London, November 07: Miss Venezuela, Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colimenares, was crowned the winner of the Miss World beauty pageant at a glitzy final ceremony in London on Sunday.
Miss Philippines was the runner-up, while Miss Puerto Rico came third.
–Agencies
Haridwar, November 06: A large number of Muslims dressed in their traditional attire poured on to the streets here Sunday at the start of a five-day event aimed at propagating the Hindu ‘Gayatri Mantra’.
Syed Abdullah Tariq, head of the World Organization of Religion and Knowledge (WORK) – the organisers – said that both the Quran and the ‘Gayatri Barivar’ advocated unity among different religions.
‘(We want to show that) harmony can exist even when you practice different religions because every religion teaches you sincerity, brotherhood and sympathy for fellow human beings,’ he said.
Mecca, November 06: Dressed in white seamless clothes, millions of Muslims from across the globe, including India, chanting “God is Great” on Sunday stoned pillars representing Satan in Mina, just outside Mecca, marking the last ritual of the world’s largest annual human assembly, Hajj pilgrimage.
A sea of men and women of all ages pelted seven stones each at three jamarat (pillars) representing Satan, a symbolic stoning of evil and a ritual which has witnessed death of hundreds of pilgrims in the stampedes in the past.
Kochi, November 06: A Kerala-based man wanted by DRI for the past 11 years in connection with smuggling of over 450 luxury cars was today arrested from Hyderabad airport. Alex C Joseph was arrested by immigration officials from Hyderabad airport as he was about to board a flight to Dubai, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials here said.
New Delhi, November 06: Anna Hazare never had political ambitions but someone is guiding him towards it, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has said.
“He was reasonable, worked within the system. I don’t know what has happened now. He never previously had political ambitions,” Chavan said in an interview to a TV channel.
“Definitely someone is guiding him towards political ambitions,” the channel quoted Chavan as saying in a press release.
Moradabad, November 06: BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday said his party favoured reservation on socio-economic basis and would steadfastly oppose any religion-based quota.
“The BJP favours reservation on socio-economic basis,” he said at a function here.
“If the UPA government tries to implement a reservation policy for Muslims, the BJP will oppose it,” Singh said.
Alleging the UPA government had failed on all fronts, he said it was unable to tackle corruption and inflation.
Muzaffarnagar, November 06: On the eve of Eid-ul-Zuha, leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Sunday appealed to Muslims to avoid cow slaughter on the festival as a mark of respect for the feelings of Hindus.
Vice-chancellor of the Darul Uloom, Maulana Abul Kasim Naumani said, “As a mark of respect for the feelings of Hindus, the seminary has asked Muslims in the country to avoid cow slaughter on the occasion of Id-Ul-Zuha tomorrow.”
He also asked Muslims to cooperate with the sanitary department for the cleanliness drive during the festival.
–Agencies
Hyderabad, November 06:The North Zone team of Commissioner’s Task Force on Sunday busted an interstate credit card fraud racket and arrested two Nigerian nationals from SD Road, Secunderabad, who were illegally staying in India.
Somalia, November 06: At least 15 Kenyan troops have been killed by Somali soldiers, as conflict between the two sides intensifies, Press TV reports.
Reports indicate that three Somali soldiers gunned down 15 Kenyan troops near the southern town of Taabto, escaping with Kenyan military trucks.
Meanwhile, Somali military officials are arguing that the soldiers killed the Kenyan troops by mistake.
The deaths took place only hours after the recent killing of at least 64 people in southern Somalia by US drone attacks and Kenya airstrikes.
Baghdad, November 06: Eight people have been killed and 26 others have been injured in bomb explosions at a market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, medical sources say.
On Sunday, sources at Kindi hospital said eight people were dead and 26 injured in three bomb blasts that rocked Shurja market in central Baghdad, Reuters reported.
Iraqi government officials said the explosions were carried out at about 1:00 pm local time (1000 GMT).
New Delhi, November 06: Plauged by controversies, Team Anna is approaching retired judges requesting them to become part of a committee to be set up by the civil society group to probe allegations against its key members.
Prominent Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan has been entrusted with the task of approaching retired judges and seeking their consent for being on the panel which is to be formed within a fortnight.
“This was decided by Anna himself. We will set up the committee within 15 days. I will be talking to retired judges,” Bhushan said.
Jalgaon, November 06: Against the backdrop of the Trinamool Congress’ threat to pull out of UPA over the petrol price rise, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday backed the government on the issue.
“There is no point in blaming the govt for increase in the domestic prices (of fuel) as they are related to fluctuations in the international markets,” Pawar said defending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on deregulation of the fuel prices.
On Trinamool Congress’ threat to withdraw from the UPA government, Pawar said, “Our stand is to remain with the government.”
Coimbatore, November 06: As former President APJ Adbul Kalam vouched for Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant’s safety, CPI on Sunday said Kalam was a ‘nuclear man’ and would only support the KNPP.
“Former President A P J Abdul Kalam is a nuclear man and would only support and advocate for the nuclear plant at Koodankulam, which the villagers are opposing,” CPI National Secretary D Raja told reporters here.
