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Kurla serial killer arrested

2010-07-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

The man suspected to be involved with the rape and murder of three girls in Kurla has been arrested, informed police on Thursday, Jul 1.

Rajnish Seth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order ) said that Javed Ahmed Shaikh has been arrested in connection with the rape and murder of three minor girls in Nehru Nagar in suburban Kurla.

The person was remanded to police custody for two weeks, after he was produced before the Vikhroli metropolitan magistrate on Thursday, Jul 1. Court has also ordered police to take Javed's DNA and blood samples.

The case in which Javed is involved, had created much fear among the residents of area. The body of a five-year-old girl was found in a drain in Nehru Nagar on Feb 9, 2010. On Mar 7, a nine-year-old girl was found raped and murdered on the terrace of a building in the Nehru Nagar police quarters. Another eight-year-old girl was found dead from a dilapidated building in the same area.

The city police had formed a special team under two joint commissioners of police to investigate the case in Jun 2010, after receiving a lot of complaints about the shoddy investigation.

Al Qaeda to launch online English newspaper

2010-07-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

Al Qaeda is set to launch its first online propaganda newspaper in English, as a step to promote the terror group inside the United States and Europe, reports a news agency.

The paper, named 'Inspire' has begun its promotions with animated online graphics glossing 'a special gift to the Islamic nation'.

The counter terrorism officials figure out that it will be run by al Qaeda's branch in Yemen, which has been linked to the failed Christmas day bombing attempt of a US-bound airliner. Al Qaeda had websites to promote its messages until now but it wants to capitalize on its recent success recruiting inside the US.

The launch suggests that the terrorist group wants to broaden its reach in the United States as al Qaeda's core has been weakened by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) drone airstrikes. The terror group intends to aspire jihadist in US and UK who may be next Fort Hood murder or Times Square bomber, said Bruce Riedel, the former CIA officer.

Authorities also said that the new strategy is propelled by Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical US-born cleric now living in Yemen. They say that his online sermons in English have inspired several recent terrorist plots in the US.

Al Qaeda's advertisement said that al-Awlaki will contribute to the first issue of the newspaper.

93,000 banned from getting out of Kuwait

2010-07-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Around 93,000 people have been banned from getting out of the nation, as they failed to pay their debts.

This include 30,970 Kuwaitis and Kuwait-based foreigners who owe 785 million Kuwaiti dinars to either people or establishments. The others are expatriates who reportedly owe 543 million dinars, informed Ali Al Dhubaha the Chairman of the Sentences Enforcement Department Counsellor to a leading news paper.

He also said that 60,000 people have been issued summons. He added that the Sentences Enforcement Department issues at least 300 summons every day throughout the country.

Kuwaiti citizens who are banned from travel are allowed to go overseas for treatment under law, but only once.

There are several thousands of Indians in Kuwait, at present.

My Name Is Khan's stand against extremism

2010-02-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

Shiv Sena supporters tear a poster for Shahrukh Khan's new film My Name Is Khan. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters

A few days ago, the biggest movie star in the world remarked that the Indian Premier League could show "a little more leeway" when no Pakistani players were selected for the upcoming Twenty20 cricket competition. Then all hell broke loose, and it has yet to be recaged.

My Name Is Khan

Production year: 2010

Countries:

India, Rest of the world

Cert (UK): 12A

Runtime: 161 mins

Directors: Karan Johar

Cast: Benny Nieves, Christopher B Duncan, Jimmy Shergill, Kajol, Katie Keane, Kenton Duty, Shah Rukh Khan

More on this film

As of today, more than 1,800 people have been arrested in Mumbai for vandalising cinemas advertising Shahrukh Khan's latest movie, My Name Is Khan. This weekend, 21,000 special police will protect cinemagoers, and there will be security checks at the box office. "This is not Shahrukh, but the Khan in him that's saying all this", said a spokesman for the Shiv Sena, the militant Hindu nationalist organisation in Maharashtra which is behind the trouble. The Sena told Khan – an Indian Muslim – to move to Pakistan, and issued a threat: "There will be dire consequences if Shahrukh defies the orders of the Sena chief."

