Nearly 1.40 lakh pilgrims have registered for this year's Amarnath yatra to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

"Till yesterday, 1,37,096 pilgrims had registered themselves for this year's Yatra. Over 70,000 have preferred the traditional Pahalgam route while 66,911 have opted for the shorter Baltal route," Chief Executive Officer Shri Amarnath Shrine Board Navin K Choudhary said in Jammu.

He said 100 post offices across the country began registering the pilgrims from today.

The post offices will be registering the pilgrims in addition to internet based on-line facility.

Stung by the rising incidents of crime, Uttar Pradesh government today carried out a massive reshuffle at the lower rung of the state police by transferring over 20,000 constables.

20,324 constables of the civil police were today transferred.

These transfers have been carried out through a transparent method as per the new policy of the state government, in which the constables and head constables would now be able to get postings around their home districts, principal secretary home, R M Srivastava and DGP, A C Sharma said in a joint press conference.

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, who was granted bail by Delhi's special CBI court earlier in the day, walked out of of national capital's Tihar Jail, after over 15 months stay.

Senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader T R Baalu was outside the jail gate with other party supporters to receive Raja.

DMK supporters burst firecrackers to celebrate, as Raja's convoy passed through them.

Pop sensation Lady Gaga's upcoming Indonesia concert has been denied permission following protests by Islamic extremists who feel her performance will corrupt the youth of the country.

The 26-year-old singer is due to play in the country's capital Jakarta on June 3 as part of her Born This Way Ball tour, but police have declined to give her a licence to perform.

The "Born This Way" hitmaker will have to cancel the sold out concert after hard-liners and conservative lawmakers raised objection to Gaga's skimpy outfits and dance moves, reported Daily Mail.

The gig was the biggest show on the Asian leg of her world tour with more than 50,000 tickets being sold already.

IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla said that the, "IPL Governing Council met on teleconference today at 2:30pm and they recommended to the BCCI President for strict action against those players who were found guilty and found  suspicious on the television footage shown on India TV." 

"Since it also involved matter relating to other matches and previous IPL, it was referred to the President. The president after due consideration has decided to have a preliminary inquiry for which a commissioner has been appointed. Mr Ravi Sawani who was the ICC ACSU chief and now advisor will conduct the inquiry and he will submit a report to the Disciplinary Committee," he said.

"Pending inquiry the five players have been suspended from all cricket activities with immediate effect. We will await the report of the preliminary inquiry and proper action will be taken only after that," he added.

In other news: When US President Barack Obama dispatches his negotiators to Baghdad next week to join talks with Iran over the future of its nuclear program, he'll be most concerned about the reaction of one man: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Read the report on Bloomberg.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has termed the alleged spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League and other domestic competitions as "disturbing" and said it will take strict action against those found guilty of indulging in corrupt practices.

"The footage that was shown by the television channel was very disturbing," BCCI chief admisnistrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said.

"There has been an immediate action proposed by the BCCI president, and strong action will be taken against those found to be guilty," he added. The channel, India TV, claimed it had done a sting operation in which many IPL players confessed on hidden camera that they get much more than their prescribed auction under the table.

The government announces that Air India is on an emergency mode as the management pulls out a contingency plan.

As the stir by over 200 Air India pilots entered the eighth day today leading to cancellation of 10 international flights, government said the DGCA will take action against those who have falsely reported sick and not joined work. Air India cancelled around 10 international flights from Delhi and Mumbai this morning. "We have, as part of our contingency plan, operated Delhi -Toronto, Delhi-New York routes, and hope to operate more flights tonight," an Air India spokesperson said.

The IPL Council meet to decide the fate of the players allegedly involved in match fixing ends according to the India TV sting, ends. The decision will be announced soon.

The footage, carried on India TV, includes an Indian cricketer apparently bowling a deliberate no-ball in a domestic match in return for cash, and others admitting that they get paid much more than their already lofty IPL auction prices might suggest.

Also read on rediff.com: 'Fixing footage is very disturbing for the BCCI'

The BJP today said the Opposition parties will bring a privilege motion against Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh for speaking about policy decisions of the
Government outside the Parliament -- that the days of the national carrier may be over -- indicating indicating privatisation.

