Month: May 2014

Ponting reveals ‘personal side’ behind new role at Oz sports talent-scouting company

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Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has revealed his personal reasons behind his new role as a director in NSR Australia, a talent-scouting company that helps find places for junior athletes in the American college system.

The sporting future of Ponting turned on its head when national cricket academy coach Rod Marsh famously declared him the best 17-year-old batsman he had seen, following which he was awarded a two-year contract to go on his way to history.

Serena backs ‘second-round victor’ Garbine Muguruza to win French Open

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World No.1 Serena Williams has reportedly backed her second-round French Open challenger Garbine Muguruza to win the tournament.

Muguruza caused the biggest sensation at Roland Garros by stunning the 17-time Grand Slam winner 6-2, 6-2 on another overcast day on the Suzanne Lenglen court on Wednesday.

According to Sport24, Muruguza, who won her first WTA tournament earlier this year when she triumphed in Hobart as a qualifier, said that at the end of the match, Serena hailed her and told her that she can win the tournament if she continued to play like this.

Pak Army wants to keep Kashmir issue alive: American scholar

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Pakistan’s Army does not want the Kashmir issue to be resolved as this would pose a serious challenge to their existence and their dominance in the country’s political set up, a noted American scholar has said.

“They (Pakistan Army) are not going to do a settlement on Kashmir. Why would the Army allow a process to go forward that would obviate its own politics? I think that the best that India can hope for is some version of the status quo,” said C Christine Fair, author of the ‘Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army’s Way of War’.

Youth acquitted of kidnapping, raping girlfriend

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A youth accused of raping his girlfriend on the pretext of marriage has been acquitted by a Delhi court which said whatever happened between them was with the girl’s consent.

Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna absolved Delhi resident of the charges of raping and abducting the girl, who had also become pregnant, after the girl wished not to pursue the case, and informed the court that she had married to the accused and is living happily.

Javadekar promises fast clearances to infrastructure projects

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New Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today promised to ensure “fast clearances” to infrastructure projects in a transparent manner and launched a process for transparent environmental clearance.

After assuming charge as Minister of State (Independent) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, he also said that he would take effective measures to conserve ecology.

Signaling that the Narendra Modi government is not interested in confrontation with industry on green issues, the minister launched a system for online submission of applications for environmental clearances.

NC had feared BJP will work for abrogation of Art 370: Farooq

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Ruling National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah today said the party’s apprehensions about BJP-led NDA government working towards abrogation of Article 370 have come true.

Addressing a convention of NC youth activists, Abdullah said he had apprehensions that if BJP came to power, it will work towards abrogation of Article 370.

He told the gathering that during electioneering, he had warned people of BJP’s designs of removing the Article of the Constitution which guarantees special status to Jammu and Kashmir, party sources said.

Article 370: AIP’s Rashid calls for spl House session

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Awami Ittehad Party president Sheikh Abdul Rashid today called for a special session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution demanding complete restoration of the autonomy which the state enjoys under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

Rani Mukerji to play cop in ‘Mardaani’

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Actress Rani Mukerji will play the role of a cop in ‘Mardani’, her first release post marriage to Aditya Chopra.

The Yash Raj Film, out on August 22, is directed by Pradeep Sarkar, who last helmed Rani in 2007 film ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’.

Rani plays Shivani Shivaji Roy, an astute cop working in a Mumbai Crime Branch unit, who stumbles into the kidnapping case of a teenage girl.

Shivani embarks on an obsessive hunt for the girl and what follows is a cat and mouse game between a fearless cop and a ruthless mafia kingpin.

‘Veteran’ Anderson insists seniors’ ‘influence’ on captain Cook crucial for England’s success

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Veteran England pacer James Anderson has insisted that the influence of senior players and their advice to captain Alastair Cook are crucial for the success of the team.

Cook is expected to shoulder more of the burden for team affairs under the regime of Peter Moores, with the intention is that it will be Cook’s team, which happens to be coached by Moores.

Kuwait may no longer see women in bikinis anymore

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A parliamentary committee in Kuwait has endorsed a proposal to ban women’s “nudity” in public places and hotel corridors, which could lead to banning of women’s bathing suits in the country.

MP Hamdan Al Azemi, the head of the anti-social behaviour committee, said that women’s bathing suits were “alien to the Kuwaiti culture and could not be accepted or tolerated,” Gulf News reported

The lawmaker told local daily Al Rai that there was no need for a specific definition of “nudity”.

Army helicopter shot down in east Ukraine

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At least 15 people were killed Thursday when pro-Russian militants shot down an army helicopter in the eastern Ukrainian town of Sloviansk, outgoing President Alexander Turchynov said.

The helicopter was reportedly hit after it had dropped off troops at a military base during heavy fighting between the eastern towns of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, BBC reported.

Militants shot down two helicopters earlier this month killing a pilot and a serviceman.

The tension in Sloviansk escalated after Petro Poroshenko won Ukriane’s presidential election Sunday.

CBSE Class 12 exams: Maximum cheating cases registered in Delhi

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The national capital registered the maximum number of cases of using unfair means during the CBSE Class 12 examinations, officials said Thursday.

Delhi registered 13 cases of using unfair means in 2014.

This number, however, is a decline from the 25 cases registered last year. Delhi had the maximum number of cases in 2013 as well.

At the second spot is Patna with seven cases, followed by Bhubaneshwar (six), Dehradun (five), Panchkula (five), Guwahati (three) and Chennai and Allahabad with one case each.

A R Rahman to perform live for Raj Kapoor’s grandson Armaan

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Music maestro AR Rahman has composed music for ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’, the debut film of Bollywood ‘showman’ Raj Kapoor’s younger grandson Armaan Jain, and will perform at a live concert scheduled next month here.