The film itself has not provoked the fuss, though its title, a declaration of Islamic identity, does resonate. It's a honey-coated melodrama about an autistic Indian Muslim man finding love in California after 9/11. If that sounds singular, just wait for the second half, in which George W Bush stands idly by while the desi hero singlehandedly saves a community of African-Americans after a Katrina-style hurricane. Several screens in Maharashtra have already pulled My Name Is Khan. Too bad for audiences, who will miss the remarkable scene in which Khan wins the hearts of the aforementioned African-Americans by expressing to them in passionate Hindi his love of Manchester United.

But there's nothing funny about the Sena's threats. "The Shiv Sena is one of the most extreme faces of Hindu nationalism," says Edna Fernandes, whose book Holy Warriors explores religious fundamentalism in India. "Its leader, Bal Thackeray, is like a godfather. His modus operandi is to whip his people up to a frenzy, and then it's up to them what they do. He can be charming in person, but at the other end of the line you've got people getting murdered in Muslim communities. It's not a joke."

Going after celebrities, says Fernandes, is part of the Sena pattern. In the past, its targets have included artist MF Husain and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Husain's studio was ransacked, as was a television station that defended Tendulkar. Several of the station's staff were beaten up. In 2008, a Sena splinter organisation, the MNS, pilloried Jaya Bachchan, wife of veteran Bollywood A-lister Amitabh Bachchan, for speaking a few words in Hindi rather than Marathi at a film premiere.

Indian celebrities, including the Bachchans, have often caved under such pressure. So far, Khan has not. He continues to put forward a moderate line, with a dignity you might not expect from a 44-year-old man whose career consists largely of dressing up in tight trousers and miming to someone else's vocals. Fellow megastar Aamir Khan, whose recent film 3 Idiots smashed multiple box-office records, has stepped in to support him. The Sena termed both men the "2 Idiots", and its supporters burnt them in effigy.

"A large section of India finds the Sena repugnant," says Fernandes. "India wants to see itself as a modern economic power. These communal conflicts are hugely damaging to that." If Khan surrenders today, the Sena will find another example of free speech and tolerance to besiege tomorrow. The message of My Name Is Khan is that extremism must be challenged. This weekend, we will see whether Bollywood's reality lives up to its talk.

Making Of PAA - Clip 3

2009-12-07T23:50:00.000-08:00

Making Of PAA - Clip 1

2009-12-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

The secret behind creating Paa

2009-12-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

Paa to go international soon

2009-12-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

The overwhelming response that Paa has got from the audience has triggered the need for an international version of the movie. The Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan starer movie is based on the theme of age-acceleration due to a rare genetic abnormality progeria. The critics are singing praises for Amitabh’s performance as Auro and most believe the movie needs to be taken to the global audience. Director Balki is now putting together an international version of Paa.

Balki said that international version will have to be edited very differently from the Bollywood one but the connectivity with Auro’s character will remain unchanged. Abhishek’s role will become shadowy as his young politician's character will be struck out as it is unlikely to appeal to the global audience. The international version will be themed centring the progeric child’s search for his biological father.

Balki believes that the theme of progeria is a huge incentive to market the film internationally. He says that more than 40 movies have been made world wide on the theme so the international audience is not unknown to this abnormality. Balki wants to ensure that the international version Paa be a never before seen movie. The team is yet undecided whether to dub the movie in English or release it with English and other international subtitles.

Uninor tariff plans and launch date

2009-12-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

After Tata DoCoMo, another international-desi mobile network Uninor is about to launch their services across 22 telecom circles in India. Uninor is the joint venture of Telenor Norway and UniTech Wireless in India. Telenor already have their footprints in our neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. Uninor will concentrate on GSM and other related value added services in India. They are currently setting up their regional offices, network coverage, making tariff plans and tower sharing agreements etc. Reportedly, they have contract with Nokia Siemens Network for deploying next generation 2G network across all sanctioned telecom circles. We expect Uninor to launch their GSM service before the end of this year.

As we all know, India has one of the fastest growing telecom sectors in the world. Uninor targets around 8% market share in India in the coming few years. They would use social networking promotion through Facebook, Twitter and others to accelerate their growth.
Uninor prepaid and postpaid tariff plans.

Uninor would launch attractive tariff plans in already competitive Indian telecom sector. Most probably, they will have per second plans in their postpaid and prepaid connections.

