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I love being called sexy: Bipasha.FIIs infused Rs 23k cr in 100 days of UPA's second innings!Thousand Rs. Per KG HILSA!Pakistan suicide bombing kills 17 police cadets.'Robot girls' clue to Dugard case.Advani has to go, Rajnath will follow, RSS tells BJP.100 days later, what next?Pak backs India's climate change stand.Pakistan altered missiles given by US to target India: NYT

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Hilsa selling at Rs 1,200-1,600/kg in Kolkata

TNN 27 August 2009, 01:48am

 

KOLKATA: It inspires poetry, rapture and euphoria in equal measure. For once though, the hilsa is also evoking curses. Bengal's favourite fish has raced up the price charts this monsoon and reached those rarefied levels where only a select few can buy it. Currently, the best of the lot — weighing 2 kg or more — is selling at Rs 1,200-1,600 a kg in Kolkata's markets. Asim Pramanik, a fish-seller at Gariahat market, sold two fishes worth Rs 1,200 per kg on Wednesday. ''Each weighed a little over 2 kg,'' he said. Pramanik learnt the ropes of the fish trade from his father, who also had a stall at the same market. He can't remember a single year when the price of hilsa touched such stratospheric levels. Neither can Arup Saha, a fish vendor at Manicktala market in north Kolkata. Till a couple of days back, he had sold the fish at Rs 1,600 a kg. ''There are very few takers for such expensive fish but we can't do a thing about it,'' Saha said. Things have come to such a pass that a jewellery shop is offering discounts on products if the fish is bought from select stores. So where has all the fish gone? At one level, it is a supply chain management crisis. The inflow from Bangladesh has come down to a trickle, sending shivers down Kolkata's markets. For the past few monsoons, the stocks coming in from the neighbouring country had stood at a steady 2,000 tonnes a day. But the supply was badly hit after the Bangladesh government decided to ban the fishing of hilsas weighing less than 600 gm, popularly known as 'khoka ilish'. For fishermen on the Hooghly and Rupnarayan, an unkind monsoon has come as the biggest blow.

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1. Image results for hilsa fish

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2. Hilsa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   Hilsa (Bengali: ইলিশ Ilish) is the national fish of Bangladesh, ... The Hilsa fish is full of tiny bones which require trained eaters/hands to handle. ...
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3. Bengal : Nature : Fish : Hilsa: Ilish : Bengal Fish

   Locally known as Ilish, the fish is an addiction of Bengalis especially to those who originated from Bangladesh.
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4. Hilsa Fish With Mustard

   25 Apr 2008 ... Hilsa Fish Paturi -- A very very delicious unforgettable fish curry.
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5. Video results for hilsa fish

   My favourite hilsa fish...... 24 sec www.youtube.com

   Hilsa fish still popular despite price hike 2 min 6 sec video.msn.com

6. Steamed Hilsa Fish in Yoghurt Recipe | Easy Steamed Hilsa Fish in ...

   Bawarchi.com gives you a delicious Steamed Hilsa Fish in Yoghurt Recipe. Add your own Steamed Hilsa Fish in Yoghurt recipe and share favourite Steamed Hilsa ...
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7. Daawat.Com.....Recipes...Indian...Non-Vegetarian...Seafood Dishes ...

   500g hilsa fish 65g tamarind 100g onions, chopped 6 green chilies 5 red chilies 2 tsp coriander seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp khus khus seeds ...
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8. Hilsa Fish in Chinese Style at Waldorf, Park Street on burrp! Kolkata

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9. Virtual Bangladesh : The Magnificent Ilish [Hilsa] Fish

   But, to me, her most cherished treasure is the ilish, or the Hilsa Shad fish. Bangladeshis and Bengalis are noted for their love of fish, and God could not ...
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10. Illish ( Hilsa ) fish | Facebook

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11. Hilsa (fish genus) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia

    Britannica online encyclopedia article on Hilsa (fish genus), The Indus is moderately rich in fish. The best-known variety is called hilsa and is the most ...
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Puja ploy to grab pavements Times of India - Saikat Ray - ‎Aug 27, 2009‎ ... Durga Puja, hawkers have returned to the city's pavements in force gobbling up free space, crowding out pedestrians and adding to the chaos of shopping. ... Flu scare notwithstanding, Puneites set to welcome Ganesha Times of India - Chitra Nair - ‎Aug 21, 2009‎ ... Baramati and Daund have given shopping in the city a miss this year," he rues. Ganu, who has made a special puja pack for the entire Ganesh festival, ... Astrologer arrested for molesting client Times of India - Sandhya Nair - ‎Aug 5, 2009‎ The complainant told the police that as she sat down with Joshi to perform the puja, he began touching her on her forehead and then moved down to her lips. ... Rains fail to deter Puja shoppers Indian Express - ‎Aug 16, 2009‎ Debarati Chakrabarty, a student of Calcutta University busy shopping at the New Market, said, "Rains can never affect the Puja spirit. ... An item number Mother Goddess? India Today - ‎Aug 25, 2009‎ This Puja, for example, does not come with great expectations and this city, which was once a repository of emotions in some fashion or the other, ... Crazy discounts for shopaholics Times of India - Somdatta Basu - ‎Aug 11, 2009‎ KOLKATA: It is not just raining discounts in Kolkata in the pre-Puja season, it's raining hilsa as well. And mind-boggling even bizarre offers too. ... Ganesh Chaturthi observed with gaiety Times of India - ‎Aug 23, 2009‎ All the entry points towards the shrine were transformed into a makeshift market selling goods ranging from artificial jewellery to puja items. ... Hindu Fear over the city Hindu - Kankana Basu - ‎Aug 22, 2009‎ Similarly, while open airy venues for Ganesh Puja might be safe, the theme pandals with their narrow, cave-like interiors (where devotees cluster closely ... Smilie Suri goes eco-friendly Gaea Times - ‎Aug 26, 2009‎ With all the puja and rituals, I feel so much of positivism at home. I made sure that I went along the eco friendly scheme. ... VoiceofSikkim - Do you have it in you? Brothels in Siliguri, who the hell is doing this? VoiceofSikkim - Do you have it in you? - ‎Aug 10, 2009‎ Puja for instance, is from Kathmandu Valley, Nepal's capital area. She's wearing tight jeans and a Stars-and-stripes bandana. The 22-year old chews tobacco ... Stay up to date on these results: Create an email alert for Puja shopping Search blogs for Puja shopping Add a custom section for Puja shopping to Google News Add a news gadget for Puja shopping to your Google homepage

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Kolkatans worried over rise in prices of vegetables, fish Thaindian.com - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ "The prices of Hilsa fish have gone up because of the fact there is a scarcity in the market. We fish importer association used to bring every year more ... Hilsa selling at Rs 1200-1600/kg in Kolkata Times of India - ‎Aug 26, 2009‎ For once though, the hilsa is also evoking curses. Bengal's favourite fish has raced up the price charts this monsoon and reached those rarefied levels ... India seeks Sez in Bangladesh Assam Tribune - ‎22 hours ago‎ The agreement reached today would pave the way for easier import of delicious Hilsa fish to dinner tables in India. Joint Secretary in the Ministry of ... This season, hilsa goes off plate Times of India - Prithvijit Mitra - ‎Aug 9, 2009‎ On an average, a big fish is selling for Rs 450-500 a kg. "We no longer get the quantity we used to. We must come to terms with the fact that the hilsa ... Nine FM confederates the symphony garden retreat in "The Hilsha ... RadioandMusic.com - ‎Aug 17, 2009‎ Come monsoon and every Bengali household is filled with a rich aroma of Hilsa or Ilish fish – bhaapa Ilish, Ilish paaturi, you have an array of spread to ... Monsoon takes toll on hilsa supply Indian Express - ‎Aug 16, 2009‎ "Last year, we used to import nearly 40 to 50 tonnes of hilsa but there is absolutely no fish this year," said Atul Das, President, Fish Importers ... Big hilsa catches still elude fishermen The Daily Star all 2 news articles » Email this story Pride of few, envy of many Daily Pioneer - Sunanda K Datta-Ray - ‎Aug 27, 2009‎ ... smoked hilsa, in Dhaka's expensive Sonargaon Hotel. The Bangladeshi chef looked scornfully at me as he said, "We don't serve local fish, sir. ... Hilsa back on menu after two years Express Buzz - ‎Aug 4, 2009‎ They can now have their favourite 'ilsi machha jhol' (hilsa with gravy) at a reasonable price. After a gap of couple of years the fish markets here are full ... Crazy discounts for shopaholics Times of India - Somdatta Basu - ‎Aug 11, 2009‎ The more you buy, the bigger and lip-smackier the fish. At first, customers could not believe their ears until a neatly packaged hilsa was dropped in their ... Kolkata retailers' new efforts to woo customers Hindu Business Line - ‎Aug 12, 2009‎ A jewellery shop is giving discounts on making charges to customers if they buy Hilsa fish from designated outlets. According to the offer, customers who ... Stay up to date on these results: Create an email alert for hilsa fish Search blogs for hilsa fish Add a custom section for hilsa fish to Google News Add a news gadget for hilsa fish to your Google homepage

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Duranto to Sealdah, Pune will start in September Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎ "Both the New Delhi-Sealdah and New Delhi-Pune trains are ready and will begin its run by next month before Durga Puja,'' said Banerjee. ... Now, Ganesh idols in different stages of life Times of India - Hemant Kumar Rout - ‎Aug 26, 2009‎ Many from our community are also members of the puja com mittees," said Sayed Jasrul Hoda, a resident of Puruna Bazaar which has a large population of ... Metro runs on trouble track Calcutta Telegraph - ‎Aug 25, 2009‎ "I had to wait half an hour at Shyambazar station in the afternoon to board a train to Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar). Passengers were almost hanging out of the ... India Today Low-cal flavour India Today - Kushal Biswas - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ And in the pipeline is a refurbishment and relaunch, tentatively scheduled to draw the Durga Puja crowds-with a menu that includes even more healthy dining ... Pooja package for Ganesh Chaturthi Indian Express - ‎Aug 19, 2009‎ The product is priced at Rs.295 and is available in all leading supermarkets and retail outlets like Big Bazaar, E Mart and Spencers. ... No let up in protests, despite curfew E-Pao.net - ‎Aug 9, 2009‎ At yairipok Bazar Puja Lampak (ground), women from many pockets of yairipok Assembly Constituency staged protest demonstrations under the aegis of Nupi ... Future Group to invest Rs 100cr in East Business Standard - Pradipta Mukherjee - ‎Aug 20, 2009‎ To begin with, the company is restructuring its Big Bazaar store on Lee Road and converting it into a Brand Factory, due for launch before the Durga Puja. ... Soaring prices spoil festivals Times of India - Bella Jaisinghani, Mohammed Wajihuddin - ‎Aug 24, 2009‎ "The holy month of Ramzan comes once a year and I don't want to make my children miss the joys of good food during this month," said Bhendi Bazaar-based ... From Chitpore to the garden of Eden Business Standard - ‎Aug 23, 2009‎ "They make rangoli and offer puja on the rooftops. But on the streets there is no sign of festivities. It is as if there is a whole world on the roofs. ... Calcutta Telegraph The great sale bazaar Calcutta Telegraph - ‎Aug 8, 2009‎ Besides, there are huge pre-Puja discounts every year. But there's a difference in the show this year. "I have never seen such huge discount across brands ... Stay up to date on these results: Create an email alert for Puja bazar Search blogs for Puja bazar Add a custom section for Puja bazar to Google News Add a news gadget for Puja bazar to your Google homepage

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1. Search Query of a Case :: Patna High Court

   M/S PUJA BAZAR (P) LTD.,MUZAFF, 18-Jan-1994. Tax-2/1995, COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX,BIH, skSHARAN JR.scitd, RA NO.3(P)1994/ITA 364(P)/89/AY 85-86 ...
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2. Preet Brar & Miss Pooja - Bazaar Challi An

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3. Fotocorp: India News & Stock Photo Agency, Editorial Images ...

   Lakme Super Model Indrani Dasgupta light up the lamp during the inauguration of Sananda Shopper Stop Puja Bazar 2008 at Shopper Stop, Kolkata on Saturday, ...
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4. Eastern Region I & II - Smart Rojgar

   Puja Bazar Motijheel, Muzaffarpur-842 991 Bihar, (0621) 2245112. Patna Branch Sukriti Apartment S. P. Verma Road Patna - 1, Bihar, (0612) 2221686 ...
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5. ApnaView » Watch Hindi Movies Online Free - Preet Brar & Miss ...

