Month: January 2012

New Delhi, January 01: Good health, love and happiness is what Bollywood celebrities wished for their family and friends as they reach out to give a “jaadu ki jhappi” on Twitter on the first day of 2012.

Here’s what they had to say:

Amitabh Bachchan: HAPPY NEW YEAR!! GOOD HEALTH, PROSPERITY, HAPPINESS & FULFILLMENT.. 2012 we welcome you into our homes and lives with hope and love.

Hema Malini: Wishing You All A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year. May this year bring peace, love and harmony in every ones life…

Hyderabad, January 01: A hockey player was stabbed to death early Sunday by his junior with a knife meant to cut a cake to mark the New Year in Andhra Pradesh’s port city Visakhapatnam.

Police said 21-year-old Bhaskar Rao, a state-level player, died after an attack by Ratnakumar at Port Stadium.

There was a heated argument and a clash between the two after midnight, police said. Ratnakumar picked up the knife brought for cutting the New Year cake and stabbed Rao.

Hyderabad, January 1: Prof. Shahid Ali head of the journalism department KRP university Ranchi in his presidential address said that Indian citizens are enshrined with the freedom of speech and expression as per article 19(1)A of the Indian constitution. Hence every citizen should have freedom to write exam in the language of his choice.

Mr. Mohammad Waseemul Haq (Akhbar-e-Mashriq) claimed that Urdu journalism which has completed its journey of 2 centuries has always had its influence on the politics and scenario in every period.

Mumbai, January 01: In her comeback film titled English Vinglish, the actress speaks a multitude of languages Japanese, French, Korean, Mexican and Swahili

For an actress who could barely speak Hindi when she first joined the Hindi film industry, Sridevi has come a long way. In her comeback film English Vinglish, the actress is set to push the bar even further. She will talk in Japanese, Mexican, Swahili, Korean and French.

New Delhi, January 01: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his approach to investment proposals, a transcript of her speech made public after some remarks triggered a row showed.

Mehbooba while referring to her interaction with a Muslim businessman who spoke of Modi’s quick response to a business proposal had also said at the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting that such actions were necessary to reach out to minorities who will in turn respond positively.

New Delhi, January 01: Soon after China detonated its first atom bomb in 1964, CIA tried to plant a nuclear-powered surveillance device atop Nanda Devi to spy on the communist nation.

Though the secret mission failed and the device was lost there, it created ripples in the Indian establishment 12 years later.

The espionage mission remained top secret till April 1978 when a news report published in a US magazine “Outside” claimed that the US intelligence agency had sent a team to set up a remote sensing device atop 25,645-foot mountain in the Himalayas in 1965.

Hyderabad, January 1: The editors of Urdu newspapers consented to the idea of a consortium of Urdu newspapers in India mooted by Mr. Zahid Ali Khan to create a common news pool. The motive behind the consortium is to adopt common policy and effective representation of Muslim affairs. The consortium will actually be a common platform for Urdu newspapers.

The delegates of World Urdu Editors Conference arrived at Siasat office yesterday evening and met Mr. Zahid Ali Khan. The delegates inspected various departments of Siasat and acclaimed the standard and printing of the daily.

New Delhi, January 01: RJD MP Rajniti Prasad today rubbished BJP’s allegation that Lalu Prasad had “orchestrated” his action of tearing the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha, saying his party chief had not tutored him to do so.

“Laluji had not tutored me to take any such action (tearing the Lokpal Bill),” he told PTI.

“There was no ring master behind my action…Whatever I did was an outcome of my emotional outbursts on the spur of the moment,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

Amritsar, January 01: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur were today shown black flags by supporters of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare at the Golden Temple here.

A handful Hazare’s supporters, including women, raised slogans against corruption and in favour of Lokpal as soon as Singh and his wife came out after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple.

The supporters also raised slogans asking the PM to go back (PM wapas jao). They also showed small black flags to Prime Minister.

Hyderabad, January 1: A meeting of delegates was held ahead of the valedictory function of World Urdu Editors Conference in which it was decided to form a permanent organization named “World Urdu Editors Forum”.

Hyderabad, January 01: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced that his party would give tickets to minorities in proportion to their population in the State during next elections.

Hyderabad, January 01 (INN): Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in his New Year message said that the State will prosper and its economic activity will turn robust and the State will be shaped into a model one.

“The New Year should see us reviewing and reorienting our policies and strategies to successfully overcome these temporary hurdles. The economy grew at an annual average growth of 11.8 per cent in the period 2004-08, which was higher than the national average. During 2010-11 , it grew at 9.22 percent against the national average of 8.55 percent,” he said.

Vijayawada, January 01: Secondary Education Minister K Parthasarathy stated that the state government has decided to introduce ‘jumbling system’ in the Intermediate practical examination from the current academic year.

Talking to media persons, Parthasarathy said that the government would introduce the jumbling system first on experimental basis in the Government junior colleges. Based on the feedback, he said the government would extend the jumbling method to all other colleges in the state to check malpractices.