Update: Seems that Uninor has no plans to join Indian tariff war. The preliminary prepaid tariff package looks very similar to that of Airtel before they introduced per second plans.
Uninor SIM will be available at RS 49 including activation charges, lifetime validity and five rupees home network talk time.

Uninor for you prepaid tariff plan

Update: Uninor announced wide variety of prepaid and postpaid tariff plans to cater the needs of every kind of customers.
Uninor per second plan (daily rental Re .5 per day)

Uninor I save SMS plan:
Local, National and international SMS at .3, .5 and 5 RS per message. ( Re 1 daily rental)

Uninor I-save night plan. Local 10PM to 6AM calls at Re .5 per min. ( Re .5 daily Rental)

Similarly there's is I -save morning plan (8AM to 10AM) with same tariff plan valid for calls to mobile, fixed phones on Uninor and other networks .
We can see that most of these plans comes with a daily rental, that is RS 15-30 per month . Will it work for Uninor to attract more customers?

Update: One of our commentator has informed us that there would be an unlimited tariff plan from Uninor. So in this plan you will need to pay RS 79* per month for unlimited calls on Uninor network.

Update 3 December : Uninor launched services in 7 Indian telecom circles Uttar Pradesh East, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, AP, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

UNINOR4YOU prepaid plan:
Talkmore@29 p/min:
49 RS activation charge, lifetime validity and 5 Re talk time.

Local calls at 29 paisa and all STD calls at 49 paisa.

SMS
100 Uninor to Uninor free SMS per day*.

Other local SMS 10 paisa per message* .
* ( Re .99 for the first local SMS)

National 1.5 Re Message.

International 5 Re per Message.

Callmore@29 p/min: 2 Re daily rental and above tariff plan.
As per Uninor, the Talkmore plan is for those who call less but talk more, and Callmore for those who like to make countless calls in a day.
Uninor said in statement that they have no plans to launch per second plans. But they targets a set of users with high ARPU (Average Revenue Per User).

They provide attractive talk values on first time recharge and recharge coupons of higher values.
Uninor customer care number : 121
Update: Checkout the comment from Biswajit Tripathy. He shows how Uninor tariff plans are great. But guys, you will need to explain them with numbers.

We will update this page when there is new offers and plans from Uninor India mobile

Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of 'SixthSense' technology

2009-11-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data -- including a deep look at his SixthSense device and a new, paradigm-shifting paper "laptop".
In an onstage Q&A, Mistry says he'll open-source the software behind SixthSense, to open its possibilities to all.

Obama pushes for changes in Aghan strategy options

2009-11-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the III Corps and Fort Hood Memorial Ceremony November...

President Barack Obama pushed his Afghan war council on Wednesday for revisions in strategy options presented to him before he will go ahead with a final decision on boosting troop levels in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. official said.

Facing increasing U.S. public skepticism over the eight-year-old war, Obama asked his top advisers to clarify how and when U.S. troops will shift security responsibility to the Afghan government, the administration official said.

The White House said Obama has yet to make up his mind on the proposals that have been put forth, and he is expected to continue deliberations during a nine-day trip to Asia starting on Thursday. His press secretary has insisted a decision is still weeks away.

Officials privately have described proposals that would call for deeper U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan to confront a resurgent Taliban and its al Qaeda allies.

They had said earlier that among the four strategy options Obama is considering, there was growing support among some of his top advisers for deploying 30,000 or more additional troops to Afghanistan.

But Obama raised questions during a 2-1/2-hour strategy review, the eighth in a series of such meetings, that could weigh heavily on how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and the timeframe for keeping them there.

As a result, the options presented by Obama's national security team are almost certain to be amended.

Obama seems intent on putting more of the onus on the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose credibility is in doubt after being returned to power despite a fraud-tainted election. He has been widely blamed for tolerating rampant corruption.

"The president believes that we need to make clear to the Afghan government that our commitment is not open-ended," the senior official said.

Demands will be imposed on the Afghan government to make sure its fledgling security forces are beefed up so a timeline can be established for transfering duties to them.

ERODING U.S. PUBLIC SUPPORT

Obama's strategy session took place as a new opinion poll showed a growing number of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan is not going well and disapprove of his handling of the situation.

Record combat deaths have eroded U.S. public support and sending more troops could become a political liability for Obama ahead of congressional elections next year.

While it remains unclear where Obama stands, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen are said to favor the option of deploying 30,000 or more additional troops.

