Archives

Universe to `black out' in 10 billion years (REPORT)

India rejects Musharraf's ceasefire call

          New Delhi/Islamabad, Aug 12: India has rejected Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's call for a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC). External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters here on Tuesday: "There is nothing new in Musharraf's suggestion because Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorism directed against India and provides support to cross-border infiltration." He added: "Once this is stopped and Pak-aided terrorists stop crossing the LoC, the level of firing would naturally go down."

          Addressing a delegation of Indian parliamentarians and journalists in Islamabad, had Musharraf called for an immediate cease-fire along the LoC and said he wanted the 1999 Kargil war to be forgotten. He reiterated that Islamabad was not responsible for the extremist violence in Jammu and Kashmir. The military ruler also called for peace talks "as soon as possible" and said the insurgency in Indian-ruled Kashmir could end if New Delhi ceased human rights violations there.

Sena activists threaten to pull down Varanasi mosque

          Varanasi, Aug 12: Shiv Sena activists on Monday threatened to pull down a mosque in Varanasi as they courted arrest during an annual ceremony. Police arrested the slogan- shouting activists as they reached the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for 'jalabhishek (anointment of the deity) ceremony. A mosque exists in the same campus where temple lies. Hindus claim that mosques in Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura were built at the site of Hindu temples.

           "This was a pre-declared programme of the Shiv Sena. We had informed the administration that we would be coming for the 'Jalabhishek' to the temple. We are awaiting orders from Bal Thackerey (Shiv Sena leader). "It would take us less than four hours to get through with the whole temple-mosque issue. What happened in Ayodhya can be repeated in Kashi," said Arun Pathak, a leader of the Shiv Sena in Varanasi. Every year, devotees in large numbers from across the country carry water from the Ganga in small vessels to the temple for the ceremony during the month of 'Shravana' (July- August).

           Authorities had stepped up security at the co-existing Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex fearing trouble. Rajendra Kumar, Additional District Magistrate of Varanasi city, said nobody was allowed to offer prayers at the controversial Shringar Gauri, situated at the back side of Gyanvapi mosque. "The Shiv Sena activists, every year, try to reach the mosque to perform the ceremony. The administration does not permit them to do this as it can create tensions in the area," said Kumar. Both the Hindus and Muslims lay claim to the shrine.

          Hindu groups, such as the VHP, say thousands of mosques were built on sites where temples stood after destroying them and want this reversed, thereby, inflaming religious tensions. They are focussing on the "holy trinity" of Mathura, Ayodhya and Varanasi, leading with Ayodhya where a Hindu mob tore down a 16th century mosque in 1992, triggering riots that killed more than 3,000 people. The campaign has gained steam ahead of the assembly polls later this year to be followed by parliamentary elections next year.

Kashmiris happy as Amarnath yatra ends on a peaceful note (Go To Top)

          Pahalgam (J-K), Aug 12: People of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday said they were happy as the annual Amarnath pilgrimage concluded on a peaceful note. The pilgrimage to Amarnath cave shrine also boosted business in the region. Official estimates say more than 150,000 devotees took part in the pilgrimage this year. A hotel owner put the business volumes at around 600 million rupees. Amarnath stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet above sea level, 141 km from Srinagar. Last year, 110,793 people visited the cave shrine while a record 173,334 pilgrims visited it in 2000.

INS Talwar inducted into Western fleet (Go To Top)

          Mumbai, Aug 12: India's Western Naval Command on Tuesday enhanced its operational capabilities by inducting the much- awaited Russian-built stealth frigate - INS Talwar - into its fleet. Admiral Madhvendra Singh, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), who had commissioned the INS Talwar in St Petersburg on June 18, received the frigate. Western Naval Command's Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in- C) Vice Admiral Arun Prakash was also present.

Hindus take Kumbh bath (Go To Top)

          Nasik (Maharashtra), Aug 12: Millions of Hindus took a holy dip in the sacred waters of Godavari river here on Tuesday as part of an ongoing 'Kumbh' or pitcher's carnival. Coming after a gap of 12 years, the festival is the first of the new millennium. Frenzied holy men, particularly ash-smeared Naga (naked) sadhus had the rare privilege of taking part in the Shahi Snan or royal bath, which is the first dip of the day. Before jumping into the river, they took out a massive procession, chanted hymns and offered prayers. These seers, with long and uncombed lock, usually live and meditate in remote caves and forests, surviving on herbs and roots. "By taking a holy dip during this auspicious configuration of stars, one cleanses one's body of all disease and one's soul of sin," one such saint said.

          The Kumbh normally lasts six weeks, but a rare alignment of celestial bodies this time has made it a year-long event. One of the world's frequently held festivals, the Kumbh is celebrated by rotation at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. According to Hindu mythology, Nasik is one of four places where Garuda, the winged carrier of Lord Vishnu, spilled 'Amrit' or the nectar of immortality.

