Month: April 2012

Pakistan’s top court convicts PM of contempt

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Pakistan’s Supreme Court convicted the prime minister of contempt on Thursday but handed him a symbolic sentence of less than a minute’s detention, allowing him to leave the building surrounded by cheering supporters and still in power.

The ruling against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani triggered renewed political turmoil and could lead to his dismissal in the coming months. The tensions risk consuming a government already burdened with major economic and security challenges.

Bofors: Does anyone care about the truth?

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There’s nothing astoundingly enlightening about the fresh revelation on the Bofors scandal by Swedish investigator Sten Lindstorm. Much of what he says has been in the public domain in India in the form of speculation, insinuation and documented facts for the last 25 years. Every aspect of the Rs 64-crore payoff case has been dissected threadbare, discussed and hyped so much that nothing new would surprise someone following the case from its beginning in April 1987, the day Swedish Radio broke the story to the world.

Travel distance under Izzat season ticket up

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South Central Railway (SCR) announced the travel distance under ‘IZZAT’ Monthly Season Ticket Scheme has been increased from 100 Km to 150 Km with effect from June one, 2012.

In a release, the SCR here said as announced in the Railway Budget 2012-13, the increase in travel distance will be permissible on tickets purchased on and after June 1.

In case of tickets issued before June 1, 2012, the increase in travel distance will not be admissible.

—UNI

Sunidhi Chauhan to get Hitched on 26th

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Sunidhi Chauhan is perhaps the prettiest playback singer we have in Bollywood (hardcore Shreya Ghoshal fans may disagree). Her sultry good looks and single status had made her the dreamgirl of millions of starry-eyed youngsters. Well, eat your heart out boys n guys!!!

Poonam Pandey is not like Sunny Leone

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You got to hand it over to Poonam Pandey. Even though the girl has no film or substantial work to her credit, she still manages to make headlines day after day.

The girl who first shot to limelight when she promised to strip if Team India won the cricket World Cup has 1 million followers on Twitter and continues to make sensational statements. After being in news for almost a year, Poonam has finally signed her first Bollywood with Amit Saxena (who directed ‘Jism’) and already making tall claims about her acting abilities.

Jaipur court summons SRK for smoking

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Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been summoned by the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jaipur for publicly smoking in the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on April 8 during an IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. On the basis of news reports, a complaint was filed against the actor by Anand Singh Rathore, who moved court against the actor.

Why are only Hindus questioned? Uma

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Firebrand BJP leader Uma Bharati today charged that only Hindus were targetted over questionable practices in the name of religion.

“I do not wish to say anything on Nirmal Baba issue, neither in favour of him nor against him. But I do feel there is a widespread tendency to target Hindus when it comes to questionable practices in the name of religion”, Bharati told reporters here.

Bharati’s comments came in the wake of a spate of complaints of fraud against Nirmaljeet Singh, alias Nirmal

Couples fight 167 times a year

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Snoring, allowing kids to sleep in the bed and leaving the reading light on are among the many reasons why couples argue in the bedroom at least 167 times a year, a study has found.

One in 10 couples in Britain has a night-time fight at least twice a week over their partner’s “sound effects” while sleeping, said the study by Premier Inn, one of the biggest hotel brands in Britain.

More than 20 percent lose two hours sleep every night because of noise. Ten percent said they were even considering splitting up because of it, the Daily Express reported.

Muslim conference on Education from May 5 in Jaipur

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Jaipur, the Pink City, is hosting a two-day ninth All India Muslim Conference on Education on May 5 and 6 at Birla Auditorium. It will be ninth conference organized by All India Muslim Educational Society.

Union law minister Salman Khurshid, Union minister of state for human resource development E Ahmed along with Wajahat Habibullah, chairman, National Commission for Minorities will participate in a session on May 6.

‘US at War with Islam’ Training for Military

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America’s top military officer has ordered a review of training materials for US troops that espouse the view that the United States is at war with Islam, The New York Times reported Thursday, April 26.

“Our concern is there are some unprofessional things being taught to students in professional military educational curriculum,” Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.

“A student who finished the course last month brought this to his attention, that some materials in that course were inflammatory,” Kirby said.

No Change in Visa Policy on Modi: US

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The US has said there is no change in its policy to deny visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“Our position on the visa issue hasn’t changed at all,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.

Nuland was responding to questions on the letter written by Congressman Joe Walsh to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that the US Government reverse its 2005 decision not to issue US visa to Modi.

The letter by Walsh was written about a fortnight ago.

“If we do respond, it’ll be along familiar lines,” Nuland said.

Muslim lawyer pledges to ‘cover Russia in blood’

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Police in the Russian capital said Wednesday they will examine a video in which a prominent Muslim lawyer pledges to “cover Russia in blood” if the authorities refuse to establish courts to implement Islamic law.

“May be you are foreigners here, and this is our home. We will set our rules, whether you want this or not,” Dagir Khasavov, a lawyer and aide to an upper house committee chairman, said in an interview with the REN TV channel.

“Any attempts to stop this will result in blood. We will turn the city (Moscow) into a second dead sea,” he was quoted as saying.

Tendulkar for Rajya Sabha nomination, meets Sonia Gandhi

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Tendulkar for Rajya Sabha nomination, meets Sonia Gandhi New Delhi: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi Thursday amid speculation in party circles that he would be nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Congress leaders said Tendulkar and his wife Anjali paid “a courtesy visit” to Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence. They said Gandhi was keen to greet the cricketer on his feat of scoring 100 international centuries.

