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India celebrates historic win over Australia (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 16: Indians celebrated after clinching a famous victory over Australia on the final day of the second Test on Tuesday. Glued to their television sets, cricket lovers here hailed the win after 22 years in Australia. (Contd)

Lok Sabha passes anti-defection Bill (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 16: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday unanimously passed a Constitution amendment Bill seeking to check defection and horse-trading in government formation. The Bill debars a defector from holding any public office as a minister or any other remunerative political post for at least the duration of the remaining term of the existing legislature or until fresh elections. The Bill, which also seeks to restrict the size of the counicl of ministers, was passed with 416 members voting in favour and none against it.

Supreme Court upholds POTA (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 16: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the constitutional validity of the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), but with certain clarifications. Upholding the validity of POTA, a bench Justice S. Rajendra Babu and Justice G.P. Mathur dismissed five petitions challenging the anti-terrorist Act. The court also did not go into the issue raised by MDMK leader Vaiko challenging Section 21 (3) of the POTA under which extending support to a banned terrorist organisation has been made an offence. The apex court said the POTA court dealing with the Vaiko case would decide the case in the light of the court's judgement.

          Meanwhile, in another related development, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani rejected the Opposition's demand for repeal of POTA. However, he appealed to state governments not to misuse the law against political opponents. "The problem of terrorism has attained serious proportions in the country and a strict law like POTA is required to combat the menace," he said while speaking in the Lok Sabha here Tuesday. He introduced a Bill to amend the law to give more teeth to POTA Review Committee and make their directions binding on the Centre, state governments and police officers investigating the offence.

Indo-Bhutan border sealed (Go To Top)

          Kolkata, Dec 16: The Indian Army has sealed the Indo-Bhutan border to prevent sneaking of the insurgents into the country's territory following the massive military operation launched by Bhutanese Army against the north-east rebels operating from camps in the southern parts of the Himalayan kingdom. Announcing this here on Tuesday, GoC-in-C, Eastern Command, Lt Gen JS Verma said the ongoing operation in Bhutan had so far been successful and he expected that the militants would surrender soon.

          "The aim of the Bhutanese operation is to catch the maximum number of ULFA, NDFB and KLO militants and the Indian Army jawans, deployed along the border, will intercept the militants if they try to escape to the East in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal," Varma said. He added: "Helicopter surveillance is on and night vision devices are being used to guard the 380-km long border from the East through the plains in Assam, Basti, Santosh River to Phuntoshiling, he said, adding, ''So far the Indian Army has not suffered any casualty." It may be recalled that Bhutan had on Monday launched an operation against Indian insurgent groups that were active in the Himalayan kingdom's southern parts bordering Assam and West Bengal.

Bihar Govt faces no trust vote (Go To Top)

          Patna, Dec 16: The Opposition in Bihar Assembly on Tuesday tabled a no-confidence motion against the State Government citing deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Voting is slated to take place on Wednesday. The Opposition legislators, led by BJP, shouted slogans against the RJD-led goverment headed by Rabri Devi, wife of Bihar strongman Laloo Prasad Yadav. Leader of the Opposition Sushil Modi, of the BJP, said the no- trust motion would be put to vote on Wednesday. "We have taken a unanimous decision to hold a no-trust motion tommorow. First there will be a discussion and after that there will be a vote," Modi said. Meanwhile, Laloo discounted the no-trust motion as "drama" ahead of next year's polls.

Judeo, Jogi episodes brought disgrace: Vajpayee (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 16: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said that the two episodes involving former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi were a "disgrace and a black spot" on the future of democracy. The two prominent personalities of major political parties - former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Jogi and former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo - stand "accused" before the people and "I cannot express in words how upset I am," he told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The prime minister was giving reply to the discussion on the resignation of Judeo from the Central Government. He asked how long would the country depend on capitalists to fight elections.

