Month: June 2014

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra Saturday paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine and inaugurated two helicopter services for pilgrims.

The governor, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the affairs of the shrine and the pilgrimage, prayed for sustained peace, harmony, progress and prosperity in the state, said an SASB statement.

His wife, Usha Vohra, SASB CEO Rakesh K. Gupta, and Srinagar-based 15 Corps commander, Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha also paid obeisance.

Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez has quit his position in the FIFA Strategic Committee over the ban issued against his striker Luis Suarez after biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini June 24 during the World Cup.

“It is not wise or prudent to be in an organisation with people, those who exerted pressure to promote this decision and those who rendered the punishment, who managed procedures and values very different to those I have,” Tabarez said, reports EFE.

Delhi experienced a warm Saturday with the maximum temperature recorded at 39.9 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season’s average. The Met department has forecast a partly cloudy weekend.

“The skies will be partly cloudy throughout the day,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum and the minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 40 degrees and 31 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The minimum temperature Saturday was 28.8 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average.

Costa Rican players are practising penalties before facing Greece in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 Sunday in Arena Pernambuco here to determine who will qualify for the quarterfinals.

Defender Cristian Gamboa said that his side trained on penalty shots because it could be a possible scenario, reports EFE.

“We want to win in 90 minutes but we must be prepared, just in case,” Gamboa said.
(IANS/EFE)

The collapse of a four-storeyed building in North Delhi’s Inderlok area Friday, which claimed 10 lives and left 15 others injured, has once again highlighted the use of poor construction material in buildings.

According to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the reason for the collapse of the 50-year-old building was the poor quality of the raw material that weakened its base and it crumbled following ongoing construction in an adjacent plot.

Delhi has witnessed similar incidents in the last couple of years:

Online poker network 888poker announced termination of its contract with Uruguay’s Luis Suarez after his biting incident in his team’s match against Italy in the FIFA World Cup June 24.

Only two months after signing the Liverpool forward as an ambassador and part of the 888poker team, the firm released a statement saying: “888poker signed Luis Suarez following a fantastic season for which his achievements were widely recognised.

Two men arrested for raping two Tanzanian women here were sent to 14 days’ judicial custody Saturday, police said.

Kunal Singh, 27, and Satish Singh, 28, residents of Shastri Nagar and R.K. Puram, respectively, were arrested from the house of a common friend in south Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar area after the two women made a call to police at 4.30 p.m. Friday.

“Kunal and Satish were produced before a district court which sent them to 14 days’ judicial custody,” a police official said.

Napoli manager Rafael Benitez said that the FIFA World Cup so far has been remarkable, showcasing the superiority of South American teams over European big names like Spain, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal and Russia.

Analysing the group stages on his personal website under the title “The European Riddle”, the Spaniard pointed out that despite the Latino dominance, the hosts present “nothing special tactically with phases of intense pressure and others in which the team looked in no hurry but as ever they have players who alone can win a game”, referring to Neymar, reports EFE.

At least 18 people were reported trapped when a 12-storey under-construction building collapsed here Saturday, officials said.

The incident took place in the city’s Porur area.

A fire service official said one woman was rescued but at least 18 other people were reportedly trapped under the debris.

Rescue operations were on, he added.
(IANS)

Ten people, including five children and two women, were killed and two injured when a four-storey building collapsed here Saturday morning, an official said.

The building collapsed at about 9 a.m. in north Delhi’s Inderlok area.

“Ten people have been killed in the incident. Rescue operation is still on but all the people have been brought out,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told IANS.

Four army soldiers and three Al Qaida militants were killed in an armed attack on a military hospital in Yemen’s southeastern province of Hadramout Saturday, a government official said.

“The assailants, an armed squad of the Al Qaeda group, opened fire at the soldiers charged with guarding the el-Battenah military hospital in Abar region of Hadramout province, triggering armed clashes that left four soldiers and three attackers dead at the scene,” the local government official sid on condition of anonymity.

A host of world leaders, including UN chief Ban Ki-moon, have extended best wishes to Narendra Modi-led NDA government and hoped for better ties and meaningful partnerships with India, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.

Javadekar, who attended the first UN Environment Assembly from June 26-27 here, said that apart from the UN chief, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and a host of other dignitaries also extended their best wishes to Modi.

