Month: March 2013

US pledges 450 mln dollars to support Egypt”s faltering economy

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London, Mar. 4 (ANI): US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has pledged 450 million dollars to support Egypt”s faltering economy, but warned Cairo that “more hard work” is needed. Kerry”s comments came after talks with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, during which he urged Morsi to ensure April polls were free, fair and transparent, reports the BBC. Kerry said that more hard work and compromise will be required to restore unity, political stability and economic health to Egypt. He added that the Egyptian people must come together to address their economic challenge.

Gwadar port handover to China breaches Pak Constitution, claim Baloch leaders

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Islamabad, Mar. 4 (ANI): Livid over Islamabad”s decision to hand over the financially struggling Gwadar port to a Chinese company, Baloch leaders are now turning to the Constitution to drive their point home. A spokesperson for the Balochistan government referred to a previous statement by provincial governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, who said that the benefits of the Gwadar Port should first be given to the people of Balochistan, reports The Express Tribune. He added that under the Constitution, the federal government controls ports in the country, including Gwadar Port.

”War-weary” Taliban likely to launch political party

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Islamabad. Mar. 4 (ANI): The Afghan Taliban are considering a ”political solution” to over a decade-long conflict in Afghanistan, according to a senior Taliban leader. Mullah Agha Jan Mutasim, former head of the Taliban Political Commission and a close confidant of the militia”s elusive leader Mullah Omar, said the outfit should launch a political movement to achieve the goals, reports The Express Tribune. Mutasim said the Taliban leaders whose names have been removed from the UN black list will play an important role in the political process.

SL cricketers drop pay demand, pave way to play against B”desh in upcoming series

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Karachi, Mar. 4 (ANI): Sri Lanka”s national cricketers have dropped a controversial pay demand, clearing the way for them to play against Bangladesh in a forthcoming series. Chief Selector Sanath Jayasuriya said he held talks with the rebellious players who agreed to the conditions offered by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and would be available for selection for the first Test starting March 8.

Pak considering transferring more Taliban leaders to Qatar to facilitate Afghan peace

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Islamabad, Mar. 4 (ANI): Pakistan is considering transfer of senior Taliban cadres – including the group”s former second-in-command – to the Gulf state of Qatar as part of efforts to facilitate the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. According to The Express Tribune, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar travelled to Doha on Sunday and met senior Qatari leaders to work out a new mechanism under which Taliban detainees would be released in the future.

Not being in White House ”killing” Romney

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Washington, Mar. 4 (ANI): Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, while giving an unflinching review of his unsuccessful campaign, has admitted that it “kills him” not to be in the White House “doing what needs to be done”. Romney, who appeared in his first interview with wife Ann after the election, on “Fox News Sunday”, talked about his shortcomings and disappointments but vowed to remain a force in American politics, reports Fox News. The former Massachusetts governor said he would continue to try to help the Republican Party, despite having a less powerful voice.

US warns Pakistan of sanctions if IP gas pipeline deal finalised

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Islamabad. Mar. 4 (ANI): The US media has warned that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline might lead to sanctions against Islamabad, although the State Department says sanctions will only become effective if Pakistan finalises the deal. President Asif Ali Zardari announced on Saturday and again on Sunday that his government would continue to pursue the 7.5 billion-dollar project despite America”s opposition. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that Pakistan risked imposition of stringent US and UN sanctions if the proposed Iran-Pakistan pipeline deal went through.

Committee to Protect Journalists says situation for scribes ”alarming” in Pakistan

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Islamabad, Mar. 4 (ANI): A New York-based watchdog body- Committee to Protect Journalists – while condemning the murder of senior journalist Pakistani Mehmood Jan Afridi in Kalat, has described the situation for journalists in Pakistan as “alarming”. Bob Dietz, CPJ Asia programme coordinator, said in a statement that the level of violence against journalists in Pakistan remains alarming, and that authorities must work to reverse this trend, reports The Nation.

US man expresses love for urinal

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New York, Mar. 4 (ANI): A man from Ohio, who was arrested for disorderly conduct/intoxication, started talking and expressing his love to the urinal in his holding cell, according to police.

Police said that it all started back on February 23, when they responded to reports of an intoxicated man inside the Discount Tobacco Store at 34722 Vine Street around 4:45 pm, WKYC-TV reported.

Porn blamed for kids as young as 5 committing thousands of sex offences

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London, Mar 4 (ANI): Children as young as five are committing thousands of sexual offences as pornography on Internet is warping youngsters’ views of “normal behaviour”, a British watchdog has said.

According to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, over 5,000 child sex offences, including rape and other serious sex attacks, were recorded by police in the last three years where the abuser was under 18.

Women’s brains more efficient than men’s

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London, March 4 (ANI): Though women have smaller brains than men, they are more efficient, a new study has revealed.

This may explain why women can show just as much intelligence as men, although their brains are eight per cent smaller.

Researchers from universities in Los Angeles and Madrid carried out a series of intelligence tests on men and women.

The found that despite the fact the women had smaller brains they performed better in inductive reasoning, some numerical skills and were better at keeping track of a changing situation, the Telegraph reported.

Indian jawans beheaded by Pak army: SC issues notice to Centre

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New Delhi, Mar. 4 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a petition asking that the brutal beheading of two Indian soldiers near the Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistani troops be raised in the International Criminal Court.

An apex court bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and J.S. Khehar asked the government to file a response within four weeks.

The bench tagged the case with another petition, which had raised the issue of mutilation of the body of another Indian soldier, late Captain Saurabh Kalia, by Pakistani Armed Forces during the Kargil war.

