Wedding wows 120 year old man marries 60 year old women

Silchar (Assam), Oct 28 (IANS) If their respective ages were to be added up, they'll date back to India's first war of independence in 1857. So, when 120-year-old Hazi Abdul Noor tied the knot with 60-year-old Samoi Bibi, the 500 guests at the wedding ceremony were bound to be left gaping.

A former contractor, Noor of Assam's Satghori village Sunday married Bibi, a resident of North Foolbari village in adjoining northern Tripura.

Over 500 guests, including religious heads, gathered at the sleepy Satghori village in Karimganj district, around 400 km from Assam's main city of Guwahati, to witness the rare marriage ceremony.

'Homemade sweets were passed around when Maulana Khairuzzaman, a senior Madrasa teacher, asked for a 'Kubool' (agreeing to marry) and a smiling Noor replied in confirmatory by nodding his head,' said Saiful Ahmed, a local government school teacher who was one of the guests at the ceremony.

'Noor might very well be the oldest person to get married in this part of India as far as my memory goes,' Ahmed told IANS.

Displaying his documents, Noor said: 'My age in the electoral list of the election commission is 116 years, but I am 120.'

In fact, this is not his first marriage.

Salima Khatun, Noor's first wife, died in 2005. 'I married Salima when I was 40,' he said.

Today, he heads a family of 122 members, including two sons, three daughters and numerous grandchildren, most of whom are married. Noor's eldest daughter is 79.

The centenarian used to work as a contractor in southern Assam during the British regime. He met with a deadly accident in his 50s, the pain of which he still carries in his back.

'Soon after my mother's death, my father asked us to find him another wife who would look after him as he needs full-time support,' said Noor's eldest son Hazi Azir Uddin, a retired teacher.

'With the help of one Abdul Hamid of Tripura, we found a new mother, though she's half his age. She was married once. Long back her husband died and she has no children,' the son said.

Hamid, the match-maker and also a relative of Noor, has interesting stories of his own to tell.

'So far, I have arranged 14 such marriages in which the ages of all the 28 brides and bridegrooms were 60 or above. The first such marriage was in 1984 in northern Tripura in which the ages of the brides and bridegrooms were 65 and 90,' he claimed.

'For arranging such marriages, I've never sought any money or any favour. This way, I acquire happiness,' said Hamid, who works at a government office in Tripura.

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Live: Anna breaks fast after 288 hours, nation relieved

Anna Hazare ended his 12-day fast Sunday morning before tens of thousands of cheering supporters at Ramlila Maidan by sipping a glass of coconut water with honey offered to him by two girls.

The nation, particularly the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, heaved a collective sigh of relief at the resolution of a major national crisis as the 74-year-old activist ended his fast at around 10.20 a.m. He began his fast Aug 16 morning and completed 288 hours of fasting. Refresh this page for live updates

8: 30 pm: Omar hails ending of Anna's fast

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the ending of fast by veteran social activist Anna Hazare was a victory for people's power and showed the resilience of parliamentary democracy.

"This is a victory of people's power, but it also shows the resilience of the parliamentary democracy system, both worked together to end Anna's fast," Abdullah told reporters. More

8: 00 pm: BJP will continue to support Anna's fight against corruption: Advani

LK Advani said that his party will continue to support veteran social activist Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption. He added that Hazare has thanked the BJP for its contribution during the campaign in a letter.

"Anna wrote a letter to thank my party for the contribution it made. The fight will continue," Advani told media persons.

"An important episode in the battle against corruption has been completed. The battle will continue because it is country's battle. People are very happy," he added. More

7: 30 pm: Anti-politician act helped solve impasse, says Kiran Bedi

Defending her much-talked about speech at the Ramlila grounds where she called politicians 'double-faced', former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi claimed her act got the attention of opposition and helped resolve the issue.

Talking to a NDTV news channel, Bedi said her act Friday attracted the attention of LK Advani who called her that evening and this led to a breakthrough in the impasse.

