India's apex court orders probe of Modi's role in Gujarat riots

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Raghavan Committee, a special a special panel formed by it to look into Modi's role of Naredra Bhai Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots.

Court also asked the panel to investigate the role of 50 other politicians and government officials who allegedly aided and abetted statewide communal riots that sparked throughout the state after Godhra incident.

A bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and Asok Kumar Ganguly directed the panel headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director R.K. Raghavan to particularly look into the allegations that Modi was involved in the killing of an MP in Ahmedabad's Gulbarga Society arson case.

More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in Gujarat in a frenzy of reprisals after the Godhra incident, in which 59 Hindus were torched alive by suspected Muslims in a train carriage.

Sonia Gandhi criticises the Third and Fourth Fronts

Sonia Gandhi, Chief of India's ruling Congress party lashed out at the third and fourth front and said these fronts were only formed to grab power.

Addressing a public rally on Saturday (April 18) in Bhadrak of India's eastern Orissa state she said that newly formed fronts have no future.

"There are several fronts for grabbing power and chair. These fronts have no ideals, principles and also no future," said Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia further added that these fronts have no political agenda for the betterment of the country and welfare of the people except to criticise the UPA government at the Centre headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Gandhi also criticised state government for not utilising funds provided by the federal government in the development of state. The state, she said, had been pushed to backwardness due to "misrule" by the Naveen Patnaik government in the last nine years.

BJP rubbishes Rahul Gandhi's charge

Bangalore (PTI): The BJP in Karnataka on Saturday rubbished Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's charge that the state government had failed to use Central grants, accusing the UPA government of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to the state.

"As against the plea for Rs 23,000 crore assistance for various projects by the BJP government, the Centre sanctioned only Rs 1700 crore," Transport Minister R Ashok said here.

Slamming Mr. Gandhi's reported assurance to sanction Rs 11,000 crore aid for Bangalore's development, Ashok, who is also party in-charge of the IT city, asked: "is he the Prime Minister to sanction funds?"

He claimed that it was BJP General Secretary Anantkumar who was responsible for bringing more funds for Bangalore's development when he held the Urban Development portfolio in the Vajpayee government.

State unit President D V Sadananda Gowda released the Kannada version of the BJP's poll manifesto.

Addressing public meetings at Gulbarga and Devanahalli near Bangalore on Friday, Mr. Gandhi had flayed the BJP government for its "failure" to use Central grants for the state's development.

India asks for ceasefire in Sri Lanka

India, on Saturday (April 18) asked both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE rebels to declare a ceasefire in the island nation.

"Our appeal to both the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE is to declare a ceasefire," External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in Jangipur of India's eastern West Bengal state.

A day before, Mukherjee said that Tamil civilian casualties in Sri Lanka was totally unacceptable to India and that Colombo should ensure their safety and security.

Sri Lanka's two-day humanitarian truce ended on Wednesday and the military announced it was now free to begin a final assault to end the 25-year war against the rebel Tamil Tigers.

Gisele Bundchen strips for Vanity Fair

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has peeled off her clothes for the cover of the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

Apart from baring all in the pictures, the 28-year-old has also related how she was teased as a child by classmates who called her Olive Oyl after Popeye's stick-thin girlfriend, The Sun online reports.

She has also spoken in the magazine interview about her life with new husband, Ameican football star Tom Brady, and given out her thoughts on motherhood, ex-boyfriend Leonardo Dicaprio and adoption. IANS

Travel Picks: 10 Top International Wine Destinations

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Wine tourists are a growing breed as wineries around the globe step up their game and offer visitors better services and gourmet food alongside wine tasting.

Forbes.com (www.forbes.com) has come up with 10 top international wine destinations assisted by George Taber, author of "In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism". The list is not endorsed by Reuters:

1. Castello Banfi, Tuscany, Italy
The Banfi winery was started by John Mariani, an American wine importer. One of the more gorgeous wineries in Tuscany, it boasts a beautiful castle with two great restaurants, a wine tasting room and cellar tour.

2. Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Montes is among the most well-known Chilean wine producers, but it hasn't lost its eccentricity. "It's the only winery in the world I know where the wines are aged with Gregorian chants being played in the background," says Taber.

3. Ken Forrester, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Stellenbosch is considered one of the most beautiful wine areas in the world, with a Mediterranean climate and scenery reminiscent of the Napa Valley, without the crowds. Winemaker Ken Forrester made several trips to France's Loire Valley before applying his expertise back home in South Africa.

4. Fournier, Mendoza, Argentina
This winery is only about 10 miles from the Andes "so in the background you can see the snow-capped mountains all year long," says Taber. The winery has a modern design, almost like a spaceship that landed in the middle of the desert.

5. Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River, Australia
Margaret River is closer to Singapore than it is to Melbourne, so it's a long trip getting there. "It's a little pocket that makes just outstanding wines," says Taber. The beautiful landscape with old forests "is so isolated it's not so crowded -- you get wonderful service."

6. Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand
Relatively new to the wine world, Central Otago is also the southernmost wine region on the planet. Some areas, like the Gibbston Valley, are more aesthetically pleasing than others, such as the Bannockburn area, the site of Felton Road. But Otago's pinot noir superstars, such as Carrick, Mt. Difficulty, Akarua and Felton Road are all here in Bannockburn.

7. Bodegas Ysios, Rioja, Spain
The area has become famous in the past few years for architecture by the likes of Frank Gehry. Bodegas Ysios, designed by Santiago Calatrava, resembles the mountains that lie just behind it. "They also make great wine," says Taber.

8. Quinta do Portal, Douro Valley, Portugal
Reach this winery by driving along narrow, winding roads. If you're planning on tasting more than one glass of wine, consider staying the night. "They have a guest house hotel that has beautiful views," notes Taber.

9. Chateau Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux is known to produce some of the best wines in the world. But until recently, the region did not have a reputation for beautiful views or a friendly tourist experience. Lynch-Bages now offers a hotel, restaurants and shopping.

10. Peter Jakob Kuhn Oestrich, Rhein/Mosel, Germany
This is one of the world's most romantic settings, with mountain-top castles and a friendly, welcoming winery. Don't be put off by the screw caps on all this winery's bottles, says Taber -- the wines are now the best and most consistent they've ever been.

Religious leaders to be consulted on national issues: Advani

New Delhi (PTI): BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate L.K. Advani has promised to set up a "consultative mechanism" involving religious leaders if voted to power to discuss "issues facing the nation."

"It will be our endeavour to seek on a regular basis the guidance of spiritual leaders of all denominations on major challenges and issues facing the nation. For this, we shall evolve a suitable consultative mechanism," Mr. Advani said in a letter to religious leaders today.

The letter said to be send to more than 1,000 religiousleaders across the country, says it had been the lifelong ambition of Mr. Advani that "politics, governance and other national affairs should be guided by lofty ideals as enshrined in the concept of Ram Rajya (ideal state), popularised by Mahatma Gandhi."

"At the present crucial juncture in our nation's life, when people are looking for a decisive change, I seek your blessings, guidance and support with 'Sashtang Namaskar' (utmost reverance)," says the letter.

When contacted Mr. Advani's office said the copies of the letter have been send to Baba Ramdev, Shri Shri Ravi Shanker, Maulana Waihuddin and several archbishops of different churches.

Sonia-Advani war of words over PM hots up

New Delhi (PTI): The war of words over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh escalated on Saturday with Leader of the Opposition L K Advani saying Mr. Singh has voluntarily abdicated his authority and the Congress president accusing him of speaking "rubbish".

"You have a situation in which the Prime Minister's office is held by a person who holds office but no authority.

And the person who has the authority has no accountability ...this is no democracy," Mr. Advani told CNN-IBN referring to Sonia Gandhi. He said this has "seriously affected" affected the functioning of the government.

Striking back, Ms. Gandhi in election meetings in Bihar and Jharkhand said Mr. Advani does not have any issues. "So, he is talking rubbish".

"I want to ask Advaniji what are his achievements ? I want to ask during the six-year tenure in Delhi when he was the Home Minister and the Deputy PM, what did he do for the farmers ? What did he do for the poor ? He did not do anything", she said.

Mr. Advani without elaborating said he was aware of some cases "where the PM (Mr. Singh) has proposed some action but he is not able to implement it unless he gets clearance from the Congress president."

Be on guard against divisive forces: Sonia Gandhi

Khunti (Jharkhand) (PTI): Launching a scathing attack on communal forces, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday warned that such people with a 'mask of patriotism' were internally damaging the unity of the country.

"We should be on guard against such forces who are a threat to both unity and peace. These forces are against the prosperity of the nation," Sonia Gandhi said without naming any party.

Addressing a poll meeting in support of party candidate Niel Tirkey from the Khunti Lok Sabha constituency, Sonia Gandhisaid the people despite having different religious faith, desire peace and communal harmony.

Praising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's skill in controlling the economic condition of the country amid global slowdown, Ms. Gandhi claimed that in this hour the country required a strong and stable government which the Congress and its allies could only provide.

Kashmiri separatist leader Sajjad Lone to contest election

SRINAGAR (Reuters) - Kashmir's senior separatist leader Sajjad Gani Lone, who has opposed Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region for decades, in a surprising move on Saturday said he would contest the imminent general elections.

Lone, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference and the first senior separatist to offer to contest an Indian election since a revolt broke out in Kashmir in 1989, said he wanted to take his struggle to parliament in New Delhi.
"Fighting elections is a change of strategy, not ideology," Lone told a news conference.

