Month: June 2013

Sharif’s foreign policy short on vision: Daily

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Nawaz Sharif government’s foreign policy priorities are “short on vision”, said a leading Pakistani daily Saturday.

An editorial in the Dawn said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s initial despatch to Pakistani diplomatic missions mapping out his government’s foreign policy priorities is “a document shorn of ambition and short on vision”.

Sharif said that his focus will be on economic diplomacy and on stabilising the region on the security front – “with a few words, platitudes really, thrown in about relations with the usual countries foreign policy tends to focus on”.

Powerful blast rocks Cyberabad, 6 injured

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6 people sustained injuries in a powerful blast occurred near Cyberabad Police Commissionerate. The blast is said to have occurred in an under-constructed building near commissioner office.

Officials immediately conducted inspection and seized large scale explosive material. According to police sources 3500 gelatin sticks and detonators were recovered. Reluctant to reveal details right away, police stalled the construction work and began investigations by registering a case.

Siasat news

50,000 youth in 24 Naxal-affected districts to get jobs under ‘Roshni’

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Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday launched a new skill development scheme called ‘Roshni’ for rural youth from 24 most critically Left-Wing Extremism affected districts in the country.

Briefing the media here, Ramesh said that the initiative aims at skilling and placement of fifty thousand youth from these districts.

Pak sports film for people aspiring to become Shahid Afridi set for release

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Lollywood actor/director Humayun Saeed’s new movie ‘ Main Hoon Shahid Afridi’ is set to release on Eid-ul Fitr this year.

The movie, which has been directed by Syed Ali Raza and is written by Vasay Chaudhry , is unlike any previous Pakistani film, in the sense that it is commercial but is an underdog story, which centres on cricket.

Saeed is aware that India and other countries have produced films on such subjects before but feels that his latest flick is purely Pakistani and is different from the kind of scripts Saeed has been known for.

Pope Francis says he never wanted to be pope

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Pope Francis, who has railed against ” careerism” in the Catholic Church since being elected as its leader three months ago, has said he never wanted to be pope.

Popes are appointed by cardinals in a highly-secretive process, reports News.com.au.

The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, formerly the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, while conversing with students from Jesuit schools, said he did not want to be pope. A person who wants to be pope does not love himself, he said.

Samajwadi Party targets BJP, says ‘Modi on same route as Hitler’

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With signs of a rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quite evident following L.K. Advani’s decision not to attend the ongoing national executive meet in Goa, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is on the same route as former German dictator Adolf Hitler and would not allow any other person to flourish or develop ahead of him.

Samajwadi Party leader Kamal Farooqi said Modi would very soon sideline BJP President Rajnath Singh as well.

World’s hottest curry made out of 8 Indian Bhut Naga Jolokia chilli

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A British-themed restaurant in Manhattan has made a phaal so hot it includes the Indian Bhut Naga Jolokia chilli, which is used to make tear gas.

The curry measures one million units on the Scoville scale – and chefs at the Brick Lane Curry House, named after the East London street known as a UK mecca for a “ruby murray”, wear masks to cook it, the Mirror reported.

Made using eight chillies, the dish has left New York diners vomiting, crying and sweating profusely.

Some have hallucinated and two were rushed to hospital.

Admission for non-qualified minority candidates

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Minority Candidates (Muslim, Christian, Sikh, linguistic minorities) who have not qualified or not appeared ECET/ICET/EAMCET-2013 will be given an opportunity to take admission into their respective courses. According to convenor they are advised to submit an application on a plain paper or download the proforma containing various details along with a Demand Draft for Rs. 300/- drawn in favour of Convenor, ECET/ICET/EAMCET-2013, payable at Hyderabad to consider them for leftover seats if any after exhausting Merit list.

‘Raanjhanaa’ music glorifies love in unique way

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Film: “Raanjhanaa”; Music Director: A.R. Rahman; Singers: Jaswinder Singh, Shiraz Uppal, Shreya Ghoshal, A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali, Pooja Av, Kirti Sagathia, Aanchal Sethi, Vaishali, Chinmayi, Madhushree, Neeti Mohan, Rashid Ali, and Rabbi; Rating: ***1/2

The music of director Anand.L. Rai’s movie “‘Raanjhanaa” has eight tracks. Since the movie is based in Benaras, composer A.R. Rahman has included the regional flavour in most of the tracks. Use of a lot of instruments in all the songs is also evident.

Six killed in California shooting rampage

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A gunman clad in black tactical gear and carrying an automatic rifle killed six people and wounded five others in Santa Monica College in South California, before he was shot and killed by police.

A “person of interest” was reported to be in custody Friday, as police and firefighters searched the sprawling campus of Santa Monica College for other possible victims or shooters. By early evening, authorities declared the campus clear.
The gunman has not been identified by authorities, Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks told reporters, according to CNN.

Monsoon showers cannot hide Modi’s grin

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The writing is on the walls of Panaji’s Portuguese-style mansions and limestone edifices: Cut-outs, photographs and banners of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi far outnumber those of every other BJP leader.

The images set the mood for the three-day meeting of BJP leaders here, with the party’s national executive meeting over the weekend.

Advani missing from Goa BJP conclave Saturday

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After skipping the office bearers’ meeting held Friday, an “unwell” L.K. Advani is set to miss the first day of party’s national executive meet here Saturday as well.

BJP sources said Advani would not attend the meeting Saturday. There were reports that the senior party leader was upset about a decision to make Narendra Modi the head of the party’s campaign committee for the 2014 general elections.

Senior party leaders say this is the first time in their memory that the party stalwart has stayed away from a meeting of the national executive.

