Month: October 2013

Katy Perry releases new track

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Pop star Katy Perry has released the latest song “Walking on air” from her upcoming third album “Prism”.

The 28-year-old’s third studio album will be out Oct 22, reports contactmusic.com.

“Walking on air” is yet another stylistic change for the singer in relation to her previous two tracks from the album. The new song will take on the elements of club music.

The new song was produced by Klas Ahlund, who has worked with Robyn, Madonna, Vanessa Hudgens and more in the past.

——IANS

Ranbir may appear on Mallika Sherawat’s show

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Actor Ranbir Kapoor is likely to be a special guest on Mallika Sherawat’s show ‘The Bachelorette India — Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika’.

There have been reports that Ranbir has been approached to be the special guest on the show and he will be helping Mallika choose the right man from the remaining contestants.

Hopeful of playing few more year for the country: Yuvraj

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On his own admission, he is a fighter and Yuvraj Singh strongly believes that this fighting spirit will help him play a few more years of international cricket.

“I am hopeful of playing for few more years for the country,” Yuvraj said in a programme here.

The mercurial left-handed allrounder has been included in the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 International and the first three matches in the seven-match ODI series against Australia at home.

Noting that his passion for the game got him back, after being detected with rare germ-cell cancer.

YSR Cong to organise rally on Oct 19 in support of united AP

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YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) would organise a public meeting here on October 19 in support of united Andhra Pradesh.

YSRCP President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is out on bail in the corruption case filed against him, had announced yesterday that a meeting would be held on a convenient day between October 15 and 20.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress has chalked out a month-long mass-contact programme beginning on Gandhi Jayanthi (October 2) till the Andhra Pradesh formation day on November 1 in support of its demand of keeping the State united.

Police recovers US-made pistol and drug from youth

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Punjab Police seized 500 gms of heroin with a street value of Rs 50 lakh and a US-made 9 mm pistol from a youth today.

22-year-old Sumit Kumar was doing graduation under the distance education program of Allahabad University and it was revealed during investigation after his arrest that he was possessing the contraband and the weapon for the past six months, said ADCP Amrik Singh Pawar.

Facebook says 56 million ‘like’ it in Arab world

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Facebook today announced that it has 56 million active users in the Middle East and North Africa, where activists used the social media network to organise Arab Spring uprisings.

Half of these users returned to the website on a daily basis, Facebook regional chief Jonathan Labin told a news conference in Dubai, noting a significant increase in the number of people connecting from mobile devices.

“Every month, 56 million people are active on Facebook across the MENA region, with 50 per cent of those returning on a daily basis,” Facebook said in a statement.

Allegations of Muslim appeasement false: Akhilesh Yadav

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today rubbished allegations of Muslim appeasement levelled by opposition parties and said those vitiating the atmosphere would not be spared.

“Action is being taken in connection with Muzaffarnagar riots,” he told reporters on the sidelines of book release function here.

On opposition’s allegation of minority appeasement in the riots, he said there was no discrimination.

Earlier, releasing a book written by Hazrat Abu Tayyab Ahmad Farangi Mahali, he said all sections of the society should come forward to promote harmony.

New no-ball rule will come in effect from today: ICC

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The prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club today released the 5th edition of the 2000 Code which features some significant changes in cricket rule including the most high profile change in new ‘No-ball rule’ which comes into effect from today.

According to Law 24.6 of ICC’s playing conditions, from now on if a bowler breaks the wicket during his delivery stride, it will be called ‘No Ball’.

The MCC Committee announced that the Law would be changed in February of this year and the ICC brought the ruling in as a playing regulation for the international summer.

PM Manmohan Singh asks secular forces to join hands against Narendra Modi

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Cautioning the nation against the “onslaught” of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked all secular forces to come together against him and expressed the hope that people will vote against BJP by realizing what they are up for.

Singh said his government may have made “some mistakes” during the last nine years’ of its rule but has done “a lot of good things” which he hoped the “generous” people will take into account while voting.

We do not crave for any post: Rabri Devi

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Amid speculation that she might take over the leadership of RJD in the absence of her husband Lalu Prasad, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi today said she and her sons do not crave for any post but would work for party.

“We do not have any craving for the post. I and my sons do not want any post in the party,” Rabri Devi told reporters at her residence here.

Rabri Devi said she and her sons would tour Bihar to tell the people how “their leader” Prasad has fallen pray to the “conspiracy” of his opponents.

Weapons seized from MQM office in Karachi

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The paramilitary Pakistan Rangers today claimed that they had recovered a large cache of arms of foreign origin from an office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Though the MQM held a news conference to denounce the claim and alleged that an ongoing clean up operation in the city was politically motivated, the Rangers said in a press release that the party needs to answer why the weapons were found in its office.

“The presence of such a heavy cache of arms shows there is an existence of anti-state elements in the ranks of political parties,” a Rangers spokesman said in the release.

No “shutdown” effect on US visas: Consul general

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The US today said that its consular services remained open and visas would be issued notwithstanding the “shutdown” of the government.

“Public consular service like visa will remain open and there is no problem in issuing visas, including tech visas, at this point of time,” US consul general in Kolkata, Helen LaFave said here today in reaction to the shutdown.

Modi, Shah falsely implicated by agencies:Jaitley writes to PM

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Government has been misusing investigating agencies like CBI, IB and NIA to settle scores with BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as it has realised that it cannot fight them politically, BJP leader Arun Jaitley has alleged in a letter to Prime Minister.

