Netanyahu to Abbas: ‘lead your people to peace’

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Jerusalem, October 21: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to lead his people to peace with Israel.

“Peace with our Palestinian neighbours is possible but it requires leadership and courage from both sides,” Netanyahu yesterday told a conference in Jerusalem.

“Lead your people to peace,” Netanyahu said, addressing his remarks to Abbas. “Tell your nation that it is time to end the conflict once and for all.”

Israel Cabinet split over calls for war inquiry

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Jerusalem, October 21: A meeting of Israel’s inner security cabinet yesterday left ministers split over whether to yield to growing diplomatic pressure to hold a major public investigation to deflect the findings of the UN’s Goldstone report on last winter’s war in Gaza.

The meeting postponed any decision on an independent investigation as it emerged that the Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, has so far led opposition to the setting up of an inquiry.

Sensex down 48 points in early trade on profit booking

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Mumbai, October 21: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex fell by 48 points in early trade today as investors sold shares to book profits amid weak global cues.

The 30-share index fell by 48.21 points to 17,174.80 points. The barometer had lost 103 points yesterday.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty dipped by 21.25 points to 5,093.20 points.

Brokers said markets fell on continued profit-taking by funds and general investors.

One million homes in Britain are empty

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Britain, October 21: The number of UK homes standing empty has hit one million, the highest ever level, a charity has revealed. The Empty Homes Agency reported that more than one in 20 properties have been unoccupied for six months or more, a figure described as “shocking” by homelessness charities.

“More money needs to be made available to give local authorities the manpower to make contact with the owners of empty properties to start getting these homes back into use,” said Kay Boycott, Shelter’s director of policy and campaigns.

Rupee weakens by 33 paise against dollar in early trade

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Mumbai, October 21: The Indian rupee today depreciated by 33 paise against the US currency in early trade on strong demand from importers for the dollar, which rebounded against other major currencies.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the domestic unit was quoted at 46.44 a dollar, the lowest level since October 12. The rupee had closed at 46.11/12 a dollar in the previous session.

Dealers said increased demand from importers for the US currency mainly put pressure on the Indian rupee.

AI flies Airbus on Hyderabad-Kolkata-Hyderabad sector

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Hyderabad, October 21: Air India will be operating Airbus A-320 aircraft on the Hyderabad-Kolkata-Hyderabad sector from its winter schedule effecting October 25.

The national carrier is introducing the 145-seater state-of-the-art Fly-by-Wire Airbus A-320 replacing the 68-seater smaller CRJ aircraft on this sector, a release from the airline said here today.

The Air India feels that the introduction of 145-seater aircraft will benefit passengers bound for various destinations, including the north-east.

10 killed as Goa Express rams into stationary train

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Mathura, October 21: At least 10 passengers were killed and around 20 injured when the Delhi-bound Goa Samparkranti Express rammed into the stationary Mewar Express near here in the wee hours today.

The Goa Express hit the Mewar Express from behind at 4:50 AM, Rajesh Vajpayee, CPRO North-Central Railway, told PTI.

An unreserved compartment of the Mewar Express was damaged in the accident that took place between Mathura and Vrindavan.

Divisional Railway Manager, Agra, R D Tripathi, who was at the spot, said prima facie the train driver of the Goa Express was at fault.

Delhi police informer shot dead in Noida

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Noida, Octoberr 21: A man working as informer to the Delhi Police was shot dead by a gang of car robbers in the Sector-61 area of Noida Tuesday afternoon, when he was leading the police to them, police said.

Pramod Kumar had led a Delhi Police team to the suspected hideout of a car lifting gang in Sector-61. As instructed by the police, he went alone to the flat to call up the robbers to help police apprehend them.

Man who accused Amar Singh of fraud claims threats to life

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Kanpur, October 21: Shiv Kant Tripathi, who has filed an economic offences case against high profile Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, Tuesday claimed to have received threats in phone calls from unlisted numbers.

“I have received several phone calls warning me of dire consequences simply because I dared to lodge a criminal case against Amar Singh for his involvement in a Rs.500 crore scam,” Tripathi told IANS.

Aamir Khan’s bro changes his name

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Mumbai, October 21: After his personal and professional life went haywire, Aamir Khan’s step brother Hyder Ali realized that he needed to change his name to Rehaan Khan. His friends suggested the name change to him.

He has finished working on two films with his new name– Raja Bundela’s Dil to Deewana Hai with actress Sada and Triumph Card, an action film.

–Agencies–

Obama welcomes Karzai’s move to Afghan run-off election

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Washington, October 21: US President Barack Obama Tuesday said Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s decision to accept a run-off election represents an “important precedent” for the country’s young democracy.

Karzai earlier Tuesday agreed to a second election after the UN-backed Election Complaints Commission stripped him of a third of his votes due to suspected fraud, bringing him below the 50-percent threshold required to win the Aug 20 election outright.

Subhash Ghai to open Whistling Woods International in Hyderabad

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Mumbai, October 21: The Andhra Government has handed over 20 acres of prime land near Jubilee Hill, Hyderabad to Subhash Ghai to set up a new branch of Whistling Woods Multimedia International Campus And Entertainment complex in Hyderabad on 15th October 2009.

Late Chief Minister YSR met Subhash Ghai in the month of July and encouraged him to set up a world class cinema and multimedia high tech campus in Hyderabad. He wanted the younger generation of Andhra to be on top professionally trained in all kind of media arts and technology to compete with international standard.

Neil goes tan for Jail

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Mumbai, October 21: Neil Nitin Mukesh and Madhur Bhandarkar’s jodi is all excited about their upcoming venture “Jail’ which is releasing on November 6. We bring you an inside news about Neil and his fair color.

