Constance Jablonski, Exclusive Interview - Fashion Week 2011 - Model Talks

Angry India charmer lets loose snakes in office

An angry snakecharmer in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has let loose dozens of snakes in a government office, sparking chaos and panic.

Hakkul, of Lara village in Basti district, dumped the snakes, including a number of cobras, at the land revenue office in Harraiya town on Tuesday.
Many of the frightened villagers and officials ran out of the office, while others climbed on top of tables.
No-one was bitten or injured but the snakes are yet to be caught.
Plot of land Mr Hakkul is usually called in whenever a snake is spotted in the area and he has saved many lives over the years, local journalist Mazhar Azad told the BBC.
Mr Hakkul has petitioned various government offices over the years demanding a plot of land where he can "conserve" his snakes.
Mr Azad said Mr Hakkul had even petitioned the president.

Some of the snakes are still in the building

Mr Hakkul says his request has been cleared by senior authorities, but the local officials keep delaying it.
On Tuesday, Mr Hakkul went to the Tehsil [revenue] office with a group of supporters and emptied out his bags containing poisonous snakes.
"Snakes were climbing up the tables and chairs. The office was full, there were nearly 100 officials and clerks and many more visitors," Mr Azad said.
"There was total chaos for several hours. Some people started taking photos with their telephone cameras, others brought out sheets to try to cover the snakes. Some came with sticks and wanted to beat up Hakkul."
Mr Azad said Mr Hakkul and his men escaped in the confusion and are yet to be caught.
So are the snakes who are still hiding in the building.

German intelligence files on ex-Nazis shredded

Investigators have found that in 2007 the German Intelligence Service (BND) destroyed files of 250 BND employees who had been in the Nazi SS or Gestapo.

The BND confirmed the loss, calling it "regrettable and annoying".
Four independent historians are investigating the BND's old links with the Nazis. They say some of the missing papers concern suspected war criminals.
The historians did not allege a deliberate cover-up, but they urged the BND not to destroy any more files.
They said the BND should consult them before shredding any more documents, and called for a full investigation into the 2007 incident.
One of the historians, Dresden Professor Klaus-Dietmar Henke, said "it is not the case that the BND somehow deliberately destroyed the files of all those with Nazi links".
According to the BND, the destroyed files relate to about 2% of the archive currently being investigated by the historians. The files were destroyed because they were not deemed to be worth keeping, the BND said.
The investigation into the BND's Nazi roots began in February.
Reinhard Gehlen, who set up the BND after World War II, spied on the Soviet Union for the Nazis during the war.
About 10% of BND recruits during the Cold War had previously served in the SS, the German news website Spiegel reports.
Spiegel says the BND told it that in the 1990s documents about a top wanted Nazi, former SS Capt Alois Brunner, were destroyed.

UK to expel all Iranian diplomats over embassy attack

The UK is to expel all Iranian diplomats following the storming of its embassy in Tehran, Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced.

He said he had ordered the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London.
Tuesday's attack by hundreds of protesters followed Britain's decision to impose further sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
The sanctions led to Iran's parliament reducing diplomatic ties with the UK.
Mr Hague said he was demanding the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London, with all its staff to leave the UK within 48 hours.
"If any country makes it impossible for us to operate on their soil they cannot expect to have a functioning embassy here," Mr Hague told MPs.
He said there had been "some degree of regime consent" in the attacks on the embassy and on another UK diplomatic compound in Tehran.
He said all UK diplomatic staff in Tehran had been evacuated and the embassy closed.
Mr Hague said relations between the UK and Iran were now at their lowest level, but the UK was not severing relations with Tehran entirely.
Addressing parliament, Mr Hague said he was due to raise the matter at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

Iran apologised for the attacks on the UK compounds in Tehran

"We will discuss these events and further action which needs to be taken in the light of Iran's continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons programme," he said.
Also on Wednesday, Germany announced it was temporarily recalling its ambassador to Tehran over the "unacceptable" storming of the British embassy.
Hundreds of protesters - whom Iran described as "students" - massed outside the embassy compound on Tuesday afternoon before scaling the walls and the gates, burning British flags and a car.
Another UK diplomatic compound in northern Tehran, known locally as Qolhak Garden, was also overrun and damaged.
Iran said it regretted the incident, which it described as "unacceptable behaviour by a small number of protesters".
Mr Hague said the majority of those taking part had been members of a regime-backed Basij militia group.
He said the private quarters of staff and the ambassador had been ransacked, the main embassy office set on fire and personal possessions belonging to UK diplomats stolen.
The US, EU and UN Security Council also condemned the attacks.
Nuclear report Last week the US, Canada and the UK announced new sanctions against Iran, including measures to restrict the activities of the Iranian central bank.
The UK said then it was severing all financial ties with Iran.
The move followed a report by the UN's nuclear watchdog (IAEA) that said Iran had carried out tests "relevant to the development of a nuclear device".
Iran denies the accusations, saying its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
On Sunday, Iran's parliament voted by a large majority to downgrade diplomatic relations with the UK in response to the recent action.

Union leaders embezzle 104cr meant for jobless mill workers..

Here is a case that will make even the apostle of peace - Mahatma Gandhi - seethe with anger. Union leaders have been accused of embezzling crores of rupees meant as compensation to thousands of jobless workers of closed textile mills. 