"I will contest polls with a commitment to use this mechanism as a method to represent the voice of the Kashmiri people and to take the strength and merits of our aspirations to the central stage of India," he said.

Lone, who led some of the massive anti-Indian demonstrations in Kashmir last year, will contest the elections in Baramulla, one of the six parliamentary constituencies in north Kashmir.

His sister, Shabnum Lone, a prominent lawyer, lost the state election last year in the same area.

Hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a boycott of the April-May elections, but Lone said there was a need to change strategy after last year's state elections, which despite a boycott call saw a turnout of more than 60 percent.

That was seen as a gain for New Delhi, though many said it was a vote for better governance, not acceptance of Indian rule.

"Those who voted in assembly elections last year have compromised the blood of martyrs. I appeal to people to completely boycott the (general) election," Geelani said on Friday at a rally against the elections, which begin next week.

Lone walked out of Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, after his father, senior separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in 2002.

In 2007 he put forward a peace plan entitled "Achievable Nationhood" to unify the divided territory, claimed both by India and Pakistan, and to give it autonomy.

The nuclear-armed South Asian rivals have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. They began a peace process in 2004 but New Delhi suspended that dialogue after the Mumbai attacks last November.

Officials say more than 47,000 people have been killed in the Muslim-majority region in the revolt against Indian rule. Human rights groups put the figure at around 60,000 dead or missing.

Many Kashmiris said they were disappointed with Lone's decision. "It is a national shame. Today he is standing tall on 80,000 bodies," said Zubiar Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar. "History has never forgiven traitors."

Nano booking receives encouraging response on Day one

Mumbai/Dehra Dun, Apr 9 (PTI) Tata Motors has put 400 Nanos on display at as many outlets in the country and started accepting bookings from today.

"The booking signs are encouraging," a Tata Motors spokesperson told PTI here, without, however, disclosing any figures.

The company started accepting booking forms from today morning onwards through its financiers and Tata group companies such as Croma, Westside and the Nano website. The bookings will conclude on April 25.

"The website has received 2 crore hits. About 3 lakh visitors have walked into showrooms to catch a glimpse of the Nano," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, scores of people today rushed to book Nano on the first day of booking in Uttarakhand, where Tata Motors' Pantnagar plant had rolled out the car last month to announce its commercial launch.

Tata Motors dealers said the response was good and that they were receiving hundreds of queries every day about the booking for the world's cheapest car.
Nearly 2000 forms have been sold so far in Dehra Dun alone, they said.

Good-daughter-Katrina helping her mother to open an orphanage in Chennai

A daughter is the closest friend of a mother, is proved by Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif. The glamourous doll joins her hands with her mother Suzanne to set up a home for abandoned baby girls in India's southern city Chennai.

"I'm currently looking to open a home in Chennai for baby girls. My mother is actively involved in the project and I'm with her. She is working tirelessly to figure out what governmental procedures needs to be taken care of to start the initiative. It is one of my dreams but there's lot of effort involved because if the girls are not adopted, we have to look after them till they turn 18. This involves lot of infrastructure and logistical support," says Katrina.

Katrina's mother has been working against female foeticide and is also associated with 'Hope Reach', a home to orphaned girls.

Deepika Padukone is fearful of snakes

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone shared a close proximity with snakes while shooting for the second issue of Harper's Bazaar in Thailand.

The OSO star asserted that she is an ophidiophobic.

"I have always had a phobia about snakes. I don't mind anything from lizards to insects, but I am terrified of snakes. We were given these fancy villas in the middle of a forest at a resort called The Banyan Tree. I was relaxing outside my room at night when I happened to look down near my feet and saw a huge snake, almost three feet long with it's hood raised, staring at me!" noted Deepika Padukone.

Deepika termed that incident as the scariest moment of her life.

"It was the scariest moment of my life. I jumped and screamed loudly. My mom was in her room and came out to see all the commotion was about but by that time the snake had slithered away," quoted by an Internet portal.

Deepika is ever ready for a noble cause. Despite of her busy schedule, the model-turned actor walked the ramp in Mumbai at LFW to raise funds for the victims of last year's Mumbai terror strikes.

"I walked the ramp at the last minute as I had to fly to Bangalore for the Bengaluru Marathon press conference. But since it was for the cause Mai Mumbai, I stayed back. The funds are going for 26/11 victims and provide infrastructure like ambulances and first aid so I had to be there. It was a good cause and Mumbai has given me so much," a website quoted.

Vin Diesel slams rumours of being gay

Acclaimed Hollywood actor Vin Diesel slammed rumours that he is gay and kept his personal life secret.

"I'm not gonna put it out there on a magazine cover like some other actors," said the XXX actor.

Vin Diesel also asserted that he prefers to date in Europe where he's not as easily recognized.