18:30
Something to covet: Scientists have identified what they claim is a cream gene which allows people to rapidly clear fat from their system. Even pure cream is quickly broken down, says a team atthe Groningen University medical centre in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, lots of research left before...
18:23
Had to share this with you: Bigg Boss housemate Pooja Missra who was summarily thrown out for 'violent behaviour' is going to re-enter the house today (See our 15:43 pm post)She says: I am glad that Bigg Boss has given me the opportunity to enter the house again as the voice of Andrew Symonds. I...
18:10
Just in: Afghan president Hamid Karzai has vowed to confront the Pakistani government over Kabul suicide bombing.Here's the context from our 13:44 pm post: Fingers of blame for Afghanistan's first major sectarian assault since the fall ofTaliban regime 10 years ago are pointing to radical terror...
18:07
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa files this exclusive report: The investigations into the April, 2010 Chinnaswamy stadium blasts in Bengaluru have revealed that the reason behind the attack was to 'avenge' the act of leaving Pakistani cricketers out of the Indian Premier League.More
18:04
Arvind Kejriwal on the Lokpal report that was adopted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee today: I think the recommendations of the (Parliamentary) Standing Committee, whatever they are, the Lokpal which is coming, I don't think this will have any impact on corruption. On the contrary,...
17:57
Another picture of Pakistani 'actress' Veena Malik released by the magazine FHM India. In the unlikely event, you aren't aware of the FHM story, the magazine's latest edition has a cover of Veena Malik in the nude, with essentials hidden, of course. On her arm is a tattoo that...
17:37
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi as you've never seen him before (and that's a promise). Behold
17:34
Just in: India's brilliant and charming spokesperson Vishnu Prakash will move to Seoul as India's Ambassador to South Korea.
17:26
In Pakistan, Pakistan People's Party's chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday, the Dawn reported. During the meeting, Bilawal expressed satisfaction over the health of President Asif Ali Zardari.
17:24
Update on the Lokpal bill: Three Congress members demand inclusion of Group C employees under Lokpal and making CVC accountable to the ombudsman.
17:20
Just in: Roadside bomb kills at least 19 people in the Helmad province of southern Afghanistan.
17:18
The Lokpal report was tabled today in the wake of Anna Hazare's threats to hold a day-long protest on December 11 to press for a strong Lokpal Bill. He also threatened to hold an extended agitation starting from December 27 to January 5, if the legislation is not passed in this session, which...
17:11
The website Atlantic, has finally caught on to the phenomenon that is Anna Hazare with this read: The amazing rise of Anna Hazare, India's Gandhi-like protest leader. Read
17:09
On Open magazine, always a good read, an interview with Michelle Yeoh, the leading lady of the Suu Kyi biopic that's making all the Oscar buzz. Read
17:05
On the Indian Express, Bhanu Pratap Mehta's open letter to Rahul Gandhi. Read
17:04
Sachin Tendulkar: Just got fitted in my Savile Row suit by @PaulJheeta. Feels like a second skin. Paul is fantastic!!The picture
17:01
The Standing Committee has adopted the Lokpal report, along with 16 dissenting notes. The report is likely to be tabled on Friday.
16:41
On the sun.co.uk: A TV boss was lured to his death by a woman he had tried to rape, a court in the UK heard yesterday. Medical student Mundill Mahil, 20, invited Sikh TV chief Gagandip Singh, 21, to visit her six months after the alleged attack. Read
16:37
The Standing Committee meet on Lokpal begins to formally adopt the report. Here's what lies ahead: The Abhishek Singhvi-headed Parliamentary Standing Committee will meet today to adopt the draft report on the Lokpal Bill but with dissent notes on as many as 18 items appended, members say it is...
16:32
And this too, from the NYT blogs: Indian network in Silicon Valley backs start-ups. Read
16:31
Another one from the NYT's India blogs: The chilling impact of Indias April internet rules. Read
16:27
Sticking to his demand for AFSPA revocation from those areas where normalcy has returned, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the move will ensure that benefits of peace in the state percolate toall sections of the society.
16:08
Absolutely, no connect, but just happened to stumble upon this.The bad sex in fiction prize has just been announced. An over-reliance on coy terms such as family jewels, back door and front parlour has won acclaimed American novelist David Guterson the dubious accolade of the Literary Review's...
