Webdunia News

LN Mittal doubles stake in Ophir Energy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:59:37 GMT

NEW DELHI: Steel magnet Lakshmi N Mittal has paid over $110 million to double his stake in Africa-focused Ophir Energy to 21.2% even as he exited the oil and gas business in the Central Asian nation Kazakhstan. “We would like to confirm that we recently doubled our investment in this (Ophir Energy) company,” said Sudhir Maheshwari, managing director of Mittal Investment Sarl, the holding company of

Ludhiana Police seize three kilograms of heroin

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:48:57 GMT

Ludhiana, Nov 22 : Police in Ludhiana have recovered three and a half kilograms of heroin from a fruit consignment.The high-grade heroin being in valued at around 3.8 million dollars and was found in a consignment of pomegranate from Afghanistan.Ludhiana Senior Superintendent of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill said : 'They (the owners of Manjit Fruit Store) had ordered forty boxes of pomegranate from Afghanistan.When

'Twilight' sequel smashes box office forecasts

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:01:45 GMT

ANGELES, Nov 22 (Reuters) - "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" scored the third-highest opening weekend of all time at the North American box office, earning an estimated $140.7 million during its first three days, its distributor said on Sunday.The vampire romance sequel vastly exceeded expectations, which had started at $100 million ahead of its release but steadily rose to about $125 million as early

Shun violence for talks: Centre to Maoists

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:06:04 GMT

RANCHI: The Centre is open for holdingtalks with the Maoists and is not even asking the banned outfit to lay downarms, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken said on Sunday."The Centre is ready for talks. We don't even ask them to lay downtheir arms. But they should shun violence before coming up for dialogue," Makentold reporters here.Maken said the police were being modernisedand efforts

Strike-hit Rico plans units outside Haryana

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:00:43 GMT

NEW DELHI: Rico Auto, a major component supplier to Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda and Tata Motors, said it would set up two new plants outside Haryana after a protracted labour strike at its four plants in the state crippled production for over two months. A top Rico official said the move was in line with a demand raised by key customers, who were affected by the 45-day strike at its Gurgaon factory.

Banks to hit bond street to meet credit demand

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:00:50 GMT

MUMBAI: Expectations that loan demand will pick up and fears that interest rates will rise sooner than later is leading a spate of banks to hit the bond street. In the past month, close to 12 banks have raised close to Rs 3,500 crore through sale of perpetual bonds and other debt capital to help prepare for a possible loan offtake in the coming days. Punjab National Bank, IDBI Bank and Allahabad Bank

India link: Ex-RIL execs head key ops at Basell

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:00:59 GMT

MUMBAI: Much before it became LyondellBassell through a billion-dollar merger in 2007, Basell had made small strides in India’s growing polymer industry through its commercial representatives. When India’s booming economy showed an insatiable hunger for polymer products, Basell opened its office in Mumbai’s Powai in 2003 and moved its senior executive Mehernosh Dordi from Belgium to head Indian operations.

Global luxury apparel retailers eyeing Indian mkts

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:57:47 GMT

MUMBAI: The fashionista dream is alive and kicking. But it’s no longer strictly elitist! With the US and Europe still grappling with recession, global luxury apparel retailers are eyeing markets like India, which has put itself firmly on the path of recovery. Reworking their business model by focusing on affordable luxury, international majors are in talks with Indian players to target aspirational

Quite wanted by mankind for pocket-friendly pricing

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:57:54 GMT

NEW DELHI: It was around 2000, after the company’s sales touched Rs 50 crore when Ramesh Juneja, the founder managing director of Mankind Pharma got a gut feeling that he has got the ‘act right’ and that the company was set for the next big leap. “Certain things go right. I cannot explain that in words,” the 54-year old said. Of course, what helped his cause the most was the number of years he had

Indian Navy keen to buy newer generation aircraft

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:46:20 GMT

Gulshan R. Luthra, New Delhi, Nov 22 : The Indian Navy has floated a Request for Information (RFI) for a newer generation of aircraft which can operate from the two indigenous aircraft carriers it will commission over the next 10 years.The Ministry of Defence and industry sources indicate that the RFI, issued recently, is of a "generic" nature, looking for newer platforms and airborne technologies

All off record when Chidambaram dons his jacket

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:47:37 GMT

Home Minister P. Chidambaram can be at his expansive best when he is entertaining. But then his revelations are strictly off the record - if he is donning a jacket and pant and not his trademark veshti and shirt!At a high tea organised for scribes on the home beat as well as for those who covered him when he was finance minister, Chidambaram played the perfect host with delectable goodies, mostly from

CRTC to Meet this Week for Hearing Over Networks Charging Fees to Cable Companies

