LIVE
Sat, 27 October 2012
Watch lovely Hindi film, Spanish king tells PM
Timeline Refresh
23:00 Watch lovely Hindi film, Spanish king tells PM
A correspondent from Delhi adds: Visiting Spanish King Juan Carlos, after hearing a song from the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara at the banquet on Friday organised in his honour, asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if he liked the song.
When Dr Singh answered in the negative, King Juan Carlos asked him if he had seen the movie . When Dr Singh admitted that he had not seen the film, King Juan Carlos told him that he must watch the "lovely film".
Incidentally, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara had been shot almost entirely in Spain.
King Juan Carlos recounted this anecdote at a media interaction in Delhi, where he answered questions on topics as varied as hunting, the economy and football!
22:23 Subramanian Swamy accuses Rahul Gandhi of fraud
Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy today accused Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi of running a fraud company and of misusing government facilities.
While addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, Swamy said that Gandhi had owned a company called Back-Ops Private Limited and had indulged in wrong doings to keep it afloat.
He claimed that the office of the company was registered at a government bungalow in New Delhi, which had been registered in the names of Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra.
As per the Janata Party chief, Rahul also gave out conflicting turnover statements of the company in the assets declaration form before the last general elections, which put a question mark on the credibility of the company
22:18 UPA's decisions for long-term benefits:FM
Reiterating the UPA government's commitment to reforms, Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said all decisions are taken for long-term economic benefits to make India a major world force and "not for petty electoral gains or creation of vote banks."
"The UPA government has evolved schemes, not for three or four years, but 15 to 20 years, to enable the nation bear the fruits of reforms and make it a major force in the world. All decisions are being taken not for petty electoral gains or to create vote banks," he said.
21:24 200 revellers escape from police station!
At least 200 revellers fled from the premises of a police station in south Mumbai after they were rounded up and brought there in the wee hours of today, following a raid at the LIV Club in Kalaghoda.
Police are now seeking the video footage from the media, which covered the raid, besides planning to take the CCTV footage at the pub to identify the escaped revellers.
According to Deputy Police Commissioner Ravindra Shisve, LIV Club in south Mumbai was open till around 2.30 am today, beyond the permissible time of 1.30 am.
21:23 Minor girl repeatedly raped in Ambala
Surfacing of rape cases continue unabated in Haryana, with a minor girl in Ambala alleging that she was repeatedly raped by a married youth, which made her pregnant.
The victim, a student of Class VI, revealed this to her family members after being diagnosed pregnant during medical examinations at a civil hospital, said the police.
She was taken to the hospital following a complaint of pain in the abdomen.
The girl told them that over the past several months, she was repeatedly raped by a married youth Deepak, resident of a nearby locality, who also threatened to kill her if she told anybody.
21:18 Book promises shocking facts about Rajiv's assassination
A correspondent from Delhi reports: A new book titled Conspiracy to Kill Rajiv Gandhi: From CBI Files, written by a former CBI officer, reportedly 'exposes' a number of high-profile politicians and officials and their conspiracy to hide a crucial video tape which reveals the real culprits behind former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.
20:34 18 killed in Iraq bombings
The bloodshed in Iraq continues unabated.
Bomb strikes near a playground and a small market on Saturday left 18 people, including seven children, dead.
The attack came in the midst of Eid al-Adha celebrations across Iraq.
20:32 Won't quit politics: Berlusconi
Tainted former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has ruled out quitting politics even after he was found guilty of tax fraud and sentenced to a year in prison.
The Italian politician had termed the verdict "intolerable".
"I feel obliged to stay in politics. I will not be presenting my candidacy but I will remain at the side of younger people who can play and score goals," he said.
20:29 Chandrababu in good health, to resume his foot march
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu is hale and hearty, his son Nara Lokesh has said.
"My father is in good health. There is no cause for concern. His foot march will continue," Lokesh announced.
TDP chief Chandrababu took a day's break from his ongoing Vastunna Meekosam foot march in Mahbubnagar district today following the minor injury he sustained to his back late last night.
20:28 FIR against Vijayakanth for attacking scribe
From a correspondent in Delhi: A FIR has been filed against actor Vijayakanth for attacking a reporter at Chennai airport.
Vijayakanth is the founder of MDMK and a MLA in Tamil Nadu assembly.
