LIVE
Mon, 28 March 2011
Few DGCA men involved in pilot scam: Ravi

Timeline  Refresh

image
19:06   Major news developments at this hour

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's comment, while accepting India's offer to watch the India versus Pakistan match at the World Cup semis in Mohali, that cricket throws an opportunity to solve the issues between the two countries, is a significant development at this hour.

Other major news developments are:

  • Few DGCA men involved in pilot scam: Ravi
  • JD-U suspends four MPs
  • Valley: Wanted LeT man killed in encounter
  • 70 killed in blast at ammunition factory in Yemen
  • Cong crumbling under corruption in Assam: Jaitley
  • India's tiger population rises to 1,706
image
18:40  
The government is "acting very fast" in taking action against those linked to the fake pilot licence scam and has set up an independent committee to audit all 40 flying schools in the country, Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said today.
"The Union government is acting fast on the matter. The aviation ministry had set up an independent committee which will audit all the 40 flying schools in the country," he said
at a press meet, on a query on whether the probe was going slow.
Ravi said action had to be taken step by step and that all pilots cannot be grounded and checked. "And we can't arrest every officer in the DGCA. It is not possible."
He said a few officers in DGCA were involved in the scam.
image
18:33   India's rescue team in Japan to help quake relief
A 46-member team of India's National Disaster Response Force reached Tokyo this morning to
help Japaneses authorities in relief and rehabilitation works in Tsunami affected areas.
The team, on their way to the earthquake and tsunami affected areas in the Miyagi Prefecture, is carrying special equipments to facilitate their operation, Ministry of External Affairs said today.
A medical doctor and two paramedics are also accompanying the team, which will be based in worst-affected Sendai area, to attend to any medical emergencies.
image
18:27   Vote ban on Saudi women stays
Saudi Arabia's ban on women voting or running as candidates is to remain in place for the conservative Muslim kingdom's municipal elections in April, the electoral committee head said.
"We are not ready for the participation of women in these municipal elections," Election Commission chairman Abdulrahman al-Dahmash told reporters, renewing earlier promises that authorities would "allow women's participation in the next ballot."
image
18:04   Oppn boycotts Maha assembly for second day

The boycott of the Maharashtra legislative assembly by the Opposition entered its second day on Monday after efforts to end the deadlock arising out of the suspension of nine Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs failed this morning.

The nine MLAs were suspended last week for disrupting the presentation of the budget by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, leaders of the opposition in the legislative assembly Eknath Khadse and in the council Pandurang Phundkar, besides Pawar, met leaders of opposition in the chamber of Speaker Dilip Walse Patil to resolve the impasse.

The opposition was, however, adamant on the revocation of the suspension of the nine MLAs.

image
18:02   Maya refutes allegations of provoking Jat stir

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday refuted allegation by some opposition parties that the state government had provoked the pro-quota agitation by Jats, terming it as baseless.

"Some political parties have alleged over the last couple of days that the Jat agitation was provoked by the state government on which the CM has said that such allegations are baseless, false and uncalled for," Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told mediapersons in Lucknow.

Though admitting that the chief minister is in favour of reservation to Jats, he said as their demand was related to the Centre, she had asked protesters, who were blocking rail traffic at Kafoorganj railway station in the state, to go to Delhi and voice their grievances in a peaceful way.

image
17:56   WC semis an opportunity for dialogue: Gilani

World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan is a timely opportunity for the two countries to show the world that they can play together as well as deliberate together on issues of national importance, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Monday.

Gilani on Sunday accepted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's invitation to attend the India-Pakistan World Cup semifinals to be played at Mohali on Wednesday.

image
17:46   JD-U suspends four MPs
Four Janata Dal-United MPs -- Upendra Kushwaha, Rajiv Ranjan Lallan,
Sushil Singh and Mangni Lal Mandal -- were suspended on Monday for 'anti-party activities,' a party spokesperson said.
image
17:34   Valley: Wanted LeT man killed in encounter

A wanted Lashkar-e-Tayiba militant from Pakistan was on Monday killed in a gunbattle with security forces at Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

"An LeT militant, Chacha Talha, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Reban in Sopore town, 55 kms from Srinagar," a police spokesman said.

