BJP should declare Narendra Modi as PM candidate: Yashwant Sinha

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday endorsed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate in the next general election.
“Wherever I go, the common people and party workers say they want Narendra Modi to be the prime minister candidate from BJP,” Yashwant Sinha told reporters here.
“After considering all aspects, I too feel if BJP declares him as the prime minister candidate, it will make a huge difference to the party,” he said.
He added that it was his personal view. The BJP has so far maintained silence on the issue.

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Delhi gang-rape: 'Sixth accused a juvenile'

New Delhi: In an important development in the Delhi gang-rape case, the Juvenile Justice Board on Monday ruled that the sixth accused in the December 16 incident is a juvenile.

Rejecting a plea seeking that the sixth accused in the horrific rape case be subjected to bone ossification test to medically verify his age, the court accepted his age as per the date of birth mentioned in the school certificate submitted by principal of his school.

According to the birth certificate, he was born on June 04, 1995, which means he was 17-year-6 month-11-day-old on December 16, when he committed the crime.

"He is a juvenile. The Juvenile Justice Board declared the sixth accused as juvenile on the basis of the date of birth on his school certificate which mentions June 04, 1995," said prosecutor Ishkaran Singh Bhandari after the hearing before the board.

The accused would turn 18 in June, he said.

The sixth accused is alleged to have played the most violent role in the whole incident.

As per the law, bone test is conducted only in the absence of the school certificate. In this case, as the certificate has been furnished, it will be taken as final.

The petitioners now plan to move the higher court.

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Rapes by minors: Shocking facts

On Monday, the Juvenile Justice Board declared the sixth accused in the horrific Delhi gangrape a minor. The accused will thus, not face trial in the special court, despite being the offender that inflicted the most harm to the victim. The maximum punishment the accused may receive is being sent to a remand home for three years.
The debate of modifying the Juvenile Justice Act continues with many voices in favour of treating juveniles in the age group of 16-18 being punished like adults for heinous crimes. Here are some horrifying statistics about minors involved in sexual abuse crimes...

According to statistics, soon after children between 16-18 years were included in the juvenile category in the year 2000, the number of rapes increased five-fold - from 198 in 2000 to a shocking 1149 rapes by juveniles were recorded in 2011.

 

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the crimes being committed by juveniles are on the rise. The number of crimes reported in a single year after the inclusion of children from 16-18 years increased by 80%!

 

A whopping 171% increase in crimes by juveniles was recorded since 2000. As many as 25,125 crimes were recorded by juveniles in the year 2011.

 

Stating that the trend is worsening with each passing year, The NCRB that about 65% of such juveniles booked under the Indian Penal Code are between 16 and 18 years of age (2010-11). About 94% of juvenile crimes are committed by boys. Madhya Pradesh (with 20%) and Maharashtra (with 19%) top the juvenile crime chart.

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62% schools do not have toilets for girls

Hyderabad: One-third of schools in rural areas of the state do not have provisions for toilets for girls, while another third has toilets that are either locked or unusable.
This is despite several orders by the Supreme Court over the last two years to ensure provision of toilets in all schools and a deadline of March to comply with.
According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2012, only 38 per cent of schools in rural Andhra Pradesh have toilets that can be used by girl students.
However, the current situation is better than previous years, as in 2011 only 28.1 per cent had usable toilets. In spite of the improvement, the state is still among the worst in terms of providing for its girl students.
Leaving out states from the North-East, only Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have a lower proportion of schools providing basic amenities for girls.
The Right to Education Act mandates that basic amenities should be provided to all students in all schools. The Supreme Court had in October 2011 ordered all states that provision of toilets, particularly for girls, should be ensured in all schools.
The court had noted that data suggested that lack of toilets for girls in schools discouraged parents from sending them there for education.
The overall picture also isn’t rosy. While toilets for boys were built in most of the schools in rural Andhra Pradesh, nearly half of them are unusable. About 37 per cent of the toilets are unusable while about 16 per cent schools have no toilets at all.

