Month: June 2013

UAE’s humanitarian support praised in Sri Lanka

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The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) consistent humanitarian support for its friendly countries has been appreciated in Sri Lanka.

Governor of the Western Province in Sri Lanka Al Haj Alavi Moulana expressed his praise for the UAE while taking delivery of an ambulance and a coffin car, donated by the Khalifa bin Zayed Foundation, from Abdul Hameed Kazim, the UAE ambassador to Sri Lanka.

He also paid special thanks to the Khalifa Foundation for carrying out a series of humanitarian projects in this islan nation.

–IANS

BJP seeks to rebrand itself as a Muslim-friendly party

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At first glance, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would seem an unlikely candidate for winning support from Muslim voters. The party is known for its adherence to Hindu nationalism, and has come under frequent criticism for its alleged bias against Muslims.

Party leaders, however, are out to change that image. As next year’s elections approach, the BJP is seeking to woo Muslims by insisting it can offer real opportunities, and not just “token support”

Burial of unclaimed Muslim dead bodies – Yeomen services of Mr. Zahid Ali Khan

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The Social Activities of Siasat Urdu Daily need no introduction. It is not only a news paper but it is become a movement for welfare activities and educational awareness. One such scheme is the burial of unclaimed Muslim dead bodies. Siasat Urdu Daily completed 10 years of this yeomen service and arranged the burial of nearly 1800 Muslim dead bodies during this decade. The readers of siasat and the donors of Millat Fund will feel happy and get satisfaction that with their cooperation Mr.

Action against 15 dissident MLA’s likely

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Mr. N. Manohar, Speaker of AP Assembly is likely to take action against 15 MLA’s belonging to Congress and TDP who had violated the party whip in the last Assembly when No-Confidence Motion was moved.

TRS leader involved in IPL spot fixing

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Delhi and Kolkata police after arresting the persons involved in IPL spot-fixing, are searching for another person in Andhra Pradesh. According to reliable sources 1 Mr. Shakeel is suspected to be involved in spot fixing of IPL. He contested from Assembly Bodhan constituency last time but didn’t succeed. Mr. K. Chandrasekhar Rao was contacted to get the details about Shakeel it is reported that Shakeel had very intimate relations with IPL players. At present he is absconding. Police is actively searching for him.

——Siasat News

Minorities Residential School – Appointment on 44 posts sanctioned

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State Cabinet has given its nod for the appointment of 44 vacancies in Minorities Residential school at Kalikeri in Peluru Assembly constituency of CM in Chittoor District. The cabinet has also permitted for the appointment of 27 posts in Govt. Junior College for Girls in Peluru. It has also sanctioned 62 teaching and non teaching posts for the polytechnic in Jogipet (Medak) and Atmakur (Nellore) in the same way it has sanctioned a polytechnic for girls in Dubak Assembly constituency of Jogipet in Medak District.

Russia offers peacekeepers for Golan Heights

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Russia is ready to deploy its troops to the Golan Heights, in eastern Israel, to replace Austrian peacekeepers as part of a UN monitoring mission on the border between Israeli troops and the Syrian army, President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

Austria announced Thursday about withdrawing its 377 troops from the UN’s’ 1,100-strong force following battles at Quneitra in Syria.

“In view of the complex situation that is emerging in the Golan Heights, we could replace the Austrian contingent that is leaving the area,” Putin said.

Six killed in US college shooting

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Six people were killed in a shooting rampage at a college in the US state of California Friday, CNN reported.

The incident occurred in Santa Monica College, California, that ended Friday with the gunman clad in tactical gear dead in a college library and a “person of interest” in custody, authorities said.

“We are not convinced 100 per cent that the suspect who was killed operated in a solo or alone capacity,” Santa Monica police chief Jacqueline Seabrooks told reporters.

CBI officer probing Jagan case transferred

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Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Joint Director V.V. Lakshmi Narayana, who was heading the probe into YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s disproportionate assets case, has been transferred.

