Tomorrow we will know what happened at the meeting between Baba Ramdev and the government as well as the Congress Core Group meet that's still on.

Unlikely though that Ramdev will back out of the fast -- far too much invested in it in terms of publicity.

The big stories today...

1. WHO: Germany E.coli strain completely new
2. High alert at Pak air base, intl airport
3. Slain Pak journo wanted to move to UK
4. Naipul: No woman writer my literary match
5. Sheila shivers: PMO examines Shunglu report
6. Pentagon: Cyber attacks are acts of war
7. 'Ramdev more businessman than sanyasi'
8. Cong Core Group to debate Ramdev fast

The World Health Organization says the E.coli outbreak in Germany is a completely new strain of the bacteria. The bbc.co.uk reports that the infection can cause the deadly complication -- haemolytic-uraemic syndrome -- affecting the blood and kidneys.

More than 1,500 people have been infected and 17 have died: 16 in Germany and one in Sweden. In the UK, three British nationals have been infected - all had visited Germany.

Jailed DMK MP Kanimozhi (and of course, Karunanidhi's daughter) has sued two Tamil newspapers for publishing photographs of her son.

While, she's absolutely right on this occasion, Kani had earlier used her son as an excuse to get bail saying there was nobody to look after him if she was jailed. Her bail plea was quashed, but another hearing comes up next week.

Whatever happened to her half brothers, half sisters, mom and stepmom?

Somebody's wasted a lot of money on this study...

A study has found that young gay men, who are in a serious relationship, are six times more likely to have unprotected sex than those who hook up with casual partners.

The findings by new Northwestern Medicine provide a new direction for prevention efforts in this population who account for nearly 70 percent of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in adolescents and young adults.

"Being in a serious relationship provides a number of mental and physical health benefits, but it also increases behaviours that put you at risk for HIV transmission,' says the study.

Duh.

This is a story slain Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad would've have covered...

News is thata key military airbase and the international airport in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi were put on high alert following an intelligence report that they could be targeted by terrorists.

The alert was sounded at the Pakistan Air Force's Chaklala airbase and Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Tuesday night after an intelligence agency warned of possible terrorist attacks.

TV news channels too reported last night that Chaklala airbase could be targeted by militants.

After the threat was received, Elite Force commandos, policemen, military police and intelligence officials were deployed at Chaklala airbase.

Outpourings of regret and grief from friends and colleagues of slain Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad.

Apparently, Shahzad had spoken to close friends about relocating abroad with his family after receiving several threats in recent months.

"He was interested in moving to Britain because of the threats. A friend even offered to host Shahzad and his family at his home in Florida in the US. Some of us suggested he should try to get a fellowship abroad," a journalist friend said.

Shahzad's friends also advised him to stop covering sensitive issues related to the Pakistani military in view of the threats he was receiving but he did not listen to them, the journalist said.

Are Ratan Tata and Anil Ambani better among equals?

A Delhi court today dismissed pleas for a direction to the CBI to make Reliance ADAG chairman Anil Ambani, Tata group Chief Ratan Tata, corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and DMK chief M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, as accused in the 2G spectrum scam.

On Twitter:

Karunanidhi's sonMK Alagiri will stay in Delhi, not attending his father's birthday in Chennai, since Kani is in jail. This is the first time Alagiri will be away from the birthday bash.

And while on Karunanidhi, the grand old man of Tamil politics turns 88 tomorrow.

You can hardly use the word 'celebrating' since his daughter Kanimozhi and trusted aide A Raja are in jail and his party is in political darkness after the election drubbing.

But while speculations are abuzz that Karunanidhi may choose to maintain a low profile, the DMK last week gave a clarion call to its supporters to go all guns blazing over his birthday or as party general secretary K Anbazhagan says, "We are duty-bound to celebrate the birthday of our leader."

The freebies didn't cost him the state, 2G did, but former TN chief minister M Karunanidhi today attempted to come clean on election freebies.

