A 'downcast' Dayanidhi Maran submitted his resignation to the PM a day after the CBI said he forced Aircel to sell stake to Malaysia firm. He is the man of the moment, folks. Now, let's see if he joins the DMK gang in Tihar.

The other headlines today...

1. 'Maran's ouster long overdue, PM must explain'
2.  Lalu can't live without power: Bihar Dy CM
3. Read: Review of 8th and final Potter movie
4. 'Maran's ouster long overdue, PM must explain'
5. Bangladesh on PM remarks: Mistakes happen
6. AP breathes: Telangana rail roko postponed
7. Raja aide's suicide note checked for forgery
8. I did not have an affair with Benazir: Imran
9. lshrat case: Forensics reconstruct encounter
10. ND Tiwari rapped for refusing DNA sample
11. Dayanidhi Maran submits resignation to PM
12. CBI to send Radia transcripts to 2G accused
13. Rahul: UP government is stealing from you
14. Why WB wants name change: It's the letter W

In Spain, tourists at Pamplona have become bullish.

Hundreds of runners fled half-tonne bulls charging through Pamplona's streets today in the first bull-run of Spain's San Fermin fiesta, resulting in four injuries. Six huge fighting bulls and six steers bolted through the narrow, winding streets of the northern Spanish town, clearing a path through a sea of runners mostly dressed in white, with red handkerchiefs.

Bulls and runners stampeded through an 848.6-metre course from a holding pen to the city's bull ring in 2 minutes, 30 seconds.

So it's not just CWG stadiums that face collapse.

A section of a Dutch football stadium collapsed during off-season renovations today, trapping people underneath. No match was being played at the FC Twente stadium, but at least eight people were injured in the accident.

Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi today claimed that RJD chief Lalu Prasad was making desperate bid to become a member in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet.

"Prasad can't live without power... he does politics only for power," Modi said. Referring to Lalu's recent meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, he alleged that Lalu was making a desperate bid to become a Central minister.

Equating Lalu's condition with that of "a fish without water," Modi said Lalu wanted to become a minister "for saving himself in the cases of multi-crore rupees fodder scam."

You read it here: The review of the eighth and final movie - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 -- which premieres in London's Trafalgar Square tonight. Here's where hundreds of fans have been queueing for days hoping to get a glimpse of the film's stars.

Read the review

Rediff.com's Sahim Salim following Rahul Gandhi on his padyatra says the Congress general secretary has reached Zikarpur, the sixth village today.

Following Rahul is a posse of 100 people on foot, 40 media vehicles, 2 SPG vehicles and 3 police cars.

What the Opposition had to say on Dayanidhi Maran's resignation.

Opposition parties, including the BJP and AIADMK, today termed the minister's resignation from the Union Cabinet as "long overdue" and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explain as to why action against "corrupt" ministers was delayed.

They also said the resignation was "too little" and "too late" and that the CBI presented the "true facts" with regard to the 2G Spectrum scam only because the investigations are being monitored by the Supreme Court.

Bangladesh today sought to put a lid on the controversy sparked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent remarks about the country, saying "there is no misunderstanding now and such mistakes do happen. We are looking forward to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh," Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said in Dhaka today.

Her comments came when she was asked about Singh's controversial "off-the-record" remarks that 25 per cent people of Bangladesh were anti-India. Singh's remarks, made during an interaction with editors in Delhi last week, were put on the official transcript but were later deleted.

The Dominique Strauss-Kahn case is not about winning or losing, but opening a dialogue on rape, violence and gender, writes Eve Ensler author of the Vagina Monologues.

Read

Back to the man of the moment -- Dayanidhi Maran. As he attended his last meeting of the Union Cabinet today, Maran was downcast but gave no indication that he was going to quit soon after, says PTI.

The DMK leader, who has been named by the CBI in the 2G scam, was silent throughout the hour-long meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence.

He arrived a little late to the meeting which started at 11 am. He, however, left the meeting for a brief while when the issue of allowing Phase-III of FM channels came up.

He said he was leaving because there was a conflict of interest. Maran did not elaborate but was obviously conscious of the fact that his brother Kalanidhi Maran owns a media empire that includes FM channels in several languages. He joined the meeting after discussion on this agenda was over.

After the Cabinet meeting, Maran went home where is understood to have spoken to DMK chief M Karunanidhi who advised him to put in his papers. Soon after, Maran went back to the Prime Minister's residence, this time in his personal car, and submitted his resignation.

