Month: September 2013

George H W Bush spokesman in Mandela ‘death’ gaffe

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A spokesman for former US president George H W Bush apologized today after erroneously issuing a statement of condolence stating that South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela had died.

Bush spokesman Jim McGrath later explained that he circulated a prepared statement expressing Bush’s sorrow at the “death” of the former South African president after misreading a Washington Post news alert about Mandela’s discharge from hospital.

Mandela, 95, had earlier returned to his Johannesburg home today after spending three months in hospital for a respiratory illness.

Paes-Stepanek, Sania-Zheng in US Open quarterfinals

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Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek, fought their way into the men’s doubles quarterfinals while Sania Mirza and Jie Zheng hardly broke a sweat to book a berth in the women’s doubles last-eight pair stage, here today

Paes and his Czech partner, seeded fourth, had to battle for two hours and 12 minutes to overcome 14th seeded veteran French pair of Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut 7-5 4-6 6-3.

Cong workers protest outside BJP president’s residence

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Several Congress workers led by Delhi Cantt Council member and chairman of its finance committee Sandeep Tanwar staged a demonstration outside the residence of BJP president Rajnath Singh here today.

The protesters demanded action against BJP MLA Karan Singh Tanwar for allegedly organising an “indecent” event in Delhi Cantt area on Independence Day.

Police resorted to the use of water canon when demonstrators tried to break the barricades outside the residence of the BJP chief.

Some of the protesters were detained and released later, police said.

Afghan presidential hopeful promoted

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Probable presidential candidate Omar Daudzai was appointed as Afghanistan’s acting interior minister today, putting him in a high-profile public role seven months before the country’s first democratic transfer of power.

Daudzai will move back to Kabul from Islamabad, where he has been ambassador to Pakistan since 2011 during a time of fractious ties between the two rivals and neighbours.

Last month Daudzai, a former chief of staff to President Hamid Karzai, set up an office in Kabul and announced that he would be a “probable” candidate in the elections due on April 5.

Pak ‘truck artist’ displays culture of pre-partition Punjab

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Internationally renowned Pakistani ‘truck artist’ Haider Ali recreated his magical art today as he turned a vehicle into canvas, and made alive the rich cultural heritage of pre-partition Punjab.

Ali’s artistry ,that focused on Punjabi love legends and folk themes, was on display at a food joint, Sarhad food and culture park, on the Indian side of the Attari/Wagah border.

Prior to this, Ali had painted at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, Luton Culture Museum in Luton, UK, and in Ankara and Istanbul.

Doctor injured after slipping off stairs of restaurant

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A 24-year-old doctor was critically injured after he slipped from the stairs of a 16-storeyed building here, police said today.

The incident took place when Puneet Sharma was walking down the stairs after having his dinner at Parikrama restaurant, located at 16th floor of a building in Connaught Place late last night, they said.

His friends told the police that he probably slipped and fell down.

He was rushed to Fortis hospital where his condition is stated to be critical, police said.

Drive against mining mafia to be intensified: UP Chief Secy

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Uttar Pradesh Chief secretary Javed Usmani today said that the drive against illegal mining would be intensified in the state and the persons involved in such activities be put behind bars.

“We will implement the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal orders and take strict measures to prevent illegal mining in Noida and other parts of state,” Usmani said while talking to reporters at Greater Noida here.

Ratan Tata visits Taj Mahal, describes it as ‘incomparable’

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Leading industrialist Ratan Tata today paid a visit to the Taj Mahal and described it as an “incomparable” monument.

Accompanied by two aides, he spent about 45 minutes going round the monument and admiring its beauty, sources said.

Tata also praised the upkeep of the monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, by the Archaelogical Survey of India.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements were made for the industrialist’s visit to the Taj, they added.

Syria ready for any “external aggression”: Assad

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Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad today said his country is ready for any “external aggression” as his regime described US President Barack Obama’s move to seek Congressional nod before launching a military strike against it as “historic American retreat”.

“Syria is capable of facing up to any external aggression just as it faces up to internal aggression every day, in the form of terrorist groups and those that support them,” Assad said.

Syria continues to “record victory after victory”, he was quoted as saying by state-run SANA news agency.

Sidhu couple conspicuous by their absence from party meet

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Apparently miffed over not getting adequate attention from the party, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and his MLA wife Navjot Kaur today stayed away from a party function in the city.

The programme was attended by top leaders of the Punjab unit of the BJP including state unit chief Kamal Sharma.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu, who represents Amritsar constituency in Lok Sabha, and his MLA wife were conspicuous by their absence.

At the function, Sharma asked party workers to work hard to make Narendra Modi the country’s next Prime Minister.

Ban asks UN team to expedite analyses of Syrian sample

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Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon today asked the head of the UN chemical weapons inspection team to expedite the analysis of tests from samples collected from Syria and submit the report as soon as possible.

“The samples collected by a UN inspectors team which concluded its visit to Syria to investigate into allegations of chemical weapons attack would be transferred to laboratories on Monday,” a UN official said.

Sexual assault case: Scribe, photographer attacked at Asaram ashram

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A journalist and a photographer attached with a Hindi daily were allegedly roughed up by volunteers at controversial self- styled godman Asaram Bapu’s ashram here on Sunday, police said.

The correspondent of the daily and the photographer had gone to the ashram located on Khandwa Road this afternoon to cover an agitation, reportedly by supporters of Asaram, following his arrest after midnight in connection with the sexual assault case.

Sonia Gandhi to fly to the US for medical check-up

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi is travelling to the US for a medical check-up, a senior party leader said today.

