Before we leave you, the top news storiestoday...

2G scam: Raja took bribes, used hawala: ED

Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant radiation a point below Chernobyl

Six of 18 Tri-Valley students still tagged

26/11plotter Headley to be grilled on wives

WikiLeaks: UPA reshuffle had pro-US tilt

Libya rebels urge West to assassinate Gaddafi

Radiation levels reduce at Japan N-plant

Husband arrested for Mumbai woman's suicide

CBI grills Kalmadi in CWG catering, TSR scam

Body in bag found in Mumbai, 2nd in 5 days

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told the Legislative Assembly today that no action has been taken yet with regard to the missing papers from the Urban Development Department in the Adarsh Society case.

In a written reply to Suryakant Dalvi (Shiv Sena) and others, Chavan said an FIR was registered by the Marine Drive police on the UDD's complaint about missing papers on November 26, 2010.

The ruler of Bahrain has declared astate of emergency after a security official said an opposition protester shot dead a Saudi soldier.

Around a 1,000 Saudi soldiers have entered the violence-hit nation as a peace-keeping force.

BJPSushma Swaraj: As many as 8 lakh people are dying of cancer caused by tobacco products in India every year.

I raised the issue of adverse effect of tobacco on the health of our people in Lok Sabha today.

I stand for complete ban on all tobacco products.

If the Government is not ready to ban them immediately, we must ensure that pictorial warnings are more prominent and strict compliance is ensured.

The Enforcement Directorate told the Supreme Court today that former telecom minister A Raja took bribes from telecom companies in the 2G spectrum allocation and that payoffs were channelled through hawala transactions. Submitting its report to the SC today, the ED said that multi-crore rupee transactions have been traced, many of which originated from Mauritius.

The ED said 31 firms have been summoned in connection with 2G spectrum scam and told the court that Letters Rogatory (or letters of request) have been sent to Singapore, Cyprus, Jersey and the Virgin Islands in this connection.

The producers of a show in Britain are looking to hire eight housemates to live together for 30 days with no clothes on.

The Nak'd Truth has already caused a storm in America, with hundreds of thousands desperate to take part, and now bosses want to make a British version, to be filmed at a nudist resort in Florida.

And they are heading to Blackpool next month to hold auditions.

Any takers?

A 70-year-old woman, whose house was swept away by giant tidal waves in Japan's devastating earthquake has been found alive and rescued four days after the disaster struck.

Rescuers of the Osaka fire department found the woman still trapped inside her house miles away from its original location in Iwate prefecture in north-western Japan, Kyodo reported.

Scroll down for the heartwarming story of a tsunami baby

The Ministry of External Affairs said today that radio collars have been removed from 12 out of 18 students in the Tri-Valley University in California, USA. The radio tags will be removed from the other six very soon.

Read the Tri-Valley story

LeT operative David Headley, a Pakistani-American who has confessed to plotting the Mumbai terror attacks, is likely to be questioned about his "several" girlfriends and wives by lawyers of co-accused Tahawwur Rana at a federal court in Chicago.

Rana's counsels said they had received a voluminous number of e-mails authored by Headley, including a portion that made reference to his past relationships. They asked a federal judge to make prosecutors turn over other e-mails written by 50-year-old Headley.

Also read: The rediff.com interview with Headley's Moroccan wife

Japanese officials say thatspent fuel rods may have burned today's fire at the Fukushima nuclear plant, raising radiation levels.

A happily ever after story from devastated Japan.

A four-month-old baby in the tsunami-hit country has miraculously survived after she was snatched from her parents' arms by the deadly waves that had crashed into the family home.

The baby, who was heard crying by soldiers searching the tsunami-hit village of of Ishinomaki, was found under wood and slate and had to be dug out of the thick oozing mud.

Soldiers from the Japanese Defence Force had been going from door to door pulling bodies from the devastated homes in Ishinomaki, a coastal town northeast of Sendai.

When they found the baby, she had suffered no injuries and was only cold and wet and hungry. The soldiers were somehow able to trace her overjoyed father, who had been takingrefuge in his wrecked home with the rest of his family.

Pictures of the baby

Sindhuja Rajaraman, a 14-year old girl has become the world's youngest CEO. The ninth standard student became the head of Seppan Company, an animation firm, in October 2010, set up by her father.

She was adjudged the fastest 2D and 3D animator by software lobby NASSCOM at the Gaming and Animation Conclave 2010 held in Hyderabad.

Going by this study, most men will live longer.

A study has revealed that grumpy aged men now have a good reason to cheer up -- they'll outlive optimists. Researchers have found that being cantankerous is the key to reaching old age -- this is because happier characters are likely to take more risks through their lives including eating unhealthy foods, drinking and smoking.

The findings, part of a 90-year study [what a waste of time!], cast doubt on reports that loving marriages, active social lives, raising children or owning a pet help people to live longer.

