Hindustan Times: June 2009

A first: Foreign interest in Arjun tank

Seeking to build up its armoured warfare capabilities to crush a potential threat from Venezuela, its Latin American neighbour Colombia has shown interest in buying India’s indigenous Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun.

The first ever expression of interest from abroad in the MBT Arjun could translate into an export order worth Rs 1,700 crore, with Colombia wanting to raise at least two regiments of main battle tanks.

“Bogota has expressed interest in the MBT Arjun. The Colombian army has an immediate requirement for 10 tanks to be followed up with the induction of another 100 over five years,” said a senior official, on the condition of anonymity.

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Labels: arjun tank, battle, colombia, foreign interest, indian army, main battle tank, main battle tank arjun regiment, tanks, venezuela, warfare

9 killed in tribal areas, Rs 50 million for Mehsud’s head

Atleast eight militants and a soldier were killed in Pakistans volatile South Waziristan region,where warplanes and artillery on Sunday pounded rebel positions, as authorities announced reward for information leading to Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud’s capture or death.

The eight militants were killed in overnight strikes by jets that also destroyed two Taliban hideouts, TV news channels reported.

Air strikes and artillery have targeted militant positions in South Waziristan ahead of a planned offensive by ground forces that has been codenamed “Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path of Salvation)”.

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Labels: 15 million reward money, baitullah mehsud, information leading, mehsud capture, militants, pakistan offer, rebel positions, rewards, taliban chief, taliban hideouts, warplanes

Protests on streets over water shortage

Poor water supply triggered street protests for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

Angry residents of Khanpur in southeast Delhi blocked the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, which affected traffic in surrounding area too.

Ramesh Chand Sharma, a resident of Krishna Park in Khanpur, said their area did not get any water supply for the last five days.

“All our complaints to the DJB (Delhi Jal Board) have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

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Labels: complaints, deaf ears, delhi, Delhi Jal Board, drinking water, people, poor water supply, street protest, traffic, water, water shortage, water supply

Panel suggests GRE-type test for college admissions

Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal has promised action within 100 days on the Yash Pal committee’s recommendations of sweeping changes in the policy for managing higher education.

Among other things, the panel’s report,submitted to the minister on Wednesday, called for the setting up of an umbrella higher education regulator in place of bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education, and for giving university status to IITs and IIMs.

“The report shows a road map for the future of education in India…I believe the nation will accept it,” Sibal said.

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Labels: college admission, education in india, gre, gre type test, higher education, human resource development, IIMs, IITs, panels report, UGC

Making Rs 1 crore in 10 months

Earning a fat salary was not enough for 27-year-old Citibank assistant manager Ramneek Singh.

The MBA degree holder and software engineer by profession chose another way of making quick bucks. He got together with industrialist Kanwaljit Singh Saluja (48) and his son Jasmeet Singh (24) and duped bank customers.

Using confidential information of ‘high valued’ bank customers provided by Ramneek, the father-son duo ordered gold credit cards from the bank. They gave addresses of offices, which they hired for a month, across Punjab and took delivery of the cards on these addresses.

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Labels: bank customers, citibank assistant, fraud, gold coins, industralist, mba degree holder, salary, Software engineer

Shuttler Saina wins big-ticket Indonesian Open

The longest day of the year turned out to be the biggest in Saina Nehwal’s fledgling badminton career. She became the first Indian shuttler to win a super series event.

Saina, 19, ranked eighth in the world, upset third seed Wang Lin of China 12-21, 2118, 21-9 to lift the Indonesian Open badminton title on Sunday.

The last big title won by an Indian was in 2001 when her mentor P. Gopichand clinched the All England title.

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Labels: badminton career, big ticket indonesian open, england title, gopichand, indian shuttler, indonesian open badminton title, saina, saina nehwal, super series event

Ripple effect causes massive traffic jam

On Wednesday evening, south and central Delhi witnessed its worst traffic jam in recent times.

As water gushed out of the broken water line, flooding the Ring Road near Pragati Maidan, traffic was thrown out of gear.