Narayana, who investigated many high profile cases, including the Satyam scam and the illegal mining involving former Karnataka minister G. Janardhana Reddy, has returned to his Maharashtra cadre state as his term in the CBI ended.

The officer was also heading the investigations into the corruption charges against former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Obama defends telephone, internet snooping

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President Barack Obama Friday defended the newly revealed government surveillance programmes as a small price to pay for keeping America safe from terror attacks.

Sweeping up Americans’ telephone records and monitoring Internet activity from overseas are “modest encroachments on privacy” that can help US intelligence analysts disrupt terror activity, he said during a four-day trip to the West Coast.

“Nobody is listening to your telephone calls,” he reassured Americans worried about the prospect of government agents listening in on private conversations, CNN reported.

Champions Trophy: West Indies beat Pakistan by two wickets

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West Indies beat Pakistan by two wickets in the second match, Group B, of the ICC Champions Trophy at Kennington Oval, here Friday.

The following is the scoreboard of the Champions Trophy match between the West Indies and Pakistan at the Kensington Oval here Friday.

Pakistan:
Imran Farhat c DJ Bravo b Roach 2
Nasir Jamshed c Rampaul b Narine 50
Mohammad Hafeez b Roach 4
Asad Shafiq c Rampaul b Roach 0
Misbah-ul-Haq not out 96
Shoaib Malik c DJ Bravo b Narine 0
Kamran Akmal c Ramdin b Narine 2
Wahab Riaz run out (DJ Bravo) 6
Saeed Ajmal run out (Pollard/Rampaul) 2

Indian sailors safe after warships close in on Somali pirates

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Fourteen Indian sailors are safe after the Somali pirates who took control of a cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden 5.6.2013 abandoned their attack when threatened by two warships that were closing in.

In a statement issued by the European Union Naval Force Friday: “Fourteen Indian sailors are now safe, after pirates, who took control of their cargo vessel on 5th June (morning) in the Gulf of Aden, abandoned the attack hours later after EU Naval Force warship HSwMS Carlskrona, together with NATO counter piracy Dutch warship HNLMS Van Speijk, closed in.”

Israel eyes return to UN rights body after boycott

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Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva says his country may end its boycott of the UN’s top human rights forum.

In a letter dated June 3, Eviatar Manor says he wants to engage the head of the UN Human Rights Council “with a view to positively resolve all outstanding issues in Israel’s complex relationship” with the 47-nation body.

The letter was released by the UN today.

Israel stopped cooperating with the Human Rights Council last year, accusing it of being biased against the Jewish state because it regularly criticises Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.

Paris Jackson missed father before suicide attempt

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Late legendary musician Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris reportedly screamed “I wish my daddy was here” before her recent suicide attempt.

Paris allegedly cut one of her wrists and took an overdose of pills Wednesday, following a blazing family row which saw her complain she wanted to “live my own life”. Her reaction came after being told she couldn’t attend a Marilyn Manson gig Thursday.

“Paris feels that no one in her family ‘gets’ her any more and she feels isolated and alone,” contactmusic.com quoted a source as saying.

Emma Watson feels like Cinderella

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Actress Emma Watson feels she lives her life like fairytale character Cinderella, because she always has to give away her glamorous outifts back after film premieres and parties.

The 23-year-old feels that like Cinderella, who got transformed from a parlour girl into a princess for one night only, she also gets to wear “beautiful clothes”, which are lent by designers, for major premieres and red carpet events, reports dailymirror.co.uk.

‘No remarriage plans for Vladimir Putin’

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Vladimir Putin has no plans to remarry, said a spokesperson for the Russia president Friday while rubbishing rumours that the recently announced divorce cleared the way for a new marriage.

There was no other woman in Putin’s life, and any other information was nothing more than “gossip, hearsay and assumptions”, Dmitry Peskov said during a radio interview.

“It is enough to just take a look at Putin’s work schedule to understand that his life, perhaps unfortunately, has little relation to any type of family ties.

