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        Top General Peter Pace will call on President George W Bush to cut the US troop presence in Iraq by nearly 50 per cent next year, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is likely to advise Bush that maintaining more than 100,000 of the 162,000 troops now present through 2008 will place severe strains on the US military, the newspaper said, citing Bush administration and military officials. The recommendation, which the newspaper said will be offered privately rather than in a formal report, underscores differences within the military and the government over how to proceed in Iraq, eight months after the President's 'surge' policy boosted troop levels by 30,000. There were reports of suicides among US army owing to stress.

        Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf faced mounting political pressure on Friday as former premier Nawaz Sharif, the man he ousted in a coup, vowed to return in 'weeks, not months' to contest elections. The Supreme Court in Islamabad ruled Friday that two-time Prime Minister Sharif can come home from exile in Saudi Arabia and London, a landmark verdict he hailed as 'a defeat for tyranny'. It threatens to deepen Pakistan's instability, with Musharraf, a key US ally, already under fierce domestic and international pressure not to stand for re-election as president-in-uniform in the months ahead. He is also facing growing Al-Qaeda-linked violence that has brought a wave of bloody extremist attacks in the capital and restive tribal regions close to the border with Afghanistan. Musharraf faces mounting pressure.

        Former US astronaut Lisa Nowak Friday asked a Florida court to remove the monitoring bracelet she has to wear while awaiting trial on charges she attempted to kidnap a love rival, whom she allegedly confronted after driving hundreds of kilometres wearing a diaper. Nowak said the ankle bracelet, which monitors her position through a satellite tracking device, makes it impossible for her to swim, and makes it difficult to run as it chaffs her skin. She pledged she would abide by court-imposed restrictions as well as an order to stay away from her alleged rival Colleen Shipman. In a separate motion, she also asked the court in Orlando, Florida, to throw out evidence and statements she said were obtained illegally. Monitoring bracelet remains a Damocle's Sword.

        The flood situation in Gorakhpur division has improved considerably as water level in Rapti and Ghaghra rivers was receding continuously, official

        sources said on Friday. However, as many as 200 villages still remain affected in the division and the Ramjanaki Marg and Gorakhpur-Sonauli Road were still closed for heavy vehicular traffic, the divisional commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. Meanwhile, a central team led by the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home affairs K Skandan Friday visited the flood affected areas of Mahrajganj and Kushinagar districts and assessed the losses incurred due to floods. The team members held discussions with the revenue officials at Mujuri Dak Bunglow in Maharajganj and at divisional head quarters in Gorakhpur. Nature's fury is fiery.

        As part of interaction with its State leaders in the light of the strain between the Left and the ruling UPA, the BJP's central leadership Friday directed them to set up booth committees, saying elections could happen any time. BJP chief Rajnath Singh held discussions with heads of different state units in the third such meeting in as many days as part of the party's preparations for possible early elections. 'The party leaders have been told to set up booth committees and gear up for elections,' a senior BJP leader said. Senior party leader L K Advani, who on Thursday told party MPs to visit their constituencies as soon as the monsoon session gets over, also held interaction with party leaders and lawmakers from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. BJP eagerly awaiting polls this year.

        Can the Chief Justice of a High Court, who in his administrative capacity ordered dismissal of a court officer, decide during judicial proceedings the validity of his own decision? A question to this effect arose before the Supreme Court Friday which issued notice to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court seeking his response on a petition challenging the alleged dual role sought to be assumed by the judge in a service dispute. Gowda, an additional court officer who is also a former president of the Karnataka State Government Employees Association, was dismissed from service after an inquiry by the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, who was also the disciplinary authority in the case. Is the dual role permitted?

        The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court Friday admitted a writ petition seeking to quash a CBI report against a police official in connection with the attack on Tamil daily Dinakaran in Madurai in March and also the summons issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate after taking cognizance of the report. Admitting the petition, Justice G Rajasuriya directed CBI to file their reply and posted the case for further hearing on 28 August and said DSP V Rajaram, now under suspension, need not appear before the magistrate on 28 August as per the summons by the CJM A Devasahayam. Court to decide.

