Saudi clerics denounce co-ed schooling move

Riyadh, May 28: Conservative Muslim clerics have pounced on Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education to nip in the bud any possible move to modify the strict separation of boys and girls from primary school.

The clerics reacted sharply after Education Minister Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Al Saud visited an all-girls school two weeks ago while his female deputy went to an all-boys school.

Children attend primary school together in many Muslim countries, but in Saudi Arabia they have long been separated.

Special Urs train from Howrah to Ajmer

Kolkata, May 28: The Eastern Railway will run a pair of special trains between Howrah in West Bengal and Ajmer in Rajasthan to clear the extra rush of passengers during next month’s Urs, held in honour of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.

“03001 Up Howrah-Ajmer ‘Urs’ special will leave Howrah at 11.00 p.m. on 2 June, 2011 (Thursday) and run via Dankuni, Mughalsarai and Agra Fort. It will reach Ajmer at 3.45 a.m. on June 4, 2011,” said a press statement issued by the Eastern Railway.

War Dogs in demand after Bin Laden raid

San Diego, May 28: Life after the military is looking brighter than ever for America’s four-legged veterans since one of their own helped in the US mission which led to the death of Osama Bin Laden.

War dog organisations say the number of people asking about adopting retired military canines has risen dramatically since the mission involving ‘Cairo’, the Navy Seals dog tasked with tracking anyone who tried to escape from Bin Laden’s compound and alerting the special operations forces to anyone approaching.

World’s future belongs to Islam

Tehran, May 28: Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi says the recent developments in the region are a prelude for Islam to prevail in the international arena.

“The recent events … show that the future of the world, including [that of] the US and Europe, belongs to Islam,” quoted Moslehi as saying at a conference in the central Iranian city of Karaj on Thursday.

Female foeticide will be monitored now

Pune, May 28: A new device to enable law enforcing agencies monitor use of sonography machines is being introduced as a measure to fight growing incidence of female foeticide in the country.

The device ‘Silent Observer’ (SIOB) would also provide law enforcing agencies with analytical reports for further action warranted under the Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention) Act (PC and PNDT), according to Sunil Umrani, Managing Director, VisionIndia Software Exports, which has made the device.

Lara cheated on Mahesh with ex?

Mumbai, May 28: They say ‘marriages are made in heaven’. But the newly wed Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi are said to be in hell at a time when they should be enjoying their marriage bliss.

Newly weded Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupthi has an ugly tiff over Lara’s ex-boyfriend Kelly Dorjee. It is heard that Lara is still in touch with her ex-flame Kelly which her hubby Mahesh did not like. Lara and Kelly dated for a long period.

Being single is a curse

Jeddah, May 28: Many women in the Kingdom feel the single status is a curse and that getting married or having a male companion like a son makes life much easier.

They believe tying the knot is the best step forward to get rid of the dependency on their families and to make daily chores easy.

TDP Should Take a Clear Stand on Telangana: JAC

Hyderabad, May 28: Alleging that TDP had taken an ambiguous stand on the Telangana issue, Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC) today demanded that the party pass a pro-Telangana state resolution during its ongoing annual conclave.

“TDP does not have a clear stand on Telangana. They are voicing region-wise demands. If the TDP passes a resolution at the ongoing ‘Mahanadu” (annual party conclave), then we can increase pressure on the Congress government at the Centre,” JAC Convener M Kodandaram told reporters here today.

AP Congress Should Rectify Shortcomings: Rosaiah

Hyderabad, May 28: The ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh should analyse the reasons for the party’s failure in the recent Kadapa bypolls and rectify the shortcomings in order to be successful in future, former Chief Minister K Rosaiah said here today.

TDP to move no-trust motion in next session

Hyderabad, May 28: The Telugu Desam’s three-day annual conclave Mahanadu, which began here on Friday, sent out a loud warning to the Kiran Kumar Reddy government as well as YS Jagan Mohan Reddy while being more vocal on the Telangana issue without abandoning its two-eye philosophy.

Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, in his inaugural address which lasted nearly one and a half hours, said that his party would move a no-confidence motion against the state government and that it was not dragging its feet as claimed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Beedi workers’ son bags state second rank

Tirunelveli, May 28: For A Satham Hussain of Muslim Higher Secondary School at Melapalayam in Tirunelveli, it was a pleasant surprise on Friday when he bagged the State second rank in SSLC examination with 495 marks.

He is the first among the four children of A S Abdul Rahman and A Sulekha Beevi, both workers in beedi industry here.

“I expected good score but never dreamt of any State rank,” he said, adding, “I want to become a mechanical engineer in the future.” He said that to achieve that goal, he would pursue science group at higher secondary level in the same school.

Govt. Firm Officer raped, 3 held

Jaipur, May 28: The Udaipur police has arrested three men, including a research and training co-coordinator of Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Finance and Development Corporation, on charges of drugging and gang-raping a social development officer (SDO) of the corporation.

The 28-year-old victim had gone to Udaipur from Jaipur for a slum area survey when the accused allegedly gangraped her in a hotel while she was unconscious.

According to the police, the rape took place in Sri Ji Hotel in Dhanmandi police station area of Udaipur.