'When I wrote only a miracle could change this, that miracle came through Mr. Advani, through the crowd that booed at some MPs, who had come to meet Anna, leaving. I think that booing went up to Mr. Advani,' Bedi said. Full story

6: 50 pm: Free kitchens in Jammu on Anna victory

People in this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir took out processions and set up free kitchens at various places to celebrate the end of Anna Hazare's fast.

With the Indian tricolour forming the backdrop, free kitchens in Jammu city offered food to all those who thronged there.

'It is our way of celebrating the victory of Anna. He has broken his fast today and it is time to feed the people,' Darshan Kumar, one of the activists involved in organising the 'langar' or free kitchen, told IANS. More

6: 30 pm: Lokpal bill may come up in parliament in November

A redrafted Lokpal bill may be brought in parliament during its winter session, that usually starts mid-November, after the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice deliberates over various drafts of the proposed anti-graft law, government sources said Sunday.

The sources said that, at that stage, amendments or changes in the legislation would be possible with the approval of both houses of parliament. After being passed by both the houses, it would go to President Pratibha Patil for approval before becoming a law. More

6: 10 pm: Thousands arrive at India Gate for the victory March

Thousands of Anna Hazare supporters have made their way to the India Gate to participate in the victory march called by him. Those who're not in Delhi have come out in droves in their respective cities to celebrate.

6: 00 pm: Rs.70 lakh and counting, donations still pour in for Anna

Donations have been pouring in from across the country to support social activist Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement. India Against Corruption (IAC), the NGO spearheading it, has so far received more than Rs.70 lakh in cash donations and more is still coming in an activist said.

The donation collection desk at Ramlila ground since Aug 19 - the day Hazare moved there from Tihar Jail - has received cash donations of more than Rs. 70 lakh, Vikas Tyagi, a coordinator at the donation department, told IANS. More

5: 45 pm: Security personnel relieved as Hazare ends fast

It was a daunting task for the hundreds of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel guarding the Ramlila ground with many of them admitting that it was an 'overwhelming' experience. With Anna breaking his fast for a strong anti-graft bill after 288 hours, most of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Many of the security personnel admitted that they had not seen such large crowds ever and it was a tough challenge to manage them and keeping their cool despite a few untoward incidents including one where policemen were attacked by some drunkards. More

5: 30 pm: Unifying people an achievement: Bhushan

Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan said that the biggest achievement of the anti-corruption movement was that it united people cutting across all divides.

'We are relieved. We can now relax and reflect on the nature of the movement and decide the future course,' Bhushan said.

'It was a roller coaster ride. We felt pessimistic at times. But we always felt that whatever happens in parliament, the movement engaged people across classes and barriers. Young people shed their cynicism and felt empowered. This was an achievement.' More

5: 00 pm: Anna dehydrated and exhausted: Trehan

Anna Hazare is fine and doing well despite his 288-hour-long fast. However, his heart beat is above normal, the principal doctor attending on him said Sunday.

'The heart rate is 94 which is more than a normal (around 80). He is very dehydrated and exhausted,' said Naresh Trehan who closely monitored the 74-year-old Hazare's health during the fast. 'He is being given coconut water and honey as he can easily absorb it. However, this would be increased slowly and gradually in a manner that his body can tolerate it,' he added. More

4: 30 pm: The day India's MPs created history

It was a rare show of unanimity and purposefulness, going beyond party lines. At the special parliament debate on Saturday, MPs transcended their usual acrimonious and disorderly behaviour to demonstrate that when it matters, India's lawmakers can deliver.

They also managed to assert the supremacy of parliament in framing legislations for the nation.

The Lokpal discussion -- stretching over nine hours in the Lok Sabha and eight hours in the Rajya Sabha -- saw a sober tone echoing in both the houses though MPs did criticise each others' viewpoints. More

4: 00 pm: How they kept Ramlila Maidan clean -- only for Anna!

From collecting mounds of garbage, removing slush caused by rains to cleaning toilets, a group of volunteers -- mostly students from premier medical and engineering colleges -- kept Ramlila Maidan, the nerve centre of Anna Hazare's movement, clean at a time when it saw unprecedented footfall on all the 13 days of his fast.