Visuals of the incident reportedly show Vijayakanth hitting a camera man. He may be arrested on Sunday.
19:10 Poverty, unemployment gifts of Congress: Gadkari
A day after getting the backing of the party, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, who is facing allegations of dubious funding of his companies, today made a scathing attack on the Congress on the issues of corruption, bad governance and unemployment.
Addressing election rallies at Reckong Peo in tribal Kinnaur district and Chopal in interior Shimla, Gadkari said, "Congress ruled the country for the longest time, except for a brief period of eight years, and poverty, unemployment, corruption and lack of infrastructure are gifts of the Congress to the people."
19:08 Malala continues to be stable: Doctors
Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani school girl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education, remained stable today following another comfortable night at a UK hospital.
"Malala Yousufzai's condition today was described as stable at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham," the hospital said in a statement.
19:07 Reshuffle: Krishna, Sangma, Sahay, Soni quit
President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignations of seven Union ministers, a day before a major Cabinet reshuffle.
The seven ministers are Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna, Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik, Minister for Tourism Subodh Kant Sahay, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Mahadeo Singh Khandela, Minister of State for Water Resources and Minority Affairs Vincent Pala and Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha Sangma.
18:56 DMDK MLAs meet Jayalalithaa
Speculation about a possible revolt in actor Vijaykant-led DMDK, estranged ally of ruling AIADMK, deepened as two more MLAs of the principal opposition party in the Tamil Nadu assembly today met Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and showered praise on her governance.
S Michael Rayappan (Radhapuram) and C Arun Pandian (Peravurani) called on Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat, a day after two of their party MLAs met her.
18:54 Prince Charles' wife Camilla in Bangalore
Prince Charles' wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, today arrived in Bangalore for a week-long holistic healing session.
The Duchess of Cornwall, along with ten others, arrived at the Bengaluru International Airport at 4.30 am and checked into Dr Issac Mathai's Soukhya Holistic Health Centre in Whitefield, where she will stay till November 2.
17:57 Reshuffle: Andhra MP Purandeswari thanks PM, Sonia
A correspondent from Delhi reports: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked Union ministers Jairam Ramesh and Sharad Pawar to sort out the Land Reforms Bill and finalise it by next week.
On Sunday, both ministers are expected to sort out the contentious clauses in the Bill. While Ramesh has cancelled his three-day Kerala visit, Pawar has cut short his Maharashtra tour.
17:19 Purandeswari confimrs induction into commerce ministry
Andhra Pradesh MP Daggubati Purandeswari is likely to get the commerce ministry in the Cabinet reshuffle, which will take place on Sunday.
"We will look into the opportunities in the East Asian countries and definitely see how we can take India to its rightful position. I am happy that today, that state of Andhra Pradesh is gaining so much importance, because we have already inducted about 4-5 ministers," Pursandeswari said.
17:02 New US envoy Richard Olson arrives in Pakistan
The new US Ambassador to Pakistan today promised to promote bilateral ties based on "mutual respect and common interests", soon after arriving here to take charge.
"I am excited to begin my work in Pakistan. I look forward to presenting my credentials to President Asif Ali Zardari as soon as possible and to start working with Pakistanis from all sections of society to build a relationship based on mutual respect and common interests," Olson said in a statement soon after his arrival.
16:59 LeT poses threat to India, US, Pak: Burns
LeT threatens India and the US and is equally dangerous for the future of Pakistan where it is "harboured", a top American diplomat has warned.
"...we've continued to try to do everything we can to drive home the point that those kind of violent extremist groups harboured in Pakistan are as big a threat to Pakistan's future and its stability as to anyone else," US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said yesterday.
Burns maintained that the Pakistan-based LeT not only threatens India and the US, but also poses an equally dangerous threat to the future of Pakistan.
16:56 Tribunal holds hearing on LTTE ban
Defending the ban on LTTE, two Tamil Nadu police personnel today deposed before a tribunal conducting hearings to decide the validity of the proscription of the Sri Lankan militant outfit. Appearing before the Justice V K Jain Tribunal, formed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, two police inspectors submitted that they had seized explosives from three LTTE activists.
The government counsel told Justice Jain that there was need to continue the ban on LTTE. MDMK chief Vaiko, a known supporter of LTTE, also appeared before the tribunal and opposed the continuation of the ban. Vaiko later told reporters that he told the tribunal that LTTE did not exist in India.