Modi draws sharp criticism after Wharton drops him as keynote speaker

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New Delhi, Mar. 4 (ANI): Leaders of various political outfits took a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday after the latter was dropped as the keynote speaker at a Wharton Business School event.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Shahid Siddiqui said the latest development in this regard is a message to Modi that he is not as yet acceptable either nationally or internationally

HIV-infected baby `functionally cured` for first time

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Washington, March 4 (ANI): A team of researchers has described the first case of a so-called “functional cure” in an HIV-infected infant.

The investigators from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School believe that the finding may help pave the way to eliminating HIV infection in children.

A report on the case is to be presented at a press conference on Sunday, March 3, at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta.

Warne blames Oz spinners” mistreatment at domestic level for lack of top-class tweakers

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Sydney, Mar 4 (ANI): Legendary Shane Warne has claimed Australia”s young spin bowlers are being neglected at domestic level by captains, coaches and curators, blaming a lack of attention to their growth as the reason for the current trivial pool of top-class talent. The spin great was in Chennai as a television commentator to witness Australia”s eight-wicket defeat in the first Test, in which off-spinner Nathan Lyon was bashed around by India”s captain MS Dhoni and ultimately dropped despite also claiming four wickets, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Parents urged to limit kids’ use of mobiles and cordless phone

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Melbourne, Mar. 4 (ANI): Australia’s radiation watchdog advised that baby monitors should be kept a metre away from cots, to minimise any electromagnetic emissions.

The Federal Government’s Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) recommended that due to the lack of scientific evidence on mobile and cordless phone use by children, parents should encourage their children to limit their exposure, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Script writer killed friend for Rs.2 lakh: Cops

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A 21-year-old aspiring actor was murdered here by his arrested script writer friend for Rs.2 lakh, police said Monday.

Shanti Deep Verma, 31, an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, killed Sumit Tewari as he needed money, police said after questioning the accused.

Verma was arrested 10 days after the body of victim Tewari was recovered Feb 23 from the former’s house in Mandawali in east Delhi, police said.

A team of Delhi police arrested Verma from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh Sunday morning.

Andhra withdraws remission of Maqbools life sentence

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The Andhra Pradesh government Monday withdrew orders remitting the life sentence of Syed Maqbool, the suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, whose role in Feb 21 terror attack in Hyderabad is being probed.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy signed the orders, cancelling the remission granted to Maqbool, convicted for murder, in 2009, official sources said.

Maqbool along with another alleged IM operative Imran Khan, were currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 2012 Pune blasts case.

Punjab cops thrash woman, two suspended

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Two Punjab police personnel were suspended Monday after they were caught on camera beating a young woman – who was being sexually harassed by truck drivers – and her aged father here after she called police for help.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini suspended the two policemen Monday evening. He ordered an inquiry into the incident, to be conducted by a superintendent of police, and sought a report within one week.

Raja Bhaiya booked for murder, quits as UP minister

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Uttar Pradesh minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya quit Monday, a day after he was booked for the murder of a senior police officer.

“Raja Bhaiya has tendered his resignation and it has been accepted. The investigation is on and law will take its own course,” Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters outside parliament in the national capital.

The food and civil supplies minister was charged with conspiracy to kill Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia-ul Haq.

Seven killed in road accident as car driver sleeps

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Seven persons were killed and three others injured in a road accident in neighbouring Navi Mumbai in the wee hours of on Monday, police said. The mishap took place when a jeep packed with passengers crashed into an unidentified heavy vehicle on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway while overtaking at Kalamboli at about 3.20 AM, they said.
The jeep was carrying 10 persons, including the driver Dhanaji Lodle.

Girl student forced to drink alcohol, raped in AP

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A girl student of Class VI was allegedly raped by a constable of the Indian Reserve Battalion after he forced her to drink alcohol at Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh, official sources said on Monday.

The student of a government higher secondary school, who was raped on March 2 recovered consciousness yesterday at the community health centre where she was taken to after being found lying beside the Circuit House, the sources said. The victim has been sent for medical examination.

The IRB constable, Lukbom Yonggam, was arrested on Sunday after locals caught him, they said.

Omar Abdullah calls Afzal Guru ‘sahib’

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday described Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged to death Feb 9, in respectful terms in the state legislative Assembly suffixing his name with “sahib”.

The suffix “sahib” is usually reserved for men held in respect.

Afzal Guru was convicted and sentenced to death by the Supreme Court for plotting the December 2001 attack on Parliament.

Omar Abdullah’s anger was palpable Monday, as he spoke in broken Urdu, miffed by the opposition charge that he failed to save the life of Afzal Guru.

Bukhari stopped, later allowed to proceed to slain DSP’s home

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Delhi’s Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari was stopped here this afternoon for nearly two hours while he was on way to the native village of DSP Zia-ul-Haq who was killed by a mob last Saturday.

The cleric, who was stopped in Gauri Bazar area, was later allowed to proceed to police officer’s house in Zafuaar
Tola in Noonkhar village, officials said.

Earlier, they said the step was taken as a precautionary measure.

I was going to the police officer’s house to offer my condolences and take part in namaz-e-janaza. The authorities

Shiv Sena leader cancels Wharton visit to support Modi

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To protest against the cancellation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the Wharton India Economic Forum, Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu Monday said he would also not attend the event.

Prabhu, who has been a regular speaker at national and international colleges and universities, strongly condemned the move stating that it was an insult to his country and not just Modi.