Live-in relationships: Happily unmarried

Cupid struck Bapu and Manish 17 years ago and for the past 12 years, they have been living together, happily unmarried.The couple who have been together since school began their journey living-in from small town Jodhpur.Manish Hariprasad, Media Professional says, "In Rajasthan, when you are coming from a pre-dominantly madu world it does become a little bit of problem. I mean, I've had an orthodox family, she's had an orthodox family and yes there were problems initially. I mean not just the family, we used to live together in Jodhpur in my house and there were enough number of times police came in and asked us OK, who is this girl? What are you guys doing together? Is she your wife? I mean beyond a wife, even a fiancee or a girlfriend is not...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

Live-in relationships: Happily unmarried

Cupid struck Bapu and Manish 17 years ago and for the past 12 years, they have been living together, happily unmarried.The couple who have been together since school began their journey living-in from small town Jodhpur.Manish Hariprasad, Media Professional says, "In Rajasthan, when you are coming from a pre-dominantly madu world it does become a little bit of problem. I mean, I've had an orthodox family, she's had an orthodox family and yes there were problems initially. I mean not just the family, we used to live together in Jodhpur in my house and there were enough number of times police came in and asked us OK, who is this girl? What are you guys doing together? Is she your wife? I mean beyond a wife, even a fiancee or a girlfriend is not...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

Explosive in aircraft: Prime suspect in custody, say police

In a breakthrough in the case of planting of crude explosive material in the cargo-hold of a Kingfisher aircraft here last week, police on Sunday said it has taken into custody the prime suspect in the case. The man, a former contract employee at the airport, is suspected to have planted the explosive in the aircraft, police said but discounted any terror link in the incident. The investigators, however, declined to disclose the man's name and said that it would be revealed after completing all formalities. He was taken into custody two days ago and is being interrogated, sources said. "There are strong reasons to believe that he is the key person behind the incident," a senior police official told PTI without elaborating further. Some crude explosive material wrapped in paper was found in...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

Explosive in aircraft: Prime suspect in custody, say police

In a breakthrough in the case of planting of crude explosive material in the cargo-hold of a Kingfisher aircraft here last week, police on Sunday said it has taken into custody the prime suspect in the case. The man, a former contract employee at the airport, is suspected to have planted the explosive in the aircraft, police said but discounted any terror link in the incident. The investigators, however, declined to disclose the man's name and said that it would be revealed after completing all formalities. He was taken into custody two days ago and is being interrogated, sources said. "There are strong reasons to believe that he is the key person behind the incident," a senior police official told PTI without elaborating further. Some crude explosive material wrapped in paper was found in...

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No Tendulkar in T20 WC good for others: Afridi

Karachi: Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has joined the list of advocates supporting Sachin Tendulkar's inclusion in India's Twenty20 World Cup squad, saying the champion batsman's absence from the next month's event is a blessing in disguise for other teams. Tendulkar, who quit the format along with Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in 2007, has been in red hot form in the IPL and it forced former as well as present cricketers, including Afridi to ask the right-hander to change his decision and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies."The way he has blossomed in the last few years, he is only getting better and better as a batsman. If he is not playing for India in the Twenty20 World Cup, it is certainly a big advantage...

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Posted in: SPORTS

No Tendulkar in T20 WC good for others: Afridi

Karachi: Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has joined the list of advocates supporting Sachin Tendulkar's inclusion in India's Twenty20 World Cup squad, saying the champion batsman's absence from the next month's event is a blessing in disguise for other teams. Tendulkar, who quit the format along with Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in 2007, has been in red hot form in the IPL and it forced former as well as present cricketers, including Afridi to ask the right-hander to change his decision and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies."The way he has blossomed in the last few years, he is only getting better and better as a batsman. If he is not playing for India in the Twenty20 World Cup, it is certainly a big advantage...

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Posted in: SPORTS

Modi's questioning big step forward in riots probe: SIT chief

Gandhinagar: The questioning of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Gulbarg riots post-Godhra is a "very big step forward" in trying to understand and unravel the mysteries in the case and the SIT will submit its report to the Supreme Court on or before April 30, its head RK Raghavan said on Sunday.Declining to go into details of the questioning of 59-year-old Modi, he maintained that former CBI DIG A K Malhotra, who grilled the Chief Minister in two sessions yesterday, "looks relaxed" and said he has confidence in the officer's abilities.Raghavan said he was happy that the Special Investigation Team, appointed by the Supreme Court, could get the Chief Minister for questioning and that it will have to appreciate the...