A police complaint registered earlier this month accused labour union leaders of opening 9,615 bogus savings accounts in the name of non-existent mill workers in a cooperative bank in Ahmedabad and embezzling Rs 104 crore that the Gujarat high court had ordered as compensation to the workers. The complaint has been filed by Mansukh Parmar , who used to work in the now closed Calico Mills. He has accused 22 people, most of whom represent the various labour unions, of embezzlement. 


All his life, Gandhiji had fought for the rights of the mill workers and had even helped establish their first union - Majoor Mahajan Sangh - more than 90 years ago. 


Parmar's complaint got credence when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) found in a routine inspection that Bapunagar Mahila Cooperative Bank had opened the bogus savings accounts through which the money was allegedly embezzled. On November 9, RBI wrote to the state government, asking it to supersede the bank's board and appoint an administrator. 


Parmar said in his complaint that in 2005 the high court had ordered the liquidator to pay compensation to workers of 48 closed textile mills. The liquidator asked union leaders of various mills to provide names of workers who were beneficiaries. 


According to the complaint, the union leaders gave thousands of bogus names to the liquidator along with the real ones. Parmar told police that cheques were meant to be given to the workers individually. Instead, they were given to the union leaders in bulk. The leaders sold the cheques to two private money-lenders . Parmar has alleged that money-lenders connived with officials of the cooperative bank and opened bogus accounts.

Thailand PM hospitalized with suspected food poisoning...

An official says Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been hospitalized with a suspected case of food poisoning.


A policeman responsible for her security says Yingluck went to Rama IX Hospital for treatment early Tuesday.


The bodyguard says Yingluck's illness is "probably food poisoning" but it was not clear what meal caused the illness. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.


Yingluck had been scheduled to chair the weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning. She handed over the responsibility to Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidith.


Yingluck became Thailand's first female prime ministe after her party won elections earlier this year.

FDI in retail: All-party meet fails, Parliament adjourned for the day

FDI in reatil continued to disrupt the functioning of Parliament with both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned after a united opposition refused to allow any proceedings for the sixth day. 


The opposition members were up on their feet as soon as the House assembled for the day. 


The Parliament was first adjourned till noon, following the ruckus. But with the opposition in no mood to relent on its demands, the Houses were adjourned for the day. 


Earlier, an all-party meet to end the FDI logjam in Parliament on Tuesday morning ended without any breakthrough. 


The meeting, chaired by Pranab Mukherjee, failed to break the deadlock, with both sides sticking to their stands. 


The opposition made it clear that it will accept nothing less than a complete rollback of the decision. 


Speaking to reporters, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra said Pranab Mukherjee had sought time to convey the feelings of the opposition members on the issue to the PM and get a governemnt response. 


Mishra said the opposition parties wanted the government to come back with a response by 2pm.


But Pranab Mukherjee sought more time, thereby ending all hopes of normal functioning of the Parliament.

John blames himself for break up with Bipasha

After a 10 years of courtship, John Abraham and Bipasha Basu have recently called it quits. A pair that captured our thoughts with their remarkable chemistry and candor has separated ways. They broken their rocky 10-year-old connection due to difference of thoughts. Currently John Abraham opened up on the forthcoming episode of Simi Garewal’s show India’s Most Desirable on the basis for their separation.John was upcoming in detailing that Bipasha is very a headstrong lady..........

bigg brother oops video

Sharad Pawar slapped: Armed youth slaps agriculture minister in Delhi

     Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was on Thursday attacked by a youth claiming to protest against price rise and corruption which the Congress blamed on a BJP statement while there was all-round condemnation of the assault by political parties.

Pawar (71), who went to a literary function at a public auditorium on Parliament Street, was caught unaware when he was slapped by Harvinder Singh, a local transporter in his thirties who had assaulted former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram outside a court last Saturday after he was sentenced in a corruption case.

The NCP veteran and one of the seniormost politicians in the country, who has very little security, lost his balance for a moment but regained composure after the assault, moved towards the exit of the auditorium and got into his waiting car.

Private security guards immediately overpowered the youth who was shouting "he is corrupt" and an official landed some blows on Singh, who was arrested and charged with causing hurt, assault and criminal intimidation.

Condemning the attack, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Hamid Ansari spoke to Pawar. Pranab Mukherjee wondered "where the country was going?".

Home Minister P Chidambaram drove to Pawar's residence and met him. The Government is likely to convene a meeting to review security of Union Ministers.

Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi immediately attributed the incident to Yashwant Sinha's statement Tuesday that continued price rise in the "absence" of any concrete steps may become a reason for people to vent their anger in the form of violence.

Party spokesperson Manish Tiwari said such statements were not good for democracy and they went to prove the intentions of the party.

However, BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad hit back saying it was unfortunate that Congress feels that the opposition party is trying to incite the public. "It is not proper. It should not have happened. It is a security breach," he said.

Sinha, on his part, said his statement has nothing to do with today's incident.

BJP as well as several other Opposition parties condemned violence in democracy but said the Government should also understand the seriousness of the situation over price rise and take steps to control it.

Pawar himself refused to blame any party for the attack and sought to downplay the incident. He and his daughter Supriya Sule, an NCP MP, appealed to party cadres not to react in any violent manner.

"I don't think it is appropriate for me to blame any political party for the incident. I should not go to that level of blaming anyone," he said.

In Pawar's home state of Maharashtra, there were sporadic protests by NCP activists who have called a day-long bandh in Pune. There were incidents of road blocking in Pune.

"I came planned to the event to slap the minister," Singh said. "All of them are corrupt," the attacker shouted when he was removed from security and policemen.

Wielding a small kirpan, the youth said things could have been worse but for the observance of martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur today. Police also slapped the charge of attempt to suicide after he tried to slash the veins on his wrist.

