Indo-Pak talks may be postponed to March (Go To Top)

         Islamabad: There is every likelihood of the composite dialogue between Pakistan and India being postponed to March, as both sides had not succeeded in working out the dates for holding the talks. Well-placed sources were quoted by Online News as saying that the leaderships in both countries are divided over the starting the talks either on joint secretary, additional secretary or foreign secretary levels. It was agreed on January 5 on the sidelines of the 12th SAARC summit that bilateral talks would be held sometime in February for the settlement of all disputes, including the core issue of Kashmir.

India, Pak must meet midway for Kashmir deal: Musharraf (Go To Top)

         Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that his country and India must show the required maturity to come midway from their stated positions if they want a solution to be found to the Kashmir dispute. "If both sides show flexibility and "a solution somewhere midway, acceptable to all three, it can work," Musharraf was quoted by the News as telling the BBC in an interview.

          "I have been talking of a four-step solution. That we start talking first of all, accept the reality of Kashmir, secondly and then eliminate whatever is unacceptable to India, Pakistan and Kashmir. And then, out of the balance go for a solution that is acceptable," he said. But he suggested that the idea of the Line of Control, which divides the two armies in Kashmir, being turned into an international border was unacceptable to Pakistan. "We have fought wars over this Line of Control. So a dispute cannot be a solution. Certainly not," he said. "I think we have to be bold and go forward," he said. He clarified, however, that Pakistan had issued no instructions to militants in held Kashmir. "No orders have been issued at all," he said. "They are not under our control."

Shahabuddin new Hizb commander (Go To Top)

          Islamabad: Ghazi Shahabuddin has reportedly taken over as the new commander-in-chief of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HUM) on the Indian side of Kashmir. Informed sources told the Daily Times that the HUM's Central Executive Committee (CEC) had cleared Shahabuddin's appointment to the post. "After the (death) of Ghulam Rasool Dar at the hands of the Indian Army in a clash at Zainakote in the IHK, top HUM officials handed control over to Mr Shahabuddin and have now formally appointed him to the post," the paper quoted the sources, as saying.

Pawar, Sangma take NCP symbol row to EC (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Taking the simmering discontent within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) forward, rival party leaders Sharad Pawar and PA Sangma approached the Election Commission today, and asked it to decide which group had the right to the party's symbol and flag. Sangma, who parted ways with Pawar on January 24, moved the Commission claiming the NCP's "Clock" symbol and its flag on the basis that the party's ideology seeking a bar on persons of foreign origin occupying high posts was "100 per cent" with his faction. As part of its efforts to show that his faction was the "real and original NCP," Sangma also claimed that an "overwhelming" majority of the party's office-bearers, including MPs, MLAs were with him. The Pawar group led by the party's general secretary, Pitamber Master, however, had already filed a caveat with the commission to thwart Sangma's plans.

Amar Singh not averse to Sonia Govt (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Amar Singh, the general secretary of the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday indicated that his party could lend support to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to help form the next government at the Centre after the the general elections. Singh also did not rule out an alliance with the Congress, which supports the Samajwadi Party-led coalition government in Uttar Pradesh. "If Atal (Behari Vajpayee) and Kalyan Singh can come together and if Sonia (Gandhi) and DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazgham) can meet, then why not the Samajwadi Party and the Congress? Amar Singh said. In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has always been a supporter of the Samajwadi Party, he added. Amar Singh further said the Congress and the Samajwadi Party may not forge any pre-poll alliance, but in future such a possibility cannot he ruled out.

BJP demands Kalam's intervention in Bihar (Go To Top)

          Patna: Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Sushil Kumar Modi, today urged President A P J Abdul Kalam to assess the law and order situation in the state, and take appropriate action thereafter. Reacting to RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav's verbal attack to certain remarks by the state Governor, M Rama Jois, during his Republic Day address, Modi said their reaction was an act of "denigrating the office of the governor". He said he would personally meet the President and apprise him about the law and order situation in Bihar, which he described as abysmal.

Pakistan lift Asia Cup under-17 cricket title (Go To Top)

          Bangalore: Pakistan dethroned India to lift the Asia Cup under-17 cricket title with a convincing six wicket victory here on Tuesday. Opting to bat at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, India were all out for 230 in 45 overs. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla top-scored for the hosts with 51. Pakistan reached the target in 43.1 overs, scoring 233 for 4. Barring the 62 run stand for the seventh wicket between Chawla and Prem Prathik (18), a good partnership eluded the Indians as wickets fell at regular intervals. India were 143 for the loss of six wickets at one stage. Brief scores: India 230 all out in 45 overs (Chawla 51, Ravikant Shukla 29, Raviraj Patil 28, Ali Murtaza 22; Dar 3-40, Zaman 2- 41, Ahmed 2-44) vs Pakistan 233 for 4 in 43.1 overs (Ali 76 not out, Ahmed 63, Nasir Jamshaid 31; Murtaza 1-24, Prateek 1-39, Karvi 1-48, Shabaaz Nadeem 1-46).

