Afridi “big supporter of women's cricket”

KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Friday sought to bat away controversy over comments he made about women's cricket, saying he had been quoted out of context. The big-hitting 34-year-old came under fire this week after TV interview footage circulated of him commenting on women's cooking skills in response to a question about women's cricket. Also read: Why I won't be cheering for Shahid Afridi anymore | Is Afridi really to blame? Afridi insisted his remarks had been taken out of context by people who wanted to bring him down after his recent heroics in the Asia Cup. Earlier this month, Afridi hit last-over sixes to help Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by one wicket and then smashed a 25-ball 59 to help chase down a 327-run target against hosts Bangladesh. “I am shocked to listen all the stuff and read some on the social media,” Afridi told AFP. “It was a five-month old interview and my half answer was put on the net, which I feel is an attempt to malign my popularity.” Afridi said he had always backed the women's game. “I have been a big supporter of women's cricket and if you ask our women players they will let you know how I tried to get sponsorship for them,” he said. “There are a few people who are jealous of my popularity and they try to find something controversial against me. “A big number of my fans are female and I have always respected them and tried to accomodate them whenever they want support.” In the footage, taken from an interview with ARY news channel in October last year, Afridi is asked whether he thinks Pakistani women should play cricket. “Our women have great taste in their hands and they cook very tasty food,” he replied. Former international women's player Kainat Imtiaz gave the star her backing. “He (Afridi) has always been a great supporter of women's cricket and whenever we used to cross paths in the national academy in Lahore he helped us and encouraged us,” she said. But once the clips of the interview went viral on social media, there were strong reactions from women's organisations and analysts, condemning Afridi for relegating women to the kitchen. Activist Mahnaz Rehman said the remarks represented a typical attitude in Pakistan, which remains a patriarchal and at times misogynist country. “It will take years to change our men. Men display and get their abilities recognised at all levels but when women do this they discourage them,” said Rehman, regional director of Aurat Foundation. “It will stop women's progress and a celebrity like Afridi should not give such remarks.”

Pakistan eye 2009 repeat; Australia, Sri Lanka seek to break jinx

Cricket will shed all pretensions of being a lazy, nuanced game and reward brute force when top teams brawl in Bangladesh over the next three weeks for the biggest crown of the game's shortest and most unabashed format at the ICC World Twenty20. Mostly young, brawny men will walk out wielding heavy, modern bats with the sole aim of whacking the ball into the orbit in front of a largely young crowd with insatiable appetite for the crash-bang format. There will invariably be a Sunil Narine or a Saeed Ajmal, refusing to be just cannon-fodder, conning batsman with their guile and variation to prove that smart, slow bowlers can also coexist in this format. The tournament is still likely to be a mind-boggling batting exhibition over 35 matches at three venues culminating with the April 6 final at Mirpur's Shere Bangla National Stadium. Much of it is expected from the Australians who will land eyeing the only major cricket silverware missing from their trophy cabinet. For a batting line up boasting the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and captain George Bailey, few teams can match Australia's firepower. Complementing them will be a bowling attack spearheaded by the redoubtable Mitchell Johnson, who is nursing a toe infection and might arrive late for the tournament. “We've got the most balanced side and balanced squad I've ever been involved in,” Watson declared earlier this week. “We really do have firepower in our batting order, all the way down to number 10. “We've got high-quality opening bowlers, death bowlers and spinners. We have versatility. In all conditions, against any opposition we can match up really well. “Twenty20 cricket is certainly fickle, but if you have a lot of match-winners in your team then you've got more of a chance of it being someone's day. We certainly got that in our squad for sure.” Eyes will also be on Brad Hogg, 43, and Brad Hodge, 39, as they challenge the popular perception that Twenty20 is essentially a young man's game. Lankan Agony On a similar mission will be the Sri Lankans who are fully aware what victory means for their passionate fans who have endured the agony of watching their team falter in the final of four World Cups - both 50 and 20-over - since 2007. Last week, the cricketers got a hero's welcome and were given an open-top bus ride in Colombo after they won the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. There could be an encore next month if Sri Lanka's enviable balance translates into performance.

In Tillakaratne Dilshan and captain Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka have two batsmen who can clear the boundary almost at will, fortified by the presence of contemporary cricket's two premier bailout specialists - Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. The presence of two enigmatic bowlers in Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis means outscoring Sri Lanka, also a formidable fielding side, will be doubly difficult for any side. Their recent Asia Cup victory also means they know the conditions in Bangladesh better than any other team except the hosts. Neighbours India have opted for a blend of youth and experience, having recalled Yuvraj Singh, hero of their triumph in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 and the 50-over World Cup four years later, to the squad. In a team teeming with strokemakers, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's major worry will be India's bowling frailty which has recently been laid bare in other formats. Unpredictable Pakistan For the talented Pakistan team, the challenge essentially will be to curb their tendency to implode if they are to repeat their 2009 triumph. In Shahid Afridi and Ajmal, Pakistan have two game-changers and they are familiar with the conditions too, having reached the Asia Cup final last week. Defending champions West Indies will rely on Chris Gayle's power-hitting and Marlon Samuels' street-smart cricket to see them through, but they will miss Kieron Pollard's all-rounder service after the Trinidad player hurt his knee. England look even more depleted, yet to settle down after the unceremonious axing of Kevin Pietersen, who was adjudged player of the tournament in their 2010 triumph in West Indies. To make it worse, Joe Root has been ruled out with a thumb injury and captain Stuart Broad is also nursing a knee problem. Bangladesh take on Afghanistan on Sunday in the first match of the qualifying stage which culminates with two of the eight smaller teams joining the top eight teams in the Super 10 stage starting from March 21. Comprising players who learned the game in refugee camps, Afghanistan continued their fairytale rise in international cricket when they beat Bangladesh in the recent Asia Cup and the muted celebration that followed was a statement of their growing self-expectations. “We were expecting this,” chief executive of the war-ravaged country's cricket board, Noor Muhammad Murad, told Reuters after the team's first victory against a test playing nation. “Whenever I spoke to the team, they told me they were confident of at least beating the lower-ranked full members.” World Twenty20 history

2007 Hosts: South Africa Winner: India Runner-up: Pakistan Player of the tournament: Shahid Afridi, Pakistan Highest run-getter: Matthew Hayden, Australia (265 runs) Highest wicket-taker: Umar Gul, Pakistan (13 wickets) 2009 Hosts: England Winner: Pakistan Runner-up: Sri Lanka Player of the tournament: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka Highest run-getter: Dilshan (317 runs) Highest wicket-taker: Gul (13 wickets) 2010 Hosts: West Indies Winner: England Runner-up: Australia Player of the tournament: Kevin Pietersen, England Highest run-getter: Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka (302 runs) Highest wicket-taker: Dirk Nannes, Australia (14 wickets) 2012 Hosts: Sri Lanka Winner: West Indies Runner-up: Sri Lanka Player of the tournament: Shane Watson, Australia Highest run-getter: Watson (249 runs) Highest wicket-taker: Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lanka (15 wickets) Five batsmen to watch out for in the 2014 World T20: Chris Gayle, West Indies - The tall Jamaican is dreaded for his big-hitting ability. No boundary is big enough for the left-handed opener and even his mishits often land in the stands. In recent times, Gayle has been more watchful during the initial overs, signalling his intent to bat long and launch into the slower bowlers in the middle overs. Gayle smashed the first century in Twenty20 Internationals against host South Africa in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 and can upset the opponent's gameplan. David Warner, Australia - A stocky left-handed opener who can single-handedly win a match for his team. Whenever the diminutive southpaw has batted deep, Australia have invariably posted imposing totals. Warner boasts of a strike rate of 138 in Twenty20 Internationals and can clear the boundary at will. A feisty cricketer though not always in control of his emotions, Warner seems to be finally at peace with himself. Also an excellent fielder, the 27-year-old will head to the tournament in rich vein of form after highly successful test series against Australia and South Africa.