Rahman had also performed live at an unplugged concert for Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Rockstar’ starring Ranbir Kapoor.

“Having composed all the songs, the makers of the movie revealed that Rahman has taken his unique music-making-process to a new level and has created something radically different from his previous compositions,” producers said in a statement.

Syria has suffered $143.8-bn economic loss due to civil war: UN

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Syria has suffered $143.8 billion in economic losses due to the continuing civil war in the country, according to a new UN report.

The joint report by the Syrian Centre for Policy Research and the UN says that even as the death toll from Syria’s three-year civil war continues to rise, the country’s human development has also suffered immense collateral damage — the economy has been gutted, the healthcare system is in ruins, and education facilities are “teetering”.

I am focusing on doing films now, says Lara Dutta

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Actress Lara Dutta, who had taken a sabbatical post the birth of her baby, says she is focussing on movies now and will be shooting for a film this year.

Lara married Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi in 2010 and in January 2012, she delivered a baby girl. Now, the actress-producer is gearing up for a comeback in films.

“Right now I am focusing only on doing films. I am definitely going to be back in films, you will see me soon. I am shooting this year, the release is not in my hands. I can’t talk about which films I am doing,” Lara said in a media interaction here.

Modi to retain Varanasi seat

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and give up the Vadodara seat in Gujarat, party leaders said Thursday.

Modi had told the electorate of Varanasi that if he won the election, he would prefer Varanasi over Vadodara.

After leading the BJP to a huge victory nationwide, Modi visited Varanasi and stressed his commitment to clean up the Ganga and develop Varanasi as a centre for culture, heritage and tourism.

Modi won from Varanasi by over three lakh votes against his nearest AAP rival and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Don’t use our logo in protests against Thai junta: McDonald’s

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McDonald’s, the multinational fast food chain, has asked protestors in Thailand to stop using its logo in protests against the military coup that completed a week Thursday.

The US company expressed its neutrality in the face of the political crisis in the country after several opponents demonstrated with the symbol of McDonald’s and then uploaded photos on social networking sites.

“We believe that such acts can be carried out with the intention of pursuing certain political interests”, the chain said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Chinese premier speaks to Modi, desires robust partnership

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Thursday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone and conveyed his government’s desire to establish a “robust partnership” with the new Indian government.

According to a statement by the external affairs ministry, Li congratulated Modi on his victory in the recent election and conveyed his government’s desire to “establish robust partnership with the new government of India for further development of relations between the two nations”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry calls on ‘fugitive’ Snowden to man up, return back

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US Secretary of State John Kerry has branded intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden a fugitive from justice and said that the former NSA contractor should man up and return back and come back to the nation.

Kerry, while speaking in the wake of an interview with NBC in which Snowden said that he sought asylum in Russia because the US revoked his passport, said that if Snowden believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice.

Congress takes on Parrikar, backs Catholic priest

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The Congress Thursday attacked Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for accusing a Gujarat-based Catholic priest of spreading religious intolerance.

A party official also filed a police complaint against Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik for a hate-speech made some months back.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, party spokesperson Durgadas Kamat said the chief minister’s attack on Fr. Cedric Prakash at a media-briefing Wednesday smacked of a bias against the minority Catholic community in Goa.

Pakistani Taliban splits as Mehsud faction walks out due to ‘un-Islamic’ tactics

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The major Mehsud faction has walked out resulting in the first major rift in the Pakistani Taliban ranks since 2007, when the umbrella group was first formed, stating the group leaders’ ‘un-Islamic’ tactics as the reason behind it.

Analysts have said that the split, which came after over a month of infighting in which dozens of fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed, might help advance peace talks with the government

Kerry congratulates Sushma, discusses re-energising ties

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US Secretary of State John Kerry called up External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to congratulate her on ministerial posting and discussed “re-energising strategic” ties, an official said Thursday.

Kerry called up Sushma Swaraj late Wednesday night. It was the first congratulatory call that she received from one of her counterparts around the world.

“The US secretary congratulated the minister and the party (BJP) on its election victory,” Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson, ministry of external affairs told IANS.

Katy Perry has a ‘thing’ for Prince Harry

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Pop Princess Katy Perry reportedly has a ‘thing’ for British royal Prince Harry.

According to US sources, the 29-year-old singer has invited the English royal through a mutual friend to spend American Independence Day with her in Miami, the Daily Star reported.

The message was very casual, as the ‘Roar’ star, who split with DJ Diplo only last week, didn’t want it to seem as if she was asking him out, added the insiders.

After rout, Akhilesh gets cracking

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Akhilesh Yadav is angry, and how! The Samajwadi Party was routed in the Lok Sabha polls and now the Uttar Pradesh chief minister has dissolved the state executive of the party, disbanded all subsidiary affilate organizations and has turned his ire on the bureaucracy.

In the fortnight after the drubbing where the number of Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs tumbled to five from 22, 40-year-old Yadav has so far transferred more than a dozen IPS officials, suspended two – SP Lakhimpur Kehri Satyendra Kumar Singh and SP Firozabad Rakesh Singh – and many more are in the pipeline, say aides.

Never used word ‘chaiwala’ for Modi: Mani Shankar Aiyar

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Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Thursday said he never used the word ‘chaiwala’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Aiyar said it was Modi who himself told the world about his background.

Aiyar also defended a comment made by Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s daughter, Priyanka Gandhi, during the election campaigning

“Priyanka made ‘neech’ comment about Modi’s politics and his fans, like Hitler’s Goebbels, interpreted it differently,” Aiyar said.