PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. articles from August 2005

PTI - The Press Trust of India Ltd. archives from August 2005

US body endorses democratisation of Middle East.
August 1, 2005... Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) Strongly endorsing US President George W Bush's goal of democratising the Middle East, a Council on the foreign relations task force has said it does not necessarily mean pro-American governments will be elected. ...

NASA studying dangling ceramic cloth on Discovery's belly.
August 1, 2005... Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, Aug 1 (PTI) NASA engineers are determining whether two strips of heavy insulating cloth dangling from Discovery's underbelly could lead to overheating and endanger the shuttle's re-entry into Earth. The...

Andaman & Nicobar leaves Tsunami behind, hardsells tourism.
August 1, 2005... Port Blair, Aug 1 (PTI) Undeterred by last year's tsunami that claimed 10,000 lives, the administration of the Indian archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar continues to hardsell the region's tourism, the mainstay of the island's economy. The...

Heavy rains predicted in Mumbai.
August 1, 2005... Mumbai, Aug 1 (PTI) Rain-battered Indian megapolis Mumbai is set to witness another round of disruption in normal life with the Meteorological Department predicting heavy to very heavy rains till Tuesday morning. "There would be heavy to...

Maruti sales up three pc in July.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) India's leading car manufacturer Maruti Udyog on Monday reported a three per cent rise in sales in July this year at 44,753 units against 43,419 units in the same month last year, boosted by a revival in exports and...

US to reduce troops size in Iraq next year.
August 1, 2005... New York, Aug 1 (PTI) The Pentagon has developed a detailed plan to scale down the US troops presence in Iraq to about 80,000 by mid-2006 and 40,000 to 60,000 by the end of that year, a media report said on Monday. "Emerging US plans...

NDA leaders may meet President on Bihar reshuffle.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) India's Opposition alliance NDA on Monday said it would consider petitioning President APJ Abdul Kalam against the recent bureaucratic reshuffle in the eastern state of Bihar. NDA leaders, who met here on Monday, also...

Five militants killed in Kashmir, shootout in Srinagar.
August 1, 2005... Srinagar, Aug 1 (PTI) Five militants were killed by security forces in separate encounters in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir while one militant was injured and arrested in the heart of capital Srinagar on Monday after a hot...

CIA was told Iraq had no nuclear programme: lawsuit.
August 1, 2005... Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) The Central Intelligence Agency was told by an informant in 2001 that Iraq had abandoned a major element of its nuclear weapons programme but the agency did not share the information with senior policy makers, a former...

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (PTI) Heavy rains and flood in.
August 1, 2005... central Kerala has caused massive destruction to crops and property besides disrupting traffic and affecting normal life. Train services were hit on the Alappuzha-Eranakulam sector. Landslides occured at many places including Kottayam,...

L&T announces first manufacturing venture abroad in China.
August 1, 2005... Anil K Joseph Wuxi (China), Aug 1 (PTI) Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the Indian engineering and technology conglomerate on Monday announced its first manufacturing facility abroad in China with an investment of USD 11 million to make high-end...

Nepal villagers protest against Maoist violence.
August 1, 2005... Kathmandu, Aug 1 (PTI) Thousands of villagers of Nepal's Dhading district held demonstrations over the weekend to protest against the Maoist violence, official sources said on Monday. Armed with guns, swords, khukris and knives, more than...

Honda hopes to touch peak production in 2-3 days.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) As it resumed normal operations after the end of a month-long bitter labour dispute, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) on Monday said it would take about 2-3 days to touch peak production levels. "Things have...

India's fiscal deficit up 31 pc to Rs 545.17 bn in Q1.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) India's fiscal deficit shot up by about 31 per cent to Rs 545.17 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal due to higher expenditure. However, buoyant tax collections kept revenue deficit marginally higher at Rs...

Miandad blames media for Indian friends not attending wedding.
August 1, 2005... Karachi, Aug 1 (PTI) Former Pakistan cricket captain Javed Miandad has blamed the Indian media for creating a contoversy over his son's wedding with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's daughter which, he said, prevented his Indian friends from...

Rains continue to lash Mumbai, disrupt rail, road air traffic.
August 1, 2005... Mumbai, Aug 1 (PTI) Incessant heavy rains lashed this megapolis in the western Indian state of Maharashtra for the second day on Monday, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting rail and air services while 150 families were shifted to safer...

