Month: October 2014

Trapped miners confirmed dead: Colombia

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Twelve workers trapped by a flood inside a coal mine in the northwestern province of Antioquia are dead, Colombian authorities said Friday.

“With an inspection we made in the night hours, we know that everyone is dead,” Carlos Mario Usma, head of environmental management and mine regulation in the municipality of Amaga, told the media.

The miners’ fatal encounter with a pocket of water deep underground occurred at around 6 p.m. Thursday, he said.

“Of the 14 miners who were in the sector, only two escaped,” Usma said.

Russian deputy PM to visit India Nov 5

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Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin arrives in India Nov 5 for an inter-governmental meet, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said at a media briefing that Rogozin was arriving to attend the Indo-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, which is co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Rogozin had visited India in June and also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Court to hear Dikshit’s plea against fine Dec 3

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The Delhi High Court Friday posted, for Dec 3, the case filed by former chief minister Sheila Dikshit against Rs.3 lakh fine imposed on her by a lower court here, after she faile d to appear before it in a defamation case filed by her against BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

Justice S.K. Misra agreed to hear the plea of Dikshit.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition calls for fresh polls again

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Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC-T party said Friday economic challenges confronting the country could only be resolved if the country holds free and fair polls.

MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai told thousands of supporters at the party’s 4th congress in Harare that Zimbabwe’s economic challenges were stemming from the country’s elections last year which the party alleged were not free and fair, Xinhua reported.

“Our national crisis can only be resolved by a return to legitimacy which can only happen after a fresh, credible election, ” Tsvangirai said.

Ban on Antonio Habas reduced to 2 games; no change on Robert Pires, Fikru Lemessa

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All India Football Federation on Friday reduced the four-match suspension handed on Atletico de Kolkata head coach Antonio Lopez Habas to two games after an appeal hearing pertaining to the breach of disciplinary code during the ongoing Indian Super League.

The two-match bans on players Robert Pires (FC Goa) and Fikru Lemessa (Atletico de Kolkata) and one-match suspension on ATK goalkeeping coach Predipkumar Bhaktawer remained the same as the AIFF Disciplinary Committee did not make any other change in their earlier order of October 25.

Less than half of Americans support stricter gun laws: Poll

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Less than half of Americans said they back tougher gun laws, which is significantly lower than the 58 percent recorded just after the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 children dead, a Gallup poll said Friday.

The percentage favouring stricter gun laws since the school shootings has declined to 47 despite a series of tragic shootings in the US at schools, malls and businesses, Xinhua reported citing the poll.

Ponzy schemer cheats residents of $22 mn, gets 15-year jail

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If you have been one of those approached by some ‘known’ person for investing in something with an assurance of ‘easy money’, you may benefit reading about this Ponzi schemer jailed in the US for robbing his own people.

Vincent Singh, a Ponzi schemer has been sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal jail for preying on the members of his own ethnic Indian Fijian community in the Sacramento region.

In sentencing Singh, US District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. said his crimes were “the worst of their kind that I’ve seen in 12 years as a federal judge”.

India vs Sri Lanka: Barabati curator says “dew factor” will come into play

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The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka at the Barabati Stadium will be a run-feast predicted curator Pankaj Patnaik but at the same time did not forget to remind that toss might turn out to be crucial due to dew factor, later in the evening.

The 22-yard strip may not be a greentop but there are a few grass patches here and there. Patnaik feels that it won’t be a traditional Barabati Stadium track, where the ball will keep low and slow.

Pakistan repatriates 29 Afghans

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Pakistan handed over 29 Afghans arrested during a military operation in its northwestern tribal region to Afghan authorities, the army said Friday.

The Pakistani security forces had launched a major offensive against the Pakistani and foreign militants in North Waziristan in June after peace dialogue with the Taliban collapsed.

The military says that fighter jets are targeting all armed groups, including the Haqqani Netowrk, who have taken shelter in the region.

Burkina Faso’s president quits, army chief takes power

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Burkina Faso’s army chief Gen. Nabere Honore Traore assumed power Friday after President Blaise Compaore announced his resignation following violent protests against his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.

In a statement read on national television, Compaore announced his resignation and called for elections to be held within 90 days. Gen. Traore then took the reigns in Ouagadougou.

I have fun working with Anupam Kher: Akshay Kumar

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Akshay Kumar has worked with Anupam Kher in various films like “Heyy Babyy” and “Special 26” and the action star says he enjoys shooting with the latter.

The duo first shared screen space in the 1992 film “Deedar”. Then they went on to work together in the 1990s in movies like “Dil Ki Baazi”, “Waqt Hamara Hai” and “Aflatoon”.

Most recently, they acted in “Special 26” in 2013. And now, they will be seen in “The Shaukeens”.

Women prefer vacations without their kids: Survey

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A vacation must mean a vacation in its truest sense. A majority of Indian women have admitted in a new survey that they prefer to go on a holiday without their children, primarily due to a lack of personal time with their spouse.

The survey, was spread across Karnataka, Maharashtra and Delhi NCR with a sample size of 1,000 females above 33 years of age.