        A grand 'golden temple', built near Vellore by a 31-year-old godman at a cost of Rs 300 crore, was consecrated Friday. Described by him as a 'gift to the mankind', the temple, situated on a sprawling 100 acre plot at Sripuram near Vellore, had been made with 1.5 tonnes of gold and taken six years of toil by hundreds of craftsmen and artisans. It was conceived and designed by the godman, who is fondly called as 'Sakthi Amma' (powerful mother) by his devotees. The kumbabishekam (consecration) ceremony was held on the temple premises early Friday morning. It was meant to be a marvel in gold and a temple that offers wisdom to the people who visit the place, the godman, who calls himself 'Sri Narayani Amma', told a group of visiting mediapersons from Chennai. Golden wisdom?

        The Madras High Court Friday directed the Anna University not to fill up any further seats for BE courses under Governor and Vice-Chancellor quotas for the current year. A division bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice P Jyothimani also directed the university Registrar to

        file within a week an affidavit furnishing details about various quotas, how seats in each quota filled up, details of authority or entity for filling up such quotas, besides the number of seats which are filled up as per the quotas. The bench adjourned to 5 September, further hearing of the

        petition filed by S Rajendran of Ramanathapuram district, seeking a CBI probe into irregularities committed in admission including the admission of ineligible students. Education Minister says 90 per cent colleges comply rules.

        Scores of AIADMK volunteers Friday held demonstrations in front of district collectorate in Tamilnadu, protesting the hike in the guideline values by the Registration Department. Leading the demonstration in Chennai, former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar said the revised guideline value, though intended to fetch more money to the exchequer, would cause hardship to public and the government should withdraw it immediately. Meanwhile, a Madurai report said hundreds of members of

        AIADMK and its allies participated in the demonstration. S T K Jakkaiyan, who led the demonstrators, said the hike in the guideline value had badly hit the middle- class and poor people. For public cause.

        Over a hundred Congressmen, including three MLAs, were arrested Friday when they attempted to lay siege to the residence of AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa in protest against her alleged remarks against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. Carrying Congress party flags, they also raised slogans against the AIADMK supremo for her 'derogatory' remarks against Singh. A large number of AIADMK cadre, led by former Minister D Jayakumar, had gathered in the area and resisted the entry of Congressmen resulting in a scuffle between the two groups. Condemning Jayalalithaa's reported remarks, the Congressmen also attempted to burn her effigy at Thangasali in Chennai. Jaya is asked to take back her words.

        There is need to have a paradigm shift in the strategy of power generation that would involve every possible segment to achieve the target of 78,500 MW of additional installed capacity during the 11th plan, Anil Razdan, Secretary, Ministry of Power said. This is not the challenge of power sector alone but it is an opportunity for employment generation and economic investment, he said, delivering the special address at a CII seminar on 'Key inputs for Indian Power Sector for 11th plan and beyond,' in Chennai Friday. He also released the White Paper on Strategy for 11th Plan and Beyond prepared by CII jointly with the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). He said the power sector would witness huge investment in next five years and beyond. Hence, it would provide opportunities for each Indian to contribute.

        Sachin Tendulkar hit 99 to lead India to a nine-run win over England that leveled the seven-match one-day international series at 1-1 on Friday.

        Tendulkar and captain Rahul Dravid, who led a late flourish with 92 not out, guided India to 329 for seven after Dravid had won the toss.

        Munaf Patel and Piyush Chawla then took three wickets each to help restrict England to 320-8, with Ian Bell top scoring with 64.

        Dimitri Mascarenhas hit a late 52 from 39 balls for his best one-day score and tailender Stuart Broad finished unbeaten on 29.

        Openers Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly put on 113 for the first wicket on a slow pitch at Bristol.