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Explanation: How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter

As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be.  We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love.  As the brain fades, we euphemistically refer to these occurrences as "senior moments."
While seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a detrimental impact on our professional, social, and personal well-being.
It happens to most of us, but is it inevitable? 
Neuroscientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done.  It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can significantly improve our basic cognitive functions.  Thinking is essentially a process of making neural connections in the brain.  To a certain extent, our ability to excel in making the neural connections that drive intelligence is inherited.  However, because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate according to mental effort.
Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness.  Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford University.
Lumosity, is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills.  That's because they have integrated these exercises into a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.  The program keeps track of your progress and provides detailed feedback on your performance and improvement.  Most importantly, it constantly modifies and enhances the games you play to build on the strengths you are developing--much like an effective exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.
Does it work?
Apparently it does. In randomized, controlled clinical trials, Lumosity was shown to significantly improve basic cognitive functions. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, significantly greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program.
The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness and awareness, elevated mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.
While many of the games at Lumosity are free, a modest subscription fee is required to use the full program over the long term.
However, Lumosity is currently offering a free trial of their program to new users so that you can see how well it works before you decide to subscribe.  The trial is completely free (no credit card required) and the company believes the results will speak for themselves.

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Ajmal Kasab hanged at Pune's Yerawada Jail

 

Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, was hanged at Pune's Yerawada Jail Wednesday morning, Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil said.

"All the legal procedures in the 26/11 terror attacks case were completed. He was sentenced by the trial court, which was upheld by the Bombay High Court, Supreme Court, and his mercy plea was rejected by the president. Accordingly, Kasab has been hanged this morning at 7.30 a.m. in Yerawada Central Jail," Patil told mediapersons.

Kasab's mercy petition was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday night. Shortly thereafter, in the dead of the night, Kasab was shifted amid top secrecy and tight security to Pune's high-security Yerawada jail.

This morning, at 7.30 a.m., he was hanged in the jail premises after which a team of doctors declared him dead.

"The punishment to Kasab is a true tribute to the victims and martyrs of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks," Patil said.

It is not known where Kasab's last rites shall be conducted.

"Yes, Kasab has been hanged this (Wednesday) morning at 7.30 a.m. in Yerawada Central Jail," Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who led the 26/11 terror attacks case, said.

In January 2010, nine of Kasab's associates, who had sneaked into Mumbai on the night of Nov 26, 2008, to unleash three days of terror, were quietly buried at an undisclosed location near Mumbai.

Kasab's end came just five days before the fourth anniversary of the brutal terror attacks that killed 166 lives and injured 300. (yahoo)

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Jindal case: India's charge of Pak institutions involved in 26/11 rubbished

The Pakistan Government on Wednesday dismissed India’s charge of Pakistani state institutions being involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Addressing media in Islamabad, the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor in the Interior Ministry, Rehman Malik, termed New Delhi’s charges as “baseless”, and added that Islamabad would not investigate the Mumbai terror attack on the basis of evidences provided by New Delhi, as they were “not reliable”.
Defending Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Malik rubbished 26/11 Mumbai terror attack plotter Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jindal's claims of the ISI being involved in the 26/11 attacks.
He said the ISI protects Pakistan and is not involved in carrying out terror strikes.
Malik squarely blamed Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram of "unnecessarily targeting the ISI", and claimed that all the allegations against Pakistan have been proven to be false till now.
He pointed out that Jindal was an Indian citizen (a resident of Beed in Maharashtra), and therefore, could not be said to be working on behalf of state or non-state actors from Pakistan.
"On previous occasions, when India accused the ISI of being behind the attacks, they were later proved to be wrong. Blaming someone is very easy, but proving is very, very difficult," claimed Malik.
Chidambaram had on Wednesday said that India had been on Jindal’s case for over a year, and the latter had admitted during interrogation by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police to the involvement of Pakistani state agencies in the 26/11 attacks.
Reacting to Malik's note on Tuesday, Chidambaram said that India was willing to share information about Jindal with Pakistan
Jindal was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 21 after being brought from Saudi Arabia, and is now in the custody of Delhi Police till July 5.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has now produced a production warrant in Delhi's Tis Hazari court for Jindal's interrogation.
The ATS wants to question him regarding the Aurangabad arms haul case of May 2006 and the German Bakery blast case of February 2010.
The ATS also wants to question him regarding the sleeper cells active in Maharashtra and about his alleged connections with the Indian Mujahideen.
The Indian Mujahideen was allegedly behind the 13/7 serial blasts in Mumbai in 2011 and the ATS had filed a charge sheet in the case last month.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau are also interrogating Jindal. He has reportedly given inputs about the Lashkar-e-Toiba's sleeper cells in the country to the police, based on which, police teams will be carrying out raids across Maharashtra.
Police say Jindal used different names in each incident that he was involved in over the past six to seven years.

