Gallant Li sees lighter side of Australian Open defeat

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Li Na's bid for a second grand slam title ended tearfully with an injured ankle, a bruised head and a heart-breaking defeat to Victoria Azarenka, but she could still laugh off her "stupid" falls after a gallant failure in the Australian Open final.

Li raised gasps from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as she rolled her left ankle twice in the 4-6 6-4 6-3 loss on Saturday, and banged her head on the blue centre court on the second fall, causing her to black out momentarily.

"It was actually pretty heavy at that time. There was two seconds there where everything was black and I couldn't see a thing," the 30-year-old Chinese told reporters.

"So when the doctor and the physio came out on to the court, I sat up, but it took a long time to fully come around.

"At the time I was really afraid ... I'm scared of bleeding.

"Also I could hear this sound ringing in my ears."

As her husband Jiang Shan bit his fingernails in the crowd, a doctor gave Li a concussion test, asking her to count how many fingers he was holding up.

Under the stern examination, Li could not help but see the lighter side of her position and she broke into a broad grin, raising a roar of approval from the stands.

"They were staring at me very seriously, and I started to think it was funny," said Li, Asia's first grand slam singles champion.

"It was like being at a children's hospital where parents take their kids for checkups."

Sixth seed Li was trailing 3-1 in the second when she first rolled her ankle and bashed her head after having taken a 2-1 lead in the decider.

Although her mobility appeared restricted in certain points, and she declined to chase every baseline bullet fired down the lines, Li said the falls had not really affected her.

"Because I am stupid," she joked when asked how she had fallen. "Without falling down I was feeling pretty good ... It was a very tough match. She's number one, defending champion.

"So, I think today in (the) important games she was playing better than me, so that's why she can win the title."

The loss was former French Open champion Li's second disappointment at Melbourne Park, having been similarly overhauled in the 2011 final when she took the first set against Kim Clijsters.

As Azarenka wept in relief and happiness after closing out the match, Li quietly retired to her chair, where she sat motionlessly and stared as tears welled up in her eyes.

She consoled herself with the knowledge that after losing the 2011 final to Clijsters, she broke her grand slam drought at Roland Garros a few months later.

"After the match was over, there was some sadness. But it was over, it was already a fact. What's the point of crying more?" she said. "Tears don't solve anything."

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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Zabaleta strikes late as Man City edge past Stoke

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester City booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup as Pablo Zabaleta scored a late winner with a neat finish to beat an organised Stoke City 1-0 on Saturday.

City enjoyed the majority of the possession and created the best opportunities but could not find a chink in the home team's armour until the 85th minute when Zabaleta arrived late in the area to poke home at the far post.

City, who beat Stoke by the same scoreline in the 2011 Cup final, had begun brightly with David Silva hitting the crossbar with a curling effort in the first half while Stoke's Ryan Shawcross put the ball in the net but his goal was ruled out for offside.

The hosts were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men when Glenn Whelan jumped in two-footed on Javi Garcia two minutes into the second half, but the midfielder escaped without even a caution.

(Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Clare Fallon)

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United manager Ferguson calls De Gea critics "idiots"

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has rounded on critics of goalkeeper David De Gea, calling them "idiots".

The 22-year-old Spaniard was lambasted for failing to deal with a cross that led to an injury-time equaliser for Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw.

"It's been over the top. It is always over the top when it comes to criticism here," Ferguson, whose team face Fulham in the FA Cup on Saturday, was quoted as saying on the BBC. "You have to listen to some idiots in the game.

"I am not interested in discussing it because we know it is unfounded."

Ferguson was asked by the FA to explain comments he made in the wake of the match when he criticised assistant referee Simon Beck for not giving his side a penalty for a foul on striker Wayne Rooney.

"We are high profile and the profile of me is such that the FA naturally panic as soon as the press criticise them," said Ferguson, who will find out on Tuesday if he is going to be charged.

"Whether I think it is unfair or not doesn't matter to them really at this point.

"I just think it is more about me than what I have said."

(Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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Emotional Azarenka emerges a champion again

By Simon Cambers

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Victoria Azarenka took everything the Australian Open could throw at her and emerged a champion.

The Belarussian won her second successive title at Melbourne Park on Saturday with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory over China's Li Na, bursting into tears as the emotion and stress of a fortnight came pouring out.

"You have to go through rough patches to achieve great things," Azarenka told Channel 7, the host broadcaster. "It's been tough but I am happy here right now. There were new experiences for me in the last couple of days. I have to say thanks to my team for being so supportive.

