The CBI was today allowed by a Delhi court to interrogate Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal, arrested for their alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam for transferring Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd, in its custody for two days.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini allowed CBI's plea saying that as per the allegations against both the accused, they were "instrumental in transferring Rs 200 crores in accounts of Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd".

Before he met his counterpart in Mohali and effectively took the day off, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took to the floor of both houses of Parliament today to defend himself and his party from a growing furor over the WikiLeaks cable alleging government corruption.

Opposition politicians spent hours in Parliament harshly criticizing Singh on Wednesday, a week after publication of the cable accusing the ruling Congress party of bribing lawmakers $2.5 million each for their support of a crucial 2008 nuclear deal with the United States.

Actor Shiney Ahuja has been convicted in a rape case by Mumbai sessions court today. The actor had been accused of raping his teenaged domestic maid in June 2009. The maid had lodged an FIR against the actor.

She had said that he had raped her while they were alone at the actor's flat . The 18-year-old maid had been working with Ahuja for the last one-and-a-half months.

Yet, months later the maid told the fast track court that the actor never raped her. She admitted slapping false charges on the actor on the instructions of the woman who helped her in getting the job with Ahujas.

However, Ahuja later maintained he had in fact raped the maid, changing his stance from consexual sex.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke out for the first time today about the "heart-rending" media accounts of a rogue US army unit accused of deliberately killing civilians for sport.

In his first public reaction to the scandal, Hamid Karzai said he wanted to ensure ordinary Americans knew about an alleged rogue army unit "kill team" accused of murdering Afghan civilians and mutilating their corpses.

"They killed our youths for fun, they killed old people, they even planned to kill children," Karzai said in a speech "I want the ordinary American people to hear my voice and to know that Afghans old and young are being oppressed in their name."

Rolling Stone magazinethis week published a series of graphic images and a long story including extensive detail of the allegations against the American soldiers.

Omar Abdullah:Kashmir valley is sucking more than 780MW power at the moment & grids R tripping. Please switch off some heaters & lights so more TVs work.

By the way, this is not the J&K CM.

Deserted streets and markets, empty buses and trains and people bunking work presented the picture of a nation riveted to the heart stopping World Cup cricket semi-final clash today between arch rivals India and Pakistan.

As work in a cricket crazy nation with billion plus population came to a standstill, people turned all their attention to the cricket pitch regardless whether they stayed at home or headed out.

It was also half-day off for some employees in the private sector. Some state governments too announced half-day leave for employees. People prayed that there is no power outages that could deprive them of tracking the match at Mohali on television sets.

The ICC today apologised to India for the insult to the tri-colour at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium here today.

In a bizarre incident, a "spotter" for ICC merchandise rights holder, trampled upon a balloon which had the Indian national colours.

The "spotter" was objecting to the sale of merchandise by an unauthorised vendor at the stadium, which is hosting the second semifinal between India and Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup.

The incident upset a number of fans following which an ICC spokesman said, "we apologise for this unacceptable behaviour to every single Indian."

Hollywood superstar George Clooney was surprised to be named a witness in the prostitution trial of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

It is not clear whether the actor will testify in the sensational case but he finds it odd to be named in the trial.

"It seems odd since I've only met Berlusconi once and that was in an attempt to get aid into Darfur," Clooney said.

The 74-year-old Berlusconi is accused of paying for sex with a 17-year-old Moroccan girl called Ruby, then trying to use his power to cover it up. He has denied the charges. The trial is set to begin on April 6 in Milan.

The actor was reportedly seen along with his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis at one of Berlusconi's bunga bunga parties.

Bahrain today assured India that it would ensure the safety and security of the 3.5-lakh strong Indian community in that country, which is witnessing wide-spread anti-government protests.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al-Khalifa met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here and held discussions on issues of mutual interest, including recent developments in Bahrain and the region.

Ramesh Srivats #WC11God is done with Matsya, Kurma, Varaha & Narasimha. Currently Vamana is batting.

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala:Kamran Akmal's teeth are jealous of Ashish Nehra's teeth

A sessions Court today granted the Enforcement Directorate permission to take Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali -- arrested for alleged money-laundering and lodged in Arthur Road jail here -- to its office till April 1 for interrogation.

On March 25, sessions court had remanded Ali to judicial custody till April 8. Ali, who has allegedly stashed away billions of dollars in Swiss bank accounts, was arrested in the first week of this month.

Ali would be brought to ED office in south Mumbai every day between 10.30 am to 5.30 pm till April 1.