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:39:56 GMT

CRTC to Meet this Week for Hearing Over Networks Charging Fees to Cable CompaniesThe Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is meeting this week to discuss the proposed fees which big Canadian networks want to charge to smaller cable and satellite companies for carrying their signals. The meeting will be chaired by CRTC head Konrad von Finckenstein, and might just change the face

Britney Spears' ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib jailed

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:22:04 GMT

MELTDOWN TIMES: File image of the famous singer with the photographer boyfriend during difficult times.Copyright

The real plot behind Italian arrests

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:25:46 GMT

Security expert B Raman unravels the larger plot behind the recent terror-related arrests in Italy [On June 12, 2009, US and Italian investigators arrested some persons on charges of stealing phone services from companies around the world and using the illegal profits thus earned for funding terrorism.They were accused of hacking phone lines and selling the phone services thus illegally obtained through

Current National Stories

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:21:59 GMT

Nearly a year after the Mumbai attacks, the country's Western coast hosting several petroleum and nuclear installations are still vulnerable to terror strikes from the sea route.A top government source said today that there have been regular intelligence inputs like November last year, when Pakistan-based LeT members came to attack the financial metropolis through sea route, fresh attempts could be

Centre for conservation of wetlands

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:44:23 GMT

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent charge) Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that the Ministry would widely expand projects for conservation of inland wetlands and coastal areas facing the threat of destruction.Talking to reporters after interacting with scientists at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Mr. Ramesh said that there are 60,000 inland

Scholars’ meet

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:49:26 GMT

Leader of the Mujahid Movement (Madavoor sect) Hussain Madavoor talking at the inaugural of a State-level ‘Scholars’ meet’ organised by the Ithihadu Shubbanil Mujahideen (ISM) in the city

UP Govt rejects hike in cane SAP; ban on raw sugar to continue

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:17:45 GMT

sugarcane to Rs 280 per quintal, the Uttar Pradesh government today said district authorities would convene meeting between cane farmers and sugar mill owners to decide the price of cane.''All the district authorities have been asked to hold meeting between cane farmers and sugar mill owners to decide on an amicable price of cane,'' said state Cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh here.The state

2 firms ready for clinical trials of H1N1 vaccine

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

Delhi: Two pharmaceutical companies have sought permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) to start clinical trials for swine flu vaccine prepared by them using a new method.“Cadilla Pharmaceuticals of Ahmedabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune have approached the ICMR to carry out clinical trials in the country. The vaccines produced by them is based on alternative approach,”

BJP is not against minorities, says Advani

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:17:04 GMT

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader L.K. Advani today said his party was not anti-minorities and that he deeply valued Christians' contribution to freedom struggle and nation building. "I revere Jesus Christ for his message of universal peace, love and brotherhood. I deeply value the contribution of our Christian brethren both to India's freedom struggle and to India's nation-building in the

7 killed, 55 injured in two Assam bomb blasts

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:41:44 GMT

child injured in a bomb blast being treated at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital on Sunday. —Guwahati: Seven people were killed and 55, including minor children, injured in two bicycle-bomb blasts in Nalbari, headquarters town of lower Assam’s Nalbari district on Sunday morning.The first blast occurred just near the Nalbari Police Station in the heart of the town around 10 a.m., injuring several

Bajaj to ramp up Pulsar production

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:03:08 GMT

Bajaj Auto is betting big on its Pulsar bike and plans to ramp up production to 90,000 units per month in the next six months with a sales target of 1 million units per annum by the end of next financial year."We are witnessing a resurgence of sales in Pulsar. From a low of 25,000 units sales per month last year, sales have now shot up to 45,000 units per month," Bajaj Auto Chief Executive Officer

Six fold hike in Indian businessmen settling in New Zealand

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:40:57 GMT

By Amandeep Kaur, Hamilton, Nov 22 : There has been a nearly six-fold increase in the number of Indians who have been approved residence through business categories in New Zealand, authorities said.As many as 53 Indians were among 689 people who were approved residence through business categories for financial year 2007-08 as compared to nine in 2002-03, said New Zealand's department of labour.Yugraj

Daimler AG to supply 1,000 new Smart electric cars by 2011

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:33:05 GMT

HAMBACH(FRANCE): Luxury carmaker Daimler AG will supply its latest electric vehicle 'Smart Forwo Electric' to 1,000 select customers in the US and Europe by 2011. The company last week started production of the lithium-ion-battery housed electric car at its plant here. The company will go for large volume production for public in 41 markets around the globe with most recent market launches, including

China should be asked to return occupied land: PDP

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:46:32 GMT

PDP and the National PanthersParty today dismissed Hurriyat Conference's view about"China's stake" in Kashmir and said Beijing should be ratherasked to return the 42,685 sq km of occupied territory of theborder state."China should not be introduced as another stakeholderon Kashmir rather it should be asked to return the territoryof the state under its control," senior PDP leader MuzaffarHussain Beigh