Initially, most of these students came to lend support to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, but swayed by the electric atmosphere they ended up being part of it. More

3: 30 pm: Bollywood hails Anna Hazare's victory; terms it a new dawn

From Amitabh Bachchan to social activist-actress Shabana Azmi -- expressed their, happiness calling it 'a moment of greatest pride' and 'a new beginning'.

Hazare, who began his fast Aug 16 morning, agreed to break his fast after parliament Saturday broadly agreed to three key demands of his civil society group to battle corruption.

The celebrities took to Twitter to express their feelings. More

3: 00 pm: Team Anna calls for grand celebrations at India Gate

Arvind Kejriwal has called for grand celebrations at ndia Gate on Sunday evening.

Addressing thousands of people at Ram Lila Maidan before Hazare broke his 12-day fast, Kejriwal said: "We appeal to all the people present here to come to India Gate in the evening where we will celebrate the grand victory of the people." More

2: 30 pm: A fasting activist turns a national icon

He drove a truck for the army during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, but when Anna Hazare broke his fast on day 13 Sunday after the Indian parliament agreed to his three demands for a stronger anti-graft legislation the school dropout had won for the people a war against the powerful establishment.

It was a civic-government standoff, broadcast live to the nation by the incessantly chattering 24x7 TV news channels, and at the centre of this spectacular reality show was a frail and fasting 74-year-old man who became a veritable nightmare for the ruling political class, but a hero of the urban middle class reeling under pervasive corruption and an unresponsive system. More here

2: 15 pm: Anna wins first round, but some worrying signs remain

All's well that ends well. Parliament's acceptance of Anna Hazare's three major demands - bringing the lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal, setting up Lokayuktas in the states and introducing the concept of citizen's charters to deal with public grievances - has led to the septuagenarian crusader to call off his 12-day fast even as he was entering the 'danger zone' in medical terms.

However, a few worrying signs remain because, even in their moment of victory, the conduct of the civil activists left a great deal to be desired. For a start, the fact that the resolution was accepted with the thumping of desks by the MPs and not through a voice vote, as was earlier expected, persuaded Medha Patkar, a prominent community worker, to describe what took place in parliament as 'part betrayal'. Her grouse was that the assurance given to her and her colleagues about a voice vote was not kept. Full story here

1:45 pm: At Ramlila, a mini India watched Anna break fast

Hours before Anna Hazare broke a 13-day hunger strike that shook the nation, all roads led to the Ramlila ground. And as he sipped coconut water, tens of thousands gave him a standing, boisterous ovation that would make any politician go green with envy.

It was a mini India out there. A saffron robed swami. A tall Nihang Sikh in bright blue. Mahatma Gandhi lookalikes. Men with Rajasthani head gears. Retired employees. The jobless. Traders. Vendors. Bus drivers. Farmers.

Like in any movement, the middle class did dominate.

1:30 pm: Team Anna reaches out to Dalits, remembers Ambedkar

Facing criticism from Dalit groups for not having representation from backward and minority classes, Team Anna Sunday remembered B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of Indian constitution, and said they respect the statute.

Activist Anna Hazare broke his 13-day-long fast after drinking a mixture of coconut water and honey offered to him by a Dalit and a Muslim girl.

'The condition of farmers is bad. We have to give them justice. Ambedkar put all this in the constitution but it not being implemented in the parliament,' Hazare told the cheering crowds at Ramlila Maidan.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal turned down allegations that their movement was against the constitution. 'Some Dalits have said that we are against constitution. I want to tell that we respect the constitution and Ambedkar-ji,' he said.

1:15 pm: Anna, his team thank media

The media got a big thank you from Anna Hazare and his team Sunday for their support to the anti-corruption campaign with the 24X7 coverage of the protest.

The 74-year-old activist who broke his fast on the 13th day said: 'I want to thank the media for spreading our message to all my countrymen for the past 12 days...this is a success for them as well.'

Arvind Kejriwal, a member of Team Anna, was also effusive in his thanks to the media.

