Month: March 2011

Muslims completely ignored while providing bank loans

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Hyderabad, March 31: Although Reserve Bank of India has given direction to all the banks that minorities should be provided 15 percent of the loans provided by the banks yet during current financial year despite of reaching nearly 80 percent of the target of providing loans in other fields bank officials expressed concern over lagging behind the target. But when it comes to reaching the target of providing loans to minorities it is not a matter of concern if the target is not reached even by 3 pc.

Mother, son killed in mishap

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Ghazipur, March 31: A mother and her son were killed when a tree fell on them during a dust storm in Ramnathpur village in Karanda police area here, officials said today.

Indu Devi (35) and her son Anuj (6) were killed when the tree fell on them yesterday due to the dust storm, they said.

——–PTI

Bahraini forces target patients: HRW

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Manama, March 31: The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has announced that Bahraini forces are hunting down patients who have been injured by rubber bullets, tear gas and live ammunition during anti-government protests.

“There is absolutely no justification for arresting someone solely because the person might have been wounded in a protest-related incident,” Middle East Deputy Director at HRW Joe Stork said in a statement on Wednesday.

US rights groups back domestic workers

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Washington, March 31: Millions of domestic workers in households throughout the United States work as nannies, care-givers and housekeepers. Experts say most of them are deprived of their legal rights by most labor and employment laws, a Media correspondent in Los Angeles reported Thursday.

“They work with us, they serve us, and yet most of the time, they do not have the benefits that most of the workers would have. You know, like overtime, sick time, vacation time,” said Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Muslims warn Obama of prosecution

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Washington, March 31: The Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe has warned US President Barack Obama of prosecution by the world’s oppressed nations over Washington’s support for authoritarian regimes.

“Unless there is fundamental change [in US policies], you will soon be brought to justice at an international court of law by the very nations you have tyrannized over,” the Muslim students cautioned Obama in an open letter.

SRK`s `Ishaan` launches music album

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Mumbai, March 31: Musical television teen drama `Ishaan` produced by Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan`s Red Chillies Entertainment has launched its music album.

Disney Channel`s popular television series `Ishaan` launched its new music album yesterday.

The album comprises nine tracks featured on Ishaan and a special bonus track from the original king of Disco Bappi Lahiri.

The album features peppy tracks by young artists Nikhil D`souza, Remo Ghosh, Debopriya Bannerjee, Rajiv Sndaresan, Kaizad Gerda and Pawni Pandey.

Bahrain appreciates Indians’ contribution

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New Delhi, March 31: Bahrain on Wednesday assured India of the safety and security of over 3.5 lakh Indians on its soil and appreciated their contribution to its progress and development.

With his country having faced unrest in the recent months, visiting Bahrain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa told External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna that last Saturday he met nearly 200 members of the Indian community in Manama.

25 candidates of SGT Urdu provisionally selected under DSC

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Hyderabad, March 31: As per the orders of Andhra Pradesh High Court and State Administrative Tribunal, provisional selection of 25 candidates has been made for SGT (Urdu) posts under DSC 1997 presided by Collector and District Magistrate.

According to the notification issued by the District Educational Officer (DEO) Hyderabad all the selected candidates are requested to approach office of the DEO Hyderabad on March 31 at 11 am for counseling along with their original certificates and hall tickets.

Hall ticket numbers of provisionally selected SGT (Urdu) candidates are as under:

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes near Tonga

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Tonga, March 31: A strong magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck at sea northwest of Tonga in the South Pacific. There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage and no tsunami warning has been issued.

The U.S. Geological Survey says Thursday’s quake was centred 272 miles (438 kilometres) northwest of the Tongan town of Neiafu at a depth of 14 miles (23 kilometers).

Earthquakes are common in the South Pacific.

–Agencies

US drone goes down in Afghanistan

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Kabul, March 31: An unmanned US drone has crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, the latest in a number of similar coalition aircraft accidents in the war-ravaged country.

Ruhollah Samon, a Paktika provincial government spokesman in eastern Afghanistan, confirmed Wednesday that the US surveillance drone crashed in Zurmat district, a Media correspondent reported.

According to the report, wreckage of the drone has not been found and the Afghan police have sent investigation teams to the area to search for it.

Uganda says it would welcome Libya’s Gaddafi

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Nairobi, March 31: The list of countries where Muammar Gaddafi might spend a comfortable life in exile is a lot shorter today than it would have been in years past because of global monetary sanctions and possible trial at the International Criminal Court.

Uganda’s deposed dictator, Idi Amin, found refuge first in Libya and eventually in Saudi Arabia in 1980, living in his own villa with female companionship, food and drink.

That kind of good life may not be likely for Gaddafi.

In-laws’ harassment claims women’s life

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Hyderabad, March 31: Unable to bear in-laws’ harassment and demand for more dowry two women committed suicide in Kukat Pally Housing board and Naridmed areas.

According to Kukatpally housing board police sources Kumara Swami’s wife Narsamma of Gokul apartment, Miapur committed suicide by consuming acid in her house yesterday night. She was married two years ago. Kumara Swami and his relatives were harassing Narsamma for more dowry. Unable to bear the harassment she committed suicide. She died in hospital during treatment.

Sri Lanka team arrives for World Cup final

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Mumbai, March 31: The Sri Lanka team led by Kumar Sangakkara arrived here this afternoon to play in the cricket World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium on April 2.

Having defeated New Zealand by five wickets yesterday at Colombo in the first semi-final, Sri Lanka are all set to play their second successive final of the mega-event after finishing runners-up to Australia four years ago in the West Indies.