We're trying to find out whether requirements followed in Rana visa: Govt

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:25:02 GMT

government today saidit is looking into the issue of whether necessary "requirements" were followedby the Chicago Consulate while using its discretionary powers to issuemulti-entry visa to suspected terrorist Tahawwur Rana and his wife.Noting that a "fairly thorough investigation" is being done into thematter, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said the probe isyet to be completed.He

India to promote tourism in Ladakh, Kargil

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:05:00 GMT

government is planning to improve infrastructure in the stark but picturesque Ladakh and Kargil regions of Jammu and Kashmir to promote tourism. Senior military officials say this will act as an additional bulwark against border threats from China or Pakistan.Revamping infrastructure in the Ladakh region -- an extension of the Tibetan plateau in the high Himalayas -- would be beneficial for the troops

Ambattur locality is left to battle floods as civic body fails to complete drain works

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:45:01 GMT

Ambattur locality is left to battle floods as civic body fails to complete drain worksCHENNAI:If your house is on unapproved land, it can lead to a great deal of sufferingduring the monsoon. Residents of Devi Nagar, part of Ward 4 in the Ambatturmunicipality, have been learning it the hard way after the rains. It's not justmosquitoes, there are snakes floating in waterlogged streets or in open spaces,pits

Nainital's slumdog Millionaire girl on a mission to spread education

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:22:45 GMT

may not be as thrilling as `Slumdog Millionaire’ but this real life saga is far more inspiring than Danny Boyale’s Oscar winning flick. It’s about a slum girl who dreams it big, not for herself alone but for all the ``rag picker’’ children of the town she lives in. And she is zealously trying to realise that dream by spreading education among them.Meet Nazma, a resident of Haldwani’s Gafur Basti, a

Mulayam turns 71, cuts 71 kg laddoo

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:25:42 GMT

71-kg laddoo looked apt, but the guitar shaped fluffy birthday cake appeared slightly out of place. These were the two that party workers made the Samajwadi Party supremo, Mulayam Singh Yadav cut on his birthday at the party's state headquarters' lawn on Sunday morning. The number of kilograms of the laddoo equaled Mulayam's age, and the brass band that made a din outside the gate wished add-ons of

NATION BRIEFS

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:05:45 GMT

Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari has said China is an “important element” of any “architecture of co-operation” among Asian countries that will include India, Japan and Korea as well as Australia and New Zealand.Such co-operation was a “necessity to take advantage of the opportunities emerging as a result of the region’s increasing economic integration”, he said.sari said the broad Asian partnership

Calcutta Weather

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:05:45 GMT

Morning mist later clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature will be around 27 and 15°C respectively.A senior Chinese communist party official has equated Maoists with terrorists, going far beyond the sterile labels usually used by Beijing.Italian police today arrested a Pakistani father and son who allegedly spent a little over Rs 10,000 to set up an untraceable phone network that was used by terrorists

A tract of sand and culture stretching from Morocco to Gujarat

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:05:45 GMT

Being on a film jury for the first time is a strange experience. In my case, this begins from a large five-star hotel room with a view of the curved beach that receives the Atlantic, and behind it the hill that commands the bay. On the hill are massi |Sir — Bal Thackeray’s objection to Sachin Tendulkar’s comment that Mumbai belongs to all Indians is |Sir — The way government employees at Writers’

Rare graft probe against Ignou boss

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:05:45 GMT

Central Vigilance Commission will itself probe allegations that Ignou chief V.N. Rajasekaran Pillai tweaked norms to favour particular firms, in a rare move that could embarrass the human resource development ministry.Less than a month ago, the commission had asked the HRD ministry to probe the charges against the vice-chancellor. Now, in a letter to the ministry that has been accessed by, India’s

Trust Cong to be sugary

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:05:45 GMT

Security was sent into a tizzy but both Rahul Gandhi and sister Priyanka emerged unhurt on Saturday from freak accidents that could have caused greater damage.Rahul was shaking hands with supporters after a meeting at the Bariatu Ground in Ranchi when the barricade gave way. The Congress leader had jumped the first barricade when securitymen asked him to come back. He complied but continued to shake

40 low-floor buses for Noida depot

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:25:05 GMT

NOIDA:The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) finally got its own fleet of low-floorbuses for the Noida Depot. "We have now got 40 low-floor buses for Sector 16depot. We are now monitoring their movement fearing trouble from some Bluelineoperators. After the debut of low-floor buses on Thursday, we got a verypositive response from people on Saturday,'' said a senior DTC depotofficial.For now, the buses

Kuber crew kin get Rs 50k from Gujarat

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:44:00 GMT

Narendra Modi governmenttook almost a year to compensate the families of the four fishermen aboard theKuber who were feared kidnapped and shot by the Pakistani terrorists prior tothe 26/11 terror strike. And, even as they gave away the money, the governmentofficials added that if any of the missing persons resurfaced, they would haveto return the funds.It was only after TOI reported on the plight ofthe

