Poor Vishnu Vardhan. A classic case of counting his chickens before they are hatched.

Vardhan today said he is under no pressure and that the experience of playing
alongside Sania Mirza in the 2010 Asiad will hold him in good stead when he partners Leander Paes in the upcoming Olympics. "When I was asked to pair up with Sania during the Asian Games at Guangzhou in 2010, I was totally under pressure but I handled it well at that time. Now I know how to handle
pressure," Vishnu said.

Vishnu said that he had no knowledge of what exactly Paes had communicated to All India Tennis Association and hence would not like to read too much into it. "I don't know what exactly had happened or what was the e-mail all about. Probably I will get to know when I meet Leander," insisted the 19-year-old.
Vishnu said that he would not be overawed by Paes on the court as he shares a good relation with him.

Dr Vece Paes says Leander is fed up with the AITA not taking a strict stand. The AITA has chosen to reward those blackmailing the country and the selection process is based on politics not AITA rankings.

Dr Paes says Leander does not take flippant decisions and he said he would not go. And there's no guarantee Sania will partner Leander either, says Dr Paes. 

Maharashtra Chief minister Prithviaj Chavan tells rediff.com that the fire in Mantralaya was "absolutely shocking". He said, "This afternoon, I was holding a meeting at the Sahyadri guesthouse and was on my way to Mantralaya when I was told about the fire.

"We are taking every possible step to save lives, help the injured and take measures to contain the fire. It looks like all the papers on my 6th floor office may have been burnt. The fire started exactly a few floors below my office and then spread above," he said.

The CBI has said that all the files related to the Adarsh scam are safe with the courts and have not been damaged in the fire. There were reports earlier that the files may have been damaged as they were on the fourth floor which was where the fire started. In fact, Ajit Pawar, who is the deputy CM of Maharashtra had said that the Adarsh files may have been damaged.  

Of the 11 injured, two are said to be serious. The good news is that at least 60 per cent of the fire has been contained.

Latest reports say that Mantralaya has been evacuated and everyone has been rescued, but the fire remains to be doused.  

@sardesairajdeep: CBI says all Adarsh files are safe and with court. There goes another conspiracy theory.

The CBI also claims it has relevant copies of the Adarsh files. .

A break from the Mantralaya fire to tell you that the CPM has decided to support Pranab Mukherjee's candidature for president. 

Navy repeatedly asks people to get to the rooftop so that the choppers can rescue them.

All roads to Mantralaya from Churchgate and Flora Fountain have been blocked.

The number of injured goes up to 11 from three. NCP leader Jitendra Awhad slams conspiracy theories that the fire was related to the Adarsh files. The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the urban development ministry which has files on the Adarsh scam.

A team of 50 doctors at the three hospitals where the injured are being taken -- JJ, GT, and St George hospitals. 

And the breathless coverage on TV channels continue.

Mantralaya is cheek-by-jowl with Arabian Sea and the sea breeze ensures that the fire is being fanned. Heavy plumes of smoke bellow out of the windows. The navy choppers are supposed to airlift people to safety, but no images as of now. The choppers are manned by Marine commandos (Marcos), who will be dropping ropes to the rooftop so those trapped in the building can be hauled up by ropes.

Police commissioner Arup Patnaik also at the spot.

Naval choppers with Marcos on board, elite commandos from Force One and the Rapid Action Force on hand at Mantralaya. Fire rages out of control.

No signs of the fire being contained. NDTV reports that the Mumbai fire brigade is running short of fire tenders and has requisitioned more from the adjoining municipalities of Navi Mumbai and Thane. Two fire engines from Navi Mumbai and one from Thane being rushed to Mantralaya. Every fire tender in the BMC is at the spot. Naval choppers also helping with the rescue operations.

So far, three people have been injured. Fresh reports say that CM Prithviraj Chavan was in fact, in his office on the 6th floor, which has been damaged.

If you've just joined us, a major fire broke out at the fourth floor of the Mantralaya building which houses the state secretariat in south Mumbai around 2.30 pm. The fire broke out at NCP minister Babanrao Pachpute's fourth floor office and then spread to the fifth and sixth floors.

