LIVE
Thu, 11 October 2012
Won't be surprised if Modi attacks Obama: Cong
Timeline Refresh
23:53 US court lifts ban on Samsung-Google phone
A US appeals court has lifted a sales ban on Google-branded Samsung smartphones in a patent fight with Apple, saying there was no evidence sales were driven by features copied from the iPhone.
The appeals court in Washington overturned an injunction issued by a judge in California for the Galaxy Nexus phone as part of the lengthy patent case, saying the lower court "abused its discretion."
Judge Lucy Koh issued the injunction June 29, before a landmark jury ruling which found Samsung illegally copied features from Apple's iconic iPhone.
She ordered the temporary ban, saying that Apple "has shown a likelihood of establishing both infringement and validity" of its patents related to the iPhone's Siri virtual assistant software.
But the appeals court said Apple must show not only that it would suffer "irreparable harm" but "establish that the harm is sufficiently related to the infringement."
22:26 PM has not understood importance of Guj, UK has: Modi
Buoyed by the British government's decision to resume engagement with Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi today took a swipe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying his government has not understood the importance of his stat, unlike the UK.
Modi welcomed the decision to end a 10-year boycott of him, imposed after the 2002 post-Godhra riots, calling it 'important' and 'better late than never'.
22:24 France interested in Bengal's investment potential
France today expressed interest in the potential of West Bengal for investment, particularly in the IT sector.
French Consul General in Kolkata Fabrice Etienne, after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said his country was keen on exploring the scope of investments to the state.
"The state with its enriched cultural heritage has a lot to share with other parts of the world," Etienne said after discussions with the chief minister on a wide spectrum of issues.
21:58 Labourer pays up dues after Kejriwal restores link
A labourer whose electricity connection was restored by activist Arvind Kejriwal after it was snapped by private discom BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd for non-payment of electricity bill today paid the outstanding dues of Rs 15,000 to the company.
Kejriwal had restored the electricity connection to the household of Banna Ram, a resident of Tigri Colony in south Delhi, while launching his bijli-paani satyagraha on Saturday to protest 'inflated' power and water bills.
21:55 Won't be surprised if Modi attacks Obama: Cong
Commenting on Narendra Modi's diatribe against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Gujarat Congress today said it will not be surprised if he were to target US President Barak Obama, Republican Party's presidential candidate Mitt Romney or Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The way Modi is raising non-issues and in this assembly election campaign he is criticising Soniaji and Rahul Gandhi - I will not be surprised if he starts attacking Obama, Romney and Putin," said state Congress's election campaign committee Chairman Shankarshinh Vaghela.
20:59 BJP seeks probe into charges against Vadra
BJP has demanded an impartial court-monitored inquiry into the allegations against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra over his property dealings with realty major DLF.
"We are demanding an impartial court-monitored inquiry into the allegations," BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters regarding the charges made by India Against Corruption leader Arvind Kejriwal.
"Whatever information is in public domain, it is clear undue benefits have been showered on Vadra. More and more information on extraordinary benefits being showered on Vadra are exposed and the quid pro quo is also in public domain," he claimed.
19:42 UP: Probe ordered into 'abduction' of Gonda CMO
The Uttar Pradesh government forms a two-member team to probe the case of the abduction of a chief medical officer by a minister.
The committee is expected to submit its reports in the next two days.
Sources in the government said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav have taken strong note of the report.
According to media reports, the CMO of gonda was allegedly abducted by the inister of State for Revenue and Rehabilitation Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh as he was "unhappy" over the refusal to accommodate his nominees on the list of doctors on contract recruited by the district health department under National Rural Health Mission.
More details are awaited
The committee is expected to submit its reports in the next two days.
Sources in the government said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav have taken strong note of the report.
According to media reports, the CMO of gonda was allegedly abducted by the inister of State for Revenue and Rehabilitation Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh as he was "unhappy" over the refusal to accommodate his nominees on the list of doctors on contract recruited by the district health department under National Rural Health Mission.
More details are awaited
19:28 7 out of 10 youth in Punjab drug addicts: Rahul
Rahul Gandhi today claimed seven out of 10 youths in Punjab have a drug problem, triggering a controversy with ruling Akali Dal asking how the Congress leader came to this "mathematical conclusion" on drug addiction in the state.
Winding up his two-day visit to Punjab, Rahul also said that youth is the future of this country and urged them to enter politics and bring a change.
The AICC General Secretary was addressing a rally organised by the National Students Union of India at the Punjab University campus this afternoon.
Winding up his two-day visit to Punjab, Rahul also said that youth is the future of this country and urged them to enter politics and bring a change.
The AICC General Secretary was addressing a rally organised by the National Students Union of India at the Punjab University campus this afternoon.
19:24 Clone scientist who helped create Dolly, the sheep, dies
Professor Keith Campbell, one of the scientists who helped clone Dolly the sheep, has died at the age of 58.
Campbell, who died last Friday had led the scientific research into the creation of Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in 1996.
Ian Wilmut, who led the team and became known as the sheep's creator, was reported to have said that Campbell deserved 66 per cent of the credit for his contribution.
Campbell, who died last Friday had led the scientific research into the creation of Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in 1996.
Ian Wilmut, who led the team and became known as the sheep's creator, was reported to have said that Campbell deserved 66 per cent of the credit for his contribution.
18:57 Gujarat is India's Shanghai, says Modi; ends yatra
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi ended his one-month state-wide yatra that kicked off his election campaign today in Pavagadh.
Here are the highlights of what he said:
Want to ask PM why Gujarat is not treated as part of India.
UPA government needs to be taught a lesson.
