hijab for a day.

Woman claiming rape is now free: Libya

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Tripoli, March 29: A woman who rushed into a hotel to tell foreign reporters that Libyan troops had raped her is free and with her family, the government said on Sunday.

Iman al-Obeidi was tackled by waitresses and government minders as she told her story to journalists on Saturday after running into the hotel where many are staying. She said that troops had detained her at a checkpoint, tied her up, abused her, then led her away to be gang-raped.

The government says four men were interrogated in the case, including the son of a high-ranking state official.

Rs.3000 Cr dowry to Jr NTR’s

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Hyderabad, March 29: Till sometime back, there was a lot of curiosity over the wedding date of Junior NTR with Lakshmi Pranathi. Now that the date has come, another curiosity has developed. This is the dowry aspect and given the clout of both families, many have been enquiring on that ‘Laanchanaalu’ for the young tiger.

Rana Protects Heroine From Molestation

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Mumbai, March 29: It is usually the job of a hero to save the heroine from goons and rapists onscreen. But here is one man who seems to have done it off the screen as well. He is none other than Daggubati Rana and the woman in crisis was none other than the Bollywood bombshell Bipasha Basu.

Pakistanis start mind games, Indians stay mum

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Mohali, March 29: Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi and speedster Umar Gul on Monday tried to up the ante ahead of the big semi-final match against India, saying their side was primed to end the four-match losing streak against their arch-rivals in the World Cup.

India to soon unveil 5,000 km-range Agni missiles!

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New Delhi, March 29: India is developing a 5,000 km-range Agni ballistic missile, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Monday.

“India has reached an appreciable level of competence in missile technologies, with a reach capability of 3,500 kilometres. Defence Research and Development Organisation is developing Agni missile with a capacity to reach 5000 kilometres,” he said in New Delhi.

Gilani welcome for match, not dialogue: Advani

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New Delhi, March 29: Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch LK Advani on Monday opposed a formal dialogue with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who will attend the World Cup semi-final clash between India and Pakistan on Wednesday with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

World No. 1 Wozniacki stunned by Andree Petkovic

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Miami, March 29: Andree Petkovic of Germany has pulled off the biggest upset in the Miami Masters by knocking out top seed and Women’s World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki over three sets in the fourth round.

Petkovic, seeded 21, in the first round of the women’s singles took the first set, dropped the second and came back strongly to clinch the decider and outlast Wozniacki 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, here Monday.

–IANS–

Bopanna and Qureshi win super tiebreaker

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Miami, March 29: India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisamu-Ul-Haq Qureshi have entered the third round of the men’s doubles at the Miami Masters tennis tournament here, beating Slovakian Michal Mertinak and his Belgian partner Dick Norman.

India-Pakistan pair, seeded seventh, won 7-6 (4), 3-6, 10-8 Monday after being down 3-6 in the super-tiebreaker. They then took six points in a reel to jump to 9-6.

Mertinak and Norman saved two match points before succumbing to the third.

–IANS–

Serena Williams to launch range of nail polish

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London, March 29: Tennis ace Serena Williams is all set to release her own collection of nail polish in collaboration with O.P.I..

Williams plans to release the Glam Slam! France collection – which comprises two shades, Spark de Triomphe in glittery silver and Rally Pretty Pink – in time for May’s French Open competition.

“Whether I’m on or off the court, style is important. In addition to watching the runways for the latest trends, I think it’s important to add my own unique elements,” contactmusic.com quoted Williams as saying.

Woman wins contest to attend UAE satellite launch

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Abu Dhabi, March 29: A woman from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pipped 160 other residents to win a contest held to select a visitor to the country’s first multi-purpose satellite launch.

Shamma Al Dahmani won the contest held by Yahsat, an Abu Dhabi-based satellite company that will launch the Y1A multi-purpose satellite.

The winner will be at the spot when the spacecraft lifts off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana March 31.

14 troops killed in Pak

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Islamabad, March 29: Pakistan’s security forces suffered heavy casualities Monday night when at least 14 of their soldiers were killed in a militants’ ambush, a media report said.

The incident occurred in the Khyber Agency, a tribal area in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, when the militants attacked security forces in the area of Akakhel.