“Her going to the US for medical check-up is due,” he said but declined to give any details when asked about reports that she may by flying out tomorrow evening.

Gandhi, who had undergone a surgery in the US for an undisclosed ailment in August, 2011, had flown there for a check-up in February and again on September 2 last year.

Sharmila Bus Yatra from Sept. 2

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YSRCP leader Sharmila would undertake a Bus Yatra from September 2 to coincide with the 4th death anniversary of YSR and tour the 13 districts of Seemandhra to express solidarity with the people of the region and highlighting the party stand of demanding status quo if equal justice cannot be meted out to all regions.

Naidu launches month-long Atma Gaurav yatra

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In a bold political move, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday launched his “Telugu Jaati Atma Gaurav (self-respect)” bus yatra in Seemandhra region while maintaining his stand on Telangana issue.

Before proceeding to Pondugula of Dachepally mandal of Gurujala constituency in Guntur district, Naidu paid tributes to TDP founder late NT Rama Rao at NTR Ghat. Speaking on the occasion, Naidu admitted that the TDP gave a letter favouring formation of Telangana. However, he said that the Centre must first solve all the problems arising out of this bifurcation.

UPA aims to strengthen healthcare: Azad

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Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government aims to upgrade and strengthen healthcare systems at all levels.

More than Rs.96,000 crore has been released to the states under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and about 54,000 new constructions or renovations of public health facilities have been taken up in the country during UPA’s entire tenure, Azad said here.

The health ministry has sanctioned 3,212 new constructions and 2,048 renovations and upgradations in Assam so far, he said.

No formal talks with Taliban yet: Pakistan

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Pakistan government has clarified that no formal talks are in progress with the Taliban, Geo News reported Sunday.

In a statement Sunday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said the government had, however, devised a policy in this regard and implementation on the same would begin after taking the political parties into confidence.

“This is an extremely complicated issue. The government has, in this regard, chalked out a strategy which will be implemented after all political parties are taken into confidence,” he said.

Blast kills three troops in Pakistan

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At least three soldiers were killed and 14 injured when a blast hit an army vehicle in Pakistan’s tribal area of North Waziristan Sunday, official sources said.

A roadside homemade bomb was triggered off by a remote-controlled device in the afternoon when an army vehicle was passing near it in Boya area of North Waziristan, a restive tribal agency on Pakistan-Afghanistan border, reported Xinhua citing army’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations.

No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack till last report.

–IANS

War on Syria will inflame whole region: Iranian official

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Chairman of Iranian parliament’s national security commission has said that any foreign war against Syria will burn the entire region.

Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the Iranian official, was speaking during a press conference held in Damascus Sunday against the repercussions of a possible US-led military action against Syria.

`Drunk` Nicole Scherzinger likes to rub her bum against you, says Gary Barlow

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‘X Factor’ judge Gary Barlow, who was recently spotted partying with fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger till wee hours, has revealed that Scherzinger likes to do dirty dancing when she is drunk.

He said that she likes to rub her bum up against him when she gets drunk.

The ‘Rule the World’ hit maker asserted that the former Pussycat Doll is quite a drinker too, and can beat him hands down when it comes to downing alcohol, the Mirror reported.

The singer added that the pair has been out on several occasions and he observed that Scherzinger has a tendency to double order. (ANI)

Defensive BJP blames Asaram Bapu for delaying arrest

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday blamed the self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu for the delay in his arrest in connection with the sexual assault case against him. “The police should be allowed to do its work. Asaram Bapu is acknowledged as a saint and whatever chaos had taken place, shouldn”t have happened,” he said.

Woman boils abusive hubby’s PRIVATE body parts in pressure cooker!

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In another cringe-worthy incident, a woman from Lu’an City in China, allegedly killed her abusive husband and boiled his dismembered body parts in a pressure cooker, before turning herself over to the cops.

According to a government report, the man was supposedly drugged and tortured by his wife for 3 days in June, Sky News reported.

The report further claimed that after torturing her hubby, the woman chopped his body into pieces with a saw and boiled them to cover her crime.

Pakistani student beats IGCSE world record with 40 A grades

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Pakistani student has broken the current world record and secured a phenomenal 40 As across International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), O Level and A Level subjects.

The Froebel’s International School’s (FIS) student Haroon Tariq has bagged a plethora of As in subjects panning both humanities and sciences, such as human and social biology, Islamic religion and culture, physics, chemistry and global development, the Daily Times reported.

This is an outstanding feat of achievement, putting Pakistan at center stage and in the global spotlight.

Egypt foils terrorist attack on container ship passing through Suez Canal

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Chief of Egypt”s Suez Canal Authority, Mohab Memish, announced that the authority has foiled a terrorist attack on a container ship passing through the canal on Saturday. A “terrorist” staged the attack on Saturday afternoon in an attempt to disrupt the flow of ships through the waterway, Xinhua reported. “The terrorists targeted a container with the flag of Panama, the situation was dealt with strictly by the armed forces,” Memish said, without giving further details. He added security procedures have been intensified along with the navigation course and all its leading roads. (ANI)

High potency statins can prevent dementia

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Researchers, who examined the effect of different statins on new onset dementia (except vascular dementia) in an elderly population, have revealed that high doses of statins, particularly of high potency, prevent dementia.

Dr Lin said that previous studies had considered statin therapy to exert a beneficial effect on dementia. But few large-scale studies have focused on the impact of statins on new-onset, non-vascular dementia in the geriatric population.