The Civil Aviation Minister was speaking on the policy decisions of the Government outside Parliament on issues such as Air India which was a breach of privilege, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussian told reporters outside Parliament. 

"The whole Opposition and Gurudas Dasgupta will bring a privilege motion and because it is a case of privilege, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swatraj has also taken it up and said that we will give a notice on this", Hussian said. 

One fo the architects of the IPL -- Lalit Modi -- on the India TV sting on the IPL spot fixing scandal. His tweet reads:

Thousands of u have bought up issues on spot fixing. And asked my views. All I want to say on this issue is - For sure when I was there - we had none. So there was no noise like today. Today too I see no reason for this issue. But that's me watching from outside. Inside what's on - u need to ask present management. As they are there and I am not.

When I was there we addressed all issues with immediate press conferences and we answered all queries there and then. Current management should do the same.

Heard of Kali-Ma beer? Nobody had, till the Rajya Sabha brought it up for discussion today. A demand was made in RS today that US Ambassador to India be summoned and asked to apologise for a beer named after Goddess Kali. Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) said it is a serious and sensitive issue that a Portland-based company Burnside Brewing has launched a product titled Kali-Ma beer, hurting the sentiments of Indians.

"The advertisement for the beer read 'Come worship the black one Kali as the ultimate reality or Brahman' ... with a picture of the Goddess. Earlier also a picture of Goddess Laxmi was displayed in a toilet...picture of God was put on
bra...Lord Ganesha was displayed as a sex object in a talk show," he said demanding India to take up the issue with US.

Now India wants its pound of flesh. Press Council Chairperson Justice Markandey Katju has appealed to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to grant freedom to Sarabjit Singh, who is lodged in a jail there.

In a letter addressed to Zardari, he said, "The Indian Supreme Court had recently allowed Chishti to go back to Pakistan. I, therefore, appeal to you in the name of humanity to release Sarabjit Singh and send him back to India." 

Chishti (82), a Pakistani virologist facing life sentence in a murder case, was permitted by the Supreme Court to visit Pakistan for a temporary stay on May 10. Katju has handed over the letter to Amna, Chishti's daughter, so that she can pass it on to Pakistani authorities on reaching Karachi.

Also read our 15:13 pm post: Pak Prez to send special aircraft to bring back Chishti

The big news today is that former telecom minister A Raja has been granted bail.

On Twitter: Shiv Aroor @ShivAroor Karunanidhi must be soiling his lungi. Raja out of jail is more dangerous to him and DMK. Small fish, big fish.

CBI files FIR in illegal mining case against BS Yeddyurappa. The CBI will start probing corruption charges against the former Karnataka chief minister in connection with the mining scam.

The investigating agency filed an FIR in the case today against Yeddyurappa, his two sons and son-in-law.A special nine-member team has been constituted for the probe.

China today took strong exception to British Prime Minister David Cameron's meeting with the Dalai Lama and lodged diplomatic protests accusing UK of interfering in its internal affairs by playing up the Tibet issue.

China has lodged solemn representations both in Beijing and London to protest Cameron's and other UK leaders meeting the Dalai Lama in London yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a media briefing here today.

Yesterday, China accused the Dalai Lama of "deceiving the world" and "spreading false information" after Tibet's exiled spiritual leader said he was warned of a plot by Chinese agents to assassinate him. The Buddhist monk made the allegation in an interview with Britain's Sunday Telegraph, saying he had been told that agents were planning to poison him using Tibetan women posing as devotees seeking his blessing.

President Asif Ali Zardari is sending a special aircraft to India today to bring back Pakistan's ailing virologist Khalil Chishti, who has been detained in Rajasthan for nearly two decades on charges of involvement in a murder.

The special jet will fly the 82-year-old Chishti from New Delhi to Pakistan, where he will received on his arrival by Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Chishti is expected to be in Pakistan by this evening. On May 10, India's Supreme Court allowed Chishti to visit Pakistan before his appeal against his conviction in the murder case is taken up.

Rebekah Brooks and her husband, Charlie, are being charged with perverting the course of justice as part of the phone hacking inquiry. She was arrested on 13 March, says this BBC report.

