The Hindustan Times back issues from Monday, May 15:
PROTECTING FORESTS
May 15, 2006 ... GUWAHATI, May 15 -- Rapidly dwindling forest cover has emerged as a major concern in the State and the North East, irrespective of the tall claims made by the governments to the contrary. It has become a habit with the State Government to boast of the 'above-national-average' forest cover in ...
SIGNIFICANCE OF NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
May 15, 2006 ... GUWAHATI, May 15 -- The controversy over large dams on the river Narmada has come to symbolise the struggle for a just equitable society in India. The Narmada river is the largest westward flowing river in India and empties into the Arabian Sea. The 1312 km long river rises from Maikal ranges ...
"M:I III" tops the US box office for the second weekend in a row
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible III topped the weekend box office in the US for the second consecutive week, raking in an estimated 24.5 million dollars. The action-packed sequel easily beat new release "Poseidon," the all-star remake of the 1970s topsy-turvy ...
Indo Asia Leisure to invest Rs. 200 million in hotels
May 15, 2006 ... Bikaner, May 15 -- Travel and tour operator Indo Asia Leisure Services Ltd (IALS) will invest Rs. 200 million in expanding its hotel business in India in the next two years, apart from entering the e-commerce business. "Apart from our two existing three-star properties in Bikaner and ...
Agra police officer enters mosque with shoes, angers Muslim community
May 15, 2006 ... Agra, May 15 -- The shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chishti on the outskirts of Agra is a place of veneration for Muslims. So, when a police officer entered the sanctum sanctorum with his shoes on, community leaders goaded their people to come out on to the streets to register their protest in ...
Hetfield slams rock 'n' roll drug culture
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- James Hetfield, lead singer of Metallica, spoke passionately to rockers to resist drugs as he was awarded a special prize for helping people in the music industry receive treatment for addiction. According to contactmusic.com, some of the stars present there included ...
Day curfew relaxed in four police stations in violence-hit Vadodara
May 15, 2006 ... Vadodara, May 15 -- Curfew has been relaxed in the four police stations namely, Raopura, Navapura, Vadi and Karelibaug of the violence-hit city today. Curfew was lifted from 6:00 a.m. but will again be imposed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., police said. An indefinite curfew was ...
Jenny McCarthy tells men how to get flirty!
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Men interested in dalliances without letting their partners know about them can soon flip the pages of FHM magazine to get some spicy tips on courting and lovemaking by none other than the former Playmate Jenny McCarthy. The sultry pin-up has signed on to become the ...
Piracy halves music industry's turnover
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- An optical disc law is being considered to curb piracy in the entertainment sector since the scourge has halved the music industry's turnover of $225 million in 1999, the Lok Sabha was informed Monday. "The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ...
Veteran Achuthahandan's name to be proposed for CM's post in Kerala
May 15, 2006 ... Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 -- Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader V S Achuthahandan is likely to be the Chief Minister of Kerala as his name will be put forward before the party State Secretariat meeting to be held here today. The party workers took the decision ...
IIM-Lucknow comes closer to Delhi, opens new campus in Noida
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- The Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow, country's premier and one of the most prestigious management institute today opened its new campus in Noida, a satellite township near national capital. Built up on 20 acre of land, the new campus would bring a great joy ...
This Gujarati village will exchange brides for water only
May 15, 2006 ... Siyoni (Gujarat), May 15 -- Siyoni village in Gujarat's Sundernagar District is facing a water problem like most parched Indian states at the height of summer. So precarious is the situation that village heads have decided that they will only give their girls or women in marriage if they ...
Naomi Watts joins the UN's battle against AIDS
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Oscar nominee Naomi Watts will soon be using her star power for a good cause as she helps the United Nations raise awareness about AIDS and HIV all around the world. According to the BBC, the 'King Kong' star is now a special representative of the UN, and will be ...