'We want to thank the media for working around the clock with their cameras, in heat and rain. This was not just their job, they worked 24 hours a day and were a part of the movement too,' Kejriwal said.

Kiran Bedi, another member of Team Anna, described the media as the backbone of the movement.

'Real backbone of this movement was the passionate media. They were willing to forgo their advertisement revenues and allow themselves to become the people's voice,' Bedi tweeted.

1:00 pm: Anna Hazare: A fasting activist turns a national icon

He drove a truck for the army during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, but when Anna Hazare broke his fast on day 13 Sunday after the Indian parliament agreed to his three demands for a stronger anti-graft legislation the school dropout had won for the people a war against the powerful establishment.

It was a civic-government standoff, broadcast live to the nation by the incessantly chattering 24x7 TV news channels, and at the centre of this spectacular reality show was a frail and fasting 74-year-old man who became a veritable nightmare for the ruling political class, but a hero of the urban middle class reeling under pervasive corruption and an unresponsive system. Read more

12:45 pm: Volunteers, backbone of the movement: Kejriwal

Describing them as the backbone of the agitation, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal Sunday had a special word of praise for the over 300 volunteers who worked round the clock for 13 days to the keep the movement against corruption going.

Minutes before Hazare broke his fast Sunday morning, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal said: 'The backbone of the protest is our volunteers who were insulted, scolded, treated in a bad way but still they worked efficiently for hours.'

'On days when I used to sleep here and sometimes get up at 3 a.m., I used to see several volunteers hushing up at the stairs near the dais. When I used to ask them to sleep, they would say - 'No, we want to protect our Anna', that was their spirit,' he said.

12:30 pm: The men and the woman behind Team Anna

Anna Hazare has become a powerful brand for people-driven change. But a brand is not built in isolation. It took, amongst others, the father-son due of a former law minister and an activist lawyer, a former police officer and an income tax officer-turned RTI activist to power the 24x7 Anna Hazare show that fired the nation's imagination like no other. These five people were part of his 'inner circle' of advisers: Who are they?

12:20 pm: Anna Hazare confident of building 'a corruption-free society'

Anna Hazare today thanked the people of the country and the media for extending their support to his campaign against corruption. Addressing thousands of supporters after breaking his 12-day fast at New Delhi's Ram Lila Ground, Hazare said he wants the passing of the Jan Lokpal Bill for a corruption-free society.

"Thanks to all of you. This is your victory. This also the victory of media, thanks to media for awakening people across India. Thanks to the members of civil society. We have shown a new way to the world that anything can be achieved through 'ahimsa'," Hazare said.

"I'm thankful to the youth power for their massive support. This has established that 'Jan Sansad' is more powerful than 'Sansad'. Now, our belief is firm that we can build a corruption-free society. Whatever changes we want, would be done in accordance with the Constitution," he added.

12:10 pm: Anna Hazare wants introduction of "Right to Recall" to change political system

Anna Hazare said that the people of the country must have the "Right to Recall" to change the country's political system.

Addressing thousands of supporters after breaking his 12-day fast at New Delhi's Ram Lila Ground, Hazare said: "Corruption is due to the non-decentralization of power. We have to strengthen our 'Gram Sabha' and change the present election system. We need the 'Right to Recall'." The anti-corruption crusader had told supporters on Saturday evening that he would the end his campaign as the Congress-led UPA government had agreed to his demands to legislate tougher laws against rampant graft.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had announced in the Lok Sabha that the civil society's version of the Lokpal Bill would now rest with the Standing Committee. The Jan Lokpal Bill, the anti-graft legislation that Hazare is agitating for, is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.

12:00 noon: Anna Hazare taken to Gurgaon hospital for medical check-up

Anna Hazare, who ended his 12-day long hunger strike today, has been taken to Gurgaon's Medanta hospital for a medical check-up.