Sonia can come here, but Gujarat can't go in corrupt hands.
UK government saw Gujarat's progress, I welcome its decision to send UK envoy here.
Gujarat should have been India's Shanghai and the PM has ignored us.
More details are awaited.
Here are the highlights of what he said:
Want to ask PM why Gujarat is not treated as part of India.
UPA government needs to be taught a lesson.
Sonia can come here, but Gujarat can't go in corrupt hands.
UK government saw Gujarat's progress, I welcome its decision to send UK envoy here.
Gujarat should have been India's Shanghai and the PM has ignored us.
More details are awaited.
18:40 PTI refutes Modi's claim about Sonia's trip report
Gujarat Chief Minister NarendraModi today made a false claim that PTI had reported in Julythat that Congress President Sonia Gandhi's foreign trips had cost Rs 1,880 crore during a three-year period.
Modi, who has stirred a controversy over government expenses on Gandhi's foreign tours, told CNN-IBN, "In the month of July, Outlook magazine, Times of India, Indian Express and some other newspapers reported from the news of PTI that Madam Soniaji's three years of foreign tour expenses are Rs 1,880 crore."
He went on to say, "So, I raised the question that it has been three months since July and why isn't the Government of India giving a clarification."
The publication of such "wrong reports" should be clarified, he said.
PTI would like to make it clear that it had not not issued any such story.
Modi, who has stirred a controversy over government expenses on Gandhi's foreign tours, told CNN-IBN, "In the month of July, Outlook magazine, Times of India, Indian Express and some other newspapers reported from the news of PTI that Madam Soniaji's three years of foreign tour expenses are Rs 1,880 crore."
He went on to say, "So, I raised the question that it has been three months since July and why isn't the Government of India giving a clarification."
The publication of such "wrong reports" should be clarified, he said.
PTI would like to make it clear that it had not not issued any such story.
18:21
Pawan Kumar Bansal Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has given three options to Speaker Meira Kumar on convening the Winter Session of Parliament. The Congress Core committee is expected to take a call on the winter session tomorrow, but a minister let on that a call has to be taken FDI in retail before the decision on the winter session is taken.
18:12 Is govt reading Parliament records of Emergency?
The UPA2 has apparently been conducing a major exercise -- perusing the old records of the Winter Sessions of Parliament. Buzz has it that the government wants to curtail the number of days from 26 to 12.
Is the government afraid of a no-confidence motion as suggested by the Trinamool and the BJP? Floor managers in the UPA2 government are worried about the stability of the government and are scared it will be being toppled.
During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi did not want to hold a Winter Session of Parliament as records of a list of 25 winter sessions of Parliament suggest.
During the NDA rule, there was only one occasion where the Vajpayee government opted out.
But this has never happened during the P V Narasimha Rao or even the Rajiv Gandhi regimes.
It's a wait and watch for now...
Is the government afraid of a no-confidence motion as suggested by the Trinamool and the BJP? Floor managers in the UPA2 government are worried about the stability of the government and are scared it will be being toppled.
During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi did not want to hold a Winter Session of Parliament as records of a list of 25 winter sessions of Parliament suggest.
During the NDA rule, there was only one occasion where the Vajpayee government opted out.
But this has never happened during the P V Narasimha Rao or even the Rajiv Gandhi regimes.
It's a wait and watch for now...
17:57 Chamber of secrets in PMO: Office readied for Maha CM?
Our Delhi sources tell us that the ceiling of the Prime Minister Office in South Block is cracking and plaster that has been peeling off was falling on visitors. Victims include Minister of State in PMO V Narayanaswami.
Assuming this to be a bad omen, Narayanaswami organised a sprucing up of his room keeping vaastu in mind during the remodeling.
A massive repair job is now on in most of the chambers of the PMO. At least 20 labourers have been repairing the wall and the ceiling -- which should be ready by Diwali.
And of course speculation is on whether this chamber is in fact being readied for Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan to be inducted into the Cabinet and the Prime Minister's Office without a portfolio in upcoming Cabinet shuffle.
Assuming this to be a bad omen, Narayanaswami organised a sprucing up of his room keeping vaastu in mind during the remodeling.
A massive repair job is now on in most of the chambers of the PMO. At least 20 labourers have been repairing the wall and the ceiling -- which should be ready by Diwali.
And of course speculation is on whether this chamber is in fact being readied for Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan to be inducted into the Cabinet and the Prime Minister's Office without a portfolio in upcoming Cabinet shuffle.
17:48 ICICI Bank cuts loan rates: Home by 1%, car by 0.75%
Just in: ICICI Bank has cut home loan rates by 1 per cent and automobile loan rates by 0.75 per cent.
17:25
In pictures: the netas, abhinetas, udyogpatis and such other who attended Bachchan's bash. On rediff.com
17:11 Uninvited to bash Amar calls Bachchan dishonest
Moving on from the Nobel prize, former BFF Amar Singh slammed Amitabh Bachchan on the megastar's 70th birthday today saying, "I may not be invited (to the party), but I wish Amitji well. However, the Bachchans have always been dishonest about their emotions with me," he told CNN IBN.
Bachchan in an interview to CNN IBN earlier said he wished Amar Singh well and they were in touch periodically.
Bachchan in an interview to CNN IBN earlier said he wished Amar Singh well and they were in touch periodically.
16:58 Nobel Peace Prize tomorrow
That leaves us with the big one -- the Nobel Peace prize -- to be announced tomorrow. Names put forward this year include Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history, Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Others believed to have been nominated include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
16:49 'Mo Yan most pirated Chinese writer'
Mo Yan's citation: In awarding the prize, the Nobel academy described Mo Yan as a writer who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary.
