Some Americans think opposition to Obama’s policies is based on racism

Washington, Sep. 18 (ANI): Some Americans, including former President Jimmy Carter, believe that those who are opposing US President Barrack Obama’s policies have a racial element against him instead of simple disagreement.

According to a recent Fox News poll, 65 percent Americans think that opposition to Obama’s policies is based on honest disagreements, while 20 percent say it is mostly motivated by racism.

However, Black voters are twice as likely to say the opposition is motivated by race, with 63 percent citing racism as the reason for opposition and 27 percent say it is based on honest disagreements.

Most white voters (71 percent) say the opposition comes from honest disagreements.

Most Republicans (87 percent) and independents (69 percent) believe that opposition to Obama’s policies is based on honest disagreements, while 48 percent Democrats say honest disagreements and 34 percent say it is motivated by racism, the poll found.

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters with a 3-point margin of error.

The poll also found that 54 percent of Americans think Obama is a “new kind” of politician, while a large 39 percent minority says he is a “typical” politician.

As for Obama’s handling of health care, 44 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved.

Obama received better ratings on his handling of the economy (55 percent approve) and on the war in Afghanistan (51 percent).

By a wide 60 percent to 27 percent margin, Americans think the country has become more divided rather than more united since Obama took office in January, the poll found. (ANI)

Cancer-stricken Patrick Swayze dies at 57

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)

Nithari victims’s relatives express outrage over Pander’s acquittal

New Delhi, Sep. 11 (ANI): The acquittal of Nithari killings accused Mohinder Singh Pandher in the Rimpa Haldar murder case has left relatives outraged and anguished.

“I will destroy this bungalow (Pandher’s residence) in one minute. I am ready to spend money to get justice,” said Anil Haldar, Rimpa’s father.

His reaction came after the Allahabad High Court acquitted Pandher for the murder of Rimpa, who was among the 19 people killed at the businessman’s home.

Haldar, a married woman, was called by Kohli to work as housemaid at the Pandher, and thereafter went missing.

The father of another victim said he would approach the country’s apex court for justice.

“We will go to Delhi and appeal in the Supreme Court because the government out here is corrupt,” said Jhabbu Lal, the father of Jyoti, a Nithari massacre victim.

Earlier this year, both Pandher and Koli were awarded capital punishment by a special court in Ghaziabad.

The Nithari killings came to light three years ago, leaving people across the country shocked.

The skeletal remains of the children were first discovered in a sewer behind Pandher’s plush D-5 bungalow in Noida’s Sector 31.The human skulls were stuffed in 57 gunny bags along with 700 bone pieces.

Special Judge Rema Jain completed the proceedings after re-cross examination of former Noida police officer Dinesh Yadav on January 27 and the recording of statements of Pandher and Kohli.

A total of 19 cases of killings were registered at the Noida police station in December 2006. All of them were transferred to the CBI for further investigation. (ANI)

Zia, Yahya and Ayub should be exhumed and hanged like Cromwell: PML-N leader

Karachi, Sep.11 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Javed Hashmi has said that all dictators including General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan and General Zia-ul-Haq should be tried and their bodies should be exhumed and hanged.

Talking to media persons at the Karachi Airport, Hashmi said the autocratic rulers should be treated in the same way the British treated Oliver Cromwell in 1661 to prevent the emergence of any dictator in future.

“The judiciary should try all the people in the country who had violated the constitution,” The Daily Times quoted Hashmi, as saying.

Oliver Cromwell’s, an English military and political leader,body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, and was subjected to the ritual of a posthumous execution.

Symbolically, this took place on 30 January 1661 the same date that Charles I was executed. His body was hanged in chains at Tyburn. Finally, his disintegrated body was thrown into a pit, while his severed head was displayed on a pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685.

Afterwards the head changed hands several times, including the sale in 1814 to a man named Josiah Henry Wilkinson, before eventually being buried in the grounds of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1960.(ANI)

India, Nepal agree to review Air Service Agreement

New Delhi, Sep 11 (ANI): India and Nepal signed here a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for review of Air Service Agreement (ASA) and a technical accord.

As per the understanding reached between the delegation from the two countries, the weekly seat capacity has been increased to 30,000 from the existing 6,000. This step can safely be expected to give a whole new boost to tourism as well as trade between the two countries.