Ludhiana, November 06: BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Sunday blamed the Congress for corruption and inflation in the country and lamented that an “honest” prime minister had failed to curb them.
“Corruption and inflation are twin sisters mothered by the Congress party. They have ruined the entire social fabric of the country,” he said addressing the meeting of party workers here.
He said it was ironical that with an “honest and a noted economist” being at helm of affairs, corruption, unemployment and inflation have touched the highest limits.
Ahmedabad, November 06: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi arranged a grand welcome for the anti-graft Jan Chetana Yatra of party colleague and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani, who blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for corruption.
Flower petals dropped from a helicopter welcomed Advani as his yatra entered the BJP-ruled state from Vapi, around 400 km from here.
Addressing a rally in Vapi, Advani attacked the prime minister and said: ‘I have said this earlier as well, when he was not the prime minister I respected him…I used to consider him capable.’
Ghaziabad, November 06: Nine people were killed and 20 injured in two separate road accidents in Ghaziabad Sunday, police said.
The incidents took place in Hapur and Loni on National Highway-24 that connects Delhi to Uttar Pradesh.
Police said some pilgrims from Ballabgarh in Haryana were going to Garh Mukteswar for aaking a holy dip in the Ganga when the truck in which they were travelling rammed into a stationary one around 5.30 a.m. at village Anwarpur near Hapur town. Seven people were killed and 16 injured.
New Delhi, November 06:President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday greeted the nation on the eve of Eid-ul-Zuha, saying the ocassion rekindles faith in the ideals of peace and celebrates the spirit of giving and sacrifice.
In her message, Patil said: “I express my warm greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens and to my Muslim brothers and sisters, in particular.”
New Delhi, November 06:Activist Anna Hazare is being used by his team members to fulfill their political agenda, Congress leader Digvijay Singh said Sunday.
He said Hazare is a very simple man and is susceptible to pressure.
“These people (Team Anna members) around him have their own political agenda … Anna is being made a scapegoat or a mask to fulfill their political agenda,” Digvijay Singh told news channel CNN-IBN.
New Delhi,November 06: Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh has been continuously targeting anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and his team. Between September 22 and November 4, he has tweeted at least 23 times about Anna Hazare and Team Anna. However, he has said that he does not regret any of his regrets. Karan Thapar speaks to him on his views about Anna Hazare and his team on Devil’s Advocate.
Patna, November 06: Sushil Kumar, the first to win Rs.5 crore on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, has been urged to become the brand ambassador for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).
Central Rural Development Minister S. Jairam Ramesh has made the offer, an official said.
Before winning KBC’s top prize in the show hosted by mega star Amitabh Bachchan, Sushil Kumar was a computer operator for MNREGA in Motihari, his native town in East Champaran district in Bihar.
Nagpur, November 06: India Against Corruption leader Arvind Kejriwal was greeted with black flags, heckled and booed at a meeting held here Sunday morning, a police officer said.
The trouble erupted after some activists, belonging to Ghantanad Sanstha, raised strong objections to Kejriwal making anti-government statements during the course of his speech at the Vasantrao Deshpande Auditorium.
The activists started booing Kejriwal and shouted slogans even as Team Anna supporters retaliated.
New Delhi, November 06: Biryanis, kormas, kebabs and niharis…Muslims in the capital are gearing up to cook mouth-watering delicacies as the city celebrates the festival of Eid-ul-Azha Monday.
Popular dishes like achari gosht, mutton stew, fried kaleji (liver) and tandoori raan (grilled lamb thigh) are prepared in homes and restaurants in the old quarters of the city and are the most sought after.
London, November 06: 18 months old Alisha Kabiri miraculously survived a 70mph horror crash which flung her from a car when a lorry driver managed to brake just inches from her tiny body.
Alisha Kabiri was thrown from the window of her father Akmal Ullah Kabiri’s car, which had swerved violently across a dual carriageway and flipped on to its roof – tragically killing the 49-year-old dad-of-three.
Alisha, then 18 months old, who amazingly suffered only minor injuries, was sitting in the middle of the carriageway when she was then nearly run over by the lorry.
Hyderabad, November 06: In view of Idul- Zuha (Bakrid) prayers at the Mir Alam Tank Idgah and the Secunderabad Idgah on November 7, one-way traffic will be enforced on the following roads from 8 am to 11.30 am on the day to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
MIR ALAM TANK: Vehicular traffic towards the Mir Alam Tank Idgah will be diverted via Puranapul and Bahadurpura police station and no vehicle will be allowed to proceed from the Idgah towards Bahadurpura PS and the Puranapul.
London, November 06: A Briton allegedly threw out a naked prostitute from his hotel room window in Dubai. The woman suffered injuries on her back when she fell 20 feet on to a car, it was reported here.
Zoubair Ali, 37, was arrested after the prostitute walked up to the reception. She said Ali had attacked her in a drunken bust-up over her fee.
The media said they had an argument while having sex. The prostitute refused to carry on unless Ali paid more.
She said this enraged the Briton who threw her out of the window.
Ali denied having sex while unmarried, which is an offence.