The Hindustan Times back issues from Friday, January 12:
Ski paradise in Italian Alps
Jan 12, 2007 ... Val Gardena (Italy), Jan 12 -- The passage to the top is arduous. Skiers bump and poles tangle as the line inches forward. "Avanti, Avanti" shouts the cable car attendant, motioning to get in quickly. A horde of skiers and snowboarders waits to ascend into one of the world's biggest ski ...
García Marquez, Vargas Llosa end long-running feud
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- One of the 20th century's top literary feuds seems to have come to a happy end. Novelist Mario Vargas Llosa's introduction to Nobel laureate Gabriel García Marquez is set to be included in the 40th anniversary edition of the latter's masterpiece "One Hundred Years of ...
Africa is waiting to emulate India: Pheroze Nowrojee
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- India, like Brazil, is developing on its own and Africa is closely watching it so that it can emulate the model, says Kenya-based Pheroze Nowrojee, winner of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2007. Nowrojee is a renowned lawyer and a prominent human rights activist ...
Rehabilitation failed to cure me: Kelly
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Kelly Osbourne, daughter of rocker Ozzy, claims rehabilitation failed to cure her addiction to drugs. "I've been to the rehabilitation several times and it didn't work, simply because I never wanted it to," contactmusic.com quoted her as saying ....
Romance rumours part of my job: Abhay Deol
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- Newcomer Abhay Deol shrugs off gossip linking him to "Ahista Ahista" co-star Soha Ali Khan, saying such rumours are "part of the job". "It happens all the time. You do get linked up. I feel it's part of the job and it doesn't take much to get linked. That's all I ...
'Jothe Jotheyalli' faces no challenge from new releases
Jan 12, 2007 ... Bangalore, Jan 12 -- "Jothe Jotheyalli" has completed 100 days in 12 centres and is the top Kannada film of the fortnight. The top five Kannada films are: 1. "Jothe Jotheyalli" - Despite the release of many big-budget films, it is still getting a good response from the young ...
I have become selective, says Murali
Jan 12, 2007 ... Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 12 -- National award winning Malayalam film actor Murali says he will be seen fewer times on the silver screen henceforth because he has become selective on roles. "I really can't digest several of the films which are being made today because it is really testing ...
British retail chain plans Indian foray
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Catalogue retailer Argos, one of Britain's most well known retail chains, is all set to enter the Indian retail bandwagon. The British chain is in talks with K. Raheja, the owner of Shopper's Stop, and an MoU is expected to be signed in the next few weeks, according to ...
Everest love story adds new chapter
Jan 12, 2007 ... Kathmandu, Jan 12 -- A Nepali couple who tied the knot on top of the world's highest peak has now released a book on their adventures. The book "Motinaya Sagarmatha" - the Everest of romance - is written by Kathmandu girl Moni Mulepati, 27, and Sherpa boy Pem Dorjee Sherpa, 26, who ...
Bangladesh elections deferred
Jan 12, 2007 ... Dhaka, Jan 12 -- Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed has agreed to opposition demands to postpone general elections scheduled for Jan 22 to ensure "free and fair polls" at a later date. Hours after declaring a state of emergency in Bangladesh Thursday evening, Ahmed announced that he was ...
Sunita Williams awaits supplies from earth
Jan 12, 2007 ... Washington, Jan 12 -- Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams and her two companions in space are engaged in a bit of housekeeping to make room for new equipment and supplies coming their way Jan 20. Williams, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin ...
Knowledge Commission expected to recommend radical reforms
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) will present to the nation a set of radical recommendations for reform which has the potential to fundamentally transform the country's knowledge sector and make it truly cutting edge. The overriding theme of the recommendations will ...
Community directors to be appointed at Indian missions overseas
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- India will soon appoint community directors at its missions overseas, especially in the Gulf, to address the problems of its expatriates, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi has said. "I spoke to (foreign minister) Pranab Mukherjee and home minister ...
