SC orders probe into Modi's role in Gujarat Riots

The Supreme Court has ordered a probe into the alleged role of Gujarat Chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The apex court has asked the Raghavan Committee to probe Modi's role and submit its report in the next three months time.

SC has also asked the committee to probe the roles of a cabinet minister in the Modi government, three MLAs, three VHP activists and several IAS and IPS officers as well.

The decision came on a plea filed by the wife of slain ex-MP, Ehsan Jaffri and social activist Teesta Setalvad.

"It's a huge victory because this is an indication of what we have been saying for almost six years now. We have been asking for an investigation and not presuming people are guilty like the opposite side does. The police had used Modi's political clout to delay the probe, now the Supreme Court has renewed faith in the justice system by saying at least investigate it," Teesta Setalvad told reporters.

"Ten days ago, the Gujarat government was all gung ho when they were trying to malign me and my organisation. People who fight for Human Rights don't look at the elections in that sense that is for the political parties and their opponents to do. We have been struggling non stop since 2002 to get justice and we haven't stopped. In fact neither of the secular parties have supported us either, so we are not there for the politics of it, we are there for Human Rights and justice," she added.

However, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "It seems to have become a convention to raise both in and out of courts, issues related to Gujarat prior to any elections. It's just another investigation and previous ones too had not found anything against Narendra Modi. It's still in court. We don't want to comment."

Campaigning ends for Sonia, Advani

Campaigning ends on Tuesday for round-three elections to Lok Sabha on April 30, when electors would decide the fate of political giants like Sonia Gandhi and L K Advani.

Rae Barelli and Gandhinagar, the respective Parliamentary constituencies of Gandhi and Advani saw hectic campaigning.

Gandhi's daughter Priyanka and son Rahul canvassed for votes for their mothers, while Advani's daughter Pratibha camped in Gandhinagar to appeal to voters to elect her father like they have done every time since 1991.

Gandhi and Advani are among the 1,567 candidates in the fray in the third phase elections to 107 constituencies spread over nine states and two union territories.

Prominent candidates include former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav, former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa and union ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Polling for 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be completed in one-go. Besides Gujarat, polling will be held in 16 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in West Bengal, 11 each in Bihar and Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Campaigning was peaceful, but marred by incidents of shoe-throwing. A computer engineering student hurled a sneaker towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while he was addressing his first poll rally in Gujarat but missed him. No charges were pressed against the youth.

An attempt to throw shoes at Advani was thwarted later. Congress star campaigner Priyanka Vadra condemned the shoe-throwing incident, saying this does not behove of traditions.

"If there is a problem, there are two ways to express it - wrong way and the right way. This is not the right way. This is not our tradition," Vadra had said, but added she was not perturbed about she being made the target of such an attack. "Let them throw, who have to throw."

At the end of the third phase, polling would be completed to 372 seats of the 545-member Lok Sabha. Polling is held only to 543 seats, as two members are nominated from the Anglo-Indian community.

Sanju in trouble after offering Mayawati 'Jadu ki Jhappi'

Bollywood actor and Samajwadi Party General Secretary Sanjay Dutt is courting controversy yet again after he offered ‘jaadu ki jhappi' to Mayawati.

Dutt has been slapped with a notice by the district magistrate of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh for passing ‘sexist’ comments against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

"I will give Mayawati a hug and a kiss (jaadu ki jhappi). In her governance there are taps but no water, bulbs but no electricity, and hospitals without beds," Dutt said in an election rally in Pratapgarh on April 17, 2009.

Earlier on Tuesday, an FIR was registered against Dutt for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by making communal remarks in an election rally in Mau district.

Dutt was in the city to campaign in support of SP nominee Arshad Jamal Ansari contesting election from Ghosi parliamentary seat.

Dutt during his speech said, "Jab mai police custody me tha to police wale mujhe third degree dete the. Wo mujhe marte the aur kehte the ki tumhari maa musalman hai" (When I was in police custody I was given third degree by them because I am son of a Muslim lady).

The district administration of Mau reacted promptly in the matter and filed a complaint against Sanjay Dutt for violating the model code of conduct (MCC).

As per the MCC, "during an election campaign, no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic."

Shocker - Kasab pleads Not Guilty

Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist on trial for last year's Mumbai attacks, wants to retract his confession, claiming it was extracted by torture, his defence lawyer, Abbas Kazmi, told reporters on Friday.

On his instruction, a retraction application has been filed, retracting the so-called alleged confession," said the lawyer, who is defending Pakistani national Kasab.

"He's going to plead not guilty," he added.

Kazmi told reporters that Kasab claimed the confession, made to a local magistrate while he was in police custody, was "extracted out of coercion and force and it was not a voluntary confession."

He quoted Kasab as claiming he had been "physically tortured."

Earlier in court, Kasab’s lawyer said his client had told him that he "had not even reached the age of 17" when the attacks took place last November. "He is still under 18. In such circumstances he is deemed to be a juvenile and this court has no jurisdiction to try this case," Abbas Kazmi told the trial court.

The court, however, dismissed the accused application that claimed he was a ‘juvenile’.

Public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam rejected the Pakistani national’s submission, saying that in both Kasab's "confession statement" to the police and on transfer to jail, he had said he was 21".

"On the day of the incident, November 26, 2008, he had completed 21 years, two months and some 13 days," Nikam said.

Judge M L Tahiliyani asked Kasab to stand in the dock and then commented: "As one looks at accused No 1, it does not appear that he is below 17 years."

Rejecting the application, the judge added, "In my considered opinion, the plea is frivolous and intended to delay the trial."

Kasab faces a string of charges including "waging war" on India, murder, attempted murder and kidnapping.

He faces the death penalty if convicted of taking part in the attacks, which left more than 160 dead and hundreds more wounded.

Chennai SuperKings vs Mumbai Indians Live!

Led by perhaps the best captain in world cricket today, the Chennai Super Kings will start the second edition of the Indian Premier League as one of the favourites.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni did justice to his tag of the most expensive cricketer of the world by taking his team to the final and this year the charismatic skipper would be looking to do one better than their run to the silverware in 2008.

The Chennai Super Kings are looking as one of the strongest contenders. The recently retired Matthew Hayden is available for the whole tournament and he may prove destructive at the top. South African all-rounder Albie Morkel is fresh from his exploits against Australia and will be one of Dhoni's trump cards. The young Suresh Raina will also play a crucial role in coach Stephen Fleming's strategy.

Their brush with injuries and controversies made it Mission Impossible for Mumbai Indians, but the costliest IPL team has much to prove this season. Captain Sachin Tendulkar is back in full fitness and, although they'll miss Shaun Pollock's experience on the field, the South African will be key for their younger players in unlocking the tricky conditions as mentor.

Tendulkar has been in vintage form of late, and his opening partnership with the explosive Sanath Jayasuriya will be key to their run-scoring potential. Harbhajan Singh, too, has hit a purple patch, and his bowling in the T20 version will be their most potent weapon while containing their opponents. Dwayne Bravo's all-round abilities will add balance to their

Congress responsible for Babri demolition'

In controversial remarks, RJD chief Lalu Prasad has said the Congress too was responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque as it did nothing to prevent it.