Demand to suspend CIC gains ground

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:18:03 GMT

opposition against chiefinformation commissioner of Uttar Pradesh Ranjit Singh Pankaj is gaining ground.The RTI activists demanding his suspension are growing.Initially,it was the All India Right to Information Awareness Forum which had sent amemorandum to governor BL Joshi, demanding suspension of Pankaj. Now, there areseveral others raising the same demand.The reason for resentmentagainst CIC is

'Sugar ban may be lifted after crushing season'

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:28:53 GMT

state government on Sunday made it clear that the ban on import of unprocessed sugar would be lifted only after the completion of present crushing season.Talking to journalists in Lucknow on Sunday Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had written to the UP government asking for lifting of ban but the state had clarified that ban would be removed

Kashmiri apples still hold position of king

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:16:54 GMT

Kashmiri apples, Delicious, American and Maharaji brands still hold the position ofDespite the 20 percent of less apple production in JK, the fruit growers are getting a handful amount in national markets. Apple production of Himachal Pradesh and Uttranchal has gone down which has increased the demand of apples from JK.JK produce a total of 12 lakh metric tons of apple but this year due to hailstorm,

Lesser birds at Gharana wetland this year

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:20:56 GMT

With the winter having set in, wildlife experts are worried over the delay in flocks of migratory birds from Central Asia and Northern Europe reaching the Gharana wetland situated close to the India-Pakistan border in Jammu district.The birds used to reach the wetland by starting October, but this time the migratory birds might have chosen some other safer wetland in Shivalik foothills or Harike in

Gujarat IT behemoth in tender row

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:23:00 GMT

said.The preview of designers Shantanu and Nikhil's cocktail line of dresses hosted by Naseeb Kapoor and Sharmilla Khanna at Samsaara.The Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female awards saw a galaxy of stars descend on the venue to be awarded in various categories.

AU threat puts pressure on India

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:42:00 GMT

lang="EN">Rashme Sehgal

Nov. 21: The threat of the 53-member African Union (AU) taking a unified stance in climate change negotiations to walk out of the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen next month has put pressure on the Indian government not to agree to a legally binding treaty for putting a cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking

Tale of two commissions

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:59:32 GMT

Last week, the Delhi High Court struck down a right to information application filed at the Election Commission, bringing an unprecedented standoff between two of India’s most respected institutions to a temporary halt.In the case of the Election Commission of India (EC) versus Chief Information Commission others, the decision came in favour of the EC, which is that a citizen has no right to ask for

Stormy session likely on Sena tomorrow

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:01:03 GMT

Shiv Sena’s attack on the media in Mumbai and Pune will figure in Parliament on Monday. While the Samajwadi Party plans to raise the issue either under the calling attention or will demand for a full-fledged discussion in Parliament, it will be interesting to see whether the Congress will support it.

The Samajwadi Party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha Shailendra Kumar on Saturday said his party

IPL yet to touch global standards

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:12:21 GMT

our enthusiasm to praise we use words such as master, legend and classic. The all-time favourite to describe anything good is called world class.

Terror threat: We have lost the plot

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:31:03 GMT

The ebbfrom outrage to rage, its decline to umbrage, and then a drift to amnesia is thenarrative of the 12 months since the terrorist assault on Mumbai, which shookIndia and startled the world. America’s immediate response to 9/11 wasover the top; our phased reaction has been under-the-table. But a message wentout from Washington: you provoke the US at your peril, no matter what thecollateral damage.

St Francis rides past competition, tops west

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:31:16 GMT

Bright, colourful boards decorated with posters greet you as you walk along the corridors of the red-bricked building of St. Francis De Sales School in Janakpuri.There are poems, hand-drawn artwork and pictures of world leaders on the walls and the binding theme across boards is ‘commitment’.“The theme is common across classes 1 to 12. We judge the students’ perception of these values, their team work,

Warm, safe: City’s night shelters

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:48:44 GMT

Mani Ram Yadav (42) finally has a roof over his head after spending more than 15 years on the footpaths of Delhi.According to Delhi government figures, more than 1.6 lakh people are forced to brace Delhi’s winter in the open every night.“In Rs 180 a month, I get a secure place to spend my nights in the winters. Earlier I used to sleep on the footpath and would lose my day’s earnings to pickpockets

Report says Karkare's bullet-proof vest was not pierced

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:57:48 GMT

Setting at rest the controversy that slain Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)chief Hemant Karkare died because of defective bullet-proof jacket, post mortem report have revealed that he received five bullets in and around his neck. All the five bullets pierced his body in the region which was not covered by the bullet-proof vest, the post mortem report said. He received "Total five firearms wounds