   Preet Brar & Miss Pooja - Bazaar Challi An. Watch Movie Trailers/Promos Photos Wallpapers. On the next page, click on "continue to video page" to play the ...
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6. The Day After

   Durga Puja was just over. Diwali was barely a week. It was 17th. October 2000. The scent of Puja Bazar was visible amid the autumn wind. ...
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7. Preet Brar & Miss Pooja - Bazaar Challi Aa (Punjabi song)

   24 Nov 2008 ... Preet Brar & Miss Pooja - Bazaar Challi Aa (Punjabi song) Videos.
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8. The Telegraph - Calcutta : Metro

   Do your shopping at Sharodiya Puja Bazar 2005, an exhibition-cum-sale of consumer and household products, at Ice Skating Rink, 11 am to 8 pm. njoy a fashion ...
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9. Cotton County

   Name and Address, : SAKSHI ENTERPRISES, PUJA BAZAR, MOTI JHELL, OPP. SUZICA COLOUR LAB,MUZAFFARPUR, BIHAR,. State, : Phone Number, : 9334036546 ...
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10. List of Assessees of Patna Commissionerate of Specific Criteria

    M K UNITED AIR EXPRESS, PUJA BAZAR MOTIJHEEL, MUZAFFARPUR MUZAFFARPUR HO MUZAFFARPUR 842001, MUZZAFFARPUR-I, MUZAFURPUR, TMPRG4593HST001 ...
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1. Anup Mukherjee / Puja Shopping / i3pep.org * india point

   25 Sep 2005 ... This is the festival season in India, and in Bengal it is the season for Puja shopping. We also joined the bandwagon for the shopping and ...
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2. kchahiyo.com ! News, online puja shopping Nepal

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3. Effect of Recession on Puja Shopping

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4. The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Jharkhand | Fair start to ...

   29: For those who have not started their Puja shopping yet, here's a place to begin. Traditional designs and specialised fabrics from Bengal are on display ...
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5. Puja shopping washed out — yet again - Express India

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6. Shopping Online

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7. Satyanarayan Puja, Send Gifts to India, Send Rakhi to India ...

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10. Puja shopping washed out — yet again

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Yahoo! Sports 2009 Draft Prep: Bengal bounce back in '09? CBSSports.com - Jamey Eisenberg - ‎Aug 29, 2009‎ The Bengals are all about redemption this year. Almost everyone on offense is trying to prove something in 2009. ... Turnovers hurt Bengals vs. Rams Cincinnati.com Bengals fall to Rams: The good, the bad and the hideous Examiner.com Rams fake better than Bengals Cincinnati.com Examiner.com - Examiner.com all 515 news articles » Email this story Goal.com Snehashish Joins Bagan, East Bengal Ask Tomba To Return The Money Goal.com - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ The long lasting duel between Snehashish Chakraborty and East Bengal has at last come to an end after the winger signed for Mohun Bagan and also paid a fine ... Craving for a winning start Calcutta Telegraph Bagan to play IFA Shield group matches on home turf Times of India KKR likely to release Ponting Kolkata Newsline TopNews - Calcutta Telegraph all 9 news articles » Email this story Post-Nano, state gets mega project Times of India - Ajanta Chakraborty - ‎18 hours ago‎ KOLKATA: This is undoubtedly the biggest industrial development story in Bengal sin-ce an angry Ratan Tata left the state with his Nano project. ... Panagarh land may be handed over in 6 months Times of India all 4 news articles » Email this story Films can't change society: Rahul Bose Times of India - ‎3 hours ago‎ Talking about the current situation of Bengali cinema, he said: "There are good commercial and art films from Bengal now. Filmmakers like Rituparna Ghosh, ... Fertilizer racket sows seeds of despair in Balasore dist Times of India - ‎53 minutes ago‎ The farmers claim that at least four truckloads of fertilizers are smuggled into West Bengal daily. "The brokers take hefty amounts from the transporters to ... Black-marketing of fertiliser hits farmers hard Express Buzz all 2 news articles » Email this story Bengal takes lead in fuel from algae Times of India - Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ KOLKATA: Bengal is taking the lead in algae fuel a third-generation biofuel that has generated tremendous excitement worldwide. A city-based organization is ... Indian Express Marxists in a tight spot post Vedic village incident Economic Times - ‎Aug 29, 2009‎ KOLKATA: After Nandigram and Singur, it is the Vedic Village issue which has landed the ruling Marxists in West Bengal in a tight spot. ... Vedic churn in Bengal politics Calcutta Telegraph Deb delivers land query blow Times of India Vedic Village case: No question of protecting anyone: WB govt Indopia Livemint all 40 news articles » BOM:500209 - BOM:507685 - NSE:INFOSYSTCH.IL Email this story 'Use green, Bengal gram instead of red gram' Express Buzz - ‎13 hours ago‎ ... to take steps for usage of green gram and bengal gram etc in place of red gram in the meals provided to schoolchildren under the mid-day meal programme. ... Bumper jute production brings cheer to farmers in West Bengal Sify - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ Despite late arrival of monsoon rains this year, jute farmers in Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal are rejoicing due to bumper production of the crop. ... Three newborn leopard cubs die in West Bengal DailyIndia.com all 6 news articles » Email this story Stay up to date on these results: Create an email alert for Bengal Search blogs for Bengal Add a custom section for Bengal to Google News Add a news gadget for Bengal to your Google homepage

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Yahoo! Sports 2009 Draft Prep: Bengal bounce back in '09? CBSSports.com - Jamey Eisenberg - ‎Aug 29, 2009‎ The Bengals are all about redemption this year. Almost everyone on offense is trying to prove something in 2009. ... Turnovers hurt Bengals vs. Rams Cincinnati.com Bengals fall to Rams: The good, the bad and the hideous Examiner.com Rams fake better than Bengals Cincinnati.com Examiner.com - Examiner.com all 515 news articles » Email this story Goal.com Snehashish Joins Bagan, East Bengal Ask Tomba To Return The Money Goal.com - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ The long lasting duel between Snehashish Chakraborty and East Bengal has at last come to an end after the winger signed for Mohun Bagan and also paid a fine ... Craving for a winning start Calcutta Telegraph Bagan to play IFA Shield group matches on home turf Times of India KKR likely to release Ponting Kolkata Newsline TopNews - Calcutta Telegraph all 9 news articles » Email this story Post-Nano, state gets mega project Times of India - Ajanta Chakraborty - ‎18 hours ago‎ KOLKATA: This is undoubtedly the biggest industrial development story in Bengal sin-ce an angry Ratan Tata left the state with his Nano project. ... Panagarh land may be handed over in 6 months Times of India all 4 news articles » Email this story Films can't change society: Rahul Bose Times of India - ‎3 hours ago‎ Talking about the current situation of Bengali cinema, he said: "There are good commercial and art films from Bengal now. Filmmakers like Rituparna Ghosh, ... Fertilizer racket sows seeds of despair in Balasore dist Times of India - ‎53 minutes ago‎ The farmers claim that at least four truckloads of fertilizers are smuggled into West Bengal daily. "The brokers take hefty amounts from the transporters to ... Black-marketing of fertiliser hits farmers hard Express Buzz all 2 news articles » Email this story Bengal takes lead in fuel from algae Times of India - Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ KOLKATA: Bengal is taking the lead in algae fuel a third-generation biofuel that has generated tremendous excitement worldwide. A city-based organization is ... Indian Express Marxists in a tight spot post Vedic village incident Economic Times - ‎Aug 29, 2009‎ KOLKATA: After Nandigram and Singur, it is the Vedic Village issue which has landed the ruling Marxists in West Bengal in a tight spot. ... Vedic churn in Bengal politics Calcutta Telegraph Deb delivers land query blow Times of India Vedic Village case: No question of protecting anyone: WB govt Indopia Livemint all 40 news articles » BOM:500209 - BOM:507685 - NSE:INFOSYSTCH.IL Email this story 'Use green, Bengal gram instead of red gram' Express Buzz - ‎13 hours ago‎ ... to take steps for usage of green gram and bengal gram etc in place of red gram in the meals provided to schoolchildren under the mid-day meal programme. ... Bumper jute production brings cheer to farmers in West Bengal Sify - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎ Despite late arrival of monsoon rains this year, jute farmers in Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal are rejoicing due to bumper production of the crop. ... Three newborn leopard cubs die in West Bengal DailyIndia.com all 6 news articles » Email this story Stay up to date on these results: Create an email alert for Bengal Search blogs for Bengal Add a custom section for Bengal to Google News Add a news gadget for Bengal to your Google homepage

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Price rise upsets domestic budgets

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Varun Chadha

 Chandigarh, April 01 An Unprecedented hike in the prices of daily commodities has come as a rude shock for middle-class families which have to walk the tightrope throughout the year.

There has been a rise in the average monthly bill of grocery and vegetables by Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, depending on the size of the family.

The prices of the majority of commodities have gone up pushing a large number of items beyond the purchasing power of a common man. Rishi Pal is working as an Assistant General Manager (Law) with Bhushan Industries. He earns Rs 22,000 a month. He says the rise in prices has made it difficult for him to afford even the basic commodities for his family comprising a wife and two sons.

"The steep hike in prices of pulses and vegetables has made sustenance almost difficult for us. Last week, we were forced to use some of our savings," he said.

Pal's monthly grocery and vegetables bill, which was Rs 3,000 around three months ago, has risen to Rs 4,000 now. "A hike of Rs 1,000 per month for a family of four, including two children, is quite high and in fact unjustified on the part of the government," said Pal.

Said Amit Sachdeva, an accounts officer with Advocate General, Punjab: "Inflation has not only disturbed the standard of living of the lower middle class but also restricted their access to the basic necessities of life. Earlier, we used to spend Rs 3,500 to 4,000 on food every month. This has gone up to Rs 5,200 for a family of six. It is hard to save in the current scenario".

"A 10 kg bag of flour, which used to cost Rs 125 a few months ago, now comes for Rs 165 to Rs 170. The price hike has really broken the back of middle and low-income families," said Prabhmeet Singh Luthra, a businessman in Mohali.

 http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/price-rise-upsets-domestic-budgets/291363/

India's moon mission comes to an abrupt end

Ten months after it was launched, India's maiden moon mission the ambitious Chandrayaan-1 came to an abrupt end today after ISRO lost communication with the spacecraft, cutting short the dream odyssey that was expected to last two years.

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 http://news.in.msn.com/

 

Grocery and Food Retail in India

 

Food and grocery is the second-largest segment of the retail industry and also it is the least organized.

According to a recent report by Ernst & Young, food and grocery account for almost 54% (USD 152 billion) of the total Indian annual retail business. However, food retail continues to be dominated by small local stores in the unorganized sector. The organized food retail sector is expected to grow by 30% to become worth US$ 2.4 billion in 2010.

The potential for new entrants in this segment is enormous, particularly in untapped markets like rural and semi-urban areas.

This report maps the trends in the food retail sector, key players, their expansion plans and investments, consumer spending patterns and government policies.

30/08/2009

India terminates moon mission, ISRO chief to meet PM

Panaji: India Sunday decided to terminate its first unmanned moon mission as contact could not be re-established with the spacecraft Chandrayaan, Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said, adding that he would meet the prime minister next week to brief him about the development.

"We are disappointed with what has happened, but we have managed to salvage a large volume of data," Nair told reporters here.

"We are content with the result," he said, adding that nearly 95 percent of the mission's objectives have been completed.

"Nearly 70,000 images of the moon have been captured during the mission. We were also conducting joint experiments with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists and sharing signals received from our spacecraft," he said.

Chandrayaan-1, launched in October last year, sent last message 00.25 IST Saturday and the space agency's Deep Space Network (DSN) lost radio contact with the spacecraft five minutes later.

 

30/08/2009

Yes, Chandrayaan did bring India on the 'Moon map'

By R Shankar

Chandrayaan-1 may be lost in space, but the spirit behind the mission is buoyant. The moon mission was a success, but ISRO will have to learn its lessons and keep its space missions on full throttle.

Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation on Sunday formally called off the Chandrayaan-1 moon mission after the Indian Deep Space Network at Byalalu near Bangalore inexplicably lost radio contact with the craft. Many would view this as a great setback to India's space odyssey as Chandrayaan-1 had a life span of two years but lasted just 312 days sniffing the lunar surface for water, minerals and rare materials.

But what many fail to underline is the fact that this was India's first shot at the moon and getting a satellite up there traversing over 4000 km in space was indeed a major achievement. There are other milestones too in Chandrayaan-1's maiden trip to the moon. The mission placed India's tricolour on the lunar surface, found iron on the moon, detected the first x-ray signature from the moon, found calcium and silicon deposits and sent back a huge pile of high resolution photographs as it did 3400 orbits. All this would bring out a mine of information as the pictures are decoded in the coming months.

