Ex Sena MP convicted for M'bai riots case
A special riot court has sentenced former Shiv Sena MP Madhukar Sarpotdar and two other party workers to one year imprisonment for inciting violence during the 1992-93 communal clashes in the city.

Renu Khandelwal
I am Renu Khandelwal pursuing Bachelors of Journalism and Mass Communication, IInd Year from Trinity Institute Of Professional Studies, IP University.

'Somnath to decide his future as Speaker'
Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), said he will decide for himself and will take a decision.

SP meets Patil with letter of support to UPA
The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday met President Pratibha Patil with a letter offering support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

MDMK backs out, number game gets trickier for UPA
MDMK chief Vaiko told a TV channel over telephone from the US that he and his MPs would not support the Cong-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the event of a floor test.

Indefinite sit-in outside Raj Bhawan
Staging the sit-in, leaders of the Sangrash Samiti demanded immediate restoration of the land to the Amarnath Shrine Board and removal of the Governor.

Man sets wife on fire after fifth girl's birth
A man in Jharkhand set his wife on fire after she gave birth to their fifth daughter, police said on Wednesday.

Militant killed in encounter
A suspected militant of the People's United Liberation Front has been killed in an encounter with police commandos at Keirao Laphupat area in Imphal east district of Manipur.

Ultra aide held with satellite phone
Security forces arrested one overground worker of a militant organisation and seized a satellite phone from him in Poonch district.

Cong should go for fresh elections: Shiv Sena
The Shiv Sena said instead of indulging in the numbers game to survive, the Cong-led UPA government should dissolve the Lok Sabha and call for fresh elections.

Tribal girl chooses spouse in 'swayamvar'
A poverty-hit tribal girl accepted a youth as her groom on Tuesday night at a gathering of about 15,000 persons in a remote Chhattisgarh village at the first ever 'Swayamvar' in the state in decades.

Get the hang of it
There are many places to hang out in and around college that will come to your rescue during the next three years.

Make IAEA document public: Karat to UPA

Leaders of the four Left parties submitted a combined letter withdrawing their backing to the Congress-led government to President Pratibha Patil.

Scanty rainfall worries Nashik farmers
Scanty rainfall in Nashik have effected crop troubles for farmers in the district this season, Collector office sources said.

Quota in teaching: NGO moves SC
 The govt move ignored the onerous responsibility placed on the state to develop centres of excellence and merit.

Raj Babbar's Jan Morcha merges with BSP
Dharam Pal Singh, the lone Jan Morcha legislator in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, announced the merger of his party with the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.

Bhagalpur riot victim living without hope

Mohammad Arif has been unlucky twice over. A victim of the 1989 Bhagalpur riots, he lost his mental balance when he suffered a head injury. However, little did he realise that his struggle for survival had just begun.

200 flicks for Osian Asian-Arab film fest
Movie-buffs are preparing for an 11-day mega celluloid treat in New Delhi with films from the Asian-Arab world, with a host of allied activities, featuring in the 10th edition of the Osian's Cinefan Film Festival.

About the boys
Classic scenes of boozing, occasional fights and not-so-occasional crying, gossip to crude jokes ridiculing gay men  is the latest scene, says Rahul Sabharwal.

Manmohan and I are 'friends', says Bush
Bush said the US would continue to work with India to "develop not only a new strategic relationship, but a relationship that addresses some of the world's problem". Rajesh Mahapatra reports.

Math teachers unhappy with syllabus
Unhappy with the content of the proposed syllabus for B Sc (H) Mathematics, the teachers submit a memorandum to HR Development Minister Arjun Singh.
Spl: Campus Calling

N-window opens, deal may be done after all
IAEA board of governors to meet on July 28, may pave way for nuclear commerce with India, reports Amit Baruah.

Day 6: Raj travels
Top stories | How the idea has changed Mumbai | If you want to make it... | Expert Opinion | Flying high | 5-point someone | The rivals

Son’s regret: Couldn’t say goodbye to Brigadier Mehta
Sleeping till late on Monday morning, the fighter pilot could not bid a final goodbye to his father Brigadier RD Mehta, India’s defence attaché to Afghanistan, reports Rahul Singh.

Small parties seek their pound of flesh
The Cong is counting on SP and other small parties to pull the Govt through during the vote of confidence. But the support will not come easy, cheap or early.

