Month: May 2012

1400 years old Olive tree in Italy to be named after Michelle Obama

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A 1,400-year-old olive tree in Italy will be dedicated to American first lady Michelle Obama for her efforts to promote healthy eating.

The dedication ceremony will be held May 25 in southern Puglia region during a festival to celebrate Italy’s Mediterranean diet, Italian news agency AKI reported.

During the ceremony, the seventh-century tree dubbed “the Queen” will be dedicated to the US president’s wife as recognition for her work to educate Americans about the importance of a healthy diet that encompasses many of the eating traditions in Italy and other Mediterranean countries.

Zardari arrives in Chicago for NATO summit

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Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has arrived in Chicago to attend a key NATO summit starting Sunday.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbass Jilani are accompanying him, Geo TV reported Sunday.

US President Barack Obama will host the two-day summit that will focus on plans to hand over security control to Afghan forces and withdrawal of foreign combat troops by 2014.

The coalition has urged Pakistan to back efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and hoped Islamabad will lift a six-month blockade of NATO supply trucks to Afghanistan.

Knight Riders beat Pune Warriors to finish as second-placed team

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Kolkata Knight Riders cruised into the play-offs in style beating Pune Warriors by 34 runs in their last league encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Subroto Roy Sahara Stadium here Saturday.

Knight Riders qualified as the second-placed side and will now play toppers Delhi in the Qualifier 1. In the eliminator, Mumbai Indians will facing either defending Chennai Super Kings or Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The win was also Knight Riders’ second in the season against Pune Warriors, having beaten them in the much-hyped home-leg by seven runs as well.

Lara Dutta defends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan!

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While Lara Dutta was pretty open about her pregnancy and post-pregnancy days, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan kept herself miles away from the shutterbugs. What’s more, Dutta has bounced back and is all set to sign new films. At the same time, Ash dearest is still struggling with her bulges.

‘AP will have rowdy raj if Jagan becomes CM’

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APCC official spokesperson Dr N Thulasi Reddy has said that there would be ‘Rowdy Raj’ if the YSRCP Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy happened to become chief minister.

Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan here on Saturday, Dr Reddy said that Jagan’s “golden era” will only benefit the Rowdies and land grabbers and the common man would lose every thing if Jagan becomes chief minister of the State.

16 Hajj servants picked by Qurrah

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The Andhra Pradesh State Haj Committee has selected 16 Khadim-ul-Hujjaj (Haj Servants) from among 98 eligible candidates through qurrah (Draw of lots) for Haj 2012, today in the Haj House in the presence of applicants. The Executive Officer Abdul Hameed supervised the qurrah and announced the names of selected candidates. Irfan Shareef AEO and others were present.

BJP names nominees for two seats

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The State BJP on Saturday announced its candidates for Prathipadu Assembly constituency in Guntur district and Payakaraopet in Visakhapatnam district for the ensuing bye-elections.

In a pressnote today, State BJP general secretary S Ramachandra Rao stated that the party has selected Thadikonda Rajaratnam for Prathipadu (SC) constituency and K Nageshwara Pramod Chakravarthy for Payakaraopet (SC) constituency. (NSS)

‘Plenty of Jobs in packaging sector’

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With an aim to ensure 100 percent job guarantee, Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) is offering courses for the 2012-13 academic year. The Institute has been conducting awareness programs in the name of ‘Education Fair’ on May 19 and 20 on its campus at Sanath Nagar.

Auto driver hits electric pole after seeing Mallika in rear view mirror

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An auto driver was to take both Mallika Sherawat and co-star Vivek Oberoi for a song shoot, but he had to be replaced as he continued to leer at the lady and lost control over his vehicle, says a media report.

The driver was clearly distracted by Mallika Sherawat wearing racy clothes partially revealing her booty, and Vivek Oberoi had to take his place behind the wheels at the shoot.

Mallika’s hourglass figure was a little too much for the auto driver to handle, says the report.

No Limit For Actors – Parineeti

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Actors should not be guided by limits says promising actress Parineeti Chopra who cast her spell with her brilliant and bold performances in recent releases and smash hits Ishqzade and Ladies V/s Ricky Bahl. Her focus will be on script and is not averse to bikini wearing or kissing. And actor shall pay attention to script and work according to its demand, she opines.

In her recent interview she has said that she will not let go any offer because of one kissing scene. The script plays an important role and one shall try to understand the depth, the writer has given to the topic.

