Month: June 2013

I am a director’s actor: Kareena Kapoor

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After giving many power-packed performances in her decade-long career, Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor admits she follows her director’s advice religiously on the sets.

Kareena, 32, was here to launch the worldwide trailer of Prakash Jha’s “Satyagraha”, in which she plays a headstrong journalist.

“We are familiar with popular women journalists on TV like Barkha Dutt and Christiane Amanpour. Their personalities influence everyone and I am lucky that I have also got the chance to essay the role of a journalist on screen.

Minority welfare schemes reviewed in Bihar

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Union Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today held a review meeting on the running of programmes for welfare of minority communities in the state and discussed ways and means to make them more effective.

The meeting on Central as well state government schemes matched statistical achievement details of all the programmes for minorities welfare, which are in action in the state.

Peace treaty must rest on security of Israel: Netanyahu

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Any peace treaty with the Palestinians must be based on Israel’s ability to defend itself and not on mere “good will”, hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today hours before the arrival of US Secretary of State John Kerry to push for peace talks.

“Peace rests on security. It is not based on good will or legitimacy as some think. It is based, first and foremost, on our ability to defend ourselves,” he said at a ceremony to mark the 109th anniversary of the death of Theodor Herzl, the founding father of Zionism.

Govt to amend controversial circular on Muslim marriage

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The Kerala government today informed the High Court that the controversial government circular on registration of marriage of Muslim boys and girls would be amneded and sought two weeks time to do so.

The government in an affidavit sought two weeks time to make necessary amendments in this regard.

A division bench comprising Chief justice Manjula Chellur and Justice K Vinod Chandran recorded the government’s submission and disposed the PILs clarifying that the petitioners could approach the court again in case of any grievances regarding the amended notification.

Report: UAE fighter jet in near miss with plane

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A newspaper in the United Arab Emirates says a civil aviation investigation has found that a fighter jet came within 3.5 seconds of colliding with a passenger plane in Dubai in February.

The preliminary report, cited today by The National newspaper, said the UAE warplane was conducting exercises during the near miss with a Boeing 777 bound for Istanbul with 431 people aboard.

No one was injured in the February 12 incident.

The report says the BAE Hawk fighter made an emergency manoeuvre to veer away from the Emirates airliner.

Youth arrested for raping neighbour’s wife

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A youth has been arrested for allegedly raping his neighbour’s wife, police said today.

Police arrested Ishwar Sharma who barged into his neighbour’s house and allegedly raped his 28-year-old wife at Gudha village in Mahendergarh, about 40 km from Rewari, last night.

The woman, who was alone in the house, raised an alarm following which some neighbours rushed to the place, overpowered the accused and handed him over to police.

Case registered against Aditya Pancholi for assaulting neighbour

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It seems nothing is going in favour of the Pancholi family. It wasn’t late that son Suraj Pancholi was involved in a brawl that now father Aditya Pancholi has invited a new trouble for himself.
Bhargaw Patel, a neighbour of Aditya Pancholi has alleged the actor of assaulting, abusing and scuffling with him.

A CCTV footage showing Aditya involved in the above activities has followed a case registered against him under section 452, 323.

The versova police in Mumbai have filed the case and could sooner bring in his arrest.

Iraq bombings target soccer fans, kill 16 in cafes

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Iraqi officials say a series of bombings targeting soccer fans has struck cafes in and around Baghdad, killing 16 and wounding dozens.

The attacks struck in quick succession late Thursday night while the cafes were filled with patrons watching a soccer match.

Police say five people were killed in Baghdad’s largely Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, and another three were killed in Shiite-dominated Umm al-Maalif, in the southwestern suburbs of the capital.

Calls in US to honour first Indian-American Congressman

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US lawmakers have requested the State of California to induct Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian to be elected to Congress, into the California Hall of Fame.

A group of 14 Congressmen from California today led by Ami Bera sent a letter to California Governor Jerry Brown described Congressman Saund as “a trailblazer for human and civil rights and for the Asian-American community”.

Russia says Saudi arming Syria ‘terrorists’

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Russia accused Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf states today of funding “international terrorists and extremists” in the Syria conflict.

Moscow’s angry statement came in response to accusations by Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, that Russia was responsible for mass killings in Syria because of its military support for the regime.

“Of course, we are not going to justify ourselves before anyone. Our fundamental position on Syria is well known,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

NGO employee booked for torturing minor girl

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A case has been registered against an NGO worker here for allegedly torturing a hostel inmate.

The minor girl, who stayed in NGO Surman Sansthan’s hostel here after fleeing home, was allegedly tortured by the NGO employee, an allegation rejected by the NGO.

The father of the girl had filed a complaint with Delhi Police and the matter was referred to the Jaipur Police after which an FIR was registered with Vaishali Nagar police station here on Tuesday.

Man arrested for attempting to rape teenager

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A man was today arrested from the Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) campus at Shibpur in Howrah district for allegedly attempting to rape a 16-year-old girl, police sources said.

The 32-year-old man, identified as Tapash Biswas, was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape the girl in a common bathroom of the quarters of the casual employees of BESU, the sources said.

The girl had gone to take a bath when Biswas entered and allegedly tried to rape her. Her cries for help alerted nearby people who rushed to the spot and caught hold of him, they said.