16:21 Iraq Eid attacks kill 15
Attacks mostly targeting Shiite Muslims during the Eid al-Adha holiday, including bombings of a marketplace and a minibus carrying pilgrims, killed 15 people in Iraq today.
The shootings and explosions, which also left more than 40 people wounded, were the latest in a spate of violence in the past week that have broken a relative calm in Iraq. In the east Baghdad district of Maamal, a bomb exploded in a neighbourhood market as women were shopping for groceries alongside their children at around 9:00 am (0600 GMT).
At least five people were killed, including three children and a woman, security and medical officials said. They added that 13 others were wounded.
15:55 Tariq Anwar to be sworn in as Union Minister: NCP
NCP leader Tariq Anwar will take oath as a Union Minister when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reshuffles his Council of Ministers tomorrow. This was disclosed by NCP General Secretary D P Tripathi.
Anwar is expected to replace Agatha Sangma as the NCP representative in the Union Council of Ministers, party sources said. The NCP leader is likely to be made Minister of State for Agriculture, working directly under Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who is also the NCP chief.
15:49 China issues alert over typhoon Son-Tinh
China today issued an orange alert over typhoon Son-Tinh which is expected to bring rainstorms and gales to the nation's southern coastal areas.
The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Centre said the tropical storm developed into a typhoon early today and was heading toward the northwest with the same strength or slightly gaining force.
Orange alert is the second highest level on China's four-tier colour-coded warning system for strong winds.
15:45 Gadkari in Himachal, to address poll rallies
BJP President Nitin Gadkari, who is facing flak over the affairs of his company, today arrived in the poll-bound state to address election rallies, a day after his party expressed its unanimous support to his continuance in office.
Gadkari arrived at Jubbarhatti airport, 22-Km from here, and flew to Rekong Peo in tribal Kinnaur district to address the election rally. The BJP did not arrange any meeting of Gadkari with the press. Party General Secretary J P Nadda said that he would meet the press on October 30 during his next visit to Shimla.
15:44 Zee sends defamation notice to Naveen Jindal
Zee News has sent a Rs. 150-crore defamation notice to Naveen Jindal. The news channel says that the steel tycoon and Congress leader has wrongly accused it of blackmailing and extortion. It has also alleged that by blaming the channel, Mr Jindal is trying to deflect attention from his alleged role in the coal allocation scam.
In a statement released today, Zee News said that a press conference held by Mr Jindal earlier this week was a deliberate attempt to malign the network. "Zee News has condemned and completely rejected the doctored evidence produced by Jindal. Zee News sees this as a deliberate attempt to malign the trustworthy Television Network," the statement read.
15:38 US supports modernisation of Indian army, navy
The US has come out in strong support of modernisation efforts of Indian army and navy, calling it a "good investment" as India contributes to peacekeeping across the world and stability of Asia-Pacific.
"We would certainly have an interest in security and stability across the Asia-Pacific region," US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said. His remarks came in response to a question after he delivered his remarks on 'The United States and India: A Vital Relationship in a Changing World' at the Center for American Progress.
15:00 Petrol, diesel prices up marginally on dealer commission hike
Petrol price was today hiked by 29 paise per litre and diesel by 20 paise after government decided to increase commission paid to petrol pump dealers. Petrol in Delhi from today costs Rs 68.19 per litre as against Rs 67.90 previously.
Similarly, diesel rates have been hiked to Rs 47.15 per litre from Rs 46.95, industry sources said. Rates will vary in states due to differential in local sales tax or VAT rates. Petrol price hike varies from 29 paise to 37 paise (in Bangalore), while diesel rates vary from 20 paise to 24 paise a litre.
14:47 Bihar govt to open gym, library in jails
Initiating a unique experiment, the Bihar government has decided to set up a gymnasium and a library in all its jails to promote physical and mental health of prisoners.
"The jail department has released money for setting up a gym and a library in all the eight central jails and 31 districts prisons across Bihar," Inspector General RPT Inspector General, Prisons, Anand Kishore told PTI today.
14:25 Romney vows to restore US economy
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney today vowed to restore American economy, accusing incumbent Barack Obama of worsening the country's financial woes.