Hesaidit did not come at the cost of developmental schemes and they were not implemented by securing loans meant for developmental schemes. He said in a welfare state, such schemes should not be neglected.

The DMK government had distributed rice at Rs 1 per kg besides free colour TVs, which had been upped by the AIADMK with its decision to implement a free rice scheme and hike the amount given under marriage assistance scheme.

The S-word has returned to haunt Sheila Dixit's government.

The reports of the high-level Shunglu Committee on alleged irregularities in Commonwealth Games projects and conduct of the mega sporting event are now being examined by the Prime Minister's Office for appropriate follow up action.

Officials said that the two reports received by the PMO on March 28 and 29 respectively are "under examination".

So far, the Shunglu Committee has submitted six reports on CWG to the Government.

The 361-page report on Games venues has found a loss of over Rs 1,600 crore in construction and renovation of venues for the Games by different government agencies.

Also read: Shunglu report self-contradictory

Amidst speculation whether he will go ahead with his hunger strike, Baba Ramdev cancelled a press conference scheduled this evening in view of "serious dialogue" with government.

His aides said the "conclusive" outcome would be announced tomorrow.

Busy weekend coming up. First, there's Baba Ramdev's fast, beginning Saturday at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi. Then the BJP's two-day National Executive meet begins in Lucknow tomorrow.

At the BJP meet -- the issues to be discussed are corruption and black money as well as putting up a credible fight against BSP and SP in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls next year.

Anish Kapoor's "Ascension" was to be one of the highlights of this year's Venice Biennale.

The work, a whisp of smoke ascending from the floor to a huge extractor fan set in the ceiling of the Basilica di San Giorgio, an ancient church set apart on its own island, emphasises the "immaterial becoming object", according to the artist.

The Independent writes that visitors to the exhibit on its unveiling on Tuesday were bamboozled after a tornado-like column of smoke spluttered, letting out little more than a faint stream of vapour that disintegrated after several metres.

It may be remembered that Kapoor's sculptures were on exhibit in New Delhi in December last and Mumbai in January this year.

Read

Is nothing private anymore?

It has emerged that the newly-wed Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) was on a fertility diet during her honeymoon. The royal couple who went on a post-wedding holiday to the Seychelles, reportedly dined out on green vegetables mixed with cream cheese during the romantic break.

According to 'Vanity Fair' magazine, Prince William and Kate requested that their private villa be stocked with Brussels sprouts due to their high levels of folic acid and fertility enhancing properties.

Unconfirmed sources say Sonia Gandhi has just asked for duct tape to seal Digvijay Singh's mouth.

See our 12:58 pm post to find out why.

The still pretty Jennifer Aniston with an amazing body at 42, poses topless in a new advert --a tasteful black and white shot -- to promote mineral water.

Here you go

Days after Nobel prize winning author VS Naipul made up with old friend and author PaulTheroux,he's anded himself inanother literary row.

Naipaul says he considers no woman writer his equal-not even celebrated novelist Jane Austen.

In an interview at the Royal Geographic Society on Tuesday, Naipaul, who has been described as the "greatest living writer of English prose," was asked if he considered any woman writer his literary match.

"I don't think so," he replied.

On Austen, one of the most widely read writers in English literature, he said that he "couldn't possibly share her sentimental ambitions, her sentimental sense of the world," according to a report in The Guardian.

He felt that women writers were "quite different". "I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think [it is] unequal to me," he said.

The Trinidad-born author said that this was because of women's "sentimentality, the narrow view of the world".

The mystery of how penguins stay warm while they huddle has been revealed by an international team of scientists in this time lapse video footage. Reported in the bbc..

See

The DMK reacts to Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa's comments that Union Textile minister Dayanidhi Maran should be sacked over the allegations of corruption in the 2G scam.

The DMK says sternly, "Jaya must keep in mind legal cases pending against her."

