Month: February 2012

Nine people die in car bomb explosion at Jalalabad airport

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At least nine people have been killed and several others injured after a car bomb hit the gates of Jalalabad airport in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar.

Provincial spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdul Zai said that US-led forces, who have a base in the airport, sealed off the area and launched an investigation into the incident.

The explosion occurred at around 7:00 a.m. local time Monday, said Nangarhar provincial police spokesman Hazrat Mohammad. Government officials say three Afghan soldiers are also among the dead.

‘US armed Israel for Iran attack’

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Arm the Syrian rebels! And, while we’re at it, give the Israelis the tools they need — bunker-busters, refueling aircraft — so that if they decide to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, they’ll get it right the first time.”

“Arm the Syrian rebels! And, while we’re at it, give the Israelis the tools they need – bunker-busters, refueling aircraft – so that if they decide to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, they’ll get it right the first time,” David Sanger wrote in The New York Times.

Goa should vote against dynastic rule: Gadkari

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Lashing out at dynastic rule, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Monday said the Gandhi family was now planning to initiate the children of Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, into politics.

“Now Priyanka Gandhi has started to train her children to wave hands,” Gadkari told a press conference in Panaji, ahead of elections to the Goa assembly March 3.

“I am an ordinary worker, who has reached this position. I have no mother, father or brother in politics… This dynastic rule is a threat to democracy,” Gadkari said.

HC notice to Centre, MCI on contempt plea

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The Delhi High Court on Monday issued contempt notices to the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI) for their failure to comply with its earlier order to begin a three-year ‘Bachelor of Rural Health Care (BRHC)’ course for practicing medicine in primary health centres in rural areas.

Justice Vipin Sanghi issued notices on a plea to begin contempt of court proceedings against them and sought their replies within four weeks.

Arms seized from Italian ship sent to forensic lab

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Arms seized from the Italian ship Enrica Lexie in connection with the killing of two Indian fishermen in firing by its naval guards on February 15, were on Monday sent to a forensic laboratory for examination after being produced before the Magistrate court here.

Two sealed boxes containing the fire arms, seized from the ship Enrica Lexie on Feb 25, were brought from Kochi by the police officials investigating the case and produced before First Class Judicial Magistrate Dony Thomas Verghese.

Sensex down 300 points as profit booking continues unabated

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Traders picked up from where they left last week, booking profits in stocks which had rallied in the past few weeks. A benchmark for Indian markets Monday was ruling 300 points lower around noon with realty and capital goods scrips leading the losers pack.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,975.19 points, was ruling at 17,621.74 points, 301.83 points or 1.68 percent down from its previous close at 17,923.57 points.

Now, a machine to keep donor livers `alive`!

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London, February 27: British scientists claim to have developed a machine which could keep donor livers “alive” outside human body.

A team at Oxford University says the machine, known as METRA which would keep livers healthy during transportation from donor to the operating table, could help save the lives of many people who need liver transplants every year.

Livers taken from organ donors are currently packed in ice for up to 12 hours to prevent them from decay while they are transported, but this technique can affect the blood vessels and cause excess fat on the organ to solidify.

Aarushi case: SC reserves order on shifting of trial

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The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its verdict on dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar’s plea for shifting the trial against them in the case of the murder of their daughter Aarushi from Ghaziabad to Delhi.

A bench of justices BS Chauhan and JS Khehar also asked the trial court, which is to hear the case on February 29, to adjourn it for one week.

Pleading to shift the trial to Delhi, the couple has submitted that it has been a traumatic experience for them to go to Ghaziabad to face the trial and that they also face security threat there.

Samjhauta accused arrested by NIA in Malegaon case

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NIA on Monday formally arrested Lokesh Sharma, already in judicial custody in connection with the Samjhauta train bombing case, for his alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.

Sharma was produced before the special MCOCA court of YD Shinde who remanded him to NIA custody till March nine. The special court had issued a production warrant against the accused on February 23.

Mumbai: NIA on Monday formally arrested Lokesh Sharma, already in judicial custody in connection with the Samjhauta train bombing case, for his alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.

Re-heating cooking oil could be toxic for health

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Re-heating cooking medium such as sunflower oil could release toxic compounds, which could be linked with brain diseases and some types of cancer.

Researchers from the University of the Basque Country (the region comprising three provinces of northern Spain on the Bay of Biscay bordering france in the north-east) have been the first to discover the presence of certain aldehydes in food, which may be linked with neurodegenerative diseases and some cancers.

Dhaka urged to tighten anti-tobacco measures

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The Bangladeshi government has been urged to tighten tobacco control measures to prevent deaths and disabilities from related diseases.

Nearly 57,000 people die from tobacco use annually in Bangladesh, while 382,000 people suffer from various disabilities, the news portal bdnews24.com reported.

A seminar organised by the United Forum Against Tobacco, a platform of doctors and other professionals, here Saturday has called for “stricter” measures against tobacco use.

‘Battered baby Falak responding to treatment’

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Two-year-old Falak, who is battling for life at a hospital here for the past 41 days, is finally responding to treatment as doctors attending on her today said she is now better than earlier but still critical.

“She is moving her limbs and partially opening her eyes on her own which she earlier did only when we applied painful stimuli. It is over four hours since we put her off the ventilator and she is breathing on her own,” said Dr Deepak Agarwal, who has been attending on her since January 18, when she was admitted at AIIMS Trauma Centre in a battered state.

Bad breadth chemical converts dental pulp into cells

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A compound that gives the mouth its bad breadth or halitosis, can also help tweak stem cells from human dental pulp into liver cells, a study reveals.

