Month: May 2013

Japanese mayor apologises for ‘comfort women’ comment on US troops

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A Japanese mayor apologised Monday for saying earlier that US troops should patronize legal adult entertainment businesses as a way to reduce rapes and other assaults.

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who is also the co-head of an emerging nationalistic party, said his remarks two weeks ago rose from a “sense of crisis” about cases of sexual assaults by US military personnel on Japanese civilians in Okinawa, where a large number of US troops are based.

Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts make debut in Mao’s China

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The first Chinese version of a book on Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts was launched on Sunday, marking the debut of Gandhian philosophy in a country intensely dominated by the ideology of ‘Chairman’ Mao Zedong.

‘Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership’, written by former Indian diplomat-turned-Gandhian Pascal Alan Nazareth, was released at the Peking University’s Centre for India Studies in the presence of Indian Ambassador to China S Jaishankar.

EU foreign ministers seek solution on Syria arms

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The European Union foreign affairs ministers will debate whether to ease sanctions against Syria to allow for weapons shipments to rebels fighting the regime of Syria’s President Bashar Assad.

Britain is the most outspoken proponent of nixing the arms embargo but faces opposition from some members that feel more we Assad has been using extensive firepower against lightly armed rebel factions.

More than 70,000 people have died since the uprising against Assad’s regime erupted in March 2011.

Pakistani lesbians ‘become UK’s 1st married Muslim gay couple’

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Two former students from Pakistan are believed to have become the first Muslim lesbian couple to tie the knot in a civil ceremony in the UK.

According to reports, following their marriage at the registry office in Leeds earlier this month, Rehana Kausar, 34, and Sobia Kamar , 29, immediately applied for political asylum, the Independent reported.

Couple’s relatives said that the women, who studied in Birmingham, have received threats of death both in the UK and from their opponents in Pakistan, where these kinds of relationships are considered illegal.

Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N has simple majority with inclusion of 18 independents

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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which emerged as the leading party after the May 11 polls in Pakistan, now also enjoys simple majority in the lower house of the parliament when 18 independents announced their affiliations with the party.

The independent MNA-elects announced to join the ruling party in waiting before the Election Commission’s allotted time expired on Sunday, reports The Dawn.

The PML-N had bagged 126 National Assembly seats in the general elections and now with 18 independents, the party has a total of 144 seats.

Four climbers missing in Nepal as avalanche hits M

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Four climbers, including a Spanish and a Japanese, have been missing after an avalanche hit Mt. Dhaulagiri in Nepal.

Two foreign climbers, a Spanish and a Japanese, and three Nepalese mountain guides, were hit by an avalanche at Camp Four situated at 8,000 metre elevation of Mt. Dhaulagiri in Nepal Himalayas on May 24, according to officials at Tourism Ministry of Nepal.

Clashes erupt in PoK over prolonged power outages

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Hundreds of people today clashed with police near Mirpur city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, protesting against prolonged power outages for up to 18 hours a day. The clash took place when the protesters were prevented from marching towards the Mangla hydropower station on the Jhelum river. The protest was organised by the Mirpur Citizens Action Committee.

Footage on television showed policemen firing in the air and using teargas to disperse the protesters.

Pakistan lawmakers to elect new premier on June 5

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The formal election of Pakistan’s new Prime Minister by members of the National Assembly will be held on June 5, officials said Monday.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif is set to become premier for an unprecedented third term. PML-N officials said his election to the post will be a mere formality as the party has the required numbers in the 342-member National Assembly or lower house of parliament.

The first session of the new National Assembly will be convened on June 1. Soon after the House convenes, the newly elected members will take oath.

3G case: HC issues contempt notices to Idea Cellular, others

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The Delhi High Court on Monday issued contempt notices against telecom major Idea Cellular Ltd (ICL) and its chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla for allegedly disobeying its earlier order by providing 3G services to new customers in circles where it lacks the requisite licences.

Justice Rajiv Shakdhar asked the telecom company and five others including Birla to file their responses within four weeks and posted the matter for further hearing on August 5.

Mukherjee asks railway probationers to dedicate life and services to nation”s cause

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A group of 56 probationers of the Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS), Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) and Indian Railways Service of Stores called on President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Monday.

President Mukherjee, while addressing the probationers, congratulated them on their success in a very difficult competitive examination.

He said that they are joining the great task of nation building by serving Indian Railways and they must dedicate their life and services to the cause of this country.

Manmohan Singh to seek nuclear deal, investments during Japan visit

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left here on Monday on a two-nation five-day visit to Japan and Thailand aiming to give a “new meaning” to India’s ‘Look East’ policy and hoping it will contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

Singh, who flew to Tokyo, his first halt, described Japan as a “key regional and global partner for India”

In his departure statement, Singh said he proposed to invigorate India’s relations with Japan in the political, security and energy spheres.

Mosque partially damaged in fire

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A mosque was partially damaged in a fire in Pampore township of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said today.

Fire broke out in the Masjid Wahab Sahab, Khrew, last night, resulting in partial damage to the mosque, a police spokesman said here.

Police has registered a case and started investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire, he said.

–PTi

Economists see Q4 GDP at 4.8%

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Economists on Monday forecast a sub-five percent readings in the March quarter GDP, pulling down the overall economic expansion in FY13 to a decadal low of around five percent.