Just in: The CBI says it will reexamine Sadiq Batcha's suicide note for forgery to rule out murder once and for all. Batcha was jailed former telecom minister A Raja's close aide. Batcha was dead in his Chennai home in March.

Though the police and his family suspect suicide, foulplay has still not being ruled out in the case. Batcha's suicide note said he was embarrassed by CBI raids and has blamed no one for his action.

Batcha was the managing director of Green House promoters - one of the companies which the CBI believes was a front for A Raja - where possibly the bribe money from 2G licenses was routed.

This should be of interest to anyone remotely interested in gossip.

A new biography of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan pooh-poohs suggestions that he was romantically involved with slain former premier Benazir Bhutto.

"One of my cousins was interested in her (Bhutto) and she also took an interest when I introduced them to each other. At one point, marriage was virtually on the cards," Khan told Frank Huzur, his Indian biographer.

Khan, who now heads the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf party, described Bhutto as a "personal friend" and said there was "mutual admiration between them".

According to Khan, Bhutto had an affair with the "spotlight". "She trusted my instincts for counsel. Politics was not her calling, but she was able to make it her calling. She would have made a great ambassador for Pakistan," Khan is quoted as saying in an excerpt from Huzur's book "Imran Vs Imran".

For villagers staying along the banks of the river Kosi, yesterday's flood alert is bound to bring back devastating memories of the 2008 floods.

DredgingToday.com says that the people of the region say they are having sleepless nights as the swollen Kosi is posing a serious threat to its eastern embankment.

They say the state government has failed to construct a much-needed pilot channel. With incessant rains and heavy water discharge into the Kosi River from Nepal in the last few days, official of the state disaster management department in Bihar did not rule out a repeat of the devastating flood.

The flood affected over 2.3 million people in the northern part of Bihar.

The guardian.co.uk report that says the UK will withdraw another 500 troops from Afghanistan next year, as armed forces begin to transfer combat duties to the Afghan security forces.

The decision comes a fortnight after US President Obama said he intended to withdraw 33,000 US troops from the country by the end of next autumn.

Also from the south: AIADMK workers today allegedly entered the Mayor's chamber in Chennai and in his absence, removed the portrait of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and placed the 'official' one of present incumbent Jayalalithaa.

No reports yet on where the Karuna portrait is headed.

Rediff.com's Mohammed Siddique in Hyderabad reports that the Telangana Joint Action Committee has put off its plans of a 48-hour rail roko stir tomorrow till a all-party meeting chalks out a joint agitation plan.

The committee has also decided to postpone tthe "cooking on the roads" program scheduled for Sunday.

Details follow.

Alright then, the 30 KG children and their teachers, who were held hostage by a hammer-wielding man in Malaysia have been rescued by the police which stormed the school after firing teargas.

See our 12:51 pm post. 

Alright then, the 30 KG children and their teachers, who were held hostage by a hammer-wielding man in Malaysia have been rescued by the police which stormed the school after firing teargas.

See our 12:51 pm post. 

Moving on from D Maran, an update on the Ishrat Jahan case.

The Special Investigation Team probing the 2004 police encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others, along with forensic experts, today reconstructed the events that took place on the day of the incident at the original site near Kotarpur area of the city.

SIT chairman Satyapal Singh said that a eleven-member team from the AIIMS and Central Forensic Science Laboratory CFSL, New Delhi, was helping them in reconstruction and collection of the data that would be useful during investigation.

R Rajagopalan on Twitter writes that former Union textile minister Dayanidhi Maran's resignation has been faxed to Tirupathi where President Prathibha Patil is preforming puja on her wedding day.  

Rajagopalan adds that the PMO objects to the induction of T R Baalu into the Union Cabinet according to a secret communique from enivironment minister Jairam Ramesh to the PMO.  

Incidentally, Maran quit only after the PM spoke to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home minister P Chidambaram and the Attorney General. Legal aspects of the CBI's report tabled with the AG were discussed.

The PM and Sonia Gandhi also spoke to DMK boss M Karunanidhi last night. Karuna gave the green signal for Maran's axe.

Snippets from around the world...

Suspected Al Qaeda militants killed 10 soldiers when they ambushed them on a road in southern Yemen, where the jihadist network has a stronghold. The gunmen opened fire on the vehicle in which the soldiers were travelling yesterday north of the city of Loder, in Abyan province, killing them all.

Details on the business section of rediff.com shortly, but here's a teaser.

Ford Motor Co.'s ad agency Team Detroit has tapped Satish Korde as its new CEO. The shop today named Mr. Korde CEO effective immediately. He had been global client director for Team Detroit's parent company.