As many as 63 percent of the respondents indicated that they’d prefer a holiday with their husbands alone, even if it means going out of their way to make special arrangements for leaving the kids behind.

Will appeal Sri Lankan death sentence to fishermen: India

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India Friday indicated there may have been “miscarriage of justice” in the death sentence handed down to five Indian fishermen for alleged drug trafficking in Colombo and said it will appeal.

New Delhi also said that under a bilateral “legal architecture”, a similar death sentence for two Indians was commuted to life imprisonment after a Sri Lankan presidential pardon.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, answering a query on the matter, said the Indian government’s concern in the matter has been conveyed to the Sri Lankan authorities.

Spanish government challenges Catalonia’s symbolic vote on independence

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Spain’s government Friday challenged Catalonia’s decision to hold a symbolic vote Nov 9 as an alternative to a referendum on independence stalled by the Constitutional Court.

The government of Priem Minister Mariano Rajoy filed a new appeal against the move before the Constitutional Court to “guarantee the State of Law and protect democracy”, Vice President Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said at the end of Friday’s cabinet meeting.

Shahi Imam’s invite to Sharif does not merit response: Government

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As the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid drew flak from Muslims for inviting the Pakistan prime minister to his son’s anointment as his successor but not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government Friday refused to get drawn into the controversy, terming his remarks as “voices from the wilderness”.

Asked to react to the invite to Nawaz Sharif, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said: “We don’t respond to voices from the wilderness who are always clawing to get space, and your mind space.”

Bengal land of jehadis under Mamata: BJP

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The BJP Friday alleged that West Bengal has become a “land of jehadis” under the Mamata Banerjee government.

“The rule of law in Bengal has been converted into law of vote bank by the TMC, and WB has become under Mamata Banerji the land of Jehadis,” Bharatiya Janata Party secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said in a statement.

Terming as “unfortunate” the police preventing the BJP central leaders from going to the trouble-torn Makhra and Chaumondolpur villages in Birbhum district Thursday, Singh said “the step is a reminder of anarchist TMC rule in West Bengal”.

Myanmar roundtable summit discusses political issues

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Myanmar’s first five-party roundtable summit held in the Presidential Palace here Friday discussed some key political issues in the country, presidential spokesman U Ye Htut said at a press conference after the two-hour talks.

Attending the talks were 14 representatives of the government, parliament, political parties, the military and the Union Election Commission, Xinhua reported.

During the talks, President U Thein Sein called for continued implementation of democratic reform, national reconsolidation and political stability before the upcoming 2015 general elections.

I have only been dumped so far: Ranveer

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Actor Ranveer Singh, who has often been chased by link-up rumours, says so far he has not dumped anyone in his life.

“Actually I have never dumped anyone in my life so far. I have only been dumped so far,” Ranveer said at the unveiling of “Nakhriley” song from “Kill Dil” at the Yash Raj Studios.

Director Shaad Ali’s “Kill Dil” is coming out Nov 14.

Co-incidentally Ranveer’s “Ram-leela” also released in November.

Is November auspicious for you?

Stop comparing me with my cousins: Parineeti

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Her cousin Priyanka Chopra is a star. Now, another family member, Mannara, is all set to enter Bollywood with “Zid” and Parineeti feels that it is unfair to pit her against her cousins.

“Zid” trailer is out and when Parineeti was asked whether she had seen it and did she think Mannara will be a competitor, she said: “Yes, I saw the teaser and I think she looks sexy. We grew up together and there is just two years difference between us.”

“I think it’s time that people stopped comparing me with my sisters in a negative way. We all have immense love for each other,” she added.

Merchant vessel scrapes Indian Navy ship

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INS Kora suffered minor damage when it was scraped by a merchant vessel off the Visakhapatnam coast, the Indian Navy said in a statement Friday.

The navy said there has been no damage to the watertight integrity of the ship or any injuries or loss of life.

INS Kora was scraped by the merchant vessel Madelieine Rickmers in the wee hours of Friday, nearly 300 nautical miles off the Visakhapatnam coast.

INS Kora, accompanied by INS Gaj, was on a passage from Visakhapatnam to Port Blair.

US growth, Japan stimulus lift Sensex, Nifty to new peaks

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Indian markets today ended the week with a bang with Sensex zooming 519.50 points and Nifty soaring 153 points to new highs for the second straight day in line with a strong global rally after Japan unexpectedly increased its monetary stimulus and US grew at a robust pace.

Hopes of more reform measures from Modi government, expectations of better growth in the second half of the fiscal and heavy buying by foreign funds, also had a positive impact.

Court reprieve for 250 Kerala hotel bars

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A Kerala High Court division bench Friday stayed for a month, Thursday’s single judge bench verdict directing 250 two and three star bars to close immediately.

The division bench of Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice Babu Mathew P. Thomas was acting on a petition from the 250 two and three star hotel bars owners which said that Thursday’s verdict was discriminatory.

The bench said that starting next week there will be a detailed hearing in this case and a final verdict will be given after that.