Virat Kohli, India - One of world's most exciting young talents, the 25-year-old right-hander has become India's most dependable batsman in recent times. His aggression and youthful exuberance reflect in the way he bats. Kohli can score fast without looking ugly and can pace his innings according to the game's demand. A smart runner between the wicket and a sweet timer of the ball, his brilliant fielding is an asset to a team not really known for its agility. AB de Villiers, South Africa - The talented middle-order batsman has the ability to adapt to any situation and can effortlessly shift batting gears which makes him an indispensable part of the South African team. When in flow, De Villiers is a nightmare for any bowler for his knack to improvise which can upset any field setting. The 30-year-old, South Africa's best batsman currently, also dons the gloves which affords his side more balance. Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka - Another dasher at the top of the order, the right-hander was the highest run-getter in the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, where Sri Lanka finished runner-up to Pakistan. His famous “Dilscoop”, a shot he plays to send the ball soaring over the wicketkeeper's head, underlines his ability to improvise and makes him a batsman hard to contain. Dilshan can also pierce the field with his flowing off-drives and is an useful off-spinner with the ball in the middle overs. Five bowlers to watch out for during the tournament: Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka - Malinga has now played international cricket for almost 10 years but batsmen still struggle to read the paceman with blond-tinted hair and a sling-shot action. Malinga's fast, unorthodox action, toe-crushing yorkers, slow bouncers and pinpoint accuracy make him one of modern day cricket's most versatile bowlers. The 30-year-old plays only the shorter formats these days and it is difficult to score briskly off him due to his subtle variations. Mitchell Johnson, Australia - Johnson is nursing a toe infection and could miss the start of the tournament but, if fit, he is expected to spearhead Australia's bowling attack. The left-arm paceman will be tough to face even on the low and slow wickets in Bangladesh as he has the ability to generate express pace from the most docile of surfaces. His accurate swinging deliveries with the new ball and his prowess of dishing out fast yorkers in the death overs make him a genuine match-winner in the 20-over format. Umar Gul, Pakistan - The 29-year-old is a veteran of the Twenty20 format, having proved his utility time and again. Gul was the highest wicket-taker in the inaugural edition of the 2007 event, when Pakistan finished as runner-up to India, and again in 2009 when his team won the title. He has not been in prime form since returning from a long injury layoff but is still capable of generating disconcerting bounce and bowl yorkers at will in the closing stages.

Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan - Another key bowler in Pakistan's World Twenty20 triumph, Ajmal, who was the joint second highest wicket-taker in 2009, will harass the batsmen with his bag of tricks. The off-spinner, the best exponent of the other way turning 'doosra', is also the most successful bowler in the format. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq will depend heavily on Ajmal's knack of restricting the scoring rate and picking up wickets under pressure. Along with Shahid Afridi, Ajmal quickly bowls through the middle overs to create extra pressure on the batsmen. Sunil Narine, West Indies - The West Indian is the latest addition to the list of mystery spinners with his ability to turn the ball appreciably in both directions without any perceptible change in the bowling action. Batsmen have found it extremely difficult to score against the off-spinner who enjoys an enviable economy rate of 5.85 in the batting-dominated format. Narine's miserly bowling puts extra pressure on the batsmen to score off the other bowlers and he is expected to be a key player during the defending champions' campaign. Five all-rounders to watch out for during the tournament: Shahid Afridi, Pakistan - An aura of unpredictability always hangs around Shahid Afridi when he takes the cricket field. His swashbuckling batting and fiery legspin make him an exciting player in the shortest format of the game but there is always a chance for him to self-destruct, by throwing away his wicket at a crucial juncture or by means of wayward bowling. On his day, however, the 34-year-old former captain can win a match single-handedly and Pakistan will hope that he can continue his Asia Cup form into the World Twenty20. Afridi who hurt his hamstring during the 50-over tournament in Bangladesh, was at his adventurous best when he took Pakistan to the Asia Cup final with close wins against arch-rivals India and hosts Bangladesh. Shane Watson, Australia - The highest run-scorer and player of the tournament in the last edition of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, Watson has the power to pummel any opposition attack and is particularly harsh against the spinners. The burly all-rounder's ability of hit the spinners out of the ground will make sure Australia do not get tied down in the middle overs against the slow bowlers. Watson's tight line and length is an added bonus for the team and he often reposes that faith by picking up vital wickets.

Marlon Samuels, West Indies - Samuels has already proved his worth by digging West Indies out of a hole to the World Twenty20 title with a brilliant half-century against hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012. The classy stroke-player can play all the shots in the book and is almost unstoppable when he is on song with the bat. A part-time off-spinner who can fire in deliveries in the block hole, Samuels has great control in varying the pace of his deliveries and could be a vital weapon for the defending champions on the low and slow Bangladesh wickets. Yuvraj Singh, India - The left-hander was the hero of India's Twenty20 World Cup victory in 2007 and was the player of the tournament during the home triumph in the 50-over format in 2011. One of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, as England's Stuart Broad found out when he was hit for six consecutive sixes in an over In 2007, Yuvraj can change the complexion of a match in the spate of a few deliveries. A crowd favourite, more so after his successful battle against cancer, Yuvraj's gentle left-arm can also be very effective on the slow surfaces in Bangladesh. Corey Anderson, New Zealand - The new kid on the block, Anderson grabbed eyeballs when he broke the record for the fastest century in international cricket with his 36-ball hundred against West Indies on the first day of 2014. The 23-year-old has played just eight Twenty20 matches for New Zealand but the left-hander's big-hitting ability is tailor-made for the format. He has a five-wicket haul with his left-arm medium pace bowling in the 50-over format and will be a decent bowling option for captain Brendon McCullum in Bangladesh.

Seven dead in Baghdad area attacks

BAGHDAD: Bombings in and around Baghdad on Friday, including blasts near two markets, killed seven people, the latest in a year-long surge in violence that authorities have failed to quell. The bloodshed, at its highest level since 2008, came a day after a suicide car bomb went off in the middle of a wedding party convoy in the western town of Rawa, killing 15 people, including women and children. The unrest, which comes barely six weeks before parliamentary elections, is driven principally by widespread discontent among Iraq's Sunni Arab minority and by the civil war in neighbouring Syria. A car bomb Friday at a market in Baghdad's predominantly Shia neighbourhood of Shuala killed three people, while another blast near a market in Rashid left one dead, security and medical officials said. Bombings in Taji and Tarmiyah, just north of the capital, killed three others, including two soldiers. On Thursday evening, a suicide car bomb that went off in the middle of a wedding party convoy killed 15 people and wounded 17 others in the town of Rawa, in the Sunni desert province of Anbar. Anbar has been roiled in recent months by unrest that has seen anti-government fighters take control of Fallujah, a city on Baghdad's doorstep, as well as shifting areas of provincial capital Ramadi. Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a brutal period of sectarian bloodshed in which tens of thousands of people died. More than 200 people have been killed so far this month and upwards of 1,900 since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

Self-immolation: SC takes suo motu notice of rape victim's death

MUZAFFARABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu notice of the death of a rape victim who died after she set herself on fire, Express News reported. The girl had set herself on fire on March 13 in front of the Mir Hazar Khan police station after hearing that the suspects who had allegedly raped her were granted bail. With 70% of the body burnt, the girl succumbed to her injuries today in the hospital. Opposition members in the Punjab Assembly staged a walk out, protesting the incident. They claimed that the government has failed to perform its duties. Police have arrested the main accused and investigating officer Rana Zulfiqar, who had said that the accused were innocent and that’s why released on bail. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had taken notice of the incident and had directed the authorities concerned to submit a report. He had also issued directives that the victim should be provided the best possible medical care. Police had registered a rape case against six suspects on January 5.

