Bill Gates vows fight to finish with Google

Seattle: Microsoft Corp plans to invest heavily in Web search to compete against Google Inc, even if it fails to acquire Yahoo Inc, the company's chairman Bill Gates said on Monday.

Gates, who called Microsoft's offer for Yahoo 'very fair', said Google is the only company with "critical mass" in Web search. Microsoft needs a bigger piece of the market to create a more competitive and profitable Web search business.

"We can afford to make big investments in the engineering and marketing that needs to get done. We will do that with or without Yahoo," said Gates in an interview with Reuters.

"But we also see that we'd get there faster if the great engineering work that Yahoo has done and the great engineers there were part of the common effort," said Gates, who is Microsoft's biggest shareholder.

The two companies are at a stand-off in Microsoft's $41.7 billion unsolicited bid to acquire Yahoo. Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo for $31 a share in cash and stock, a bid which Yahoo's board rejected, saying it undervalued the company.

Microsoft countered by saying its offer was "full and fair," but did not say what it planned to do next. Analysts expect Microsoft to sweeten its bid, possibly to $35 a share, to clinch a deal.

"There is nothing new in terms of the process. We've sent our letter and we've reinforced that we consider that it's a very fair offer," said Gates, who remains the public face of Microsoft, even though he plans to switch to a part-time role at the company in June to focus on his philanthropic work.

Microsoft's stock has fallen 13 percent since its offer for Yahoo, reducing Microsoft's offer price to $29. Yahoo shares closed at $29.66 on the Nasdaq on Friday, indicating that investors expect Microsoft to raise its bid.

Breaking News : Sanjay Dutta and Manyata Get Married

Actor Sanjay Dutt finally tied the knot with his long time beau Manyata at the Taj Exotica in Goa on February 7 under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, in front of a few close friends as witnesses. Sanjay and Manyata Dutt had their marriage vows according to Hindu rites on Monday in Mumbai.

The wedding reportedly took place at Manyata’s friend, Pradeep’s house.

Sanjay Dutt who has previously been married twice, seemed very happy with this new twist in his life. Last month, the actorcompleted the divorce proceedings with ex-wife Rhea Pillai. Before that Dutt had been married to actress Richa Sharma.

A source said, “Two officers from the registrar of marriages in Goa were called to the hotel to solemnise the marriage on February 7.

Among the witnesses present in Goa were Dharam Oberoi, the CEO of Sanjay Dutt Production, and the actor’s business manager and close friend Bunty Walia, who had flown from Mumbai a day after a TV awards function, for the marriage.”

Oberoi, who is Manyata’s godfather, reportedly gave away the bride. Oberoi’s actress daughter Neha, and Dutt’s closest friends Ajay alias Bittu and Prashant (a common friend of Fardeen Khan and Dutt) were the other witnesses at the wedding.

No hurry to arrest Raj Thackeray

Neither Maharashtra nor the Centre seems to be in a hurry to put Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray behind bars.

A report on the recent developments in Mumbai, dispatched by the state to the Centre, clearly says the entire issue is political, spurred by the MNS and the Samajwadi Party (SP) to consolidate their positions in the state.

“The government may not want anybody to grow beyond his present political stature by putting him behind bars,” said a Central leader. Rather, the state will act only when it is convinced that the things are getting out of hand. The Centre also thinks, says the leader, that if Raj is arrested, the state may face violent reactions from MNS workers. “Raj will come out of the jail unscathed, but innocent people will be forced to bear the burnt of the impending violence,” he said. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said some steps need to taken, but carefully. “We should wait for some time and plan a strategy to deal with the situation,” said Jaiswal.

The Centre has asked the state to take immediate steps to control the situation, he said while replying to questions over Raj Thackeray’s stand against North Indians. Jaiswal said despite floating a separate political outfit two years ago, Raj has not been able establish himself as a leader and now using the same plank used by his ancestors. Asked about Raj’s presence at a family function of City Police Commissioner D N Jadhav and his statement thanking Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for not arresting him, Jaiswal said, “How does Raj’s presence at D N Jadhav’s function relate to the government of India.”

Dr Horror offered Rs 1 cr to Nepal cops to let him go

Kathmandu: The police inspector who arrested Amit Kumar from the hotel says the alleged kidney kingpin tried to bribe him with lakhs of rupees.

"Kitna chahiye tumhe? Bees lakh, tees lakh, pachaas lakh, ek crore, tum mujhe batao? (The doctor said, I can give you Rs 20 lakh, 50 lakh, 1 crore.. just tell me, I will pay. Just let me go)," Assistant Sub-Inspector Chim Bhadhur Tamang, who was part of the team that arrested the doctor, claimed.

Amit Kumar tried to make 'good use' of the huge amount of money that he was carrying — by attempting to bribe the Nepal Police team which came to arrest him from the Sauraha-based Hotel Wildlife Camp on Thursday.

A Kathmandu-based newspaper said the tainted doctor was pleading with the police not to arrest him.

Police had seized a bank draft for Rs 9,36,000 and Euro 145,000 and $18,900 in cash from him during his arrest. Witnesses said that Kumar was sporting a hat and sunglasses to conceal his identity.Amit Kumar, against whom an Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued after the massive racket with inter-state and international ramifications came to light on January 24, was brought to the Nepalese capital for interrogation on Friday.