Coal-Gate: CBI to probe sale of shares in firms which got coal licenses

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is all set to investigate sale of shares in companies which got coal licenses. 

Sources tell NDTV that money was made by shareholders selling stake after licenses were allotted. This was prompted by the fact that the value of companies with coal licenses showed an increase.

The CBI will also investigate links between shareholders in these companies and the members of the screening committee that allotted the coal blocks.

Sources say at least 12 companies are under the scanner and the agency plans to file six FIRs soon.

Sources say in order to qualify, some companies lied about their finances, while others did not reveal that they had already been assigned coal blocks. The CBI believes that these problematic allotments could not have been made without the collusion of government servants; some bureaucrats will also be charged.

NDTV has learnt that the questioning bureaucrats, including officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), is not ruled out.

The BJP has not allowed Parliament to function for eight  days now demanding that the Prime Minister Singh own moral responsibility for allowing what is alleged to be a huge swindle on his watch as coal minister.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report tabled in Parliament earlier this month, did not indict the Prime Minister, but said his government had missed opportunities to introduce an auction for coal blocks. The government has disputed the report and auditor's  estimate of losses - which are pegged at Rs. 1.86 lakh crore.

From:NDTV

Arun Gawli gets life imprisonment in Shiv Sena leader's murder case

Mumbai: Gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the murder of Shiv Sena politician Kamlakar Jamsandekar four years ago.

Mr Gawli was convicted last week along with 10 others. Mr Jamsandekar was shot dead in March 2008 at his home in suburban Ghatkopar. Mr Gawli was arrested  in May 2008.

According to the chargesheet, a sum of Rs. 30 lakh was paid to the Gawli gang for eliminating the Sena corporator over a land deal.

The once-feared underworld don had told the judge there was no reason for him to kill Mr Jamsandekar for a "paltry" amount of Rs. 30 lakh.

"After 2007 BMC elections, when Shiv Sena was not in majority, it was our Akhil Bhartiya Sena who gave them the support of four corporators (to attain majority). At that time, each of our corporators commanded very high monetary value (for providing support) and there was no reason for me to kill Mr Jamsandekar for Rs. 30 lakhs," Mr  Gawli argued.

Mr Gawli was elected as an MLA from Mumbai's Chinchpokli constituency in 2004 on an Akhil Bhartiya Sena ticket and completed his term.

From:NDTV

Coal-gate: Mulayam's party, Left, TDP to hold dharna against Parliament logjam

New Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party along with the Left and the Telugu Desam Party will hold a dharna outside Parliament today against the logjam in the House. Yesterday, in added headache for the Congress, the three joined hands to seek an investigation into the coal allocation issue under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

The parties want that the Houses be allowed to function and a debate be held on the controversial allocation of coal blocks that the government's auditor says has caused a loss of Rs. 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer. For the seventh day yesterday, Parliament was adjourned early for the day. The Lok Sabha however managed to pass two Bills before chaos forced an adjournment.

Mulayam Singh Yadav's party had earlier demanded an explanation from the government on the coal block allocations, but stopped short of embarrassing the Congress by aligning with the BJP on the issue. It reportedly turned down a BJP invitation to attend a meeting of opposition parties to discuss strategy on the issue. The SP has bailed out the Congress-led UPA, which has tenuous numbers in the Lok Sabha, on numerous occasions over crucial matters.
But this time it's clearly different. The Congress now effectively faces two fronts on the coal allocation issue, even as whispers get louder that a new front which includes the Left and Mulayam Singh Yadav is emerging. Last month, Mr Yadav had written a letter to the Prime Minister urging him not to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. The letter also bore the signatures of leaders of the Left parties and the Janata Dal (Secular).

Then there is the BJP-led NDA, that wants these coal block allocations cancelled.  The main Opposition party has said it will protest on the issue in 40 cities today. The BJP is adamant that it will not allow Parliament to function till the Prime Minister owns moral responsibility for what is being called "Coal-gate"; it says that many of the allocations between 2004 and 2009 were made when Dr Singh held charge of the Coal Ministry and so the PM has direct responsibility and must resign. In that demand it has now managed to consolidate the support of its partners in the NDA, especially the Janata Dal (United).

JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said yesterday, "If the PM takes moral responsibility, it will pave the way for peace in Parliament. Coal blocks were easier to get than a rail ticket; the government should start a mineral policy, which should start with the cancellation of the present coal block."

To Mulayam Singh Yadav's demand for an investigation, the Congress' Ambika Soni said, "You can't just demand probes out of thin air. Everyone wants to resolve issue, bring people to justice. But all that will happen only if there is a discussion." The Congress contends that in saying it is ready to discuss and debate the coal block allocations in any form in Parliament, it has broken with convention to make the best possible offer.

Reiterating the party's stand, spokesperson Manish Tiwari said, "We demand that Parliament be allowed to function, we are prepared to debate any issue. Whether coal blocks should be cancelled or not should be decided only after a proper procedure. All issues can be discussed inside the House. We want a debate, but the BJP is avoiding it."

From: NDTV

Why the next iPhone will not be called iPhone 5

There have been plenty of reports/ rumours/ leaks about Apple's upcoming iPhone, and almost all refer to the next version of the iPhone as 'iPhone 5'. While a few people have tried to explain this very reasoning before, most still don't seem to get the message. Let's reiterate why there's reason to believe the next iPhone will NOT be called 'iPhone 5'.

First, let's take a look at how iPhone naming has evolved over the years.

The first generation naming doesn't need any explanation. The second generation iPhone was called the iPhone 3G after the most important feature it added i.e. 3G network capabilities. The third generation iPhone was pretty much the same as the iPhone 3G, but faster, which translated into the S for Speed in iPhone 3GS.

The iPhone 4 is the only iPhone till date to come with just a number as a suffix. It is also the only iPhone till date to have the generation of the hardware as its suffix - the fourth iPhone model i.e iPhone 4. The next generation phone, iPhone 4S, featured the same industrial design in a faster package - except this time the S was not for Speed, but Siri, Apple's virtual assistant that was marketed as iPhone 4S's great new feature.

Which brings us to the iPhone 2012. It'll be the sixth iPhone till date, so why would it be called iPhone 5? It just doesn't make any sense. So iPhone 6? That would seem odd, but it is more likely than iPhone 5!

iPhone 2012 comes with a new industrial design, so you can rule out it being called any derivative of iPhone 4S, especially since Apple hasn't used the same number for more than two generations. So what else can it be called?

We think an iPad-like change in naming convention, where Apple drops the number from the name entirely is extremely likely. So say hello to 'The new iPhone', or simply 'iPhone', as later generations will be called. That's what Apple has done with the iPad, and we believe there's good reason for the iPhone to follow suit.

What about 2013, when the next iPad and iPhone debut? If they are also called 'iPad' or 'iPhone', how will Apple differentiate between the two models, especially since both old and new models are likely to be on sale side by side?

Let's see what Apple does for its other hardware, Macs. Since Apple typically stops selling the old 11-inch MacBook Air when the new one debuts, it doesn't face this problem. In channels where the old hardware continues to be sold, it's suffixed with the processor or, more pertinently, the year.

Here's Apple's list of models that support its Mountain Lion OS:

• iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
• MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
• Xserve (Early 2009)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
• Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)

Notice something? What is Apple using to differentiate between products with the same name? Yes, year. So could Apple use years to differentiate between one iPhone and the other? Could be, but let's look at another example first.

What about other hardware like iPods and Apple TV? They follow an interesting nomenclature, where the generation of the hardware gets added as a suffix e.g. the iPod touch before the current is now called iPod touch 3rd generation.

Since iPhone and iPad are fundamentally closer to the iPod touch than Macs (duh!), it seems logical Apple will extend the same naming convention to these devices. In fact, at some places on Apple's website the current iPad is already being referred as 'iPad (3rd generation)' - see image.

So, to summarise:
1) The next iPhone will likely be called 'The new iPhone', or simply 'iPhone' and subsequent iPhone models will follow the same naming convention.
2) Apple will likely use the generation of the hardware to different between different iPhone and iPad models.

So next time you see someone use the term 'iPhone 5', be sure to point them to this article.

Waning Isaac heads north but eyes turn to stricken dam

New Orleans: Torrential rain dumped by Hurricane Isaac threatened to burst a dam in Mississippi on Thursday, triggering the mass evacuation of local residents, while large areas of the region were still flooded and without power but getting ready to mop up.