Police brutality: Baton-charged nurse succumbs to injuries

LAHORE: A nurse protesting in front of the Punjab Assembly on Friday succumbed to her injuries after she was baton-charged by the police, Express News reported. Rubina, along with several other nurses, was protesting against the Health Department for firing nurses who had been working on contract or on ad-hoc basis. In response of the protests, the Punjab Health Advisor had stated that nurses will only be hired if they pass the Public Service Commission exams.

Special court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Musharraf

ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI: The special court on Friday issued non-bailable arrest warrant for former president Pervez Musharraf, applicable only if he fails to present before the court on March 31, Express News reported. The former president faces treason charges under Article 6 for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of the superior courts. As the hearing of the treason case started today, a team of the federal police reached the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi to pick the former president up to take him to the court. The three-member bench, led by Justice Faisal Arab, had directed the former president on March 11 to appear in person before the special court to hear the charges being read out against him. On March 13, the special court maintained its decision to indict Musharraf on March 14 (today). During the hearing of the case today, Justice Arab said that the former president will be indicted even if he does not appear before the court today. Musharraf’s lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri, on the other hand, stated that this cannot happen as the former president’s presence was required for indictment. Musharraf’s legal team also submitted a new request, reiterating that the special court does not have the authority to summon Musharraf. Over three months ago, the 70-year-old had fallen ill and taken to AFIC where he is still under treatment. Kasuri speaks to media Kasuri, while speaking to the media in Islamabad, stated that it was difficult for Musharraf to appear before the court today because of security reasons. He said that the security in-charge has to submit a report regarding the security before the former president can appear before the court, adding that the report cannot be finished within 72 hours. He further said that the report needed at least 1-2 weeks. Kasuri also said that Prosecutor Akram Sheikh requested the court to read out the charge-sheet against Musharraf in front of the lawyers.

10 health precautions you must take this Holi

Don’t go overboard this Holi as fun sometimes may turn into tragedy if not taken care. Play and stay safe this festive season by doing the right things. We bring to you ten precautions by make-up artist Aashmeen Munjaal that you must take to protect your hair and skin from the wrath of artificial colours. Have a look: 1. Steer clear from glitter, paint and metallic colours as they can be very harmful. 2. Oil your hair before you start playing. Coconut oil and olive oil are best to protect your hair from harsh colours. 3. Apply some oil behind your ears, ear lobes and nails as colour tends to settle at these points. 4. Covering your nails with nail polish will keep them safer. 5. Put lip balm or lipstick on your lips. 6. Shut the pores on your face with a toner before you head out. The colour will not be able to go too deep into the skin. 7. Don’t forget to wear waterproof sunscreen before stepping out in the sun. 8. Try to wear clothes that are light in weight and easy to dry. 9. Wear a thick scarf or bandana to cover your hair. 10. Don’t wear lenses. Lenses have a tendency to absorb the colour which may cause damage to your eyes. Wear glasses and keep wiping them clean.

5 ways to get a job in Google

Excellent G.P.A’s, test scores and brand name colleges are no more the criteria for hiring in Google, says Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google. However, that does not mean that students with good grades will not be eligible to work with Google. Many jobs at Google require math, computing and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can apply, it would be an advantage. But Google has its eyes on much more. So, what actually is required by Google? Bock talks about five hiring attributes that Google sees in its applicants. Click on this slide show to know these 5 things that will fix your job in Google…

General cognitive ability/Learning ability According to Bock, if it’s a technical role, Google assess the coding ability, and half the roles in the company are technical roles. For every job, though, the No. 1 thing they look for is general cognitive ability, and it’s not I.Q. It’s learning ability. It’s the ability to process on the fly. It’s the ability to pull together disparate bits of information. Google assess that using structured behavioral interviews that they validate to make sure they’re predictive.

Leadership Skills The second, he added, is leadership — in particular emergent leadership as opposed to traditional leadership. Traditional leadership is, were you president of the chess club? Were you vice president of sales? How quickly did you get there? Google doesn’t care. What they care about is, when faced with a problem and you’re a member of a team, do you, at the appropriate time, step in and lead. And just as critically, do you step back and stop leading, do you let someone else? Because what’s critical to be an effective leader in this environment is you have to be willing to relinquish power.

Humility and ownership What else? Humility and ownership. It’s feeling the sense of responsibility, the sense of ownership, to step in, to try to solve any problem — and the humility to step back and embrace the better ideas of others. Your end goal, explained Bock, is what can Google do together to problem-solve. I’ve contributed my piece, and then I step back.

Intellectual humility And it is not just humility in creating space for others to contribute, says Bock, it’s ‘intellectual humility’. Without humility, you are unable to learn. It is why research shows that many graduates from hotshot business schools plateau. Successful bright people rarely experience failure, and so they don’t learn how to learn from that failure.

Expertise The least important attribute they look for is ‘expertise.’ Bock says, “If you take somebody who has high cognitive ability, is innately curious, willing to learn and has emergent leadership skills, and you hire them as an H.R. person or finance person, and they have no content knowledge, and you compare them with someone who’s been doing just one thing and is a world expert, the expert will go: ‘I’ve seen this 100 times before; here’s what you do.” Most of the time the non expert will come up with the same answer, added Bock, “because most of the time it’s not that hard.” Sure, once in a while they will mess it up, he said, but once in a while they’ll also come up with an answer that is totally new. And there is huge value in that.

WHAT AN UNUSUAL RACE! Watch the moment when F-1 CAR races FIGHTER JET

New Delhi: It was a spectacular moment when F-1 champions Red Bull Infiniti RB10 was racing against a Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet. According to Daily Mail, “The event was held at a military airbase near Melbourne ahead of the Australian Grand Prix so Aussie driver Ricciardo was the obvious choice to get behind the wheel. Impressively the race car was quicker off the mark than the jet, screeching off the line and pulling out an early lead. But there was only ever going to be one winner, and when the awesome power of the Hornet's two jet engines kicked in, it surged ahead before soaring off into the clouds.” The report said, “It is Ricciardo's first season with Red Bull with the 24-year-old replacing fellow Australian Mark Webber. His teammate Sebastian Vettel's is the reigning world champion. Red Bull, which is based in Milton Keynes have been struggling to adapt their car to the new rules for 2014 whilst maintaining their performance, with the biggest obstacle appearing to be incorporating the new turbo-charged 1.6 litre V6 engines with a host of energy-saving devices. Replacing the old V8 engines, this change is seen by many as the principal defining factor on the track as opposed to aerodynamics.”