Around 25 to 30 fire engines are still trying to douse the flames, which are believed to have gutted crucial files on the Adarsh scam and the Kargil for profit scam, but no confirmations on that yet.

So far, there are no reports of any casualties, but officials working at Mantralaya are still to be evacuated. Three people are believed to have been injured. The fire is believed to be caused by a short-circuit. The JJ flyover is blocked to regular traffic. 

Times Now probing a 'conspiracy theory of how the fire spread to different floors. Babanrao Panchpute unwilling to comment whether the Adarsh scam files or the Kargil for profit files were destroyed in the fire.

Maharashtra CM says the concern right now is to save people, issues such as which files are destroyed will come later.

NDTV reports that the elite security team Force One has been called to the spot. Force One is an elite commando force, formed by the government of Maharashtra on the lines of the National Security Guards as a response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. At least 10 to 20 people are believed to be trapped in the fire, but no confirmations yet.

Vaibhav Mehrotra: Mantralaya on fire. ram Gopal running to see if it fits for a shooting location. 

Rediff.com's Prasanna Zore reports that the huge fire that has engulfed the fourth floor at the Maharashtra's state secretariat seems to have begun at around 1.50 pm, according to Anil Joshi, under secretary in Mantralaya's general administration department.

Joshi, who works on the 7th floor, was informed of the fire on his cell phone. he says more than 95 per cent of the employees have been evacuated, but saw a  number of people stranded on the 4th, 5th and 6th floor of the building.

Joshi said he and other employees of his department ran down the stairs to safety, but faced breathing problems as they ran down the staircase because of the thick smoke.

He said there were adequate fire fighting systems employed on all the floors of the state secretariat and a number of people have been trained to handle fire-fighting equipment.

For those not familiar with Mumbai, the state secretariat is also called Mantralaya, which is in south Mumbai near Marine Drive. Minister of Forests Patangrao Kadam speaking to CNN IBN said the CM Prithviraj Chavan was not in the building.

The fourth floor houses the forests department. The cabin in which the fire broke out belongs to Babanrao Panchphute, who is the minister of forests.

Smoke bellowing out of the fourth floor. The fire broke out around 25 minutes ago and is yet to be contained. 

Also read a 2010 DNA story on how the Mantralaya fire alarm system obsolete.

A major fire has broken out on the fourth floor of the Maharashtra secretariat, Mantralaya. Three ambulances and eight fire tenders have been rushed to the spot. The building has been evacuated. Details awaited.

Tehelka journalist Tarun Sehrawat's death has not just opened a can of worms but also exposed the callous attitude of media organisations. Read

Also see: Abujhmaad Is Not Alibaug -- The avoidable death of photojournalist Tarun Sehrawat

More on the AITA press conference.

AITA president Anil Khanna also said, "I would like to mention that tennis unfortunately is not a sport which is governed like other sports. Top tennis players are employed with ATP and don't have much to do with ITF or the national association," said Khanna. 

"The kind of reactions they (Bhupathi and Bopanna) have given, the ATP will not even consider it indiscipline. Till last evening we were trying to talk to them but both Mahesh and Bopanna said they won't partner Leander. "But the AITA believes that Olympics without Leander is unthinkable," he added.

Update on the arrest warrant against the new Pakistan PM.

A Pakistani court today issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Peoples Party prime ministerial candidate Makhdoom Shahabuddin in connection with alleged irregularities in the import of a large amount of the
controlled drug Ephedrine during his tenure as Health Minister. 

Acting on a request from the Anti-Narcotics Force, Judge Shafqatullah Khan of a special ANF court in Rawalpindi issued arrest warrants for Shahabuddin and former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani's Ali Musa Gilani. The judge directed officials to arrest and present them in his court within a week.

Khanna added, "Sania has already stated after the French Open that although she prefers to play with Mahesh, she would play with any partner in the Olympics."  

"Leander and Sania are the only direct entry for the mixed doubles. If Sania gets a wild card, they will be only Indian pair at number 19 with their combined rankings," he added.

Asked why Somdev was not considered for teaming up with Paes even though he had declared himself fit, Khanna said, "We don't want to jeopardise Paes' chances by pairing him with someone who may not be fit effectively."