Just so you know what a mammoth event Baba Ramdev's June 4 fast at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi will be, here are some figures...

The venue has:

• 1000 ceiling fans
• 650 bathrooms
• 650 toilets
• 50 ambulances waiting on call
• 1000 managers who are handling the event.

In an unprecedented move, the United States today declared that deliberate cyber-attacks by any foreign nation on vital computer networks in the United States may be considered an "act of war" that could be met by a full-blown military response.

The independent.co.uk which reported the story, says the stern warning comes as the Pentagon hurries to complete a new policy blueprint on defending America's transport, power and defence systems against enemies digitally insinuating themselves, with malicious intent, into the country's cyber-nervous system.

Read

Two weeks since IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn was forced to quit, the international body is still headless.

The name that heads the list of probables is French Finance Minister Christine Lagardewith the EUsupporting hercandidature, but Bric countries -- Brazil, Russia, India and China, holding out.

Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel (who was in India two days ago) has said she supports Lagarde to be the next head, in a speech in Singapore today. Shesaid Lagarde was the "ideal embodiment" of the economic and political experience necessary to lead the IMF.

And the IMF staff for one, would be happy to get a female boss after numerous instances of sexual harrassement in the institution.

Fans (the whirling variety) are being set up at the Baba Ramdev's battleground at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi. The government estimates at least 2 lakh people would join Ramdev when he begins his fast on June4, Saturday.

And he's not done. In another completely bizarre statement, Digvijay Singh says the party is not scared of Ramdev and is holding discussions with him. (Core Group meeting is at 4.30 pm today).

"If Congress was scared, Ramdev would have been put behind bars. (For what exactly?) There is no fear that is why he is out in the open and there are discussions with him," he said.

The party has differed with the government's extraordinary step of rushing four senior ministers to the airport yesterday to talk to the yoga guru. Congress sources said talks with Ramdev were fine but there was no need to send the ministers to the airport to meet him.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, whohas beendiagnosed withfoot-in-the-mouth-disease,has attacked Baba Ramdev, dubbing him more of a businessman than a 'sanyasi'.

Digvijay said, "Even to teach yoga, he charges Rs 50,000 from those who sit in the front seats, Rs 30,000 for the backseat and Rs 1000 for the last seat. What else is this?" he said addressing a meeting.

In the US, no stranger to freak weather,a state of emergency has been declared in Massachusetts after violent storms and tornadoes swept across the state, killing four persons and injuring several others.

Baba Ramdev has begun meeting with his close associates in New Delhi ahead of his proposed June 4 hunger strike on the black money issue.

Yesterday, Ramdevflew in from Ujjain toDelhi to a red-carpet welcome from the government.

His talks today are primarily to discuss and deliberate the next round of discussions with the government.

Ramdev said he has spoken to the government and now he will interact with the people on the issues he was raising. He also said he could go ahead with talks with the government during his protest.

Is beleagured or befuddled the right adjective for sacked Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi? May be both...

Now that Hampshire has made it clear that a No Objection Certificate is a must to represent the team, Afridi has requested Pakistan Cricket Boardto grant special permission to play for the English county in their Twenty20 league.

A senior PCB official said that in his reply to the showcause notice, Afridi had asked for permission to play for Hampshire after it had revoked his NOC to play in foreign leagues as a part of several disciplinary actions taken against the all-rounder after his retirement announcement and public outburst against PCB.

"We got his reply to the notice we sent to him. He has accepted he is guilty of violating his contractual terms," the official said

Yesterday, the World Health Organization declared that mobile phones could be a cancer risk.But don'tswitch to pay phones yet...which brand of phone you own and how you use it could make a big difference.

Read the report

"The poor do not get food; we have decided to ensure that all do," she said while announcing a new scheme of food for the poor.

"Initially the scheme, which envisages increasing the number of those eligible to get rice at Rs. 2 a kg, will be introduced in the blocks comprising the Jangalmahal area, spanning the three south-western districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, she added.