Maoist bomb drinking water project in Nepal.
August 1, 2005... Kathmandu, Aug 1 (PTI) A man was killed and five others were injured when Maoist rebels exploded a bomb in Arghakhachi district in western Nepal, army sources said on Monday. The bomb planted at the source of the Bangla Dibarba drinking...

Pakistan to issue machine-readable visas.
August 1, 2005... Islamabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Pakistan government will soon issue machine-readable visas to foreigners intending to visit the country. "We will start issuing machine-readable visa to foreigners within the next six to eight weeks," Director General...

Govt tells SC not to entertain petition on tainted ministers.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) The Federal Government on Monday categorically told the Supreme Court not to entertain a petition challenging inclusion of "tainted" persons in the Council of Ministers. The Government said the selection of ministers...

Govt looking at independent inquiry panel for ONGC fire.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) The Federal Government is looking at the possibility of setting up an independent inquiry committee to look into the recent fire at an Oil and Natural Gas Corp's oil installation at Mumbai High that killed 10 people. ...

Bhutanese King arrives on a four-day India visit.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuk arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit for talks on a range of issues to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with India in diversified fields. The King will call on...

SAIL lowers steel prices by 4-8 pc.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) India's largest steel producer Steel Authority of India (SAIL) on Monday lowered its prices by four to eight per cent and owed it to correction in global prices due to liquidation of invetory across the countries. ...

Inzamam wants match bans on captains abolished.
August 1, 2005... Samiul Hasan Karachi, Aug 1 (PTI) Welcoming the decision to reduce the ban on Sourav Ganguly from six to four matches, Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul Haq has stressed that the International Cricket Council should scrap suspensions on captains...

Oppostion walkout in Kerala assembly.
August 1, 2005... Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (PTI) Kerala's Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) members on Monday staged a walk-out in the the Legislative Assembly protesting against the government's 'laxity' in controlling 'goonda mafias' operating in the...

No cause for worry about Periyar spill over: Chandy.
August 1, 2005... Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (PTI) There was no cause for worry about spill over of water into Iudkki reservoir from Mullapperiyar dam after its storage level reaching the permissible limit of 136 ft due to heavy rainfall, Kerala Chief Minister...

Islamic extremists regard Britain as safe haven - Musharraf.
August 1, 2005... London, Aug 1 (PTI) Accusing Britain of providing Islamic militants a safe haven in a bid to "project" itself as a champion of human rights, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said the UK should ban extremist groups. "Many people...

Nepalese police, students clash in Kathmandu.
August 1, 2005... Kathmandu, Aug 1 (PTI) Six persons were injured Monday when riot police clashed with Nepalese students protesting the detention of their colleagues here, student sources said. The clash occured after police intervened during a demonstration...

My heart is with F1: Narain.
August 1, 2005... Agnes Carlier Budapest, Aug 1 (PTI) After coming up with his personal best of the season in the Hungarian Grand Prix, India's Narain Karthikeyan said his heart beats for Formula One and that he cannot imagine being anywhere else. ...

Unpaid wages: 27 labourers in UAE move authorities.
August 1, 2005... Dubai, Aug 1 (PTI) At least 27 labourers, including those from India, have filed a complaint with the UAE labour authorities against their company for not paying wages for months. The labourers who work for Nimr Al Khaleej Contracting...

Wipro plans foray into Sri Lanka, Bangladesh markets.
August 1, 2005... Ramnath Shenoy Singapore, Aug 1 (PTI) Wipro Infotech, the IT arm of New York Stock Exchange-listed India's Wipro Ltd, is planning to expand into Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to tap the growing telecom and banking market by leveraging on its...

American woman electrocuted at five star hotel in Jaipur.
August 1, 2005... Jaipur, Aug 1 (PTI) An American social worker was reportedly electrocuted at a hotel here when she came in contact with a water cooler, police said Monday. According to the First Information Report lodged against the hotel management, the...

Accelerate peace processs, say delegates from PoK.
August 1, 2005... Srinagar, Aug 1 (PTI) A delegation from the PoK Monday said more frequent people-to-people contact among Indians and Pakistanis would be one way to facilitate and accelerate the peace process between the two countries. The delegation from...

Pak to ban Indian films even if they feature Pakistani actors.
August 1, 2005... Islamabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Maintaining its ban on import of Indian films, Pakistan has decided not to exempt even those jointly produced by Bollywood and Lollywood or those featuring Pakistani actors to the chagrin of Pakistani film-makers and...

