(IANS/RIA Novosti) A US couple, convicted for the involuntary manslaughter of their adopted Russian son, were jailed for a maximum of four years Friday.
A Pennsylvania court ruled that Michael and Nannette Craver must serve a minimum of 16 months. Their exact jail term will depend on their behaviour behind bars, the court said.
Seven-year-old Nathaniel Craver (Ivan Skorobogatov), died in August 2009 at a hospital in Pennsylvania.
Doctors said the boy died of injuries and malnutrition. They discovered more than 80 injuries on his body, including 20 on his head.
The Cravers were arrested in February 2010 and denied all the charges brought against them, saying the boy suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and attachment disorders. The couple's defense said his injuries were self-inflicted.
The Cravers remained silent while the judge was announcing the verdict and left the court room without comment.
Before the jury announced its decision in September, prosecutors had demanded the death penalty for the couple, who were released on $50,000 bail each in September.
Russian child rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov condemned the US jury's ruling that the killing of the boy was accidental.
Since 1991, a total of 17 adopted Russian children have died worldwide as a result of beatings or negligence, according to official Russian statistics.
Aamir Khan who celebrates his 43rd birthday on Friday was pleasantly surprised when a couple of Russian girls came all the way from Russia just to meet their favourite actor.
The actor, who is known for his reserved nature, was surprised to know that the girls burst into tears when they were told that Aamir was busy.
"I got a call from my office this afternoon that there were a couple of girls who had come all the way from Russia to meet me, and who had burst into tears when they got to know that I was busy. My staff didn't quite know what to do and called me in desperation," writes Aamir in his blog.
"I asked them to come over to where I was recording the director's commentary (yes I''m doing it as a result of the number of posts wanting me to speak)," says Aamir.
Aamir Khan was obviously touched by the warm gesture of his Russian fans. "I actually met with Skorpionchik and Koncol. I was really touched by their warmth and love."
North Korea to get $100 mn for Russian gas transit
2011/11/17 12:40:57 Khabarovsk (Russia), Nov 17 (IANS/RIA Novosti) North Korea will get $100 million annually if it becomes a transit country for Russian gas supplies to South Korea, an official said Thursday.
In August, President Dmitry Medvedev said after talks with his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-il that the parties had reached an agreement to draw up a project to build a gas pipeline to South Korea.
The pipeline will cost an estimated $6 billion.
"It ($100 million) would be a huge sum for a country with annual gross product of $10 billion. Moreover, the country would have to make no big effort to get it," Presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Russian Far East Victor Ishayev said.
Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom deputy board chairman, said the expected volume of Russian gas exports to South Korea was raised to 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) from 10 bcm.
Supplies of Russian gas to South Korea are expected to be started in 2017. Gazprom currently supplies up to 1.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas to South Korea annually.
2006/12/5 11:44:17 Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor says cutting meat from her diet keeps her weight in check.
She is happier, too, now that she is no longer responsible for killing animals, said a report on Tuesday.
But the recent change in diet has her parents worried she is becoming too thin, Kapoor told the Mumbai Mirror.
“It's true that I used to love non-vegetarian food,” the paper quoted her as saying.
“But I feel good that I am not killing any animals these days,” Kareena said.
Kapoor believes vegetarianism makes for healthier living, but her father, former actor Randhir Kapoor, does not buy the argument. Dismayed that small portions of lentils and flat Indian bread have replaced chicken and seafood, he regularly asks why she is not eating any more, she said.
Her most recent hit was Omkara a Bollywood version of Shakespeare's Othello.
London, England - Aishwarya Rai's latest film, Provoked, which deals with the subject of domestic abuse, premiered in London last night.
The movie is based on the true story of a British woman, Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who was jailed in 1989 for killing her violent husband by setting him on fire.
Aishwarya Rai said she took the role because it "touched a chord and as a woman I believed in the issue".
A huge star in India, Rai is known in the UK for 2004's Bride and Prejudice.