RED BULL INFINITI RB10 Engine: V6 1.6l turbo boosted by electric motor Power: 750bhp Top speed: 205mph (estimated) Weight: 690kg Electronics: MESL standard Electronic Control Unit Optional extras: Wet weather tyres / Fluffy dice / go faster stripe / MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F-18 HORNET Engine: 2x General Electric F404 low-bypass turbofan engines Power: 32,000-pound-thrust Top speed: Mach 1.8 (1,190mph) Weight: 23,537kg (in fighter role) Electronics: Radar / helmet-mounted sights / missile guidance system Optional extras: Vulcan six-barrel cannon / AIM-9 Sidewinder missile / cluster bomb

MH370's engine data hints plane flew for 4 more hours after losing contact; brings Pakistan into the picture

Beijing/ Kuala Lumpur/New Delhi: For the past six days, 12 countries have been sweeping the region from South China Sea to Bay of Bengal in hope of finding some trace of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane MH 370 that went missing on Saturday with 239 people onboard. Authorities responsible for the search operation are considering a variety of possibilities including involvement of terrorist to possible case of hijacking. US Investigators are hinting at the possibility that the Malaysian Airlines plane was airborne for 4 more hours after it lost contact. In the picture, a woman looks for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 off Con Dao island. The Boeing 777 plane is equipped with Rolls Royce engines and as per an agreement between the Malaysian Airline and Rolls Royce, The engine sends data, after every half hour, that is downloaded at the Roll Royce's global health monitoring centre in Derby, UK for analysis. Based on the following inputs, the investigating agencies are speculating that the plane flew for four more hours after it lost contact. That would mean that MH370 remained airborne for an additional 2,200 nautical miles at its speed, which puts the border of Pakistan and Arabian Sea within its reach. So far, senior officials in Malaysian Airlines have denied existence of such data, whereas, Rolls Royce had no immediate comment.

The investigating agencies are not denying the possibility that the airplane could have been flown to an undisclosed location intended to be used later for another person. Terrorism experts are not denying the possibility of handwork of terror groups. They believe that pilots or someone else could have turned-off the transponders to avoid detection and flew it to another country. India today joined the global search for the Malaysian aircraft by deploying three warships along with around four surveillance aircraft including the latest P-8I anti-submarine warfare plane. In the picture, an unidentified search and rescue ship is seen through the window of a Vietnam Air Force aircraft AN-26 during a mission to find the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 off Con Dao island. Three warships have been despatched from Andaman and Nicobar Command including INS Kumbhir and INS Saryu from Navy and Coast Guard Ship Kanaklata Baruah to the areas specified by the Malaysian Government, Navy officials said. The Indian assets also include two Dornier aircraft from the Coast Guard and the Navy along with the P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft from INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu, they said. The IAF has also kept its surveillance aircraft on standby and they will be despatched to the 35,000 square km area identified by the Malaysian authorities for search operations, they said. The Indian operations in the task are being handled by the Navy and instructions are being passed to the officials on ground from the Naval headquarters here, they said. The tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command is providing the assets for the search operations.

The Navy is also understood to be using its Rukmini surveillance satellite for locating the missing plane. The ship Sagar deployed in Thai waters is also likely to join the search later on. The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Boeing-777 plane, with 239 people including five Indians on board, vanished over the South China Sea on Friday an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. In the picture, Muslims perform a special prayer for passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane at the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Search and rescue operations which had been mobilised since early Saturday morning have failed to find the jetliner in the South China Sea and authorities have expanded the area of search into the Andaman Sea, Malaysian officials said.

Malaysian Airlines MH 370: What we know about the missing flight so far!

Beijing/ Kuala Lumpur/New Delhi: As the search for the missing flight entered its seventh day, there have been many conspiracy theories about the plane. A dozen countries swept the region from South China Sea to Bay of Bengal in hope of finding some trace of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane MH 370 that went missing on Saturday with 239 people onboard. Also read: From aliens to invisibility cloak - Conspiracy theories explaining 'disappearance' of MH370 Authorities responsible for the search operation are considering a variety of possibilities including involvement of terrorist to possible case of hijacking. What could have possible happened to MH 370? For lack of any conclusive evidence, there have been lots and lots of theories that emerged over the possible causes of the plane’s disappearance. Among them are pilot error, mechanical malfunction, and terrorism – even alien abduction for that matter. But logically, there can be only two likely outcomes – either the plane disintegrated mid-air or nose-dived into the sea. The South China Morning Post showed the disintegration could have been caused by an explosion or a technical failure and that may have led small debris to spread over a huge area which will be difficult to find. Also read: Malaysian Airlines Crash: Was plane disintegrated mid-air? Founding of Boeing debris only a 'false alarm' On the other hand, if the plane nose-dived into the sea, the debris would be confined to a small area and will be easier to find. Aviation experts said an explosion on board appeared to be the likely cause of the disaster. The plane was at cruising altitude, which is the safest phase of flight. A former Malaysian Airlines pilot said that it was an explosion or lightning strike. However, a mid-air explosion should have been detected by satellites. The United States reviewed imagery taken by spy satellites for evidence of a mid-air explosion, but saw none. On the other hand, it remains a mystery if the plane nose-dived directly into the sea as the crew did not issue a distress call in the minutes before impact. Also read: Did ALIENS abduct the missing Malaysian Airlines? US Investigators are hinting at the possibility that the Malaysian Airlines plane was airborne for 4 more hours after it lost contact. Six days after flight disappeared, the Indian Ocean has become the latest area that authorities will scour in an attempt to find the aircraft and her 239 passengers and crew that disappeared without a trace. White House Spokesperson Jay Carney said at a press conference, “It's my understanding that based on some new information that's not necessarily conclusive - but new information - an additional search area may be opened in the Indian Ocean. We are consulting with international partners about the appropriate assets to deploy.” Vietnam said on Thursday that its aircraft and ships have not found any debris said to have been spotted by Chinese satellites. State-run agency quoted Vietnamese Deputy Transport Minister Pham Quy Tieu as saying, ‘Aircraft and vessels sent out by Vietnam found no debris in the waters where Chinese satellites spotted three floating objects in the hunt for the missing Malaysian airlines flight’. Vietnam authorities dispatched two aircraft and two ships to fly over the waters off the Vietnam's southern coast where Chinese satellites photographed suspected floating objects, Pham, who is leading a frontline command in Phu Quoc Island, said. Earlier today China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) said a Chinese satellite has found three floating objects at a suspected site of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane but it was not sure whether it was the debris of the plane. China pressed 10 satellites besides eight ships and three aircraft to conduct search operations. A huge international search operation has been mostly focused on the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand off Malaysia’s east coast. The Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea has been included since Sunday but the search there has remained futile so far. Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has asked Malaysia to step up coordination for search operations. Also read: Search still on for ‘missing’ Malaysian flight; here are the 10 safest airlines you can travel with

Terrorism experts are not denying the possibility of handwork of terror groups. They believe that pilots or someone else could have turned-off the transponders to avoid detection and flew it to another country. India today joined the global search for the Malaysian aircraft by deploying three warships along with around four surveillance aircraft including the latest P-8I anti-submarine warfare plane. Three warships have been dispatched from Andaman and Nicobar Command including INS Kumbhir and INS Saryu from Navy and Coast Guard Ship Kanaklata Baruah to the areas specified by the Malaysian Government, Navy officials said. According to the latest news reports making headlines world over, two passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Plane are reported to have been travelling on stolen passports. Read: Malaysian Airlines crash: 2 passengers were travelling on stolen passports, terror angle probed

The 227 people, including five Indians, and 12 crew members on board the Malaysia Airlines were identified. The five Indian passengers who were on board have been identified as - Chetana Kolekar (55), Swanand Kolekar (23), Vinod Kolekar (59), Chandrikams Sharma (51), Kranti Shirsath (44). Read: Malaysian Airlines crash: All 5 Indians on board identified, know here who they are!

No one knows how or why the plane disappeared or where it crashed. There are very, very few reasons for a modern plane to suddenly disappear. Read full story - Missing Malaysia Airlines: How can a plane disappear off the radar?

Beware: Your Whatsapp chats are not safe!