At the low end of the spectrum, one plan would add 20,000-plus troops. Another would fully embrace a request by General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, for the 40,000 extra troops he says are needed to avert failure, the officials said.

Republican critics have accused Obama of dithering but he says he is taking the time to get it right. Some of his fellow Democrats oppose any escalation of the war. There are now nearly 68,000 U.S. troops and 40,000 allied forces in Afghanistan.

The U.S. ambassador in Kabul sent two strongly worded classified memos to Washington last week expressing concerns about sending more U.S. troops until Karzai changes course, The Washington Post said on Wednesday.

Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, expressed deep reservations about Karzai's erratic behavior and corruption in his government, the newspaper reported, citing senior U.S. officials.

After the White House meeting, U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, left for Paris to consult officials there, a senior U.S. official said, adding that he then planned to go on to Berlin and Moscow.

Obama's aides had once called the Afghan conflict the "good war" in contrast to the Iraq war launched by his predecessor George W. Bush in 2003.

But public approval of Obama's handling of Afghanistan has dropped from 49 percent in July to 36 percent in November, according to one poll. The Pew survey showed 57 percent now say the military effort in Afghanistan is going either not too well or not well at all, up from 45 percent in January.

Bulletproof jacket worn by Karkare during 26/11 missing

2009-11-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Mumbai, Nov 9 (PTI) The bulletproof jacket worn by ATS chief late Hemant Karkare during 26/11 terror attacks has gone missing, wife of the slain officer has alleged, raising serious questions on the manner in which materials of evidence were preserved.

"When his body was found, the bulletproof jacket was missing,even at the hospital.I filed RTI application a few months back asking where is the jacket but the reply I got was that it is missing," Kavita Karkare told PTI in an interview.

Karkare, a 1982 batch IPS officer, was killed in an ambush near Cama Hospital, along with another IPS officer Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar during the November 26 terror attacks last year. Despite wearing bullet-proof jackets, the officer received three fatal bullet-injuries in chest which raised question mark over the efficacy of these jackets in the wake of such terror attacks."TV channel recording clearly shows Hemant wearing a jacket at CST and leaving in the van. So where did the jacket go? I do not know if someone took it from him after that or it was removed from his body later, but it is missing," she said.

FBI gets 60 days to file charges against India terror plotters

2009-11-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been given 60 days to file charges in the foiled terror plot in India and Denmark by two Pakistan-born Chicago men at the behest of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT).

Chicago court's chief Judge James F. Holderman has extended till next Jan 1, the period of filing indictment against the accused duo, David Coleman Headley, a Pakistan-born American national, and his Pakistan-born Canadian associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

FBI agents arrested Headley Oct 18 from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Philadelphia, and subsequently arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana, whose former name was Daood Gilani. The two intended to travel to Pakistan, apparently to firm up their latest terror designs.

The court has also put off further hearing on Rana's bail plea by a week after the FBI sought a rescheduling of the hearing and filed additional papers with the court, disclosing inflammatory videos of Al Qaeda, containing speeches by Osama bin-Laden and others, that had been recovered from Rana's Chicago residence.

At the request of counsel, the hearing on Rana's case before Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan is re-scheduled from Tuesday to Nov 19, a Justice Department official said.

The FBI vigorously opposed the bail plea of Rana arguing that he was 'innocent' and had been 'duped' by Headley, his schoolmate in Pakistan.

The development came a day after a team of officials from two Indian intelligence agencies, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), left the US disappointed as their members were not able to question Headley.

UP leaders, intellectuals demand action against MNS

2009-11-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

Lucknow, Nov 11 (PTI) The assault on SP lagislator Abu Asim Azmi in the Maharashtra assembly has come in for severe criticism by Hindi litterateurs and political parties in Uttar Pradesh with protestors burning effigies of MNS chief Raj Thackeray and demanding a ban on the party. Congress and Samajwadi Party workers took out separate protest marches in Bhadohi district today.

Congress workers who submitted a memorandum addressed to President Pratibha Patil demanding ban on MNS, held the march through the streets and raised anti-MNS slogans. Hindi Vidyapeeth President Sumit Vyas has sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his help in ensuring that the most unfortunate incident of insult to the national language is not repeated.