Raksha Bandhan celebrated (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Aug 12: Sisters across the country tied 'rakhi' (tinsel bracelets) on the wrists of their brothers to celebrate 'Raksha Bandhan', which traditionally symbolizes the strong bonds of affection between the two, on Tuesday. In New Delhi, women and young girls called on Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani to celebrate the occasion. A number of impaired children were also present and were offered sweets and gifts. Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party, too received some schoolboys who gleefully accepted 'rakhis' from her.

          Though a Hindu festival, Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by people of all religions. When a girl ties a rakhi on her brother's wrist, she wishes him prosperity and happiness, and in turn, the brother pledges to protect her at all times. "I've prayed to God that my brother should live a long life and that the relationship between us is not broken even by the biggest power on earth," said Sunita. So popular is the festival that this band of sibling affection can be made simply from tinsel, colourful cotton, silk, gold or silver twisted threads. Its price ranges from about five cents for a plain thread to nearly 200 dollars for a golden bracelet.

Pakistan's Munir leaves for home (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Aug 12: Thirteen-year-old Munir, a Pakistan boy who had strayed into India almost two months ago, left for home by the New Delhi-Lahore bus early on Tuesday. Hailing from Bithu village in Pakistan, Munir was given a warm send-off just days after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee issued orders for his release from a juvenile home in Bikaner where had been detained by the local authorities. Munir was reportedly returning from his uncle's house, when he strayed into the village of Karanpur in Rajasthan. Paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) personnel had then detained him before producing him in court. The court then ordered that he be sent to a juvenile home in Bikaner. A shy Munir was barely able to answer the volley of inquisitive questions, but managed to say, "I am going home...it is feeling good," and that he was always cheerful when listening to and humming songs from Hindi movies.

BJP denies existence of Kargil CVC report (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Aug 12: Senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Tuesday denied the existence of a report on the Kargil coffin scam case prepared by the Central Vigilance Commission. "There is no such CVC report on Operation Vijay (Kargil) ...What can be shown," Vijay Kumar Malhotra, the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, said after the meeting. He also indicated that the BJP or the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would not concede to the opposition's demand for submitting the report to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. The meeting, he said, had also rejected the opposition's demand for a statement by Vajpayee on the issue, adding that was the perrogative of Defence Minister George Fernandes. At best, the Prime Minister might intervene during the discussion in the house, Malhotra added. Parliament is expected to resume tomorrow after a five-day recess, and it is likely that either house because of this stalemate will conduct no business. Apart from Vajpayee and Malhotra, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Fernandes attended the 90-minute meeting.

Tribals kill 3 Assam Rifles soldiers (Go To Top)

          Agartala (Tripura), Aug 12: Tribal guerillas gunned down three Assam Rifles soldiers on Tuesday, barely 20 hours after seven security personnel were killed in West Tripura. Police said National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants ambushed an Assam Rifles patrol party at Ganga Hari Para under Takarjala police station. Riflemen Digambar Kothari and Najir Hossain died on the spot, while rifleman Ram Singh, who was seriously injured, succumbed on way to GB Hospital here. All three hailed from Uttar Pradesh. After a half-an-hour-long exchange of fire, the rebels escaped. Additional security forces have been rushed to the area and combing operations have been intensified. Meanwhile, a 12-hour shutdown was observed on Tuesday at Mohanpur and Hezamara block areas of the same district in protest against Monday's attack on the security forces.

No Musharraf, Vajpayee meeting in New York: Pak (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, Aug 12: There will be no meeting between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York next month. Disclosing this, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said neither had such a request been received from the Indian side nor had Pakistan approached New Delhi on the issue. "We have made no such request. Nothing has been indicated yet that there will be a meeting" between the two leaders," the News quoted Khan as telling reporters on Monday.

US clears Israeli AWACS sale to India (Go To Top)

          Washington, Aug 12: The Bush Administration has given the green signal to Israel to sell its Phalcon early-warning aircraft system to India. "The United States has informed the governments of Israel and India that we have no objection to the Israeli transfer of the Phalcon airborne early-warning system to India," the News quoted Deputy State Department spokesman Philip Reeker as saying. The landmark announcement of the one-billion-dollar deal comes nearly three months after the approval was reported in Israel's leading English daily Haaretz. Reeker said that Washington had taken the step because the improving security situation between India and Pakistan had made the sale less likely to destabilise the region.

India lifts BFAME Bridge title (Go To Top)

         Karachi, Aug 12: Reasserting its superiority over Pakistan, India on Monday lifted the Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BEFAME) Crown at Amman, Jordan. In a report, the News said that India returned with a plus score card four times out of five rounds 49-29, 31-19, 45-06, 30-38, 45-29 253 International Match Points (IMPs) as against Pakistan's 150 IMPs, thus winning by a convincing margin. In the ladies final, India beat Pakistan 32-38, 42-11, 23-19 and 41-36. The men's final was of academic interest, as both teams had already qualified to play in the Bermuda Bowl, the World Bridge Championship to be held at Monte Carlo (Monaco) in November. Despite losing the final, Pakistan earned the unique distinction of fielding three teams in three major events of Bermuda Bowl, i.e. Open, ladies and seniors.

