CURRENT AFFAIRS: 08/18/11

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Woman killed, thrown in sack from Mumbai car

Mumbai: A young woman's dead body has been found abandoned in a sack in a Mumbai suburb.

The police believes the woman was in her late 20s and was strangled. Early investigation suggests her body was thrown from a car.

Jilted girl visits ex, sets herself on fire

Mumbai: A 25-year-old resident of Santacruz committed suicide by immolating herself on Wednesday outside her boyfriend's Kandivli home.

She had been jilted by him a few months back. Relatives revealed that Zareen Shaikh had been involved romantically with Yasin Shaikh for the past five years.

Maharashtra cop caught accepting bribe

Thane: A senior police officer in Maharshtra's Thane district was arrested for accepting bribe of Rs. 4 lakh from a complainant, police said on Thursday.

"Following a complaint against Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nagnath Sambatwad, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) laid a trap," an ACB officer said.

Hyderabad: Just a day after seeking permission to search his properties, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun raids at YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy's properties and companies.

New Delhi: Anna Hazare has not eaten for over 48 hours now and shall continue his fast at the Ramlila Maidan today. Doctors at Tihar Jail, where the Gandhian activist has been since early Tuesday evening, say he is in good health.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today held that the minimum eligibility percentage for admission in central universities for OBC category should be at most 10 per cent less than that of general category students.

New Delhi: Team Anna has given a two-page undertaking to police on its protest fast in Ramlila Maidan, saying they would abide by existing rules and regulations and the crowd will not exceed the capacity of the ground, which is around 25,000 people.

New Delhi: Taking a cue from Anna Hazare, a 68-year-old Pakistani businessman is set to go on a hunger strike in Islamabad from September 12. He claims his fast is in a bid to declare war on endemic corruption in his country.

Panaji: Anna Hazare's influence seems to be everywhere. Now, members of a civil society group in Goa have asked ministers in the Congress-led coalition government to observe Thursday as a 'bribe-free day' in support of the veteran Gandhian.

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley today tore into Justice Soumitra Sen's defence, saying that the latter had misled the House. The 53-year-old judge had claimed that he was being made a "sacrificial lamb" while facing impeachment proceedings in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

Kozhikode: It was back to the classroom for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Chandy, and his 19 cabinet colleagues, gathered at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Kozhikode on Thursday to learn the nuances of management and explore how to enhance the state's potential in various areas.

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Maval, Maharashtra: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday quietly arrived in Maval sub-district here in Maharashtra where three farmers were killed in police firing on August 9, official sources said.

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New Delhi: Anna Hazare will stay in Delhi's Tihar Jail tonight and is likely to proceed tomorrow to Ramlila Maidan to launch a 15-day protest against corruption with thousands of supporters. And Team Anna has made clear that his is an "indefinite fast and dharna" and not "a fast unto death." (Read: Who is Anna Hazare?)

New Delhi: Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign will set up its base camp at Ramlila Maidan tomorrow, a large public space in Central Delhi.

The Delhi Police, after extensive negotiations, agreed that it would not place any limits on either the size of the gathering or on the length of Anna's hunger strike (he has been fasting since Tuesday). (Read: Anna Hazare stays in Tihar tonight, 15-day protest starts tomorrow at Ramlila Maidan)

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New Delhi: Gandhian activist Anna Hazare, who has been in Tihar Jail since Tuesday, said he felt healthy and energetic even after three days of fasting for a strong anti-corruption law.

"I will not stop fighting till I get the Lokpal Bill," Hazare said in an interview to his close associate Kiran Bedi on Thursday at his room in Tihar Jail.

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New Delhi: In a historic first, the Rajya Sabha today voted in favour of impeaching Calcutta High Court judge Justice Soumitra Sen, finding him guilty of misappropriating funds as a judge and of misrepresenting facts.

Asian stocks sink due to fresh fears of US recession

Sydney: Stock markets in Asia opened sharply lower on Friday, following a day of sharp losses in markets around the world.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index was down 183.46 points, or 2.1 percent, at 8,760.30 in early morning trading.

Lucknow: Heavy rains continue to affect various parts in India. In Uttarakhand, at least 30 people have died due to the ongoing flood situation in the state. The hill state has been experiencing heavy, incessant showers with 850 mm of rain being recorded in the last 72 hours. Rail and road transport have also been badly affected in the state.

Anna's route to Ramlila, police issues traffic advisory

New Delhi: At 11 am, Anna Hazare will emerge from Tihar Jail and make his way to Ramlila Maidan in Central Delhi to launch his 15-day protest against corruption. Hundreds of supporters have gathered outside Tihar. Anna's close associate, Kiran Bedi, says he will move first to Mayapuri.

