Month: May 2013

‘YSR Congress to fight till justice is done to Jagan’

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YSR Congress party’s honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma Tuesday said the party would fight till justice is done to her son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is in jail for one year in an illegal assets case.

Vijayamma, Jaganmohan Reddy’s wife Y.S. Bharathi along with several other leaders staged a day-long fast here to protest what they called the continued undemocratic detention of Jagan, as the Kadapa MP is popularly known.

Vijayamma lashed out at Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for their joint conspiracy.

Sharif’s party strengthens parliament position

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Pakistan Muslim League (PNL-N) party of Nawaz Sharif Tuesday strengthened its position in parliament as it secured 35 Reserved Women and Non-Muslim seats raising its strength in the National Assembly to 186.

The National Assembly or Lower House of the parliament has a total of 342 seats, Xinhua reported.

The Election Commission of Pakistan issued notification for allocation of Reserved Women and Non-Muslim seats to political parties according to their strength in the National Assembly, completing the second major process of the election process. The general elections were held May 11.

CPI-M, Congress have joined hands: Mamata

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday alleged that the CPI-M, the Congress as well as the BJP have joined hands and fielded Independent candidates to eat into Trinamool Congress’ votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha by-election.

“Some Independent candidates belong to the Congress, some of them belong to the CPI-M and some of them to the BJP,” Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said here.

She was speaking at a rally in Howrah while campaigning for party candidate Prasun Banerjee ahead of June 2 Lok Sabha by-poll.

‘Russian missile supply preventing meddling in Syria’

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Russia’s delivery of S-300 air defence systems to Syria is a restraining factor against possible foreign interference in the Syrian conflict, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday.

“We believe such steps are to a great extent restraining some ‘hot heads’ from considering scenarios in which the conflict may assume an international scale with the participation of outside forces,” Ryabkov said.

S-300 is widely acknowledged by defence analysts as one of the world’s most advanced air defence systems.

Russia reviews its stance on renewable energy

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The Russian government believes renewable energy sources have a bright future, and will review its policies toward their broader use, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday.

“At the moment, the use of renewable energy sources and green energy is far from what we would like it to be. We probably use only an inconsiderable part of our potential,” Medvedev said at the Startup Village international investor conference at the Skolkovo hi-tech hub outside Moscow.

He said “the abundance of hydrocarbons” in Russia was a reason for the low use of renewable energy sources.

Ishrat case: CBI interrogates chief public prosecutor

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CBI today questioned chief public prosecutor of the sessions court here, appointed by the state government in the 2004 fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan and three others.

Sudhir Brahmabhatt, who is the chief public prosecutor at Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions court, was summoned and examined by the CBI for over eight hours in relation to the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, CBI sources said.

The law officer was also summoned to CBI office at Gandhinagar yesterday and higher officers of the team had
grilled him for four hours, sources added.

First look of ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6’ unveiled

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New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): The first look of the popular dance reality show- ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6’ – was unveiled by the three renowned judges of the show, Karan Johar, Madhuri Dixit and Remo D”Souza.

In the spectacular event, dancing diva, Dixit shook her leg on one of her famous songs along with Johar and D’Souza.

When Johar was asked about his dancing skills, he said that because he is a Punjabi, dance comes naturally to him.

Burma: HRW calls for revocation of Rohingya two child policy

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Bangkok, May 28 (ANI): Burma’s government should publicly revoke a discriminatory population control regulation that restricts Rohingya Muslims to having two children, Human Rights Watch said today.

Implementation of this policy is consistent with the wider persecution of the largely stateless Rohingya, violating international human rights protections, and endangering women’s physical and mental health.

Blast near peace committee leader”s vehicle leaves 2 dead in NW Pakistan

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Beijing, May 28 (ANI): At least two people were killed and three others injured when a bomb went off near the vehicle of a peace committee”s leader in Pakistan”s northwest Swat district on Tuesday morning, local media reported. ARY news channel said that some unknown militants detonated a roadside planted bomb with a remote control device as soon as the peace committee leader”s vehicle passed near it at about 7:40 a.m.

Jennifer Lawrence’s alleged stalker arrested

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Washington, May 28 (ANI): A man accused of stalking ‘The Hunger Games’ actress Jennifer Lawrence and her family has been arrested.

Zhao Han Cong, 23, of Vancouver, Canada, was taken into police custody last month after contacting her sibling Blaine Lawrence with over 200 phone calls, emails, and text messages, where he claimed to be Jennifer’s “husband for life”, Contactmusic reported.

Court documents have revealed that Cong also asked Blaine to put him in touch with the ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ star in order to “protect her’’.

Australia named world”s happiest nation: OECD report

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Beijing, May 28 (ANI): Australia has once again topped the world as the happiest industrialised nation, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released Tuesday. The OECD Better Life Index compares the well-being of 34 developed and emerging countries based on eleven categories including housing, income, jobs, education, life satisfaction and work-life balance.