In a statement, they accused the CPS of "posturing" and said: "We deplore this weak and unjust decision." The couple will become the first suspects to be charged in an inquiry lasting 18 months and involving 185 police officers and staff.

Brooks's PA, Cheryl Carter, her chauffeur, Paul Edwards, security staff member Daryl Jorsling and News International security head Mark Hanna are charged with the same offence. Brooks is facing three charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice while her husband faces two.

Also read:  Rebekah Brooks: the only woman in Britain youre allowed to be sexist about

Former News Intl CEO Rebekah Brooks has been charged with perverting the course of justice and destruction of evidence in the phone-hacking scandal.

Brooks faces three charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice including the alleged removal of seven cases of material from the archive of News International and the concealing of documents and computers from officers investigating phone hacking.

Brooks, who was arrested in March by Scotland Yard police officers investigating phone hacking, is the first person to face charges in the major criminal investigation into hacking and allegations of bribing public officials.

Suhasini Haidar @suhasinih US Ambassador Nancy Powell to CNN-IBN: India must make much more substantial cuts of Iran oil imports to escape sanctions. Points to Japan's 80%.

Read on rediff.com: Govt decides to cut Iran oil import by 11 per cent

The United States is not impressed with India's efforts to cut its oil imports from Iran, a top US diplomat said on Tuesday, throwing into doubt whether New Delhi would be given a waiver from US financial sanctions before a June deadline.

As a major buyer of Iranian crude, India is crucial to US efforts to squeeze Iran's economy until it agrees to curb its nuclear program, which the United States and other Western nations suspect is a cover to build atomic weapons.

Succumbing to the US pressure, India has decided to cut crude oil import from Iran by over 11 per cent this fiscal to 15.5 million tons.

India, which imports 80 per cent of its crude oil and relies on Tehran for 12 per cent of those imports, shipped 18.50 million tons of oil from Iran in 2011-12, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas RPN Singh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. This decision comes against the backdrop of intense US pressure on India to cut oil import from Iran.

As the DMK members burst into applause outside the Patiala House court over the bail granted to A Raja, in Parliament, the party wanted the government to consider demands of striking pilots and expressed concern over the suffering and harassment of passengers due to their ongoing agitation.

Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour, Vasanthi Stanley (DMK) said the suffering of the public due to the Air India pilots' strike is increasing, as over 50 international flights to the United States and Europe and other destinations have been cancelled ever since its pilots suddenly reported sick.

"Government, without any notice to public, has cancelled international flights causing great inconvenience to passengers," she said. Citing examples of frustration of harassed passengers, she said, angry passengers in Mumbai tried to block roads outside the International Airport.

On the New York Times' India blogs: We Indians, with our purportedly funny accents and bobbling heads, ours picy food and penchant for dancing on demand -- are we just comic relief, dispensed solely for your entertainment?

Read

@ComedyCentral In Tihar's theme song: Jingle Bails Jingle Bails..  

@rameshsrivats Tihar jailor to Cable TV guy: Kal se Sun TV subscription cancel kardo.  

@_eMeNeF_ Tihar Jail awaits next batch of convicts....present batch has graduated thru...

Sports Minister Ajay Maken today said the onus lies with the BCCI as far as the IPL spot-fixing is concerned and has asked the Board to take prompt action in the interest of the millions of cricket fans in the country.

"I am sure and wish that BCCI acts fast, goes into the root cause of this problem and solves the problem in the interest of the millions of fans in cricket in our country," said Maken. 

The Sports Minister also hoped that the BCCI would sort out the issue at the earliest. "I have just seen part of what all of you have seen in the sting operation. I am very sure...you all know that in cricket, in other sports also and not only in India but elsewhere also we occasionally hear such things happening."

Indonesian police have cancelled a Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta, the capital, after extremist Islamists threatened her with violence and said they would disrupt the performance, reports the Times, London. 

Although concert organisers have already sold 52,000 tickets and released another 2,000 this week for the sold out gig, the National Police declined to issue the concert a permit today.

"The National Police said verbally that [the concert] would not be permitted," Jakarta police spokesman Senior Commander Rikwanto said. "The letter will be made later."

Diplomats of European countries called on Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio amidst a controversy in New Delhi over their 'uninformed' visit to the North Eastern state. 

