October 2009
562 posts
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BSNL launches festival tariff scheme
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on Friday announced the launch of a tariff scheme for the festival season. It has introduced night packs where the user would be charged 20 paise per minute for local calls and 50 paise per minute for STD calls between 11 pm and 7 am, BSNL said in a statement.
Under its GPRS plan, BSNL will provide unlimited data usage for Rs 230, it added. It has also...
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Maoists gun down 16 in Bihar, villagers rough up...
Patna, Oct 2 - At least 50 Maoist guerrillas attacked a Bihar village and brutally gunned down 16 people, including five children, after tying their hands and legs, police said Friday. Angry villagers attacked the deputy chief minister and other politicians who visited the spot.
The massacre, which appeared to follow a dispute over land, took place late Thursday in Amausi village in Khagaria...
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Slow start to Irish vote over EU Lisbon Treaty
Dublin, Oct 2 - Voting got off to a slow start Friday as Ireland went to the polls to decide — for the second time — on the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty.
Several polling stations in Sligo in the north-west of the country were reporting ‘a very slow start’ to voting with very low numbers turning out so far.
Just 14 people out of 650 had voted in one booth by 9...
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New Zealander of British ancestry sponsors Bhagat...
Hamilton (New Zealand), Oct 2 - A mega function would be held here Saturday by the Indian community in New Zealand to mark the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. And a New Zealander of British ancestry will be one of the sponsors of the programme.
Richard Howard, managing director of reputed immigration consultancy Pathways, is only happy to chip in for the patriotic...
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Getting close to the Mahatma - on his 140th birth...
New Delhi, Oct 2 - As India celebrated 140 years Friday since the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, hundreds of children and adults flocked to various sites associated with him to remember the man whose message of non-violence and peace is still relevant — even in these frenetic times.
For the not-so-young, this was a day of solemn introspection perhaps, and for the young, a chance to get a closer...
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Court gives green signal to Hanks case against...
London, Oct 2 - Hollywood star Tom Hanks has won the latest round of his legal battle with a construction company he has accused of ‘shoddy’ workmanship.
Hanks and wife Rita Wilson hired contractors Storey Construction to build their Sun Valley, Idaho villa in 2000 but tried to take the firm to a tribunal after discovering faults with the work. The bosses of the construction company...
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Americans owe an enormous gratitude to Mahatma...
Washington, Oct 2 - President Barack Obama said that Americans owe an enormous gratitude to the father of the Indian nation as the US has its ‘roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the non-violent social action movement’ he led for India’s independence.
‘His teachings and ideals, shared with Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American...
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Nepal to tighten Tibet border area to please...
Kathmandu, Oct 2 - For the first time in its history, Nepal will form a Border Security Force to patrol its northernmost tip of the border it shares with Tibet in a bid to prevent anti-China activities by Tibetan dissidents, Nepal’s Home Minister Bhim Rawal said.
Accompanied by the heads of different security wings, the home minister Thursday paid a surprise visit to Mustang,...
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Soldiers, choppers rescue flood-hit in Andhra
Hyderabad, Oct 2 - The Andhra Pradesh government Friday called in the army while six helicopters of Indian Air Force were pressed into service to rescue marooned people as the flood situation in the state continued to be grim.
The worst floods in the Krishna river in 100 years have so far claimed 26 lives while thousands of people remained trapped in flood waters in Kurnool and Mantralayam towns...
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Russia's Soyuz spacecraft docks with space...
Korolyov (Moscow Region), Oct 2 - Russia’s Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) Friday, a report said.
The spacecraft lifted off on board a Soyuz-FG rocket Wednesday from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan. Its crew include US astronaut Jeffrey Williams, Russian cosmonaut Maxim Surayev and a Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberte.
The...
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Government fine-tuning strategy against Maoists
New Delhi, Oct 2 - The gunning down of 16 villagers in a remote Bihar village by Maoist guerrillas at a time when the government is thinking of pumping in more paramilitary forces in their largest offensive against the leftist rebels has forced a rethink in strategy.
‘Targeted operations against them (Maoists) may prove cost effective and reap corresponding gains rather than spreading the...
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New nasal spray perks up memory
London, Oct 2 - There’s some good news for students with feeble memories. A nasal spray developed by German scientists promises to boost late night cram sessions, provided a good night’s sleep follows.
The scientists have shown how a molecule from the body’s immune system (interleukin-6) when administered through the nose helps the brain retain emotional and procedural memories...
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Natural killer cells help keep immune system in...
Washington, Oct 2 - Natural killer (NK) cells, part of our immune system, kill cells infected with a given virus. Researchers have now found that the cells also help keep T-cells from over-responding.
