Month: February 2012

Dazzling Kohli stunned Srilanka

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India have blasted their way to 3-321 in 36.4 overs for a stunning bonus-point win over Sri Lanka to prolong their Australian tour until at least Friday.

Needing the improbable target from 40 overs to earn a bonus point win at Bellerive and keep their tournament alive, Virat Kohli smashed 133 off 86 balls to lead the Indians to the most extraordinary run-chase witnessed on Australian soil.

Kohli, who hit 16 fours and two sixes, put on 115 with Gautam Gambhir (63 off 64) and 120 with Suresh Raina to blow the Sri Lankan attack away.

India will not pursue protectionism policy: Sibal

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Allaying fears of foreign electronics manufacturers, India has said it will not pursue protectionism policy and will give level-playing field to all participants.

“Look at the policies of world around, we are far less protectionist than any other country in the world. There is no question of India becoming protectionist,” Indian Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said here yesterday.

The government is in the process of finalising an electronics manufacturing policy that would encourage the use of indigenous equipment and curtail India’s import bill.

Core industry growth slows to 0.5% in January

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In a poor performance, the eight core industries grew by 0.5 percent in January mainly due to slackening output of crude oil, steel, natural gas and petroleum refinery products.

The eight core industries, which include coal, cement, fertilisers and electricity, had recorded a growth rate of 6.4 percent in January 2011.

During December 2011, the core sectors recorded a growth of 3.1 percent against 6.3 percent same period previous year.

80% Indian-Americans to vote for Obama: Poll

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Indian-Americans would overwhelmingly vote for US President Barack Obama in the November presidential elections, while Mitt Romney has been named as favourite among the Republican presidential candidates, according to a latest opinion poll.

“Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leads his nearest rivals Ron Paul by 24.1 percentage points and former Senator Rick Santorum by 33.4 percentage points,” said the latest national opinion poll among Indian-Americans.

Obama has failed America: Nikki Haley

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In a sharp attack on President Barack Obama, seeking re-election, Indian-American Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley has charged that he has failed to handle America and skipped a White House dinner.

Haley who has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney said Obama was coming in the way of development in her state. “In South Carolina, we can’t even pass our own bills without him getting in the way.”

Mexican drug lord will meet Osama’s fate: US

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The US will make every effort to ensure that Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman will face the fate of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano warned.

“It took us 10 years to find Osama Bin Laden and we found him,” Napolitano said on Monday at a press conference in Mexico City.

“And you know what happened there; I’m not suggesting the same thing would happen with Guzman but I am suggesting that we are persistent when it comes to wrongdoers and those who do harm in both of our countries,” she added.

Targeted drug extends survival of leukemia patients

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Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who have not responded to interferon treatments, experience long-term benefits when they switch to the targeted drug imatinib, according to a new study.

The finding indicates that imatinib is the treatment of choice for these patients.

Imatinib, a drug that blocks the protein made by a particular cancer-causing gene, has revolutionized the treatment and prognosis of patients with CML.

Federer eager to taste elusive Olympic glory

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Tennis ace Roger Federer has said it would be a special feeling for him to win the gold medal at this year’s London Olympics. Federer has won a record 16 Grand Slams and 71 singles titles, but has never able to conquer the Olympic gold.

“I`d love an Olympic gold, everyone knows that,” Gulf News quoted Federer, as saying to the media at the iconic Burj Al Arab on Sunday.

“I`ve had an amazing experience at all the three Olympics I`ve played. But this is big milestone for tennis at the Olympics, for all players of my generation.

Genelia D’Souza enters Limca Book of World Records

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Genelia D’Souza has enlisted herself in the Limca Book of World Records by delivering back to back hits in four different languages.

The 24-year-old actress’ movies in Tamil, Telegu, Kannada and Hindi have reportedly made her win an entry in the record book.

D’Souza, who recently got married to actor Ritesh Deshmukh, has even garnered positive reviews for her acting in her latest flick ‘Tere Naal love Ho Gaya’.

—Agencies

Kenseth survives fire and rain to win Daytona 500

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Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 race on Monday, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr on the final lap of a heavily delayed and incident-packed race.

Kenseth was helped by Ford team mate Greg Biffle, who helped slow down Earnhardt before crossing the line third in the NASCAR season opener.

The victory was Kenseth`s second in the race following his 2009 triumph.

The race was postponed from Sunday due to rain and then for a further seven hours on Monday and finished at almost 1 a.m. local time.

Pak court seeks report on Sarabjit

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A Pakistani court has sought a report from the Interior Ministry in response to a petition seeking the release of Indian national Sarabjit Singh, currently on death row following his conviction for alleged involvement in bomb attacks in 1990.

Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik of the Lahore High Court yesterday asked the Interior Ministry to file a reply by March 16, failing which the court would decide the matter on merit.

Imran Khan says no Taliban, Qaeda threat to him

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Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Tuesday said slain former premier Benazir Bhutto had faced a threat from the Taliban and al Qaeda because she had pledged to take action against the two groups but there is no similar danger to him.

“There was a danger to Benazir Bhutto from only one place, because she had come (back to Pakistan) saying that she would take action against the Taliban and al Qaeda. So there was a threat to her from there,” Khan, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party chief, told reporters at his residence in Lahore.

India Vs Sri Lanka live score: Hobart ODI

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Over 11.1: 100 up for India. A blistering start indeed!