Credit Suisse Director and Chief Economist Robert Prior-Wandesforde pegged the March quarter GDP growth at 4.8 percent, which is also concurred by Nomura and DBS.

The government will announce the FY13 GDP numbers on May 30, where it expects the readings to be around 5.2 percent.

Researchers make more accurate global warming predictions

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Australian scientists claimed to have narrowed down the predicted range of global warming which will lead to more accuracy while projecting future level of rise in temperature due to climate change.

Scientists from University of Melbourne and Victoria University say they used a new method to achieve the results.

The paper, led by Roger Bodman from Victoria University, concluded that exceeding six degrees warming was now unlikely while exceeding two degrees was very likely.

Cow thefts on the rise in India: For new breed of rustlers, nothing is sacred

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When night falls in this gritty capital, gangs troll the darkened streets looking for easy prey among a portion of the city’s vast homeless population; thousands have been rounded up and carried off in trucks in recent years.

Many cows are being stolen from the streets of India. Often, those that are rescued and taken to the shelter are in poor condition.

Tennis ace Venus Williams loses in French Open first round

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New York, May 27 (ANI): Former World No. 1 tennis player Venus Williams has lost in the first round of the French Open.

This is the first time that she has lost in the first round since 2001.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion ranked 30th and lost 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4 to Urszula Radwanska of Poland, a 40th ranking player who has never won any major tournament, the New York Post reports.

Williams has had two first-round losses in the past four Grand Slam tournaments, the report added. (ANI)

Pope Francis urges mafia to ‘convert their hearts’ and stop exploitation, prostitution

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Washington, May 27 (ANI): Pope Francis has urged mobsters to abandon their evil ways, particularly the exploitation of people in trafficking rackets such as prostitution.

The call from the Pope comes after he paid tribute to a courageous priest murdered by the Sicilian Mafia as a martyr.

According to the New York Daily News, Francis issued his call to organized crime members to convert their hearts, a day after the beatification of the Reverent Giuseppe (Pino) Puglisi in Palermo, Italy.

Martin Crowe to release tell-all memoir

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Wellington, May 27 (ANI): Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe is set to release his memoir in which would cover everything from his sporting career, to being diagnosed with cancer.

The cricketing legend found out he had blood cancer when he received a call while he was dropping his daughter Emma for tennis coaching.

In an interview with Woman”s Weekly, he said his soon-to-be-released memoir Raw, will be released on June 4, would even cover everything from marrying former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes, to becoming a dad.

19 killed as bus falls into canal in UP

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Etah (Uttar Pradesh), May 27 (ANI): At least 19 people were killed and 23 others got injured when a roadways bus in which they were travelling fell in to the Hazara canal in Pilua area in Uttar Pradesh”s Etah district.

According to television reports, the incident occurred late last night when driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle and it fell into the canal.

The ill-fated Aligarh Depo bus was on its way to Delhi from Farrukhabad.

All the injured have been admitted to a hospital.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)

Apple iOS 7 presumed to be ”black, white and flat all over”

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London, May 27 (ANI): Apple”s decision of redesigning its latest iOS 7 is speculated to present a ”black, white and flat” look all over.

Jonathan Ive who became in charge of the look and feel of the Apple hardware and software last year, is reportedly not fond of skeuomorphic heavy designs, which currently dominate the iOS.

According to a BBC report, the latest design of the Apple iOS is speculated to be devoid of the textures on its notification panel and gloss or shadows on its icons and apps but the corners will remain rounded.

Chandrababu Naidu asks TDP cadre to gear up for polls

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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) began its ‘Mahanadu’ or annual convention here Monday with party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu asking the cadre to gear up for next year’s elections.

In his inaugural address, Naidu asked the party leaders and workers to give suggestions for an action plan to bring the party back to power.

Reiterating his slew of promises for various sections of people, Naidu exuded confidence that the TDP would return to power in the state and would also play a key role at the centre, where he believes a third front would form the next government.

Google will pay more if British tax laws are changed: Eric Schmidt

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Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has said the company will pay more tax if the British tax laws are changed, and added that it does not treat paying taxes as optional but mandatory.

Google has been criticized for allegedly evading taxes revealing payments of 3.4 million pounds in tax on 3.2 billion pounds of sales to customers in Britain last year, with sales technically accounting for under the low-tax regime of Ireland.

Private companies eye ‘moon bases’

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First moon base may be set up by private companies, not NASA, a study by space habitat developer Bigelow Aerospace has revealed.

The study, commissioned by NASA, is intended as a supplemental roadmap for the U.S. government as it charts human space initiatives beyond the International Space Station, a permanently staffed research complex that orbits about 250 miles above Earth, Discovery News reported.

When Selena Gomez drove away with fans

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Singer-actress Selena Gomez once got into security hassles when she drove away with four female fans to escape photographers.

The 20-year-old was at the airport when the incident took place, reports contactmusic.com.

“I got in trouble one time I had like 12 paparazzi. They were at the airport and I put my head down because I don`t really like them that much. There were about four of my fans, so when I got in the car, I grabbed the four girls and put them in the car with me and just took off,” Gomez said.

Assembly session from June 10

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The second phase of budget session of Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly is likely to begin from June 10.

According to sources, the second phase of Assembly session will complete the remaining tasks related with State budget for the financial year 2013-14. The first leg of budget session was held from March 13 to 26th.