If this was not success, what else is? As former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam put it: "It was the first launch of Chandrayaan-1, and for a first launch it is a great success. We have got data from ten instruments of the spacecraft in the last 10 months. This means the mission is completed."

What also needs flagging here is that among the 70 spacecraft sent so far to study the moon, Chandrayaan-1 had the largest number of instruments on board -- 11. Of the 11 instruments, five were from India, and six from different countries including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria. It other words, it was an international mission with India as the captain.

 

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3198447

 

I love being called sexy: Bipasha

 

Sun, Aug 30 10:55 AM

Sun, Aug 30 10:55 AM

Bedika New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) Bollywood bombshell Bipasha Basu may be playing the deglamourised role of a housewife in her first Bengali movie but the actress says she is happy with the ''sexy'' tag as a girl-next-door look never interested her. "I love being sexy and I would be happy if people call me sexy even when I turn 100.

I would love to be called a sexy grandmother. The tag has never bothered me," Bipasha, who has been named one of the sexiest celebrities of Asia, told PTI in an interview.

"If a woman says she does not want to be called attractive then she is foolish. I like being exclusive, the girl-next-door image has never interested me.

It is too boring," the actress, who started her Bollywood career with bold characters in "Jism" and "Raaz", says. She, however, believes "sexiness" is not only related to having a good body.

"Sexiness is not only about having a great body. It is about how you carry yourself, your confidence, your self respect, these help you look attractive.

I am sexy with a mind. It is a complete package.

" The Bengali beauty is portraying the character of Radhika in Rituparno Ghosh''s movie "Shob Charitro Kalponik", which deals with love and loss through the story of a woman, who goes on a path of self discovery after the death of her poet-husband. .

 

30/08/2009

India calls off Chandrayaan moon mission

Panaji: India Sunday decided to terminate its first unmanned moon mission as contact could not be re-established with the spacecraft Chandrayaan, a top space official said here.

"We are disappointed with what has happened, but we have managed to salvage a large volume of data," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair told reporters here. "We are content with the result," he said.

Chandrayaan-1, launched last year, sent last message 00.25 IST Saturday and the space agency's Deep Space Network (DSN) lost radio contact with the spacecraft five minutes later.

Source: Agencies

 

Pakistan suicide bombing kills 17 police cadets

 

At least 17 police recruits were killed and over 40 others seriously injured Sunday in a suicide bomb attack at a police training centre in northwest Pakistan, the Online news agency reported.

The incident took place in Mingora city, the capital of Swat Valley in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The security forces have meanwhile started a search operation to nab the associates of the suicide bomber. A massive fire broke out at the site after the blast.

About 60 police recruits were taking part in a training when the suicide bomber forced his way into the facility and blew himself up, the report said citing unnamed sources.

At least 17 police recruits were killed and more than 40 others seriously injured in the blast, it said. The injured were rushed to hospitals.
This was the third attack on the facility in the recent past.

The shops in the city were closed after the authorities clamped a curfew.

NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain earlier told reporters that 12 policemen were killed in the attack. He said the suicide bomber climbed the compound wall to enter the facility.

He added that although the security forces have dismantled the terrorists' bases in the country, the rebels still have the capacity to launch attacks on government facilities.

He said the war against terrorism will continue till the militants are eliminated from the country.

Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the bombing and ordered an investigation into the incident. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif also condemned the attack.

Source: Agencies

 

Hilsa Fish from KOLAGHAT near KOLKATA for One Thousand Rs. Per KG!

 

Potato for RS Twenty around. Vegetables have the FLAMES which may BURN anyone!

 

Grocery Bill is UNABATE.

 

Electricity is DEAERER.

 

Milk is ONE Rs Dearer once again! children amy not afford Drinking Milk, the Complete Food. While the FOOD is Missing!

 

But it is claimed that

Rs.100/- is enough in Kolkata for food.If you intake municipal water then there will be no cost.If you use water purifier (e.g. Zeoline 250) in the tap water it will cost Rs.25/- more for a small bottle which can be used for a month or more.But consumption of bottled water will cost more.How many bottles you will consume per day? if you purchase 20 ltr. bottle it will cost less.1 ltr. bottle will cost more.So,there are lot of ifs and buts.

 

on the other hand, People of Kolkata are a worried lot as prices of vegetables and fish have increased in the city.

The vegetable vendors are selling potatoes at the rate of Rs.18 per kg which were earlier being sold at Rs.6. Earlier, prices of tomatoes were Rs.20 per kg but now they are being sold at Rs.30 per kg. The prices of other vegetables have also increased.

Vegetable sellers say that less production of vegetables have increased the price this year.

"The prices of vegetables were low earlier. But now the prices are increasing because of less production. There is a gap between supply and demand," said Sahadeb Poira, a vegetable seller.

Residents say that prices of vegetables are becoming unaffordable for them.

"Here if I go to market for potatoes I have to pay 18 rupees more than that. And say now when you—-purchase 5 rupees or 6 rupees per kg now its three times therefore we can't afford it," said RN Chakraborty, a resident of Kolkata.

The prices of food grain, sugar and other items of daily needs have created an explosive situation in India because of weak monsoon and drought like situation.

Food prices surged an annual 13.3 percent in mid-August even as the overall wholesale price index fell, and the impact of a poor monsoon on inflation and the economy could prompt further government relief steps.

The prices of 'Hilsa' fish have also increased in the region. Sayeed Anwar Maqsood, secretary, Fish Importers Association says that prices have increased because of less procurement from neighbouring Bangladesh.

"The prices of Hilsa fish have gone up because of the fact there is a scarcity in the market. We fish importer association used to bring every year more than 5,000 metric ton of Hilsa fish. But then we are not able to bring fish this year from Bangladesh. The major reason is because fish availability in Bangladesh itself is very little," said Maqsood.

Hilsa prices in Kolkata, as a result, have shot up substantially from 100-120 rupees (2.3- 2.7 US Dollars) a kilogram to 350-400 rupees (8.15- 9.31 US Dollars), putting the fish out of reach of middle class Bengalis.

 

The Indian Retail Sector is booming and mall growth is being seen as a clear indicator of the economic prosperity in India. These shopping cum entertainment options are getting bigger and better, sporting multiplexes and food courts to woo shoppers. Dominant retail activity is visible in the top cities but tier II and III cities are also witnessing change. Read about the huge investments in malls and what the future holds for them.

 

I just dared to raise the PRICE RISE Issue on HOME Front and SABITA Challenged me to go out Open to lodge my protest! This morning, we had a good quarrel over Home Expanses and Status and Purchasing Power Missing as I was reluctant to visit SUNDAY Morning!

 

The Founder Memebr of Bamcef along with Kansiram and Khaparde, died on 28th august in Pune. Major Barves had informed me! We had a Condolence meeting in Jadavpur this afternoon!

 

I have met DEENABHANA Ji inPatna and Cuttak. The man indulged Kanshiram in Subaltern politics while Deenabhai himself and Kharpade were SUSPENDED in an AGITATION demanding Holyday on AMBEDKAR Birthday. Deenabhai gave Kanshiram the BOOK titled ANNIHILITION of Caste written by Ambedkar. The Rest is HISTORY!

 

I never saw a person so important in so Low PRIFILE. So Commited to Mission and OBJECT! So Non cotroversial!

 

I am at WONDER why the ECONOMIC Issues miss in so called Social Movement!

 

MOON MISSION failed Miserably! Revenue and resources DIVERTED to Bail OUT for the RULING HEGMONY Money Machine! We talk so much so NONSENSE about false Recession as Kolkata, the Poorest Metro, may afford to buy HILSA Fish a Mandatory RECIPE for RS Thousand a KILO. Commodies and Luxury Items, PUJA Market, AUTO and realty SECTOR pose as much as SEXY as BIPS on Screen! Who has got all this Plastic Money!

 

No Political party has assessed objectively the accomplishment of Hundred days` Agenda of MASS DESTRUCTION for the UPA Honey Moon second time consecutively!

 

ECONOMIC reforms were on TOP Most Priority! ACCOMPLISHED!

 

DISINVESTMENT Drive in Full Swing!A growing economy like India has given rise to new and emerging services and industries and strengthened existing ones, like real estate. This section presents information on industries that have risen and grown due to the rise in consumerism and opportunities that have emerged as a result.

 

Corporates book all the PROFIT and FIIs hold on Indian Economy!

 

Unique Number Project with EXTRA Constitutional Elements in Governance and Policy Making ENSURE to sustain the Manusmriti RULE of ETHNIC Cleansing of Black Untouchables!

 

Politically Conscious KOLKATA is in FESTIVAL Mood and ENTIRE Bengal is DIVIDED vertically in between CPIM and TRINMOOL Congress led by Mamata Banerjee! Intelligentsia, Media and Civil Society changed WINGS! LITERATURE and Language, Nationality and Politics have become HOT properties of PROSTITUTION! Provided you have the Plastic Money, EVERY THING is PURCHASEABLE Commodity from basic needs, luxuries, name , fame, reputaion, status and even the POSITION in the State Power and the EMPOWERMENT and Political share, Representation as well as Placement and deputation!

 

Bengalies have no time FREE this SEASON as the War Goddesss DURGA is INVOKED!

 

Nuclear war GODS are busy in the Geopolitics as well. ARMRACE is latest FORMULA One and the nations have become GOLF courses for the ROYALTY Zionist!

 

Only the FLAG Bearers have changed as RSS lost FACE Credential and US ZIONIST Gang has CAPTURED  HINDYTVA for War Against Terrorism and REPRESSION of Insurgency.

 

 DEFENCE Expanditure ROCKETED as the Defecit to readjust Interest rates and Income Tax to EXEMPT the Hegemony. Only the MASSES  have to Pay the TAXES!

 

It is an EXACT environment for Fascist Blind nationalism to INFLICT Unwanted WAR against the MASSES in the divided Bleeding Geopolitics!

 

UNITED States of AMERICA, India Incs and the POLITICAL Parties  indulges the NATION into SECURITY Hazards with Mysterious defence DEALS, space adventures like MOON Mission, IT flirting and outsourcing resultant in Mass Job Loss and FOOD Insecurity!

 

Advani has to go, Rajnath will follow, RSS tells BJP

 

Pak backs India's climate change stand!

 

Ahead of United Nations climate change negotiations coming up in Copenhagen in December, India's stand that developing countries should not be forced to take binding emission cuts has found an unlikely ally: Pakistan. Its chief climate change negotiator Farukkh Iqbal Khan met Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in New Delhi on Saturday and offered full support to India's position. Khan is director in the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

"We fully support India's position on climate change as we support any stand which is similar to our own. We have to share notes with India on climate change mitigation in fields like forestry. India and Pakistan can work together and there is scope for bilateral cooperation. Pakistan has made a commitment that it will take verifiable, measurable cuts to combat climate change," Khan told The Sunday Express.

 

Forestry, and not emission cuts, is one of India's main planks to combat climate change. India's 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plus' proposal, one that asks for monetary rewards for planting more forests, is pending with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

"But we strongly believe that developing countries can't take any emission cuts," Khan said, echoing India's stand. He said long-term measures to mitigate climate change in Pakistan were "still at a premature stage".

 

Khan also said the SAARC developing countries should have more dialogue in order to develop a united voice on climate change in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit. He said the Pakistan Environment Minister would be visiting India on October 19 and 20 for a conference of SAARC environment ministers.

 

Ironically,the Obama administration has accused Pakistan of illegally modifying U.S.-made missiles to expand its ability to hit land-based targets, which would constitute a threat to India, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.

 

 

Citing senior administration and Congressional officials, the Times said the charge came in late June through an unpublicized diplomatic protest to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and other top Pakistani officials.

 

The accusation, made amid growing concerns about Pakistan's increasingly rapid conventional and nuclear weapons development, triggered a new round of U.S.-Pakistani tensions, the report added.

 

"There's a concerted effort to get these guys to slow down," the newspaper quoted a senior administration official as saying. "Their energies are misdirected," the official added.

 

Grappling with infighting, the BJP on Saturday could not mount an effective attack against the UPA government as it completed 100 days in office.

 

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has decided to bring in sweeping changes in the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that would see veteran leader L.K. Advani and party president Rajnath Singh step down from their posts, RSS sources said Saturday.Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party stoutly denying a leadership change, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has been summoning BJP leaders at different levels for one-on-one discussion on a change of guard -- virtually taking charge of the crisis-ridden party.Senior BJP leader Bal Apte met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for the second time in the last 24 hours on Sunday.Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje arrived in New Delhi on Sunday evening to meet senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.Meanwhile,the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is 'imploding', says Jaswant Singh who feels the party he was associated with for 30 years is demonstrating 'lack of confidence' with each passing day and has suddenly been 'robbed of reasoning'. He also said he was 'trapped' into going to Shimla for the leadership meeting that sacked him without explanation.