If you have an Android phone and use Whatsapp to keep touch with most of your friends then this piece of news can leave you worried. According to a recent report published in a leading daily, an Android Whatsapp user must be careful about what he/she shares on the instant messaging app because anyone can dig into your chats and know your secret conversations. As per a Dutch security consultant, WhatsApp chat logs saved on the SD card of an Android phone can be read by other apps, courtesy the way Android allows sharing of data between apps. "The WhatsApp database is saved on the SD card which can be read by any Android application if the user allows it to access the SD card. And since majority of the people allows everything on their Android device, this is not much of a problem," Bas Bosschert wrote on his blog. "What do we need to steal someone's WhatsApp database? First we need a place to store the database," Bosschert explained. "Next thing we need is an Android application which uploads the WhatsApp database to the website," he added. When Whatsapp is downloaded from the Play store or through an APK file, the app requests for permissions to use network and SD card etc. Interestingly, to explain his claim, Bosschert set up a web server and then created an Android application that required several special permissions on a user's phone. And, as expected, Bosschert's app had no difficulty gaining access to WhatsApp data. "The WhatsAppp database is a SQLite3 database which can be converted to Excel for easier access. Lately WhatsApp is using encryption to encrypt the database, so it can no longer be opened by SQLite. But we can simply decrypt this database using a simple python script. This script converts the crypted database to a plain SQLite3 database," wrote Bosschert. "We can conclude that every application can read the WhatsApp database and it is also possible to read the chats from the encrypted databases," he concluded.

Technology plays spoiler: Social networking sites, smartphones breaking down marriages

Bangalore: Technology has definitely helped the human race in leading life smoothly over the last decade or such, but, with its increasing advent in the daily routine, world is beginning to pay a heavy price for the luxury. As per a news report published in DNA, divorce cases are on a constant rise in the IT city of Bangalore, courtesy social networking sites and smartphones. The report says that technology is playing a spoiler and taking toll on the marital life of couples in the city. Adding further it articulates, more than 5,000 divorce cases were filed in the last year and around 3,000 in them were related to technology. Most of the cases registered cite reasons such as illegitimate messages or calls or chats or Facebook posts on smartphones. These were tracked by either of the partners. Some cases were reported where a partner even hired detective agency and used certain apps to retrieve deleted conversations or photos of their spouse, in order to prove he or she is cheating within marriage. Interestingly, SMSes and emails are also being regularly produced in the court as a part of evidence during hearings sessions. As per legal experts, divorce cases related with social networking sites have seen an increase by 50 per cent over some years.

Mamata betrayed me, it’s end of association with her, skipped rally due to sparse crowd: Anna Hazare

New Delhi: After two days of skipping a rally organized in New Delhi, where he was scheduled to address a crowd in unison with the Trinamool Congress head Mamata Banerjee, Anna Hazare has come up with a statement that clears his uncomfortable equations with the Bengal chief minister. The veteran social activist said on Friday that he doesn’t want to nurture any kind of relationship with West Bengali chief minister as she betrayed him. The differences between the two are now finally out in open. However, Mamata played down the entire issue and told news reporters that she will only comment after meeting the anti-corruption crusader. Anna also added that he didn’t ever supported Mamata or her party by any means, but only her thoughts. Not stopping at that Anna also took a swipe at Santosh Bharti, who is known to be his close aide. Bharti was also accused of treachery by him. Just a few days back, Anna had endorsed Mamata for the post of prime minister stating that only she replied to his letter on 17-point agenda for the nation. Reasons for skipping rally Anna said that due to sparse crowd present at the Ramlila Maidan during rally, he abstained from attending it. He also said that due to his illness, he couldn’t afford to go there. Adding more he said that at around 12 o’ clock in the afternoon, on the day when rally was organized, he was communicated on phone that only two-and-a-half thousand people had gathered at the venue. After considering the fast that a low turnout of people, in a place where thousands of people assembled during the time of Jan Lokpal Aandolan, can be due to some fishy reasons, he missed the rally.

Missing Malaysian Airlines: ‘Communications systems on MH370 DELIBERATELY shut down’

Kuala Lumpur: According to media reports, US officials believe that the two communications systems have been shut down deliberately at a gap of 14 minutes - which indicates the plane did not come down because of a sudden catastrophic failure. ABC news said that according to US investigators, the aircraft's data reporting system and its transponder - which reports its position in flight to ground-based radar - shut down separately. The fact that the devices appear to have been shut off at a 14-minute interval from one another suggests that they may have been deliberately disabled or at any rate did not fail as a result of a catastrophic airframe incident, the US network said. The transponder was switched off 30 minutes after the final voice communication from the cockpit, around the same time that Malaysia believes the plane may have inexplicably started to turn back, the Washington Post said. Taken together, that "suggests that someone unauthorised took control of that airplane, like an intruder or one of the pilots", the Post quoted one US flight crash expert as saying. According to data obtained, the reporting system was shut down at 1.07am (Malaysia time) and the transponder at 1.21 am. The plane lost radar contact at around 1.30am, less than an hour after take-off, according to Malaysian officials. They have confirmed that the last words heard from the cockpit were a relaxed "Alright, good night" as the plane was due to pass from Malaysian to Vietnamese air traffic control. The night was clear and the weather was fine. "The last (data) transmission from the aircraft was at 0107 hours which indicated that everything was normal," Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters on Thursday. Meanwhile, military radar-tracking evidence suggested that the jetliner was deliberately flown across the Malay Peninsula towards the Andaman Islands. Sources said an unidentified aircraft that is believed to be Flight MH370 was following a route between navigational waypoints when it was last plotted on military radar off the country's northwest coast. The last plot on the military radar's tracking suggested the plane was flying toward India's Andaman Islands. A third source said inquiries were focusing on the theory that someone who knew how to fly a plane deliberately diverted the flight. (With AFP inputs)

The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, did a report on How India was putting in less amount of efforts as far as the search operation is concerned. According to the report, India on Thursday announced it had deployed two of its navy’s ships, patrol vessel, INS Saryu, and amphibious warship, INS Khumbir, in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines3786. The Navy has also lent its Boeing-made P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine plane to the effort. This graphic shows how India’s contribution to the hunt for the 227 passengers, including five Indians, and 12 crew members, matches up compared to the help offered by the 11 other nations involved in the operation to find the plane that disappeared in the early hours of Saturday.”

Will Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Meesa Bharti be able to fill into her father’s shoes?

Patna: Meesa Bharti is in news after her candidature from Patliputra constituency met with resistance from one of the close-aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Ramkripal Yadav, well-known as Lalu's right-hand man, had voiced his opposition to Bharti's candidature. After hearing the news of resentment from her uncle, Meesa immediately rushed to Delhi to pacify her uncle. However, she had to return empty handed. Known as 'andolan ki beti' (the daughter of agitation), Meesa was in conversation with Dainik Bhaskar's correspondent Rajesh Ojha. Let's hear what Bharti had to say- Q: As soon as your name was announced, opposition brew up; the party is on the verge of decline? Meesa: This is not true. There is no opposition. There only some who have not been able to receive the party ticket are protesting. The party does not crumble if one or two people leave it. You all should wait for some time; the events will not have any impact on the results of the elections. We will win and by a good margin. Q: Why did Rampal left the party? Meesa: If the party's decision was wrong, he should have protested. He was the member of core committee in the party. He should have expressed his anxiety in front of the party members. But he did not. I want all the way to Delhi to meet him, but he did not even meet me. At last, I heeded to party's decision and decided to contest the elections. 'Chacha' should let us know what the mistake of the party was? This seat belonged to my father and RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. He left the seat on his own will and took the seat in Rajya Sabha, last year. He even had service tenure of two-and-a-half-year left. He never expressed his desire regarding any seat. Tell me, have we done any injustice against him?