"Babri Masjid was razed to the ground and Congress too is responsible for it as it did nothing to prevent it," he said addressing an election meeting at Manhgachi in Bihar's Darbhanga district.

"If anyone continue to talk nonsense, I will reveal more," he said, without elaborating.

Lalu, who had recently been chastised by the Election Commission for his 'crush-under-the-roller' remark against BJP candidate Varun Gandhi, described the saffron party as 'Bharat jalao party'.

"The BJP is Bharat jalao party. It wants to see that India is up in flames," he said.

Accusing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of calling up district magistrates and commissioners pressurizing them to recommend cancellation of voting at polling stations in areas of influence of RJD, Lalu said, "I am least worried. The more they will try to harm me, the more votes I and my allies will get."

A wave is blowing in favour of the alliance of RJD-LJP-SP, he claimed

In Pics: The IPL Caravan

The Rajasthan Royals cricket team bus seen during a parade through the streets of Cape Town.

The eight IPL teams brought the players in colourful tableaux, passing through various points in the city.

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty waves on top of the Rajasthan Royals bus.

Owner of the Knight Riders cricket team, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, waves to the crowds.

Mumbai Indians cricket team members drive past during the parade ahead of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket matches to be held over the weekend in Cape Town

Delhi Daredevils cricket team members drive past during the parade.

Sallu slashes fee for 'Dus ka Dum 2'

With a string of flops, a filmy career heading nowhere and an equally messed up love life, Bollywood’s favourite bad boy Salman Khan is out on the streets asking people to cast their valuable vote for the right candidate in this election.

Nevertheless, he may be out on roads campaigning for netas and abhinetas , the hunk will soon hit the small screen and will once again be a part of the coveted TV show "Dus Ka Dum," a game show which he had also hosted earlier.

According to an industry source, “He (Salman) will begin shooting for it in May-June. Salman has also agreed to cut down his fees.”

Salman, who had earlier charged 89 crores for 104 episodes of "Dus Ka Dum", had asked for an increase of Rs 44 crores which somehow failed to materialise. It is believed that for the second season of "Dus Ka Dum," Salman has cut down his price in order to be to be a part of the popular game show.

It seems only Salman can tell whether it is due to recession or his love for the idiot box that makes him slash his fee!

Meanwhile Sallu has a certified hit coming in June, which goes by the name of 'Wanted: ead or Alive'.

We’ll decide who will be next PM: Fourth front

PURNEA: After a show of strength in Etawah, UP, the fourth front bandwagon on Friday rolled into Bihar where SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD’s Lalu

Prasad, and LJP’s Ram Vilas Paswan claimed before a large crowd that they would be the ones to decide who will be India’s next prime minister.

Mulayam went a step further and declared that the troika will realize Ram Manohar Lohia’s and Jayaprakash Narayan’s dream of ushering in a socialist regime at Centre. Addressing a huge election rally at Rangbhumi Maidan in Purnea, Mulayam expressed happiness that differences between Lalu and Paswan had ended. ‘‘Now all of us have come together,’’ he said.

Lalu also said that they — the Fourth Front — will have absolutely no truck with the Third Front, and surprised one and all by backtracking on his remarks on Varun Gandhi that landed him in trouble. While he had earlier said that had he been the home minister, he would have driven a roller over Varun’s chest, on Friday, perhaps rattled by the EC’s reaction to his diatribe, Lalu said he had meant to drive a ‘‘legal bulldozer’’. ‘‘There’s an attempt to throw me behind bars but I am prepared to for that. After all swaraj was achieved when people went to jail,’’ the railway minister said.

Lalu said their alliance, which is contesting 134 LS seats in UP, Bihar, and Jharkhand, would rule the political firmament across the Hindi belt and crush ‘‘communal’’ elements.

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, cheered lustily everytime he came up on the dais, made a brief speech. He said he would still love to do Gandhigiri. Dutt, who has been denied permission to contest eletions by the SC, was speaking in his capacity as SP’s general secretary.
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Do I look old to you? Priyanka slams Modi

AMETHI: Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for likening the Congress party to a "budhia"

(old woman), Priyanka Gandhi Saturday asked voters here whether she looked old.

Campaigning for her brother and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in his constituency of Amethi, Priyanka said the Congress is not an old party.

"Kya mein budhi dikhti hoon? (Do I look old to you)," she asked people of Khalidpur village. "Does Sonia Gandhi (Congress president and her mother), Rahul Gandhi or I look old to you," she asked, addressing voters.

Modi has repeatedly been likening the Congress to a "125-year-old budhia" during his election campaigns, as he did in Uttar Pradesh Friday. He has asked people to vote instead for the 30-year-old "young" BJP.

Priyanka elaborated on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's development works and asked people to vote for the Congress.

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Manmohan Singh 'insulted' us, says Mulayam

LUCKNOW: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "overlooking and insulting" his party which had savedthe UPA government from being voted out of power over the Indo-US nuclear deal. "We saved you from resigning. Just think once what have you given us in return . You overlooked us and at times even insulted us," Yadav said while releasing the party manifesto here. The SP chief said the Prime Minister has now said that he was ready to resign if the nuclear deal did not go through. Singh had on Friday said that he would have resigned if the Indo-US civil nuclear deal had not gone through. The SP leader promised to tackle issues of terrorism, economic recession and unemployment if voted to power. "We have addressed some important issues including how to tackle terrorism and economic recession and plight of the farmers in brief," Yadav said. He said there were three important issues including that of agriculture, which have been addressed by the party in its manifesto. "Gandhiji used to say that agriculture is like a god for a hungry man which except SP other political parties have forgotten. Without promoting agriculture, the country cannot progress," he said. The SP supremo said that while security of international boundaries will be the priority of his party, the SP will also make efforts to maintain harmonious relations with neighbouring countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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Left often on wrong side of history: PM

KOCHI: Needling the Communists in their bastion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Left parties have often been on the "wrong

side" of history by refusing to participate in the Quit India movement, Green and IT revolutions and to back the nuclear deal with the US.

In a veiled attack on the coming together of parties in the Third Front led by the Left, he asked the people to choose between the stability of the Congress and the coalition of parties which have come together only by the "glue of government" in which there is a continuous struggle for power.

"The Left that rules the state has unfortunately often been on the wrong side of history. When Mahatma Gandhi started Quit India movement the Left did not participate in it. When India became Independent, they said this independence is not for real," he said addressing an election meeting here, the first after his recovery from the heart bypass surgery.

Singh said in 1960s when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ushered in Green Revolution, the Left opposed it saying it was only for the benefit of foreign seed companies. Similarly, when Rajiv Gandhi started communications revolution they opposed it saying it will take away jobs.

"When our government started nuclear deal with the US to end India's nuclear isolation and to provide the much-needed energy for development, the Left opposed and walked out of our government. Time will prove the wisdom of our decision," the prime minister said.

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Lara Dutta gets Wet and Wild in a Bikini

She’s got a stunning figure with curves at all the right places. It’s confounding that Lara Dutta never cared to flaunt her perfect bikini bod, not until now.