 

The expected upheaval is meant to bring an immediate end to the ugly internecine fighting in the BJP and to ensure it does not deviate from its known ideology 'for the sake of power', the sources told IANS.

 

'Those facing exit from their present positions in the coming days will include Advani, Rajnath Singh and many of the existing party functionaries at the national level,' a reliable source said, soon after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met Advani at the RSS headquarters here Saturday afternoon.

 

'Advani will have to go (as leader of the opposition). Who will replace him is not yet decided. The message has been conveyed in no uncertain terms. Now it is for Advani and other leaders to decide the modalities of his exit,' said the RSS source on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

 

On the other hand,FIIs infused Rs 23k cr in 100 days of UPA's second innings!Call it the effect of the Congress-led UPA government or a hope of a revival for the Indian stock markets, the country has witnessed an inflow of nearly Rs 23,700 crore from overseas investors since the new term of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

 

 Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Saturday asked foreign investors to invest in the country. Singh was in Barmer district of Rajasthan to inaugurate a terminal for supply of crude oil in Mangala oilfield.

 

Singh further said that a good climate has developed for foreign investors in India.

 

An analysis of the foreign institutional investors (FIIs) activity shows that since May 22, the day Prime Minister took oath for a second term to lead the United Progressive Alliance government, FIIs have made a net investment of Rs 23,688.8 crore in the domestic stock markets.

 

Meanwhile, Pakistan illegally modified missiles given by the US for its defence to expand capability to strike land targets, a potential threat to India, a media report said Sunday.

 

The charge, which set off new tensions between the US and Pakistan, was made in an unpublicized diplomatic protest in late June to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and other top Pakistani officials, The New York Times reported.

 

At issue is the detection by American intelligence agencies of a suspicious missile test April 23 - a test never announced by the Pakistanis - that appeared to give the country a new offensive weapon.

 

American military and intelligence officials say they suspect that Pakistan has modified the Harpoon anti-ship missiles that the US sold in the 1980s, a move that would be a violation of the Arms Control Export Act.

 

The accusation comes at a time, when the administration is asking the US Congress to approve $7.5 billion in aid to Pakistan over the next five years, and when Washington is pressing a reluctant Pakistani military to focus its attentions on fighting the Taliban, rather than expanding its nuclear and conventional forces aimed at India.

 

On August 29, the UPA government completed its 100 days in office with a mixed bag of good work on certain fronts while stumbling on several issues.

 

The inflow during the period (May 22-August 29) accounts for over 65 per cent of the total FII inflow into the Indian stock markets.

 

According to the data available with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), so far in 2009 FIIs have made a net investment of Rs 39,179.60 crore.

 

During the period under review, July witnessed an inflow of Rs 11,066 crore, the highest in a month. In June the inflow was Rs 3,830 crore, while in August it is Rs 3,810 crore.

 

"FIIs have confidence in the India growth story and have invested at a cheaper level. Now that markets have moved up more participation would be seen as the foreign funds would like to be left out for participating in the rally," SMC Global Vice President Rajesh Jain said.

 

During the same period, Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark index Sensex gained 15 per cent to 15,922.34 level. On May 22, Sensex had ended at 13,887.15.

 

The government's 100-day programme reflected the Prime Minister's words who made it clear to his Cabinet colleagues that 'business as usual will not do'.

 

The Union Budget 2009-10, presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to double the outlays for rural development at a time of sluggish growth, which is expected to be 6 per cent this year.

 

The government has also come out with a new Direct Taxes Code, which promises to simplify direct tax laws and promises to put more money in the pocket of the tax payer. It also came out with a Trade Policy with an ambitious target of USD 200 billion exports for 2010-11.

 

 

While American officials say that the weapon in dispute is a conventional one, the subtext of the argument is growing concern about the speed with which Pakistan is developing new generations of both conventional and nuclear weapons.

 

"There is a concerted effort to get these guys to slow down," one senior administration official was quoted as saying. "Their energies are misdirected."

Pakistan has denied the charge, saying it developed the missile itself.

 

Whatever their origin, the missiles would be a significant new entry into Pakistan's arsenal against India. It would enable Pakistan's small navy to strike targets on land, complementing the sizable land-based missile arsenal that Pakistan has developed, the paper said.

 

That, in turn, would be likely to spur another round of an arms race with India that the US has been trying, unsuccessfully, to halt.

 

"The potential for proliferation and end-use violations are things we watch very closely," said another senior administration official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to New York Times.

 

"When we have concerns, we act aggressively."

 

A senior Pakistani official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the US accusation was "incorrect".

 

The official said that the missile tested was developed by Pakistan, just as it had modified North Korean designs to build a range of land-based missiles that could strike India.

 

He said that Pakistan had taken the unusual step of agreeing to allow the US officials to inspect the country's Harpoon inventory to prove that it had not violated the law, a step that the US administration officials praised.

 

Some experts are also sceptical of the American claims.

 

Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, a yearbook and Web-based data service, said the Harpoon missile did not have the necessary range for a land-attack missile, which would lend credibility to Pakistani claims that they are developing their own new missile.

Moreover, he said, Pakistan already has more modern land-attack missiles that it developed itself or acquired from China.

 

"They're beyond the need to reverse-engineer old US kit," Hewson said in a telephone interview. "They're more sophisticated than that".

 

The dispute highlights the level of mistrust that remains between the US and Pakistani military that American officials like to portray as an increasingly reliable partner in the effort to root out the forces of the Taliban and Al Qaeda on its territory.

 

A central element of the American effort has been to get the military refocused on the internal threat facing the country, rather than on threat the country believes it still faces from India.

Pakistani officials have insisted that they are making that shift. But the evidence continues to point to heavy investments in both nuclear and conventional weapons that experts say have no utility in the battle against insurgents.

 

Over the years, the US has provided a total of 165 Harpoon missiles to Pakistan, including 37 of the older-model weapons that were delivered from 1985 to 1988, said Charles Taylor, a spokesman for the Defence Security Cooperation Agency.

 

Malls are springing up in every city and are fast becoming sought-after entertainment hotspots, with shopping as the by-product. From a situation where there were no malls about a decade ago, the country will have over 300 malls translating to over 100 million sq.ft. in available mall space by the end of 2007.

The Indian Government's initiatives to aid growth in the retail sector are showing very visible results. Investment in world-class infrastructure is expected to be close to USD 150 bn.

• The hitherto restricted retail real estate sector was opened up for Foreign Direct Investment in 2005. As a result, malls of international scale and quality are expected to come up;
• Mall growth is being seen as a clear indicator of the economic prosperity in India. Significantly, the number of malls in the country has increased at a fast pace. And they are doing brisk business. A trip to the local mall (there will be one in every locality soon!) will bear this out;
• From almost no malls existing in the country over a decade ago, there were 96 operational malls in August 2005;
• Here's more good news. This phenomenon is not restricted to major cities of the country alone. It has percolated to the "Tier II" and "Tier III' cities as well. The contribution of Tier II cities in organized retail sales is expected to be about 20 – 25%.
• Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and New Delhi are expected to have nearly 75% of the retail space in the country
• Niche, speciality malls, discount malls, highway malls are the new trends

 

No let up in Bihar flood situation, 1.5 million impacted

 

  With major rivers in spate, there is no let up in the overall flood situation in Bihar where 1.5 million people continue to reel under the deluge in 11 north Bihar districts. Rivers like Kosi, Mahananda, Bagmati, Kamala balan and Adhwara group of rivers have crossed the danger level at different places along their course, Central Water Commission sources said

.

Altogether 52 people have so far lost their lives in the floods thta have affected 11 districts-- West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Saharsa, Supaul, Kishanganj, Gopalganj and Katihar.

Standing crops and houses worth several crores of rupees have been destroyed in the floods, State Disaster Management department sources said.

The state authorities have undertaken relief and rescue operations with the help of over 1000 boats and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel. Mostly foodgrains, candles, kerosene oil, polythene sheets and salt were being made available to the victims.

"All embankments in Bihar are safe and flood-fighting continues at places where the rivers are putting pressure on the embankments," state Water Resources department officials said.

 

PM should worry about drought, price rise not us: BJP

 

A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh commented about the problems within BJP, the party today expressed its ire saying instead of worrying about it he should concentrate on tackling drought and price rise even as party president Rajnath Singh wrote a letter to him on the twin issues affecting the country. "The Prime Minister is worried about the BJP. We have told him to worry about price rise and drought and give relief to the people.

 

The sources also confirmed that the organization was not happy with the way Rajnath Singh has handled the infighting in the main opposition party, inviting public ridicule.

 

So, after Advani, next on the block would be Rajnath Singh.

 

'We haven't yet decided who all will be at the helm of the affairs. But change is imminent. We have indicated to the party brass, the sooner they do it, the better it is,' said the RSS functionary.

 

'The roadmap for BJP's growth is to be chalked out by the party but a new leadership will do it. We will not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the BJP,' said another RSS leader closely associated with the recent developments.

 

He added: 'The RSS had told the BJP even before all these controversies erupted that they should strengthen the organization and focus more at the grassroots level. If they need any support, we would help them.'

 

The BJP was already in crisis after suffering a stinging defeat in the April-May Lok Sabha elections.

 

The problems got precipitated after veteran MP Jaswant Singh was summarily expelled from the party for praising Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah and criticizing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in a book authored by him in the context of India's 1947 partition.

 

Then another senior MP and former cabinet minister, Arun Shourie, called the BJP a 'kati patang' (adrift kite) and urged the RSS to take charge of the party.

 

And Jaswant Singh's assertion that Advani was in know of the BJP-led government's decision to release three jailed terrorists in exchange for the passengers of an Indian Airlines plane hijacked to Afghanistan in December 1999 opened a can of worms.

 

Advani has in the past repeatedly said that he was not aware that the terrorists were to be freed. Yashwant Sinha, another BJP leader, as well as Brajesh Mishra, the then National Security Adviser, also backed Jaswant Singh's version. Advani has not responded to any of the charges.

 

We will worry about the BJP, you worry about the people and if you don''t then we will compel you to do it through agitations," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said. Yesterday Singh commented in Ramsar, about 60 km from Barmer, that there should be stability in all parties.

 

"It (infighting in BJP) is not good. In a democracy, stability in political parties is necessary.

 

If there is instability, it will have an impact on the country," he said when asked about the crisis in BJP. Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh today wrote a letter to the Prime Minister demanding setting up of a National Task Force on adaptation to climate change and sustainable agriculture in the wake of the prevailing drought in the country. "A determined national alliance and action by all stakeholders, including the government, policy planners, scientists, civil society, and, of course, the farmers, is a must to blunt the disaster," the BJP president said in his letter.

 

 Environment activist plans to launch India's Green Party

 

Sun, Aug 30 07:05 PM

Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS) An environmental activist plans to set up India's first Green Party on the lines of similar outfits in Germany, Australia, the US and Britain and is leaving for London next month to learn about the functioning of pro-environment parties.

A chartered accountant (CA) by profession who is a green crusader, Subhas Dutta has participated in several environment movements across West Bengal and has been fighting for various green issues since 1977.

He was instrumental in India setting up first a state-level 'Green Bench' at Calcutta High Court in 1996. He has also championed other green causes, including the pollution at the Victoria Memorial, the degradation of the city's sprawling Maidan, and for phasing out old and polluting commercial vehicles of Kolkata.

But realising that environment matters can be better highlighted by participating in the decision-making process, he plans to form the country's first Green Party and is going to London to meet Caroline Lucas, leader of the the British Green Party and member of European Parliament.

'I wrote to the authorities of the British Green Party and they agreed to meet me. I am going to meet them next month,' Dutta told IANS.

He said he will be in London between Sep 15 and 22 and if needed, will extend his stay.

'During my visit, I'll also try to gather first-hand knowledge about the Green Party's constitution, policies, framework and success,' he added.

'I would also like to interact with members of the German Green Party as it is the first among green parties worldwide to achieve national prominence by being part of the ruling coalition led by the Social Democratic Party from 1998 to 2005,' Dutta said.

He said if a similar Green Party could be launched in India, it would help the environment activists to participate in the decision making process to bring a sustainable change in our environment.

'We already have a nation-wide network. If everything goes well, we'll be able to constitute a Green Party in the near future to fight the issues of environmental degradation in our country,' said Dutta.

Indo Asian News Service

 

100 days later, what next?

Sun, Aug 30 02:14 PM

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) With the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government having completed 100 days in office that many see as a mixed bag high on intent but not so high on delivery, attention is focussed on a possible cabinet reshuffle as well as a revamp of the All India Congress Committee.