Beware! Power conmen on prowl
Are the “officials� who arrive at your doorstep to check your electricity meter, or repair faulty lines in the colony, really from the power distributing company? Apparently, not always. HT Correspondent cautions.

PM’s IAEA remark prompted pullout
The Left leaders are unanimous that the PM’s statement has changed the political scenario. So they needn’t wait for the withdrawal of support to his Govt, reports Jatin Gandhi.

Docs debate pills to check child obesity
The new guidelines have triggered a worldwide debate on whether pills can replace the established benefits of diet modification and playground activity to prevent heart disease in the future. A report by Sanchita Sharma.

Sharing House with SP may not be easy
At one level, coalition politics is a no-holds-barred game of power. At another, it’s serious business with its own zealously guarded ground rules, writes Vinod Sharma. 

In Manipur, Left will stay with Cong
The Congress-left honeymoon might be over in New Delhi, but that won’t affect their relationship in Manipur, reports Rahul Karmakar.

New friends, new compromises
In reiteration of its resolve to “save� the Manmohan Singh Govt, a SP delegation will call upon President to submit a fresh letter pledging support to the UPA Govt, reports Srinand Jha and Venugopal Pillai

BJP won’t create trouble, but won’t help either
The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided it won’t go out of the way to mobilise numbers to defeat the UPA government’s vote of confidence, reports Shekhar Iyer.

Chhattisgarh cops create Naxal fund
The police department in Chhattisgarh is creating a fund to assist families of those of their force who were killed by the Maoists. A report by Ejaz Kaiser.

Left withdraws, numbers game on
The Govt will convene a special session of Parliament to secure a confidence vote before approaching the IAEA for the India-specific safeguards agreement. The number game | What now?

Army to hold memorial service for Manekshaw
After the Govt’s poor representation at the funeral of Sam Manekshaw generated a controversy, the army is now taking the initiative to honour him, reports Rahul Singh.

Funerals bring Kabul tragedy closer home
Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta’s pyre was still smouldering when V Venkateswara Rao’s son Aniket began performing his father’s last rites at the military’s funeral grounds. A report by Amit Baruah.

Muslim law needs no reforms, says board
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has termed it an “ill-motivated� move to pave the way for the enactment of a uniform civil code of the Shariat laws, reports Satya Prakash.

Indian missions to help jilted NRI brides
The Govt hopes to provide legal and financial assistance to women who’ve been deserted by their NRI husbands abroad, reports C Chauhan. On the anvil.

Parents fight ‘drunk’ tag on dead kids
The parents of Anirudhh and Sneha, who got killed in a car crash four months ago, now say they will fight till the end the ‘spoilt brat’ image portrayed by the media of the two children.

Fake ration cards: Rot runs deep
More than 500 officials who have served in Delhi Govt’s food and civil supplies department are under the scanner for issuing over 1.7 lakh bogus ration cards, reports Anuradha Mukherjee.

Wheat scam: CBI raids in Delhi, NCR
The CBI carried out searches at six places in Delhi, NCR in connection with the case of alleged irregularities in import of wheat from Australia by STC during 1998, reports HT Correspondent.

Poacher evades arrest
Enforcement agencies have recovered a carcass of a tiger from a house in Gurgaon but failed to nab the prime accused, poacher Bhima Bawaria during the raid, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.

Walled City to get tourist centre, museum
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi will soon develop a heritage museum and a tourist orientation centre in the Walled City, reports HT Correspondent.

CBI questions guards, senior police officer
A team of CBI officials questioned several guards of Kanchanjunga apartments in Noida, where Dr Praful and Anita Durani live, reports Kapil Datta.

Customers speak
I have been going to Rajdhani for nearly 18 years. I love the restaurant because it's a perfect blend of two generations.

Quota in teaching: NGO moves SC
The fresh move to offer quota to the OBC in the faculties of the Central Govt-aided institutions like IIT, IIM, JNU and AIIMS has hit a roadblock in the SC, reports Bhadra Sinha.

As always, DIAL misses runway deadline again
The much-touted new runway of the IGIA scheduled to be commissioned by June 30, is still incomplete, reports Sidhartha Roy.

Rajdhani: Timeline

1947
Kamlesh Barot's father and uncle bought a 1,000-square-feet property next to their tea stall in Crawford Market to start a south Indian eatery called Ishwar Bhuvan.

1985
After his sons graduated from college, Barot senior and his family moved to Baroda, and bought a hotel called Rajdhani. There, they started serving Gujarati thalis.