Hazare has reportedly lost eight kilograms since he began the campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill on August 16. A medical team from Medanta hospital has been monitoring the 74-year-old's condition closely. full story

11:30 am: PM's letter to Anna Hazare

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Anna Hazare after Parliament on Saturday passed a resolution agreeing to the three demands put forth by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare. Vilasrao Deshmukh personally went to Ramlila Maidan to hand over the letter and a copy of the resolution to
Team Anna. Read the letter on Hindustan Times

Anna Hazare Calls Off his FastAnna Hazare finally called off his hunger strike, which entered 13th day today. Two five-year old girls from Delhi offered coconut water and honey to Anna Hazare.

11:00 am: Team Anna calls for grand celebrations at India Gate

Team Anna has called for 'grand celebrations' at India Gate Sunday evening to celebrate 'people's victory' as Anna Hazare broke his 12-day fast after parliament broadly agreed to meet three key demands of his civil society group to battle corruption.

'We appeal to all the people present here to come to India Gate in the evening where we will celebrate our republic,' Hazare's close confidant Arvind Kejriwal told the cheering crowds at Ramlila Maidan.

Tens of thousands of people celebrated as Hazare took a sip of coconut water and honey mixture offered by two girls to end his over 288-hour fast in the morning. more

10:45 am: Chronology of an epochal fast

Chronology of a fast that forced Indian parliament to acknowledge people's power and established civil society's primacy in a democracy:

Jan 30: Marches in over 60 cities to demand anti-corruption Lokpal bill. Social reformer Anna Hazare, former top cop Kiran Bedi, activist Swami Agnivesh and lawyer Prashant Bhushan participate in Delhi rally.

Feb 26: Hazare announces fast unto death from April 5 if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not decide on civil society's inclusion in drafting the bill.

April 5: Hazare starts fast at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Here's the complete chronology

10:30 am: Only suspended my fast, not ended it: Anna: Anna said he had only 'suspended' his fast and not ended it, adding that his campaign for a strong Lokpal institution would continue till parliament passed the anti-graft bill. 'I have just suspended the fast.. did not end it. The fight will go on till parliament passes the Lokpal bill.' more

10.20 am: Hazare broke his fast at 10.20 a.m. by taking coconut water mixed with honey offered by two little girls. The anti-corruption crusader had told supporters on Saturday evening that he would the end his campaign as the Congress-led UPA government had agreed to his demands to legislate tougher laws against rampant graft.


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Hurricane Irene dumps foot of rain; 2M powerless

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  One of two people rescued from a sailboat, right, uses a line to make their way onto …

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  A stranded sailboat founders in the surf along the Willoughby Spit area of Norfolk, …

NEW YORK (AP) — A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene shut down New York and menaced other cities more accustomed to snowstorms than tropical storms as it steamed up the East Coast on Saturday, unloading a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia and knocking out power to 2 million homes and businesses. At least eight people were killed.

New York emptied its streets and subways and waited with an eerie quiet. Washington braced for the onslaught, too, as did Philadelphia, the New Jersey shore and the Boston metropolitan area. Packing wind gusts of 115 mph, the hurricane had an enormous wingspan — 500 miles — and threatened a swath of the nation inhabited by 65 million people.

The hurricane stirred up seven-foot waves, and forecasters warned of storm-surge danger on the coasts of Virginia and Delaware, along the Jersey Shore and in New York Harbor and Long Island Sound. Across the Northeast, drenched by rain this summer, the ground is already saturated, raising the risk of flooding as well as the danger of trees falling onto homes and power lines.

Irene made its official landfall just after first light near Cape Lookout, N.C., at the southern end of the Outer Banks, the ribbon of land that bows out into the Atlantic Ocean. While it was too early to assess the full extent of damage, shorefront hotels and houses were lashed with waves, two piers were destroyed and at least one hospital was forced to run on generator power.

"Things are banging against the house," Leon Reasor said as he rode out the storm in the town of Buxton, N.C. "I just hate hurricanes."

Eastern North Carolina got 10 to 14 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Virginia's Hampton Roads area was drenched with at least nine inches, with 16 reported in some spots.

By late Saturday night, the storm had sustained winds of 80 mph, down from 100 mph on Friday. That made it a Category 1, the least threatening on a 1-to-5 scale, and barely stronger than a tropical storm.