A senior police official said they were checking Singh's medical records to check whether he is mentally stable. The official said prima facie, it did not appear that any political party has any role in this incident.

Police sources said that during interrogation, Singh reportedly claimed that actually he wanted to target Mukherjee but gave up the idea because of his age.

Pawar said he saw the youth standing in the midst of a group of journalists and could have taken advantage of the fact that he has very little security.

Priyanka excited for ‘Barfee

Finally Priyanka Chopra is back on the sets of Anurag Basu’s ‘Barfee’. The Desi Gal, who was in United States for her album’s recording, is quite happy and excited to be back shooting with the team.

Remarked the ‘Fashion’ babe on her micro-blogging site, “Early morning shoot. For Barfee in beautiful Pollachi… Very happy to be back on this set… Such fun!!”
Yes, the team is shooting in the scenic, calm locales of Pollachi – a popular shooting spot in south. (For the records, the image here is from an earlier shooting schedule….)
‘Barfee’ revolves around Murphy (Ranbir Kapoor), who is a deaf person. Incidentally, the title is so called because since Ranbir’s character can’t pronounce his name properly, he says it as Barfee. Priyanka plays the role of a mentally challenged girl, while Ileana D’Cruz, the south beauty who makes her Bollywood debut, plays a prominent character in the movie.

Have regular sex to live longer

Studies show that having sexual intercourse regularly improves hormone levels, heart health and brain power and revs up your immune system, so you can hold on to your youth while you enjoy yourself. Research shows that the more orgasms you have, the longer you can expect to live. Being bad was never so good, right?

Aim for orgasm
It’s not just the amount of sex you’re having that counts when it comes to adding years to your life – it is the quality, too. A study discovered that a powerful orgasm is equivalent to a shot of Valium, a drug that relieves bodily stress, and works as a good relaxant. Added to that, it can also increase the body’s infection-fighting cells by up to 20%

Several studies have shown that happily married couples are likely to live longer than singles or those who are in negative relationships. Even more impressive is the fact that having regular orgasms make men twice as likely to live into old age as those who don’t have sex, and women to live up to eight years longer.

Also women who have two orgasms a week are up to 30% less likely to develop heart diseases.

So, make the most of it and boost your orgasm potential by investing in a good sexual intercourse.

Years added +08

Time to cuddle up
Cuddling up to your partner isn’t just an enjoyable aspect of good sex – it also helps to release the ‘bonding hormone’ Oxytocin, which has been linked to life expectancy.

Research has found that Oxytocin can dramatically boost longevity. So, people who are in good relationships are less vulnerable to chronic diseases and even depression.

So, make the most of it by cuddling up with your lover after sex. This will also add intimacy to your relationship. A sensual massage, lots of stroking and intimate touches will help you go a long way in keeping your relationship alive. Also, studies show that Oxytocin is produced in greater quantities with a familiar partner.

Years added +07

Cook up a storm

To enjoy good sex, it helps if you’re in the mood – which is why brain chemicals are so important. A lack of desire is the result of a reduction in one of the four brain chemicals – Dopamine, Acetylcholine, GABA and Serotonin. To get them up to speed again, certain herbs and spices can also help.

For Dopamine, which enhances mood and confidence, try basil, black pepper, chillies, cumin, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Acetylcholine helps improve alertness and focus so try all-spice, basil, peppermint, sage and thyme. GABA, a natural anti-depressant, is found in alcohol, so just one or two glasses of red wine will do the trick. Serotonin boosts happiness and relaxation, so try turkey, bananas and chocolate.

So, make the most of it by cooking up a light vegetable curry served with saffron rice to get you in the mood.

Years added +10

Work up a sweat

Exercise helps keep you fit. It also improves circulation and muscle tone and staves off the ageing process. Good news is that sex provides almost all the same benefits as regular exercise, without having to hit the treadmill. It increases circulation and metabolism and burns about 30 calories for 20 minutes of reasonably active sex. That means in an hour you’ve burnt off a glass of wine or a couple of biscuits.

Middle-aged women who have weekly sex have been found to have twice the bone-protecting Oestrogen levels of those who don’t.

So, make the most of it by keeping sex fun by trying new positions. If you always do it in missionary, speed up your heart rate by going on top for a change.

Years added +10

More, more, more!
It really is a case of use it or lose it. And having sex at least once a week will keep your hormones, heart and brain in top condition. And the more you have, the better the benefits. Men who have sex three or more times a week reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke by 50%. It’s largely a myth that sex can trigger heart attacks, but if you’re worried, don’t overdo the aerobics and you’ll still get the benefit of powerful relaxation hormones. Regular sex releases ‘feel good’ Endorphins at any age, as well as easing stress.

Years added +2

Team Anna members meet BJP leaders on Lokpal

New Delhi: Team Anna on Tuesday met senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj here to lobby for the party’s support for inclusion of lower bureaucracy, judiciary and CBI under the purview of proposed Lokpal Bill.

Activists Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia met Mr. Jaitley, Ms. Swaraj and Mr. S S Alhuwalia in Parliament House where they discussed for about an hour the developments in the Standing Committee on Lokpal.

“We were not here to protest. We are holding meetings and will have more discussions,” Mr. Kejriwal told reporters after the meeting, which took place on the first day of Winter Session of Parliament.

Lokpal Bill is expected to be placed before the House for passing during this session. Anna Hazare has demanded that a strong bill be passed in this session itself or he will launch an agitation and campaign against Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls in five states next year.

