Aartist Jennifer Maestre draws on the tools of her trade -- to create stunning pieces of art out of pencils. The 48-year-old's works are made from around 1000 chopped and sharpened pencils and can take two months to make -- and sell for up to 5,000.

See

The CBI today booked BEML chairman V R S Natarajan for alleged cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection with tendering process for hiring a private consultancy firm and carried out searches at several locations including his residence. 

The case related to award of contract for the implementation of Enterprises Resource Planning Project in the public sector undertaking during 2004-09. The agency has now named Natarajan and Coimbatore-based Astral Consultants' Director C S Srivatsan as accused in the case of alleged tweaking of tenders in favour of the private company by the BEML.

Reacting sharply to the recent warning of former Chief Minister Mayawati, senior SP leader and Uttar Pradesh Minister Shivpal Yadav has claimed that it was the fear of probe into the misuse of public funds during her term which had prompted her to make such remarks. 

Recently, Mayawati warned the ruling SP that any move to make changes in the memorials erected during her regime could create law and order  problem.

"Anyone found guilty of financial irregularities would be sent to jail," Yadav told reporters on the sidelines of a marriage function yesterday. Taking a swipe at the BSP supremo, he said that she does not need to worry where the hospitals and schools would be constructed. "Anyone trying to disrupt the law and order situation would be strongly dealt with," he said. 

If you're headed to the hillstation of Mahabaleshwar, off Mumbai, read this.

The Mahabaleshwar Hill Station Municipal Council has banned plastic bags in the 19 sq km area of this popular hill station in Maharashtra and is launching a
campaign against plastic bags from tomorrow. "We have decided to impose a blanket ban on plastic bags, irrespective of their thickness in microns," chief
officer of the Municipal Council, said. The civic administration decided to impose the ban to ensure protection of the environment of the hill station,
which has a population of 14,000 and receives lakhs of tourists annually.
A fine of up to Rs 500 will be imposed if anybody is found carrying plastic bags.

Matheran, another hill station and an only-pedestrian one at that, near Mumbai has had a plastic ban for years and it works.

One of the comments on the New York Times blog on the Agni-V launch.

Kosmo West of Borodino India has ICBMs with nuclear warheads, a space program and the biggest fighter plane import deal in recent history. Great news for the 456 million Indians living in poverty.

The government and the BJP on the same page on  the Agni-V launch.

Terming the launch of Agni-V as a spectacular achievement for the Indian scientists, the BJP today said the successful launch of the completely indigenous missile has put India in a very elite club and the nation should be proud of this feat.

"The BJP is very proud of the Indian scientists, the scientists of the DRDO, who have made a commendable job in launching a completely indigenous missile, Agni, with a 5,000 kilometer range which with its successful launch has put us in a very elite club," said spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman. 

"And this is a spectacular achievement for the Indian scientists, on which the BJP salutes the scientists of the DRDO. And we as a nation can be very proud of this immense achievement," she added.

Mark Toner, Spokesperson, United States Department of State :"Naturally, I just would say that we urge all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint regarding nuclear capabilities. That said, India has a solid nonproliferation record.

More on the NYT

The causes for the two deaths on the Central Railway on Thursday have their roots in the refusal of the Maharashtra Government to shift its own headquarters to Navi Mumbai, and along with it, the legislature building etc. in the 1970s. If it had, the way Mumbai and the adjoining cities live and earn their livelihoods would have been entirely different, with fewer people flocking to Mumbai.

Read the report on Firstpost.com

The Baba is trending on Twitter, so here's a report to help you keep up. Read

Before the iPad, the iPhone and the iPod, before the famously simplistic uniform of blue jeans and a fitted black turtleneck, there was simply Steve Jobs: a 30-year-old man who had co-founded Apple Inc., only to be gracelessly dropped from its ranks for just over a decade.

In 1985, Jobs was ousted from Apple by then-CEO John Sculley, a man who, just two years before, Jobs himself brought into the Apple fold. Though angered and deeply wounded, Jobs was far from defeated by the event.

More on the Huff Post.

News from down south. In a move that could further fuel the sibling rivalry in the DMK, showcause notices have been issued to 17 supporters of Union Minister and the party's strongman in the south M K Alagiri, for not attending a public meeting, convened here by his younger brother M K Stalin. 

They have been asked to submit their explanation within a week's time for not attending the April 14 meeting, which was organised to condemn the recent power tariff hike in the state, announced recently by ruling AIADMK, a party source said. 

Stalin reportedly said if action was not taken those who boycotted the meeting, he would step down as party treasurer, the party source said.

If you haven't read this yet, it's worth a read.

