London, June 30: Pakistan has assured the UK that it is determined to nab or eliminate top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud from the northwest of the country where its forces are engaged in decisive battle with the militants.
Replying to a question on the Rs 50 million bounty announced for Mehsud, visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the government was determined to nab or eliminate him.
Kolkata, June 30: Cargo handling at Haldia port has nearly halved following an indefinite strike contract labourers have called since Saturday demanding an increased pay from handling agents.
The strike, which entered the fourth day Tuesday, has seen cargo handling come down to 53,865 tonnes from the normal quantity of 100,000 tonnes, said an official.
A source in the port said the Haldia dock system was losing Rs.10 million daily, while ships – 19 inside the port and 30 waiting at the Sandheads – were getting delayed, inconveniencing exporters and importers alike.
New Delhi, June 30: A city court Tuesday rejected the bail plea of a couple accused of kidnapping a two-year-old girl from India Gate here earlier this month.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jitender Mishra dismissed the bail application of Jugal Kishore and Rekha, saying that the police probe in the case was at initial stages and their plea did not have any merit.
“Keeping in view the nature of the offence and the facts of the case, in my considered opinion, accused are not entitled to get bail at this stage,” Mishra said.
Bhopal, June 30: Bhartiya Janshakti Party President Uma Bharti here today said she is ready to own responsibility for the demolition of the disputed Babri mosque at Ayodhya and has no problem even if she is hanged on the issue.
Reacting to the submission of the Liberahan Commission report on the demolition of the mosque, Bharti told reporters at her residence “like a good commander, I am ready to own the responsibility of the Babri masjid’s demolition and I have no problem even if I will be hanged on the issue.”
Islamabada, June 30: Pakistan on Monday said its anti-Taliban operations in Swat had entered the final phase with troops having “totally dismantled” the militants’ infrastructure, even as over 30 rebels and 16 soldiers were killed in fresh fighting in the unruly NWFP and Waziristan.
The operations in Swat are in their final stage and expected to end in a few days as only a little area remains to be cleared of militants, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told a news briefing.
Washington, June 30: A 2002 will of Michael Jackson grants the custody of his estate to his mother, Katherine and his three children but excludes his father, according to the Wall Street Journal.
However, pop star’s family has not seen the document, the Journal said quoting family lawyer L Londell McMillan.
“No will has been presented to family or us. We will review any will when we see it,” McMillan said.
Siliguri, June 30: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) president, Bimal Gurung was granted bail on a bond and surety of Rs 500 for allegedly threatening the electorate during the Lok Sabha elections in Darjeeling.
Gurung surrendered in the court of District Judicial Magistrate Debjyoti Mukherjee yesterday in Darjeeling where he was granted bail. The next date of hearing is August 24.
Mumbai, June 30: While the entire world is raving Katrina Kaif’s performance in ‘New York’, she is finding hard to convince her boyfriend Salman Khan to watch the film. It is not only ‘New York’ but Salman Khan ignores every film of Kat and has watched none of her films till date. Says a close friend of Katrina, “It really really puzzles and hurts her as to why Salman chooses to ignore all her films. It isn’t as if he doesn’t watch any films.
Hyderabad, June 30: The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), CPI and CPI(M) today expressed solidarity with agitating Kovvur Telugu Desam MLA T V Rama Rao, whose indefinite fast entered the second day here today. Joined by his wife and some students of the Nursing college run by him in Nidadovole in West Godavari district, the Dalit TDP leader began his indefinite hunger strike yesterday, demanding withdrawal of the CB-CID probe into allegations of rape and murder.
Mumbai, June 30: Katrina Kaif could not hold her tears on watching her performance in ‘New York’ at a special screening at Yashraj studio. Her performance has impressed her so much that she could not believe that she has actually done this. To Kat, this is the finest performance of her till date. “It was embarrassing. This has never happened to me before. I was deeply moved by the film. And I couldn’t believe what my director Kabir Khan had achieved in my performance. I kept staring at myself.
Mumbai, June 30: They say you need to act like a star to feel like one. And Katrina Kaif by that definition, should be feeling every bit of a star. The actress was recently signed up to launch a luxury designer brand that will make its way to Indian shores soon and has also been paid a queen’s ransom for the endorsement.The foreign agents who sealed the deal with Katrina’s managers must have felt they sailed through the tough part once she was on board.
New Delhi, June 30: The Liberhan Commission report on Babri Masjid demolition today gave a handle to Congress to attack BJP which responded by alleging that the ruling party at the Centre has “begun its conspiracy”.
Non-Congress parties and Muslim groups voiced criticism over delay in preparation of the report and demanded tabling the report in Parliament at the earliest and action taken against those found guilty by the Commission.
Mumbai, June 30: There are two things that you notice instantly when you see Deepika Padukone. One is that she is pencil-thin; and, two, she has a love-bite on her neck that is still to fade away.The actress who has returned to badminton and yoga with a vengeance, has lost five kilos. And, as she stands before you in a short green dress, she looks dishy.