Researchers from Nippon Dental University, Japan, showed that hydrogen sulphide (H2S) (which smells like rotten eggs) boosted the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate into hepatic (liver) cells, furthering their reputation as a reliable source for future liver-cell therapy.

Hrithik scoffs at discrimination of homosexuals

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In recent times, the issue of legalisation of homosexuality is one that has been greatly discussed and debated, with the latest colour being added to it by the home ministry. Recently, their branding of gay sex as ‘immoral’ and ‘against social order’ has drawn devastating criticism from all terrains of the country. Actor Hrithik Roshan, too, raised his voice against the demeaning statements made by the home ministry.

“Former SC judge can head panel on Gujarat encounters”

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After rapping the Narendra Modi government for bypassing it, the Supreme Court on Monday suggested the name of a former Supreme Court judge for appointment as the chairman of the monitoring authority which is looking into the probe of 22 encounter killings between 2002 and 2006 in Gujarat.

The Supreme Court had disapproved the manner in which the Gujarat government had appointed former Bombay High Court Chief Justice K.R. Vyas in place of former Supreme Court judge Justice M.B. Shah to the post.

Kingfisher has organised funds to pay salaries: Vijay Mallya

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India’s Kingfisher Airlines has organised funds to pay overdue salaries, Chairman Vijay Mallya told staff in an email, offering assurances that he would reward employees who stay committed to debt-crippled carrier.

Separately, Mallya told the Times newspaper in London that Kingfisher was in talks with two unidentified foreign carriers about equity tie-up that could be announced within days.

Bomb explosion kills three in Kathmandu

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A bomb explosion in the heart of Nepal’s capital killed three people, and injured seven others on Monday afternoon. The blast occurred in front of the office of Nepal Oil Corporation, less than hundred metres from the southern gate of Singha Durbar, the Central government Secretariat which houses the Prime Minister’s Office and key Ministries. Two individuals died on the spot, while a third succumbed to injuries at the hospital.

Deepika Padukone, Sidhartha Mallya have turned strangers

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At one point of time, they were thick friends and graced social gatherings as a couple deeply in love. Deepika and Sidhartha, who then looked inseparable, have now turned alien to each other.

Reportedly, the Deepika-Sidhartha love saga ended on a bitter note, resulting in a situation where the two are of no consequence to each other!

Apparently, they do all possible things to avoid feeling awkward at social gatherings. And in case they bump into each other, they give a royal ignore.

Don’t compare Indian awards with Oscars: Abhishek Bachchan

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Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan feels it is futile for Indian media to compare Indian film award functions to a ceremony like Oscars because here most such functions are organised by the media houses themselves.

“Interesting to see-read a lot of the media comparing the Oscars to our Indian awards. Most seem to think that we need to improve, raise our standards… Wait a minute… Aren’t most of OUR awards run and held by media houses,” Abhishek wrote on Twitter.

Samjhauta accused arrested in Malegaon case

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National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday formally arrested Lokesh Sharma, already in judicial custody in connection with the Samjhauta train bombing case, for his alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.

Sharma was produced before the special MCOCA court of Y.D. Shinde who remanded him to NIA custody till March nine. The special court had issued a production warrant against the accused on February 23.

The agency said Sharma needs to be questioned in connection with the September 29, 2008, Malegaon blast in which six people were killed.

Qatar, UAE among richest countries: Forbes

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A new Forbes ranking of the wealthiest nations is out, and it ranks the mighty minnow Qatar at the top of the world, with per capita income of more than $88,000.

“If wealth is power, then Qataris have some serious muscle to flex. The Arabian Gulf emirate of 1.7 million people ranks as the world’s richest country per capita thanks to a rebound in oil prices and its massive natural gas reserves,” wrote Forbes’ Beth Greenfield in a report on the world’s wealthiest nations.

Crazy man throws woman on to Tube tracks

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This is the shocking moment a crazed commuter launched an apparently random attack on a woman – pushing her on to the tracks of the London Underground.

The 23-year-old victim struck up a brief conversation with the thug and following a trivial row over the man’s hat, he turned and shoved her on to the rails on the Northern Line at Leicester Square.

She only missed the live rail by inches, and was able to pull herself back onto the platform with the help of other travellers before the next train came down the platform.

I am not supposed to please everyone: Veena Malik

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Mumbai, February 27: Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, says she is not bothered about what people think of her as she is not here to please everyone.

“Pakistan is my country and there are so many people out there who follow me. There are young boys and girls who look up to me, follow me, love me. But yes, it is not necessary that every single person should love me and I am not supposed to please everybody,” the controversial actress said here at her birthday celebration.

Dubai woman recounts nightmare as lover went from ‘marry me’ to ‘I’m kidnapping you’

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An Emirati man allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a woman because she refused to marry him, the Dubai Criminal Court heard on Monday.

According to the victim, MAA, a 22-year-old Emirati, who works as a Human Resources Executive in a government department, she knew the suspect for last nine years. However, “when he made his intentions clear”, she began resisting his attempts and refused to marry him, which upset him.

She alleged that 26-year-old FAM began sending her threatening SMS in an effort to convince her to change her decision, which she paid no heed to.

Old City roads to get Facelift

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Eight major roads in the Old City are slated to get a facelift with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) planning to develop them as model roads. While work on two roads – Charminar to Falaknuma and Nayapul to Chaderghat via Salar Jung Museum – will commence immediately, the rest will be taken up later, as per report published in Times on 27th Feb.