According to the Guardian, Mo Yan is "one of the most famous, oft-banned and widely pirated of all Chinese writers."
According to the Guardian, Mo Yan is "one of the most famous, oft-banned and widely pirated of all Chinese writers."
16:43
On Twitter: Fleet St frantically googling Mo Yan, as he wins Nobel Prize for Literature. China's Franz Kafka, apparently
16:41
And this is the Granta interview Mo Yan. Sandalwood Penalty is his next book in English. Read the interview
16:38 Mo Yan pips favourites Murakami, Munro to win Nobel
Writes the NYT: Despite the unreliability of attempts to forecast the winner, bookmakers have tipped contenders this year including the Japanese author Haruki Murakami but gamblers have placed bets on a wide array of others, including Bob Dylan at 10 to 1. The odds offered on Wednesday by the British bookmaker Ladbrokes put Mr. Murakami as the favorite at 2 to 1 with William Trevor at 7 to 1 and Chinese writer Mo Yan at 8 to 1.
16:36
Mo Yan's works are predominantly social commentary, and he is strongly influenced by the political critique of Lu Xun and the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, says Wikipedia.
"Using dazzling, complex, and often graphically violent images, Mo Yan draws readers into the disturbing yet beautiful, kaleidoscopic universes of his stories. He sets many of his stories near his hometown, Northeast Gaomi Township in Shandong province.
Extremely prolific, Mo Yan wrote his latest novel, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out in only 43 days. He composed the more than 500,000 characters contained in the original manuscript on traditional Chinese paper using only ink and a writing brush."
"Using dazzling, complex, and often graphically violent images, Mo Yan draws readers into the disturbing yet beautiful, kaleidoscopic universes of his stories. He sets many of his stories near his hometown, Northeast Gaomi Township in Shandong province.
Extremely prolific, Mo Yan wrote his latest novel, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out in only 43 days. He composed the more than 500,000 characters contained in the original manuscript on traditional Chinese paper using only ink and a writing brush."
16:34 China's Mo Yan wins Nobel Prize for Literature
Just in: And the Nobel prize for literature goes to China's Mo Yan. He is known in the West for two of his novels which were the basis of the film Red Sorghum and has been referred to as the Chinese answer to Franz Kafka or Joseph Heller.
16:30 Chautala U-turn on marriage age: I meant Mughal era
As expected former Haryana chief minister Om Parkash Chautala today took a u-turn after supporting the idea of Khap Panchayats to reduce the marriageable age of boys and girls to 16 years to curb incidents of sexual assault. "If some Khap or individual has made suggestion about girl's marriageable age, then it is up to the government to accept it or not. Anybody can give suggestion...but my support to it (Khap Panchayat suggestion) has been attacked.
"But I want to say that we neither supported it nor we made such a demand or suggestion," Chautala told reporters here.
"I had told media persons yesterday that during Mughal era, girls were picked up and they were raped. In order to avoid such incidents and embarrassment to families, girls' parents used to get their daughters married at an early age,"
he said.
"But I want to say that we neither supported it nor we made such a demand or suggestion," Chautala told reporters here.
"I had told media persons yesterday that during Mughal era, girls were picked up and they were raped. In order to avoid such incidents and embarrassment to families, girls' parents used to get their daughters married at an early age,"
he said.
16:19 Is jugaad going global?
The NYT blog on jugaad: The word refers, literally, to a makeshift truck which my colleague Anand Giridharadas once memorably described as being "tossed together, saladlike, in the sheds of northern India, beyond regulators' view.' Jugaad has also entered the lexicon as a concept known in management-speak as "frugal innovation.' Read
16:05
UK's intention to engage with the Narendra Modi government marks the end of a 10-year boycott after the 2002 riots. Recently, Time magazine did a story on Modi -- Boy from the Backyard, followed by the Economist which called Modi India's next prime ministerial candidate. The world it seems has moved on from Godhra.
15:50 MHA: Security cover for ALL Blue Star veterans
The Home Ministry has decided to provide security over to all Operation Blue Star veterans. This decision comes in the aftermath of the attack on the Lt Gen (retd) Kuldip Singh Brar, who led the charge in the Golden Temple against Sikh militants in 1984.
15:33 British high commission's Guj visit gives Modi a high
The British High Commissioner has announced that he will visit Gujarat and meet Narendra Modi. The CM who is extremely active on Twitter tweeted: Welcome UK's move to strengthen ties with Gujarat.
It may be recalled that Modi became a political pariah internationally after the 2002 Gujarat riots and has been consistently denied a visa to the US. Modi's last visit to the UK was in 2003, but it was marred by protests on the riots.
It may be recalled that Modi became a political pariah internationally after the 2002 Gujarat riots and has been consistently denied a visa to the US. Modi's last visit to the UK was in 2003, but it was marred by protests on the riots.
15:23 Pak teenage peace activist attacked by Taliban out of danger
Doctors treating 14-year-old Pakistani peace icon Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban, have said her condition was ''satisfactory'' following a three-and-a-half-hour surgery.Malala was shot in the neck and head and two other girls sustained injuries when the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) opened fire on their school van in Swat valley on Tuesday.The TTP said they had shot her because she had "promoted secularism", and that they would target her again if she survives.
15:16
Shiv Aroor @ShivAroor Can hardly wait for Arindam Chaudhuri's 'guru-gyaan' video on the #RobertVadra-DLF issue. Must be taking time to select jacket & spectacles.
