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Inflation rises to minus 1.17 per cent

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New Delhi, July 23: Inflation increased to minus 1.17 per cent for the week ended July 11 from minus 1.21 per cent recorded for the previous week.

For the corresponding week in the year-ago period, inflation stood at 12.13 per cent for the week ended July 12, 2008.

Food articles became dearer over the previous week. The price of fish-marine went up by 9 per cent and fruit and vegetables became costlier by 3 per cent.

Other items that became expensive included copra (3 per cent), raw silk (2 per cent) and aviation turbine fuel (7 per cent).
–PTI

Hang Kasab publicly, says Thackeray

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Mumbai, July 23: Reiterating his demand that Ajmal Kasab be hanged publicly, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today said the Pakistani gunman’s admission of guilt in 26/11 attack case won’t deter the neighbouring country from sending more terrorists into India.

Those who think that Kasab’s confession is a victory are living in a fool’s paradise. Kasab’s confession won’t stop Pakistan from sending more terrorists, Thackeray said in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

Woman to auction virginity to pay for her mother’s care

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Madrid, July 23: A young woman living in Valencia has put her virginity up for auction to pay for care for her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Evelyn Duenas, 28, originally from Ecuador, is selling her virginity to the top bidder on a Latin American website that mostly deals with puppies and second-hand iPhones, setting a reserve price of €15,000 (£13,000).

Former Indian president told: We don’t care who you are – take off your shoes

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New Delhi, July 23: An American airline has been forced to apologise to a former president of India after insisting that he take off his shoes and be frisked before he boarded a plane to the US.

The Indian government has asked the police to file a report against Continental Airlines after it emerged that APJ Abdul Kalam had been forced to go through the security checks. Under Indian law, former presidents and a host of other officials are exempt from such checks. The Civil Aviation Minister has said the act was “unpardonable” and that stringent action would be taken.

Laden’s son killed by US attack in Pakistan: Report

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Washington, July 23: The son of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed by a US missile attack in Pakistan, US National Public Radio has reported.

Saad bin Laden was believed killed in a missile strike from a US drone earlier this year, intelligence officials told the broadcaster Wednesday.

An unnamed intelligence source said US spy agencies were “80 to 85 percent” sure the younger bin Laden had been killed, the report said.

Though he was an Al Qaeda member, he was not believed to be a significant part of the organisation.(IANS)

Did Michael Jackson have a fourth child?

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London, July 23: An upcoming dancer, believed to be ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson’s secret lovechild has surfaced. Omer Bhatti, 25, is believed to be born following Jackson’s brief affair with his Norwegian nanny Pia, who is now married to the pop star’s former Pakistani driver.

Pia and her Pakistani husband Riz, who are in their late 40s, worked for the ‘King of Pop’ in US before returning to Norway in early 80s.

Jackson, who died last month aged 50, is said to have told his friends in 2004 that Bhatti was born following a one-night stand in 1984, Sun online reported.

Strauss, Ponting hail Flintoff’s pace exploits

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London, July 23: Rival Ashes skippers — Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting –have hailed Andrew Flintoff’s fast bowling art, which is making a difference in the ongoing Test series between the two teams.

Flintoff’s third five-wicket haul enabled hosts England win their first Test at Lord’s in 75 years.

England skipper Strauss said Flintoff is the most feared bowler around the world at present.

Pietersen is out of Ashes but Flintoff vows to play

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England, July 23: England’s second worst fear has been confirmed. Kevin Pietersen underwent an operation on his Achilles tendon yesterday and, with an expected recovery time of six weeks, he will miss the rest of the Ashes series.

But speaking exclusively to The Independent yesterday, Andrew Flintoff underlined his own commitment and desire to be there until the end at The Oval despite the ongoing pain in his knee, suggesting he will play through injury even if it has an adverse effect on his long-term fitness after the curtain comes down on his Test career.