 

Bottomlines

Universe to `black out' in 10 billion years (Go To Top)

          London, Aug 12: Picture this. There will be no lights in the Universe in 10 billion years. "The Universe is getting dimmer and dimmer. Within 5 or 10 billion years, the Universe will be a pretty dark place. But you probably won't start to notice the difference for a billion years," the journal Nature quoted Alan Heavens, of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, as saying. According to Heavens and his team, star formation is now around 30 times slower than around six billion years ago, when the Sun came into existence. It is so slow that more stars are fizzling out than are being born.

          The finding doesn't surprise professional astronomers because physics predicts such a slowdown. As star researcher Martin Barstow, of the University of Leicester in England, puts it: "Every time you make a star, you deplete the material left behind to form more." He, however, does say that the new work is the best measure of the star slump so far because it includes dim galaxies. After approximating the total production of stars throughout the Universe's history using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), a coordinated astronomical scan of the night sky, Heavens' group compared wavelengths of light - which hints at the age of a star - with the numbers of stars of different ages from each of 40,000 nearby galaxies.

An ode to Kylie's bottom (Go To Top)

          Washington, Aug 12: Kylie Minogue's perfect rear has earned her enough fame. But now a British fan has taken the cake. He has written a song devoted to Kylie's famous backside. Allan Van D'Arc has penned 'Ode to the Bottom' after being inspired by a sexy picture of the 'Cant Get You Out Of My Head' singer's bum in the Sun. According to a report in ratethemusic.com, fans are going crazy over the tune, desperately wanting a copy or even downloading it from the Internet. "I was getting nowhere with my songs and I was waiting for a miracle. "Then Kylie's bum arrived in its full-size glory in the Sun. I recorded the song and posted it on the web," Van D'Arc says. "The next thing I know, it was being forwarded from office to office around the country. I can't believe the reaction," he added.

'Miss Congeniality' Sandra back in hunky Mathew's arms (Go To Top)

          Washington, Aug 12: Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock, 39, is back again with 'How to lose a guy in ten days' actor Matthew McConaughey, 33, after breaking up with 22-year-old Ryan Gosling. The 'Miss Congeniality' actress was snapped visiting her hunky ex at his home in Beverly Hills. According to report in rate the music.com, both enjoyed a party to celebrate their togetherness. "It's not surprise to see Sandra and Matthew back together as they have always been in love. It was a surprise when they split up and it's great to see them back together," a source was quoted as saying.

Castle nuptials for Gwyn, Chris (Go To Top)

          Washington, Aug 12: There is some change in actress Gwyneth Paltrow and her beau Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's wedding plans. According to a report in TeenHollywood, the duo has decided to change the venue of their marriage which will now take place at Bovey Castle in Dartmoor, England, near the rocker's childhood home. Reports initially suggested the pair were to wed in Paltrow's native place, New York. Martin, who's determined to ensure complete privacy for the wedding the wedding, is reportedly keen to book the castle, because of its top security system.

`Tattooed' Pink's tattoo parlour (Go To Top)

          Washington, Aug 12: American rock princess Pink is so fond of tattoos that she plans to open a tattoo parlour. "Everyone knows Pink is a big fan of tattoos - she's covered in them," ratethemusic.com quoted a source as telling the Sun. So along with her boyfriend Carey Hart, Pink plans to go into business of body art at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Topless 'Sex and the City' Cattrall shocks public (Go To Top)

          Washington, Aug 12: American actress Kim Cattrall isn't afraid of going topless in public. Recently, the 46-year-old 'Sex and the City' star was strolling across the bay in Accabonac Harbour in posh New York holiday locale `Hamptons' when she suddenly removed her top and waved to a nearby pal. "Kim was close to the shore, so baring her breasts and drawing attention to herself was very indiscreet. Once she had everyone's attention, she blew kisses to her friend," IMDb.com quoted an onlooker as saying. Her antics, however, didn't go down very well with the neighbours. One fumed, "Kim just doesn't get it. Real life isn't like an episode of Sex and the City, and not everyone enjoys seeing topless women."

TV show brands Arun Nayar gay! (Go To Top)

          New York, Aug 12: The 'Bedazzled' star Liz Hurley was stunned when fiance Arun Nayyar was branded gay on a TV show. According to a report in the Sun, the glamorous couple was dazed at the welcome comment at a star-studded American comedy event, where they sat in the audience. Rap star Dr Dre prodded millionaire Arun, 37, when he said, "Miss Hurley and your ambiguously gay fellow friend, wonderful to see you." He then suggested Arun was sleeping with a gay US comic. The slur came at a charity event called a roast, where celebrities throw insults at the victim - in this case US funnyman Denis Leary. Instead many at the New York bash took a swipe at Arun.

-ANI