S.Asian millionaires shake a leg at UK's Asian Business Awards gala
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- This year has seen the tenth Eastern Eye Asian Business Awards in Britain. This glamorous and even glitzy event brings together the movers and shakers from the worlds of, not only business, but also from entertainment, politics and sport, and it, effectively, celebrates ...
Cement price hike unfair, says study
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- While the recent steep hike in cement prices is sought to be justified on the basis of increasing freight costs, a study conducted by an autonomous body has found that the industry's argument is misleading. "The cement industry is misleading the government on the ...
Comic Manne condemns Paris Hilton
May 15, 2006 ... New York, May 15 -- Another comic, Mark Manne, has composed to add to the growing number of songs slamming the socialite Paris Hilton. According to pagesix.com, Manne wrote a song called, "Everything that is wrong with America today a.k.a. the Paris Hilton Song" and he performed the song ...
Brangelina want to name their baby Africa!
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Hollywood's hottest couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have reportedly settled on a name for their as yet unborn baby, and are going to name their infant 'Africa'. A source told said that the couple not only loved the name because of its unique quality, but also ...
Stock market plunges nearly four percent on sell-off
May 15, 2006 ... Mumbai, May 15 -- India's key share market index plunged nearly four percent Monday, dragging its negative run to the third straight session as investors booked profit in heavyweight equities that have scaled new heights in recent weeks. Analysts say the trading pattern is likely to ...
Punj Lloyd forms joint venture in Saudi Arabia
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- Indian engineering construction major Punj Lloyd (PLL) has joined hands with Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia to form a joint venture to undertake projects in the oil rich kingdom. "The jointly owned company with the share capital of 2 million ...
Fans upset with Eddie Vedder
May 15, 2006 ... New York, May 15 -- Fans of the rock band Pearl Jam are worried that the lead singer Eddie Vedder's girlfriend Jill McCormick might wreck the band. According to pagesix.com, a source present at a show recently said: "Vedder puzzled fans (who had waited up to 38 hours at Tower Records to ...
Taiwan comes to Chennai with offshore centre
May 15, 2006 ... Chennai, May 15 -- The Taiwan-based Institute for Information Industry (III) Monday opened its first offshore development centre at the Olympia Technology Park in Chennai. The centre represents the first partnership in software between India and Taiwan. It will be engaged in software ...
Paparazzi may make Heath Ledger quit Oz films for good!
May 15, 2006 ... Melbourne, May 15 -- Heath Ledger is so fed-up with constantly being hounded by the media when in his native Australia that he is now considering giving up acting in Aussie movies forever. Neil Armstrong, who directed Ledger in 'Candy', said that the 'Brokeback Mountain' star had reached ...
Mumbai High Court to hear perjury charges against Zaheera Sheikh
May 15, 2006 ... Mumbai, May 15 -- A Sessions Court will hear today the trial of Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness in the Best Bakery case along with her family members, charged with giving false evidence in the case, after a prosecution plea. Zaheera is presently undergoing a one-year sentence imposed ...
Oil price surge threatens Asia's growth
May 15, 2006 ... Singapore, May 15 -- A further sharp rise in oil prices poses a threat to Asia's economic growth, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) senior economist said in a report published Monday. "Although high oil prices have so far had only a moderate impact on Asian economies, a further rise in ...
Dhaka assured of continued World Bank support
May 15, 2006 ... Dhaka, May 15 -- The World Bank has reiterated its continued support to Bangladesh's ongoing development efforts. The assurance came when Praful C. Patel, World Bank (WB) vice president for South Asia, called on Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Patel said the bank would extend its support, if ...
While Depp is best, Diaz is Hollywood's worst autographer
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp is the best autograph signer in Hollywood, while Cameron Diaz is the worst, says the 14th annual poll by Autograph Collector magazine. "Many stars become bad signers Depp has even signed autographs at the airport while carrying ...
Rs.630 bn income tax locked in litigation
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- A whopping Rs.630 billion ($14.4 billion) is locked up as arrears of income tax due to litigation in various courts, Law and Justice Minister H.R. Bhardwaj informed the Rajya Sabha Monday. "This is adversely affecting the national economy. Hence, urgent measures are ...
