Mehsud, in the nine-minute video released Sunday by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, said the 'time was very near' when his fighters would attack main US cities, the US-based IntelCenter said.

'Our fedayeen (fighters) have penetrated the terrorist America, we will give extremely painful blows to the fanatic America,' he said in the video, which was allegedly recorded April 4.

'IntelCenter analysis indicates that this video is credible and an official release from the TTP's [Tehrik-e-Taliban] Umar Studio,' IntelCenter said.

Mehsud was reported killed in a US bombing in late January, but Taliban have rejected those reports.

Another video by Pakistan's Taliban claimed responsibility for the failed car bomb in New York City's Times Square on the weekend, the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks activities of terrorist groups, reported.

Officials have not commented on the video, though some groups have expressed scepticism about the claim.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,536.86 points, was ruling at 17,434.54 points, 124.17 points or 0.71 percent lower than its previous close at 17,558.71 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,237.5 points, a loss of 0.77 percent from its previous close at 5,278 points.

Broader market indices were ruling flat at this time.

The market breadth was tilted towards the negative with as many as 1,149 scrips advancing compared to 1,336 stocks declining, while 88 remained unchanged.

IT and metals stocks were witnessing selling, while consumer durables and auto scrips were up.

Asian markets continued to be spooked by the Greece debt crisis Monday and over fears of more European countries being prone to similar problems.

In Asia, the South Korean Kospi was ruling 1.67 percent down at 1,712.5 points, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was trading 1.48 percent lower at 20,795.18 points.

Japanese and Chinese markets were closed.

But Obama said his administration would continue to mount a 'relentless response' to the oil spill, the result of the sinking of an offshore rig April 20.

'We will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused,' Obama said in Venice, a staging ground for efforts to fight the oil slick, after meeting state and federal officials in Louisiana.

'From day one we have prepared and planned for the worst, while hoping for the best,' Obama said, adding that his administration 'would not rest' until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil is cleaned up and people in the region are able to go back to their livelihoods.

However, he also made it clear that rig owner BP Plc would bear all the costs. 'BP is responsible for the leak,' Obama emphasised, 'BP will be paying the bill'.

Robert Gibbs, press secretary for the White House, refused to characterise who might be involved or what those motives might be during a press brief onboard Air Force One, Xinhua reported.

Gibbs made the remarks when he was asked about the assertion by US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano that this incident is terrorism.

He said it was an 'extremely serious situation' and the authorities, including the New York Police Department and FBI, are investigating all possibilities.

A T-shirt peddler alerted local authorities of a suspicious, smoking sports utility vehicle on Times Square in downtown New York Saturday evening. Bomb squad officers later discovered propane gas tanks, fireworks and timing devices in the vehicle.

Rashid Qureshi, spokesperson of former president Pervez Musharraf, has termed as ridiculousthe allegations of the assassination of Bhutto against Musharraf, saying the government is trying to involve Musharraf in every issue, Online news agency reported.

Pakistan's former prime minister and leader of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) was killed in a gun and suicide attack at an election rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007.

A recently concluded probe by a UN panel into the incident said the then government of President Musharraf did not provide adequate security to Bhutto and Pakistan police failed to investigate the murder effectively.

Responding to a question at Karachi airport, Qureshi said that Pervez Musharraf is in the process of registering his new poitical party.

Asked about the return of Musharraf in Pakistan, he said the former president would take the decision in this regard himself.

Meanwhile, a fact-finding committee, constituted to probe Bhutto's assassination after submission of the UN Commissions' report, will present its report to Prime Minist Yousuf Raza Gilani Tuesday.

The committee headed by the secretary of the Cabinet Division, Abdul Rauf, was constituted by the prime minister April 24 and was asked to complete the investigation within seven working days.

During the investigation, the fact-finding team visited Benazir's assassination site, besides quizzing and recording statement of then City Police Officer (CPO) Saud Aziz, SSP Operations Yasin Farooq, and other senior officials assigned to handle security of Bhutto at the rally.

A moderate Sikh who became premier of Canada's British Columbia province in 2000,Dosanjh has been a staunch opponent of radical Sikhs in Canada since the 1980s when the pro-Khalistan movement was at its peak in India and Canada.

Two weeks ago, Sikh hardliners warned Dosanjh against attending a Vaisakhi parade in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey. The threat led to outrage among Indo-Canadians and condemnation by Canadian leaders and the media.

After that incident, death threats against him appeared on Facebook.

The Canadian parliament passed a motion in support of the Indo-Canadian leader Wednesday. Passing the motion unanimously, the House said all its members 'stand united in condemning any form of extremism that incites violence in Canadian society, and re-affirm the rights of elected officials to freely express their views without fear of personal intimidation.''

Thanking the House, Dosanjh said, 'I want to express my sincerest appreciation for the unanimous support of all my colleagues in the House of Commons in what is a very difficult situation for my family and I.

'This expression of support from parliamentarians of all political parties reaffirms individual rights, including those of the public officials to freely express themselves without fear of threats, intimidation, or violence.''

The House resolution condemning Sikh hardliners comes two days after the Canadian government said that Sikh violence will not tolerated.

