Month: March 2013

One in every 10 wanting to migrate to US is an Indian

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More than 100 million people from across the world, including 10 million from India, would like to move permanently to the US, which remains the most popular global destination, according to a latest opinion poll.

Potential migrants who would like to move to the US are logically the most likely to come from some of the most populous countries in the world, the Gallup poll said.

The poll said that 19 million Chinese would like to move to the US, followed by 13 million from Nigeria, 10 million from India and six million each from Brazil and Bangladesh.

Court frames fresh charges against Salman khan & Others

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Chief Judicial Magistrate Chandrakala Jain read out the charges under sections 9/51 and 9/52 of Wildlife protection Act and 149 of IPC and posted the case for next hearing on April 27.

Fresh charges were on Saturday read out against actors Salman khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam by a court here in the 14-year-old blackbuck poaching case.

The actors denied the charges read out to them by the judge.

Salman Khan was also supposed to appear in the court but failed to do so.

23 killed in Pakistan road accident

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At least 23 people were killed and over 30 injured in a road accident in Pakistan’s Punjab province early Saturday, police said.

The accident occurred at about 2:00 a.m. when a bus, heading towards the industrial city of Faisalabad from Lahore, hit a roadside pole and overturned near Shekupura, a district located some 40 km from Lahore city, Xinhua reported.

Many of the injured were in critical condition and the toll could rise, said hospital sources.

Police believed the accident happened due to over-speeding.

–IANS

Saif faces 6 years jail in Blackbuck case

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A court in Jodhpur has framed fresh charges on Saturday against actors Tabu, Neelam, Saif Ali Khan and Sonali Bendre in connection with a blackbuck poaching case.

The five actors were first charged with poaching of blackbucks back in 1998.

14 years back, during the shoot of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hai’, the five actors had allegedly shot blackbucks in a village near Jodhpur.

Under the Wildlife Protection Act, the blackbuck is a protected animal and hunting or poaching of the same is a punishable offence under the Indian law.

Police could have averted 1993 blasts: SC

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The Supreme Court Thursday said the Mumbai blasts could have been averted if Mumbai police had prevented its personnel from conniving in the smuggling of arms, explosives, contraband and bribery in 1993.

“If Bombay police officials had been able to curtail the conveyance of the contraband in January and February 1993, the occurrence of the March 12, 1993, could have been avoided,” the apex court bench of Justice P Sathasivam and Justice BS Chauhan said in their judgment on cross-appeals by the convicted and Maharashtra government in the blast cases.

Row with India over marines ‘necessary’: Italian foreign minister

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Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said Friday that a diplomatic row over returning the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen had been “necessary” to make sure the two men did not face the death penalty.

“The situation is normalising,” Xinhua quoted Terzi as telling the local media.

Delhi police in soup over nabbed ‘Hizbul terrorist’

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The family of Sayyed Liyaqat Shah, arrested for allegedly planning a terror strike in Delhi, on Friday claimed he was returning home via Nepal under the Jammu and Kashmir government’s rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants.

Shah’s wife Ameena Begum told a news agency that her husband was returning home under the government’s rehabilitation policy via Nepal and there was no question of him carrying any weapons.

Arvind Kejriwal begins indefinite fast against inflated power, water bills

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal began his indefinite hunger strike at the Rajghat here on Saturday against increased power and water bills in the national capital.

Kejriwal said the lives of the common man have become miserable due to the rampant corruption.

“The price of electricity and water has been increased in Delhi only because of the corruption. The government was repeatedly told to do something in this regard, but it is grossed deep in corruption,” he added.

Israeli PM apologises, restores diplomatic ties with Turkey

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached an agreement Friday that ends the diplomatic dispute spurred by the 2010 deaths of nine Turkish activists at the hands of Israeli commandos.

The unexpected breakthrough came during a telephone call between the two premiers with input from US President Barack Obama, who was concluding a visit to Israel.

‘Peace between Israel, Turkey a diplomatic victory for Obama’

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US President Barack Obama’s efforts to broker peace between Israel and Turkey – the two key allies of America in the region- have been hailed by the media here as a major diplomatic victory.

Due to his personal diplomatic efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to apologies for the errors in a 2010 raid on a ship bound for Gaza that had soured the relationship between America’s two key allies in the region.

Obama has been hailed by the American media for his diplomatic victory.

Russian wanted by Uzbekistan seeks political asylu

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A geologist in Russia wanted by authorities in Uzbekistan for arrest is seeking political asylum in Russian city of Bryansk, a migration official said Friday.

Uzbekistan has issued an international arrest warrant for Leonid Loshchakov on suspicion of forgery and embezzlement, the officials said.

Loshchakov is being held at a pre-trial detention facility, said Tatyana Myslentsova, deputy head of the Federal Migration Service’s Bryansk region department.

US looking forward to timely free and fair Pak elections

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The US is looking forward to timely, free and fair elections in Pakistan, a State Department official on Friday said, hours after the announcement of the polls schedule in Islamabad.

“We do understand that Pakistan has announced the date for the National Assembly elections of May 11. We look forward to timely, free and fair elections that are going to result in the first civilian democratic transition of power in Pakistan’s history,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference.

US amendment to end Pak aid till Dr Afridi is released

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A Republican Senator with presidential ambition moved an amendment on the Senate floor to cut off all foreign aid to Pakistan until Shakeel Afridi, a key informant in the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, is released from prison.

