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US warns Iran against making ‘gross misjudgement’

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US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey has warned Iranian leaders of suffer the consequences if they make “a gross misjudgement” of American will on preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

During an interview with the American Forces Press Service, Dempsey said that while Iran operates on its own internal logic that doesn’t mean Iranian leaders will be reasonable, Xinhua reported.

The top US military officer was responding to the criticism of his previous statement made during a recent hearing at the Congress, where he said that the Iranian regime was “rational”.

‘If Islamophobia Exists, So Does Freedom to Counter It’

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In the summer of 2002, a year after the WTC twin towers had ceased to exist, a book reading assignment for the freshers at America’s oldest University invited a lawsuit against the institution, and created a flutter that shocked many.

The students had been asked to read Michael Sells’ translation of the short suras of the Quran as part of a summer-reading programme, but this did not go down well with a section of Americans who were outraged that the students were being made to read the holy book of Muslims.

‘Japan can crash North Korea satellite if needed’

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If the need arises, Japan’s armed forces could shoot down North Korea’s satellite, planned to be launched next month, a minister has said.Japanese Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka said this Saturday, Sankei newspaper reported.

North Korean state news agency KCNA announced Friday that it would launch an earth observation satellite next month to mark the 100th birthday of late founding leader Kim Il-sung.

The Unha-3 rocket carrying the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite is scheduled to lift off from Cholsan coastal town between April 12 and 16.

Abducted Pakistani boy strangled to death

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A 13-year-old boy, kidnapped in the Pakistani port city Karachi, was strangled to death by two people despite a ransom of Rs.600,000 having been paid.

Huzaifa Amir was kidnapped from outside his home in North Nazimabad area more than a month ago. He was found strangled to death Saturday, Dawn reported Sunday.

The two suspects told police they had killed the boy a day after kidnapping him.

Police said the kidnappers contacted the family and demanded a ransom of more than five million rupees (around $55,000).

Moderate polling in Andhra assembly bypolls

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Braving the scorching sun, about 30 percent of 13.82 lakh voters Sunday had cast their vote by noon in seven assembly constituencies of Andhra Pradesh, including six in the Telangana region, an official said.

Enthusiasm among voters marked the polling which began amid tight security at 8 a.m in five districts.

The results will decide the fate of 67 candidates belonging to various political parties. To escape the intense heat, voters formed long queues since early morning outside several polling stations in the constituencies.

Barring minor incidents, polling remained peaceful.

Polling for Andhra by-elections begins

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Polling for by-elections to seven Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh started this morning amid tight security.

Six of these constituencies – Kollapur, Nagarkurnool, Mahbubnagar, Kamareddy, Adilabad and Station Ghanpur – are in Telangana region, while the seventh, Kovvur, is in coastal Andhra.

Voting began at 8 a.m and will continue till 5 p.m. The total number of eligible voters is about 13 lakh. The state’s Chief Electoral Office Bhanwar Lal said that the election machinery was geared up for a smooth polling.

‘Osama’ on stage in Kolkata

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Osama Bin Laden has been resurrected in Kolkata! One of the most controversial characters of world history is now being portrayed on the popular stage theatre of Bengal.

The play, christened ‘Osama’, revolves round the main protagonist Charles the crook, who considers himself an artist and believes that a man can do anything good or evil for his existence and that a human being has the right to trade himself or others for the sake of existence.

Muslims to Protest in Lucknow, Delhi

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Terming Syed Mohd Ahmed Kazmi’s arrest as the latest instance of innocent Muslims being held in terror cases, a noted Shia scholar today said members of the community will stage a march in Lucknow on March 23 and lay siege to Parliament on March 26 to protest the move.

Poonam Pandey not happy about Nupur Mehta’s match fixing scandal!

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Last year’s cricket World Cup semi-final match between Indian and Pakistan is the talk of town these days after a UK newspaper claimed that the highly-anticipated match between the two countries was fixed. The newspaper further stated that a Bollywood actress, Nupur Mehta, was involved in this match-fixing ring as well. Therefore, the wannabe model Poonam Pandey has come up to defend his country’s cricket team.

Sunny Leone challenges Bipasha for ‘Jism 2’

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Indo-Canadian star Sunny Leone hopes that with ” Jism 2″, she can at least match the standard that Bipasha Basu set with the prequel.

“I have seen her (Bipasha) and she is gorgeous and amazing in the first movie. I hope I can meet up to her standard and not let her down in ‘Jism 2’,” the 30-year-old said here in an interview.

“I want to do a good job and I hope everybody likes the movie,” she added.

Sunny took part in “Bigg Boss 5”, and she got lucky when filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt decided to offer her “Jism 2”.

She is set to start shooting soon.

Lucknow doctor set to lecture surgeons in Pakistan

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In a first, a Lucknow-based city suregon has been invited to deliver a series of lectures on surgery in Pakistan.

The invite has been sent by Dr. Abdul Aziz Laghari, professor and surgeon from the Pakistan chapter of the South Asian surgeons’ body, the SAARC Surgical Care Society.

Confirming the invite, eminent city doctor Professor Rama Kant told IANS: “If all goes well, I will be in Pakistan by this month-end.”

The surgeon would be delivering a lecture at the Liaqat Ali University in Karachi on March 30-31 on ‘latest advancements in the management of ano-rectal problems’.

Can Narendra Modi lead India, asks Time magazine

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Controversial Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi features on the cover of Time magazine which wonders if he can ever become the prime minister despite his development work in his home state.