Leaks and cracks in Mumbai sealink

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:08:31 GMT

Three months after the Rs 852-crore Bandra-Worli sealink opened to the public, it has developed leaks and there are cracks on the road surface, says a report submitted to the state government.In its September progress report, Dubai-based Dar Consultants, the project designers and consultants, pointed out there are leaks on the 5.6-km sealink’s decks, the surface on which 25,000 vehicles ply every day,

Metro struggles too, new trains under scanner

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:08:36 GMT

Trains moving slowly, stations brimming with commuters and serpentine queues — it was the same story at Delhi Metro’s Line 3 on Sunday.There were no technical delays at the nearly 48 km long Metro line connecting Dwarka to Noida on Sunday but thanks to the Trade Fair rush, trains were moving slower. The queues at the security check points were so longer that they extended up to the roads outside.Apart

Intelligence inputs warned of Ulfa strikes

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:12:56 GMT

Ever since the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) exploded on Assam’s subversive scene in 1989, the outfit has almost ritually struck in the days leading to Republic Day and Independence Day to convey a strong message to “occupational India”.It has also carried out attacks before April 7, the day it was raised in 1979, and November 27, its day to protest the ban imposed on it in 1990.Security forces

‘First blast attracted attention, second killed’

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:14:37 GMT

bicycles laden with explosives near a police station in Nalbari, some 60 km from Guwahati, turned a peaceful Sunday morning into “thick black smoke with nails and metal pieces flying in all directions”, in the words of Mohhamed Zamed Ali (60), who owns a paan shop near the police station.“An army jawan asked us to go away (after the first blast), but nobody moved and this happened,” Ali, who is admitted

Plant your name in the park, help it grow

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:15:31 GMT

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has started a new scheme called Sardar Patel Vriksh Yojana, under which residents can plant a sapling in the name of their loved ones.“We have started this scheme to encourage people to plant more trees in their area. It will promote greenery in the city,” said Dharamveer Singh, chairman of MCD’s garden committee.“Also, as the trees will be named after their loved

Saving Dal Lake, naturally

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:18:18 GMT

Dal Lake in Srinagar will now have a ring of natural defence against polluting elements.The Jammu Kashmir government is planning a 3-km-long and a 150-metre-wide reed zone on the shores of the shrinking lake to treat the sewage coming from the catchment areas before the water gets into the lake.The reed belt will cover the 21 square km lake's northern shore. Reed is tall slender grass that grows in

Cure for medical profession’s ills

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:24:59 GMT

Accepting gifts, travel and hospitality or cash — except for approved research - from the pharmaceutical industry will become illegal for doctors, if the Medical Council of India has its way.The council — the statutory body regulating medical colleges and registration of doctors — has proposed an amendment to the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002

Car-loving Capital cold shoulders green wheels

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:25:26 GMT

Eco-friendly cars are struggling to find takers in Delhi — a city with the largest number of vehicles in the country.This is despite Delhi’s Environment Department subsidizing almost one-third of the car’s cost and refunding other taxes to buyers.In the meantime, diesel and petrol-driven personal vehicles have taken Delhi’s air-pollution levels back to where they were seven years ago when “clean fuel”

A brand new world view

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:28:09 GMT

years ago, when Prupti Shah admitted her son Keval to Dhirubhai Ambani International School at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, she felt she was taking a bit of a chance.Back then, international schools were just a nascent fad and very few people had heard of the International Baccalaureate, or IB, explained the housewife from Malabar Hill.Today, Shah is glad she followed her instinct. “I’m very happy with

‘Rabbi’s last calls for help were to our staffers’

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:29:07 GMT

Orna Sagiv, the Israel consul general in Mumbai, described the year gone by as one of the “toughest” in her diplomatic career. Six Jews, four of them Israeli nationals, were killed in last year’s 26/11 attacks. She spoke to Hindustan Times about Indo-Israel ties in a post-26/11 scenario.There has never been anti-Semitism in India. But given our history, we never take such things for granted.We do not

Chucking cushy job to turn street vendor

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:33:12 GMT

was a time when his colleagues must have thought 26-year-old Nitin Agarwal a plain old basket case.Last August, when management graduates were panicking under the cloud of an economic recession and jostling for job offers, Agarwal did the unthinkable.The alumnus of the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon chucked a job offering him Rs 11 lakh per annum from an Information Technology giant

Ridge comes in way of housing project

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:50:44 GMT

first public private partnership housing project of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Capital’s largest land owning and developing agency, is in trouble.The project at Tehkhand in south Delhi, to be developed by a subsidiary of Indiabulls Real Estate Limited, seems to have gone wrong with the developer writing to the land agency to return the money it spent on buying the piece of land.The DDA

Of no fixed address

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:06:09 GMT

small, asbestos room in Madhya Pradesh’s Amarkantak town, a group of students is busy debating the merits of English as a medium of instruction. Most of them speak for the motion. Very few speak against it.The catch — none of them knows how to speak the Queen’s language. English is necessary in a ‘globalised’ world, they argue in Hindi, haltingly using some of the unfamiliar English words they’ve recently