Scorecard: India V Sri Lanka»

Over 9.2: Sachin Tendulkar was trapped plumbed by Malinga.

Tendulkar (39) moved to his right attempting to play Malinga’s yorker fine but missed it completely to be given lbw. Could possibly be his last innings in Australia. Score: 86/2

Over 6.2: Out! Virender Sehwag holed out to Dilshan at mid-on.

Sehwag (30) was charging at the Lankans with a strike rate of 200 but mistimed Maharoof’s shortish delivery to be caught by Dilshan at mid-on. Score: 54/1

Indians forced daughter-in-law into life of ‘servitude and sexual abuse’

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A US court has convicted three members of an Indian family on charges of sexually abusing their daughter-in-law, who moved to America after an arranged marriage.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said Vishal Jagota, 34, his mother Parveen Jagota, 57 and sister Rajani Jagota, 31 were found guilty of trafficking. The court also found they used threats and physical violence to force the victim into a life of “servitude and sexual abuse”.

‘Afghanistan turmoil won’t change US war plan’

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The Obama administration is sticking determinedly to its stay-the-course message in Afghanistan despite a week of anti-American riots, the point-blank killing of US military advisers and growing election-year demands to bring the troops home.

In an echo of the Bush administration on continuing the unpopular war in Iraq, the White House and Pentagon insisted Monday that the wave of violence against Americans will not derail the war strategy in Afghanistan or speed up the calendar for bringing American forces home.

Another Bengal rape is ‘concocted’, according to Mamata

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Mamata Banerjee blames the opposition CPM for reports of a rape in West Bengal’s Katwa district on Saturday. The chief minister says the account of the rape is “concocted” – the second allegation of this nature in as many weeks.

The victim says she was travelling by train in Katwa when a group of men who were trying to rob passengers dragged her out onto the track and raped her. Ms Banerjee says that medical tests conducted on the victim have not confirmed a sexual assault.

Pimp kills pimp over spoils of flesh trade

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A fight between two pimps over prostitution money ended in the murder of one them. The police got a whiff of the murder and arrested the accused with the help of an ambulance driver three days after the murder. When the Versova police called an ambulance at Siddharth Nagar on Saturday for ferrying the unidentified body of a woman wrapped in a gunny bag, little did they know they would soon reach the perpetrator through it.

Ranbir-Deepika to kiss and make up

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Actors Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor’s equation with each other has always attracted a lot of attention, while they were dating and even after they broke up.

The duo has moved on to greener pastures since their split but they will be reuniting again for a movie.

Filmmaker Ayan Mukherji, who directed Ranbir in ‘Wake Up Sid’ has brought the two of them together for his next film. As per sources close to the film, it has apparently been learnt that the two will have a couple of intimate scenes to shoot as well.

Pak court seeks report on Sarabjit

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A Pakistani court has sought a report from the Interior Ministry in response to a petition seeking the release of Indian national Sarabjit Singh, currently on death row following his conviction for alleged involvement in bomb attacks in 1990.

Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik of the Lahore High Court yesterday asked the Interior Ministry to file a reply by March 16, failing which the court would decide the matter on merit.

AP House adjournment over liquor kickback issue

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Andhra Pradesh Assembly could not transact any real business on Monday as main opposition TDP stalled proceedings demanding that ministers, who allegedly received kickbacks from liquor syndicates, be sacked from the Cabinet immediately, forcing adjournment of the House for the day.

Gilani contempt: Court summons top official

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A top Pakistani official was Tuesday summoned by the Supreme Court which was hearing Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s contempt of court case for refusing to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

A seven-member bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, resumed hearing the contempt of court case and summoned Nargis Sethi, secretary defence and cabinet division, as a witness, reported Geo News.

Gilani’s counsel Aitzaz Ahsan said the prime minister never intended to act in contempt of court. He added that he was bound to act on the Law Ministry’s advice.

New species of fish discovered in Kalpangi River

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Researchers have discovered a new species of fish in Kalpangi River in Yazali under Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The new species, Garra Kalpangi, was named after the river from where it was discovered, officials said today.

The team included K Nebeshwar from Manipur University, Kenjum Bagra Research Officer at Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Board and D N Das of Rajiv Gandhi University.

The discovery of the new species was mentioned in an article published in the February, 2012 edition of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, a wildlife and conservation journal.

Gunmen open fire18 killed

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Gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in the northern Pakistani district of Kohistan in an apparent sectarian attack on Tuesday, killing 18 people, police officials said.

“All the people on board were Shi’ites, and at the moment it looks like they were targeted by armed men from the local Sunni community,” a senior police official said.

The bus was traveling from central Pakistan city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, to the northern town of Gilgit.

Scientists see red over cuts to NASA Mars missions

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NASA has said it is not giving up on Mars, but it will have to get there later and at a lower price.

President Barack Obama’s announced this month budget cancelled joint US-European robotic missions to Mars in 2016 and 2018. Now top science officials say they are scrambling to come up with a plan by the end of the summer for a cut-rate journey to the red planet in 2018.

Agri scientists urge govt to lift moratorium on Bt-brinjal

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The government should remove all constraints in the research and development work of biotech crops and lift moratorium on commercial release of Bt-brinjal, agri-biotech scientists and industry bodies said today.

In a day-long conference on Biotech Crops for Food Security in India, the scientists from the US, Switzerland and India noted that biotech crops would play a major role in ensuring food security of India.