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Chaos outside Eden after KKR felicitation programme

KOLKATA: There was chaos outside the Eden Gardens after an hour-long felicitation function of the IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riderswhen a large crowd broke barricades and engaged in scuffles with the police in a bid to enter the grounds on Tuesday.

Nearly 30,000 people were waiting outside the Eden Gardens as they were not allowed entry into the grounds which were already packed to capacity.

As the surging crowd made a determined bid to have a glimpse of the KKR team as well as its co-owners Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, chaos followed and several persons suffered injuries in the melee.

The area was littered with shoes and other foot wears as the police made way for the KKR team members, Shah Rukh Khan and Tollywood actors for their departure.

West Bengal governor MK Narayanan, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, some of her cabinet colleagues and railway minister Mukul Roy were present at the felicitation progarmme, organised jointly by the state government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

When contacted, the police denied that there was any lathicharge or any injury outside the stadium.

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Jagan Reddy remanded to 14-day judicial custody till June 11

YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday remanded to 14-day judicial custody till June 11 by the CBI court in Hyderabad.

Earlier on the day, the CBI had sought 14 days custody of Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying it needed to 
further question him in the disproportionate assets case.

39-year-old Jagan, who was arrested on Sunday, was produced before a CBI court in Hyderabad.

Seeking 14 days police remand, senior CBI counsel Ashok Bhan alleged that YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy "sent (bribe amount) abroad and got it reinvested in his business through hawala racket".

"Jagan never cooperated in the investigation during the three-day questioning period in true sense," the CBI counsel alleged.

"Jagan can no longer masquerade as a victim of CBI probe. He cannot assail CBI for being victimised. He has hoodwinked the people of a huge sum of money. We will now show the people about his swindling of money. He cannot seek public sympathy He has deprived poor people and caused them irreparable loss and in turn enriched himself by dubious mechanism by sending the funds abroad and getting the same invested in his companies," the counsel alleged.

CBI has charged Jagan under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust) and 477A (falsification of accounts) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"Investments to the tune of Rs. 1234 crore have been made in his (Jagan's) companies and he himself got enriched by Rs. 300 crore. There are certain traces and he did not cooperate on the same," Bhan alleged.

"It is a white collar crime committed by 74 accused, including Jagan, and so far chargesheets have been filed against 24 accused. All the accused in custody (industrialist N Prasad, senior bureaucrat KV Brahmananda Reddy) have revealed certain glaring facts about the case and we have to confront Jagan on the information provided," the CBI counsel claimed.

CBI has sent Letters Rogatory to Mauritius and Luxembourg to get more information as there were alleged investments to the tune of several crores in Sandur Power by Jagan.

"Luxembourg-based Asian Infra is suspected owner of Sandur Power," the agency submitted.

There are similar transactions in the "exclusive knowledge" of Jagan which will be known only after getting his custody, the CBI counsel said.