A Wikileaks report that suggests that a US tilt was visible in the Indian Cabinet reshuffle of 2006, prompted the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to allege that the pro-American shift by the UPA government was a "shameful" act.

CPI-M members in the Rajya Sabha raised the issue and said the Wikileaks cable quoted the US Ambassador in India David C Mulford as saying that there was "undeniable pro-American tilt" in the then Cabinet reshuffle.

The cables said Mani Shankar Aiyar, was seen by the US as "contentious and outspoken Iran pipeline advocate", and was replaced by "pro-US" Murli Deora.

He said a chain of US embassy cables reveal the pro-US position of the Indian government on several issues.

Read the full report shortly on rediff.com

In a desperate bid to wrest control from Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, the country's revolutionary leadership is pressing western powers to assassinateGaddafiand launch military strikes against his forces to protect rebel-held cities from the threat of bloody assault.

The guardian.co.uk says that Mustafa Gheriani, spokesman for the revolutionary national council in its stronghold of Benghazi, said the appeal was to be made by a delegation meeting the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in Paris, Monday.

An Indian origin dentist is said to have had sex with a patient of his and then forced her stay in a dark room in his house for five hours.

Surinder Hundle, 44, who is married and who appears on the TV programme Ten Years Younger, was allegedly afraid of being caught by his 'psycho' practice nurse, with whom he was also having an affair, and hence forced the woman to stay in the dark room.

The Japanese government has said that radiation levels at the Fukushima nuclear plant has reduced. Japan's nuclear crisis had taken a turn for the worse with nuclear radiation being detected in Tokyo, which is 250 kilometres southwest of a quake-stricken atomic power plant.

In Tokyo, authorities said the radiation level was higher than normal, but not at harmful levels.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan had urged citizens residing within 30 kilometres of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to stay indoors after an explosion took place in one of its most seriously troubled reactors, insisting that they might otherwise face the risk of suffering from radiation sickness.

Faced with the tragedy of Japan, the world has almost forgotten Libya. Yet, battles rage on.

Heavy fighting continues in Libya between government and rebel forces, who are still battling for the oil town of Brega, reports bbc.co.uk.

At one point, both sides simultaneously claimed control of the town. A UN envoy has arrived in the country, asking for an end to the fighting, and immediate humanitarian access.

The government today said it can look at putting in place additional environmental safeguards to ensure safety of the proposed nuclear reactors in Jaitapur in the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan that has endangered the atomic power plants there.

The bail plea of nine persons accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts has been rejected by a special MCOCA court in Mumbai today.

The nine accused had moved the special MCOCA court last month seeking bail on the basis of the confessional statement of Swami Aseemanand, a key accused in the Samjhauta blasts case.

Aseemanand had alleged that right-wing groups were involved in the 2006 bombings.

Meanwhile, Murli Manohar Joshi is expected to be nominated as the Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee for 2011-12 after his current partial term expires next month as BJP feels he should continue to head the committee that is looking into anomalies in the 2G spectrum scam.

The PAC chairperson is chosen for one year and the term of Joshi, who had taken over from Gopinath Munde in the middle of the year, was to expire on April 30.

Nearly a week after college lecturer Nidhi Gupta jumped to her death from the 19th floor of her apartment in Mumbai's suburb, Malad, the police have arrested her husband for abetment to suicide. He is also accused of harassing her for dowry.

The police yesterday arrestedNidhi's sister-in-law, who will be produced before a metropolitan court today.

Sunita and four other family members face charges of abetting Nidhi`s suicide and harassing her. Last Tuesday, Nidhi had flung her two kids, Gaurav (6) and Mahika (3), from the 19th floor of her housing society at Malad (East), before jumping off the building herself.

An odeto Asha Bhonsale in the guardian.co.uk

"In the old days all the movie songs were recorded right there on set," remembersAsha Bhosle, the quintessentialBollywoodsinger. Now 77, Bhosle was just 11 when she performed her first song on a movie soundtrack, Chala Chala Nav Bala fromMajha Balin 1943. In the 68 years since, she has provided the on-screen singing voice for generations of actresses unable to capture and deliver a song as brilliantly as she could, singing around 20,000 tunes in 14 languages, as well as recording with Robbie Williams, Michael Stipe and the Kronos Quartet, and lending her name to Cornershop's Brimful of Asha, one of the landmark No 1 hits of the 1990s.

Read more

Nature's fury has battered Japan yet again, after a powerful earthquake triggered a humongous tsunami, which may have killed 10,000 people, thousands others missing and injured. The world prays so that Japan gathers strength to rebuild its beautiful country. See the pictures.

Light a candle in solidarity

US actor and stand-up comedian Gilbert Gottfried is drawing flak for comments he made about the devastating Japan earthquake and tsunami on Twitter, where he joked that Japan is so "advanced" that the "beach comes" to its people.