Traffic at India Gate and radial roads connecting C-Hexagon around India Gate did not move for almost an hour during the peak time of 6pm-7pm. All roads in Connaught Place, near ITO, and the connecting roads were choc-a-bloc. The ripple effect of the jam in central Delhi could be seen on arterial roads of south, east and north Delhi.

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Labels: broken water line, gear, India Gate, india gate traffic, traffic, traffic jam

Women defy odds to stay in hunt

India will be in line for a T20 title, after all. M.S. Dhoni and his boys may have crashed out after losing both to the West Indies and England in the Super 8s,but it has been a happier tale for the women.

Jhulan Goswami’s side booked a slot in the last four of the first Women’s World T20 on Monday with a tense five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Taunton. In the process they overcame a wobbly batting line-up and the side’s relative inexperience in the T20 format. Before the tournament, India had played only two T20 matches over more than two years, winning one and losing the other.They started with a loss to England but beat Pakistan and Sri lanka since.

Their preparation for the World T20 was also hit by the BCCI’s decision to scrap this year’s domestic T20 tournament for the women,

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Labels: batting, hunt, semifinals, t20 format, T20 tournament, t20 world cup, women cricket team, women t20 tournament, women t2o world cup, womens t20 world

India out, Dhoni suddenly uncool

M.S.Dhoni has apologised but India isn’t placated.

Social networking sites were clogged with messages from fans blaming Dhoni for India’s exit from the T20 World Cup.The Hindustan Times site is full of messages from irate fans. One TV channel ran a poll asking provocatively,“Should Dhoni be forgiven for the T20 debacle?”

Some of the outrage was orchestrated, though. On Monday, Dhoni’s effigy was burnt in hometown Ranchi, but apparently it was ‘arranged’ by two channels.

What Dhoni, 27, and other members of the team could be worried about is a repeat of 2003 when India were struggling in the early stages of the World Cup.

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Labels: Bangalore, blaming dhoni, champions, cricketers, fans, india out, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, rahul dravid residence, ranchi, t20 world cup, twenty20

Iran’s day of anguish

Protester set fires and smashed store windows on Sunday in a second day of violence as groups challenging President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election tried to keep pressure on authorities.

Anti-riot police lashed back and the regime blocked Internet sites used to rally the pro-reform campaign.

Ahmadinejad dismissed the unrest the worst in a decade in Tehran as “not important.”

He said Friday’s vote was “real and free”and insisted the results showing his landslide victory were fair and legitimate.

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Labels: election, fires, Iran, iran elections, iranian flags, pre election rally, president mohmoud ahmadinejad, pressure, protesters, rally, Tehran, violence

Didi cancels Lalu’s pass

Railways minister Mamata Banerjee (54) snubbed her predecessor Lalu Prasad on his 62nd birthday on Thursday.

On May 19, three days before demitting office, Prasad expanded the benefits of free travel for former rail ministers under the ‘Golden Pass’ scheme.

Banerjee plans to reverse that order. “Politicians must not corner facilities meant for the common people,” she said.

Her reactions came after Ram Naik (75), a former rail minister, asked her to withdraw the order. “The issuance of such orders by a lame duck government amounts to misuse of powers and promotes an unethical practice,” Naik said in a June 9 letter to Banerjee.

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Labels: banerjee plans, Birthday, cancel, golden pass scheme, Lalu Prasad Yadav, mamata banerjee, pass, powers, promotes, railways minister

1,800 Tata Indicom Subscriber Identity Module cards cloned

The Haryana Police have come across a sensational case of cloning of more than 1,800 mobile SIM cards in state.Interestingly, while all these calling cards were activated, the original cards are in the custody of Tata Indicom

After registering an FIR, the police authorities are investigating if these cards were used by criminals or for any antinational activity.

Sources said according to company officials,at least 1,888 SIM cards of Tata Indicom have been cloned or duplicated by using some tricky mechanism by certain unscrupulous elements.

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Labels: cdma, cdma sim cards, cloned sim cards, custody, Haryana, haryana police, mobile, sim, sim cards, subscribers, tata, tata indicom

Indians walk students home in Australia

The Indian community here has come to the rescue of its students being targeted for racial attacks, by taking care of them while returning home late in the night when they are most vulnerable.

Moti Visa,editor of an Indian community newspaper,said he has begun pick-ups and dropoffs for Indians who live in his area,in Melbourne’s north-east.

He said, “The main problems are happening when our youngsters are getting down from the trains and they have to walk alone. That can be eliminated.” “We might have to spend some money from our pocket but at least our children will be safe,” he added.

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Labels: attacks on indian students, Australia, indian community, indian rally, indian restaurant, melbourne, racial attacks, youngsters

Man who knit India and Bharat through theatre passes away

Veteran Indian playwright and theatre director Habib Ahmed Khan ‘Tanvir’ died on June 8, in Bhopal, aged 85, after a brief illness. Tanvir was reportedly admitted to hospital three weeks ago with breathing difficulties.

He leaves behind a daughter, Nagin, who is a Hindustani vocal singer, having debuted at the home of Bhopal-based dhrupad maestros Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha. Tanvir’s wife and professional partner, Moneeka Mishra, died in 2005. Tanvir’s burial will take place in the Bada Bara graveyard in Bhopal on Tuesday evening.

Born on September 1, 1923 at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Tanvir schooled in Nagpur. He was the organiser, secretary, playwright and actor-director of the Left-leaning, progressive and secular Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) during 1948-50.

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Labels: bhopal, breathing difficulties, gaveyard, habib tanvir, hindustani vocal singer, illness, India, sanskrit drama, tanvir died, tanvirs burial, theatre director habib ahmed khan

Obama’s marriage was on brink of collapse, says new book

Barack and Michelle Obama are said to be the most romantic ever First Couple to lead America. But now a new book has claimed that it was not always wedded bliss for them.

The book, Renegade, about Barack's unlikely run for the presidency, recounts a tense period in 2000 when the Obamas' marriage was on the verge of collapse because of his restless political hunger and the family's shattered finances. “There was little conversation and even less romance.She was angry at his selfishness and careerism,he thought she was cold and ungrateful,” Richard Wolffe wrote in his book.

At the time, Barack was stuck on the lowest step of the political ladder.As a mere state senator in Illinois, he had challenged a popular incumbent in a Democratic primary by running against Bobby Rush from Chicago.He was trounced by a dismal 2-1 margin.

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Labels: Barack Obama, careerism, chicago, collapse, democratic, first couple to lead america, michelle obama, obamas marriage, political ladder, richard wolffe, United States

Pass women's quota Bill and I'll kill myself: Sharad

A controversial Bill that reserves 33 per cent seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures faced opposition in the form of emotional blackmail in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

“We may not have the numbers but I will consume poison and die here but not allow the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill,” Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav said.

In the Presidential address to both Houses of Parliament the government has stated that one of the first steps it wants to initiate in the next 100 days is early passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

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Labels: 100 days, bill, emotional blackmail, house of parliament, janata dal united, Lok Sabha, parliament, sharad yadav, state legislatures, Women reservation, womens quota, womens reservation bill

Terror threat on radar, United States warns citizens in India

Two days after the United States embassy in New Delhi, posted a message on its website, warning citizens of high threat of terrorism across, the Indian government reacted sharply asserting that India was absolutely safe.

The Ministry of External Affairs directed the Indian embassy in Washington DC to take up the matter with the Obama administration.

“Ambassador Meera Shankar has been asked to give her personal attention to this matter, to ensure that the message is removed,” a source told Hindustan Times.

On the other hand, Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, 53, reacted sharply and said “India is a safe place.

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Labels: citizens, indian ambassador, indian citizens, Indian government, message, radar, security, terror threat, terrorism, united states warns, warnings

Win hearts of Tamils, Lankan prez tells troops

At Wednesday's national victory parade to celebrate the defeat of the LTTE, it was difficult to say which was more martial in nature — the military hardware on display or President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s speech which had a liberal sprinkling of victory, defeat, terrorists, terrorism and motherland.

“Terrorists are no more invincible. It is only you, the valiant troops and our Motherland that are invincible. I recently went down on my knees and worshipped the glorious motherland that obtained its freedom through the sacrifice of the lives of thousands of our heroic troops,’’ Rajapaksa said.

He told troops that it was now time to win over the hearts of the Tamils who should be able to live without “fear and mistrust”.

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Labels: Celebration, defeat, hearts of tamils, lankan president, ltte, military hardware, motherland, national military victory, Sri Lanka, Tamil, terrorism, terrorists, valiant troops, victory

Rains kill 130 deer in Rajasthan

About 80 black bucks drowned at the Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday night, following a heavy thunderstorm and unexpected flooding.

In all, about 130 deer of different species were killed.

The sanctuary,on the edge of the Thar desert,spread over 720 hectares in Rajasthan’s Churu district, 210 km northwest of Jaipur, is famed for its black bucks,numbering around 2,000.

But in the absence of proper drainage and adequate precautions by forest officials, a single night’s heavy rain was enough to wreak havoc.

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Labels: black bucks killed, black bukcs, deer, desert, different species, drainage, flooding, forest officials, Jaipur, killed, rains, Rajasthan, tal chhapar wildlife sanctuary, thunderstorms

‘Plane was in stormy area’

We are without a doubt faced with an aviation catastrophe.The entire company is thinking of the families and shares their pain,”Air France chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told reporters.

If it is confirmed that all 228 people on board the Air France jet that went missing were killed, it would be the worst loss of life in the airlines’ history and civil aviation’s worst accidental disaster for more than a decade.

French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said hijacking had been ruled out and that the plane had probably had some kind of accident.

“There’s nothing on Spanish radar, nothing on Moroccan radar,nothing on French radar.

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Labels: accidental disaster, air france flight 447, air france jet, airlines, airlines history, brazil military, lost of life, plane missing, radar, rio de janeiro to paris, thunderstorms

On-screen smoking ban impractical: Azad

On world No Tobacco Day, when the order that all tobacco products should carry graphic pictorial warnings came into effect, the health minister endorsed smoking in movies.

“Film is entertainment, which is also related to reality. These things happen in the society,” Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Sunday.“We cannot do anything that is not practical.”

The new pack may take three more weeks to reach the city’s vendors,but curious smokers have already started making enquiries.

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Labels: ghulam nabi azad, graphic pictorial warnings, health minister endorsed smoking in movies, no tabacco day, smokers, smoking, smoking hazards, tobacco, tobacco products

Hindustan Times

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A first: Foreign interest in Arjun tank

Monday, June 29, 2009

9 killed in tribal areas, Rs 50 million for Mehsud’s head

Friday, June 26, 2009

Protests on streets over water shortage

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Panel suggests GRE-type test for college admissions

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Making Rs 1 crore in 10 months

Monday, June 22, 2009

Shuttler Saina wins big-ticket Indonesian Open

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Ripple effect causes massive traffic jam

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Women defy odds to stay in hunt

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

India out, Dhoni suddenly uncool

Monday, June 15, 2009

Iran’s day of anguish

Friday, June 12, 2009

Didi cancels Lalu’s pass

Thursday, June 11, 2009

1,800 Tata Indicom Subscriber Identity Module cards cloned

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Indians walk students home in Australia

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Man who knit India and Bharat through theatre passes away

Monday, June 8, 2009

Obama’s marriage was on brink of collapse, says new book

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Pass women's quota Bill and I'll kill myself: Sharad

Friday, June 5, 2009

Terror threat on radar, United States warns citizens in India

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Win hearts of Tamils, Lankan prez tells troops

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Rains kill 130 deer in Rajasthan

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

‘Plane was in stormy area’

Monday, June 1, 2009

On-screen smoking ban impractical: Azad

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