A "landmark" study that divides types of breast cancer into 10 new categories could change the way the disease is treated forever, scientists said today. Researchers examined the genetic make-up of 2,000 tumours in what was the largest such study of breast cancer tissue in the world, the culmination of decades of work.

More

John Abraham, who has a bevy of female fans, was recently approached for a bizarre favour.

John had recently spoken out about his belief in sperm donation and an ardent married fan of his, who has problems conceiving has asked the dashing actor to donate his sperms for her. Being a hardcore fan, the woman has refused to accept any other man's sperm except her favourite actor.

Security has been beefed up in Assam in view of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh day-long visit tomorrow with the ULFA's anti-talk faction calling a 12-hour Assam bandh in protest. 

Police and para-military personnel have been posted on all major thoroughfares, vital installations and patrolling has been intensified throughout the state, official sources said. 

A security alert has been sounded throughout the state with police and security forces kept on high alert to thwart any subversive attempt by the ULFA and all forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations are meeting regularly to coordinate operations and share intelligence.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's daughter Anushka will tie the knot with Chiranjeev Rao (?), son of Haryana power minister Ajay Singh Yadav, on April 24. 

The 'lagan ceremony' of the high-profile marriage was held here yesterday, family sources said today. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, Congress MP
Rao Inderjit Singh and Industries Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala were among the dignitaries to grace the occasion. 

Rao is the currently the president of Haryana Youth Congress.

Also on the bbc: Force India team members were caught up in a petrol bomb incident as they returned from the Bahrain Grand Prix track. The four mechanics in a hire car were stuck in a traffic jam while the incident was taking place on Wednesday. No Force India staff were hurt but one team member not present at the time has been allowed to return to the UK.

Read

Here's what's happening on the Anders Behring Breivik trial -- the man, who killed 77 people in two attacks in Norway last July.

Breivik has told the court how he joined a gun club in 2010 as part of his preparations. He described using computer games to rehearse scenarios before he bombed a government building in Oslo, killing eight people and injuring 209. Arriving in court, Breivik made no far-right salute, unlike previous days. His lawyers had asked him not to salute.

More on the bbc.

Details of the hiccup at Pune airport that we told you about earlier. Flight operations at Pune airport remained suspended for about four hours today after the nose wheel of an Air Force aircraft got disengaged while landing,airport officials said. 

The runway was closed between 9.20 am to 1 pm to facilitate repairs of the aircraft and normal incoming and outgoing traffic resumed subsequently, they added. "All flights are now operating normally," theofficials said. The episode led to rescheduling of various flights of different airlines during the period.

Press Council of India Chairman Justice Markandey Katju  is back in the news.

On the basis of a request by Katju, a member of the Pakistani Press Council has begun efforts to set up a committee and start a movement for the release of
Sarabjit Singh jailed in a Pakistani prison. 

In a letter written to Katju today, Pakistan Press Council member Syed Faseih Iqbal said that convinced by Katju's viewpoint he had written to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan about launching a movement for Sarabjit's release. 

"I have noted your standpoint on Sarabjit Singh's imprisonment and agree with your observation that people on both sides of the border generally land in trouble due to their country of origin, not an original fault of theirs," Iqbal said. 

"I have therefore personally written to Mr I A Rehman, Secretary General of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, for his immediate consideration to the possibility of setting up the Committee and launching a movement for release of Sarabjit Singh," he added.

Maoists today produced abducted ruling BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka before a people's court to decide his fate, a day after the Odisha government said it would withdraw cases against 13 prisoners in exchange for freedom of
the tribal legislator. 

As already communicated by the Maoists of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee, the praja court has started its proceedings at a remote place in the Narayanpatna area of Koraput district, lawyer Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, who fights cases for the rebels, said. 

The 37-year-old Laxmipur MLA was produced before the praja court, Patnaik confirmed, saying the proceedings were in progress and many people, mostly tribals, have been called for recording of their statements. The Koraput-based lawyer, however, had no idea as to when the praja court proceedings would be completed and the verdict about the MLA's fate pronounced.

India's archives and libraries are in a state of ruin. We would lose our history and heritage if the government does not act to save them.

That's the opinion piece on the Hindu. Read

As India preens with the successful launch of the Agni-V nuclear missile here's a comparison with China and Pakistan's ballistic missiles. See.

Also read our 12:37 pm post: China cribs: India gains nothing by further hostility

A girl left paralysed from the waist down after a gunman opened fire in her family shop in the UK, began a new life in a specially-adapted home yesterday.

Read

My son, Maj Zaka ul Haq, is trapped under an 80-foot block of ice at Siachen. Like many others I was hoping and praying for a miracle...