In recession rubble, Left looks for revival

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:06:54 GMT

upside of the downturn is that Left parties now see a chance for socialism, with faith in free markets faltering.An alternative to capitalism — Communists say it can only be socialism — is the talking point at the international communist meet under way in Delhi.“There are no regions left on which to rub off the crisis,” Henrik Stamer Hedin from Denmark said.Still, socialism has only a slim chance really,

PNB eyes majority stake in Kazakhstan based bank!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:08:30 GMT

Bangalore: Punjab National Bank plans to acquire a majority stake in a Kazakhstan-based bank to expand its presence in central Asia, its Chairman and Managing Director KR Kamath said here on Saturday."We are trying to take 74 percent stake in a bank calledDana bank in Kazakhstan, subject to RBI approval,” he told a news agency.He said the bank has completed due diligence, which is nowbeing whetted.

Kudd for you

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:21:38 GMT

fat tomcat is enjoying a siesta on the spiral staircase in Dhobitalao’s Jer Mahal building, which houses Kayani, one of Mumbai’s best-known Irani cafés.The tomcat, however, belongs to another section of the building — Our Lady of South Chorao, one of the 200-odd Goan clubs or ‘kudds’ (Konkani for rooms) in Mumbai. Upstairs, in the South Chorao club, Merwyn Aniceto Dias has just woken up from a much-deserved

He caught Kasab - only to go away forever, says family (One Year After 26/11)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:22:00 GMT

They remember his little gestures - a cake one day, a dress on another.They wish their father, assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Omble, hadn't been sobrave on the night of26/11.Omble had held on to thebarrel of Ajmal Amir Kasab's rifle, taking fatal bullets, while other policemencaptured the terroristalive."When I look at it fromyour point of view, I am proud of my father. But when I think about it as

Over 25,000 working at Metro sites trained to avoid mishaps

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:23:29 GMT

14 people lost their lives in mishaps involving the Delhi Metro in the past six months, DMRC has trained over 25,000 people engaged in its construction activities on how to avoid accidents during work.DMRC undertook a special drive in July for special training of the workers and supervisors of all the contractors working at its construction sites after the Zamrudpur incident where a under-construction

The Indian rape trick

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:24:49 GMT

many years, I understood rape to be a kind of oilseed, like mustard, til or soya. I had of course heard of the Rape of Good Hope and was familiar with “As you sow, so shall you rape.”Of late though, the R-word has acquired a dark new meaning with guys leaping out of bushes onto hapless maidens. Gangs perform gang-rape and film-stars perform off-camera roles with maids. “Enough already,” cry women everywhere.

Nevada grabs records, beats New Mexico State 63-20

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:50:53 GMT

Nevada grabs records, beats New Mexico State 63-20 < ');" class="size11 blue"> RateNevada rushed for 575 yards — and shattered some NCAA record in the process — as the Wolf Pack beat New Mexico State 63-20 Saturday night.Luke Lippincott had 162 yards on 19 carries, putting him at 1,028 yards for the season. He joined quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vaia Taua as 1,000-yard rushers on the

Karnataka, its crisis, controversies and elections (Letter from Bangalore)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:14:04 GMT

Karnataka is fast becoming a state that lives on crisis, controversies and elections.Political parties are busy drawing up strategies for the Dec 18 election to fill 25 seats in the Vidhana Parishat or legislative council, the upper house of the assembly.Including the May 2008 polls to the assembly and the April-May 2009 election to the Lok Sabha, this will be the fifth time in two-and-a-half years

Patients throng govt hospital in TN complaining of high fever

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:31:00 GMT

patients are thronging Government Hospital here complaining of high fever and symptoms similar to "Chikungunya", a senior doctor said today.Though many of them needed hospitalisation, they could not admit them as there were only 20 beds, Dr Anga Reddy, resident medical officer, said.Blood samples had been sent to Chennai for testing, and only after the results were received, proper treatment could

“People, will miss newspapers when they are gone�?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:05 GMT

Stephen J. Dubner is the Co-author, along with economist Steven D. Levitt, of the 2005 international best-seller Freakonomics. The arguments of the book, which uses anecdotal information and shows how even the most innocuous things can be explained by simple economics, have been kept going via a blog. Now, the two are following up with a new collaborative effort tentatively titled Superfreakonomics.

