For the first time since 2003, the liberalist curtain blocking Narendra Modi from Western democracies has parted slightly — offering him an invitation to attend a London business summit, and revealing a window that opens into America.

Modi has been invited to address India Summit 2009, organised by Dow Jones and Financial News. The newspaper's promotional email introduces Modi as the leading speaker at the summit.  

Officials in the chief minister's office confirmed the receipt of the invitation, but did not comment on Modi's response to it.

In the latest round of reshuffle, 15 IAS and 21 IPS cadre personnel plus 10 others shifted

The government transferred 15 officers of the IAS cadre and 21 officers in the police service in the latest round of bureaucratic reshuffle ordered in the wee hours of Tuesday. Ten officers of the Indian Forest Service were transferred later in the day. 

Salaudin Ahmed who previously headed the Amber Development and Management Authority (ADMA) has now been placed in charge of the agriculture and horticulture department. Umrao Salodiya takes over as new CEO of ADMA. He has also been entrusted with the art and culture department. 

Indian art will soon be more readable, literally. A publishing house is planning a series of books to get laymen more interested in the subject

The art fraternity has always raised concerns about the lack of art books that can teach people to appreciate art and get more inclined towards the same. Harsha Bhatkal of Popular Prakashan, has planned to publish a series of books on the subject in which senior art writers — Ranjit Honskote and Nancy Adajania — will write about maverick artists and conduct dialogues with senior artists. 

Once a selective choice, sushi has today raised the bar for party foods with its taste

If the first thing your mind takes you to when you think of sushi is 'uncooked', and you're tuning down your nose faster than you can read this, think again. 

The Japanese word 'sushi' means 'rice snack', that describes anything from kani (crab) to cucumber and carrot rolls, is gaining popularity everywhere. In fact, sushi or sashimi (raw fish), tied to rice with a small strip of nori (seaweed) and accentuated with a tiny dab of hot green wasabi paste, has made its way to local supermarkets and delis across Mumbai. 

Katrina Kaif will apparently be gifting Salman Khan a pup since he's still grieving Myson's death

If rumours are to be believed, then Salman will soon get an Alsatian pup at his Bandra home. The star, who's still grieving the death of his pet Myson who died of a heart attack last week, is thinking of bringing in another pup for his other pet Myjan. And apparently it's girlfriend Katrina Kaif who's thinking about gifting the pup to the star as a surprise. 

Salman, who is currently shooting for his home production Veer in Jaipur, is concerned about his other pet and has been reportedly advised that bringing in a pup is the best way to get Myjan out of his depression. 

With the HSC exam set to start on February 26, students are fumbling with last minute preparation. Students are swamped with varied study material. "Don't cram lessons; you will not be able to reproduce the matter," counsels Anita Phillips a senior faculty at Mithibai College.

Teachers are also cautioning students against malpractices. "Students often resort to malpractices, when they haven't done enough revision. This is a time to refer to personal notes," said Shivani Mehta, a private tutor.