Today is the last day for sending entries for the London Games to International Tennis Federation (ITF). Khanna, however, ruled out any immediate disciplinary action against Bhupathi and Bopanna, who had minced no words
in expressing their displeasure with the original selection. "To take a harsh decision against Mahesh and Rohan is not in the best interest of nation. AITA established a code of conduct, we will consider action only after the Olympics," he said.

Giving its two-team decision, the AITA today said it was a compromise formula to resolve the selection crisis for the Olympics. It said the decision was "unfair" on world number 7 Paes.

"Undoubtedly the most patriotic one, who has the record of most David Cup appearances for India and has served the nation for over 20 years, had been driven to the wall and had to react sharply," AITA President Anil Khanna
said referring to Paes' threat of a pullout in case of being paired with a junior partner. "AITA does not want Leander's image to be tarnished. AITA
asks Leander to forgive the utterances (against him by Bhupathi and Bopanna).

"Leander Paes and Vishnu Vardhan (ranked 207) and Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna will be the two teams. We request Leander to reverse to his thoughts and he should help Bopanna and Vishnu to succeed in their first Olympics," he added

Paes' father has said that Leander is unlikely to go with this decision.

Back to Mahesh Bhupathi.

Bhupathi tells CNN IBN that his fight was to go to the London with Rohan and he is happy that we have got a spot.

AITA says Paes has not been informed about the decision to pair him with Vishnu Vardhan.

Vardhan says he is happy with the AITA's decision and is excited to partner Paes. Bizarre, since Paes may not be willing to partner him. And so, the impasse continues. 

AITA says Somdev Devvarman who announced this morning that he was willing to partner Paes, is not fit to play.

Leander's father, Dr Vece Paes says Leander has not accepted the AITA's descision and doesn't even know of the two-team announcement. He says the AITA may not agree to the AITA's decision and if he doesn't he will drop out of the Olympics.  

The AITA press conference is on now. The AITA announces two-teams for the London Olympics -- Leander Paes to partner Vishnu Vardhan and Mahesh Bhupathi to partner Rohan Bopanna. Paes to play mixed doubles with Sania Mirza. This comes after Paes yesterday said he would drop out of the Olympics but would not play with a low-ranked partner.

BJP's presidential nominee PA Sangma addressing a press conference outside his residence.

He says he is grateful to the BJP for supporting his candidature. "I don't belong to any party, I have resigned from the NCP. I want to become an adivasi from rashtravadi (Rastravadi Congress Party), which is why I resigned from the NCP.  I appeal to the JD(U)  to support my candidature. It is the conscience of the electoral college, not black and white numbers, that matter."

He says Mamata Banerjee has assured him that if Kalam is out of the race, she would support him. "I am hopeful Mamata Banerjee is with me and appeal to her," says Sangma. "My daughter (Agatha Sangma) is a part of UPA, I don't have to tell her what to do," he said to a query. 

Arun Jaitley says the NDA wants to play the role of the principal opposition.

On whether Mamata Banerjee would support Sangma, Jaitley says Mamata is a senior and experienced politician and it is for her to decide. But we hope the logical pursuit of what she has started is to support the opposition candidate. We will always keep trying to keep everyone on board. How we do that can't be discussed at a press conference," smiles Jaitley.

Sushma Swaraj says that the UPA failed to consult the NDA on Pranab Mukherjee. The party was informed after the announcement and asked to fall in line.

Arun Jaitley speaking now, says, the principle issue before the party was whether it could be seen as strengthening a failed UPA.

Swaraj said the AIADMK and SAD are with them and there will not be a walkover for Pranab Mukherjee. She says Sangma is the tallest leader from the north-east.

The BJP press conference on the presidential polls begins. Party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj says there is still no consensus in the NDA on a candidate. She says the JD(U) and the Shiv Sena are still to put up their candidate. She says the BJP had two candidates before it -- APJ Kalam and PA Sangma. Since Kalam is not willing to stand for elections, the party was left with just one candidate -- Sangma. The BJP therefore backs former Speaker PA Sangma.

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is in critical condition, but has been taken off life support after being thought close to death, according to a report.   Mubarak was transferred to a military hospital from the Cairo prison hospital where he has been kept since his June 2 conviction and sentencing for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the uprising.  

