| Yemen
Airways plane carrying 153 crashes in Indian Ocean London:
A Yemen Airways passenger plane with over 150 people on board crashed into waters
close to the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday. There were 142
passengers and 11 crewmembers on board and their fate was not immediately known.
Sky News quoted a Comoran police source as saying that the plane, whose passengers
included nationals of France and the Comoros, was believed to have come down in
the sea. Attempts to help those on board appeared to be initially restricted.
Earlier, the plane had left Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on Monday and travelled
to Marseille. It was flying from the Yemen capital San'a to Moroni, on the main
island of Grand Comore, when it disappeared from the radar screens. The aircraft
was due to have landed in Moroni at 11 p.m. GMT Monday. A crisis force has been
set up at Charles de Gaulle. IB
warns of another terror strike in Maharashtra Top Mumbai:
The Intelligence Bureau has warned the Maharashtra Police against possible terror
strikes and advised to maintain high alert in the state. Director General of Police
of Maharashtra S S Virk said subsequent to the warning that Maharashtra Police
on Tuesday has been directed to high alert. "Intelligence Bureau has given a fresh
alert about the threat, two to three days back. I had instructed my men to be
alert," said Virk. Though Virk did not furnish further details about the threat
mentioned by Intelligence Bureau, he, however, added: "We received alert on regular
basis. We do not want to take any chance". Earlier, the Mumbai Police Commissioner
D Sivanandan had also expressed such fears and said that city was facing terror
threat and that this threat could be from anywhere - road, air or sea. Liberhan
Ayodhya Commission submits report to PM Top New
Delhi: The Liberhan Commission, which is inquiring into the destruction of
the Ram Janma Bhoomi-Babri Masjid structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, on
Tuesday submitted its report to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Established
on December 16, 1992, ten days after the demolition that triggered widespread
communal violence, the panel headed by retired Justice M S Liberhan, had got 48
extensions. The Commission submitted its report by retired Justice M S Liberhan
Liberhan in presence of Home Minister P. Chidambaram. The contents of the report
were not immediately known. The probe panel has become one of the longest and
costliest commissions with over Rs.7.5 crore having been already spent during
this period. The Commission, constituted by the Home Ministry, was mandated to
inquire into the circumstances leading to the demolition of the Babri Mosque.
During the extended proceedings, the Commission recorded the statements of senior
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Kalyan
Singh. Four Hindi-speaking
people shot dead by Bodoland militants Top Guwahati:
At least four Hindi-speaking people were shot dead and two others injured by heavily-armed
National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants in Assam's Sonitput District
on Tuesday. According to the police, the incident took place at around 9:30 a.m.
near the Naharani tea estate at Rangapara in Sonitput district when militants
fired from AK-47 rifles on a group of people. The deceased included two women.
The injured are undergoing treatment at the Tezpur Hospital. The police have launched
a search operation to arrest the culprits. Nirupama
Rao appointed as new Foreign Secretary Top New
Delhi: India's Ambassador to China Nirupama Rao was named as the next Foreign
Secretary of India on Tuesday. Rao succeeds Shivshankar Menon who will retire
on Wednesday (July 31) having completing his eventful three-year stint as the
top diplomat. Fifty eight-year-old Nirupama Rao, a 1973-batch Indian Foreign Service
officer, who has served in a number of key positions, will be the second woman
Foreign Secretary of India after Chokila Iyer. She will take over the charge as
the Indian Foreign Secretary at a time when India-Pakistan are going through tough
times in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks. Prior to her posting in Beijing
as Ambassador in October 2006, Rao served as Indian envoy to Sri Lanka and been
country's first woman spokesperson. Previously, Rao had served in the Indian Missions
in Washington and Moscow besides having a stint in the Ministry of External Affairs
as Joint Secretary (East Asia). Total
solar eclipse on July 22 Top New
Delhi: A total solar eclipse of longest duration in 21st century will occur
on Wednesday morning (July 22). This eclipse is of special interest for the scientists
and general public as its path of totality passes through thickly populated regions
of west, central, east and north-east India. Consequently, it provides a rare
opportunity to view and study this grand spectacle of nature. The partial phase
of the eclipse will be visible throughout the country. In general, the partial
phase can be seen in the regions of eastern Asia and Pacific Ocean. Considering
the Earth as a whole, the eclipse begins at 5:28 a.m. when the shadow of the Moon
touches the Earth at local sunrise at a point in the Arabian Sea close to the
western coast of India. The eclipse ends at 10:42 a.m. when Moon's shadow finally
leaves the Earth at local sunset at a point in the South Pacific Ocean. At approximately
6:23 a.m., the central path of the eclipse will touch the Earth at sunrise at
a point in the Gulf of Khmbhat in the Arabian Sea near the southern coast of Gujarat.
At this time, the path of totality will be about 200 km wide and the duration
of totality at the central line will be about three minute 30 seconds. The shadow
crosses over central India, passes through south-east of Nepal, crosses North
Bengal, southern part of Sikkim, most of Bhutan and north-western tip of Bangladesh.
Then the shadow enters Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, touches Myanmar and enters
China. The umbra sweeps over China, enters East China Sea and then passes through
Japan's Ryukyu Island. The maximum duration of totality of 6 minutes 44 seconds
occurs at 8:05 a.m. in the North Pacific Ocean where the width of the path is
about 258 km. The 'rest of the path does not pass through major land areas. It
curves south-east through Pacific Ocean hitting some small atolls in the Polynesia.
The totality ends at 9:48 a.m.when the umbral cone leaves the Earth at a point
in the Pacific Ocean. The next solar eclipse, which is an annular solar eclipse
will occur on January 15, 2010. The path of the said eclipse will pass through
extreme southern tips of India. Janet
Jackson 'to fill in bro Michael's shoes for O2 gigs' Top London:
If sources are to be believed, Janet Jackson will be filling in the shoes
of her late brother and icon Michael in some of the O2 gigs he was supposed perform.
"Janet has been sounded out about fronting some of the shows," The Sun quoted
a source as saying. "A number of discussions have taken place and things are looking
hopeful," the source added. Also, the legend's brothers may be roped in to support
the Black Cat singer at the O2 gigs, an insider said: "Jackie, Tito, Jermaine
and Marlon have been approached as well, with the idea that they would perform
as the backing band." Promoters of the concert AEG Live, who are in a threat of
facing huge losses after Jacko's death, are now planning to recreate him digitally.
The source said: "A highly technical version of MJ as a silhouette performing
on stage has been discussed. "It is possible to create an impression that Michael
is actually there, giving fans a place to mourn and celebrate his music." Meanwhile,
the King Of Pop's close pal Mark Lester has revealed that Jackson had decided
to do the hectic O2 gigs so that his two kids- Prince Michael and Paris- could
see him perform live on stage. "He wanted his children to see Daddy do what Daddy
does best," he said. He added: "They are being well looked after. It's a very
difficult time and children grieve in different ways, but they are fine." |