Such a balance helps T-cells — that also kill the body’s own cells after being infected by viruses or bacteria — maintain their role in the body’s adaptive immune response,...
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Separatists kill surrendered militant in Kashmir
Srinagar, Oct 2 - Separatist guerrillas Friday shot dead a surrendered militant inside a mosque compound in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, police said.
‘A surrendered militant identified as Shabbir Ahmed was shot and killed by separatist guerrillas after the Friday prayers in north Kashmir’s Sopore town,’ a senior police officer told IANS.
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Vaccinating kids best way to prevent spread of...
Washington, Oct 2 - The optimal way to control swine flu, the H1N1 virus that has emerged as a current global threat, is to vaccinate children, says David Kimberlin, a medical expert.
The reason behind making children the highest priority comes from decades of experience with flu transmission, prevention strategies, infection monitoring and many other factors. Additionally, children younger than...
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All quiet and low key on Gandhi Jayanti in Uttar...
Lucknow, Oct 2 - Official Gandhi Jayanti celebrations organised routinely by the Uttar Pradesh government have never been so quiet as it was Friday - neither Chief Minister Mayawati nor Governor B.L. Joshi said anything in remembrance of the father of the nation.
Unlike in the past, when successive governors and chief ministers would make it a point to say a few words in honour of Mahatma...
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Militants kidnap three Tripura villagers
Agartala, Oct 2 - Militants from the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) are demanding a ransom of Rs.56,000 for three tribals they had abducted two days ago, police said here Friday.
The separatist guerrillas had Wednesday kidnapped six people from Raishabari village in Dhalai district, 180 km from here, but subsequently released three of them. The members of the village,...
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No hike in salary but IIT row resolved 'within...
New Delhi, Oct 2 - There will be no increase in the salary of the protesting Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) professors but many aspects of their row with the government was resolved after Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Friday promised ‘flexibility’ in promotions and fresh appointments.
‘On Gandhi Jayanti, I want to give a good news to the nation....
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25 percent of HIV infected in Britain remain...
London, Oct 2 - More than a quarter of over 77,000 people infected with HIV remain undiagnosed in Britain.
Almost a third (31 percent) are being diagnosed late with HIV, which implies their missing out on benefits associated with early diagnosis, including longer life expectancy.
Britain’s National Guidelines for HIV Testing, under publication, will encourage health professionals who...
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Defence ministry wanted Rs.45 lakh to move boat...
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, Oct 2 - The defence ministry asked the Kerala government for Rs.45 lakh for a military aircraft to transport the bodies of the people who had died in the Thekkady boat capsize, a senior Kerala minister said Friday.
The state government, however, rejected the demand and instead chartered two planes from a private airline to take the bodies to different places,...
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Ahead of typhoon, Philippines placed under 'state...
Manila, Oct 2 - All of the Philippines was placed under a ‘state of calamity’ Friday as Supertyphoon Parma moved closer to the country’s main island of Luzon, less than a week after tropical storm Ketsana wreaked havoc in the capital and outlying areas.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the declaration was aimed at giving the government power to control prices of basic...
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Centre okays four-laning of Himachal highway
Shimla, Oct 2 - The central government has approved a road project costing Rs.5.49 billion for the four-laning of the Parwanoo-Solan National Highway 22 in Himachal Pradesh, state Public Works Minister Gulab Singh said Friday.
‘The central government Thursday gave green signal for four-laning of Parwanoo-Solan section of the national highway. For this, it has allocated Rs.549 crore,’...
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Kama Sutra is just a 'word' in Florida school
Washington, Oct 2 - Kama Sutra, the Indian tome of love, is creating one huge stir in Florida with a school in Lee county choosing to teach it as a vocabulary word.
A handful of parents are shocked about what their kids are reading in their history book with some saying lovemaking and the classroom shouldn’t mix, ABC-7.com reported. But the school’s principal says Kama Sutra is...
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New soil tester to assess earth's health
Washington, Oct 2 - Our planet has a fever. But global warming’s effects on farming and water resources is still a mystery. Now an invention may provide a new diagnostic tool for assessing the health of the earth’s soil.
A Tel Aviv University (TAU) invention, the Optical Soil Dipstick (OSD) designed by Eyal Ben-Dor will help scientists, urban planners and farmers understand the...
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Muslim cleric to take Kumbh dip to wash away...
Lucknow, Oct 2 - A dip in the sacred river during the Maha Kumbh Mela is said to wash away all sins. A senior Muslim cleric who will perform the Hindu rite hopes it will also wash away differences between the two religions.
