Show sincerity in eliminating terror: PM tells Pak

Asking Pakistan to destroy terror groups operating from its territory, PM Manmohan Singh has said if it showed sincerity and good faith, India will not be found wanting.

“I hope that the Government of Pakistan will take the ongoing actions against the terrorist groups to their logical conclusion. They should destroy these groups wherever they are operating and for whatever misguided purpose,” he said at the inauguration of the Anantnag-Qazigund rail link in Anantnag on Wednesday.

Calling upon the people and the Government of Pakistan to show their sincerity and good faith, he said “as I have said many times before, we will not be found wanting in our response.”

Sending a clear signal, Singh said it was a “misplaced idea” that one could reach a compromise with the ideology of terrorists or that they can be used for one’s own purpose.

“Eventually they turn against you and bring only death and destruction. The real face of the terrorists is clear for the people of Pakistan to see with their own eyes,” he said.

He said India will press Pakistan to curb the activities of those elements that were engaging in terrorism in this country.

“If they are non-state actors, it is the solemn duty of the government of Pakistan to bring them to book, to destroy their camps and to eliminate their infrastructure,” he said.

Singh said the perpetrators of the acts of terror must pay the heaviest penalty for their barbaric crimes against humanity.

Afghan President Karzai’s brother receives regular pay from CIA: NYT

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, who is alleged to be an important player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, receives regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to current and former US officials.

The CIA pays Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the US intelligence agency’s direction in and around the southern city of Kandahar.

The financial ties and close working relationship between the intelligence agency and Karzai raise significant questions about America’s war strategy, which is currently under review at the White House, the New York Times reports.

The ties to Karzai have created deep divisions within the Obama administration. The critics say the ties complicate America’s increasingly tense relationship with President Hamid Karzai, who has struggled to build sustained popularity among Afghans and has long been portrayed by the Taliban as an American puppet.

The CIA’s practices also suggest that the United States is not doing everything in its power to stamp out the lucrative Afghan drug trade, a major source of revenue for the Taliban, the report says.

Some US officials argue that the reliance on Ahmed Wali Karzai undermines the American push to develop an effective central government that can maintain law and order and eventually allow the US to withdraw.

“If we are going to conduct a population-centric strategy in Afghanistan, and we are perceived as backing thugs, then we are just undermining ourselves,” said Major General Michael T. Flynn, the senior US intelligence official in Afghanistan.

Karzai is also paid for allowing the CIA and American Special Operations troops to rent a large compound outside the city — the former home of Mullah Mohammed Omar. The same compound is also the base of the Kandahar Strike Force.

Karzai also helps the CIA communicate with and sometimes meet with Afghans loyal to the Taliban. Karzai’s role as a go-between between the Americans and the Taliban, as the Obama Administration is placing a greater focus on encouraging Taliban leaders to change sides, the paper reports.

The Obama administration has repeatedly vowed to crack down on the drug lords who are believed to permeate the highest levels of President Karzai’s administration. “The only way to clean up Chicago is to get rid of Capone,” General Flynn said.

Sarah Palin received $1.25m to pen memoir

Sarah Palin, the ex-governor of Alaska, was paid 1.25 million dollars to pen her memoir, official documents show.

Palin revealed the amount in a statement of her finances as Alaska governor before she tendered her resignation on July 27.

The sum was mentioned as a “retainer” received from publishers HarperCollins for her upcoming tome “Going Rogue: An American Life”, reports the Telegraph.

However, the document does not say anything about the three months that she has been out of office and shows only a partial picture of the contract.

Palin is likely to make much more money as the book has already topped the popularity charts at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, much before its November 17 release.

It was earlier believed that Palin had been paid 11 million dollars for the book.

PM to inaugurate Anantnag-Qazigund rail link today

PM Manmohan Singh will inaugurate on Wednesday the train service between Anantnag-Qazigund section which will connect the Kashmir valley to the rest of the country and is expected to make an important speech on the dialogue his govt has promised to the state.

Singh, who is undertaking a two-day visit to the state, the first during his second tenure, will flag off the new train service on the 18-km line which will link the valley with Srinagar and other important places.

He will address a public meeting after the inauguration in which he may speak on the dialogue with all shades of opinion in the state.

Home Minister P Chidambaram had recently said that the government would hold talks with every section of political opinion in the state through “quiet dialogue, quiet diplomacy” to find a political solution to the Kashmir problem that may be “unique”.

Several Union Ministers including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Farooq Abdulah, Mamata Banerjee and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will attend the inaugural ceremony.

With the opening of the line, the Railways have completed 119 km long Qazigund-Baramulla section of the Kashmir rail project.

The section has about 113 minor and major bridges of which the 435 metre long Veith river bridge is the longest.

Besides reviewing various ongoing projects with ministers and senior officials in the state, Singh will meet leaders of political parties.

He will also meet Central Reserve Police Force and other para military forces and address a press conference on Thursday before returning to the national capital.

PMO sources said there were no plans on the cards for the Prime Minister to meet any separatist leader.

9 dead in attack on UN guest house in Kabul

Three UN staff members were killed in shootout at a guesthouse in central Kabul on Wednesday, a UN spokesman said.

Heavy gunfire erupted at a guest house used by UN staff in Kabul early on Wednesday.

UN Adrian Edwards said three UN staff were killed. Afghan police said five people died in the attack.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack several hours later.

An international security firm confirmed that international troops and Afghan police had surrounded a guesthouse in the Shar-e-Now area of the city where thick smoke raised above offices and residential buildings.