CPI held a protest meeting in Lucknow during which it held Congress-NCP government responsible for the unlawful activities of MNS leaders against Hindi and north Indians. A VHP release called for checking the practice of dividing the country and Hindus on the issue of language and region.

North Indian Public Union, Akhil Bhartiya Alpshankhyak Adhivakta Association, All India Dalit Muslim Morcha, Shia Democratic Alliance, Sunni Board of India and Lok Awaz and others held separate meetings to protest the incident and demanded a ban on the MNS and expulsion of its legislators. PTI SAB MG.

Cyclone Phyan loses force as it crosses India's west coast

2009-11-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

Mumbai, Nov 11 (IANS) Cyclone Phyan lost its severity as it crossed India's west coast just north of this metropolis Wednesday evening, but brought with it heavy rain over the area and rode on strong winds gusting up to 85 km per hour, officials said.

Phyan was expected to hit north Maharashtra or south Gujarat Thursday morning. According to the IMD, the cyclone crossed the Maharashtra coast between Alibaug and Mumbai around 5 p.m.

It was centred as a deep depression over north Konkan, around 100 km southwest of Mumbai, by 5.30 p.m.

Over the next 12 hours - by Thursday morning - it is expected to move further north, northeast and weaken further into a deep depression, the IMD said.

Under its influence, there will be heavy to very heavy rains over Konkan, central Maharashtra, Marathwada region of the state, south Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh over the next 24 hours.

Coastal north Maharashtra and south Gujarat will also continue to experience squalls reaching upto 70 kmph with very rough sea conditions over the next 12 hours.

A state of high-preparedness will, however, continue for the city and state administration Thursday as well, officials said.

Before Phyan weakened, people scurried home in pelting rain as schools, colleges and offices shut here in the early afternoon.

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Johny Joseph said: 'All disaster control agencies like the district administration, police, civic and traffic authorities, fire brigade, Home Guards, Coast Guard, and the Indian Navy have been put on high alert to tackle any eventuality arising out of the weather conditions.'

Authorities had also advised citizens to keep away from popular coastal haunts like Churchgate, Nariman Point, Colaba, Worli, Bandra, Juhu, Versova, Marve, Bhayander and Vasai.

Non-stop rain and heavy cloud cover led to a number of flight delays in and out of Mumbai. According to an official of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, incoming flights were delayed by an hour and departures were around 15 minutes behind schedule.

Though there were traffic jams on the main roads in the city, suburban train services were operating normally. Central Railway and Western Railway ran special services to clear the rush of passengers, especially those bound for far-flung suburbs.

Fishermen in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, besides the Lakshadweep Islands, have been advised not to go out to sea. But about 50 fishing boats remained missing at sea, with the Indian Navy and Coast Guard planes and ships searching for them.

Civic authorities kept pumps in readiness at several coastal areas of Mumbai like Worli, Bandra, Juhu, Versova and Malad.

The union home ministry put its disaster management teams on alert in Maharashtra and Gujarat to meet any eventuality.

'The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Maharashtra and Gujarat have been put on the alert,' the ministry said in a statement.

Simultaneously, to meet any emergency requirement of rescue and relief, the NDRF teams comprising about 400 trained personnel with boats and other equipments, have been pre-positioned in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, it said.

Another 200 personnel have been kept in readiness for Mumbai and the defence ministry has also alerted the Indian Air Force, it added.

Cipla unveils drug to combat H1N1 virus

2009-11-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

Mumbai-based Cipla has launched Oseltamivir, a generic version of Roche's Tamiflu, used in the treatment of the H1N1 virus, under the brand name, Antiflu, in India. Cipla's Oseltamivir brand will cost Rs 475 for 10 capsules, and its 75 ml syrup will be similarly priced. Cipla's drug is also pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The H1N1 virus outbreak from the early part of the year was declared a pandemic in June and continues to spread globally.

On Monday, the health ministry said more than 500 people have died from the flu in India since the first fatality was reported in August, with Maharashtra seeing the largest toll of 207 deaths. More than 14,000 people have tested positive for the flu across India during the period. More than 5,700 people have died worldwide since the virus was first discovered in April.