Kalbe Sadiq, a noted Shia cleric and senior vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), will take the ‘holy dip’ in the upcoming Maha...
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Terrorists in Britain will have to report travel...
London, Oct 2 - Convicted terrorists in Britain will have to notify authorities of where they live and changes of address as well as report any foreign travel plans.
Individuals found guilty of terrorism and terror-related offences will be subjected to notification requirements and foreign travel regulations similar to those that apply to sex offenders, Policing and Security Minister David...
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600 dentists to feature in 24-hour oral care...
Mumbai, Oct 2 - Six hundred dentists from across the country will feature in a 24-hour oral care marathon here next week to offer free dental checks to Mumbaikars and create one more reason for this financial and entertainment capital of India to be on the world map.
‘Mumbai Smiles’ will run from 11 a.m. Oct 9 to 11 a.m. the next day as part of the World Dental Show being held here...
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India lends a helping hand to Mahatma's Nepali...
Kathmandu, Oct 2 - On the 140th birth anniversary of the father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi, India reached out to one of his disciples in Nepal to help realise her vision.
On Friday - the occasion now celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Non-violence - the Indian government made a grant assistance of NRS.204 million to the Nepal Srijanatmak Kala Guthi (NSKG), an NGO founded...
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GE merges healthcare units with Wipro joint...
Bangalore, Oct 2 - Medical technologies and services major GE Healthcare has integrated its business units and manufacturing plants in India with its joint venture Wipro GE Healthcare to drive growth, the company said Friday.
‘The strategic move is aimed at effective management and optimal utilisation of resources to help accelerate growth in regions where demand for healthcare is...
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Nobel for literature to be announced Oct 8
Stockholm, Oct 2 - The 2009 winner of the Nobel Literature Prize will be announced October 8, the Swedish Academy confirmed Friday.
The announcement next Thursday will be a first by new permanent secretary Peter Englund, who earlier this year succeeded Horace Engdahl.
French author Jean-Marie le Clezio won last year’s prize.
The Swedish Academy’s announcement fills in the...
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Boat tragedy: Kerala government criticises centre...
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 2 - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Friday criticised the central government for not providing a military aircraft to transport the bodies of the victims of the Thekkady boat tragedy.
Achuthanandan’s response came in reply to a question put by reporters at a function.
Forty one tourists were killed when the double-decker fiberglass boat owned by the...
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'Wake Up Sid' a delightful movie (Film Review -...
Film: ‘Wake Up Sid’; Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak, Rahul Khanna; Director: Ayan Mukerji; Rating: ***1/2
Next time when a star son gets an opportunity to get an author-backed role, let’s not complain. That’s because if he actually goes on to come up with as flawless an act as seen in ‘Wake Up Sid’, there is no reason why...
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Choppers, boats rescue flood-hit in Karntaka,...
Bangalore, Oct 2 - Helicopters and boats were deployed Friday to rescue hundreds of people marooned in north Karnataka battered by heavy rain since Wednesday. The number of people who have died in the torrential rain has risen to 71.
According to reports reaching the state disaster management office here, the majority of deaths till Friday morning have occurred in Bijapur (23), Gulbarga (13),...
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New nasal spray perks up memory
London, Oct 2 - There’s some good news for students with feeble memories. A nasal spray developed by German scientists promises to boost late night cram sessions, provided a good night’s sleep follows.
The scientists have shown how a molecule from the body’s immune system (interleukin-6) when administered through the nose helps the brain retain emotional and procedural memories...
1 tag
Natural killer cells help keep immune system in...
Washington, Oct 2 - Natural killer (NK) cells, part of our immune system, kill cells infected with a given virus. Researchers have now found that the cells also help keep T-cells from over-responding.
Such a balance helps T-cells — that also kill the body’s own cells after being infected by viruses or bacteria — maintain their role in the body’s adaptive immune response,...
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Unprecedented inflows in Srisailam triggered...
Hyderabad, Oct 2 - The unprecedented inflows into Srisailam dam across Krishna river in Kurnool district have triggered flash floods in Andhra Pradesh, state Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana Prasada Rao said Friday.
The inflows, the highest since India’s independence, have not only inundated Kurnool and Mantralayam towns and dozens of villages in Kurnool district but have also...
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No hike in salary but IIT row resolved 'within...
New Delhi, Oct 2 - There will be no increase in the salary of the protesting Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) professors but many aspects of their row with the government was resolved after Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Friday promised ‘flexibility’ in promotions and fresh appointments.
‘On Gandhi Jayanti, I want to give a good news to the nation....
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Wake up call for Karan Johar over his new movie...