Isaac, which was downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday, did little damage to New Orleans, where stronger barriers were installed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Only one fatality linked to the storm has been confirmed so far.

But it produced a soggy mess across widespread areas of the US Gulf Coast and could still bring heavy downpours and flooding before moving into the central United States - where rain is badly needed - over the next few days.

Some 700,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi were still without power on Thursday, down from about 1 million overnight. As winds subsided, crews were able to start assessing damage.

While New Orleans and the coast got started with clean-up, new worries developed about a potential failure of Lake Tangipahoa Dam in Mississippi's Percy Quin State Park.

Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of tens of thousands of residents in nearby communities in Louisiana and Mississippi as a protective measure.

The earthen dam, in Pike County, is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of New Orleans. It was damaged, but not breached, Wednesday night's tumultuous downpours.

Heavy equipment and pumps were brought in to start a controlled water release to the Tangipahoa River, relieving pressure on the dam.

"Every precaution is being taken to protect the safety of the people and property," said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.

Ken Graham, forecaster with the National Weather Service in New Orleans, said the Tangipahoa River near Kentwood - hometown of pop singer Britney Spears - is already 14 feet (4.3 metres) above flood stage and is expected to rise to 16 feet (4.9 meters) by Friday morning.

"That takes it to a pretty big flood event, and that's just from the rain," he said.

Additional heavy rain is not expected as the remnants of Isaac move away, but the National Weather Service said the dam "may potentially fail" and is keeping a flash flood watch in effect for Pike Country through 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT) on Friday.

State officials were at odds about the risks posed by the dam. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal warned of potential "record flooding" downstream, while officials in Mississippi downplayed the possibility of a dangerous water release.

"Even if that dam would have a catastrophic break, the flood plain in Pike County would be able to handle it, so it would not significantly affect the river," said Greg Flynn, spokesman from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. "They don't expect any wall of water to go down the river."

Damage assessments
In areas struck earlier by Isaac, the process of checking for damage and restoring halted operations began.

The oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico has so far reported no major storm-related damage to infrastructure although one Louisiana refinery has had flooding.

Energy production was expected to start ramping up again, after nearly grinding to a halt as Isaac closed in on Louisiana on Tuesday. Benchmark Brent crude was little changed in Thursday afternoon trading at about $112.75 a barrel.

Multibillion-dollar defenses built to protect New Orleans itself, after it was ravaged by Katrina almost exactly seven years ago, passed their first major test, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers. "The levees worked," Jindal said.

Among the items spared in the storm were thousands of bags of green coffee stored in New Orleans warehouses that had sustained damage during Katrina.

"No major damage to the buildings and no damage to stored product," Allan Colley, president of Dupay Storage and Forwarding, said in an email.

Dusk-to-dawn curfews, designed to help prevent any repeat of the looting that occurred in New Orleans in the days after Katrina struck in 2005, were lifted on Thursday.

Only about a dozen looting-related arrests were reported in the city by Thursday morning but the streets were unusually quiet, still littered with downed branches, fallen trees and pieces of roofing material.

In the historic French Quarter, a few people were out taking down the boards they had nailed up over store windows. Officials urged patience and good humour during the clean-up.

"Our tempers tend to flare," said New Orleans Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge Morrell at the news conference. "My advice would be sit on the front porch and talk to your neighbours. That's what New Orleans is known for.

Surrounding parishes hit
But massive rains and storm surge from the Gulf inundated low-lying communities outside the federal flood containment system protecting New Orleans, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes and some dramatic rooftop rescue operations.

Hardest hit was Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, where floodwaters overtopped at least one levee on Wednesday and left many homes under about 12 feet (3.6 m) of water. Dozens of residents who had attempted to ride out the storm had to be plucked from their rooftops.

In Slidell, a town of about 27,000 people northeast of New Orleans, the surge from Lake Pontchartrain left the Eden Isle community under about a foot (30 cm) of water.

"You'd have never made me believe a Category 1 would dump this much water," said Sam Caruso, 71," a former mayor of the town who was touring it in his pickup truck.

National Guard troops and police moved into the town Thursday afternoon as some local residents navigated flooded streets in boats. Overall, troops have rescued or evacuated more than 3,000 Louisiana residents and three tractor-trailer loads of pets, Jindal said.