The gunbattle broke out after security forces launched an operation following information about the presence of militants in the area.

Talha was on the wanted list of security forces for the past more than two years and was allegedly involved in several civilian killings and attacks on security forces, official sources said.

The sources said one AK rifle, two magazines and some torn currency notes were recovered from the spot.

image
17:30   'Hackers increasingly targeting business secrets'

In the age of smart phones and laptops, intellectual property and business secrets are fast becoming a target for cyber thieves who are specialising in this area, a new study has warned.

Some hackers are starting to specialise in data stolen from corporate networks, according to research compiled by security firm McAfee.

McAfee said deals were being done for trade secrets, marketing plans, R&D reports and source code. It urged companies to know who looks after their data as it moves into the cloud or third-party hosting centres.

"Cyber criminals are targeting this information based on what their clients are asking for," BBC quoted Raj Samani, chief technology officer in Europe for McAfee as saying.

He said some business data had always been scooped up when net thieves compromised PCs using viruses and trojans in a search for logins or credit card details.

The difference now was that there exists a ready market for the data they are finding.

image
17:28   Congress walks out from Guj assembly

Opposition Congress on Monday staged a walked out from the Gujarat assembly after its demand for a discussion on the issue of alleged black marketing of fortified flour in the state during the zero hour was rejected by the speaker.

Congress MLA Siddharth Patel raised the demand for discussion on the issue of black marketing of fortified flour, which is being supplied for use in the state-run schemes like mid-day meal etc. and is meant for pregnant women and children in the state, after the question hour was over.

Opposing the demand, Finance Minister Vaju Vala said, "There is no tradition of zero hour in Gujarat assembly, so there cannot be any debate (based on it)."

Speaker Ganpat Vasava said that since the Congress had not made any formal request in advance to raise the issue, the discussion can not be taken up during the zero hour.

However, the opposition stuck to its demand which resulted in a heated exchange of words between the legislators of both the parties following which the Congress MLAs staged a walk out from the house.

image
17:12   Facebook may hire Obama's former press secy

The NYT says that Facebook is in talks to hireRobert Gibbs, President Obama'sformer White House press secretary, for a senior role in helping to manage the company's communications.

Read more

image
17:10   India, Pak home secys say talks positive
Indian home secretary GK Pillai also says the talks with Pakistan were positive. Incidentally, Pakistan PM Yusuf Gilani will arrive for the WC semis match on Wednesday morning. He will accompanied by a delegation of 12 to 14 members and will meet PM Manmohan Singh for talks on Thursday.
image
17:03   Super Glue inventor dies at 94

Your discovery moment for the day.

Harry Wesley Coover, who discovered the idea for Super Glue during a freak lab accident in the 1950s, has died in Tennessee state of the United States. He was 94. The cause of death was congestive heart failure.

Coover got the idea for Super Glue during a lab accident while working for Eastman Kodak.

He was studying compounds for use in optically perfect gun sights and impact-resistant jet canopies when an assistant complained that new refractometer prisms were damaged because they got glued together.

In fact, cyanoacrylate -- the chemical name for the glue -- was rejected by researchers at first because it bound everything together.

But Coover saw its potential. The glue was first sold as a commercial product in 1958, according to the Super Glue Corp's website. It has since become synonymous with curiously powerful adhesives.

image
17:00   60 dead, but US won't intervene in Syria

Seems Syria doesn't enough oil reserves for US intervention.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed on Sunday that the United States will not intervene in Syria, despite growing violence that has killed more than 60 people.

"No," Clinton replied when asked if intervention was a possibility.

