NTSB report: Plane that crashed into south Florida home had engine problems before takeoff

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. — A report says a plane that crashed into a south Florida home had engine problems before takeoff.

Karunanidhi clarifies - LTTE is terrorist group

CHENNAI - A day after reportedly declaring that Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran was not a terrorist, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Monday did a U-turn saying the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was indeed a terrorist outfit.

BSP will take steps to combat terrorism: Mayawati

LUCKNOW - Adequate measures will be taken to combat terrorism and Maoist insurgency if the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is voted to power in the centre, party supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said Monday.

Chandni Chowk cries for better amenities, infrastructure

NEW DELHI - ‘We will vote like every year’, is the resigned refrain of residents of Chandni Chowk in old Delhi. They are unhappy at how the historic walled city has degenerated into a congested, filthy place over the years.

Cyclone Bijli kills five in Bangladesh

Dhaka, April 19 IANS) Five people were killed as Cyclone Bijli hit Bangladesh’s southern region, but there was no serious damage to the ports and other installations.

Objectivity need of the hour, say Indian, Pakistani scribes

NEW DELHI - Nearly five months after 26/11, candour and introspection marked a seminar of Pakistani and Indian journalists and writers here Wednesday, as they admitted they sometimes tended to speak in the ‘language of the secret services’.

Pakistani troops kill three militants

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces repelled overnight militant attacks on their positions in the troubled north-west, killing at least three insurgents, an official said Monday.

Malaysians set world record for non-stop gaming

CYBERJAYA - Malaysian gamers have achieved world record by playing video games for 40 hours non-stop.

Kamal Hassan starts shooting bilingual remake of ‘A Wednesday’

BANGALORE - Versatile actor Kamal Hassan has started shooting for his new bilingual film which is a remake of the critically acclaimed Hindi film ‘A Wednesday’.

Britney walks off stage over marijuana smoking fans

LONDON - Despite having a history full of drug and alcohol abuse, Britney Spears recently walked off stage only because she made to feel uncomfortable by fans smoking marijuana during one of her ‘Circus’ gig.

Billion dollar loss expected at Morgan Stanley

NEW YORK - Global financial services firm Morgan Stanley is expected to be hit by its second quarterly loss in a row, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Assam blasts compel government to review security

NEW DELHI - India’s security establishment was Monday reviewing security measures ahead of the general elections that begin next week following three blasts in quick succession in Assam, including in the state’s main city Guwahati, in which seven people were killed.

Holland, England, Spain maintain perfect records

HAMBURG - England, the Netherlands and Spain maintained their 100-per-cent records to stay well on course for places at the 2010 Football World Cup finals in South Africa.

Gambhir, Tendulkar keep India afloat at Napier

NAPIER - India’s top-order led by Gautam Gambhir resolutely grinded their way to take India close to safety on the fourth day of their second cricket Test against New Zealand here Sunday.

Tata Announces Launch of Nano, Cheapest Car Worldwide

Tata Motors announced the launch of its ultra-cheap car Nano in Mumbai. A perfect foil to the ongoing recession, Nano is
just 3.1 meters long, has a single windshield wiper and a 623 cc rear engine. Air bags and antilock braking systems are not
mandatory in India so the car comes with none of these. An additional cost will be levied on the base price of the car if air
conditioning, radio and power steering is asked for.

Ronaldo now wants to launch his ‘boy band’

LONDON - Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to hit the music scene big time when he hangs up his boots by teaming up with Brazil superstars Ronaldo and Ronaldinho to form an ex-footballers’ super group.

Jeev shares lead at the World Golf Championship

DORAL - India golfer Jeev Milkha Singh thundered into a shared lead at the end of the first round of the star-studded WGC-CA Championship.

Chris Brown must have been provoked: Cousin

LONDON - Singer Chris Brown’s cousin has come to his defence saying he must have been provoked to hit his girlfriend Rihanna recently.

Maoists set 20 vehicles on fire in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR - Maoist rebels set ablaze at least 20 commercial vehicles in Chhattisgarh’s restive Bastar region early Monday to enforce a daylong shutdown on Republic Day, police said.

Ashok Chakra citations

NEW DELHI - The following are the citations for the 11 posthumous Ashok Chakras President Pratibha Patil will award Monday on the occasion of Republic Day:

‘Jodhaa Akbar’ bags top honours at Nokia Star Screen Awards

MUMBAI - Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ has walked away with the top honours at the Indian Express Group’s Nokia Star Screen Award.

Slumdog success: It all started in Allahabad

NEW DELHI - Not many know that the story of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, the movie about a Mumbai slum kid winning a million-dollar quiz show that has become a global rage, germinated in the north Indian town of Allahabad.

Follow nature’s trail to solve universe’s mystery: Scientist-author

NEW DELHI - If the universe seems mysterious to you, try becoming a ‘cosmic detective’! For, nature has left behind many clues to unravel its mystery, says US-based award-winning scientist Mani Bhaumik who has just penned a children’s novel on the subject.

Oil strike hits India hard, government says it is ending

NEW DELHI - A strike in public sector oil firms that has hit India hard ’seems to be over’, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said Friday, as the fuel shortage sparked panic across the country.

Six die as severe cold persists across Europe

BERLIN - Europe remained in the grip of a cold spell Thursday, resulting in at least six deaths as well as heating shortages and travel delays.

Jaffer’s triple ton grinds Saurashtra

CHENNAI - Skipper Wasim Jaffer notched up a triple century and Sachin Tendulkar blasted his way to a ton as Mumbai batted themselves into a strong position against Saurashtra on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final here Monday.

Zardari to be Pakistani PM, father to replace him?

ISLAMABAD - There could be more political churning in the offing in Pakistan with President Asif Ali Zardari likely to replace Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister and transferring all presidential powers to the prime minister by annulling the constitutional amendments former military dictator Pervez Musharraf had effected, a senior member of the ruling coalition says.

Thick fog covers Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH - Thick fog enveloped most parts of Punjab and Haryana Monday morning, reducing visibility on roads and affecting air and rail traffic.