Vajpayee's proposals `mischievous': Pak ruling coalition (Go To Top)

         Islamabad, Dec 16: Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's call for a single currency and for open borders among countries affiliated to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are "mischievous", said leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA) and its allied parties. "It's mischievous of Vajpayee to propose a single currency and open borders," the Daily Times quoted PML-QA Information Secretary Senator Tariq Azeem and National Alliance General Secretary Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani as saying here at a press conference on Monday.

          The press meet was called to discuss suggestions for the SAARC Summit. About the idea of having a common president as suggested by Vajpayee, the duo said: "How could the people of Pakistan accept a Hindu or Sikh as their president?" Referring to the example of Europe, the Senators said the common currency and open borders were possible only after bilateral issues between the European countries had been resolved. The two Senators proposed that the SAARC charter should be amended to enable member-countries to use it as a forum to resolve bilateral political issues.

          They added that an association of parliamentarians was needed to prompt more people-to-people interaction. "Likewise, there is a need to establish a controversy, observation and management group between the member-states. This group should be comprised of intellectuals, lawyers, media persons and human rights activists from all member countries." They suggested that arms reduction talks should be resumed among the SAARC countries. "This would help remove mistrust and would pave the way for a peaceful settlement of disputes," they said.

India defends fencing of LOC (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, Dec 16: Pakistan Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal fresh warning to India to stop fencing its side of the Line of Control (LoC) has been ignored by New Delhi, which says that this activity is being done to end terrorist or militant infiltration. Rao was quoted by the News as saying that the fencing has no legitimacy and the Kashmir dispute should be sorted out under UN resolutions. New Delhi on Monday said it would not stop building the fences along the cease-fire line in Kashmir despite Pakistan's objection. Indian officials said they wanted to finish the fencing by mid- 2004, while Pakistan views it as a move toward making the cease- fire line into an official boundary and opposes it. Meanwhile, Azad Kashmir Premier Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan has also warned India to stop "the unlawful fencing" of the Line of Control (LoC) and instead give serious attention to peacefully resolve the differences, including Kashmir problem, through dialogue with Pakistan.

US troops kill 11 Iraqis (Go To Top)

          Baghdad, Dec 16: US troops killed 11 Iraqis after coming under attack in a town north of Baghdad, a military statement said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, a roadside bomb injured three soldiers. Gunmen ambushed a US patrol on Monday afternoon in the town of Samarra, 100 km north of Baghdad, a statement said. The attackers used automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades but caused neither casualties nor damage to the patrol, which called in reinforcements, a statement said. A company commander on the scene said 11 insurgents were killed in the ensuing firefight. In Tikrit, a roadside bomb wounded three soldiers US officers said. Two were said to have sustained serious injuries.

Annan says Saddam must face open trial, no death penalty (Go To Top)

          United Nations, Dec 16: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that captured Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein should not face the death penalty at his trial, which he said must meet international standards, a international news agency reported on Tuesday. "This should be done through open trials in properly established courts of law, which will respect basic international norms and standards, including respect for international humanitarian law," Annan said. The UN does not support the death penalty and all the courts we've set up have not included the death penalty. So as secretary- general and the UN as an organisation are not going to now turn around and support the death penalty, Annan said. Earlier, Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council last week adopted a measure to set up a special tribunal to try members of Saddam's former regime for war crimes. Some members said Saddam could face the death penalty.

India celebrates 32nd anniversary of 1971 victory over Pakistan (Go To Top)

         New Delhi/Agartala, Dec 16: Defence Minister George Fernandes along with the three defence chiefs on Tuesday paid floral tributes at India Gate memorial here to mark the victory day over Pakistan in the 1971 war. At another function in Agartala, soldiers paid homage to the war heroes. December 16 is a landmark in the history of the armed forces as it was on this day in 1971 that they inflicted a crushing defeat on Pakistan and successfully assisted Bangladesh, earlier known as east Pakistan, in its liberation struggle. The 13-day war ended on December 16 when General AAK Niazi of Pakistan signed the instrument of surrender before India's Lt. Gen. Jasjit Singh Aurora at Dhaka. Over 93,000 Pakistani armed forces personnel were taken as prisoners of war. It was the biggest surrender of armed forces by any country in modern times. An estimated three million Bangladeshis were killed during the war.