London, June 30: In the glory days of L!ve TV, the red top-inspired television channel, a show called Topless Darts attracted a certain amount of attention. Its concept, half-naked women paying darts, was based on the simple idea that a combination of sport and sexual titillation would be a ratings winner.
Topless Darts disappeared from the screens in 1999 but, 10 years on, there is a new and profitable version of the same basic formula. It is called the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
Mumbai, June 30 : Now that we’ve chanced upon talking about Bips… a little something on the guy she has been having coffee with these days. Christiano Ronaldo maybe a thing of the past, these days it’s coffee and conversations with Maradona for the sexy Bipasha Basu! Now before the gossip ball gets rolling, we really aren’t talking about the footballer! Bipsy stunned Maradona Rebello recently when she invited him over for a cup of coffee to make him feel comfortable around her! A unit member revealed the sweet story.
Mumbai, June 30: The last updation we got from Aishwarya Rai’s front was that even a fairly new actress like Sonam Kapoor was proving to be a competition for Mrs Bachchan but the latest news doing rounds in the film industry is that ‘Slumdog’ sizzler Freida Pinto is Ash’s competitor now! According to reports, a big brand that has Ash as its international brand ambassador and Sonam as the Indian brand face is now signing Freida Pinto as one of their international models.
Lalgarh, June 30: Police personnel engaged in operations in West Midnapore district to reclaim areas from Maoists have complained that they are apparently having to sweat it out more than the central forces.
According to them, the security forces have established bases in school buildings at Lalgarh, Bhimpur, Ramgarh, Kantapahari and Pirakata, while they were spending nights sleeping even on verandahs of BDO offices since operations began on June 19.
Their meals consist of rice, dal and vegetables which they had to eat sitting on roads.
Mumbai, June 30: Amrita Rao who always had only nice things to say about everyone, including Esha Deol who once reportedly slapped her, is finally showing some displeasure. She is apparently upset with the promos of her film Shortkut.But her complaints have fallen on deaf ears and things haven’t still gone her way.
Bejing, June 30: What do Johnny Depp, Garfield, Paris Hilton and roast pork have in common? In China, the answer is that a new government-mandated internet filter rates some pictures of all four of them as bad for your moral health.
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Beijing has ordered all personal computers sold in China from 1 July to be preinstalled with the Green Dam software, which it says is designed to block pornographic and violent images, and which critics fear will be used to extend censorship.
Israel, June 30: The postwar humanitarian crisis in Gaza takes a turn for the worse with the Israeli Navy intercepting a relief ship headed toward the coastal strip.
A group of 21 activists sailing to Gaza said Tuesday that Israeli forces had threatened to gun down their boat unless they changed direction.
“There is a patrol boat around us and we were told that if we did not turn back they would open fire,” Reuters quoted Irish activist Derek Graham as saying.
“We are continuing our course to Gaza,” he added.
Mumbai, June 30: Maharashtra Police has sounded an alert after Intelligence Bureau informed them about terror threat to the state, Director General of Police S S Virk said here today.
“Intelligence Bureau has given a fresh alert about the threat, two to three days back. I had instructed my men to be alert,” Virk told PTI.
Virk, however, did not give details of the threat mentioned by IB.
Mumbai Police Commissioner D Sivanandan also had recently said that city was facing terror threat and that this threat could be from anywhere – road, air or sea.
–PTI
Mumbai, June 30: Indian telephony and internet services provider Tata Communications Tuesday announced its partnership with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide to roll out its video-conferencing facility in the hotel giant’s properties.
Under the agreement, Tata will increase its network of public Cisco Telepresence rooms by opening 10 new facilities in Starwood’s hotels by the year-end, the company said in a regulatory statement.
Baghdad, June 30: Iraqi leaders Tuesday called for vigilance and unity, as the country marked the planned withdrawal of US troops from Iraqi cities and towns.
‘Bless you. Bless you for your efforts to achieve this great success,’ Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told the ministers of defence, interior and national security and associated officers from the security services, in remarks broadcast on state television.
New Delhi, June 30: Prabhjot Singh and G Mounica will spearhead the Indian challenge in the boys and girls sections respectively in the 6th IAAF World Youth Athletics Championships to be held in Bressanone, Italy from July 8-12.
Prabhjot had won the discus event with a national record throw of 59.62m in the National Youth Championships in Madurai last month.
Andhra Pradesh girl Monika had won the 200m race with a national record timing of 24.88secs in Madurai.
Patna, June 30: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said his government is doing the needful for enhancing the superannuation age of teachers of colleges and universities from 62 to 65.
He told the legislative council after some members, cutting across the party lines, raised the issue for the second day while seeking early implementation of the revised UGC pay-scale.
Raising the issue during zero-hour, Kedar Nath Singh and Narendra Singh wanted to know the fate of the recommendations of the UGC for revised pay-scale and raising the retirement age limit from 62 to 65.