Month: June 2013

Masaba’s wish to dress Jiah remains unfulfilled

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Masaba Gupta is in a state of grief after the sudden demise of Nafisa alias Jiah Khan as the young designer had plans to design for the late actress soon.

“God bless you. We will meet in another life until then stay blessed. Spoke to Jiah two months back and I promised I would dress her soon. I don’t know what it was that was more important than her life. RIP,” tweeted Masaba who was also creative head of brand Satya Paul.

Jiah, who debuted in Bollywood opposite Amitabh Bachchan in “Nishabd”, committed suicide at her residence in Mumbai’s Juhu area, police said Tuesday. She was 25.

Andhra launches annual credit plan with Rs 1.33 lakh cr outlay

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today launched the annual State Credit Plan with a total outlay of Rs 1.33 lakh crore. Of the total, outlay for the priority sector has been pegged at Rs 99,894 crore, a 21.57 per cent increase over the last financial year. Lending to agriculture sector will be Rs 67,224 crore, a 26.90 per cent enhancement over the previous year, according to Andhra Bank (lead bank) Chairman and Managing Director and SLBC (State-Level Bankers’ Committee) President B A Prabhakar.

UP govt to withdraw cases against Varanasi-blast accused

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Uttar Pradesh government has decided to withdraw cases against alleged HuJI worker and 2006 Varanasi blast-accused Shamim Ahmad, a senior official said. “A decision has been taken to withdraw cases against Shamim in the Varanasi blast case. “The district magistrate of Varanasi has been asked to approach the local court there in this connection,” said a senior home department official. The absconding Shamim, who was never arrested in the case, is accused of having planted a bomb, which remained unexploded, at Jamuna Fatak in Godaulia area at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Nagarjuna missed mom at dream project launch

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Akkineni Nagarjuna missed his late mother Akkineni Annapurna at the launch of his dream project “Manam”, which also features his father Akkineni Nageswara Rao and son Akkineni Naga Chaitanya.

“We did a small puja to mark the beginning of our film ‘Manam’. (It was) an emotional day for all of us. (I) wish mother was there,” posted Nagarjuna on his Twitter page Monday.

Annapurna, who was married to Nageswara Rao for 62 years, passed away in 2011. Annapurna Studios established in 1976, was named after her.

UP Govt Accepts Nimesh Panel Report, BJP Cries Foul

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Uttar Pradesh Government accepted the Nimesh Commission report which virtually let off two Muslim youths arrested in 2007 on terror charges, drawing flak from BJP and Congress which accused SP of treating Muslims as vote bank.

The report, along with the action taken report, will be tabled in Uttar Pradesh legislature during its monsoon session, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told newspersons after the document was accepted at the Cabinet meeting here.

Bollywood mourns Jiah Khan’s untimely death

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Calling her “full of life” and “high-spirited”, Bollywood celebrities expressed their grief and shock over the death of actor Jiah Khan.

Jiah (25) whose real name is Nafisa Khan, was found hanging at her residence at around 11 pm last night.

“What!!! Jiah Khan ??? what has happened? is this correct ? unbelievable !!!,” tweeted a shocked Amitabh Bachchan.

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma called Jiah a girl with “spunk and spirit.”

Woman illegally confined to house for four years rescued in Bengaluru

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A 35-year-old woman, allegedly locked up in a room by her parents for about four years, was rescued by police from her residence in the city on Tuesday.

Hemavathi, a graduate in Commerce, was found in a traumatized state when police visited the house after receiving a tip off.

She was lying on the floor looking unkempt and not even properly clothed, police said.

She was later shifted to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences for treatment.

Looking dazed, Hemavathi told reporters she felt unbearable hunger and got food sometimes.

Russian official: FBI missed Boston warning

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A senior Russian official said today that the Boston Marathon bombings could have been prevented if American officials had followed through with Russian intelligence.

Officials previously hewed to President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Russia had no information that could have prevented the attacks.

Father sets himself ablaze upset over son’s failure at exam

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Unable to bear his son’s failure in the plus-two exams, a man has committed suicide by setting himself on fire at his house near Gudalur, about 80 km from here, police said today.

Rajamanikam, a daily wager, was seen depressed for the last one month, after learning that his son had failed in the examinations and turned alcoholic, police said.

He reportedly told his close friends that he did not want to live after his son failed at the exams, they said.

French politician loses immunity over anti-Muslim remarks

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An extreme far-right member of the European Parliament (MEP), Marine Le Pen, has lost her immunity from prosecution over hateful remarks against Muslims.

According to Swedish MEP Cecilia Wikstrom, the Legal Affairs Committee voted to lift the leader of the French National Front’s immunity for voicing hateful remarks by comparing Muslim praying in the streets to “Nazi occupation,” in 2010.

During a speech three years ago, Le Pen said, “For those who want to talk a lot about World War II, if it’s about occupation, then we could also talk about” Muslim prayers in the streets).

Kuwait defends barring expats from morning treatment

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Kuwait said today that barring foreigners from attending public hospitals in the mornings was aimed at resolving the problem of “overcrowding” at such health facilities.

Since Sunday the health ministry in the oil-rich Gulf state began implementing the measure, described by activists as racist, at the public hospital in Jahra, west of Kuwait City, on experimental basis for six months.

If successful, it will be expanded to other public hospitals as per a decision issued last month by Health Minister Mohammad al-Haifi, who is a well-known surgeon.

I think Karthik has earned his place in the side: Dhoni

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Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni indicated that Dinesh Karthik has more or less “earned” his berth in the playing XI with an unbeaten century in India’s crushing win over Australia in a warm-up match for the Champions Trophy, here today.