One policeman on the ground, who did not reveal his name, said the Bachter Guesthouse had come under attack and that there had been a huge blast inside.

The area around the guesthouse, which appeared to be on fire, has been cordoned off by police.

Police jeeps with mounted machine-guns and fire engines were seen racing through the streets of the capital, an AFP photographer said.

A police jeep carrying a wounded person arrived at the Emergency Hospital in the commercial centre of town, he saw.

Police closed off main roads in the main shopping district of the city.

Heavy gunfire erupted at a guest house used by UN staff in Kabul early on Wednesday where 3 UN staff members so far reported to have been killed in shooting.

Afghan police confirmed the death of five people in the attack.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack several hours later.

Kabul has been the scene of a number of massive suicide attacks in recent months and remains tense as a political crisis, sparked by a need to rerun the August presidential election, drags on.

Cindy Crawford says she’s “too healthy” for today’s size 0-obsessed fashion world

Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has said that she “would not have become a supermodel in 2009” because she had too “normal” a body to succeed in today’s size zero obsessed fashion industry.

The 43-year-old Crawford was one of the highest paid glamour girls in the 1980s and 1990.

“I would not have become a supermodel in 2009. I look too healthy,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

She added that her body “with big breasts, normal thighs and toned upper arms” is no longer what the industry wants today.

However, Crawford is quite comfortable in her skin.

She told German mag Bunte: “That”s why I like being in my 40s so much. Being at peace with yourself, knowing about your strengths beyond being pretty.”

Miranda Kerr shows off hot bikini bod for Victoria”s Secret

Aussie model Miranda Kerr gave onlookers an eyeful as she posed in a skimpy bikini for a Victoria”s Secret promo.

The 26-year-old, who is presently dating British actor Orlando Bloom, hit the beach for the lingerie firm”s sexy shoot in St Barths, France.

Kerr was said to have been in the equally bare company of her bikini-clad hair and make-up crew during the assignment, reports the Sun.

The star was the first Australian addition to the Victoria”s Secret campaign.

She entered the fashion industry in her early teens after winning a 1997 Australian nationwide model search.

MJ was “never satisfied” with his music: Akon

Late King of Pop Michael Jackson was ””never satisfied”” with his music, singer-and-producer Akon has revealed.

Akon said: “He was never satisfied. Like, we might have passed up ideas that I know for a fact were smashes. He”d be like, ”Nah, nah – we got to come up with something better.”

“We can never do better because his expectation was so high. It was almost to a point where we would have to get a record and I would believe in it and just put it out, because otherwise it would never come out because he always believed we could do better.”

Akon added that Michael was determined and focussed on his work, reports Contactmusic.

He said: “A lot of our memories in the studio is a lot about work, because he was so focused on trying to get the right material out that we didn”t really play around. Like, we talked, but we rarely joked, because at that moment, regardless of what we were doing it”s like, ”Lets get serious and really do what we came here to do.” ”

The 32-year-old said he and Michael worked well together because they had similar song-writing styles.

He explained to MTV News: “It was all about the melody, ”cause we both were melody guys. Everything started with the melody. We both would hum the melody and try to create the biz around it.”

Jeev becomes first Indian to play in Volvo World Matchplay

Jeev Milkha Singh will reach another golfing milestone in his illustrious career as he becomes the first Indian to tee up at the 16-man World Matchplay Championships beginning in Casares, Spain on Thursday.

The reigning Asian Tour No 1 conceded his ankle injury has not healed yet but sounded confident of making it to the semifinal.

“The field is absolutely world class and it will be good to play against them in match play,” said the golfer, clubbed in Group D along with Lee Westwood, Camilo Villegas and Ross Fisher.

“My ankle, because of which I made some changes in my schedule, is still not fully fine. But I am hoping it will hold up in matchplay.

“If I get past the first stage and make the semi-finals, then it will get even more challenging. However my game has been in great shape and I am expecting to do well,” said the affable Indian.

2 uncapped players in SL Test squad for India

Sri Lanka named two uncapped players, middle-order batsman Thilina Kandamby and stumper Kaushal Silva, in their Test squad for the team’s tour of India starting next month.

While the youngsters got their maiden call-up, left-arm pacer Chanaka Welegedara made a comeback to the Test squad.

Sri Lanka will play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals during their tour.

“Squads for all three formats were announced after the ratification from the Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya is part of both the ODI and Twenty20 squads, as is Lasith Malinga.

The team under Kumar Sangakkara has Muralitharan as its vice captain.

Test Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), Muttaiah Muralitharan (Vice Captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranawithana, Thilan Samaraweera, Anjelo Mathews, Thilina Kandambi, Prasanna Jayawardana, Kaushal Silva, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Hearth, Ajantha Mendis.

Stand By: Dilhara Fernando, Chamara Kapugedara, Malinda Warnapura and Suraj Randev.

ODI Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), Muttiah Muralitharan (Vice Captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedara, Tilina Kandambi, Upul Tharanga, Anjelo Mathews, Thilan Samaraweera, Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith

Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera and Ajantha Mendis.

Stand By: Chanaka Welagedara, Lahiru Thirimanna and Malinga Bandara.

T20 Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), Muttaiah Muralitharan (Vice Captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedara, Anjelow Mathews, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Kaushal Weerarathne, Ajantha Mendis, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Chanaka Welegedara, Thilan Thushara, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekera.

Stand By: Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Soyza and Thisara Perera.v