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Posted in: National News

Modi's questioning big step forward in riots probe: SIT chief

Gandhinagar: The questioning of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Gulbarg riots post-Godhra is a "very big step forward" in trying to understand and unravel the mysteries in the case and the SIT will submit its report to the Supreme Court on or before April 30, its head RK Raghavan said on Sunday.Declining to go into details of the questioning of 59-year-old Modi, he maintained that former CBI DIG A K Malhotra, who grilled the Chief Minister in two sessions yesterday, "looks relaxed" and said he has confidence in the officer's abilities.Raghavan said he was happy that the Special Investigation Team, appointed by the Supreme Court, could get the Chief Minister for questioning and that it will have to appreciate the...

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Posted in: National News

New species in man's evolutionary tree found

A team of scientists has successfully sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of a hominin who had lived in the Altai Mountain region of Siberia, Russia. This hominin had shared a common ancestor with anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals about 1 million years ago. Further investigation reveals that the hominin lived close in time and space with both Neanderthals and modern humans. The findings were based on a study of mitochondrial DNA that was extracted and sequenced from the fifth digit of the hominin that was found in 2008 in a Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains. The study is published today (March 25) in Nature journal. Double the difference mtDNA results show that the Denisova Cave individual differed from modern humans much...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

New species in man's evolutionary tree found

A team of scientists has successfully sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of a hominin who had lived in the Altai Mountain region of Siberia, Russia. This hominin had shared a common ancestor with anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals about 1 million years ago. Further investigation reveals that the hominin lived close in time and space with both Neanderthals and modern humans. The findings were based on a study of mitochondrial DNA that was extracted and sequenced from the fifth digit of the hominin that was found in 2008 in a Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains. The study is published today (March 25) in Nature journal. Double the difference mtDNA results show that the Denisova Cave individual differed from modern humans much...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

Same sex marriage in public in Manipur

Sandip Soibam (left) and Nikhil Hidangmayum exchange rings during the first ever public gay marriage at an auditorium at Chingamakha in Imphal West District on Thursday. ...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

Same sex marriage in public in Manipur

Sandip Soibam (left) and Nikhil Hidangmayum exchange rings during the first ever public gay marriage at an auditorium at Chingamakha in Imphal West District on Thursday. ...

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Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS

Major fire in ammunition depot

KOLKATA: A major fire broke out at a shed of one of the largest ammunitions depot of the Army at Panagarh in West Bengal's Bardhaman district in the early hours of Friday. However, there was no report of any casualty. According to defence sources, nearly 200 tonnes of small arms, explosives and shells were destroyed in the fire. “The fire broke out at shed number 16 of the storehouse at 1.15 a.m. A crisis management team rushed to the site within five minutes and the fire-fighting machinery of the Army was immediately activated to douse the fire,” Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani of the Eastern Command told The Hindu. Mr. Upasani added that the crisis management team's initial target was to arrest the spread of fire since the storehouse...

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Posted in: National News

Major fire in ammunition depot

KOLKATA: A major fire broke out at a shed of one of the largest ammunitions depot of the Army at Panagarh in West Bengal's Bardhaman district in the early hours of Friday. However, there was no report of any casualty. According to defence sources, nearly 200 tonnes of small arms, explosives and shells were destroyed in the fire. “The fire broke out at shed number 16 of the storehouse at 1.15 a.m. A crisis management team rushed to the site within five minutes and the fire-fighting machinery of the Army was immediately activated to douse the fire,” Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani of the Eastern Command told The Hindu. Mr. Upasani added that the crisis management team's initial target was to arrest the spread of fire since the storehouse...

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Posted in: National News

Cross-voting helps Congress in Assam

Guwahati: The ruling Congress on Friday won both Rajya Sabha seats from Assam with seven Opposition legislators, four of them from the Bharatiya Janata Party, cross-voting in defiance of a whip. These members, including one from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and two from the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), cast their votes in favour of the Congress' second choice candidate, Sivius Condpan. All these seven MLAs have immediately been suspended from their parties. The Congress' first choice candidate, Nanzeen Faruque, secured 43 votes and Mr. Condpan, a sitting Rajya member, 42. The Opposition-backed independent, Jayanta Barua, got 40. One vote was rejected. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself was behind the wheel, driving BJP legislators Rumi Nath, elected from the...

