Month: July 2013

Hyderabadi Haleem to go global, outlets in US planned

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Hyderabadi Haleem, a delicious stew of meat, lentils and wheat, is all set to go global with Pista House, a famous chain here, planning to open 20 outlets in the United States this year.

Pista House, which has become synonymous with Haleem, has joined hands with Raghuveer Reddy, an Indian American businessman, to open its restaurants to serve the delicacy.

“We will start with Dallas, where we will open our first restaurant in August. We plan to open a total of 20 outlets in the US this year,” Pista House managing director M. A. Majeed told IANS.

Exhibition on Nelson Mandela in Kolkata

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Offering a glimpse into the life of anti-apartheid icon and former South African president Nelson Mandela, an ongoing exhibition in the city has been enthralling the leader’s fans through artefacts related to Mandela’s chequered life.

Organised by the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, Kolkata, the exhibition showcases photographs, postage stamps, copies of journals of the African National Congress (ANC) and myriad variety of posters highlighting the anti-apartheid movement and the freedom struggle.

Akshay Kumar to play Dara Singh?

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After Farhan Akhtar as ace athlete Milkha Singh and Priyanka Chopra as boxing Olympic medallist Mary Kom, Bollywood’s action star Akshay Kumar could well be on his way to essay late wrestler-actor Dara Singh.

Dara Singh’s son Vindoo says he has been approached by director Rohit Jugraj for the project.

“Yes, Rohit Jugraj has approached me to make a film on my father’s life. Akshay Kumar is the one chosen to play my father in this project. However, Akshay would need time to bulk up,” he said.

Turkey win U-18 Eurobasket championship

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Turkey’s U-18 basketball squad has won the Eurobasket championship held in Latvia, beating Croatia 81-74 in the final.

Playmaker Kenan Sipahi put in a star performance Sunday, scoring 19 points and setting up six assists. He was ably assisted by Okben Ulubay who had 12 points and Metecan Birsen 11 points, reports Xinhua.

Lovro Mazalin’s 15 points and eight rebounds were not enough for the Croats, who were outplayed during the whole second half of the game.

The win led Turkey’s basketball players to their first European title in their history.

—IANS

Car bombs kill 23 in Iraq

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At least 23 people were killed and 142 wounded early Monday in a series of car bombs in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and in the city of Kut southeast of the capital, police said.

The attacks occurred during the morning rush hours when 10 car bombs were detonated in different districts of Baghdad, killing at least 19 people and wounding 117 others, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, five car bombs and two roadside bombs went off in Kut, some 170 km southeast of Baghdad, killing at least four people and wounding 25, a police source said.

Online registration of foreigners in Goa sought

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Hassled by constant queuing up before police stations for paperwork every time foreign nationals check into hotels, the hospitality industry Monday petitioned the state tourism ministry to process such documentation online.

Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told reporters that members of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) especially wanted the process of registering the ‘C’ form, a mandatory document, which carries all the details of the arriving foreign tourist, to be shifted online like the Kerala government has.

Saif can’t be vegetarian ever: Kareena Kapoor

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Actor Saif Ali Khan loves non-vegetarian food and his actress-wife Kareena Kapoor says he just can’t do without eating meat.

“Saif can’t be vegetarian, he says he can be vegetarian only for one meal and what that means, I don’t understand. He is like, ‘I can’t not eat meat at night’,” the 32-year-old said here Saturday at the launch of dietician Rujuta Diwekar’s DVD “Indian Food Wisdom.”

Saif has found new love in kachoris now.

“But now Saif has found new love in kachoris and samosas and he gorged on them in Lucknow,” said Kareena, who has turned vegetarian.

IAS association up in arms against suspension

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The Uttar Pradesh IAS association Monday urged the government to reverse the suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal who had taken on the sand mafia.

The suspended sub divisional magistrate (SDM) was posted in Noida, adjoining the national capital.

Office bearers of the Indian Administrative Service association met Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani and petitioned him to intervene in the matter.

Nagpal also met association president Alok Ranjan, who is also the agriculture production commissioner.