Nevertheless, it was still considered highly dangerous, capable of causing ruinous flooding across much of the East Coast with a combination of storm surge, high tides and 6 to 12 inches of rain.

Irene was moving north-northeast at 16 mph, slightly faster than it had been earlier in the day, giving it somewhat less opportunity to dump on any particular area. But a typical hurricane would be moving much faster, 25 to 30 mph, said senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart of the National Hurricane Center.

Moving slowly over the relatively colder water could weaken the storm, but Stewart said Irene will still likely be a hurricane when it makes landfall in the New York area around noon Sunday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett warned that the state will not necessarily be out of danger once the storm has passed: "The rivers may not crest until Tuesday or Wednesday. This isn't just a 24-hour event."

As of Saturday evening, Irene was hugging the U.S. coastline on a path that could scrape every state along the Eastern Seaboard. Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center in Florida, said it would be a "low-end hurricane, high-end tropical storm" by the time it crossed the New York City area late Sunday morning.

The storm is so large that areas far from Irene's center are going to be feeling strong winds and getting large amounts of rain, he said.

"It is a big, windy, rainy event," he said.

The deaths blamed on Irene included two children, an 11-year-old boy in Virginia killed when a tree crashed through his roof and a North Carolina child who died in a crash at an intersection where traffic lights were out. Four other people were killed by falling trees or tree limbs — two in separate Virginia incidents, one in North Carolina and one in Maryland. A surfer and another beachgoer in Florida were killed in heavy waves.

Power outages were concentrated in Virginia and North Carolina.

Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States since 2008, and came almost six years to the day after Katrina ravaged New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005. Experts guessed that no other hurricane in American history had threatened as many people.

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue said Irene inflicted significant damage along her state's coast, but that some areas were unreachable because of high water or downed power lines. "Folks are cut off in parts of North Carolina, and obviously we're not going to get anybody to do an assessment until it's safe," she said.

At least 2.3 million people were under orders to move to somewhere safer, though it was unclear how many obeyed or, in some cases, how they could.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told 6,500 troops from all branches of the military to get ready to pitch in on relief work, and President Barack Obama visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency's command center in Washington and offered moral support.

"It's going to be a long 72 hours," he said, "and obviously a lot of families are going to be affected."

In New York, authorities undertook the herculean job of bringing the city to a halt. The subway began shutting down at noon, the first time the system was closed because of a natural disaster.

On Wall Street, sandbags were placed around subway grates near the East River because of fear of flooding. Tarps were spread over other grates. Construction stopped throughout the city, and workers at the site of the World Trade Center dismantled a crane and secured equipment.

The city was far quieter than on an average Saturday. In some of the busiest parts of Manhattan, it was possible to cross a major avenue without looking, and the waters of New York Harbor, which might normally be churning from boat traffic, were quiet. About 370,000 people living in low-lying areas of the city, mostly in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, were under orders to clear out.

"The time to leave is right now," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at an outdoor news conference at Coney Island, his shirt soaked from rain.

The New York area's major airports — LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark — waved in their last arriving flights around noon. The Giants and Jets postponed their preseason NFL game, the Mets postponed two baseball games, and Broadway theaters were dark.

New York has seen only a few hurricanes in the past 200 years. The Northeast is much more used to snowstorms — including the blizzard last December, when Bloomberg was criticized for a slow response.

Airlines said 9,000 flights were canceled, including 3,000 on Saturday. The number of passengers affected could easily be millions because so many flights make connections on the East Coast.

Greyhound suspended bus service between Richmond, Va., and Boston. Amtrak canceled trains in the Northeast for Sunday.

In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter declared a state of emergency, the first for the city since 1986, when racial tensions were running high. "We are trying to save lives and don't have time for silliness," he said.

The storm arrived in Washington just days after an earthquake damaged some of the capital's most famous structures, including the Washington Monument. Irene could test Washington's ability to protect its national treasures and its poor.

