Showers continue to lash Delhi

         New Delhi: Pre-monsoon showers continued to lash Delhi today confirming the early onset of the monsoon in the capital. More rains are likely in the next 24 hours. The spell which started day before yesterday caused a drop in the temperature by about six degree celsius. The minimum temperature recorded was 23 degree celsius.

Yash Johar in ICU (Go To Top)

          Mumbai: Veteran producer Yash Johar (76) was admitted to Mumbai's Lilawati hospital's intensive Care Unit today morning. Later on his condition became serious and the Bandra Hospital was flanked by film celebrities who came to visit ailing producer. Many bollywood personalities including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Sonali Bendre came to visit Yash Johar. According to the doctor his condition is stable. He was admitted to the hospital this morning at 9 am with the history of fever and has been diagnosed to be suffering from severe chest congestion,. About 15 days ago he was operated upon for prostate problem and was suffering from chest infection. He said that he will be at home in 10 days. On behalf of Yash Chopra's son Karan Johar, Shah Rukh explained his situation. Yash Johar has produced many blockbusters of Hindi cinema like Deewar, Johhny Mera Naam, Dostana, Kabhie Khusi Kabhie Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and the recently released Kal Ho Naa Ho.

India, Pakistan renew nuclear test ban (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: India and Pakistan renewed a ban on nuclear tests on Sunday and agreed to set up a hotline between their foreign ministries after unprecedented talks on reducing the risk of nuclear war on the subcontinent. During two days of meetings both sides also agreed to work on formalising arrangements to notify each other before missile tests. "Each side reaffirmed its unilateral moratorium on conducting further nuclear test explosions unless, in exercise of national sovereignty, it decides that extraordinary events have jeopardised its supreme interests," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna read out from a joint statement. The New Delhi talks set the scene for the first meeting of the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers since the centre-left Congress-led government took power in India last month. India's Natwar Singh and Pakistan's Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri are due to meet in China on Monday on the sidelines of a regional conference. The eight-member Pakistani team called on Singh on Saturday, the highest-level meeting since India's Communist- backed Congress coalition came to power last month. The top bureaucrats of both foreign ministries are due to meet next Sunday in New Delhi to talk about disputes, including the row over Kashmir that has triggered two of the neighbours' three wars and brought them close to another in mid-2002. After tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998 that sparked international condemnation and tough sanctions from Washington, both sides declared a moratorium, saying more tests were unnecessary. Bhaskar also dismissed the possibility of a common nuclear doctrine, proposed by India's new foreign minister saying there was a clear dichotomy in the nuclear ideologies of both nations.

Curfew in UP town after communal violence (Go To Top)

         Sardhana: Curfew was clamped in Sardhana town of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday after the murder of a 20-year old Hindu boy by a Muslim trio sparked communal violence. Two persons died and dozens were injured in the rioting, which took place barely five kms from Meerut. Police also opened fire on the mob pelting brickbats and country- made petrol bombs. Authorities said the Hindu boy was killed in a clash over personal rivalries and the assailants simply happened to be Muslims. "There was tension in the city following the killing of a young boy by three men, who have a criminal background. It was personal rivalry. But a particular group tried to give it religious overtones even though there is nothing like that." Rajesh Singh, district magistrate, Meerut, said. Ironically the site of the violence is a traditional 140-year-old fair organised in the memory of a local saint and touted as one of the most heartwarming examples of communal harmony. Fifteen people have been arrested so far.

Ishrat had links with LeT: Gujarat police (Go To Top)

         Ahmedabad: The local police claimed to have clinching evidence to prove that Ishrat Jahan Sheikh, the girl who was killed here in the encounter on June 15, was close to Javed Sheikh. Initially it was reported that the two militants belonged to the LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba). "We have got absolute evidence that Ishrat was directly involved in terrorist activities, even though this assignment might have been her first. We have evidence that she at least knew Javed well if not the other two, who were Pakistani nationals", said Addl. CP (Crime Branch) DG Vanjhara said here Sunday. He added: "There are incriminating details obtained from her diary and also a hotel register, where the two stayed as a married couple." Talking about the diary that was recovered from Isharat's possession after the encounter, Vanjhara said it had a detailed handwritten account of financial transactions including receiving Rs 4.80 lakh and that she passed Rs 1.06 lakh from it to Salim alias Bunty, one of the alleged Pakistani terrorist killed with her.

