Wanted: 6.89 lakh primary teachers

The country is facing a shortage of 6.89 lakh primary teachers and 5.30 lakh police personnel. According to M. Ramchandran, Minister of State, Home Affairs, while the total sanctioned strength of state police forces is 20.56 lakh, the actual strength is only 15.53 lakh. Uttar Pradesh Police is the worst off, with vacancies outnumbering the actual strength. While its total sanctioned strength is 3.68 lakh policemen, the actual number is merely 1,44,200. Most states facing a shortage of police personnel are also Naxalite-hit.

Amitabh Bachchan signs first Hollywood film

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) After over four decades of contribution to Hindi cinema, Amitabh Bachchan is finally stepping out! At 68, he is ready to make his Hollywood debut with Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby', which has 'Titanic' star Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead.

Hyundai offers glimpse of new i30

South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Company Wednesday revealed the first picture of its new generation i30 hatchback, ahead of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week.

in a statement, Hyundai said it expected the new generation i30 to build on the success of the original model and also the company's first model to be launched with the prefix 'i'.

Of course, I want to marry Saif: Kareena

They are touted as the Brangelina of Bollywood and popularly known as Saifeena. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are the hottest couple in tinsel town. Stylish, glamorous, classy and beautiful, the two are just so perfect for each other.

US diocese settles Indian priest child sex abuse case

Chicago:  An Indian priest who molested several young girls in the United States remains a threat to children in India, a lawyer for one of his victims has said while announcing a US $750,000 settlement.

New Ground Zero rises from rubble of 9/11

New York:  A decade after the Twin Towers were razed to the ground in the 9/11 attacks, an altered Ground Zero will be unveiled to the public, with waterfalls, reflecting pools and hundreds of trees at the site honouring the memory of the nearly 3000 victims of the terror strike.

US military raises alert level ahead of 9/11 anniversary

Washington:  The United States raised its alert level at military bases ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as a report warned of "gaps and weaknesses" in the nation's security apparatus.

Mumbai pilot arrested at airport for abusing wife

Mumbai:  A pilot on the payroll of a private airline company was arrested while on duty at the Santacruz airport on Monday, on charges of dowry harassment and robbery.
 
His wife had registered a case against him at the Borivli police station.

Woman, domestic help found murdered in Mumbai flat

Mumbai:  A 43-year-old woman from Juhu and one of her three domestic helps were allegedly murdered by the other two in her apartment on Tuesday.

According to the Juhu police, the woman, identified as Kavita Suchak, was in her house at Jai Jagdish apartments on JVPD 5 along with the three servants, while her husband and daughter were away at work.

Dead? Alive? Abducted? Where is our son?

Mumbai:  It wasn't a simple case of hit-and-run, but a hit-and-run -away-with-the-victim. Or was it?

Over two months ago, 17-year-old Nasir Ahmed, son of Shakeel and Shama, was riding to Trombay station when a car rammed his bike, injuring him. Nasir has been missing since. It is unclear what has happened to him.

450 kids starve to death in 4 months

Mumbai:  Even as a shocking number of malnutrition deaths is reported from Nashik alone, much of the Rs. 600 crore child welfare budget seems to have been spent on expensive toys.

In commodity purchases that seem to give direct competition to the Organising Committee's orders for the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the State Women and Child Development department spent Rs. 13,801 each for a set of four steel utensils consisting of a bucket, mug, jug and water drum last year.

Ganpati dons Gandhi cap, reads Jan Lokpal bill

Ganpati idol at the Thanawala building

Mumbai:  One of the top trending topics of the year, and not just in the Twittersphere, has been the Jan Lokpal Bill agitation led by Anna Hazare. And the theme shall dominate the Ganpati celebrations of Thanawala family for a day and a half.

One-man mandal spends Rs 50 lakh

Mumbai:  Meet Ravi Surve. This ardent devotee of Ganpati has been neglecting his business for two months now, working tirelessly to organise the annual Ganeshotsav celebrations hosted by Fort Vibhag Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, popularly known as Fortcha Icchapurti.

Turkish Airways plane still stuck in mud, Mumbai runway closed

Mumbai:  The main runway at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been shut till 8 pm after a Turkish Airways flight arriving from Istanbul veered off a rapid exit taxiway at around 4 am this morning. The aircraft is still stuck in mud.