"What's been happening there the last few weeks is deeply concerning, but there's a difference between calling out aircraft and indiscriminately strafing and bombing your own cities than police actions which, frankly, have exceeded the use of force that any of us would want to see.' Clinton said US politicians believe Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is a 'reformer.'

image
16:48  
News flash: In Japan airbone radiation readings near that trench are also high. Officials are trying to determine whether the water overflowed and went into the Pacific.
image
16:44   Indo-Pak talks end; positive says Pak envoy

News flash: Indo-Pak talks end for the day. Pak High Commissioner Shahid Malik says the talks were positive.

So does this mean, Pak will get a move on over the 26/11 trial and allow India access to Hafeez Saeed, the mastermind.

That terror camps in Pak will be dismantled forwith?

image
16:38   Highly radioactive water outside Fukushima

Our first post of the day on Japan.

Highly radioactive water has been found for the first time outside one of the reactor buildings at Japan's quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, reports bbc.co.uk.

The leak in a tunnel linked to the No 2 reactor has raised fears of radioactive liquid seeping into the environment.

Earlier, Japan's government strongly criticised the plant's operator, Tepco, over mistaken radiation readings.

Officials said the radiation scare inside the No 2 reactor was caused by a partial meltdown of fuel rods.

image
16:26   Can't remain calm: SC on black money report

Read this just for the tone of the Supreme Courtaddressing the Enforcement Directorate today on the black money issue.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the probe agencies not looking into sources of black money, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre to appraise it on the investigation concerning the national security aspect in the black money case involving Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan.

"No further information is coming out. Only one individual is there. What about others?" asked an apex court bench to Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, who submitted to the bench, in a sealed cover, the Enforcement Directorate's status report of its probe in the case.

The apex court opined that it is very difficult to be calm and quiet after going through the status report submitted on the probe by the ED.

"Why all these agencies were sleeping since 2008? Why it moved when we stepped in? If writ petition had not been filed, nothing would have happened," the bench observed, while hearing a PIL seeking retrieval of black money stashed by Indian citizens in banks abroad.

Former Union Law Minister Ram Jethmalani had filed the PIL.

image
16:09   Blast at Yemen ammo factory kill 5, wound 50

A blast at an ammunition factory in southern Yemen has killed at least five people and wounded 50, reports bbc.co.uk. The explosion shook the southern Yemeni town of Jaar and could be heard up to 15km away.

Reports said the plant had recently been seized by militants who, on Sunday, clashed with government forces in the town.

image
16:07   Gul unaware about comments on match-fixing

Pakistan speedster Umar Gul today stated that he and his teammates are unaware about the comments made by interior minister Rehman Malik on match-fixing issue and their focus was entirely on the semi-final match against India.

Earlier during the day, Malik warned the Pakistan team to refraining from match-fixing and also said that there would be a "close watch" on players' activities.

image
15:48   WC fans lathicharged in Mohali
The Chandigarh police today baton charged a crowd of fans, who were protesting against the black marketing of tickets for the 2011 World Cup semifinal clash between India and Pakistan, outside Mohali''s Punjab Cricket Association stadium.

Police lathicharged them to get them out of the periphery of the stadium, as the area is out of bounds for the public due to tight security for the match.

According to reports, the fans are queued up outside the stadium to purchase tickets for Wednesday''s semi final encounter. The Punjab Cricket Association, however, maintains that all the tickets are already sold out.

PS: The Chandigarh police have arrested an engineer trying to sell tickets costing Rs 250 for Rs 1,20,000. Point the ED to the man who bought the ticket, please.

image
15:44   Imran: Stupid comment will pressure Pak team

Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan reacts to Interior Minister Rehman Malik's statement that Pakitani cricketers have been warned not to indulge in any match-fixing and that he was keeping a "close watch" on their activities.

Imran said Malik has disgraced Pakistan and his 'stupid' statment will only add pressure to the Pak team. He also said his statement came as a disappointment to the team and the country.

image
15:32   India issues 5000 visas for Pak WC fans

Reports say Pakistan cricket fans have started arriving in Mohali for Wednesday's World Cup semis. India has provided visas to 5,000 Pakistani citizens for watching the Cricket World Cup matches. Most with up to 15-day duration multiple visas to facilitate travel to watch matches in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also.