15:11 Rid our body politic of communal poison
Indians must defeat all those elements that promote and thrive on religious hatred, writes Chairperson of the Press Council of India, Markandey Katju for the Hindu.
15:06 Grass-root politics, down in the weeds
India Against Corruption should realise the 'aam aadmi' needs not only decentralised power but also a lofty vision. The opinion piece on the Hindu. Read
15:03 'How the French president shared his mistress
Francois Hollande 'shared' his mistress Valerie Trierweiler with Sarkozy minister, a new biography on France's first lady claims. Read
14:58 india's sex slaves face lifelong abuse
The majority of girls in India rescued from sex work are never accepted by their families and communities and suffer a total loss of self-esteem. Read
14:51 100 tax sleuths fan out all over India raiding GMR
The Income Tax department today carried out searches on the premises of GMR group in the national capital and few other locations in the country suspecting tax evasion. Sources said the operations were being conducted by the Hyderabad investigations unit of the department.
A team of 100 I-T sleuths, according to sources, were involved in the search and seizure operations in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad since early morning.
GMR is one of the companies IAC member Arvind Kejriwal wants probed.
A team of 100 I-T sleuths, according to sources, were involved in the search and seizure operations in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad since early morning.
GMR is one of the companies IAC member Arvind Kejriwal wants probed.
14:30 Anil Kumble appointed chairman of ICC cricket committee
Just in: The ICC Board has agreed unanimously to appoint former India captain Anil Kumble as the new chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee.
14:17 2012 Pune blast cracked; Delhi temple on radar
Earlier today, the Delhi Police claimed to have cracked an Indian Mujahideen module with the arrest of three persons, who were suspected to be involved in the low- intensity blasts in Pune two months ago.
The trio, believed to be close to fugitive Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal, were apprehended by Delhi Police's elite anti-terror unit Special Cell, a senior police official said.
Police have recovered some arms and ammunitions from the arrested persons. Sources said the trio were allegedly involved in the four low-intensity bomb blasts that had taken place in Pune in August this year, in which one person was injured.
Police had on March 27 arrested another suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist, an alleged aide of Bhatkal, from north-east Delhi with one kg explosives and a detonator.
Temples in Delhi and Bodhgaya were on the terror radar, said the commissioner
The trio, believed to be close to fugitive Indian Mujahideen chief Yasin Bhatkal, were apprehended by Delhi Police's elite anti-terror unit Special Cell, a senior police official said.
Police have recovered some arms and ammunitions from the arrested persons. Sources said the trio were allegedly involved in the four low-intensity bomb blasts that had taken place in Pune in August this year, in which one person was injured.
Police had on March 27 arrested another suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist, an alleged aide of Bhatkal, from north-east Delhi with one kg explosives and a detonator.
Temples in Delhi and Bodhgaya were on the terror radar, said the commissioner
14:10 2012 Pune blast cracked, 3 IM operatives nabbed
Just in: Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar says the August 2012 Pune blast case has been cracked. All the three men arrested so far are from the terror outfit Indian Mujhahideen. Kumar says it was the interrogation of 26/11 handler Abu Jundal that led to the arrest of the three men. The arrest shows a direct link between the IM and Lashkar-e-Toiba.
14:02 BJP MPs boycott meeting of JPC on 2G spectrum issue
BJP members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the 2G spectrum issue today boycotted the meeting of the panel in protest against Chairman P C Chacko's refusal to accede to their demand to summon the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister.
The six BJP members in the JPC- Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Gopinath Munde, Harin Pathak, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan- did not attend the meeting held here today. They had staged a walkout in the last session when Chacko had refused to discuss their demand for calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
The Left also followed suit.
The six BJP members in the JPC- Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Gopinath Munde, Harin Pathak, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan- did not attend the meeting held here today. They had staged a walkout in the last session when Chacko had refused to discuss their demand for calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
The Left also followed suit.
14:00 Exact spot where Ceaser was stabbed to death found
Researchers believe they have found the exact spot in Rome where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death on March 15, 44 BC.
They have revealed that the General was stabbed right at the bottom of the Curia of Pompey while he was presiding, sitting on a chair, over a meeting of the Senate.
Currently, the remains of this building are located in the archaeological area of Torre Argentina, right in the historic centre of the Roman capital. The scientists got the clues from a concrete structure of three meters wide and over two meters high, placed by order of Augustus (adoptive son and successor of Julius Caesar) to condemn the assassination of his father.
They have revealed that the General was stabbed right at the bottom of the Curia of Pompey while he was presiding, sitting on a chair, over a meeting of the Senate.
Currently, the remains of this building are located in the archaeological area of Torre Argentina, right in the historic centre of the Roman capital. The scientists got the clues from a concrete structure of three meters wide and over two meters high, placed by order of Augustus (adoptive son and successor of Julius Caesar) to condemn the assassination of his father.
13:53
Meanwhile, stir yourself from a post-lunch slumber with this slideshow: Who wore what at the Bachchan birthday bash. See
13:51 How Robert Vadra benefitted from DLF's benevolence
13:43 Exports dip 11%, imports grow by 5%
In other news: India's exports continued to decline for the fifth month, contracting 10.78 per cent to USD 23.69 billion in September due to slowdown in the western economies. The exports in September 2011 had totalled USD 26.56 billion. However, imports grew by 5 per cent to USD 41.77 billion from USD 39.75 billion in September 2011, resulting in a trade deficit of USD 18 billion for the month.
13:37 What has Malala Yousafzai done to the Taliban?