The diplomats discussed possibilities of enhancing cooperation between India and EU in various fields pertaining to the N-E region and Nagaland in particular during their meetings with Kumar and Rio yesterday, official sources said.  "Since our visit has created some controversies, we do not like to make any comment now," EU Ambassador to India Joao Cravinho, who led a team of eight diplomats to Nagaland, toldreporters with a smile.

Read: Home ministry upset with MEA for European envoys visit to Nagaland

Suraj Singh Sherawat, son of the owner of the BMW car involved in a hit-and-run case on May 5, today surrendered in a Gurgaon court and was released on
bail. 

A few hours after Suraj surrendered before the court, the court accepted his bail application on the surety amount of Rs 50,000. 

Yesterday, Chief Judicial Magistrate rejected the bail application of Rajesh alias Raju who had claimed to be the driver of the BMW that had hit a Tata Indigo car near IFFCO Chowk here. Sanjay Sethi and a pregnant woman, Kshama Chopra Shetye, died in the accident while three others were injured. 

Kshama Chopra who was pregnant was returning after a routine medical check-up along with her husband and his parents when the Tata Indigo they were travelling in was hit by the speeding BMW.

In other news, in an initiative to lessen the burden of debt-ridden farmers in the Vidarbha region, cheques amounting to nearly Rs 30 lakhs were handed over to 114 farmers on behalf of Amitabh Bachchan. As many as 114 farmers from 20 villages in Wardha district were picked up for the financial assistance, provided
on behalf of Bachchan, who was not present on the occasion.

Another piece of news on Bachchan. Amitabh and Abhishek expressed grief over the death of child artist Taruni Sachdev, their co-star in the film Paa.
Taruni was among 13 Indians who were killed in Nepal plane crash. The aircraft crashed into a hill while coming in to land at Jomsom in western Nepal.
"Just reading that Tarini Sachdev the girl child artist in Paa, has perished in Nepal plane crash... please God may this not be true," Amitabh tweeted.

Abhishek tweeted:  "SHOCKED and very saddened to hear about the Nepal plane crash. Lost 1 of my cutest co-stars. Little Taruni Sachdev
from PAA. Speechless.

Raja is likely to be released from jail this evening. The bail papers will be taken to Tihar jail this evening.

In fact, Raja seemed very relaxed, say TV reports. He was seen joking in court an hour before the order was announced with Kanimozhi, co-accused in the telecom scam who also spent six months in jail.

NDTV reports that A Raja was reciting prayers under his breath as the judge began reading out his order. A loud cheer went up among nearly 150 DMK supporters (confirmed by his wife) as the verdict was read out. 

Raja then blew kisses to his supporters. His wife, MA Parmesweri, was seen with tears in her eyes. The judge accepted that Raja should be treated at par with 13 others accused of conspiring with him in the telecom scam.

Raja cannot leave New Delhi without court nod. For the last 15 months, since February 2011, Raja was in Tihar jail.

Reactions coming in on Raja's bail:

The BJP says the 2G case does not end with Raja's bail.

The DMK says the party is very happy A Raja has got bail.

Raja is already trending on Twitter.  

@fakingnews A Raja gets bail. First positive impact on Indian democracy after MPs united against cartoons. 

@TheBigDowg "Aa bail mujhe maar." - A Raja.

@rameshsrivats It's not A Raja's fault if the justice system takes ages, no? Catch the guys who'll be forever delaying the 2G scam verdict. Like all others

@TheBigDowg C for Corruption. RT @pranavsapra: A for A Raja, B for Bail..

DMK MP TR Baalu tells CNN IBN that A Raja is not guilty until the court proves otherwise. The party will continue to support him. Baalu is now on his way to Raja.  

Raja's lawyer says his client has always cooperated with the court. Raja's wife tells NDTV that there is still a long battle ahead and confirms that there were at least 250 supporters cheering for her husband.  

On Friday, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy had claimed that former telecom minister A Raja faced a threat to his life as he knows too much in the 2G case.

Swamy said Raja should be provided security if he gets bail in the case. Fifteen months after his arrest, Raja had moved the court for bail for the first time on the ground of parity with other 13 accused who all have been granted the relief.

