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VADODARA: Facing flak for campaigning for different political outfits, Bollywood actor Salman Khan said he campaigns for "right candidates and not political parties". "I campaign for candidates who are my friends and work hard for development of the country and upliftment of the society," the actor said. "Right candidates are my priority and not political parties," the 43-year-old actor said. Salman had earlier conducted road shows for Congress candidates in Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), Mumbai, and Chindwara while he campaigned for BJP candidate from Punjab's Gurdaspur constituency Vinod Khanna. The actor has campaigned for Congress candidates Murli Deora and Priya Dutt in Mumbai and for union commerce Minister Kamal Nath in Chindwara.

MUMBAI: The father of "Slumdog Millionaire" child actress Rubina Ali has denied trying to sell his daughter, after a British newspaper claimed he was willing to put her up for adoption at a price. Indian media said Monday that Rafiq Qureshi described the reports as lies, although he accepted meeting a man claiming to be from the Middle East who approached them with an offer for the nine-year-old. The man, posing as a wealthy Arab sheikh, was in fact a reporter at the weekly tabloid. The tactic has been employed successfully in the past in sting operations against the rich and famous in Britain. "They kept saying we will give you a lot of benefits and it will be good for your daughter, but I declined," Qureshi was quoted as telling reporters. "The reports that I wanted to sell Rubina are false." Rubina, who played the young Latika in the hit film and still lives in Mumbai's teeming slums, was also quoted as saying: "I want to remain with my father....

BEIJING: The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog says North Korea could restart its nuclear facility within months, but that he hopes negotiations on halting Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions can be revived. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed El-Baradei said Monday ``it could be a question of months'' when asked how soon North Korea could restart its nuclear facility. North Korea vowed earlier this week to restart its nuclear program and quit six-nation disarmament talks because the U.N. Security Council criticized its April 5 rocket launch as a violation of resolutions barring it from ballistic missile-related activity. El-Baradei said he was hopeful that openness shown by the new Obama administration would lead to a restart in talks with North Korea.

WASHINGTON: The second-ranking leader of the Al-Qaeda network, Ayman al-Zawahiri, said in a new video that US President Barack Obama "did not change anything" in the Muslims' perception of the United States, Al-Qaeda monitors said Sunday. "The new President Obama did not change anything of the image of America towards Muslims and the oppressed," according to excerpts of Zawahiri's statement released by the SITE Intelligence Group. "It is America that is still killing Muslims in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan," the Al-Qaeda's number two continued. "It is America that steals their fortunes, occupies their land, and supports the thieving, corrupt, and traitor rulers in their countries. And consequently, the problem is not over. Rather, it is likely to deteriorate and escalate."

COLOMBO: A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber who was among thousands of civilians fleeing Sri Lanka's war zone into army-controlled areas, set off a blast that killed at least 17 people, the Defence Ministry said on Monday. "An LTTE suicide bomber has attacked thousands of Tamil civilians who are now trying to seek refuge with the Sri Lankan Army, this morning," the ministry's website said. "Battlefield sources said at least 17 civilians, including women and children, have been killed in the cowardly bomb blast." At least 5,000 people burst out of the war zone on Monday, after soldiers broke through a long earthen wall the Tiger rebels had built to stall their advance, the military said earlier.

SULAIMANIYAH: A microbus and a large truck collided on a highway in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq, killing 16 people and injuring another nine, police said on Monday. The two vehicles slammed into one another on Sunday 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Sulaimaniyah, police captain Atta Baram told, adding that some of those injured were in serious condition.

GENEVA: UN chief Ban Ki-Moon on Monday opened a five day UN review conference on racism, saying he was "profoundly disappointed" at the boycotts by some countries while all forms of racism persist.

BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber dressed in police uniform killed four police officials at a checkpoint in northeastern Iraq, police said. A lieutenant colonel with the Iraqi army in Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad, said a number of U.S. soldiers were also killed in the attack at a checkpoint near the Baquba municipality. The U.S. military could not be immediately reached for confirmation. Seven civilians were also wounded, the army official said.

LAS VEGAS: Miss North Carolina USA Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA 2009 on Sunday at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. "It feels really natural," Dalton said of her win. "I've worked so be here and this has been my lifelong dream and it's finally here. And whoever knew you could win in a turquoise gown?" The 22-year-old blue eyed beauty from Wilmington is an aspiring motivational speaker and entertainer. Her mother was Miss North Carolina USA 1982 and her sister was Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2008. Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, of San Diego, was named first runner-up.

MUMBAI: The real life love story of Bollywood’s most glamorous couple started with a deep bond of friendship and soon flourished into love. The couple is celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary today by going on a week long vacation to an undisclosed location. Last year Aishwarya had joined Abhishek in Miami while he was shooting for ‘Dostana’. This year as well the couple had planned to spend the day together on the set of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’. But the sudden illness of Mani has pushed the shooting schedule back, giving the couple time for a short vacation.

MUMBAI: After reported fights between his estranged wife Sabah and friend Pooja Bedi, Adnan Sami has now got death threats. The Bollywood singer says he has informed Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari about the calls. “I had to,” said Adnan. “He’s (Gilani) an old family friend. I know him from the time he was the speaker of the Pakistan assembly. And I’ve informed President Asif Zardari also. They had to know about the threats because if something happens to me, they should know whom to point a finger at,” Adnan told IANS. Adnan, who is of Pakistani descent but born and brought up in Britain, has been living in Mumbai for quite some time. His father Arshad Sami Khan was a Pakistani diplomat and was close to many of Pakistan’s political elite. “If I’m harmed, it would become an international issue and I don’t want the wrong people to be accused,” Adnan added. Sabah suspects Pooja has a relationship with Adnan and attacked her when she visited him ...

GENEVA: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Monday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the Durban Review Conference on racism in Geneva. They discussed the conference, regional peace and security, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, as well as the Iranian nuclear issue, the UN said in a statement. During the conversation with the controversial president, Ban said there was a 'need to look to the future of unity, not to the past of divisiveness.' 'The secretary general reminded the president that the UN General Assembly had adopted the resolution to revoke the equation of Zionism with racism,' according to the statement. Ahmadinejad has in the past made derisive statements against Israel and questioned whether the Holocaust in fact happened.