Three new points have been granted to Nepal, namely Dehra Dun, Gorakhpur and Bagdogra and for India, Pokhara, Lumbini, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Janakpur, Dhangadi and Bhairahawa.

However, within their overall capacity entitlements, the designated airlines of Nepal shall be entitled to operate not exceeding 10,000 seats per week to/from Mumbai and Bangalore each and not exceeding 15,000 seats per week to/from Delhi. This restriction will become null and void from January 1, 2011.

Regarding the revised route schedule, the Nepali delegation stated that barring Kathmandu, there is no other airport in Nepal which is suitable for operation of international flights.

The designated airlines of each party shall be entitled to operate any number of all-cargo services between each other’s territory with any type of aircraft with full 3rd, 4th and 5th freedom traffic rights. Such all-cargo services may also be operated under co-operative marketing arrangements such as code sharing blocked space.

The delegations took note of the Technical Co-operation Agreement signed between the Airports Authority of India and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Both sides agreed to take further action for implementation of this Agreement.

The Indian side reiterated its request that permission for the deployment of sky marshals on the flights operated by the designated airlines of India to/from Nepal may be expedited.

The Nepal side took note of the request and informed that the matter had already been referred to the appropriate authority of the Government of Nepal. The Nepal side will pursue the matter. This Memorandum of Understanding shall super cede all previous arrangements to the extent applicable and shall come into force with immediate effect.

The Indian delegation was led by M. Madhavan Nambiar, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Nepal side was led by Nagendra Prasad Ghimire, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. (ANI)

Satyam pulls out of Oz university development project

Melbourne, Sep 11 (ANI): Mahindra Satyam has pulled out of a 75 million dollars software development project at Deakin University that was set to create 2000 jobs in Geelong, Victoria.

The company’s president of corporate affairs, Sujit Baksi, informed the state government of its intention in a letter to IT minister John Lenders.

According to the Geelong Advertiser, Baksi wrote: “The need to concentrate on an extensive internal restructuring program of our business precludes Mahindra Satyam from embarking on expansion projects of this kind.

“While Mahindra Satyam is disappointed that it cannot proceed with the centre, it reaffirms its commitment to future expansion in Victoria when circumstances allow.”

A Satyam Australia spokeswoman confirmed that the project had been cancelled, The Australian reports.

According to the report, Baksi committed to Mahindra Satyam paying back the undisclosed cash grant to the Brumby Government, which the company was given to lure it to Geelong.

In July the new owner of Satyam, Tech Mahindra, said it was committed to the project and was investigating its viability.

The future of the Geelong project, occupying 10ha at Deakin University, came into question after Satyam founder and chairman B. Ramalinga Raju admitted to a one billion dollars accounting scandal in January. (ANI)

Britain, France feared Berlin Wall fall would mark return of Nazi era

London, Sep.10 (ANI): Britain and France feared the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 would return Nazi-era ambitions to Germany.

East German border guards demolished a section of the wall on November 11, 1989

Secret British government documents to be published on Friday reveal the deep anxieties felt by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Frangois Mitterrand, following the fall of the wall.

According to The Telegraph, the documents, published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, show that Mitterrand privately warned Lady Thatcher that a reunited Germany might “make even more ground than had Hitler”.

They also show that in January 1990, weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mitterrand warned Lady Thatcher that the prospect of reunification was turning the Germans into the “bad” people they used to be.

Thatcher’s deep-seated opposition to reunification, and her disagreement with the FCO over the issue, also emerges in the 500 published papers.

The Government’s decision to publish the papers, ahead of Germany’s 20th anniversary celebrations of the fall of the wall, will be seen as an attempt to show that officials were positive about reunification early on, despite Lady Thatcher’s personal concerns. (ANI)

Israel’s offensive in Gaza killed 252 children

London, Sep. 9 (ANI): A startling new report has revealed that 252 children were killed during Israel’s war on Gaza early this year.

The Israeli official figures seriously underestimated the civilian Palestinian death toll, and said that just 59 children under 16 died during their offensive in Gaza.

Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem gathered death certificates, photos, and testimonies relating to all 252 of the children, The Independent reports.

B’Tselem, which said it had carried out “months of meticulous investigation and cross-checks with numerous sources” has, unlike the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), made public the names of all those it said were killed in the war.