She stars alongside Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane and EastEnders actor Steve McFadden in Provoked.
The British film was inspired by Ms Ahluwalia's autobiography, in which she describes 10 years of rape and abuse at the hands of her husband.
The TRS and T-JAC sponsored Sakalajanula Samme has now entered 19th day. With the talk of a solution to the Telangana problem soon, many real estate dealers are now making a killing in Andhra.
According to reports, the property prices in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam have gone up as much as 25 percent in the last couple of months. The registrations are also going up filling the coffers of the government.
2007/9/22 10:40:20 The CID has revealed that Venkat has admitted to the killing of his friend and realtor Prashant Reddy. According to sources, the CID is said to have recorded Venkat’s statement stating that he had killed Prashant with his revolver. Venkat is said to have confessed this and is said to have told the CID that land disputes were the reason for the murder. The father of Venkat and former PCC chief K Keshava Rao however was quick to react. KK said that the statement was not Venkat’s but only that of the CID. Even Venkat’s lawyer says that the statement has not been made by his client but is being made by the CID.
The US President Barack Obama watched the US Navy Seals operation that resulted in the killing of Osama Bin Laden live. The operation was broadcast to the President live via the Helmet Cams that were attached to the Navy seals gear.
2011/10/5 4:47:54 In an act of cold-blooded murder, a bus driver Wednesday ordered tourists to de-board and then ran the vehicle over them in Rajasthan, killing six people, police said.The horrific act took place near a petrol station in Karauli district, 180 km from here. Four of the dozen injured people were in critical condition.The driver, identified as Raju, reportedly got into a scuffle with the tourists after they refused to pay for the fuel.
The furious driver then got into the bus and ran over the passengers who had de-boarded, killing six and wounding over a dozen others."The bus was coming from Agra and going to Kela Devi temple in Karauli," said the police officer to media. After the slaughter, the driver fled from the spot. (IANS)
A website for Power star Pawan Kalyan’s upcoming film Teen Maar will be launched in a couple of days at Hyderabad. The website www.teenmaarimovie.com will provide full details of the movie including the trailers etc. Teen Maar is releasing on 14th of April.
Pawan Kalyan has romanced with three girls in this film. While, Trisha has played the lead role, Kriti Karbanda and a Russian girl have played the other two female leads in this movie. This film is directed by Jayant.C.Pharanji and produced by Ganesh babu under Parameswara Arts banner.
2011/10/15 9:18:12 The Bharatiya Janata Party's dream of capturing power in the four southern states by making Karnataka its "gateway to south" is turning out to be a nightmare after its first chief minister in the state B.S. Yeddyurappa was sent to jail for corruption.
The 68-year-old Yeddyurappa quit July 31 after he was indicted by the Lokayukta (ombudsman).
Three other BJP ministers are also in jail for graft, the most famous of them is mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy who is behind bars in the Chanchalaguda Jail in Hyderabad for illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh.
The first of Yeddyurappa's ministerial colleagues to go to jail was Katta Subramanya Naidu. He was jailed on Aug 8 for taking Rs.85 crore kickback to grant 385 acres land to a software firm on the outskirts of Bangalore.
He was followed by Reddy on Sep 5.
On Saturday along with Yeddyurappa, former minister S.N. Krishnaiah Shetty was jailed for graft in illegal land denotification cases filed against them by two Bangalore advocates. (IANS)
Actor Salman Khan was produced in a court in Jodhpur in connection with the black buck killing case on Monday.
Salman appeared in the District and Session court as he had filed an appeal against the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s verdict.
Appearing before Judge Govardhan Singh Surana, Salman recorded his presence in the court and left immediately thereafter.
Salman's appearance in the court was closely guarded and the court premises was bereft of his admirers.
The court will hear both the defence and the prosecution counsel on Monday in connection with Salman's appeal and decide the verdict later. A lower court has already convicted Salman in both the cases.