Sonia Gandhi to take oath as member of Lok Sabha today
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- Congress party president Sonia Gandhi will today take oath as a member of the Lower House after her landslide victory in the Rae Bareli Assembly elections by a record margin of more than 4.17 lakh votes. She will also address the party members of Parliament before ...
'Poseidon' a disappointing voyage
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- After "Troy" tragedy, director Wolfgang Petersen tries to salvage his image with "Poseidon", a screen adaptation of Paul Gallico's novel of the same name, but the poor execution of the story mars his efforts. What goes against the film is the ineffective ...
Wipro acquires US design firm for $10 million
May 15, 2006 ... Bangalore, May 15 -- Wipro Ltd. Monday announced acquisition of the mechanical design and analysis services division of US-based Quantech Global Services LLC for $10.2 million in an all-cash deal. A Wipro official, however, said the value of the acquisition includes the division's ...
Sonia Gandhi returns to Lok Sabha
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- Congress party President Sonia Gandhi returned to the Lok Sabha on Monday after over fifty days since she resigned from the House in the wake of the Office of Profit controversy. Sonia took oath as Lok Sabha member in hindi amidst thumping of desks by the Congress ...
Bhagat Singh Youth Front spreads unity message in Punjab's border villages
May 15, 2006 ... Amritsar, May 15 -- Keen to recapture the spirit of camaraderie and a zest for living, several youth in this holy city of Sikhs have formed the Shahid Bhagat Singh Youth Front to spread the message of unity across Punjab, especially in the northern state's border villages. Their sole ...
'Ambi' wastes action hero Audithya
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- The tragedy of "Ambi" is that it does not fall under any specific genre. You cannot call it a full-blooded action film or a family drama. It is not a comedy either. It is just a mixture of everything but none of them in the right proportions or right place. Audithya, ...
McCartney-Mills' marriage on the rocks
May 15, 2006 ... New York, May 15 -- Celebrity couple Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have aroused suspicions about their marriage after the two were spotted spending more time apart after a series of fights. According to pagesix.com, two weeks ago Mills went on a solo trip to the South of France and ...
Ledger may never film in Australia again
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Australian star Heath Ledger is thinking of giving up movies in his native country after being the constant media harassment. According to contactmusic.com, Ledger is sick of the constant media attention and it reached breaking point on the set of his latest movie ...
Tommy Lee sets his eyes on the fashion biz!
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Pamela Anderson's ex Tommy Lee is the latest musician to try his hand at something else other than music, by revealing that he plans to design a celebrity clothing line. The Motley Crue drummer has been enlisted by Los Angeles company People's Liberation to create a ...
Another huge cache of explosive, weapons seized in Maharashtra
May 15, 2006 ... Malegaon (Maharashtra), May 15 -- Spoiling a possible terror attack in Maharashtra, the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Mumbai Police recovered a huge cache of explosive and weapons from an electronics shop in Malegon near Nashik on late Sunday night. The seizure includes about 13 ...
Chandy takes a dig at Achuthanandan on Smart City
May 15, 2006 ... Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 -- Outgoing Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Monday observed that V.S. Achuthanandan, the man poised to be his successor, seemed to have changed his outlook towards the Rs.15 billion Smart City project. "Till the other day Achuthanandan was saying that the Smart ...
Protests planned against corporate farming in Gujarat
May 15, 2006 ... Ahmedabad, May 15 -- The Gujarat government's decision to allot wastelands to corporate houses for commercial farming faces difficulties as activists plan to block highways and rail transport Wednesday to protest the move. "Jamin Bachao Andolan" (Save the Land Campaign), the banner under ...
PM to decide on fuel price hike
May 15, 2006 ... New Delhi, May 15 -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to take a decision on the issue of a possible fuel price hike as no clear consensus emerged from a meeting he had convened Monday. Petroleum Minister Murli Deora presented at the meeting a grim financial scenario facing the ...
