Warne's 'B' Sample Tests Also Positive        

          SYDNEY: Leg spinner Shane Warne faces a two-year ban from international cricket now that his 'B' sample has also tested positive for banned diuretics. The Australian Sports Drug Agency, which carried out the tests, is believed to have informed him about the second positive test. Under ASDA protocol, he has a week to seek an internal inquiry or appeal to the administrative appeals tribunal. According to Sun Herald, Warne's lawyers are expected to argue that the type of diuretic used by him was not strong enough to hide traces of steroids.

PM Fears UN May Yield to US Pressure

          NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has expressed the fear that the Iraqi crisis is deepening and the UN may give in to US pressure to launch attacks against Iraq. He was speaking at the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday called before Parliament assembled for the second day of the Budget session.

           Briefing reporters after the meeting, BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said many countries were opposed to military action against Iraq but were unable to speak their minds openly. "The Prime Minister said international situation is deteriorating. There might be attack on Iraq. We don't want war. Most countries are against war, but they are not coming out openly. He also said that there was a possibility that the United Nations might lose its effectiveness. UN might come under US pressure and might give permission which is against moral principles," Malhotra said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi too told legislators of her party that there is no room for unilateral action in Iraq.

French Agency Finds No Iraq-Qaeda Nexus (Go To Top)

          PARIS: France's counter-intelligence service failed to produce evidence of any links between Iraq and the al-Qaeda network, the head of the DST agency said on Tuesday. "One thing is certain. There is no solid link between the regime of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda," Pierre Bousquet de Florian told France 2 television channel. But he said that although al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden "despises" Saddam, "sometimes they have interests in common."

Yash Chopra, Tabu, Shobhana Receive Film Awards (Go To Top)

          NEW DELHI: Yash Chopra, producer of Bollywood blockbusters like Deewar, Kabhi Kabhi and Dil to Pagal Hai, on Thursday received the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the top-most honour in the film industry, from President APJ Abdul Kalam amidst ... (Contd)

Visas Granted to New Deputy High Commissioners (Go To Top)

          NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan on Tuesday restored the level of their diplomatic representation to Deputy High Commissioner level by granting visas to Munawar Saeed Bhatti and TCA Raghavan, respectively. Bhatti replaces Jalil Abbas Jilani who had been expelled by India on charge of financing terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir. In a retaliatory action, Pakistan had thrown out Sudhir Vyas.

Storm Kills Four in Gujarat (Go To Top)

          GANDHINAGAR: At least four people were killed and 40 injured on Tuesday after a sudden storm and downpour hit parts of Gujarat. People in the villages of Golthra and Aamja, 30 km away from State Capital Gandhinagar, struggled to hold on to whatever they could when the storm continued for several minutes.

           In Golthra alone, nearly 200 houses collapsed. Agricultural crops were also badly destroyed. "At around 9 am (local time) a huge storm like a cyclone hit us. It took with it one woman and two children and killed all the three of them," said a distraught Arvind, a resident of Golthra. The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Gandhinagar.

           The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains in the region. It has also issued warnings to fishermen against going to sea. All precautionary measures have been taken and fire brigades are on a high alert all over the State.

Five Shot Dead in Bihar Village Over Land Dispute (Go To Top)

          BARH (Bihar): Police in Bihar said on Tuesday five people of a low caste (Kurmis) have been shot dead over a land dispute. The incident took place in Mokama village of Barh area in Patna district of the State. A witness said unidentified gunmen forcibly took away six people on Monday evening and shot five of them dead. "They came into our village and forcibly took the people away and killed them. God knows why they killed them. They took away six people. Five were killed. One escaped," said Janakai Devi, a village woman. Police attributed the killing to a land dispute between Yadavs (a middle-rung caste) and Kurmis (a low caste). "The Yadav people came and killed these backward caste people," said RS Ram, police inspector of the area. This is the fourth such incident in a week in Bihar in which 25 people lost their lives.

20 Killed, 125 Injured in S Korea Subway Fire (Go To Top)

          SEOUL:  At least 20 people were killed and 125 injured on Tuesday in a fire on a subway train in South Korea's third largest city of Taegu, said a report. Television pictures showed dark smoke billowing from an entrance to an underground station in the south-eastern city. "A man in his 40s dressed in a track suit set fire to a plastic milk carton containing a flammable liquid and threw it inside the subway train," witnesses said. As many as 600 passengers were aboard the train when the fire started at around 10 am (local time) and many could still be trapped, YTN television was quoted as saying.