The state-run media said that Mubarak was 'clinically dead' when he arrived at the hospital and that doctors used a defibrillator on him several times.   His wife Suzanne was by his side in the Nile-side hospital in Maadi, Cairo, The Daily Mail reports.  

Just in: India's number one singles tennis player Somdev Devvarman tells the All India Tennis Association that he is willing to play singles as well as doubles for the Olympics Games.

This comes after India's leading tennis player Leander Paes slammed the warring duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna for refusing to pair with him at the London Olympics. He said he will withdraw from the Games if the All India Tennis Association decides to send two teams. More

The AITA will hold a press conference at 1 pm to announce their decision on India's entries for the Olympics.

Lessons never learnt as yet another child falls into a borewell.

A four-year-old girl fell into a 70-feet deep borewell in Kho village near Manesar while playing with her friends last night. The Army has been called to assist in the rescue operation, officials said here today. 

"Mahi was celebrating her fourth birthday and was playing with children outside the home near the borewell when she suddenly fell into it," her father Neeraj said. 

Parallel to the borewell, a large pit is being dug to rescue the child. Chief medical officer Praveen Garg said oxygen is being pumped in the borewell to help the child

A camera was also lowered into the borewell to find out the condition of the child but it did not provide any significant detail. Neeraj claimed that as soon as his daughter fell in the borewell at 11 pm yesterday, he called up the police but they arrived one-and-a-half hour late. For two hours the child kept crying inside the borewell, asking for help but now she is not responding to any calls, he said.

Also read: Rescue operation fails as kid dies in borewell

Just in: Pakistan President nominates PPP leader Makhdoom Shahabuddin as Prime Minister, says PTV.

For a background, read: No more packing up of the parliament: Zardari

This is the second time Rajesh Khanna has trended on Twitter. The first when he appeared in the ad for a ceiling fan company and now, when he is critically ill.

The yesteryear Bollywood superstar is unwell and his wife Dimple is with him, his manager said on yesterday. '

"He is unwell, and at home. He has stopped food-intake for three to four days," the actor's manager, Ashwin said. Khanna's actor wife Dimple Kapadia, from whom he has separated, is by his side. "Dimpleji is continuously by his side and his daughter Rinke also visited today," the manager said.

Earlier in April, Khanna had been admitted to hospital following uneasiness and weakness. The veteran actor, considered Bollywood's first superstar, has acted in over 150 films. Fondly called 'Kaka' by his fans, Khanna ruled the industry in the 1960s and 1970s with films like 'Aaradhana', 'Anand', 'Bawarchi', 'Raaz' and others.

India today said it is disappointed with the "weak" political will in developed
countries to provide developing nations enhanced means of implementation of objectives of Green Economy, which will also be a "green-wash" if the process is not democratised. 

As around 100 world leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gathered here for the Rio+20 Summit, India also firmly rejected unilateral measures and trade barriers under the guise of Green Economy, which was the buzz ahead of the deliberations here. 

It, however, recognised Green Economy as one of the means to sustainable development and poverty eradication. "Green Economy has to be bottoms up and democratised. Otherwise it will be no more than green-wash. Cost of Green Development cannot be unaffordable for the poor," Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan said. 

With former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma determined to go ahead in the Presidential race, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said other political parties should come forward to back his candidature. 

Various leaders had been in touch with her, some of whom had tried to enlist her support for former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who has decided to opt out, she said. "I welcome other parties coming forward to support Sangma, but let them make the announcement first and I will be happy if they do that," the Chief Minister said.     

There was no change in her party's stand to back Sangma, which she had announced last month, the AIADMK supremo told reporters. On the candidature of Kalam, backed by Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalithaa said her West Bengal counterpart had spoken to her, seeking her support for the former President. "I said I have already announced support for Sangma. Let us wait and see what Mamataji does and leave the decision to her." 

Jayalalithaa, along with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik were the first to back Sangma for the top job, saying no tribal candidate had so far been nominated for the post.

PA Sangma quit from his party yesterday saying he was pressurised to withdraw from the contest as NCP president Sharad Pawar warned him of disciplinary action if he did not comply.