In the light of his jokes and comments, Gottfried has been fired by disability insurer Aflac. Japan is Aflac's most important market, with three-quarters of the insurer's business coming from the country. The tweets, some of which were sexual in nature, have since been removed from the site.

The Bangladesh Supreme court today adjourned for two weeks the hearing on Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus's appeal petition against his removal from the Grameen Bank as 26 US Congressmen asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to amicably settle the issue.

Japan's nuclear crisis has taken a turn for the worse with nuclear radiation being detected in Tokyo, which is 250 kilometres southwest of a Japanese quake-stricken atomic power plant in Fukushima.

In Tokyo, authorities said the radiation level was higher than normal, but not at harmful levels.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged citizens residing within 30 kilometres of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to stay indoors after an explosion took place in one of its most seriously troubled reactors, insisting that they might otherwise face the risk of suffering from radiation sickness.

A telling story about how different cultures react to crises. As Japan struggles to survive in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, perhaps even more impressive than its technological power is its social strength. Writes Ed West for the Telegraph.co.uk,that supermarkets have been cutting prices and vending machine owners giving out free drinks as people work together to survive. Most noticeably of all, there has been no looting.

The same can be said of the Mumbai floods of July 26, 2005.

On the other hand, this is what happened when Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans in 2005. A police chief had then said "we have individuals who are getting raped, we have individuals who are getting beaten". Five days later, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey he said of the situation inside the Superdome (which was being used as a shelter): "We had little babies in there, some of the little babies getting raped."

All sympathy for the model and snake (RIP), but can't help sniggering at this story.

A snake attacked an Israeli model during a sexy photoshoot by biting into her surgically enhanced breast and later died from silicone poisoning.Orit Fox, a B-list model and actress initially looked comfortable during the shoot in Tel Aviv, wrapping the massive boa constrictor around her legs, waist and neck while doing her best to look sexy.

In a figure hugging red and white striped dress, which revealed maximum cleavage, she gamely tried to take their bonding to the next level by licking the snake's face.

As she maneuvered the animal into position for the kiss Fox loosened her grip on its neck, and after being licked the reptile reacted angrily.

It aimed straight for Fox's prized assets and sunk its teeth deep into her left breast.

An assistant rushed in to help her pull the snake off and after a few seconds of struggle the creature released its grip.

The model was rushed to a nearby hospital and given a tetanus shot.However, the snake wasn''t so lucky and died from silicone poisoning.

We told you it was a busy day for the CBI. Now the investigating agency is questioning former CWG OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi in connection with his role in the timing, scoring and result (TSR)scam, worth Rs 107 and the catering scam. However, no FIR ha been filed against him yet. Kalmadi has repeatedly said he has been made a scapegoat and has insisted there was no evidence against him.

But theCBI has already grilled andarrested all the men who wereallegedly named in the scam -- all personally selected by Kalmadi.It may be remembered that former CWG OC secretary-general Lalit Bhanot and former director-general VK Verma are already in the CBI custody.

In the second case in five days, a woman's body has been found inside a suitcase at Sandhurst Road suburban railway station in Mumbai. The police have made a sketch of the accused on the basis of a witness account who saw a man place the suitcase at thestation.

On March 10, the body of a woman, believed to be around 30 years old, was found with cuts and bruises on her face, stuffed inside a suitcase and left on Mumbai's Juhu beach. Her hands and legs had been tied together. A cloth was used to veil her face and she was dressed in a shirt and a skirt.

The police are now trying to establish whether there is a connection between the two cases.

Busy day for the CBI. Early this morning, the CBI raided the residences of former BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak in Delhi and Mumbai in connection with the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam.

Phatak is accused of misusing his position to illegally give permission to increase the height of the building.

Pathak was the BMC commissioner when the building got clearance from the high rise committee. His relative owns a flat in the building.

The CBI will submit its progress report on the 2G scam probe before the Supreme Court today.

The progress report will include details of people, who have been questioned till date in connection with the scam. Those quizzed so far include Tamil Nadhu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi, his wife Dayalu Ammal, managing director of Kalaingar TV Sharad Kumar.

Dayalu Ammal holds a 60 per cent stake in the channel, Kanimozhi 20 per cent and Sharad Kumar the balance.

The CBI had earlier told the Supreme Court that it will file the first chargesheet in 2G scam against former Telecom Minister A Raja and others under Prevention of Corruption Act for cheating and forgery by March 31.

A tempered good morning to all of you.

Early this morning, Japan time, another explosion rocked the Fukushima nuclear power plant in northern Japan, as the country continued to face the threat of a nuclear meltdown. For the first time since the tsunami hit Japan, workers on Fukushima have been asked to leave.

Also read: Japan's nuclear crisis recalls painful memories of Hiroshima

Yesterday, 11 people were injured in a blast in the same nuclear plant. Click here for yesterday's Live! news