However, thisgenerosity could come back to haunt India. As many as 4,742 Pakistanis had disappeared after expiry of visas in the year 2005, their number had gone up to 5,392 in 2006; 6,038 in 2007; 7,547 in 2008 and 7,691 in 2009.

image
15:23  
News flash: At least 10 people killed and dozens injured in explosion at ammunition factory near southernYemenitown of Jaar.
image
15:18   US in Afghanistan: It's time to kill a haji

Must read. The riveting story on Rolling Stones magazine, of how early last year, after six hard months soldiering in Afghanistan, a group of American infantrymen reached a momentous decision: It was finally time to kill ahaji.

image
15:04   Libya uses rape as a weapon

As Libya's opposition fighters push west, doctors are uncovering more victims from the front line. Al Jazeera reports that several doctors say they have found Viagra tablets and condoms in the pockets of dead pro-Gaddafi fighters, alleging that they were using rape as a weapon of war.

They say they have been treating female rape survivors who were allied with pro-democracy forces.

At least 175 people, including doctors, have been reported missing from Ajdabiya, and many have now been found to have been killed.

image
14:57   Pound 10K spot to watch Kate-Wills wedding

Prime spots to watch the Royal wedding procession away from the crowds on April 29, are being offered for up to 100,000 pounds.

Rooftops, balconies and banqueting suites are being hired out to anyone who wishes to have a bird's-eye view of Kate Middleton's dress and the horse-drawn carriage that will take Prince William and his bride to Buckingham Palace following the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

The top spot is the Sanctuary beside Westminster Abbey, which offers a view of the west entrance at a price of 100,000 pounds.

image
14:38  
Ramesh Srivats #FakingNews:Sonia to MMS: Okay. If you finish all your work tomorrow, you can go for the match.
image
14:37   Liz, Warne to wed?

Wedding bells are reported to be on the horizon for Liz Hurley, the actress, and Shane Warne, the Australian playboy cricketer, after he wooed her into forgiving his latest indiscretions.

Hurley, 45, is preparing to move into Warne's Melbourne mansion after the couple known as Shurley to their friends, enjoyed a romantic weekend in Los Angeles, according to the Australian Woman's Day magazine.

Quoting a friend close to the couple, the magazine said Hurley had forgiven Warne for sending salacious text messages to Adele Angeleri, a Melbourne retail owner, at the same time as he was romancing her last December.

The 45-year-old actress had also been shattered earlier this year by revelations in a British newspaper by 26-year-old Chloe Conrad. The porn star claimed she had sex with the cricketer at a time when Hurley had believed her romance with him was blossoming. She was so upset she cut short a visit to Warne in Melbourne.

image
14:34   ED to SC: Hasan Ali needs protection

The Enforcement Directorate has submitted to the Supreme Court a status report on theHasan AliKhanmoney laundering case. The report says that Khan and all ED officers, including the director, need protection.

The ED also says it is on the verge of a breakthrough in the case.

The SC has asked the government why it has not investigated the source of black money and its impact on national security. And why is the focus only on Hasan Ali and not other black money offenders.

Read: Threats to my life from Kashinath Tapuriah: Hasan Ali

image
14:18   Bomb attacks in Af-Pak

More 'deathly' news from our neighbours.

  • Ateam of suicide bombers shot their way into the compound of a road construction company in eastern Afghanistan and detonated a truck loaded with explosives, killing 20 people and wounding about 50.

  • And pro-Taliban militants blew up two state-run schools in northwest Pakistan today though there were no reports of casualties. No one was injured in the attacks as the schools were empty.
image
14:16   More executions in China than rest of world

China sentenced thousands of people to death last year even as the rest of the world's combined number dropped, Amnesty International said today.