611 pilgrims from Bihar stranded in Uttarakhand

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A total 611 pilgrims from Bihar are stranded in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, while 56 others are missing, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in disaster management department Bipin Rai said today.

The stranded pilgrims were in Badrinath, Gaurikund, Guptkashi, Rudraprayag, Haridwar and in other mountain terrains in Uttarakhand, Rai said adding efforts were on to bring back these people by train and other means of transport.

The Bihar government has set up a camp office in Dehradun which is being manned by the principal secretary (PHED) Ravindra Parmar, he said.

Boston bombing suspect charged

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect of Boston marathon bombing, was today indicted in the US on 30 counts, including the use of a weapon of mass destruction, over the April attacks that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.

A federal grand jury returned a 30-count indictment against Dzhokhar and many of the charges carry the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty.

Yashwant targets Modi, says a national leader should be concerned about everyone

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BJP leader Yashwant Sinha made a veiled criticism of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday over reports of his rescuing Gujaratis in Uttarakhand, saying a “national leader” should be concerned about everyone and not just people from his state.

Sinha, an MP from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, told a national news channel that one should not introduce parochialism in the rescue of people stranded after a natural disaster.

“If one is a national leader, then he should be concerned about everyone from any part of the country,” Sinha said in an apparent dig at Modi.

Sujatha Singh set to be next foreign secretary

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A decision on India’s top diplomat is imminent and the choice is likely to be Sujatha Singh, currently Indian ambassador to Germany. She is the senior-most officer in the Indian Foreign Service and will, in all likelihood, succeed Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai who retires on July 31.

Sooraj Pancholi’s judicial custody extended till July 11

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A Mumbai court Thursday extended the judicial custody of Sooraj Pancholi, charged with abetting the suicide of Bollywood actress Nafisa alias Jiah Khan, till July 11.

Pancholi, 22, son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was produced before the Andheri magistrate after the expiry of his judicial custody in the morning.

At the hearing, the police prosecutor opposed Sooraj’s bail plea on grounds that the probe into Jiah’s case was at a critical state and his release on bail could hamper investigations.

Woman gang-raped inside car

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A woman was allegedly raped by five persons inside a car near Narwana town here, police said on Thursday.

The woman in her complaint claimed that two persons offered her a lift in their car while she was waiting for a bus in Sunaina village.

The victim, married in Karnal district, was waiting for a bus to visit her parents residence at Narwana, police said.

The two youth on pretext of dropping her at Narwana took her to a secluded spot and raped her in the car, they said.

Later, the woman was handed over to two more youths who also raped her inside the vehicle.

Kanimozhi wins a second term in Rajya Sabha

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DMK President M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi today won a second term in the Rajya Sabha after a contest in which the dissidents-ridden DMDK lost while four nominees of ruling AIADMK and its ally CPI won as expected.

AIADMK candidate V Maithreyan, who is also the leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, won a third term while CPI Secretary D Raja won a second term with help of AIADMK.

Man hacks four-year-old daughter to death

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A man has been accused of hacking to death his four-year-old daughter on Thursday in Badhwari village under Hansdiha police station in Dumka district. A cart puller, Pusu Das, chopped off the neck of his third daughter Sabita and was caught by the villagers, the police said.

Ghulam Nabi Azad disfavours ministers visiting Uttarakhand

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Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday disfavoured central ministers or those holding high positions in the government visiting flood-ravaged Uttarakhand saying it hampered rescue and relief work.

Azad, however, defended Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Uttarakhand, saying he was not in the administration and political leaders were going there to coordinate relief operations by parties.

Man poisons wife, 2 daughters before committing suicide

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Driven by poverty, illness and taunts from his family for not having a male child, a 35-year-old man allegedly poisoned his wife and his two daughters to death last night and committed suicide on Thursday by jumping before a train.

Dadri’s Teacher Colony resident Subhash Pal was living with wife Anita(32) and two daughters Shalu(12) and Bulbul(8).

Dadri SHO Shailendra Pratap Singh said Subash poisoned his wife and daughters last night who died at the house.

Girl found hanging at Manipur engineering college

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A 20-year old girl student of National Institute of Technology (NIT) identified as Jakitri Diwangkar from Chhattisgarh was found hanging at her hostel under in Imphal West district, police said on Thursday.

Police said her friends called her from outside her room which was locked from inside yesterday as they had to go for the examination together and some of her friends looked through the window and found her body hanging.

Immediately police were informed, sources said adding that police sent the body to nearby Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital for post mortem.

Khurshid urges private tour operators to cut down on number of Haj pilgrims

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External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Thursday said that the government has directed private tour operators to cut down the number of Haj pilgrims this year by 20 percent.

“This year Saudi Arabia has instructed us to cut off the number of Haj pilgrims by 20 percent. Keeping the renovation work process there, they have reduced their own quota of 2013 Haj pilgrims by 50 percent and for other countries by 20 percent,” said Khurshid.

Gangster Abu Salem attacked inside Taloja prison

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Gangster Abu Salem, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, was on Thursday attacked inside Taloja Central Jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, police said.

According to police sources, Salem was attacked by a person, presumably an inmate, identified as Jagtap.

The jail officials did not disclose the nature of injuries sustained by Salem.

This is the second attack on Salem inside a jail after he was deported from Portugal in 2005. He had faced attack at the Arthur Road jail here in 2010.

—PTI