Russia rejects military intervention in Syria

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Russia has rejected the idea of military intervention in conflict-ridden Syria, while warning about its repercussions.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country rejected military intervention in Syria, Xinhua reported.

Moscow hoped to avoid any measure of military intervention in that country in the forthcoming meeting of Friends of Syria in Istanbul, Lavrov said while speaking at a press conference after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Anna Friel drinks curry tea to protect hair

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Actress Anna Friel says she has started drinking an unusual tea made of curry leaves to preserve the natural colour of her hair.

The 36-year-old who has daughter Gracie, 7, from her relationship with David Thewlis said she felt sick after she saw some grey strands in her tresses. So, she researched natural methods for preserving her brunette locks and discovered the unusual brew.

UAE, Sweden discuss joint cooperation

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sweden have held talks over joint cooperation and strengthening of trade and economic ties.

The visiting UAE minister for economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri has stressed on strengthening trade and economic ties between the two countries. His visit aims to boost the economic and investment cooperation and trade ties.

Leading a high profile UAE economic and trade delegation in an official visit to Sweden, Al Mansouri added the trade exchange volume surged $1.2 billion in 2012 up by 28 percent compared to 2011.

—IANS

UAE, Turkey discuss joint cooperation

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey have held talks over boosting joint cooperation, particularly in the field of international organisations.

The discussion was held between Saeed Mohammad al-Shamsi, assistant foreign affairs minister for international organisations for UAE and Vural Altay, Turkish ambassador to the UAE.

–IANS

Seizure was a wake-up call: Kelly Osbourne

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Reality TV star Kelly Osbourne has learnt to take special care of her health after suffering a seizure. She insists the 60-second medical scare has changed her life.

The daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne was hospitalised here in March after she collapsed on the set of her American TV show “Fashion Police”.

Now Osbourne has opened up about the incident, admitting the health scare has made her feel grateful for her body, reports contactmusic.com.

Too young to write autobiography, says Adele

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Singer-songwriter Adele has reportedly turned down an offer by a publishing house to write her autobiography, for a seven figure sum.

The offer came to her from Harper Collins.

The 24-year-old, who gave birth to son Angelo in September last year, feels she is too young to write an autobiography and that needs more life experience in order to write a book, reports contactmusic.com.

“Adele’s never been a really showy person, so it was always going to take a lot to get her to write her life story anyway,” a source told mirror.co.uk.

DiCaprio blames career for messing personal life

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Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has blamed his career from not letting him be in one place long enough to settle into a relationship.

The “Titanic” hero has earlier dated Brazilian bombshell Gisele Bundchen. He broke up with his longtime love Bar Refaeli in 2011, and since then, he has been linked to a number of women, including actress Blake Lively and model Erin Heatherton.

He is convinced his career is responsible, reports dailystar.co.uk.

Mubarak to undergo new retrial May 11

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An Egyptian court has set May 11 as the date to retry former president Hosni Mubarak and his interior minister Habib al-Adli in a case related to the protesters’ killing, Xinhua reported.

The former president along with his two sons — Gamal and Alaa, as well as fugitive tycoon Hussein Salem will also be retried over charges of financial corruption and profiteering.
The retrial had been scheduled for April 13, but it was adjourned, as the presiding judge withdrew from the case and referred it to the Court of Appeals.

India’s Russian-built frigate completes sea trials

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The last in a series of three frigates that Russia is building for India at the Yantar shipyard in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad has completed sea trials, a shipyard spokesperson said Wednesday.

The Trikand frigate carried out workup trials March 14 and was cleared for final state trials April 4, which started April 8, spokesman Sergei Mikhailov said.

Earlier Wednesday, the frigate effectively engaged a target flying at 50 metres above the sea level with its surface-to-air missile system, he added.

CAS rejects appeals of spot-fixing tainted cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif

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Disgraced Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif today lost their cases at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne with the world’s top sports tribunal dismissing their appeals against the bans imposed on them in 2011 by the ICC on spot-fixing charges.

Ex-captain Butt and former fast bowler Asif were handed bans of 10 and seven years respectively by the ICC for accepting corrupt payments over deliberate no-balls bowled during the Lord’s Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

I get paid so much, I will laugh: Archana Puran Singh

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Actress Archana Puran Singh, who has been judging “Comedy Circus” for six years, says she enjoys it because it is a “very well paid job” and she is “laughing all the way to the bag”.

“I get paid so much that, of course, I will laugh. I am laughing all the way to the bag. It’s a very well paid job, the remuneration is fabulous. It’s my job, I have to laugh,” said Archana who has been crowned “Laughter Queen” post her stint as a judge on the show .

She says one gets “more money” for being a judge and “I would say the money is not unjustified”.

Andhra Pradesh allots 5,324 ha iron ore mines to VSP

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The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to allot 5,324 hectares of iron ore mines to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), a Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd enterprise. These mines are located at Bayyaram in Khammam district (2,500 hectares), Gudur in Warangal district (2,500 ha) and Bhimadevarapalli in Karimnagar district (324 ha). The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has come forward to set up an integrated steel plant and benefaction plant at Bayyaram following which the mines were allotted, a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office today said.

