The birthday of a woman doomed to a very painful -- and very slow -- death was celebrated last Friday. Outside the locked door of the room in which she is incarcerated, her care-givers posed for happy-happy photos, giving cheerful quotes about their daily devotion to her brittle bones, and how their reward is her grateful smile.

Pinky Virani's piece (the author of Aruna's Story) on Firstpost.com.

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Anna Hazare realigns himself with key teammate -- Arvind Kejriwal. He says after going through the coal block reports, he has suspicions against the PM. He says he will also send a file on charges against cabinet ministers to the PM.

Team Anna last week reiterated their demand for a fair probe into the allegations that coal blocks were allocated at throwaway prices leading to a loss of Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said the allegations have not been levelled by them but made in a CAG report on the matter. The allegations have led to controversy as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the coal portfolio when the blocks were allocated. 

Amid the all-round clamour for reforms like doing away with fuel subsidies, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said there is no "headroom for running a proactive fiscal policy". "...the second round of global uncertainty and the slowdown has come rather quickly on the heels of the previous one, with practically no headroom for running a proactive fiscal policy," Mukherjee said at the annual conference of CBEC. He said it was impossible for the centre to absorb the price rise and he had written to states to share the cost.

His comments come amid demand from various quarters that the government imitate bold reforms to boost the sagging economy. The demand got a further clout after the economic growth in 2011-12 recorded the nine-year low growth of 6.5 per cent.he Finance Minister, however, pinned hopes on declining
global crude oil prices and normal monsoon in improving growth.

Rediff.com's Renu Mittal reporting from the CWC meet, which ended a while ago, says there was a great deal of criticism from CWC members against the government particularly on price rise and the petrol hike.

Members want a concrete policy rather than ad hoc and piecemeal discussions. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Cheninthala says if the goverment needs to hike petrol rates why rollback the prices after the NDA bandh? He says this becomes embarassing and difficult to defend for states. 

In another horrific incident that mimics the bruised and battered baby, Falak, an 18-month-old baby, Shireen, has been admitted to a hospital in Indore with horrific signs of abuse.

She has 11 cigarette burns on different parts of her body. Her hands have multiple fractures. She was brought to hospital by her mother, Zarina, whose lover reportedly abused the baby for weeks. However, doctors attending to her say the baby's life is not in danger.

The details of baby Shireen's trauma echo the story of Baby Falak, who died in March after being treated for serious physical abuse at Delhi's AIIMS hospital. Like Falak, Siren has battered baby syndrome, according to her doctors.

More on NDTV

BJP President Nitin Gadkari today created a flutter when he touched Ramdev's feet, saying it was a mark of respect and he saw nothing wrong seeking the
blessings of the yoga guru. 

"Our culture tells us that when a man wearing saffron clothes visits you, you take his blessings. I feel proud that I took Ramdev Baba's blessings. It is our culture. Those who don't follow this culture may behave differently," Gadkari said. 

Gadkari presented a bouquet to Ramdev who drove to his residence for a meeting to solicit BJP's support for the campaign to bring back blackmoney stashed by Indians abroad. 

The BJP president then bent down and touched Ramdev's feet and sought his blessings. After a brief photo opportunity, the two went inside and held a meeting on the black money issue. When the two emerged from the meeting, Gadkari was asked about his gesture. 

On earlier occasions also Gadkari has under public gaze touched the feet of senior leaders like L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj to take their blessings. Gadkari did so even in the ceremony at the party headquarters where it was announced that he would be the next president of BJP.

The Congress Working Committee meeting ends in New Delhi. At the meeting, the PM and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi spoke on much of the same issues:  Singh said the UPA government had made every effort to fulfill the promises made to the 'aam aadmi' (common man) by delivering high growth rate, implementing programmes for social and economic inclusion on "a scale never seen before" and taking "unprecedented" steps to empower the citizens.

Almost what Sonia Gandhi spoke about earlier.

However, no decision was made on the presidential candidate.

Reliance Brands, a unit of Reliance Industries, today announced a joint venture with America's clothing retailer Brooks Brothers to set up the latter's shops in India. 