It was a victory that ensures she will stay at the top of the world rankings for at least a few more weeks but winning a second grand slam title will be of even more satisfaction.

When Li turned her left ankle early in the second set, the match swung in Azarenka's favour. When the Chinese fell again in the third and banged her head, it was getting surreal.

But the way the top seed dug herself out of a hole to clinch victory showed immense mental strength.

In her semi-final against American teenager Sloane Stephens, Azarenka had incurred the wrath of everyone watching when she took a 10-minute double injury timeout just as Stephens was serving to stay in the match.

Her attempts to explain it fell flat and when she was introduced to the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, a number of jeers rang out.

"I was expecting way worse, actually," she told reporters. "But what can you do? You just have to go out and play your tennis.

"It was definitely not easy with all the attention, with all the press around. But it was definitely a new experience for me that I think I handled quite well.

"I can only learn from this experience and move forward and try to improve as a player and as a person, as well."

During the match, one fan called out "quiet please Azarenka", in reference to her high-pitched grunting and the crowd was firmly behind Li.

On the court, Azarenka could not cope with the former French Open champion's aggressive returns, at times a little slow to react after her serve.

The first set went to the Chinese but slowly and surely, Azarenka began to work Li around the court, extending the rallies and making her opponent work harder for her points. Azarenka took a 3-1 lead in the second set and then watched as Li fell in pain after turning her left ankle.

Considering the drama of her semi-final, Azarenka must have wondered what was going on but she kept her cool and stuck to her gameplan, levelling the match.

The drama moved up a level when Li slipped and hit her head on the court at 2-1 in the third set and when they resumed, Azarenka saved a break point to square the decider at 2-2. After breaking in the next game, she came through a long service game to stay ahead at 5-3 and then broke Li again to clinch victory.

Her celebrations were subdued but when she sat down in her chair, the tears flowed uncontrollably.

"This one is way more emotional (than last year)," she said. "It's going to be extra special for me, for sure."

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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Bryan twins break record for grand slam doubles titles

By Simon Cambers

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - American twins Bob and Mike Bryan became the most successful men's pair in grand-slam history on Saturday when they won their 13th doubles title together at the Australian Open.

The 34-year-olds beat the Dutch pairing of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling 6-3 6-4 to break the record of 12 grand slams they had shared with Australians John Newcombe and Tony Roche.

"Obviously it feels really good to have that record and to be a part of history feels really special," Mike Bryan said.

"We weren't thinking much about it on court but once we look back on our careers it will be fun to see what we have done. It's a big record."

The left-handed Bob Bryan served out for victory to seal their sixth Australian Open title together.

It was the brothers' 84th career title and their second consecutive grand-slam triumph, after their win at the U.S. Open in September.

(Editing by Clare Fallon)

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Hackers claim attack on U.S. Justice Department website

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers sympathetic to the late computer prodigy Aaron Swartz claimed on Saturday to have infiltrated the website of the U.S. Justice Department's Sentencing Commission, and said they planned to release government data.

The Sentencing Commission site, www.ussc.gov , was shut down early Saturday.

Identifying themselves as Anonymous, a loosely organized group of unknown provenance associated with a range of recent online actions, the hackers voiced outrage over Swartz' suicide on January 11.

In a video posted online, the hackers criticized the government's prosecution of Swartz, who had been facing trial on charges that he used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's computer networks to steal more than 4 million articles from JSTOR, an online archive and journal distribution service.

Swartz had faced a maximum sentence of 31 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.

The FBI is investigating the attack, according to Richard McFeely, of the bureau's Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch.

"We were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation," McFeely said in an emailed statement. "We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."

(Reporting by Deborah Zabarenko; Editing by Vicki Allen)

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Syrian militias target civilians in Homs, opposition says

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN (Reuters) - More than 20 people were killed in the Syrian city of Homs on Saturday, a doctor said, as fighting raged around a road junction on a supply line to government forces in the interior of the country.

The opposition accuses shabbiha militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of killing some 200 Sunni Muslim civilians in Homs in massacres over the last two weeks, but a Syrian ban on most independent media makes such reports difficult to verify.

In a video statement from a makeshift hospital in the city, Mohammad Mohammad, a doctor who has been treating the wounded underground for months, displayed the bodies of five people whose remains had been charred to unrecognisable bits.

"They are the Uzam family. The father, mother and three children - the shabbiha burnt them completely, as part of the annihilation the regime is bringing on the area of Jobar-Kfar Aaya," Mohammad said, referring to districts of Homs.