The organization noted that since the IDF had refused to reveal its own detailed list, it was impossible to compare the names but that “the blatant discrepancy between the numbers is intolerable.”

The new figures came as the IDF opened a criminal investigation into allegations by Khaled Abed Rabbo that three of his daughters were shot, two fatally, as the family, carrying a white flag, walked from their house in eastern Jabalya on January 7.

B’Tselem’s total Palestinian death toll exceeds by more than 200 the 1,166 cited by the IDF.

The IDF insisted when issuing its own figures that 709 were “Hamas terror operatives” and that a total of 295 “not involved” Palestinians were killed.

By contrast B’Tselem puts the total figure for those who “did not take part in the hostilities” at 773.

The agency repeated calls for an “independent and credible investigation” into the military’s conduct of the war. (ANI)

Pak intelligence’s severe ‘torture’ saved Rauf from being extradited to UK

London, Sep.9 (ANI): The Pakistani intelligence had tortured Rashid Rauf, the alleged mastermind of the airliner bombing plot, so badly that Britain had to abandon its plan to prosecute him.

According to the Guardian, Rauf was treated so badly that he could not be extradited.

Rauf, who was born in Pakistan in January 1981 and raised in Birmingham, is described as a key figure in Al-Qaida’s most ambitious conspiracy against the western world since the 9/11 carnage.

Rauf has also been named as a possible ‘facilitator’ of the July 7, 2005 London terror attacks by MI5 and MI6.

Rauf, wanted in London for murder, was arrested in Pakistan in August 2006, but he later escaped from police custody in Rawalpindi in broad daylight just two weeks before the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

His escape also aborted an alleged plan said to be mutually agreed between Islamabad and London to exchange Rauf for two high-profile Baloch leaders wanted for allegedly waging war against the Pakistan army.

The Baloch leaders seeking sanctuary in the UK were arrested for the exchange purpose but after Rauf’s escape the court apparently released them for want of evidence. (ANI)

Satyam founder Raju placed under medial observation for 48 hours

Hyderabad, Sep 8 (ANI): Satyam Computers founder B Ramalinga Raju, who suffered a massive heart attack on Monday, has been put under observation for next 48 hours in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) hospital.

According to hospital sources, Raju has also been diagnosed with the Hepatitis C.

Doctors said, Raju’s condition is stable and that he needed rest for a long period.

According to jail sources, Raju suffered a cardiac arrest at around 8 p.m, was initially attended by the jail doctors before being shifted to NIMS hospital.

Raju, who has been under judicial custody at the Chanchalguda jail for the past eight months in connection with Rs 8,000 crore corporate fraud, facing criminal charges including fraud, forgery, cheating, embezzlement and insider trading along with his brother and Satyam’s former managing director Rama Raju and others.

Raju, will turn 55 on September 16.

Raju was Satyam’s Chairman until January 7, 2009 when he resigned from the company’s board after admitting to corporate fraud. The Andhra Pradesh Police arrested him on January 9.

Satyam was created by Raju and others and was until recently perceived to be among the top Indian IT companies. (ANI)

Boy George turns to raw diet to shed ‘jail weight’

Washington, September 8 (ANI): Fallen pop star Boy George has reportedly turned to a strict diet of uncooked food to shed weight he gained as he served his sentence in jail.

The former Culture Club frontman, real name George O’Dowd, was also said to have resorted to a gruelling exercise routine to get back in shape.

“He’s on a raw food regime and doing an hour’s walking a day,” Contactmusic quoted friend of the star as saying.

“He’s also got some DJ shows lined up so hopefully things are back on track,” the friend added.

The ‘Karma Chameleon’ singer was jailed in January for falsely imprisoning a male escort in his flat and beating the 29-year-old after a drug-fuelled nude photo shoot in 2007.

The 48-year-old was granted early release in May for his good behaviour, but was let off with a curfew and an ankle monitoring tag that was recently removed. (ANI)

Boy George plans comeback after prison release

Washington, September 8 (ANI): Former Culture Club frontman Boy George is drawing plans to head back to the studio and resurrect his career just fourth months after he walked free from jail.

The fallen pop star, real name George O’Dowd, was jailed in January for falsely imprisoning a male escort in his flat and beating the 29-year-old after a drug-fuelled nude photo shoot in 2007.

