Month: May 2012

Kolaveri Didi: Mamata walks off TV show, calls students ‘Maoists’

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It was to have been a milestone moment to mark Paschim Banga Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee‘s completion of a year in office after her historic victory in last year’s election, throwing out the Left Front that had been in power for over three decades.

But in the end, an interactive TV show in Kolkata on Friday, hosted by CNN-IBN, between Mamata-di and students from the State showed up the Chief Minister at her cantankerous worst.

Banerjee called the students “Maoists” for asking tough questions of her – and then walked out of the show in a show of extreme petulance.

Re-election ‘is hard when your name is Barack Hussein Obama’

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President Barack Obama has suggested that prejudice among some voters reduces the chances him being re-elected. Asked during a television interview how close he expected the result of November’s US presidential election to be, Obama said: “When your name is Barack Obama, it’s always tight”.

After a host noted that his full name was “Barack Hussein Obama”, the president repeated this twice, stressing the middle name that has led conspiracy theorists to claim, erroneously, that he is secretly Muslim.

Recognise desi beauties, not foreigners: Abhishek

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Giselli Monteiro, Barbara Mori, Amy Jackson… A slew of foreign beauties are playing key roles in Bollywood films. But director Abhishek Kapoor feels this obsession with “white girls” can be damaging to ‘desi’ actresses.

“Our obsession with white girls playing lead in Indian films is extremely detrimental to the psyche of the Indian girl. As bad as selling fairness cream,” tweeted the “Rock On!!” director.

“Our Indian girls are being sidelined to favour of this Caucasian invasion… STOP this madness and recognise our own beauties,” he added.

Jilted wife puts Cheater hubby’s things on road!

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A furious woman in the US has adopted an unusual way to forget her divorced husband by putting his every belonging, which could possibly remind her of him, on the street along with his car by spraying “cheater” on it.

She simply dumped the possessions in the front yard of their split level house next to a spray-painted sign which read “free” and “x-husband sale”, Daily Mail reported.

The woman from Wisconsin state also flattened the tyres of her husband’s GMC Yukon SUV while spraying the word ‘cheater’ on the side.

B-grandma assaulted by boys for a ring

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A grandmother in Britain was left with bruises all over her body as two schoolboys assaulted her to snatch a 20-pound ring.

Patricia Thistleton, 64, was left unconscious in a pool of blood by the boys, as young as 14, outside an off-licence in Preston, Lancashire, Daily Mail reported.

One of them snatched the silver ring from her finger as she lay bleeding after a head injury in the residential street Tuesday. Later, a passerby woman helped the lady return to her nearby flat.

Russian M-woman jailed in failed terror attack

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A court has sentenced a woman to 10 years in prison after finding her guilty of attempting to detonate herself on Moscow’s central Red Square over a year ago, Russia’s Investigative Committee said Friday.

“According to the scenario, Zeinap Suyunova was to have become the direct perpetrator of the terrorist attack,” spokesman Vladimir Markin said. “The court sentenced Suyunova to 10 years in prison in a medium-security prison.”

US stocks slide amid euro concerns

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US stocks failed to find any support Friday amid continuing concerns over the eurozone and a shaky Nasdaq debut of the Facebook.

At market close, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 73.11 points, or 0.59 percent, to 12,369.38. The Standard & Poor’s 500 was down 9.64 points, or 0.74 percent, to 1,295.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 34.90 points, or 1.24 percent, to 2,778.79, Xinhua reports.

Rajasthan Royals knocked out, Chargers win finally

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Former champions Rajasthan Royals were knocked out of the fifth edition of Indian Premier League following their five wicket defeat by Deccan Chargers at Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here Friday.

It was finally a moment of celebrations for the home team as chasing a modest target of 127, they notched up a victory with 1.2 overs to spare.

The result put an end to series of defeats for the home side but made little difference to their position. They are already out of the race for the play-offs.

Pakistan public to fund Asif Ali Zardari’s Ajmer donation

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Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s donation of $ 1 million to the famous sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer will be paid from Pakistan’s public exchequer, his spokesman has said.
Zardari announced the donation, which the shrine’s administrators have described as one of the biggest in recent years, when he offered prayers at the Dargah on April 8.

The President visited the shrine in Rajasthan after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a day-long private visit to India.

CBI grills Sabitha in Jagan’s assets case

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The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday grilled Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy in connection with disproportionate assets case of YSR Congress party president Jagan Mohan Reddy.

According to sources, the CBI officials questioned Sabitha at her residence for more than three hours about the permissions and licenses granted to certain cement companies, which allegedly made investments into the companies owned by Jagan under quid pro quo arrangement.

Telangana issue generates heat in Rajya Sabha

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senior Congress leader on Friday alleged that Home Minister P Chidamabaram’s statement on creation of a separate Telangana state was given in 2010 after TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu pledged his support for it.

The statement made by Hanumantha Rao (Cong) led to a furore in the House as members from TDP and BJP sought a clarification from the Home Minister on the issue.

Congress will win majority of seats in by-polls, claims Chiranjeevi

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Rajya Sabha member K Chiranjeevi on Friday said that the wave was in favour of Congress party in the ensuing by-elections.

Talking to media persons at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, Chiranjeevi expressed confidence that the Congress party would emerge victorious in majority of constituencies in the by-elections. However, when reporters specifically asked for numbers, he restrained from giving the exact or approximate number of seats that Congress could win.