"We are here surrounded. We have more than 20 dead today. They have been documented by name." He said the victims had died in fighting, bombardment and summary executions.

At least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war. Mostly Sunni Homs, a commercial and agricultural hub 140 km (90 miles) north of Damascus, has been at the heart of the 22-month uprising against Assad.

Syrian authorities have not commented on the latest fighting in the city. In the past, official media have described army operations as designed to 'cleanse' Homs from what they described as terrorists.

'ETHNIC CLEANSING'

Speaking from Istanbul after visiting Homs, Mohammad Mroueh, a member of the Higher Leadership Council of the Syrian Revolution, told Reuters: "The rebels are holding their ground but the shabbiha are getting to the civilians.

"It's hard to describe what's happening in terms other than ethnic cleansing of Sunni districts in the way of Alawite supply lines," said Mroueh, who was in Homs earlier this week.

The Alawites, who follow an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam and comprise about 10 percent of the population, have dominated Syria's power structure and its security apparatus since the 1960s. Assad and most of the ruling elite are Alawites.

A highway that passes near Homs has been used to supply Alawite forces deployed on hilltops in Damascus from bases in the coastal cities of Tartous and Latakia, which have a sizeable Alawite population, according to opposition sources.

Sunnis fear that the city could become part of an Alawite enclave stretching to the coast, where major military bases are located, if Assad was forced to leave Damascus.

"The massacres are increasing and Bashar al-Assad has began to draw borders of this mini-state and associate the Alawites more with blood so that they have no other option but to join him," wrote opposition campaigner Fawaz Tello in an article published on All4Syria news website.

Syria's conflict has grown more sectarian, deepening the Sunni-Shi'ite divide in the Middle East which burst into the open when Shi'ites gained political ascendancy in Iraq following the 2003 U.S. led invasion that deposed Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.

A statement by an insurgent group, the Syrian Revolution against Bashar al-Assad, said neighbourhoods of southern and western Homs were being hit with battlefield artillery and barrages from rocket launchers.

Activists in Homs said at least 120 civilians and 40 opposition fighters had been killed in the past week and that rebels from the nearby town of Qusair on the border with Lebanon were trying to relieve pressure on the western neighbourhoods.

The armed opposition has been weakened in the city after a drop in ammunition supplies in recent weeks and after Assad's forces tightened a siege on western areas, according to opposition sources.

A counter-offensive by rebels two days ago in the western sector pushed back Assad's forces slightly, but they continued to pound the area with artillery and from the air, the sources said.

(Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Real's Mourinho keeping his head down as he turns 50

MADRID (Reuters) - Under-fire Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho again chose not to speak to the media as he celebrated his 50th birthday on Saturday but he did receive a ringing endorsement from one of the squad's youngest players, Raphael Varane.

Coverage of the Spanish champions was dominated this week by a report in Marca sports daily that said club captains Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos had threatened to leave along with several team mates unless Mourinho was dismissed.

Real president Florentino Perez said the newspaper was lying and trying to destabilise the club but Marca have stuck by their story, the latest in a string of reports suggesting all is not well between Mourinho and some of his leading players.

The combative Portuguese has drawn criticism this season with his side 15 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona and they host their arch rivals on Wednesday in the first leg of their King's Cup semi-final.

Elimination followed by defeat to Manchester United in their Champions League last 16 tie would almost certainly end Real's hopes of silverware this season and increase the pressure on Perez to replace Mourinho, lured at great expense from Inter Milan in 2010.

Varane, Real's 19-year-old French centre back, was sent out instead of Mourinho on Saturday to give the news conference previewing Sunday's La Liga game at home to Getafe and said the coach had the players' full support.

"We are all behind the coach, who is the best in the world," Varane told reporters.

"The media are being tough on him but he is doing a good job and all this is not necessary."

Varane added that the squad had given Mourinho, who has barely spoken to reporters since the turn of the year, a signed photograph taken during the wild celebrations after they sealed the La Liga title by beating Athletic Bilbao last season.

Real have a number of injury problems ahead of the Getafe match and Wednesday's Cup game, with Casillas sidelined for up to three months with a broken hand and Varane's fellow centre back Pepe still recovering from ankle surgery.

"Losing Iker could destabilise the team but I don't think it will change all that much," Varane said.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Tom Pilcher)

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Siemens seeks growth in Latin America, to keep investment pace

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Siemens wants to grow in Latin America and intends to maintain its investment pace in the dynamically-growing region, the CEO for South America, excluding Brazil, told Reuters on Saturday.

