Government gets notice on plea to retrieve Kachchatheevu island
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the government on a plea of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha to retrieve a 285-acre island in the Palk Strait off Rameshwaram from Sri Lanka.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Markandey Katju and Justice P. Sathasivam issued the notice on the AIADMK chief's plea that the late prime minister Indira Gandhi had ceded the Kachchatheevu island to Sri Lanka ... Read More

Icon of India-US ties, US embassy building turns 50
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) An icon of India-US friendship for five decades, the stately US embassy chancery, hailed as an inspiration by none other than the then US first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Monday celebrated its 50th anniversary in the presence of American diplomats and hundreds of Indians.

It was also a nostalgia trip for many long-time residents of Delhi like Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who recalled how one could see this magnificent landmark from ... Read More

Edible oil deficit to grow 73 percent by 2020: Assocham
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) India's edible oil deficit is expected to widen by 73.5 percent by 2020 to more than 8.1 million tonnes a year from the current 4.71 million tonnes, said an industry lobby report, released here Monday.

According to the report by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), the edible oil consumption in the country has increased at an annual growth rate of 4.25 percent from mere 4.95 million tonnes ... Read More

Teachers burn books to keep warm in winter, villagers irked
Patna, Jan 5 (IANS) Teachers of a school in Bihar's Gaya district burnt books meant to be distributed among students to keep themselves warm on a chilly winter day, angering villagers.

The shocking incident came to light when students of the government middle school at Pariya Bazaar in Gaya, about 100 km from here, told their parents and relatives, police officials said Monday.

Students of Class VIII said that on Saturday, the coldest day of the ... Read More

US committed to Mumbai probe, says Mulford
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) The US Monday said it has consistently supported India over bringing the attackers of Mumbai to justice and underlined that it will pursue to its logical conclusion the investigations into the terror strike, which also killed six Americans.

“The US will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion,” US ambassador to India David Mulford told reporters here when asked about Washington's response to the evidence New Delhi has collected ... Read More

Toll in Kolkata liquor tragedy rises to 23, six arrested
Kolkata, Jan 5 (IANS) The number of people who died in Kolkata after consuming poisonous country-made liquor has risen to 23, a West Bengal minister said Monday. Six people were arrested and raids conducted on illicit liquor shops in the Khidirpore port area.

"Twenty-three people have died after consuming spurious liquor since Saturday night at Khidirpore port area (south-west Kolkata)," Finance and Excise Department Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters Monday.

Dasgupta said six people have been arrested ... Read More

Omar Abdullah takes oath as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister
Jammu, Jan 5 (IANS) National Conference president Omar Abdullah Monday took oath as the eighth chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir along with nine ministers, including Tara Chand of the Congress as his deputy, ending six months of Governor's rule in the state.

Clad in a black sherwani and white payjama, Abdullah, 38, walked up the aisle to the flower decked dais with a smile on his face to be administered the oath of office ... Read More

'Blasts have become part of our lives, we have to move on'
Guwahati, Jan 5 (IANS) Even as people were greeting one another and praying for a more peaceful 2009, a string of three bomb blasts tore through Guwahati on New Year's day, killing six people and leaving more than 50 injured. The next day, a stoic population, benumbed by the endless explosions rocking their lives, went about their daily chores.

"How much can you discuss the bomb blasts, the explosions? How much can you be scared? ... Read More

Journey of Chandigarh woman - from telephone booth to mayor's office
Chandigarh, Jan 5 (IANS) She does not have an upscale address or family connections to boast of, but she holds the highest civic position in the union territory of Chandigarh. That Kamlesh Banarsi Das has managed to become mayor of the city for the second time is a tribute to her hard work, dedication and simplicity.

The story of Kamlesh is special.

From running an ordinary telephone booth, Kamlesh is back in the ... Read More

Explosion on rail track in Assam derails goods train
Guwahati, Jan 4 (IANS) A goods train was derailed after an explosion on a railway track in Assam Sunday, officials said.

A railway spokesman said the explosion took place near the Maibongdisa and Harangajao stations in Assam's North Cachar Hills district, about 320 km south of here.

"The explosion on the track led to derailment of three wagons of the goods train carrying candles and papers," a railway official said.