In the 15-page letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha has said that Congress is targeting Modi and his former Home Minister Amit Shah for the past few years.

Release innocent persons held for VHP leader’s murder: GCIC

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A Christian body today demanded immediate release of seven members of the community saying they were falsely accused of murdering a senior VHP leader and four others after an Odisha court convicted a Maoist ultra in the same case.

“Five precious years in the lives of the seven innocent people have been wasted away at Phulbani jail in Odisha without a fair trial… Hope they would be become free soon and join their anxiously waiting families,” said a statement from Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

Poor are more trustworthy and bankable, says Chidambaram

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Seeking to promote financial inclusion, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today called upon banks to focus on poor customers who are more trustworthy and “bankable” as compared to large borrowers.

“The poor of India are bankable, the poor of India can be trusted, the poor of India are good borrowers, the poor of India are honest borrowers and the poor of India are much better borrowers than the rich because of their repayment,” Chidambaram said, while speaking at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the J&K Bank here.

Congress leader’s house attacked

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Unidentified miscreants attacked senior Congress leader Harihar Karan’s house here and damaged his car tonight, police said.

A group of around 15 persons on motorcycles stopped in front of Karan’s house in the posh Nayapalli locality of the state capital and pelted stones, they said.

While no one in the house was hurt in the attack, a car parked outside was damaged and its wind screen broken, sources said, adding that police officials rushed to the site after the incident and efforts are on to identify the miscreants.

US couple remain in Qatar jail over daughter death

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A judge in Qatar today ordered an American couple to remain jailed pending trial on charges of starving to death their 8-year-old adopted daughter. The couple claims the girl died in January from medical problems complicated by anorexia-like bouts.

The case has brought legal support and other aid from groups from California, where the couple lived until 2012, and has highlighted potential cultural misunderstandings in a Gulf nation unfamiliar with adoption.

Judge Abdullah al-Emady ordered Matthew and Grace Huang to remain in detention until at least their next hearing on November 6.

Not many can bat like Hodge under pressure: Dravid

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Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid today said it made sense to have Brad Hodge batting lower down the order since he is fantastic finisher.

Hodge today smashed a 23-ball unbeaten 52 to lead Royals to a four-wicket win over Otago Volts.

“When he bats like that, why should Hodge bat up the order? There are not many people who can do what he does, and I haven’t seen many people who can bat at the end of the innings under pressure like he does,” Dravid said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Shutdown to harm American economy: Obama

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US President Barack Obama today said the government shutdown would badly hit the American economy as he slammed the opposition Republican party for the current crisis that has forced up to 1 million federal workers off the job.

The Republicans and Democrats failed to strike a deal before a midnight deadline on spending and budget due to differences over ‘Obamacare’, the signature healthcare programme of President Obama.

Indo-US ties moving away from buyer-seller cooperation: PM

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An upbeat Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said steps have been taken to expand the Indo-US ties and move away from a buyer-seller cooperation to joint development and production in the field of defence.

He sought to allay any apprehensions on implementation of civil nuclear deal, saying there are “no irritants” at the government level.

“I had a very good meeting with President Barack Obama. The end result is in the Joint Statement (issued after the meeting on September 27),” Singh told media persons while returning from the US visit.

Tajikistan ratifies deal for Russian military base

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The parliament of Tajikistan has voted to extend the presence of Russian troops in the ex-Soviet nation on Afghanistan’s northern border until 2042.

The prospect of the NATO coalition’s withdrawal from Afghanistan next year has raised fears that violence could spill over.

Tajikistan’s defense minister told parliament that in return for the base agreement, Russia would continue to supply Tajikistan with weapons and train its officer corps. About 500 Tajik officers are currently studying in Russia.

Israel ready to tackle nuclear Iran ‘alone’: Netanyahu

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Israel is ready to act “alone” to stop Iran making a nuclear bomb, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today in a hardline warning against rushing into deals with the new leadership in Tehran.

“Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone,” Netanyahu told a UN summit in a fierce attack on overtures made by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.

Netanyahu linked Rouhani, who held a landmark conversation with US President Barack Obama while in New York last week, to past militant attacks blamed on Iran.

‘Modi phobic’ Congress will ‘surely lose’ in 2014: BJP

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Predicting the Congress Party’s loss in the 2014 general elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Prakash Javadekar accused the ruling party of suffering from ‘Modi phobia’. Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh call for secular forces of the country to unite against the ‘onslaught’ of Modi, Javadekar said:“ The Prime Minister has taken Modi”s name. This proves the Congress fears him.

UN finds torture widespread in Libya

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Torture is widespread in Libyan jails run by militias that toppled Moammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, according to a United Nations report released today.

UN investigators, who had periodic access to various detention centers, said there is evidence that 27 people have been tortured to death in the prisons, 11 of them this year, according to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Support Mission in Libya.

Man given jail-term in 2 cases of power theft

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A special court in Rohini has sentenced one person to two years in jail finding him guilty of elecricity theft in two separate cases and also ordered him to pay Rs 28.95 lakh to the discom company.

Naresh Kumar, alias Bitte, a resident of Rampura village, Keshavpuram, in Outer Delhi, was found guilty in two cases of direct theft of electricity and was awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment in each case and ordered him to pay Rs 28.95 lakh for compensating Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) for losses incurred.