Maran went to 7 RCR (the PM's residence) the second time and handed over his resignation letter to Dr Manmohan Singh's personal assistant. He didn't meet the PM again.

R Rajagopalan on Twitter gets it right: Maran resignation is a great loss for DMK. In future who will translate Tamil to English and vice versa to DMK leadership for PM and Sonia.

Congress leader Delhi High Court today has been asked to explain why he is bent upon defying the court's order to give his blood sample. The blood sample is required for a DNA test to decide the paternity suit of a 31-year-old man claiming to be his biological son.

"You (counsel for Tiwari) please take instructions from your client as to why he is not willing to comply with the court order asking him to give blood sample for the DNA test by next Monday," Justice Gita Mittal said.

"The issue of conduct of DNA test can be decided later but first of all you provide the blood sample before the crucial evidence vanishes," the court said.

The complainant, Rohit Shekhar claims that Tiwari was in a relationship many years ago with his mother, Ujjawala Sharma. Tiwari rejected theory, and claimed that a paternity test will violate his right to privacy.

On the Daily Mail, the story of Shana Williams. When the man she adored was left hopelessly brain-damaged in a crash, Shana took a lover. Callous - or her only way to cope?

Read

Union Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni says phase three of FM radios has been approved by the Cabinet; which will enable 839 new radio channels.

During this discussion, like we told you earlier, Dayanidhi Maran was asked to leave the room. There's conflict of interest since Maran has a stake in FM channels in Tamil Nadu. 

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, in a place called Muar, a mentally-deranged hammer-wielding man is holding about 30 kids and 3 teachers hostage. At least one child may be dead.

Police have cordoned the area and now negotiating for the children's release.The man barged into the kindergarten sometime after 9 am.

Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran is now meeting PM Manmohan Singh in the aftermath of the Cabinet meeting at 7RCR. Bottom dollar bet that the PM will discussing Maran's resignation at the one-on-one meeting. The Cabinet meeting, however, is still on.

The meeting, as we suggested earlier, was indeed his  last as a minister. Maran will step down at 3 pm today, says our Delhi correspondent. The PM has been under pressure to ask Maran to quit ever since his name came up in the 2G scam.

Our Delhi correspondent also says that Maran left the Cabinet meeting just as it discussed the modalities of FM radio licences. Hmmm.

Rediff.com's Sahim Salim who is in Kansera village in UP following Rahul Gandhi's padyatra said he dares Mayawati with a statement that goes: The UP government is stealing from you. The theft is being sponsored by Lucknow.

Much cheering from the assemblage of villagers.

Before we forget, the story on the Niira Radia transcripts that are now to be made available over to 2G scam accused.

The CBI today told a Delhi court that it will make available to the 2G scam case accused by July 12, the transcripts of tapped telephonic talk of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with various people.

The development comes in the wake of some of the accused submitting to the court that the CBI was not providing them the transcripts of Radia's conversation, despite the fact that she was a key prosecution witness in the case with her statements to the CBI often referring to those conversations.

Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, named as an accused in the scam, had yesterday told the court that the CBI should send them all the documents, which it has filed in the court along with the chargesheet, so that they could respond.

R Rajagopalan on Twitter: At 1015 hours today, Prime Minister Office conveyed a message to T R Baalu. Hush hush activities in DMK circles in Delhi.

Will Baalu replace Maran? Stay with us.

Yesterday we told you about rumours of former China President Jiang Zemin's death. In fact, there was intense speculation about his health for days.

Finally, China today dismissed the reports as "pure rumour". Speculation that the 84-year-old leader was seriously ill emerged when he failed to appear at celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party on July 1. Reports yesterday said Chinese government censoring news about his death.

Right now, PM Manmohan Singh is holding a Cabinet meeting ahead of the proposed Cabinet reshuffle and guess who's conspicious by his presence -- union textiles minister and 2G scam-tainted former telecom minister -- Dayanidhi Maran. The pressure mounts on the PM to ask Maran to quit with the CBI slamming him yesterday. The CBI said Maran forced Aircel to sell shares to Malaysian firm. Scroll down to our first post for the details.  

The meeting is being held at the PM's residence.

The Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan are expected to meet in New Delhi on July 27 to review progress in the bilateral peace process that was revived earlier this year.

Before the meeting of the Foreign Ministers, two working groups will meet by the middle of this month to discuss proposals on confidence-building measures, including the expansion of cross-Line of Control movement and trade and nuclear issues.