Ms. Bedi said it was useful to hear each other and was helpful in the current scenario.

Team Anna members argued for the inclusion of judiciary, lower bureaucracy, CBI and Citizen’s Charter under the ambit of Lokpal though reports suggested that there was a consensus in the Standing Committee to exclude these.

The activists said that the Group C and D employees should be under the ambit of Lokpal, saying common man has to deal with these employees on a daily basis.

“Their exclusion means 57 lakh employees will be out of the ambit of Lokpal. Common man’s plight will continue. The corruption in MNREGA, PDS and all will continue,” they said.

On the issue of keeping CBI out of Lokpal’s control, Team Anna said the Standing Committee proposal on the agency would reduce Lokpal to merely a post office – receive complaints, forward it to CBI, receive CBI’s report and present it before the court.

They also argued for the inclusion of judiciary and citizen’s charter in the Lokpal Bill, saying the separate legislations prepared by the government were “weak and ineffective”

Bachchans bring Beti B home

                Addressing media for the first time since the baby's birth, Amitabh praises Aishwarya for insisting on normal delivery.

Priyanka Survivors of the fire at an east Delhi community hall during a transgender congregation, which left 14 people dead, recall the horror.

Monday morning saw survivors thronging to the close by Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where the injured were admitted in a rush the previous evening. "We were all inside the community centre, meeting friends, when the fire started engulfing the place.

Three gas cylinders also exploded and within minutes, it was all over," said Chandini, a survivor. "The fire brigade reached after half an hour or so. And the police reached much later," she added.

Dr Varun Kulshreahtha, head of department, burns and plastic surgery, GTB Hospital said that 50 causalities were brought to the hospital. Twelve were brought in dead, five were admitted to other hospitals and 33 patients who have suffered 30 to 55 per cent burns are undergoing treatment, he said.

The patients are being treated at the burns ward, located on the first floor of the GTB Hospital. Many have suffered severe burns on their chest, arms and legs. Dr Kulshreahtha explained, "Anyone who has suffered 30 per cent or less burns has a fair chance of survival. There are about two patients who have suffered 50 to 55 per cent burns and six with 40 per cent burns. I see all of them as serious. One patient in particular, Sonia, has about 85 per cent burns on the body and has a very grim chance of survival," he observed.

Advani: My yatra has ended, but fight against corruption will go on

 Marking the end of his 38-day Jan Chetna Yatra - a tour he dedicated to promoting clean governance - senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani today addressed a public rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

Finding Ukrainian President Yanukovych’s Book

I finally managed to get my hands on Viktor Yanukovych’s bestselling book, Opportunity Ukraine. No one I know in Ukraine has ever laid his or her eyes on the volume, but I have it—my very own copy.

I’ll discuss the actual volume in subsequent blogs, but for the time being let me tell you how I found it.

It wasn’t easy. I scoured the bookstores of Kyiv and Lviv a few weeks ago, but to no avail. Silly me: why would an English-language book by its president be sold in Ukraine?

But surely it’d be available in Vienna, right? I mean, the publisher, Mandelbaum Verlag, is based in Vienna, and surely they’d have an interest in selling it there? Right?

Wrong.

I scoured the bookstores of Vienna, but with no luck. The city’s answer to Barnes & Noble, Morawa, didn’t even have the book in its computer system—which was a bad sign, of course, and led me to think I should just go straight to the source.

It turns out that Mandelbaum Verlag is located on the ground floor of an old building at Wipplingerstrasse 23, in the First District. I walked in and encountered two men sitting amid shelves and piles of books. The older one asks me, in German, if he could help me. I say that I’m looking for President Yanukovych’s book—that I’ve looked in all the bookstores of Vienna but wasn’t able to find it.

“Es ist vergriffen,” he says, “but I may still have a copy or two.”

“Sold out?” I respond. “You mean here in Austria?”

“Nein,” he says, “the books have been shipped to Ukraine.”

“Aha,” I say and ask him how much the book costs.

“Nineteen euros and ninety cents.”

I give him a twenty and he rummages in a box, where he finds five copies wrapped in plastic. He hands me one and returns ten cents. I thank him profusely and rush out, a broad smile on my face.

After all, I may be the only person outside the presidential administration to own a copy of the volume.

So what’s the book like?

Mandelbaum did their job well: the book at least looks professional. Too bad Yanukovych’s ghost writers didn’t bother with such niceties as citation, preferring plagiarism instead, but there’s at least one good thing to be said about the tome—that someone, perhaps Yanukovych himself, had the good sense to understand that an English-language volume by a Ukrainian president could be an effective way of telling the world about Ukraine. None of Ukraine’s three other presidents understood that, so Yanukovych deserves some credit for seeing the importance of reaching out.

Naturally, since his book is a Regionnaire operation, it’s not surprising they did a lousy job. Forget the plagiarism. The truly bizarre thing about the volume is that it’s intended for Western investors. Yanukovych and his minions really appear to have believed that your typical investor would actually make a far-reaching business decision involving millions or billions of dollars by reading a book. And one by a president no less.

Anyone with even a grade-school understanding of how investment decisions are made could have told the Regionnaires that investors mistrust broad smiles and vague assurances by smooth-talking honchos promising to take care of everything personally. What any investor wants and needs to know is simple: Can I make money? And is my investment safe from political and criminal predators? A president can turn blue in the face with claims that all will be well, but the bottom line for any investor is a country’s economic numbers and the quality of its legal system. After all, there are close to two hundred countries in the world. Why invest in some place whose president promises you’ll make money when you can invest in another place where other businesspeople are already making money? You’d have to be dumb—or a Regionnaire with criminal connections—to fall for that.