“Pakistan’s actions are unacceptable and not suitable for any country wishing to receive a single dollar from US taxpayers – especially considering their country is one of the largest recipients,” said Senator Rand Paul, as he moved Amendment 379, to Senate Con Res 8, the Budget Resolution.

China, Pak conclude secret deal on nuclear reactor

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China has secretly entered into an agreement with Pakistan to construct a third nuclear reactor at Chashma in Punjab province that the Obama administration says will violate Beijing’s promises under an international anti-nuclear weapons accord, a media report said.

“According to US intelligence and diplomatic officials, the secret agreement for the Chashma 3 reactor was signed in Beijing during the visit by a delegation from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from February 15 to 18,” The Washington Free Beacon reported.

Cyprus Parliament passes bailout bills

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The Cypriot Parliament on Friday passed emergency bills aimed at clinching a bailout deal with international lenders, but left until Saturday to vote on the contentious deposit tax.

The Parliament agreed to creates a so-called investment fund, aimed at helping raise 5.8 billion euros demanded by the Eurogroup as a condition for a 10 billion euro bailout.

US approves financing for wind power project in Pakistan

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A federal US body has approved USD 95 million financing for wind power project in Pakistan to build a 50 megawatt power plant.

The Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) gave the approval at its meeting on Thursday along with another USD 193 million wind power project in Peru.

According to OPIC the USD 95 million credit facility will help build the 50-megawatt wind power plant in southeastern Pakistan’s Ghoro-Keti Bandar Wind Corridor designed to generate 133 gigawatt hours of emission-free electricity annually.

Sebi-Sahara case: Final hearing on Subrata Roy’s plea today

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The Securities Appellate Tribunal will begin on Saturday the final hearing on a plea by Sahara chief Subrata Roy against market regulator Sebi’s attachment order on his bank accounts and other assets, along with those of two group firms and their top executives.

The matter relates to a Supreme Court direction ordering refund of more than Rs 24,000 crore of investors’ money raised by two Sahara group firms — Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd — through issue of bonds, wherein Sebi has been asked to facilitate the refund.

Over 150 Indian cities set to join Earth Hour

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More than 150 Indian cities will participate in the Earth Hour Saturday, joining over 7,000 of their counterparts across the world in raising awareness about climate change and its impact.

“We expect to increase the number of cities in India this year from last year’s 150,” said Andy Ridley, CEO and co-founder of the Earth Hour Global of the WWF International, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

The Earth Hour, which began in 2007 in Sydney, appeals to people and businesses to switch off lights for an hour to raise awareness about climate change.

Microsoft discloses law enforcement requests for user data

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US tech giant Microsoft has disclosed that it and its main video chat service Skype received more than 75,000 requests last year from government law enforcement agencies in the US and four other countries to provide customer user data.

“In recent months, there has been broadening public interest in how often law enforcement agencies request customer data from technology companies and how our industry responds to these requests,” Brad Smith, a Microsoft executive vice president and the company’s general counsel, said in a blog post Thursday.

NASA, ISRO relationship holds great promise for future: Bolden

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NASA has applauded India’s success in its space endeavours, saying the growing relationship with Indian Space Research Organisation holds great future.

“It is wonderful to see how the relationship between NASA ISRO has grown and evolved, the agreements we have signed since this group last convened, and the great promise our relationship holds for the future,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in his address to the fourth US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting here on Thursday.

Pak, China ‘nuke plant deal’ breach of Beijing’s int’l anti-nuclear weapons accord

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The formal agreement signed by the Chinese and Pakistani government to construct a third nuclear reactor in Punjab province will violate Beijing’s promises under an international anti-nuclear weapons accord, a report has said.

According to US intelligence and diplomatic officials, the secret agreement for the Chashma 3 reactor was signed in Beijing during the visit by a delegation from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from Feb 15 to 18.

Court refuses to stay TV release of `Race 2`, `Dabangg 2`

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The Delhi High Court Friday refused to stay the television release of films ‘Race 2’ and ‘Dabangg 2’ and slammed the censor board.

A division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice V.K. Jain, declining to stay the release of DVDs and TV telecast of Salman Khan-starrer ‘Dabangg 2’ and Saif Ali Khan-starrer ‘Race 2’, said it had not seen the films and without watching them, stay could not be granted.

The bench, however, told the petitioners to approach the court if they apprehend the telecast of these films on TV channels.

Musharraf vows to return to Pakistan on Sunday despite ‘peril’

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Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has said that he would definitely return home on Sunday to contest historic elections in May.

The former military ruler also said that he was prepared to risk any danger to his life.

His remarks came hours after a Pakistani court granted him protective bail in a string of legal cases, paving the way for his return from nearly five years in exile without the risk of immediate arrest, the Dawn reports.

Musharraf is wanted in Pakistan for conspiracy to murder and illegally arresting judges.

Lakme Fashion Week: Parineeti Chopra adds grace to Masaba`s Benarasi collection

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Actress Parineeti Chopra displayed her usual joyous self while Friday walking the ramp for designer Masaba at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer-Resort 2013.

The actress looked stunning in a long white jacket with black Masaba signature print and a bright hot pink `dhoti` teamed with stylish gold jewellery. She looked neat in her tied hair.

She was seen tapping her foot to the tunes to “Dama dum mast kalandar” adding grace and a fun element of the show.

“Thank you Masaba. I love the pops of colour you give your clothes. This is how I`m in real life too,” she told reporters.