The 48-year-old was granted early release in May for his good behaviour, but was let off with a curfew and an ankle monitoring tag that was recently removed.

And now, the singer has revealed that he is preparing material for a new album of cover songs.

“I’m choosing songs that speak to me and have lyrics that reflect my personal journey and experiences,” Contactmusic quoted him as telling British newspaper The People. (ANI)

Delhi Court to hear Bofors pay-off case today

New Delhi, Sep 8 (ANI): A Delhi court will hear the Bofors payoffs case against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi today. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may reveal its course of action following the withdrawal of Interpol’s Red Corner Notice against him.

The matter is to come up for hearing before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja.

During the brief hearing on April 30, Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, appearing for CBI, had informed the court that the Red Corner Notice issued against Quattrocchi was withdrawn in November last year.

The ASG had also sought two months time to decide on the future course of action in the politically-sensitive case on the court’s query as to what options were left with the probe agency following the withdrawal of the Red Corner Notice.

The Bofors scandal was a major corruption scandal in India in the 1980s, when the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and several others were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply the Indian Army with 155 mm howitzer guns.

The court had on February 10, 1997, sent letters to Malaysia and the UAE seeking the arrest and extradition of Quattrocchi.

The CBI had registered the FIR in the Bofors case on January 22, 1990, three years after Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, claimed that A B Bofors, the makers of the 155 mm howitzers, had paid kickbacks to top Indian politicians and key defence officials to secure the Rs 1,437 crore gun deal.The contract between the Indian government and the Swedish Company for the supply of 400 field guns was signed on March, 24, 1986. (ANI)

Oil, trade was big part of Lockerbie bombers release deal, admits Straw

London, Sep 5 (ANI): Britain’s Justice secretary Jack Straw has admitted for the first time that trade and oil deals with Libya played a very big part in the handling of the Lockerbie bomber’s case.

He said trade was a major influence on his decision to include Abdelbaset Al Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya signed two years ago, just as BP was seeking a multi-billion pound deal there.

In January 2008, Libya ratified a $900 million (£551 million) oil deal with BP.

When asked in the interview if trade and BP were factors, Straw admits: “Yes, (it was) a very big part of that. I’m unapologetic about that… Libya was a rogue state.

“We wanted to bring it back into the fold. And yes, that included trade because trade is an essential part of it and subsequently there was the BP deal.”

The admission directly contradicts Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s insistence only days ago that oil deals were not a factor in Megrahi’s release, The Telegraph reports.

Straw also suggested that Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, released the terminally ill bomber on compassionate grounds earlier than the British Government would have done.

Brown has been accused of putting Britain’s trade interests before justice for the Lockerbie victims.

Megrahi, who is suffering from prostate cancer, was freed last month by Scotland on compassionate grounds after it was said he was only months from death. Last night it emerged he has been moved out of intensive care.

Straw also claims that Brown had nothing to do with his change of heart over the prisoner transfer agreement, adding: “I certainly didn’t talk to the PM. There is no paper trail to suggest he was involved at all.”

A spokesman for BP said the company had raised concerns with the Government about the slow progress in concluding the PTA, but denied mentioning Megrahi. (ANI)

Ballack’s quit shock to crisis-hit Chelsea

London, Sep 5 (ANI): German playmaker Michael Ballack has landed another blow on crisis-hit Chelsea by revealing that he might quit at the end of the season.

Just hours after the Blues were banned from signing any new players until January 2011; Ballack has threatened to leave the club even shorter on bodies.

The German international midfielder, who will be 33 this month, is in the final year of his 130,000 pound-a-week Chelsea contract.

The club has not even opened talks over a new deal.

Ballack said on Friday: “I will decide after the 2010 World Cup if I will continue playing or if I will stop.”

“I will only continue as long as I still enjoy myself and have ambitions in the sport,” The Sun quoted him, as saying. (ANI)

Hilary Swank supports pet re-homing drive

Washington, September 4 (ANI): Actress Hilary Swank has urged people to support a new scheme to rehouse unwanted pets.

The ‘Million Dollar Baby’ star became an ambassador for the Home 4 the IAMS Holidays Pet Adoption Campaign, which helps animals in shelters find new owners.