In the upcoming aqua-adventure thriller Blue , Lara will be seen in itsy-bitsy swimwears. The credit for the effervescent bikini look of Lara in the movie goes to Hollywood make-up artist Nikoletta Skarlatos who gave the actress special water-resistant make-up so that she keeps looking fabulous and doesn’t lose her sheen while swimming underwater as normal make-up can’t stand salty sea water for long.

If ‘Blue’ is grabbing attention for Kylie Minogue and Katrina Kaif , do not forget that Lara is the main actress in the film, paired opposite Sanjay Dutt . And Lara has prepared quite hard to get into the skin of the character.

Donning the bikinis is the easy part. She has done some daring underwater stunts for which she learned scuba diving. However, it was her co-actor Akshay Kumar who helped her to get this plum role. Akki recommended Lara’s name to Anthony D’Souza, the director.

The movie is India’s first underwater thriller on the lines of international movies like ‘The Deep’ and ‘Jaws’. The characters are in search of a treasure, hidden in the depth of a sea.

And talking about bikinis, wearing one is not seen as a taboo anymore. The simple mantra is “if you have it, you flaunt it”. If Amisha Patel and Minissha Lamba strutted their stuff in the tiny swimwears in 2008, this year lissome beauties like Kareena Kapoor and Amrita Arora are taking the trend forward in Kambakkht Ishq .

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Aishwarya - Abhishek get 'Crooked'

Real-life couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, who are busy wrapping up Mani Ratnam's "Raavan", have now also teamed up for slick espionage film "Crooked".

They are carrying on with the trend set by them and another real-life pair, Saif Ali khan and Kareena Kapoor, who are playing spies in Sriram Raghavan's "Agent Vinod".

"Our slick espionage thriller will be in the same genre as 'The Bourne Identity'. It will be shot in Greece, Istanbul, Thailand and India," said Ritesh Sidhwani, the producer of "Crooked".

Gul Panag and Jimmy Shergil along with Boman Irani, who has just wrapped up Shyam Benegal's latest, will also be playing key roles in the film.

"The English-language title will most probably change," says Sidhwani, who's working with the entire cast, barring Boman, for the first time.

The film will be directed by Abhinay Deo who is currently in the process of wrapping up Aamir Khan Productions' "Delhi Belly" with Imran Khan and Shernaz Treasuryvala in the cast.

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3 Music Phones from LG Arrive

After Nokia's XpressMusic phone series, Samsung Beat and Sony Ericsson Walkman phones, LG too has launched an array of music phones.

The consumer electronics giant LG Electronics has launched a series of music phones in India. The three new phones GM 310M GM210 and the GM205, are aimed at the mid-segment.

As for specs, GM310 is a slider phone fitted with 2.2-inch TFT LCD display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. The phone's connectivity options include EDGE/GPRS and HSDPA support. Other features include 512MB or 1GB of internal memory and a MicroSD card (up to 32GB), a 3.5mm earphone socket, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and a 3 megapixel autofocus camera.

The GM210 shares most of the features of LG GM 310 including the form factor. The only big difference is the camera, which is 2 megapixel. The MicroSD card support is too up to 4GB.

LG GM 205 is a candybar. The mobile phone features most specs similar to the GM 210 including the camera, which is the same 2 megapixel as in GM210.

All three handsets are set to make their debuts in the emerging markets first. According to the reports, these will include Asia, Latin America. Pricing details have not been released.

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Team India returns home to Thundering Welcome

Airports in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore were buzzing on Wednesday night. And for good reason. India's victorious cricketers returned home to a thundering reception.

The players were tired but also ecstatic. And he celebration of their triumph in New Zealand is showing no signs of slowing down.

At every airport they touched down, MS Dhoni's men were greeted by huge crowds and eager media crews, waiting for a word from the first team to have won in New Zealand in 41 years.

"It's an achievement. Everyone is happy. The entire country has supported us. It was victory after 41 years," said Sachin Tendulkar after arriving in Mumbai.

For the veterans in particular this was an extra special moment. After years on the international circuit, they have finally started to return home with trophies

"It was a very good series. We played good cricket in both the one-dayers and the Test matches. It's nice to win; we hadn't won there (New Zealand) in a long time. So it's good from our point of view not just to win the series but to play the quality of cricket that we did." stated Rahul Dravid.

In fact, while these men were in the plane, news possibly filtered through that five of them (MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan) had been named in the Wisden Test eleven.

The endorsement by cricket's bible another acknowledgment of their growing stature as a cricket team.

"We are delighted by it," said Tendulkar.

So a few days at home and then to South Africa, but this time not as the Indian team!

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New Wii Sports arrives in June

Nintendo said that it will release a new version of its "Wii Sports" software in Japan in June to shore up flagging Wii console sales.

The "Wii Sports" game helped drive the outfit's console sales because it allowed users to play baseball, tennis and other sports using a motion-sensing controller.

Wii Sports Resort, which will hit overseas markets in July, lets users throw a frisbee to a virtual dog or duel one another with swords with the controller, which looks like a TV remote and enables gamers to direct on-screen play by swinging it like a racket or baseball bat.

Nintendo needs to do something to counter the surge in sales for the PS3 which outstripped the Wii for the first time in 16 months thanks to new PS3 titles from Sega Sammy and Capcom. Apparently demand for the Wii has dried up and the outfit does not want to lower its prices.

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Team India can beat anyone anywhere

Fresh from a rare Test series victory in New Zealand, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes India have what it takes to beat the best in the world on their home soil.

India's Test series win in New Zealand this week was their first in four decades. It was also their third successive Test series victory since beating top-ranked Australia in November.

"This team is capable of winning anywhere," Harbhajan said in an interview on Friday. "If we play to our potential, stick to the basics and focus on the job, we have the team that can beat anyone anywhere."

India defeated Australia and England in back-to-back series at home last year and are once again considered a true force in world cricket. India have yet to win a Test series in Australia, although they squared a close series 1-1 in 2004 and lost a controversial Test series 2-1, before winning a tri-series last year.

India won their first Test in South Africa in 2006 and emerged surprise winners of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup there two years ago. The 28-year-old bowler said winning matches overseas has made a big difference.

"The guys are confident, confident of performing in any conditions," said Harbhajan, the side's main spinner since Anil Kumble retired last year.

"I think this team can win anywhere -- South Africa, Australia -- we have got the ability to exploit any conditions." Harbhajan is his country's second most successful spinner and emerged the highest wicket-taker in New Zealand with 16 wickets.

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Pak blames India AGAIN for SL team Attack

Pakistan has once again blamed India for the daring Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team that killed 6 security personnel and injured some players.

In a surprising statement, Pakistan said it has "credible evidence" of Indian involvement in the March 3 terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team here, more than a month after it ruled out any Indian link to the incident.

"With the help of other intelligence agencies there has been considerable progress in this case. One thing is for sure that there is an Indian hand behind the attack," Lahore police chief Pervez Rathore told reporters.

"I must tell you that there is credible evidence of Indian involvement in the attack," he said.

