Month: May 2013

Ten attacks on UK mosques reported since British soldier’s murder

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London, May 28 (ANI): The number of Islamophobic attacks in the UK has risen with ten attacks on mosques reported since a British soldier was murder by suspected terrorists on a busy London street.

The attacks come amid warnings from Muslim community leaders that the backlash which has seen attempted fire bombings of mosques is being fuelled by far right groups.

According to the Independent, Faith Matters, a group that monitors anti-Muslim hatred, said the number of incidents in the past six days had risen to 193, including ten assaults on mosques.

Formula for turning cement into metal uncovered

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Washington, May 28 (ANI): Scientists have discovered the formula for turning liquid cement into liquid metal.

This makes cement a semi-conductor and opens up its use in the profitable consumer electronics marketplace for thin films, protective coatings, and computer chips.

Quit calls for Srinivasan grow stronger amidst Dawood links

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Calls for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan’s resignation just got stronger amidst revelations by Delhi Police that fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim allegedly had links to the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot fixing scandal.

The suspected links with mafia were confirmed by Delhi Police, who told a Delhi court that the IPL spot fixing scandal was allegedly linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood as bookie Ashwini Aggarwal alias Tinku Mandey was in touch with him and his aides.

Don’t need item numbers for success: Vikram Bhatt

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Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, who is ready with his next production venture “Ankur Arora Murder Case”, says he doesn’t resort to item number to get box office success.

“It’s a commercial film and I dont think we need item numbers for commercial success. In the past, some good films did well without item number like ‘English Vinglish’ and ‘Barfi!’. I dont need an item song for box office success,” Vikram Bhatt told reporters at the trailer launch of “Ankur Arora Murder Case”.

Directed by Suhail Tattari, the thriller speaks about medical negligence.

‘Jodha Akbar’ will be a change for viewers: Rajat Tokas

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Known to be an expert in creating kitchen politics and horror shows for TV, Ekta Kapoor now walks through history. She is coming out with historical saga “Jodha Akbar” and the show’s lead actor Rajat Tokas thinks it will be a change for the better.

Produced by Balaji Telefilms, the show is likely to go on air sometime next month on Zee TV.

Delhi guy Rajat, who will be seen as emperor Akbar in the series, said: “Being a professional, I have read about my character Akbar, but not about the people around him as I wanted to be excited with any new advancement on the show.”

Rahul Gandhi assures aid for drought-hit in Maharashtra

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday assured full relief by way of water supply, food and fodder to people in drought-hit areas of this Maharashtra district.

His assurance came during interactions with farmers and labourers in Nidhona village of Phulambri sub-district Tuesday afternoon during his visit to the drought-affected region.

“We shall take up the problems of water shortage and fodder supply in the affected areas on a top priority,” Gandhi assured the Nidhona villagers.

Dhoni evades questions on IPL spot fixing with a smile

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India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was bombarded with a volley of questions on spot fixing in the India Premier League (IPL) but he evaded them all with a smile here Tuesday.

Dhoni, who leads Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, was asked three to four questions about the scandal but didn’t answer them during the press conference before leaving for the Champions Trophy in England.

Super Kings chief executive Gurunath Meiyappan, who is also the son-in-law of board president N. Srinivasan, has been arrested by Mumbai police for his links in the spot fixing scandal.

Adjusting to new ODI rules overseas will be challenging: Dhoni

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India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday said playing under new rules in ODI cricket will be their main challenge in the Champions Trophy beginning June 6 in England and Wales.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure for the last ever Champions Trophy tournament, Dhoni said it was a good opportunity for India to win the tournament.

“We have not yet won Champions Trophy, so it is a good opportunity for the team. The competition will be great but we have a balanced side,” Dhoni said. India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners of the 2002 edition.

Spot fixing linked to Dawood Ibrahim: Delhi cops

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The Delhi police Tuesday told a court here that the IPL spot fixing scandal was allegedly linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim as bookie Ashwini Aggarwal alias Tinku Mandey was in touch with him and his aides.

Senior Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma that interception of various telephone calls suggested that “several big names may be involved in the case as calls were made to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim”.

Mandey was the one who had been in regular touch with the don’s men and players, police told the court.

5 killed in US accident as car hits tree, rips into two

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Five people have been killed in a fiery crash in California when a car smashed into a tree, split in half and burst into flames.

The crash occurred last evening in Newport Beach, on Jamboree Road near Island Lagoon Drive, according to Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe.

She said the car, an Infiniti, had been heading south on Jamboree Road in the direction of Pacific Coast Highway when it veered off the road and into the center divider.

It struck the tree, ripped apart and burst into flames.

BJP on offshore casino industry payroll: Congress

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The Congress Tuesday accused Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of cozying up to the offshore casino lobby, particularly to the Delta Corporation Ltd (DCL) chief Jaydev Mody, whose new casino vessel M.V. Horseshoe has triggered controversy.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Panaji, state Congress spokesperson Sudip Tamhankar said the BJP-led coalition government was breaking the law by allowing the Florida-built casino vessel to be anchored in the Mandovi river off Panaji, without requisite permissions.

World’s oldest man is also last living man born in 1800s

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The world’s oldest person, a 116-year-old Japanese man, has now also become the last male alive to have been born in the 19th century.

Jiroemon Kimura won the title with the death in Barbados last week of James Emmanuel ‘Doc’ Sisnett, at the age of 113 years and 90 days.

According to the Gerontolgy Research Group at University of California, Los Angeles, 21 women born before New Year’s Day in 1901 are still living.

Most are in the US and Japan, others in Europe and Canada. However, Kimura is now the only male alive to have been born in the 19th century.

