Srinagar, Jan. 28: A group of eight teenagers, reportedly planning to cross over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for arms training, were taken into custody by the police during vehicle checking here on Thursday, official sources said.

Panaji, Jan. 28: The Goa police has identified the suspected molesters of a 9-year-old Russian girl and launched a search for UP native Aman Bharadwaj and his accomplice Anil Kumar Raghuvanshi, both employees of a pharma unit located not far from Arambol beach where the crime occurred on Tuesday.

Protesters belonging to aid agency Oxfam, wearing masks of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (from left), Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, throw money into a bucket in a demonstration outside Lancaster House in London on Thursday. The demonstration was to highlight the need to improve the way aid money is spent by the international community in Afghanistan and to make sure more of it reaches those who need it most. PHOTO: Asian Age

Serena Williams of the US reacts as she plays Li Na of China in the Australian Open women’s singles semifinal in Melbourne on Thursday. Williams won 7-6. 7-6. n Report on Page 20     PHOTO: AP

New Delhi, Jan. 28: India is understood to be examining the possibility of buying 145 ultra light-weight howitzer 155 mm artillery guns for the Indian Army from the United States under the foreign military sales (government-to-government) route.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: After the 26/11 terror attacks put the Indo-Pak peace process on hold, Union home minister P. Chidambaram is likely to visit Islamabad next month to attend the Saarc Home Ministers’ Conference.

New Delhi, Jan. 28: Sarath Fonseka, who lost the presidential polls, had plotted to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapakse and create a “bloodbath”, Mr Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan defence secretary and brother of the President, alleged in an exclusive telephone interview from Colombo on Thursday. However,  Gen. Fonseka, a former Sri Lankan Army Chief, rejected the allegations and said they were “trumped up charges” to arrest him.

London, Jan. 28: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that his country would need foreign support for its forces for the next 15 years.

Washington, Jan. 28: US President Barack Obama has revived the bugaboo of outsourcing by vowing to slash tax breaks to American firms that move jobs abroad and to help those who create employment within the country. “Job creation would be the country’s number-one focus in 2010,” he said, pushing for a new jobs bill in his first State of the Union address to a joint session of the Congress even as he acknowledged the step would not compensate for the seven million jobs lost over the last two years. Even as he promised to curb outsourcing, unlike in the past he did not mention India.    —IANS

Arun Kumar

Washington, Jan. 28: US President Barack Obama has revived the bugaboo of outsourcing by vowing to slash tax breaks to American firms that move jobs abroad and to help those who create employment within the country. “Job creation would be the country’s number-one focus in 2010,” he said, pushing for a new jobs bill in his first State of the Union address to a joint session of the Congress even as he acknowledged the step would not compensate for the seven million jobs lost over the last two years. Even as he promised to curb outsourcing, unlike in the past he did not mention India.    —IANS

Arun Kumar