Chaotic scenes outside the court as Raja's supporters cheer. Apparently, the moment the Judge OP Saini announced the verdict in just two words: Bail granted", thunderous applause broke out in court. For now, the trial in the 2G scam has been adjourned till May 28.

DMK MP T R Baalu brushes off Subramaniam Swamy's fears that Raja's life would be in danger if he was given bail. "Subramaniam Swamy can say anything, it doesn't matter," says Raja.

The bail has been granted on grounds of parity. There are a total of 15 accused in the case who were jailed. Of these, 13 were individuals, three were corporates. Raja has got bail on grounds of parity. A daily hearing is on in all the other cases.  

Raja has to present a surety of Rs 25 lakh and cannot visit Tamil Nadu till he gets court permission.

Raja was jailed in the 2G scam on February 2011. Raja's lawyer says he cannot visit Tamil Nadu without the court's permission. The lawyer said when the session began, the judge asked Raja to present himself and announced that he has been given bail -- "Bail granted."

Raja's supporters who have gathered outside court are cheering the order.

Jaya Bachchan (SP), who entered the House before her, occupied her new seat and was engrossed in the day's agenda. The two women did not greet each other.

Rekha, seated next to Anu Aga (Nom), put on headphones as the House took up listed questions.

In between she exchanged notes with Javed Akhtar. Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi was among those who greeted her before the House began. 

Nineteen minutes and 23 seconds into the proceedings, Rekha stood up, shook hands with Aga and Dua before making a quiet exit from the House.

Clad in golden saree and matching heels (observes PTI), the 57-year-old actor arrived in the Upper House at 10.57 and was immediately surrounded by members who greeted her profusely.

Renowned journalist and nominated member H K Dua offered her his seat no. 97 and was seen explaining the procedure before Chairman Hamid Ansari took his seat. She was greeted with thumping of desk when her name was called for taking oath. 

"I Rekha Ganeshan" she said, swearing in the name of God in her brief oath in English. Ansari remarked "welcome" as she walked up to him after taking oath and greeted him with folded hands. 

After signing the member register, she greeted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley and other leaders before walking to her alloted seat no. 99.

MPs react to Rekha's Rajya Sabha swearing-in. RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav says Rekha is a great actress and "we welcome her to the fraternity."

Amar Singh says Jaya Bachchan's decision on changing her seat is hers alone. "I have no idea why she wants a change, it is her decision and I have nothing else to say in the matter."

Nobody seems to have got a sound byte out of Jaya Bachchan yet. Rekha was nominated to the RS for outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

The IPL's Governing Council will have a tele-conference this afternoon to discuss the television sting operation which claims to have blown the lidoff "murky deals" in the cash-rich T20 league. 

IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said strict action would be taken if any player is found to be involved in spot-fixing. Top BCCI officials have already started discussing the issue among themselves amid indications that stern action could be taken against a few players who are shown in the tv sting operation.

"The IPL Governing Council will discuss the issue. We have asked for the tapes. We will study the tapes and then take a decision", a top BCCI source said. 

A TV channel yesterday claimed to have blown the lid off "murky deals" in the IPL among players, organisers, owners and big guns of Indian cricket, prompting the BCCI to warn that stringent action will be taken if the report is found to be true.

As the Indian Parliament completes 60 years, it is time not for noisy celebration but for serious introspection. That India remained a parliamentary democracy while some of its South Asian neighbours went through military coups or violent upheavals can only be a small consolation to its people.

The Hindu editorial introspects. Read

In international news, Francois Hollande prepares to be inaugurated as French president - and within hours will be in Germany to discuss Europe's debt crisis.

Read the report on the bbc.

As the stir by over 200 Air India pilots entered the eighth day today leading to cancellation of 10 international flights, government said the DGCA will take action against those who have falsely reported sick and not joined work.

Air India cancelled around 10 international flights from Delhi and Mumbai this morning. "We have, as part of our contingency plan, operated Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-New York routes, and hope to operate more flights tonight," an Air India spokesperson said. This has meant a loss of Rs 150-cr to the exchequer.

On May 11, a furor erupted in Parliament over a black-and-white cartoon from 1949. Reproduced in a textbook for high-school juniors, the drawing depicts BR Ambedkar -- India's foremost Dalit leader and the chairman of the committee that drafted India's 1950 Constitution -- whip in hand and astride a snail labeled the Constitution. The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, stands behind him, also wielding a whip.

