Rahul will meet industrial workers, rickshaw pullers and labourers upto an age of 35 years on December 8, city Congress President Mahesh Diskhit said, adding anyone more than 35 years of age will not be allowed to meet him.

During his meeting with the workers, Rahul will listen to their problems and try to come out with solutions, MP from Kanpur and Union Coal Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal told PTI.

The MP from Amethi constituency will also muster support of youth in party’s membership drive.

The Indian Youth Congress has launched a membership drive, ending December 15, in 26 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state to draw youths towards the party.

“Rahul is expected to visit a number of constituencies where the membership drive is going on. He also plans to meet youth party leaders during his one-day trip,” Jaiswal said.

During his visit, Rahul will meet probable candidates for 2012 Assembly polls, he said.

Later in the day, the Congress leader will also attend programmes to be organised in Kannuaj, Farrukhabad and Etawah and Kanpur (rural).

Rahul will also meet city’s young businessmen where he will discuss their problems, he said.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/35_plus_in_kanpur_no_rahul_gandhi_for_you_1.php

Mamata has told Singh that minorities are threatened and girl children are suffering in West Bengal. According to her this is sending out a wrong message to the democracy.

The Railway Minister has demanded that the army be deployed in trouble-hit areas of Bengal. She is not in favour of joint state-centre security forces.

The PM has told her he will talk to Home Minister to review the situation in the state.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/trinamool_leaders_to_meet_prime_minister.php

United, who beat Spurs on penalties in last season’s Wembley final, were joined in the semi-finals by Aston Villa after the five-times winners beat Premier League stragglers Portsmouth 4-2 at Fratton Park.

Big-spending Manchester City host Arsenal while league leaders Chelsea travel to Blackburn Rovers for Wednesday’s quarter-finals.

With the rain sweeping down, young Irish midfielder Gibson opened the scoring for United against the run of play in the 16th minute and doubled his tally 22 minutes later with a powerful shot to the top corner from 18 metres.

The scoreline flattered United’s youthful-looking team, however, with Tottenham playing the better football for much of the first half as they sought their first win at Old Trafford in 20 years.

Jermain Defoe tested United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak in the seventh minute and had a great chance in the 21st when he found space at the back post only to be denied by the rock-steady Nemanja Vidic in defence.

Villa made a woeful start at Portsmouth, going behind in the 10th minute when Stilian Petrov tried to clear at the near post but sliced the ball into his own net.

Portsmouth, who lost 4-1 to United at the weekend, had little time to enjoy their lead with Emile Heskey equalising two minutes later.

Villa made it 2-1 in the 27th through James Milner and went 3-1 ahead in the 74th when England winger Stewart Downing headed in at the far post to score on his first start for the club.

Kanu pulled a goal back with a low shot in the 87th but Ashley Young restored Villa’s lead two minutes later with a deflected shot high into the net.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/man-united-aston-villa-enter-league-cup-semis/106300-5.html

The 28-year-old Swiss star, who won the French Open and Wimbledon during the summer, was world No.1 previously from 2004 to 2007 and he is now level with Jimmy Connors and one behind the all-time best set by Pete Sampras from 1993 to 1998.

Federer has also topped the rankings for 259 weeks and is closing in on the record of 286 weeks held by Sampras.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Federer-tops-ATP-end-of-year-rankings-/articleshow/5284607.cms

The study has shown that antiretroviral therapy may not be as effective on obese HIV patients as it is with people of normal weight.

Researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, who conducted the study, insisted that the immune systems among obese people with HIV do not respond as well as it does among normal weight people with HIV.

Nancy Crum-Cianflone, MD, who presented the study at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said: “Obese patients were found to regain fewer CD4-positive T cells after they start therapy than do people with normal weight,” said Dr. Crum-Cianflone.

“These findings don’t align with some of the earlier studies done prior to the advent of modern highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), when patients who were obese did better than those of normal or below-normal weight.”

Data collected by the USU’s Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP) from participants in the US Military Natural History Study, was assessed as part of the study.

The data had details of 1,119 people, including documented dates of HIV seroconversion between 1986 and 2008.

Captain (Dr) Greg Martin, director of the IDCRP said: “The irony is that in the past we have been concerned that patients with HIV infection were losing too much weight.

