India, Germany to work closely in multilateral forums

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Berlin, June 13: Amid strengthening of bilateral ties, India and Germany are set to work closely in several multilateral forums dealing with key global issues, India’s new envoy to the country has said.

Mr Sudhir Vyas, who presented his credentials to German President Horst Koehler at the presidential office, the Bellevue Castle, on Friday told PTI that promoting more Indian investments in this country will be part of his agenda, besides fostering cooperation in the fields of science and technology.

Pak battling for its sovereignty: Zardari

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Islamabad, June 13: Terming the stepped up strikes by militants as an attack on the “sovereignty” of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday underlined his determination to fight the Taliban insurgency to the end.

“We are fighting a war for our sovereignty,” Zardari said, responding to a spate of deadly terrorist attacks that have killed dozens across Pakistan.

In a televised address, the President called on the people to unite behind the anti-Taliban cause.

Amarnath Shrine board to revise dates of Yatra along Pahalgam route

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Srinagar, June 13: Bad weather conditions have forced the Amarnath shrine board to revise the dates of the annual Yatra along the traditional Pahalgam route even as the schedule of the pilgrimage via Baltal route will remain unchanged.

Due to continuous rain and snowfall at several points on the Pahalgam-Chandanwari route, it was not possible to open the Yatra along this trek till the weather improves, however the pilgrimage will take off from Jammu on scheduled date (June 15) via Baltal route, a spokesman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said on Saturday.

Kalam revives 247-year-old India ties at Trinity College

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Dublin, June 13: Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has launched a twin India-focussed initiative at the Trinity College in Dublin during a visit that helped spark a renewed interest in India at the 417-year-old university.

The university announced the establishment of an India chair and a post in Indian studies to coincide with Kalam’s visit on Friday – held amid a warming of India-Irish ties and plans for greater collaborations in education and science and technology.

Al Qaeda leaders under significant pressure: Pentagon official

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Washington, June 13: Senior Al Qaeda leadership has come under “significant pressure” due to the ongoing military offensive by Pakistan Army against the Taliban in the Swat valley and adjoining western areas of the country, a Pentagon official has said.

As a result of the operations, it is increasingly becoming difficult for the top Al Qaeda leadership to move out of the area, the official said.

Lalu aide Shyam Razak quits as RJD MLA

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Bihar, June 13: In a setback to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his close confidant and party’s national general secretary Shyam Razak on Saturday resigned from the Bihar Assembly.

He is likely to join the ruling JD(U) in a day or two in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other senior party leaders here, a JD(U) spokesman claimed.

Razak submitted his resignation letter to secretary of the state assembly Surendra Prasad Sharma, who faxed it to Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary, currently in New Delhi.

Attacks have hurt ties with India: Australia

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Australia’s top diplomat in India
has admitted that the spate of attacks on Indians in his country has “damaged” bilateral ties and fears that the upcoming free trade talks may remain ‘quarantined’ among other things as a fallout.

Blaming the Indian media, particularly the ‘voracious’ 24-hour cable news channels for the ‘negative coverage’ of the attacks, Australian High Commissioner in New Delhi, John McCarthy said that the relationship between the two nations will take time to recover.

Man kills daughters, cuts them into bits

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New Delhi, June 13: A 25-year-old final-year B.Sc. student allegedly killed his two daughters (one four years old and the other 18 months) and hacked their bodies into several parts with a sharp-edged object at Jever village in neighbouring Greater Noida on Thursday evening. Though he initially tried to dispose of the bodies, the accused apparently had a change of heart and walked up to the police station and confessed.

Sanjay Dutt skips IIFA for Ajay Devgan’s sake

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Mumbai, June 13: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt wanted to attend the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, but had to skip it because he was committed to shooting for Ajay Devgan’s ‘All The Best’, said a source close to the actor.

‘He couldn’t allow producer Ajay Devgan to suffer any more. For two months, Ajay waited patiently with his lavish set in Goa for Sanju to finish campaigning for the Samajwadi Party. Now Sanju’s conscience wouldn’t allow him a day’s delay. He stayed back in Goa to shoot and allowed his leading lady Bipasha Basu to attend the event,’ the source told IANS.

People think I’m Pakistani, says Nicole

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I’m Filipino-Russian-Hawaiian, but people think I’m from Pakistan,” Pussycat Dolls’ lead vocalist Nicole Scherzinger quipped. The Dolls were in Manila for a concert on the Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City. Nicole was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Filipino father, Alfonso Valiente, and a Russian-Hawaiian mother. Her parents separated when she was still a baby. When she was 6, she relocated with her mother to Louisville, Kentucky.

Bar singer raped by autorickshaw driver

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Mumbai, June 13: A 21-year-old woman working as a singer in a bar was allegedly raped by the driver of an autorickshaw in which she was returning home in the wee hours of Friday. The driver was arrested when he was taking her home after the incident, the police said.

The alleged victim (name withheld to protect her identity) is a native of Delhi. She has been living with her sister at Four Bungalows in Mhada Colony in Andheri (W) for three years.

The driver, Pramod Amarnath Shukla, is a resident of Vaishali Nagar in Dahisar (E).

Shahrukh replaces Aamir!

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Aamir Khan has turned down the state government’s offer to campaign against child labour. The state labour ministry had been pursuing the actor for over four months.