'Asia needs to change its growth model'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:11 GMT

Stephen Roach, Chairman, Morgan Stanley Asia, is widely recognised as one of the most seasoned economists in the world. Known for his bearish forecasts, Roach’s research covers a broad range of topics, with particular emphasis on globalisation and the emergence of China. Roach, who has been with Morgan Stanley since 1982, was the financial services giant’s Chief Economist for 16 years. He has criticised

“We are taking our India lessons outside�?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:12 GMT

Simon Beresford-Wylie, Chief Executive Officer of the world’s second-largest mobile equipment vendor, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN), is a veteran of the Indian telecom market. Over 14 years ago, he played a crucial role in establishing India’s first mobile network, Modi-Telstra, in Kolkata. Years later, he has returned to India, making the country the service delivery hub for NSN worldwide with over

'I want to see an Indian car designed by Indians at Maruti'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:13 GMT

Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director, Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), has been an employee of Suzuki Motor Company for the past 25 years. He is no novice to India either, having spent almost a decade in the country, performing several roles at MSIL, India’s largest carmaker. But with the industry facing flagging demand, thanks to economic downturn and increased competition, Nakanishi today faces his toughest

We have to revisit the whole financial sector: Y.V. Reddy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:13 GMT

At a function to launch former Reserve Bank of India governor Yaga Venugopal Reddy’s latest book India and the Global Financial Crisis: Managing Money and Finance, HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh drew attention to a comment (carried on the book’s cover) by Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz: “…if America had a central bank chief like Y. V. Reddy, the US economy would not have been in such a mess.” Reddy,

'We generate sufficient profits to grow the Indian business'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:13 GMT

He has worked in more than half-a-dozen countries in a career spanning 25 years, but in the last six months, this six-footer CEO with the shaven head — a la Vin Diesel or Ben Kingsley, take your pick — has been relishing something he missed all these years — chicken tikka, gosht (lamb) and nan. “I love it,” says the 47-year-old Mark Robinson, who began his banking career in neighbouring Pakistan way

'Our job is not to certify that there's no fraud'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:14 GMT

Last fortnight, Dennis M. Nally, Global Chairman, PricewaterhouseCoopers, was on his maiden visit to India since being elected, evidently not in the best of circumstances. Investigations are on against two of the firm’s Hyderabad-based partners who gave unqualified audits to Satyam before its promoter B. Ramalinga Raju confessed to a gross overstatement of profits. But the $1.4-billion fraud isn’t

25 years of agony

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

of the Bhopal gas victims form a human chain in front of the Union Carbide factory on Sunday holding a banner that says: ‘Not memorials, we want better medical facilities, education, employment, compensation and rehabilitation of the victims.’ The protest was organised under the banner of the Gas Peedit Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti. The 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy falls on December

Afghan plane lands in Kerala

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

A 737-200 aircraft of Pamir Airways, a private airline based in Afghanistan, en route from Kabul to Indonesia, landed at Thiruvananthapuram international airport on Sunday, causing anxious moments to security agencies.‘PIR 21,’ with a crew of five — flying from Kabul via Dubai and Colombo to Indonesia — was allowed to land here at 4.40 p.m. after airport authorities in Colombo turned it away.“The airport

Railway jobs help kin restart lives

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

member each from the families of those killed at the CST have been given jobsBharat Navadia, whose wife was killed in the attack on the CST, with his daughter Anjali and son Viraj. He is yet to recover from a bullet injury he sustained on the shoulder.MUMBAI: For the last 35 of the 52 years he lived, Chandulal Tandel sold books and newspapers at the A.H. Wheeler stall at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji

Pakistan trade team complains of “problems”

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

“chill” in the India-Pakistan relations after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks has now spilled onto the area of trade at people-to-people level at the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF).Faced with “harassment” and multiple “problems” in exhibiting their goods brought from across the border, a 132-strong traders’ delegation from Pakistan, which is taking part in the IITF, is having a re-think of

NACC certification must for all universities and colleges: UGC

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has framed a regulation making it mandatory for all universities and colleges to be certified by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), UGC chairman Professor Sukhdeo Thorat said here on Sunday.The move is an attempt to assess and thereafter ensure the quality of education offered in institutions of higher education in the country, Professor

Taslima hopeful of returning to Kolkata

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen has said from Paris that although she cannot see herself return to her homeland in the near future, she is still hopeful of returning to Kolkata – her “second homeland.”Addressing a press conference here recently over phone from the French capital, where she is currently living, Ms. Nasreen said she never wanted to leave Kolkata, but was “pressurised

SAARC: India for agreement on investment protection

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said India is strongly backing the need for putting in place an Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investment for better regional integration and cooperation.Mr. Sharma said there was an immediate need among SAARC nations to focus on establishing a framework for cooperation in the field of investments.To achieve this, it is important that an agreement

Stepping up despite regulation

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:55 GMT

K-12 Market size 2008: $19.6 Billion 2013: $28.8 Billion 2018: $40.3 Billion Source: Technopak, CLSA, FICCI Report Regulation Primary Profit Making: Not allowed except in Maharashtra and Haryana. Mandatory Recognition: Required (except in some states like Punjab). Fee structure: Not controlled. Authority: State Dept. of Education, City Municipal Dept., Society Registrar, NCERT. Secondary/Higher Secondary

