Month: April 2014

India committed to non-proliferation: Manmohan

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India remains committed to non-proliferation and there should be a global convention on “no-first use” of nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday.

“If all nuclear weapons states recognise and are prepared to declare it, we can quickly move to establishment of a global no-first-use norm. In many ways, this can open the way to gradual reductions and finally elimination through a Nuclear Weapons Convention,” the prime minister said at a conference on “A Nuclear Free World: From Conception to Reality” at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) here.

Rajasthan royals to battle it out on the poll field

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Like previous years, Rajasthan will see scions of former princely families in the Lok Sabha battlefield with all four in the fray this time being sitting MPs.

Congress has fielded three royal scions while BJP one.

In Jodhpur, Congress candidate and Union minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch, daughter of former Maharaja Hanwant Singh, is pitted against BJP’s Rajput candidate Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

20 Delhi cops ‘unemployed’ due to conduct code (Election Special)

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At least 20 senior police officers find themselves at a loose end in the national capital without a viable posting, thanks to the model code of conduct in force ahead of the elections.

According to the rules, no transfers or postings can be done in the states or union territories after the Election Commission announces the poll schedule. Now, the postings will take place a few days after the May 16 counting day.

Pawan Kalyan playing proxy politics: YSR Congress

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Launching a vitriolic attack on Pawan Kalyan and a section of media for playing into the hands of TDP and willfully being part of its proxy politics, YSR Congress has said the mask of the film star is unveiled and his tutored phrases are too familiar for the public that has rejected Chandrababu Naidu for the past ten years.

“It has been the habit of a section of media to spread false and baseless news like a tranquilizer before the elections and this time it has joined with the film star Pawan Kalyan who has parroted the lines of TDP in passing snide remarks against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Nine all-women polling stations in Tripura

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The Election Commission will set up nine all-women polling stations – with all-women polling personnel – in Tripura, an official said here Wednesday.

“Considering the performance of women polling personnel in previous elections, nine polling stations would be set up with only women polling personnel,” Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Ashutosh Jindal told IANS.

Pak Army chief advises govt to let Musharraf go abroad: report

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Pakistani Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif is said to have advised the government to allow former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, indicted for treason, to go abroad for treatment and to look after his ailing mother.

The possible exit of 70-year-old Musharraf was discussed during a meeting between Gen Raheel and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday. ISI chief Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam also attended the ‘informal consultations’ to decide the fate of the former President, Express Tribune reported today.

However, there was no official word on the high-level meeting.

US-based trainer to offer grooming classes to Indians

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US-based master trainer Carla Mathis, who is on her maiden trip to India, will offer a unique course to those who want to make themselves a brand name in the image consulting industry.

Titled “Learn from the Master”, the course will be a platform to share her knowledge with aspiring image consultants in association with Urbanista Image Consulting LLP, a statement said.

The nine-day course will start Thursday and will cover everything one need to know about the science of style, colour, wardrobe and styling men for success taught by Mathis.

Injured Yuvraj rested from India’s practice session

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The left ankle injury during yesterday’s barefoot football match today forced senior India batsman Yuvraj Singh to opt out of the team training session.

Yuvraj sustained the injury during the team’s customary football session at the BCB Academy in Mirpur yesterday. Later, he was seen limping with his left ankle being protected by a crepe bandage.

Yuvraj did not accompany the team for the training session at the Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah today. He was advised to stay back in the team hotel and take rest.

Usha Uthup lends voice to Kangana in ‘Revolver Rani’

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Noted playback singer Usha Uthup has lent her voice to actress Kangana Ranaut for her upcoming film ‘Revolver Rani’.

Kangana, riding high on the success of her recent film ‘Queen’, will be seen as a gangster in ‘Revolver Rani’.

The makers roped in versatile singer Usha Uthup to sing the title track in the film.

“Ushaji has sung the title track of ‘Revolver Rani’. We wanted someone who had a husky deep voice and who better than Ushaji to sing. It is for the first time that she is singing for Kangana,” sources said.

Rebel Trinamool MP to campaign for Congress candidate

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Dissident Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman Wednesday said he would campaign for Congress candidate Somen Mitra for the Lok Sabha polls.

Suman said he may also opt to canvass for painter and Congress candidate for Jadavpur constituency Samir Aich, who met him during the day.

“But nobody should see any political bias in this. I will campaign for Mitra, as I know him for long. I may also campaign for Aich, as I also know him well,” said Suman.

Russia annuls fleet treaties with Ukraine

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law terminating four treaties with Ukraine over the Russian Black Sea fleet, the Kremlin press service said Wednesday.

“This federal law comes into force from the day of its official publication,” Xinhua quoted the press service as stating.

Russia and Ukraine signed three treaties in 1997 regulating the status and terms of deploying the Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea.

Indonesia says could be hit by small tsunami from Chile quake

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Indonesia warned today that it could be hit by a small tsunami generated by an 8.2-magnitude earthquake that struck off Chile’s Pacific coast and warned people to stay away from beaches.

A tsunami up to half a metre high “will possibly affect several areas in Indonesia” from early tomorrow, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Gunmen kill five Yemeni soldiers

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Gunmen stormed a Yemeni military base in the southern port city of Aden Wednesday morning, killing five soldiers and injuring several others, police said.

The gunmen, who are suspected of having links to the Al Qaeda, invaded the headquarters of the Fourth Military Region in Aden and launched coordinated attacks on the soldiers tasked with guarding the base, a police source told Xinhua.