No plans to remove Modi: BJP (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Narendra Modi will continue as the Gujarat Chief Minister, BJP president M Venkiah Naidu said here Sunday. He said there is no proposal to remove Modi "at this juncture". Naidu was speaking to reporters after a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board. He said that the national executive meeting of the BJP in Mumbai starting Tuesday will receive reports from states on the electoral debacle on other issues and discuss the 'tasks ahead' to take corrective measures in the wake of the electoral debacle. All the issues including Gujarat were discussed at the Board meeting, he added.

Hindu seers join Muslims in anti-US protests over Iraq (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Hundreds of Hindu holy men on Sunday joined Muslims in the capital to protest against alleged US atrocities in Iraq. Muslims across the country have been holding protest marches and in some areas they have decided to boycott the citizens of US, UK and Israel. Holding placards, protesters shouted slogans against the US forces for atrocities on Iraqis and the attacks on the Muslim holy place Karbala. "These bomb attacks in Iraq especially in Karbala are a crime against humanity. They have done a big crime and they should realise that if such an attack is on them then how will they feel," said Shankaracharya Saroopanandji Maharaj of Dwaraka. Muslims in India have been consistently voicing their concern over the U.S.-led war last year to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and say the prisoner abuse was only a small example of what they termed as America's hegemony.

Hundreds join UN walk to raise funds to prevent hunger deaths (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Hundreds in India marched for raising funds for people dying of starvation on Sunday as the death of five people due to hunger in a Bengal village last week shocked the nation. The march is part of a world-wide drive by the United Nations to raise awareness amongst people to the hunger problem of the world. In New Delhi, social activists were joined by corporates as men, women and children marched through streets urging people to donate generously. People across 900 destinations in 64 countries are participating in the walk.

          According to WHO estimates, there are 300 million hungry children around the globe-one million of whom do not attend school. At an average cost of 19 cents a day, the UN's food programmes are reaching close to 16 million children a year, nourishing their bodies and minds by encouraging them to go to school. "We will be walking across 24 timezones in 24 hours to collect money for children and to feed them, which means, we expect to collect 700 million Euros across the world, which will feed more than 25,000 children. In India, the money would be spent by the World Food Programme towards the spoonfeeding programme for children," Abhik Mitra, managing director of TNI, India, supporting the UN food programme, said.

          "The aim is to raise awareness to the huge hunger problem of the world. There are still 800 million people, who go to bed hungry evey night, a quarter of these are in India, and this problem needs everybody's help to solve it," David Fletcher, country director for the UN's food programme in India, said. Amidst the euphoria of a booming economy and impressive growth figures, India was jolted to reality on June 15 when the deaths brought to light the plight of Amlasole village in West Bengal, where people have been surviving for months on only leaves and jackfruit seeds. Even though India sits on millions of tonnes of foodgrains, its proper distribution to the needy people remains dismal. Following numerous reports of starvation deaths from several states in 2002, the Supreme Court in a landmark judgement had said that district authorities would be made accountable for any deaths due to hunger. But denial and coverups by state officials coupled with lax enforcement have seen few ever being brought to book.

Anju wins bronze in Pre-Fontaine Grand Prix in US (Go To Top)

          Bangalore: Anju Bobby George secured a bronze medal with a leap of 6.83 metres in the long jump event of Pre-Fontaine Classic Grand Prix at Eugene in the US. The country's best medal hope at the Athens Olympic games in August and world No 4. finished behind US competitors Marion Jones (6.93) and Grace Upshaw (6.88) at the University of Oregon's Hayward field here Saturday yesterday.