Through the new joint venture, in which Reliance Brands holds 49 per cent stake, Brooks Brothers' products will be available in major cities across India through exclusive mono-brand stores which will carry the entire range of
menswear and women's wear including clothing, sportswear, and accessories.

I have not been able to figure out what is it about Team Anna and Ramdev that rankles these men and women of great learning, and drives them up the wall. What gets their goat, nay, the entire herd? What is it that we, the ignorant, illiterate and the great unwashed can't see, that they can?

More on Firstpost.com

The Delhi government withdraws 5 per cent VAT on CNG. Details awaited.

More on Pakistan.

Pakistan's relations with the US are "multi-dimensional and important" but the ties will be determined on the basis of Islamabad's national interests, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today against the backdrop of growing strains between the two countries.

"We are trying to have an open, transparent, and mutually beneficial relationship with the US based on our national interests," he said. Gilani said. 

Addressing a gathering that included army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Gilani further said that his government had improved the country's relations with all its neighbours, including Afghanistan, India and Iran.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan suspended the Senate membership of Interior Minister Rehman Malik while hearing the dual nationality case on Monday, reported Express News.

During the hearing, Malik's lawyer presented his client's declaration of renouncing his British nationality, but the three-member bench disregarded the documents as 'meaningless' and remarked that the documents were not what the bench asked for.

The bench added that documents suggest that Malik was holding dual nationality at the time when he became a member of the Senate. More

Over two decades after 'Satanic Verses' sparked a never-ending controversy and provoked a 'fatwa' for his head, author Salman Rushdie has only one thing to say to his detractors: 'I did not write it for the mullahs'. 

The India-born controversial writer who has lived for years under the shadow of his 1988 book, now liberally jokes about the whole issue. Speaking at the Hay Festival of Literature and the Art in London, the 64-year-old author said books are intended for people who like them. Joking about the 'fatwa' issue during an interaction, he said he did not write it "for the mullahs. I didn't think theywere my target audience". 

"The only thing worse than a bad review from the Ayatollah Khomeini would be a good review from the Ayatollah Khomeini,"he remarked. The author, who is best known for his memorable Bookerwinning marvel 'Midnight's Children', said the reason why books endure is not that people dislike them or that there is a controversy around them.

At the CWC meeting, PM Manmohan Singh defends his government saying misinformation is being spread about the UPA by those opposed to the government, by its enemies.

"We have delivered high growth rates and poverty is declining at a faster pace now. The government has not swindled any money. The UPA is committed to fighting graft," he said.

lthough Queen Elizabeth II appears to be a calm-and-collected public figure, her 60-year rule has not been without scandal. She's been awoken by an unknown intruder and dealt with her son's leaked lewd phone calls.

She's never lost her famous composure, but after a combination of divorces and public humiliation for the royal family in 1992, she dubbed the year her most horrible. From a loose-lipped husband to a hard-partying grandson, here are the most difficult scandals Britain's Queen Elizabeth has had to weather.

Read the report, or shall we say, gossip, here.  

Another one of those 'path-breaking studies'.

Getting behind the wheel while youre sleepy is almost as dangerous as drinking and driving, a study has revealed.

Researchers from France found that drivers who were either drunk or sleepy were at least twice as likely to cause a vehicle accident as their sober or well-rested counterparts, the Daily Mail reported.

For the study, a team of experts directed by Nicholas Moore at the Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Bordeaux analysed information from 679 drivers admitted to a hospital in southwestern France for more than 24 hours because of a serious accident between 2007 and 2009.

The debt-ridden Future Group is selling 53.67 per cent stake in Future Capital Holdings to US-based private equity Warburg Pincus, to raise an estimated Rs 560 crore.Kishore Biyani-led Future Group, whose core retail business formats include Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, e-zone and Pantaloon, has a debt of over Rs 5,000 crore.

Read

Read Sonali Ranade's blog for all that you wanted to know on the economic downturn, but didn't whom to ask.

A local court here today deferred to June 8 the hearing of Aarushi-Hemraj murder case as the local bar association struck work after a lawyer's death here. 