“I’m so proud to be working to help raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“Last year, the program’s adoption goal was to get one million pets adopted in just three months, but this year the goal is even bigger.

“We’re on a mission to find loving homes for 1.5 million orphaned pets between October 1st and January 4th,” she added.

The animal loving Oscar-winner has previously adopted many pets, most recent being her two dogs, Karoo and Rumi. (ANI)

Babel accuses Benitez of breaking promises

London, Sep 3 (ANI): Dutch winger Ryan Babel has accused Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez of breaking promises which could wreck his World Cup dream.

Babel now wants to join Ajax on loan after claiming he was made a scapegoat for last month’s 2-1 defeat at Spurs.

“There were all sorts of assurances and promises from the club but they have not kept them. I should get more playing time but after the first defeat of the season I was the only one who was singled out – and I lost my place,” The Sun quoted Babel, as saying.

Babel bought by Benitez for 11.5 million pounds from Ajax two years ago, has played just 14 minutes as a sub since that defeat.

He lost his place in the Holland squad for Saturday’s friendly against Japan and the midweek World Cup qualifier in Scotland – until Ibrahim Afellay’s injury saw him recalled.

“Being left out was a real shock and very worrying. I didn’t expect not to be named, I’d already booked my ticket! We will have to review the situation again in January,” he said.

“But I think half a season back at Ajax, with a World Cup coming up next summer, wouldn’t be a bad option at all. I see the current situation at Liverpool as a signal I have to be playing more,” Babel added. (ANI)

Chinese man faces trial for burying ‘dead’ pal alive!

New Delhi, Sept 2 (ANI): A man from Huichang, Jiangxi province, will face the jury for intentional homicide for burying a friend alive.

The accused and his friend, Liao, were testing out a new shotgun when Lao accidentally shot himself in the head.

His friend buried an unconscious Liao thinking he was dead to avoid legal complications.

When Liao’s body was found and an autopsy was done, the results showed that he had died of suffocation and not the gunshot, reports China Daily.

The accident took place on January 13.

Police have filed a charge sheet against the accused. (ANI)

Lily Cole owes acting career to late Heath Ledger

Washington, Sept 2 (ANI): English actress Lily Cole insists that she owes her acting career to late actor Heath Ledger.

Cole said he taught her the tricks of the trade while they were filming ‘The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus’.

After a small role in Trinian’s movie, the 21-year-old actress was hired for Terry Gilliam’s fantasy epic, opposite Ledger and Christopher Plummer.

She calls Ledger “a great friend and mentor.”

“He definitely helped me,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“From the beginning, he understood that I would be overwhelmed and scared by the size of the project. He encouraged me and said he was really proud of me, constantly fed me support,” she added.

Cole reveals she came close to giving up on the film when Ledger was found dead of a prescription drug overdose in January 2008.

His role was taken on by three other actors – Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp.

“Everyone loved Heath. For everyone who knew him, (his death) was devastating. The practicalities of continuing the production were difficult, but it seemed irrelevant,” she said.

“Johnny (Depp) slipped seamlessly into the role, but that didn’t stop it being bizarre. I thought I was in at the deep end in the beginning – then look what happened!” she added. (ANI)

Free A Q Khan, a vulnerable man to foreign agencies

Islamabad, Sep 1(ANI): A Q Khan, Pakistani nuclear scientist, widely regarded as the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear program, is a free man again and many consider that he may share the secrets with establishments around the world.

In January 2004, Khan had confessed to having been involved in a secret international network of nuclear weapons technology proliferation from Pakistan to Libya, Iran and North Korea.

It is believed that Khan and his network were one of the worst proliferators of nuclear technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Though Khan had been pardoned by Musharraf, the difficulty arises on the question that Khan was involved in a network and supplying blueprints for various parts of a nuclear programme for sale onwards to other countries.

Certainly, it becomes a cause of worry that Khan can go beyond his bitterness towards a former dictator and perhaps start to talk about the many, many secrets he undoubtedly keeps regarding the country’s nuclear programme, The Dawn reports.

In an August, 2005, Musharraf had confirmed that Khan had supplied gas centrifuges and gas centrifuge parts to North Korea and, possibly, an amount of uranium hexafluoride, which can make agencies around the world to try and get their hands on a free A.Q. Khan. (ANI)