Grapevine has it that Salman Khurshid, the minority affairs minister, and a sulking Srikant Jena, who initially refused to take charge as minister of chemicals and fertilizers, are likely to be upgraded.

Changes are afoot even in the Congress party with the 'high command' - read 10, Janpath - hoping to usher in the one-man one-post principle. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Veerappa Moily, A.K. Antony, Prithviraj Chavan, who are all currently ministers in the union cabinet, may be divested of the state units they are in charge of.

-*-

'More money doesn't mean military strength'

Pranab Mukherjee may now be in charge of the finance ministry but his versatility and his experience keep him in touch with practically every aspect of governance. At a luncheon interaction with editors, Mukherjee was asked if allocating only 2.2 percent of GDP for defence did not make a handicap for India compared to Pakistan that spent 3.4 percent of its GDP on defence.

Mukherjee, who has been defence minister and then foreign minister in the previous Manmohan Singh government, promptly replied that military spending was not necessarily an index of the country's defence preparedness. He said India had taken a conscious decision not to up its defence spending and even if Pakistan spent five percent of its GDP on defence, it did not make that country any more secure.

'Our forces are well prepared to meet any eventuality,' Mukherjee assured.

-*-

No need to eat less, Pranab counters Lalu

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee could not help taking a dig at his former cabinet colleague Lalu Prasad over a comment on drought. The latter had said one way to counter drought would be to eat and drink less, even skipping one meal a day.

During a meeting with industrialists, Mukherjee gave his usual update on drought and said India had enough stock for over a year to counter its ill effects. But his subsequent comment, with that little smirk, is what left the audience in splits.

'Let me assure all of you there is certainly no need to eat less or drink less as someone has suggested,' he said, with a clear allusion to Lalu.

-*-

Smile, women MPs tell serious Sandeep

At a panel discussion on the Women's Reservation Bill, east Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit had to brave a face-off with veterans like Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat and Congress leader from Jharkhand Mabel Rabello.

As the debate took a serious turn, women MPs were keen to know the obstacles posed by male MPs for the passage of the bill - that has been pending for years in parliament - and if it would be ever given a fair chance to become law. The two women Rajya Sabha MPs took friendly jibes at Dikshit.

'Smile Sandeep!' cried Karat with a laugh, while Demello took hold of his shoulders and shook him saying, 'There, I am shaking him, may be he'll smile.'

Dikshit finally broke his silence and said the bill would only work if another delimitation exercise was undertaken to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 725 from the current 545.

-*-

Creamy posts for dark horses

Ask the country's first woman Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar how she made it to the presiding officer's post, when so many other names were being bandied around, and she has a simple answer.

'In politics there is a rule, people whose names come up first for any post never make it and it is always people who do not figure anywhere (who) get the post.'

-*-

Minister's prescription - turn off answering machines

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi had some home truths to tell the over 120 members of the elite Indian Foreign Service who had gathered for a powwow of heads of missions last week.

In his speech, Ravi made a strong pitch for turning Indian missions into welcoming institutions, so as to get rid of the widespread perception of poor accessibility, lack of courtesy and the absence of a helpful approach, especially in many of the newly started missions. His formula was simple - turn off the answering machines.

Knowing fully well that answering machines are impersonal and commonplace in most missions abroad, Ravi stressed the need for human interface to be more responsive to needs of NRIs and others wanting information and help from the country's missions abroad.

-*-

Overworked scribes, ask boss please!

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has begun a fortnightly media durbar where reporters can ask her anything and everything, but needless to say it's her prerogative to answer. The last free-wheeling interaction held at the plush committee room next to her office in Shastri Bhavan stretched for over an hour and a half.

Nobody was expecting the interaction to last this long. The minister, however, patiently answered all questions with a dash of humour. When a scribe suggested that she use her office to enforce a five-day week for overworked journalists, Soni smiled, saying this was not the right time to raise such a demand in times of recession.

'Your bosses may not be pleased with the idea,' she said.

-*-

What's Mamata up to, wonders Congress

Some Congress party leaders are intrigued as to why Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee inducted former BJP strategist Sudheendra Kulkarni as a member of an expert panel set up by her ministry.

Although he was appointed to the panel earlier this month, the news broke only when Kulkarni quit the BJP and said he would remain a well-wisher of the party. This has left some Congress members wondering why the minister named a serving member of an opposition party to the panel.

'Does she know that he was also a one-time CPI-M card holder,' queried one, referring to the journalist-turned-speechwriter's previous links with the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the main political adversary of Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.

-*-

A common ground between warring camps

The row between Reliance tycoons Mukesh and Anil Ambani has reached a point where the government has had to plead with them to end their fight for the good of the economy. Though the two are locked in a bitter dispute over a gas contract that has been hogging headlines, there is a commonality that bridges both camps.

Both Shankar Adwal, vice-president, corporate affairs, RIL, who is Mukesh Ambani's pointsman, and A.N. Sethuraman, president, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, share a common lawyer. That's because both top executives were charged with violation of the Official Secrets Act for receiving and possessing classified documents in a CBI case filed in 1998 - when the two warring sides were together - and the case carries on till date.

On this count at least they seem to find common ground.

Indo Asian News Service

 

30/08/2009

Ambani's RIL denies hoarding charges

New Delhi: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) has asked the Centre to nominate users for incremental gas from its Bay of Bengal fields, saying that it has not denied natural gas to any government-identified customer.

Rubbishing Anil Ambani Group's charges of "hoarding" gas and creating "artificial scarcity", RIL Executive Director and Head of Oil and Gas Business PMS Prasad said customers for about one-fourth of the initial 40 mmscmd of gas from KG-D6 fields are yet to draw due to failure at their ends.

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), which is fighting a legal battle with RIL for obtaining gas at a price of $2.34 per mBtu had alleged that RIL was deliberately under producing to create artificial scarcity.

The Supreme Court is to hear the case from 20 October.

In a letter to Petroleum Secretary RS Pandey, Prasad said of the customers identified by the government to receive the initial 40 million standard cubic meters per day of gas, NTPC, Dabhol, Essar and GAIL are yet to draw a single unit.

NTPC, which was allocated 2.7 mmscmd, is yet to sign a contract, while Ratnagiri Gas and Power -- the owner of Dabhol -- has signed a contract for 2.7 mmscmd but has not begun drawing yet. Essar and GAIL between them are expected to start taking 4 mmscmd of gas by next month.

"Of the allocated quantity of 40 mmscmd, allocation to the extent of 9.4 mmscmd remains un-operational till date," he wrote. "No customer who has been allocated gas by government, has been denied gas for reasons attributable to RIL."

RIL said several firms had sought KG-D6 gas at government approved price of $4.2 per mBtu and demanded "existing customers" in various sector be identified immediately so that production can be ramped up to 80 mmscmd.

"We request that the government allocate gas to the existing customers in various sectors so that the production from KG-D6 can reach 80 mmscmd in line with the approved development plan (for the fields)," Prasad wrote on 28 August.

RIL, he said, was supplying 37 mmscmd of gas to customers identified by the government. This includes 6 mmscmd on 'fall-back´ or temporary basis to these customers as firms like NTPC, Dabhol and Essar fail to draw gas from KG-D6.

Without naming the Anil Ambani Group firm RNRL which had issued statements and released advertisements in newspapers charging RIL of "hoarding" gas and creating "artificial scarcity", he said "the ridiculous allegations" reflected "utter ignorance" of gas business and "incomprehension" of economics of complex large scale deepwater project.

"Since the government has already approved a price formula for 5 years, it is impossible to understand how any contractor can now benefit by not producing gas especially when there is so much demand as to immediately consume all 80 mmscmd gas at price approved by the government."

"RIL in fact has been flooded by requests for supplies which it has been taking up with the Government for allocation to these consumers as it continues to ramp up production," Prasad wrote.

Source: PTI

 

30/08/2009

Chinese helicopters violated Indian air space twice

Leh (JK): Two Chinese helicopters have reportedly violated the Indian air space in recent months in Leh area of north Jammu and Kashmir during which they air-dropped some canned food in barren land at Chumar, northeast of this Himalayan town, along the border.

The MI series helicopters were reported to the nearby defence post by residents of this high altitude area living along the Pangong lake, located in the lap of majestic hills, prompting the Army Aviation Corps to rush its Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.

However, they could only find tell-tale signs left by Chinese helicopters which hovered in the Indian territory for nearly five minutes dropping the food material on June 21 this year, sources said.

Source: PTI

 

30/08/2009

UPA failed on aam aadmi agenda: Political parties

New Delhi: The first 100 days of the second innings of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government have been disappointing for the common man and its performance has been below par, say political parties.

"The performance has been pathetic. The government has failed to deliver both on the economic front and the issues of country's security," G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive, told IANS.

Rao said the government had not been able to handle the drought situation and price rise and the "worst hit has been the common man," on whose welfare talk the Congress came to power.

The views are echoed by the Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Gurudas Dasgupta. According to Dasgupta, the performance of the UPA government has been "unsatisfactory and not up to the expectation of common man".

Manmohan Singh government took oath on May 22 for the second consecutive time following a sweeping victory in the April-May Lok Sabha polls.

The government's emphasis has been on infrastructure development, schemes for the poor like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, stimulus packages to pull the economy out of the global slowdown and deal with the drought situation and spiraling prices of essential commodities.

However, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) feels that the focus of the government has been the big corporate houses rather then the farmers and working class.

"The government has been unable to control the rising prices of essential commodities, which are becoming unbearable for the common man, while concessions are given to big business houses," CPI-M polit-buro member M.K. Pandhe said.

Pandhe also said the major beneficiaries of the schemes of the present government has been the upper strata of the society rather then the common which has been further pushed to the periphery of the society.

Kamal Akhter, Rajya Sabha MP of Samajwadi Party that has extended parliamentary support to the government, said: "The government has failed to handle the problem of unemployment."

Political parties are also critical of the government the way it has handled the issue of security.

BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accused the government of "surrendering the national interest" with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signing a joint statement with Pakistan in Egypt last month delinking terror from the composite dialogue with Islamabad and also included a controversial reference to trouble-hit Balochistan.

"On the issue of security, the government has taken mainly administrative steps without taking state governments into confidence and lacks people's participation without which it would be difficult to counter the problem of terrorism," Pandhe explained.

However, according to historian Ramachandra Guha, 100 days could not be a yardstick to judge a government's performance.

"I am not sure if we can evaluate the government on what they have achieved and what they have not. Many things have happened and policies have been framed. I will give them 50-50," Guha told IANS.

The criticism notwithstanding, the government is flagging certain decisions, like setting aside a whopping Rs.391 billion ($8 billion) for the UPA's National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

Also, the government saw through a historic Right to Education Bill that ensures free and compulsory education to children aged between six and 14 years, ushered a revamped Companies Bill and unveiled a draft direct tax code that will replace the nearly five-decade-old Income Tax Act.

Source: Agencies

Slow US recovery to hit Indian IT firms

 

 

The sluggish demand from the US market will continue to hurt the business prospects of Indian IT outsourcing services providers even as the industry expects to see stability in the overall business environment in the second quarter of financial year 2010.

The delay in recovery of US economy, according to analysts and companies, will eat into the top- and bottom-lines of most Indian IT firms, even as they see a surge in demand from some European countries, including the UK and France, along with emerging geographies like Australia and West Asia. The reason is simple -- most of the Indian IT services firms derive over 60 per cent of their revenues from the North Americas, including the US.

"There is no doubt that there is some comfort building in the environment. We are seeing some demand from emerging markets and Europe, but it is small in terms of overall exposure. The US has to recover for the world to stabilise, and growth in the US will happen only when consumers start spending there," explains V Balakrishnan, CFO of India's second-largest IT firm Infosys Technologies.

Amid the global financial uncertainties in the first quarter of the financial year 2009-10, Indian companies showed some resilience by posting almost flat to slightly negative growth in their top-lines. One of the real concerns for the industry was, however, the decline in volumes.

Even though, India's largest IT services provider, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), showed a volume growth of about 3.5 per cent, the volume for Infosys and Wipro declined by about 1 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively. Thus reflecting the state of the affairs in the supply environment.

In the current quarter, while most of the companies are seeing a much better demand than the previous quarter, they are still maintaining a cautious approach owing to the US market, which is yet to come out of the downturn.

"We are not in a downturn now, even though we are not in a recovery phase. We have now come to a stable phase. The recovery will be late by the US market, and we will have to wait and see when this happens," says S Mahalingam, chief financial officer of TCS.

The silver lining to the cloud is that some of the deals announced recently, including the estimated $1.5-billion BP outsourcing contract to three Indian IT vendors, reveal that clients are now opening up their purse strings to accommodate discretionary spending. In the current environment, according to analysts, clients may be ready to spend as many of them may want to exhaust their existing IT budgets before the year ends. The second reason is that they may be perceiving a better outlook for the overall economy.

