Month: April 2013

Sex workers group to check trafficking, violence

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New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) The All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW), an umbrella group of representatives of sex workers communities and civil society, Saturday decided to set up a self-regulatory board to look into trafficking and violence.

In a statement, the group said there was a need for such a board to address violence and trafficking. They also sought representation of the sex workers community in all policy-making groups in all ministries dealing with sex workers.

Cancer-struck Indian professor waits for donor

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Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) The clock is ticking away for an Indian-origin professor at Stanford who is suffering from leukaemia and is desperately waiting for a bone marrow donor match.

Nalini Ambady, hailing from Kerala, practically has only around 7-8 weeks by which to find a matching donor, according to a close family friend Dilip D’Souza in Mumbai.

52 new AIDS patients admitted in Islamabad

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Islamabad, April 28 (IANS) As many as 52 new AIDS patients have been registered in the first four months of this year at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here in the capital.

The News International said the total number of patients registered at the PIMS Centre for Treatment and Prevention of AIDS since its establishment in 2005 has crossed 1,500.

Of the total 1,504 patients, 400 were intravenous drug users while AIDS through sexual transmission was found in 800. Among them, 1,240 are males, 240 females and 24 children.

Over a million participate in Moscow clean-up

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Moscow, April 28 (IANS/RIA Novosti) As part a tradition of the all-city subbotnik (Saturday clean-up) dating back to the Soviet era, more than one million people participated in a spring clean of Moscow’s parks, streets and squares Saturday.

“Despite the miserable weather, 1.14 million people took part,” said the city’s deputy mayor Pyotr Biryukov.

He said school and university students, state employees, and volunteers participated in the clean-up.

Kejriwal hails ‘people’s victory’

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New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal Sunday said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit agreeing to accept 10,50,000 letters written to her by Delhi residents over inflated water and power bills is “people’s victory”.

Kejriwal vowed that the movement against the inflated bills would continue until the tariffs are brought down and alleged that both the Congress and the BJP have together cartelised the water and electricity sector in the state.

Kashi widows get Sulabh pension; maintenance bill proposed

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Varanasi, April 28 (IANS) As the sun rose across the sandy banks of the Ganga at the Rajendra Prasad ghat at Varanasi Sunday, life turned a new leaf for the 100-odd widows of Kashi — NGO Sulabh international launched a pension and medical welfare scheme for them.

The founder of Sulabh, Bindeshwar Pathak, said he intended to draft a bill and hand it over to Parliament to better the plight of widows abandoned by their families.

Sarabjit’s survival chances slim, say doctors

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Islamabad, April 28 (IANS) The condition of Sarabjit Singh, the Indian on death row in Pakistan who was brutally assaulted by fellow prisoners, was serious and chances of his survival were slim, his doctors said in Lahore.

Sarabjit, 49, suffered critical head injuries in the assault by four to five prisoners with bricks and plates in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore Friday.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy floor audience at Ludhiana

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Ludhiana, April 28 (ANI): Popular musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy enthralled fans at a live concert in Ludhiana, over the weekend. “We are on a tour of India. We are going to perform in seven or eight cities. We are happy to perform in Ludhiana. The people loved it, said Shankar Mahadevan. “The aim is to entertain the people and to hunt for talent. Young singers have a dream to perform with known singers and we are giving them a chance to perform with us,” he added. The trio has toured across the world, but this is their maiden tour in India.

Tart cherries may help reduce stroke risk

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Washington, Apr. 28 (ANI): A diet that includes tart cherries can provide cardiovascular benefits similar to the prescribed medications and can also reduce the risk of stroke, a new research has revealed.

A class of drugs called PPAR agonists that help regulate fat and glucose was considered promising by doctors who prescribed them for patients with metabolic syndrome – a collection of risk factors linked to heart disease and type 2.

However, studies have shown the long-term use of these drugs can also increase stroke risk, which has prevented many from securing FDA approval.

Afghan Taliban announce launch of spring offensive

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New York, Apr. 28 (ANI): The Taliban have announced they will launch their spring offensive, signaling plans to step up attacks as the weather warms across Afghanistan, making both travel and fighting easier. The militant group”s leadership vowed on Saturday that “every possible tactic will be utilized in order to detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors”, including suicide attacks on military bases and diplomatic areas, reports the New York Post.

Syria calls US, UK chemical arms claims ”barefaced lie”

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Johannesburg, Apr. 28 (ANI): Syria has dismissed as a “barefaced lie” American and British claims it may have used chemical arms, as staunch ally Russia warned against using such fears to intervene militarily in the strife-torn country. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said in an interview published on the Kremlin-funded Russia Today”s website, that the statements by the US secretary of state and British government are inconsistent with reality and a barefaced lie, reports News24. Zohbi said Syria would never use it because of humanitarian and moral issues.

Pak Taliban warns religious parties against using name of Islam in election campaign

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Islamabad, Apr. 28 (ANI): The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Mardan has issued a letter warning religious parties not to use the name of Islam in their election campaign. According to sources, the Mardan Press Club had received a letter from the outfit on Saturday where it warned the candidates and leaders of religious parties that they should refrain from using the name of Islam in their election campaign, reports The Nation. The militant group also warned candidates and political parties against playing religious anthems during their election campaign and public meetings.

Pak election commission takes notice of Imran Khan”s ”personal attack” against Sharif

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Islamabad, Apr. 28 (ANI): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan”s “personal attack” against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday. Earlier the same day, Khan had addressed a rally in Bahawalpur, where he used words for Nawaz Sharif that the ECP found objectionable. The entire speech will be put before the ECP Chief Fakhruddin Ebrahim in a meeting on Tuesday, where it will be evaluated whether the speech contained offensive remarks or not, reports The Express Tribune.