Yamuna water unfit for animals’ consumption: Zoo officials

New Delhi, May 28: The polluted water of the Yamuna is no longer suitable even for animal consumption at the National Zoological Park. Delhi Zoo has stopped supplying water from the river. Instead, it is depending on the water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board and underground water. Soon after the change in its water source, the water samples were sent for testing at National Pollution Control Board. The reports are still awaited.

Judge rules Mladic fit to face international justice

Belgrade, May 28: Bosnian Serb ex-army chief Ratko Mladic is fit to face trial at a UN war crimes court, a judge ruled Friday, as Serbia promised to investigate who helped him stay at large for so long.

The ruling, in a Serbian court, came after Mladic’s son said that the man accused of masterminding the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities was too sick to be transferred for trial at the UN-backed court in The Hague.

Pak should take decisive steps to flush out Al-Qaeda: Clinton

Islambad, May 28: The US on Friday asked Pakistan to take “decisive steps” to flush out Al-Qaeda elements and to act against militants waging war in Afghanistan from Pakistani soil, as top leaders of the two countries held talks aimed at easing tensions that have affected their ties.

11 injured as two cars collide

Hyderabad, May 23: Eleven people were injured in an accident after a Tata Sumo hit an Indica car near LB Nagar on Friday.

The mishap happened around 3.30 pm when a speeding Indica collided with the Sumo coming from Suryapet.

“After hitting the Indica, the Sumo turned over and 11 persons inside the Sumo were injured,” the police said.

The injured were rushed to hospital in an EMRI ambulance.

–Agencies

Not supplying arms to Pak, it’s only technical help: France assures India

New Delhi, May 28: In a bid to allay New Delhi’s apprehensions about arms supply by some western countries to Pakistan as they are used to augment military capabilities against India, France on Friday said it was supplying only interception and electronic equipment to fight terrorism.

Stating this here after 45-minute meeting with Defence Minister AK Antony, visiting French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said India had conveyed its concerns to France during the talks. Antony has time and again raised the issue.

Mahanadu’ gets a colourful start at ‘Telugu Vijayam’

Hyderabad, May 28: TDP’s three-day annual general body meeting ‘Mahanadu’ on Friday got off to a colourful start at ‘Telugu Vijayam’ in Gandipet near here with its chief N. Chandrababu Naidu unfurling the party flag and paying tributes to founder-president N.T. Rama Rao.

As many as 15,000 delegates from all the 23 districts of the state are attending the annual event in which the party will take up discussion on 14 major issues like farmers’ problems, price rise, anti—people policies of the state and the Centre and corruption.

Indians advise to leave Yemen: External Affairs Minister

New Delhi, May 28: In view of the worsening situation in Yemen after the steep escalation in incidents of violence, External Affairs Ministry on Friday issued an advisory to Indian nationals in Yemen to “exit the country” through whatever commercial means available. There are about 11,000 Indians in Yemen.

India, US vow to defeat terrorism

New Delhi, May 28: Terming Pakistan as “epicentre of terrorism” India on Friday asked US for announcement of security cooperation that will entail pre-emptive steps and effective response to terror incidents. Launching the Homeland Security Dialogue, India and the US vowed to defeat the forces of terrorism through a series of steps like intelligence sharing and pressed Pakistan to move expeditiously in prosecuting those involved in Mumbai attacks.

Egypt, Syria, Yemen on the boil

Dubai, May 28: There were fresh protests on Friday in Egypt, Syria and Yemen, signalling that West Asia’s pro-democracy uprisings, which began in Tunisia five months ago, are still far from running their course.

Iran hangs 11 people

Tehran, May 28: Eleven people convicted for various crimes were hanged in different Iranian cities on a single day, state media reported Friday.

A man convicted for killing five women was hanged in Qazvin, west of Tehran, Thursday.

Four people were hanged in public in the southern city of Shiraz after being convicted for kidnapping and armed robbery.

Four drug traffickers were hanged in Yasouj prison in west Iran and two in Sari prison in north Iran.

Drug trafficking, murder and rape are all punishable with the death penalty in Iran.

Pakistani military brass worried about Islamists within’

Washington, May 28: Top Pakistani military officials are increasingly concerned that their ranks are penetrated

by Islamists who are aiding militants in a campaign against the state, says the Washington Post.

Those worries have grown especially acute since the killing of Osama bin Laden less than a mile from a prestigious
military academy and a series of insurgent attacks on high-security sites, the influential US daily said in a report from Islamabad.

“I Feel Sexiest When I’m Nude”: Ciara

London, May 28: She often hits the red carpet in barely-there dresses and slit-up-to-there gowns (see here and here), so it comes as no surprise that Ciara is completely at ease without any clothes on at all.

“I feel the sexiest when I’m by myself, walking around nude,” the 25-year-old R&B singer tells Us Weekly. “I have this new obsession with nudity, it’s really weird. It may sound weird, but I just really love embracing the body.”

Obama writes history with autopen

Washington, May 28: US President Barack Obama has made history by using an autopen – an automatic signing machine – from an ocean away to sign a legislation into law hours before expiry. And stirred a new controversy.

Originally, there had been a plan in place to have a White House aide hand-carry the legislation re-authorizing the Patriot Act, a controversial set of anti-terrorism and law enforcement measures passed in the wake of 9/11, to Europe, where Obama was for G8 talks.