And it doesn’t help when the Regionnaire in question doesn’t have his facts straight. Yanukovych claims that “registering a business” takes 27 days in Ukraine, as compared to four in Singapore, 23 in Japan, and 15 in Germany (p. 247). According to the authoritative Doing Business ratings calculated by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, the only number Yanukovych got right was four for Singapore. In reality, “starting a business” takes five days in Hong Kong, 107 in Japan, 98 in Germany—and 112 in Ukraine.

How to Save Egypt's Revolution?

With the military council lording over Egypt's constitution-making, every step forward seems ten steps away from democracy.

Belarus, the Land of No Applause

The increasingly paranoid, oppressive reign of dictatorial Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko appears more and more likely to drive the struggling country into all-out "societal madness."

Facebook scare in Bangalore

The recent Facebook hack has reportedly claimed over 2 lakh victims in Bangalore. According to a news report in Mid Day, some two lakh Facebook users in Bangalore had their accounts hacked and weblinks to their morphed pornographic pictures sent as feeds to friends and family.

Quoting social networking analysts, the report says that more than 2 lakh Bangalore Facebook accounts were hacked. The cybercrime department too is reported to have received calls and complaints regarding the mass hacking.

According to the report, there are around 50 posts on Facebook stating that the users are quitting the social networking site forever after being embarrassed before friends and family.

Incidentally, according to a Bloomberg report, Facebook claimed that it has identified those responsible for the deluge of hardcore porn and violent images in some users' newsfeeds, and said it is working with its legal team "to ensure appropriate consequences follow."

The social networking company made the statement after porn, pictures of extreme violence and faked photos of celebrities such as Justin Bieber in sexual situations had overrun the profiles of some Facebook users.

Facebook said that it has "drastically limited the damage caused" by a spam attack that took advantage of a browser vulnerability. "Protecting the people who use Facebook from spam and malicious content is a top priority for us," Palo Alto, California-based Facebook said in a statement.

Users were tricked into pasting malware into their browsers, which in turn resulted in the sharing of offensive content, Facebook said...

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan blessed with a baby girl

Bollywood star and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has given birth to a baby girl, her husband Abhishek announced on Wednesday.

"IT'S A GIRL!," Abhishek, also a top actor, wrote on his Twitter account, @juniorbachchan, without giving any further details.

Bachchan's father, Bollywood legend Amitabh, tweeted his joy at the new arrival: "A dada ji (a grandfather)...Ecstatic!", calling his new granddaughter "the cutest baby girl".

The baby was born at the private Seven Hills Hospital in the western Mumbai suburb of Andheri on Wednesday morning, hospital officials told.

A girl was born to star couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan at a private hospital here Wednesday morning.

The baby, their first child, was born at the Seven Hills Hospital. Mother and daughter were both doing fine.

"IT'S A GIRL!!," Abhishek, 35, posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.com. He had recently said he wanted a daughter who looked like Aishwarya.

Proud grandfather Amitabh Bachchan too couldn't control his happiness and tweeted: "I AM DADA to the cutest baby girl, A dada ji ... Ecstatic."

Hospital sources said the delivery was normal and came a few minutes before 10 a.m. The Bachchan and Rai families were present for the momentous occasion.

Aishwarya, 38, developed labour pains around 4 a.m. and was taken to the labour room where the delivery took place after nearly six hours.

The actress is on the fifth floor of the luxury private hospital in Andheri east.

The hospital had booked three rooms on the floor -- one for Aishwarya, the other for the Bachchan family and the third for the Rai family. The entire floor was kept out of bounds for all except the two families.

The hospital has been under tight security for the past three days in expectation of the youngest member of the Bachchan family.

Aishwarya was admitted to the hospital Monday night, according to her spokesperson.

The Bachchan family had been waiting for the baby's arrival for a few days and preparing for the child's welcome.

The girl is Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan's third grandchild, after Agastya and Navya Naveli -- children of his daughter Shweta and son-in-law Nikhil Nanda.

Aishwarya tied the knot with Abhishek in April 2007 and rumours about her pregnancy had been doing the rounds ever since.

Rupee down 24 paise at fresh 32-month low against US dollar

The Indian rupee fell by 24 paise to a fresh 32-month low of Rs. 50.91 against the US dollar in early trade today amid depreciation of the euro due to the deepening European debt crisis.

In addition, persistent dollar demand from banks and importers and a weak opening in the equity market also put pressure on the Indian rupee.

Dealers said a slide in the euro value, which slipped to a fresh one-month low against the U.S. dollar, and a lower opening in the equity market mainly weighed on the rupee sentiment.....

Nitish supports Mayawati's stand on four new states

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday lent support to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Mayawati's stand to carve out four new states out of Uttar Pradesh.

''We are in principle in favour of formation of smaller states ... We have been votary of smaller states for fostering a new era of development ... However, it is a matter between Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre,'' he told reporters here before emplaning for Muzaffarpur for the second leg of his Seva Yatra.

Bihar too was divided in 2000 when Jharkhand was carved out of it. The demand for formation of Telangana was already there, besides those for bifurcation of a few more states including Maharashtra, chief minister said.

Before 2000 when Jharkhand was created, the population of Uttar Pradesh was two-and-a-half times more than undivided Bihar and now it was double than divided Bihar at present.

Mayawati had on Tuesday announced bringing a resolution in the House in the winter session beginning next week for carving out four new states.