Ganguly says performance will be his priority.
August 1, 2005... Ashish Shukla Dambulla (Sri Lanka), Aug 1 (PTI) India's Sourav Ganguly Monday sought to allay apprehensions of a power struggle in the team, saying he would have no problems in playing under his one-time deputy Rahul Dravid and his only...

India asks South Korea to be an investor in oil sector.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) India Monday invited South Korean oil companies to invest in the country's upstream and refining sector and also work jointly to explore opportunities in other countries as well. "We have invited them to invest in...

Anguished over family feud Asgari Bai wants to return honours.
August 1, 2005... Tikamgarh (MP), Aug 1 (PTI) Anguished over squabbles among her children on government grants, celebrated exponent of India's classical Dhrupad stream of vocal music, Asgari Bai has said she would return the nation's civil decoration bestowed...

Navy admits "procedural lapses" in handling of stored info.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug one (PTI) The Indian Navy Monday admitted that "certain procedural lapses" in handling of the information stored in computers in its war room here had come to light and said a Court of Inquiry set up to go into it would give its...

"It is something nice for me and the institute": Shanta.
August 1, 2005... Chennai, Aug 1 (PTI): "It's something nice for me and the Institute", said directorof the Cancer Insitute here Dr V Shanta Monday on learning that she is among the winners of this year's Magsaysay award. Shanta, an eminent cancer...

US university offers course in Hawaii 'pidgin'.
August 1, 2005... Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) For the first time ever, the Hawaii Pacific University is offering a college-level course in 'pidgin' or English as spoken by natives of Hawaii. Experts said that Hawaii pidgin was previously scorned by academia but...

S Korea making earnest efforts to improve relations with North.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) South Korea Monday said it was making earnest efforts to transform relations with North Korea from the old binds of cold war confrontation to a new formula of mutual trust and practical cooperation. "With regard to...

Govt to observe a day's mourning in memory of King Fahd.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) The Indian Government has decided to observe a one-day state mourning tomorrow as a mark of respect to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia who died early Monday. During the state mourning, the National Flag will be flown at...

Govt working on a plan to counter bird flu threat.
August 1, 2005... New Delh, Aug 01 (PTI) With outbreaks of bird flu already reported in several neighbouring countries and fears of emergence of a human-to-human transmitting strain getting strengthened, the Indian government Monday decided to work out a...

Heavy rains lash Mumbai, Maharashtra, toll crosses 900.
August 1, 2005... Mumbai, Aug 1 (PTI) Battered by the worst monsoon they knew in a hundred years, this western metropolis of Maharashtra Monday was fighting hard just about to keep a truncated civic life on the move as Army, Navy and Air Force launched relief...

President condoles King Fahd's demise.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam Monday condoled the demise of King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia In his condolence message to the new King of Saudi Arabia King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the...

Normalcy returns to Honda factory: About 1,500 workers return.
August 1, 2005... Gurgaon, Aug 1 (PTI) About 1,500 workers Monday resumed work at the Manesar factory of Honda Motors, bringing to an end a month-long bitter labour dispute that severely crunched production and led to losses to the tune of billions of rupees....

India, Seychelles agree on closer ties.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 01 (PTI) India and Seychelles Monday agreed to explore prospects of forging closer ties in education, health and other diversified areas. The need for enhancing bilateral economic cooperation was also highlighted during...

Maoist commander shot dead in Nepal; two rebels surrender.
August 1, 2005... Kathmandu, Aug 1 (PTI) A hardcore front-rank Maoist guerilla leader was killed Monday during a search operation while two women rebels surrendered to district authorities in Nepal's western district of Darchula. The Maoist area commander...

India, Pak to discuss nuclear, conventional CBMs next week.
August 1, 2005... K J M Varma Islamabad, Aug 1 (PTI) The talks on confidence building measures between India and Pakistan next week will focus on ways to deal with nuclear emergencies as also an agreement on pre-notification of missile tests and military...

Four Indians in Asian XI for Afro-Asian ODI series.
August 1, 2005... Karachi, Aug 1 (PTI) Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul Haq would lead a 15-member Asian XI side named Monday for the Afro-Asian one-day cricket series to be played in South Africa later this month. Rahul Dravid was named the vice-captain of the...

Pak leader of Oppn. detained at Dubai airport; being deported.
August 1, 2005... Islamabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Pakistan's leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been detained at Dubai airport by immigration authorities and was being deported. Rehman, General Secretary of pro-Taliban Islamic...