Rathore's comments come nearly a month after interior ministry chief Rehman Malik ruled out any Indian involvement in the attack that killed eight people and injured several others, including six Sri Lankan cricketers.

The blame comes despite the Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama rejecting any such charges a week after the attack. "There is no Indian involvement (in the attack on cricketers in Lahore)," he had said.

"In fact, India has been helping us in our fight against terrorism. We have conveyed this to Pakistan," he said.

A team of 12 terrorists ambushed and sprayed bullets and fired rocket propelled grenades at the convoy carrying Sri Lankan players to the Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. The cricketers were to play the third day of the second and last Test against the host Pakistan Tuesday last week.

Seven players and the team's assistant coach were injured and six Pakistani police officials, who were providing protection to the bus carrying the players, were killed in the attack that shook the entire cricketing world.

The officer, shockingly, said that not only the Lahore attack but the attack on Manawan Police Academy on March 23 in the city in which 28 trainees were killed and nearly hundred were injured. Four terroriosts were killed and six were taken into custody. Those caught had Afghanistan passports on their person.

The commander of the Pakistan Taliban had claimed responsibility of the attack.

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Microsoft and HCL to outsource jobs to India

Computer giant Microsoft has signed a USD 170-million five-year contract with India's HCL for outsourcing work for its online business productivity suite.

HCL will provide 600 employees to support the contract and nearly 250 workers have already begun work on the project.

Microsoft has not said whether this contract is to replace any existing agreement it has in India, or if this deal is an expansion of its current outsourcing scope.

Despite the recent job cuts, Microsoft has been expanding its online services business and has recently announced plans to make its Business Productivity Online Suite, a software-as-a-service offering, available for trial and purchase in 19 countries.

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Advani is not PM material!'

In his sharpest riposte yet to BJP leader L K Advani, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said he did not wish to have a television debate with him because he did not want to accord him the privilege of being "an alternative prime minister".

Attacking Advani for repeatedly calling him a weak prime minister, Manmohan Singh retorted: "I am not used to abusive language. That is the culture inherited from parents, from teachers and the concept of what Indianness is."

"Using harsh language does not solve any problem and accentuates conflict," he said in his interaction with members of the Indian Women's Press Corps.

"Kamzor ya strong judge karne ke liye zor zor se baatein karne se nahin hota (By merely talking loudly one does not become strong or weak) ," he said.

Alluding to Advani's challenge to him for a American-style nationally televised debate, Manmohan Singh said that I can't match "Advaniji in public speaking or asserting things.

"I am not a good speaker, but I take decisions.

"I believe that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. What is the record of Advani?," he asked.

"The BJP has not allowed Parliament to function. The BJP shied away from all these discussions and now Advani wants to come and debate with me. And I don't want to give him the privilege that he is an alternative prime minister," he said.

Singh also took on Advani for taunting him for not contesting Lok Sabha polls. "There have been PMs from Rajya Sabha. Advani has to amend the constitution to ensure that his wishes prevail. Indira Gandhi had been one for one and half years, H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujral too," he replied when asked whether he was planning to contest Lok Sabha polls.

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Coach Kirsten is the recipe for India's Success

Indian batting stalwart Sachin Tendulkar credits coach Gary Kirsten with helping the team become a force in world cricket again.

India won their first Test series on New Zealand soil in four decades this week, their third successive Test series victory since defeating top-ranked Australia in November.

"The secret to this success is the players are playing their natural game," Tendulkar told Mumbai tabloid Mid Day on Friday.

"That can only happen if the atmosphere is good and the mind is free of any kind of pressure.

"... it's the case of natural instincts taking over and that can be credited to Gary (Kirsten). The team environment is allowing players to play their natural game. That's probably the secret," Tendulkar added.

Tendulkar, the world's highest run-getter in Test and one-day cricket, was second behind Gautam Gambhir in the runs tally for the team in the Test series with 344 runs.

Former South African opener Kirsten took over from Greg Chappell last year and has helped the Indian team improve their performances, earning the respect of the players for his quiet approach following a turbulent period under the Australian.

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Terror alert in Pakistan

A heightened security alert has been sounded in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad amid reports of a terror threat from Taliban.

The US embassy has suspended its routine consular services.

"Regular consular services, such as visa processing for Pakistani nationals, won't be available in the capital tomorrow. But the embassy will still be available to provide emergency services to Americans," the spokesman was quoted as saying by Geo TV.

The US government has reportedly issued a fresh advisory for its citizens to remain watchful in Pakistan and has directed them not to travel and stay there unnecessarily, the channel said.

While officials say it’s due to heightened security in the capital, it's not only the US embassy that is on alert. International aid agencies in the capital will also be closed for the same reason.

This comes amid reports that terror groups may be planning to strike in Islamabad. The US is particularly vulnerable because of its drone attacks targeting the taliban in Pakistan's tribal areas.

The last few weeks has seen terror attacks rising in the country. The last attack took place in north Waziristan killing 17.

In fact, there have also been reports of the Taliban moving into big cities like Islamabad and Karachi in the recent days to seek refuge against US drone attacks in the tribal areas.

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Twinkle Khanna arrested for unbuttoning Akshay

The moral policemen of India do not forgive those who challenge the conservative set-up of society.

Bollywood couple Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna is paying for their act - done in jest and haste, but now being condemned by the moral brigade. Little did the couple know that their publicity stunt at Lakme Fashion Week would blow out of proportion, resulting in the reported arrest of Twinkle Khanna.

News has it that Twinkle Khanna, was taken into custody by Vakola police, in Mumbai after she reportedly surrendered in the presence of her lawyer Bhairav Choudhary. She was later released on a bail of Rs 950. Twinkle informed the police that Akshay, who is currently out of Mumbai, will present himself before the police on his return on Monday.

Assistant commissioner of police (Vakola division) Arvind Mahabdi said: ‘‘it was a bailable offence and we released her on a bail of Rs 950 at the police station itself. We are now waiting for Akshay.’’

The case was filed by Anil Nair, claiming to be a social worker, who alleged that husband and wife had behaved in an obscene and vulgar manner and action should be initiated against them.

Twinkle publicly unzipped Akshay’s jeans, while he was walking the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani's Levi's show in Mumbai during, Lakme Fashion Week. The star, who is a brand ambassador for Levi's since 2008, was reportedly promoting Levi’s 'Live Unbuttoned' campaign. The unbuttoning act was to be done by a model but Akshay surprised his wife by asking her to unzip his jeans – the act led to a huge uproar and Akshay had to apologize later.

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Facebook hits 200 million users

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has proudly announced the social networking site has recently welcomed its 200 millionth user.

This means just under 3 percent of the world's population has a Facebook account.

If Facebook were a nation, it would be the world's 5th most populous one, behind Indonesia with 229 million and ahead of Brazil with 191 million inhabitants.

However, we don't doubt for a second Brazil would beat Facebook with a double digit score in any football match, apart from the ones played on PlayStations, of course.

Zuckerberg says the outfit will celebrate the milestone with a series of charitable drives, and that it will create a space on Facebook in which users will be able to share their stories on how Facebook has helped their communities.

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IPL 2.0 = Epic Disaster?