Q: In elections, you will be standing against your uncle; you have maintained a direct contact with the party workers. How are you taking this? Meesa: You all must be aware of the Great Epic, The Mahabharata. The Kauravas had a huge army behind them. But, the Pandavas only had Shri Krishna with them. They lost the battle despite having the advantage of a huge army and Pandavas won. They won because they sided with the truth. Q: Is Ramkripal a Kaurav? Meesa: I did not speak about Ramkripal. Do not distort my words. What I mean to say is that no one can win the elections by 'booth-management'. The people believe in work and not verbal promises. Leave apart PU and MU colleges, you tell me the name of even a single college, which Ramkripal ji has tried to open? The people here used to vote him for his development work, but he has not worked at all in that direction. When you go to the constituency you get to hear these things. Times have changed; you cannot win by 'booth-management'. Q: Lalu Prasad Yadav's political legacy will be looked after by Meesa Bharti, or someone else? Meesa: India is not ruled by a monarch, we are a republic. Therefore, all this talk of heritage is baseless. I am common worker in the party. The party will decide and delegate responsibilities to the workers. Q: How confident are you towards your party? Meesa: Very confident. Look at other parties, how they are fighting for tickets. There is no leader in the party. They are hijacking people from other parties. But, the situation in RJD is different. The party has already declared the name of its candidates. And the candidates have already started making relations with the general public. Q: If you win, what will be your priority? Meesa: I will try to make a new Bihar in collaboration with the Centre. The youth of the state should be given ample employment opportunities and the lifestyle of the people should improve. I will try to work in this direction.

2G scam accused former Telecom Minister A Raja makes explosive charges against PM Manmohan Singh

New Delhi: Former Telecom Minister A Raja has decided to directly take on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the multi-crore 2G scam. Raja has questioned PM's silence over the charges. In an interview to Times Now, Raja said: "There is no proof against me and I did not accumulate any wealth". He further added: "There is no loss to the exchequer and I was only trying to infuse competition". Raja attacked Manmohan Singh and said that PM was silent and did not accept the PMO recommendation. "It must be fair to say that issues enumerated by the CBI and CAG were not presented by the government in front of appropriate forums," Raja said. When asked whether Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram should be questioned in the case, Raja said that it was upto the CBI to question them. "The CBI should decide who should be called and who should not be called for questioning in the 2G scam case," he said. DMK supremo M Karunanidhi has renominated 2G scam accused A Raja for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu.

Mumbai: Building collapses in Santacruz area, several feared trapped

Mumbai: A building at Yashwant Nagar area in Santacruz has collapsed. According to media reports, several people are feared trapped. Rescue operations are on and further details are awaited.

Bomb in southern Afghanistan kills six: official

KANDAHAR: A senior Afghan government official says a roadside bomb in the southern Helmand province has killed six civilians, including two women and two children. Mohammed Sharif, district chief of Musa Qala district in Helmand, said on Friday that the bomb ripped through a vehicle the previous night, killing everyone inside. No one has taken responsibility for the attack but Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan forces routinely target military vehicles with improvised explosive devises throughout the south and east of the country. Civilian vehicles travelling the same roads often drive over and set off the hidden devises. Many residents in Helmand say the Taliban rule in much of the countryside, while the government controls the district centers. The militant group has also threatened violence ahead of the country's April 5 presidential election.

Blast in Quetta kills at least 10: rescue officials

QUETTA: At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured Friday when a bomb exploded near Quetta's Science College Chowk area, officials said. Rescue officials confirmed 10 people had been killed from the powerful explosion. There was so far no confirmation of the death toll from government sources. Hospital administration officials said at least 20 had been shifted to the Civil Hospital and were being treated for injuries. Frontier Corps officials told Dawn that the bomb was planted on a bicycle parked near the Science College. Initial reports had suggested that the explosion took place inside a bus en route from the city's Sariab road which caught fire as a result. FC sources said the target appeared to be an FC vehicle which was passing near the Science College when the bomb exploded. None of the FC vehicles was damaged, but the bus caught fire from the explosion. A DawnNews correspondent at the site said that some of the injured were in critical condition, and that further casuaulties were feared. The blast was so intense that smoke from the resulting fire could be seen from a distance. This is a developing story and will be updated as further updates com in.

More focus on Haqqani militants: US commander

WASHINGTON: Allied and Afghan forces are putting a greater focus on going after the Haqqani militant network, which has threatened to disrupt the Afghan presidential elections in April, the top US commander in Afghanistan said Thursday. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford told Defence Department reporters that the more energised effort against the Haqqanis includes a US move to “crank up the heat” on the group's financing and freedom of movement. “The Haqqani network has been more active in some ways over the last few months, and so we have energised our efforts accordingly,” said Dunford. The network has made it clear it will conduct high-profile attacks to disrupt the political process and create the perception of insecurity as Afghans go to the polls. The Haqqani network is blamed for some of the most high-profile attacks in Afghanistan. The US has repeatedly pressed Pakistani authorities to move more aggressively against the militants, who are allegedly based in North Waziristan and routinely to conduct attacks against US and coalition troops. Dunford also gave reporters and lawmakers greater details on the US plans as the war winds down and combat operations end on Dec 31. Officials have long said the coalition of Nato and allied nations would leave 8,000 to 12,000 troops in the country to advise and assist Afghan forces as long as Afghanistan's leaders sign a key security agreement. In addition to that, Dunford said the US would leave “some thousand” troops — largely special operations forces — to continue to conduct counterterrorism operations. He said that any US counter-terror operations beyond 2014 would focus on Al Qaeda, but since the Haqqani network presents the greatest threat to security forces, the US would do whatever necessary to protect the troops. US officials have said they want to leave about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, but it's not clear if the counterterrorism forces would be in addition to that. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, however, has refused to sign the agreement, prompting the White House to order the Pentagon to begin planning for a full withdrawal by the end of this year. Dunford told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday that he would need 102 days to conduct an orderly withdrawal of all US troops and equipment and complete the transfer of any bases to the Afghans. As a result, he said the US can wait until September for the Afghans to sign the agreement, but waiting beyond that would begin to make the withdrawal far more risky. The Pentagon is currently planning to cut the total American force in Afghanistan to as low as 20,000 by midsummer, giving commanders the ability to pull all troops out by Dec 31 if no agreement is reached. There are currently about 33,600 US troops in Afghanistan.

Indian court convicts three over gangrape of Catholic nun

NEW DELHI: A court convicted three men Friday over the gangrape of a nun during a bout of anti-Christian violence in 2008 in eastern India that killed at least 35 people, reports said. The Catholic nun was sexually assaulted by rioters on August 25, 2008, days after the murder of a Hindu priest that sparked revenge Hindu attacks on the Christian community in coastal Orissa state. A district court in Cuttack handed out the convictions which followed a trial that began in 2010, the Press Trust of India national news agency reported. One of the accused was found guilty of rape while two others were convicted of “outraging the modesty of a woman”, PTI said. Six others were acquitted for lack of evidence, it said. The men would be sentenced at a later date, the news agency said. The nun had recounted how she was dragged to a burnt-out Christian home in Kandhamal district where she was raped and beaten with sticks before being paraded semi-naked in the streets. Mobs attacked dozens of churches, prayer halls and Catholic-run schools and homes during the riots in the state. Nearly 50,000 people were reported to have been displaced by the rioting.