Failed gyroscope removed during second spacewalk.
August 1, 2005... Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, Aug 1 (PTI) Two astronauts aboard the Discovery shuttle Sunday stepped out for a second spacewalk to replace a faulty gyroscope equipment needed to maintain the International Space Station's position. ...

Ranjitsinhji's emerald necklace to go on sale at Christie's.
August 1, 2005... H S Rao London, Aug 1 (PTI) A dazzling emerald and pearl necklace of cricket legend and former King of a Gujarat's Nawanagar province Ranjitsinhji Vibhaiji, will go on sale for an estimated 1.6 million pounds at Christie's auction in...

US visit instilled a "deep sense of pride" in me: PM.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Observing that his recent visit to the US instilled in him a "deep sense of pride", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said the world looks up to India as a "laboratory" for successful functioning of a democracy. ...

Bush appoints controversial Bolton as US envoy to UN.
August 1, 2005... T V Parasuram Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) Bypassing the Senate, the US President George W Bush Monday appointed controversial nominee John Bolton as envoy to the United Nations, ending a five-month impasse with the Democrats. "This post...

India, Korea for strategic ties, ink pact on visa exemption.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) India and South Korea Monday agreed to develop strategic partnership as they signed a pact for exempting visa requirement for Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders and decided to ink soon agreements on defence industry...

Sania 59th in WTA rankings.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Sania Mirza's consistent performance is paying well for the increasingly popular player on the international circuit as she jumped another five places to be placed 59th in the latest WTA rankings Monday. Sania, who...

Pak Govt slams MMA's Taliban style Hisba bill as "draconian".
August 1, 2005... Islamabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Pakistan Government Monday flayed the Taliban-style Hisba Bill promulgated by the Islamist alliance government in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) to appoint religious Ombudsmen to supervise observance of Islamic...

Pakistan downplays criticism that US selling it old F-16s.
August 1, 2005... Islamabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Pakistan Monday sought to downplay criticism that the US was selling it only old and used F-16s, saying the two fighter jets to be delivered soon were just a beginning of transfers and "more will be coming." The...

South Korea to assist India set up strategic oil reserves.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) South Korea Monday agreed to assist India in setting up strategic oil reserves here based on its experience as the two sides noted collaboration in exploration of hydrocarbon resources between the companies of the two...

Pentagon should destroy stockpile of outdated weapons: HRW.
August 1, 2005... Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) Despite some positive developments in its cluster munition policy, the United States retains and still is willing to use at least 728 million old, unreliable and inaccurate cluster weapons, Human Rights Watch said...

Blair is a liar claim Muslim leaders.
August 1, 2005... London, Aug 1 (PTI) Describing British Prime Minister Tony Blair as a "liar", a London-based radical Islamic group has urged more than 1,000 Muslims attending a conference here to join a global campaign to spread the word of Islam. ...

India, S Korea decide to arrange visit of Kalam to Korea.
August 1, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Agreeing that high-level exchanges and contacts are conducive to reinforce their cooperative relations, India and South Korea Monday decided to arrange a visit of President A P J Abdul Kalam to Korea in early next year....

Heavy rains wreak havoc in Kerala.
August 1, 2005... Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (PTI) Heavy rains continued to lash Kerala for the third consecutive day Monday causing huge property and crop loss in many parts of the state. Kottayam, Idukki, Palakkad, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts bore...

Notice to US to quit Uzbek base marks three-corner struggle.
August 1, 2005... Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) The six months' notice given by Uzbekistan to the US to quit the key airbase it has been using since the war against the Taliban marks a three-cornered struggle for influence in Central Asia among America, Russia and...

Modi expands ministry, rejigs portfolios, 1 dissident refuses.
August 1, 2005... Ahmedabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Chief Minister of western Indian state of Gujarat Narendra Modi Monday expanded his council of ministers for the first time since returning to power three years ago inducting 11 MLAs including two dissidents, one of whom...

Rice hopes Pak, Afghanistan become as democratic as India.
August 1, 2005... Washington, Aug 1 (PTI) The United States has described India as a natural ally and expressed the hope that Pakistan and Afghanistan too would become democratic and stable to form and arc of salvation in the region. After the September...

UAE denies visa to Fazlur Rehman.
August 1, 2005... Dubai, Aug 1 (PTI) UAE authorities denied transit visa to Pakistan's opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman but he was allowed to stay at an hotel at the airport before leaving to Pakistan on Monday. Rahman, General Secretary of...