Andhra leaders condole death of V S Rama Devi

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu and other senior leaders today condoled the death of former Karnataka Governor V S Rama Devi. Reddy recalled her services as Chief Election Commissioner, Governor of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh and Rajya Sabha Secretary General, and also her contribution as a writer. Rama Devi set high standards in public life and made a name for herself as a writer, Venkaiah Naidu said.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings to demerge newspapers, sports and retail businesses

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Beleaguered Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL) is in the process of demerging its printing and publication, retail and sporting activities into a separate entity called ‘Land Interactive Media’ registered in Delhi.

According to the information provided to the Andhra Pradesh High Court recently, the city-based media group which is reeling under pressure of creditors said it may consider listing the new demerged entity on bourses.

No partisan politics over terrorism, says Union Minister Manish Tewari

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Union Minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday said there should be no partisan politics over terrorism and expressed the Centre willingness to work with states to bring perpetrators of terror attacks to justice. “I think what happened in Bangalore is extremely unfortunate. We have always believed that terror has no place in a civilised society and there should be absolutely no politicking on the question of terror,” the I&B Minister told reporters in Delhi.

Punjab government orders closure of 473 private schools

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The Punjab government has ordered closure of 473 private schools after they failed to implement norms of the right to education (RTE) act, a minister said on Wednesday. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said the non-affiliated private schools have been asked to wind up their operations immediately.

“The Punjab government had been sympathetic towards these educational institutions for long. They had been time and again requested to adhere to the RTE act but they were in denial mode in implementing the RTE norms,” Maluka said.

Margaret Thatcher laid to rest at grand funeral

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Britain’s ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher was laid to rest today at a grand funeral attended by world leaders and personalities, reflecting the former Prime Minister’s stature as a strong yet divisive figure.

India was represented by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, who was among 2,300 dignitaries at the ceremony held at St Paul’s Cathedral for Britain’s longest serving Prime Minister who died of a stroke aged 87 on April 8.

Queen Elizabeth II led mourners from across the world at the funeral in a very traditional British ceremony, marked by tears, tributes and some protests.

FBI: Mississippi man arrested, accused in sending ricin letter to President Obama

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A Mississippi man was arrested on Wednesday, accused of sending letters to President Barack Obama and a senator that tested positive for the poisonous ricin and set the nation’s capital on edge a day after the Boston Marathon bombings.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said the man was arrested on Wednesday. His name wasn’t immediately released publicly.

Authorities still waited for definitive tests on the letters to Obama and Sen Roger Wicker, R-Miss. An FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said those two letters were postmarked Memphis, Tenn.

Red Cross chief condemns US drone strikes in Pakistan

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Red Cross chief Peter Maurer has condemned US drone strikes outside areas officially engulfed in armed conflict, adding that drone use in Pakistan was “particularly problematic”. The Express Tribune quoted Maurer, as saying that Washington”s secretive and controversial use of drones was not a problem in itself, as in the context of an armed conflict drones are considered legitimate weapons. But if a drone is used in a country where there is no armed conflict, there is a problem, he added. Maurer urged for “very restrained use” of the weapon.

Iran slams innocent killings anywhere

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Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Islamic Republic condemns the death of innocents in the US or anywhere else in the world.

“Pursuant to Islamic logic, the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes any blast or the killing of innocents be it in Boston in the US or Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria and condemns it,” Ayatollah Khamenei told a group of Army commanders on Wednesday.

Woman in Ludhiana beaten up by men with iron rods, sticks; nobody came forward to protect her

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Ludhiana police has arrested three out of the four goons who thrashed a woman in daylight on a road with iron rods and sticks.

The woman screamed for help, but nobody came forward to help her.

The woman had loaned Rs 20,000 to a local goon Manoj to set up a hair cutting saloon and was demanding her money back.

Manoj with the help of three other goons Ashok, Chandan and Pandit, accosted the woman on Dhaba Road, Prem Nagar, and began thrashing her with iron rods and sticks. One of the goons filmed the thrashing on his cellphone. The goons dragged the woman by her hair.

Various Sikh organizations plead for Bhullar, death row convict

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Various Sikh organisations took to streets in Jalandhar on Wednesday against the Supreme Court endorsing the rejection of the clemency petition by Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, sentenced to death for his role in 1993 militant attacks that claimed several lives and injured many. Gurmeet Singh Bitto, a member of a Sikh religious outfit in the state, demanded the release of Bhullar. “We demand from the government to free him, as he has been behind the bars since twenty years,” said Bitto.

Video points to Boston bomb suspect, no arrest yet

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Amid reports that investigators have found video footage of a man who they believe may have planted the deadly bombs at the Boston Marathon, authorities denied that an arrest had been made.

Investigators had pinpointed the image of the suspect on video that was captured shortly before the blast at the marathon finish line Monday, the New York Times reported Wednesday citing a person briefed on the matter.

IM behind Hyderabad blasts, Yasin Bhatkal planted bomb, says NIA

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The NIA on Wednesday claimed to have cracked the February 21 twin blasts in Hyderabad, identifying Indian Mujahideen (IM) leader Yasin Bhatkal as one of the persons who planted the bombs.

Citing CCTV footage as its main evidence, the NIA has claimed that Yasin Bhatkal is seen with a bag in his hand, which he reportedly planted near the bus stand in Dilsukhnagar.

The second bomb on a bicycle nearby is reported to have been planted by Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, a resident of Azamgarh who is absconding since 2008.