The German conglomerate had said on Wednesday it would stick with its focus on cost cuts to catch up with peers such as General Electric as a weak global economy saps demand for factory equipment.

Daniel Fernandez said mining, energy and infrastructure are the most interesting sectors in export-dependent Latin America, which has significant metal wealth, growing power needs and growing cities.

"Latin America is a very interesting market ... today it's more interesting than ever," Fernandez said on the sidelines of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and European Union (EU) business summit.

"We want to continue growing strongly in Chile and the other Latin American countries. We've already been growing strongly and we're going to maintain this rhythm with which we'll better our local presence."

Fernandez declined to give details of the company's investment plans. He added Siemens is not interested in selling assets in Latin America.

The engineering group makes products ranging from fast trains and gas turbines to hearing aids.

EU leaders took their hunt for economic growth to Latin America this weekend as the bloc tries to emerge from three years of crisis.

(Reporting by Alexadra Ulmer; Editing by Vicki Allen)

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Poll shows 63 pct of French back gay marriage

The number of people who support the legalisation of same-sex marriage in France has risen despite major protests against the government's planned reforms earlier this month, a new poll by Ifop for news website Atlantico.fr showed.

The proportion of those surveyed supporting the change in the law rose to 63 percent from 60 percent in early January and December.

Support for adoption rights for gay couples also rose by 3 percentage points, although the country remains divided on the issue, with 49 percent in favour, according to the international marketing firm.

The French government underlined its determination to press ahead with a reform bill earlier this month even after roughly half a million people marched through Paris on January 13 to show their opposition to the proposal.

"We have observed that the proportion of people in favour of marriage and adoption has risen three points, compared with our previous survey, done before the large demonstration," said Ifop pollster Jerome Fourquet. "Support for the plan is increasing - particularly on the Left."

Thousands marched in the French city of Lyon on Saturday in support of "marriage for all" ahead of a similar demonstration planned in Paris on Sunday.

The latest Ifop poll was based on the views of 1,026 people aged 18 or over and was carried out between January 22 and 24, Ifop said.

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Declare Pakistan an quot;enemy nationquot;: Ex-soldiers

Ghaziabad, Jan 19 (PTI) Describing "as cruel" the beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops, ex-soldiers' forum today staged a dharna here and demanded government should declare Pakistan an "enemy nation". Ex-soldiers staged a dharna before the Collectorate office here today and gave a memorandum to district magistrate in this regard. "It is cruel. Indian government should have taken a befitting reply in the matter but it hadn't taken any step till now," morcha leader BC Bansal said in a memorandum addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee. "Severe all relations with Pakistan and declare it an enemy nation," chief of ex-women soldiers' brigade Veenu Choudhary said. PTI CORR RCJ

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2NDLD HOSTAGES 2 LAST

Algeria's response to the crisis was typical of the Algeria's response to the crisis was typical of the country's history in confronting terrorists - military action over negotiation - and caused an international outcry from countries worried about their citizens. Algerian military forces twice assaulted the areas where the hostages were being held with minimal apparent negotiation - first on Thursday and then today. The latest deaths bring the official Algerian tally of dead to 19 hostages and 29 militants, although reports on the number of dead, injured and freed have been contradictory throughout the crisis. Militants originally said they had seized 41 foreign hostages. The al-Qaida-linked militants attacked the plant on Wednesday morning. They crept across the border from Libya, 100 kilometers away, and fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport. The buses' military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian - probably a security guard - were killed. Frustrated, the militants turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers' living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off. On Thursday, Algerian helicopters opened fire on a convoy carrying both kidnappers and their hostages, resulting in many deaths, according to witnesses. In their final communications, the militants said they were holding seven hostages: three Belgian, two Americans, a Japanese and a Briton. They had threatened to kill them if the Algerian army attacked. Algerian authorities estimated that about 30 militants occupied the Ain Amenas site Wednesday and with 18 already reported dead, it appeared today that the hostage crisis was finally over. (AP) ZH

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Mutilated body of infant found near canal

Jalandhar, Jan 19 (PTI) Body of an infant, badly bitten by stray dogs, was today found near a canal in Basti Peerdad area of the district, police said today. The body was recovered by policemen after being informed about the matter by locals, DCP Sarabjeet Singh said. When the police reached the spot, the dogs were still nibbling the body, he said, adding that the deceased appeared to be 9-10 days old. The body has been sent to the hospital and a case has been registered against unidentified persons, he said. PTI SRT AGL AGL