We will wait and watch, Maya says on prez polls

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After two key regional parties — ADMK and BJD — played their Presidential cards and supported NCP leader PA Sangma’s candidature, BSP chief Mayawati preferred to keep her options open and said she would wait for the UPA and the NDA to announce their candidates. “Our party is keeping an Sangma’s Prez push runs out of steam?
eye on all the parties on the issue of the Presidential nominee. Let us see what candidate UPA and NDA field,” Maywati said here at a press conference.

She added BSP will support the candidate who fits into her party’s “line of movement”.

Open court held for child labourers

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Child Labour Association conducted an ‘Open Court’ at Paradise in Secunderabad on Sunday.
The court distributed Bank DDs to child labourers. The amount was collected as fine from the managements of commercial complexes, which were not paying minimum wages to the workers.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner of Child Labour Naresh Kumar has said that one can call the toll-free number 1098 if found child labour anywhere in the City. (NSS)

Hajj house picks 98 Govt. employees as guides

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The State Haj House here on Saturday conducted a draw for picking up government employees, who would act as guides to the Haj pilgrims from the State.

The Haj House selected 98 employees as guides across the State from the draw. Only 53 persons were selected from Hyderabad. The government will bear their expenditure in the form of subsidy. (NSS)

B.Tech student found murdered

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A B.Tech student was murdered in Vemulawada of the district on Saturday.
Police said that some unidentified persons had murdered Neralla Anil and burnt the body beside the Kamareddy highway.

According to the information, Anil’s parents have complained to the police that the boy was missing since on May 16. Police, who started searching for the missing student, found his body near Kamareddy highway. The body was identified as that of Anil.

Police suspect that love affair could be the reason for the murder. (NSS)

Land mines recovered on railway tracks

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Police have found five land mines under a railway track at a culvert in Edulanagulapalli in the district here on Saturday.

On receipt of information that there were some suspicious materials under the track, the police rushed to the spot and conducted a search and found the land mines. They were immediately defused.
Police said that they have registered a conspiracy case and taken up investigation. (NSS)

Jagan will win 12 to 16 seats, say surveys

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Pre-poll surveys conducted by different TV channels and other organizations suggest that the YSR Congress led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would be sweeping the ensuing by polls which would be held on June 12 to 18 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats.

According to these surveys, the YSRC is poised to get a minimum of 13 and a maximum of 16 Assembly seats.

CM okays prosecution of IAS officers

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Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday gave green signal to the CBI to prosecute IAS officers, who were served notices by the Supreme Court in connection with the issuance of 26 controversial GOs that favoured the YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Not received any favours for investing in Sakshi: Lagadapati

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Vijayawada Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal has seriously reacted to the criticism of the YSR Congress that the CBI was only harassing non-Congress investors in Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s companies and was allowing Congress leaders who had invested in Sakshi and other companies to go scot-free.

Why is KVP not being questioned: VH

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Senior Congress leader and MP V Hanumantha Rao has questioned the CBI as to why it was not questioning Rajya Sabha member K V P Ramachandra Rao, who claimed to be the soul of late Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy when the latter was alive.

VH met the Governor ESL Narasimhan here on Saturday and congratulated him for getting extension for another five years.

CBI preparing to quiz ministers in Jagan case

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The Central Bureau of Investigation, which has stepped up the pace of investigation into the alleged ill-gotten assets of YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is preparing to question some ministers of erstwhile YSR regime, who were responsible for the issue of 26 controversial GOs that had helped Jagan amass wealth illegally.

G8 leaders stress boosting growth

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Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) nations have stressed that bolstering economic growth and job creation was critical to the global economic recovery.

“The global economic recovery shows signs of promise, but significant headwinds persist,” the G8 leaders said in a statement on the global economy, adding that “our imperative is to promote growth and jobs”.

‘NATO operating as military arm of US imperialism’

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An American political analyst says NATO is “the military arm of imperialism,” spreading terrorism and oppression across the world.

“I say terrorism because if you look at the tens of thousands that were killed in Libya by the NATO bombing, or in former Yugoslavia, or with the drone attacks, or the myriad attacks and wars around the world, it’s sheer terror,” the International Action Center’s John Parker told Press TV from Chicago, where protests are being held ahead of the NATO summit.

Minority births in US surpass whites: Census

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New data indicate that more than half of the babies that were born in the United States last year were from minority groups.

Hispanics, blacks, Asians and other minorities accounted for nearly 2.02 million or 50.4 percent of US births in the 12-month period ending July 2011, the Census Bureau reported.

The nation’s overall minority population continues to climb after an unexpectedly high Hispanic population count during the 2010 census.

The census estimates also pointed to the prolonged consequences of a weak US economy which have led to fewer Hispanics entering the country.