The interrogation would be video-recorded as per the Supreme Court's order.

The Guardian.co.uk reports that the US and Britain have raised the prospect of armingLibya's rebels if air strikes fail to forceMuammar Gaddafifrom power.

At the end of a conference on Libya in London,Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said for the first time that she believed arming rebel groups was legal under UN security council resolution 1973, passed two weeks ago, which also provided the legal justification for air strikes.

Read more

An alleged extremist believed to be one of the masterminds behind the 2002 Bali bombings has been arrested in Pakistan. here has been no immediate confirmation from authorities in Pakistan.

The AFP reports that Indonesia's counter-terrorism police have been tracking Patek for years. He has a US$1.0 million bounty on his head under the US government's "Rewards for Justice" programme.

Patek was the alleged field coordinator for the 2002 bombings of nightclubs in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, which killed 202 people including Australians and Americans.

He is a suspected member of Jemaah Islamiyah, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group active in Southeast Asia, and Indonesian authorities believe that he has been hiding out in the Philippines.

In Japan, (yes, remember Japan) four stricken reactors at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, is to decommissioned. Tokyo Electric Power made the announcement three weeks after failing to bring reactors 1to 4 under control.

Locals would be consulted on reactors 5 and 6 which were shut down safely. Harmful levels of radioactivity have been detected in the area.

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala: I Think Sehwag was sent in simply to molest Umar Gul.Now that the molestation is over,the Shakti Kapoor stuff will begin.

And...

This is India's revenge against Pakistan for sending Veena Malik over to our country.

Rest of India seems to have decided not to make news. Very little happening from around the country. So stick with cricket for a while.

2G accused Shahid Balwa will remain in CBI custody till April 2.

Americans clamoring to adopt children of the Japan tsunami's victims will likely be disappointed. Tony Dokoupil on what happens to orphans in a country where adoption is virtually unheard of.

The Daily Beast on where Japan's tsunami orphans will go

OK, back to news that's not cricket.

The Centre today said the probe into the Samjhauta Express train bomb blasts, in which 43 Pakistani nationals were killed, was still on to find out the identities of all perpetrators of the crime.

A day after the Indo-Pak Home Secretary level talks, where Islamabad wanted to know the progress of the case, the Home Ministry said the National Investigation Agency conducted "painstaking" investigation in the 2007 bomb attack case.

The investigators visited a number of states at different locations and also involved experts from the Forensic Science and Railways in their probe.

India 27-0. Afridi just muttered an expletive as Sehwag scored another four.

A flashback to what happened before India began playing.

After the national anthems of the two countries were played with players in attendance, the two Prime Ministers were introduced to the competing teams.

The leaders shook hands with the Pakistani players first and then with the Indian side and then waved to the cheering spectators.

Special cheers went up when the leaders shook hands with Sachin Tendulkar, who is at the threshold of another milestone 100th international century.

A number of dignitaries including Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana Parkash Singh Badal and Bhupinder Singh Hooda were among those present at the special galleries.

Actor Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao were also seen.

After the national anthems of both countries, a moving experience that, both PMs meet the teams. ICC chief Sharad Pawar takes them around.

After attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for inviting his Pakistani counterpart to the Cricket World Cup semi-final match between India and Pakistan, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has now objected to the Pakistani team performing 'namaaz' in Mohali stadium.

"The Pakistani team could have performed namaaz in their rooms, but by doing so on the greens (of the Mohali stadium), they gave a clarion call for a holy war," Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece `Saamana'.

"Tanks, troops, artillery and missiles have been deployed at Mohali. Is this deployment because there is a match in progress? Such preparedness is not seen during other matches. Why should it be for Pakistanis," the Sena chief, an avid cricket lover, said.

A group of 70 or so "books", each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007, dailymail.co.uk.

A flash flood had exposed two niches inside the cave, one of them marked with a menorah or candlestick, the ancient Jewish religious symbol, .

These may just be the what he found inside might constitute extremely rare relics of early Christianity.

See

Loved this one.

Faking Newsby suchetadalal Update: Vodafone's 3G zoozoo has been shot down for flying over#mohalino-fly zone.

Tazeen: Subhan Allah! 1 billion Indians assured that one Ms Poonam Panday is trending over Tendulkar or Dhoni or Mohali. MashaAllah Indian Boy.

Poonam Pandey, we are sure you know, has promised or is it threatened, to streak if India wins

Pak XI reach Mohali's PCA stadium. Shoaib Akhtar among them, but no confirmation yet on whether this will be his swan song.