Police arrest five for abetting child marriage in MP (Go To Top)

          Bijlipura (MP), Dec 16: Police in the remote Bijlipura village of Madhya Pradesh have arrested five people for abetting a child marriage. The nuptial ceremony of 13-year-old Kamlesh and 20-year-old Netrapal, both tribals, on Monday got a rude shock when police raided the party, declaring the marriage as illegal. The girls' parents along with the groom, his father and the priest who performed the ceremony have been taken into custody. Area sub-inspector S.Chaudan said: "We have taken action against the father, mother, bridegroom, bride and priest under the Indian marriage Act. Five people have been arrested." Marriages of boys under 21 and girls under 18 are illegal under the laws, but the custom is widespread in many parts of the country, particularly in the remote tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Nepalese troops kill 18 Maoists (Go To Top)

          Kathmandu, Dec 16: Nepalese troops shot dead 17 Maoist rebels, including a 19-year-old wife of a suspected guerrilla, an official and a human rights activist said here Tuesday. A security official said 15 Maoists died in a six-hour gun battle on Monday in Rolpa, the western district, even as two more rebels died in a clash in the southeastern Sunsari district.

Pakistan mills import Indian cotton (Go To Top)

          Karachi, Dec 16: Pakistani mills are importing cotton from India for the first time in several years as high local and international prices force them to look for cheaper sources, traders and cotton officials were quoted by the Dawn newspaper as saying. While demand and future availability are difficult to predict, some said that India, engaged in a tentative peace process with Pakistan, could become an important supplier, especially if trade routes continue to open up. Iqbal Umer, chairman of the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA), said his company had booked around 2,000 tons, or 11,000 bales of cotton from India out of a Pakistan total he estimated at 50,000 to 70,000 bales in the last four to six weeks.

India celebrates historic win over Australia (Go To Top)

          (Contd) Abhishek Singhal, a young cricket fan, said the victory was a new year gift. "We are very happy that we have defeated Australia. We are going to celebrate the Christmas and the New Year today only. And it is very good that we have defeated Australia after a span of 22 years. It is a New Year gift for us," he said. Mahesh Agarwal, another cricket fan, said: "We are feeling very happy. Now we will burst crackers."

          People in Kolkata took to the streets as a part of the celebrations. Children held posters of their favourite cricket stars and shouted "Win India" slogans. "We are very happy that after such a long time India has gone to Australia and won on the Australian ground. We send our heartiest congratulation to the Indian team," Abhijit, a cricket buff, said.

          Cricket fans in western Mumbai city said the team would win the Test series if the players continued in their current form. "India will win the Test series if it continues with this form. Tendulkar should play very well and Sehwag should not throw his wicket like they did today. Dravid should continue with his performance and Zahir should be back in the team, " said Rohit, a cricket buff. In Bangalore people took out a procession carrying the Indian flag and shouted slogans cheering the famous win.

          Set 230 to win, India reached the target with the help of vice- captain Rahul Dravid's unbeaten 72. India started the day on 37 for no wicket but lost openers Akash Chopra for 20 and Virender Sehwag for 47 before lunch at the Adelaide Oval. Sachin Tendulkar also went for 37 and captain Saurav Ganguly for 12 before tea to give Australia a glimmer of hope. But Dravid and VVS Laxman, who paired in the first innings for a record partnership, laid that to rest. The pair, who broke Australian hearts with a 376-run partnership in Calcutta two years ago and again with a 303-run stand in the first innings here, added a brisk 47 for the fifth wicket. Dravid, who scored a magnificent 233 in the first innings, was dropped by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist on nine and also by Ricky Ponting on 20.

          Australia, already without Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Brett Lee, suffered another setback before lunch when lanky paceman Jason Gillespie limped off with a groin injury. Gillespie gave Australia a perfect start when he trapped Chopra leg before wicket with the total on 48 but he went off soon after. Leg spinner Stuart MacGill kept Australia in the game when he had Sehwag stumped before lunch, then Tendulkar went lbw before tea without offering a shot. Simon Katich held a sharp catch at gully to get rid of Ganguly when paceman Andy Bichel found the edge.