Indian Premier League chairman Rajiv Shukla, who is also Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, was present on the occasion.

2 Murdered, 12 Kidnapped by Maoists in Gadchiroli

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Two tribals were brutally murdered in full public glare and nearly a dozen others kidnapped by a group of Naxalites at a village near here in eastern Maharashtra today, police sources said.

A group of armed Maoists swooped down on Markegaon village at around 7 am and asked residents to assemble at the village square.

They took Dewsay Usandi and Ram Narote aside and slit their throats with sharp-edged weapons in full view of the villagers, the sources said.

The rebels then abducted at least 10 to 12 tribals and disappeared in a nearby forest, they said.

Sachin Tendulkar accepts Congress’s Rajya Sabha nomination: Reports

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Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination proposed by the Congress, according to reports. He is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

The Home Ministry had recommended four names including those of Tendulkar, Bollywood actress Rekha and industrialist Anu Agha for the Rajya Sabha. Reports say that Rekha and Agha have also accepted the nominations.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written a letter to the Home Ministry on the issue. The Congress had offered to nominate Tendulkar under the President’s quota.

US not listening Pak on drones: Hina Rabbani Khar

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Pakistan has spelt out in no uncertain terms that US drone aircraft strikes against militants inside its territory must stop, but Washington is not listening, the country’s Foreign Minister said.

“On drones, the language is clear: a clear cessation of drone strikes,” Hina Rabbani Khar said.

“I maintain the position that we’d told them categorically before. But they did not listen. I hope their listening will improve,” she said in an interview late on Wednesday.

Daily aspirin cuts bowel cancer death risk

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People suffering from bowel cancer who take aspirin daily could cut their chance of dying from the disease by about one-third, a decade-long study has said.

The study in the British Journal of Cancer looked at 4,500 bowel cancer patients living in the Netherlands, BBC reported.

All the bowel patients took a low dose of aspirin — 80 mg or less a day. This dose is already recommended for people with heart disease.

Pistachios help growth of beneficial gut bugs

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Eating pistachio nuts may help the growth of potentially beneficial gut bugs and promote digestive health, says a new study.

Pistachios are also an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and manganese and a good source of phosphorus and thiamin. Gut bugs help in digestion of food in the stomach.

They may play a role in “modifying microbiota (microbial environment in the gastrointestinal tract) … for supporting intestinal health,” said Volker Mai, assistant professor at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Muslim lawyer pledges to ‘cover Russia in blood’

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Police in the Russian capital said Wednesday they will examine a video in which a prominent Muslim lawyer pledges to “cover Russia in blood” if the authorities refuse to establish courts to implement Islamic law.

“May be you are foreigners here, and this is our home. We will set our rules, whether you want this or not,” Dagir Khasavov, a lawyer and aide to an upper house committee chairman, said in an interview with the REN TV channel.

“Any attempts to stop this will result in blood. We will turn the city (Moscow) into a second dead sea,” he was quoted as saying.

Marathon runner proposes ahead of finish line

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A marathon runner in London stopped 800 yards from the finish line, and got down on one knee in front of his girlfriend and proposed.

The action of the 28-year-old hospital worker, Ben McCreadie, stunned his girlfriend Laura Rendell, who was there to cheer him, The Sun reported.

The runner refused to finish the race until the 30-year-old woman agreed to marry him.

She said “yes”, and Ben put an engagement ring on her finger before running off to complete the race.

India’s monsoon likely to be normal: Deshmukh

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India’s monsoon is likely to be normal, Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said here Thursday.

‘India Meteorological Department’s long range forecast for the 2012 southwest monsoon season (June-September) is that the rainfall for the country as a whole is most likely to be normal, which is between 96 to 104 percent of the long period average,” said Deshmukh.

Trinamool leader flung jug at me, says Bengal professor

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A woman college professor’s allegation that a former Trinamool Congress legislator flung a jug full of water at her following an altercation over teachers’ association elections in West Bengal has created a flutter here.

The incident allegedly happened in the teachers’ staff room of the Bhangar College in the neighbouring South 24-Parganas district Tuesday.

Anti-gay propaganda bill passed in Siberia

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The regional legislature in Russia’s Siberia region Thursday passed a bill banning promotion of homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender practices among minors.

“It’s mainly about various gay parades… about their promotion among minors. It’s about preventing people who are not related to homosexuality from explaining to their kids what is going on,” said Alexander Ilushchenko, who oversees a regional committee on culture, education, sports and youth policy.

Now, Sachin in Rajya Sabha?

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Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar today met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence here on Thursdays.

It was learnt that Congress wanted to nominate him for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament. Though it is not sure what the master batsman has responded to the proposal.

Sachin Tendulkar, who turned 39 on Tuesday, has scored 51 centuries in Test cricket from 188 matches and 49 tons from 463 ODIs he has played so far in his international career spanning nearly 23 years.

–Agencies

‘No approval given for demolition of mosque’

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With Rajasthan Waqf Board’s role coming under scanner over the razing of a century-old mosque in Bhilwara district, its chairman today said the company involved was clearly told to ensure the safety of the mosque as per the Islamic laws and no deal was made to demolish the structure.

Chairman Liaquat Ali Khan also demanded “stern” action against those responsible.

The mosque in Pur area was demolished last Thursday by a company which alleged that it was an obstacle in the mining process.