After 25 years, cornered LTTE faces deathly crisis

NEW DELHI - Over a quarter century after Tamil militancy erupted in Sri Lanka, the once formidable Tamil Tigers are in dire straits, vanquished but not crushed by a rampaging military.

Telugu actor Pavan Kalyan marries live-in partner

HYDERABAD - Popular Telugu hero and Praja Rajyam party leader Pavan Kalyan Wednesday finally tied the knot with his long-time live-in partner and former actress Renu Desai.

Germany marks Holocaust anniversary despite Jewish boycott

BERLIN - Germany Tuesday marked the Holocaust Memorial Day with President Horst Koehler promising that his country would keep alive the memory of Nazi crimes and its victims.

Prabhakaran cannot escape from Sri Lanka, says former aide

NEW DELHI - The Tamil Tigers’ cornered chief Velupillai Prabhakaran cannot escape from Sri Lanka, and even if he were to do so it would amount to his ‘political death’, a former confidant said Monday.

Indian workers’ interests in Malaysia not to be overlooked: Envoy

KUALA LUMPUR - Indian nationals working in Malaysia under a newly-signed bilateral labour accord will not be entitled to a minimum wage but their interests will not be overlooked, the Indian envoy has said.

Holbrooke named envoy for Afghanistan, Pakistan

WASHINGTON - New Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday named former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke as US’ special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Holbrooke to be envoy for Afghanistan, Pakistan ‘and related matters’

WASHINGTON - Now that Hillary Clinton has been confirmed as Secretary of State, the Obama administration is expected to name former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke as envoy for Afghanistan, Pakistan ‘and related matters’, media reports here said.

India urges Sri Lanka to move towards early political settlement

COLOMBO - Announcing India’s intention to provide further assistance of relief material for the civilians trapped in Sri Lanka’s northern war zone, visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon has ‘urged early movement towards a peacefully negotiated political settlement in the island, including in the north’.

Ban expresses concern over situation in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT - Visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concerns over the firing of Katyusha rockets from Lebanon into Israel.

UN Security Council urges immediate Gaza ceasefire

NEW YORK - The UN Security Council has urged Israel and Hamas to immediately end the Gaza conflict, a call that follows 13 days of fighting that left over 800 people dead and thousands wounded.

War on LTTE enters decisive stage after fall of Kilinochchi (News Analysis)

COLOMBO - The fall of Kilinochchi, the Tamil Tigers’ political and administrative hub for the past decade, has dealt a devastating blow to the rebels - militarily and psychologically - confining them to their last bastion of the jungle district of Mullaitivu, where the fighting has now begun to rage.

Bajaj family dispute comes to an end

NEW DELHI - The six-year-old Bajaj family dispute over the division of group companies and assets came to an end Thursday with brothers Rahul Bajaj and Shishir Bajaj withdrawing their petitions from the Company Law Board (CLB).

Gujarat salt workers fight for rights - and for wild ass

KHARAGHODA - A motley group of salt workers near the desert of Kutch in Gujarat have resorted to satyagraha - espoused by Mahatma Gandhi in another salt struggle in the last century - to fight for their rights to produce salt and also to protect the endangered wild ass.

Israel jets bomb 40 targets, including Hamas leader’s office

TEL AVIV/GAZA - Israeli warplanes bombed and rocketed Gaza for the third day running Monday, hitting some 40 targets overnight, including the office former Palestinian prime minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniya.

Why it pays to steal a phone in India (Comment)

The ban on mobile phones that have no identification number, also called International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI number, is too little, too late. Even now, anyone in India can steal a phone, or buy and use a stolen mobile.

‘Ghajini’ gets two courts’ nod for Thursday release

CHENNAI/MUMBAI - Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Ghajini’, Bollywood’s big-ticket release this season, will hit the screens Thursday, as scheduled, after two high courts cleared its release Wednesday.