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RSS demands 'handover' of Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura

          Kanyakumari, July 5: The RSS on Saturday demanded "handing over" of Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura to Hindus either through negotiation or legislation, and asked the Muslims to give up claim over these places of worship. (Contd)

Rain cools Delhi, traffic in chaos

          New Delhi, July 5: The first monsoon rain of the year which lashed this city on Saturday brought down temperatures substantsally but also led to traffic snarls at various points across the metropolis. The people could be seen in the streets with umbrellas in their hands, wading through ankle-deep water. The capital experienced a cool breeze as temperature came down to 25 degrees Celsius bringing relief from the sweltering heat of the last couple of days when the mercury had touched 38 degrees Celsius and humidity rose to 74 percent. The monsoon kept Delhi'ites waiting for six days because its scheduled arrival date was June 29. For residents, who battled with heat recorded at 45.8 degrees Celsius during May and June, Saturday's rains were a welcome shower. India receives about 80 percent of its rainfall from the south-west monsoon, which influences agricultural prices, consumer demand and wages. Sixty per cent of cultivable land in the country of one billion people is unirrigated.

French intelligence claims Osama alive

          Paris, July 5: After many months of hesitation, France's DST (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, the French FBI) has proclaimed that Osama bin Laden is alive and well, and living on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Quoting Le Figaro, Dawn said: "Bin Laden has indeed been able to move about regularly, although in a highly-protected fashion, within networks or tribes which we know ourselves to be practically impenetrable and where he is known to be in great security." "And, as these are the same tribes which travel back and forth across Afghanistan's frontier with Pakistan, or that with Iran, observers along the way believe they've seen him just about everywhere. Which is why nobody can pretend to say, to this day, that Osama bin Laden is in any way dead." And nobody is denying that it is a curious coincidence that the information is being leaked to the press - notably in national daily Le Figaro, a newspaper with close links to President Jacques Chirac and France's secret services - at the very moment when President Pervez Musharraf was in Paris to discuss the stepping up of Franco-Pakistani efforts to combat terrorism.

Catholic priest shot dead in Pak town (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, July 5: A Roman Catholic priest was shot dead in a town near Okara early on Saturday, according to the police. Father George Ibrahim was gunned down at home sometime after midnight at Renala Khord, a small town near Okara, about 300 km south of Islamabad, reports the News. No arrests were made. Father Ibrahim had received several death threats, an All Pakistan Minorities Alliance official was quoted as saying.

Talks process 'too slow': Musharraf (Go To Top)

          London, July 5: Talks between India and Pakistan are moving at a snail's pace, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf told reporters in Paris, adding that a certain pace was required to "break the ice." "The Indians can take their time and ensure that the process of dialogue begins without further loss of time. In my view, four actions are urgently required. Firstly, the talks should be initiated, secondly, we should accept that all pending issues should be discussed simultaneously, thirdly, Kashmir should not be sidelined and lastly a win-win situation principal should be kept in mind to deal with all left-out issues," the News quoted Musharraf as saying at a news conference in the French capital. "I personally feel that the best way of resolving the dispute, idealistically, is on a bilateral basis," he added.

          Efforts were made to sideline the Kashmir dispute issue, which was "untenable." He said he was aware of the difficulties in the use of word "mediation," adding that some other word could be found. "It could be mediation, facilitation or encouragement or whatever but there is a role being played now even behind the scenes to encourage this process of dialogue to start." He said he had never alleged that the Indian government was moving slowly to start the talks process. What he said was that the speed of the talks process was slow. Pakistan and India should try to find solutions to all issues, including Kashmir, acceptable to all the parties including Kashmiris.

One lakh TN employees sacked (Go To Top)

          Chennai, July 5: About one lakh Tamil Nadu government employees have been sacked following the promulgation of an ordinance on Friday. The ordinance seeks to dismiss all those who participated in the indefinite strike launched from July 2. The district collectors and appointing authorities in various government offices have pinned the dismissal orders on the notice boards. In Chennai about 10,000 employees, including 4,000 at the state secretariat, have been shown the door. The government has also initiated steps to recruit 15,000 people through employment exchanges to fill up the vacancies, according to sources. The strike, meanwhile, continued for the fourth day on Saturday.