“Yet this research is showing that there needs to be more of a focus on maintaining a balanced weight without going to the other extreme.”

Earlier studies had hinted that when HAART was unavailable, patients who were obese lost CD4 cells more slowly than people who had normal or below-normal weight.

Crum-Cianflone mentioned that the introduction of HAART has resulted in immune system recovery, which is measured by an increase in the number of CD4 cells.

She concluded that the study also “suggests that low CD4 counts may be another adverse consequence of obesity.

Source: http://www.zeenews.com/news582552.html

Already-qualified United, who have reached the last two finals in the competition, had not lost at home in their previous 23 Champions League matches, since a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan in February 2005.

But a deflected effort from Chilean winger Tello was enough for Besiktas, who had only picked up one point from their previous four matches.

United now need a point from their final match, away to German champions Wolfsburg, to qualify as Group B winners.

With qualification already wrapped up, Sir Alex Ferguson made eight changes to the team that beat Everton 3-0 at the weekend.

That included a recall for South Korean star Ji-Sung Park, who had not featured since the 4-3 win over Manchester City at the end of September due to a knee injury.

And despite a positive opening from the hosts, it was Ben Foster – making his first United appearance since October 3 – who was the first goalkeeper tested, following a powerful drive from Michael Fink.

Besiktas only had the slightest chance of finishing third and reaching the Europa League but maintained their pressure, with Ismail Koybasi firing wide.

But United responded with a Nemanja Vidic header that flew well off-target and a long-range effort from Darron Gibson that missed Rustu Recber’s goal.

And Federico Macheda also went close with a powerful run and a low shot that also trickled narrowly wide.

But in the 20th minute the Turkish side took the lead with Tello’s shot flying off United defender Rafael and past Foster.

Macheda was still at the heart of United’s best work and slipped Danny Welbeck in behind the Besiktas defence and his low effort was turned wide by Recber.

The veteran goalkeeper was worked again when Welbeck guided a pass through for Gabriel Obertan and the impressive French winger’s stab at goal was turned away.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Gibson blasted well over the bar to continue United’s frustration as the interval approached, while the visitors could have doubled their lead just before the break when Bobo laid the ball back and Fink’s delicate shot bounced wide off the outside of the post.

There was little response from United after the re-start but there was little positive play from the visitors either, with Tello failing to trouble Foster with a free kick from 25 yards.

But after Gibson sparked a quick break, the ball was worked left and Park shot wide under pressure from two defenders.

Just past the hour mark, a mazy run from Obertan took him past two Besiktas players before his low shot was pushed wide by Recber and the Frenchman went close again moments later with a looping header from Macheda’s cross that dropped onto the roof of the net.

Mid-way through the second half, Ferguson brought on Michael Owen for Park as he stepped up his search for an equaliser.

But there were few chances for the hosts to get back on terms, with another substitute, Michael Carrick, hitting a free-kick straight against the wall.

With five minutes remaining, substitute Patrice Evra had a penalty appeal turned down after going down in the box under a challenge from Ibrahim Kas.

Recber also pushed over a Macheda header from Anderson’s cross and then made a superb save from the resulting corner to deny Wes Brown, before keeping out another Carrick strike in injury time to earn Besiktas a memorable victory.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Besiktas-end-Uniteds-unbeaten-home-run/articleshow/5269937.cms

Sources say Headley insisted on taking an unsuspecting Rahul to these places. The visits to these targets took place between November 2006 and March 2008.

Sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) say that Rahul had neither any inkling of Headley’s designs nor could he understand the code language the Lashkar frontman used while talking on the phone.

Rahul is believed to have told the investigators that he found Headley’s behaviour odd at times and it is only now that he has realised that what Headley spoke on the phone was some code language.

Home Ministry sources have already said that investigators do not consider Rahul a suspect, but efforts are on to ascertain if he had unwittingly helped American terror suspect David Headley.

Moreover, in a statement that could come as some relief to Rahul Bhatt, Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police, Rakesh Maria told NDTV that Rahul was only being looked upon as a witness at the moment.

Maria also made a point of the fact that Rahul had come up to the police to tell them that he knew Headley. Maria said: “Rahul Bhatt came to us with information voluntarily that the Rahul being referred to in the emails is him. So, it is wrong to prejudge his guilt. Rahul is a witness at the moment.”

