Month: June 2015

Rapper Big Sean says he learnt lessons from his relationships with ex-girlfriends, singer Ariana Grande and actress Naya Rivera.

The 27-year-old rapper dated the “Problem” hitmaker for six months until April this year and was previously engaged to the “Glee” actress before going their separate ways in April 2014, reported Female First.

“It’s no mistakes in life – only lessons,” he said. The “Dark Sky Paradise” rapper insisted his personal life is never “planned” and he is just living his life.

Actor Alex Kingston’s character River Song will cross paths with the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) in a new series of “Doctor Who” audio plays.

Kingston will reprise her role as the time-travelling archaeologist in “Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2” from Big Finish Productions, reported Digital Spy.

Best known for their audio plays based on the classic Doctor Who series, Big Finish have recently begun branching out into new series material with the upcoming box-set UNIT: Extinction starring Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart) and Ingrid Oliver (Osgood).

A car bomb has exploded behind a military hospital in the Yemeni capital, causing dozens of casualties including civilians, security officials said.

Yemen’s rebels, known as Houthis, later said in an official statement yesterday that they had fired a Scud missile at Saudi Arabia, in what would be the second such attack since fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and the rebels began in the spring.

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have begun a three-day trip to Mexico, making their first state visit to the Americas since their coronation.

President Enrique Pena Nieto yesterday welcomed the royal couple at the Campo Marte military field in Mexico City, where they were treated to a cannon salute and a military parade.

“This visit will serve to compare again the many things that 170 million Mexicans and Spaniards have in common, and the enormous potential in front of us,” Felipe said.

Canada has announced fresh sanctions on Russia over its support for rebels in Ukraine, targeting youth leaders, the pro-Moscow Night Wolves motorcycle club and several companies.

Ottawa imposed a ban on the import and export of goods from Crimea in this 15th round of penalties in collaboration with allies.

“Until there is real peace, until occupying forces are withdrawn, and until Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty is restored, there must be ongoing consequences for President Putin’s regime,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement yesterday.

Anxious pensioners swarmed closed bank branches today and long lines snaked outside ATMs as Greeks endured the first day of serious controls on their daily economic lives ahead of a July 5 referendum that could determine whether the country has to ditch the euro currency and return to the drachma.

As strict capital controls took root following Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ surprise weekend decision to call a referendum on international creditors’ latest economic proposals, Greece’s population tried to fathom the sheer scale of the impact on their day-to-day existence.

Ex-servicemen here today began a three-day relay hunger strike demanding implementation of the ‘One Rank, One Pension'(OROP).

Leuitenient Colonel (Retd) Balbir Singh, President ‘Ex-servicemen Welfare Asssociation of Jalandhar Cantt’, today said, “The relay strike will begin from today and will end on July 1. It will be held 10 AM to 7 PM for the three days.”

He said by not fulfilling his promise on one rank one pension, the prime minister was hurting the sentiments of ex-servicemen.

Some 17,000 people took to the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki today to say ‘No’ to the latest offer of a bailout deal, accusing Greece’s international creditors of blackmail.

“Our lives do not belong to the creditors!” read banners held aloft by demonstrators, many of whom support Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras and said they would heed his call to vote against the latest deal in a referendum yesterday — despite the risks the country might then go crashing out of the eurozone.

The founder and chief of Pakistan’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement, under fire for allegedly receiving funds from India, today swore that neither he, nor his party had any connection with India’s external intelligence agency RAW.

“I swear upon God that neither MQM nor I have any connection with RAW (Research and Analysis Wing),” said the party’s London-based chief Altaf Hussain, addressing supporters via telephone at Lal Qila ground here.

Mathematics lecturer of Narayana Junior Residential College, Madinaguda had beaten up his student Mohammed Saad Pasha who came late to his class on account of offering afternoon prayer.

Chairman of State Minorities Commission, Mr. Abid Rasool Khan took a serious note of this news item and registered a case 56/2015 and started action.

–Siasat News

US visa processing has returned to full strength after hardware problems, the State Department said Monday, noting that 410,000 visas were issued in a week as officials scrambled to clear a huge backlog.

Deputy spokesman Mark Toner said the State Department does “regret the inconvenience to travelers who are waiting for visas as well as their families and US businesses that have been affected by this problem.”

He complimented the Consular Affairs Bureau’s “exemplary work” in addressing the computer problems and whittling down the visa backlog.

Union Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has reportedly indicated that India could move towards abolishing Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises ‘unnatural sex’.

Gowda’s statement came following U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision last week declaring same-sex marriages legal.

