Archives

ASI gets five more weeks for Ayodhya excavation

          Lucknow, July 3: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted five-week extension to the Archaeological Survey of India to complete the excavation work at the disputed site in Ayodhya. The court also directed it to submit the final report by August 22. The full bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Sudhir Narain, Justice Bhanwar Singh and Justice S R Alam, granted five more weeks to the ASI to complete excavation and another two weeks to compile its report. The court order came on an ASI plea seeking time till December to complete excavation at the site, being carried out as per the High Court order to ascertain whether a temple existed at the place where the demolished Babri Masjid stood.

Amarnath pilgrims continue with dharna

          Jammu, July 3: Pilgrims stranded in Jammu and Kashmir continued with their demonstration demanding that more yatris be allowed to visit the Amarnath cave shrine. The Jammu and Kashmir government had announced on Tuesday that further registration of pilgrims for the month-long Yatra had been stopped as the permissible quota for this year was over. About 100,000 pilgrims have registered themselves so far for this year's journey that begins on July 12 and would remain open for a month. Hundreds of pilgrims who could not enroll themselves have since been agitating and have threatened a hunger-strike if more pilgrims were not accommodated.

          "No one from the government has attended to us till now. We have been sitting here for the last two days. We have decided that today is the last day and after that we will take to the streets," said Ram Kumar, a pilgrim. Last year, 110,793 people visited the cave shrine, officials said adding, a record 173,334 pilgrims visited in 2000, followed by 149,920 in 1998. Several times in the past, the annual pilgrimage to the holy shrine has been targeted by Islamic militants fighting Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Amarnath stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet above sea level.

DTC all set to make Lahore trip quite comfortable (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, July 3: Preparations are in full swing to resume the stalled bus services between India and Pakistan on July 11. Officials of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) are working overtime to make sure that the passengers have a comfortable journey. The buses have been completely overhauled by the manufacturers, Ashok Leyland, including their engines, tyres and gearboxes. The service, inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1999, was suspended after a militant attack on Parliament in December 2001 triggered a stand-off between the two countries.

          The bus will run from New Delhi four days a week except Sundays and Mondays. The fare would be 800 rupees for one side journey. The resumption of the popular Delhi-Lahore bus service comes after a recent thaw in relations between the two South Asian rivals. The 536-km journey from New Delhi to Lahore takes nearly 14 hours, crossing into Pakistani territory at the Wagah border in Punjab. Wagah is the only road crossing linking the two countries.

Chennai strike enters day two (Go To Top)

          Chennai, July 3: Work in government offices remained paralysed on Thursday as an indefinite strike by over 1.2 million employees entered its second day in Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu. The employees went on strike on Wednesday despite threats of arrest and dismissal from service, demanding a rollback in a cut in pension benefits. Attendance remained thin in most of the offices and at the state secretariat as barely 20 per cent of the 8,000 staff reported for duty. The state government invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and arrested over two dozen union leaders late on Wedneday night.

Dalai Lama opens Leh festival (Go To Top)

          Leh, July 3: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday inaugurated a four-day Buddhist festival in Leh town. The Nobel laureate had arrived in Buddhist-majority Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir on June 13. The Dalai Lama addressed thousands of devouts including 1,500 Buddhists. One of the monks said the Dalai Lama called upon all religions to co-exist peacefully. "Especially for the common people he (Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama) has said that all the religions can co-exist, live in peace and nobody needs to convert his religion. Across the world, each one can follow their own religions and it will be good for everybody," he said. Since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama has been campaigning for Tibet's autonomy.

NHRC wants fresh bakery trial (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, July 3: India's human rights watchdog on Thursday demanded a re-investigation into the acquittal of 21 people accused of instigating riots in Vadodara town in 2002. At least 12 people were burnt alive when rioters set fire to a bakery in March last year. The incident was one of the many reprisal attacks in Gujarat, after 59 Hindu pilgrims were burnt alive in a train, allegedly by Muslims, in nearby Godhra town. A special court acquitted all the 21 accused in the case on June 27 due to lack of evidence. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman AS Anand termed the judgement as a "denial of justice" and urged the state government to appeal against it.

Sikh team visits Gurdwaras in Pakistan (Go To Top)

          Lahore, July 3: A 15-member Sikh delegation from India on Tuesday visited Gurdwaras in Pakistan to observe 164th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Sikh 'jatha' or group of pilgrims also accepted a 'saropa' or robe from the head of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak (Management) Committee (P-SGPC). The practice, despite a diktat by the India-based SGPC, the apex Sikh body, banning it, it has been continuing for years. The members also performed religious ceremonies at the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib located close to the Indian border. Every year, thousands of Sikh pilgrims from across the world congregate in Pakistan to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of the Sikh religion. But last year only 50 Sikhs from India made a token visit to Pakistan as tensions soared between the nuclear rivals. A few thousand followers of the Sikh religion are living in Pakistan but majority of them migrated to India after the partition in 1947.

Hindus are like Jews: Pak Editor (Go To Top)

          Lahore, July 3: Hindus are like Jews and they can never be the friends of Muslims, a leading Pakistan journalist was quoted as saying by a newspaper here on Wednesday. "Let us include Hindus in the list as there is no difference between Hindus and Jews," Majid Nizami, editor-in-chief of the Nation and president of Nazria Pakistan Foundation, was quoted as saying by the Pak Tribune. Referring to injunctions appearing in the Quran in which Allah has warned that Christians and Jews could not be friends of Muslims, he said sub-continental history and past experiences suggested the same scenario was equally visible between Muslims and Hindus.

          On Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's controversial decision to retain the post of army chief, Nizami said: "If Musharraf believes that there would be no war between Pakistan and India then he should shed the uniform. Jihad is the motto of Pakistan Army and there should not be any attempt to change it. Instead of indulging ourselves in unnecessary troubles we should wait for the right time and eliminate our double standards," he said.