Cop killed while chasing criminals

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A 42-year-old Delhi Police constable was killed and a young home guard injured here early this morning when suspected criminals knocked them down from their motorcycle while chasing them.

The incident took place in Bharat Nagar area at around 2:45 am and the deceased has been identified as Naresh Kumar
while the injured is Shankar (25).

“They were patrolling the streets when a message was flashed over wireless that some criminals were passing through
the area in a mini-truck.

UCB vice chairman killed in road mishap

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Vice Chairman of Urban Cooperative Bank (UCB) was killed and two others were injured when their car rammed into a truck near here, police said today.

Satya Prakash Yadav (50) died on the spot, while the two others, identified as Vineet Pandey and Sarvesh, were injured in the accident that took place yesterday near Chimney village, they said.

————————-PTI

CBI seeks more info from AP minister in Jagan case

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Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy was quizzed by the CBI again yesterday in connection with the alleged disproportionate assets case of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, official sources said today.

A team of CBI officials went to the minister’s residence last evening and sought details from her regarding grant of leases to some cement companies and also collected information about certain Government Orders (GOs) issued by her when she was the Mines Minister during 2004-09 in the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government, they said.

Dr Reddy’s Labs, Mylan launch generic version of Plavix tablet

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Pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Nasdaq listed- Mylan Inc today announced launching of Clopidogrel tablets, USP, a bioequivalent generic version of Plavix in the US market.

A blood-thinning drug, Plavix’s US patent expired yesterday, clearing the way for generic versions of the drug.
Clopidogrel is the generic version of Sanofi-Aventis’ Plavix, and is indicated for acute coronary syndrome and for patients with a recent history of myocardial infarction, stroke or established peripheral arterial disease.

UP Human Rights Commission issues notice to state Home Secy

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Taking suo-motu cognisance of the rape of a teenage girl allegedly by her teacher in Unnao,Uttar Pradesh state Human rights commission today issued notices to Principal Secretary Home, DGP and SP Unnao and the VC, CSM Medical University seeking a detailed report about the incident by June 14.

The commission while issuing notices, also directed SP Unnao to personally monitor the case registered against the
teacher Hari Narayan and cook Anuradha.

It directed Principal Secretary Home to ensure compensation of Rs 25,000 to the victim’s family and VC, CSM

Teenaged boy commits suicide

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A teenaged boy today committed suicide by hanging himself in Rampur locality under Jamalpur police station area in Bihar’s Munger district, police said.

The 11 year-old boy Shivpujan hung himself with a rod dangling horizontally on the roof of his house, Deputy
Superintendent of Police (Jamalpur) Ranjan Kumar said.

The body has been recovered and sent for post-mortem,he said adding the family members were away at the time the
boy took the extreme step.

No suicide note was recovered from the spot, Kumar said adding an investigation was underway in the matter.

One killed as locals clash with police

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One person was killed and several others others were today injured as police opened fire to disperse a mob, which went on a rampage to protest the incident of a constable shooting a local resident following an altercation over alleged extortion by men in uniform.

Trouble began this afternoon in Madiyalhu locality at Bamrauli area where locals alleged that a constable was moving around extorting money from small-time shopkeepers and vendors. When one of the traders protested, he allegedly opened fire and a bullet hit the person’s leg.

22-year-old gangraped by three youths in Gurdaspur

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A 22-year-old woman was allegedly abducted and gangraped by three youths who also took nude pictures of her on their cell phones in Gurdaspur city, police said today.

In her complaint, the victim alleged that the three youths, identified as Rami, Romesh and Hira, abducted her
yesterday and took her to an isolated area of the city and raped her.

They also took nude pictures of her on their cell phones and threatened to kill her if she complained to police, they
said.

Police are on the lookout for the three absconding accused. PTI

Woman shot dead

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A woman was today shot dead by some unidentified motorcycle borne youths in Jahanganj area here, police said.

Shahjahan (58) was shot dead when she was going to Divisional Commissioner’s office on a motor-cycle with one
Rajwant Pandey, they said.

Prima facie the incident appears to be an outcome of a land dispute between Shahjahan and her step sons, police said,
adding that efforts are on to arrest the assailants.

——————PTI

No compromise on law and order in UP, asserts Akhilesh

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Friday asked policemen to pull up their socks and warned them that his government wanted a peaceful state with a spruced-up law and order scenario.

Addressing senior police officials from all over the state at the Tilak Hall Secretariat, Yadav said his government will not compromise on law and order in the state.

White Paper on black money likely on Monday

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Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to table the ‘White Paper’ on black money in Parliament on Monday.

The tabling of White Paper by the Finance Minister figures in the list of business of the Lok Sabha for Monday.

“I will try to give all the relevant and possible information”, Mukherjee had earlier said during the debate on Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha, while promising to bring the White Paper in the on going budget session.

Iranian president calls up Manmohan Singh

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Amidst pressure from the US on India to cut its oil imports from Teheran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek further expansion of bilateral ties and to extend an invitation for the scheduled Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit meeting later this year.

According to informed sources, Ahmedinejad called up Manmohan Singh Monday, a week after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was here to impress upon India to cut its oil imports from Iran, in view of the sanctions imposed by countries like the US over Teheran’s nuclear weaponisation.