Aniston sick of TV
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Actress Jennifer Aniston has vowed never to return to television after calling it "gruelling and repetitive". According to contactmusic.com, Aniston, who had starred in the show "Friends" for 10 years earning thousands of dollars an episode, is sick of the tight ...
Assam Co buys stake in Austin Exploration
May 15, 2006 ... Kolkata, May 15 -- India's tea major Assam Company Ltd, along with other associates of the Duncan Macneill Group, has acquired a 50 percent stake in the Adelaide-based Austin Exploration Ltd for oil and gas exploration in Australia and the US. The company, mainly engaged in the business ...
Sir Elton John struts his stuff on-stage in a tutu!
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Sir Elton John celebrated the first anniversary of the hit dancing musical Billy Elliot by joining the cast on-stage dressed in a white tutu. Elton John, who revealed that he had not known before hand that he was supposed to wear a tutu, joked that the only reason he ...
Nagpur zoo inmates beat the heat with sprinklers and room coolers
May 15, 2006 ... Nagpur, May 15 -- As temperature continues to soar across the country, zoo authorities are taking extra care of their inmates in helping them to beat the heat. The caretakers of the zoo in Nagpur have arranged water sprinklers and room coolers to help the animals bear the rising ...
Sarandon's Mother's Day protest
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Actress Susan Sarandon gave up her Mother's Day to spend time protesting with parents of soldiers in Iraq. According to contactmusic.com, accompanied by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan whose son died in the conflict, Sarandon addressed a 24-hour vigil opposite the White ...
I never claimed that I knew acting, says Kangana
May 15, 2006 ... Mumbai, May 15 -- Newcomer Kangana Ranaut, who has taken Bollywood by storm with her performance in "Gangster - A Love Story", says she never projected herself as a great performer. "I never claimed that I knew acting. I have always maintained that I don't know how to act. But I guess I ...
Fifth All-India State Election Commissioners conference to be held in Srinagar
May 15, 2006 ... Srinagar, May 15 -- The two-day fifth All-India State Election Commissioners conference will begin today at the Sher-i-Kashmir convention complex on the banks of the Dal Lake here. The State will host the conference for the first time. It will be inaugurated by Governor Lt Gen (Retired) ...
Veteran Michael Douglas can't keep up with his golf
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Michael Douglas is passionate about playing golf, but he is suffering to keep up with the sport as the aging actor recently developed groin and back injuries, and now struggles with his swing. Now it seems his wife Catherine Zeta Jones who developed a passion for ...
Missing Lufthansa staffer's sister begins Everest hunt
May 15, 2006 ... Kathmandu, May 15 -- Armed with just a map of Nepal, the name of a hotel at the foot of Mt Everest and hope, a German student began a search for her missing sister, a Lufthansa employee last known to be trekking in northern Nepal in March. Kristina Kovacevic, a senior caterer employed by ...
University teachers in Sindh observe `Black Day'
May 15, 2006 ... Karachi, May 15 -- University teachers across Sindh are observing a 'Black Day' today to protest against the Higher Education Commission's (HEC) interference and it's so called reforms. All public sector universities in the southern Pakistani province have joined the protest under ...
Bad reviews are Kelly Brook's 'lucky charms'!
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- One person in the movie industry not bothered about her bad reviews is actress Kelly Brook, for she feels that getting panned by critics brings her luck. The curvy star, who is engaged to actor Billy Zane, said that somehow getting bad reviews had never been 'bad' for ...
Satellite images indicate active North Korean nuclear reactor
May 15, 2006 ... Seoul, May 15 -- North Korea has possibly activated a nuclear reactor suspected of producing weapons-grade material, based on a satellite photograph released by an online security agency, South Korean media reported Monday. The image shows a plume of smoke ascending from a five-megawatt ...
Nepal defers push for instant republic
May 15, 2006 ... Kathmandu, May 15 -- Nepal's new government Monday resisted the thrust by its Left ally to announce instant radical changes, putting on hold an announcement that would have overnight reduced the powers and privileges enjoyed by King Gyanendra. The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist ...