"New projects or new business spending by companies had increased in the July-August-September quarter, which will definitely have a positive impact. But there's no correlation as yet whether this will result in better margins and higher revenue," cautions Sabyasachi Satpathy, partner, Tholons Advisory.

"The worst is getting over and we are currently moving from a stable to positive territory even though we are maintaining a cautious approach. Our funnel has gone up from the end of the first quarter to now," says Suresh Senapaty, chief financial officer of Wipro Ltd. Wipro had given a cautious revenue guidance of 0.2 to 2 per cent for the second quarter of the current fiscal.

Outsourcing and offshoring are very critical for companies to become more operationally efficient and agile. But when recovery happens and the economy bounces back, the year-on-year growth rates of 30-40 per cent which IT firms enjoyed will be a thing of the past, since the base is very high.

"It might be around 20 per cent or so," concludes Mahalingam of TCS.

Source: Business Standard

 

30/08/2009

ICAI to dig deeper into Satyam

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the regulatory body for chartered accountants in the country, is now making a second and final report on the role of the auditors in the massive accounting fraud at Satyam Computer Services, now called Mahindra Satyam.

This is the second investigation by ICAI. It had submitted the first report along with its recommendations to the ministry of corporate affairs last month. The second report is expected to go deeper into the matter and look at all new facts that may have come up.

Speaking to the media here on Saturday, ICAI President Uttam Prakash Agarwal said that a high-powered disciplinary committee will shortly visit Hyderabad to study issues related to failure of adherence to accounting practices, corporate governance, role of independent directors and other stakeholders in the Satyam case.

He declined a give a deadline within which the investigation will be completed but indicated it could be February next year when his term as the president will end. The report from the committee will once again be submitted to the ministry for further action against the auditors.

The ICAI president declined to say what kind of action it will recommend to the chartered accountants who audited the Satyam accounts if proven guilty. The Satyam auditors were S Gopalakrishnan and Talluri Srinivas of Price Waterhouse.

Agarwal said that Gopalakrishnan was stripped of all non-standing committee posts two weeks ago. However, he will continue to serve as a member as it was not in the jurisdiction of the ICAI president to remove members from their posts, he added.

ICAI, in the wake of the Satyam fraud, had asked all its members to look for external evidence before certifying the accounting statements to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.

Source: BS

 

30/08/2009

Edward Kennedy laid to rest near slain brothers

Washington: Veteran Senator Edward Kennedy was laid to rest alongside his slain brothers at a Virginia cemetery as the countrymen mourned the demise of the patriarch of America's most famous political family, eulogised as the "greatest legislator of our time" by President Barack Obama.

Kennedy, who died at the age of 77 on Tuesday last after a long battle with brain cancer, was buried last night at the Arlington National Cemetery at a private ceremony.

Fondly called the 'Lion of the Senate', Kennedy, also known as Ted, was laid to rest next to his two brothers -- former President John F Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy.

With flags over the Capitol flying at half-mast, a squad of seven riflemen fired three volleys in a traditional military funeral ritual, and a bugler sounded taps.

Source: PTI

 

30/08/2009

Row over Obama's helmetless bike ride

Washington: US President Barack Obama has sparked a controversy after being pictured helmetless during a bike ride on Martha's Vineyard.

The move, which took place on August 27, has been seen as a bad example by most.

"Yes, I know, President Obama is on a vacation, riding a bike, at a slow cadence, so what if he is not wearing a helmet, right?" Politico.com quoted Martha Castro, a California doctor, as having written on her website.

While Josh Loposer, wrote on Babble.com, a website for parents, "Truly despicable isn't it? What kind of example is he setting for the nation's youth?"

"Most bike accidents just happen. Bicycles up and turn over by themselves, and head injuries are a possible consequence of that. ... It would be great if the president set an example," David Mozer, director of the International Bicycle Fund, told the New York Daily News.

With all the attention the incident was receiving, the White House decided on issuing an explanation.

"I know that he generally does wear a helmet when he rides a bicycle. He supports the wearing of bicycle helmets," White House spokesman Bill Burton said.

Source: ANI

 

30/08/2009

Seven of top-10 firms gain Rs 51,000 cr in August

Mumbai: Seven out of the top-10 coveted firms in the country saw their total market capitalisation climb over Rs 51,000 crore in August, while state-run NTPC, MMTC and SBI witnessed value erosion.

The country's most valued firm Reliance Industries (RIL) added Rs 17,816 crore to its market-cap so far this month, taking its total valuation to Rs 3,25,838 crore.

As on July 31, RIL had a market-cap of Rs 3,08,022 crore.

Oil firm ONGC and private sector telecom operator Bharti Airtel added Rs 3,144 crore and Rs 9,207 crore, to their respective valuations.

Further, the market valuation of ONGC stood at Rs 2,52,216 crore and Airtel at Rs 1,65,087 crore as on August 29.

Power producer NTPC and trading firm MMTC lost Rs 4,494 crore and Rs 2,401 crore, respectively from their market- cap during the period from July 31 to August 29.

The market valuations of NTPC and MMTC fell to Rs 1,73,278 crore and Rs 1,46,476 crore, respectively.

Mineral major NMDC rose to the fifth slot from sixth after adding Rs 6,462 crore to its market cap, taking its total valuation to Rs 1,48,855 crore during.

The country's largest public sector lender SBI slipped to the ninth position from eighth after losing Rs 2,060 crore from its market cap, while IT bellwether Infosys Technologies added Rs 7,625 crore.

Source: Business Standard

 

30/08/2009

Landslide poll win brings opposition to power in Japan

Tokyo: The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) made history Sunday with an overwhelming victory in the general election, ending half a century of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) rule.

Exit polls indicated that the DPJ was headed toward winning more than 300 seats in the 480-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the parliament.

Of the over 434 seats decided so far, the DPJ had won 293, already a comfortable majority. The LDP and the coalition partner New Komeito party suffered an historic defeat, winning only 68 seats.

The DPJ was expected to hold talks with members of its two opposition allies, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party, on forming a coalition government.

"I think that the results reflected the voters' anger against the ruling coalition," said DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama, 62, who is expected to become the next prime minister.

"It's important for us to implement our policies that the voters sought for," he told reporters. A special Diet session is scheduled to convene during the week from Sep 14, when lawmakers elect the prime minister.

The record voter turnout of almost 70 percent saw voters express their clear dissatisfaction with the LDP, ending 55 years of virtual political monopoly.

LDP veteran politicians facing a humiliating end to their careers included former prime minister Toshiki Kaifu and former vice LDP president Taku Yamasaki.

Also gone were former finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa, who resigned after an embarassing performance at the Group of Seven press conference in Rome, and former foreign ministers Nobutaka Machimura and Taro Nakayama.

The party, which helped the war-ravaged Japan to rise up to become the world's second-largest economy, has been blamed for a series of scandals, devastating pension programmes and the worst recession in the country's post-war era.

But the DPJ has its own challenges, with almost no experience of running the government and with members from all walks of political life, such as LDP, trade unions and former social democrats.

The DPJ has vowed to cut wasteful spending and revitalise Japan's economy by increasing household incomes and encouraging spending. But it has offered few details on how it would fulfill its promises.

Hatoyama said he plans to review the current government's record-high stimulus package. His party's manifesto promises to raise monthly child allowances, and to scrap both expressway tolls and gasoline taxes as part of its plan to stimulate consumer spending.

The DPJ also said it could secure funds for its proposed programmes by cutting public works projects and increasing domestic demand while at the same time holding off on a sales tax hike for the next four years.

It vowed to introduce a guaranteed minimum income for farmers, minimum pensions and tax breaks for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

But while Japan suffers a mounting national debt exceeding more than 160 percent of its gross domestic product, experts call the party's costly policies unrealistic. The LDP has called them a "pipe dream" and said they would require "magic" to be realised.

Political centrist Hatoyama has also said he wants a more mature relationship with the US, gaining a more self-assertive voice for Japan in the international community.

With East Asian neighbours, Hatoyama foresees improvements as he plans no visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine for Japan's war dead, such as those by previous Japanese prime ministers which drew angry protests especially from China and South Korea.

Source: Agencies

 

30/08/2009

US regulator scanning auditors for role in Satyam scam

New Delhi: American capital market regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has completed its probe in India into the multi-crore rupee Satyam fraud case, especially the role of auditors.

A team of the Commission came to India following filing of over a dozen class action lawsuits in the US against the promoters and managers of the IT firm on behalf of investors, who purchased American Depository Shares of the company between January 6, 2004 (the listing date in the US) and January 6, 2009 (the day before Raju's letter).

In these lawsuits, Satyam Computer, its promoters and management were charged with duping thousands of American investors of billions of dollars by artificially inflating share prices.

The SEC team has conducted detailed discussions with the CBI specifically on the role of auditors in the multi-crore rupee scam.

During the discussions, the team of Commission looked into particular details about the way accounts were allegedly fudged in the tainted computer firm and also at the role accounting firms involved in the same.

Source: Business Standard

 

BBC News

Will Advani call it quits soon?

Hindustan Times - ‎1 hour ago‎

The statement of Mohan Bhagwat, sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) , on the importance of ideology has put a question mark on the future of senior BJP leaders.

Rajnath Singh not to get another term as BJP chief Livemint

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BJP expresses concern over drought, climate change

Hindustan Times - ‎2 hours ago‎

Voicing concern over climate change, food shortage and poor monsoons, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that measures should be taken to improve the conditions.

PM should worry about drought, price rise not us: BJP Press Trust of India

PM should worry about people, not us: BJP Economic Times

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Indian Express

Book ban infringement on the right: minister

Times of India - ‎1 hour ago‎

MYSORE: BJP minister Mumtaz Ali Khan on Sunday disapproved Gujarat government's ban on Jaswant Singh's controversial book saying it is an infringement on the individual right to expression.

Jaswant books Day 1 at fair Indian Express

BJP's ban on Jaswant's book improper, ineffective: Cong Expressindia.com

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Himachal Pradesh's High Court judges to declare assets

Hindustan Times - ‎12 hours ago‎

After judges in Delhi and Kerala, judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court have also decided to follow the footsteps of Supreme Court justices and make their assets public, a court official said on Sunday.

Himachal Pradesh High Court Judges to list assets on website myHimachal

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SamayLive

Peace would be maintained at any cost in Punjab: Badal

Press Trust of India - ‎3 hours ago‎

Amritsar, Aug 30 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today here said that there was no room for terrorism in the state.

Sukhbir Badal ask Centre to declare Punjab as SAZ Zee News

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odishatoday.com

Reforms top new chief secy's agenda

Times of India - ‎49 minutes ago‎

BHUBANESWAR: Administrative reforms and social welfare top the agenda of Tarun Kanti Mishra, who would succeed Ajit Tripathy as the chief secretary.

TK Mishra new Chief Secretary Express Buzz

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Indian Express

BJP: That sinking feeling

Indian Express - Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajnath Singh - ‎12 hours ago‎

The rumblings in the BJP, over the past few months, have been compared to the worst crises faced by the Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS)—Deendayal Upadhyaya's mysterious death in 1968, or the expulsion of BJS president Balraj Madhok after he fell foul of the ...

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The Hindu

26/11: Pakistan court again puts off proceedings

Hindu - Nirupama Subramanian - ‎19 hours ago‎

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terror court on Saturday once again put off proceedings against five suspects in Pakistani custody for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks without framing charges against them.

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Rare monkeys stolen from Kolkata Zoo rescued

Hindu - ‎19 hours ago‎

- PHOTO: PTI KOLKATA: Seven of the eight rare monkeys stolen from Kolkata Zoo three weeks ago have been tracked down by the Chhattisgarh police in Durg and are being brought back to the city over the weekend.

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UP ATS hunt 21 students of Lucknow University after Salim's arrest

Sify - ‎6 hours ago‎

, (ANI): The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police is searching for 21 students of Lucknow University who studied with suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Aslam alias Salim.

UP ATS to quiz nabbed LeT militant Times of India

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Mid-Day

Relatives attend wedding reception of Murthy's daughter

Press Trust of India - ‎6 hours ago‎

Bangalore, Aug 30 (PTI) Relatives and friends congregated at a prominent city hotel today to attend the wedding reception of Infosys chief mentor NR Narayana Murthy's daughter, who entered into wedlock with her classmate from Stanford Business School.

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The Day After

DUSU polls: ABVP to approach HC

Zee News - ‎5 hours ago‎

New Delhi: With Delhi University firm on its decision to disqualify six DUSU poll candidates, ABVP on Sunday said it will approach the High Court here for stay order, while NSUI asked for "structural reforms" in these elections.