13:20 PIL against Vadra asking PM for probe admitted
The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench has admitted a writ petition filed before it seeking direction for a probe into allegations levelled by Arvind Kejeriwal against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The PIL asks the Prime Minister to probe the allegations against Vadra.
12:55 Bookmakers place Murakami as Nobel favourite at 2 to 1
Despite the unreliability of attempts to forecast the winner, bookmakers have tipped contenders this year including the Japanese author Haruki Murakami but gamblers have placed bets on a wide array of others, including Bob Dylan at 10 to 1. The odds offered on Wednesday by the British bookmaker Ladbrokes put Mr. Murakami as the favorite at 2 to 1 with William Trevor at 7 to 1 and Chinese writer Mo Yan at 8 to 1. Read the report on the NYT.
12:48 Munro or Murakami for Nobel Literature Prize today?
With just hours to go before the Nobel Literature Prize laureate is announced in Stockholm, speculation has hit fever pitch with Canada's Alice Munro and Japan's Haruki Murakami often cited as possible winners.Short story writer Munro is a favourite in Sweden's literary circles, while the Japanese novelist is preferred by bookmakers. Read
12:39
Manish Malhotra @ManishMalhotra1This morning :fittings with karisma for her clothes for kareenas wedding :-)
That's just in case you want every little bit of info on the upcoming Kareena-Saif wedding.
That's just in case you want every little bit of info on the upcoming Kareena-Saif wedding.
12:37 Type 'Completely Wrong' in Google Image search, find Romney
Quick, head over to Google Images and look up the phrase "completely wrong." What do you find? To the delight of his critics, the search now yields pages upon pages full of photos of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. While it may seem like the work of an online prankster, the Romney "completely wrong" Google bomb was unintentional. Read
12:32
Laxman has been released on a bond of Rs 50,000 and will be let out of jail tomorrow. That's probably his best Dassera gift in a long, long time.
12:31 Ex-BJP prez Bangaru gets bail in bribery case
Former Bharatiya Janata Party president Bangaru Laxman, who is serving a four-year jail term for taking a bribe in an 11-year-old Arms deal case, has finally got bail from the Delhi high court.
Bangaru, a former Union minister, was caught on camera in a sting operation while accepting money in his chamber in the party headquarters. He had to quit as the BJP president shortly after the expose, which had created a huge political storm.
The sting was conducted by newsportal tehelka.com. The video CDs were released by the portal on March 13, 2001.
Bangaru, a former Union minister, was caught on camera in a sting operation while accepting money in his chamber in the party headquarters. He had to quit as the BJP president shortly after the expose, which had created a huge political storm.
The sting was conducted by newsportal tehelka.com. The video CDs were released by the portal on March 13, 2001.
12:29 Two states split bitterly by one river
Last Saturday, several political and cultural pressure groups, which have thousands of muscular men on their rolls, enforced a suspension of normal life from dawn to dusk in the southern state of Karnataka. Read
12:21 Scribes detained ahead of Pranab's Belgaum visit
IBN Lokmat journalist Dinesh Keluskar has been detained by the Karnataka police for reporting on President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Belgaum. The President is in Karnataka to inaugurate the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, a Rs 400-crore second legislature complex, amid objections by some political parties in Maharashtra citing the boundary dispute between Karnataka and its neighbouring state.
12:16 Now, traders track 'Kejriwal' index
Anti-corruption-activist-turned -politician Arvind Kejriwal has emerged as the 'new theme' for stock market traders. They are going short on shares of companies, that Kejriwal has targeted, or is likely to target. Read it here
12:09 Cauvery water row: Monitoring panel to meet today
The Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) will meet in New Delhi today to bring about a consensus between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing of the waters of the Cauvery River.
The committee comprises of the officials from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Ministry of Water Resources. On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Government filed a contempt petition against Karnataka in the Supreme Court over its decision to stop the release of water from Cauvery River to the state.
The committee comprises of the officials from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Ministry of Water Resources. On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Government filed a contempt petition against Karnataka in the Supreme Court over its decision to stop the release of water from Cauvery River to the state.
12:06
If you've liked the costumes in Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, meet the man who created them. Read
11:57 Infrastructure reform hits green wall
In other news: An Indian finance ministry proposal to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects has met stiff resistance from the environment ministry.The plan is unconstitutional and 'completely unacceptable,' Indian Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan reportedly said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday, a move that analysts say may scupper the plan. Read
11:55
Also read: The Who, What and Why of USADA's Armstrong report
11:51
A concise report on the Lance Armstrong doping controversy. Read
11:45 26 people testified against Lance Armstrong
The report on cyclist Lance Armstrong released by the US Anti-Doping Agency gave accounts of his doping from 26 witnesses, including many former teammates.
Read
Read
11:44 Armstrong: From Tour de France icon to drug user, trafficker
The revolting pharmaceutical orgy revealed by the US Anti-Doping Agency brings Lance Armstrong down with a crash louder than Ben Johnson or the Balco laboratory drug cheats. They were mere chancers. Armstrong was an icon of cancer fund-raising who rode that cause as self-servingly as he pedalled his bike.
Read
Also see the full reportof the proceedings of the World Anti-Doping Code.
Read
Also see the full reportof the proceedings of the World Anti-Doping Code.
11:39 Teenage Christian boy booked for blasphemy in Pak
A teenage Christian boy has been accused of sending text messages containing blasphemous content to his area residents without reading it. Read
11:38 Probe ordered into abduction of UP CMO
An update of yesterday's news. The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the alleged abduction of the chief medical officer of Gonda S P Singh by Minister of State for Revenue and Rehabilitation.