"Jagan got enriched enormously in a short span of four years after influencing his father Rajashekhar Reddy, the then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in getting ill gotten money into his own firms from investors who doled out favours as part of quid pro quo," the counsel alleged.

"Some investing companies got alloted thousands of acres of agriculture land in turn of investments after Jagan influenced his father," the agency further alleged.

Further investigations need to be carried out on the role of Jagan with regard to the influence made on his father, the agency said. 

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Rafaeli is world's sexiest woman!

Supermodel Bar Refaeli is "happy and honoured" to top Maxim's 2012 Hot 100 list. The 26-year-old through her Twitter page announced her delight at being recognised as the magazine's sexiest woman of the year, reports femalefirst.co.uk. "So happy and honored to be #1 on #Maximhot100! thank you @maximmag! This is very exciting, Rafaeli tweeted.

Supermodel Bar Refaeli is "happy and honoured" to top Maxim's 2012 Hot 100 list.

Spread the word

Refaeli was closely followed by "Magic Mike star Olivia Munn, who took the second spot on the list for the second year in a row.

"Friends With Benefits actress Mila Kunis moved up from fifth to third place, while singer Katy Perry dropped one position down to fourth from 2011.

Olivia Wilde jumped up from 15th place to fifth place while Kate Middleton's little sister Pippa Middleton debuted at No. 81.

The other women who rounded out the Top 10 are: Olivia Munn, Mila Kunis, Katy Perry, Olivia Wilde, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, Megan Fox, Malin Akerman and Adrianne Palicki.

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President polls: CPI(M) asks Cong to build consensus on candidate

CPI(M) on Thursday asked the Congress to take the initiative in building a consensus on the candidate for the Presidential election though it indicated it was not averse to supporting either Vice President Hamid Ansari or Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the post.

Party MP and politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the Left parties would discuss the Presidential Election issue at their meeting tomorrow.

“Election of the President with consensus is in the country’s favour but if there is no consensus then elections will be held...It is the responsibility of the ruling party to evolve a consensus on the issue. They should take initiative and try to build consensus,” he told reporters here.

Mr. Yechury noted that when A P J Abdul Kalam was fielded in 2002, the Left had nominated Lakshmi Shegal as there was no consensus.

To a question on Left’s stand on probable candidates like Mr. Ansari and Mr. Mukherjee, he said if the Congress has narrowed it down to two names, then Left would like to see on whose name there is consensus.

“That is the best approach. As far as Mr. Hamid Ansari is concerned, the Left had proposed his name for Vice Presidentship last time. As far as Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is concerned, the name was doing rounds last time also and we said we have no objection,” he said.

“The point is not that where we stand, the point is on whose name there is consensus,” Mr. Yechury said.

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Sunny Leone is not Karen Malhotra!

Mumbai: The ‘too hot to handle’ adult film sensation Sunny Leone is in news yet again. This time the smokin’ hot beauty has stirred the hornet’s nest over her name.

The hottie became a household name ever since her debut on Indian TV, through superhit reality show ‘Bigg Boss 5’. And that Karen Malhotra was Sunny Leone’s real name was made familiar to all by Salman Khan when he introduced the sizzler in the last season of ‘Bigg Boss’.

However, it has now emerged that the Canadian adult film star`s real name is not Karen Malhotra, but Karenjit Kaur Vohra.

This has been ascertained on various websites which have carried a picture of her passport with her actual name.

But why did she change it to Malhotra and then to Leone? Well, sources say that her surname `Leone` was coined from `lioness` because she is a Punjabi Kaur.

Talking about the name game, Bollywood PR guru Dale Bhagwagar remarked, “A lioness is a lioness, whether you call her a Kaur Vohra, Malhotra or Leone. After all, what`s in a name? It`s the mindset, intelligence, intellect and personality that make a gritty lady what she is. And Brand Sunny Leone has that grit in abundance.”

Hmm…no denying that.