The London-based group said it could not determine the exact number of executions in China because the figure is listed as a state secret, but it estimated that China executed thousands of people in 2010 for ''a wide range of crimes that include nonviolent offences and after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards.''

China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States were four of the G20 countries that executed people last year.

Meanwhile, India still waits to executive the very lovely Ajmal Amir Kasab.

image
14:11   Madhya Pradesh MLAs get half day on WC semis

Let's hope this catches on. Madhya Pradesh legislators will work just half a day(officially) on March 30, when India will play Pakistan in the semifinal of the ICC world cup.

Not only that, but MLAs would get to watch the match on a mega-screen. Soon after proceedings started today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Narottam Mishra told the Speaker Ishwar Das Rohani that entire nation would be watching the match. "Because of this, we wish that the post-lunch session of the Assembly should not be held on Wednesday to allow members to see the crucial match," Mishra said.

image
13:59   Gandhi left Kasturba to live with male lover?

Mahatma Gandhi was bisexual and left his wife to live with a German-Jewish bodybuilder, a controversial biography has claimed. Gandhi is said to have been deeply in love with Hermann Kallenbach, reports,the dailymail.co.uk. Gandhi allegedly told him: 'How completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance.'

Hmmmm. Read more? Just asking.

image
13:51   Pak public holiday on WC semis!

Quickly, then, tell your boss about this.

The Pakistan government is likely to declare a public holiday for the Pakistan-India World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

The semi-final clash will be witnessed by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani.

This is the first time India and Pakistan are meeting in a World Cup semi final

image
13:41   Berlusconi in court on corruption charges

News Flash: Italian Prime Minister, SilvioBerlusconi, makes first court appearance in eight years on allegations of fiscal fraud. The trial starting today Monday concerns one of Berlusconi's media companies.

He denies claims he inflated the price paid to buy television rights, and then skimming off the difference to fund political and other activities, reports bbc.co.uk.

His son and a number of others are accused alongside him. The 74-year-old prime minister has been a defendant in about 50 trials in his career, but has not made a public appearance at one.

image
13:24   Mohali turns into fortress ahead of WC semis

Here's the buzz on security at Mohali.

With the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan announcing their intentions to watch the World Cup semi-final match on Wednesday afternoon, the cities of Mohali and Panchkula have virtually been converted into armed garrisons to counter any form of attack on leaders, players and the general public.

Anti-aircraft guns have been mounted at strategic locations and Mohali has been declared a no-fly zone.

The Indian Air Force has put its helicopters on standby for air surveillance and fighter jets at the Ambala Air Force Base have been alerted to scramble in the event of an emergency.

image
13:20   Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka expected in Mohali

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Priyanka, Robert Vadra are expected to watch the India-Pakistan World Cup semis in Mohali. Must be a security nightmare.

And yes, Aamir Khan as well.

image
12:56  
Our man in the know(you name it and he knows it), veteran correspondent Rajagopalan smsed this from Tamil Nadu, where he is on tour covering the assembly elections:The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief Thankgabalu's wife Jayanthi's nomination papers rejected from Mylapore constituency in Chennai (previously represented by comedian S V Sekhar). Thankgabalu's nomination form from the same seat accepted.
image
12:46   Tania Zaetta weeps in jail

Former Bollywood wannabe Tania Zaetta has revealed that she broke down in tears in prison after being arrested at a Gold Coast nightclub in Australia.

The TV host and Australian actress, 41, was charged with being a public nuisance and obstructing police after a disturbance outside the nightclub last Monday.

The former 'Who Dares Wins' host said she wept when her night in the cell meant that she left her father, who is battling prostate cancer, stranded at the airport.

image
12:43   Two Reuters journalists missing in Syria
AP reports that that two Reuters journalists have gone missing in Syria. Television producer Ayat Basma and cameraman Ezzat Baltaji, both Lebanese nationals, failed to make it to the Lebanese border as planned on Saturday evening, and could not be reached by telephone.
image
12:33   World Cup terror suspect freed by Maldives

Maldives police said on Sunday they had released a man suspected of plotting an attack on the World Cup, reports dawn.com.

