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Corruption plays key role in Iraqi justice

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Baghdad, June 29: Sheik Maher Sirhan says his interrogators tortured him with electric rods and demanded $50,000 in cash to free him from the Iraqi jail where he is being held on terrorism charges.

But the Sunni Arab paramilitary leader, who has worked closely with U.S. forces, says he is hanging tough.

Babylon & Beyond: Times Mideast blog”I said that I’m not giving you the money,” Sirhan said in a phone conversation from his latest jail cell. “There is a government and coalition forces. Justice will release me, not you.”

Pakistanis begin to rebuild lives

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Islamabad, June 29: Nearly two months after Taliban militants expanded from their stronghold in the Swat Valley into neighboring Buner district, touching off an army offensive to remove them, there are early signs here that life is slowly returning to normal.

Bazaars have reopened in the two biggest towns, Daggar and Ambela. Power is back up in several larger communities. Men are mixing cement and rebuilding damaged walls. And families are either trickling back or sending older sons ahead to safeguard valuables and harvest overripe crops.

Mom claims Jackson kids aren’t Michael’s

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Mumbai, June 29: Jackson’s two eldest kids face an uncertain future, after Jackson’s ex-wife said the King of Pop was not their father.

Debbie Rowe, mother of Prince, 12, and Paris, 11, told The News of The World she was artificially inseminated by an anonymous donor and that she does not want custody – leaving the two grieving children without a family, days after Jackson’s death at 50.

Rowe, a receptionist at a Beverly Hills dermatologist’s office where Jackson’s was treated, said it was she who offered to help Jackson have a family.

Iran sparks new row with Britain over election

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Tehran,June 29: Iran has detained several local British embassy staff, sparking a new row with Britain on Sunday that underscored the hardline leadership’s effort to blame post-election unrest on foreign powers, not popular anger.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband demanded the release of all the staff still held and said his European Union colleagues had agreed to a “strong, collective response” to any such “harassment and intimidation” against EU missions.

LeT had plans to hit Chennai

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Banglore, June 29: Was Chennai also supposed to witness serial blasts along with Bangalore in July 2008? If Bangalore blast accused Sarfaraz Nawaz’s statement is to be believed, then ‘Yes’; the city was on the LeT radar.

Sarfaraz’s interrogation has revealed that terrorists had planned to carry out blasts in Bangalore and Chennai simultaneously.

However, the LeT leaders in Pakistan changed the plan at the last minute as carrying out blasts in two places at the time requires lot of planning, logistical support and more number of people.

‘Women to get reservation in government jobs’

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Manamadurai, June 29: Government will bring in a bill providing reservation for women in government jobs in the coming parliament session, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Sunday.

“At present, there is no reservation for women in government jobs. We will bring forward a bill providing reservation for women in government jobs,” he said addressing a meeting to thank voters in his constituency Sivaganga.

Chidambaram said he was confident that the bill for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies would be passed.

–PTI

Bandh in Patiala over death of youth

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Patiala, June 27: Patiala observed a bandh on Friday in protest against the death of a 20-year-old youth in a clash outside a liquor vend on Thursday night.

According to the police, the clash took place at Anardana Chowk area after Kala (20), a resident of Dhakka colony, was attacked by the staff and owner of an ahata adjoining the vend. They objected to his consuming liquor outside the drinking area. Kala was hit with bottles on his head and succumbed to his injuries last night.

Class X examination: many hail Sibal’s plan, but doubts persist

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Pune June 27: While educationists in the city welcomed the suggestion of Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal to do away with the Class X exams as it will reduce the stress on children, the SSC Board officials have raised some doubts over the logistic issues it can bring up.

“The capacity of junior colleges connected to high schools is less in the state and students have to move out to junior colleges attached to senior colleges after Class X. In that case, the students will have to appear for Class X exams,” they said.

for Oct exams with Himmat Shaala

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Pune, June 27: The city witnessed 84.21 per cent of successful candidates in SSC, implying that there are 2,71,721 students who couldn’t manage to get through.

In an initiative to help these students get over their failure and create an optimistic approach towards their future, Maharashtra Education Society (MES) and Ahmednagar Shaharwasiya Mitra Mandal have organised Himmat Shaala, a school where the students will be taught the basic syllabus along with motivational techniques.

IT raids on Lucknow gutka manufacturer: income worth Rs 18 crore detected

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Lucknow, June 27: The two-day search and seizures by the Income Tax Department on Lucknow-based gutka manufacturer and hotelier Chaurasiya & Sons has detected undisclosed income worth over Rs 18 crore.

The Group runs the Pukar gutka business under the banner of Durga Trading Company. The cash, jewellery and the Fixed-Deposit Receipts seized were estimated to be worth over Rs 7 crore.

UN troubleshooter discusses Ban visit in Myanmar

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Yangon, June 27: The UN special envoy to Myanmar met the junta’s Foreign Minister as he paves the way for a visit by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expected to focus on the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ibrahim Gambari met for the second time in his two-day trip with Foreign Minister Nyan Win in the country’s remote administrative capital Naypyidaw before flying to Yangon to round off a low-key visit, Myanmar officials said.

Obama dismisses Ahmadinejad’s apology demand

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Washington, June 27: Toughening his stand on Iran, US President Barack Obama dismissed a demand for apology from his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying that the leader should think about his “obligations” towards his people.

“I would suggest that Ahmadinejad think carefully about the obligations to his own people. And he might want to consider looking at the families of those who have been beaten or shot or detained. And that is where I think Ahmadinejad and others need to answer their questions.”

Recipe: Lapsi

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Try this rich and delicious traditional Rajasthani recipe.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup dalia
• 1 tbsp Almonds & Pistachios (chopped)
• 1 ½ cup Sugar or 2 cups Jaggery
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 3 cups Water
• 1 cup Ghee

Procedure:
• Heat ghee in a heavy pan and then add dalia to it. Stir and cook till the dalia turns golden and aroma starts to come out.
• In the meantime, melt sugar or jaggery in 1 cup water. Keep it aside.
• Boil and add remaining water to roasted dalia. Stir gently and cook it till the dalia turns soft.

2 drwon in Kashmir waters

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Srinagar, June 27 : A 20-year-old youth drowned while taking a bath in the Dal Lake to beat the searing heat while another boy drowned in river Jehlum.

Official sources said today that Ghulam Murtaza, working in a house boat, was taking a bath when he drowned in the Dal.

However, he was immediately rescued by on lookers and taken to hospital where he was declared brought dead.

In another incident, a minor boy named Abid ahmad Dar was playing with his brother on the bank of river Jehlum at Barsoo when he suddenly slipped and fell into the waters, resulting in his death.

Two village development officers suspended

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Pratapgarh, June 27 : Two village development officers of the distrcit have been suspended with immediate effect on the charge of misappropriation of funds in Indira Vikas scheme.

District Magistrate Balkar Singh ordered for the suspension and directed to lodge the case against two Gram Panchayat development officers.

Coming soon: Sweet melon with a difference!

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Washington, June 27: People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it is sweetness and a sense of healthy eating which prompt one to buy a melon.

And, now plant breeders now have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties — thanks to scientists who have mapped the melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers, the ‘Journal of American Society of Horticultural Sciences’ reported in its latest edition.

Pandith will play leading role in engaging Muslims: Clinton

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Washington, June 27: United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Farah Pandith will play a “leading role” in engaging Muslims across the world in her new capacity as Special Representative to Muslim Communities.

Ms. Pandith, a Kashmiri-origin Muslim woman, was appointed by Clinton as the US Special Representative to Muslim Communities early this week. This is part of the Obama Administration’s effort to reach out to the Muslim communities across the world.

Michael Jackson’s body given to family

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Mumbai, June 27: Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben says Jackson’s body was returned to the singer’s family Friday night. No funeral plans have been announced.

The coroner’s office, which has completed its autopsy, says there are no signs of foul play or trauma, but determining the cause of death will require further tests that will take six to eight weeks.

Michael Jackson insisted that his concert promoter’s payroll include his personal physician, a financially troubled cardiologist who was with the entertainer when he collapsed.

Michael Jackson death still unsolved after autopsy

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Mumbai, June 27: Doctors conducted an autopsy on the body of Michael Jackson on Friday but could not immediately determine what killed the “King of Pop,” amid reports he had been injected with a narcotic painkiller shortly before collapsing.

Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, with his personal physician trying desperately to revive him.

The 50-year-old pop superstar was rushed to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead without regaining consciousness.

Woman DJ makes Lucknow rock to her fingers

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Lucknow, June 27 : Eagerly sought after by hotels and clubs where she sets the dance floor on fire, spinning music with her fingers, Lucknow’s Deepti Sadhwani overcame stiff opposition from her family to become Uttar Pradesh’s ‘first and only’ woman disc jockey (DJ).

A winner of several beauty pageants, 21-year-old Sadhwani chose DJing as a career just because she wanted to do something different and challenging that would set her apart from the crowd.

Delayed monsoon will ruin crops in West Bengal

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Kolkata, June 27 : West Bengal is fearing the adverse effect of a delayed monsoon, which may affect crops like paddy, jute and potato.

Normally, the monsoon lashes Himalayan and Gangetic West Bengal around the first week of June. But this year, the monsoon is yet to hit the state, even more than a fortnight after it usually sets in.

Though the met office has forecast monsoon rains within a few days, the farmers – already badly hit by cyclone Aila a month ago – are keeping their fingers crossed.

Teenager burnt to death for resisting rape

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Lucknow, June 27 : A 15-year-old Dalit girl was burnt to death by two young men after she resisted a rape attempt in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, police said Saturday.

Pinki, a resident of Kacchigarhi village in Muzaffarnagar, 350 km from state capital Lucknow, was set on fire by her neighbours Pramod and Praveen, in their early 20s, after they failed to rape her Thursday.

The girl received about 70 percent burn injuries and died Friday.

Love Aaj Kal music release

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Mumbai, June 27: The music already has had the audience humming it’s tune. The songs are on people’s lips.

The Love Aaj Kal fans can now own it. Yes, Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Vijans Illuminati Films will officially release the music of Love Aaj Kal on Saturday, 27th June, on the sets of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa lil Champs, at Famous Studio, Mahalaxmi.

Present on the occassion will be its lead cast Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone along with director Imtiaz Ali.

9 killed in Okla. turnpike traffic wreck

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Miami, June 27: Nine people died Friday when a tractor-trailer slammed into a line of cars stopped by an earlier accident on a northeast Oklahoma turnpike, leaving twisted metal and debris strewn on the highway and stranding miles of traffic in scorching heat.

The final victim was found hours after the crash when tow trucks were finally able to dislodge the rig from a car it had crushed.

Job cuts loom as Tata Motors suffers loss

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Mumbai, June 27: Slumping demand drove Tata Motors into its first annual loss in eight years and India’s top vehicle maker warned of more job cuts and plant shutdowns at the loss-making Jaguar and Land Rover unit.

The firm, which controls 60 percent of the world’s fifth-biggest truck and bus market, said it was readying for major belt-tightening, including deferring capital expenditure wherever possible to keep a tight rein on costs.