Mumbai, Oct 2 - Filmmaker Karan Johar got a rude wake-up call Friday when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists protested the use of ‘Bombay’ instead of Mumbai in his latest movie ‘Wake Up Sid’ as soon as it was released.
Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, is the latest offering from Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd.
Even...
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Maoists gun down 16 Bihar villagers, 11 detained
Patna, Oct 2 - At least 50 Maoist guerrillas attacked a Bihar village and brutally gunned down 16 people, including five children, after tying their hands and legs, police said Friday as the issue gained political overtones with demands for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s resignation.
The incident, which appeared to be a dispute over land, took place late Thursday in Amausi village in...
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Vigorous workout can cut down breast cancer risk...
Washington, Oct 2 - Post-menopausal women can cut down their risk of breast cancer by engaging in a moderate to vigorous workout, says a new study.
‘With an estimated 182,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States in 2008, breast cancer is recognised as the most common cancer affecting US women,’ says Tricia M Peters, of US National Cancer Institute (USNCI) in Maryland, who led the...
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Italian sweeping machines raise dust in...
Chandigarh, Oct 2 - Chandigarh may claim to be the cleanest city in India but an ambitious multi-million rupee plan of local authorities to make it still cleaner with imported Italian sweeping machines has backfired.
The city’s mayor has recommended a vigilance probe into the Rs.5 crore/Rs. 50 million purchase of the three Italian sweeping machines last year.
City councillors now allege...
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Developing countries need money to weather 2010:...
Istanbul, Oct 2 - Developing nations will need outside support to help them boost domestic demand as the world begins an uncertain recovery from a devastating economic crisis, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Friday.
Speaking ahead of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings here, Zoellick said many emerging countries were poised to become major drivers of...
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MPs, legislators also hit by Andhra floods
Hyderabad, Oct 2 - It is not just the common man who is trapped in the flood waters in Andhra Pradesh but MPs, state legislators and other public representatives too are hit by the natural calamity.
In the worst-hit Kurnool district, at least three legislators are among the affected people. While one legislator is trapped in Mantralayam town, water gushed into the houses of two other legislators...
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Nortel's GSM business also on auction block
Toronto, Oct 2 - Nortel, the 124-year-old Canadian telephone equipment company that is selling its various businesses to pay off its debtors, has announced to auction its GSM (global system for mobile communication) business also.
Like the previous auctions of the company’s wireless business and enterprise unit, the GSM division will also be sold through ‘open auction’,...
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PM calls for reform in panchayati raj...
New Delhi, Oct 2 - Exhorting state governments to strengthen legal provisions and reform panchayati raj institutions to make them effective, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday emphasised that more needed to be done to improve the institutions of local governance.
‘The 73rd amendment of the constitution provides that state legislatures should empower panchayati raj institutions as the...
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Controversy over custody of mentally challenged...
Chandigarh, Oct 2 - A fresh controversy has erupted over the issue of custody of a 19-year-old mentally challenged pregnant rape victim between the administration of this union territory (UT) and a Delhi-based trust.
A meeting between the officials of the Chandigarh administration and the trust’s representatives, in New Delhi Thursday, to decide the custody of the woman, who is now in the...
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Export only third option in Dhaka's gas...
Dhaka, Oct 2 - Bangladesh says export of gas is only the third option in its production-sharing contracts with multinationals engaged in exploration.
‘We think ultimately gas export will not be needed as we have a shortage of gas,’ said Muqtadir Ali, chairman of the state-owned oil company Petrobangla, at a media briefing here Thursday.
The statement came after the Sheikh Hasina...
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Alley Blasts Polanski Supporters
Former CHEERS actress KIRSTIE ALLEY is one star not supporting filmmaker ROMAN POLANSKI as he battles extradition to the U.S. to face sentencing for a 32-year-old sex crime. The Chinatown director, who fled America in 1978 on the eve of sentencing, has lived in exile in France for 30 years, but he was caught out while attending a film festival in Zurich on Saturday (26Sep09). Swiss police...
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The Things They Say:
“There isn’t much worse than being a has been, being used to sitting at the best table in the fanciest restaurant just by showing up, and then reaching a point where the restaurant won’t even take my call.” MICKEY ROURKE on the humility of fleeting fame. (KL/WN/MJ)
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Cleese Hits The Tour Trail To Pay For Divorce
MONTY PYTHON legend JOHN CLEESE has been forced back on the road - after he was ordered to hand over a huge chunk of his fortune to his third wife in their divorce settlement. The British star gave Alyce Faye Eichelberger $12 million (£8 million) in cash and assets - including a New York apartment, a London property, and a share in a beach house in California - on top of $918,000 (£612,000)...