”Osama doc” Afridi goes on hunger strike to protest against ”ill-treatment” in Pak jail

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Peshawar, Apr. 28 (ANI): Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, who reportedly helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden, has gone on hunger strike in Central Jail Peshawar ”in protest against the jail administration”s ill-treatment”. Afridi, through a fake vaccination campaign, had provided a lead for the US Navy Seals operation in which the al Qaeda chief was killed in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011. He was arrested for his alleged links to the CIA and was charged and punished under 40-FCR for 33-year jail for having links to the banned religious outfit Lashkar-i-Islam, reports The Dawn.

Aam Aadmi Party cancels protest after phone call from Sheila Dikshit

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New Delhi, April 28 (ANI): The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (AAP) cancelled its planned protest over inflated water and power bills in the national capital after an AAP associate reportedly received a phone call from Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

“We were planning to hold a protest march from Jantar Mantar to the chief minister”s residence. But she called up one of the AAP representative today (Sunday) morning and agreed to accept 10,50,000 letters written to her by the people of Delhi highlighting the inflated bills,” AAP spokesperson Aswathi Muralidharan told media persons.

BJP to launch two-day agitation over Coalgate from May 4

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New Delhi, April 28 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday that it would launch a two-day agitation across the country from May 4 against the UPA-II Government”s “abominable attempt” to “cover up the massive corruption” in the coal block allocation scam.

“An abominable attempt is being made by the Congress Government to cover up the corruption that has surfaced in the coal issue. The BJP has decided to take this fight against corruption and massive cover up from Parliament to the people of the country,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

British cocaine smugglers join hands with Al Qaeda to spread drug usage in Europe

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London, Apr.28 (ANI): Cocaine smugglers in Britain have reportedly joined hands with the terror group Al Qaeda to spread cocaine usage in UK and Western Europe worth 168 million pound.

Al Qaeda, along with other groups, has been funding terror plots by using profits from weapons robbed in Libya during the aftermath of Colonel Gadafi’s death in 2011, the Mirror reports.

Michael Jordan weds model girlfriend Yvette Prieto

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Washington, April 28(ANI): Michael Jordan and his model-fiance, Yvette Prieto, finally got married at Palm Beach, Fla., on Saturday, after 5 years of dating.

About 500 people attended the ceremony in an Episcopal church called Bethesda-by-the Sea, the People magazine reported.

Another 1,500 joined them for the reception at the Bears Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course community in Jupiter, Fla., where Jordan recently built a 38,000-square-foot home.

A source revealed that the couple had been planning for months.

Gibbs latest foreign player to join Caribbean Premier League

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Johannesburg, Apr 28 (ANI): South African top-order batting star Herschelle Gibbs has become the latest international player to sign up for this year”s Caribbean Premier league (CPL). Gibbs was the first cricketer in history to hit six sixes in a single over in international cricket in the West Indies during the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, Sport24 reports. The report further said that Gibbs would bring considerable experience and talent to the CPL table, having represented teams all over the world, including being part of the Deccan Chargers squad that won the Indian Premier League in 2009.

Tamil Nadu girl pulled out of bore well dead

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Chennai, April 28 (ANI): The seven-year-old girl who was rescued from a 900-foot-deep borewell in a village in Tamil Nadu”s Karur District after remaining inside for 16 hours, has died.

Muthulakshmi, who fell into the improperly closed 900-feet bore well at Suryapalli village at around 7 a.m., on Saturday and was pulled out at 11 p.m. on the same day, was brought to the Karur District Government Hospital in an unconscious state.

Egyptian party launches ‘safe’ women-only buses to ward off rampant sexual harassment

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Manama, Apr.28 (ANI): Egypt’s moderate Islamist party has introduced a transportation facility only for women to curb sexual harassment.

Still in the experimental phase, the idea has been implemented in two areas in the city, Gulf News reports.

The microbus called ‘transportation that respects women’ picks up female students from in front of Cairo University and women from the corner of Abbas Al Aqqad Street, in the upper-middle class neighbourhood of Nasr City.

Australian couples demand ‘girl-child’ abortions

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Sydney, Apr.28 (ANI): Female feticide is not only a practice prevalent in India, but has also spread its influence in Australian abortion clinics where doctors have revealed that they are facing parents’ requests to know the sex of unborn babies and demands for abortion if and when it is a girl child.

A Melbourne couple reportedly aborted their child at 19 weeks as soon as they discovered that they were having a girl when they wanted a boy, the News Limited reports.

Sarabjit still unconscious; 2 retired Indian judges to visit Lahore”s Kot Lakhpat jail

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Islamabad/Lahore/Amritsar, April 28 (ANI): Even as Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh continues to remain in deep coma in Lahore”s government-run Jinnah Hospital, the Pakistan Foreign Office has said that doctors at the medical facility are trying their level best to revive him.

It maybe recalled that on Friday afternoon, Sarabjit Singh was viciously attacked by six Pakistani prisoners and inflicted with severe head and torso injuries.

Naidu to arrive at Shamsabad airport tomorrow

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After wrapping up the ‘Vastunna Meekosam’ (I am coming for you) padayatra TDP president Chandrababu Naidu will arrive at Rajiv Gandhi international airport from Vishakhapatnam.

On the arrival of Chandrababu Naidu a large number of TDP leaders and workers will gather at the airport. Arrangement has been made for his grand welcome and speech. Chandrababu Naidu will address the people near Shamsabad bus stand cross road.