The second edition of Indian Premier League will be more competitive than the inaugural season, feels Kings XI coach Tom Moody.

Moody said there was no way anybody can pick one team above the other, and said that all the sides were evenly matched.

"All the teams in the competition are very strong," said Moody.

"I think it would be foolish of anyone to try and predict who the favourites or second favourites will be."

The former Australian international said the South African public would be in for a first-class experience when the Twenty20 tournament exploded into action April 18.

"The thing about the IPL - and we saw this in India last year - is that you see some outstanding cricket because you've got all the world's best players on stage in one tournament. So you're in for a treat," Moody was quoted as saying by The Herald.

Moody identified the Delhi Daredevils as one of the Kings XI's biggest threats. The teams meet in Cape Town April 19.

"Delhi Daredevils is always a tough game for us. We have got them first up and they boast a good international list but also have some very good Indian stars."

Moody said the franchise had been received well since arriving in at the start of the week.

"It's of great excitement for us to have the opportunity to practice at terrific facilities here in Port Elizabeth. The ground at St George's is certainly world class, the pitches have been world class and we are enjoying the experience.

"That's particularly so for our Indian players who need to get used to conditions here in South Africa."

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Muslims are harassed in name of Terror

Acknowledging that Muslim youth are sometimes harassed in the "name of terrorists", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday night asked security forces to observe "zero tolerance" for fundamental human rights violations while dealing with such cases.

Interacting with a group of senior Urdu journalists here, he said the entire community could not be suspected of being terrorists and that being a Sikh, he understands the concerns of Muslims.

He suggested that committees, comprising respected Muslims, should be set up in states to look into any case of harassment of innocent members of the community.

"Mai manta hun ki hindustan ke musalmanon ko kaafi mushkilat ka samna karna padta hai, kuch samay terrorist ke naam par Muslim navjawanon ko pareshan bi kiya jata hai (I agree that Indian Muslims face a lot of difficulties, sometimes in the name of terrorists, Muslim youth are harassed)," Singh said.

Underlining that he "understands" the problems faced by the minority community, the Prime Minister said his message to security forces, whether in Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere, is zero tolerance for fundamental human rights violations."

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Miranda Kerr thinks she's Ugly

Arguably one of the sexiest babes on the planet, and not to mention a personal favorite of mine, Miranda Kerr, doesn’t see herself as a sex symbol.

Here’s her brilliant quote from In Touch:

“I don’t look at myself as a sex symbol. I see it as a job, and I’m working for a company that I really love and enjoy working for,” the brunette beauty told In Touch at the launch of the new Dream Angels Push-up Bra for Victoria’s Secret in New York on April 7.

First off she's a supermodel. She's hired specifically for her looks and not for anything else!

Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom has found a real treasure chest. He is reportedly engaged to the 25 year old Miranda, who has recently wrapped up shooting for an ad for Victoria's Secret.

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DVD Review: "Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter"

I didn't particularly enjoy the theatrical release of Watchmen, but I also didn't hate it.

For those that haven't read the "Watchmen" graphic novel, "The Tales of the Black Freighter" is a violent pirate comic read by one of the characters within the story and it coincidentally mirrors the story being told in its own alternate universe.

"Tales of the Black Freighter" provides a layering effect that strengthens the central plot line and adds additional depth. It is one of the reasons a filmed adaptation was thought to be impossible for so long and one of the reasons the simplified story shown in theaters didn't particularly move me.

Gerard Butler from Zack Snyder's '300' provides the voice of the protagonist in this interesting 26-minute short that will certainly appeal to the fans of the graphic novel more than unfamiliar audience members who are likely to watch it and wonder how it could possibly fit in with what they saw in theaters.

Also included on this disc is "Under the Hood," another short pieced together from the pages of the "Watchmen" graphic novel inspired by the faux superhero autobiography of the first Nite Owl. This is a feature more likely to resonate with folks that saw the theatrical release of Watchmen, as it ties in well to the film and simply provides a little bit of background story.

Supplements include a documentary on the making of both "Tales of the Black Freighter" and "Under the Hood" as well as detail their involvement in the Watchmen universe. The doc is titled "Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen", and it is the best thing on this disc.

Watching "Tales of the Black Freighter" come to life was more fun than the whole of watching Watchmen, but it all still feels incomplete and it will remain incomplete until Warner releases the director's cut. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that the ultimate version of Watchmen somehow manages to appeal to all sides.

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New York gunman kills 13, commits suicide

The slayings took place on the main floor of the American Civic Association (ACC) in Binghamton, 135 miles (217 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

The gunman, reported by media outlets to be of Vietnamese origin, had barricaded a car against the back door of the center to prevent escape. He then entered the front of the building and opened fire, apparently committing suicide soon after.

Dozens more people spent four hours cowering in the center's basement, waiting to be told by police that they were safe to leave.

Local police chief Joseph Zikuski said that there were "14 confirmed dead in the building" and that he had "very good reason to believe that the shooter is among the dead at the scene."

"We removed safely 37 people. Four people we removed are wounded. All four are listed in critical condition," Zikuski told a press conference.

However, he cautioned "by no means are we 100 percent sure" about the killer's body being among those at the building.

Zikuski said that the emergency call was made by the first woman shot by the gunman, a receptionist shot in the stomach but who pretended she was dead until she could make her escape.

"A lone gunman entered the building and immediately shot her and another receptionist. Unfortunately that (second) receptionist is now deceased. Then he went into another room and shot several more people."

Two handguns were recovered at the scene, he said.

CNN identified the gunman as Jiverly Wong, in his early 40s, from Johnson City, near Binghamton, where he lived with his mother. Police have searched his home, CNN said.

Zikuski said the gunman had been "recently terminated from a job. He didn't speak English very well," and was feeling pretty low.

US President Barack Obama, on a visit to France, said he was "shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the act of senseless violence."

Many of those in the center, which helps people prepare for citizenship tests, were apparently of Vietnamese origin and did not speak good English.

Eyewitness Richard Griffis told CNN the school was "kind of a melting pot for people."

New York state Governor David Paterson said victims were there to pursue "the American dream."

"There still is an American dream and all of us who are Americans will try to heal this very, very deep wound in the city of Binghamton," he said.

The outburst of violence apparently was over quickly, but hours of tension followed.


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Baitullah Mehsud claims responsibility for US shooting

Islamabad, April 4: Pakistan`s Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack on a US immigration centre in New York, Geo TV reported. 13 people were killed in the attack. "I accept responsibility. They were my men. I gave them orders in reaction to US drone attacks," Mehsud told media men by telephone from an undisclosed location. A man armed with two handguns killed 13 people at an immigration services centre before apparently turning the gun on himself, said authorities in Binghamton, upstate New York. They identified the killer as Jiverly Wong, an immigrant from Vietnam.

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Movie Review: 'Fast and Furious'

Almost as good as the First one

I had a lot of fun with 'Fast and Furious' despite the fact the storyline is so god-awful I am not even sure I could break it down without stopping every moment just to reinforce how stupid each turn in the plot actually is.

