The Week That Was - August 09 : Lara is a cut above Tendulkar, Ponting: Afridi

Five Indian soldiers killed by Pakistan Army in J&K

In a provocative attack, a group of 20 heavily armed men led by Pakistani troops entered 450 metres into the Indian territory in the Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir in the wee hours on Tuesday and ambushed a patrol killing five Indian soldiers, sparking all round outrage with demands for strong government response.

"A patrol of Indian Army comprising of one Non-Commissioned Officer and five other ranks was ambushed by a Pak Border Action Team (BAT) close to the Line of Control in Poonch Sector of J&K early morning", Defence spokesman, Jammu, SN Acharya said in an official statement.

"In the ensuing firefight, five Indian soldiers were martyred. The ambush was carried out by approximately 20 heavily armed terrorists along with soldiers of Pak Army," he said, adding one soldier was injured.

In Delhi, Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Khan was summoned by the Indian government today and a strong protest has been lodged over the killing of Indian soldiers on the LoC.

Based on the briefing by the Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh, Defence Minister AK Antony clarified that a specialist group of the Pakistan Army was involved in the attack.

The new statement was issued soon after the uproar over his earlier statement wherein he had said that "20 heavily-armed terrorists along with persons in Pakistan Army uniform were responsible for the killings near the Line of Control."

IB warns of LeT attack in Delhi, security stepped up

The Intelligence Bureau has alerted the Delhi Police about a possible terror attack, reports said on Friday.

The IB has written a letter to the police about a specific threat to the national capital, following which New Delhi has been put on high alert.

The IB has apprised the police of the speech made by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Toiba terror group that staged the 2008 Mumbai attacks and who roams freely in Pakistan.

"We have received a letter from IB about a threat from a terrorist outfit ahead of August 15," Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) SN Srivastava told a news agency.

Regret posting Durga Nagpal to Noida: Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said he regretted having posted suspended IAS official Durga Shakti Nagpal to a prime district like Noida, but he defended her suspension.

In an interview, Yadav said on Wednesday that it was at the request of Durga Nagpal`s husband, also an IAS official, that she was posted in Greater Noida.

In hindsight, the chief minister said, he regretted having ceded to the demand on a purely humanitarian grounds.

Husband of suspended IAS Durga Shakti Nagpal is posted in Ghaziabad.

New BJP slogan for 2014 polls; Modi to be poster boy

The Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to unveil a new slogan for the upcoming General Elections in 2014 in a bid to instil confidence among voters.

According to sources, the party`s new slogan will be: Nayi soch, nayi ummeed (new thinking, new hope).

Narendra Modi, who is likely to be declared as the party`s prime ministerial candidate, will be pictured on the posters alongside the party`s election symbol lotus flower.

The BJP is making all efforts, be it social media, mobiles and apps, e-mails or websites, to tap into new communication platforms in a big way.

US pulls diplomats from Pakistan`s Lahore over terror alert

The United States on Thursday evacuated all non-emergency staff from its consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, citing "specific threats" amid a worldwide alert over al Qaeda intercepts.

The travel warning issued by the State Department also warned US citizens against all "non-essential" travel to Pakistan.

"On August 8, 2013, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel from the US Consulate General in Lahore, Pakistan," it said.

Hafiz Saeed leads Eid al-Fitr prayers in Lahore amid Indo-Pak tensions

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Toiba terror group that staged the 2008 Mumbai attacks, led Eid al-Fitr prayers at Gaddafi stadium here on Friday.

On microblogging website Twitter, Saeed tweeted Eid greetings with a strong anti-India message.

In his tweet, Saeed said, "Time is near when those oppressed in Kashmir, Palestine and Burma will celebrate `Eid` in the air of Freedom - Insha`Allah. #EidMubarak."

Interpol, US security alerts spark embassy closure

Interpol issued a global security alert after jailbreaks linked to al Qaeda and as Western powers planned the temporary closure of certain embassies over terror threats.

Washington ordered its embassies across the Islamic world shuttered today, while Germany, Britain and France were to close their missions in Yemen for at least two days.

Canada said its mission in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka would also be shut.

Snowden row: US cancels talks, Russia `disappointed`

Russia has said it is disappointed that the United States cancelled bilateral talks in September.

President Barack Obama has cancelled talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 economic talks after Kremlin granted asylum to intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

Putin`s foreign affairs adviser said the move showed the US could not develop ties with Russia on an `equal basis`.

According to the BBC, a White House aide said Snowden`s asylum had deepened the pre-existing tension between the two counties.

Raghuram Rajan to replace Subbarao as RBI governor

Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram G Rajan, who as IMF economist had predicted the 2008 global crisis, was Tuesday appointed the new RBI Governor.

Rajan, 50, will succeed D Subbarao, who by his hawkish policy stood his ground on continuing with a tight monetary policy despite repeated entreaties from the government to ease interest rates to boost growth. Subbarao will demit office on September 4.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the appointment of Dr. Raghuram Rajan as the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a term of three years, vice Dr. D. Subbarao upon completion of his (Dr. Subbarao`s) tenure," an official release said.

Rajan, a former IMF chief economist, was appointed as the Chief Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry in August last year. His appointment as the 23rd central bank chief comes at a challenging time, when the economy is battling industrial slowdown, declining rupee, rising prices and all-time high current account deficit (CAD).

National Green Tribunal bans sand mining without eco clearance

The National Green Tribunal Monday stepped in to ban sand mining from river beds across India without prior environmental approval, saying illegal extraction of sand was leading to huge monetary and environmental losses.

The order followed a petition filed by the National Green Tribunal Bar Association as a reaction to the suspension of Uttar Pradesh`s IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who had taken on the sand mafia.