"A two-member committee led by Additional Director Health has been set up to look into the matter and submit its report by tomorrow," Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ahmad Hassan said. Sources in the government said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav have taken strong note of the report.
According to media reports, the CMO was allegedly abducted by the Minister Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh as he was "unhappy" over the refusal to accommodate his nominees on the list of doctors on contract recruited by the district health department under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Pandit Singh, however, has strongly refuted the charge, calling it a political conspiracy to tarnish his image.
"A two-member committee led by Additional Director Health has been set up to look into the matter and submit its report by tomorrow," Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ahmad Hassan said. Sources in the government said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav have taken strong note of the report.
According to media reports, the CMO was allegedly abducted by the Minister Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh as he was "unhappy" over the refusal to accommodate his nominees on the list of doctors on contract recruited by the district health department under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Pandit Singh, however, has strongly refuted the charge, calling it a political conspiracy to tarnish his image.
11:20 Khurshid to sue Kejriwal over TV sting allegations
Union law minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday night said that he will file a court case against Arvind Kejriwal for his allegations against him in connection with a sting aired by a television channel, according to media reports.Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded Khurshid's resignation following allegations of financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 71 lakh by a trust run for the welfare of the physically challenged.
A TV channel had alleged that Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, headed by Khurshid and managed by his wife Louise Khurshid, had embezzled Rs 71 lakh of government funds meant for the disabled by forging signatures of officials. Louise denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the report as false and malicious.
In a statement, she described as baseless the charge that signatures and stamp of certain officials were forged.
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A TV channel had alleged that Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, headed by Khurshid and managed by his wife Louise Khurshid, had embezzled Rs 71 lakh of government funds meant for the disabled by forging signatures of officials. Louise denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the report as false and malicious.
In a statement, she described as baseless the charge that signatures and stamp of certain officials were forged.
Read more
11:16 Kejriwal vs Vadra: The net effect
In other news... On Tuesday IAC key member and now politician Arvind Kejriwal delivered his second salvo on the alleged nexus between Robert Vadra, DLF and the Congress-ruled Haryana government. As Kejriwal's crusade against Vadra goes viral, the Congress' legendary stonewalling looks impossible now. Read
11:12
Here's what celebrities and wannabe ones say on Twitter on Mr Bachchan's birthday.
Vishal Dadlani @V1SH4L
Happy Birthday @SrBachchan Sir! There can be only ever be one 'Amitabh Bachchan'! Much love+respect, always!
Neil Nitin Mukesh @NeilNMukesh
I have grown up on his films. seriously for me if u say hindi films it means MR.AMITABH BACHCHAN.
Deepika Padukone @deepikapadukone
@SrBachchan Happy Birthday Amitji!Wishing you love,happiness and good health!X
Ranganathan Madhavan @ActorMadhavan
The most wonderful evening yesterday.@SrBachchan Ji Birthday Bash.Whatever the Bachchans do HAS to be classy and this was right up there.
Sophie Choudry @Sophie_Choudry
Happy 70th to the coolest,most stylish,talented man on the planet! @SrBachchan U put a 17yr old to shame with ur energy!Luv&Respect!
Anupam Kher @AnupamPkher
Happy Birthday @SrBachchan. May God Give you more Joy, Happiness, Peace and love. May you keep inspiring us for another 1000yrs. Jai Ho.:)
arshad warsi @imarshadwarsi
Wishing my HERO @SrBachchan a very happy B'day n a long, healthy n happy life... Thank u for inspiring us Sir.
Vishal Dadlani @V1SH4L
Happy Birthday @SrBachchan Sir! There can be only ever be one 'Amitabh Bachchan'! Much love+respect, always!
Neil Nitin Mukesh @NeilNMukesh
I have grown up on his films. seriously for me if u say hindi films it means MR.AMITABH BACHCHAN.
Deepika Padukone @deepikapadukone
@SrBachchan Happy Birthday Amitji!Wishing you love,happiness and good health!X
Ranganathan Madhavan @ActorMadhavan
The most wonderful evening yesterday.@SrBachchan Ji Birthday Bash.Whatever the Bachchans do HAS to be classy and this was right up there.
Sophie Choudry @Sophie_Choudry
Happy 70th to the coolest,most stylish,talented man on the planet! @SrBachchan U put a 17yr old to shame with ur energy!Luv&Respect!
Anupam Kher @AnupamPkher
Happy Birthday @SrBachchan. May God Give you more Joy, Happiness, Peace and love. May you keep inspiring us for another 1000yrs. Jai Ho.:)
arshad warsi @imarshadwarsi
Wishing my HERO @SrBachchan a very happy B'day n a long, healthy n happy life... Thank u for inspiring us Sir.
11:06 BBC film crew arrested at gunpoint from US 'UFO' base
A film crew from the British broadcasting network, BBC was arrested at gunpoint for sneaking into a top-secret UFO military base in the United States. Guards armed with M16 assault rifles forced the crew members to lie face-down for three hours while the FBI ran security checks on them.
The 12-man crew visited the infamous Area 51 in Nevada (USA), where it is claimed bodies of 'aliens' are being held, that the unit wanted to use for making a documentary about UFOs, The Sun reports.
According to the report, the 'Beeb' team, including standup comedian Andrew Maxwell, ignored warnings to slip past the security and film inside the fence. But moments later, US military officials surrounded them and confiscated their phones, wallets and IDs.
The 12-man crew visited the infamous Area 51 in Nevada (USA), where it is claimed bodies of 'aliens' are being held, that the unit wanted to use for making a documentary about UFOs, The Sun reports.