16:04
Our Delhi correspondent reporting from Parliament says that the Central Hall wore a deserted look with many MPs either inside the House or outside giving TV bytes. Till now, the Central Hall was where MPs gathered after Parliament was adjourned repeatedly over the past nine days.
16:00
Forty years since the Bangladesh war, the first prosecution witness of the country's International Crimes Tribunal today testified against a top suspect of 1971 war crimes who was indicted two months ago on 20 charges of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. Court officials...
15:56
In Parliament, which incidentally is still in session with only minimal ruckus, finance minister Pranab India says India cannot afford to have more than 5 to 6 per cent of inflation. Mukherjee said food inflation was down to 8 per cent and admitted that the economy was in a difficult...
15:43
Gossip from the Bigg Boss house: Rediff.com's Rajul Hedge, who is knows everything there is to know on BB reports that controversial housemate Pooja Missra, who was asked to leave the house by the producers after she 'indulged in violence' on the show, will re-enter the house today along...
15:42
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has finally reacted to Anna Hazare's -- Just one slap -- remark. He said by supporting the attack on him, Anna Hazare has in fact, supported violence. He also said Anna had brought a new meaning to Gandhism. If you aren't clued in to the latest on the slap, Anna...
15:30
Pakistan PM Yusuf Raza Gilani was scheduled to speak at 1:15 pm Pakistan time, but the final decision on a televised address is still being mulled over.Gilani is supposed to put to rest rumours that president Zardari will resign.
14:52
Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld explained that the vision of India he depicted in the house's Paris-Bombay-themed fashion show Tuesday was a fantastical idea of India.That goes without saying. The setting -- in Paris' Grand Palais -- was a decadent banquet of high tea treats and crystal...
14:45
FYI: The Supreme Court today put on hold the interim order of the Delhi High Court staying the bail granted to the 2G spectrum scam accused R K Chandolia.
14:44
From a distance, this 5 million rupee shirt ($97,500) looks fairly modest, but a closer look reveals that its buttons are diamonds set on gold. The shirt is part of a new line designed by Amitabh Chandel with the aim of reviving a particularly opulent aspect of Indian...
14:36
Tit for tat: The magazine that Pakistani actress Veena Malik had accused of morphing her pictures for a nude photo shoot has sent her a legal reply threatening to sue her for Rs 250 million. In their 11-page legal reply to her notice, FHM India categorically denied that her photo had been...
14:32
Read/see: The Guardian on e-books and gorgeous book covers. Drool
14:29
Here's the reaction to the FDI on retail suspension from India Inc. India Inc today described the move as highly regressive. ... It is a highly regressive move. For the growth of this vital sector of the economy, which is likely to result in strong linkages with the farm sector and for...
14:26
Nice read on the India blogs of the New York Times on Varanasi.
14:23
Apple Inc suffered a setback in the Chinese market today as a court rejected its lawsuit against a local company for alleged infringement of its 'iPad' trademark, as a result of which it may have to sell the product under a new name in China or cough up USD 1.6 billion. Apple may have to...
14:19
Pakistan's former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani has sued US magazine Newsweek for publishing an article written by Mansoor Ijaz, Dawn News reports. Haqqani has initiated a legal battle with the magazine by serving a notice which claims that the article has caused irreparable...
14:07
Here's the latest on the 'ill' Pak President Asif Ali Zardari.Mustafa Khokhar, minister in charge of human rights, has said that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari suffered a minor heart attack' and has undergone an operation in Dubai, but is in good health otherwise and will return to...
14:01
On the Wall Street Journal: If it sometimes seems possible to track a presidency by the accumulation of gray hairs on the commander-in-chief's head, then US president Barack Obama has indeed aged. Read
13:57
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to appear on national television soon
13:55
Radio Pakistan tweets: The Presidential Spokesman says the President is admitted in a hospital in Dubai for medical tests and check-up, which was already planned.
13:54
The name of Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Group who gave a grant of USD 50 million to his alma mater Harvard Business School, will adorn the newest executive complex building at the prestigious US institute.Harvard Business School recently held a ground breaking ceremony to start the construction...
13:50
Hollywood actor Martin Sheen has signed on to narrate Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's latest tome for its audiobook release. The 71-year-old actor, a fervent Catholic, has recorded readings from 'Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World' and his spoken word version of the uplifting...
13:49
An English-Arabic document with threatening content was found on a chartered flight at the Panaji airport today. Intelligence agencies are keeping a watch on all the 243 passengers who were on board the flight from Gatwick (UK) to Goa. Now, we have got details of all the passengers who...