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Nupur Talwar surrenders, court to decide on bail plea

Nupur Talwar, facing an arrest warrant in the double murder of her daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, surrendered in a Ghaziabad court today and was taken into judicial custody. She also applied for bail.
On Friday Supreme Court directed her to surrender before the CBI court

in Ghaziabad. A special bench of justice AK Patnaik and justice KS Khehar asked Nupur — accused of dodging several summons —  to appear before the trial court on April 30.

Nupur is expected to surrender after 10:00am. Her lawyers will be filing for regular bail. But if the magistrate rejects her bail plea, she could be sent to judicial custody.

A few days ago, the CBI raided Nupur's residence in the Hauz Khas area to execute the warrant to ensure her presence in the court.

The warrant was issued even as she moved the SC for reviewing its judgment, upholding the CBI magistrate's summons.

But the apex court did not stay the summons. "We will take this matter (the review petition) with ease. Meanwhile, you must surrender," justice Patnaik told Nupur's counsel, Mukul Rohatgi.

On May 16, 2008, Aarushi, a 14-year-old Class 9 student, was found dead with her throat slit in her parents’ home in Noida.

Suspicion initially fell on the family's live-in domestic help Hemraj, who had been missing. But the following day, his body was found on the terrace of the same house.

The police first arrested Aarushi's father, Rajesh, for allegedly committing the double murder. But Nupur accused the Noida police of framing her husband and requested then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati to transfer the case to the CBI, which took over the case on June 1, 2008.

 

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Aarushi case: Nupur Talwar surrenders in CBI court, taken into CBI custody

Ghaziabad: Murdered teenager Aarushi Talwar's mother Nupur Talwar on Monday surrendered before the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad, following which she was taken into custody.
Minutes after the surrender, Nupur's lawyers moved a bail application on which the CBI is slated to reply in some time.
Her lawyer Satish Tamta said, "Nupur has been taken into custody. The CBI has to file a reply by 11.30 am."
 
Earlier, Nupur had arrived at the special CBI court in Ghaziabad along with her mother and husband Rajesh Talwar.
This comes after the Supreme Court directed Nupur to surrender before the trial court while refusing to stay the non-bailable warrant against her.
The lawyers of the Talwars filed a plea for regular bail for the mother of the slain teenager.
Nupur's husband Rajesh Talwar is on bail till May 7 and the CBI has challenged it as well.
The court had earlier extended the non-bailable warrant against Nupur Talwar till April 30. The CBI had sought an extension of the warrant date and said that Nupur Talwar won't be arrested until the Chief Justice takes up the matter.
She got a temporary breather from the Supreme Court. Her plea against a non-bailable warrant is still pending in the Supreme Court.
Earlier, the Ghaziabad court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Nupur Talwar after she failed to appear before a special CBI court despite a deadline given to her.
Rajesh Talwar and his wife Nupur have been accused by the CBI of being involved in the murder of their teenaged daughter Aarushi in May 2008.
Aarushi, 14, was found dead inside her Noida residence in May, 2008 with her throat slit and the body of the Talwars' domestic servant Hemraj was recovered from the terrace hours later.
An outcry against the shoddy investigation by Uttar Pradesh police had led to the then Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh handing over the case to the CBI.
Aarushi murder: The case so far
May 16, 2008: Aarushi is found dead at home; domestic help Hemraj goes missing.
May 17, 2008: Hemraj's body is found on the terrace of the Talwars' house.
May 18, 2008: Police suspect insider job; say murders with surgical precision.
May 22, 2008: Family under suspicion; honour killing angle probed.
May 23, 2008: Aarushi's father Rajesh Talwar arrested for both murders.
June 2008: Rajesh and Nupur Talwar undergo Lie Detection Tests
September 4, 2009: Hyderabad lab claims that submitted vaginal samples were not Aarushi's.
September 14, 2009: Delhi police finds Aarushi's mobile phone in Bulandshahr.
December 2010: CBI files closure report; names Rajesh Talwar as sole suspect.
February 9, 2011: Special CBI court summons Rajesh and Nupur Talwar as accused.
February 21, 2011: Talwars move Allahabad HC challenging the CBI court summons.
January 6, 2012: SC rejects Talwars' plea to squash proceedings in Ghaziabad court.
March 2: SC rejects Talwars' petition to shift case from Ghaziabad to a Delhi court.
March 14: Rajesh gets bail; Nupur asked to appear in court within 30 days.
April 11: Nupur Talwar skips court again, is served a non-bailable warrant.
April 13: CBI Assures SC Nupur won't be arrested till her plea against arrest is heard.
April 27: SC refuses to stay non-bailable warrant, orders Nupur to surrender.