Drought relief
As the focus on Isaac shifted from the coast, many in its projected path further north have been praying it will bring rain desperately needed to ease a drought. Summer crops are in tatters and many rivers and dams are critically low.

Isaac never came close to the power of Katrina, which was a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale when it smashed into New Orleans on August 29, 2005.

But US President Barack Obama still declared the impact on Louisiana and Mississippi major disasters and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts.

© Thomson Reuters 2012

Second Chinese flight returns after security scare

Beijing: In a second such incident within a week, a Chinese flight was diverted to an airport in central Wuhan city after receiving a threatening message during the flight, the carrier said.

Shenzhen Airlines Flight ZH 9706, which took off from Xiangfan city in Hubei Province for Shenzhen yesterday night, landed safely at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 11:22 PM (local time), the carrier said in an announcement.

The announcement, however, did not elaborate what the message was, which was received at 10:29 PM (local time) when the aircraft was in the air.

No abnormalities were detected on the flight, which departed for New York hours later, the airline said, adding that police are probing the matter.

This is the second similar incident in China's civil aviation industry in a week.

Earlier, an Air China flight from Beijing to New York returned to the Beijing Capital International Airport after receiving a threatening message on Wednesday evening.

From: NDTV

Buffett gives his 3 children $600 mn each on 82nd birthday

Omaha: Warren Buffett is celebrating his 82nd birthday by giving each of his three children a big present: about $600 million worth of his company's stock for their charitable foundations.

Buffett announced the gifts in a letter made public Thursday, saying he is rewarding his children for the way they've run their foundations.

The new contributions, added to previous gifts, mean they'll each receive about $2.1 billion in stock over time. In 2006, Buffett promised to give roughly $1.5 billion of Class B Berkshire Hathaway stock to each of the foundations his children run as part of a plan give the bulk of his fortune to charity.

The biggest share of Buffett's $44.7 billion fortune will go to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Another sizable gift will go to the Susan Thompson Buffett foundation that Buffett created with his first wife. He did not change those pledges on Thursday.

Buffett said he decided to increase the amount his children will receive because of the progress they've made.

"I'm very pleased about how all three of them have handled the contributions in the last six years," Buffett told The Associated Press.

Buffett said he is feeling fine and this decision was not prompted by any concern about his health. Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and CEO has been undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer this summer, but he has said his doctors do not believe the disease is life-threatening.

Each of Buffett's three children all chose a different focus for their foundations, based on their own interests.

Howard Buffett, 57, is helping farmers in impoverished nations produce more to help end world hunger. Susie Buffett, 59, is strengthening early childhood education and looking for ways to reduce teen pregnancy. Peter Buffett, 54, wants to empower women and girls worldwide through education, collaboration and economic development to end violence against women.

"They've done everything I've hoped for and more with the original gifts," Buffett said.

Peter Buffett said it's nice to hear his father praise the charitable work he has been doing. This latest gift should enable him and his wife to accomplish more with their foundation, he said.

"It means we get to go deeper essentially," Peter Buffett said.

Susie Buffett said her dad's latest gift is exciting because she'll able to do more to help improve early childhood education.

"I'm glad we're not getting it until next July because there are a lot of things to think about," Susie Buffett said.

Howard Buffett is traveling in Africa with limited access to phone or email and could not immediately be reached on Thursday.

As part of his giving plan, Warren Buffett has always said that all of his Berkshire stock — which today includes 350,000 Class A shares and 3,770,934 Class B shares — will eventually go to charity.

The pledges to the five foundations that Buffett outlined in 2006 accounted for about 85 percent of his stock. Buffett said that increasing the amount each of his three children will receive now means that about 90 percent of his stock is spoken for.

Buffett has also been making smaller gifts of Berkshire stock to mostly unnamed charitable foundations. He said those would continue.

"As the years go by, I will commit more and more to get to that 100 percent," Buffett said.

In his will, Buffett has specified that any shares he hasn't already pledged to charity at the time of his death will go to his Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. And he has requested that all proceeds from his giving be spent within 10 years after his estate is closed.

Buffett has been giving each of the five foundations 5 percent of his total pledge annually since 2006.

The gradual manner Buffett is giving his stock away makes it more difficult to say how much the gifts are worth because Berkshire's stock price changes. The $2.1 billion estimate is based on current stock prices.