The tribunal said "largescale mining activity was carried on in violation of laws, causing losses to state revenues to the tune of lakhs of crores of rupees".

The five-member bench headed by tribunal chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the states to respond by Aug 14.

NSEL`s e-series contracts banned; trading comes to halt

Business came to a halt at the crisis-ridden National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL) Tuesday after the government banned trade of its e-series contracts of commodities such as gold and silver to ensure that the exchange first settles Rs 5,600 crore in dues to investors.

The NSEL, which had suspended trading of all other contracts on July 31, stopped the e-series contracts in the morning in anticipation of the government`s order, leading to a complete halt of operations on the exchange.

The e-series contracts allow retail investors to trade in gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, nickel and platinum in demat form. The exchange has assured investors they can convert their demat stocks to physical form.

"We have stopped trading in e-series contracts on NSEL. A notification will be issued in a day or two," Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas said.

"We decided to stop trade in e-series as we want to see first NSEL settles the dues," he said, adding that the government is trying its best to ensure that there is no panic among investors and that dues are paid.

UK denies visa to Salman Khan?

Salman Khan’s alleged involvement in a hit-and-run case seems to be taking toll on his professional front. The 47-year -old star was reportedly unable to leave for London for the shooting of his upcoming movie, as the UK has rejected his visa application.

According to a tabloid, Salman Khan was supposed to commence shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Kick’ - which is already running behind its schedule - from last week onwards. But the superstar’s ongoing case has affected his travel plans, as his visa application for London was rejected without giving any reason.

“Salman had appeared in court on July 24 but the final verdict was not taken. On July 19, the hearing was postponed and charges were framed against him on July 24. The court then framed the charges and adjourned the case till August 19. The rules pertaining to securing a UK visa has become stringent these days. It has definitely affected Salman’s travel plans,” a source said.

“We can however reapply for the visa. We will wait till next week before restarting the procedure. Hopefully, by then he will get his visa and will be able to join the rest of the cast in London. There already has been a lot of delay in the shoot due to this,” a source close to film’s unit said.

‘Krrish 3’ trailer: Get ready for the battle of good vs evil once again!

Starring Hrithik Roshan in the title role, Kangana Ranaut, and for a change, Vivek Oberoi as the super villain, this film claims to be bigger and better than the earlier flicks of the franchise.

The plot of ‘Krrish 3’, as revealed in the trailer, is about Rohit (Krrish’s) father discovering a secret formula with the help of his alien friend Jadoo, which would help in giving a new lease of life to mankind. But to thwart Rohit’s plans, arrives the powerful villain (Vivek Oberoi), who is armed with high-tech arms and powers.

In order to fight the evil, enters the angelic Krrish, who as we all know, is blessed with superhuman powers. The trailer also features Kangana Ranaut jumping skyscrapers like a pro. Although the makers have kept the look of Vivek Oberoi under wraps, the actor has been heard talking highly about his demonic role in his interviews.

The film is due for release on Diwali this year.

Aamir Khan sorts out differences with Vishal Bhardwaj?

It seems that Aamir Khan is following Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan’s footsteps, as the perfectionist has reportedly made peace with director Vishal Bhardwaj.

According to a tabloid, the 48-year-old actor, who had creative differences with Bhardwaj in the past, was seen involved in a friendly chat with the director, at producer Sunil Bohra’s birthday party.

Some witnesses have revealed that the actor had a friendly encounter with Bhardwaj at the party. The ‘Omkara’ director was earlier also seen chatting with Khan’s wife Kiran Rao.

“They probably sorted out their differences at the party,” a source said.

PV Sindhu enters semifinals of World Badminton Championships, ensures a medal

India’s rising shuttler, PV Sindhu has qualified for the semi-finals of the World Badminton Championship. She beat the 8th seed Chinese Wang Shixian 21-18, 21-17 to assure India’s first medal in the World Badminton Championships since 1983.

The 18-year old will also be the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Championships. In 1983, Prakash Padukone had won an individual bronze for India in the World Championships.

This comes as good news for Indian fans after the news of loss of Sania and Kashyap in their respective matches disappointed them earlier in the day.

Saina Nehwal, suffered a straight-game defeat against Korean Yeon Ju Bae in the quarterfinals of the prestigious event on Friday. Kashyap, could not get across world number three Du Pengyu of China. His gallant fight ended with a 21-16 20-22 15-21 loss in an energy-sapping contest which lasted one hour and 15 minutes here.

WGC specialist Tiger Woods coasts to seven-shot win

Akron (Ohio): Tiger Woods eased to a seven-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, earning his 79th win on the PGA Tour and sounding an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of next week`s PGA Championship.

Seven strokes ahead overnight, the world number one left an elite field trailing in his wake as he signed off with an even-par 70 at Firestone Country Club to land a record eighth title in the World Golf Championships (WGC) event.

Woods played rock-steady golf on a warm, blustery afternoon at one his favourite venues, barely making a mistake on the way to a 15-under total of 265 for his fifth PGA Tour title this year in only 11 starts.

With his eighth victory at Firestone, he equalled the mark he already shares with Sam Snead for most wins at a single PGA Tour event.

Lara is a cut above Tendulkar, Ponting: Afridi

Karachi: Joining the debate on who among Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar is a greater batsman, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said he considers the West Indian a cut above the best of his era.

"Lara was the best batsman I have seen in my entire career spanning 16 years better. Personally I found him to be a class above the two other greats of this era, Tendulkar and (Ricky) Pointing," Afridi said in an interview.

"He was the most difficult batsmen I have bowled too in every format of the game. He could play and hit boundaries at will. Especially against the spinners he produced boundaries out of the hat a superb player and I enjoyed watching him bat," Afridi said while talking about the greatest players of his era.