"What he inherited wasn't the only problem; what he did with what he inherited made the problem worse," Romney said at a campaign event in Ames, Iowa, as he delivered major speech on his economic policy.
"President Obama frequently reminds us that he inherited a troubled economy. But a troubled economy is not all that he inherited. He also inherited the greatest nation in the history of the earth. He inherited the most productive and innovative nation in history. He inherited the largest economy in the world," Romney said.
14:04 Romney maintaining small lead over Obama: Opinion polls
Ahead of the November 6 US Presidential election, Republican challenger Mitt Romney is maintaining a small lead over incumbent Barack Obama who, however, still has a "narrow advantage" in key battle ground states, according to opinion polls.
Romney, 65, is having a lead of five points over Obama in the Gallup's rolling daily tracking, while in RealClearPolitcs he has a lead of just 0.9 point. The Washington Post-ABC poll says the Republican nominee has one point lead.
However, in the key battle ground state of Ohio, Obama was leading by four points, according to CNN, which said the race here is still close. The State has 18 electoral college vote.
13:41 IAC denied permission for Farrukhabad rally
Arvind Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption (IAC) has been denied permission by the Uttar Pradesh government to hold a rally at the UP Housing Development department in Farrukhabad on November 1, CNN-IBN reported on Saturday.
Kejriwal and other IAC activists had planned to hold a protest against Law Minister Salman Khurshid in Farrukhabad. The IAC is now looking at other options and is reported to have sought permission for another venue to hold the dharna in Farrukhabad.
IAC sources said if the permission is denied for a second time, they would go ahead with the protest.
12:53 Minor gang-raped, murdered in Kandhamal
A 13-year-old girl was murdered after being allegedly gang-raped by some youths in Odisha's Kandhamal district, police said here today.
The Class VII student of Dadamaha had gone to witness a play at nearby Simanbadi village on Thursday night when the youths sexually assaulted her, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Baliguda, Arjun Barik said.
As the girl apparently attempted to raise an alarm, she was strangulated to death with her scarf, Barik said.
12:11 After Mumbai, Pune now coping with increased Dengue, Flu cases
With a surge in Swine flu deaths in recent months, the health scenario here is further compounded with the spread of dengue cases leading to a face-off between city fathers and civic administration.
Concerns are being expressed over about 300 dengue cases reported in the city during the last two and a half months out of which three proved to be fatal. The health authorities, already hard pressed to put in place effective measures to combat Swine Flu which has claimed as many as 25 victims since April, seem to be struggling to meet new threat in the form of rapidly increasing Dengue cases.
12:08 Fire in 11-storeyed building in South Mumbai
Fire broke out today in an eleven-storeyed building in Nagpada area in South Mumbai.
The blaze erupted at Abdul apartments next to Crystal Tower in the area, fire brigade sources said. Seven fire engines have been rushed to the spot.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, they said.
11:48 Imran arrives in NY after 4-hour interrogation in Toronto
Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has arrived in New York, after he was offloaded from New York bound flight at the Toronto Airport.
The cricketer turned politician was deplaned and interrogated by US immigration authorities over his stance against US drone attacks in Pakistan''s tribal areas. According to the News, after a four-and-a-half-hour interrogation, Khan and other PTI leaders including Fauzia Kasuri were allowed to catch the next plane to New York.
Khan, on Twitter, revealed that he was stopped by US officials in Toronto today. "I was taken off from plane and interrogated by US Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop,' Khan tweeted.
11:44 India crying for alternative to UPA, NDA: Arvind Kejriwal
Bureaucrat-turned-social activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday tweeted that the country is crying for an alternative to United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
His tweet comes a day after the BJP backed party chief Nitin Gadkari, who is facing accusations of wrongdoing in business dealings, and described speculation of his resignation as "baseless".
Also on Thursday, four Haryana bureaucrats had given Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a clean chit in land purchases over the last few years and said the deals were transparent.
11:25 Mukul Wasnik, Ambika Soni resign from Union Cabinet
Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mukul Balkrishna Wasnik and Minister in charge of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni resigned from the Union Cabinet on Saturday.
Wasnik and Soni met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday.
"I resigned yesterday and will now work for the party," said Wasnik.
Foreign Minister S M Krishna, who had resigned from the Cabinet on Friday, said he had quit to make way for young people to take over.
