Month: February 2015

Assange appeal lodged with Swedish Supreme Court

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Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said today they filed an appeal to Sweden’s Supreme Court seeking to quash the 2010 warrant for his arrest on accusations of rape and molestation.

Assange lawyer Per Samuelsson said he lodged the appeal with Sweden’s top court today afternoon to end the stand-off in which the WikiLeaks founder remains holed up Ecuador’s embassy in London to avoid arrest and extradition, while Swedish prosecutors refuse requests he be questioned there.

Search widens for abducted French woman, Yemeni guide

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Efforts intensified today to find a French woman and her Yemeni interpreter kidnapped in crisis-hit Yemen, with relatives reaching out to tribal chiefs and the Shiite militia in control of the capital.

On the political front, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reiterated its support for Yemen’s beleaguered president, as militiamen opened fire to disperse thousands of his backers demonstrating in Sanaa.

Unidentified gunmen seized 30-year-old Isabelle Prime — a consultant working on a World Bank-funded project — and Sherine Makkaoui from a car in the capital on Tuesday.

3 US tobacco companies to settle 400 smoking lawsuits

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Three major US tobacco companies — Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds and Lorillard have agreed to pay USD 100 million to settle more than 400 lawsuits claiming that smoking damaged people’s health.

A judge awarded a combined USD 100 million to the plaintiffs in the lawsuits filed in Florida by smokers or their families, seeking damages for injuries caused by smoking.

Ex-Guatemalan president freed from US prison in bribery case

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A former Guatemalan president who was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for accepting USD 2.5 million in bribes from Taiwan was released today from a US prison and was returning to his home country.

Alfonso Portillo was released from a suburban Denver prison where he had been incarcerated since last year. The former president was credited with time served in Guatemala, where he faces no further charges, said Libna Bonilla, the embassy’s deputy chief of mission in Washington.

“He is considered a free man in Guatemala,” Bonilla said.

3 Al-Jazeera journalists arrested in Paris for flying drone

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Three journalists for TV station Al-Jazeera were arrested here today after flying a drone from a park on the edge of the city, a judicial source said.

“The first was piloting the drone, the second was filming and the third was watching,” said the source.

The arrests come after multiple drone sightings over the capital for the past two nights, although there was no immediate suggestion that the arrested journalists were linked to the earlier incidents.

The trio were apprehended in the Bois de Boulogne, a park on the western edge of the city.

MetLife will pay gov’t USD 123.5M in mortgage settlement

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MetLife’s home lending unit will pay USD 123.5 million to end an investigation into allegations it gave government-backed mortgages to people who didn’t meet federal requirements.

The Justice Department said today that the mortgages were insured by the Federal Housing Authority. It says MetLife knew many of the loans didn’t meet federal requirements but it rarely informed the FHA about the problem. According to the agency, during some periods in 2009 and 2010 MetLife Bank knew that a majority of the loans it was originating had material or significant deficiencies.

Democrats agree to plan to fund Homeland Department

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Senate Democrats have agreed to a Republican plan to fund the Homeland Security Department without immigration provisions opposed by President Barack Obama.

Spending for the department, which oversees the nation’s borders, expires Friday at midnight. The showdown stems from Republican efforts to undermine Obama’s executive order to protect millions of people from deportation.

Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid told reporters today that he welcomed the opportunity to vote on the measure and said every Democrat will back it.

Google releases work tools designed for Android phones

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Google is releasing a set of tools designed for businesses and employees who want to get work done on smartphones running on the company’s Android software.

The technology unveiled today launches Google’s attempt to turn Android phones into the digital hub of people’s personal and professional lives. The expansion will pit Google Inc against Microsoft Corp and BlackBerry Inc, which have been focusing on the corporate market for years.

Putin threatens Ukraine with gas cutoff

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President Vladimir Putin warned today that Russia will cut gas supplies to Ukraine if it fails to pay in advance for future deliveries.

Putin said that Ukraine’s latest payment would be good only for another three to four days, warning that Russia will have to turn off the tap if Ukraine doesn’t remit payment quickly.

He did not announce a deadline, but warned that a cutoff may disrupt supplies to Europe.

Russian and Ukrainian gas officials may meet in Brussels later this week to discuss the situation.

US national held with 25 live cartridges in Amritsar

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The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) detained a U.S. national at the Amritsar Airport on Wednesday after 25 live cartridges were allegedly recovered from her handbag during checking.

The woman, identified as Manjeet Kaur Dhillon, was on her way to board a Jet Airways flight for New Delhi.

She was later handed over to the police.

Station House Officer (SHO), Airport, Mohan Singh, said that an FIR had been lodged against Manjeet Kaur Dhillon and added that investigation was on to ascertain where these bullets came from.

Documents from Osama bin Laden raid read at US terror trial

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Declassified al-Qaida documents obtained after the 2011 raid of Osama bin Laden’s Pakistan compound have been presented at the US trial of a suspect charged in a British terrorism plot.

Prosecutors rested their case after presenting the evidence today against Abid Naseer.

The 28-year-old Pakistani man is defending himself in federal court in Brooklyn. He has pleaded not guilty and plans to take the stand in his defense.

Prosecutors say the British plot was part of a broader al-Qaida conspiracy calling on other cells to attack civilians in New York and Denmark.

Poland plans to send military instructors to Ukraine

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Poland said today it plans to send a small contingent of troops to Ukraine to help train Kiev’s military officers, echoing a similar deployment from Britain.

“The Polish armed forces will take part in the reform of Ukraine’s sub-officers,” said General Boguslaw Pacek, head of training at Poland’s Defence Ministry.

“The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has asked for training help from NATO countries. Poland’s response will be affirmative,” he wrote on Twitter.

Mosque torched near Bethlehem in suspected hate crime

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A West Bank mosque has been set alight in a village near Bethlehem with anti-Arab slogans in Hebrew sprayed on a nearby wall, Palestinian witnesses said.

The fire was discovered in the mosque in Jaba village at about 4:00 am (local time) yesterday. Villagers managed to put it out but there was some damage to the building, the witnesses said.

On a nearby wall, the perpetrators had sprayed the word “revenge” and other slogans in Hebrew alongside a Star of David, with witnesses saying it was believed to be the work of hardline Jewish settlers.

Cliff Richard sex assault probe has expanded, says lawmaker

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A police investigation of veteran pop star Cliff Richard relating to claims of sexual assault has “increased significantly in size,” a British lawmaker said today.

Police said in August they questioned the 74-year-old singer and searched a house belonging to him after receiving what they called “an allegation of a sexual nature.”

Richard, a fixture on the British pop scene since the late 1950s, has not been arrested or charged. He recorded hit singles in the pre-Beatles era and has been popular ever since, receiving a knighthood in 1995.

Home guard jawan’s body found in nullah

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A home guard jawan’s body was today found in a nullah in Dholpur district’s Baadi Kasba, police said.

Superintendent of Police Rajendra Singh Khoth said that the deceased has been identified as 40-year-old Ram Das and he had been missing since the past four days.

A case has been registered in this connection and further investigations are on, he said.

The body was handed over to the family members after conducting the post-mortem, the SP said.

Jada’s role in ‘Magic Mike XXL’ makes me awkward: Will Smith

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Hollywood star Will Smith has revealed it is not easy for him to digest that his Jada Pinkett starred in ‘Magic Mike XXL’, a film about male strippers.

The upcoming movie, sequel to 2012 ‘Magic Mike’, also stars Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Kevin Nash among others.

Smith, 46, talked about the film on Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, reported Us magazine.

Paula Patton in ABC’s ‘Runner’

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ABC Gas (International) standalone net profit declines 25.00% in the September 2014 quarter
‘Mission Impossible 4’ star Paula Patton will play the lead role in ABC’s drug cartel drama ‘Runner’.

Based on the Turkish series Son, the drama revolves around Lauren Marks (Patton). She gets involved in the world of cartels and illegal gun trade between the US and Mexico to search for the truth when her seemingly perfect life is torn apart.

Pakistan government fears terrorists’ reprisal over executions

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Pakistan’s interior ministry Wednesday warned that banned outfits in the country could wage terror attacks to bring to a halt executions of their operatives, media reported.

The ministry in a letter written to the provinces stated that a banned outfit sought help from Al Qaeda for carrying out attacks in the country, however, after refusal from there it joined hands with another banned militant organisation, ARY news reported.

It stated that the organisation may hold common people captive for the release of its affiliates kept at different jails.

Afghanistan dismisses Scotland for 210

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Afghanistan bowled Scotland out for 210 runs in a World Cup Pool A game at the University Oval here Thursday.

After skipper Mohamad Nabi won the toss and decided to bowl first, Afghanistan’s opening bowlers Shapoor Zadran (4/38) and Dawlat Zadran (3/29) put up a fine display and never allowed the Scottish to break free.

Lower-order batsmen Alasdair Evans (28) and Majd Haq (31) put up a 62-run stand for the ninth wicket that ensured that Scotland cross the 200-run mark.

Staff can take part in a political activities of RSS: Chhattisgarh govt

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Employees of the Chhattisgarh government will now be able to attend ‘shakhas’ of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the ruling BJP lifting the ban on their participation in ‘non-political activities’ of the Sangh Parivar. The opposition Congress has dubbed the move as “harmful to democratic process”.

The state government has revoked the ban, which was imposed during undivided Madhya Pradesh, barring government employees from participating in RSS’s activities, Special Secretary, General Administration Department, DD Singh told PTI.

Jethmalani, Hazare discuss black money

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Noted advocate and former BJP leader Ram Jethmalani met anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare today to discuss the issue of black money, which the saffron party had promised to bring back once it came to power.

Lashing out at the government, Jethmalani said that the government was not serious about bringing back black money stashed abroad.

Multi-lingual Mushaira in Arts College today – Mr. Zahid Ali Khan to be Chief Guest

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In connection with Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Arts College, Telangana Minorities Scholars and Intellectual Forum of OU is organizing a multi-lingual mushaira at 5 p.m. today at Arts College, Osmania University. Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, Editor of Siasat Urdu Daily will be the Chief Guest and Mr. Amer Ali Khan, News Editor of Siasat Urdu Daily will be the guest of honour. The other guests include Prof. E. Suresh Kumar, Registrar, Osmania University, Dr. P. Ravi, Chairman, SCs Corporation, Hafiz Peer Shabbeer Ahmed, MLC and revolutionary poet, Mr. Gaddar.

Contract Marriage racket starts again

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Hyderabad City Police is raiding the offices of Qazis to curb the activities of contract marriages. It is very regrettable that the Dept. of Minorities Welfare and Wakf Board have no mechanism to check the activities of Qazis who indulge in contract marriage rackets. Many people are approaching Wakf Board to file their complaints against contract marriage rackets. Wakf Board has no system to make Qazis answerable in this connection.

AP EAMCET on May 10: Ganta

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The Andhra Pradesh government here on Wednesday took a decision to conduct its own EAMCET-2015 on May 10.
Speaking to mediapersons at Visakhapatnam, AP Human Resources Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the State government has decided to conduct the EAMCET examination on its own like the Telangana government. Stating that some 1.65 lakh students would take the examination, he said the JNTUC at Kakinada has been authorized to conduct the examination. While JNTU Kakinada Vice-Chancellor would be the convener, 1.16 lakh seats would be in the convener quota, he added.