Shah Rukh was obvious alternative in new KBC: Siddharth Basu
Jan 12, 2007 ... Mumbai, Jan 12 -- Quizmaster Siddharth Basu, the man behind the super hit game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC), says Shah Rukh Khan was the obvious alternative to Amitabh Bachchan with his charm and cheek. "Shah Rukh was always the most obvious alternative. And I've said that for a ...
Desai, Dalrymple continue to enthral Delhi readers
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- William Dalrymple's "The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi 1857" and Kiran Desai's Booker Prize winning "The Inheritance of Loss" continue their reign over the non-fiction and fiction bestseller lists this week too. The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction ...
Two tankers collide in Singapore waters
Jan 12, 2007 ... Singapore, Jan 12 -- Two Singapore-registered bunker tankers collided near St John's Island resulting in a 200-tonne oil spill, maritime officials said Friday. No one was injured in the crash Thursday and most of the spill was cleaned up, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) ...
Rapper The Game compares himself to Bill Gates
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Rapper The Game says he is like Bill Gates and believes they are both the best in their respective fields - because they are similar intellectually. The Game is also surprised the way he is able to remember the lyrics of his songs. He doesn't write the words on paper, ...
Hitler comedy opens to bad reviews, condemnation
Jan 12, 2007 ... Hamburg, Jan 12 -- A slapstick comedy by a Jewish filmmaker about Adolf Hitler has opened in Germany to a chorus of bad reviews and condemnation by Jewish leaders. Barring a miracle, Swiss director Dani Levy's "Mein Fuehrer" looks likely to be the biggest box office flop of the year in a ...
Youth response keeps 'Jothe...' album on top
Jan 12, 2007 ... Bangalore, Jan 12 -- "Jothe Jotheyalli" is Harikrishna's first outing as music director and his compositions are making waves and topping music charts. The top five Kannada albums are: 1. "Jothe Jotheyalli" - The film has completed 100 days and the audio continues to appeal to ...
Fox says he is a compulsive liar
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Matthew Fox, the star of the hit show "Lost", says he has a much darker side to him and that he lies every day, reports contactmusic.com. Fox, who plays Dr. Jack Shephard on the show, said: "I'm ...
Director Stephen Frears to head Cannes festival jury
Jan 12, 2007 ... Paris, Jan 12 -- British director Stephen Frears has been named president of the jury of the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, announced festival president Gilles Jacobs. "I am particularly delighted that Stephen Frears accepted my proposal (to head the jury) this year," Jacobs said in a press ...
Seven killed in Pakistan shootout
Jan 12, 2007 ... Islamabad, Jan 12 -- At least seven people, including a senior judge, were shot dead in the Pakistani city of Lahore Friday in what appeared to be an attack by political rivals, news reports said. Additional Advocate General Arif Bhinder was travelling with a police escort when gunmen in ...
Pakistan hub of Al Qaeda web: US
Jan 12, 2007 ... Washington, Jan 12 -- US has identified Pakistan as the hub of a worldwide web of Al Qaeda connections while asserting that India, which has been a major target for jihadis due to insurgency in Kashmir, would remain a reliable ally against global terrorism. Describing Al Qaeda as a ...
Farmers sell 2.7 million tonnes of paddy
Jan 12, 2007 ... Raipur, Jan 12 -- In a major exercise, the Chhattisgarh government has procured 2.7 million tonnes of rice from thousands of poor farmers against a target of 4 million. The government has set up hundreds of procurement centers to directly purchase paddy from farmers, paying cash amount ...
Liverpool signs young Argentine star
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Liverpool has signed Argentine teenage defender Emiliano Insua on an 18-month loan deal. The left back, who has represented his country at under-20 level, was signed from Boca Juniors Thursday and was hailed by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as "a good, young player ...