Spice Girls Meet, One of Them Keen on Band Revival (Go To Top)

          LONDON: The former Spice Girls got together at Posh Spice's 'Beckhingham Palace' home in Hertfordshire, with at least one of them hoping they could get back together and revive the magic they cast on the pop world in the late nineties. It was the first time that the five - Mels B and C, Geri, Victoria Beckham and Emma Bunton - had been together for five years. A greatest hits project and shared business interests were due to be discussed over dinner.

           Hard-up Scary Spice Mel B, once worth 20 million pounds, has tried in the past to talk to the other four to revive the band. But Mel C, a successful solo artiste, declined saying: "It wouldn't be healthy for my career." Emma, Victoria and Mel B tried solo careers but were dropped by their label Virgin. Victoria has re-signed with Telstar. Geri who quit the band in 1998 has had more solo No.1 hits than any other female artiste, including 'Mi Chico Latino' and 'Its Raining Men'. She also became a UN special ambassador and a judge on Popstars: The Rivals.

          An insider was quoted as saying by the Sun that Mel B is very keen for this re-union and stands to gain the most. Sporty has the most to lose. She wants to be a female Robbie Williams and a re-union could upset her long-term plans, while Mel C is tied up for the whole year on her solo projects.

Just a 'Sorry' From Alex Ferguson (Go To Top)

          LONDON: 'Sorry' seems to be the hardest word for Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. According to a report in People News, a seething David Beckham wore a hairband so that all could see his stitches on Monday after the team manager kicked a football boot in his face. Beckham later revealed that he was livid about the dressing room bust-up, which he feared nearly blinded him.

           He was left with a nasty wound just a centimetre above his left eye that needed two stitches. The disgusted midfield ace retaliated by spitting at the manager, hitting his coat. A stubborn Sir Alex has refused to apologise to Beckham and insisted the eye injury he inflicted on the footballer was a freak act of nature. The player's Spice Girl wife Victoria has threatened to go and sort out Ferguson when she learned of the clash.

Secret Meeting Between Jude, Nicole Reported (Go To Top)

          WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Jude Law is alleged to have secretly met Nicole Kidman, with whom he has been linked for quite some time now, at a private house they "borrowed" from a common friend in London last week. The meeting took place less than 48 hours after the Aussie star herself publicly denied any role in the break-up of Jude and Sadie's marriage. It seems they met while Sadie Frost was in hospital with depression last week, according to a report in People News. Jude is also reported to have sent Nicole a dozen long-stemmed roses with the message to "Miss Valentine". Law and Kidman have continued their "close" friendship since the pair finished filming Cold Mountain.

Yash Chopra, Tabu, Shobhana Receive Film Awards (Go To Top)

          (Contd) ... standing ovation. Yash said, "No one expects award when he makes the film. It is the work and your contribution which counts. If you have in your destiny the award will come of its own. It is not because I have been in this field and making films, that this award has been given to me rather it is after 50-51 years this has come to me and I think it's great".

           Kalam also gave away the 49th National Film Awards in several categories, eight of which went to Aamir Khan's Lagaan, which lost out in the race for Oscar last year. India's film glitterati gave a big hand as Kalam presented the best actor's award to regional Malayalam film actor Murali for his role in 'Neythukaran' (Weaver) as a committed political worker caught in a web of changing values.

          Actresses Tabu and Shobhana shared the best actress award. Tabu won the award for her portrayal of a dancing girl in Madhur Bhandankar's off-beat 'Chandni Bar'. Shobhana shared the same honour with her role in the Tamil-English film 'Mitr' (Friend). Incidentally both the actresses were receiving the award for a second time. Speaking to ANI, Tabu said, "Usually I use to select the films which come to me. And luckly they got the award and recognition".

           The award was set up in 1969 to commemorate the outstanding contributions made by the late Dada Saheb Phalke to the film industry. How could an event of this much importance be complete without a get together. It was New Delhi's Taj Mahal Hotel's Diwan-e-Aam which came full of Bollywood personalities, noted journalists and diplomats of various countries.

           Host Subbirami Reddy, a film-maker and law-maker of main Opposition Congress party, said "The party was organised to acquaint south Indian artistes with the north. Mr Yash Chopra, 50 years of film-maker. Five decades he has worked. We both made Chandni, Lamhe and Vijay- three great films and my partner in 50 years have got Dada Saheb Phalke award. And also our south stars - Shobhana and Saundarya - they have got national awards. So I thought that let the Delhi friends share the happiness". The cynosure of all eyes at the party was Shobhana, the award-winning best actress from the south. One main thing about these parties is to bring people from various walks of life under one roof and have fun. It is also a place where one can hobnob with celebrities.

-ANI