Woman fights criminals, shot

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A 27-year-old woman suffered bullet injuries after she took on two men who tried to snatch a gold chain of a neighbour here, police said Monday.

Two bikers tried snatching a woman’s chain in Vivek Vihar in east Delhi around 9 a.m. Her neighbour Kamal Malhotra, who was standing outside her house, tried catching the criminals along with two or three other women.

“The women managed to catch one of the men. The other man opened fire, hitting Kamal Malhotra in the chest and hand. She was rushed to a hospital where her condition is stated to be stable,” said a police officer.

Afghan police kill 24 militants

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Afghan police, supported by army and the NATO-led coalition forces, killed two dozen militants and detained 13 others in the last 24 hours, the interior ministry said Monday.

The Afghan National Police conducted several joint operations with the army and coalition forces, killing 24 Taliban members, wounding nine and arresting 13 others, reports Xinhua.

The operations were conducted in Logar, Kandahar, Sar-e-Pul, Kunar, Laghman, Paktika, Nimroz, Paktiya and Helmand provinces.

–IANS

John Abraham keen to direct big budget film with newcomers

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Actor-producer John Abraham hopes to go behind the camera one day for a big budget film, starring newcomers.

“I will direct a big budget film with newcomers. I don’t know why studios don’t make big budget films with newcomers! We need to support them,” John told IANS.

“Why do we only make big budget films with only top five actors, why aren’t we getting mature? We all need to come out of that,” added the actor, who produced the sleeper hit “Vicky Donor”, starring debutant Ayushmann Khurrana.

Kerala High Court wants strict laws to curb cheating

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The Kerala High Court Monday asked the state government to enact stringent laws against fraudsters.

“The state government should think of enacting laws similar to the Fraud Act in England,” Justice S.S. Satish Chandran said while denying bail to dancer and film actress Shalu Menon in the solar scam cheating case.

“If stringent punishments are not handed over to those who cheat others, questions would be asked about the judiciary,” Justice Chandran said.

Currently, all money-related cheating cases are tried under the Money Lenders Act.

Pakistan sweep T20 series against West Indies

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An inspired opening spell of bowling by Sohail Tanvir and consistent pressure in the field secured an 11-run win for Pakistan that gave them a 2-0 sweep of their Twenty20 International series against the West Indies at the Arnos Vale Playing Field here.

Chasing 136 for victory, the West Indies clawed to 124 for nine in 20 overs after languishing at 94 for seven at one stage, reports CMC.

Dwayne Bravo top-scored with 35. Sunil Narine, sent in at number six to provide a left-hand, right-hand combination to counter Pakistan’s attack, added 28.

IIM Lucknow signs MoU with Singapore varsity

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The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Management University (SMU) on excellence in global business education.

IIM Lucknow and SMU will collaborate on research, executive education programmes and faculty and student exchange.

The MoU was signed by Rajendra Srivastava, provost of the SMU and Devi Singh, director of IIM Lucknow.

People take me seriously after engagement: Christina Ricci

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Actress Christina Ricci is elated after getting engaged to James Heerdegen and feels that now people take her more seriously because she gets to call him a “fiance” rather than a “boyfriend”.

The couple got engaged in February.

“Getting to say fiance instead of boyfriend, people take you so much more seriously once you start throwing around that word,” People.com quoted Ricci as saying.

The actress, who has recently lent her voice to the character of Vexy in the sequel to animated movie “Smurfs”, can’t wait to get married.

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez party together

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Singer Justin Bieber was spotted partying with his on-and-off girlfriend Selena Gomez during her post birthday bash.

Gomez, who turned 21 July 22, hosted a birthday celebration with close family and friends at a Beach House July 27, reports radaronline.com.

Gomez was accompanied by her mother and step-father.

Bieber came in his Audi R8 after her parents left the party. He was followed by his close friends Jaden Smith, Ryan Butler and Dylan O’Brien.

The party went on till 2 a.m. and Bieber and Gomez were seen leaving together. What’s cooking?

—IANS

Italy bus accident toll rises to 39

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The death toll from a bus accident in southern Italy has reached 39, the media reported Monday.