According to the report, the 'Beeb' team, including standup comedian Andrew Maxwell, ignored warnings to slip past the security and film inside the fence. But moments later, US military officials surrounded them and confiscated their phones, wallets and IDs.
11:03
And Mr B on twitter: Birthdays are special for all .. mine is no different for tomorrow .. but would never be the same without your love and affection.
11:03
10:56 In pictures: Amitabh Bachchan's star-studded birthday bash
The entire film industry joined the Bachchan clan as Bollywood's first family celebrated the 70th birthday of patriarch Amitabh Bachchan on October 10 at Filmcity in Goregaon, a western Mumbai suburb. The Big B, who turns 70 today (October 11), was joined by wife Jaya, daughter Shweta, son-in-law Rahul Nanda, grandson Agastya, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the grand bash.
Grab the front seat and watch it right here.
Grab the front seat and watch it right here.
10:47 Modi: My name as PM contender media speculation
In an interview to CNN IBN, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has said that his focus will remain Gujarat and not Delhi. When asked about reports that the BJP was considering him as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Modi said it was pure speculation by the media. The CM however remained silent on the 2002 Godhra riots.
Also read Narendra Modi's interview to the Economist.
Also read Narendra Modi's interview to the Economist.
10:22 UN body condemns murder of Indian journalist
The UN scientific and educational organisation UNESCO has condemned the murder of an Indian journalist in West Bengal last month and asked for a probe into the crime.
"I condemn the murder of Chaitali Santra and urge the authorities to investigate this crime," UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Director-General Irina Bokova said in a statement.
Santra was a correspondent in Howrah, West Bengal, for the Hindi-language weekly 'Julm se Jang'. She was killed on September 26 by a parcel bomb that she opened in her home. Her husband was severely injured in the blast.
10:11 Delhi Police nabs three suspected IM men
In a major success, the Delhi Police have nabbed three suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives in the city.
Earlier, Indian Mujahideen modules were busted in Karnataka, Darbhanga, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
10:01 Auto, taxi fares hiked in Mumbai again
NDTV: Commuters in Mumbai will have to shell out more for travelling in taxi and autorickshaw after the government's decision to hike fares came into effect from today.
According to the new fare plan, the commuters will have to shell out a minimum fare of Rs.19 for the regular non-air-conditioned taxis and Rs. 23 for air-conditioned taxis, an increase of Rs.2 in both cases.
Auto fares have also gone up from Rs.12 to Rs.15 in Mumbai, and from Rs.15 to Rs.19 in Bhiwandi-Kalyan towns of Thane district where it plies on petrol.
09:56 Unitech to sell entire shareholding in Uninor
Unitech has said it has settled all disputes over its telecomjoint venture Uninor with Norway's Telenor amicably.
Unitech will also sell entire shareholding in Uninor, and will withdraw nominees from the Uninor board.
09:11 Walmart workers in US threaten to go on strike
Hundreds of Walmart workers rallied across dozen cities in the US, protesting against low wages and alleged unjust labour practices and have threatened to go on a nationwide strike on November 23, the 'Black Friday', which is said to be the busiest day for the company.
According to news reports, workers held walkouts and marches in cities across the US including those in Dallas, San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington DC, Sacramento and even at its headquarters in Arkansas.
The retail giant dismissed the protests as nothing more than union publicity stunts. But several union workers asserted that they were serious about going ahead with their strike call if their demands were not met. According to "Making Change at Walmart" 100 Associates, travelled to the company's corporate head quarters to call on it to stop trying to silence and retaliate against workers for speaking out for job improvements.
"Walmart's efforts to try to silence us is only building support among our co-workers, in calling for changes at the store. We will not be silenced, especially on 'Black Friday' when Walmart wants us to cut short the holiday with our families to help the company profit. If Walmart wants workers fully committed to the stores on 'Black Friday', Walmart needs to do more for us, the rest of the days of the year," Colby Harris, who earns just $8.90 an hour after three years of working at Walmart in Lancaster, Texas, said in a press statement.
Company's spokesman Dan Fogleman in an interview to ABC news refuted the charges and said that majority of the company's employees are against the idea of strike.
08:39 Will label China a currency manipulator: Romney
Republican US presidential candidate Mitt Romney lashed out on Beijing for its alleged unfair trade practices and said that he would label China as a "currency manipulator" on the first day of his presidency if he wins the November 6 elections.
"On day one, I will do something which is authorizsed under our statutes, under our law, which is to label China a currency manipulator and will instruct us to apply tariffs as they are stealing our technology, counterfeiting our products or artificially holding down the price of their goods," Romney said yesterday at an election campaign event in Ohio.
Responding to a question from the audience, Romney said the US under him would compete with China and will win with most productive, innovative people in the world. The US will not allow them to take American jobs through unfair trade practices.
04:34 US deploys military forces to Jordan-Syria border
US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta has confirmed that US troops have been dispatched to the Jordan-Syrian border to help bolster the former's military capabilities in case violence escalates in the volatile region.
"We have been working with Jordan for a period of time nowon a number of issues that have developed as a result of what's happening in Syria," Panetta said. He said chief among those issues were the "humanitarian needs" that has developed as a result of the refugee influx into Jordan.
"We have also been working with them in the effort to monitor the CBW (Chemical-Biological Weapons) sites to determine how best to respond to any concerns in that area," Panetta continued. And we have also been working with them to help them develop their own military and operational capabilities in the event of any contingency there, and that's the reason we have a group of our forces there. They are working to help them build a headquarters there and to ensure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one so that we can deal with all of the possible consequences of what is happening in Syria," he added.