News is that Myanmar's military handed power to a nominally civilian government after almost 50 years in power today, as the ruling junta was disbanded and a new president appointed.

For good measure, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi tweets: Our rebuke for outrageous analysis about Mahatma Gandhi by Joseph Lelyveld is natural. He must render a public apology.

(That was after the state banned the Gandhi book)

Indian-origin novelist Rohinton Mistry is among 13 authors shortlisted for the prestigious USD 96,070 Man Booker International Prize, where strangely British thriller writer John Le Carre withdrew his name.

59-year-old Canada-based Mistry, who was born in Mumbai and graduated from Bombay University, is the author of three novels -- Such a Long Journey (1991), A Fine Balance (1996) and Family Matters (2002) -- each of which has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction.

Mistry's works have been widely praised and his novel Such a Long Journey has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Governor General's Award. A Fine Balance won the Commonwealth Writers Prize, the Giller Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and was nominated for Oprah's Book Club Best Novel in 2001.

Aditya Thackeray, what say?

The Gujarat government today banned the controversial book Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India by Pulitzer-winning author Joseph Lelyveld in the state.

The announcement was made by the Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the state Assembly here today, and the opposition Congress supported the decision.

Sale, distribution, publication, broadcast of the book have been banned in the state with immediate effect. "The writing is perverse. It has hurt the sentiments of those with capacity for sane and logical thinking," Modi said after announcing the ban.

"This attempt to defame Mahatma Gandhi by the publisher has come under severe criticism not only in Gujarat but from all corners of India," he added

What's the book about?

Ramesh Srivats #WC11Soon we will hear an unbearable noise from Mohali. From Sidhu, I mean.

And lots of these-- if cricket is this, Sachin is that, tweets.

Sidin:If cricket is music, Sachin is the iPod.

Manaswi M Gundi: If cricket is insect, Sachin is arthropod.

Ashish Shakya: If cricket is Coke, Sachin is Old Monk.

Sidin Vadukut:If cricket is a tenant, Sachin is the landlord.

So who is with Pak PM Gilani on his cricket diplomacy tour?

PTI says its a delegation comprising political party leaders, parliamentarians and federal ministers, including PML-Q chief and former premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan.

Wonder if Punjab governor Salman Taseer would have been here.

Gilani's delegation includes interior minister Rehman Malik. Gilani says he is looking forward to a great time and is thankful to the Indian PM for his invitation.

The PMs have complete flexibility to go in and out of the match. Delegations from both counries will join them (including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi). Apparently the dinner will be at the staduim.

Incidentally, it's still not decided whether Shoaib Akhtar will play.

FYI: PM Manmohan Singh will host a dinner for Gilani at 7.30 pm. No formal agenda. Match postmortem probably. Pakistan Airforce aircraft still on Chandigarh runway, plane door open. Gilani steps on to Indian soil and is being greeted by the Punjab governor.

PM to reach Mohali at 1.45 pm to greet Gilani.

Ground up from Mohali.(Two hours to go)

Excited spectators, draped in tricolours and holding placards and posters, have begun queuing up at the gates of the PCA stadium since morning as the city geared up to host the high-voltage World Cup semifinal clash between India and Pakistan amid unprecedented security.

After a heavy downpour and thunderstorm last night, Mohali woke up to a bright and sunny morning to provide the perfect setting for the clash which has generated tremendous media frenzy.

The PCA stadium resembled a fortress with heavy security deployed in and around the venue.

Jennifer Garner has landed the title character in Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming big-screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's 'Miss Marple' mystery novel series. The character -- immortalized in countless films and TV shows over the past 50 years -- is traditionally an elderly woman, but Disney's reboot will revolve around a much younger Marple cracking crimes.

Always preferred Hercule Poirot over the fussy Marple. She somehow smelt of mothballs.

News flash: A trial court today acquits Abhishek Kasliwal,in a 2006 rape case. Kasliwal, the Sriram Mills scion, was accused of raping a 56-year-old woman in a Mercedes Benz in the early hours of March 11, 2006.

Refresh your memory

India's star batsman Yuvraj Singh has requested India to inspire the home team by singing the national anthem loudly before their high-profile World Cup semi-final clash Pakistan at the PCA stadium in Mohali today.

"Request all people in the stadium to inspire us by singing national anthem loudly," Yuvraj tweeted. "Jai Hind, Good night."