However, when it boils down to it 'Fast and Furious' is hardly about plot. The story is only there in an effort to make sure we get fast cars, nearly-naked women, explosions, gun fire and rap music on screen in a film that does its best to never slow down making it hard to find flaws while you are watching, which leaves the second guessing for the ride home.

For fans of the franchise (and if you aren’t a fan why do you even care about this movie?) you are already excited as Vin Diesel returns as Dom Toretto and Paul Walker returns as Brian O’Conner. Dom is still a fugitive on the run and Brian is still an FBI agent, their paths cross as Dom looks to settle a score and Brian looks to bring down a major drug trafficking ring. Along with Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster as well as Sung Kang who played Han in 'Tokyo Drift', the film gets its nostalgic moments over early and gets right into being oh-so-fast and oh-so-furious.

The film opens with an extremely impressive chase sequence bringing back memories of 2001’s 'The Fast and the Furious' as Dom and Letty (Rodriguez) lead a train of four cars closing in on a lone gas truck carrying four separate loads of valuable petrol. The goal is gas for that night’s street racing and I will say some nifty camera work — including an impressive rising camera shot over a steep hill — and a finale that makes me say, “Finally the characters watched the explosion they helped create instead of turning away all cool-like.” It was a perfect way to make sure the audience gave the film a chance from the get go and it also lets you in on what to expect: crazy ridiculous stunts at high speeds.

Walking into the theater be sure to turn your brain completely off as there is no denying moments in this film are absolutely ludicrous. Most especially, the worst of the bunch is a pair of mountain tunnel sequences that can only be compared to the pod-race in 'Star Wars: Phantom Menace'. Outside of that, and a split-second sex scene that is so out of place, I had few problems with this film. Sure, the cops only seem to be around when the story requires it and the dialogue is limited to catchphrases when the characters aren’t staring one another down, but all you need to do is sit back and cheer for the “good” guys as they take on the bad guys.

'Fast and Furious' doesn’t ask you to think beyond “Wow, that was fast!” and “Damn, that girl is hot!” Objectify women much? Yeah, if you are a feminist you may want to stay away.

This is a testosterone filled feature that delivers on expectations, and if you are even slightly interested you should already be in line. And if you aren’t then you probably weren’t reading this review anyway. This film is by no means a masterpiece, but it sure was a lot of fun.

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Sallu beats up Photographer

Famously infamous Salman Khan once again flew into relentless rage. Known for his unprecedented fits of fury, the angry old man of Bollywood lost his cool and knocked down a photographer.

Sounds familiar right? After all this isn’t the first time Sallu has landed in such wrathful antics. The actor was recently under arc lights for slamming his Barbie Katrina after she refused to stop working with Akshay. Thereby infuriating the Khan who punished her with one tight slap.

This time round however, the photographer in question had some lucky angel smiling down at him as the actor refrained from getting physical. All Sallu did was raise his hand and scare off the poor photographer.

Buzz states that Salman, oblivious of his star power, was riding his bike on one of the busiest streets of Mumbai. Spotted by a photographer, the man decided to make use of the opportunity by clicking Sallu’s sweaty pictures.

On noticing the photographer, Sallu not only attacked him verbally by hurling abuses but also snatched his camera. The actor reportedly asked the photographer, " Main sh** karunga toh uski bhi photo loge".

And if he himself wasn’t enough the buffed up actor instructed his bodyguards to grab the camera and do away with the pictures.

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Bollywood goes on Strike

Producers fume over Multiplexes

Bollywood film producers are to go on strike after failing to settle differences with multi-screen cinemas over revenue sharing.

The protest means no new films will be released in popular multiplex cinemas. Producers are demanding a 50% share in the revenues generated by the cinemas. Owners say the share should be lower if a film performs poorly.

Bollywood, the world's largest, has already been badly affected by the global economic crisis. The indefinite strike is expected to begin on Saturday.

Actor-producer Vinay Pathak said many high-budget films have been put on hold and all parties stood to lose from the dispute.

"This problem can only be resolved if both parties find a solution that will be beneficial for producers, distributors and multiplexes, and hence for the audience," he said.

Producer Mukesh Bhatt said that multiplexes have grouped together and are holding the producers, who have never before united on the issue, to ransom. But multi-screen cinema owners say producers should get less than 50% of revenues if a film does badly at the box office.

"If a movie does well, producers should get more money," said Alok Tandon, the Inox multi-screen cinema chain's chief operating officer. "If a movie doesn't do well they shouldn't."

"Everybody should be on the same platform."

Multilplexes have decided to show old films until the dispute is resolved. The cinemas have boomed in India, especially in the cities, accounting for nearly 70% of the $2bn a year Hindi film industry.

Many producers now make films for release only at multiplex cinemas. Cinema-goers outside one swanky multi-screen cinema complex in Mumbai said they hoped the strike would end soon.

"If the strike is on for a longer time we will watch the IPL [Indian Premier League cricket] at home or we will watch movies at single screen cinemas," said one. Bollywood has been badly hit by the global economic slowdown and the latest dispute will heap more misery on the industry. It is already fearing a big drop in its audiences when the IPL cricket bonanza starts in South Africa in mid April.

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Genelia won't work without Riteish

Flying high on her teen love story ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, Genelia D’Souza is making some outrageous adolescent demands and throwing childlike fits.

The spunky beauty is losing some prestigious projects owing to her ‘in your face’ display of tantrums as she goes on to demand a role for her good friend Riteish in each of her films.

Ever since Riteish and Genelia came together in ‘Masti’, industry is abuzz with a reported love affair between the two. And though they have gone around denying all love allegations, Genelia is known to be much too sweet on this hottie.

According to our sources, the vivacious beauty was to be a part of Revathy's directorial project starring Jaya Bachchan, Raveena Tandon, Madhavan, Mithun Chakraborthy and Ayesha Takia. But the lass backed out when the filmmakers refused to make space for Riteish

Confirming the news, a daily even quoted a source as telling, " Genelia loved the subject and was ready to do the film. However, she laid down a condition: take Riteish opposite her. She said that she wasn't comfortable with anyone else as co-actor. This left the producers dumbfounded."

In a bid to reason with Genelia, the producers even tried to show her the logic. But all went futile when the actress refused to back down and lost the opportunity in the process.

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Priyanka Gandhi's father in Law commits suicide

Rajinder Vadra, the father-in-law of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was on Friday found hanging from a ceiling fan in a south Delhi guest house.

"Rajinder used the wire of a clothes iron to hang himself from the ceiling fan in a guest house, City Inn, in Hauz Khas area. A room attendant found the body around 9.30 a.m.," said a police official.

"The guest house employees rushed him to a private hospital in Saket where he was declared brought dead. The body was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital for post-mortem," the official added.

According to the official, Vadra was in his 60s and was staying at the guest house for some time. He was undergoing treatment at the Super Specialty Max Hospital for a liver disease, he said.

After the post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to his son Robert Vadra. The cremation was held at the Lodhi Road crematorium.

Rajinder Vadra resided in the Civil Lines area of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and ran a brass and wood handicrafts business from there.

Around seven-eight years ago Robert Vadra sent a notice to his father and elder brother Richard, accusing them of using his relationship with Priyanka Gandhi to try and get people appointed to the Uttar Pradesh Congress committee and the Moradabad District Congress committee.