Judicial magistrate Brajendra Kumar had sentenced Salman Khan on February 17 to one-year imprisonment for killing two black bucks in Bhavad village in Mathania area.
The actor was also given five years sentence on April 10, 2006 for killing a Chinkara in Ghoda Farm House.
Salman's advocate Hastimal Saraswat had filed two appeals against the sentences in the court, requesting them to set aside the sentences.
Salman is accused of killing two black bucks and one Chinkara in two different incidents in 1998 during the time of shooting for the film Hum Hum Saath Saath Hain,
The other accused actors including actor Satish Shah, were released.
Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra has shot down rumours that she will be working opposite Aamir Khan in Dhoom 3.
The actress, whow ill be next seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf, says she has not been approached for the Yashraj film.
"I have not been approached for Dhoom 3 till now. If anything happens I would definitely let everyone know," said the actress, who was in the city to promote her film. Priyanka, however, confirmed that she is part of Karan Johar's Agneepath remake.
"I am very much part of the remake but I am not playing a prostitute in the movie," she said in reply of a question. "I am playing a prostitute's daughter in the movie," the actress added.
Her latest film 7 Khoon Maaf is the big screen adaptation of renowned writer Ruskin Bond's short story Susanne's Seven Husbands, where Priyanka plays the protagonist and her seven husbands are played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham, Irrfan Khan, Russian actor Aleksandr Dyachenko, Annu Kapoor, Nasseruddin Shah and his son Vivaan.
Priyanka says she enjoying being a "serial husband killer" in the movie, where she kills her seven husbands in her eternal quest for love.
"I like the fact that she is a killer in the movie. It was one of the most difficult characters of my life and I thouroughly enjoyed killing all my husbands," she said.
Bollywood bad boy Sanjay Dutt is to portray Charles Sobhraj, an infamous killer nicknamed "the serpent" for his ability to give police the slip, in a new film.
Sobhraj, 63, currently serving a life term in a jail in Nepal for the murder of an American backpacker, was arrested in 2003 at a casino in Kathmandu. He has appealed against the verdict.
A suave, smooth-talking operator, Sobhraj is accused of killing more than 20 young western backpackers across Asia, usually by drugging them, in the 1970s and 1980s. His exploits spawned two books, a movie and many articles.
Now Dutt, convicted last year in connection with India's worst bombing, will try to get under the skin of Sobhraj's character.
Dutt, 48, a beefy action hero, is out on bail while he challenges his conviction for receiving illegal guns from gangsters.
The new film, Charles and I, will focus on the years of cat and mouse that Sobhraj played with the law. It will be shot in Turkey, France, India and Australia, director Prawaal Raman said on Thursday.
"This is going to be a very interesting film and I have done extensive research and interviewed the police officers who arrested Sobhraj in India and handled his case," Raman said from Mumbai. "He is a most fascinating person and was an enigma for the police."
A master of disguise who escaped from various jails around the world, Sobhraj was born to an Indian father and Vietnamese mother. He is a French national.
Serving a 20-year sentence in India, he escaped from prison in the mid-1980s, but was caught and returned to jail until 1997 when he was released.
In 1975, Thailand issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of drugging and killing six women, all wearing bikinis, on a beach at Pattaya. But he was jailed in India before he could stand trial on those charges.
In the new movie, a police officer narrates the tale of Sobhraj, and discusses his modus operandi, the director said.
But Sobhraj's lawyer said no film director had sought permission to make a film on his life. "Without his permission it cannot be made," lawyer Raja Ram said. The film will be released early next year, Raman added.
2011/11/3 9:05:29 (IANS) Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been accused by a German spy agency of being a "wife-beater" and having many "sexual affairs" while he himself was a spy in the KGB, a media report said Thursday.
Putin headed Soviet intelligence operations in the then East German city of Dresden from 1985 to 1990, the Daily Mail.
