Month: March 2011

Libyan have not been bombed: Saif al-Islam

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Cairo, March 02: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s sons Saif al-Islam told Britain’s Sky News on Tuesday that the country’s air force had not been used to attack civilians protesting against his father’s rule.

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi said the Libyan people had come under “heavy bombardment” from Arabic television channels which had “managed to convince the world that the Libyan air force bombed Tripoli, and destroyed districts in Tripoli, and killed demonstrators.”

Rahul skips Budget session

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New Delhi, March 02: When Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented his Budget 2011-12, he would have certainly liked to have one person present in the House- Congress MP from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi. But that was not to be.

Rahul is said to have caught the Budget on television though. All set to attend Mukherjee’s third Budget for the UPA-II Government, Rahul was rendered ‘immobile’ because of a fractured leg.

Sources said that the fracture was detected late on day and a cast had to be put.

Sonia meets Shiela over allegations against Delhi PWD minister

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New Delhi, March 02: Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday met Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and discussed with her the corruption allegations against Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan who allegedly tried to protect a resort in a tax evasion case, official sources said.

The sources said Gandhi and Dikshit had a nearly half-an-hour-long meeting.

“The Congress high command is said to have directed Dikshit to remove Chauhan from the council of ministers,” a Delhi government official said.

27 yr old Indian stole computer code from US bank

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New York, March 02: A 27-year-old Indian, who worked as a trader at Societe Generale (SocGen), has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing trade secrets at the French investment bank.

Samarth Agrawal was found guilty on November 19, 2010 by a jury of stealing proprietary computer code used in SocGen’s high-frequency trading business and of transporting the stolen code.

US District Judge Jed Rakoff ordered Agrawal to serve two years of supervised release following his prison sentence in New York.

Meet on Telangana issue only when all parties ready to give their views

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Hyderabad, March 02: On Tuesday Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that he would convene a meeting of political parties in Andhra Pradesh on the Telangana issue only when all of them were “ready” to give their views. A date could not be set because he would be able to convene a meeting only when all parties were ready. At his monthly press conference, he said the government was considering the Srikrishna Committee’s recommendations. “If we invite all the eight parties to the meeting, it is my hope that they will come for it,” he said.

Iran urges equal rights observation

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Tehran, March 02: Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi stresses the importance of observing the rights and commitments of countries “in a balanced way” in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“Iran asserts its rights within the framework of the NPT,” Mehr news agency quoted Salehi as speaking in a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, Sergei Ordzhonikidze, in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday.

Iran, Oman seek to bolster ties

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Tehran, March 02: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for further cooperation with Oman, underscoring the importance of closer ties between Tehran and Muscat.

President Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said on Tuesday, IRNA reported.

The Iranian chief executive made a reference to the developments unfolding in the region and stressed the need for ‘prudence’ in making ‘proper’ decisions regarding the regional issues.

Now, Diagnosis At Your Finger Length

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London, March 02: Want to know if you are likely to catch a cold or develop joint ache as you get older? Well, diagnosis is at your finger length, say scientists.

According to the scientists, studying the length of your fingers, specifically your ring and index fingers, could help you determine your risk of more serious health complaints such as cancer and heart problems.

EU court bans insurance sex discrimination

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Brussels, March 02: The European Union’s highest court on Tuesday barred the insurance industry from charging different rates for men and women, saying the widespread practices amounts to sex discrimination against millions.

The ruling ordered changes effective December 21, 2012, to auto insurance, life insurance, medical coverage and other plans, potentially affecting tens of millions of customers across the continent. For example, many women driver would see their car insurance costs rise even though they are considered safer on the road.

Mumbai attack: US links cover for ISI chief to Davis case

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Islamabad, March 02: The US has linked sovereign immunity for ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha in a lawsuit filed by relatives of victims of the Mumbai attacks in a Brooklyn court to the diplomatic immunity for an American arrested for the Lahore double murder, a media report said.

The US administration “appears willing to claim sovereign immunity for the ISI chief in this case provided Pakistan also granted diplomatic immunity to Mr (Raymond) Davis, who is a CIA contractor ,” Dawn newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying.

Environment Ministry suspends construction work at AP plant

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New Delhi, March 02: A day after a violent protest by local farmers, Environment Ministry on Tuesday ordered suspension of construction work of a power plant in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The Ministry sought a report by March 6 from the company East Coast Energy Pvt Ltd on compliance of conditions for environmental clearance.

The ongoing construction work related to the project should be “suspended forthwith”, the Ministry said in its order with regard to the power plant.

Tunisia ends 20-year ban for Islamist party

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Tunis, March 02: A Tunisian Islamist party banned for more than 20 years was legalised on Wednesday, while the country’s most prominent opposition figure quit the unity government amid renewed uncertainty about where Tunisia is headed.

The Ennahdha party branded an Islamic terrorist group by Tunisia’s deposed leader but considered moderate by scholars has rebounded onto the political scene since a popular uprising forced out autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January.

Massive dust storm hits quake-hit Christchurch

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Christchurch, March 02: Strong winds whipped up huge dust clouds in earthquake-hit Christchurch Wednesday, as officials defended the devastated city’s building standards.

Gusts of 70 kilometres per hour (44 mph) buffeted emergency crews in the ruins of New Zealand’s second largest city, hampering the search for bodies amid fears of masonry dislodging and trees toppling.