After suspending 33 leaders in a post-poll shake-up, DMK chief M Karunanidhi today hinted that he will not hesitate to crack the whip even against seniors if charges of indiscipline against them were proved true. The 90 year-old leader also assured that office-bearers will not be victimised on the basis of ‘frivolous’ allegations.

A middle-aged man was today arrested for allegedly raping his 19-year-old niece in Noida.

Police said the accused, Ranjit, raped his niece at his residence last evening when his wife went to the market.

The girl narrated the incident to her aunt after she returned home. The woman took the girl to the police station this morning and filed a complaint, following which Ranjit was arrested.

Police said the girl had been sent for medical examination.

Actress Dia Mirza, whose new co-production “Bobby Jasoos” is yet to hit the theatres, is already getting queries related to the detective comedy from regional filmmakers.

“Bobby Jasoos” revolves around a female character, played by Vidya Balan. She will be seen romancing young actor Ali Faizal in the film, directed by Samar Shaikh and co-produced by Dia and her beau Sahil Sangha.

“We have been getting calls from regional filmmakers for the rights of Bobby Jasoos, that’s cool given how many films in Hindi are remakes,” Dia tweeted.

The film will hit the theatres July 4.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said ballot was the way out of the “Kashmir imbroglio” and those using “force to prevent” people from voting were negating their own political philosophy of offering a free will to the public.

“The way out of the Kashmir imbroglio is through ballot, which is the ultimate tool of empowerment and through a wise use of this instrument, the state can effectively champion its cause and secure the power to undo injustices of the past,” Sayeed said at a party meeting here.

Paul Francis, Kush Maini and Ameya Bafna scorched the track in their respective categories in the qualifying rounds of the 11th JK Tyre FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship at the Lahiri Resorts here Saturday.

On a day of mixed weather, when the drivers had to switch between dry and wet tryes, India’s future in motorsports put up an exciting display of karting.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala, whose has struck gold with three of his releases this year- “Highway”, “2 States” and “Heropanti”, still feels like a fresher in the industry as far as his directorial debut “Kick” is concerned.

“I am extremely nervous and excited about my directorial debut ‘Kick’. I have been a creative producer for 27 years but I still feel like a newcomer where ‘Kick’ is concerned,” Nadiadwala said in a statement.

“Kick”, which will be releasing on Eid this year, stars Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Saturday invited investment in the state’s hospitality industry.

“We can facilitate big hoteliers by either providing them land on lease or by identifying suitable land for them to construct hotels,” he said.

Presiding over the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board (HPTDB) meeting, Virbhadra Singh expressed happiness over Unesco heritage status for the Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district.

“It would certainly go a long way in promoting tourism in the state,” said the chief minister.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Urmila Singh Saturday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid reported moves by the BJP-led union government to seek resignation of governors appointed by the previous Congress-led regime.

Official sources told IANS it was a courtesy call.

Urmila Singh, a senior Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh and former chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, is understood to have been told to quit.

She completes her five-year term in January.
(IANS)

Three Indian expatriates, severely injured here in a terror blast two days ago, are recuperating in a hospital in Bahrain’s capital Manama, a media report said Saturday.

Binoy Baby, 30, Jayabalan Markose, 47, and Anil Ebraham, 33, were injured when a homemade bomb made out of a gas cylinder exploded in Segaiya area in Manama Thursday night, Gulf Daily News reported.

Markose suffered 35 percent burns on his body including his face, back and legs, while the other two were being treated for back and leg injuries.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today announced its second list consisting 21 candidates for the upcoming polls to the 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, introducing eight new faces including a former IPS officer who recently joined the party.

Senior party leader Qazi Mohammad Afzal has been given ticket from Ganderbal seat, which is currently represented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

With the situation worsening in violence-hit Iraq, India Saturday said it has flown in officials to three Iraqi cities to help evacuate Indians wanting to return home and asserted that “all national assets are in readiness if required” to be deployed to help the 39 Indians in captivity in militant-held Mosul.

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the setting up of a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the elimination of the ‘Black Stars’ from the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

Ghana failed to make it past the first round after they were defeated by Portugal in their final group match. Mahama sees the decision to fuse the old players with the new ones partly contributed to their ouster, reports EFE.

National Award winning actress Vidya Balan Saturday confessed her love for football is just limited to Argentinian forward Lionel Messi’s good looks.

“I just know Messi because he is good looking! My friends tell me when Messi’s game will be telecast, that time I switch on the TV and watch…else I don’t have any interest,” she admitted to reporters here while promoting her forthcoming release “Bobby Jasoos”.