Misinterpretation of Islamic texts to misguide people

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Sheehan has relied on the undependable website called Thereligionofpeace.com to conclude that, the Qur’an contradicts it’s own teachings and appeals for merciless war. This statement made by Sheehan is based on an old prejudice and does not give any proof. Sheehan has tried to say that Islam endorses terrorism. But it is not so. Sheehan has picked out lines that are a part of long verses and has taken the wrong meaning out of them.

World’s oldest person now `last living man born in 19th century`

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New York, May 28 (ANI): The world’s oldest person- Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, 116- is the last man alive to have been born in the 19th century.

According to the Gerontolgy Research Group at UCLA, 21 women born before 1901’s New Year”s Day are still living, the New York Daily News reported.

Majority are in the United States and Japan, while others are in Europe and Canada.

Kimura, who took the title last week after the death of James Emmanuel ”Doc” Sisnett, retired in 1962 at 65 after working 45 years in the Japanese post office.

”Anti-naxal operations will be intensified”: R.K. Singh

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Raipur, May 28 (ANI): Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh today said anti-Naxal operations will be intensified with more security forces and modern weapons being provided by the Central Government to the affected regions.

“We will coordinate with Naxal-hit states adjoining Chhattisgarh and forces and modern weapons would be provided by the Centre for anti-Naxal operations,” he told mediapersons after holding a meeting of senior officials at the police headquarters here.

Roman Polanski says birth control pill has made women masculine

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Washington, May 28 (ANI): Hollywood filmmaker Roman Polanski has sparked criticism by saying that the birth control pill has had a “masculinizing” effect on women and that the leveling of the sexes is “idiotic”

The Polish-French director made the comments Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he came to premiere ‘Venus in Fur,’ a film adapted from the David Ives play which stars Polanski’s wife and toys with the subject of gender, Fox News reported.

Polanski said the pill has “changed the place of women in our times” while talking to reporters.

Katy Perry used to wear two bras during school days

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London, May 28 (ANI): Katy Perry’s boobs were so big when she was in school that she had to wear two bras.

A childhood pal of Perry told the Daily Star that the 28-year-old singer was really proud of needing to wear two bras.

“One time she changed for gym in the girl’s locker room,” the pal said.

The friend said that Perry was very busty and got lots of attention from the boys, which she loved. (ANI)

Maoists claim Chhattisgarh Congress leader Karma was their prime target

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New Delhi/Raipur, May 28 (ANI): Maoists on Tuesday claimed that the main target of their deadly May 25 attack on a convoy of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar District was tribal leader Mahendra Karma.

In a four-page letter and an audio clipping sent to the media from an undisclosed location, the Maoists formerly accepted responsibility for the death of 28 people and over 30 injured in the attack.

The letter carried the signature of a Maoist spokesperson from Dandakaranya.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav promises upliftment of minorities

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Lucknow, May 28 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday promised development projects for minorities, especially Muslims, in accordance with the policies of the Central Government.

Addressing a joint news conference with Minorities Affairs Minister K. Rahman Khan, Yadav said the state government is committed to ensuring the socio-economic needs of the minorities.

Statins can cut arthritis risk by half

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London, May 28 (ANI): In a major study, a daily dose of cholesterol-lowering drug statins has been shown to more than halve the chances of getting arthritis.

British researchers believe the breakthrough could pave the way for low-cost pills that can ward off osteoarthritis, the Daily Express reported.

Mohammed Ahmed Rashid, of Cambridge University, hailed the findings of the 10-year study, but noted that clinical trials and cost analyses are needed to decide on the feasibility of using statins in osteoarthritis patients.

I used booze as medication to treat depression after 9/11, says Billy Joel

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New York, May 28 (ANI): Billy Joel has blamed his alcohol problem and depression to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The 64-year-old singer told the New York Daily News that he was in a mental fog, which had nothing to do with the alcohol.

He said that his mind wasn’t right and he wasn’t focused, asserting that he went into a deep, deep depression after 11 September attacks.

Joel said that he still doesn’t know if he has recovered from it.

He added that it really, really hurt him that man could do that to man and because of this he started using booze as a medication. (ANI)

Foiled 2009 NY subway bomb plotter to serve life sentence at notorious Colorado prison

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Washington, May 28 (ANI): A 34-year-old man in the US accused of planning a coordinated suicide bomb attack on New York City subways in 2009 at the behest of senior al Qaeda operatives will serve life imprisonment in one of the most notorious prison in Colorado.

Adis Medunjanin had planned to blow up the New York subway station to coincide it with the September 11, 2001, anniversary, but was disrupted days before its execution.

U.S. F-15 jet crashes off Japan”s Okinawa

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Beijing, May 28 (Xinhua-ANI): A U.S. F-15 jet crashed off Japan”s Okinawa prefecture Tuesday morning, according to Japan”s Kyodo News.

Meanwhile, Japan”s 11th Region Coast Guard Headquarters said it was informed by the U.S. Forces in Japan at around 9 a.m. local time that an F-15 jet crashed 100 km east off Okinawa and the pilot escaped.

As of now, Japan has dispatched patrol aircraft and vessels to the accident site.

Japan”s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also said Japan has been informed about the incident and is gathering information on it.