Anupam Kher to play Hitler

Mumbai, June 02: Will play the German dictator in an upcoming English film

Anupam Kher will be seen in the role of Hitler on the large screen. The actor will star in an English film playing the infamous German dictator. He is quite excited at the prospect of playing his first historical character.

Mera pehla…

Kangna’s ’70s look in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Mumbai, June 02: Bollywood, Kangana Ranaut, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, 70s

Kangana Ranaut has worked hard on her look for Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. Dekho!

Here’s a look at Kangana Ranaut in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai.

Sensually dramatic
The actress, who is known to reinvent herself for her roles, combines sensuality with drama for her styling for this set-in-seventies flick directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Ekta Kapoor.

Chiru officially ties up with Congress

Hyderabad, June 02: A new realignment of political forces in Andhra Pradesh was formalised on Tuesday. The Praja Rajyam Party ( PRP), founded by matinee idol Chiranjeevi, officially announced it will be Congress’ ally from now on.

In a meeting held at Chiru’s residence, the PRP executive committee endorsed the party president’s decision to forge an alliance with the Congress ahead of the Rajya Sabha ( RS) elections and also in future.

Court notice to CBI in ’84 anti-Sikh riots case against Tytler

New Delhi, Jun 02: A Delhi Court yesterday issued notice to the CBI on a petition challenging an order of a lower court accepting the closure report in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler.

Additional Sessions Judge V K Khanna sought a response from the probe agency by July 24 on the revision petition filed by riot victims.

Lakhwinder Kaur, whose husband was killed in the riots, sought further investigation by the CBI into the case following claims about emergence of fresh evidence.

Low-cost Nano car rolls out from new Indian plant

Mumbai, June 02: Tata’s Nano, dubbed the world’s cheapest car, will roll out of its new plant in western India on Wednesday, two years after the firm abandoned its first-choice factory due to a violent land row.

The plant in western Gujarat state will be inaugurated by the state’s chief minister Narendra Modi and Tata group chairman Ratan Tata later in the day, a company spokesman said.

Tata Motors had originally chosen Singur in communist-ruled West Bengal as the main plant to produce the Nano, but had to scrap the nearly complete factory in 2008 over a bitter land ownership dispute.

Six human heads found in Mexico

Mexico City, June 02: Six human heads were found in two Mexican cities, while at least 13 people were gunned down in two separate incidents in the country, police said.

The six human heads were found in Lerdo and Gomez Palacio cities, in Durango state. Two heads belonged to municipal police officers, who were reported missing last week. The bodies of the two officers were found later, officials at the Durango state Attorney General’s Office said.

Cops hunt for thieves who ‘ hired’ a boy to rob ATM

New Delhi, June 02: We have heard of many out- of- the- box modi operandi. But this one takes the cake.

Two burglars ‘ hired’ a 12- year- old boy to steal money from an ATM in North Delhi’s Timarpur area on May 23.

Reason: to escape identification through the CCTV camera installed in the kiosk.

Unfortunately for the thieves, the juvenile didn’t know the tricks of the trade and could not lay his hands on any money after trying to dismantle the machine for three hours.

Nicaragua suspends ties with Israel

London, June 02: Nicaragua has suspended its diplomatic ties with Israel in protest at Tel Aviv’s deadly attack against an aid convoy heading for the besieged Gaze Strip.

“Nicaragua suspends from today its diplomatic relations with the government of Israel,” President Daniel Ortega’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Managua government “underscored the illegal nature of the attack on a humanitarian mission in clear violation of international and humanitarian law,” AFP quoted Communications Chief Rosario Murillo as saying.

Rocket lands near Afghan peace conference venue

Kabul, June 02: President Hamid Karzai opened a national conference Wednesday where he is expected to seek endorsement for his plan to lure Taliban fighters off the battlefield with offers of indemnities and jobs.

The conference, known as a peace jirga, was dismissed before it started by Taliban leaders who threatened to kill anyone who attended.

Activists still in Israeli detention

Gaza, June 02: Israel has still not released hundreds of peace activists detained in international waters while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Tel Aviv arrested nearly 700 activists from 42 countries on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla after a deadly early Monday attack on the aid convoy in which at least 20 people were killed and many more were wounded.

More than 120 nationals of Arab countries are expected to be handed over at the Jordanian border.

This comes as 45 activists were immediately deported.

Israel says it will expel the rest in the coming days.

Six from Delhi killed in road mishap

Ambala, June 02: Six members of three Delhi-based families going to Dharmshala for a vacation were killed and six others seriously injured when a mini bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck near here early today. Police said three couples and their family members were on the way to Dharmshala from Delhi when they met with the accident.

Two couples were residents of Shalimar Bagh and Meenakshi Garden localities of Delhi. The deceased were identified as Hunny, Kusum, Gulshan, Paras, Karan and the driver of the mini bus, whose identity was immediately not known.

Jagan claims Cong support for yatra but party denies it

Hyderabad, June 02: Kadapa MP Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Tuesday claimed the Congress high command had given him the go- ahead to resume his controversial Odarpu yatra ( consolation tour) in parts of Andhra Pradesh, barring Telangana.

He told the media after a 20- minute meeting with AICC in- charge of the state Veerappa Moily in New Delhi on Tuesday that he would resume the tour from Srikakulam in north coastal Andhra from June 8. He said he had clarified all doubts about his tour.

The throne that Nadir Shah snatched…and more

Istanbul, June 02: It is a piece of history that never fails to excite Indian tourists in Istanbul – a gold throne encrusted with emeralds and rubies that Persian invader Nadir Shah carted away from India during Mughal rule in 1747 and presented to the Ottoman ruler of Turkey.