Cheque bounce case: Court stays probe against Modi

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Jaipur, July 23: Six months after the police started an investigation against him in a case of an alleged cheque dishonour, IPL chairman Lalit Modi got a reprieve today with the Rajasthan High Court staying the proceedings.

A single bench of Justice R S Rathore in its order restrained police from taking any further action in the matter against Modi who has been given anticipatory bail in the case by the High Court.

The case relates to a cheque handed over by Modi to the state government as assistance for the Jaipur bomb blast victims on May 17 last year.

Pathmanathan named new LTTE chief

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Colombo, July 23: Vowing to pursue its campaign for ‘Tamil Eelam’, the LTTE has named alleged arms smuggler Selvarasa Pathmathan as its new chief to succeed Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was slain along with the entire rebel leadership in Sri Lanka two months ago.

The Tamil separatist outfit, which was virtually annihilated by Sri Lankan troops in May, said it will “modify” the strategies of its “struggle” but will continue to work for a “free Tamil Eelam”. Prabhakaran will “forever” remain the “leader of Tamil Nationhood,” it said.

Privacy failing on social networking sites: Cambridge study

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London, July 23: Furious competition between social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace is compromising the protection of users’ data, a Cambridge University study has concluded.

The survey covered 45 global social networks, ranging from popular sites such as MySpace and Facebook to lesser-known networks. Its authors report “serious concerns” about the extent to which these sites fail to keep users’ personal information private.

It is the first detailed analysis to examine the security provisions of a large number of social networks.

32-year-old raped by neighbour in Dwarka

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New Delhi, July 23: A 32-year-old woman was today raped at knife-point allegedly by her neighbour in south-west Delhi, police said.

The victim alleged that she was alone at her residence in Dwarka when Laxman, the accused, entered the house and raped her at knife-point, police said.

The victim’s husband was away at work when the incident took place.

Laxman, a contractor, left the house after the incident and threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed about it to anybody.

Obama calls on UN to cancel Iraq’s $25bn debt to Kuwait

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Washington, July 23: President Obama yesterday vowed that the US would meet its scheduled goal of withdrawing all of its troops from Iraq by 2011. He also supported the Baghdad government’s efforts to persuade the United Nations to cancel the $25bn (£15bn) it owes Kuwait under reparations imposed after the 1991 Gulf war.

Speaking alongside the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki at the White House yesterday, Mr Obama said that while a reparations deal could only be done through the UN and that Iraq “should not continue to be burdened with the sins of a deposed dictator”.

Richard Holbrooke Meets PM Gilani

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Islamabad, July 23: US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to discuss rehabilitation of the displaced persons of Malakand division and drone attacks.

Prime Minister Gilani in the meeting told the US envoy that the drone attacks in Pakistani territory threatening the war against terrorism and the government’s efforts to separate peaceful tribesmen from the militants.

The prime minister also urged the US to provide more funds for rehabilitation of the displaced persons and reconstruction in the terror-hit region.

I want To Kiss Vidya Balan: Naseeruddin

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Mumbai, July 23: Remember Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the crooked mentor and protégée respectively in Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid?
Naseeruddin Shah, who turned 59 on Monday, is doing a Newman to Arshad Warsi’s Redford in a remake of the 1969 classic, with both of them wooing Vidya Balan and not knowing whom she really favours.

The veteran actor’s only regret is that in this film, Ishqiya, he did not know Arshad gets to kiss Vidya. “They kept it hidden from me because I would have insisted on one, too,” he laughed.

RAW Terror Acts’ Proof Given To India: Pak Paper

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Islamabad, July 23: RAW Terror Acts’ Proof Given To India, Pakistan says it has handed over to India evidence of the involvement of its external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in terrorist activities in this country, including the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore and on a police academy on the outskirts of the city earlier this year.