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Posted in: National News

Cross-voting helps Congress in Assam

Guwahati: The ruling Congress on Friday won both Rajya Sabha seats from Assam with seven Opposition legislators, four of them from the Bharatiya Janata Party, cross-voting in defiance of a whip. These members, including one from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and two from the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), cast their votes in favour of the Congress' second choice candidate, Sivius Condpan. All these seven MLAs have immediately been suspended from their parties. The Congress' first choice candidate, Nanzeen Faruque, secured 43 votes and Mr. Condpan, a sitting Rajya member, 42. The Opposition-backed independent, Jayanta Barua, got 40. One vote was rejected. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself was behind the wheel, driving BJP legislators Rumi Nath, elected from the...

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Posted in: National News

India writing to U.S. Justice Department

NEW DELHI: India will write to the U.S. Department of Justice next week, making out the case for direct access to David Coleman Headley, Pakistani-origin American citizen, who has pleaded guilty to planning the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. A formal communication from the Home Ministry would be routed through official channels to the U.S. Department of Justice. Top sources in the Ministry said on Friday that the government would wait for the Justice Department's response before sending a team of legal experts and police officials to question Headley, now in federal custody in Chicago. The team is likely to include National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths, legal experts and police officials. According to the plea agreement, Headley has agreed, when directed by the U.S. Attorney's...

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Posted in: National News

India writing to U.S. Justice Department

NEW DELHI: India will write to the U.S. Department of Justice next week, making out the case for direct access to David Coleman Headley, Pakistani-origin American citizen, who has pleaded guilty to planning the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. A formal communication from the Home Ministry would be routed through official channels to the U.S. Department of Justice. Top sources in the Ministry said on Friday that the government would wait for the Justice Department's response before sending a team of legal experts and police officials to question Headley, now in federal custody in Chicago. The team is likely to include National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths, legal experts and police officials. According to the plea agreement, Headley has agreed, when directed by the U.S. Attorney's...

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Posted in: National News

No BJP leader tried to stop Babri demolition: police officer

Rae Bareli: The demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 took place in the presence of a clutch of top Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar leaders, none of whom, Lal Krishna Advani included, made an attempt to stop the vandals, said Anju Gupta, senior police officer and the prosecution's star witness in the Ayodhya demolition criminal case on Friday. Ms. Gupta, who was Mr. Advani's personal security officer (PSO) at the time, told the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Rae Bareli that the BJP leader gave a “joshila” (fiery) speech from the dais, repeating over and over that “mandir yahin banayenge ( the temple will be built right here) and this electrified the kar sevaks. Ms. Gupta said she was present on the dais...

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Posted in: National News

No BJP leader tried to stop Babri demolition: police officer

Rae Bareli: The demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 took place in the presence of a clutch of top Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar leaders, none of whom, Lal Krishna Advani included, made an attempt to stop the vandals, said Anju Gupta, senior police officer and the prosecution's star witness in the Ayodhya demolition criminal case on Friday. Ms. Gupta, who was Mr. Advani's personal security officer (PSO) at the time, told the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Rae Bareli that the BJP leader gave a “joshila” (fiery) speech from the dais, repeating over and over that “mandir yahin banayenge ( the temple will be built right here) and this electrified the kar sevaks. Ms. Gupta said she was present on the dais...

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Posted in: National News

Andrew Symonds sledged me: Yusuf Pathan

Ahmedabad: After blasting 73 runs off 34 balls against Deccan Chargers, Yusuf Pathan said that Andrew Symonds had sledged him when he went to bat and that inspired him to perform well. "When somebody from the opposition involves in sledging you are more pumped up to do well. When I went in to bat, Symonds said a few words to me and I was determined to perform with the bat today," Pathan said after Rajasthan Royals defeated Deccan Chargers by eight wickets for their third straight win.Yusuf said he was happy to have got the runs in front of his parents. "My parents will be very happy. They have been coming for the last two games and I am happy that I got the runs today. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat. It feels good...

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Posted in: SPORTS

Andrew Symonds sledged me: Yusuf Pathan

Ahmedabad: After blasting 73 runs off 34 balls against Deccan Chargers, Yusuf Pathan said that Andrew Symonds had sledged him when he went to bat and that inspired him to perform well. "When somebody from the opposition involves in sledging you are more pumped up to do well. When I went in to bat, Symonds said a few words to me and I was determined to perform with the bat today," Pathan said after Rajasthan Royals defeated Deccan Chargers by eight wickets for their third straight win.Yusuf said he was happy to have got the runs in front of his parents. "My parents will be very happy. They have been coming for the last two games and I am happy that I got the runs today. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat. It feels good...