UK police arrest two more in London over July 21 bomb attacks.
August 2, 2005... London, Aug 2 (PTI) British police arrested two more persons in connection with the July 21 failed London bomb attacks after raiding three homes in south London. Officers with search warrants, supported by armed police, made the arrests on...

NASA approves third spacewalk to fix shuttle.
August 2, 2005... Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston (US), Aug 2 (PTI) NASA has decided to conduct a third spacewalk tomorrow to fix two pieces of material protruding from the space shuttle Discovery's underside. The repair mission will mark the first time...

Bacteria found at bottom of near-freezing waters of Antarctica.
August 2, 2005... Washington, Aug 2 (PTI) Scientists have discovered bacteria in an unlikely location -- at the bottom of the near-freezing waters of Antarctica! It was in March this year that researchers accidentally discovered a vast community of bacteria...

17th Karmapa to visit the UK.
August 2, 2005... London, Aug 2 (PTI) The spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje, will visit the UK, for the first time, this week and will be guest of honour at a special inter-faith celebration to be attended by the...

Photos taken during Iran hostage crisis don't show Ahmadinejad.
August 2, 2005... Washington, Aug 2 (PTI) Photographs taken during the Iranian hostage crisis and analysed so far do not implicate Mahmood Ahmedinejad, the President-elect, as a hostage-taker, the White House has said. The US intelligence community has...

N Korean nuke talks enter eighth day, debate on second draft.
August 2, 2005... Anil K Joseph Beijing, Aug 2 (PTI) The six-party talks on dismantling North Korea's controversial nuclear weapons programme entered a record eight day here on Tuesday with the envoys discussing a second draft of the joint statement...

UN ambassadors play down Bolton's appointment.
August 2, 2005... Dharam Shourie United Nations, Aug 2 (PTI) Hours after the appointment of controversial nominee John R Bolton as the new US envoy to the UN while the Congress is in recess, ambassadors at the world body played down his posting saying they...

Helicopter crash in Afghanistan due to duststorm.
August 2, 2005... Washington, Aug 2 (PTI) The US Central Command has announced that the Army has completed its investigation of the crash of a cargo transport helicopter near Ghazni in Afghanistan on April 6, and found that it crashed in a duststorm. ...

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (PTI) Decks have been finally.
August 2, 2005... cleared for the Smart City project in Kochi, Kerala, for which the Dubai Internet City (DIC) has made a huge commitment. The high-level committee, headed by Chief Secretary Palat Mohandas, which held a marathon meeting here on Monday has...

Decrease in cloud coverage; no rain in several areas of Mumbai.
August 2, 2005... Mumbai, Aug 2 (PTI) With decrease in cloud coverage over the Indian megapolis of Mumbai, the residents were expected get some respite from the week-long heavy rains and flooding even as many areas experienced less rain since Monday night. ...

Pakistan to intensify intelligence-sharing with UK.
August 2, 2005... London, Aug 2 (PTI) Pakistan has promised to intensify intelligence-sharing with Britain as part of the hunt for those behind the London bombings and warned against the assumption that there is a link between the bombers' visit to Pakistan and...

BJP flays Indo-US nuke deal.
August 2, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) In a scathing attack on India's ruling UPA Government, the main Opposition party BJP on Tuesday slammed the recently concluded Indo-US nuclear agreement saying it had many shortcomings and India was a "loser" in the deal...

PM for second wave of institution building in R&D, education.
August 2, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) Expressing concern over the state of universities and research institutions in India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said there was a need for a second wave of institution building in education and research. ...

ONGC's MSV `Samudra Suraksha' sinks.
August 2, 2005... Mumbai, Aug 2 (PTI) The multi-purpose support vessel `Samudra Suraksha' which collided with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's oil platform off the coast of the Indian megapolis Mumbai last week claiming several lives has sunk, an official...

IOC and Coca-Cola extend partnership to 2020.
August 2, 2005... Beijing, Aug 2 (PTI) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the soft drink giant, the Coca-Cola Company have renewed their partnership for the Olympic games for an unprecedented 12 years till 2020. The renewal marked the longest...

Indian Parliament mourns King Fahd's death.
August 2, 2005... New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) India's Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday condoled the death of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee saying the world had lost a leader and an elder statesman. Observing that India has...

Golf makes effort to attract corporates in India.
August 2, 2005... Sirshendu Panth Kolkata, Aug 2 (PTI) Golf is set to emerge as the first sports discipline in India to start a website entirely dedicated to attracting corporates. In an age when roping in business houses is the biggest challenge...