Month: August 2014

Shooter Tara Shahdeo’s husband Ranjit Kohli and his mother has been sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Earlier, during interrogation Kohli told police that Tara’s family knew that he offered Namaz daily. He said after solemnising his marriage according to Hindu rites, a Nikah was also performed and that the family knew about that too.

Meanwhile, Kohli has told the police that he was a Hindu till 2007 when he came in touch with a tantric, identified as Arif, who converted him to Islam. Locals in Ranchi, however, knew him by both names.

Launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) in Karnataka, state’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said the idea of financial inclusion is not new and there is a need to create an environment for the poor to lead a respectful life by equal distribution of wealth.

At the state level launch of the scheme here, he said the it was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Independence Day with the intention of financial inclusion.

Salman Khan is awaiting this break after the busy schedule that he had for his super duper hit Kick. He is looking forward to get some rest and meet his close friends, particularly his ex-girlfriend Somy Ali.

According to a leading daily, the 48-year-old actor, who is busy with the production-related work of his film ‘Dr. Cabbie’ will be heading for Toronto and then can meet his former ladylove too. The rumoured love affair between Ali and Salman, goes back in time when both had just started off with their respective careers in Bollywood.

India and the United States have pledged financial support to the people affected by the recent flood and landslides in Nepal that claimed at least 250 lives.

The government of India has provided USD 480,000 as financial assistance to the victims of the natural disaster that hit central and western parts of Nepal, stated a press release issued by the Embassy of India today.

Government is likely to discuss the issue of engagement of agents by foreign firms in defence deals against the backdrop of alleged involvement of middlemen in a recent scam where commissions were paid to them in deals worth over Rs 10,000 crore.

The issue is likely to be discussed by the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley in its meeting tomorrow where acquisition cases worth over Rs 20,000 crore are planned to be taken up, Ministry sources said.

Coconut has many nutritional benefits and now it has been revealed that this superfood can help in curing various medical problems.

Sally Norton, weight loss consultant and founder of Vavista.com, shares tips on how one can be fit and fine with an element of coconut in the diet, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is all set to make his first official visit to India next week to further strengthen the strategic partnership and promote trade and investment between the two sides.

“I will travel to India and Malaysia from September 4 to 6. On my first visit to India as Prime Minister, I will visit New Delhi and India’s financial capital, Mumbai, to strengthen the strategic partnership between our two countries,” he said.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday asked it to shed “arrogance” and accused the party of trying to divide Hindus and Muslims in the state.

“Some people think they can win over India with money power. BJP got only 29 percent votes. It was not a mandate. My advice to BJP is to shed its arrogance,” Banerjee said at a rally of the Trinamool Congress Chhattra Parishad here.

Eight people were injured in an explosion at a residential building in the Chinese capital here early this morning.

The explosion rocked an apartment of the ground floor of the building at Zuojiazhuangbeili community in Chaoyang District, city’s fire-fighting authorities said.

All injured have been sent to hospital, with one person in serious condition, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Residents said they heard the huge sound of explosion and felt the shock. Window glass was broken and some cars nearby were damaged.

-PTI

The Hajj pilgrims leaving for Hajj 2014 through Hajj Committee will not have to pay user development charges at airport. Home minister has decided this following consultation with Central Hajj Committee. Special Officer Hajj Committee Prof. S A Shukoor told that user charges will not be collected from Hajj aspirants going to Hajj through Hajj committee by any of the airports of the country.

Yogeshwar Dutt, who will lead India’s challenge at the upcoming Asian Games in the absence of Sushil Kumar, is expecting the grapplers to win three to four freestyles medals for the country in the mega-event known to have much tougher competition than the Commonwealth Games.

India won an impressive 13 medals in the Glasgow Commonwealth Game last month but the figure is expected to drop drastically at the September 19-October 4 event in Incheon, South Korea. India could only manage three wrestling medals in the 2010 edition.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leaders Friday met the Army Chief Raheel Sharif to find a solution to end the on-going political crisis in the country.

This development came after PTI leader Imran Khan and PAT leader Tahir-ul-Qadri Thursday accepted the role of the army chief as a mediator and guarantor in solving the current political impasse, Xinhua reported.

The protests launched by Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri began Aug 15 over the issue of the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is accused of rigging the 2013 general elections.

Pakistan’s senior batsman and former captain Shoaib Malik has said maverick all-rounder Shahid Afridi is the best person to replace Misbah-ul-Haq as skipper for next year’s World Cup.

Malik, 32, said that if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wanted to change the captain of the national one-day team it should do it immediately.

“I don’t know what the board has in mind but if they are thinking about changing the captaincy they should do it now because there is little time left before the World Cup,” Malik said.

Union Minority Affairs Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Najma Haptullah has endorsed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s view saying that there is nothing wrong in calling all Indians Hindus.