Charges against Akali Dal unfair: Advani (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, July 3: Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani on Thursday came down heavily on Punjab government for framing corruption charges against the previous Akali Dal government. Addressing a delegation of Akali Dal and BJP leaders, Advani said it was unfair to treat political opponents as enemies, adding it was against the principles of democracy and the concept of federalism. Advani also called the raids on former Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal's properties as undemocratic. He said if there are some differences among the political parties they can be settled politically but this kind of vendetta is unjustified.

Bottomlines

Men's sex appeal lies in their cheeks: Research(Go To Top)

          London, July 3: The secret of a man's sex appeal may lie in his cheeks. Researchers at the University of Newcastle have found evidence to suggest a quick glimpse of a man's cheek is enough to tell women if he is attractive. They also believe a man's complexion may somehow give clues as to whether he has "good" genes, which women unconsciously desire, according to a report in BBC. Women had a lot in common with female peahens and mice, which also use appearance to size up a male's genetic qualities.

          Professor Morris Gosling and colleagues based their findings on a study of 90 women. They were each asked to assess the facial attractiveness of 76 men. They were then shown a small area of these men's faces and asked to rank their attractiveness again. The rankings were the same in both tests. The researchers then carried out DNA tests on the men. They found that men with a good mix of genes were most likely to have been ranked as attractive, the report said. This genetic variation was found in the part of the genome that is responsible for the immune system. "Their assessments of healthiness and attractiveness were related to the genetic composition of these men", Gosling said. He said the findings suggested the women were looking for healthy partners with genes that would compliment theirs, the report added.

Mobiles come to rescue of suspicious lovers (Go To Top)

          London, July 3: Two timers watch out! A new mobile service just launched here could track your whereabouts easily just as you thought your secret rendezvous was just that- a secret. Jealous partners will be able to catch out love cheats by using a new mobile phone service which uses mobile base stations to pinpoint the location of handsets. The tracking information is then transmitted by text to another phone - and can also be called up on the internet, according to a report in the Sun. So husbands who are somewhere else when they claim to be working late at the office will be found out - as will unfaithful wives who insist they are "at the gym". The mapAmobile service launched on Wednesday was designed to offer peace of mind to parents who want to keep track of their children. But the company admitted it could be just the job for suspicious lovers.

Granny Timberlake approves of Cameron (Go To Top)

          Washington, July 3: Sadie Bomar, Justin Timberlake's grandmother finds Cameron Diaz older and more mature than Britney. The 69-year old has been keeping a myopic eye on the activities of her high-pitched grandson and confirms he and Charlie's Angels actress Diaz, eight years his senior, are indeed seeing each other, says a report in People News. "Justin is on the phone to her quite a bit as he isn't always able to be there for her in person because of his tour," Sadie revealed. "The good thing about Cameron is that she is older and more mature and can deal with that. He likes her because she is more settled down and sure of herself than Britney was. She is more emotionally settled." According to the report, Diaz is also in favour with Justin's mum, Lynn, who was 'charmed' by the flaxen-haired giantess her boy brought home to visit the family in Memphis. "Lynn thinks Cameron and Justin are perfect for each other," said a pal after the pair were spotted sitting together at a Timbers concert. "And that's saying a lot. Lynn hasn't approved of any other woman in Justin's life since Britney."

Did Diddy get rich by being a 'bad boy'? (Go To Top)

          London, July 3: Sean P Diddy Combs's former business partner is planning to sue him claiming that he had been threatened by the rapper with a baseball bat and cheated out of 15 million pounds. According to a report in People News, Kirk Burrowes says that the incidents took place in 1996, when he was forced at bat-point to sign over a 25 percent stake in Diddy's business 'Bad Boy Entertainment.' "The allegations are pure fantasy. Kirk Burrowes hasn't been employed for seven years and now he makes up a fictional story for financial gain," says the rapper. However, Kirk's lawyer says, "Kirk just wants Sean to realise the value he had in making Sean what he is today and do the right thing."

Jordan in court over `sexually explicit' letters (Go To Top)

          London, July 3: British model Jordan has been summoned to attend a court hearing related to her accusation that a man had harassed her and sent her mother `sexually explicit' letters. According to a report in People News, the model is also being troubled by 55-year old Nigel Chapman, who she claims keeps coming to her house and troubling her mother. Mrs Jordan is alleged to have received several filthy missives from Chapman, who is also accused of a perverse generosity in sending unwanted gifts to the homes of the two ladies, going as far as delivering them by hand. On the case to be settled by the court, a source says, "It is not that she was shocked by the content of the letters but this guy invaded her space and it was starting to scare her. She is actually a very private person, if only people could see past her plastic surgery."

No 'babytalk' on Crowes first public outing as a couple (Go To Top)

          Sydney, July 3: Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer made their first public appearance together as a couple since tying the knot in April and the latter's rumoured pregnancy was clearly on everyone's lips. But the would-be parents preferred to remain mum on the subject of babies at a party organised here on Wednesday night to launch the Australian Children's Music Foundation, which was created by Danielle's dad, Don Spencer. Said Russell, "I think it's of great importance to nurture the imagination of Australian children. I did guitar lessons when I was about six and I started writing music then." When asked if they would encourage their children to develop their personalities through music, Danielle said, "Absolutely." Together with his father-in-law, a music veteran, Russell co-hosted the cocktail party attended, among others, by Oscar- winning British actress Julie Andrews, members of the Aussie pop band INXS and Education Minister Brendan Nelson. The Foundation's aim is to provide free musical instruments to schools around the country and start a children's radio station, music library and national songwriting competition, reports the Australian.