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New Delhi: At 11 am today, Anna Hazare will finally leave Tihar Jail and head to Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to continue his fast protest. He will make a public address and then will move in a procession till Mayapuri, after which supporters have been requested to go to the venue directly. Mr Hazare has been fasting in Tihar since Tuesday.

Hundreds wait for moment when Anna will come out of Tihar

Hundreds of supporters today gathered outside Tihar prison eagerly waiting for the moment when anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare will come out of the jail after spending almost three days there.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Your neighbors have blamed you for "eating their head." Your colleague is looking for a "convented, homely girl." Your friend wants you to come to his "passing out" ceremony.

Scratching your head? A new website aims to help. Part dictionary, part inside joke for more than 1.5 billion people, Samosapedia is a crowd-sourcing attempt at compiling a "more better" guide to English as it is spoken in South Asia.

The bold attempt to making voting information as easy as SMS is shaping up for the coming February 2012 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) civic elections.

It's not voting by SMS, but SMS is making SMS easier.

Daily exercise of JUST 15 min can cut death & cancer risk!

The recommended level of exercise currently is 150 minutes a week. But the new study, conducted by US and Taiwanese scientists, has found that even doing less has health benefits.

The study involved 4,16,175 healthy people aged 20 years or above. They were screened and followed up between 1996 and 2008. Physical activity was categorised as light (walking), moderate (brisk walking), medium-vigorous (jogging) and high-vigorous (running).

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha created history Thursday when it passed by a majority of 172 votes a motion to impeach Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court for misconduct.

After over six hours of intense debate spread over two days, the house voted to recommend to President Pratibha Patil that Justice Sen be removed from office.

John Abraham can’t decide whether to lose it or not. The actor is juggling between having a bulky and lean body at the same time as he is simultaneously shooting for ‘Force’ and ‘Desi Boyz’.

A parliamentary panel has recommended slapping Rs 1 crore fine on technical and medical education institutions collecting capitation fee from students.

In its report on Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010, the panel, headed by parliamentarian Oscar Fernandes, said compared to the heavy capitation fee charged for seats in medical colleges, a smaller penalty will not be a deterrent.

Hazaaron voices on Hazare

As Anna Hazare's standoff with the government over his right to protest entered the third day, literati, glitterati, twitterati and other talking heads waxed eloquent. There were kudos and barbs from acolytes and cynics alike. Fence-sitters and tongue-in-cheekers joined the fray.

The shrieks of a petite teenager smartly dressed in a Gandhi T- shirt pierced through the “ I am Anna” slogans outside Tihar Jail around midnight on Tuesday.

“ I am not in a pub, mom. I am at Tihar,” she cried out on her phone. She had alighted from a luxury car moments ago with a placard reading “ I am Anna, I am Change” in bold fonts.

New York, August 16 (ANI): Ever wondered why people look more attractive and beautiful to you after you have had a bit of booze? Well, it all because of the bilateral symmetry.

It is thought that humans and other organisms have a strong evolutionary preference for the appearance of symmetry, and this means people who are considered attractive are often those who display a high degree of bilateral symmetry, reports io9.

London, August 18 (AFP): England's hopes of completing a whitewash against India were hampered by the weather on Thursday, with rain preventing play after lunch on the first day of the fourth Test at The Oval.

England, at stumps, were stuck on their lunch score of 75 without loss after captain Andrew Strauss, who won the toss, defied the gloomy overhead conditions by opting to bat first on a typically good Oval pitch.

Ajay Devgn bails out Prakash Jha

The actor pulls out all stops to help his director friend whose film ‘Aarakshan’ has run into rough weather

With ‘Aarakshan’ publicity gone over budget and the film losing approximately Rs 35 crore in the opening week, Prakash Jha was in a fix. So he contacted his old friend Ajay Devgn to bail him out of the crises.

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Taking a cue from Anna Hazare, a 68-year-old Pakistani businessman is set to go on hunger strike in Islamabad from Sep 12 to declare war on endemic corruption in his country.

Expressing his admiration for Hazare, Jehangeeer Akhtar complained that corruption was a far more serious disease in Pakistan.

Cast: Deepak Dobriyal, Ajay Gehi, Zakir Hussain, Mahie Gill, Mahie Gill's legs, Mahie Gill's freckles, a goldfish, a fishy perverted neighbour etc

Directed by Ram Gopal Varma

One of the biggest challenges in filming a real life story is that it has already been told. So, how do you make it exciting, unpredictable or entertaining? Also can you really do any of these things without altering the original story? RGV's 'Not a love story' takes reality, slices it into tiny pieces and serves it with bloody sauce. Based on Maria Susairaj and her graphic encounters, this film provides enough visual distractions to have your jaws touching your feet through most of its 105-minute runtime.