Kavita Gupta, state labour secretary, said, “We felt Aamir was ideal for the campaign. It took us a while before we could meet and discuss the idea with him. We were told that he was busy with the election campaign, after which he was going abroad. We could only meet him after he returned. But unfortunately, he won’t be doing the campaign.”

Deepika perfect choice for ‘Love Aaj Kal’: Imtiaz

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Mumbai, June 13: Director Imitiaz Ali, who made the superhit movie ‘Jab We Met’ with Kareena Kapoor, has said that the bubbly actress did not fit the bill in his forthcoming film ‘Love Aaj Kal’ that features Deepika Padukone as the leading lady.

“Kareena is my favourite actor. But, I can’t cast her in a wrong role just for the sake of working with her. I have to be fair to her and her talent,” the filmmaker said justifying his decision not to repeat Kareena Kapoor.

Tehran tense after disputed election results

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Tehran, June 13: Anti-riot police guarded the offices overseeing Iran’s disputed elections on Saturday with the count pointing to a landslide victory by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while his opponent denounced the results as “treason” and threatened a challenge.

Neetu Singh not upset with me: Deepika Padukone

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Mumbai, June 13 : Deepika Padukone has dismissed rumours that her boyfriend actor Ranbir Kapoor’s mother Neetu Singh is upset with her.

“I believe that if there was any truth in this, she (Neetu) would tell me herself and not through newspapers and media. I think she’s an extremely talented and mature person, so why would she tell the media and not speak with me directly?” Deepika said on Zee News’ celebrity chat show “Kahiye Janab”.

‘New York’ is on post-9/11 prejudices: Kabir Khan

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Mumbai, June 13: Director Kabir Khan is ready with his second directorial venture “New York” and says the film highlights prejudices against certain nationalities and religions across the world after the 9/11 attacks in the US.

“‘New York’ is based on part of the political canvas of 9/11, but it speaks of prejudices after the great human tragedy. It is a definite and very relevant subject about post-9/11 prejudices that have increased after the attacks,” Khan told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

Dhoni finds fault with his batters

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New Delhi, June 23: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni believed his batters and fielders were found wanting against West Indies in a Super Eight match against West Indies here on Friday. However, he didn’t give the credit where it was due the West Indian fast bowlers who wreaked havoc in Indian innings.

‘Kambakkht Ishq’ scene shot in Jessica Alba’s pool

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Mumbai, June 13: Producer Sajid Nadiadwala recently shot a scene for his film ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ with 150 artists in Hollywood actress Jessica’s Alba’s swimming pool.

The film starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor boasts of international stars like Brandon Routh, Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards.

‘It is a well known fact that Denise Richards makes her Bollywood debut in the film. But, few know that her introductory scene was shot at Jessica Alba’s pool. Jessica was present too. It was quite a thing to have two of the hottest women around,’ said a source from the unit.

Gang-rape accused bashed up in Surat

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Surat, June 13: An enraged mob severely beat up three men accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl here as a police team brought them for medical examination to a hospital in this Gujarat city today.

The accused – Shahid Saiyad, Tariq Qutubuddhin Saiyad and Abu Bakr Sheikh – allegedly raped the girl in a moving car on Friday. They also recorded the act on a video, according to police.

The three were brought for medical examination at the civil hospital here in the morning when patients and other visitors, on learning about the gang rape, beat them up severely, according to police.

Two Matches Must Win, If India Wants Reach T20 Final

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London, June 13: Defending champions India will need to improve all aspects of their game following their upset loss to West Indies on Friday if they are to get past the second round of the Twenty20 World Cup.

India meet England at Lord`s on Sunday evening in their second Super Eight match before playing a confident South Africa side at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday.

Tech Mahindra To Reduce 10000 Emloyees From Satyam

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Hyderabad, June 13: It was a pink Friday at Satyam Computer Services, as over 10,000 employees of the beleaguered IT firm were preparing for an
unhappy holiday. Over one fourth of Satyam’s workforce was a part of the virtual pool, an exercise implemented by its new owner Tech Mahindra to downsize the excess staff.

Allama Dr Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi’s Funeral Prayer Today

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Islamabad, June 13: The funeral prayers of Allama Dr Muhammad Sarfraz Naeemi will be offered today on Saturday at 5pm in Nasir Bagh Lahore. He would be laid to rest in the premises of Jamia Naeemia.

The Tanzimul Madaris Ahle Sunnat (Barelvi) has announced three-day mourn, the Anjuman Tajiran announced strike while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement called to observe the day of mourn across the country over the martyrdom of the religious scholar.

Religious parties’ leaders and workers on Friday took out protest rallies to condemn the suicide attack that killed Dr. Naeemi.

Don’t doubt sincerity in 26/11 probe: Pakistan

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Islamabad, June 13: Pakistan said Saturday India should not doubt its intentions in the probe into the 26/11 Mumbai carnage and called on New Delhi to resume the sub-continental dialogue process with Islamabad. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharad Sabharwal today, said resumption of the Pakistan-India dialogue “is imperative for regional peace” and India should not doubt Pakistan’s sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice.

Student accuses UK of Qur’an abuse

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Islamabad, June 13: Tariq-ur-Rehman, one of ten Pakistani students detained by British police in April on terror-related charges, accused his prison guards of religious harassment and abuse.

“They committed sacrilege of Noble Qur’an many times,” a visibly moved Tariq told, on his arrival at Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad. “When we read the Qur’an, they came with sniffing dogs and let them sniff the Qur’an.

“We used to cry and begged them not to do that but they said it was their duty.”