Tribunal disqualifies PML-N's Aijaz Chaudhry over fake degree

ISLAMABAD: An election tribunal on Friday disqualified Aijaz Chaudhry, an MNA from the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), for possessing a bogus academic degree, DawnNews reported. Chaudhry was elected on NA-108 (Mandi Bahauddin) on a PML-N ticket. His rival candidate, Mumtaz Ahmad, had filed the appeal to seek his disqualification on the basis of a bogus graduation degree. In Dec 2013, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had restrained the tribunal from deciding on the appeal for Chaudhry’s disqualification. Chaudhry had challenged the tribunal’s proceedings and had pleaded that the matter of his degree had already been settled by the LHC, submitting that his rival had concealed the facts.

Explosion in Quetta; over 20 injured

QUETTA: Over 20 people were injured in a loud explosion near the Science College chowk in Quetta on Friday, DawnNews reported. The explosion took place in a bus en route from the city's Sariab road which caught fire as a result. Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province which has seen an upswing in violence in recent months and is suffering from a separatist insurgency, sectarian violence and Taliban militants.

Blast targeting police kills nine in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: An explosion took place on Friday in Sarband, an area in the suburbs of Peshawar killing nine persons and wounding 47 others, DawnNews quoted police sources as saying. Those among the victims of the blast included women, children and policemen. Speaking to DawnNews, DSP (city) Banaras Khan said the blast appeared to have targeted a police mobile van and was carried out by a suicide bomber. SP Cantt Faisal Kamran said that due to the sensitivity of the area, as it was situated on the border of the tribal areas, police personnel were using armoured personnel carriers (APC) to conduct routine patrolling when they were targeted by the suicide bomber who was on foot. The victims were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) where an emergency was imposed. Casualties were also shifted to the Hayatabad medical complex. According to the latest figures from rescue sources, six bodies were received at the LRH whereas three more were received at the Hayatababad Medical Complex. Security personnel cordoned off the area as a probe into the incident went underway. According to Shafqat Malik, AIG of the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), at least eight kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lies on the edge of Pakistan's tribal areas which have been labelled by Washington as the main sanctuary for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the country. The city has seen frequent attacks by militants in the past few years, with targets ranging from civilians to policemen and other law enforcement personnel.

Will Narendra Modi accept AAP's challenge and contest from Varanasi against Arvind Kejriwal?

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi constituency could well see the clash of the titans in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Senior Aap leader Manish Sisodia has said that Arvind Kejriwal will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi constituency if Narendra Modi contests from the same. So far, Bjp has announced that Modi will fight the elections from one seat in Gujarat. It is to be seen, if Narendra Modi accepts the 'challenge' thrown by AAP and contests from Varanasi, as well. Gujarat BJP today announced that Chief Minister Narendra Modi will contest elections from one seat in the state, without ruling out the possibility that he may fight on a second seat from Uttar Pradesh. "I can definitely say that Modiji will fight elections from one seat in Gujarat," state BJP general secretary Vijay Rupani told reporters here. "There has been a clamour to invite Narendra Modi to fight elections from four main cities of the state - Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat. Our party workers wish that he should contest from Gujarat," Rupani said. "Our (state BJP) parliamentary board had met over the last four days in which it was finalised that Modi would contest from one seat in Gujarat," he said, adding that the decision on which seat he will contest is yet to be taken. When asked if Modi will also contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP leader said, "I do not know anything about that seat, but it will be decided by our central parliamentary board." There has been lot of confusion on from which seat Modi will enter the poll fray. The BJP's prime ministerial candidate is at present in Delhi to attend the meetings of central parliamentary board and central election committee. Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia said that the party is most likely to contest Arvind Kejriwal from Varanasi seat, if BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi decides to contest from the UP constituency. "If Modi contests from Varanasi, then we have almost decided that Arvind Kejriwal will be pitted against him (Modi)," Sisodia told news agencies. Sisoadia also said that politicians who are afraid of losing will contest from two seats. Making a direct attack on BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Sisodia said, "If he is afraid, he will fight from two seats. Let him decide." Murli Manohar Joshi is the present BJP candidate from the much-in-demand Varanasi seat. A beleaguered Joshi had expressed his unhappiness over the news that he may have to vacate his seat for BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

Kejriwal courts another controversy, threatens to put media inside lockup

New Delhi: Courting yet another controversy, Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal was witnessed threatening to put national media inside a lockup, in a video aired by a prominent TV news channel. Kejriwal was found expressing the views in a public function organized in Nagpur. The Aap leader alleged that a certain section of media was leading a negative campaign against him and only playing critical news involving his party. He also accused the Bhartiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of buying out media. When news reporters asked him about his comments later on putting media behind bars, former Delhi Chief Minister completely denied making such remarks. Just a few days back a video showing Kejriwal influencing news editor of a leading Hindi TV news channel went viral on the You Tube.

Pre-poll survey 2014: BJP projected to sweep Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Congress to get big jolt

New Delhi: A pre-poll survey has projected Narendra Modi-led Bjp sweeping Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka and the party-led NDA giving a big jolt to ruling Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections. The survey says 42 per cent of Indians backed Narendra Modi as the leading choice for the next Prime Minister. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi emerged as the second choice with support of 27 per cent of people. Out of 319 seats, the survey gives NDA 166, UPA 52, others 85. The NDTV-Hansa Research survey, which released the electoral projections of 319 seats in 12 states, says AIADMK is projected to win 27 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats. It has predicted only 10 seats for DMK. The survey predicted BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is likely to win 33 seats out of 48 seats while Congress' tally is projected to come down to 12-- a loss of 13 Lok Sabha seats from the 2009 position. It also says Raj Thackarey's MNS is likely to win one seat in the Lok Sabha polls. The poll projects 23 seats to BJP in Gujarat's 26 Lok Sabha constituencies and 21 seats in Karnataka (out of total 28 seats) by staging a comeback from the poor show in last year's assembly polls there. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP is projected to sweep 24 out of 29 seats and the survey gives only four seats to Congress in the BJP-ruled state. According to the survey, BJP-LJP alliance in Bihar is likely to win 23 seats of 40 Lok Sabha seats. While the survey gives 11 seats to Congress-RJD alliance, ruling JD(U) is projected to win just 5 Lok Sabha seats. Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is projected to win 32 of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. The Left parties are projected to get only 9 seats--6 less than the last time and Congress one. The survey also predicted emergence of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi after its stunning show in assembly polls. According to it, the Arvind Kejriwal led party is likely to win four of the seven seats in Delhi, BJP 2 and Congress one. (With PTI inputs)

Ex-Libyan PM denounces no-confidence vote as falsified: TV

TRIPOLI: Former Libyan prime minister Ali Zeidan on Thursday denounced a no-confidence vote by his country's parliament that led to his dismissal as a “falsification”, in a statement on rolling news channel France24. Zeidan also rejected allegations of corruption. “There is a falsification and manoeuvering,” he said, claiming that only 113 members of parliament had voted for his dismissal, fewer than the 120 needed for a no-confidence vote to be valid. On Tuesday, it was announced that the no-confidence motion was approved by 124 of the 194 members of the General National Congress, MPs said. The former prime minister claimed two political groups were behind his removal as premier — the radical Wafa movement as well as the Justice and Construction Party which is the political arm of the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Zeidan also dismissed allegations of corruption which have been levelled at him. “I do not need to defend myself... I challenge anyone to find any trace of corruption in the course of my government,” he said in the first reaction since his dismissal. Although a travel ban was issued against Zeidan, it was reported on Wednesday that he had fled Libya. He was removed from power after a North-Korean-flagged tanker laden with crude oil from a rebel-held terminal broke through a naval blockade and escaped to sea. Zeidan, an independent, proved incapable of bringing to heel the former rebel militia that have carved out their own fiefdoms since the 2011 uprising that toppled the dictatorship of Moamer Kadhafi.