Orphanage caretakers arrested for harassing minor girls

Nerul, Navi Mumbai:  Navi Mumbai police on Friday arrested the caretaker of an orphanage in Nerul here and his wife on charges of harassing and molesting minor girls.

"Twelve minor girls were leaving the Nerul branch of the orphanage, Ramabai Mukti Mission Ashram, when they ran into a beat officer of our police station on Thursday," investiging officer Sheetal Munde said.

Men posing as cops rob elderly women

Mumbai:  In separate incidents, two elderly women were looted of gold ornaments worth Rs.4.80 lakh by six motorcycle-borne men posing as cops.

Mukta Kulkarni (65), a retired government employee, was standing at a bus stop in suburban Vile Parle on Thursday afternoon when three unidentified persons posing as policemen struck a conversation with her, police said on Friday.

Mumbai airport's main runway shut till 8 am, flights delayed

Mumbai:  Passengers at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) continue to face a harrowing experience as the main runway of the airport remained closed for a second day on Saturday. It is expected to be operational again at 8 am on Sunday.

Five children killed as wall collapses

Mumbai:  Five children were killed as a wall collapsed on them in central Mumbai on Saturday, police said.

Children were playing football at a mill compound in Sewri area as the wall came crashing down, trapping under debris and killing five of them.

Anna effect: Mumbai hawkers help police nab a 'fake' cop

Mumbai:  Taking a leaf out of the book of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, hawkers here helped police catch a 38-year-old fake Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cop for allegedly extorting money from them, police said on Saturday.

Bomb hoax in Jet Airways flight in Mumbai

Mumbai:  A bomb scare was reported today in a Jet Airways flight in Mumbai which later turned out to be a hoax.

An anonymous call was made to the counter of Jet Airways at the Mumbai airport claiming that a bomb was present inside the aircraft which had flown from Kochi to Mumbai via Bahrain. The plane, at the time, had just landed in Mumbai.

Teenager rapes, kills three-year-old girl in Mumbai

Mumbai:  A three-year-old minor girl was allegedly kidnapped, raped and murdered by a teenager at suburban Goregoan in Mumbai on Sunday, police said.

The victim, along with her five-year-old sister, was watching the Ganesh immersion festivities from near her building on Sunday evening when the accused Babloo Gupta (18), abducted the girl and took her to a nearby secluded spot where he raped her, they said.

Mumbai: Man held with hidden gun at Lalbaugcha Raja

Mumbai:  Alarm bells went off at the Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal in Parel yesterday when cops from Kalachowkie police station questioned a 35-year-old who was found concealing a revolver near the VIP gate of the mandal.

16 hours in line for one minute with Ganesha

Mumbai:  No pain, no gain. These are the words that gave me strength and perseverance in course of my 16-hour-long wait in line for a glimpse of Ganpati at Lalbaugcha Raja.

I gritted my teeth through the prolonged ordeal, which began at 2 pm on Saturday, and finally culminated at 6 am, the next day.

Jobless woman robs friend of Rs 5.5 lakh

Mumbai:  A 33-year unemployed educated woman was arrested last night for plundering her friend's apartment, and robbing valuables worth Rs 5 lakh and Rs 50,000 in cash.

According to the police, Rupali was friends with Monali Apkar (32), an airhostess, for the past five years. She used to visit Monali's place in Goregoan (East) regularly, where the latter stays with her husband.
 

Ganpati: More than 7 kgs of gold donated here

Mumbai:  Inflation is certainly no match for devotion. Undeterred by the escalating gold prices, devotees have been placing pots full of the yellow metal at the Lord's altar.

The GSB mandal at King's Circle, arguably the wealthiest in the city, reportedly received six kg of gold during last year's celebrations.

Chhota Rajan aide held in J Dey murder case

Mumbai:  A close associate of fugitive underworld don Chhota Rajan was on Monday arrested in Mumbai for his alleged involvement in the killing of senior journalist J Dey, police said.

Paulson Joseph was apprehended from Chembur area in the Dey murder case, Joint Police Commissioner (Crime) Himanshu Roy told PTI. He would be produced before a local court on Tuesday.

Mumbai: Train stunts have cops worried

Mumbai:  In a joint operation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) have begun a drive against youngsters who carry out dangerous stunts while travelling on local trains in Mumbai.