"Influenza, a perceivably benign condition, kills about 2.5 to 5 lakh people every year worldwide, according to the WHO. These are generally the elderly or those with chronic conditions of the lung, heart or kidney. The fatality pattern this year with the 2009 H1N1 virus has been unusual, with the virus attacking healthy adults and children and pregnant women," said JA Gogtay, medical director, Cipla. The company's shares closed at Rs 304.75 on the BSE on Wednesday, up 1.43%.

According to YK Hamied, chairman, Cipla, the company has offered to supply Antiflu to the United States. "There is a shortage in the US. We have made an offer. It's up to them," he said. Cipla can produce two million doses of Oseltamivir a month if needed, he added.

Nokia recalls faulty charger

2009-11-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Nokia has decided to replace mobile chargers sold with handset Nokia 7210 free of cost, after finding quality issues with it.

The company said that five contractors had manufactured the chargers for this mobile phone, out of which chargers made by one of the contractors is being replaced.

Nokia said that the plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate. This exposed the charger's internal components and potentially posed an electric shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket.

Nokia said that it is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to these chargers. No consumer complaint has been received in India or globally regarding the charger. The free replacement is limited to charger model AC-3E only, manufactured between June 15 and August 9, 2009. The company said the number of charges being replaced in India is small.

Nokia insisted that it is not a recall but an exchange programme. According to a Nokia spokesperson, you call it a recall when there is a complaint from a consumer about a product and is legal binding. "In this case, the exchange is voluntary. There was no complaint," said the spokesperson.

To know whether ones charger comes under the free exchange programme, the customers needs to sms the 27 digit code printed on the charger to 55555.

In protest, oaths taken in English, Hindi

2009-11-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

The issue of language took centrestage in the Assembly on Monday as several members took their oaths in languages ranging from Hindi and Sanskrit to Marathi and even dialects of Marathi.

Many new MLAs took their oaths in Hindi in protest at what happened to the Samajwadi Party leader, Mr Abu Asim Azmi, and one Congress MLA even read out his oath in English.

Incidentally, although two BJP MLAs have nothing to do with the protest against languages other than Hindi, convinced the pro-tem speaker of the House to allow them to take their oaths in Sanskrit. Mr Azmi who came as the 64th person to take the oath of the house uttered just "Main (me)" when the MNS golden man, Mr Ramesh Wanjal, pulled the podium away with the microphone in tow and a host of MLAs rushed onto the stage.

A few Third Front MLAs including Ms Minakshi Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party, some Congress MLAs and minister Mr Nasim Khan came to help Mr Azmi who then took his oath in Hindi, from the Speaker's microphones.
However, despite the drama that took place after Mr Azmi's oath, the Congress MLA from Bandra, Mr Baba Siddiqui, took his oath in English in protest of the fact that there was so much ruckus over the issue.

Another MLA from Mumbai, Mr Amin Patel, in protest, took one in the national language.

Rains cause big damage

2009-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Nov. 9: Rains in four districts damaged 900 km of roads and caused breaches in 200 minor and major canals even as the northeast monsoon got vigorous over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.

The state is expected to receive more rain on Tuesday too because of the formation of a depression in the West Coast, said Mr M.Satyakumar, director of the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre. Srikalahasti of Chittoor district received 17 cm of rainfall till 8.30 am on Monday and Udayagiri of Nellore district got 14 cm.

Heavy rainfall was also recorded in Kavali (12 cm), Nellore, Vinjamur (11 cm), Gudur (Nellore district) and Rajampet (Kadapa district) (9 cm), Atmakur, Rapur, Venkatagiri and Rayachoti of Kadapa (7 cm).

In Nellore, the seasonal rains damaged paddy nurseries, tanks, canals and roads. The district administration has placed the loss at Rs 46.18 crore in a preliminary report submitted to the government on Monday. The Chief Minister, Mr K.
Rosaiah, who reviewed the relief operations here on Monday, directed officials to immediately restore damaged roads and communication networks besides repairing tanks.

Officials told him that 132 roads belonging to R&B running for 695 km and 193 roads of panchayat raj running for 200 km got damaged and 300 houses collapsed. About 1,500 acres of agricultural lands were also flooded.

14,000 JUNIOR DOCTORS ON STRIKE, GOVERNMENT READY WITH BACK-UP PLANS

2009-11-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

Medical services across the state were hit hard following the statewide strike by junior doctors demanding hike in stipend and allowances. Monday was the third day of the agitation.

