Month: July 2013

Eight Kurdish security personnel killed in suicide bombing in northern Iraq

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Eight Kurdish security members were killed and four others wounded on Sunday in a suicide car bomb attack in Iraq”s northern Salahudin province, a provincial police source said.

A suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden car into a checkpoint manned by Kurdish security force, locally known as Asayish, in the volatile city of Tuz-Khurmato, some 90 km east of the provincial capital city of Tikrit, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Mufti video: Digvijay slams him for ‘double speak’ on music

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Congress leader Digvijay Singh today criticised Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Bashiruddin Ahmad, saying the video showing him enjoying music had exposed his “double speak”.

“Double speak of Mufti of J&K exposed on issue of music being Un-Islamic. All Religious Fundamentalists are experts of Double Speak,” Singh wrote on Twitter.

The grand mufti could not be immediately reached for his reaction on Singh’s comments.
However, Ahmad had yesterday said the video was handiwork of mischievous elements.

IAS officer leading crackdown on illegal mining suspended

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The Sub-Divisional magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar, in news recently for clamping down on illegal mining in her district, has been placed under suspension, official sources said.

“Durga Shakti Nagpal, the 2009-batch IAS officer posted as SDM (Sadar) of GB Nagar, (was) suspended late yesterday by Uttar Pradesh government after a dispute related to a religious place,” a senior official said here.

He, however, refused to elaborate. Nagpal had led a crackdown on unauthorised mining in the district and got over two dozen FIRs registered against those involved in illegally removing sand.

Brad Pitt gifts Angelina Jolie a jet

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Brad Pitt has bought a private jet for his fiance Angelina Jolie, who has held a pilot’s license since 2004, according to sources.

The 49-year-old actor bought the aircraft for his fiance, so that the couple could see each other more often, as he is currently busy shooting World War II movie ‘Fury’ in London, while Jolie is directing war film ‘Unbroken’ in Hawaii, The Nation reported.

A source told Heat magazine that Pitt had wanted to gift Jolie a jet for trips between the set of ‘Fury’ in London and her set of ‘Unbroken.

IPL Spot-fixing scam: Srinivasan seems set to return as BCCI chief

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BCCI President-in-exile N Srinivasan seems set to return to the helm of affairs after a two-judge probe panel found no evidence against his team Chennai Super Kings in the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal which rocked the sixth edition of the event.

The two-member panel, comprising former judges T Jayaram Chouta, R Balasubramanian, submitted its report to the BCCI Working Committee which met here today, which cleared the decks for the Tamil Nadu strongman to make a comeback.

It’s raining gold for dieters in Dubai!

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Dubai will pay residents in gold for losing extra pounds as part of a government campaign to fight obesity in the country.

Participants who registered in the civic body’s weight loss campaign can win twice the amount of gold for every kilo lost. Eng Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said that thy will give two grams of gold for each kilogram lost for those who lose five kilograms and above, and three grams of gold for each kilogram for those who lose 10 kilograms and above.

Doctors offered to let me die: Stephen Hawking

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Famed UK physicist Stephen Hawking had come so close to death while writing his bestseller ‘A Brief History of Time’ in 1985 that his doctors offered to switch off his life-support machine, it has emerged.

The 71-year-old genius scientist reveals in a new documentary film that he was so close to death that doctors had offered his wife the chance to turn off the life support, in order to end his agony, after he contracted a chest infection in Switzerland that turned into pneumonia.

At the time Hawking was writing his bestseller ‘A Brief History of Time’, ‘The Sunday Times’ reported.

Drinking sodas increase erosion of tooth enamel

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When it comes to enamel erosion of your teeth, diet soda is no better than regular ones, a new study has found.

In the last 25 years, Kim McFarland, D.D.S., associate professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in Lincoln, has seen an increase in the number of dental patients with erosion of the tooth enamel – the protective layer of the tooth.

Once erosion occurs, it can’t be reversed and affects people their whole life.

Muslim Brotherhood claims 200 killed in police firing

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Defying threats to evict them, thousands of supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi today staged a sit-in at a mosque here, a day after bloodiest violence that Muslim Brotherhood claimed killed nearly 200 members of their Islamist group.

Vowing to stand their ground despite violent crackdown on their supporters by armed forces, Brotherhood leaders addressed protesters overnight, saying they would not back down from their demands including reinstatement of Morsi.

61-year-old Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, was toppled by the military on July 3.

IMF projects slow growth for US economy

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The International Monetary Fund has said the US economy is improving. The IMF, in its regular assessment of the economy, said the US still faces ‘powerful headwinds’, but noted gains on stock markets and in house prices. It predicted that economic growth should gradually accelerate over the next year. According to the BBC, the IMF said it sees a slightly brighter picture and expects economic activity to accelerate to 2.7 percent next year as the fiscal drag subsides and the negative legacies of the financial crisis wane further.