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Puyol: Guardiola departure is a heavy blow to Barcelona

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has confessed to being heartbroken with Pep Guardiola's decision to step down as coach at the end of the season.

The 41-year-old announced on Friday that he will leave the Camp Nou club at the end of the campaign at a press conference, which was attended by several of his players.

He named the exhausting nature of the job as the reason to bring an end to a successful four-year reign, but Puyol admitted that the players were caught off-guard by the decision.

"It is a heavy blow that Guardiola leaves," he told reporters at a resulting press conference. "Inside the dressing room, we all wanted him to stay.

"He told us on Friday morning, right before the training session.

"We will forever be thankful to him. He has left a lot of things in football. He marked an era and that is very important.

"Life goes on and we will try to follow our path and do things as well as when he was here."

The Spanish defender then commented on soon-to-be coach Tito Vilanova, insisting that the assistant to Guardiola is the best possible choice.

"The fact that Tito will be the new coach is the best news we could get," Puyol added. "This is the continuation of a project. 

"Tito knows the team better than anyone and the club's philosophy. He has worked with Pep for five years.

"He is the ideal person to carry on the project. It will be more or less the same."

Puyol went on to dismiss reports about a growing tension between Guardiola and Lionel Messi, which were motivated by the fact that the Argentine was not present at Friday's news conference.

"After the practice session, the team got together and we decided that only the four captains would go," he explained.

"Leo wanted to go, but when he saw that the four captains were going, he took a step back. He wanted to be at the press conference.

"But then more players decided to show up of their own free will. Messi has never had a falling out with Pep.

"The entire squad will be at his farewell. You can say a lot of things, but we are with Guardiola to the death."

 

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IOA welcomes Tendulkar’s nomination

Indian Olympic Association on Friday welcomed the government’s nomination of Sachin Tendulkar for a Rajya Sabha seat, saying the IOA is happy that its long—standing demand to include sportspersons in the Upper House has been accepted.

“This is another feather in Sachin’s cap as he has become the first sportsperson to be nominated to Rajya Sabha,” IOA Acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in a statement.

“IOA is happy that its long standing demand to have sportsperson nominated to Rajya Sabha has been accepted. We hope this will become a rule than exception,” he added.

Stating that sportspersons play a great role in unifying the country by their stellar performances and deserve recognition by the state, Malhotra said, “this nomination is a step towards that.”

Malhotra also applauded the election of former hockey captain Dilip Tirkey to Rajya Sabha.

“I hope that nomination and elections of these sporting icons will encourage the young sportspersons to give their best for the country, especially during the London Olympics.”

The Acting President pointed out that the IOA, on its part, has also taken a big step in giving due recognition to sportspersons by appointing three—time Olympian Ajitpal Singh as chef de mission for the upcoming London Games.

“This is the first time that a sportsperson will lead the Indian contingent in Olympics,” said Malhotra.

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Bhatia in housing society row

Former IAS officer and anti-corruption crusader Arun Bhatia has lodged a complaint against some office-bearers of his residential complex for barring him from entering the society premises. Bhatia and his wife were returning to their home at Blue Hill Society after going to a restaurant in the wee hours of March 20 when the security guards refused to allow his car into the premises.

According to Bhatia's complaint, security guards posted at the front and rear gate of Blue Hill Society did not allow his car to enter the society premises. When questioned, they said that they were following the society office-bearers' orders.

