Basra falls, thousands of Iraqi soldiers surrender

          Baghdad, Mar 22: American and British forces have captured the key southern areas of Basra and Nasiriya, officials said Saturday. Coalition forces say thousands of Iraqi soldiers and some commanders have surrendered to them. A large number of troops are continuing their push towards the Iraqi Capital, Baghdad, according to BBC correspondents with US and UK forces. But there has been some stiff resistance and fighting ... (Contd)

Saddam Injured, Shifted to Unknown Place: US TV Report

          Washington, Mar 22: President Saddam Hussain of Iraq was critically injured in the US bombardment, claimed a US News channel Saturday. The Iraqi President was seen being shifted from a bunker, busted in the coalition bombing, to an unknown place by an ambulance. Senior Iraqi officials were also leaving Baghdad, US sources further claimed. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has claimed surrender of a senior Iraqi military commander.

          The Pentagon officials are considering how to react if Iraqi forces decide to unleash floods by opening dams or reservoirs in an attempt to slow down the US-led invasion. "Despite Saddam Hussein's claims to the contrary, historical precedence indicates Iraqi military strategies include the release of water as a viable option for deterring enemy forces," the officials said in a statement.

           According to a Pentagon statement, if the Iraqi military were to release water into the Tigris River from upstream reservoirs, extensive flooding could occur between Baghdad and the southeastern town Al Kut resulting in thousands of people being displaced. The release of small amounts of water from major dams and canals could also cause catastrophic flooding in the Euphrates river valley and slow the advance of invading troops, the statement said. Even without human intervention, certain portions of southern Iraq will experience flooding as the rainy season and snow melt-off in the north proceed during March and April, it added.

Second Gulf Tragedy for UK as Its Copters Collide and 7 Die (Go To Top)

          London, Mar 22: Two Royal Navy Sea King helicopters of Britain collided over international naters on Saturday, leaving seven crew members, including one American, dead. There are no known survivors, according to a Ministry of Defence spokesman, who added that this was not the result of enemy action." Britain's casualties have now reached 14 after the other helicopter crash on the Kuwait-Iraqi border on Friday in which eight UK troops and six US Marines were killed.

          Meanwhile, news from Iraq's southern oilfields was not as grim as originally feared. "All the key components of the southern oilfields are now safe," Defence Staff chief Michael Boyce has informed, futher saying that only seven oil wells had been set on fire by the Iraqis, and not 30 as earlier reported. The latest report from Umm Qasr is that US Marines were facing pockets of Iraqi resistance in the port on Saturday, a day after Washington said it had won control. Between 400 and 450 Iraqis have been taken prisoners in fighting around the strategic port and the nearby Faw peninsula, which controls access from the Gulf. In Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said on Saturday the army's whole 51st Division defending the city of Basra was still fighting, denying a claim by US officials that the commander and his deputy had surrendered.

Aussie Troops Enter Iraq, B-52 Bombers Return to Britain (Go To Top)

          Sydney, Mar 22: Australian special forces have crossed into Iraq as part of the US-led attack, said a report Saturday. British B-52 bombers, after hitting Iraqi targets with 2000 pound bombs, returned to Britain. Defence officials said the special forces' role would be to identify troop movements and military targets. Australia has committed 2,000 troops to the Middle East, including 150 elite SAS commandos, along with fighter jets and warships, in the country's largest military deployment since the Vietnam War. At a briefing in Canberra, defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said the Australian navy was also boarding vessels in the Gulf in the hunt for any escaping Iraqi officials.

All-party meet expresses deep anguish over Iraq war (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Mar 22: India on Saturday said the US-led war on Iraq has caused "deep anguish" to the nation and demanded an immediate end to the hostilities in the region. "The Government of India is not in favour of war and therefore it follows that we are not in favour of continuation of war either and most importantly the humanitarian issue. The suffering of the people of Iraq is something which has caused deep anguish to us and to others," Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters in the Capital after an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to discuss the evolving situation in Iraq.

           The meeting was attended by senior leaders of various political parties including Sonia Gandhi, president of main Opposition Congress Party. India, historically a leading member of the non-aligned movement and an old friend of Iraq, had earlier said it opposed unilateral military action against Baghdad.

           New Delhi had on Thursday said the decision by the United States to unleash a war against Iraq "lacks justification" and could have been averted. Meanwhile, opposition parties criticised the U.S.-led military action on Iraq and demanded an immediate end to the war.