The state's cabinet had already approved a resolution for creation of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh...

Petrol prices likely to come down by Rs 2 a litre from Thursday

After an increase of Rs 1.82 per litre on petrol, reports suggest that state-run fuel retailers are set to reduce the petrol prices by Rs 2 a litre from Thursday.

According to sources, though the cut down cannot be termed as a rollback, it is the government that has suggested the reduction in the prices. Since decontrol, the oil marketing companies on record have been free to set the street price of petrol.

The sources further said that the slashing of the prices would be a political decision, adding that the concerns of the oil companies need to be addressed. Global oil prices fell sharply and if rates sustain and the rupee does not depreciate any further, a reduction in petrol prices (excluding taxes) is possible.

If the prices are brought down, it will be the first reduction in the fuel prices since June 2010 when it was unshackled from the control of the government.

The move is also expected to douse popular and political anger ahead of the winter session of Parliament, scheduled to begin from November 22. It must be noted, that the petrol prices have been hiked five times since December 2010.

The ministry started tracking movements in prices of crude and products in international markets as well as the rupee's exchange rate more closely after the November 3 price increase sparked a sharp public outcry and drew allegations of lack of transparency in the pricing mechanism.

"Gasoline (petrol) averaged $115.8 per barrel in November, as against the $121 per barrel price taken at the time of the Rs 1.80 per litre hike in petrol price. Also, the rupee has averaged Rs 49.20 per US dollar, which is less than the October average," a senior official in one of the three state-run oil marketing companies said.

"The reduction in oil price warrants a cut of Rs 1.86 per litre in the petrol price, excluding all taxes," he said, adding that retail prices may go down by about Rs 2 per litre.

Kingfisher Airlines doubles loss on fuel costs to Rs 469 crore

Cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines on Tuesday reported a doubling of its loss in the fiscal second quarter on higher fuel prices and operating costs, amid investor worries about its future.

The company said it has suffered "substantial losses" and its net worth has been eroded.

Kingfisher has been asked by its creditors to raise $160 million in equity and the carrier is considering a proposal to sell real estate to help pave the way for a debt restructuring, a banker said on Monday.

The carrier's net loss in the quarter ended September 30 rose to Rs 469 crore ($93 million) from Rs 231 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement to the stock exchanges. Aircraft fuel expenses in the quarter rose 70 percent to Rs 817 crore, it said.

The carrier has become one of the main casualties of high fuel costs and a fierce price war between a handful of airlines which, between them, have ordered hundreds of aircraft for delivery over the next decade in an ambitious bet on the future.

At 10:12 AM, shares in Kingfisher Airlines rose 0.70% to Rs 21.50.

SICOM, the non-banking finance company partly owned by the Maharashtra government, is understood to have emerged as a source of some of the funds being raised by the UB Group to support Kingfisher Airlines. Four companies linked to Kingfisher and the UB Group have collectively borrowed Rs 400 crore from SICOM, in which the state government holds 49% equity.

Banks will take control of the cash flow of Kingfisher Airlines - a harsh step that lenders rarely take to protect their exposure. They will put in place a mechanism where the airline's earnings will flow into one bank account that will be closely tracked to avert loan defaults. The decision was taken by the lenders at a hurriedly called meeting last week as the Vijay Mallyapromoted airline hit the headlines after it cancelled 200 flights and sought government help.

Maruti hikes diesel car prices by up to Rs 10,000

India's biggest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has increased the prices of its diesel cars by up to Rs 10,000.

 While the diesel variants of Swift, Dzire and SX4 cars became costlier by Rs 10,000 from Monday, the price of the Ritz hatchback has been raised by 2,000.

"There has been a critical upswing in the inputs cost and an adverse appreciation in the Japanese currency yen that had made imports costlier and forced this hike," a company spokesperson said.

The carmaker is in the process of normalising production after a 55% decline in October to 50,487 units, following recurrent strikes since June that kept the Manesar plant shut for 59 days. As a result, the waiting time for some of Maruti's diesel model stretches up to nine months.

Industry sources say other carmakers, including Hyundai Motor and Toyota, are also looking at price revisions.

Norway mass killer Breivik faces survivors

Norway mass killer Anders Breivik has attempted to give a speech describing himself as a "resistance commander" at his first public court appearance.

But Breivik, who has confessed to killing 77 people in a shooting rampage at a youth retreat and a car bomb attack in Oslo, was cut off by the judge. Wearing a dark suit, the 32-year-old was led into a courtroom packed with dozens of reporters and members of the public, including survivors of the massacre on the island of Utoya.

He began portraying himself as a "commander" of a Norwegian resistance movement but the judge told him to stick to the matter at hand - a hearing on whether he should remain in custody. The court is under a gag order on reporting Breivik's words for fear he would turn the appearance into a platform for his far-right views.

The gunman suspect as he walks past the bodies of his victims on the shoreline of the island of Utoya in Norway. Breivik walks among victims of the shooting rampage on Utoya. Previous hearings have been behind closed doors but Oslo District Court ruled that this session would be partly open to the media and public.

Breivik, who admits the killings but has pleaded not guilty to terror charges, has claimed he carried out his attacks because he wanted to "save Norway and western Europe from a Muslim takeover". His trial is due to begin in April. Investigators say he set off a fertiliser bomb outside the government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight people, before heading to Utoya where youth sections of Norway's Labour Party were gathered for a summer camp.