Our khabroo says, “Neil is very fair but Madhur needed a bit of a tan look for his character in Jail so they have applied a lot of make up to give him the suitable look.”

Pentagon to send three brigades to Afghan

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Washington, October 21: The Pentagon said Tuesday it will send three brigades and a squadron of MV-22 Ospreys aircraft to Afghanistan as part of a regular troop-rotation plan.

The deployment includes two active duty army brigades totaling 7,700 troops and a National Guard brigade with 3,500 troops, the Pentagon said on its website.

The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the spring of 2010.

In addition, a squadron of MV-22 Ospreys aircraft will be sent to Afghanistan beginning next month.

US stocks drop amid mixed earnings

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New York, October 21: US stocks fell Tuesday amid a rash of company earnings reports and government figures that pointed to a still-struggling housing market.

Earnings were mixed at some of the country’s biggest firms. Shares of computer giant Apple and industrial firm Caterpillar gained on better than expected profits for the third quarter. Coca-Cola and Dupont’s stock prices fell on disappointing revenue.

More than 100 companies were set to report their third-quarter earnings this week.

Iran arrests three suspects linked to suicide bombing

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Tehran, October 21: Iran has arrested three suspects linked to the weekend suicide bombing in the southeastern province of Sistan-Beluchistan, the Fars news agency reported.

Provincial prosecutor Mohammad Marzieh told Fars Tuesday about the arrests of the three suspects but declined to give further details, citing security reasons.

The three were the first to be arrested after Sunday’s bombing, which killed 42 people including at least seven senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards.

Another 28 were wounded and still in critical condition.

10 killed in Mathura train accident

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Agra, October 21: At least 10 people were reportedly killed and over a dozen injured when two passenger trains collided early Wednesday morning in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura city, officials said.

The accident occurred at about 5:00 a.m. when the Goa Express rammed into the stationary Mewar Express from behind at an outer signal, about 55 km from here. Both the trains were headed for Delhi.

About 50 people are believed to be still trapped in a mangled carriage of the Mewar Express, an official told IANS.

U.S. top court to hear Guantanamo Uighurs appeal

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Washington, October 21: The Supreme Court said on Tuesday it would hear an appeal by Chinese Muslim prisoners held for years at Guantanamo Bay who argue that they should be released in the United States.

The nation’s highest court agreed to decide whether federal judges in Washington have the power to order the government to release Guantanamo prisoners into the United States when no other country will take them.

Kasab’s case to wind up in 3 weeks: Ujjwal Nikam

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Mumbai, October 21: The judgement in the 26/11 case is expected to be delivered by the year end as the prosecution has still to examine few witnesses before winding up its case against Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab and two others who are charged with killing 166 persons.

“We shall close our evidence within three weeks after examining few more witnesses,” Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said to a news agency.

Iran arrests three suspects linked to suicide bombing

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Tehran, October 21: Iran has arrested three suspects linked to the weekend suicide bombing in the southeastern province of Sistan-Beluchistan, the Fars news agency reported.

Provincial prosecutor Mohammad Marzieh told Fars Tuesday about the arrests of the three suspects but declined to give further details, citing security reasons.

The three were the first to be arrested after Sunday’s bombing, which killed 42 people including at least seven senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards.

Another 28 were wounded and still in critical condition.

Afghanistan’s Karzai agrees to election run-off

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Kabul October 21: President Hamid Karzai agreed to face a second rou
and of voting in Afghanistan’s disputed election on Tuesday after a U.N.-led fraud inquiry tossed out enough of his votes to trigger a run-off.

Karzai’s decision immediately eased tensions with the West and removed one stumbling block for U.S. President Barack Obama as he weighs whether to send send more troops to Afghanistan to fight a resurgent Taliban.

Tamils paid huge sums to enter Canada

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Toronto, October 21: Even as Canada has promised to act tough with 76 Tamil asylum seekers who were seized in a ship off the Vancouver coast Saturday, reports say each man paid up to $45,000 to make the journey from Sri Lanka.
The ship named Ocean Lady was seized while trying smuggling the Tamils into Canada. The passengers were brought to Vancouver Sunday and sent to correctional facilities (jail) for questioning.

10 killed in deadly Mathura train collision

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Agra, October 21:At least 10 people were reportedly killed, over a dozen injured and several others believed to be trapped in a mangled carriage after two trains collided Wednesday morning in Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

The accident occurred when the Goa Express rammed into the stationary Mewar Express from behind at an outer signal, some 55 km from Agra. About 50 people are believed to be still trapped in a mangled carriage of the Mewar Express, an official told IANS over phone.

H1N1 vaccine developed to kill people

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Washington, October 21: In Memphis, Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan said to an audience that the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccination was developed to depopulate the human race.

The 76-year-old Louis Farrakhan, speaking for nearly three hours to a religious group on the 14th anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington, believes the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccination is nothing more than a guise to depopulate the Earth, according to United Press International.

Goa Exp, Mewar Exp collide near Mathura; 10 killed

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New Delhi, October 21: At least 10 persons were killed and 20 injured in a collision between Goa Express and Mewar Express trains near Mathura early Wednesday.

The incident occurred at around 4.45 am, near the Bajna Bridge in Mathura, when the Goa Express rammed the stationary Mewar Express from behind; both trains were Delhi-bound.

The Vasco-da-Gama-Nizamuddin Goa Express hit the Udaipur City-Nizamuddin Mewar Express from behind at around 4:45 AM, Rajesh Vajpayee, CPRO North-Central Railway said. An unreserved compartment of the Mewar Express was damaged.