The source confirmed that five soldiers, including high-ranking military personnel, died in the attack. An army source described the attack as “bloody”.

Meet in Saudi highlights investment opportunities in India

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Seeking more investments from Saudi Arabia, India has held a seminar in Jeddah, highlighting its reformed taxation system and opportunities for foreign investors.

The seminar on opportunities for ‘Foreign direct investment in India’ and ‘Taxation in India’ was organised by the Consulate General of India, in association with the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and industry (JCCI).

A lecture on FDI showcased the strengths of the Indian economy while the taxation regime presentation talked about taxation structure on which the earning of investment depends.

I don’t date famous people: Emma Watson

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Actress Emma Watson has revealed that she would never date any famous personality.

The ‘Noah’ star, 23, said that she prefers to keep her personal life private, reported Daily Express.

“I don’t date people who are famous, and I don’t think it’s fair that, all of a sudden, intimate details of their personal life are public as a direct result of me. I wish I could protect them,” she said.

Sidharth walked the ramp with Big B, excited

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Two-film-old actor Sidharth Malhotra was thrilled when he got an opportunity to walk the ramp with megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

“I am very excited as I am walking with Mr. Bachchan. My wish to share a platform with him has come true now. Though it is not a film, but I am happy that I am sharing a platform with him,” the 29-year-old told reporters Tuesday at the Mijwan Fashion Show.

Muslim quota, upper caste commission promised in SP manifesto

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Seeking to woo Muslims as well as upper castes, Samajwadi Party today promised quota in police and other government jobs for minority community, release of “innocent” youths jailed on terror charges and constitution of an Upper Caste Commission in its manifesto brimming with sops.

Vowing to enact tough law against communal violence, the SP led by Mulayam Singh Yadav said it would ensure justice to 2002 Gujarat riot victims and implementation of recommendations of Srikrishna commission.

Moon may not have much water

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The amount of water present in the Moon may have been overestimated by scientists studying the lunar rock samples, a new study has claimed.

Researchers led by Jeremy Boyce from the University of California – Los Angeles created a computer model to accurately predict how mineral apatite would have crystallised from cooling bodies of lunar magma early in the Moon’s history.

Their simulations showed that the unusually hydrogen-rich apatite crystals observed in many lunar rock samples may not have formed within a water-rich environment, as was originally expected.

Parrikar dodges questions on Catholic minister’s Modi remarks

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Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday dodged questions about a controversy stirred by his deputy Francis D’Souza, a Catholic, who last week insisted the minorities have apprehensions about BJP’s prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi.

An irritated Parrikar said he would not reply to comments made by “someone else”.

“You ask him… I will not answer you,” Parrikar said, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa is struggling to cope with the damage caused by D’Souza’ comments.

BJP hopeful of tie-up with TDP in Andhra Pradesh

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BJP today sounded hopeful of a tie-up with TDP in Andhra Pradesh, saying discussions between the two parties have been “good” but a final outcome is awaited.

While equating alliances with marriages which involve long negotiations, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar blamed the long delay in taking a final decision on the alliance to the fact that the state will witness both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections

“The talks with TDP are on. We will tell you when anything happens. Discussions have been good,” Javadekar, who is in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, told reporters.

Girl raped for one year on pretext of job

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A 21-year-old girl was allegedly raped for one year by a beer bar manager on pretext of getting her a good job, police said today.

The victim has alleged that the manager offered her a cold drink laced with sedatives, raped and made a video clipping for which he tried to blackmail her, they said.

The accused identified as Vineet Sharma (28) though gave her a job in the bar at a salary of Rs 5000 but also lured her for a better job seeking a sexual favour, police said.

Find killers of labour activist, Dhaka told

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The Bangladeshi government should publicly explain what efforts have been made to investigate the abduction, torture, and killing of the labour rights activist Aminul Islam two years ago, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

While police have filed charges against a missing suspect, there have been no apparent efforts to investigate allegations that members of Bangladeshi security forces were part of the conspiracy to kill the labour activist, it said.

After praising Rahul, Varun does a U-turn

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BJP leader Varun Gandhi Wednesday clarified that he was not backing his cousin Rahul Gandhi after the remarks he (Varun) made overnight appeared to suggest that.

Varun Gandhi, 34, told a group of teachers and NGO activists Tuesday night: “I want to bring a new form of politics. The way Rahulji has worked successfully in Amethi… though I haven’t seen his work from inside.”

He said he had heard that programmes on empowering people carried out in Amethi, which Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi represents in the Lok Sabha, were “fairly decent”.

Demand for soccer World Cup tickets soars

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More than 87 percent of tickets offered during the 2014 World Cup’s penultimate sales phase were purchased, said football’s governing body FIFA.

Of the 345,000 tickets made available March 12-31, some 301,929 were sold, reports Xinhua.

Matches involving Brazil and knock-out fixtures were sold out on the opening day. Unsold tickets from the phase will be included in the final sales period starting April 15, open to fans on a first come, first served basis.

FIFA did not reveal the number of tickets still available for the June 12-July 13 tournament.
(IANS)

Respect game and fellow cricketers: Bravo’s message

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Emphasising that cricketers have certain responsibilities towards their fans, especially the youth, West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has advocated playing a sledging-free game.

A James Faulkner’s poor-in-taste jibe directed towards them pumped up the West Indians and the Caribbean team came out all guns blazing to topple the Australians en route to the semifinals.

The victory was an apt answer to Faulkner’s retort that he ‘does not like West Indians’.