The accident happened Sunday near Avellino city when the bus with 48 tourists crashed through a guard rail and fell nearly 30 meters down the hill, reports Xinhua.

The bus swerved to avoid hitting a truck and then rammed some cars before violently impacting the guard rail.

—IANS

Man kills daughter for being a girl child, drinks poison

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A man strangulated to death his two-year-old daughter in Tripura because she was a girl child, police said here Monday.

“Tapan Bhuyia, 47, a driver of a private vehicle, strangulated to death his daughter Supriya and then threw her body into a well at Bishalgarh,” a police spokesman told reporters. Bishalgarh is 30 km south of here.

The police official said that Tapan after killing his daughter Sunday night consumed poison to kill himself. Neighbours took him to hospital in a critical condition.

US win their fifth Gold Cup

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The US enjoyed a thrilling 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final win, edging Panama 1-0 thanks to a 69th minute goal from Brek Shea.

Shea scored his second and so far the most important international goal for his country, tapping in from close range just 42 seconds after being introduced as a substitute Sunday, reports Xinhua.

“It doesn’t matter who scored today,” said Shea. “We won.”

UPA, Congress panels to discuss Telangana July 30

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A UPA panel will discuss Tuesday the issue of carving out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh amid sharp divisions within the Congress over the demand, informed sources said here.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) panel will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday followed by a meeting of the all powerful Congress Working Committee on the Telangana issue, said the sources Monday.

Crash claims one in Czech motorcycle race

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One contestant died and another suffered serious injuries when a motorcycle with a sidecar overturned during a race in Nepomuk, the Czech Republic.

Police spokeswoman Dana Landmanova Sunday said that one person died on the spot and the other was rushed to hospital with injuries, reports Xinhua.

The motorcycle race is the 32nd Nepomuk Triangle event with a 2600-metre long annual contest of historical motorcycles race. The sidecars category that started Sunday afternoon was the contest’s last race.

—IANS

30 percent MPs have criminal cases

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About 30 percent of Lok Sabha MPs and 17 percent of Rajya Sabha MPs have criminal cases against them, with Shiv Sena members topping the list, a report released Monday said.

The joint report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the National Election Watch (NEW) was based on affidavits filed by candidates during elections since 2004.

A total of 8,790 affidavits filed by MPs and state legislators were analysed.

The report found that 162 (30 percent) of the 543 present Lok Sabha membres face “criminal cases” and 76 others (14 percent) “serious criminal cases”.

Rajya Sabha seats available for Rs 100 crore: Cong MP

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A Congress Rajya Sabha member has made a sensational claim that berths in the Upper House are available for Rs 100 crore, triggering a controversy with the BJP today slamming the ruling party at the Centre for bringing politics to “such a low level”.

Congress MP from Haryana Birender Singh said at a programme that “once someone had told me that Rs 100 crore was required to get a Rajya Sabha berth. But he said he got it for Rs 80 crore and saved Rs 20 crore. Now will people who are willing to invest Rs 100 crore, ever think of the poor country.”

Aus plane evacuated after cockpit smoke, pilots hospitalised

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Passengers of a Qantas Airline aircraft had to be evacuated and its pilots hospitalised today after smoke was reported from its cockpit at Canberra Airport.

According to media reports the Dash 8 Q300 jet with 50 passengers was evacuated and the pilot and co-pilot were admitted to a hospital for assessment.

ACT Fire & Rescue and ACT Ambulance Service Intensive Care paramedics were called to the scene just after 12.30pm (local time) when the Sydney to Wagga flight was diverted.

The Flight QF2225 left Sydney at 11.30 am and was due to be in Wagga Wagga about 12.30 pm.

Mulayam Singh Yadav attends Iftar party in Bangalore

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Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh late Sunday attended an Iftar party in the city with a select gathering, including politicians, celebrities and religious leaders.

“Netaji’s (Mulayam) son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and three lawmakers from the northern state also participated in the evening prayers (Namaz-e-Mughrib) and joined the Iftar dinner at a star hotel,” a party spokesman told IANS.