Rajinder Vadra, who was separated from his family, had in an interview denied his son's allegations and expressed his displeasure at his marrying Priyanka, the daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

His daughter Michelle died in a car accident some years ago.

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Crowe apologises for Lambasting Sehwag

Former New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe has apologised for being too "harsh" and "impatient" while criticising Virender Sehwag's captaincy during the second Test in Napier which ended in a draw.

"I often have bad days and so I wish to apologise for being too harsh, too quickly," Crowe wrote in his column for a cricket website. "I should have waited and seen more of Sehwag as captain before casting an opinion."

Crowe had termed Sehwag as the "worst" captain and referred to his decisions as "unfocused thinking" during the second Test in Napier.

But his comments drew flak from former cricketers forcing the 46-year-old Kiwi to admit that he should have been more patient.

"Tony Greig has made it clear that he thinks I have been too harsh on Virender Sehwag's captaincy in the second Test in Napier," Crowe wrote.

"He rightly points out that Sehwag had a bad game, but who doesn't? He says, along with Ian Chappell, that Sehwag has done some good work as vice-captain in the past. I am not about to argue with these astute gentlemen.

"May I say though that I can't withdraw that comment that what I saw in Napier was the strangest and poorest display of tactics I've seen," Crowe said.

"But I should have been more patient in assessing his role as a leader overall, after all he was only given the captaincy minutes before the toss," he clarified.

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Obama admits India is a global superpower

Declaring that India was the new global power, US President Barack Obama said the country is a critical player on the world stage.

Obama was speaking after he had his first meeting with PM Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

He said the US sees India as a global partner and together the two countries can play a critical part in meeting the challenges of the 21st century, he said at the end of a lively one-on-one meeting with Singh.

“Singh has unleashed India’s economic power in the world. He is largely responsible for the rise of India,” Obama noted.

PM Manmohan Singh returned the US president;s compliments by saying India greatly admires Obama.

Singh referred to strategic relationship that had developed between the two countries during the last five years and India wanted to carry this forward.

"Under your leadership we will face challenges such as climate change," the Prime Minister told Obama

Conveying India's keenness to carry forward the Indo-US strategic relationship that has developed over the last five years, Singh told Obama that India and the US shared "same dreams and same vision" and the two countries would like to work together to realise those dreams.

Singh said he would like to invite Obama to India where a warm welcome awaits you. Obama, inturn, invited Singh to the US.

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Madhavan returns in 13B Sequel

If you weren't quite horrified with the atrocity that was '13B', this bit of news should petrify you - the sequel of 13B is afoot.

Star Madhavan and director Vikram K Kumar have already discussed ideas of the spooky sequel and the film should hit screens in 2011. In fact Madhavan was so pleased with the outcome of '13 B', that the star took the director on a short holiday.

Madhavan said, "I had promised Vikram a treat during the making of the movie. He deserves every bit of the success he is getting now after six years of hard work in this industry. Vikram and I going for a holiday to Dubai or Singapore. It is a boys-only holiday, where we will be chilling out, eating and indulging in water sports."

Madhavan added, "This holiday will also be discussion time for 13B's sequel. I am glad that the movie did well in Hindi as well as Tamil. We look forward to offer more to the audience."

'13 B' was a Box Office flop, but Madhavan has the biggest film of his career lined up for 2009, '3 Idiots'. He has slimmed down a great deal for the film and wll star alongside bigwig Aamir Khan (who had to sign a contract that restricts him from interfering with the direction and screenplay) and fellow 'Rang de Basanti' compatriot Sharman Joshi. '3 Idiots' finished shooting in April and Madhavan can't stop raving about it. "It is crazy fun on the sets but at the same time, serious work happening. I am working on my dates and as soon as I am done I will fly out with Vikram" he said

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Miss Universe Loves Guantánamo Bay

You might want to get on the phone with your travel agent right now to book a trip to the extremely beautiful paradise Guantánamo Bay.

Why? Because it will be the travel destination of the year! Miss Universe agrees, because she recently paid a visit and never wanted to leave!

The New York Times says The Miss Universe Organization sent to the detention center in Cuba to meet the U.S. soldiers and their families. Two days ago, she blogged about it on her website, but it was taken down yesterday. You can read the whole entry here, but I've capped some of the more WTFish quotes a bit below:

"This week, Guantánamo!!! It was an incredible experience.

We also met the Military dogs, and they did a very nice demonstration of their skills.

We visited the Detainees camps and we saw the jails, where they shower, how the recreate themselves with movies, classes of art, books. It was very interesting.

The water in Guantánamo Bay is soooo beautiful! It was unbelievable, we were able to enjoy it for at least an hour.

I didn’t want to leave, it was such a relaxing place, so calm and beautiful."

After The Miss Universe Organization took down the post, they issued this statement: "Dayana Mendoza’s comments on her blog were in reference to the hospitality she received while meeting the members of the U.S. military and their families who are stationed in Guantánamo."

Should Miss Universe be kept away from anything that causes her to put thoughts together? Just smile, wave, play with cute dogs - that sort of a thing.

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IIM Bangalore Increases Seats, Hikes Fees

Rs 5 lakh to Rs 5.75 lakh

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore has increased fees for its two-year post-graduate programmes from Rs five lakh to Rs 5.25 lakh.

And for 2010-11, the fee has been hiked to Rs 5.75 lakh. This was unanimously decided at the Board of Governors meeting presided by IIM-B Chairman Mukesh Ambani, IIMB Director Prof Pankaj Chandra told reporters.

"We looked at the additional cost, wages increase, the increase in pension because of the sixth pay commission which we had to bear", he said, also noting that IIMB does not get any government funding. "In fact, the hike was coming to Rs 2.5 lakh but we limited it out and hopefully we will control our cost".

He said IIMB has also increased the number of seats in its post-graduate programmes from 270 to 350. IIMB is starting a new post-graduate executive programme from tomorrow, and 75 students have already enrolled for it.

Asked if IIMB has plans to make changes in the curriculum, Chandra said the Institute is going to review the entire programme sometime later but added that core subjects would remain the same.

On compliance with OBC quota requirements, he said: "We will be exceeding OBC requirements by 15-20% this year".

Only a month ago, the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) had more than doubled its fees to Rs 9 lakh for over 400 students for the 2009-11 academic session, while doubling the scholarship fund from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore per year.

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First Look: The HTC Snap Phone

Although we're not sure how well received a non-touch screen Windows Mobile device will be this day in age, the HTC Snap aka S522 is HTC's latest Windows Mobile Standard handset using version 6.1 of the OS.

The biggest flaw of the Snap has to be its 2.4-inch QVGA display (that's 320x240 pixels), as this is definitely not cutting edge. However, despite being a non-touch screen device, the built in trackball should vastly help navigation, at least in comparison to a four way navigation button. There's also a full QWERTY keypad on the front of the Snap and there's no denying that the Snap looks like a cheap knock-off Blackberry, but for some this isn't a bad thing.