Secret files from West German spy agency BND published in the German media now claim an interpreter agent befriended Putin's wife Lyudmila, who spoke about her marriage with Putin.
She reportedly told the agent her husband used "domestic violence and had numerous sexual affairs", the daily said.
The secret files were discovered by BND expert Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, author of several books on the spy agency.
"This report gives added nourishment to the rumour that Putin left in his black Volga limousine in the spring of 1990 allegedly leaving an illegitimate baby behind," says a report in German newspaper Bild.
Not too many people know this, but Abhishek Bachchan, who is all set to tie the knot with former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, had adopted her colleague and competitor Sushmita Sen as his sister long ago.
And former Miss Universe Sush is overcome with joy at the news of the impending marriage.
"I'm so sooo... happy for my brother Abhishek, and Aishwarya, who has been a colleague and friend for many years. We've virtually grown up together in the industry. Today, when she's finally taking the plunge, I feel she deserves to be happy. She's a wonderful person."
But it's brother Abhishek for whom Sushmita reserves maximum congratulations.
"It was while we were shooting for Goldie Behl's 'Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai' that Abhishek adopted me as his sister... Or shall I say I adopted him as my brother. He was very awkward about shooting with me in any other capacity, so I quickly suggested he make me his sister.
"Since then he has called me didi. And I love that. Today, when my brother is engaged and ready to take the plunge, I feel six feet tall. He's a lovely guy and deserves happiness."
2010/12/25 9:24:53 G S LV –F06 (satellite launching vehicle) which is carrying the heaviest Satellite ‘G SAT-5P’ has failed with in 30 seconds of its launching from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Shar. The GSLV has been launched today evening at 4.01pm. GSLV blasted like a fire ball with in seconds of its take off, because of engine failure.
Actually, GSLV is supposed to be launched on 19th of this month. But, during the count down, the scientists have observed a leakage in the Cryogenic Engine while fueling it and thus stop launching of the Vehicle in the last moment.
Media reports that, while Indian scientists are insisting for an indefinite postponement of launching the Vehicle for a thorough check of the engine, their Russian counterparts insisted to launch the Vehicle after arresting the leakage from the Engine. Now, with this failure it’s to be considered that, obviously Russian Scientists might have pressurized their Indian counterparts and the Government and made this launching. This Rs.700 Crores project simply turned into ashes within 30 seconds!
New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) A large painting of Delhi's Moti Masjid that will lead the auction of important Russian works by Sotheby's in New York Tuesday is regarded as the best of Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Vereshchangin's India series in the 19th century.
Measuring 13 ft X 16 ft, the painting of the Pearl Mosque has been donated by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for sale, along with seven other works.
The mosque was painted by Vereshchangin in late 19th century, the auction house said in a statement from New York.
The work - one of the artist's largest works - is estimated at $3-5 million and it has been on display at Sotheby's York Avenue Gallery since Sept 28, it added.
The painting of the Pearl Mosque is part of Vereshchagin's "Indian series" which he painted after a two-year visit to India.
The series features numerous depictions of architectural monuments, all of which he realistically captured with painstaking attention to detail, the statement said.
Vereshchagin's progress on Pearl Mosque at Delhi was interrupted by the outbreak of the Balkan War in 1877, during which the artist set aside his work and served as a volunteer with the Russian Imperial Army.
He returned to the canvas in 1878, and finished the masterwork the following year, it added.
"By the mid-1880s, Vereshchagin found himself in financial need, and decided to try selling his works...," the statement said.
He went to New York for the first time in September 1888 for his show at the American Art Association.
The exhibition was a success, and proved so profitable that it was turned into a travelling exhibition. The Pearl Mosque at Delhi was purchased for $2,100 by philanthropist Roland C. Lincoln of Boston, Massachusetts. Lincoln donated the work to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston the following year.