Peter Andre to start Kung fu schools

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Singer Peter Andre will soon launch his own Kung fu schools around Britain to help youngsters learn the martial art and discipline themselves.

The 40-year-old plans to open almost 500 centres with the help of son Junior’s trainer.

“I’m just about to launch a franchise of Kung fu schools across the country. This is keeping kids off the street and it teaches them discipline. It’s all about that and learning a skill, which brings confidence,” thesun.co.uk quoted Andre as saying.

The “Mysterious girl” singer is looking forward to the project.

Indian arrested in Saudi Arabia for attempting sorcery on boss

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A 33-year-old Indian worker in Saudi Arabia was arrested for allegedly attempting to cast a ‘magic spell’ on his employer.

The man has admitted to committing the crime and said he wanted to cast a magic spell on his employer in order to get rich quickly, police said.

The man, who was not identified, received an envelope from India containing “suspicious material” with which he allegedly wanted to cast a magic spell on his employer, but the envelope was seized before he could collect it, they said.

Arab parliament’s president visits Morocco

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Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane Friday received President of the Arab parliament (AP) Ahmed Mohammed Al Jarwan who is visiting the capital city of Rabat for a regional symposium on citizens and parliament.

The Moroccan prime minister highlighted the role the Arab parliament was playing in expressing opinions and aspirations of Arab people.

Al Jarwan praised the positive role of Morocco in maintaining peace and stability at national and regional levels.

–IANS

Putin signs school drug-testing law

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law introducing drug testing for school students, the government’s legal information website said Friday.

A recent survey conducted among people aged from 11 to 24 showed about 25 per cent had tried drugs. The average age for the first time to try drugs is 15-16.

The drug testing will be held in two stages. During the first, socio-psychological stage, students will complete a special questionnaire. The second stage consists of medical tests and examinations to find any traces of narcotic substances in the students.

At 76, Russian cosmonaut wishes Mars trip

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Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, said Friday that she disapproved of space tourists and would be prepared to leave retirement to undertake a one-way trip to Mars.

The 76-year-old was speaking ahead of the 50th anniversary of her June 16, 1963, blastoff which propelled her into the record books and made her one of the Soviet Union’s most feted astronauts.

“Of course, it’s a dream to go to Mars and find out whether there was life there or not,” Tereshkova said. “If there was, then why did it die out? What sort of catastrophe happened?”

Myanmar’s opposition leader snubs issue of Rohingya Muslims

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Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected criticism leveled at her over her silence about the persecution of the Rohingya Muslim community, while announcing her desire to run for president.

The Muslim minority of Rohingyas in Myanmar accounts for about five percent of the country’s population of nearly 60 million. The persecuted minority has faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country achieved independence in 1948.

Bieber to visit space?

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Singer Justin Bieber is reportedly the latest celebrity to join the list of people who will be travelling to space in Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism programme, which begins next year.

Bieber, 20, along with his manager Scooter Braun, has joined the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, who have signed up for the unique experience, reports thesun.co.uk.

“Great to hear Justin Bieber and Scooter Braun are latest at Virgin Galactic future astronauts. Congrats, see you up there,” Branson posted on Twitter.

Man arrested for raping married woman

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One person has been arrested for allegedly raping a married woman in Rajouri district, police said today.

The 22-year-old woman, wife of an army jawan, alleged that she was last evening raped by one Naresh Kumar in the Bhawani area of Nowshera.

Police, who have registered a case, added that they were awaiting the report of a medical examination conducted on the woman.

WHO team in Beed after case of vaccine-derived polio virus

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A World Health Organization (WHO) team was today rushed to Beed district in Maharashtra, which has reported a case of a 10-month-old boy being infected with the vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) even as the Health Ministry termed it as an “isolated” case.

“It seems to be an isloted case. However, a team of WHO officials has gone to the spot,” a top health ministry official told PTI.

He said the team will collect stool samples and also check the immunity status of the residents of the area from which the case has been reported.