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Algerian assault ends crisis, 19 hostages dead

Ain Amenas (Algeria), Jan 19 (AP) Algerian special forces today stormed a natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a "final assault" that ended a four-day-old hostage crisis, according to the state news agency and two foreign governments. At least 19 hostages and 29 Islamist militants have been killed. The report, quoting a security source, didn't say whether any hostages or militants remained alive, and it didn't give the nationalities of the dead. It said the army was forced to intervene after a fire broke out in the plant and said the militants killed the hostages. It wasn't immediately possible to verify who killed the captives. Seven hostages and 11 militants were killed in today's operation, adding to the previous tally of 12 captives and 18 kidnappers. The Ain Amenas plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company. The governments of Norway and Britain said they received confirmation the siege was over. The entire refinery was mined with explosives and set to blow up, the Algerian state oil company Sonatrach said in a statement, adding that the process of clearing the explosives had begun. The Algerian media reported that the militants had planned to blow up the complex. The siege transfixed the world after radical Islamists linked to al-Qaida stormed the complex, which contained hundreds of plant workers from all over the world. MORE (AP) ZH

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After elevation, Rahul thanks party

Jaipur, Jan 19 (PTI) Accepting the post of Vice President in the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi today expressed his gratitude and thanked the party leaders at the CWC meeting. Stating that he had "great experience", Rahul also told the meeting of the Congress Working Committee(CWC) he was confident that the party can "transform" the country. "He expressed his gratitude towards all the CWC members," Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar, who was present at the meeting, quoted Rahul as having said at the meeting after his elevation. "I have great experience...in the last eight years that I have worked with the party I have seen it is a great organisation and together we will transform the country. It is a great party," said the 42-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, who was the AICC General Secretary, before his elevation. Rahul becomes the third Vice President of the Congress after Arjun Singh under Rajiv Gandhi and Jitendra Prasada under Sitaram Kesri. PTI ARU AMR SPG JTR GSN GSN

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Former Bihar minister dies

Patna, Jan 19 (PTI) Former Bihar minister and senior JD(U) leader Ramashray Prasad Singh today died of age related illness at a private hospital in New Delhi, family sources said. He was 83. Singh was a member of Bihar Legislative Council and the deputy leader of the party in the upper house of the Assembly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, expressing profound grief over the death of the leader, announced state mourning tomorrow in his respect. He also said that a state funeral will be given to the former minister. Singh was Parliamentary Affairs minister in previous state government led by Kumar. Kumar said he was a "very friendly" person and had a clean image in state politics spanning over five decades. State Assembly Speaker Uday Narain Chaudhury and Bihar JD-U president Basisht Narayan Singh also mourned the death of Singh, one of the senior most leaders of Bihar. PTI SNS AMD DBR

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Sikh shooting victim slowly improves

Milwaukee (US), Jan 19 (AP) Day after day, Raghuvinder and Jaspreet Singh hovered by their nearly comatose father and repeated a single word - a word their dad probably spoke more than any other in his lifetime: "Waheguru." The Punjabi word is a term Sikhs use to refer to God. Roughly translated, it describes the wondrous expression of God's presence. For 65-year-old Punjab Singh, an internationally known Sikh priest who hasn't spoken and barely has moved since a white supremacist shot him in the head last summer, the word meant everything. Doctors had cautioned Singh's prognosis was grim. But his sons were convinced prayer, love and constant companionship would help their father heal. So they remained by his bedside 24 hours a day at a long-term care facility in Wisconsin, alternating shifts and sleeping in a bed next to his. Every day they repeated the word "waheguru" and watched for a response. For weeks there was nothing. Then on January 9 he began to move his mouth, apparently trying several times to say the word. The next day he tried 30 times. In coming days, his sons spoke the word more than 100 times. Each time he moved his mouth to match the rhythm of their syllables, in what his speech therapist said appeared to be attempted repetition. He couldn't vocalise because of a tube in his throat, and couldn't move his lips deftly enough to lip-synch, but it was clear to Raghuvinder and Jaspreet what their father was trying to say. "It was a happy moment for our family," Raghuvinder Singh said, beaming. Punjab Singh was wounded August 5 when a gunman opened fire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek. Six Sikh worshippers were killed and three other people were injured. The motive of the gunman, who killed himself, is unknown. Of those wounded, Punjab Singh suffered the most severe injuries. A single bullet to his face damaged brain tissue, blood vessels and the brain stem. He remained in a coma for two months, and a pair of strokes nearly paralyzed his left side. Improvement has been marginal, but unusual enough for a patient in his condition that his doctor calls the progress remarkable. After five months, Singh can move his eyes to track movement on either side of him, he tries to mouth words and he seems genuinely aware of his surroundings. However, Singh's best-case scenario remains limited. He'll most likely never walk, and while awareness may improve, communication likely will consist of deliberate eye blinks, simple gestures and perhaps whispered words. As long as he stays stable, there is a chance for more improvement, according to his doctor. The doctor spoke about Singh's condition with permission from his family, who asked that the hospital and its staff not be identified. The Singhs worry that if Punjab Singh's location is revealed, either explicitly or indirectly by mention of his doctors, well-meaning Sikhs will flock to his bedside to pray for a priest known across the globe. MORE (AP) ZH