Buffett said he estimates that his kids will wind up with roughly double the amount to give away because the change he made. Each of Buffett's children has been receiving stock worth about $50 million to $65 million for several years. Starting next year, they will receive stock worth roughly $100 million to $125 million.

Buffett said he's still never been tempted to give up his day job and become a full-time philanthropist. Instead, he's trusting others to distribute his wealth.

"They're doing a better job than I could, and I've got plenty to do running Berkshire," he said.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is an Omaha-based conglomerate with more than 80 subsidiaries, including insurance, manufacturing, railroad, utility, furniture and restaurant firms. It also holds major investments in companies such as Wells Fargo & Co., Coca-Cola Co., Washington Post Co. and IBM.

Its holdings also include the Omaha World-Herald newspaper, which first published Buffett's letter outlining the latest gifts to his children's foundation.

US threatens legal action over SEAL's Osama book

Washington: The Pentagon on Thursday threatened legal action against the former Navy SEAL who has written a book recounting his role in the May 2011 raid that killed Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

Just days before the release of the first-hand account of the operation on Pakistani soil, the Pentagon's top lawyer, Jeh Johnson, told the author he had broken his promise to abide by a strict non-disclosure agreement signed before he retired from the military this year.

"In the judgment of the Department of Defence, you are in material breach and violation of the non-disclosure agreements you signed" and the Pentagon is considering "all remedies legally available," Johnson said in a letter to the author, who writes under the pseudonym Mark Owen.The former Navy commando's book "No Easy Day" is due to be released next week but has already sparked a wave of publicity and controversy.

He signed documents during his service and before he retired promising "never to divulge" classified information and to submit any manuscript to the Pentagon before publishing, Johnson said.

The Pentagon's general counsel noted that some copies of the book had appeared on Wednesday - before next week's scheduled release - and warned: "Further dissemination of your book will aggravate your breach and violation of your agreements," it said.

The letter did not indicate whether the book had revealed secrets that could endanger US forces but made clear that simply by failing to clear the manuscript with the military, the Navy SEAL had broken faith with his obligations.

Top military and intelligence officials, who met to discuss the book on Wednesday, have combed through the text in recent days looking for any disclosure of sensitive tactics or techniques but so far have not pointed to any worrisome revelations.

The Navy SEAL team member's version of bin Laden's death at his Abbottabad compound differs from previous accounts offered by President Barack Obama's administration and comes amid a politically-charged debate about the handling of state secrets in the wake of the raid.

The Pentagon made clear that the publisher, Penguin's Dutton, also faced potential legal jeopardy over the book.

"I write to you to formally advise you of your material breach and violation of your agreements, and to inform you that the Department is considering pursuing against you, and all those acting in concert with you, all remedies legally available to us in light of this situation," it said.

The publisher has moved up the scheduled release date from September 11 to September 4, as media coverage has fuelled a flood of orders for the book.

The book provides fresh details about the May 2011 raid, describing how bin Laden was first shot in the head as he peered out of a door and then pumped with bullets as he convulsed on the floor.

Previous official accounts said bin Laden had appeared in a doorway and ducked back into his bedroom, leading the US commandos to suspect he might be retrieving a weapon.

But the author said bin Laden was shot in the head by the SEAL team when he leaned out of the doorway and was found bleeding from his wound when commandos made their way to his room, according to excerpts cited in media reports and confirmed to AFP by defence officials.

The Al Qaeda leader was mortally wounded and twitching on the floor as two women cried over his body. The team pushed aside the women and then fired more shots at him, according to the book.

We "fired several rounds," the author wrote in the book. "The bullets tore into him, slamming his body into the floor until he was motionless."

Fox News has revealed what it says is the identity of the author, a former Navy SEAL who also took part in the 2009 operation that rescued Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates.

Obama administration officials have appeared anxious to avoid having to discuss or defend in detail an operation they deem a major triumph, while suggesting the book did not shed any new light on the raid.

Top 10 stocks to track today

Indian markets are likely to open lower Friday as indicated by Nifty futures on the Singapore index. The Nifty had closed above the key 5,300 mark on Thursday on account of last hour buying. Traders would hope the 50-share Nifty to close above the 5,350 mark today.