Bottomlines

Kylie's dolls come dressed in D&G bras! (Go To Top)

          Sydney: There's bumper news in store for all Kylie Minogue fans world-wide as she joins the community of global icons including George Bush, Shirley Temple, Princess Diana and Humphrey B Bear, to have a doll made in her image. According to a report in Herald Sun, the Kylie dolls, priced at 24 dollars each, went on sale in London Monday. And to add a touch of authenticity, the babes are adorned in a variety of outfits from the sexy siren's videos.

          The dolls are armed with removable thigh length boots and also a pair of "Cheekies" from her range of Love Kylie underwear. The two outfits available for the doll including a silver bra and hot pants set on a red dress are inspired by Dolce and Gabbana designs. "For years I have been asked about a Kylie doll. Well, she has finally arrived and I am delighted. I hope fans will agree it was worth the wait as we worked very hard to get every detail right," Minogue was reported as saying. Kylie's own personal stylist teamed up with the doll's makers to create the most lifelike mould of the 34-year-old available to the public.

          Hi-tech 3-D imaging was used to create the mould of her face and not to be missed is an almost perfect reconstruction of the much- desired rear, news.com further reported. Meanwhile, her Welsh fans have been on a rage after a delay in the dispatch of her new "doll" to the British nation. While the rest of the world has been flooded with boxes of Kylie dolls, stockists in the dragon nation say they'll have no Kylies until later this month. Kylie's Welsh connection dates back to her mother, Carol, who was born in the Welsh town of Maesteg.

Halle is berry accident-prone! (Go To Top)

          New York: Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Halle Berry required a brief stay at a hospital in Canada recently following a scrape on the sets of her upcoming flick "Catwoman." The 37-year-old beauty was reportedly knocked down either by a pole or a lighting rig while filming a stunt action sequence at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts. Warner Bros. described the mishap as "a minor accident," reports E-Online. According to the studio, Halle was immediately taken to a local hospital "where she was treated and released." Last May, she broke her arm while filming a scene with Robert Downey Jr. on the thriller "Gothika." And in 2002, she suffered an eye injury on the sets of the James Bond adventure "Die Another Day."

Kidman exposes one of her 'globes' at the Golden Globes! (Go To Top)

          New York: Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman had to make a dramatic backstage dash at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, when her gown slipped nearly exposing one of her breasts. According to ratethemusic.com, the actress was presenting Best Actor gong to Sean Penn at the Beverly Hilton Hotel when the embarrassing incident occurred. The "Cold Mountain" star immediately enlisted the help of experts to fix the problem. And, although wardrobe assistants applied double-sided sticky tape to her gold Yves Saint Laurent outfit, Kidman was left red-faced again when she nearly revealed all as she posed for photographers.

Jackson's not natural father of his elder kids: Debbie (Go To Top)

          Sydney: Michael Jackson is not the natural father of his eldest two children, as revealed by the singer's ex-wife. The pop singer's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, has alleged in court papers that an anonymous sperm donor artificially inseminated her before she gave birth to her son Prince Michael Jr. and daughter Paris. The revelation is likely to give an edge to Ms. Rowe's attempts to have the children removed from Michael Jackson's custody, according to the Daily Telegraph.

          Jackson, 45, facing charges of sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy, had earlier rejected suggestions that he was not the true father of his children, when questioned about their fair complexion by TV interviewer Martin Bashir. But the legal papers filed in California show that Ms. Rowe and he had entered into a surrogacy agreement in January 1996, for which she received six million dollars along with a 1.6 million dollar home in Beverly Hills plus a car, clothes and jewels. Their "marriage" nine months later was a sham aimed purely at securing Jackson's paternal rights. In the papers, Rowe, 41, admits, "I have no information whatsoever about the identity of the semen donor for either child."

          Jackson married Rowe in November 1996, three months before the birth of Prince Michael Jr. Four months later she was artificially inseminated again, with Paris born in April 1998. A year later the couple divorced, with Jackson having his third child, Prince Michael II, through another, as yet unknown, surrogate mother.

-ANI