Read the letter in The News, Pakistan

As the Congress gets set to kickstart their campaign in Gujarat for the assembly polls, Achyut Yagnik, writer and critic told rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt that the Congress should take advantage of  the Gandhi family's undeniable link to Gujarat.

"Rahul Gandhi is Gujarati!," Yagnik, the co-author of The History of  Shaping of Modern Gujarat, says and adds, "I am surprised to read why Rahul claims that he is a Brahmin. His grandfather hails from Gujarat and Parsees are Gujaratis."

Full report on rediff.com shortly

In a setback for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the Bombay High Court today refused to grant permission to the Raj Thackeray-led party to conduct a 'Marathi Food Festival' from May 3-10 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. A division bench observed that if permission is granted then the ground would not be available for sports activities.

The MNS had moved the high court challenging an order passed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) refusing to grant permission to conduct the festival at Shivaji Park on the grounds that it is a 'silence zone'.

It all began with a train ride into the unknown. The journey took him places and 25 years later, has finally come to an end. In a story that has enough fodder for a blockbuster movie, 31-year-old Saroo Brierley of Hobart, Australia, has at last managed to reunite with his biological mother living in a small, impoverished house in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.

Read more on the Daily Mail.

The Indian Army's hopes of replacing the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters anytime soon has received a blow. Plans were afoot for the acquisition of 197 light helicopters for the army. But allegations of irregularities in the trials of two contenders - Kamov and Eurocopter - has forced the defence ministry to order an independent probe into the evaluation process.

Read more on the Daily Mail. 

Hopes of a bidding war for Cable & Wireless Worldwide faded yesterday after one of its two suitors unexpectedly withdrew from negotiations, reports the Times, London.

Tata Communications, part of the Indian Tata conglomerate, emerged last month as a rival bidder to Vodafone for the struggling fixed-line telecoms company.

Its interest helped to drive up the CWW share price to 37p, valuing it at just over 1 billion. Neither group lodged a formal bid in time to meet an initial deadline set by the Takeover Panel and both were granted extensions until 5pm today to lodge a formal offer.

Last night, however, Tata walked away after failing to agree a price with the CWW board. "[Tata] confirms that it has been unable to reach agreement with CWW on an offer price and therefore confirms that it does not intend to make an offer," it said. The company may rejoin the fray if Vodafone makes a formal offer.

"Till now, we haven't named the newspapers that should be read but in the future, we will do that as well.'

-- Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, March 30, 2012.

New York-based TIME Magazine has listed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as one of the 100 "most influential" personalities in the world.

Ranked 92 in the magazine's annual "TIME 100' list, unveiled yesterday, the Bengali politician's name features among the likes of U.S. President Barack Obama, billionaire Warren Buffet and Apple Inc.'s Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook.

More on the WSJ.

White House spokesman Jay Carney has said President Barack Obama wants American soldiers shown in photos apparently abusing Afghan corpses to be held accountable and punished.

"The conduct depicted in those photos is reprehensible,' Jay Carney said.   Carney also expressed disappointment that The Los Angeles Times published the photos, The BBC reports. The pictures showed the soldiers posing with the mangled remains of suspected suicide bombers.

Details of that 'attack' on The Week magazine's office in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena activists accompanied by some former employees of The Week today held protests at the office of the news magazine in suburban Lower Parel, police said. Around 20 people barged into the office of the weekly magazine, located on the fouth floor of Peninsula Tower, and held demonstrations, they said, adding no damage was reported to the office. Police said the reason for the protest was not immediately known. "The protesters included former employees of the magazine and some Shiv Sena workers," police added

As Mumbai battles the crippled train services, in Kolkata most of the 33,000 taxis plying in the metropolis kept off the roads today in response to a one-day strike called by the Bengal Taxi Association. Apart from daily office-goers, city-bound passengers at airports and at the busy railway stations of Howrah and Sealdah were affected by the strike. 

State transport minister Madan Mitra said he was trying to mobilise more buses to ferry passengers from the two stations. There were reports that force had been used to prevent willing taxi drivers so that they stay off roads, he said. 

However, the Bengal Taxi Association general secretary Bimal Kr Guha denied any use of force on taxi drivers who were not participating in the strike that was called for demanding a revision in fares.

Yet another reason for Kolkatans to skip work, unlike Mumbai.

He was once tipped to be one of China's NextGen leaders, someone who would guide the Middle Kingdom's future for the next decade, once the present leadership retired.

In a dramatic saga, unparalleled in contemporary China, Bo Xilai suddenly fell from grace these past weeks, dismissed from all positions in the Communist party, his wife now accused of murder.