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IAF orders probe into attack on its helicopter

New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) The Indian Air Force has ordered a probe into the yesterday's incident in which its helicopter came under attack by suspected naxalites in the interiors of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. One CRPF personnel was injured and the helicopter was damaged in the firing. A team of technicians has been sent by the IAF to the spot to get back the Mi-17 chopper, which suffered 15 hits in the firing and suffered "extensive damage" in its hydraulic oil and fuel tank, an IAF spokesperson said. The chopper was attacked after it took off from Jagdalpur to rescue two CRPF personnel and was forced to land in general area of Chintal Gufa and Temalwada in Dantewada district. On reports that IAF personnel from its security force Garud had left behind the chopper and the injured CRPF personal unguarded, the spokesperson said the injured jawan was immobile due to his injuries and the security team took a decision in the interest of the security of the chopper and the crew. The IAF in a release issued late in the evening said, "An enquiry has been ordered into the incident." The force claimed that after landing, the "complete crew then assessed the threat situation and condition of the injured CRPF jawan and decided to seek immediate medical help for him and also to secure the helicopter." It said after the crew reached the CRPF Camp at Chintalgufa, it informed them of the exact location which was then communicated to the search party (CRPF Cobra Team) helping them reach the location. The CRPF Cobra Team thereafter reached the spot and secured the helicopter. The IAF has maintained that the trooper injured in the attack on its aircraft belonged to the CRPF but yesterday Chhattisgarh Police Chief Ramniwas had said that the injured person belonged to the state armed police force CAF. PTI AJD SHS

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Vizag TDP leader quits

Visakhapatnam, Jan 19 (PTI) Senior TDP leader and politburo member Chintakayala Ayyannapathrudu today resigned from the party accusing it of violating fundamental guidelines in suspension of a district leader. "While a person was facing allegations, it was the duty of the party to issue a show cause notice and initiate action only if it is not satisfied with the explanation. But, in the case of Peela Srinivas the party suspended him without consulting the politburo member from the district. I decided to quit the position the party offered along with the active membership. I would like to continue as a volunteer hereafter", Ayyannapathrudu told reporters tonight. He was referring to suspension of Peela Srinivas Rao today following a clash between his supporters and those of senior leader Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy on Friday in connection with NTR's death anniversary Rao was recently made organisational secretary while Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar as Urban president. PTI CORR NSK

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Youth arrested for making hoax calls to airlines

Mumbai, Jan 19 (PTI) The Mumbai police today arrested a 19-year old youth who used to make hoax calls to airline companies seeking release of the now executed 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Mohammed Ajmal Kasab. "We have arrested one Vikas Yadav who used to call offices of the airliners and threatened to blow up their planes if Kasab was not released," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ambadas Pote said. He said that Yadav's calls would result in extensive checking and delayed flights. "A team was sent to Bihar and Gujarat and we later zeroed his location at Vapi in Gujarat," said Pote adding six mobile phones and five sim cards were seized from his possession. Yadav, a fifth standard drop out, was booked under the stringent Suppression of Unlawful Act against Safety of Civil Aviation, Information Technology Act and Indian Penal Code. Incidentally, a trial is pending against Yadav and his father for allegedly making a phone call, posing as underworld fugitive Dawood Ibrahim and threatening to blow off Rajdhani Express. PTI VI ABC RCJ SDM

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Sreedharan says professional values must for achieving results