Bangladesh needs new secular leadership: Taslima Nasrin
Jan 12, 2007 ... Kolkata, Jan 12 -- Saying that fundamentalism had destroyed the country, exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslim Nasrin prayed for a new secular leadership in Bangladesh to bring the country out of its present sorry state. "We can only hope that people, who are pushed to the brink, would hit ...
Common cold virus could kill cancer
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- The common cold virus can kill cancers at a very early stage of development, according to a preliminary research on mice. Scientists planning to conduct human trials say the virus therapy could be taken up alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy but without the ...
Bulgarian athlete Andreev banned for doping
Jan 12, 2007 ... Sofia, Jan 12 -- Bulgarian hammer thrower Andrian Andreev has been banned for two years for doping by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said Bulgaria's athletics chief. Andreev tested positive for an unspecified steroid at the European Cup in the Serbian town ...
Streep to act in Abba musical
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep is set to star in a movie version of the musical "Mama Mia". It is based on the music of songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks is one of the executive producers of the movie ....
US House backs wider stem-cell research, defies Bush
Jan 12, 2007 ... Washington, Jan 12 -- Lawmakers in the Democratic-led US lower house approved plans to expand government funding for human embryonic stem-cell research, defying a threatened veto by President George W. Bush. The bill, which requires Senate approval before it could land on Bush's desk, ...
Beckham's US move worth $250 million
Jan 12, 2007 ... Los Angeles, Jan 12 -- Football superstar David Beckham's deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy is worth more than $250 million, said the company that controls the team. The team said the deal is believed to be the biggest in sporting history but added that the staggering amount was ...
Severe cold is harbinger of infections
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- Small children and the elderly tend to succumb more to respiratory infections in winter as viruses multiply faster in cold temperatures. Very cold weather, combined with fog, like the capital has been witnessing for the past week, is "ideal" for certain viruses to spread ...
No port if Chinese are involved, Kerala told
Jan 12, 2007 ... Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 12 -- Kerala has been formally told by the central government that its proposed port in Vizhinjam cannot come up because of the involvement of Chinese companies. "We have finally got a letter from New Delhi stating that the project cannot go ahead because of the ...
Sri Lanka peace talks now a mirage, India feels
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is back from Sri Lanka with one clear understanding: peace talks between the Tamil Tigers and Colombo are highly unlikely in the near future. Besides extending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's invite to President ...
Moving van goes up in flames
Jan 12, 2007 ... Shimla, Jan 12 -- Occupants of a van jumped out in panic on a winding mountainous road in Himachal Pradesh after it suddenly caught fire, reducing the vehicle to a skeleton. The incident took ...
Blair a monster, says Westwood
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has branded British Prime Minister Tony Blair a monster over the Iraq war. Westwood, like many other Hollywood celebrities, is angry with Blair for supporting US President George W. Bush's war on Iraq, reports ...
No trace of Jharkhand's missing ash analyser
Jan 12, 2007 ... Ranchi, Jan 12 -- Three weeks after a uranium-based ash analyser was stolen from a Jharkhand colliery, the police are yet to make a breakthrough. The theft took place in a Central Coalfield Ltd (CCL) colliery in the Rajrappa coalmine area in Hazaribag district Dec 22. "Till now ...
Blast at US embassy in Athens
Jan 12, 2007 ... Athens, Jan 12 -- A loud explosion went off in the American rmbassy in the Greek capital Athens Friday, reports said. The blast was heard in the back end of the embassy. "We heard a loud explosion a little before ...
Telefilms - a platform for young artists, directors
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- With Indian telefilms winning accolades, a clear independent cinematic trend is emerging in the country giving young directors and artists an opportunity to exhibit their creativity. "Telefilms provide a platform to young actors and directors who do not have a ...
Supreme Court grants bail to Sidhu
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- The Supreme Court Friday granted bail to cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, one day after he was sent to the Patiala jail on charges of causing the death of a motorist. The apex court granted the bail on a bond of Rs.25,000. Sidhu had ...