The court was slated to examine two prosecution witnesses, an electrcity department official and a forensic expert, but the same had to be deferred to June 8. 

The court had ordered Aarushi's parents Rajesh and Nupur Talwar to be tried for alleged murder of the teenager and their domestic servant Hemraj on the intervening night of May 15-16, 2008.

And another ode to the mango: For centuries, writers in South Asia have been inspired by the fruit, flower and leaf of the mango tree, penning celebrations of mango season, dissections of mango commerce and a whole genre of fiction dubbed "sari and mango' novels. "Mangos are objects of envy, love, rivalry as well as a new status symbol for India's new rich,' Jim Yardley writes in The New York Times on Tuesday.

Read the NYT blog.

Americans may struggle to get tasty mangoes from India, but in Britain, mango aficionados are spoiled for choice. Wholesalers import the fruit from India and a number of other nations, giving restaurants, retailers, pop-up vendors and customers access to the fruit for seven months out of the year.

Read the report on the NYT

In the wake of Sonia Gandhi's remarks against the Opposition and civil society, BJP president Nitin  today said her charges were baseless and sought to know if the Congress feels Baba Ramdev's demand for bringing back black money is anti-national. 

"Sonia Gandhi's allegations against Baba Ramdev are baseless. Is it anti-national to demand that Indian black money be brought back for the country's well-being? I feel she should not have done so. She should rise above party politics and work to save and free the country from price rise, poverty
and hunger", Gadkari said.

"I am very sad and it is unfortunate that on an issue of national importance such baseless allegations have been levelled for political gains. This is not proper and the people of the country will not agree with her", Gadkari said. 

Ahead of its mid-quarterly policy review, the Reserve Bank today hinted at cut in interest rates, saying moderation in inflation due to lower economic growth and cooling global oil prices provide room for easing monetary policy.

"The growth is somewhat lower than expectation and that may have positive, moderating impact on core inflation," RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn said.

More on rediff.com.

Poor shape of economy and massive corruption in UPA government would result in defeat of the ruling coalition in the next general elections, BJP MP and
party's spokesperson Prakash Javadekar claimed here today.

"In Emergency days in 1975, when inflation and corruption were high, regime change happened. In 1987-89 also the same situation was there and again the regime changed. 

"The same is going to happen in 2014, inflation and corruption are high and the government change is imperative," he told reporters here. Charging that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has failed to steer the economy on the path of progress despite being an economist, he alleged that the indecision and policy paralysis on the part of government resulted in India's growth getting killed. 

"Indian growth was an entrepreneur-led story. It was the success of Indian entrepreneurs in a free environment that took the growth to the level of nine per cent. But with policy paralysis in the government, it came down to 5.3 per cent in last quarter. "It shows the shape of things to come in future. Under Manmohan Singh, UPA has effectively killed the Indian growth story," Javadekar said. 

In what is being seen as a tit-for-tat move, China has cautioned its citizens against travelling to India following protests over the increase in petroleum prices, after New Delhi issued advisories warning its traders against doing business in the Chinese commodity hub of Yiwu.

An advisory has been posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website as well as Chinese Embassy in New Delhi dated June 1 which warned about travel disruptions due to protests.

"According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees," the advisory said.

"Some shops have closed. Presently, impacted areas include: Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Patna in Bihar, Allahabad and Varanasi in UP, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa etc," it said.

With the end in sight for Hamid Karzai's days in office as Afghanistan's president, members of his family are trying to protect their status, weighing how to hold on to power while secretly fighting among themselves for control of the fortune they have amassed in the last decade.

Read the NYT report

More on the CWC meeting.

A combative Congress President Sonia Gandhi today made a scatching attack on the opposition and civil society for levelling "baseless" allegations against
the Prime Minister and the party, saying it was part of a conspiracy and told partymen to fight back. 

"In a democracy, it is the job of the opposition to oppose but the manner in which opposition and some anti-Congress elements are, as part of a conspiracy, levelling baseless allegations against the Prime Minister, the UPA government, the party and some of our colleagues, is a matter of regret," she said in her opening remarks at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee. 