From the DNA, a report on the probe into journalist J Dey's murder.

The Bombay high court asked the state government to find out who in the Mumbai police's crime branch was leaking information about the investigation into the murder to the media.

"Police will have to explain and find out who is this officer who is talking to the press. This tendency of revealing information about the probe to the media is serious. What is the need for police to talk to media about a case when investigations are still on?" said the division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice RV More.

And in the same vein -- updates in the murder of Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad.

The Pakistani judicial commission probing Shahzad's killing has summoned 16 reporters to appear before it on July 9 to record their statements. The commission has asked them to provide information and help the investigation move forward.

He said the commission had also asked the public to submit any information they may have on the abduction and killing of Shahzad but only two persons had approached the body in this regard.

We'll keep you updated on all that happens at Rahul's padyatra, with Sahim Salim walking the course with the Cong general secretrary.

For now, this is what we tripped on in the Washington Post.

The founder of Pakistan's nuclear bomb programme asserts that the government of North Korea bribed top military officials in Islamabad to obtain access to sensitive nuclear technology in the late 1990s.

AQ Khan has made available documents that he says support his claim that he personally transferred more than $3 million in payments by North Korea to senior officers in the Pakistani military, which he says subsequently approved his sharing of technical know-how and equipment with North Korean scientists.

Khan also has released what he says is a copy of a North Korean official's 1998 letter to him, written in English, that spells out details of the clandestine deal.

Rediff.com's Sahim Salim reports from Rahul Gandhi's padyatra. Rahul's host for the night Harkesh Kumar gurgles: "He came in, drew water from the hand pump and took a bath. He talked to us till 1 am. For dinner he had chapati and dal.

"He woke up at 5:15 am and left at 6.45 am after a cup of tea. He refused breakfast."

Rahul resumed his padyatra at 7 am and is headed to Zikarpur village in Aligarh.

If you've missed this, do read. And as bizarre as it seems, it's true.

The West Bengal Cabinet yesterday passed a resolution to change the name of the state. The new name will be decided after consulting all political parties, intellectuals and cross-sections of society.

Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh has been asked to take necessary steps to implement the decision, Minister for Commerce and Industries Partha Chatterjee said after a meeting of the Cabinet presided by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The report in the Indian Express explains why: "With the name of West Bengal, we face grave administrative problems. For example, in meetings of representatives from various states, our turn comes at the end since the name starts with the letter 'W'.

"In fact, people doze off when we rise to speak. Our CM does not want this situation to go on,' Chatterjee said.

He said the government would elicit the opinion of all recognised political parties as well as intellectuals.

While we give you details of the Niira Radia story, here's what WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been upto.

A report in the Guardian says that the million-pound book deal signed by Julian Assange to write his memoirs has collapsed, after the WikiLeaks founder became unhappy with the process.

Assange signed a high profile deal for his memoirs in December with the Edinburgh-based publishers Canongate and US firm Alfred A Knopf, for a reported sum of 930,000. The rights have subsequently been sold in 35 countries.

Good morning. The top news stories this morning...

33 killed, 35 injured as train rams into bus in UP (The Times of India)
At least 33 people were killed and 35 others injured when a train rammed into a bus at an unmanned crossing near here in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours today. Read

CBI says Maran forced Aircel to sell shares to Malaysian firm (The Hindu)
There is prima facie material to suggest that there is an element of coercion by the "former Telecom Minister" [Dayanidhi Maran, now the Textiles Minister] in Aircel selling its shares to a Malaysian telecom company, the CBI told the Supreme Court yesterday. Read

Govt yet to decide on Maran exit (Indian Express)
Congress sources said that Marans continuance in the Union Cabinet was becoming increasingly untenable and top leadership of the ruling dispensation was said to be seized with the issue. Read

Man with revolver detained while trying to move close to Rahul Gandhi (The Times of India)

Hari Mohan Sharma who was trying to move close to Rahul Gandhi during his 'padayatra' was nabbed by the SPG personnel and was immediately handed over to the UP Police. Locals said he is a Congress worker. Read

US alerts India on potential human bomb in flights (Indian Express)

The United States has alerted international carriers, including those from India, flying directly into its territory, that terrorist groups might surgically implant bomb into human beings to carry out attacks. Read

Powerful quake off New Zealand triggers tsunami (DNA)
A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off New Zealand's Kermadec Islands, triggering a tsunami in the region, the US Geological Survey and the US Pacific Tsunami Centre said on Wednesday. Read