"...the Pearl Mosque represents pure painterly perfection. For an artist made famous by his provocative images of war, the work showcases Vereshchagin's supreme versatility, and underscores his position as one of the leading visual historians of the 19th century," Sonya Bekkerman, head of Sotheby's Russian Paintings department, said in New York.
The Pearl Mosque, located inside the Red Fort in the capital, is known to have been built by Aurangzeb in 1660-1670 for his personal use. The mosque was used by the women of the seraglio and is no longer open to public.
Anupam Kher, Om Puri and Paresh Rawal - the three veterans have come together in director Rahul Rawail's new film Buddha Mar Gaya. The film promises to be a laugh riot and has a few surprises you would have never thought of.
“It’s completely unconventional I think. It’s something you have never seen before - Om Puri without a shirt,” says Kher.
“I wish I had muscles. Then I would have felt more proud,” adds Puri.
Buddha Mar Gaya revolves around Anupam Kher who plays a dead man in the film, and people around him try to cheat others using his dead body.
Item girl Rakhi Sawant plays the buddha killer in the film.
“I am doing a lot of social work in this movie. I am killing all the bad men. But I'm not killing them with any weapons. I am killing them with my looks,” says Rakhi.
Meanwhile, there's another kind of veteran who is making his debut in this film at the age of 55. Jeetendra Bhargava, a familiar face on the small screen who served as spokesperson for Air India for a long time, will now be seen on the big screen too. And interestingly, it was the Mumbai rains that did the trick for him.
“About two years ago, when Mumbai was in the midst of heavy rains and floods, he (Rahul Rawail) saw me on TV. It was at that time he sent me an SMS, which said that I have very good facisl expressions, and that he would give me a role when the next opportunity comes. True to words, he came to me at the beginning of the year,” says Bhargava.
2011/11/5 12:33:39 Karachi, Nov 5 (IANS) Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi Saturday claimed that he was approached by jailed bookmaker Mazhar Majeed several times but he distanced himself from the agent as he seemed like a "shady" character.
Majeed and Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were given jail terms by a London court Thursday after being found guilty of spot-fixing during the team's away series in England last year.
Afridi said he avoided Majeed whenever he tried to meet him.
"He always tried to contact me personally in the hotel and wanted time to meet me but I avoided him all the time because I had my suspicions that he was not trustworthy and involved in betting," Afridi was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
Majeed, during his testimony in the court, had said that it was difficult to get Afridi involved in spot-fixing.
Afridi dismissed Majeed's claims that Pakistani players were involved in spot-fixing during the time he was captain.
"I never felt that any player was doing something wrong and deliberately trying to let me down. I would have been the first man to throw them out and deal with it strongly," said 31-year-old Afridi, who recently came out of self-imposed retirement.
Majeed was jailed for 32 month, while Butt, Asif and Aamer were sentenced for 30, 12 and six months, respectively.
Afridi said he especially felt sad for young fast bowler Aamer.
"He is a great talent and I believe because of his age he was trapped in this scandal," said Afridi.
Working with someone as great as Rajnikanth is bound to influence you some way or the other. This has happened with Shreya too. She worked with Rajni for nearly an year for the film Sivaji. And she seems to have imbibed some of the good qualities of the superstar.
Rajni is well known for his large heartedness and his work for the poor and the underprivileged is legendary. However, very little is known about the huge work that Rajni has undertaken over the years.
Coming to his heroine Shreya, she is now reportedly adopted two orphans. She will take the entire responsibility of their education maintenance and upbringing. Not just that, now even her parents are reported to have adopted two orphans.
If only the other artists too follow suit, then there would not be too many orphans in the country. This is what even Venkatarama (Venu) wanted to do in the film Bahumathi.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's dream of capturing power in the four southern states by making Karnataka its "gateway to south" is turning out to be a nightmare after its first chief minister in the state B.S. Yeddyurappa was sent to jail for corruption.
(IANS) Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been accused by a German spy agency of being a "wife-beater" and having many "sexual affairs" while he himself was a spy in the KGB, a media report said Thursday.
