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Baitullah Mehsud killed in US drone attack?

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Islamabad, August 07: Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud may have been killed in a US drone attack in South Waziristan and Pakistani and American officials are collecting “physical evidence” to confirm his death.

Quoting unnamed senior Administration officials, the popular ABC News said the US and Pakistani officials now believe that Mehsud, a key al-Qaeda facilitator in Pakistan, is “very likely” killed in Wednesday’s pre-dawn attack that also resulted in the death of his second wife.

Success just happens and is boring to talk: Shahrukh

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New Delhi, August 07: Want to know what the superstar of Bollywood has to say about the mantra for success?

Well its simple…There is absolutely no mantra to success, it just happens and often from the wrong decisions, says iconic actor Shahrukh Khan.

“Success just happens, it is not an experience from which we learn or gain. There is no mantra or formula for it and it is boring to hear success stories,” said Shahrukh, who was in the Capital recently to host a quiz show for IIPM.

“You take a lot of wrong decisions in life to learn from failures and then succeed,” the actor added.

Test cricket is not dying, says Sachin Tendulkar

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Mumbai, August 07: Even as quite a few players have sounded the impending death-knell of Test cricket in the wake of the huge popularity of Twenty20, one of the game’s icons, Sachin Tendulkar, has said he does not fear for the health of the game’s most traditional form.

The master batsman likened Test cricket as the main course in a meal and Twenty20 as its dessert and told Wisden Cricketer magazine in an interview that one cannot survive on just the latter part of a meal.

Rupee down 18 paise at 47.85 a USD in opening trade

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Mumbai, August 07: The Indian rupee today moved further down by 18 paise against the US currency in opening trade on expectations of capital outflows by funds amid a weak dollar overseas.

In thin trading at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market, the local unit fell by 18 paise at 47.85 a dollar in early trade over the previous close of 47.67.

Forex dealers said expectations of capital outflows as the stocks markets may open weak today in tandem with other Asian bourses, which are down up to two per cent, influenced the rupee sentiment.

Prachi Desai wants to ‘rock on’ with Shahid and Hrithik

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New Delhi, August 07: ‘Rock On’ girl Prachi Desai has actors Shahid Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan on her wish-list as co-stars.

The 21-year-old Desai, who made a successful shift from TV to silver screen with her role as the demure wife of Farhan Akhtar in the 2008 hit, is now bracing up for her new release ‘Life Partner’ opposite Tushar Kapoor.

The comedy, which is slated to release next week, also stars Fardeen and Genelia D’Souza.

AP govt to implement PRC recommendations after report

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Hyderabad, August 07: Andhra Pradesh government would implement the recommendations of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) for its employees after receiving the report, state finance minister K Rosaiah told yesterday.

The Congress government is committed to the welfare of the employees and it had announced 22 per cent Interim Relief just two months after appointing the PRC, Rosaiah said during his reply to the debate on Budget.

Kumble, Bindra in ICC’s working group to solve Indian players’ concern

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New Delhi, August 07: Former India captain Anil Kumble and ex-board president Inderjit Singh Bindra were on Thursday selected by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in its five-member International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) working group to resolve Indian players’ concern on World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) ‘whereabouts’ clause.

Inadequate information received on Hafiz Saeed: Pakistan

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Islamabad, August 07: Six days after India provided additional information on the involvement of Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan on Thursday said this was inadequate.

At the same time, it expressed confidence that the upcoming meetings between the foreign secretaries and foreign ministers of the two countries would lead to progress for resumption of the composite dialogue process that India had frozen in the wake of the Mumbai mayhem.

Ministers hunt for 4,000 ‘bogus’ foreign students

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London, August 07: Ministers are trying to locate nearly 4,000 foreign students who are living in Britain after coming to the UK to study at bogus colleges, it emerged last night.

The students are all from colleges that have had their licences revoked by the Government under a system brought in to close immigration loopholes linked to foreign education. The Conservatives, who secured the new student numbers from the Home Office, accused the Government of not taking the problem seriously enough.

Hanif Says Give Him 50 Years Jail But Not Death

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Mumbai, August 07: Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has made a strong plea for death for all three convicts in the Mumbai twin blasts case of August 25, 2003 — Hanif Syed, his wife Fehmida Syed and Ashrat Ansari.

Secret deal to keep Karzai in power

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Kabul, August 07: With less than two weeks to go until national elections, the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, is trying to cut a secret deal with one of his rivals to knock out his leading contender and ensure a decisive victory to avoid the chaos that a tight result might unleash.

Afghanistan’s second democratic polls threaten to split the country along sectarian lines. That would risk undermining US and British-led peace efforts which are already under pressure from a resurgent Taliban.

India, China to discuss border settlement issue today

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New Delhi, August 07: Against the backdrop of Beijing’s renewed claims to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, special representatives of India and China will hold two-day talks here beginning today to evolve a framework for final settlement of their decades-old boundary dispute. Chinese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Dai Bingguo will hold in-camera talks with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, almost a year after they last met in Beijing in September 2008.

Gold rebounds on festive demand

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New Delhi, August 06: After remaining weak in the last two sessions, gold today staged a comeback and gained Rs 130 at Rs 15,130 per ten gram on the back of fresh buying by stockists and ornament makers ahead of the festive season and firming trend overseas.

Silver prices also went up by a whopping Rs 550 to Rs 23,300 per kg.

Bullion traders said pick up in demand from stockists as well as ornaments makers to meet ongoing festive and marriage season mainly influenced gold prices here.

