Briefly world

The US on Saturday dismissed remarks attributed to its Special Envoy Richard to Pakistan and Afghanistan region Holbrooke.

US says Holbrooke remarks fabricated

Islamabad: The US on Saturday dismissed remarks attributed to its Special Envoy Richard to Pakistan and Afghanistan region Holbrooke that the Obama administration would not accept any slackness by the Pakistan Army in the fight against Taliban due to the militarys engagement in flood relief efforts. A statement issued by the US embassy said Holbrooke had been misquoted by a Pakistani daily as saying during an interaction with the media on Friday that America would not accept slackness by the Pakistan Army in the war on terror. At no time did Ambassador Holbrooke make such a statement. Both the headline of the article and the quote in the article were fabricated, the statement said.

Ahmadinejad hopes US will release Iranians

Tehran: Irans President said he is hopeful the US will release several Iranians it is holding now that Tehran has freed an American jailed for more than a year and accused of spying. Before setting off for a trip to the UN General Assembly,President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the release of the Iranians would be an appropriate moral gesture by Washington. Ahmadinejad made a brief stop in Syria,a key all in Tehrans confrontation with the West,where he held talks with his Syrian counterpart,Bashar Assad.

NC to Maoists: Stop violence,bring peace

Kathmandu: Nepali Congress,the second largest party in the country,on Saturday asked the Maoist party to stop its violent activities and create an environment of trust to rescue Nepals stalled peace process. The Nepali Congress,which kick-started its five-day convention to elect a successor to late party president G P Koirala on Friday,asked the Maoists to stop its violent activities,extortion,intimidation and threat and create an environment of trust.

1 evening,record 140 traffic jams in Beijing

Beijing: A record 140 traffic jams were observed on Friday evening in Beijing,state media reported on Saturday,as the number of vehicles on Beijings streets exceeded 4.5 million. Friday nights record snarls in a city already notorious for bottlenecks were worsened by rain and the approach of two national holidays,state-run CCTV reported. The previous record for simultaneous traffic jams was over 90,recorded early this year amid heavy snow,Beijing News reported.

Freida dons leather for sultry shoot

Los Angeles: Freida Pinto is sure to win over plenty of fans with her latest photospread for mens magazine GQ,where she is clad in a series of risque leather outfits. The Slumdog Millionaire star looked the part of a Hollywood pin-up in leather minis and one picture shows her with a knife,cutting open a pomegranate. The 25-year-old completed the look with red nail varnish and tousled hair. Freida is busy promoting her latest movie,Woody Allens You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.

Jupiter comes closest in nearly 50 years

CAPE CANAVERAL: Better catch Jupiter next week for it wont be that big or bright again until 2022. Jupiter will pass 368 million miles from the Earth late on Monday,its closest approach since 1963. You can see it low in the east around dusk. Around midnight,it will be directly overhead. Thats because the Earth will be between Jupiter and the Sun,into early Tuesday. Coincidentally,Uranus also will make a close approach the same night.