13:47
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has praised her wonderful partner Brad Pitt saying she is grateful to have had his support while filming her directorialdebut In the Land of Blood and Honey. The 36-year-old Oscar-winning actress raises six children, Maddox, 10, Pax, right, Zahara, six, Shiloh, five,...
13:44
Fingers of blame for Afghanistan's first major sectarian assault since the fall ofTaliban regime 10 years ago are pointing to radical terror groups in Pakistan, raising fears among US officials that more such groups may now be operating in the strife-torn country. The attacks among the...
13:38
Also from Parliament today: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma informed the Rajya Sabha that Pakistan has agreed to normalise its trade relations with India by opening its market to all, but a few Indian items. The two countries agreed last month that as a move to...
13:34
Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien tweets: Proud to be a Member of Parliament. Engaging Question Hour in RS today, then useful Zero Hour. Let's keep it this way.
13:33
India today said it was keeping a close watch on developments concerning national security and commercial interests in the wake of China's move forexploration in the South-West Indian Ocean. Government keeps a constant watch on all developments concerning our national security and commercial...
13:28
Also on the NYT India blogs, read: Indian network in Silicon Valley backs start-ups.
13:23
The Indian government has asked social media operators to delete information on the Internet that might offend the ''sensibilities'' of people in India, Kapil Sibal, minister of communications and information technology, said. Read the report on the New York Times.
13:21
And on rediff.com, our salute to the heroes of the 1971 war. Read
13:19
The year 1971 is etched in the collective consciousness of Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Indians -- though to a lesser degree -- as a time of tragedy and upheaval. Read the review on the Newsline.
12:58
Thirumavalavan VCK walked out of the Lok Sabha condeming the attack on Tamils in Kerala on Mullaperiyar dam issue. He then went to the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament and sat on a dharna.
12:56
Our Delhi correspondent gives us these snippets from Parliament, which incidentally, is running on full throttle. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's discussion on Supplementary Grants in Lok Sabha brought a smile on the face of Pranab Mukherjee. When Dubey was a student, he used to listen...
12:39
Aides of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari have denied reports that he would resign over his 'ill health'. The Foreign Policy magazine had earlier claimed that Zardari was under extreme pressure over the Memogate scandal and has been hospitalised in Dubai for medical checkups, complaining of...
12:37
Michael Waltz, who served as a senior advisor for counterterrorism to Vice President Richard Cheney, and still serves as a US Army Special Forces officer says America's gains and sacrifices in Afghanistan are what's truly at risk.Read the Foreign Policy report.
12:28
For the first time since the winter session began on November 22, the Parliament is on without disruptions. Question Hour is still on in the Lok Sabha. Watch the live feed from the LS on rediff.com.
12:24
In Parliament today, after his short statement on the decision to suspend FDI on retail, Pranab Mukherjee said that the government has adopted a four-pronged strategy to deal with the issues of tax evasion and black money. It includes joining the global crusade against black money and...
12:20
Also on the Foreign Policy magazine: Nude Veena Malik cover stuns Pakistani Twitterverse. Read
12:12
Last Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coining the term BRICs, to describe the four countries that he believed would drive economic growth in the coming years -- a designation that was turned into a formal economic grouping in 2009. But...
12:07
In other news, a US magazine today claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari who had gone to Dubai for medical check-up may get an angioplasty done and he may resign from his office on account of 'ill health', the Dawn reported.A report posted on the website of Foreign Policy magazine claimed...
11:58
The Trinamool Congress was quick to take credit for the suspension of FDI. MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said ways to resolve the crisis in Parliament had been taken up by the Finance Minister with West Bengal Chief Minister MamataBanerjee. The government had discussed the contents of the proposal...
11:53
Shailendra Kumar of the Samajwadi Party asks about the Green Field airport in Allahabad during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.While putting up a supplementary question, the SP MP drew Sonia Gandhi's attention to the fact that Allahabad was a prestitious city and her intervention was needed for a...
11:45
Our Delhi correspondent says that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh intervened during question hour to say that India wants to maintain warm relations with all countries. He was answering a supplementary question put forth to the External Affairs ministry. The PM speaking during Question...
11:40
Inequality in earnings has doubled in India over the last two decades, making it the worst performer on this count of all emerging economies. The top 10% of wage earners now make 12 times more than the bottom 10%, up from a ratio of six in the 1990s. Read more on the Times of India.