Nikhil Lakshman, who met the charismatic Bo a few times, recounts those encounters with a Chinese politician like none other in recent Chinese history.

Read the report on rediff.com.

India has emerged as a major missile power with the successful launch of Agni V ballistic missile and the production of the weapon system would start ina year's time, DRDO chief V K Saraswat said today. 

"This launch has given a message to the entire world that India has the capability to design, develop, build and manufacture missiles of this class, and we are today a missilepower," Saraswat said after the launch of the 5000 km range surface-to-surface Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). 

The Defence Research and Development Organisation chief said that the missile launch was a major milestone in the strategic defence preparedness of the country. 

"We are going to conduct two more tests and that will be validation tests..., and then the production of this system will start. It is going to take an year maximum," he said. 

Saraswat said that he expected the missile to be inductedinto the armed forces in the next two years. He said the successful launch of Agni V was just the beginning of a new series of missiles. 

And some good news: An 18-year-old school dropout from Bihar today became another miracle survivor of the building collapse here when he was pulled out by rescuers a good 73 hours after the accident took place. Nitesh, had left his studies due to family circumstances, and was working in the carpet factory to support himself and his kin.   

Yesterday, teenager Sanjeev had been taken out of the rubble miraculously. Meanwhile, the death toll in the incident has gone upto14. Ten bodies have been taken out of the rubble so far.

District Magistrate Priyank Bharti said four more bodies can be see but are yet to be extricated. Sixty-two people have been rescued, including one todayand 10 bodies have been retrieved from the debris, he said.

China reacts to India's Agni-V launch.

"India may have missiles that can reach most parts of China but stands no chance in an overall arms race" with the country, a Chinese daily said today, when India test-fired its 5,000 km range nuclear capable missile, and added that New Delhi would gain nothing by stirring "further hostility".

Read

The railways have announced compensation for the Mumbai train deaths. The amount is yet to be announced. The Central Railway PRO admits the deaths were due to overcrowded trains due to Tuesday's signal failure. On an average day, 10 commuters die per day either by falling off the train, hitting their head on poles or while crossing the tracks.

The report on the Wall Street Journal, published yesterday, before the successful launch of the Agni-V missile.

India is set to test its most advanced long-range nuclear-capable missile to date later Wednesday, a launch experts say will serve as a deterrent against Pakistan and China. Agni V, an intercontinental ballistic missile, is set to be launched from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa, in the late afternoon, according to a defense ministry official. The expected launch of Agni V is part of India's broader missile development program, a key aspect of the country's nuclear strategy. Built locally, Agni V has a range of over 5,000 kilometers, meaning it could reach as far as Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang.

Update on the attack on the Week office attacked allegedly by the Shiv Sena.

Sachin Kalbag @SachinKalbag When I called up Harshal Pradhan, Shiv Sena spokesperson, he told me, "It is a minor issue, nothing to worry about."

Reports coming in of several people falling off overcrowded local trains in Mumbai today. Two people died in Mulund after they hit a signal pole, while five others were injured in Ghatkopar and three in Vikhroli.

The Supreme Court today sought response from the Centre and the Odisha government on a petition seeking to restrain the release of jailed Maoists in
exchange for captive BJD MLA Jina Hikaka. 

The apex court initially expressed disinclination to issue any notices, but relented after counsel for Major General (retd) Gangurdep Bakshi persisted with the plea. 

The petitioner submitted that already five Maoists had been released by the state government yesterday, to facilitate the release of the abducted MLA.
Responding to questions, the counsel said that the bail applications for the release of the Maoists was moved on their behalf by their supporters and the state government chose not to oppose it.

No lessons learnt it seems from the horrors of Abu Ghraib.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times published photos of US soldiers posing with what the paper said were bodies of insurgents in Afghanistan. The newspaper said a soldier came forward with the images to draw attention to the safety risk associated with a decline in leadership and discipline.

In the Times story, editor Davan Maharaj said publishing the photos "would fulfill our obligation to readers to report vigorously and impartially on all aspects of the American mission in Afghanistan, including the allegation that the images reflect a breakdown in unit discipline that was endangering US troops."

Read the report on CNN.

US Republican Senator John McCain has said that Pakistan has no right to use the Kashmir issue as an excuse for not targeting extremist groups like the Haqqani network.

"Pakistan should not take refuge behind Kashmir conflict for not taking action against terrorist groups that operate almost openly in Pakistan," The News quoted McCain, as saying at Carnegie Institute on 'Future of Afghanistan.