1988
On returning to Mumbai, the Barots transformed their udipi joint into another Rajdhani - the first air-conditioned restaurant in Mumbai to serve authentic and unlimited Gujarati thalis.

2001
The second generation introduced the trademark utsav thali, silver thalis inscribed with names of celebrity patrons, in which the restaurant served festive food.

The rivals
No rivals here

2 killed, 46 injured in clashes in Ahmedabad
Two people are killed and 47 others injured, including six policemen, after clashes between Bharvad and Koli Patel communities in Dhedal.

Industry
The next five years will see the survival of the fittest (and finest) as food and beverage (F&B) entrepreneurs face rising rents and high employee turnovers.

'Marketing and positioning your restaurant is of paramount importance'
Most restaurateurs and industry experts we spoke to agreed that marketing, and public and guest relations in particular, are crucial to a restaurant's success.

How this idea has changed Mumbai
Before Rajdhani, most Gujarati eateries in the city of Mumbai were nondescript, non-air-conditioned places - the kind where people sat on one side of a table and paid for every extra item they ordered.

Are all SP MPs together on nuclear deal?
While the UPA counted on 39 SP MPs for survival, the party faced a revolt within, with two Lok Sabha members declaring themselves against the N-deal.

5-point someone
A lack of presentable restaurants serving authentic Gujarati fare led Kamlesh Barot to start Rajdhani. The idea stemmed from Gujarati weddings that offered lavish Gujarati feasts for guests.

If you want to make it…
A strong academic background is a pre-requisite if you do not want to be taken for a ride by employees and other parties. A three-year degree course from a reputed catering college is essential.

Day 6: Rajdhani
Mumbai's beloved Gujarati thali used to be a quick fix. Rajdhani re-invented it as a delectable meal, to be savoured in a luxurious setting, reports Tasneem Nashrulla. Spl: Small ideas big changes

Left cornered in national politics : Mamata
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee says her party has not yet decided which way to vote when UPA Govt seeks a vote of confidence in Lok Sabha.

Number game occupies centre stage after Left pullout
After the Left pulls the plug, the number game occupies centre stage with the UPA claiming they have the support of small groups and independents to sail through a Trust vote.

SP to give fresh letter of support for Govt to President tomorrow
SP to give fresh letter of support for Govt to President tomorrow

Divided opinion on party support to UPA: SP MP
MP Jai Prakash Rawat hits out against the decision saying he will defy the whip in case of trial of strength in the LS and claims over 10 of his colleagues are also against the pact.

Govt to seek trust vote before Aug 11: Pranab
India's foreign minister said the government will go to the IAEA and seek its approval for the nuclear deal after seeking a confidence vote in Parliament.

'Text of pact with IAEA can't be shared'
The government tells the Left the full text of the safeguards agreement is a confidential document which could not be shared with "third parties."

President to face her first real test tomorrow
With the Left deciding to snap ties with the UPA, Pratibha Patil will face her first real test on whether to ask PM Manmohan Singh to seek a trust vote in Parliament or not.

Amarinder not cooperating in probe
A special committee, probing into the Amritsar Improvement Trust land scandal says former CM Amarinder Singh accused in the case was not cooperating in the inquiry.

Slain Brigadier cremated with military honours
Brigadier R D Mehta, the martyr of the Kabul suicide attack, was cremated on Tuesday with full military honours.

Left-UPA flashpoints since May 2004
The often uneasy relationship between the Left parties and the UPA Govt ended after 4 years, over the India-US nuclear deal.

Samir Sethi
I am Samir Sethi pursuing Bachelors in Business Economics from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Delhi University.

I&B Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi's condition stable
Information and broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi's condition shows improvement after an angioplasty conducted on him on Monday.

Sumegha Gulati
I am Sumegha Gulati pursuing Journalism Honours from Delhi University.

Pragya Rashmi
I am campus journalist Pragya Rashmi. I have completed my graduation in Mass Communication from JIIMS, Rohini.

SP tight lipped on Left withdrawal
Samajwadi Party refrains from commenting on the Left parties' withdrawal of support to the government and maintains that they respect the Left.

Will Smith in love with Bollywood
"I love Indian cinema and its actors. Their energy level is just incompatible. The songs and dances in Bollywood movies are just amazing," says the Hollywood actor.

One dead, 26 injured in community clash
One person has been killed and 26 others injured, in a clash between groups belonging to two different Patel communities in Dhedal village of the district, say the police.

CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu turns 95
CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu turns 95 on Tuesday with a wish to see the Left Front government in West Bengal on its eight consecutive term.

No threat to UPA's survival, says Lalu
Ruling out any threat to the survival of the UPA government, RJD president Lalu Prasad says that the alliance has majority support and it will be proved in Parliament.

Cong says no threat to UPA govt
Unfazed over the Left parties decision to withdraw support to UPA government, the Congress says that there was no threat to the Manmohan Singh-led ministry and it will prove its majority in Parliament.

Bodies of Indian victims flown in
The bodies of the four Indians killed in the deadly suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul were flown into the capital late Monday night in a special IAF plane.

Indian Navy ship to be immortalised
An Indian Navy ship, withdrawn from active service, has become part of an environmental project to showcase the country's marine life. The ship will serve as an artificial reef.

Left-UPA ties finally end, BJP wants trust vote
However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tells the media in Japan that the pull out by Left will not affect the stability of the government.

Left withdraws support to the UPA Govt
Left withdraws support to the UPA Govt

20th batch leaves for Amarnath hill shrine
Another batch of 885 pilgrims on Tuesday left Jammu for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Kalka-Shimla Rly now a Indian World Heritage
Unesco gives the go ahead for India to add another rail line to its Mountain Railways of India World Heritage site a stretch that served Shimla, the one-time British summer capital in India's northwest.

Cap's colour denotes political leanings!
Every time the government changes in Himachal Pradesh - from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and vice versa - people's colour preferences too change, specially when it comes to their caps.

Delicious dilliaddas
Check out some new hangout addas, the places that are discovered by the students and all the rage among them, says Sumegha Gulati


‘Minor’ issue costs Azad his govt, Cong its future
The Amarnath land transfer order and the agitations for and against it as “unnecessary� — cost the Congress its coalition government, report A Joshi and A Naqshbandi.

Congress forms crack teams for polls
Rahul Gandhi makes a debut in both panels, as a member in the manifesto committee and general secretary in charge of frontal organisations in the campaign committee.

No big projects in tribal areas: GoM
A Group of Ministers has cleared the draft tribal policy disallowing projects that can lead to huge displacement of tribal population, reports Chetan Chauhan.

Tribal weds Muslim, MLA orders boycott
They say the heart has reasons that reason does not understand. And it was following her heart’s call that a tribal schoolteacher hailing from Giridih tied the knot with a person from a minority community.

We’ll go ahead with regularisation: Govt
With an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections, the Delhi Govt told the SC that it intends to go ahead with its plan to regularise unauthorised colonies, reports Bhadra Sinha.

Pregnant woman raped in Mumbai
A pregnant 22-year-old was allegedly gangraped in her Bhandup (West) home in front of her husband on Sunday evening.

Many 2010 Games projects yet to take off
The 2010 Commonwealth Games might just be two years from now, but the pace at which the different agencies — responsible for putting up the games related infrastructure in place — are going ahead with their work belies that fact.

IAEA decision soon, says PM; Left to meet today
Manmohan Singh's statement that a decision on going to the IAEA would come “very soon� triggered a speculation that Left may not wait for him to return from G8 summit, report J Gandhi and R Mahapatra. What next?

Minister quits, may be arrested
Under investigation for his alleged involvement in hunting chinkara near Pune, Minister of State for Transport and Tribal Development Dharmarao Baba Atram on Monday resigned.

Will second Mumbai airport skid on oil?
Earlier this week, Jet Airways pulled out one of its flights from the Mumbai-Nagpur sector. Lalatendu Mishra

BJP squirms, but Jaswant insists on speaking his mind
Jaswant Singh is issuing statements to show he’s free to speak even if the BJP may think otherwise, reports Shekhar Iyer.

Ram Parkash free, at last
A week after being released from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, Ram Parkash finally crossed over to India on Monday.

Taken for a ride, wait for a surprise gift
Taken for a ride, you will get a surprise gift soon. Next time when you are in Kerala if taxi or auto drivers fleece you, you may get a money order back. Read on...

Muslim clergy divided on nuclear deal

Sharp divisions have arisen among the Muslim clergy across North India over the Indo US nuclear deal.

Was attack part of a Pakistan deal with Taliban?
Forty-one people are reported to have been killed by a suicide bomber outside the gates of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, writes B Raman.