Azim Premji sees signs of stability, feels upbeat about future

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Banglore, July 22: Managing a 12 percent growth in profit for Wipro even in these trying times, India’s billionaire tech czar Azim Premji Wednesday said he was now more upbeat about the future than before and was confident that the business environment would stablise.

“We are seeing signs of stability in the macro environment as a result of measures taken by governments and businesses the world over to reverse the downturn,” Premji told reporters here.

Swine flu tally 322, 16 labs to be upgraded for virus testing

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New Delhi, July 22: Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that there are 322 cases of swine flu in India, a sizable number of which were “imported cases” from the US. He said the government is upgrading 16 more laboratories to tackle the virus.

“So far we have 322 cases of influenza A (H1N1) in the country, of which 256 cases are imported cases. Currently we have two labs to test the virus and the government is upgrading 16 more labs to tackle the problem,” Azad told the Lok Sabha during question hour.

CPI-M activist shot by suspected Maoists in WB

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Kolkata, July 22: A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activist was shot dead today by suspected Maoists in West Bengal’s Belpahari region, police said.

“Phagu Baskey was working in the fields this (Wednesday) morning near Belpahari area in West Midnapore district when a group of Maoist rebels killed him,” police superintendent M.K Verma told media.

According to sources, Baskey was CPI-M’s Belpahari branch secretary. He was shot dead for working during the shutdown called by the Maoists today in several eastern Indian states including West Bengal.

Flower: ‘We need to plan for next Test without Pietersen’

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England, July 22: England’s intended path to Ashes glory will be strewn with medical bulletins. The team director, Andy Flower, conceded yesterday that both Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are in a race against time for the next match against Australia in Birmingham starting a week tomorrow. It is a race Pietersen is likely to lose and Flintoff is utterly intent on winning.

Mulayam regrets supporting Congress in 2008

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New Delhi, July 22: Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav Wednesday said his party’s decision to support the Congress-led United Progress Alliance (UPA) government in 2008 was “a blunder” and those who supported the Congress have been “betrayed”.

“We feel that our decision to support you last year was a blunder,” Mulayam said while concluding his Lok Sabha speech on demands for the grants for the home ministry.

The Samajwadi Party leader said: “Those who have supported the Congress government…they have already been betrayed by the Congress.”

Former Pakistan selector calls for Warne Ashes comeback

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England, July 22: Former Pakistan chief selector Abdul Qadir says Australia must bring Shane Warne out of retirement if it wants to beat England in the ongoing Ashes series.

“Age is not a factor, if Warne can play in IPL (Indian Premier League) I don’t see any reason why can’t he play in Test matches,” Qadir told the Associated Press in a telephone interview from Lahore.
–IANS

Germany deploys tanks in largest Afghan offensive to date

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Berlin, July 22: The German Bundeswehr (military) was Wednesday deploying heavy weapons, including tanks, as part of its battle against the Taliban in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz, a defence ministry spokesman said.

It is believed to be the first time that the Bundeswehr, which has much stricter rules of engagement than other NATO-led forces in the country, has deployed mortar grenades and armoured vehicles.

With Bihar polls in mind, Congress keen to ally with Paswan

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New Delhi, July 22: Keen to revive the party’s prospects in Bihar ahead of assembly elections in 2010, some Congress leaders from the state are in favour of an alliance with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan, but only if he parts ways with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) boss Lalu Prasad.

‘There is a strong feeling among Congress leaders and workers from Bihar that the party should have an alliance with Paswan during the assembly elections, but they want it only if he leaves Lalu Prasad,’ a senior Congress leader from Bihar told IANS.

Two coaches of Golden Temple express burnt

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Amritsar, July 22: Two air-conditioned coaches of the Golden Temple express train were badly damaged Wednesday after they caught fire, railway officials said here.

The coaches, which did not have any passengers, were at the Amritsar railway station when the incident took place. There was no human casualty.

Railway police officials said the cause of the fire was still unknown and they were investigating the matter.

The train runs between Amritsar and Mumbai.
–IANS