Yesterday, state finance minister Amit Mitra had said Bengal had a debt burden of Rs 3,500 crore.

Incidentally, it's Marilyn Monroe's birthday today. She would have been 78 today.

For someone who looked the quintissential dumb bloned, Monroe certainly made intelligent quips. Here's a sampling.

"It's better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you're not.

A wise girl kisses but doesn't love, leaves before she is left and forgets before she is forgotten."

"It's better to be absolutely RIDICULOUS then absolutely boring"

"Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there's so much to SMILE about."

"We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets."

On Saturday, Baba Ramdev, who's getting reams of newsprint dedicated to him, will go on fast on June 4 at Delhi's Ramlila grounds. Huge shamiana awaits him.

Today, the Congress top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, are expected to deliberate on the situation arising out of Ramdev's plans to go on a hunger strike on the issue of black money.

A meeting of the Congress Core Group headed by Gandhi is scheduled this evening in the backdrop of apparent differences between the party and the government over the way the issue needed to be tackled.

The Core Group, which generally meets on Friday is meeting a day ahead, reflecting the concern in the party and the government over Ramdev's plans.

Top Congress leaders and senior ministers, including Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony, P Chidambaram and Political Secertary to Congress chief Ahmed Patel are part of the group which decides on major policy issues.

If you're flying Qantas anytime soon, may be you need to read this.

A bbc.co.uk report says five baby rats were discovered in a cabin compartment on a Qantas jet, following whichtheflight had to be grounded.

Air crew found the rats minutes before passengers were due to board a Boeing 767 flying from Sydney to Brisbane.

The airline said it was a rare occurrence and passengers were put on another plane while the rats were disposed of. Qantas has suffered several mishaps in recent months, none of them causing any loss of life.

In an earlier instance, the door of a Qantas flight opened mid air, but luckily there were casualties.

Then, one of Qantas' superjumbos made an emergency landing after experiencing engine trouble shortly after taking off from Singapore on its way to Sydney last November.

Good morning. Thankfully we begin the day without death, disease and disaster. Here are the stories that made news today

At Maidan, all signs are clear: Baba wants to dwarf Anna (Indian Express)
Already, about 50 lakh have responded to his "missed call" SMS-campaign, the yoga guru claims.Read

How Ramdev & Sri Sri got together, grew apart (Indian Express)
The involvement of two personalities who invoke the spiritual and the divine in the India Against Corruption (IAC) coalition was seen by many within as something that provided a moral compass to the movement. Indeed, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Jain gurus, too, figure as founder-members on the IAC's website but they remain more or less silent. Read

Anna Hazare to join Ramdev's fast, says Govt is cheating us (Hindustan Times)

Denying any spilt in the civil society, veteran Gandhian and social activist Anna Hazare today said that he will go to Delhi on June 5 to join Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's movement in Delhi against corruption. Read

Government rolls out red carpet to pacify Baba Ramdev (Hindustan Times)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pulled out all the stops on Wednesday to persuade Baba Ramdev to abandon his indefinite fast from Saturday to demand an end to corruption and black money. But the yoga guru appeared in no mood to soften his stand. Read

ISI scripted Mumbai attack, Qaida cleared it: Shahzad book (The Times of India)
Slain Pakistan journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad wrote in his book that Ilyas Kashmiri proposed Mumbai attack plan to al-Qaida. Read

With Jagan's rise, Congress hastens to do away with YSR's legacy (The Times of India)
Reportedly instructed by Sonia Gandhi, the Kiran Reddy govt has done away with former CM's photographs and name in all the government campaigns. Read

Sania-Vesnina beat Huber-Raymond to enter French Open finals (The Times of India)
Sania Mirza stormed into her first Grand Slam doubles final as she and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina defeated American duo of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in a thrilling three-setter in the semifinals of the French Open on Wednesday. Read