Tokyo, January 01: A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Southeastern Izu islands, US Geological Survey reported.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Further details awaited.

——Agencies

Udupi, January 01: The members of Sangh pairvar stopped the muslims from praying the Friday congregation in Udupi’s Kodavoor Jumah Masjid which comes under the vicinity of Malpe police station. This incident not only worry the Muslims of the particular area, but also those in the neighboring areas.

Washington, January 01: US Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul says he would not launch a strike on Iran since there is no military element in Iranian nuclear program.

Paul told Iowa voters on Friday that he would not initiate an attack on Iran because “they don’t threaten our national security,” ABC news network reported.

“If some other country thought they had to go to war with them [Iran], that is their business,” he said, adding there is no proof and reliable evidence of the existence of a military aspect to Iran’s nuclear program.

London, January 01: Two officials of the Greater Manchester Police are scheduled to fly to India to meet the family of Indian student Anuj Bidve, who was killed in an unprovoked attack on Boxing Day in Salford.

The investigating team have not yet recovered the murder weapon with which a gunman shot 23-year-old Bidve in the head after a brief conversation in the Ordsall area of Salford on December 26.

Two persons are currently under arrest while a reward of 50,000 pounds has been announced to trace the killer.

Tehran, January 01: The spokesman for Iran’s naval drills Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi says the Iranian Navy will test-fire various missiles in the final phase of Velayat 90 maneuvers.

Mousavi, the Deputy Commander of Iran’s Navy, added on Sunday that although the missiles were initially scheduled to be test fired in the power phase of the drill the schedule has changed.

The Iranian commander had announced to reporters on Saturday that the Navy would fire various long and short-range surface-to-sea, surface-to-surface, and surface-to-air missiles on the first day of the power phase.

Hyderabad, January 01 (INN): After the successful Rytu Porubata in Karimnagar district, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu said that he would continue his padayatra on farmers’ problems in Warangal district on January 6.

He told reporters here on Saturday on the eve of the New Year that TRS was scared to accept the challenge of TDP to come for a public debate on who was responsible for the development of Telangana region.

“TRS managed to get only 11 Assembly seats in the 2009 elections despite getting TDP votes as per the TDP-TRS pre-poll alliance,” Naidu claimed.

Hyderabad, January 01: TDP on Saturday slammed DGP V Dinesh Reddy for what it called the uncharitable comments on women attire, which has drawn heavy flak.

The party president, N Chandrababu Naidu came down heavily on the irrational comments of the DGP who blamed the provocative dress of women for increasing rape cases in the state.

Terming the remarks as irresponsible, unwarranted and unfortunate from a person holding such a high office, Naidu told reporters on the New Year eve briefing that people in high offices should shun such remarks.

Hyderabad, January 01: (INN): The cyclonic storm Thane, which hit the Pudicherry coast, left heavy rainfall in parts of the state affecting all coastal districts besides Chittoor, Kadapa and Anantapur.

There was heavy to very heavy rain in 389 mandals in ten districts which recorded rainfall ranging from 78.25 mm in Nagari of Chittoor district to 0.25 mm in West Godavari, according to an official release here on Saturday.

The affected districts include, Chittoor, Nellore, Prakasham, Visakhaptanam, Srikakulam, Kadapa, East and West Godavari, Anantapur among others. (INN)

Mumbai, January 01: Yes, it’s not believable but it’s true. MSN India conducted a year end poll which enabled the audience to decide the best and the worst of the year 2011. With various categories and sub categories, and after 5.2 million votes, it can be said that actor Rajeev Khandelwal turned out to be the most popular actor, even better than SRK!

Lucknow, January 01: Starting Sunday, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will take over the reins of his party’s poll campaign from his son Akhilesh. So far, Yadav Jr, SP’s Uttar Pradesh unit president, was spearheading the election campaign in the state that will go to polls in seven phases starting February 4.

On Sunday, Yadav Sr will address the rally in the Muslim-dominated belt of Azamgarh, an SP stronghold. The seven-phase elections in Uttar Pradesh will end on February 28; the results will be declared on March 4.

Cuddalore, January 01: Ezhumalai grieved when he lost his 11-year-old son in the tsunami, but he was not scared. He is scared now, after witnessing the fury of Cyclone Thane, the very severe tropical storm that devastated his coastal hamlet in Cuddalore district within a few hours on Friday.
The fisherman has lived with water and waves all his life, but had never seen a storm like Thane. And, he realises, the chances of another Thane striking are probably more than those of another tsunami.

Lucknow, January 01: “What are you saying dear, it is all ‘dirty politics’. These politicians are rough and uneducated.” This is a routine conversation between IAS officials in UP during their service. However, things change once they retire. Either they start looking for safe options as chairman and other posts, which can give them vehicle and beacon, or jump in political area.

The same dirty politics becomes clean for them when they are themselves contesting the elections. In UP the same thing is happening, with several retired bureaucrats jumping in the political fray.