Disguised as a police officer, he opened fire on dozens of youths and fatally shot 69 people, mostly teenagers, before surrendering to armed police. After his arrest it emerged he had written a 1,500-page manifesto detailing his desire to become an anti-Muslim crusader...

Short-term pain will lead to long-term gain: Kiran Bedi on Lokpal Bill

In 2010, India figured 87, down three rungs from 2009, in the Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index. That India is slipping even further was brought to home when Huguette Labelle , chair, Transparency International Germany, alluded that a recent survey revealed that the two in four people paid bribe in India last year as compared to one in four in other countries.

The debate, aptly named, 'The Indian Spring: Seeking independence from Corruption' was postponed for about two hours as the feisty Kiran Bedi of Team Anna, saw her flight from Kolkata diverted to Nagpur due to a technical glitch. The debate would have been a non-starter in her absence as the moderator Nik Gowing of BBC, the main presenter felt without her, the balance to the panel would be lost.

Thanks to Anna Hazare and Team Anna, the topic has found a connect among businessmen attending the Indian Economic Summit held under the aegis of the World Economic Forum on Sunday meeting. The audience spilled over to the sidelines of the large Tadoba room. Ashwani Kumar, the minister of state for planning, science and technology and earth sciences, fielded for the government, the debate had its share of fireworks as the former police officer Bedi took on the selfassured minister who didn't have to tell everyone that he was lawyer by training, as he fobbed off some of the contentious charges against the government.

"There is aresonance in the country on corruption" , the minister said, "but the means and ends are always important" . The minister was obviously showing his displeasure to the constant return to a 'hunger fast' and agitation by Hazare and his team. "We cannot have legislation under public unrest," the minister said. Bedi, ever combative, said the movement has only "deepened democracy".

When the law (Lokpal bill) comes, it would be historical as the common man has participated in this movement," she added. "We'll go back to agitation," Team Anna's stormy petrel warned. To the minister's statement that the Parliament should do its business without being pressured by groups such as Team Anna, Bedi said their efforts meant short-term pain to get long-term gain. Adi Godrej said that corruption was quite "widespread".

Kingfisher Airlines to sell property to cut debt; shares surge 4%

Shares of Kingfisher Airlines rose more than 4 per cent on Monday on Economic Times' report that the cash-strapped carrier would consider proposals, including selling property, to cut its $1.3 billion debt by more than half.

The board of Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) will consider a proposal to cut debt by more than half by selling property, converting loans from its parent company into equity, and changing the terms under which it leases aircraft.

The management of the airline, which has cancelled 200 flights in the past week, leading to fears it is close to bankruptcy, says its plan will result in debt coming down from Rs 6,500 crore to Rs 3,000 crore.

Kingfisher shares had plunged as much as 18 per cent on Friday to an all-time low of Rs 17.7 after the airline said it was dropping unprofitable routes and speeding up a fleet reconfiguration, which would see its daily schedule of flights drop to 300 from 340.

At 10:10 a.m. (0350 GMT), shares in Kingfisher Airlines were trading up 4.33 per cent at Rs 20.50 in a firm market.

The debt-reduction plans to be placed before the board were spelt out in a presentation, which has been reviewed by this paper, to potential financial investors on November 6.

The management is likely to propose a preferential issue of equity to the promoters and other investors, meeting a key demand of banks that are insisting Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant tycoon who owns the airline, infuse equity into the troubled carrier.

Kingfisher is promoted by Mallya's UB Group, which owns United Spirits, India's biggest liquor company. The UB Group will also convert Rs 675 crore of debt into equity as part of the plan to pare debt.

The preferential issue of equity, if approved, will replace a rights issue of Rs 2,000 crore approved by the board in August. Once these plans are approved, Kingfisher will approach banks for up to Rs 500 crore of working capital to buy fuel and pay salaries, according to people familiar with the matter. Kingfisher's lenders have made it clear that the airline would have to come up with acredible business plan.

"Kingfisher is a valued company, but an airline would need fuel, fleet and finance to run the show. Kingfisher should tell us how it plans to streamline its daily requirements," Pratip Chaudhuri, chairman, SBI, said in Kolkata.

SBI is the lead lender to Kingfisher among the consortium of 13 banks. Chaudhuri said banks have asked the airline's owners to bring Rs 800 crore as equity. The company has said Rs 400 crore has been arranged, but Chaudhuri said he wanted to "see the money", news agency PTI reported. He said banks will meet KFA's management on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, reports that the government might move to bail out Kingfisher has met with strong opposition from politicians and sections of industry. "If it's a free market economy, those who die must die," said Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj. The principal opposition party, the BJP, and the CPM have strongly opposed government help to Kingfisher.

Over the next two years, Kingfisher plans to raise close to Rs 900 crore by selling Kingfisher House, the airline's headquarters near the Mumbai domestic airport, and other real estate, and Rs 700 crore more by changing the leases on its aircraft from financial to operating.

Telangana Congress MPs to meet Sonia today

Disappointed over the comments of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh favouring consensus on the separate Telangana demand, Congress MPs from the region are planning to seek the intervention of party president Sonia Gandhi.

"People of Telangana are shocked and feeling betrayed over the PM's comments as we have made a commitment earlier," Congress MP Madhu Yashki Goud told reporters.

He said consensus may never be possible on the Telangana issue as the non-Telangana regions are bigger in size.
"The protests and campaign being held in the non-Telangana regions in support of keeping Andhra Pradesh united are orchestrated. If majority voice is heard, the minority may never get justice," he said.