Nepra approves Rs2.24 increase in power tariff

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority approved on Thursday an increase of Rs2.24 per unit in power tariff for all companies of Wapda to be charged under monthly fuel adjustment. The increased tariff would be passed on to consumers in the coming month's electricity bills. The Central Power Purchase Agency had requested Nepra to allow the increase for the next billing month on account of higher generation cost during the month of January this year. On this, Nepra approved the raise in power tariff up to Rs. 2.24 per unit. The increase, however, would not be applicable to consumers of the Karachi Electric, the power distribution company in the metropolis.

Saudi Arabia loaned Pakistan $1.5bn to shore up economy

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia loaned $1.5 billion to Pakistan last month to help Islamabad shore up its foreign exchange reserves, meet debt-service obligations and undertake large energy and infrastructure projects, Pakistani officials have told Reuters. The Saudi assistance has contributed to a sharp recovery of the Pakistani rupee, which rose to a nine-month high of 97.40 from 105.40 against the dollar between March 4 and 12, its strongest rally in 30 years. “On a personal guarantee of the prime minister, Saudi Arabia has given $1.5 billion, which has helped bail out the rupee,” one senior Pakistani government official close to the deal told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to disclose the source and purpose of the funding. The governor of the Saudi central bank declined to comment, and officials gave no details of the loan terms. Also read: Dar’s ‘dollar dream’ comes true Another top official who is based in Lahore said the money went into an account known as the Pakistan Development Fund set up to channel money from “friendly countries” like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “We have a promise of a total $3 billion, of which $1.5 billion has been received so far,” the second official said. “Most recently, we got $750 million from the Saudis.” Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has long enjoyed close relations with the Saudi royal family. After his second term as prime minister was ended by a military coup in 1999, he was sent into exile in Saudi Arabia. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi financier and member of the House of Saud, has described Sharif as “Saudi Arabia''s man in Pakistan”. Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on Wednesday that $1.5 billion was received under the development fund but declined to comment on the source. “Why do you want to expose our friends?” he told reporters. “The countries who have helped us don''t want us to disclose the source.” NEW FUND Dar announced the creation of the new fund on Feb 18, the same day Saudi crown prince and deputy prime minister Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud concluded a three-day-visit to Pakistan. Pakistan's new army chief, General Raheel Sharif, also met King Abdullah and top Saudi military commanders during a trip to the kingdom two weeks before the new account was set up. Other high-profile Saudi visitors to Pakistan this year have included Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal and Prince Salman bin Sultan, the country''s deputy defence minister. According to the finance ministry, gross official reserves - including the latest injection of $1.5 billion - stood at $9.52 billion on March 11. A third loan tranche of $550 million from the International Monetary Fund, expected before the end of March, will push reserves close to $10 billion. Related: Curious case of rupee rise Pakistan is expected to receive $150 million from the Islamic Development Bank in March, as well as $150-200 million under the Coalition Support Fund, reimbursements for assistance in the U.S.-led coalition''s Afghanistan war effort. Pakistan will also launch eurobonds of $500 million in May and plans to raise billions of dollars in privatisation revenue by June. An increase in foreign investment and remittances by overseas Pakistanis have also helped lift the rupee. Remittances increased by 11 percent to $10.2 billion during the first eight months of this fiscal year. The finance ministry has also attributed the currency's recovery to punitive action against exporters withholding export receipts abroad and warnings to foreign exchange speculators.

India will be tougher to beat with Dhoni back: Afridi

LAHORE: Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi said Thursday he was hopeful of a quick recovery from injury in time for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next week after his exploits at the Asia Cup. The 34-year-old hurt his groin during the recent one-day tournament, which concluded last week and was also held in Bangladesh. As a result he will not fly out with the team early Friday, and instead travel on Monday. “I am recovering well and (will) hopefully play at least one warm-up match,” Afridi told reporters. He is set to miss Pakistan's first warm-up match against New Zealand on Monday. Pakistan's second warm-up match will be against South Africa on March 19. One of cricket's hardest hitters, his sparkling form with the bat helped Pakistan beat arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup, sealing victory in the last over by striking successive sixes. He followed up with a whirlwind 25-ball 59 to anchor a tough 327-run chase against hosts Bangladesh, before Pakistan stumbled in the final to eventual winners Sri Lanka. But Afridi said Pakistan could still take heart from their victory over India, against whom they will play in their first proper match of the tournament in Dhaka on March 21. “The Asia Cup win over India will benefit us,” said Afridi, but cautioned: “We have to be at our best to beat India who will now be with (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni. Afridi, who also bowls leg-spin, will be key to Pakistan's World Twenty20 campaign. In 70 Twenty20 matches, Afridi has 1044 runs and 73 wickets. Afridi was player of the tournament in the inaugural World Twenty20 held in South Africa, with Pakistan finishing runners-up to India. He was man-of-the-match in the semi-final and final in Pakistan's only World Twenty20 triumph in England in 2009. “I can't see a better (limited-overs) combination in the world than Pakistan because our bowling is good, batting is good but the only mistake we are doing that's in fielding and fielding is the most essential thing in limited-over cricket,” Afridi said.

Ex-leftist rebel wins El Salvador presidency: official

SAN SALVADOR: Former leftist rebel commander Salvador Sanchez Ceren has won last Sunday's presidential election in El Salvador by a razor-thin margin, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal said. He inherits leadership of a country beset with widespread poverty and violence from powerful street gangs. He beat rightist Norman Quijano by less than half a percentage point, said the tribunal, which now must give the latter three days to appeal the tally. Sanchez Ceren of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front won 50.11 per cent of the votes, compared to 49.98 per cent for Quijano of the right-wing ARENA party, the tribunal said as it reported the final count from the runoff election. The first round was February 2. “The people, united, will never be defeated,” FMLN supporters chanted at the hotel where the tally was held as they awaited the final result. The tight margin of the final result is a big surprise as the leftist had been favored to win by as many as 10 percentage points. A victory rally has been called for Saturday night in the capital San Salvador. Sanchez Ceren, 69, is vice president in the current government of President Mauricio Funes. In power since 2009, it is the country's first leftist government and ended two decades of right-wing rule. But this marks the first time Salvadorans have voted an actual former rebel commander from their 1979-1992 civil war to be president. Sanchez Ceren is a former teacher and ex-education minister, who was one of five top guerrilla commanders during the civil war. The current FMLN is the political party that emerged from the guerrilly army of the same name in the war, in which the government was backed by the United States. The FMLN and ARENA were the main protagonists of that conflict. The final tally was identical to the preliminary result first announced Sunday. Quijano has asked the elections be nullified on grounds of fraud. The tribunal still has to rule on this. Quijano, 67, the mayor of the capital city San Salvador, was a law-and-order candidate and staunch anti-communist who campaigned against the country's high crime rate and the notorious “mara” street gangs behind much of El Salvador's drug dealing and extortion. Quijano, however, suffered from his links to ex-president Francisco Flores, a former campaign adviser, under scrutiny over $10 million donated by Taiwan that went missing during his 1999-2004 government. After the civil war, El Salvador found itself facing violence from the street gangs, which control whole neighborhoods and run drug distribution and extortion rackets. Forty percent of El Salvador's six million people live in poverty, and the country relies heavily on remittances sent by Salvadorans living abroad, around $4 billion a year, or 16 per cent of the country's GDP.