Bhubaneswar, Jan 5 (PTI) Voicing concern over delay in completion of many infrastructure projects like Kashmir valley rail link, engineering wizard E Sreedharan today prescribed punctuality, integrity and professional competence for timely implementation of projects. "Certain principles like punctuality, integrity, professional competence and social responsibility and accountability must be followed to ensure timely and successful implementation of projects," Sreedharan, Principal Advisor of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), said here while delivering the 12th Nalco Foundation Day lecture on "Successful Implementation of Infrastructure Projects". Popularly known as Metro Man of India, Sreedharan also said how high profile Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro projects were completed well ahead of target. While Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro unfolded success stories due to adoption of unique work culture and values, most infrastructure projects including Kashmir valley rail link and Dedicated Freight Corridors were being implemented at an abysmally slow pace, he said. Not even 25 per cent of Kashmir Valley rail link project had been completed in last eight years despite a directive from Prime Minister to complete it in five years, Sreedharan added. If the work moves at this pace, it would take at least ten more years to complete the important project, he said. Similarly, the eastern and western dedicated freight corridors were taken up about seven years ago but hardly ten per cent of the work had been done so far, he said. PTI SKN AMD HU

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20 class XI students in AP college suspended for playing prank

Rajahmundry (AP), Jan 5 (PTI) As many as 20 class XI students of a government junior college in Yanam were suspended today for "pulling out pranks" on lecturers. "The Civil, Economics and Commerce (CEC) group students of Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu government junior college were suspended till further direction for playing pranks during lectures", said Principal G Amaji. The students would pass comments on lecturers and even hurled a coconut at a teacher during the lecture recently, he said. These students on one occasion placed a dead crow on the desk of the lecturer, Amaji said. "We had been monitoring the behaviour of these students for quite some time and decided to take action with immediate effect today", the principal said, adding no police complaint has been lodged taking into consideration their educational career. PTI CORR NSK

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Writ filed seeking stay on whitewashing DMK wall advertise

Madurai, Jan 5 (PTI): A writ petition has been filed in Madras High Court bench here,seeking a stay on the corporation whitewashing DMK wall advertisements, highlighting proposed welfare schemes to be brought out on the occassion of party leader and Union Minister M K Alagiri's birthday on Jan 30. Petitioner Nandagopan, DMK Lawyer's wing organiser, contended that party cadres planned to distribute welfare aid for the poor and alternately abled on that day. The progammes had to be advertised through wall writings so that it could reach more people. He pointed out that similar wall writings were put out by AIADMK cadres in connection with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's birthday. However officials were whitewashing only DMK ads, which was a 'biased action', he said and sought the stay. PTI SSN APR APR

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One held for rape of tribal girl in Assam tea estate

Sibsagar, Jan 5 (PTI) One person was arrested today for allegedly raping a tribal girl in a tea estate in Assam's Sibsagar district on December 25, police sources said. The girl who worked at Bihubar Tea Estate in Nazira subdivision was allegedly raped by five men who threatened her parents not to go to the police, the sources said. The parents, however, lodged an FIR following which one of the five men, Powel Topno, was arrested, they said. Efforts are on to trace the remaining accused. PTI SB PC AVT

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3 engg students among 5 held for murder of royal family member

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 (PTI) Three engineering students were among five arrested here today in connection with the murder of diamond trader and royal family member Harihara Varma on December 24. Additional Director General of Police A Hemachandran told reporters here that all of those arrested were from Kerala. The three students, one of whom was the mastermind behind the murder, were studying in a Bangalore college, he said. The ADGP said robbery was the motive behind the murder and added that media reports putting the value of the stolen diamonds at Rs 300 crore was not correct. "The diamonds taken away from him on that date were not as valued as reported in the media," he said. Harihara Varma, 55, a member of the Poojar Royal family, was found murdered in his house at Puthoorkonam at nearby Vattiyoorkavu. Police had received vital clues from the driver of the car in which they went to Varma's house posing as buyers of diamond. The incident came to light after one Haridas, an advocate by profession and who claimed to be a mediator for the trade, informed police about the murder. The Kerala government had set up a special police team, headed by DCP Putta Vimaladitya, to probe the case. PTI JRK APR RAI SS

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15,689 runners for Sabarmati Marathon

Ahmedabad, Jan 5 (PTI) The 3rd Sabarmati Marathon will be flagged off tomorrow at 6 am by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishal Khanama said that 15,689 people, including foreign athletes, have registered for the Marathon across all categories. In all 528 registrations have been received for the full Marathon, 1,934 have enrolled for the Half-Marathon while 13,157 would participate in the 'Dream Run' category, Khanama said. In the wheel-chair category, 17 persons have confirmed their registration while 53 visually challenged participants will also test their stamina in the running event, he said. The marathon will begin from Vallabh Sadan on Ashram Road and move to Manav Mandir followed by Sal Hospital before reaching Science City and culminate at Vallabh Sadan. PTI SBC PD PTI ABC KHS PTP