Making the statement in the House Monday, Indian-origin parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs Deepak Obhrai had said that his government 'strongly condemns the recent threats of violence made by extremists within the Canadian Sikh community.

This is unacceptable.''

Canada is home more about half a million Sikhs, with a very minute section of the community still supporting demand for a independent Sikh nation called Khalistan.

'About 30-4O Maoists had come (Wednesday night). They attacked the check gate inside the Bharuamunda forest area and killed forest guard Sangram Swain,' police said, adding they blew up the check gate.

Nuapada is 580 km from here.

In yet another incident, Maoists blew up a culvert near Laxmipur in Orissa's Koraput district Wednesday, hitting vehicular traffic.

The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist has called a week-long shutdown in the southern parts of Orissa to protest the joint offensive against it by the state and the central forces.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,382.09 points, was ruling at 17,459.12 points, 79.04 points or 0.45 percent higher than its previous close at 17,690.62 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,241.5 points, a gain of 0.5 percent from its previous close at 5,215.45 points.

Broader market indices were also in the positive with the BSE midcap index ruling 0.88 percent higher and the BSE smallcap index trading 1.07 percent up.

'We always think that when leaders of countries, particularly countries with the unique history of India and Pakistan, anytime they can get together for high-level constructive dialogue, that is good for the region and we support it,' a State Department spokesman said Wednesday.

'We have encouraged India and Pakistan that they need to restore a high-level dialogue that they have had in the not-too-distant past,' spokesman Philip J. Crowley told reporters when asked what role the US had played in bringing about the Singh-Gilani meeting.

'There have been some significant steps by both countries to restore dialogue both at the leader level and at other levels, and we certainly encourage that,' he added.

The US has its own strategic dialogue with both India and Pakistan, Crowley said noting 'We are planning for the next round of discussions with India in the next few weeks.'

Asked if President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had relayed a common message to the prime ministers of India and Pakistan during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of Nuclear Security Summit, he said the US had encouraged the leaders to restore direct dialogue.

'We have encouraged the leaders of Pakistan and India to restore direct dialogue that has been characteristic of the relationship between those two countries within the last few years, and we're encouraged that they are taking steps to do that,' Crowley said.

Asked how the US saw SAARC nations' role in Afghanistan, he said Washington considered them important and encouraged them. 'This is one of a number of important structures that you have across the broader Asia region.'

'We think they're important. We encourage them,' he said pointing to the presence of Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake's appearance at the SAARC as an observer.

Clinton 'is committed to strengthen the United States ties to other structures like ASEAN. This is an indication of our ongoing and deepening commitment to the region,' Crowley said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

'I knew nothing about Bollywood when 'Kites' came to me. Rakesh Roshan (producer) and Anurag Basu (director) narrated the script to me and the only thing I felt was that this was such a different film,' Barbara, who will be seen as Hrithik Roshan's love interest in 'Kites', told IANS in an exclusive interview.

'Then I saw some Bollywood films and realised there's a lot more dancing and singing than we have in Mexico. I found it funny in the beginning.

'There was a scene where Hrithik is supposed to have blood on his body, then there were these singing and dancing sequences - it was a little funny, yet I was quite fascinated. Now I look forward to more Bollywood movies,' she added.

The 32-year-old is on her third visit to India ever since her association with 'Kites', to be released by Reliance BIG Pictures May 21.

Another aspect of Bollywood that amazes Barbara is the brouhaha over kissing and lovemaking scenes.

'I respect what culture is followed in each country just as I respect the culture in my own place. The culture in Indian films is different. There I can show nudity, at least partly if not fully. And kissing is not a big deal. But here somehow it's a big thing. That was quite amazing.

'In fact, before beginning to shoot 'Kites', I told Hrithik, 'We're kissing many times in the script, won't it be a problem in your country?' He said 'Yeah, but things are more open now'.

'I have heard Anurag Basu has made some really good bold movies and I feel kissing must be okay now in Bollywood,' said Barbara who is totally kicked about the release of 'Kites' next month.

'This is a very different movie, the first biggest movie I have done, my first English movie and the first action movie for me... I never imagined shooting in Bollywood...it has been so exciting.

'I really love the story. From the beginning, when I met Anurag Basu and Rakesh Roshan in Los Angeles, I felt really touched to see such a different love story - that of a Mexican and Indian falling in love without any language barrier,' she said.

Unlike most other foreign actors who are expected to deliver dialogues in Hindi, Barbara was lucky as her character had to speak in Spanish and English only.

But she was petrified of doing underwater scenes. 'Underwater scenes we shot in the Maldives. They were very complicated and tough. Water, sea... I don't like! Still we had to put oxygen masks, go underwater and act. For me, that was a big thing. It was difficult, but I sailed through...,' she said.

She says Hrithik gave immense support throughout the shooting.

'Hrithik has been a superb co-star. He is a great actor and has delivered some very good performances. I have seen some of his movies. I don't remember their names but I really liked some. I specifically liked the one in which he plays a soldier... what's that called? Ummmm....'Lak'...' Lakshya',' said Barbara.

She also said that Hrithik taught her Hindi. 'I taught a bit of Spanish to Hrithik and he taught me some Hindi...but all the bad words!'

Barbara will be returning to Mexico Saturday and says she definitely wants to come back in time for the film's release.