There were no casaulties. "The explosion caused damage ... Read More

Quippo buys 49 percent in Tata Teleservices subsidiary
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Ltd (QTIL) has picked up a 49 percent stake in Wireless Tata Telecom Infrastructure (WTTL), Tata Teleservices' tower arm, a company official said Monday.

Despite a minority stake, Kolkata-based QTIL will have management control in the firm, the official said on condition of anonymity.

This is to ensure that the company functions as an independent tower company with non-discriminatory infrastructure access to all mobile service providers, he ... Read More

Tata Teleservices to launch GSM services by year-end
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) CDMA telecom service provider Tata Teleservices will roll out GSM services by the end of this year on an investment of $2 billion, the company said here Monday.

“We have already got spectrum (2G) for most of the circles and will roll out the services by the end of this year hopefully,” company managing director Anil Sardana told reporters.

Tata Teleservice is also planning a pan-India launch of its services. ... Read More

Reliance mobile launches GSM services in Punjab
Chandigarh, Jan 5 (IANS) Reliance Communications Monday announced the launch of its GSM mobile services in Punjab, becoming the first telecom operator in the circle to have both GSM and CDMA services for mobile users.

"The service will cover 460 towns, 11,741 villages and a number of national, state and other highways, tourist and religious places throughout the state," Reliance regional hub head Arvind Kumar told reporters at the launch.

The Punjab circle GSM market is dominated ... Read More

Markets close in green, Sensex gains 317 points
Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) Buoyed by the government's second stimulus package announced Friday, Indian equities markets closed in the green Monday. A key index ended trade 3.36 percent higher than its previous close.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) closed at 10,275.6 points (provisional), up 3.19 percent or 317.38 points from its previous close of 9,958.22 points.

The broader S&P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) gained 2.69 percent ... Read More

Markets extend lead in afternoon trade
Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) Indian equities markets gained in afternoon trade Monday with a key index trading 2.02 percent higher than its previous close, two hours before the closing bell.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was up 2.02 percent or 201.57 points and was at 10,159.79 points after opening higher than its previous close of 9,958.22 points.

At the same time, the broader S&P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock ... Read More

Pancham used to keep best romantic songs for my sister: Asha Bhonsle
Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) Singing legend Asha Bhosle reveals she used to often fight with her late husband, composer R.D. Burman, because he would give the best of the romantic songs to her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar.

"He would give me numbers that used to have a lot of screaming notes like 'Piya tu ab tu aaja' and 'Aaja aaja mein hoon pyaar tera'. One day I confronted him with that. And he said that if ... Read More

Don't take my pictures, says former Bond girl Ursula Andress
London, Jan 5 (IANS) Former Bond girl Ursula Andress doesn't like her pictures being taken because she doesn't want to spoil people's memoires of her.

Andress shot to fame when she emerged from the sea in a white bikini in the Bond movie "Dr. No" co-starring Sean Connery in 1962. But Andress, 72, is suffering from a brittle bone disease and doesn't want to pose for pictures any more, contactmusic.com reports.

She said: "Forty-five years ago ... Read More

Rihanna sparks marriage rumours
London, Jan 5 (IANS) Singer Rihanna has sparked rumours that she is married to singer Chris Brown when she was spotted with a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger.

Thesun.co.uk reports that friends claim Brown, 19, proposed to Rihanna over the New Year. The 20-year-old Rihanna showed the ring after she performed with Brown in London.

She did not wear gloves though it was cold and held her hand to her chest so that ... Read More

Shah Rukh is brilliant, but I'm unable to cast him: Benegal
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) He is full of admiration for Shah Rukh Khan and his on-screen charisma, but veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal rues that he doesn't have a subject to cast the superstar.

"Shah Rukh is a truly brilliant actor. When he comes on the screen, you hardly look anywhere else but at him - he is that kind of an actor," Benegal told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

Asked if he would ... Read More

Manyata goes on piligrimage... but without Sanjay
Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) Sanjay Dutt's wife Manyata has reportedly left for the famed Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir to pray, but minus her husband.

She has left behind Sanjay to spend time with his three best friends, who live in different parts of the world. They were in Mumbai for the New Year and Sanjay was keen to spend some more time with them.

"Manyata left for Vaishno Devi after their New Year's party ... Read More