Iraqi envoy to China resists recall (Go To Top)

          Beijing, July 5: Iraq's ambassador to China is resisting a recall order and has asked China to provide him police protection, the News quoted diplomatic sources as saying. Security in and around the Iraqi embassy in Beijing has been stepped up with policemen standing guard. Muwafak al-Ani, who submitted his credentials to the Chinese government in January, has ignored orders from the post-war Iraqi administration to return home.

Three militants killed in Kashmir (Go To Top)

          Srinagar, July 5: Security forces killed three militants in an encounter at a village close to Kangan early on Saturday. The forces had launched a search in the village following specific information but while they were doing their job, the terrorists hiding there opened fire and threw hand grenades. This led to retaliation and three militants were killed in the process. Three AK-47 rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

Four lakh rendered homeless in Assam flood (Go To Top)

          Guwahati, July 5: At least five persons have died and more than 400,000 people have been displaced as the flood situation worsened in Assam on Saturday. The waters of the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries have been rising menacingly following heavy rains in the state and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. In the state's Hajo district, more than 35,000 people have been displaced due to heavy monsoon rains.

          Officials said relief was being provided in the flood-hit areas. "We have taken care everywhere you can say. Only a few districts are left. We have been taking all the measures. We have spoken to the deputy commissioner to provide all the relief also. Everything from shelter, medicine, drinking water, even fodder for animal also," said Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of the state. Severe flooding, caused by seasonal monsoon rains, has disrupted normal life and washed away roads, bridges and rail tracks. Last year, floods in Assam killed 100 people and left 2.5 million of its 26 million people homeless. Officials expect more floods as bloated rivers like the Brahmaputra, which runs through the state, continue to rise above the danger levels.

20 killed in Moscow suicide blasts (Go To Top)

          Moscow, July 5: At least 20 people were killed and many seriously injured on Saturday when two female suicide bombers blew themselves up at a Moscow rock concert, a Russian news agency quoted Moscow police as saying. A suicide bomber survived the blast at the Tushino airfield in north-western Moscow and was among the injured, police said. There were two explosions at the ticket booth at the airfield entrance and a third at a nearby market, they said. Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov blamed the suicide blasts on Chechen separatists.

Advani, Joshi instigated karsevaks: CBI (Go To Top)

          Rae Bareilly, July 5: Opening its arguments, the CBI on Saturday claimed in the Special Court that Union ministers LK Advani and MM Joshi and some others had delivered "inflammatory speeches and instigated" the karsevaks to "demolish" the Babri Masjid. Reading out the statements of about one dozen witnesses before the Special judge VK Singh, CBI counsel SS Gandhi said that the witnesses had averred that the accused, including Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhara, VHP senior leader Ashok Singhal, had given "inflammatory" speeches on the morning of December 6, 1992. They had also "instigated" the karsevaks to demolish the Babri Masjid, Gandhi said quoting the witnesses. Of the total 39 witnesses, the statement of 12 were read out in the court. Counsel for the defendants SS Ahluwalia interrupted the CBI counsel on a number of occasions and pleaded that there was no specific mention of what and when their clients gave the alleged speeches. The arguments will continue.

RSS demands 'handover' of Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura  (Go To Top)

          (Contd) The demand was contained in a resolution adopted unanimously on the opening day of the two-day national executive meeting of the RSS with all the leaders of the other Sangh Parivar outfits like VHP supporting it, RSS spokesman Ram Madhav told reporters here. He said the RSS was for an early solution but was not in a hurry. There should not be any hurry in enacting a legislation without satisfying either of the parties involved. Madhav said the RSS understood the difficulties of the BJP as it did not have the required numbers in Parliament.

          The RSS demand assumes significance ahead of the crucial meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board in Lucknow on Sunday to consider Kanchi Sankaracharya's proposals on the Ayodhya issue. Ahead of the start of the meeting, VHP president Ashok Singhal reiterated his demand for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's resignation for "failure" to get a legislation enacted for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. "The BJP," Singhal said, "came to power on the issue of a Ram temple at Ayodhya. But it failed to deliver. Only a few months are left for the Lok Sabha elections. The Prime Minister should resign and go back to the people to seek a fresh mandate.''

           When asked if Deputy Prime Minister Advani should replace Vajpayee, Singhal refused to comment. He, however, said that though Advani had been associated with the Ramjanmabhoomi movement from the beginning and had even taken out the Rath Yatra in its support, he was quiet on the issue for the past two to three years. "It is time he decided what he should do on this,'' he added. Singhal ruled out any compromise on the disputed site in Ayodhya saying that the Hindu society wanted a grand temple at the spot at which the Ram Lalla statue was installed by 'Ram bhaktas'. He also denied giving up of Hindu society's demand for the restoration of the Kashi and Mathura sites. ''While thousands of temples were destroyed, we are asking for only three of them to be restored on the Somnath pattern. If this demand is conceded there will be peace between Hindus and Muslims,'' he added.