Four killed in Kanpur explosion (Go To Top)

          Kanpur, Mar 22: At least four persons were killed and six injured here on Friday night in a crude bomb explosion, it was reported on Saturday. Police said the explosion took place inside a building in the 'Chote Miya ka Hata' area where a group of persons were making crude bombs. The impact of the explosion was such that the buidling collapsed. Police said senior district and police officials were sent to the blast site to take stock of the situation. Other details were awaited.

Basra falls, thousands of Iraqi soldiers surrender (Go To Top)

          ... (Contd) in various areas in the south. There have been sporadic explosions in Baghdad after the first night of the all-out air campaign which coalition officials say included more than 1,000 cruise missiles fired and hundreds of bombing missions. Iraqi officials said three civilians were killed and more than 200 hurt in the air strikes. A BBC correspondent in Baghdad was told by doctors at a hospital he visited that a young girl and a man were killed in the barrage.

          Coalition forces suffered the loss of seven servicemen when two British helicopters collided over international waters in the Gulf in what officials say was an accident. US marines had met stiff resistance around the town of Nasiriya - a key crossing point on the Euphrates river about 320 km south-east of the Capital. A US spokesman earlier said there was a "major battle" on the way to Basra. A large contingent of about 8,000 British troops in 120 tanks and 145 armoured vehicles had moved into southern Iraq from Kuwait to support US forces heading to Basra, UK officials said. The advance included the "Desert Rats" of the 7th Armoured Division and paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade, they said.

          Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, chief of the UK defence staff, said "practically all" of the area's oil and gas installations had been booby-trapped but that coalition forces were now in control. He said nine of the oil wells had been set on fire and would be tackled soon. But he added that Iraq's 51st Division had surrendered in the area and that the US and UK now had thousands of prisoners of war.

Liz Hurley Buys Farm House (Go To Top)

          London, Mar 22: British actress-model Elizabeth Hurley has bought a 2.75-million-pound farmhouse, called Ampney Knowle. Located in the Cotswolds, the house is surrounded by eight outbuildings and a tennis court. Prince Charles's Highgrove Estate is only a few miles away from Hurley's new home. Meanwhile, Hurley is also house-hunting in Los Angeles, following reports of her starring in a US sitcom.

           Liz Hurley Buys 2.75-mln-pound Farm House; War Forces Madonna to Re-shoot Video; More Join Oscar Ceremony Boycott; On-screen Super-Man not Found, Director Brett Ratner Quits

War Forces Madonna to Re-shoot Video (Go To Top)

          Washington, Mar 22: In view of the ongoing war in Iraq, Madonna is re-shooting the anti-war video for her new song "American Life." The video included scenes of bloody Iraqi babies and limbless children, depicting the "catastrophic repercussions and horror of war." Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's representative, has admitted that the scenes are being "fine-tuned in light of recent events." "Madonna is being sensitive to what's going on in the world right now. There will be some minor alterations. What might have looked right two weeks ago might not look that way now," Rosenberg said. The video is expected to be out in the first week of April.

More Join Oscar Ceremony Boycott (Go To Top)

          London, Mar 22: A day after US actor Will Smith announced that he won't be attending this year's Oscars, two-time Oscar- winning US actor Tom Hanks, his wife, actress Rita Wilson, and Australian Oscar-nominated actress Cate Blanchett have followed suit. They join a growing number of star names protesting against glitz in the face of the war in Iraq. Blanchett has announced that she feels uncomfortable flying from London to the US, and therefore will not attend the March 23 ceremony at Los Angeles. However, as yet, no Oscar contender has decided to skip the 75th Annual Academy Awards.

           Meanwhile, Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Affleck and Oscar contender in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress category Julianne Moore are among stars who will attend the ceremony wearing a "peace symbol badge." Boycotts are not strictly limited to stars only, but fashion designers as well. Donatella Versace, Georgio Armani and Matthew Williamson will not get to dress the stars personally as they don't want to fly to the US at the moment.

On-screen Super-Man not Found, Director Quits (Go To Top)

          Washington, Mar 22: Inability to find the lead actor for the movie based on the popular comic book character has forced Super-Man director Brett Ratner to resign. In a statement, Ratner said: "I have chosen to withdraw as director of Super-Man. The difficulty of casting the role has contributed to my decision. I appreciate the efforts of Warner Bros and the entire production team during this process."

According to a report in News 24, Josh Hartnett was favourite after months of screen tests but pulled out due to other commitments. Brendan Fraser, Paul Walker and newcomer Matthew Bomer are all thought to have been screen-tested but have yet to agree to a deal. The script has been written by JJ Abrams as part of a trilogy. If a suitable actor can be found, it is set to go into production for Warner later this year, according to reports.