"We will have to fight fiercely against such allegations at the party and the government levels," Gandhi said with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side. Without referring to the petrol price hike, she said there have been economic challenges too that are impacting the common man.

"The whole world was passing through a difficult phase and we have to face it and we are facing it". She said the report to the people brought out on the third anniversary on the UPA government was a "document of  success in spite of the difficulties." 

The shooting of the Kalpana Lajmi directed film 'Kaanch' has run into trouble after she alleged misbehaviour and harassment by producer Rajiv Kashyap.
Lajmi, who was shooting the film, said she was being forced to leave the film midway because of the "misbehaviour of Kashyap." 

"I am not going to work again with Kashyap nor will I direct his film any more. Kashyap sends me obscene SMS messages and he even uses foul languages with me," Lajmi, 58, said at a press conference. 

Kashyap, however, refuted the allegation in a separate press conference, saying, it was Lajmi who has been indulging in "offensive behaviour". He has threatened to take the director to court.  

The producer said he will return to Bhopal in September and resume the film's shooting with a new director. 'Kaanch' stars Avika Gor, who rose to fame for her role in popular television serial 'Balika Vadhu,' along with noted singer-actress Ila Arun and Yograj Singh.

British newspapers have been gushing about the Queen's jubilee.

Here's a sampling.

The Telegraph: Happy and glorious, the river Queen

The Sun: Drip drip hooray!

The Guardian:Diamond jubilee Thames river pageant sets sail

Ironically this is the one freedom that we specifically do not give to our young. Aamir Khan's Monday column for The Hindu. Read

By the way, are the ratings down for Satyamev Jayate? For the first time since the show began a month ago, it's not trending.

The BJP says Sonia Gandhi's allegations that the Opposition, Team Anna and Baba Ramdev are not cooperating with the UPA are false. BJP president Nitin Gadkari says Ramdev's fight against black money is important and the party will keep away from politics during Team Anna's fast.

Ramdev says he has sought support from all parties to bring back black money and it will help everyone.

Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa is in New Delhi to meet Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the deputy chairman of the planning commission.

Our sources in Delhi tell us that Sonia Gandhi will not refer to Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee or Mayawati in her speech. This primarily means that she does not want to antagonise or provoke her key allies before the Presidential polls.

Up for criticism however are BJP and Team Anna. Sonia says that non-Congress governments not cooperating with the Centre. Economic problmes affecting the aam admi are a concern, she says.

DMK chief Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin is arriving in New Delhi on June 6 to meet A Raja. He is likely to call on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the same day.  DMK sources say that it is a routine meeting to get updated on the Delhi political climate.

Stalin has been visiting Delhi frequently to checkmate his brother MK Alagiri and to crosscheck and verifiy inputs from pary leader T R Baalu on Delhi politics.

At the Team Anna meet, Arvind Kejriwal says he has no problems with Baba Ramdev, though there are key differences. Kejriwal at the meeting being held in Noida, says, "Ramdev is a sanyasi and thinks naming and shaming is not necessary."

Ramndev earlier met BJP president Nitin Gadkari for his support on the black money issue.

Kejriwal abruptly exited the fast venue on Sunday following Ramdev taking exception to his speech. Ramdev had claimed that there was a protocol set for the meeting and it was decided not to take names as it would divert attention from the issues of black money and corruption.

However, Kejriwal today said, "There was no protocol that said we cannot take names. When I took the names during the speech, I got a chit saying I cannot take names. I was not told that names could not be taken."

Alongwith the CWC meet, there's another important meeting on today -- Team Anna meets in Delhi. Deep fissures have appeared between Team Anna and Baba Ramdev over the treatment meted out to Arvind Kejriwal in public and differences within them over attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Anna Hazare and Justice Santosh Hegde, who had earlier expressed reservations about targeting the Prime Minister, attended the meeting which is expected to reassess its strategy. Kiran Bedi, Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh will be there, but not Prashant Bhushan, who is abroad. 

Sources said the meeting is likely to discuss the emergence of rift between the Team Anna and Ramdev in public during yesterday's joint fast after the yoga guru snubbed Kejriwal for taking names. Though both the sides have downplayed the incident, sources said the meeting will review the relationship with the yoga guru.