Interviews for recruitment of paramedical staff in APSTRC

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APSRTC has issued the list of provisionally shortlisted candidates for interviews for recruitment of Paramedical Staff in APSRTC such as staff nurse, pharmacist, nursing, ward boys and ward girls.

The written exam was conducted on April 21. The list of shortlisted Candidates for interviews can be viewed at website apsrtc.gov.in

Siasat news

Publications of Nizam Urdu Trust for sale

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According to the press note issued by secretary Nizam Urdu Trust the following books published by Nizam Urdu Trust are available on concessional rates. Urdu Zaban ki Tarveej Wa Taraqqi, Tareekh-e-Deccan (Qadeem), Tareekh-e-Gulzar Asifia, Glossary of Words (pocket dictionary for non-Urdu speakers to comprehend Urdu gazal and nazm). Besides these a few copies of ‘The Legacy of Nizams’ are also available.

Urdu lovers are requested to obtain the above mentioned books on concessional rates from Nizam Urdu Trust Library (Masjid Paltan, Malakpet) and promote Urdu language.

Siasat news

Measures to ensure effective implementation of Minority schemes

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Principal Secretary Minorities Welfare, Raymond Peter has planned to take important decisions to ensure effective implementation of minority schemes in the state and to eliminate the role of middlemen.

To consult in this regard he will convene a meeting of minority public representatives and religious leaders on June 11 in which public and religious representatives of Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Parsi communities will participate.

EAMCET (Medicine) counseling guidance programme at Siasat

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A guidance programme is being organized by Siasat daily for minority students of EAMCET 2013 (Medicine) to create awareness regarding general counseling procedure of MBBS/BDS of University of Health Sciences.

The guidance programme will be held on Sunday, June 9, at Mahboob Husain Jigar Hall, Siasat premises, opposite Ramkrishna Theatre, Abids, from 11 am to 1 pm.

Siasat news

RBI extends restriction of gold loans to Co-op banks

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Reserve Bank has extended the restriction on advance against gold on co-operative banks as well, a move aimed at curbing demand for gold.

In a notification, the RBI said while granting advance against the security of specially minted gold coins sold by banks, state/central co-operative banks “should ensure that the weight of the coin(s) does not exceed 50 grams per customer’.

Also the amount of loan to any customer against gold ornaments, gold jewellery and gold coins (weighing up to 50 grams) should be within the Board approved limit, it added.

BJP National Executive meet begins today, LK Advani gives it a miss

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85-year-old Advani cited “ill health” as the reason behind not attending the meeting.

Perhaps for the first time in the BJP’s history, L K Advani on Saturday skipped the party’s National Executive meeting against the backdrop of his pursued opposition to project Narendra Modi as head of the campaign committee for the next Lok Sabha elections.

85-year-old Advani cited “ill health” as the reason behind not attending the meeting in Goa. The National Executive meeting is expected to discuss Modi’s role in the general elections.

Jagan case: Court orders freezing of assets worth Rs 143 Cr

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A special PMLA court has issued orders for attachment of properties worth Rs 143.74 crore of YSR Congress party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy and his associates in a disproportionate assets case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In a shot in the arm to the investigators, the court has termed these frozen properties, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as “proceeds of crime and involved in money laundering”.

Indian firm to construct hydroelectric plants in Kano, Nigeria

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The Nigerian state of Kano has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Skipper Group of India for the construction of hydroelectricity plants at Tiga and Challawa dams in the state, Indian High Commissioner in Abuja, Mahesh Sachdev has said.

The total value of the project was not disclosed. Sachdev said: “When completed, in two years, these two projects would not only contribute 35 MW of power to Kano state, they would also play the intended role in water management and irrigation.”

Family finds Jiah Khan’s six-page note describing traumatic ties with lover

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The family members of actress Jiah Khan have found a six-page note in which she has penned aspects about a bumpy relationship, some other disappointments and even a medical procedure she underwent that may have likely contributed to her ending her life on Monday.

Jiah’s mother and sister were looking through her some of her personal items in her room at their Juhu residence on Friday afternoon, when they discovered the note in English that they believe was written by the actress.

Thunderstorm hits power supply in Ghaziabad

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Residents of Ghaziabad are facing a week of irregular power supply with electricity department officials saying that they would need seven days to repair the damage caused to transmission lines in Thursday’s thunderstorm.

Most areas of Ghaziabad have had to make do with only three to four hours of electricity in the last 24 hours as transmission towers and power lines were widely affected in the thunderstorms.

In political war, Modi is our best commando: BJP official

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The Friday meeting is expected to set the tone for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s two-day national executive and council meetings, which are expected to decide on the BJP strategy for the Lok Sabha polls of 2014.

Using the idiom of war, BJP national general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan Friday said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was the “best commando” the party could have in its political battle.

Russia set to launch four satellites

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Russia has plans to launch four more satellites for the Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass) by this year-end, the Aerospace Defence Forces head said Saturday.

The Glonass, officially launched in 1993, is Russia’s answer to the US Global Positioning System (GPS).

It provides data for real-time positioning and speed of surface, sea and air objects to within an accuracy of one meter.

Jensen Ackles is now father

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“Supernatural” star Jensen Ackles is blessed with a baby girl. His wife Danneel expressed her happiness on Twitter.

“We are happy to announce the birth of our precious baby girl, Justice Jay ‘JJ’ Ackles. She was born happy and healthy on May 30,” she tweeted, reports dailystar.co.uk.

Justice is the couple’s first baby. They married in 2010.

–IANS