10:08 China's Bo Xilai under criminal investigation
China today launched a criminal investigation into disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai's alleged offences, a day after he was stripped of his legal immunity and expelled from the country's Parliament.
"The Supreme People's Procuratorate has decided to put Bo Xilai under investigation for alleged criminal offences as well as impose coercive measures on him in accordance with the law," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted an official statement as saying.
09:55 Obama greets Muslims on Eid-ul-Zuha
US President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama have extended their best wishes for a joyful Eid-ul-Zuha to Muslims in America and around the world. "We also congratulate the millions of peaceful pilgrims who are performing the Hajj, including thousands of American Muslims," Obama said in a statement yesterday.
"Throughout the year, Muslims join members of many faiths in serving those suffering from hunger, disease and conflict. Muslim communities will continue this practice as they celebrate Eid by distributing food and charity to those in need," he said.
09:42 US refrains from commenting on Krishna's resignation
Amid reports of Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's resignation, US refrained from expressing its views on the resignation as this has not been formally announced, the State Department said.
"We've seen the press reports that he's offered to resign. To my understanding, there are still ongoing discussions inside India, so we'll withhold comment until there are decisions," Victoria Nuland, the State Department spokesperson said during a conference yesterday.
09:38 Imran Khan taken off US-bound plane in Toronto
Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was taken off from a US-bound flight for questioning in Toronto on Friday, a media report said.
Mr Khan had boarded an American Airlines plane from Toronto to New York to speak at a fundraising dinner in Long Island City, the Toronto Sun reported.
He had earlier given a politically-charged speech in Brampton on Thursday about the political turmoil in Pakistan. He was questioned at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
09:25 Modi visa application to be handled as per law: Burns
The US would handle the visa application of the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as per the country's immigration laws, a top US diplomat said. At the same time, the official said, US supports the business interests of American companies in Gujarat.
"Well, I mean, the question has often arisen about, Mr Modi's potential application for visas, for example, to come to the US. And you know, the truth is I can't comment on individual visa applications. You know, those get handled, according to US immigration law at the time there's an application," the Deputy Secretary of State, William Burns said.
09:12 India and US share strategic aim in Iran says Burns
The United States believes that India has took a "smart long term strategy" by reducing import of oil from Iran and both countries share a "strategic aim" with regard to Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"I don't think India needs much convincing about the strategic dangers of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon," Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said yesterday. Burns added that India and the US share a clear strategic aim in stopping Iran from going nuclear because of all the obvious risks that would ensue in a region in the Middle East that already has more than its share of instability, the dangers of a nuclear arms race and everything else that could come from that.
02:04 Car bomb explosion, gunmen kill 4 people in Iraq
A car bomb exploded near a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad and gunmen opened fire at a security checkpoint elsewhere in Iraq, leaving four people dead and eight wounded in attacks today.
Violence has ebbed across Iraq, but insurgents frequently attack security forces and civilians in an attempt to undermine the country's Shiite-led government.
Today's attacks came as Iraqis marked the first day of a major Muslim holiday, the Eid al-Adha, with traditional prayers.
Ammar al-Hakim, a Shiite leader and the head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, led the prayers in the capital, Baghdad.
01:55 Will Obama win or lose?
Check these graphs http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-election-chances-chart-2012-10 then have a look at this Reuters poll http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-romney-electoral-college-map-reuters-poll-ipsos-2012-10 and then decide :)))
01:51 New York governor declares Emergency
The reason: Hurricane Sandy... New Scientist asks if Sandy could become a Frankenstorm:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22434
01:48 Who gains from the Wen 'scandal'?
Could Bo Xilai's allies be behind the story that appeared in The New York Times on Friday?
http://www.businessinsider.com/who-gains-from-the-wen-jiabao-scandal-2012-10
00:36 Maoist leader arrested near Ranchi
A self-styled sub-zonal Commander of the CPI-Maoist was today arrested at Bundu, nearly 40 km from here, and the police recovered landmines and other explosives during the raids.
Biren Munda alias Mahesji was arrested following a tip-off, Senior Superintendent of police Saket Kumar Singh told mediapersons.
The raids also helped the police discover three landmines, unspecified number of gelatin sticks, 30 boosters, one pistol and other explosives.
TOP STORIES
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances