Silver Scorpio - International News | Spot News | Top News | Flash News | Live News
Now Last Weeks Peak
1 78 2 1 Still Standing – Monica (/RMG)
2 2 3 1 Battle Of The Sexes – Ludacris (/IDJMG)
3 1 3 1 Here I Am – Marvin Sapp (/JLG)
4 4 42 1 The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas (/IGA)
5 3 8 1 Soldier Of Love – Sade (/Sony Music)
6 6 18 1 Rated R – Rihanna (/IDJMG)
7 5 8 1 Rebirth – Lil Wayne (/UMRG)
8 7 30 2 Ready – Trey Songz (/AG)
9 8 16 1 The Element Of Freedom – Alicia Keys (/RMG)
10 1 10 More Malice (EP) – Snoop Dogg (/Capitol)
London, Sep 19 (ANI): Locals of a North Carolina community, where Patrick Swayze’s film ‘Dirty Dancing’ was shot, are planning a memorial service for the late star.
The ‘Ghost’ star died on Monday evening after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
The town of Lake Lure will pay homage to the 57-year-old during a memorial service on Saturday evening at Firefly Cove, a housing development that was Camp Chimney Rock when ‘Dirty Dancing’ was filmed.
Many outdoor scenes in the film were filmed there, as was the cabin of Johnny Castle, Swayze’s character.
While the memorial service is free, visitors will be asked to donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
Rev Everette Chapman, who will be speaking at the memorial service, said that the town’s residents remember Swayze as a kind family man.
Chapman, who lived at Lake Lure when the movie was filmed but did not meet the actors, said he would talk about Swayze’s determination to live each day to the fullest.
“I’ll ask people their memory of him and just talk about him as every woman’s heart-throb and every man’s envy,” said Chapman.
Although organisers have no idea how many people to expect, they have still arranged for police officers to help with parking. (ANI)
Washington, Sept 16 (ANI): Actress Whoopi Goldberg remembers late actor Patrick Swayze as a “funny man” who repeatedly flashed his bare bottom while she shot for their hit movie Ghost.
The 53-year-old American actress insists she has fond memories of their time together.
“Patrick was a really good man, a funny man and one to whom I owe much that I can’t ever repay. I believe in Ghost’s message, so he’ll always be near,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying,
She recalls, “The camera would be on me and he’d be off to the side and he’d moon me! It was the greatest.”
She credits Swayze with helping her win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Ghost.
“Because of Patrick Swayze, I got that movie Ghost. Because of Patrick Swayze, I have an Oscar.”
Swayze lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 57 on Monday. (ANI)
London, Sep.16 (ANI): British troops are a long way from winning the battle against a resilient Taliban in Afghanistan, and the conflict in the country could lead to “major shifts” in military spending, said British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth.
“We are facing a resilient enemy which we are far from succeeding against yet,” he told an audience of defence experts at King’s College London.
“I reject the proposition we are not making progress. I also reject the proposition a reduced military presence will lead to less Taliban success,” The Telegraph quoted Ainsworth, as saying further.
A leading thinktank warned earlier that the presence of large numbers of foreign troops in Afghanistan made it harder to achieve a political settlement to the conflict.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies said western forces in Afghanistan needed a “more cunning” strategy if they were to achieve their aims.
Ainsworth said a military failure in Afghanistan would have “profound consequences for our national security” and “undermine the Nato alliance”.
He also called for an open debate about future defence policy and how money for the military should be spent before the government publishes a defence review green paper in advance of next year’s general election. (ANI)
Washington, Sept 15 (ANI): Veteran actor Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer on Monday, aged 57.
The ‘Dirty Dancing’ star lost his battle to cancer after struggling for at least 20 months.
“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months,” People magazine quoted Swayze’s representatives as saying in a statement.
Whoopi Goldberg, who starred with Swayze in one of his biggest movies ‘Ghost’, remembers Swayze as “funny man”.
“Patrick was a really good man, a funny man and one to whom I owe much that I can’t ever repay,” said Goldberg,
“I believe in Ghost’s message, so he’ll always be near,” she added.
“Patrick lived a hundred lifetimes in one,” said Rob Lowe, who appeared with Swayze in ‘The Outsiders and Youngblood’.
“I will remember him for that, and I will remember him for how much he loved his wife Lisa. He was such an intense actor, so full of passion and vigor. He definitely made the most out of it. It’s a sad day,” he added.
Swayze was diagnosed with advanced stage of pancreatic cancer in January last year.
However, he kept shooting for A and E series ‘The Beast’ while undergoing chemotherapy and never lost hope. (ANI)
London, September 13 (ANI): Prince Harry has reportedly got back together with girlfriend Chelsy Davy after a secret months-long battle to woo her back.
The prince was said to be ecstatic about their three-month trial reunion and even celebrated with a round of coffees at his Shropshire helicopter training base.
“He’s flying high and he isn’t going to blow it this time!” the Daily Star quoted a pal as saying.
Chelsy dumped the royal eight months ago and ended their five-year relationship over his lack of commitment, and her frustration at the confines of life within the Royal Family, it is believed.
The two were previously reported to have had heart-to-heart talks in secret over the summer, with Harry even promising a “no cheating” charter to prove he was serious.
The friend added: “Harry knows he’s on trial and has a deadline. But he’s always thought that, if he could only get her to see how he’d changed, he had a real chance.
“They’ve always loved each other but he knows he let her down badly in the past and he won’t do it again.” (ANI)
Washington, September 11 (ANI): A research mission has located and identified the final resting place of the YP-389, a US Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, by a German submarine during World War II.
Six sailors died in the attack on June 19, 1942. There were 18 survivors.
The wreck is located in about 300 feet of water in a region off North Carolina known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to US and British naval vessels, merchant ships, and German U-boats sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and its expedition partners mapped and shot video of the wreck using high-resolution camera equipment, multibeam sonar and an advanced remotely operated vehicle deployed from the NOAA ship Nancy Foster.
Researchers were able to locate and positively identify the YP-389 by reexamining data from the Duke Marine Laboratory expedition that discovered the USS Monitor in 1973.
Today, the relatively intact remains of the YP-389 rest upright on the ship’s keel.
The wreck site is home to a variety of marine life. Much of the outer-hull plating has fallen away, leaving only the intact frames exposed.
“She rests now like a literal skeleton, a reminder of a time long ago when the nation was at war,” said Joseph Hoyt, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary archaeologist and principal investigator for the project.
Built originally as a fishing trawler, the YP-389 was converted into a coastal patrol craft and pressed into service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The ship was equipped with one 3-inch deck gun to protect the ship from enemy aircraft and surfaced submarines and two .30-caliber machine guns.
However, on the day of the attack by the German submarine U-701, the ship’s deck gun was inoperative, and the YP-389 could return fire only with its machine guns.
Weeks after the attack on the YP-389, the U-701 was sunk by Army aircraft in the same vicinity as the YP-389.
According to Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach, USN (Ret), director, Naval History and Heritage Command, “The US Navy considers the YP-389 discovery a grave site and, by law, it is to be left undisturbed.” (ANI)
New Delhi, Sep 9 (ANI): Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor flagged in the first ever women expedition team for army corps of engineers to Indira Col, Siachen, today at Army Headquarters here.
The Indian Army has achieved another milestone in the history of Indian mountaineering by undertaking an ‘All Women Officers Expedition’ to Siachen glacier.
The Corps of Engineers in consonance with its spirit of adventure has organised this unique expedition to the highest and coldest battlefield in the world, Siachen Glacier, a junction point of three countries – India, China and Pakistan.
The expedition led by Major Megha Astagikar summitted Indira Col, located at an altitude of 20,187 feet, after trekking 103.10 kilometers on August 15, which coincided with the 62nd Independence Day.
Enroute to Indira Col, the team halted at eight camps to carry out acclimatisation, training and build-up of essential logistics. Braving inclement weather and extremely difficult terrain conditions, Indira Col was summitted well before the planned schedule.
The team traversed across the most treacherous high altitude terrain characterised by high avalanche-prone snow bound area with deep crevasses, steep ice-walls and scarce oxygen.
The 17 women officers expedition team was flagged-off by the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Noble Thamburaj on August 3.
Prior to undertaking the expedition, a detailed planning and rigorous training in basic ice-craft and mountaineering skills was carried out by the team at the Army Mountaineering Institute, Siachen Base Camp.
Major AR Ramakrishnan, the trainer of the expedition team, inspite of being a battle casualty during ‘Operation Vijay’ summitted Indira Col alongwith the team making the achievement of the expedition spectacular and creditable. (ANI)
London, Sep 9(ANI): After reports of British soldiers facing weapons’ shortage in the Afghanistan frontier, a range of new thermal weapons’ sights has been launched to enable soldiers to dominate the battlefield in Afghanistan.
According to reports, the British Ministry of Defence will buy almost 11,000 new sights for 150 million pounds, allowing the Army to equip 95 infantry companies of more than 100 men.
As part of the Ministry of Defence’s Future Integrated Soldier Technology (Fist) programme troops have been issued with a small glass prism-like sight, which project a red laser dot. It would help a soldier to quickly align the red dot on an enemy who is very close and hit him with guaranteed accuracy.
“This means the infantryman can pick up the enemy coming in. At night the enemy’s field craft has to be pretty adept because he has to remain in dead ground all the way up to your position and that is hard yards. This will allow us to dominate the night,” The Telegraph quoted Col Bill Pointing, a former battalion commander in charge of the project, as saying.
“This will allow the infantry to operate quicker, better, at longer range, at night and in difficult weather conditions,” he added.
It will provide improved protection, day and night surveillance and target acquisition, and assistance with navigation, command and control and battle preparation.
The new thermal weapons’ sights would also allow soldiers to conduct surveillance and engage targets in all weather and light levels, including zero light where normal night sights would be rendered ineffective.
“There is a considerable improvement in terms of us infantry engaging the Taliban at very close quarters in the villages of Afghanistan, especially at night time. It will help us to put very effective fire into them,” said Cpl Ciaran Hanna of the Irish Guards. (ANI)
London, Sept 7 (ANI): Aussie singer Peter Andre has laughed off reports that he has a new girl in his life, insisting that he feels like a virgin.
The 36-year-old singer’s statement came after his estranged wife Kate Price, a.k.a. Jordan, went on TV to suggest that he had a new Mysterious Girl.
He even compared himself to the hero of the hit comedy ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’.
“OK 36 and not a V but feel like one at mo. Lol,” the Daily Star quoted him as having written on his Twitter page.
Meanwhile, Jordan has reportedly told son Harvey to call her boyfriend Alex Reid ‘Daddy’, a news which has upset Andre.
He is disheartened that his disabled stepson is being used as a pawn in the divorce battle. (ANI)
Gaya, Sep 5 (ANI): Bihar police arrested a Maoist leader, wanted in two-dozen cases of murder, robbery and kidnapping here on Friday.
Vinod Mehta alias Marandi was the founder of Revolutionary Communist Centre (RCC), officials said.
Marandi, along with two of his associates, was arrested from Sherghati town.
Officials said Marandi was earlier a self-styled commander of Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), before snapping ties and founding his own outfit.
“Earlier he was a sub-zonal commander of MCC. He snapped his links with MCC. When he got out of jail, he formed a new terrorist organisation called RCC (Revolutionary Communist Centre),” said Ranjan Kumar, deputy superintendent of police, Sherghati town.
The central government banned and formally labelled Maoist insurgents as a terrorist group, hoping it would give security forces more enforcement powers after the rebels briefly created a ‘liberated zone’ in Lalgarh region of West Bengal recently.
Some experts said the ban would have little impact in the battle against an estimated 22,000 Maoist combatants. (ANI)
Washington, Sep 2 (ANI): Brit singer Sir Paul McCartney has in an exclusive interview spoken out about the final days of ‘The Beatles’, and insisted that the group became victims of their own success when businessman Allen Klein took over their financial affairs.
According to music magazine Mojo, McCartney said that he and his bandmates struggled to come to terms with all the business decisions they were suddenly forced to make as they were recording their final album ‘Abbey Road’.
The fight between them over cash and contracts really became a huge burden.
“We were musicians, we were kids from Liverpool, we’d gone to grammar schools, we’d done Hamburg – we kind of knew all that,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.
“But the idea that you were going to get this money and someone was going to take it off you…
“I think we all just thought, ‘You get the money, you put it in a bank, and it gradually gets bigger,’ and you say, ‘Thank you very much, and you live happily ever after.’ Then you suddenly get with accountants and they say, ‘No, you can’t just sit there’.
“Then there’s tax, and some business person is on a raid – it was a huge upheaval,” he said.
McCartney also admitted that the group’s business woes were poured into their new songs.
“George (Harrison) would write Piggies, and I knew exactly what he was talking about, and he wrote Taxman when we first found out about the tax system,” he said.
The rift between the group eventually led to a court battle before the band broke up, with many fans blaming Klein for contributing to the group’s split.
McCartney refused to be drawn into talking about Klein, but hinted that he still had not forgiven the businessman for things that would remain unspoken.
“I don’t want to speak ill of the dead,” he added.
Klein passed away in New York earlier this summer, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. (ANI)
London, September 1 (ANI): Jordan has reportedly shelled out 150,000 pounds on a new dressage horse that she has named Cross Dresser.
The former glamour girl, a.k.a Katie Price, was said to have acquired the world-class ride from a Dutch stables.
The keen horsewoman, who has taken part in many equestrian events, allegedly called Cross Dresser her greatest extravagance after failing to “click” with others, reports The Sun.
The 31-year-old purportedly had plans to ride the horse at the London International Horse Show in December.
Jordan is presently locked in a bitter divorce battle with estranged hubby Peter Andre. (ANI)
Lahore, Sep 1 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has issued a 48 hours ultimatum to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to halt a “malicious” campaign against party chief Nawaz Sharif or be prepared for a forceful response.
“The PML-N is restraining itself for the sake of democracy, or it could have exposed hundreds of corruption stories involving PPP leaders,” PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal told reporters.
He said all information pointed towards the Presidency being responsible for the disinformation, the Daily Times reported.
He claimed the campaign was launched to divert the public’s attention from rental power projects, the Pakistan Steel Mills issue, the sugar scandal and former president Pervez Musharaf’s trial.
Iqbal said the PML-N would not allow anyone to distract it from its stated agenda on these issues.
He said a recent Gallup Polls survey had shown that 71 percent of Pakistanis wanted Musharraf tried for sedition and there was no need for a resolution.
Replying to a question on whether the renewed conflict between the PML-N and the PPP could jeopardise the system, Iqbal said his party would continue to fight for the constitution and democracy.
Meanwhile, in a tit-for-tat reply to PML-N’s warning that they would respond against the PPP leadership if it did not mend its ways within 48 hours, the PPP leaders said they were not afraid of any ultimatum.
The president’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, rejected and condemned the attempts to accuse the Presidency of being involved in what has been described as “character assassination” of some political leaders.
“There is no question of the Presidency being behind the resurrection of old accusations against some political leaders,” he said.
He said the accusation relating to the distribution of slush funds among politicians some two decades ago were not new and kept popping up every now and then. (ANI)
Amritsar, Aug.31 (ANI): Punjab farmers were full of optimism of harvesting a bumper crop of paddy despite a delayed monsoon, but now they fear crop damage due to attack of “Blight”, a bacterial disease.
Worried farmers allege that the agriculture department is not guiding them how to protect their crop from Blight. owever, at several places, the farmers, who had transplanted paddy, which was in good shape earlier, seem to be fighting a fast losing battle because of the widespread attack of “Blight”.
In various affected villages in the border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, the farmers today estimate nearly 50 percent of damage to paddy due to “Blight”, if it’s not controlled in time.
“The disease appeared as yellowish green stripes running from tip downwards and the affected leaf started drying from the margins. Since most of the farmers are unaware about the remedies so agriculture department should come forward to educate the farmers to tackle this problem,” said Jagdev Singh, one of the farmers.
Mangdev Singh, Sarpanch (village head) of Chiina Pati Village said, “Blight has dashed our hopes. We were expecting very good returns from paddy. In all the 500 acres of village paddy was transplanted. “Blight” attack has started in patches. If we fail to control, this could cause damage of al the crop here.
Singh said that they have contacted the department. Though the Agricultural Department accepts the damage to crops, it is not prepared to quantify it as yet.
In Amritsar district alone, of the nearly 183,000 hectares of land, Basmati was transplanted in about 90,000 hectares of land and in the rest of the farming land other variety of paddy was transplanted.
According to Gurdeep Singh, an Agriculture Development Officer, the disease has been noticed in all varieties of paddy grown in the areas of border belt.
“Since the disease develops more in high humid conditions, farmers should not allow stagnation of water in the fields.
Farmers should not spray pesticides to control the disease, as these are not effective against it,” said Gurdeep Singh. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)
London, August 31 (ANI): Jade Goody’s grave is said to be lying “lonely and forgotten” while her husband Jack Tweed has been snapped continuing his hard-party lifestyle.
The reality TV star’s final resting place was allegedly left untended, while the 22-year-old widower was photographed showing off his wedding band as he groped a girl pal’s breast at the recent V Festival.
“It’s not even been six months since she died but Jack is out behaving like a playboy while Jade’s grave lies untended. He was even caught groping one girl’s breast while wearing his wedding ring,” the Daily Star quoted Goody’s pal as saying.
The source added: “It’s such a shame to see Jack out living it up while Jade’s grave looks lonely and forgotten. Apart from a few items, including a plaque from her grandparents, a toy car on the cross from her two sons and some flowers, the grave looks really barren.”
Goody died at the age of 27 earlier this year, after losing her battle to cervical cancer. (ANI)
Lucknow, Aug 29 (ANI): Hundreds of farmers took to the streets in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri district, seeking return of farmland acquired to set up a power plant.
Reliance Power held by Anil Ambani’s ADA group had announced setting up of a 3,500 megawatt gas-based power plant in Dadri at a cost of 2.2 million dollars.
Farmers alleged that they were given a meagre compensation for their highly fertile agricultural land.