While on the presidential elections, finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had apparently threatened to resign from the Union Council of Minister if he was not made UPA nominee for Presidential elections after his candidature was rejected by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.

Read the report here.

The SP on its part said the remarks were uncalled for. "I hope Rashid Alvi has taken permission of his leader Sonia Gandhi and other leaders before making such statements....If he is making the statement without any permission, the party should take action against him. Whatever may be the context, making such statements is uncalled for," SP leader Shahid Siddiqui said.

Alvi's remark have come at a time when SP has become a valuable supporting party for Congress with Yadav supporting Mukherjee for the post of President after disassociating himself with the line taken by UPA's key constituent Trinamool Congress.

Alvi later clarified that his remarks should be seen in the light of campaigning for the Municipal Corporation elections in Uttar Pradesh where all parties are speaking against each other including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

Details of the Rashid Alvi blooper.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi has sparked off a controversy by dubbing
Mulayam Singh Yadav as the "biggest agent" of the BJP, attracting instant disapproval from the AICC today. "I don't know if you would like it or not but I have been saying it for the last 10 years that if there is anybody who is the biggest agent of BJP, it is Mulayam Singh Yadav. If anybody dances to the tunes of BJP, it is Mulayam Singh Yadav," Alvi, the Congress spokesperson, said addressing a public meeting here last night.

The remarks met with instant disapproval from the AICC with party General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi making it clear "We do not approve of this. The Congress has always been in favour of uniting the secular forces".

Odisha Director General of Police MM Praharaj has warned of a possible terror attack during the annual Lord Jagannath rath yatra in Puri, which began on Thursday, reports CNN-BN.

The annual rath yatra began in Puri, Odisha and Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Odisha DGP has advised people to stay alert and not to panic.

India and China on Thursday agreed to step up their defence and security dialogue and work to take steps to ensure that the two countries achieve a $100 billion trade target by 2015.

 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabo spoke of the need to continue with this dialogue at their 40-minute meeting on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Environment Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Former Maharashtra Minister Pritam Kumar Shegaonkar passed away in Mumbai this morning following a massive cardiac arrest.

He was 76 and is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
    
Shegaonkar was member of legislative council elected from the legislative assembly quota and belonged to RPI (A).

Shegaonkar's Private Secretary Gangadhar Waghmare said the RPI (A) leader had come down from his room at the MLA hostel in South Mumbai when he suffered a stroke. He was immediately rushed to Bombay Hospital but was pronounced dead on admission.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi has certainly complicated further the race for Presidential polls by calling Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav 'an agent of BJP', at a rally in Moradabad.

Alvi said that he has been reiterating his stand for the last 10 years, noting that 'Mulayam always dances to BJP's tunes.'

The SP has reacted sharply to Alvi's allegations, wondering whether the spokesperson had the nod of Congress chief.

After backing Mamata on Presidential nominee, SP has finally backed UPA's candidate Pranab Mukherjee.

Atleast 101 people were killed in last three days in sectarian clashes and gun battles between soldiers and insurgents in two Nigerian cities of Damaturu and Kaduna after suicide bombers attacked three churches on Sunday.

 
In Kaduna city, Christians retaliated the bombing allegedly carried out by suspected members of Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram by burning down mosques and killing Muslims.

Over 40 persons including six security personnel were today killed in a gun battle between soldiers and insurgents in Damaturu town, the capital of Nigeria's northern state of Yobe.

 
State Police spokesman Patrick Egbuniwe told PTI on phone that 34 of those who were killed were members of the Boko Haram.

Atleast 101 people were killed in last three days in sectarian clashes and gun battles between soldiers and insurgents in two Nigerian cities of Damaturu and Kaduna after suicide bombers attacked three churches on Sunday.

 
In Kaduna city, Christians retaliated the bombing allegedly carried out by suspected members of Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram by burning down mosques and killing Muslims.

Over 40 persons including six security personnel were today killed in a gun battle between soldiers and insurgents in Damaturu town, the capital of Nigeria's northern state of Yobe.

 
State Police spokesman Patrick Egbuniwe told PTI on phone that 34 of those who were killed were members of the Boko Haram.