Noting that Sonia Gandhi is the only hope for the Congress leaders from Telangana, Madhu Yashki Goud said they would soon meet and urge her to instruct the government to take steps for formation of separate Telangana state.

The Telangana Congress MPs are meeting tomorrow to firm up their strategy on the issue, he said.

The Prime Minister said yesterday that a decision on Telangana would be taken on the basis of a consensus and nothing would be done in a hurry that would create trouble in other regions.

"Telangana is a complicated matter. We want consensus where all shades of opinion will feel what is best. We cannot solve Telangana by agreeing to Telangana and there are disturbances and unrest in other parts," he told journalists on board his special plane while returning from Maldives yesterday.

Omar meets PM over AFSPA removal

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is meeting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at his 7, Race Course Road residence on Monday to discuss the removal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain parts of the state.

The J&K CM is also scheduled to hold a series of meetings with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram later today to apprise them of his government’s stand on the controversial act.

Ahead of today’s meeting, Abdullah yesterday met Defence Minister AK Antony and Army Chief VK Singh to press for early removal of the Act from certain parts of the state.

During his meeting with Antony, Omar presented his case for removal of AFSPA from at least from four districts -- two each in Kashmir and Jammu, official sources said.
While Antony conveyed the reservations of the Army over such a move, Omar emphasised the need to translate the promises made by the National Conference-Congress alliance on ground and reward the people of the state for maintaining a peaceful year.

To drive home his point, Omar noted that his state has seen a boom in the tourism industry with nearly 13 lakh tourists visiting the state till October this year.

There was no official word on what transpired during the hour-long meeting between Omar and the Army Chief. The Army has voiced its serious reservations over withdrawal of AFSPA from certain parts citing security concerns.

The J&K Government has been pressing for partial removal of AFSPA and suggested that it could be removed from Srinagar and Budgam besides Jammu city and Sambha.

A Unified Headquarters meeting was held recently in which Army gave a detailed briefing on its opposition for even partial removal of AFSPA from certain areas of the state and also went to the extent that if AFSPA is removed, Kashmir may become independent by 2016, a statement which shocked everyone present at the meeting.

Army contended that AFSPA is an enabling act to counter terrorists operations and should be seen in the context of the proxy war waged by Pakistan in the state.

Other central agencies opposed the Army's move and termed the assertion of the Army as a far-fetched and without any basis.

The Chief Minister told the meeting in no uncertain terms that "no is not an option" and that partial removal of AFSPA would have to take place. Omar also later went on to stress that he was fully authorised to revoke the act from the areas he wished.

Ex-president Kalam frisked again in US

America has done it again. Notwithstanding previous protests, US officials in September this year frisked none other than former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam at JFK Airport in New York.

During the incident, which happened on September 29, US security men took Dr Kalam’s coat and shoes away while he was seated inside an Air India plane before departure.
According to reports, at around 2 pm local time on September 29 frantic US security men entered the Air India aircraft and insisted on frisking Dr Kalam. He had already been frisked once before entering the aircraft like any other passenger.

Gold hits record high of Rs 29,265 on seasonal demand

Gold prices Saturday surged by Rs 175 to touch an all-time high of Rs 29,265 per 10 grams in the bullion market here today on rising seasonal demand amid a firming global trend.

Silver also jumped up by Rs 800 to Rs 57,850 per kg.

Traders said gold spurted on heavy buying by stockists and jewellery makers to meet the ongoing marriage season demand amid a firming overseas trend as concerns about Europe's debt crisis boosted the demand for the metal as a protection of wealth.

In New York, gold shot up by USD 6.60 to USD 1,765 an ounce.

Back home, gold of 99.9 and 99.3 percent purity shot up by Rs 175 each to Rs 29,265 and Rs 29,125 per 10 grams, respectively. Sovereign rose by Rs 850 to Rs 23,300 per piece of eight grams.

Likewise, silver also climbed on brisk buying by industrial units.

Silver ready jumped up by Rs 800 to Rs 57,850 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 825 to Rs 57,750 per kg.

Silver coins shot up by Rs 1,000 to Rs 67,000 for buying and Rs 68,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Berlusconi resigns, crowds in Rome celebrate

Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Saturday to make way for an emergency government Italians hope will save them from financial ruin as thousands of jeering protesters shouted "clown, clown" and toasted the end of a scandal-plagued era.

Berlusconi, who failed to secure a majority in a crucial vote on Tuesday, stepped down as prime minister after parliament passed a package of measures demanded by European partners to restore market confidence in Italy's strained public finances.

Former European Commissioner Mario Monti is expected to be given the task of trying to form a new administration to face a widening financial crisis which has sent Italy's borrowing costs to unmanageable levels.

More than a thousand demonstrators waving banners mocking Berlusconi flocked to the president's residence at the Quirinale Palace as the motorcade carrying the billionaire media entrepreneur, who has been Italy's longest serving prime minister, entered.

The crowd grew so unruly that Berlusconi was forced to leave secretly via a side entrance and return to his private residence.Cheers broke out when they heard that Berlusconi had resigned and the square broke out into a party atmosphere. People sang, danced and some broke open bottles of champagne.

An orchestra near the palace played the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah. "We are here to rejoice," one said.Demonstrators chanting "resign, resign, resign" also gathered outside the prime minister's office and parliament, heckling ministers as they walked between the two buildings.

A small group of pro-Berlusconi demonstrators gathered outside his residence but were hugely outnumbered by opponents.After the resignation, hundreds shouting "Jail, Jail, Jail," moved from the presidential palace to Berlusconi's residence to continue the noisy celebrations below his windows...