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Posted in: SPORTS

US non-committal on Pak wish list

Washington: Pakistan is going into a strategic dialogue with the US with a long wish list, including an India-type civil nuclear deal and a direct Washington role in reviving the peace process with New Delhi. But the US is non-committal.Though the State Department declined to acknowledge that Pakistan had made the demands in a 56-page document sent to the US ahead of Wednesday's talks, the Wall Street Journal citing unnamed American officials suggested it was an implicit offer to crack down in return on the Afghan Taliban."As far as I know, we have not been talking to Pakistan about a civilian nuclear deal. If Pakistan brings it up during the course of the meetings in the next two days, we'll be happy to listen," spokesman Philip J. Crowley...

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Posted in: zee news

US non-committal on Pak wish list

Washington: Pakistan is going into a strategic dialogue with the US with a long wish list, including an India-type civil nuclear deal and a direct Washington role in reviving the peace process with New Delhi. But the US is non-committal.Though the State Department declined to acknowledge that Pakistan had made the demands in a 56-page document sent to the US ahead of Wednesday's talks, the Wall Street Journal citing unnamed American officials suggested it was an implicit offer to crack down in return on the Afghan Taliban."As far as I know, we have not been talking to Pakistan about a civilian nuclear deal. If Pakistan brings it up during the course of the meetings in the next two days, we'll be happy to listen," spokesman Philip J. Crowley...

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Posted in: zee news

Modi responds to SIT summons

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has responded to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) summons by saying he is ready to make an appearance provided the team's investigators are convinced of the propriety of interrogating him on March 27 when an appeal on their remit is due to be heard by the Supreme Court on April 5.On Monday, Mr. Modi decried what he said were false reports about the Special Investigation Team asking him to appear before it. But his lawyer, Mahesh Jethmalani, confirmed to The Hindu on Tuesday both the existence of the summons and the fact that the Gujarat Chief Minister had sent in his reply the day before. In his response, Mr. Modi drew attention to a recent petition filed on behalf of BJP MLA Kalu Bhai Maliwad questioning...

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Posted in: National News

Modi responds to SIT summons

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has responded to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) summons by saying he is ready to make an appearance provided the team's investigators are convinced of the propriety of interrogating him on March 27 when an appeal on their remit is due to be heard by the Supreme Court on April 5.On Monday, Mr. Modi decried what he said were false reports about the Special Investigation Team asking him to appear before it. But his lawyer, Mahesh Jethmalani, confirmed to The Hindu on Tuesday both the existence of the summons and the fact that the Gujarat Chief Minister had sent in his reply the day before. In his response, Mr. Modi drew attention to a recent petition filed on behalf of BJP MLA Kalu Bhai Maliwad questioning...

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Posted in: National News

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associa...

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Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associa...

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Three convicted in Satyendra Dubey murder case

NEW DELHI: Over six years after the murder of NHAI whistleblower Satyendra Kumar Dubey who exposed corruption in the golden quadrilateral project in Bihar, a court today convicted three accused in the case. The special CBI court in Patna has convicted Mantu Kumar, Udai Kumar and Pinku Ravidas in the murder case of Dubey, a young engineer working in the Golden Quadrilateral Project of National Highway Authority of India, CBI spokesperson said in a statement, adding the quantum of sentence will be pronounced on March 27.The young IIT-Kanpur alumni, who had blown the lid off various instances of large-scale flouting of rules in the Golden Quadrilateral Project was shot dead in the early hours of November 27, 2003 in front of Circuit House, Gaya, Bihar. His murder sparked protests across the country...

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Posted in: International

Three convicted in Satyendra Dubey murder case

NEW DELHI: Over six years after the murder of NHAI whistleblower Satyendra Kumar Dubey who exposed corruption in the golden quadrilateral project in Bihar, a court today convicted three accused in the case. The special CBI court in Patna has convicted Mantu Kumar, Udai Kumar and Pinku Ravidas in the murder case of Dubey, a young engineer working in the Golden Quadrilateral Project of National Highway Authority of India, CBI spokesperson said in a statement, adding the quantum of sentence will be pronounced on March 27.The young IIT-Kanpur alumni, who had blown the lid off various instances of large-scale flouting of rules in the Golden Quadrilateral Project was shot dead in the early hours of November 27, 2003 in front of Circuit House, Gaya, Bihar. His murder sparked protests across the country...