Earlier, Rahul, who was befriended by Lashkar operative David Headley in a gym, was told not to leave Mumbai till investigation in the case is over. Two of his friends have also been asked not to leave the city.

Rahul Bhatt was a trainer in a posh Mumbai gym where Headley was a member. The Bhatt family has claimed that it was Rahul who approached investigators after realising who Headley was.

Headley, a key suspect in a terror plot against India and Denmark uncovered by the FBI, was arrested in Chicago last month.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/rahul_bhatt_used_as_unsuspecting_cover.php

“There are still several hundred foreign fighters based in the FATA area of Pakistan and travelling to training camps to learn bomb making and weapons skills,” Brown said Monday night in a speech defending Britain’s continuing military presence in Afghanistan.

“It is because of the nature of the threat, and because around three quarters of the most serious plots the security services are now tracking in Britain have links to Pakistan, that it does not make sense to confine our defence against terrorism solely to actions inside the UK,” Brown said.

Brown’s comments come amid a rising demand for Britain to withdraw its 9,000 troops from Afghanistan, fuelled by a death toll of 232 since 2001.

But Brown said that since January 2008 seven of the top dozen Al Qaeda figures have been killed “depleting its reserve of experienced leaders and sapping its morale”.

He said the multi-nation force in Afghanistan had had “greater success in this one year to disable Al Qaeda” than in any year since the invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

“Al Qaeda rely on a permissive environment in the tribal areas of Pakistan and – if they can re-establish one – in Afghanistan,” he said.

“We are there because action in Afghanistan is not an alternative to action in Pakistan, but an inseparable support to it.”

Brown also offered London as the venue for an international conference on Afghanistan early next year, where he is expected to discuss a timetable for withdrawal of forces.

Source: http://www.samaylive.com/news/hundreds-of-al-qaeda-terrorists-being-trained-in-pakistan-british-pm/667931.html

While 82-year-old Thackeray’s attack appears to have been motivated by competitive politics with his nephew, Raj, to appear as a bigger champion of Marathi interests, it appears to have backfired. Parties cutting across political lines and Marathi intellectuals and civil society leaders expressed their disgust at Thackeray’s editorial which, they said, was “worthy of the dustbin”.

In that sense, the attack on Sachin Tendulkar — as Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said — has united India. Thackeray’s editorial addressed the legendary cricketer to say: “What was the need to say this? Your remark has cut through every Marathi heart… Mumbai may be India’s commercial capital. But don’t ever forget that it is Maharashtra’s capital.”

The Sena supremo advised Sachin not to stray into politics: “Keep this in mind — people praise you when you hit a six or a four. However, don’t use your tongue to bat against the just and legitimate rights of the Marathi `manoos’. They will not like it.” Thackeray signed off the letter with an “affectionate warning”: “Don’t lose on the pitch of politics whatever you have earned on the cricketing pitch”.

Thackeray also reminded Tendulkar of the Samyukta Maharashtra agitation for the inclusion of Mumbai in the linguistic Marathi state. The stir in the 1950s claimed 105 lives of Marathis who fell to the bullets of the then Morarji Desai state government.

Alarmed by the Sena leader’s warning, BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla said Thackeray should be brought to book while a furious Lalu Prasad said, “Sachin is a national hero. Who is Bal Thackeray to comment on him?” Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said, “The real place for Bal Thackeray’s statement is the dustbin.”

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sachin-Tendulkar-unites-all-of-India-yet-again/articleshow/5237578.cms

The master blaster, who had said at a recent Press conference that he was a “proud Maharashtrian”, but an Indian first, has come in for flak from the Shiv Sena.

Advising Sachin to stay away politics, Sena supremo Bal Thackeray said in an open letter on the front page of his organisation’s newspaper, Saamna: “You have played like a king and become a multi-millionaire, no one has issues with that. But at a press conference, you said you are proud of being Marathi but are an Indian first. This has hurt Marathi people.”

Thackeray recalled that Sachin said all Indians had an equal right on Mumbai and said: “What was the need for this? You have been ‘run-out’ on the Marathi pitch. When the Marathi people wrested Mumbai, you weren’t even born.”

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/shiv_sena_to_sachin_stick_to_sports.php