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Rally in Pune to demand arrest of accused in Nayna Pujari case

Pune, Jan 5 (PTI) A rally was taken out in the city today demanding arrest of the main accused in 2009 gang-rape and murder case of software engineer Nayna Pujari. Abhijit Pujari, husband of the deceased, also submitted a memorandum to Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol urging him to arrest Yogesh Raut, the key accused in the case who escaped from police custody in 2011. Scores of people participated in the rally demanding justice to the victim and death for the perpetrators of the crime. Nayna, the victim was abducted by four persons when she was waiting for a bus and was later killed after being gang-raped. Her body was found at a nearby village. Police arrested all the four accused including Raut. Raut, however, escaped from Sassoon hospital on September 17, 2011, when he was brought there from Yerawada central jail after a police constable removed his handcuffs as he wanted to go to toilet. The constable was later dismissed from service. A spokesperson for the Police said that a special squad had been set up to track down Raut. PTI HBJ ABC HU PTP

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Third Front a matter of time: Yechury

Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Jan 5 (PTI) CPI-M today expressed optimism over a Third Front emerging "soon" in the country to give the people an alternative. "Third Front will soon emerge in the country as an alternative to the people as neither Congress nor BJP is going to get majority in next Lok Sabha elections," party's politburo member Sitaram Yechury said here today. To a query, Yechury said Samajwadi Party would be a major part of a Third Front and the front's "revival programme" would be completed before the budget session of Parliament. The Third Front, he added, would launch an awareness campaign from Mumbai, Kanyakumari, Amritsar and Kolkata, while a meeting is scheduled on March 19 in New Delhi's Ramleela Maidan. On FDI, Yechury said CPI-M would continue to oppose it though Parliament had passed the bill. "During NDA regime, Congress had supported us on FDI. Now BJP is with us," he said, taking a dig at the two parties' "political opportunism". PTI COR PVR AMD AVT

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3 hostages, 1 gunman killed in Colorado shooting

Washington, Jan 5 (PTI) The US city of Aurora, that was the scene of a movie theater massacre last year, was shaken again by a hostage crisis that ended with the death of four people, including the gunman. A gunman, who was holed up in a house with several hostages, kept the police at bay for several hours, but the standoff ended with the killing of three hostages and the gunman. Local media reports said that police broke into the house after hours of failed negotiations gunned down the culprit. Three victims were discovered dead inside the home, Denver News reported. Neighbours who heard gunshots from the house called the police at around 3 am (local time Saturday), following which police surrounded the house and evacuated the area. According to a report in the local KUSA news, one person inside the home was able to escape the hostage situation and alert authorities. The identities of the victims and the gunman were not released immediately. Last year in July, the Colorado city of Aurora witnessed a macabre shooting incident at a movie theater screening The Dark Knight Rises, in which 12 people were killed and 58 were injured. The US was shaken last month when a gunman barged into an elementary school and shot dead 20 little children and six school staffers, in one of a series of such shooting incidents that has sparked a gun control debate in the country. PTI WAJ

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Cong to name its candidate for HP Assembly Speaker on Jan 7

Shimla, Jan 5 (PTI) Congress' candidate for the post of Speaker of newly-elected Himachal Pradesh Assembly would be announced at its legislature party meeting at Dharamsala on January 7. "The name of candidate for the post of Speaker would be decided soon and a formal announcement would be made at the meeting of Congress Legislature Party to be held at Dharamsala on the eve of first session of the newly elected Vidhan Sabha," AICC general secretary and in charge of organisational affairs for Himachal, Birender Singh Chowdhary, told PTI. Singh said the names of some Independent MLAs desirous of supporting the Congress Government in the state would also be announced in the meeting. He said the election for the Speaker would be held on January 9, but the election of the deputy Speaker might to deferred for the time being. When asked about the fate of the appointments of Chairman of Boards and corporations by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Chowdhary said the same have been "held in abeyance till the next communication from the high command." However, all such appointments in further would be made after approval from the High Command. The rival camp has reportedly expressed dismay at the appointments made in an "arbitrary" manner and sought intervention of the party's High Command. PTI PCL PMS

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