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Posted in: International

Trouble for ND Tiwari over paternity suit

Did ND Tiwari father a son, now 31 years old? The Delhi High Court could decide. In a huge setback for Tiwari, the former Governor of Andhra Pradesh, the Delhi High Court has ruled that it will hear a paternity suit against him filed by Rohit Shekhar. Speaking to NDTV, Shekhar shared, "I am asking for a simple DNA test and a public apology for what he has done. My case should be a deterrent for people like Tiwari who think they can do anything and get away with it."Late last year, another judge of the Delhi High Court had said the case could not be heard in Delhi and should be filed in Hyderabad since Tiwari was the Andhra Pradesh Governor at the time.In December, though, Tiwari had to resign as Andhra Governor after an alleged sex scandal...

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Posted in: National News

Trouble for ND Tiwari over paternity suit

Did ND Tiwari father a son, now 31 years old? The Delhi High Court could decide. In a huge setback for Tiwari, the former Governor of Andhra Pradesh, the Delhi High Court has ruled that it will hear a paternity suit against him filed by Rohit Shekhar. Speaking to NDTV, Shekhar shared, "I am asking for a simple DNA test and a public apology for what he has done. My case should be a deterrent for people like Tiwari who think they can do anything and get away with it."Late last year, another judge of the Delhi High Court had said the case could not be heard in Delhi and should be filed in Hyderabad since Tiwari was the Andhra Pradesh Governor at the time.In December, though, Tiwari had to resign as Andhra Governor after an alleged sex scandal...

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Posted in: National News

Headley to plead guilty on Thursday

In a new twist, Pakistani-American David Headley, a terror suspect in the Mumbai attacks, will plead guilty before a US court on Thursday, a move that may get him a lighter sentence than the maximum death penalty. 49-year-old Headley, who was arrested by the FBI in October last year, will move a plea bargain under which a lighter sentence can be recommended on his pleading guilty. Headley, an LeT operative who had pleaded not guilty to the 12-count superseding indictment filed against him on January 14, has moved for a "change of plea" which will be heard by US District Judge Harry Leinenweber tomorrow. He had got away with a lesser sentence after he was arrested in 1998 for smuggling heroin into the US from Pakistan as he cooperated with the investigation in the case. He was sentenced to...

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Posted in: SPORTS

Headley to plead guilty on Thursday

In a new twist, Pakistani-American David Headley, a terror suspect in the Mumbai attacks, will plead guilty before a US court on Thursday, a move that may get him a lighter sentence than the maximum death penalty. 49-year-old Headley, who was arrested by the FBI in October last year, will move a plea bargain under which a lighter sentence can be recommended on his pleading guilty. Headley, an LeT operative who had pleaded not guilty to the 12-count superseding indictment filed against him on January 14, has moved for a "change of plea" which will be heard by US District Judge Harry Leinenweber tomorrow. He had got away with a lesser sentence after he was arrested in 1998 for smuggling heroin into the US from Pakistan as he cooperated with the investigation in the case. He was sentenced to...

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Posted in: SPORTS

Kallis rises to the Royal Challenge

Kallis rises to the Royal ChallengeA JOB WELL DONE:Jacques Kallis scored an unbeaten 89 to guide Royal Challengers to an eight-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab. BANGALORE: Jacques Kallis's weather-beaten shoulders held aloft Royal Challengers Bangalore's hopes in a winning cause against Kings XI Punjab in their DLF Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday. The South African's unbeaten 89 (57b, 8x4, 5x6) helped RCB register an emphatic eight-wicket victory with seven balls to spare. Replying to Kings XI's 203 for three, RCB's breathless chase finished fruitfully at 204 for two in 18.5 overs with Kallis being the corner-stone....

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Kallis rises to the Royal Challenge

Kallis rises to the Royal ChallengeA JOB WELL DONE:Jacques Kallis scored an unbeaten 89 to guide Royal Challengers to an eight-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab. BANGALORE: Jacques Kallis's weather-beaten shoulders held aloft Royal Challengers Bangalore's hopes in a winning cause against Kings XI Punjab in their DLF Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Tuesday. The South African's unbeaten 89 (57b, 8x4, 5x6) helped RCB register an emphatic eight-wicket victory with seven balls to spare. Replying to Kings XI's 203 for three, RCB's breathless chase finished fruitfully at 204 for two in 18.5 overs with Kallis being the corner-stone....

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