Bhatia informed the police that the incident was the outcome of his complaint lodged at the Sub Registrar of Co-operative Societies office, alleging corruption by the office-bearers.

Funds, power abuse
In a complaint registered at the Yerawada police station, Bhatia named society manager T Nanda, treasurer Rane, Khirwadkar, Ruksana and Anil Bhat.

"It all started after special audit pointed out that officer-bearer Nanda had misappropriated the society's money for personal gain and even used it for personal trips. We have sought explanation from him several times, but he has avoided our requests," Bhatia said. "Three days ago, Nanda, Khirwadkar and Bhat had ordered cutting of several trees on our society premises. I complained to PMC and the authorities conducted panchanama of tree cutting.

He added that after he raised the issues of corruption, the office-bearers were singling him and his wife out by not picking up garbage or cleaning out landings.

Accused booked
Police Inspector Vishwanth Ghanvat said, "I am investigating the case and so far no action has been taken." The police booked those named in Bhatia's complaint under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for wrongfully restraining a person and for abetting the commission of an offence.

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BRICS Summit: Expected announcements and initiatives

NEW DELHI: The fourth BRICS summit will be hosted here from March 29, 2012. The BRIC acronym was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, who was searching for a catchy way to encapsulate the broader shift in global economic growth towards emerging markets. South Africa joined the grouping in 2010 so that it became BRICS.

The countries held their first summit in 2009 and have been criticised since as nothing more than an empty acronym as they struggle to find common cause from four different continents with radically different economies, systems of government and competing priorities.

Here is a look at the likely announcements that will be made during the summit:

> The BRICS group of emerging world powerhouses - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is expected to launch plans this week for a joint development bank and measures to bring their stock exchanges closer together.

The initiative would allow the countries to pool resources for infrastructure improvements, and could also be used in the longer term as a vehicle for lending during global financial crises such as the one in Europe, officials say.

> A benchmark equity index derivative shared by the stock exchanges of the five BRICS nations will be launched on Friday, the exchanges involved said earlier this month. They would be cross-listed, so can be bought in local currencies.

> The leaders are also expected to sign agreements allowing their individual development banks to extend credit to other members in local currency, a step towards replacing the dollar as the main unit of trade between them.

> A senior Indian government source said the Middle East and energy security will be high on the agenda, including Iran. The Russian ambassador in New Delhi said that a discussion on Syria would be among his country's top priorities.

> While the plenary session on Thursday is likely to focus on common ground, bilateral meetings could touch on more sensitive issues.

> China said the meeting of the leaders of the top five emerging economies would discuss collective measures to boost cooperation among them and take steps to jointly respond to common challenges.

The summit meeting of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) is being held in the back drop of changing landscape of international economy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei said.

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Appeals in India over Rajoana hanging

Efforts have intensified in India's Punjab state to save Balwant Singh Rajoana, a prisoner on death row for his role in the 1995 murder of then state Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is due to meet President Pratibha Patil to seek clemency for Rajoana.

Several opposition parties and Sikh groups have called a strike demanding a halt to the impending execution.

A Chandigarh court on Tuesday ordered the hanging to take place on Saturday.

Rajoana, who was sentenced in 2007, has not appealed against the sentence, although other convicted co-conspirators have had their death sentences reduced on appeal.

If carried out, the execution would be the first in India since 2004.

Tight security

Speaking to reporters, Mr Badal said he would meet President Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday and seek clemency for Rajoana.

"I will tell the president that the legal process is still on and request that the hanging be deferred. Law must be followed in the country," he said.

Punjab's Advocate General Anupinder Singh Grewal said the government would appeal to a higher court to stop the execution.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened across the state with paramilitary troops carrying out marches across various town and cities to ensure peace.

Patiala Central Jail, where Rajoana is being held, has been turned into a fortress and all roads leading to the prison have been barricaded.