“I think he has earned his place in the side and we’ll just have to see who misses out when we play against South Africa. I’d like him to play at the top of the order but we’ll see,” Dhoni said after the match which India won by 243 runs.

Many candidates in BJP for PM post: Raman

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Amid speculation over BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate rife, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today asserted there are many leaders in the party who stand competent to hold the top post.

“There are many people, many senior leaders, in the party (for the PM post),” Raman said when asked about BJP’s PM candidate in 2014 general elections.

“I am not in a Parliamentary Board that I will be asked about the PM (candidates). When asked, I will tell (my opinion),” Raman said.

Dec 16 gangrape: IO denies false case against accused

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The crucial cross-examination of the lady police officer probing the December 16 gangrape on Tuesday commenced in the Delhi court where she refuted the charge by the accused that a false case has been foisted on them at the behest of a criminal lawyer and uncle of victim’s male friend.

The officer, who is also the prime witness in the case, replied in the negative to the question that the victim’s initial statement was manipulated by her as the names of the accused were not mentioned in it.

Abbas: ball in Israel’s court for talks

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Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said today the “ball is in Israel’s court” concerning a resumption of peace talks that the US is pushing for, ahead of a visit by Secretary of State John Kerry.

“Kerry is exerting strenuous efforts… To come to a solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abbas told a news conference in Ramallah.

“I believe the ball is now in Israel’s court.

“The Palestinian demands are clear, and the Israelis know them as do the Americans, so Israel must now accept them in order to begin negotiations,” said Abbas.

Railway bribery case: CBI questions Pawan Kumar Bansal as a witness

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Former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a witness on Tuesday in connection with the recent railway bribery case.

Bansal is under the scanner for his role in the appointment of suspended railway board member (Staff) Mahesh Kumar for which his nephew Vijay Singla was caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh.

Bansal had to resign from the Union Cabinet in the aftermath of the case involving his nephew, who is alleged to have been operating from his official residence.

Boston bomb suspect tells mother he is ‘doing fine’

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Boston Marathon bomb suspect Djokhar Tsarnaev has told his mother that he is receiving thousands of dollars in support from unnamed sources, according to a video obtained by Britain’s Channel 4 News.

Zubeidat Tsarnaev replayed a recording of the conversation with her son, who is being held in Fort Devens prison in Massachusetts, in which he says “everything is fine” ahead of his trial.

“I’m already eating and have been for a long time,” he said in the message, which was recorded last week according to Channel 4.

Maharashtra has had a key role in India”s growth and progress: Pranab Mukherjee

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President Pranab Mukherjee, who inaugurated the new Maharashtra Sadan here on Tuesday, said Maharashtra has had a key role in the growth and progress of the country both in the pre and post independence era.

“Maharashtra was the prominent ground on which the freedom struggle of our nation was fought. In the post independence era too, the State has played a crucial role in shaping our national policies,” said President Mukherjee while speaking on the occasion.

“The people of Maharashtra have always shown that they are ready to face challenges even amidst adversities,” he added.

Cabinet approves establishment of permanent benches of Karnataka HC at Dharwad and Gulbarga

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The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for the establishment of permanent benches of the Karnataka High Court at Dharwad and Gulbarga districts. Establishment of Permanent Benches of the Karnataka High Court at Dharwad and Gulbarga would facilitate better access for justice to litigants of the Districts, covered under the jurisdiction of the Dharwad and Gulbarga Benches. It will also help in speedy disposal of cases with consequent reduction in pendency in the High Court.

United States military calls sexual assault ‘like a cancer’

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US military leaders said on Tuesday that sexual assault in the ranks is “like a cancer” that could destroy the force, but they rejected far-reaching congressional efforts to strip commanders of some authority in meting out justice. Seated side-by-side at a long witness table, Army Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the head of each branch of the military testified on what is widely viewed as an epidemic of sexual assault plaguing the services.

I had planned on getting married after turning 21, says Farah Khan

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Ace Bollywood choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan is thankful to her parents for having pushed her to focus on her career when she wanted to settle down and get married at 21.

Farah is known for choreographing several hit songs including ‘Pehla Nasha’ ‘Ek Pal Ka Jeena’, ‘Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala’, ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’, ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’, ‘Anarkali Disco Chali’, ‘Fevicol Se’ among others. She simultaneously turned film director with ‘Om Shanti Om’ in 2007 and also debuted as an actor last year with ‘Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi’.

BJP like ‘pizza without toppings’

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In a dig at BJP over its leader L K Advani’s remarks which pitched Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi against his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Congress today described its main political rival as “a pizza without toppings”.

“BJP is disturbed by internal squabbles on the leadership issue. The party does not have even four faces at the top level who are united. It can be best described as a pizza without toppings,” AICC media panel member and Maharashtra Congress spokesman Anant Gadgil told reporters.

Muslims urged to close ranks to fight terrorist tag

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(Pervez Bari): The Muslim community, which is in great disarray as it has been dubbed with the tag of terrorism, must close ranks and fight back spiritedly the curse foisted upon it by the administration and media. This can only be possible when the different sects of Muslims sink their differences and join hands to face the challenges together to refurbish the image of the community.

India skittle out Australia for 65; win by 234 runs

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India warmed up in style for the Champions Trophy by bundling out Australia for 65 runs for their massive 234 runs win in their second pratice match here Tuesday.

Dinesh Karthik’s unbeaten century and his 211-run sixth-wicket partnership with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (91) rallied India to 308 for six in their 50 overs after being 55 for five.

The game was virtually over within an hour as pacers Umesh Yadav (5/18) and Ishant Sharma (3/11) turned on the heat on the Australia batting and skittled them out for 65 runs in 23.3 overs.