An open book

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:55 GMT

Educomp STARTED IN/AS: 1994; To set up computer literacy labs in schools INITIAL INVESTMENT: Rs 1 lakh FIRST YEAR REVENUES: < Rs 50 lakh REVENUES NOW: Rs 637 crore CURRENT ENROLLMENTS: Educomp reaches out to over 23,000 schools and 12 million learners and educators FOOTPRINT NOW: Learning solutions in 1,910 schools. In 13,792 government schools across 14 states, 643 pre-schools. Set up K-12 under various

Stop the 'war' against enterprise

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:55 GMT

India has too many illiterates but too few entrepreneurs entering into the field of education. Why is this so? The answer is simple: the country is hostile territory for educational entrepreneurship. The government’s ‘war’ against enterprise has ensured that only a select few enter the core education sector. The reasons for this are not too difficult to find. The education sector is reserved for not-for

“Digitised records, technologies can boost research works”

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:44:23 GMT

Digitising records and adopting modern working culture and technologies will help in protecting research materials, said P.L. Gautam, Chairman, National Bio-diversity Authority of India, here on Sunday.Participating in a discussion meeting organised in entomology on ‘Molecular Strategies in Insect-Plant Interaction: Role of Chemical Ecology in Host Specialisation,’ Dr.Gautam said national institutions

Young and lost

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:06:44 GMT

questionsDeath trail: Three young persons died on three consecutive days on the Metro Railway tracks. Picture by Pradip SanyalApu Basak, 18, killed himself on Sunday, November 15. The day had begun the usual way. Around 8.30 he had gone to the market close to his house in Masjidbari Street near Hatibagan and bought his favourite tilapia fish. Then he decided to get himself a haircut.The first year

No record on Syama Prasad Mookerjee's death available?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:54:26 GMT

Does any document existpertaining to the death of Jan Sangh founder Syama PrasadMookerjee in a Jammu and Kashmir prison 55 years ago?The officials of the Home Ministry seem to have no clearanswer about it as they could not come up with any"satisfactory" reply to the queries of an RTI applicant, whofiled his plea in this regard.Instead, the Ministry kept moving the application todifferent sections without

Harshad Mehta's family alleges judge biased

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:22:06 GMT

Family members of Harshad Mehta, accused in the 1992 stock market securities scam, have filed an application before the trial judge in the Bombay High Court alleging that he was biased and should recuse himself from hearing matters.Justice D K Deshmukh, who is hearing the application, would now decide whether he should recuse himself from the cases or continue trying them.He would hear the petitioners

Documents related to spectrum scam are out

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:22:22 GMT

Former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has released documents showing Union Minister A. Raja acting in a dubious manner in the allocation of 2-G Spectrum.In a statement here, she said that she was releasing the documents ‘since many friends from the media called up to find out whether these documents were really available with me.’She said that she had cited many documents

Women directors earn 50% less than their male counterparts

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:26 GMT

LONDON: There is still a huge pay gap between men and women even at the top rung, as a survey has highlighted that the average take home salary of a female director on board is 50 per cent less than her male counterparts. Quoting a study by the Reward Technology Forum (RTF), the Telegraph said "the average female board director took home 178,246 pound in salary, bonuses, benefits and pension contributions

26/11 investigation led to brick wall in Pakistan

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:42:27 GMT

Evidence has been mounting that Pakistan investigators failed to act against perpetratorsIndia investigators believe funds trail could lead to head of Lashkar’s transcontinental operationsMUMBAI: Last November, two rubber dinghies carrying 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba “fidayeen” armed with assault rifles and explosives nudged up along the Mumbai shoreline.One hundred and seventy-three people died, and more than

Call for sustainable development policy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:49:26 GMT

PALAKKAD: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom has said the Silent Valley has become world famous because of people’s struggle to protect its forest and environment.Inaugurating a public meeting at the Model Residential Tribal School at Mukkali on Sunday to mark the end of the two-day-long silver jubilee celebrations of the Silent Valley National Park, the Minister said the Silent Valley had become a symbol

‘Education sans spirituality meaningless’

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:53:15 GMT

the 28th convocation of Sri Satya Sai Univeristy at Puttaparthi on Sunday.Anantapur: The Satya Sai University stands taller than other universities in India going by the multiple awards it bagged from the Central government and other prestigious bodies apart from the quality of education coupled with spirituality, observed Prof. Samuel Sandweiss of California University.Delivering the key note address

Medical camp for viral fever victims

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:53:15 GMT

The city unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday organised a medical camp on the premises of Care and Share School for residents of New Rajarajeswaripet.A team of doctors, including M. Rama Rao, M. Kiran, Rajesh, Venkat and Madhuri examined close to 120 elders and 80 children afflicted with viral fever, from the slum habitations located along Padmavathi Ghat.The party’s floor leader