Read Hartosh Singh Bal's opinion piece on the International Herald Tribune. Bal is the political editor of Open magazine.

No news from the Delhi court hearing A Raja's bail plea. Another 2G accused DMK MP Kanimozhi and partymen are believed to be in the court.

Read the February 2011 editorial on The Hindu on the significance of Raja's arrest.

An 'absolutely stunning' photograph of Madonna posing naked on a bed while smoking a cigarette has sold for nearly 15,000. The sum is three times the estimate placed on the image that was taken in 1990 during the period when the singer had bleach-blonde hair and dark eye make-up.

On the Daily Mail

Embattled Internet firm Yahoo has announced that it would not give former Chief Executive Scott Thompson a severance package following his short tenure with the company.  

The firm disclosed in a regulatory filing on Monday that it isn''t paying Thompson anything more.  

Thompson recently resigned after a controversy over a fake computer science college degree on his biography broke out. According to CBS News, he will keep a 1.5 million-dollar bonus and restricted stock valued at 5.5 million dollars that Yahoo paid him when he joined the company to compensate him for benefits he gave up leaving his job at PayPal.

Here's a nice read from the Daily Mail: The iconic characters of writer-director Satyajit Ray's Feluda, his assistant Topse and cult comic figure Jatayu have been an alltime favourite with Bengalis, be it any age group.  Now, these Bengali fiction heroes are all set to win the hearts of thousands of West Bengal's visually-impaired children. More

BJP MP Smriti Irany listens to Rajiv Pratap Rudy in the RS. The discussion is on vacancies in public sector units. Cameras have abandoned Rekha.

Question Hour begins in RS. Minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh speaking on NREGA. Sachin Tendulkar will be sworn in tomorrow. Rekha has her headphones on and listens in.

If you recollect, Rekha was supposed to seat number 99. However, Jaya Bachchan, who sits on seat number 91, was reportedly unhappy with the seating arrangement and is believed to have asked for a seat change, officially citing the death of her RS colleague Brij Bhushan Tiwari as the reason. "Whenever I sit in my seat, I feel uncomfortable as Tiwari-ji was sitting next to me," she reportedly said. 

The bodies of 13 Indian pilgrims who died in a plane crash in northern Nepal will be handed over to their relatives today after the process of postmortem
is completed. 

The bodies were airlifted to Kathmandu yesterday, according to Agni Air staff. The Indians were among 15 persons who were killed when a small plane with 21 people on board crashed in northern Nepal yesterday after hitting a hill top while attempting to land at a high-altitude airport.

Six others, including three Indians and two Danish nationals, miraculously survived the crash of the Dornier 9N AIG aircraft belonging to the private carrier Agni Air.

The big story this morning: The India TV sting operation that showed five domestic-level players, representing various IPL franchises, apparently succumbing to the lure of fixing.

It showed the players discussing the alleged involvement of IPL captains and even team owners in such activities and engaging in lengthy haggling over the price of bowling a no-ball on demand in the IPL. 

The players were also seen discussing deals in which IPL owners allegedly pay players sums "in black" well beyond the slabs prescribed by the league. 

The big story yesterday was the plane crash in Nepal which killed 15 of the 21 people on board, mostly Indians. One among those killed is child artist Taruni Sachdev who co-starred Amitabh Bachchan in the award winning film Paa and is also known for the Rasna ad. She was traveling with her mother Geeta Sachdev.

Amitabh Bachchan tweeted after hearing the news: "Just reading that Tarini Sachdev the girl child artist in Paa, has perished in Nepal plane crash .. please God may this not be true."

The airport authorities confirmed that Taruni was with her mother on the Dornier aircraft.

Will it be freedom for A Raja today? A Delhi court is likely to pronounce its verdict on the bail plea of the former telecom minister A Raja, who was arrested on February 2, 2011 and is facing trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Special CBI judge OP Saini had on May 11 reserved his order on Raja's bail  after hearing arguments from the CBI and counsel for the DMK MP. Raja has sought bail on the ground of parity with other 13 co-accused who have already secured it from the Supreme Court, Delhi high court and the trial court.