The BJP leader’s comments come days after the RSS chief received a huge flak from non-BJP parties for his suggestion that all Hindustanis are Hindus with many leaders wondering if he has read the Constitution and really believes in it.

Gujarat Court accepted the conditional bail plea of Hyderabad-based cleric Maulana Abdul Qavi on Thursday. He was arrested by Detection Crime Brach (DCB) Ahmedabad, Gujarat on the charges of alleged anti-national activities and keeping contact with wanted terrorist. Earlier POTA special court had rejected his bail plea. The division bench of justices A S Dave and Mohinder Pal pronounced the order granting bail to Qavi on the condition that he must record his presence at the nearest police station every month, surrender his passport to the police and submit a personal bond of Rs.50,000.

Funnyman Steve Carell has been tipped to star in a live-action spinoff of ‘Looney Tunes’.

The 52-year-old actor is attached to appear in a comedy that will be written by ‘X-Men: First Class’ writers Ashley
Edward Miller and Zack Stentz, reported Variety.

Warner Bros Studios is developing a film that will blend live-action and CGI in a movie that explores Looney Tunes’s
fictional ACME Corporation, known for making dangerous products.

No Looney Tunes characters are expected to be the main focus of the movie.

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ actor Jamie Dornan is all set to star in ‘The Ninth Life of Louis Drax’.

The 32-year-old actor will play a doctor in the psychological thriller, adapted from Liz Jensen’s novel of the
same name, reported Deadline.

The plot follows nine-year-old Louis Drax, who suffers a near-fatal accident on his birthday. When a doctor (Dornan)
starts treating the boy, he unravels a mystery that can’t easily be explained by reality.

Max Minghella is behind the adapted script, and is continuing work on the project that originally began with his

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ star Jessica Chastain has called for a female superhero movie to be released.

The 37-year-old actress criticised Marvel and Hollywood for not giving Scarlett Johansson’s popular ‘Avengers’
character Black Widow her own solo movie, reported The Wrap.

Where is the Scarlett Johansson superhero movie? I don’t understand it, why is it taking so long for this? This woman
clearly shows that people want to go see her in the movies,”Chastain said.

‘Lucy’, didn’t it beat ‘Hercules’ by a lot opening weekend, when it was made for a lot less? She shows that she

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced Friday that he will travel to India and Malaysia next week.

On Abbott’s first visit to India as prime minister, he said he will visit New Delhi and Mumbai to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, reported Xinhua.

India is Australia’s fifth largest export market with total exports of 11.4 billion Australian dollars ($10.6 billion).

Two US lawmakers, including the lone Indian-American Congressman, have joined Sikh community groups in protesting the world basketball body FIBA’s delay in reviewing the discriminatory policy against Sikh basketball players who wear turbans.

“Every day FIBA delays is another day that Sikhs can’t play,” Democrat House members Ami Bera and Joe Crowley, formerly chair of the India Caucus, said in a statement Thursday after the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) announcement that its governing board would delay a review of its headgear policy.

A 16-year-old girl has allegedly been gang raped by five persons on knife point in East Delhi’s Madhu Vihar area, police said on on Thursday.

Three of the accused, including two juvenile, have been arrested and efforts were on to apprehend the remaining two, they said.

The incident took place last evening when the girl, who studies in class XI, had gone to meet some friends in DDA Park in the area.

As she was chatting with them, two boys who were known to them joined the conversation.

Stoking a fresh controversy, Senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi on Thursday said people in politics should not continue in active posts beyond 70 years of age.

Dwivedi, who will be 69 next month and feels marginalised in the party, told reporters that 65 or 70 should be the age for people to go out of active posts and take up other roles instead.

He, however, hastened to add that posts like that of Presidents of political parties, President of India, Vice President and Prime Minister may be treated as exceptions.

Blaming Russia for the escalating violence in eastern Ukraine, US President Barack Obama has said that Moscow was deliberately and repeatedly violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“If there was ever any doubt, that Russia is responsible for the violence in eastern Ukraine. The violence is encouraged by Russia. The separatists are trained by Russia. They are armed by Russia. They are funded by Russia,” Obama said yesterday.

The President, who earlier spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he and Merkel agreed on the Russian role in Ukraine.

Gujarat High Court today directed the state government to take action against any person using a number plate which does not adhere to standard format.

The division bench of Justices M R Shah and K J Thaker ordered the Director General of Police that such number plates should be seized and action be taken against the owner under the rules of Regional Transport Office (RTO).

As per the order, no vehicle-owner can put his/her name or designation on the number-plate.

Taking a dig at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh today said she should not have reacted to the controversy caused by his book, and that her intervention only helped increase the sale of his just released autobiography. Singh claimed Sonia and her daughter Priyanka’s May 6 meeting with him before the launch of the book, ‘One Life is not Enough’, to persuade him not to refer to a particular episode, pushed its sale by 20,000 copies. The sale rose by another 10,000 after her promise to come out with her own book.