London, Aug 18 (IANS) A schoolgirl in Scotland has a rare condition following which she has been asked not to comb her hair too vigorously as it could lead to her brain shutting down.

21 expert diet tips

The best in the business reveal what you should know about losing weight...

What's the difference between a healthy diet and a dangerous one, a workable one and one that sees you secretly stuffing your face with chocolate cake just two days after you promised not to. Tried and tested expert advice, that's what. So, in honour of that little black dress you've been dying to fit into, we asked 6 diet and nutrition experts for their top tips on getting rid of those extra kilos. And no, there's no carb-hating or mealmissing involved...

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Civil society activist Anna Hazare will leave Tihar Jail for Ramlila ground around 11 a.m. Friday where he will continue his fast for a stronger anti-corruption bill, his aide Arvind Kejriwal said.

The moon may be 200 million years younger than widely believed, according to a new analysis of a rock brought back to Earth in 1972 by Apollo 16 astronauts. Or, if not, the moon may never have had the magma ocean that scientists think covered its surface soon after it formed.

What's the age of the moon? It could be waning

WASHINGTON — That old moon might not be as antique as we thought, some scientists think. They say it's possible that it isn't a day over 4.4 billion years old. But other astronomers disagree with a new study's conclusions. They think the moon is up to its typical age-defying tricks and is really pushing 4.6 billion as they have suspected all these years.

Petros Giannakouris, AP
The full moon rises behind the ancient temple of Posseidon, in Sounio, southeast of Athens.

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Petros Giannakouris, AP

The full moon rises behind the ancient temple of Posseidon, in Sounio, southeast of Athens.

Police say the first phone call came 26 minutes before the police arrested Anders Behring Breivik (L).

SCANPIX NORWAY/REUTERS

Associated Press

OSLO—The man behind the Norway attacks that killed 77 people last month hung up twice on authorities after calling to surrender during the shooting at a youth camp on Utoya island, police said Thursday.

CORRECTION-NORWAY-ATTACKS-POLICE-COURT-PRISON

Anders Behring Breivik (centre), the man behind Norway's July 22 attacks, is escorted by police last week on a return to Utoeya Island, where he killed 69 people. Picture: AFP

Breivik confessed to killing 77 people in the twin attacks, including eight in a bomb attack in Oslo. Picture: AFP

Second bomb reportedly found at Breivik's farm
Reportedly weighed between 1000 and 1500kg
Police confirm they destroyed explosives at farm

THE Norwegian gunman who confessed to twin terror attacks that killed 77 people had prepared a second bomb, bigger than the one that exploded in Oslo's government district, it has been claimed.

BJP for National Judicial Commission for judges' appointment

"The system of judges alone appointing judges must now change. India needs a National Judicial Commission to appoint judges," Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said, resuming the debate in the Rajya Sabha on impeachment motions against Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Soumitra Sen.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley stressed on the need for a National Judicial Commission - PTI file photo

Expressing concern over questions being raised on conduct of some judges, BJP on Thursday suggested revisiting the process of their appointment and favoured a National Judicial Commission to ensure selection of those with strong integrity.

He said the commission's members can be drawn from the judiciary and executive, besides prominent citizens. At present judges are appointed by a collegium of judges.

PRINCE William is being ribbed by brother Harry for piling on the pounds as he settles into married life.

The future king has even been dubbed "Teletubby" because of his cuddly paunch.

Photo: AP

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, accompanied by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, speaks during an event at the National Defense University in Washington, Aug. 16, 2011.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday that the United States has no choice but to maintain close relations with Pakistan, despite government links with Islamic militants including the Haqqani network. The State Department, meanwhile, put sanctions on another Haqqani network commander.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Pakistan's military says it can bring the notorious Haqqani militant network, considered one of the most lethal threats against U.S.-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, to the negotiation table.

The Dalai Lama is visiting Estonia, where he is meeting the country’s president and other leading politicians. China has protested over the visit and high-profile meetings. From Estonia, Tibet’s spiritual leader continues on to Finland.

The Dalai Lama had unofficial meetings with Estonia’s president Toomas Hendrik Ilves and former Prime Minister, current Minister of Defence Mart Laar, as well as a number of MPs. He also made a speech in the capital Tallinn’s Freedom Square on Wednesday.

Prince William and his wife Kate iddleton's royal balcony kiss has been voted one of the UK's most favourite TV moments.

Of all live TV moments that people would most like to atch again, Kate and Prince William's royal wedding kiss came op of the poll -- in fact, 20 per cent of respondents loved he moment the second-in-waiting puckered up for his bride.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

PRINCE William is being ribbed by brother Harry for piling on the pounds as he settles into married life.

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