Mumbai terror attack: pak says attacks planned outside

Well-placed sources in Pakistan have told NDTV that the investigations into the Mumbai attacks lead beyond Pakistani territory. Interior Ministry officials have given hint to Pakistani media that the 26/11 attacks were planned outside Pakistan.

A three-member team was set up by Pakistan's Interior Ministry to probe the attacks. The ministry is expected to review the initial probe at a high level meeting today.

Pakistan made several public statements saying it would share all its finding with India and the rest of the world. India has blamed Pakistan-based elements, including the Lashker-e-Taiba, for masterminding the attacks that killed nearly 180 people.

On Wednesday, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari reportedly said that the probe results on the Mumbai attacks will be shared with India in two to three days.

The probe is based on the information provided by the Indian government to the Pakistan authorities.

Pakistan had on January 17 assured India that the preliminary probe would be completed in 10 days.

They also said that if any Pakistani was found involved in the attacks, he would be tried in Pakistan and would not be handed over to India.

Qasab, Modi's Qasab remark sparks controversy

Modi's Qasab remark sparks controversy

Press Trust of India

Saturday, January 24, 2009 8:39 PM (Ahmedabad)

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday came in for a sharp criticism from state leaders in BJP and Opposition Congress for his controversial remarks on evidence gathered in Mumbai terror attack which has given handle to Pakistan to counter India's position.

"The remarks are unwanted, unwarranted and uncalled for," said former Chief Minister and BJP leader Suresh Mehta, who believed that, "One did not expect this kind of statement from a Chief Minister."

"Chief Minister's chair carries certain responsibilities and the first and foremost is the interest of the country," Mehta, a known detractor of Modi, said. "A chief minister should not indulge in rhetoric while forgetting discretion," he added.

The Congress described his remarks as "loose talk and cheap rhetoric" and alleged that such statements would help Pakistan, which is being cornered internationally.

The party spokesperson Arjun Modhvadia said that Modi is trying to help Pakistan by making such "irresponsible and damaging statements and remarks."

Modi had recently said that even in India a mere statement is not regarded as evidence under the existing laws. He had wondered that, "What if Pakistan and US both ask India if our law has similar provision which accepts (Ajmal) Qasab's statement as evidence? What can be more unfortunate?"

Following his statement Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sought to take advantage of Modi's remarks by claiming that he "agreed" with Pakistan's stance on the issue.

"I want to set the record straight. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has said that mere information cannot be evidence. He agreed with my stand that information is not evidence," Gilani said on Friday.

India's longest runway

Delhi Airport has finally got its much awaited third runway which is expected to cut hovering time over Delhi to almost zero but passengers may be forced to continue paying congestion surcharge on their air tickets.
The 4430 metre runway is India's longest and can handle Airbus's A-380. The runway will also almost double the number of flights 35 to 60 per hour.
This simply means that passengers can now actually land at Delhi without hovering endlessly but the flip side is that passengers flying out of delhi may have to pay a development charge.
'We have to ensure that the airports recover their costs so the ministry will take a broader view on this,” said Praful Patel, Civil Aviation Minister.
The new terminal to be built at a cost of over Rs 9000 crore is still 2 years in the future so for the time being passengers will land on this new runway before walking into the overcrowded arrival terminals.
The operationalisation of the third runway is a big milestone for GMR and a major relief for air passengers who have to hover over airports for hours because of congestion.
Even as the government and the airport operators are confident that this runway will end the congestion problem, nobody is sure that if airlines will also oblige by doing away with congestion surcharge which passengers have to pay.

Hot hotter hottest!

Who is hot? Sherlyn Chopra or Rakhi Sawant. Firebrand Rakhi Sawant had benefited from Big Boss. For Big Boss 2, the sponsors approached Sherlyn. When Sherlyn came to know the comparison between the two item girls, she said, how can people even compare a Mercedes Benz with a Nano? Sherlyn said that she is much hotter and has a lot of sex appeal than Rakhi, the lady shotgun.

If Bollywood entered Politics

Two categories of people who dominate the newspapers and news channels happen to be politicians and film celebrities. Though there is no correlation between the two, on the eve of Independence Day we try to draw parallels between the two. What would happen if film celebrities enter politics? Who would qualify for which ministerial position? We give you a rundown. Shah Rukh Khan – Finance Minister Everyone knows how good Shah Rukh is at managing finances and minting money. Whether it is producing a film or getting the best from his movies and brand endorsements, SRK is the best. Even as all the teams at IPL lost money, SRK’s Kolkata Knight Riders rode awar with a profit of 80 crores in spite of not reaching the finals. He could best qualify to manage the finances of the country and change its fortunes overnight.

John Abraham – Sports Minister

One of the most athletic actors of present times, John has a penchant for outdoor games and will make it his ‘goal’ to encourage sports in the country. Rest assured we can expect India to be sporty enough at the Olympics in John’s guidance.

Aamir Khan – Education Minister

From being a considerate teacher in Taare Zameen Par to taking up the noble cause of ‘Teach India’, Aamir qualifies the best to handle the post of the Education Minister.

Sunny Deol – Defense Minister

The most convincing punches on Indian screen come from him. He has been saving the nation from external attacks in most of his films. Sunny can defend our country while fighting with the enemy single-handedly.

Riteish Deshmukh – Infrastructure Minister

Now there is no such post as a Humour Minister else Riteish would have been the unanimous choice. But not many might be aware that he is also a qualified architect. Jr Deshmukh could handle the Infrastructure of our country.

Shilpa Shetty – External Affairs Minister

Mrs Raj Kundra would vote for her first.