Bottomlines

'I would give it all up for a man': Kidman (Go To Top)

          London, Dec 16: Oscar-winning Aussie actress Nicole Kidman doesn't mind giving up acting if her Mr. Right came along. "I would give it all up for a man who I thought was worth getting lost in, and to have another child," the Sun quoted the 36-year- old "Moulin Rouge" star as telling GMTV. "At the moment I launch myself into my work. That's how I express myself and that's sort of my marriage," she added. Asked if her U.S. rocker beau Lenny Kravitz, 39, had proposed, Kidman replied: "No, I never go there. I can't speak about it."

I'd love to have boobs and a butt like JLo' (Go To Top)

          Sydney, Dec 16: She has got a ballet dancer's body, but she desires a curvaceous one. Skinny Nicole Kidman has said that she desires to have curves like that of Jennifer Lopez, but she is just too thin. "I would love to have boobs and a butt like Jennifer Lopez. I honestly would. But I can't get them and I'm not going to have surgery, so there it is, guys," the Aussie superstar was quoted by Herald Sun as saying. Kidman's body shape has provoked attention in recent months, after photos showed her looking increasingly thin. But Kidman insists nature is to blame, not her diet. The Oscar-winning actress is also keen to see a baby in her future. "I hope I see a baby, that would be lovely," she said in an interview with Britain's Daily Mail. But her new squeeze, rocker Lenny Kravitz, may not be the prospective father.

J Lo gets clean chit on freeloading (Go To Top)

          New York, Dec 16: Slamming the reports, fashion designer Marc Jacob said that it wasn't Jennifer Lopez's freeloading behaviour that cost her the Louis Vuitton advertising campaign. According to a report in IMDb, it had been reported last week that Lopez was dropped from the marketing for the luxury brand because she took too many clothes home from the shoot. But Louis Vuitton head designer Jacobs insists that couldn't be further from the case - and JLo was offered all the goodies by them. He told website Pagesix, "We gave her everything. She was no diva - she was lovely and charming - I mean really, after we spent a fortune on those ads, how could we not offer her the clothes? Who wouldn't want Jennifer Lopez walking around in their designs?"

Smoking losing favour with people: Survey (Go To Top)

          London, Dec 16: Smoking is losing favour with an increasing number of individuals, concludes a British study published in the Lancet. After questioning over 1,300 adults, the National Health Service (NHS) smoking helpline found that over half of smokers are planning to quit the habit in the next 12 months. Forty-three percent said the warnings and advertising campaigns over the last year had made them more likely to quit. Three quarters of the participants believed smoking is less socially acceptable than a year ago. In fact, four out of every five women questioned said they believed smoking was less socially acceptable than it was at the start of 2003. Many said they had made smoking less attractive, appealing or socially acceptable.

          According to Ian Willmore, from the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health, the perception of smoking was a significant factor in prompting people to quit - or deterring them from starting smoking in the first place. "Warnings are important, advertising is important, but in addition, what is and isn't socially acceptable is very important too," he added.

Sarah Michelle Gellar to star in remake of Japanese horror flick! (Go To Top)

          New York, Dec 16: Get ready to see US actress Sarah Michelle Gellar in yet another action woman avatar! After finishing shooting on the seventh and final season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" last May, she will now play the lead role in "The Grudge," an English-language remake of the Japanese horror flick "Ju-On." Based on a TV movie of the same name, Ju-On refers to a violent curse issued by a person who died an unnaturally angry death. The curse lives by moving on to a new victim each time somebody dies. Being helmed by the original writer-director Takashi Shimizu, the Grudge will be produced under Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures, with the help of Taka Ichise, one of the original film's producers. Shooting on the Columbia Pictures project is expected to begin in Tokyo sometime next month, reports EOnline!

-ANI