Bhupathi-Knowles out of Legg Mason Classic

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Washington, August 06: Mahesh Bhupathi and his partner Mark Knowles, seeded third, crashed out of the ATP Legg Mason Classic event after losing a tough quarterfinal match to Martin Damm and Robert Lindstedt.

The Indo-Bahamian pair made a good start by annexing the first set but their opponents counter attacked and took away the match 3-6 6-1 16-14 in one hour and 26 minutes.

Bhupathi and Knowles broke the Czech-Swedish combination once and saved a breakpoint to go one set up.

However, Damm and Lindstedt refused to take the beating hands down and staged a brilliant comeback.

Ponting looks forward to Aussie friendly Headingley

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Leeds, August 06: Desperate to salvage their Ashes tour, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is hoping to win the fourth Test at Headingley, where he has scored two centuries and his side has not lost a Test in the last 34 years.

Ponting is hoping that result-oriented Headingley will continue to be lucky ground for them as they look to cancel the 1-0 lead, England got by winning the Lord’ Test.

“Of all the venues in England, I’m glad we’re playing the fourth Test at Headingley because I believe it presents us with a great chance to level the series.

Hocket Test: India beat Belgium 4-3, level series

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Braxgata (Belgium), August 06: Captain Sandeep Singh starred with two goals as India beat Belgium 4-3 in the second hockey Test to level the three-match series in the second leg of their ongoing European tour here.

Sandeep sounded the board in 32nd and 64th minute while Hari Prasad (8th) and Rajpal Singh (55th) scored one each for India. Belgium scored through Tom Boon (4th), Cedric Charlier (11th) and Jeff Thys (18th).

India had lost the first encounter 3-6.

Sachin Tendulkar hits back at John Buchanan

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New Delhi, August 06: Sachin Tendulkar has hit back at John Buchanan for finding faults in his batting technique against pace bowling and advised the former Australian coach to change his opinion which “doesn’t have to be right all the time”.

“It is only his opinion. John Buchanan doesn’t have to be right all the time. If I couldn’t handle short deliveries, then I wouldn’t still be scoring runs,” Tendulkar said in an interview to the ‘Wisden’.

Statue row: CM to hold talks with Kannada outfits

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New Delhi, August 06: With Kannada outfits opposing his government’s move to unveil a statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will hold talks with them tomorrow to bring them on board.

“We had an all-party meeting on August three during which a majority agreed with the unveiling of the statue (on August 9). Only a few expressed reservations. I will meet them tomorrow and try to convince them,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Kerosene, domestic LPG prices lowest in India: Govt

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New Delhi, August 06: Kerosene and domestic LPG prices in India are the lowest in South Asia, while the rates for petrol and diesel are comparable with its neighbours, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said today.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said kerosene at Rs 9.22 per litre in Delhi is the cheapest cooking fuel in South Asia.

Kerosene in Pakistan costs Rs 34.89 a litre, Rs 30.53 in Bangladesh, Rs 21.26 in Sri Lanka and Rs 34.35 per litre in Nepal.

Sensex ends 389 points down in volatile trade

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Mumbai, August 06: In volatile trade, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today ended with a sharp fall of almost 390 points as major players sold shares after a recent widespread rally.

The Sensex, which had gained over 73 points in the previous session, closed lower by 389.80, or 2.45 per cent, at 15,514.03. It moved between 15,969.81 and 15,443.22 following ups and downs in index-related stocks.

Kashmir cops denied bail in Shopian rape-murder case

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Srinagar, August 06: The district and sessions judge of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir today rejected the bail application moved by four police officers accused of destroying evidence in the rape and murder of two local women.

While rejecting the bail application, Judge Syed Tauqeer Ahmed maintained that there was prima facie evidence against the accused. He said DNA profiling of the accused was yet to be completed and if released, they might interfere with the investigation.

Bagmati Breach Is Plugged, People Return

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Patna, August 06: Hundreds of people in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, who fled their homes after the Bagmati river breached an embankment Saturday, have started to return after it was repaired, state Disaster Management Minister Devesh Chandra Thakur said Thursday.

“A large number of villagers, who took shelter on embankments, are returning to their homes after floodwaters started receding following plugging of the breach,” he said.

The swollen river breached over a 100-feet stretch of the embankment at Tilaktajpur under Runnisaidpur block in Sitamarhi Saturday.

2003 Mumbai Blasts’ 3 Accused Sentenced Death By Court

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Mumbai, August 06: A Mumbai court has awarded the death sentence to all three accused in the 2003 twin Mumbai blasts at Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar.

Hanif Syed, his wife, Fehmida, and third conspirator Ashrat Ansari were convicted for planting the bombs on August 25, 2003 that left 54 dead.

Presidentilal Election Of Afghanistan May Go To 2nd Round:UK

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London, August 06: Afghanistan’s August 20 presidential election could go to a second round after a campaign that has been more competitive than expected, Britain’s ambassador in Kabul said on Wednesday.

President Hamid Karzai is viewed as favourite to win re-election, but Ambassador Mark Sedwill made clear he had doubts over whether any candidate could achieve the 50 percent of the vote needed to win in the first round.

“I think it’s genuinely in the balance as to whether there will be a second round,” Sedwill said in a news conference by video link from Kabul.

Kasab Says Will Anyone Tie Him Rakhi On Raksha Bandhan

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Mumbai, August 06: Arrested Pakistani gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab asked his lawyer if anyone would tie him a rakhi on Wednesday — the day of Raksha Bandhan.
To which, Abbas Kazmi, his lawyer, said, ‘‘If some one treats you like a brother, she will surely come and tie a rakhi.’’