Maldivian national Iqbal Mohamed, 42, was arrested on March 10 as he arrived at Male International airport from Pakistan following a tip-off from Interpol.

Pakistan`s Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Interpol chief Ronald Noble announced the arrest last week, with Malik saying a "serious attempt' at an attack had been foiled.

"He is no longer in our custody. He was released over the weekend on a court order,' police spokesman Ahmed Shiyam told AFP by telephone from the capital Male.

Shiyam declined to give the reason, but media reported that a court had refused to extend the suspect`s detention and ordered his release late on Friday.

The suspect fled to Pakistan in 2007 after allegedly being involved in a bomb attack in Male. Maldivian police then sought France-based Interpol`s help and issued a red notice for his arrest.

image
12:27   Pak govt watching its WC players closely

Details of the Pak government's warning to its cricketers ahead of the WC semis.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Pakitani cricketers have been warned not to indulge in any match-fixing adding that he was keeping a "close watch" on their activities.

"If any such thing happens, we are going to take action," Malik said two days ahead of the game in Mohali that will showcase one of the world's most intense sporting rivalries.

Malik said that though he was "sure the team has very clean members", intelligence is being gathered on the Pakistani cricketers, including "who are meeting them and the position of their telephones".

"This is necessary because we can't take a chance after what happened in London," he said, in a reference to a recent match-fixing controversy in Britain involving three Pakistani players.

His advice for the Pakistani players: "Practise, sleep early at night and wake at the proper time," he said.

image
12:20   Secy talks: 'India sees no hope of breakthrough'

This is Pakistan's take on the home secretary level talks happening right now in New Delhi. This is from the Pioneer, a Pakistani newspaper. It says:

India on Sunday poured cold water on expectations of a breakthrough at the home secretary-level talks between Islamabad and New Delhi starting today, even as Pakistan vowed that it would approach the negotiations with an open mind and expected a "reciprocal response' from its neighbour.

The scheduled negotiations have since been overshadowed by possible summit level talkson Wednesday after or when Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh watch the World Cup semifinal between their two sides at Mohali.

The Indian side did not sound optimistic at all.

Read more

image
12:13   NATO to lead Libyan war: And thereby hangs a tale

Within 72 hours of the Nato being entrusted by the western powers with the task of enforcing a no-fly zone and arms embargo on Libya, the alliance took on its own a great leap forward with its top decision-making body deciding that it shall also implement all aspects of the United Nations Security Council resolution [R-1973] on Libya.

ANATO statementissued in Brussels late Sunday in barely disguised note of triumphalism proclaimed that "This is a very significant step, which proves NATO's capability to take decisive action'.

Thereby hangs a tale.

Read MK Bhadrakumar's blog.

image
12:08   Tiger population in India rises to 1706

Tiger, tiger is indeed burning bright. The animal's future in India, at least.

As per the second all-India tiger population estimation study, carried out in the designated 39 tiger reserves across the country, there has been an increase of 295 tigers in India.

The population is estimated at 1706, up from 1411 tigers in 2008.

Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, who released the census report, said that more areas including Sundarbans has been counted this time, which has 70 tigers.

"If Sundarbans are excluded then the rise in tiger population is 12 per cent," he added.

The census indicates that the Shivalik Gangetic plains has 353 tigers, central India and Eastern Ghats have 601 tigers, Western Ghats 534, the northeast hills and Brahmaputra floodplains 148 and the Sunderbans 70.

If only the Chinese would realise that their sexual prowess ingesting tiger organs, will not increase,it would make a difference totheanimal's numbers.

image
12:03   US regrets Pak civilian deaths

Will the word regret offer solace to Pakistani civilians killed by US drones. The US seems to think so.

US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Ambassador to Pakistan, Marc Grossman, has expressed regret over the civilian casualties in Pakistan, paving the way for resolving disagreements between the two allies after a drone strike in North Waziristan on March 17 killed several tribal elders.