“Modi means business but can he lead India,” asks the cover story in the Asia edition of the March 26 issue of the US magazine describing him as a “controversial, ambitious and shrewd politician”.

Muslims resent endowment circular on lease of shops

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Muslim Intellectuals and leaders of various organizations have demanded that the State government withdraw the circular issued by the Endowments Commissioner (no.A4/21289/2011) barring non-Hindus from taking on lease shops/ building/land of Endowment Department.

We will Hang— Will you close TDP : KTR to Naidu

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TRS legislator K T Rama Rao has lashed out at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for charging his party president and father K Chandrasekhara Rao of mortgaging Telangana for Polavaram tender.

Talking to the media here on Saturday, KTR said that all of them were ready to hang themselves if Naidu could prove his allegation. He asked whether Naidu would shut down TDP and sit at home, if he failed to prove his allegation. Stating that they were all ready for any kind of investigation into KCR’s assets, KTR has asked if Naidu was also ready for such investigation.

Two blasts hit Damascus

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Twin blasts hit the heart of Damascus today, killing at least 27 people in an attack on security installations that state television blamed on “terrorists” seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian television reported that cars packed with explosives had targeted an intelligence centre and a police headquarters at 7.30am, blowing the front off one building and sending debris and shattered glass flying through the streets.

Sania-Vesnina reach finals of Indian Wells

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India’s Sania Mirza and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina had to battle hard against the Czech team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka to book a berth in the finals of the WTA Paribas Open tennis at Indian Wells.

The Indo-Russian pair came from a set down Friday to win in the super tie-break 5-7, 7-5, (10-3). The second seeds took an hour and 45 minutes to dispose of the Czech pair.

Mayawati’s security scaled down

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The security of Bahujan Samajwadi Party President Mayawati has been scaled down to that of a ‘Former Chief Minister’.

A government official said on Saturday that the security personnel deployed at her residence in Lucknow and Delhi have been reduced to her present status of Former Chief Minister.

The strength of her security personnel at these places was earlier around four hundred, the official said.

The number of vehicles in her convoy has also been cut down to ten from forty.

Ms Mayawati would, however, have Z-Plus category security, the official said.

“I am not god, I am Sachin Tendulkar”

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“I am not god, I am Sachin Tendulkar” — said the iconic Indian cricketer who watched in dejection as his 100th international century, which he described as the “toughest” of his career, was overshadowed by the team’s shock loss to Bangladesh in an Asia Cup match here.

“I am not God. I am Sachin Tendulkar,” said the 38-year-old right-hander after India lost by five wickets despite posting 289 on board.

“Yes, I have to be honest. I am human and I have emotions so I was frustrated. It does play on your mind,” Tendulkar told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Sonam to play JNU girl opposite Dhanush in new film

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Actress Sonam Kapoor has landed the role of a Varanasi girl, who studies in the capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in “Raanjhanaa”. She is cast opposite southern star Dhanush.

The decision was taken after intense discussions between director Aanand L.Rai of “Tanu Weds Manu” and Sonam.

As per the script, Dhanush plays a local Varanasi boy, and Sonam essays a Varanasi girl educated in Delhi.

Sonam will now spend time on the JNU campus to grasp the conduct and ideology of students there.

Mukherjee puts money in one pocket, takes out from others

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Every tax payer in India is set to gain at least Rs.2,000 per annum, thanks to the relief proposed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. But the happy story ends there! With a hike of 2 percentage points in service tax and higher excise and customs duty on a host of other items, your household budget is actually set to rise.

In his seventh national budget presented in the Lok Sabha Friday, Mukherjee raised the income tax exemption limit for individuals to Rs.2,00,000 from Rs.1,80,000 and revised the tax slabs to bring relief to some 35 million people in the country.

Osama wanted to kill Obama to create chaos

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The slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden pushed his organization to develop plans to kill US President Barack Obama, according to media reports citing documents recovered from his hideout in Pakistan.

He did so in the belief that the United States would tumble into chaos if an “unprepared” Vice President Joe Biden became commander in chief, several US media outlets including the Washington Post said in article Friday.

What must we know about Allah?

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Allah – the Supreme Being of this universe – revealed the message of truth through the Quran to enable us to live meaningful lives and to help us succeed in the hereafter. Reflecting on that message with an open mind and heart has allowed many from mankind to recognize and believe in Allah as the sole deity of this universe.

J Dey Murder: Was Jigna Vora persecuted by her own?

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What did the Mumbai Police do when MiD-DAY journalist J Dey’s murder threatened to dent its reputation? It scurried and launched a prompt smear campaign, first against Dey and then against prime suspect, Asian Age Deputy Bureau Chief Jigna Vora, who was charged in the murder on 21 February, three months after her arrest. All, so that the focus could be taken off it.

Narendra Modi on Times Cover Page

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi figures on the cover of the forthcoming issue of Time magazine which praises him in an article for development of the state he has been ruling for over a decade but wonders if he can become the Prime Minister.

The cover of the Time magazine’s March 26 issue features Modi, with the caption: “Modi means business but can he lead India”.

Masood Case: CBI to Conduct Polygraph Test on Irfan

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A special court hearing the RTI activist Shehla Masood murder case today extended the police custody of alleged contract killer Irfan till March 22 and also granted CBI the permission to conduct a lie detection test on him.

Irfan was produced in the special CBI court of judicial magistrate Dr Subhra Singh which extended his police custody till March 22, senior public prosecutor Hemant Shukla told reporters.

“It is up to the investigators (CBI) to decide when will he be subjected to polygraph test,” he said.