China, Japan fights for India

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Piqued over Japan’s warm ties with India, an influential Chinese daily today said New Delhi’s wisdom lies in dealing with its disputes with Beijing calmly undisturbed by “internal and international provocateurs”.

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh undertook a visit to Tokyo amid reports of defence deals between the two sides, the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, today lashed out at Japanese politicians, terming them as “petty burglars” on China related issues.

Tainted cricketer Ankeet Chavan denied bail for marriage

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Rajasthan Royals cricketer Ankeet Chavan’s plea seeking bail to get married June 2 was Tuesday rejected by a Delhi Court which sent co-accused S. Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila to judicial custody till June 4 in the IPL spot fixing case.

Rejecting Chavan’s plea, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma said: “Social sentiments have no place… I don’t deem it appropriate to admit him to regular or interim bail.”

Lawyer for Chavan, who is in judicial custody till June 4, said his marriage date was close and he needed to attend the ceremonies.

Indian IT firms: Cognizant overtakes Infy, is now No. 2

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US-headquartered firm Cognizant clocked the highest growth rate of 20.1 per cent in revenues among the top five India-based IT services providers last year, global research firm Gartner said today.

The NASDAQ-listed firm also displaced Infosys as the second-largest IT services provider in 2012 with a worldwide revenue of USD 7.1 billion, Gartner said in a statement.

Indian sentenced to death in UAE

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A 28-year-old Indian man has been sentenced to death by a court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for murdering a housewife last year.

The court of first instance in Dubai found the accused, an accountant by profession, guilty of killing the woman by slitting her throat in her house at Bur Dubai here and then decamping with jewellery, the Khaleej Times reported Tuesday.

Stars promote `Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani` in Delhi

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The entire star cast of the upcoming movie ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ was spotted promoting the film in Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Kalki Koechlin said that her character in the movie- Aditi- is the best friend of Ranbir Kapoor’s character.

“I play a character called Aditi, actually all four of us are friends in the movie. Bunny and Avi that’s Adi’s and Ranbir’s characters are my best friends. But Naina plays a shy awkward girl who’s trying to be a part of the group and eventually becomes a part of the group,” she said.

Shah Rukh Khan undergoes shoulder surgery, doing fine

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Superstar Shah Rukh Khan underwent a shoulder surgery at the Lilawati Hospital today after he injured himself while shooting for his upcoming movie “Chennai Express” and is doing fine.

47-year-old Shah Rukh suffered the injury after performing some daring stunts for director Rohit Shetty’s
action drama.

He is doing fine and will be discharged in one-two days.

He has been advised not to any heavy action,” a source close the actor said.

Shah Rukh’s son Aryan, who is studying in London, had also flown down to be by his father’s side.

IPL scandal: Sreesanth, 3 others sent to judicial custody

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Arrested cricketers S Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila besides two bookies were today remanded in judicial custody till June 4 by a Delhi court which rejected the investigators’ plea for two more days of custodial
interrogation of the Indian pacer in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma turned down the plea of Special Cell of Delhi Police for the custody of Sreesanth saying he cannot be held liable for what has happened at his back.

Woman raped, murdered in Bengal

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A middle-aged woman in West Bengal’s Hooghly district was allegedly raped and murdered by a man to whom she refused to marry her daughter, police said Tuesday.

“We have received a complaint of rape and murder against one Sheikh Sabir for allegedly raping and murdering a middle-aged woman, who had refused to marry off her daughter to him,” police said.

The gory attack took place in Arambagh, 80 km from Kolkata, Monday night. Sabir, who had been frequenting the woman’s house for the past few months, seeking to marry her daughter, had a heated argument with the woman.

Priya Dutt, Kumar Gaurav wish success for ‘Policegiri’

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Actor Sanjay Dutt’s sister and Congress MP Priya today attended the first look of brother’s upcoming film Policegiri.

Dutt, 53, had completed the shooting of Policegiri just before he was to surrender himself for three-and-a-half year sentence in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast case.

Policegiri, a remake of 2003 Tamil hit Saamy, is directed by KS Ravi Kumar.

“As T P Agarwal (Producer) said the film is special for them and Sanjay, I wish success and good luck for the film,” Priya told reporters here at the first look of the film.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Advocate files PIL in Madras HC for reinvestigation

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An advocate on Tuesday filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the Madras High Court, seeking reinvestigation of the May 21, 1991 assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Petitioner V Santhakumaresan said he was asking for a reinvestigation in the interest of justice, and to bring out buried truths.

He based his petition on the reported statement of CBI investigating officer Ragothaman in an interview to a Tamil channel recently.

Ragothaman had said that video clippings and recorded tapes of the case had not been handed over to the Special Investigation team.

Action against tainted ministers soon: Rayapati

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Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao on Tuesday said that the Congress party would soon take action against the tainted ministers.

Talking to reporters in Tirumala, Rayapati said that the action against three ministers named in the issue of 26 controversial GOs was certain. However, he did not elaborate on when the action might be taken. It may be mentioned that three ministers – Dr J Geetha Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah and Kanna Laxminarayana have been served notices by the Supreme Court in connection with Disproportionate Assets case of Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Rains, cloudy weather bring relief to Andhra Pradesh

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Rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh provided much-needed relief to people from the intense heat that has kept the southern plateau sizzling for weeks and claimed over 500 lives across the country.

Several parts of Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and some parts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur and other districts of south coastal Andhra received rains Tuesday.

The sky remained cloudy in most parts of Telangana and Rayalaseema regions, officials said.

Shankar Rao alleges phone tapping by CM

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Former minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Tuesday alleged that his cell phone was being tapped.

Talking to reporters in the Assembly premises, Shankar Rao alleged that his phone was being tapped at the instance of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and DGP V Dinesh Reddy. He announced that he would approach the court against the phone tapping.