“The conditions have been difficult, the wind is picking up and it’s very dusty in the inner city, which is making the rescue efforts more difficult,” district police commander Dave Cliff told reporters.

Minorty Affairs Minister Shot Dead in Islamabad

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Islamabad, March 02: Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, was gunned down here Wednesday as he left home to attend a key meeting.

Bhatti was leaving his house in Sector I-8 in Islamabad when gunmen in a car opened fire at his vehicle, causing panic in the area.

Bhatti was receiving death threats ever since he accompanied then governor of Pakistan’s Punjab Salman Taseer to a prison to advocate the innocence for a Christian woman who was given death penalty on alleged blasphemy charges.

Aseemanand’s custody extended till March 15

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Ajmer, March 02: A local court late Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Ajmer dargah blast accused Swami Aseemanand till March 15.

Aseemanand, who is lodged in Ajmer jail, was produced along with three other accused including Harshad Bhai and Bharat before Acting Chief Judicial Magistrate Rekha Sharma who extended their judicial custody till March 15.

The blast in the premises of the dargah of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in 2007 had left three persons dead and 15 others injured.

No direct funding to Pak nuke programme: Pentagon

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Washington, March 02: The US has a strong fund tracking system to make sure that Pakistan does not use any direct US money to strengthen its nuclear programme, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers who expressed concern over American aid money to Islamabad given reports that the country has doubled its atomic stockpile.

Unclaimed Muslim corpses putrefy, Waqf board apathetic

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Hyderabad, March 2: Unclaimed bodies are unconcerned with Maslak, Mashrab and political association and Siasat daily has been performing their burials transcending all these discriminations. But getting 4 square yard land for burial of these corpses in and around Hyderabad and Secunderabad has become a difficult task.

At present police have requested Siasat daily to perform the burial of 12 corpses out which some have been lying in the mortuaries for more than a month. Authorities of graveyards are not ready to provide space for those bodies.

Israel: New weapon downed Gaza anti-tank rocket

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Jerusalem, March 02: A new Israeli weapons system knocked down a Palestinian anti-tank rocket in its first combat test, the military said, showing off technology that could protect the heavy vehicles that have been the mainstay of the world’s ground forces for decades.

Palestinian militants said they yesterday fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli tank as it patrolled near the Gaza-Israel border, a frequent occurrence. This time, the “Trophy” system sensed the incoming rocket and fired its own projectile, blowing it up away from the tank, the military said.

Oil shoots over $116 a barrel on Mideast unrest

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New york, March 02: Brent crude oil surged as much as USD 5 on Tuesday and posted its highest closing price in 2-1/2 years, as protests across North Africa and the Middle East stirred concerns about supplies from top Gulf OPEC producers.

News of a detained Shi-ite cleric in Saudi Arabia and clashes in Iran triggered the rally, and gains accelerated as traders worried that the world’s biggest crude exporters could be hit by unrest like that which has halved Libya’s oilproduction.

UN throws Libya off human rights council

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United Nations, March 02: The United Nations on Tuesday suspended Libya from its main human rights body over Moamer Gaddafi’s crackdown on protests amid warnings of new Security Council action against the regime.

With growing western calls for a no-fly zone over Libya, Britain’s UN envoy said the council would take “whatever measures we consider necessary to respond to events on the ground.”

The 192-member assembly passed a suspension resolution by consensus, without a vote, after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the body to “act decisively” against Gaddafi.

Telangana ‘rail roko’ hits aam aadmi hard

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Hyderabad, March 02: A group of women were playing Kabaddi and a few others were immersed in a serious game of cricket. Another group was busy cooking while artisans displayed their professional skills — all in front of the Godavari Express on a railway track.

Telangana State Forming Without Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, March 02: The time has come when the land of Telugus might become the victim of pure political greed and lose its identity. Well, we are talking about our Andhra Pradesh and looking at the way the political situation is right now, the chances are that the Telangana state is likely in the cards.

Sources say that the UPA government is now considering the option of granting a separate Telangana state but with few conditions. First and mandatory norm is that Hyderabad will not be a part of it, the capital city is being looked at as a Union Territory.

Shahrukh goes to Hollywood!

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Mumbai, March 02: Shah Rukh Khan’s Indo-Hollywood project Xtrme City just got bigger! Martin Scorcese is coming on board the film and most of the credit for that goes to SRK’s friend and Ra.One screenwriter Mushtaq Shiekh.

Scorsese will co-produce along with David Weisman. Paul Schrader will direct and is also co-writing the film with Mushtaq. Leonardo Di Caprio will star in the film along with SRK.

Court notice to Rahul Gandhi on ‘missing’ woman

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Allahabad, March 02: The Allahabad High Court Tuesday issued notices to Uttar Pradesh authorities and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on a plea seeking information about the whereabouts of a woman who went missing after meeting him in Amethi in 2006, a lawyer said.

The Lucknow bench court issued notice to Gandhi after the petition alleged that the woman and her family members were ‘untraceable’ ever since they met him in his parliamentary constituency Dec 13, 2006.

Aguilera arrested for public intoxication

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New York, March 02: Singer Christina Aguilera was arrested for public intoxication but was later released.

“We have no desire to prosecute, none whatsoever. It (is) just for a public safety issue,” people.com quoted Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore as saying.

“When she was able to navigate and to think on her own and make her own way, she was released,” he added.

Aguilera and her boyfriend Matthew Rutler were taken into custody Tuesday after policemen noticed the vehicle driving erratically. Rutler was driving the car.