According to reports, Gowda said that the decision will however be taken after widespread consultations and taking all views into account. (ANI)

Pakistan’s army is preparing for a final push in the coming weeks in its fight against militants, but there are concerns that rights are being rolled back in the name of defeating terror.

A year on from the launch of a major offensive to eradicate strongholds of Taliban and other militants in North Waziristan tribal area, the military says the job is 90 per cent done.

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court today issued notices to the state government and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for their “inaction” against a company which has been allegedly polluting wells, farmland and the Sukhna river since long.

According to the petition filed by Vaishnaw Rameshwar and Atmaram Thombe, the distillery has been allegedly dumping chemical wastage in the nearby wells, Sukhna river and adjacent farmland spread over hundreds of acres.

Brussels has given Google an extension until mid-August to answer an anti-trust case alleging that the tech giant abuses its search engine’s market dominance, a company spokesman said today.

The US firm had initially had ten weeks after the European Commission lodged the case in mid-April to respond but has now been given to August 17.

The announcement of charges followed a five-year investigation into whether Google’s preferential use of its own shopping product in its search engine could be harmful to consumers and competitors.

Two persons accused of abetting suicide of a man on June 11 in Shashtrinagar locality, today surrended themselves, police said.

Rakesh Kumar and Kasturi Lal today surrendered before the police in connection with suicide of one Nishan Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (West) Ravindrapal Singh Sandhu said.

Replying to an query, Sandhu said that police have not been able to trace another accused, local BJP leader Pradeep Khullar yet.

Police would present them in a Magistrate’s court tomorrow, he said.

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the attack on a journalist and his family members in his Rafiqabad Colony house under Mussoorie police station in the district, police said today.

Hafiz Sayeedudin and his family members were allegedly attacked by his neighbours who pelted stones and open fired at his house yesterday afternoon, police said.

Sayeedudin filed a complaint with police against four persons, of whom three have been arrested, they said.

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man repeatedly over a period of months, police said today.

According to a complaint filed by the victim, she was raped by one Sumit Ravidas repeatedly since the last few months, ASI Rajrani said.

A case was yesterday registered with Police Station Sarai Khwaja under IPC section 506 and section 4 of POCSO, police said, adding, investigations are underway in the case.

Meanwhile, a woman was allegedly killed by her in-laws for dowry, ASI Samay Singh said.

Coming down on the functioning of Property Registration Department which did not verify necessary documents during registration, the Madras High Court today said “if this was the way they function, a day would come when the Secretariat and the High Court would be sold by land grabbers”.

At least 10 persons were injured when police resorted to lathi-charge on a protest rally against the BJP government’s move to bring Primary Health Centres (PHCs) under PPP mode outside Swasthya Bhawan here, a spokesman of Rajasthan Nursing Association (RNA) said.

It was a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of nursing staff outside the Health Directorate Building against the Raje government’s move to “privatise 90 PHCs” and attempt to remove the nursing staff, RNA state President Narendra Singh Shekhawat told reporters.

EU president Donald Tusk urged China today to restart a dialogue with representatives of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

“I expressed our concerns on freedom of expression and association in China including people belonging to minorities including Tibetan and Uighur,” Tusk said at a press conference in Brussels with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

“In that context, I have urged China to restart a meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s representatives.

Britain and the United States said today it was too soon for UN peacekeepers to leave Sudan’s troubled Darfur region as the Security Council extended the mission for another year.

The United Nations is holding talks to address Sudan’s demands for an exit strategy for the 17,000-strong UNAMID force run jointly with the African Union.

But the resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member council made clear that the Sudanese government must show progress in resolving the Darfur conflict before any pullout can be decided.

Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova reached the Wimbledon second round today as 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt’s 17-year All England Club career came to a bruising end.

Defending champion Djokovic enjoyed a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber with crucial breaks in the ninth game of each set.

But the world number one and top seed again found himself defending allegations that coach Boris Becker is using various means to coach him from the sidelines, a practice which is banned.

China is about to submit its long-awaited national pledges to reduce carbon emissions beyond 2020, ahead of the Paris climate summit, Premier Li Keqiang said today.

“By the end of this month, the Chinese side will submit to the UN secretariat on climate change our intended nationally determined contribution,” Li told a press conference after a summit in Brussels with EU leaders Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker.

There has been speculation that the announcement would be made during Li’s visit this week to Brussels and Paris, where December’s climate talks will be held.

A local court today acquitted journalist Priyabhansu in connection with the mysterious death of his girlfriend Nirupama Pathak, also a journalist, five years ago.

Following the trial, the court of Additional District and Session Judge Arun Kumar Singh acquitted Priyabhansu in the death case of Nirupama, who was found dead in her house on April 29, 2010.