The throne, among numerous other priceless antiquities, is housed in the Topkapi Palace, which was the official and primary residence in Istanbul of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years from 1465 to 1856.

The throne was presented by Nadir Shah to Ottoman king Mahmud I (1730-1754).

Woman stabs nine in China train rampage: report

Beijing, June 02: A woman armed with a knife went on the rampage on an overnight passenger train in northeastern China, stabbing and wounding nine people as they slept, state media reported on Wednesday.

The attack, which occurred in the early morning Tuesday on a train in Heilongjiang province, is the latest in a wave of violent attacks by lone assailants that has shocked the country.

US refuses to condemn Israel

Washington, June 02: Despite the international community’s outrage over the Gaza aid flotilla attack, the US has declined to condemn Israel for the offensive.

When asked if President Barack Obama condemns Israel over the attack, the White House stuck to the wording of the UN Security Council statement on the Israeli onslaught.

The White House, Israel’s strongest ally, has only voiced “regret” at the loss of lives and the injuries resulting from the use of force but stopped short of specifically condemning Israel.

Social sector thrust in UPA report card

New Delhi, June 02: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that at the expected growth rate of 8.5 per cent, the Indian economy was posting “ one of the best performances in the world” because of its strong fundamentals built over several years.

Israeli planes under fire over Lebanon

Jerusalem, June 02: Israeli military aircraft came under anti-aircraft fire over Lebanon on Tuesday but there were no casualties, an Israeli security source said.

The source said the fire was aimed at Israeli planes on reconnaissance flights over southern Lebanon. An Israeli military spokesman had no immediate comment.

Tension has risen in the region since nine people were killed aboard a Turkish-backed aid ship heading for the Gaza Strip when Israeli commandos seized the vessel in Mediterranean waters on Monday.

Lack of funds puts Govinda’s ‘Naughty @ Forty’ on hold

New Delhi, June 02: Jagmohan Mundhra’s ‘Naughty @ 40’ is currently on hold but the director has denied reports that the delay is being caused by the film’s leading star Govinda.

The film was launched with much fanfare two years back but, as things stand today, it is yet to cross the finish line even though Mundhra has completed and released two films in the interim – ‘Apartment’ and ‘Chase’.

The industry is abuzz with rumours that Govinda has delayed the film’s shoot but according to Mundhra, the project is on hold because the producers are finding it difficult to raise money.

US authorities mum on Headley interrogation issue

Chicago, June 02: As a team of Indian investigators arrived in the US to question for the first time LeT operative David Headley, authorities here are tight-lipped about when and for how long the access will be granted to the Pakistani- American who has confessed to his role in the Mumbai attacks.

The US Attorney’s office spokesperson here, Randall Samborn, said he does not have any comment on Headley’s interrogation, adding if and when the US government has anything to say on the issue, it will be announced.

Naxals likely to face army now

New Delhi, June 02: Reflecting a paradigm shift in strategy to counter escalating Maoist violence now routinely targeting civilians, the government is planning a calibrated armed forces role against the Left extremists.

The Cabinet Committee on Security ( CCS), likely to meet this week, could approve a much larger supportive role for the armed forces in the fight against the rebels.

Clinton welcomes ratification of Iraqi election results

Washington, June 02: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday hailed the Iraqi supreme court’s ratification of election results, and urged political leaders to move “without delay” to form a new government.

“I welcome today’s action by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court certifying the results of the national election,” the chief US diplomat said in a statement.

Civic polls: Trinamool ahead in Kolkata and Bidhannagar

Kolkata, June 02: Trinamool Congress surged ahead in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls as counting of votes for the crucial battle for 81 municipalities, seen as the semi-final before next year’s Assembly election was taken up today.

In the 141-ward prestigious KMC, the Trinamool Congress was leading in 85 wards while the Left Front was ahead in 46 out of the 141 constituencies.

Congress, which fought the polls without any seat adjustment with the Trinamool Congress, was way behind with a lead only in seven seats while others led in three.

Trinamool leads in Kolkata civic polls

Kolkata, June 02: Trinamool Congress has taken a lead in the Kolkata municipal polls leading in 71 wards out of the 141, while the Left is far behind leading in only 41 wards. Congress is leading in three seats.

Overall, TMC is leading in just 12 municipalities while the Left Front is ahead in 14 with the Congress leading in six. A total of 81 civic bodies have gone to elections across West Bengal with the Left Front controlling 54 civic bodies.

Israel orders families of diplomats out of Turkey

Jerusalem, June 02: Israeli media say the Foreign Ministry has ordered the families of its diplomats in Turkey to leave that country because of the uproar over Israel’s deadly naval raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

State-run Israel radio and other stations and newspapers say the diplomatic mission itself will remain in Turkey.

A ministry spokesman would neither confirm nor deny Tuesday’s reports.

At least four Turkish activists were among the nine killed by Israeli naval commandos in the raid Sunday on an international flotilla bringing aid to Gaza.

Don’t skip brain food – eat your breakfast

New Delhi, June 02: Are you suffering from acidity, obesity or reduced attention span? Perhaps you are skipping breakfast, also called brain food and the most important meal of the day.

People in cities tend to give breakfast a miss perhaps due to hectic lifestyles or in the belief that it will keep them slim. But experts say it could end up making people obese.

“People do not seem to have time for breakfast these days. They have every reason to avoid the healthy tradition of having a good nutritious breakfast,” Anita Jatana, chief dietician at the Batra Hospital here, told IANS.