Panetta's comments came during a NATO conference of defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, where he said the US had been working with Jordan to monitor chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria and help the country deal with Syrian refugees crossing over the border.
02:28 Deadly clashes rock Libya's Bani Walid
Deadly clashes between armed groups rocked Bani Walid, a final bastion of support of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, as a siege of the hilltop town was partially lifted, residents said.
Fighters from Bani Walid -- a town still seen by many Libyans as never truly "liberated" in last year's anti-Gaddafi revolt -- clashed with militiamen from the nearby city of Misrata who have encircled it in their search for killers of a former rebel credited with capturing the slain dictator last year.
A Bani Walid militia commander gave no specific reason for Wednesday's clashes but said the fighting left one fighter killed.
A local town official put the toll as high as 10.
Bani Walid has been tense for weeks with threat of a direct assault on the town looming large in the wake of the death of Omar Ben Shaaban, 22, a former rebel from Misrata who was credited with capturing Muammar Gaddafi.
Shaaban was shot, kidnapped and allegedly tortured in the town. The death of Shaaban stoked tensions between Misrata and Bani Walid, neighbouring but historically rival cities which found themselves on opposite sides of the 2011 conflict that ousted Gaddafi.
02:27 Anti-jihad ads raise controversy on DC subway
US lawmaker Mike Honda has called for a boycott of Washington's Metro system over a controversial advertisement by a pro-Israel group that describes Muslim radicals as "savages."
The advertisements, which have also run on trains in New York and buses in San Francisco, went up this week at four stations in the US capital area after a federal judge ruled that the group enjoyed a right to free speech.
Citing security concerns, the operator of the Metro had sought to delay the billboards, which read: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."
Representative Honda, a Democrat from California, said he supported the US Constitution's guarantee of free speech and understood the court order for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to run the advertisements.
"The right to not support hate speech is also a right, which is why I encourage people to boycott, if possible, WMATA until the ad buy is finished. We do not have to support hate speech," Honda said in a statement.
Honda, who as a child was interned at a camp due to his Japanese ancestry, said he took the issue "very personally" as he remembered during World War II the "hateful billboards and caricatures that equated Japanese Americans to savages."
"We learn from history that hate speech and hysteria have dire consequences, the result of societal complacency, failed political leadership and the lack of courage to stand up and speak out against hate," he said
01:58 India to build export T-50 stealth fighter by 2020
India will begin production of an export variant of Russian plane-maker Sukhoi's T-50 stealth fighter from 2020, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday during a visit to Delhi.
"The technical characteristics have been confirmed to our (Russia and India) defense ministries. We propose serial production of the plane should start by 2020," he said, following the meeting of an Indian-Russian intergovernmental commission.
T-50 is a prototype of a multirole stealth fighter jet currently undergoing flight testing by the Russian Air Force.
The plane will feature an electronically-scanned active-array radar, supercruise capability, high maneuverability and low radar and infrared signatures. Sukhoi claims it will have significantly better performance than the US-designed Lockheed F-22 Raptor which is now in service.
01:33 BJP likely to boycott Thursday's JPC meet on 2G
The BJP is likely to boycott the proceedings of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Thursday on 2G over the issue of calling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as witnesses.
"We will continue to boycott the proceedings of the JPC," BJP MP and a member of the panel told PTI.
Expressing similar sentiments, another BJP member said there is no relevance in attending the meeting where former Additional Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs Sindhushree Khullar will appear.
BJP members had stormed out of the meetings of JPC on August 22 and September 18, charging panel chief P C Chacko with being biased and accusing Congress members of using foul language.
The six BJP members in JPC had asked Chacko to take a final decision on calling Singh and Chidambaram before the Committee. But Chacko has maintained that he would not take a decision on the issue using his discretionary powers and would leave it to the wisdom of committee members.
01:32 The girl who wanted to go to school
Basharat Peer profiles the courage of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai to take on the Taliban and campaign for education for girls in Pakistans North Western Frontier Province
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/10/the-girl-who-wanted-to-go-to-school.html#ixzz28vcDDprR
01:30 Indian toilet scheme wins innovation award
An innovative scheme to provide rural Indian communities with toilets and running water in every house has scooped the first Global+5 award in Geneva.
"It's more than water and sanitation, it's human dignity," said Joe Madiath, head of the Mantra project (Movement and
Action network for Transformation of Rural Lives) run by Indian non-governmental group Gram Vikas.
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Geneva late Tuesday, Madiath expressed surprise that a project involving toilets "could lead to such a big prize."
The Global+5 award, created by the Geneva-based Global Journal, is aimed at honouring the "solutions to the most pressing global questions of the next five years."
Based in Orissa in eastern India, Gram Vikas helps to provide "blanket coverage" of toilets and piped running water to communities where 85 percent of the population has no access to a toilet and 99 percent no running water. So far, the Indian group says it has reached 988 villages, including those in hilly areas lacking electricity, claiming its project has led to a more than 80-percent drop in waterborne disease.
01:29 Archives to recount JFK's Cuban missile crisis
Fifty years after the Cuban missile crisis, the National Archives in Washington has pulled together documents and secret White House recordings to show Americans how President John F. Kennedy deliberated to avert nuclear war.
The exhibit opens Friday to recount the showdown with the Soviet Union. It is called "To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis."
In the fall of 1962, Soviet Premiere Nikita Khrushchev ordered a secret deployment of a nuclear strike force in Cuba. The missiles would be able to reach most US cities within five minutes.
Kennedy said the missiles would not be tolerated, but Khrushchev refused to remove them. A standoff lasted 13 days in October 1962 before it was peacefully resolved.
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