Bottomlines

A 75,000 pound-a-year stylist for Britney (Go To Top)

          London, July 5: If Britney Spears is lauded for her outfits in the future, the credit must go to Lori Goldstein, a stylist. Britney's dress sense is widely considered a fashion disaster, but all that may change soon as the US pop princess has hired the services of Lori at a cost of 75,000 pounds-a-year. And Lori, who has received widespread acclaim for dressing Madonna as a Spanish seductress in her new video 'Take A Bow,' got down to business immediately by picking up several `Chanel' dresses for Britney for a recent showbiz event. However, it's another thing that she instead preferred to wear a ra-ra skirt and cut-off top, reports the Sun.

I'm afraid of women: Carrey (Go To Top)

          London, July 5: In a rather shocking revelation, Jim Carrey claims that he is afraid of women. "Nothing has caused me more pain than women. Conflicts, misunderstandings, separations - it all just hurts," the Hollywood funnyman was quoted as saying by People News. However, he will continue his search to find the perfect match. Carrey, twice married and divorced, says he does go out on dates and would not rule out getting married again. And does he feel any pressure to be funny? Well, not exactly. He does it because he wants to. "I'm never going to let someone put me in a box and file me under `g' for goofy," swears the Canadian actor.

Eminem fury brings receptionist to tears (Go To Top)

          Washington, July 5: An ardent Eminem fan almost cost a hotel receptionist her job recently. The fuming rapper reduced the receptionist to tears after she made the mistake of putting an unwanted call through to his room. Em, staying at the Berkeley Hotel in London during his whistle- stop UK tour, was outraged when a call from one determined young woman was connected to his room phone at 4 am. Ordinarily, the groupie-friendly rapper might not have kicked up such a fuss over the mistake, had he not been in the middle of a heart-to-heart on his mobile with ex-wife Kim at the time. Kim, who is in the middle of a court case for possession of cocaine that could see her in jail, overheard her former hubby tell a caller not to call so late again, flew into a rage saying: 'You promised me no more groupies. What are they doing calling your room at 4 am?' before slamming down the phone and refusing to take his calls, reports People News. So angry was the tattooed bed and hip-hopper, that he woke his manager Paul Rosenberg there and then and demanded that he and his 25-strong entourage left the Berkeley immediately. 'He told staff in no uncertain terms that he was not happy with what had happened, and then he reduced the receptionist to tears,' said an insider.

Soul legend Barry White dies (Go To Top)

         London, July 5: The gravel-voiced R and B crooner Barry White, who inspired a million nights of passion with his seductive brand of soul, died last night. He was 58. The father of eight, who had been at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, for nine months, suffered kidney failure caused by years of high blood pressure, according to a report in the Sun. The 30-stone singer had a string of hits, including 'You're the First, the Last, My Everything' and 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe'. He was a superstar of the 1970s disco era but won his first Grammy award in 2000. White sold more than 100 million records with his backing singers and musicians, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, the report said. He was born Barry Lee in Galveston, Texas, in 1944 but was raised in the tough streets of South Central Los Angeles. Dubbed as the Walrus of Love because of his smooth tones and heavyweight frame, White was a member of three bands, 'The Upfronts', 'The Atlantics' and 'The Majestics', before going behind the scenes in the music business as songwriter and producer. He also appeared as himself in TV hits 'The Simpsons' and 'Ally McBeal'. His sexy image even led marine biologists to use his music to encourage sharks to mate, the report added. "I have an insatiable appetite for making music, for writing songs, for arranging songs. It's not just a career of making money, fame and fortune, it's much deeper than that with me", one of Princess Diana's favourite singers said.

Demi to be 'Austin Powers' new love interest (Go To Top)

          London, July 5: After creating quite a stir with her stunning new look in the just-released 'Charlie's Angels' sequel, Demi Moore is set to star in the next 'Austin Powers' movie. The 40-year old US actress will play the love interest of the spoof spy, played once again by Mike Myers. The Canadian actor is himself writing the new script which has a working title of 'Live and Let Pussy Die,' reports the Sun. Filming is expected to begin next year.