Former tennis superstar Boris Becker recently admitted that he has undergone a facelift to protect his face against the ravages of ageing. Becker said in a televised interview, “I turned 43 this week, and winning Wimbledon was 25 years ago, and I do feel very much like I’m 43 right now,” as he revealed that he had opted for a facelift and a hair colouring treatment in an attempt to bring back his youth. Incidentally, Becker and his second wife Lilly Kerssenberg became parents this February.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh took forward his attack on diesel-guzzling sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and suggested that users of such cars be made to pay full market price for the fuel instead of the subsidised rate.

India chose Tuesday not to comment on the WikiLeaks revelations even as the US sought to cushion the impact of the expose on its ties with India.
The external affairs ministry spokesman said the WikiLeaks cables “purportedly are an account of privileged internal US government assessments and correspondence” and therefore India would prefer not to comment. He added: “We have a multi-faceted and forward-looking strategic partnership with the US and there is a regular, open and candid dialogue between the two countries on a number of matters of mutual interest.”

Home minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday said that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is inquiring into the alleged leak of tapes of telephone conversations between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and politicians, journalists and industrialists.

Amidst the deadlock in Parliament over the Opposition demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into alleged 2G spectrum allocation scam, the ruling Congress on Tuesday stepped its attack on the BJP by dubbing the saffron outfit a “drama company”.

Non-NDA parties calling themselves the “secular opposition” called on President Pratibha Patil to impress upon her the need to prevail on the government to agree to a JPC on the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar’s luncheon all-party meeting on Tuesday failed to end the deadlock in Parliament over demands for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the alleged 2G spectrum allocation scam, as both sides — the government and the Opposition — refused to budge from their stated positions.

Central Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas is under serious pressure to quit following the stinging observations from the Supreme Court on his capacity to supervise the CBI probe into the 2G spectrum scam.

Patiala House court special CBI judge A.S. Yadav on Tuesday dismissed the anticipatory bail application of T.S. Darbari, the former joint director-general of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC), in an another corruption case relating to procurement of video screens from a London-based firm last year.

The contents of the chief minister, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy’s new Cabinet remained a closely-guarded secret on Tuesday, a day before the ministers were supposed to take their oaths.