The soldiers, including a captain and colonel, died when a mortar shell landed near them, Dawn reported.

Simpson in talks to judge ‘The X Factor’

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London, March 29: Actress Jessica Simpson says she is in talks to join the judges’ panel on the US version of ‘The X Factor’.

“They have definitely talked to me about ‘X Factor’. I think it would be a lot of fun. It’s definitely my life. To be a mentor for up and coming artists is right up my alley. I would have loved to have a mentor. I love watching people’s dreams come true,” Simpson told WWD.com.

If everything goes well, the 30-year-old will be joining music mogul Simon Cowell and songwriter L.A Reid on the judges’ seat, reports the femalefirst.co.uk.

–IANS–

Minogue wants to duet with Spears

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London, March 29: Singer Kylie Minogue says she wants to duet with pop star Britney Spears.

“I think she’s great. I’ve met her before and we’ve worked with some of the same people who help put our tours together. I’m sure it would be a great thing,” contactmusic.com quoted Minogue as saying.

The 42-year-old singer also said she can’t stop listening to one of Britney’s new tracks from her ‘Femme Fatale’ album.

Letterman receives excellence award

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London, March 29: Talk show host David Letterman has received the highest honour at the first annual US comedy awards.

Letterman was honoured with Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at the ceremony at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, March 26, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Although the 63-year-old talk show host received the biggest accolade, his series “The Late Show With David Letterman” lost out to “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” in the Best Late Night Comedy Series category.

French warplanes destroy Gaddafi’s command centre

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Paris, March 29: French military planes have destroyed the command centre of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, spokesman for the French Armed forces Thierry Burkhard said Monday.

NATO took over command of the coalition military intervention in Libya from the US Sunday. The mission is trying to ensure a no-fly zone and arms embargo over the country.

The strikes, conducted by two French Rafale fighter patrols, struck the centre, located 10 km from Tripoli, Sunday.

No further strikes were conducted by French forces Monday, said Burkhard.

Greenpeace suggests doubling Fukushima evacuation zone

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Moscow, March 29: Greenpeace has suggested to extend the evacuation zone around Japan’s quake-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant from 20 to 40 km due to high radiation levels.

Workers are still battling to restore power and cooling systems at the plant, which was damaged by a powerful earthquake and tsunami March 11.

“The Japanese authorities are fully aware that high levels of radiation from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant have spread far beyond the official evacuation zone,”
Greenpeace radiation safety expert Jan van de Putte said in a report.

Russia-NATO Council to discuss conflict settlement in Libya

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Brussels, March 29: The Russia-NATO Council will discuss the current state of affairs in Libya and ways to resolve the ongoing conflict Tuesday in Brussels.

Russia’s envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said late last week that the Council will meet “to confirm the limits that the UN Security Council placed on the participants of the conflict”.

Rogozin also reiterated Russia’s position saying that “holding [military] ground operations will be qualified as occupying Libya and that directly contradicts the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council”.

US, France, Britain, Germany discuss Libya

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Washington, March 29: The leaders of the US, France, Britain and Germany discussed situation in Libya by a video conference Monday, Xinhua quoted a White House statement as stating.

The White House said the leaders, including US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ” welcomed” the international conference that will be held on Tuesday in London.

UN chief to attend London conference on Libya

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United Nations, March 29: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he will participate in the conference on Libya to be held in London Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

The statement came as the secretary-general was briefing the UN General Assembly in a closed session on the current situation in Libya and his recent trip to Egypt and Tunisia.

“For my part, I will continue to engage in wide-ranging diplomatic efforts aimed at a ceasefire and a political solution,” Ban said, “That is why tomorrow, I will attend the London conference on Libya.”

Situation in Cote d’Ivoire remains volatile: UN spokesman

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United Nations, March 29: The situation in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire, remains volatile, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky has said .

“Patrols from the UN Mission in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) conducted last Friday and Saturday confirmed the use of mortars and heavy machine guns in the city’s Abobo neighbourhood by pro-Gbagbo forces, ” Xinhua quoted Nesirky saying at a daily news briefing Monday.