On Tuesday, the superintendent of Patiala Central Jail Lakhwinder Singh Jakhar told the court that he was unable to carry out the sentence because a mercy petition for Rajoana and another man convicted in the case were before the president.

A rights group has also appealed to the Supreme Court to stay the execution.

The family of Beant Singh has also said it has forgiven Rajoana and would like his death penalty commuted to life in prison.

Only the president or the Supreme Court can stop an execution.

Rajoana's impending execution has provoked protests outside India in the Sikh diaspora, with demonstrations planned in Birmingham for Wednesday and London on Thursday.

Beant Singh was killed on 31 August along with 17 others by a suicide bomber identified as Dilawar Singh. Rajoana was convicted of acting as a back-up suicide bomber should Singh have failed.

Executions are rare in India where hundreds of convicts are awaiting the death penalty, including the killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Pakistani national Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab - the sole surviving gunman of the 2008 Mumbai attacks - is also on death row. The Supreme Court has stayed Qasab's execution while an appeal is considered.

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Political outrage over army chief's leaked letter, parties demand action

New Delhi:  The chief of the Indian army General VK Singh may have skidded past the point of no-return on his collision course with the government. A letter from him to the Prime Minister, warning that India's security is at risk, has been leaked to the media.

Opposition parties in Parliament demanded that the government take action against whoever is responsible, expressing as much concern over the leak of the letter as its contents.

Many blame the army chief, suggesting that this is his latest attempt to embarrass the Defence Ministry. A series of leaders from opposition parties, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, said the army chief should be removed for breaching confidentiality and compromising institutional integrity.

In his letter, dated March 12, General VK Singh asks the Prime Minister to "pass suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the Army". The chief describes the state of artillery, air defence, and infantry as "alarming." He writes the Army's tanks are "devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks" and air defence is "97% obsolete."

In Parliament,  Defence Minister AK Antony described the letter as "top-secret." He said publishing "secret communication within government cannot serve our national security" -a thinly-veiled indictment of General Singh.

The details of the army's weaknesses and its chasm with the government are now part of the imagery on display for Chinese President Hu Jintao who is in Delhi to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit that begins tomorrow.  On Monday, the army chief revealed that he had been offered a bribe of 14 crores to clear sub-standard trucks in 2010.  The Defence Minister retorted yesterday that he had asked the chief to take action against the retired defence officer who offered him the kickback, but the army chief had refused.

The skirmish over the bribe has been eclipsed by the army chief's letter. Many Opposition leaders said the person responsible for the leak must be identified and punished.  "Responsibility will have to be fixed and action be taken, irrespective of the position they may hold in the defence forces or the civilian administration. And that assurance must be given, and that is what we want," said the Left's Sitaram Yechury.

Politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav blamed the chief and asked for his immediate removal. "He is acting like someone who wants to stand for election...remove him" said Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Shivanand Tewari of the Janta Dal (United) agreed.  But Arun Jaitley of the BJP pointed out that alleged lapses in the procurement of equipment, as highlighted by the army chief, should be addressed urgently, though privately.

Former army chief Shankar Roy Chowdhury said that the government has been alerted repeatedly to the exigent need to upgrade the army's resources. "This is not a new thing...it is occupying media space because of the leaks," he said.  "Pakistan must be laughing... rest assured Pakistan knows about it, China knows about it," he added.
 
The army chief is set to retire at the end of May.  Many believe that this week's developments suggest he is hungry for revenge before he exits office.

For most of last year, the minister and the Army chief fought a long battle over General Singh's age. The government refused to accept that General Singh was born in 1951 and not 1950.

Records with the army show both years, but the government said that documents used to establish his seniority and promotions declared 1950 as his year of birth and could not be amended. The Army chief took the unprecedented action of taking the government to court. But he dropped his petition after Supreme Court judges indicated they were unlikely to accept his arguments.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/in-letter-to-pm-army-chief-warns-indias-security-is-in-danger-190847&cp

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