Cold medicine may be fatal for babies
Jan 12, 2007 ... New York, Jan 12 -- Common cold medicines may be deadly for children under two years of age, says a report that advises parents to follow doctors' prescriptions strictly. The ingredients in the medicine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and in some cases be dangerous, reported ...
Winkler's memorable short speech
Jan 12, 2007 ... New York, Jan 12 -- Irwin Winkler, producer of hits like "Rocky", gave a short memorable speech at the National Board of Review while receiving an award for Career Achievement in producing films. Pagesix.com quoted him as saying: "Billy Wilder ...
Pakistan-India: Nurturing a paradigm shift
Jan 12, 2007 ... Mumbai, Jan 12 -- As Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee lands in Islamabad Saturday, there is plenty of speculation on what the 24-hour visit will generate. Actually, the stories may not be many. Mukherjee comes to deliver the invitation for the SAARC summit to be held in New ...
ULFA Mayhem: The Burma Factor
Jan 12, 2007 ... Assam, Jan 12 -- Following the inhuman ethnic cleansing against non-Assamese by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the Indian Army has begun counter-insurgency operations in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This is a placebo that bypasses the real cancer breeding outside India's borders ....
Pakistan tops list of journalist killings
Jan 12, 2007 ... Islamabad, Jan 12 -- Pakistan has topped the list of abductions and killings of journalists in South Asia during 2006, according to a report released by the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA). Four Pakistani journalists were killed last year, reported Online news agency. One ...
Former teacher to lead Maoists to Nepal parliament
Jan 12, 2007 ... Kathmandu, Jan 12 -- A former teacher from one of the poorest villages in Nepal will lead the Maoists to parliament as the guerrillas progress from bullets to ballots Monday. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a 48-year-old maths and science teacher from Libang village in mid-western Rolpa district ...
Woman battles for life after murder bid
Jan 12, 2007 ... Patna, Jan 12 -- A woman in her late 20s was battling for life in a Bihar hospital after suffering over 80 percent burns in a murder attempt over a land dispute. A group of powerful people set fire to Daulati Devi, who lives in a village near Patna. She is now warded in the Patna ...
Doherty's poem found on toilet floor
Jan 12, 2007 ... London, Jan 12 -- A poem penned by troubled rocker Pete Townshend for super model Kate Moss was found on a toilet floor in Thailand. A close friend of the couple said they had a fight while holidaying in Thailand and Moss left the poem in the bathroom of the resort they were staying in, ...
US troops entered Somalia after air strike: report
Jan 12, 2007 ... Washington, Jan 12 -- A small contingent of US troops entered Somalia after a US air strike earlier in the week aimed at Al Qaeda leaders, the Washington Post reported Friday. Citing anonymous US officials, the newspaper said troops entered southern Somalia to determine who had been ...
Divorce boom hits Moscow
Jan 12, 2007 ... Moscow, Jan 12 (RIA Novosti) Moscow saw a four percent rise in the divorce rate last year, with more than 45,000 couples deciding to untie the marriage knot, an official with the Russian capital's registry office said Friday. "That is an amazing figure," said Tatiana Ushakova. "We have ...
Indonesia's bird flu death toll reaches 59
Jan 12, 2007 ... Jakarta, Jan 12 -- A 37-year-old Indonesian woman who cooked and ate a sick chicken has died from bird flu, becoming the country's 59th victim and second this year, a health official said Friday. The woman, identified as Riyah, was a chicken vendor in West Jakarta and ate one of her own ...
GDP must grow 10 percent for poverty alleviation: Kalam
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- India must achieve an annual GDP growth rate of 10 percent for a decade to alleviate poverty, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said Friday. "If we have to uplift the 220 million people living below poverty level, the overall GDP growth rate has to be increased to 10 ...
Rs.2 trillion investments promised at Gujarat expo
Jan 12, 2007 ... Ahmedabad, Jan 12 -- Indian entrepreneurs, including Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Friday committed investments and projects in Gujarat totalling Rs.2.1 trillion ($46.6 billion) over the next four-five years at the Gujarat business expo. Ambani committed a whopping ...