In New Jersey, the Oyster Creek nuclear plant, just a few miles from the coast, shut down as a precaution as Irene closed in. And Boston's transit authority said all bus, subway and commuter rail service would be suspended all day Sunday.

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Mitch Weiss reported from Nags Head, N.C. Associated Press writers contributing to this report were Tim Reynolds and Christine Armario in Miami; Bruce Shipkowski in Surf City, N.J.; Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton, N.J.; Wayne Parry in Atlantic City, N.J.; Eric Tucker in Washington; Martha Waggoner and Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, N.C.; Jessica Gresko in Ocean City, Md.; Mitch Weiss in Nags Head, N.C.; Alex Dominguez in Baltimore; Brock Vergakis in Virginia Beach, Va.; Samantha Bomkamp and Jonathan Fahey in New York; and Seth Borenstein in Washington.

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Kannada industry celebrates Shivanna's 100th film

Kannada industry which is looking forward to Shivarajkumar's 100th film, Jogayya, wishes the actor all the luck and success on the day of its release .

They have been friends for 25 years and met for the first time when Ramesh was shooting for Sundara Swapnagalu and Shivanna for Anand in the same studio. "What's humbling is that Shivu hasn't changed in all these years. Despite coming from the great actor Rajkumar's family and enjoying so much success, he has stayed grounded," says Ramesh.

Another thing about Shivanna that appeals to Ramesh is his versatility. "As an actor, his range of roles is impressive. He has played lover, ruffian and brother with great ease. His best performance according to me was Madesha in Jogi. Anyone would have overacted in the climax of the film, which shows the hero's mother dated. But Shivu was very understated. Om is my other favourite.

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When it comes to our films together, Namoora Mandare Hoove was a cherished experience. Our combination was a success because our acting styles were different and people liked this contrast."

We wanted to see the man who took on the govt'

Anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare surprised everybody at the Ramlila Grounds when he landed at the place at 2 pm even while a couple of India Against Corruption speakers kept telling his followers that he would be at Rajghat at 2 pm. Prasanna Zore reports.

As soon as he climbed the dais, he addressed his supporters with Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad.

He then addressed the gathering, telling them how his movement and fast that began on August 16 has passed off peacefully. He congratulated the gathering for their peaceful conduct that has proved his detractors who claimed that his movement might turn violent and arrested him on August 16.

Interestingly, he told the assembly that he has been feeling weak, but then made a spirited speech. "India's second freedom struggle begun on August 16," he said to a thunderous applause from more than 30,000 people who had assembled at the grounds at 2.20 pm.

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There is scope for give and take on Lokpal: PM of India said

Affirming that there was a "lot of scope for give and take" on the Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the government was open to "discussion and dialogue" on the issue.

Calling for a broad national consensus on the controversial issue, Dr Singh expressed the hope that the government can enlist the cooperation of "all thinking segments of Indian public opinion to ensure that the end product is a strong and effective Lokpal which all sections of our community want".

The Prime Minister was answering questions from the media at the conclusion of the full meeting of the Planning Commission at his residence to approve the Approach Paper of the 12th Five Year Plan.

Dr Singh said the government has presented a Lokpal Bill, which was the demand of all political parties when he had convened an all party conference on the issue.

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How Pakistan became THE capital of suicide attacks

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Tahir Ali looks back at the disturbing history that has made suicide attacks a nightmarish part of Pakistan's present reality

Fidayeen or suicide attackers have become a lethal weapon for the Pakistani Taliban. According to a recent report, Pakistan has witnessed more suicide attacks than any other country in the world.

The last decade of the country's history has witnessed the worst bloodshed thanks to a spate of suicide bombings across the country.

Though suicide attacks are undoubtedly an alarming sign for Pakistan, it is the emergence of female suicide bombers that has worried security agencies. It is easier for burqa-clad women to reach their targets as they can't be searched by male security guards.

Between 2001 and 2011, Pakistani militants carried out 130 suicide attacks that resulted in the deaths of 1,883 people while 3,819 people sustained injuries.

Pakistani terrorists learnt the deadly skill of suicide bombing from their Afghan counterparts.

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