On the hardware side of things you're looking at a 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 256MB of ROM and 192MB of RAM. Add to this built in 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, aGPS, a 2 Megapixel camera, a microSD card slot and a USB 2.0 port and you have a fairly feature rich handset, with maybe the only exception being the camera which is a bit of a letdown compared to most other handsets.

The Snap features 3G with HSDPA, although HTC hasn't listed at what speed. With quad band GSM support and dual band 3G, it seems like a fairly good option for people that travel as well. The battery is said to be good for up to 480h of standby in 3G mode and 380h in GSM mode while you get 300 minutes talk time in 3G mode and 510 minutes in GSM mode.

HTC has also added a new feature they call Inner Circle which gives you quicker access to messages from a selected number of contacts, which might be handy if you're swamped with messages on a daily basis.

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G20 Leaders will pump $1 Trillion

Leaders of the world's most powerful countries have agreed to pump $1 trillion into the ailing global economy by 2010.

In a news conference to mark the end of the London G20 summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the funding formed part of a package that would shorten the recession and save jobs.

U.S President Barack Obama said later the G20 summit had been “very productive” and should mark “a turning point” in the pursuit of economic recovery. He also pledged that the International Monetary Fund would be reformed.

“By any measure, the London summit was historic,” he told a post-summit press conference.

“It was historic because of the size and the scope of the challenge that we face and because of the timeliness and the magnitude of our response.”

Agreements have been made to give the International Monetary Fund, which helps country's with struggling economies, a $750billion (£510billion) rescue package.

This consists of a $500billion boost plus a $250billion IMF "overdraft" in Special Drawing Rights (the currency of the IMF) that can be used by the world's poorest countries. There also will be about $250bn committed to boost international trade.

Other measures included action to “clean up” the banks — with new rules on pay and bonuses — and imposing sanctions on countries that do not sign up to anti-tax haven regulations.

Declaring that India was the new global power, US President Barack Obama said the country is a critical player on the world stage. Obama was speaking after he had his first meeting with PM Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

Brown, speaking on behalf of the G20 leaders, said: “We believe that global problems require global solutions. This is the day that the world came together to fight back against the global recession, not with words but with a plan for global recovery and reform.”

Mr Brown said new rules on pay and bonuses “at a global level” that reflected actual performance not failure would “encourage corporate responsibility in every part of the world”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the summit agreements saying: "Very, very good, almost historic compromise."

A long line of limousines containing other world leaders streamed through London’s Docklands amidst extremely tight security for the G20 summit. President Obama had warned that agreement at the summit was essential if the world was to avoid the mistakes which led to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof also said today that the price of failure would be "beyond catastrophic". He told reporters at the ExCel Centre: “Normally in summits you get a nice agreement but nobody takes it seriously. We had better take it very seriously indeed.”

Hopes of a deal hit a last-minute stumbling block after French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel last night warned they would not sign up unless there was tougher regulation of financial markets.

At a joint news conference yesterday, they said that it was a “red line” issue and that they would speak with “one and the same voice” in the talks today.

Mr Sarkozy in particular has faced accusations of grandstanding for the benefit of a French domestic audience, a claim he angrily brushed aside insisting that his hard-line stance was nothing to do with “ego or temper tantrums”.

Nevertheless the French president was a pointedly late arrival at last night’s working dinner for the leaders at No 10.

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Its Official: Hamilton Cheated at the Aus GP

Current world champion Lewis Hamilton is walking on thin ice - he could very well be thrown out of the Formula One World Championship on grounds of cheating and fibbing.

FIA Stewards have found him guilty of misleading and lying to them during and after last Sunday's Australian Grands Prix. He has already been stripped off all the points from the race, but now he faces a one year ban if he's found violating the International Sporting Code.

In case you didn't already know, here's what happened in Melbourne on Sunday: the safety car came out after a late collision between Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica in his BMW Sauber.

Trulli slid off the track and was passed by Hamilton but the Toyota driver, who has welcomed the decision, said he had little choice but to overtake the Briton again.

Now the new juice is that the radio transmissions between Hamilton and the pit wall reveal that he misled stewards.

Here is the the radio conversation between Hamilton and the Pit crew:

Hamilton: "The Toyota went off in a line at the second to last corner. I overtook him, is this okay?'

Team:"Understood, Lewis. We'll confirm and get back to you.

Hamilton: "He was off the track. He went wide.

Team: "Lewis, you need to allow the Toyota through. Allow the Toyota through now."

According to the FIA, Hamilton and McLaren have been accused of acting "in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards".

If found guilty, FIA will suspend Hamilton from further races in this year's Championship and also strip McLaren of constructors' points.

It is not the best of starts to McLaren's season, especially after the blues of the 'Spygate scandal' last year.

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Tata Nano Review - is it worth the Hype?

India is predominantly a market of small cars and a big chunk of the choice of vehicles available is concentrated on the affordable end of the spectrum.

Yet, the prospect of safe personal mobility is a dream for most Indian families. The Nano is the first car that has the potential to fulfil this aspiration and truly be a people’s car in the Indian context and so, ‘Now you can’.

Like people’s cars of the past, the Nano’s too is a radical new design that has you riveted. Ultra-compact, tall and with free-flowing lines, it looks like a wide-eyed toddler eager to please, with a big smile plastered on its face.

After waiting for over a year, we finally had the opportunity to get behind the wheels of the Nano right after its commercial launch. So, what was it like and how will it perform on real tarmac? Read on to find out.

Much has already been written about the Nano’s vital statistics in terms of interior space compared to its nearest rival – the Maruti 800. But, it still does take you by surprise when you get to sit inside the Nano and personally get a feel of the space that has been leveraged out of a tall, relatively narrow outer shell.

There is considerable headroom and the fact that there is no engine under bonnet in the front helps the Nano offer deep foot wells and so lots of legroom for front passengers. At 1,652mm, the Nano is about 6 cms taller than the Hyundai Santro Xing, the tall-boy of small cars and it is also wider than both the small cars.

With the engine being positioned at the rear and just above the rear axle, the extremely stubby, short bonnet only houses the spare wheel and tyre, the air-conditioner condenser, air-conditioner’s air intake (in the LX and CX variants), the fuel filling point, and the tanks for the windscreen washer fluid and the brake fluid. There isn’t anymore space there and so no other storage option has been provided.

The Nano is a two-box car and is not a hatchback in the conventional sense of the term, since there is no hatch door to open out at the rear. In fact, though the rear of the Nano looks like it has an integrated hatch door, there are actually two parts – the rear glass and the rectangular, curved metal panel below it, both of which are fixed and bolted on. Access to the rear luggage storage area of 130 litres is via the back seat. Fold down the rear seat and the parcel tray fixed to it and you can reach the luggage area. It is pretty simple to do, but is likely to be one of the points that will be most criticised. The process has to be repeated and another floor panel fixed with the help of six wing nuts have to be removed to gain access to the engine of the Nano.

So, for a regular top-up service or even simple diagnostics, the rear engine bay can be reached only this way. But, the rather awkward process has to be tolerated, since the Nano’s focus on low costs means many of these features that are taken for granted in other hatchbacks cannot be carried forward in the One-lakh car.

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