Back to cricket. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has left for India from a military air base in Rawalpindi. Before leaving he said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has a positive attitude and wants to bring peace and prosperity to the region.

Much love and bonhomie. Hope it lasts when India wins.

Now for some international news and we don't mean Pakistan.

George ClooneyandCristiano Ronaldomay be called to testify in defence ofSilvio Berlusconiwhen he stands trial on charges of underage prostitution.

The Italian prime minister's lawyers have submitted a list of 78 witnesses they intend to call at Berlusconi's trial which starts on 6 April, including Italian government ministers. The guardian.co.uk reports that the lawyers have also called Karima El Mahroug, known as Ruby, the Moroccan runaway who was 17 when she allegedly attended sex parties held by Berlusconi.

Read more

Interior Minister Rehman Malik described the proposed meeting between the two prime ministers on the sidelines of the match as a win-win situation for both the countries. "Let's work out a way forward where we have friendship, where we have peace, where we do not have to think each other as enemy but we should think as friends," he said.

Malik welcomed the outcome of Home Secretary level-talks, saying the common communique issued yesterday is good on the "semifinal stage" of dialogues.

"I feel we will have a final in our talks too," he said. He said the leadership of the two countries should also show the same passion which the cricketers of both sides are showing on the field.

Malik was in the news for warning the Pakistan team not to indulge in match-fixing, which earned him flak from his countrymen.

Apart from patriotism, national spirit, fervour etc etc., here's also why India wants the semis win.

Read the Poonam Pandey story

Some details of the dishonour of the India flag at Mohali. Apparently an ICC official in a hurry to get to the stadium, which is a kilometre's walk from the car park, stepped on some Tricolour balloons. Instead of apologising, she allegedly made some unsavoury remarks and stormed off. ICC has apologised for the incident and said it will conduct an enquiry.

Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, who has left Islamabad for Mohali, on the personal invitation of PMManmohan Singh, says his presence in India is to promote cricket and friendship and urges both countries should enjoy cricket and appreciate performance.

On the agenda for Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is suddenly dishing out mush for Manmohan (calls him a peaceloving man), is a discussion of "all issues of mutual interest".

The two Prime Ministers are expected to have a conversation on all issues of mutual interest on the sidelines of the cricket match," Pakstan Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said last evening.

The two PMs will meet "at this important sports event and watch the match together", Janjua said.

Singh will also host a dinner meeting in honour of his Pakistani counterpart. Gilani will be accompanied by important political leaders, members of his cabinet and parliamentarians,

Vivek Oberoitweets: Just landed in mohali----i've never seen so many aircrafts waiting to land on one small airstrip!!! INDIA all the wayyyyyyy!!!

Aamir, Akshay, Deepika, Katrina expected in Mohali as well.

"It's about six months to the next one-dayer so I have a lot of time to sit down and think about it and talk to my family. I may take a break but this mightn't be my last one-dayer for New Zealand. I've played my last Twenty20 match though," he said.

Outgoing Australian captain Ricky Ponting says that the stigma of losing three Ashes series as skipper will remain with him for life.

For all his brilliance as a batsman and record-breaking exploits as skipper, the retiring Ponting's epitaph will be those defeats in 2005, 2009 and 2010-11. Ponting is only the second Australian captain after Billy Murdoch back in the 19th century to have presided over three Ashes defeats.

By the way, the ICC has lifted its ban on the coverage of the World Cup match.

And a tweet from Ramesh Srivats:Good to see so many people on Twitter advising us not to go mad if India loses. Lemme see if I can get a refund on the stones I had bought.

Cricket news.

Michael Clarke was today appointed as Australia's Test and ODI captain, a day after his mentor Ricky Ponting stepped down from the post following their shocking World Cup exit.

Clarke, who was long seen as Ponting's successor, will take charge of the team in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Bangladesh All-rounder Shane Watson will be Clarke's deputy in both Tests and ODIs while Cameron White will continue to lead Australia's Twenty20 side.

Will not be giving you the top news headlines in the papers, because we know you're in a rush to be done with work and head home.But a concession,read what happened yesterday.

What's up ahead you ask? Absolutely nothing of consequence till 2.30 pm. And then, the world, as we know it stops...and begins in Mohali. The first India-Pakistan match in India since 26/11,and the decider for the World Cup finals.

We will have a live commentary from Mohali, so stay tuned.

In Mumbai, roads, local trains pretty much empty after illness of epidemic proportions strikes the city.

Stay with us for the news from the rest of the world.