Fila Brasileiro mastiffs kill man at Ving Rhames’ home

A man working for actor Ving Rhames was killed after what appeared to be a fatal dog attack.

Early Friday morning, August 3, 2007, an unidentified person called the Los Angeles Police Department to report a body found at the actor’s Brentwood, California, home. The victim may have been responsible for caring for the dogs. Authorities said the victim was found on the front lawn, and Lt. Ray Lombardo said at a news conference later that the man had many bites and scratches “which appear to be dog bites.” Rhames, 46, who appeared in the “Mission: Impossible” series of films, was not at home when the attack happened. He was quoted in an earlier Time magazine article stating that he had eight Fila Brasileiro mastiffs — the national dog of Brazil, also used by U.S. Marines in jungle warfare.

Priya Dutt meets Sonia, lobbies for brother

New Delhi: Congress MP and jailed actor Sanjay Dutt’s sister, Priya Dutt on Friday called upon Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the Capital to apprise her of the situation in her brother’s case. Minister of State for Home Prakash Jaiswal was reportedly part of the meeting too.

However, even as Priya met the Congress chief, the TADA court's ruling in the Sanjay Dutt case on Tuesday has exposed "divisions" in the ruling Congress with the party officially distancing itself from Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi's views on the judgment.
Union ministers Kapil Sibal and P R Dasmunsi on Wednesday came out in support of Dutt saying that the Congress should stand by the family of late Congress leader Sunil Dutt.

The Dutt sentencing has the Congress in a fix with the party not wanting to take a position on the case, despite its close associations with the Dutt family.

”Not only will the film industry be greatly affected by his imprisonment, but Sanjay Dutt has lived an exemplary life in society, becoming a role model to the new generation and so he will always have my sympathies," Dasmunsi had said creating a furore.

Despite his support for Dutt creating a controversy, Dasmunsi has stood his ground declaring that the jailed actor was a "patriot" and asserted that he would "never disown" the contribution of the Dutt family.

Meanwhile, Sibal speaking separately and "not as a minister" said, "when the family is in trouble we should stand by the family." The noted lawyer said he was speaking without going into the merits of the case.

Dutt practices Gandhigiri in jail

For Sanjay Dutt, jail is now the best place to practice the famous Gandhigiri he propagated in his movie Lage Raho Munnabhai.

Dutt has apparently asked Pune’s Yerawada Jail authorities to grant him permission to join the Gandhi Vichar Pariksha course in jail.

This novel course teaches Gandhian ideology to the inmates and it is believed that Dutt wants to do the one-year course and possibly teach as well.

The voluntary programme, in which inmates attend lectures and are issued books on the Mahatma, is run by an NGO and was started four years back.

India, US unveil text of nuclear deal

New Delhi: The details of the Indo US Nuclear Deal were made public on Friday.

The agreement, which took two years to complete, spells out how a plan for the US to share nuclear technology with India will work, including thorny issues such as reprocessing rights and the creation of a fuel reserve for India.

According to the information from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Nuclear Agreement signed between India and United States will be valid for a period of 40-years which could subsequently be extended for 10-year periods.

Much to the delight of Indian diplomats, India's military nuclear facilities will not be bound by this deal. The operating agreement goes one step further, allowing India to reprocess spent fuel under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The text however makes no mention of nuclear testing on the 123 agreement. The agreement says, in case India conducts a nuclear test in response to a test by Pakistan or China, the United States will take into account the changed security environment.

United States will also help India develop a strategic fuel reserve, and would give special priority to fuel supplies in order to ensure uninterrupted operations of Indian reactors, MEA sources told CNN-IBN.

The US has also promised help in getting India a clearance from the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and negotiate permanent safeguards with IAEA.

The deal could open up 100 billion dollars-worth of opportunities for US businesses, according to the US Chamber of Commerce.

The pact outlines the safeguards India will have to put into place for the reactors that will benefit from the technology. It also addresses Pakistan's concerns, ruling out the use of any transferred nuclear material for nuclear explosive devices or for other military purposes.

The whole accord has to win the approval of the US Congress and the Indian Parliament. India first has to negotiate a safeguards agreement with the IAEA and gain the support of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group.