Mallika Sherawat – Information & Broadcasting Minister

We are not very sure about the information aspect but when it comes to broadcasting anything from her assets to her sexual appeal to her publicity gimmicks, Mallika Sherawat is a pro. Dressed in a burkha or not promoting her films, the actress grabs headlines without uttering a word

Salman Khan – Health Minister

The man will make sure that every male has a well-toned physique. We just hope the country doesn’t go topless.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Home Minister

Ever since she has entered the Bachchan parivaar, she has been managing the homely affairs with complete responsibility. She has also been making up for the absence of Amitabh or Abhishek at several social gatherings. Home Ministry is where she can show her political prowess.

Amitabh Bachchan – Prime Minister

The man ruling supreme above all ministers, Big B is the natural choice.

Amar Singh – President

In India,the President is not as much popular as the Prime Minister but is closely associated to him. Amar Singh is doing the same.

Win 3 nights & 4 days in Kerala

Good Times just hit a new high!
Win a trip to Kumarakom in Kerala with 3 nights and 4 days of extreme indulgence and luxury at the Radisson Plaza Resort & Spa. Winners also get to be part of our special show with presenter Arun Thapar.
It's been a wonderful year and we would like you to share the celebration and live the Good Times. As part of our special programming, NDTV Good Times presents an episode created exclusively for this contest, with Arun Thapar, the anchor of Spectacular Spas For Men.
The winner and the person accompanying him/her will feature on this half hour show, to be filmed on location in Kumarakom.
The contest closes on August 15, 2008.
Choose the right answer and win a spectacular spa experience for two.

http://www.ndtvgoodtimes.com/lifestyle/goodtimesspacontest.aspx

Big B, Aamir hail Bindra's feat

An intensely private man, Abhinav Bindra is still struggling to come to terms with his newfound status as India's Golden Boy. In his first blog entry after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Abhinav admits 'it has all still not sunk in'.According to the ace shooter, he 'ran away from all the media and official attention...' after doing his bit and then chose to celebrate his remarkable achievement with a quiet dinner in the company of some friends. "They have all been telling me what a huge achievement winning Gold is. I realise that but frankly the enormity of the goodwill generated has caught me by surprise. Honestly enough it really has not changed me, I am still the same Abhinav who just a day ago was hanging around alone in my room in the Olympic village. Frankly, all the attention is a bit overwhelming. I am not much good at making loud public pronouncements. That in no way means that this is not the most intense experience of my life," he writes.Success, claims Bindra, has cost him a lot of sweat and blood: "For more than a decade now my life has been all about my sport. In fact, I do not have a life beyond the confines of the 10m range. I have had a range built in my own home to cut down any possibility of distraction and to be able to practise my sport whenever the fancy strikes me. It all did pay off, didn't it?"Despite all the accolades now coming his way, Bindra cannot help take a dig at the fickle nature of India's sports fans in his blog. "I would like to reiterate that everyone who represents India at the Olympic Games has put in years of toil and sweat. I ask the Indian people to support our athletes more. It is fine to celebrate our achievements but it is just as important to keep up the backing when we are not on top of our game," he writes as a gentle admonishment to those who fete their heroes when they win and are just as liable to lynch them when they lose. Bindra is certain that his gold-winning performance at the Beijing Games is only the beginning of a long journey ahead, and the country's emergence as a sports powerhouse cannot happen without a wider participation from its people and India Inc. "It is important for India to do better at Olympic sport as these are the true measure of a nation's sporting depth. I wish more private initiatives come up with corporate support apart from the backing of the government. The joy that the nation feels at my win is humbling. I just wish that this is repeated more and more often," he writes.Bindra's win certainly seems to have fired everyone's imagination and this is reflected in the Blogsphere. Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have both waxed eloquent about the young Indian sportsman. While Big B writes, "Yeah.. Yeah.. Yeah.. India won gold in shooting in Beijing Olympics. Today's performance in Chicago was tops, but nothing could top this news," in his mobilog, Aamir is even more effusive in his praise. "I was absolutely thrilled to see Bindra receiving the Gold, and I had goosebumps when India's National Anthem began playing. What a moment! My congratulations to Bindra for his achievement. He has done India proud and given us all a moment to celebrate," he writes. Perhaps taking a cue from Bindra's own blog, Aamir also wants fans to be a little more tolerant when their heroes fail to meet their expectations. "At this time I cannot help but remember the reaction of certain people across the country when India had lost a cricket match/tournament and people began attacking the homes of various players. How easily we forget that our sportspersons are trying their best. They too want to win. They are the ones who have worked day and night and are certainly more upset than we the supporters are. At that time instead of standing by them in their moment of loss and dejection we attack them," he writes.Among other interesting blogs on the Net, there is one that talks about a numerological significance in Bindra's win. "Abhinav Bindra was born on September 28, 1982. Since his birth date is 28, the year 2008 is quite significant for him. He won Olympics gold medal in 10m air rifle. Strangely, it is after 28 years that India wins a gold medal in Olympics," writes Damodran.While lauding Bindra's outstanding performance, a People's Online Daily article asks Netizens to spare a thought for Chinese shooter Zhu Qinan who got pushed to the second spot in Beijing: "Four years ago, people got to know the cheerful Chinese sharp shooter by his beaming smile. Four years later, they were touched by his tears. "I didn't know what was going on, my mind went blank," chocked the 24-year-old young man, defending Olympic champion of men's 10-meter air rifle who succumbed to Indian Abhinav Bindra in Beijing on Monday and got a silver with a 0.8-point gap."