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NSUI, ABVP felled by poll code, fringe players upbeat Indian Express

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SINDH TODAY

Dirty trick cry in Shopian case

Calcutta Telegraph - Muzaffar Raina - ‎20 hours ago‎

Srinagar, Aug. 29: An additional advocate-general who was representing the Jammu and Kashmir government has claimed he was given the sack for not introducing some "fallacious" content into the Shopian rape and murder case.

Shopian case dropped into black hole: Women's team Press Trust of India

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26/11 key witness disappears, returns

Times of India - ‎Aug 28, 2009‎

MUMBAI: In a day of high drama, key witness Nooruddin Shaikh who deposed on Thursday in the 26/11 terror trial against the two Indian accused Faheem Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed failed to turn up on Friday for cross examination.

Video: Where is the 26/11 witness? NDTV.com

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Vedic chief arrested

Calcutta Telegraph - ‎20 hours ago‎

Calcutta, Aug. 29: Raj K. Modi, the managing director of Vedic Realty, was arrested close to midnight on Saturday, the highest-profile action so far in the episode bristling with political implications.

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Bio, nano tech to rule the future: Kalam

Express Buzz - ‎14 hours ago‎

BANGALORE: Technological advances in Nanotechnology, energy independence, post genomic health care and virtual technology should be the focus for the coming years, former president APJ Abdul Kalam said on Saturday in Bangalore.

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BJP wins 3 seats in MCD bypoll

Times of India - ‎22 hours ago‎

NEW DELHI: Finally, the BJP has a reason to rejoice. Its candidates have managed to win three out of the five seats in Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) by-elections.

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PM rules out holding talks with Pakistan

Economic Times - ‎Aug 29, 2009‎

NEW DELHI: Putting Sharm-el-Sheikh to rest, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that the atmosphere was not right for holding talks with Pakistan.

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Can climate change bridge India-Pak divide?

Times of India - Indrani Bagchi - ‎21 hours ago‎

NEW DELHI: Can climate change transform the dynamics between India and Pakistan as both countries face similar environmental challenges?

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Maya takes a dig at UPA

Times of India - ‎18 hours ago‎

LUCKNOW: BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati never loses an opportunity of Congress-bashing. Reacting to Congress-led UPA government's 100 days in office Maya on Saturday said, "Union government had announced to take solid steps for education and ...

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Israeli jets bomb Gaza 'tunnel'

Israeli jets have bombed a building in the Gaza Strip which the military says hid a tunnel that Palestinian militants could use to infiltrate Israel.

No-one was hurt in the air strike, to the east of Gaza City.

Israel said the attack was retaliation for a rocket fired from Gaza into its territory on Saturday. The rocket caused no casualties or damage.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, described the target of the Israeli air strike as "open ground".

However, witnesses said it was a building with two rooms and a courtyard.

An Israeli security source said the tunnel had been dug by Palestinian factions other than Hamas, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Hamas said unidentified Palestinians had detonated explosives at two of its security compounds in Gaza City. No-one was hurt.

Hamas has recently cracked down on possible internal threats from rival Palestinian factions inside Gaza.

ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS

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Israeli Arabs struggle for land

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South Asia

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Page last updated at 00:14 GMT, Sunday, 30 August 2009 01:14 UK

Afghan's Karzai extends poll lead President Hamid Karzai extends his lead over his main rival in the Afghan presidential election, official results show. Brown hints at Afghan troop rise Fury at Nato's Afghan clinic raid US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks' India loses Moon satellite links All communication links with the only Indian satellite orbiting the Moon are lost, India's space agency says. Court lifts final curbs on Pakistan scientist A Pakistani court lifts the final curbs on disgraced nuclear scientist, Dr AQ Khan, allowing him total freedom of movement. FEATURES, NEWS, ANALYSIS Shifting course UN plan to tackle river erosion in Bangladesh Cairn to India How Indian oil field propelled UK energy firm Directionless Mahesh Rangarajan on what ails the BJP MORE FROM SOUTH ASIA US Afghan 'row' worries British diplomat Suicide bomb hits Pakistan border Young Guantanamo Afghan to sue US India intercepts Air France plane India nuclear test 'did not work' India takes steps to lift trade 'Militants die in drone attack' Bollywood star 'wants IPL team' Pakistan concern over aid from US BUSINESS South Asia hit by sugar shortages Oil firms win Bangladesh rights FEATURES The trials of election monitoring Afghan lessons from Iraq India's mega-cities In pictures: Celebrating Ganesh Sri Lanka's Tamil country Why trains are burned in Bihar Water woes 1965 war photos Rare Nehru Sri Lanka war Afghan school Reluctant return Biswa Ijtema Gujarat nomads Afghan troops Afghan mines Cyclone homeless Indian farmers Afghan funerals Kite's eye view Indian railways Mosque siege Nepali Goddesses Nepal children Mud disaster Mosque bomb Peshawar bomb Indian mutiny Tiger air raid Cricket fans Cricket colour Afghan births Plane restored Bob Woolmer Cricket fever Kabul-Kandahar Tsunami question Baloch housing Uri return Earthquake - Uri Heat and dust India's Africans Karachi homeless Tsunami survivor Women and war Death at birth Indian postman Afghan life 1 Afghan life 2 Animal Fair B'desh climate   COUNTRY PROFILES A GUIDE TO SOUTH ASIA Choose a country Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan India The Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka   Find a territory Kashmir   Compiled by BBC Monitoring FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Courting critics The crisis of credibility for India's judges Biswas on India Was a former Indian prime minister murdered? Elusive truth The unanswered questions of bloody Bangladesh mutiny

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'Robot girls' clue to Dugard case

Berkeley police officer Ally Jacobs on a hunch which led to the discovery

Two US policewomen say the "robotic" behaviour of two girls accompanying Phillip Garrido led to his arrest over the abduction of Jaycee Lee Dugard.

The officers met Mr Garrido and the two girls as he sought to hold a religious meeting on a California campus.

The officers said they were alarmed at the girls' "weird" behaviour.

Mr Garrido was ordered to a parole meeting where the identity of Ms Dugard was discovered. She went missing aged 11 and was held captive for 18 years.

Mr Garrido is believed to have fathered her two children, the first when Ms Dugard was just 14.

Mr Garrido and his wife Nancy have denied 29 charges in connection with the case, including abducting her.

'Home schooled'

The two officers, Lisa Campbell and Ally Jacobs, have been credited with cracking the case.

They met Mr Garrido on Tuesday as he sought to hold a religious meeting on the grounds of the University of California at Berkeley, where the officers work.

CHARGES AGAINST THE GARRIDOS Kidnapping a child under 14 Kidnapping for sexual purposes False imprisonment by violence Six counts each of forcible rape Seven counts each of "forcible lewd act on a child" In pictures: The Garrido home Shock and disbelief in Antioch

Officer Jacobs said something about the girls, aged 11 and 15, alarmed them.

"I think Lisa asked, 'do you guys go to school?' and they both, like robots, [said] 'we're home schooled'."

The officer said they noticed the girls were "extremely pale in comparison" to Mr Garrido, and had "penetratingly blue eyes and I just got a weird uneasy feeling".

"I was looking at the younger daughter who was sitting across from me and she was staring directly at me, it was almost like she was looking into my soul.

"The older daughter, her eyes were darting up at the ceiling she was looking at her dad and just in awe, it looked like she was in worship of him."

The officer added: "I kind of got the feeling that these kids were like robots. It was my intuition."

No pictures have yet been released of Ms Dugard as she looks today

The officers said Mr Garrido told them of his previous rape and abduction convictions but he said he had turned his life around.

Officer Jacobs said that Mr Garrido grabbed his older daughter, saying: "I'm so proud of my girls. They don't know any curse words. We raised them right. They don't know anything bad about the world."

They reported their concerns to his parole officer and Mr Garrido was ordered to report to his office.

The Garridos attended with the girls and a woman called Allissa, whose identity was then revealed as Ms Dugard.

Jaycee Lee was bundled into a car outside her home in 1991 in South Lake Tahoe, 200 miles (320km) from Antioch, where she was rediscovered.

She is believed to have been living in tents and sheds in the backyard of the Antioch home for 18 years.

Held without bail

Earlier, police apologised for missing an opportunity in November 2006 to find Ms Dugard.

An officer visited the Garrido home when a neighbour alerted them to suspicious behaviour there.

But the officer only spoke to Mr Garrido and did not enter his property to carry out a search.

Police are now searching the Garrido home for clues to a number of prostitute murders in the 1990s.

Several bodies in the unsolved murders were dumped near an industrial park where Mr Garrido worked.

Mr and Mrs Garrido are being held without bail and a further court hearing has been scheduled for 14 September.

Ms Dugard and her children are staying at a motel near San Francisco after being reunited with Ms Dugard's mother, Terri Probyn.

Layout of the back garden where Jaycee Lee Dugard is said to have lived More details

US BLOGGERS REACT TO THE KIDNAPPING

Unless Dugard was kept under lock and key for the entire 18 years of her captivity, over the next few days, certainly there will be an abundance of pieces about Stockholm syndrome and wondering why she didn't ask for help before... If Dugard's captors gave her any freedom, locals will start piping up about how she went to the grocery store or to the park, suggesting that she could have fled at any time.

Torie Bosch, blogging at DoubleX, speculates about the reasons why Jaycee Dugard did not escape.

Over the last 18 years I have often thought about what happened to Jaycee. Every time there was a news report about the discovery of bones in California, I would follow up to see if it was the remains of Jaycee. It never was. Over 18 years my mind wandered back to me sitting in Jaycee's bedroom with Terry, how neat and tidy it was, ready for her return. I hadn't thought about Jaycee in a while, until today.

Anthony Batson, formerly a producer for America's Most Wanted, remembers the day he interviewed Jaycee Dugard's parents.

Though the investigation is now ongoing, perhaps more details will emerge [about Nancy Garrido's] role in this 18-year saga. Was it fear that kept Nancy silent? Or does this just go to show how some women can overlook the monster in their husbands?

YourTango's Julie Leung turns the spotlight on Phillips Garrido's wife.

The fact that various acquaintances thought Garrido was crazy and actually saw Dugard and her daughters reveals how willing we sometimes are to ignore the strange behavior of others, and how this willingness can sometimes allow criminals to operate with impunity for years.
Jezebel's Anna N wonders whether Mr Garrido's neighbours could have been more vigilant.

JAYCEE LEE DUGARD ABDUCTION

KEY STORIES

Couple deny California abduction

Missing US girl found 18 years on

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BACKGROUND

Timeline: Jaycee Lee Dugard case

VIDEO

Police woman describes 'pale kids'

Kidnap accused appear in court

Chance to save Jaycee earlier 'missed'

Stepfather: 'Jaycee feels guilty'

Alleged kidnapper speaks

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FROM OTHER NEWS SITES

Sydney Morning Herald Uni police efforts led to kidnap arrest - 3 hrs ago

ABC Online Sex slave tip-off: 'girls stared into my soul' - 6 hrs ago

Washington Post Police review cases for connections to kidnap case - 8 hrs ago

Time How Did Authorities Fail to Catch Kidnappers? - 9 hrs ago

Miami Herald Gone 18 years, girl found but questions remain - 10 hrs ago

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The children of Beslan five years on

By Ewa Ewart BBC Newsnight

Russian teenager Chermen has his own assessment of why he survived the attack on School Number One in Beslan in which 326 people, 186 of them children, died.

"God wanted to save everyone but He saved only those who had the highest purpose in life. So I know that when I grow up I will become someone great," he said.

On the morning of 1 September 2004 Chermen was just eight years old and running late for the Day of Knowledge, as the traditional start of the school year is known in Russia.

Chermen made it to the commencement celebrations in time, but in doing so was in the school when a group of Chechen gunmen attacked, taking more than 1,000 people hostage.

Beslan survivor on how 'God saved him'

The militants herded the hostages into the school gym, and there they held them for three days.

Inside the sweltering gym the terrorists refused to give hostages food or water, forcing them to take drastic measures.

"I drank pee. It was tasteless. I also found a piece of pear skin on a floor. It was really good," Chermen told me when we first met. "But mostly I slept."

At one point he was woken by the sound of an explosion inside the gym. Chermen saw how one of the militants had blown himself up with a grenade attached to his body:

"A terrorist grenade was hit by a bullet. He blew up and his brains hit me in the face. It was horrible. It was fatty and slippery," he said.

The explosion triggered a fierce gun battle between the hostage takers and the Russian Special Forces, who stormed the school in a desperate rescue bid.

Chermen's story was one of many I listened to shortly after the attack.

I had arrived in the town in November 2004 to make a BBC documentary and I stayed for weeks, forging close relationships with the youngsters and their families.