"I have sympathy for Pakistani military leadership, but disappointed at ISI's continued cooperation with Haqqanis,' he added.McCain said ensuring a long-term US military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014 will be a key to success or failure in the war against Taliban insurgents. 

"We are approaching the end game of a long war, and American people are weary of this long war,' he added.

With the launch of its locally-developed Agni-V, India has joined a small group of countries - up to now only the nuclear-armed superpowers - with inter-continental range ballistic missiles

A successful test flight of the missile will also strengthen India's nuclear deterrence once it comes into service by 2014-15. With a range of 5,000km (3,100 miles), the Agni-V is capable of delivering a single 1.5-ton warhead deep inside nuclear rival China's territory.

Read Rahul Bedi's report on the BBC.

This is what the New York Times has on  the Agni V launch: India said Thursday it had successfully launched a missile with nuclear capability and a 3,100-mile range, giving it the ability to strike Beijing and Shanghai.

Read

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today hailed the test firing of Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Agni V saying that this represented another milestone in India's quest to add to the credibility of its security and preparedness. 

Soon after the launch of Agni V, he congratulated the scientists who had worked tirelessly and called up DRDO chief V K Saraswat in this regard. 

"Today's successful Agni V test launch represents another milestone in our quest to add to the credibility of our security and preparedness and to continuously explore the frontiers of science," he added. 

"I congratulate all the scientific and technical personnel of the DRDO and other organisations who have worked tirelessly in our endeavour to strengthen the defence and security of our country," the Prime Minister said in his message. The nation stands together in honouring the scientific community, who have done the country proud," the Prime Minister said. 

This bizarre deathwatch occurred across continents 11,000 km apart over four months back, but few knew about it until now. A British automobile consultant slashed his throat and wrists in his rented Green Park flat in South Delhi while his girlfriend watched in horror on Skype from Reading in the UK. 

Read the story on the TOI

Defence minister AK Antony on Thursday described the maiden test flight of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-V as an "immaculate success" and a "major milestone".

"The nation stands tall today. We have joined the elite club of nations (to possess the ICBM  related stories India successfully test fires Agni-V, takes a giant stride capability)," Antony told the DRDO chief VK Saraswat on phone after the test flight of the missile was declared successful today.

"The immaculate success of the Agni-V is a major milestone in the country's missile research and development programme," he said. The about 5,000 km range Agni-V was launched from a test range at Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha at 0807 hours and took 15 minutes to reach its target in Southern Indian Ocean.

The missile achieved all the mission parameters and has turned out to be a huge success, defence ministry officials said. The launch was cancelled last night due to bad weather and a spate of heavy lightning in the test range.

Lakhs of commuters, mostly of the Central Railway line in Mumbai, are likely to get some relief during the rush hour today with authorities trying to
restore disrupted services. 

"We will run all peak hour suburban services. We will operate around 85 per cent to 90 per cent of the total services during the day," Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer V A Malegaonkar said.

Lakhs of commuters in Mumbai had a harrowing time yesterday as services on the Central Railway line were thrown out of gear following a fire in a signal cabin between Kurla and Vidyavihar stations on Tuesday night causing heavy
damage to signalling gears. The official has claimed that the delay has also come
down "significantly" from that of yesterday.

Former ministers in Goa, who are fighting litigations of personal nature through government-paid advocates, will now have to shell out money from their own pocket.

A circular issued by the Manohar Parrikar government to this effect this week states that there is no "justification" in providing State-paid counsels for the ministers fighting their personal cases.

Law Secretary Pramod Kamat has ordered that all such lawyers be withdrawn forcing these ministers to foot the expenses on their own.

"This order is not applicable where cases have been filed against the ministers or government servants for acts of commission or omission in the course of discharge of their duties," Kamat has said.

Lakhs of commuters, mostly of the Central Railway line in Mumbai, are likely to get some relief during the rush hour today with authorities trying to restore the disrupted services.

"We will run all peak-hour suburban services. We will operate around 85 per cent to 90 per cent of the total services during the day," Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer V A Malegaonkar said.

Lakhs of commuters in Mumbai had a harrowing time yesterday as services on the Central Railway line were thrown out of gear following a fire in a signal cabin between Kurla and Vidyavihar stations on Tuesday night causing heavy damage to signalling gears.

Good morning and welcome to the day when India has joined a unique club -- of nations with ICBM capability. A huge pat to our scientists and the defence establishment for enabling it.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has hailed the successful test-firing of Agni V missile, and says it represents another milestone in India's quest to add to itssecurity preparedness.

Defence Minister AK Antony has described the maiden test flight of Agni-5 missile as an "immaculate success" and a "major milestone".