A section of Team Anna had reservations about Ramdev as he faces charges. They were also miffed at his "one-upmanship". The issue of attacking the Prime Minister is also likely to figure prominently during the meeting.

As we told you earlier, over 153 people were feared dead when a passenger plane tragically crashed into a residential building shortly after takeoff in Nigeria's commercial capital of Lagos on Sunday. The plane carrying 153 passengers and crew members had taken off from Lagos but was attempting to return to the airport after the pilot noticed a glitch with the aircraft.

See the pictures of the devastating crash on our slideshow.

Anna Hazare today expressed the hope that Sachin Tendulkar, who entered Parliament as a Rajya Sabha member, will raise his voice on the Lokpal issue and against corruption. 

Congratulating the master blaster, Hazare said he expects Tendulkar to raise voice against corruption inside Parliament like the way Team Anna did outside it. 

"We welcome and congratulate him. Sachin should raise his voice against corruption and also in favour of the Lokpal issue. We will keep supporting him from outside," he said. Team Anna member Santosh Hegde, however, said that he did not think that the group was expecting anything from the 39-year-old cricketer. 

"I, as a member of Team Anna, wish him all the best," he said. Arvind Kejriwal said the group would request Tendulkar to make efforts to bring a strong law against corruption in the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress Working Committee meeting is being held at the Parliament House Annexe. As expected there has been a behind-the-scene flurry of activities at AICC and 10 Janpath to coordinate the draft resolutions and speeches of Sonia Gandhi with the data drawn from the ministries and also from the NAC.  Sonia is unlikely to criticise the CPM to keep avenues open for 2014. 

Meanwhile, the CWC meet is on.

Our correspondent in Delhi tells us that Sonia Gandhi is upset with UPA2, which is not implementing many of the directions of the National Advisory Committee. Out of the 24 recommendations only few were implemented -- the Food Security Bill, the Forest Land Bill, the Eradication of Scavengers bill, the Sexual Harrassment Bill and the Land Acquisition Bill. None of these issues were addressed by the PMO or by UPA2. Sonia is certain to address this in the extended CWC meet today.

In other news, US drones targeted a compound in the lawless North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan today, killing 15 militants in the latest attack in an intensified campaign by the CIA-operated spy planes. 

The drones struck before dawn, firing four missiles at the compound and a vehicle in Mir Ali, 25 km from Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency. US and Afghan officials have described the area as a hub for Al Qaeda and Taliban elements.

Twelve militants were killed instantly while three others died later in hospital, local tribesmen said on phone from Miranshah. Reports said several persons were injured and that some foreign fighters were among the dead.

"My focus will be on cricket and as and when I have the time I will look at the other issues as well, not only for cricket but other sports as well. I want to give something back to cricket in the latter half of my life. Whatever I am today is because of cricket."

Tendulkar tells Rajya Sabha TV.  He also said, "Please do not begin rumours that I have quit cricket. When I do, I will make the announcement."

"I believe, there may be obstacles along the way (in Parliament) and I want my I fellow Parliamentarians to help me along the way.

I want to be remembered as someone who has contributed to all sports in India, not just cricket," he said. 

Sachin Tendulkar has taken oath as Rajya Sabha MP in the chambers of chairperson of Hamid Ansari. Sachin takes the oath in Hindi, with a slight stumble through the short oath. He signs the members register after which a golden shawl is placed around his shoulders. Why is Rajiv Shukla wearing a hat? 

Sachin will taken oath as scheduled in the chamber of Chairman RS chairperson Hamid Ansari, which will be a quiet affair attended by a few MPs and unlikely to create a stir like Rekha's swearing-in did.

President Pratibha Patil had approved the cricket legend's name along with Rekha and businesswoman Anu Aga in April for the Upper House of the Parliament. The approval had come after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to the President with the government's recommendations.

While Rekha and Aga were sworn in in May, Sachin could not take oath earlier due to his IPL commitments. The IPL ended only on May 27th. Indian skipper MS Dhoni said yesterday that his senior team-mate will make a contribution as a Rajya Sabha member.