About 14,000 junior doctors are taking part in the strike that started on Saturday.

The doctors are demanding a three-fold hike in their stipend in the wake of price rise and the Sixth Pay Commission scales granted to government servants.

Though all junior doctors are yet to boycott official duty, they are taking part in dharnas that are being held outside hospitals and medical colleges across the state every day. According to the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association co-convenor, Dr Asif Haniz, junior doctors are being paid extremely low salaries compared to Bihar and Haryana.

Currently, a super-speciality PG doctor gets Rs 10,000 as stipend and others are paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000, which is far below the average pay offered to any other government servant working for the state, said Dr Haniz.

"How can a doctor survive with such a meagre salary," questioned Dr Haniz. "We are organising dharnas at the Gandhi Hospital to lodge our protest. Though more than 48 hours have passed since we started our agitation, the government is yet to react," he added.

Meanwhile according to a senior official of the state government's health department, the situation is still under control and back-up plans are in place to handle the shortage of medical staff in case doctors boycott official duties.

Decisions regarding hike in stipend will be taken only after discussions with the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, said the official.

Endangered whale shark which was trapped in the nets at fishing harbour in vishakapatnam

2009-11-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Maytas is out of port project

2009-11-09T21:06:00.001-08:00

Close on the heels of losing the Hyderabad Metro Project, Maytas Infra is out of the prestigious Rs 1,590-crore Machilipatnam port project as well, reports our correspondent. According to sources, Maytas Infra has expressed its inability to execute the Rs 1,590-crore project due to the funds crunch.
The company, sources said, has failed to raise funds for the financial closure.

Anantapur to get solar city HYDERABAD

2009-11-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Chief Minister, Nov. 9: The Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, on Monday said the government will set up Solar City, a cluster of farms to harvest solar power, at Kadiri in Anantapur district.

The CM said the facility, to come up on 10,000 acres, would have locational advantage as it has suitable radiation index for solar farms. It would be the first of its kind in the country, he said. It is 85 km from the Bengaluru international airport.

Sunborne Inc, USA, Lanco Solar; AES Solar, USA and Titan Energy will be the anchor clients. The government will bring out a special policy for solar power generation to complement the national solar mission policy to boost development of green energies, he said.

Mr Rosaiah was speaking after inaugurating Solarcon India 2009, an international conference of solar energy manufacturers, He also said a MoU had been signed on Monday with Fraunhofer Institute of Germany, a leading research institute in solar energy. The state and the German major will collaborate in R&D, testing and certification besides training programmes.

He said the Centre would launch the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, a dedicated policy for solar energy, on November 14. This mission outlays plans for national target of 20 Giga Watts of solar generation capacity by 2020 and create 1 lakh jobs.

Corporates pep up hiring plans with economy on upswing

2009-11-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: The pick-up in the economy has kicked off hiring plans in India Inc, with companies across the manufacturing and services sectors
looking at new recruitments as they go into expansion mode. They are not just expecting more business from the domestic market, but anticipate a boom in overseas business too, thanks to cash-crunched foreign companies looking at cost rationalisation.

The buzz in manufacturing, one of the key engines of economic activity, is palpable particularly in crucial sectors like automobiles. Major companies, including Maruti and Hyundai, have been hiring, reflecting the upturn. Maruti, which plans to boost annual production to one million units, has plans to add around 400 new people including a mix of engineers, technicians, MBAs and CAs.

Close rival Hyundai, which has added a new manufacturing line to meet increased demand, has hired as many as 1200 workers between July and September this year and plans to further boost its strength as it looks to attract NRIs and expatriates to join its Indian workforce.

Nissan has also said it would be more than doubling its manpower in India as it hopes that rising economic activity and disposable incomes will boost demand. The company, which is setting up a new plant near Chennai, has plans to boost its manpower from 700 to 1500 by May.

The mood is no different in the services sector. Cisco has drawn up huge recruitment plans as it shifts some of its activities from abroad to India. The company plans to boost its manpower in India to 15,000 over the next two years, adding 12,000 new workers. IT major Wipro has also been hiring and after recruiting 1,000 people in the first six months of the fiscal, plans to add another 2,000 in the second half. The company is also planning to extend salary increments across the board in Q4, which is significant considering it had not even budgeted for a hike at the beginning of the year.

iGate also said it plans to add about 1,500 new recruitments in 2010. CEO Phaneesh Murthy said he expected IT budgets to be up 2-4% next year. Infosys BPO also said it would hire 1,500-2,000 people by the end of this fiscal. The company is also reportedly planning to set up a new delivery centre in the US before end of 2009-10.