Farmers started the protest march from Reliance power project site in Dadri to Lucknow, on Thursday.
The protest was jointly organised by the farmers unions and the Congress Party.
Protestors said that their struggle was for justice.
“This demonstration is a long struggle that depicts the battle between justice and injustice. The way in which the 2500 acres of highly fertile land snatched from farmers by sighting the dream of a power project was wrong…five years have been passed but there is no sign of power plant,” said Pramod Tiwari, senior Congress leader. (ANI)
London, Aug.28 (ANI): Jenson Button launched into a furious f-word rant over his title bid last night.
The Formula One championship pacesetter was fuming after his desire to win the title was questioned, reports The Sun.
Asked to react to claims his recent form suggested he did not want to win the drivers’ crown, Button lost his rag.
The Brawn GP star, who has seen his lead cut to 18 points after four races without a victory, blasted:
“I don’t think people are saying that seriously. Who would possibly say that? Does Jenson want to win the title or not? It is a pretty silly question isn’t it?
“Why the f*** am I here? That is not a question is it? Does he want to win the title? No, I want to finish second or third. What I would like to do now is stand up and walk away, have a good weekend and then we will talk about it afterwards. When you have one bad race there are always silly questions.”
Earlier Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel had pumped up the pressure on Button by telling him: You have gone off the boil!
The German ace, 22 reckons Button’s losing streak proves he is feeling the heat of the title battle.
He declared: “I am not giving up on the title.
Button has managed just 11 points in the last four grands prix, after winning six of the previous seven. (ANI)
Karachi, Aug.27 (ANI): Pakistan cricket coach Intikhab Alam has backed his team as favourites for winning the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in South Africa in September.
Despite the disastrous tour of Sri Lanka, Alam said the momentum is with Pakistan.
“We lost the Test and one-day series in Sri Lanka but won the last three games of the tour. Those results were very important and now the momentum is with us ahead of the Champions Trophy,” said Alam.
However, Alam admitted that Pakistan would have to play really well to succeed in the eight nation tournament, in which it shares the group with India and Australia.
“Australia and India are two of the world’s best teams but in a way it’s good for us that both of them are in our group,” The News quoted Alam, as saying.
Alam said his boys were looking forward for battle against arch rivals India.
“A match against India is always a big one and the team is planning to go all out for a win against them,” he said.
Pakistan has never won a game in ICC tournaments like the World Cup and the Champions Trophy against India.
Alam believed that Australia would be vulnerable in the tournament, particularly after their morale-shattering Ashes defeat against England.
“For Australia, Ashes is the ultimate thing. Their morale would be really low and I believe that would be good for our cause,” he added.
Commenting on the selection committee’s controversial decision to include tainted fast bowler Mohammad Asif omitting experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from the 15-man squad, Alam said Asif will add strength to bowling line-up.
“We certainly need a bowler like him. Asif will add to our team’s strength. He is fully fit and has played plenty of cricket in the last five or six months,” he said. (ANI)
Sydney, Aug.27 (ANI): Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath has told left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson not to overdo or over think things and keep things simple if he wants to reach his considerable potential as a Test match bowler.
McGrath, who has high hopes for Johnson and the other two members of Australia’s Ashes pace attack – Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle, feels Johnson’s potential, will be reached only through a clear head uncluttered by countless theories about his bowling technique.
Though finishing with a solid return of 20 wickets at 32 in the Ashes series, Johnson was not the rampant force he was in South Africa and earlier at home.
“All his problems were sorted out when Michael Clarke said to him ‘just bowl fast’,” McGrath said.
“I can understand that. He needs to keep it simple. That is the key. He just has to clear his head and not complicate things. Less things can go wrong when you keep it simple. I just used to switch a voice off in my head, pick out a song to sing at the top of my mark and trust myself that my body knew how to bowl. It didn’t always work. But if you win the battle with yourself you are 75 per cent towards being successful,” the Courier Mail quoted McGrath, as saying.
“That’s all Mitch needs to do. Just relax. Even when he isn’t bowling well he still takes wickets. It is just a confidence thing. He needs to just run in and bowl,” he added.
McGrath also felt that Brett Lee can again return as a Test match force for Australia but the Johnson-Siddle-Hilfenhaus union has the potential to be a long-term one for Australia.
“Those three guys will grow as time goes on. They were the leading wicket-takers in the Ashes from both teams. You can’t really sledge them too much because I think they have done pretty well,” he said.
McGrath said Lee bowled well in an early tour game before being injured and cannot be dismissed from Test match calculations this summer when Australia play the West Indies and Pakistan in three-Test series.(ANI)
Copyright © 2013 · eleven40 theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in