Robbie Williams heartbroken after true love marries another
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Pop star Robbie Williams is nursing a broken heart after true love has finally given up on their on-off romance to marry someone else. The British hitmaker confessed his enduring feelings for childhood sweetheart Rachael Gilson in his autobiography ...
Himachal's 'Mini-Switzerland', no longer a tourist's delight!
May 15, 2006 ... Khajjar (Chamba), May 15 -- There was a time when Himachal Pradesh's scenically beautiful Khajjar village, in the State's Chamba District, was regarded as 'Mini-Switzerland'. This isn't the case any longer. The absence of facilities for tourists has led to a drop in tourist arrivals ....
"Spy in sky" lost on test flight
May 15, 2006 ... Hong Kong, May 15 -- A hi-tech model helicopter, which Hong Kong police planned to use as a secret weapon against smugglers, has been lost during a test flight, officials admitted Monday. A senior policeman was flying the remote-controlled helicopter, fitted with a wireless camera and a ...
4,500 year-old bricks found near `Mahabharata' battlefield Kurukshetra
May 15, 2006 ... Kurukshetra (Haryana), May 15 -- Huge bricks belonging to the ancient Indian Kushan Dynasty have been found near the famous Kurukshetra battlefield, around which the Indian epic, Mahabharata, involving a fatricidal conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas, is centered. According to the ...
Popular Indian beautician opens new branch in London
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Acclaimed Indian beautician Joshiv, known for her expertise in bridal make-over and her star-studded clientele, has opened a new branch in Southall. Joshiv Beauty International (JBI), established in 1986 by Jyoti Taglani, better known to her clients as Joshiv, has ...
Pakistan does not want arms race in the region: spokesperson
May 15, 2006 ... Islamabad, May 15 -- Pakistan is exercising restraint and does not want nuclear or conventional arms race in the region, a Pakistani foreign office spokesperson said Monday. But Pakistan cannot ignore its own security needs, Pakistan foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said at a ...
Chakma royal palace being vandalised
May 15, 2006 ... Dhaka, May 15 -- Bangladesh's century-old royal Chakma palace that has resurfaced on the Kaptai Lake in Chittagong Hill Tracts with receding water levels is being vandalised by curious tourists and locals. A large number of people are gathering at the site to see the historical palace ...
Working mothers could be healthier than housewives
May 15, 2006 ... London, May 15 -- Working mothers who play multiple roles in life could be healthier than women who had been homemakers for all or most of their lives and had not held down a job, according to a study. Researchers led by Anne McMunn at University College London studied 1,200 women of up ...
Bangladesh food firm chief nabbed on drug charges
May 15, 2006 ... Dhaka, May 15 -- The head of a Bangladeshi agro-products marketing firm has been arrested over drug smuggling charges. Badruddoza Chowdhury Momen, chairman of BD Foods Limited, was arrested Sunday after two of his accomplices confessed that they had smuggled 22.5 kg heroin to Britain at ...
Sambora urges his female fans to mingle as he's still single!
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Bon Jovi rocker Richie Sambora has rebuffed claims of a romance with Bond girl Denise Richards, insisting he's still single and very much ready to mingle. The Livin' On A Prayer guitarist stunned fans when he was spotted locking lips with his estranged wife Heather ...
Abbas-Mustan try untried pairs in their next thriller
May 15, 2006 ... Mumbai, May 15 -- After making murder mystery "36 China Town", director duo Abbas-Mustan are set to launch their next thriller which will have some fresh pairings. Saif Ali Khan teams up with Bipasha Basu for the first time in the yet-to-be-titled film, and so do Fardeen Khan with Katrina Kaif ...
Denise Richards to launch rival clothing line
May 15, 2006 ... Washington, May 15 -- Actress Denise Richards has hit another blow to estranged husband Charlie Sheen by launching her own kid's clothing line, a month after he launched his own collection of kids wear. The couple, who are in the middle of a bitter divorce battle, are now taking their ...