11:39
The Prime Minister, addressing Parliament on India's relationship with the Middle-East says, it is of utmost importance to maintain good diplomatic relations with west Asia.
11:36
Outside Parliament, telecom operators have been seeking lower levies and early resolution of a dispute over 3G roaming. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government will look into their concerns and formulate forward-looking policies to sustain growth in the sector.
11:34
In the Lok Sabha, Question Hour has begun. Discussion on India's policy in the middle-east.
11:30
Here's the bbc's viewpoint on the suspension of FDI in retail: India backs down on promise to open retail. Read
11:27
Incidentally, when Pranab Mukherjee says that the government will consult all stakeholders on suspension of FDI on retail, stakeholders means political parties and states.
11:25
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, We are more keen than the government that Parliament should convene. The government had an ego issue in using theterm rollback.Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said the government had not bowed down before the opposition. Process...
11:23
While the suspension of FDI is not exactly what what the BJP and the Left parties were demanding (they had insisted on a complete rollback) the government agreeing that it would try to build a consensus virtually means that the FDI decision has been put on the backburner.
11:20
Do the math: Nine days of no work in Parliament comes at a cost of Rs 25 lakh per hour. Yet, on Day 10, before Parliament convened, all the parties, including UPA allies TMC and DMK, which were opposed to the FDI decision, but agreed to support the resolution and allow Parliament to...
11:16
In other news: BJP MP and former Test cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu allegedly pushed a security guard at a toll plaza yesterday and forcibly took him away in his vehicle leading to protests from the guard's family and villagers who demanded action against the MP. Sidhu was on a tour of...
11:14
That's 10 minutes since Parliament convened on Day 10 of the winter session and after Pranab Mukherjee and Sushma Swaraj's statements, business begins. The BSP, however, has boycotted the Rajya Sabha saying it wants a complete rollback and not just suspension.
11:07
Leader of the Opposition in the LS, Sushma Swaraj says bowing before public sentiments does not makea government weak, in fact it makes its stronger. She thanks and congratulates the government on the suspension of FDI.
11:05
Pranab Mukherjee begins his address to Parliament. He says he convened a meeting of all political parties this morning on FDI of retail. He says with teh involvement of CMs, the government will take a consensus on FDI.
11:02
Day 10 of Parliament begins. Finance ministry Pranab Mukherjee will address both houses shortly on the consensus reached at the all-party meeting this morning.
11:01
TMC: Happy with goverment's decision on FDIDMK: Let Parliament function, we have to pass many billsCPI: It is a virtual rollbackBJP: Government's decision good.NC: Parliament will function
10:54
India's supermarket sector is estimated to be worth $450 billion. Pranab Mukherjee, announcing the decision on the suspension of FDI on retail said, The decision is suspended till the consensus is developed through consultation among various stakeholders.However, the minister gave no...
10:46
Parliament will resume today after nine days of absolutely no business. Up ahead -- the government will have to build a consensus on FDI with chief ministers and cabinet ministers.
10:41
The Opposition has agreed to the government offer to hold back FDI in retail with both Houses to adopt the government resolution suspending 51 per cent FDI in retail till a consensus is developed through consultations with various stakeholders. The Left and TMC say they are happy with the...
10:39
The finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to address Parliament at 11 am. Industries and commerce minister Anand Sharma is also due to make an announcement in Parliament. In other words, the Parliament is expected to fucntion today after two weeks of adjournments.
10:23
Both Houses will adopt government resolution suspending 51 per cent FDI in retail 'till a consensus is developed through consultations with various stakeholders'The Communist Party of India says, This is a virtual rollback of the FDI decision. We will allow Parliament to function.
10:11
The logjam over foreign direct investment in the retail sector has ended.Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is reported to have read out a statement announcing the suspension of the government's decision on 51 per cent FDI in retail till a consensus is evolved.According to reports, Opposition...
09:50
Click HERE to read Sheela Bhatt's take on the possible scenarios that may emerge from the all-party meeting
09:46
Deferring to the Opposition's wishes, the government has called an all-party meet at 9:30 am to spell out its latest stand, to put in abeyance its FDI-in-retail decision till a consensus can be arrived at on the issue.Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to make a statement to this...
09:30
Good Morning. It is bound to be an action-packed day, at least from the politics point of view, as Parliament reconvenes on Wednesday. There is cautious optimism in ruling circles that both the Houses may transact business on Wednesday, December 7, following the government's climbdown...
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