Grossman insisted that the object of the US mission in Afghanistan and its cooperation with Pakistan was "protecting people and improving their lives.'

image
11:56   Pak WC team warned against match fixing
Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik says he is keeping "close watch" on the activities of players of the Pakistani cricket team and warns the team not to indulge in any match-fixing.
image
11:49  
The Indo-Pak home secretary level meeting will end at 5 pm today.Home Secretary G K Pillai has invited the 17-member Pakistan delegation for dinner. On the agenda are 26/11, terror camps and the Samjhauta blast case.
image
11:46   Misbah backs Akhtar for WC semis

All tickets to the India-Pak semis at Mohali have been sold out. In fact Rs 10,000 tickets are being sold for Rs 1 lakh.

You do know that the PM has invited his Pakistan counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani for the match and Gilani has accepted.

Meanwhile, Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq believes that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has a key role to play in the World Cup semifinal.

"Shoaib Akhtar is a class bowler. He has performed for Pakistan on a number of occasions, including the 1999 World Cup final,' Misbah said.

"If he does play in the coming matches, I feel it will give us a psychological advantage,' he added.

Pakistan have used Akhtar in just three of their seven World Cup games so far.

image
11:38   Prestige: That's why the US attacked Libya

Another peek at US arrogance.

Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that if Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi remains in power, it will damage the prestige of the United States and embolden its enemies.

Rumsfeld said, "The fact is we are involved" in Libya. And the prestige of the United States is involved. Think back to the Gulf War in the early 1990s," said Rumsfeld, who served as George W Bush''s defense secretary from 2001-2006.

"Saddam Hussein, when it was over, said he had fought the mother of all battles and President George Herbert Walker Bush was gone, Margaret Thatcher was gone, and he was still in office. And the implication of that was that he had defeated the United States," he said.

image
11:31   First India-Pak home secy talks since 26/11
The home secretary level talks have begun at the New Delhi at the Ashoka hotel today at 10 am. Pakistan Home Secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman arrived in India on Sunday and he was received by Home Secretary G K Pillai. The two sides are expected to discuss a host of issues including the trial of 26/11 accused, the extradition of mastermind Hafiz Saeed and other terrorists hiding in Pakistan, the Samjhauta Express blast probe going on in India and the Kashmir issue.
image
11:27   Nato to takeover Libya air strikes today

The 28-member NATO has announced that it will take over all the international operations in Libya, including military operations to enforce no-fly-zone, enforcement of arms embargo and the civilian protections.

"NATO Allies have decided to take on the whole military operation in Libya under the United Nations Security Council Resolution. Our goal is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack from the Gaddafi regime.

NATO will implement all aspects of the UN Resolution. Nothing more, nothing less," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Terming it as a very significant step which proves NATO's capability to take decisive action, Rasmussen said the alliance has put together a complete package of operations in support of the United Nations Resolution by sea and by air."

image
11:25  
Incidentally, the home secretary meet in New Delhi, is the first since the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks.
image
11:21   In Pak, ahead of Gilani's meeting...

Final touches are being given to arrangements for Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to India to watch the much-awaited Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final in Mohali on Wednesday.

According to the Dawn, a special meeting of the cabinet will be held today where Gilani will brief his colleagues on his plans for the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Official sources say that Gilani will informally meet Dr. Singh during the match, and a formal meeting will be held after the match in which bilateral matters will come under discussion.

image
11:02   A week of Indo-Pak encounters

Good morning, and welcome to today's Live news updates, on a day when the world is watching the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan do their jawjaw. Sure, the expectations from these talks are nothing compared to the Mohali encounter between the two nations on Wednesday, under the bening gaze of the two prime ministers, but then, one never knows what will be the outcome when the two nations meet -- either at the diplomatic table or in a cricket maidan. More updates on the encounters, through the day.!

For Friday's version of Live, click here.

TOP STORIES