Accenture said it will add around 8,000 new people in India by the end of next year, taking its total employee strength to 50,000. Accenture's focus in India is going to be in the analytics space, company chairman and CEO William D Green said at the India Economic Summit where the overall mood was buoyant. Hirings in the IT space have in fact been continuing over the last few months. Cognizant has added a net 8,135 people since December last year while TCS has taken on 7,800 people. Cognizant CFO Gordon Coburn said the company will continue to hire aggressively.

There is activity on the finance front as well. Barclays, Britain's second-largest lender, plans to increase staff in Asia by 10% next year, said Robert Morrice, the bank's Asia-Pacific chairman and CEO at the Economic Summit. In India, the company plans to double its 35-person investment banking team over the next 18 months, Morrice added

Pakistani daily passes 'death sentence' on US journalist

2009-11-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON: Nearly eight years after the brutal murder by beheading of Wall Street Journal’s South Asia correspondent Daniel Pearl at the hands
of Pakistani extremists, a Pakistani newspaper had endangered the life of another journalist by calling him a CIA spy linked to the Israeli secret service Mossad.

The charges against Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Rosenberg, which has outraged his newspaper and the journalists’ community in the US, were published last week in the hard-line Pakistani daily, Nation, widely seen to be a mouthpiece of the Pakistani military-security establishment. Citing ''an official of law enforcement agency who requested anonymity,'' the paper said ''Matthew was working as chief operative of CIA and Blackwater in Peshawar,'' and ''law enforcement agencies...had also traced Matthew’s links with Israel’s intelligence agency Mosad as well.''

Aside from being scurrilous, the charges are also considered life-threatening given the fate that befell Rosenberg’s predecessor Daniel Pearl, who was beheaded in February 2002 by extremists because he was Jewish and was accused of being an American and Israeli spy in a country increasingly steeped in paranoia and hatred against Americans, Indians, and Jews.

Pearl, who like Rosenberg was based in India, was investigating the links between al-Qaida terrorists and the Pakistani spy agency ISI when he was entrapped.

Pakistani courts convicted Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-Pakistani terrorist, for Pearl’s abduction and murder (the death sentence awarded to him is yet to be carried out) but in March 2007, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said he carried out Pearl’s execution.

In an angry Nov 6 letter to the Nation’s Editor Shireen Mazari, WSJ Managing Editor Robert Thomson conveyed ''in the strongest possible terms our dismay and disgust over the slanderous and dangerous falsehoods” published against Rosenberg. The charges that he had some intelligence connection ''has endangered him, all other Wall Street Journal correspondents, and all journalists and foreign correspondents in your country,'' he said.

Thomson said Rosenberg is an experienced foreign correspondent who has ''pursued no other agenda than seeking the truth.'' Asking for a prominent retraction, he said the falsehood spread by the paper could ultimately make it ''complicit in a far greater tragedy unless this wrong is corrected.'' Thomson’s letter did not mention the Pearl episode, a tragedy that shook the journalistic community and highlighted the dangers of working in Pakistan.

While some in the blogging and tweeting community accused the Pakistani paper of effectively passing a death sentence on Rosenberg, the New York-based Committee for Protection of Journalists said it was ''deeply disturbing'' that a newspaper would publish a story like this that clearly puts the life of a fellow reporter in danger. The committee also wondered if this could be a deliberate government attempt to intimidate Rosenberg and other foreign correspondents working in Pakistan, considering the story was sourced to a law enforcement agency.

The Nation is part of the Nawa-e-Waqt group, considered close to Pakistan’s military-intelligence apparatus in defending the ''ideology of Pakistan.'' Its patriarch Majid Nizami, brother of the paper’s founder Hamid Nizami, frequently espouses nuclear war as a means of settling disputes with India. He recently sacked his nephew Arif Nizami (Hamid’s son) as Editor and replaced him with Mazari, who was the Director of the government-funded Pakistan Institute of Strategic Studies. Mazari claims she was fired from that job under pressure from the United States.