Egypt’s deposed Morsi likely to go to same jail as Hosni Mubarak

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Egypt’s deposed Islamist President Mohammad Morsi is likely to be transferred to the same Cairo prison where former leader Hosni Mubarak is now held. Morsi is going to jail after being accused of murder and other crimes.

Interior Minister Mohammad Ebrahim said pro-Morsi sit-ins would be dealt with based on a decision by the prosecutor. According to Gulf News, the comments by Ebrahim came after pressed by journalists about where Morsi would be taken, he said mostly likely to Torah prison.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden better off in Russia than US, says father

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The father of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has said his son is better off staying in Russia. Lon Snowden said that Edward has been so vilified by the Obama administration and members of Congress that it is better for him to stay in Russia. According to CBS News, Lon had been working with lawyers to try and find a way his son could get a fair trial in the U.S.

Italy’s first black minister Kyenge now suffers ‘banana insult’ following ‘orangutan slur’

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Italian senators have reacted angrily after the country’s first black government minister had bananas thrown at her during a political rally. Cecile Kyenge, who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but has Italian citizenship, has faced repeated racial slurs since being appointed minister for integration in April. According to the BBC, responding to the incident on Twitter, Kyenge called the incident sad, dismissing the act as ‘a waste of food’.

Israeli PM Netanyahu agrees to free 104 Palestinians ahead of peace talks

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners to pave the way for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in Washington in the coming days.

According to the New York Times, Netanyahu did not give any details regarding the identities of those to be released or the timing. He said that the release would be carried out in stages after the start of negotiations and in accordance with their progress.

`Miandadesque` final ball six helps Pak pip world champion Windies in first T20

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Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi and debutant Zulfiqar Babar has helped their side seal a two-wicket victory over West Indies in the first Twenty20 international on Saturday with their individual heroics. According to The Dawn, Afridi scored 46 from just 27 deliveries, including launching his 400th six in all international cricket, while Babar took three key wickets then struck a six off the final ball of the match in the style of Pakistani legend Javed Miandad.

`Injured` Gul needs one-month recovery period before making bowling return

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Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul will reportedly need atleast a month to make a complete recovery from his knee surgery. According to the Daily Times, Gul, who is the most seasoned pacer in the present Pakistan team, underwent a knee surgery in May in Australia after complaining of severe pain and swelling in his right knee during the tour to South Africa early in the year.

Telangana will become another Chattisgarh: Ex-DGP

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Former DGP N Swaranjit Sen on Sunday feared that formation of Telangana State would increase Maoists activities in the State.

Talking to reporters here, Swaranjit Sen said that there would be a spurt in naxal activities if Andhra Pradesh gets divided. He said Telangana would become another Chattisgarh after its get statehood.

The former DGP advised that Telangana should be created after solving the naxal problem in the neighbouring Chattisgarh. (INN)

TGV asks TDP and YSRCP to oppose Telangana

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Minor Irrigation Minister TG Venkatesh on Sunday demanded that the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress party write a letter to the Centre in support of united Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to reporters here, Venkatesh said that lack of opposition by the political parties have led the Centre to take a decision in favour of Telangana State. He said that the opposition parties, especially TDP and YSRCP, should come out in open against Telangana State.

AP contemplates to add Hydel capacity of 410 MW

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The State of Andhra Pradesh which is having largest Hydel capacity in the Country with 3829 MW, is contemplating to achieve additional Hydel capacity of 410 MW by 2014-2015 with construction and commissioning of additional units at Nagarjuna Sagar, Pulichintala and Lower Jurala, etc, to meet the ever increasing demand of power due to changing lifestyles and increased usage of electrical appliances.

MPs’ letters to Obama on Modi visa ‘original and authentic’

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The controversy over Indian MPs’ letters to President Barack Obama for denying visa to Narendra Modi has taken a new turn with a California-based Forensic Document Examiner certifying that the signatures of the lawmakers are “original and authentic” and not a cut and paste job as claimed.

Using accepted principles and methods of forensic examination, it is my opinion that the Q1-Q3 (three pages of
Rajya Sabha MPs’ letter) document was created in a single event, and that the signatures found upon it are

Adopt me, keep me here, SRK tells Kolkata fans

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Overwhelmed by the turnout while promoting his forthcoming movie “Chennai Express” here, superstar Shahrukh Khan Satur day gushed about not wanting to leave his “favourite city”.

“I love you Kolkata…I mean this is extremely overwhelming. I tour the whole country for my films but when I come here…this is.. you need to pass a law here that you adopt me and keep me here. I don’t want to go from here,” he said at an event here.