In total I spoke to 140 child survivors during that time. Their accounts varied only in the gory details and the amount of horror they had lived through.

I returned to Beslan in May 2009, passing on the drive from the airport to the town centre the cemetery which had been built to bury the attack victims in row upon tidy row.

Five years ago there were just wooden crosses marking the graves, most of them bearing a photo of a slain child and covered in toys.

The toys are still there, but now there are also headstones, all built from the same copper-coloured marble. By the entrance an imposing new statue of three gigantic angels holding baby ones on their stretched hands dominates the site.

"They named the cemetery a City of Angels because all the children, all the people buried here were angels," 14-year-old Lana told me. "They were all beautiful and kind. But it was their destiny."

Lana, goes to the cemetery to visit the grave of her four-year-old brother. Her father, unable to cope with the loss of his only son, died shortly after the attack from heart failure.

Beslan girl tells of problems with concentration

Like so many of the children I met again, Lana is still trying to overcome a torment of her memories of the siege, which bring out emotions unfamiliar to most her age.

"I can't forget how the terrorists were killing children, mothers and fathers right in front of us," she said. "They caused us so much pain. I am so angry with them I could kill them. They took the most precious things in my life, my brother and my father."

Laima, another survivor who is also now 14, has made a ritual of her visits to the grave of her best friend who was killed.

"I go to visit Zayka at the cemetery. I sit by her grave and talk to her. I ask her 'how is life over there? How are you doing?' I believe she is still near me. For me she isn't dead."

But others, like Christina, are still troubled by thoughts of those who died.

"I am scared of my dead friends. They come to me in my dreams. They have changed. They are dressed in black. They are angry and say 'Why us? We wanted to live too!'"

And Chermen said that he never goes to the cemetery "because I am simply afraid to flood Beslan with my tears".

Today life in Beslan shows some signs of normality. There are new playgrounds and attractions for children built with some of the £20m in donations which flooded in during the months following the siege.

And in the last five years Beslan has enjoyed a baby boom, including 50 children born into families affected by the attack.

For many these new arrivals have brought hope and a renewed sense of purpose.

Diana, who was eight when she was caught up in the attack, says of her little sister Karina, born two years after the siege: "She makes me forget about what happened. I taught her how to ride a bike. The first word she said was Diana."

Most of the survivors go to a new, state-of-the-art school which stands just across the road from the derelict School Number One.

The children refused to give the new school a number, calling it School on Kominterna Street instead.

But five years on the survivors find studying far from straightforward. Almost all suffer from huge memory and concentration problems.

The teachers told me that most of the children display bouts of aggression and bad behaviour, but following the psychologists' advice, they are reluctant to discipline them. Nearly all the children receive poor marks.

Aggression issues of Beslan survivors

"I have become angry and nervous," Lana explained. "When I sit at lessons I forget things. They speak and I don't understand what it's about. Everything escapes my head."

All of the children I spoke to suffer from health problems. Persistent headaches and heart problems related to stress are the most common aliments developed as a result of their traumatic experiences.

But what struck me most while talking to children today was how their initial fury and hate towards the terrorists have been gradually replaced and directed elsewhere.

Many, like Laima, blame the Russian government for not having done enough to prevent the attack and for mishandling the stand-off with the terrorists after they had seized the school.

"If the government had satisfied their demands they might not have blown up the gym," she said.

But with only one terrorist in jail and not a one official found responsible for the attack, some of the children now search for their own answers about what happened and why.

Beslan children fearful of fresh attack

Atzamas was 10 when, on the last day of the siege, the force of the bomb blast knocked him out. He woke up trapped under a pile of bodies.

He says he has tried to understand things from the attackers' point of view.

"They can't be the only ones to blame. I have studied their lives, their school of Islam and I thought hard about the war in Chechnya.

"If they were attacked by Russian troops, they were fighting to be free. And then they would want revenge on Russia - after all Russia had been killing their children too," he said.

Since the attack each of the children has in their own way tried to overcome its legacy and focus on the future.

"I am going to be a doctor. I will have my own clinic where I will treat future victims of terrorism," Laima told me.

But Chermen has even loftier plans, born out of the sense of destiny his close brush with death has engendered.

"I will grow up to become the president. It's not a question whether I will or not. It is just a question when," he said.

Watch Ewa Ewart's film on the children of Beslan, five years on, on Newsnight on Tuesday 1 September at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

RUSSIAN SCHOOL SIEGE

KEY STORIES

Rebels blamed for Beslan deaths

Grenades 'caused Beslan tragedy'

Beslan attacker jailed for life

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Bodies found at US trailer park

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Police recover bodies from the trailer park

A murder investigation is under way in the US state of Georgia following the discovery of seven bodies in a mobile home, police say.

The bodies were found shortly after 0800 (1200 GMT) at New Hope Plantation trailer park in Brunswick.

Police said two critically injured people were found at the scene and taken to hospital in Savannah 60 miles (97km) away.

Local reports said those injured were two children.

The town of Brunswick is about 240 miles (380km) south-east of the state capital, Atlanta.

Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said it was worst such incident he had dealt with in 25 years of police work.

"We have never had such an incident with so many victims," he said. "It is not a scene that I would want anybody to see."

He said a family member had alerted police but declined to say how the victims had died.

Some of those killed had been tentatively identified, he added, but he would not release names or ages.

By early Saturday evening, four of the seven bodies had been removed from the crime scene.

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Africa

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Gabon voters to elect new leader Voters in Gabon prepare to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo, who died in June after leading his country for 41 years. Confusion over candidates Bongo son set for candidacy Country profile: Gabon Deadly train crash hits Cameroon At least five people are killed and more than 275 others injured in a train crash near the capital of Cameroon, Yaounde. Two peacekeepers seized in Sudan Two members of the UN/African Union peacekeeping force have been kidnapped in Sudan's Darfur region, officials say. FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Bongo's dynasty Will Gabon vote for the son of its long-time leader? Africa's hotels The luxurious, the dingy and the unforgettable In pictures Why South African taxi driver wields a big stick MORE FROM AFRICA S Africa to fire striking troops Sect members captured in Nigeria 'No deals' linked to freed bomber Banana diseases hit African crops Nigeria recoups $170m bad debts War in Sudan's Darfur 'is over' Mali women's rights bill blocked Mystery ship 'hijackers' charged SA inquiry into soldier protest MORE FEATURES In pictures: Ugandan comic hero Cheers restore Semenya's pride In pictures: Malawi child workers Why is the African continent poor? BUSINESS Nigeria bank boss held by police Nigeria to act against debtors AFRICA HAVE YOUR SAY Gaddafi: Has he been good for Libya? Why have a census? Do you know your family history? PICTURE STORIES Surfing Liberia Zimbabwe orphans Mali tie-die Poor pensioners Flood festival SA shebeen SA gold miner Palm oil Cattle prize Prison tattoos Saving coasts EU Chad troops Aids diary Peace Olympics HIV stigma Car-washer Kenyan refuge Kenya survivor Sahara refugees Nigeria boxers Farmers' fair Abuja repairmen Nairobi violence Surviving Congo Rural Zimbabwe Matatu driver Orphan life Freetown family Shark fishing Bridge home Agadez life Malaria train Lake pollution Cattle camps Roadside chef Nigerian barber Sudan ex-slave Single mother Congo carpenters Growing khat Amputee cup Desert festival Kora maker Locust eaters Stone crushers Talc miner Gambia tailor Mother's view Congo musician SA show jumper Manicurist Shoe-shine girl Arusha driver Eritrea runner Voodoo priestess Cotton farmer Orphans' Xmas Malawi village Cattle raider Camel library Amputee Liberia fighters Aids orphans Spirit medium Cactus picker Pygmy struggle Kenya village Nigerian church Tanzanian mother Malaria burden Lady detective Fishing festival Wood carver Palm wine tapper Sudan returnee Child soldier Mali president Locust-hit farm Somali widow Aids community Wood collector Mali musician Darfur refugee Waste collector Living with HIV Uganda teacher Sesame farmer Lagos teacher Zimbabwe farmer Ethiopian herder Peace activist African maid Aids doctor Dance tutor Migrant in Italy SA landlady Libyan artist SA prosecutor Cameroon dancer Woman boxer Nomad Blind woman Liberian carer Water seller Sudanese mother Kenyan bomb Djibouti fishing Schools in SL   Send us your pictures of Africa COUNTRY PROFILES A GUIDE TO AFRICA Choose a country Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Chad Comoros Rep of Congo Dem Rep Congo Djibouti Egypt Equator'l Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome/Princip Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe   Find a territory Ceuta, Melilla Puntland Reunion Somaliland St Helena, Ascen Western Sahara Zanzibar   Compiled by BBC Monitoring FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Drought bites Free food draws Kenyan pupils to school in holidays Just say no? Mali's men reject law ending wifely obedience Greed rules What the bank crisis says about Nigeria's elite

OTHER TOP STORIES Ethiopia 'seizes' town in Somalia Zuma appeals to Zimbabwe rivals Apartheid hit-man granted bail Confusion over Gabon candidates Nigeria banking system 'stable' Comoros crash 'black box' found Advertisement ALSO IN THE NEWS Uma Thurman to star in film about Uganda's LRA rebels Semenya given hero's welcome home AFRICAN SPORT Pictures of Angola's race to be ready for Cup of Nations TP Mazembe silence Monomotapa Agosto go top in Confed Cup TV AND RADIO PROGRAMMES One-minute World News Network Africa Focus on Africa Africa Have Your Say Perspective World Today World Service radio schedules World Service Africa MOST POPULAR STORIES From Africa in the past week SATURDAY : Two peacekeepers seized in Sudan FRIDAY : In pictures: South Africa minibus taxi driver THURSDAY : War in Sudan's Darfur 'is over'

Americas

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Page last updated at 02:15 GMT, Sunday, 30 August 2009 03:15 UK

Obama tribute as Kennedy mourned US Senator Edward Kennedy is buried in Washington, after President Barack Obama leads tributes to the liberal "lion". In pictures: Kennedy funeral Kennedy - a political life Obituary: Virtues and vices President Obama tribute "There was no quit in Dad" 'Robot girls' clue to Dugard case Two US policewomen say the "weird" behaviour of two girls with Phillip Garrido helped them crack the Jaycee Dugard kidnap case. Bodies found at US trailer park A murder investigation is under way in Georgia, US, following the discovery of seven bodies in a mobile home, police say. VIDEO AND AUDIO NEWS Tributes paid at Kennedy memorial One-minute World News Fires rage north of Los Angeles Radio news summary FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Antioch shock Residents' disbelief in street where kidnap girl was held Tango therapy The Argentines dancing through the economic crisis Explosive drama New movie looks at US bomb disposal experts in Iraq MORE FROM AMERICAS Apple denies 'exploding' iPhones Toyota pulls plug on US factory US visitor in Burma tells of 'sorrow' US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks' Young Guantanamo Afghan to sue US UN warns over swine flu in birds BUSINESS US consumer spending up again Boeing 787 to fly by year's end US economic contraction unrevised FEATURES Kennedy leaves political vacuum Leaders to tackle US-Colombia deal Obama's dilemma over CIA tactics Kennedy mantle Brazilians staff Obama resort COUNTRY PROFILES A GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS Choose a country Antigua/Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Suriname St Kitts & Nevis St Lucia St Vincent/Gren Trinidad/Tobago USA Uruguay Venezuela   Find a territory Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Brit Virgin Isl Cayman Islands Falkland Islands French Guiana Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Neth Antilles Puerto Rico St Pierre & Miq Turks and Caicos   Compiled by BBC Monitoring FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Spaceman Time for the space station to deliver on science Cheap and here Can natural gas be the solution to US energy needs? Petrol paradise Smugglers thrive as row hits Venezuela-Colombia trade

OTHER TOP STORIES Jackson death ruled as homicide Megrahi backs Lockerbie inquiry Space shuttle lifts off for ISS Guantanamo inmates' Portugal move Argentine farmers resume strikes Leaders condemn US-Colombia deal Advertisement ALSO IN THE NEWS Roddick questions ruling to regulate players' Twitter updates California to hold 'garage sale' in effort to balance the books JUSTIN WEBB'S AMERICA Time to say goodbye Too European? MATT FREI'S WASHINGTON DIARY Berlin stories SPORT HEADLINES Lance looks ahead to enduring times MOST POPULAR STORIES From Americas in the past week SATURDAY : Police 'sorry' for kidnap blunder FRIDAY : Missing US girl bore two children THURSDAY : Missing US girl found 18 years on WEDNESDAY : Senator Edward Kennedy dies at 77 TUESDAY : Jackson 'had lethal drug levels' WEATHER

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