Obama authorizes secret help for Libya rebels

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Washington, March 31: President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert US government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, government officials said.

Obama signed the order, known as a presidential “finding”, within the last two or three weeks, according to government sources familiar with the matter.

Such findings are a principal form of presidential directive used to authorize secret operations by the Central Intelligence Agency. This is a necessary legal step before such action can take place but does not mean that it will.

Something’s brewing between Salman and Kangana….

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Mumbai, March 31: News has it that Kangana Ranaut is Salman Khan’s new found interest. Along with enjoying his single status, it seems Salman is meeting different gals too. This Khan is always a favorite among the ladies.

The recent buzz in the tinsel town is that Sallu likes to spend time with the Tanu Weds Manu star. While shooting for the promotional photoshoot of his film Ready in Mehboob Studios with co-star Asin, Salman came to know that Kangana was nearby. So he tried to wrap up the shoot fast and catch up with her.

Rupee gains 5 paise against US dollar in early trade

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Mumbai, March 31: The Indian rupee strengthened by 5 paise to 44.69 per US dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange today, supported by higher opening in the domestic stock market and dollar weakness against other Asian currencies.

Forex dealers said in addition to dollar losses against other Asian currencies, a higher opening in the stock market and dollar inflows from overseas also kept the rupee sentiment firm.

The rupee had appreciated by 4 paise to close at Rs 44.74/75 against the dollar in the previous session amid bullish equities.

BJP”s Rajagopal makes it a three-cornered fight in Nemom

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Nemom, March 31: In Kerala”s bipolar electoral scenario dominated by CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-headed UDF, Nemom has emerged as the lone segment to witness a triangular battle with BJP leader O Rajagopal mounting a high-voltage campaign to fulfill the party”s goal of opening its account in the state Assembly.

Other contestants in the three-horse race in the semi-urban segment that covers part of state capital Thiruvananthapuram are CPI(M) MLA V Sivankutty and Charupara Ravi of Socialist Janata Democratic, a constituent of the UDF.

Intex launches new projector phone

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Mumbai, March 31: Intex has launched its second projector phone, the V.Show Mini Theater IN 8809 that is similar to its predecessor the Intex V.Show IN 8810 which was launched in November last year. Unlike its predecessor, the IN 8809 doesn not have a touch screen and unlike the Spice’s Popkorn projector phone it doesn’t offer analog TV.

The IN 8809 is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) quad-band phone with EDGE and GPRS connectivity and shows-off a candy bar form factor with a 2.4-inch QVGA display (320x240pixels). A 2 MP camera rests at the back.

Dominance of RSS will speed up BJP’s decline, said 2005 cable

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New Delhi, March 31: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its Hindu nationalist allies scored a major political victory by intimidating Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani after his positive remarks on Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and the developments could increase the BJP’s political decline, according to an assessment by the United States Embassy in New Delhi.

26 kins of political leaders in Assam poll fray

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Guwahati, March 31: Dynastic politics may not have been witnessed in Assam”s earlier elections, but it has become a dominant feature in the 2011 Assembly polls with 26 kins of political leaders throwing their hats in the poll ring.

The ruling Congress has fielded maximum number of relatives of party leaders with 14 wives, sons, daughters, daughters-in-law and even brothers battling it out along with aunts and cousins of other parties to enter the Assembly.

The BJP is more or less an exception fielding just one such candidate – a son of a late leader.

Pre-release Windows 8 code hits PC makers

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London, March 31: Microsoft’s webOS luvvin’ partner HP is among the PC manufacturers getting copies of early Windows 8 code, according to reports.

HP and other Windows PC OEMs are reported to be getting builds of Microsoft’s next desktop operating system known as milestone 3 seriously pre-beta stuff.

They’re sucking down the code through Microsoft’s Connect external testing system.

Doing some back-of-envelope numbers based on earlier reports, Microsoft was due to start coding milestone 3 at the end of February, it seems this tranche of Windows 8 code is a month old.

Keen contest in eight Sonitpur constituencies

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Tezpur, March 31: A keen battle is on the cards in the eight constituencies in Sonitpur district where the fate of several prominent candidates like Speaker Tanka Bahdur Rai, Irrigation Minister Nurjamal Sarkar, BJP state unit President Ranjit Dutta and former AGP President Brindabon Goswami will be decided.

Katrina agitated with Sonakshi Sinha’s false asserts?

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Mumbai, March 31: Newbie Sonakshi Sinha is making more enemies than friends in the industry. News has it that she has miffed Katrina Kaif big time. Apparently, Kat has not been too pleased with the ‘Dabangg’ hottie’s claims.Junior Shotgun has been telling one and all about how she has replaced queen bee Katrina as the brand ambassador of numerous products. But according to sources close to Katrina, Sonakshi hasn’t replaced the ‘Tees Maar Khan’ star. The truth is that Katrina`s contract with these products had either expired or she was not even their brand ambassador.

Interesting line up of candidates for Assam Assembly polls

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Guwahati, March 31: From first timers in their 20”s to poll veterans in their 70”s, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, there is an interesting line-up of contestants for the first phase of the Assam Assembly elections on April 4.

The young brigade, including a woman, are first timers in the electoral battle to take on seasoned politicians and interestingly are all around 25 years of age.

They are Lakhimai Pegu of BJP from Dhakuakhana (ST), Md Hifzur Rahman of AIUDF from Biswanth, independent Joybratha Roy from Hailakandi and Avinash Singh from JMM for Dibrugarh.