Five Maoists arrested in Orissa
Jan 12, 2007 ... Bhubaneswar, Jan 12 -- Five Maoist guerrillas, including three women, have been arrested near the steel city of Rourkela in Sundergarh district, police said Friday. The ultras were travelling in a bus Thursday evening in Lathikata ...
Ganguly recalled, Sehwag gets the boot
Jan 12, 2007 ... Rajkot, Jan 12 -- India Friday announced probables for the World Cup and the first two one-dayers at home against the West Indies, giving former captain Sourav Ganguly a place in both but axing Virender Sehwag from the latter. Sehwag, a former vice captain whose batting has been in poor ...
Explosives, Naxalite literature seized in Bhopal
Jan 12, 2007 ... Bhopal, Jan 12 -- Conducting raids for the second consecutive day Friday, Madhya Pradesh police Friday recovered 2.5 kg of gun powder, weapons and Naxalite literature. Police also unearthed an illicit arms factory here Thursday and arrested eight people, including a woman ....
Hughes to set up 1,000 rural ICT kiosks
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- US-based software development major Hughes Network Systems will set up 1,000 rural information communication and technology (ICT) kiosks within the next three years in India, said Pradman P. Kaul, president and chief executive of the company here Friday. "We will be ...
Indian cricket announce 30 World Cup probables
Jan 12, 2007 ... Rajkot, Jan 12 -- The Indian cricket board Friday announced the list of 30 probables for the 2007 World Cup as well the team for the first two one-dayers against the West Indies at home. World Cup Probables: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, ...
Manmohan goes on East Asian mission Saturday
Jan 12, 2007 ... New Delhi, Jan 12 -- India's 'Look East' policy, revolving around accelerated economic and strategic engagement with Southeast and East Asian countries, will get fresh impetus during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's three-day visit to the Philippines to attend summits with 16 leaders of the ...
Film on Amrita Pritam to be shot in Himachal
Jan 12, 2007 ... Shimla, Jan 12 -- Actress Deepti Naval is looking for locales in a scenic Himachal Pradesh valley to make a colourful film on the life of Amrita Pritam, the first prominent female Punjabi writer. The film will have scenes of Pritam's early encounters with lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi and ...
Telefilm on witch hunting
Jan 12, 2007 ... Ranchi, Jan 12 -- A telefilm to raise awareness on witch hunting that has claimed hundreds of lives in Jharkhand was telecast by Ranchi Doordarshan Thursday. The film, "Phul Kunwar", directed by Bhupendra Narayan Singh, is the story of a beautiful girl who was tortured after she refused ...
Meet on centre-state ties Jan 21
Jan 12, 2007 ... Jammu, Jan 12 -- A meeting on relations between the central and state governments vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir will be held here Jan 21. The National Conference, which had opted out of such meetings protesting against human rights violations, is likely ...
US Embassy in Greece attacked
Jan 12, 2007 ... Athens, Jan 12 -- A blast went off in the US Embassy in the Greek capital Friday morning, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. Initial reports said that the blast was caused by a rocket attack, which came from across the back end of the embassy, from an old apartment ...
Medha Patkar now heads for Nandigram
Jan 12, 2007 ... Kolkata, Jan 12 -- Social activist Medha Patkar left for Nandigram in West Bengal Friday to address people resisting land acquisition for a special economic zone (SEZ). Patkar was freed on bail Thursday after she was arrested a day earlier for trying to visit Singur, the focal point of ...
13 killed in Indonesia landslide
Jan 12, 2007 ... Jakarta, Jan 12 -- At least 13 people were killed and 21 remained missing following a landslide early Friday on a remote island in northeastern Indonesia, an official said. Tonnes of mud and debris from the slide destroyed 64 houses and two churches on Sangihe Island in North Sulawesi ...