"The range will be capped at 5,400 unless we have a decisive breakout. The gap area between 5,220-5,260 is a strong support," independent analyst Sarvendra Srivastava said.

Meanwhile, markets have priced in close to 5 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter ending June 2012. However, analysts have not ruled out a sub-5 per cent print in which case markets may see a selloff. A drastically low GDP may force the Reserve Bank to cut rates though, which may be good news for rate sensitive stocks.

Here are the stocks to track today.

1) Coal India: The company's board will meet today to finalise Fuel Supply Agreements (FSA). The board may agree to higher penalty of up to 40 per cent. In the last meeting, the state-run miner had agreed to coal pool pricing. It had also agreed to contracted quantity of 80 per cent.

2) Indraprastha Gas (IGL): The Supreme Court will continue hearing regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board's case against IGL today. Earlier, the Delhi High Court has ruled in favour of IGL in the company's dispute with PNGRB. In April, the regulator (PNGRB) had ordered IGL to cut network tariff by around 60 per cent retrospectively from April 2008. The total refund on account of the retrospective nature of the order was pegged between Rs. 900-1,200 crore. IGL had argued that the order would wipe out the company's entire net worth of Rs. 1,500 crore.

3) MTNL: The stock plunged 13 per cent yesterday after 4.2 per cent equity changed hands. Macquarie & JM Financial sold 27.7 lakh & 20.2 lakh shares at Rs. 38 per share while Goldman Sachs bought 31 lakh shares at Rs. 35.9 per share in a separate transaction. The state run telco is likely to get a fund infusion of Rs. 5,000 crore from the government according to market buzz.

4) Tech Mahindra: British Telecom's move to cut its stake in the IT services provider is unlikely to adversely affect revenues. Deutsche Bank expects very little risk to Tech Mahindra's existing portfolio. The investment bank expects BT to contribute 15-16 per cent of combined (Tech Mahindra and Mahindra Satyam) entity revenues.

5) Neyveli Lignite: The CCEA has cleared a 5 per cent stake sale in the company. The offer for sale will be done through the auction process after the EGoM approves a floor price. The company has already begun the process of appointing merchant bankers for the sale.

6) MMTC, NLC, Hindustan Copper, NALCO and Oil India: Sources said approvals for divestment in these state-run firms could follow soon.

7) Sterlite Industries, Hindustan Zinc: Vedanta has received shareholders' nod to raise offer for stake in Hindustan Zinc and Balco.

8) JSW Steel: The private steel major will consider restructuring some businesses on September 1. The restructuring plan includes JSW Ispat.

9) Bosch: It will commence Gujarat operations by early 2013.

10) Karnataka Bank: It has received shareholders' nod to raise authorised capital from Rs. 200 crore to Rs. 300 crore.


(With inputs from agencies)

India GDP growth seen at 5.2% for June 2012 quarter

New Delhi: India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to have grown by 5.2 per cent in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 against 5.3 per cent in the previous quarter, according to analyst estimates.

Some analysts expect even weaker growth of 4.9 -5 per cent -- the lowest levels since 2009.

Rohini Malkani of CITI said production numbers will have a bearing on the “value-add” industry numbers for 1QFY13 GDP. “This coupled with sub-par monsoons and the deceleration seen in some service sectors could result in a sub 5 per cent 1Q FY13 GDP print,” she added.

Industrial and investment activity has not gathered pace and the services sector has marginally weakened, according to the estimates.

The political impasse is hindering decision making, and the RBI’s stance of sticking to the current interest rates has led companies to reduce investment.

In June 2012, industrial output shockingly contracted by 1.8 per cent. Capital goods output fell 28 per cent in June from a year earlier. Foreign direct investment is down 67 per cent since the start of the fiscal year in April. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for 76 per cent of total industrial output, shrunk 3.2 per cent year on year.

A steep drop in imports and declining exports led to a narrow trade deficit to a 15-month low of $10.3 billion in June 2012. The deficit stood at $14.42 billion in June 2011. In the June 2012 quarter, the trade deficit fell to $40 billion from $46.3 billion in the year-ago period. Exports in June fell by 5.45 per cent to $25.07 billion in June 2011, imports declined by 13.46 per cent to $35.37 billion.

The impact of a weak monsoon will be felt in the subsequent quarters, according to the estimates.

While expenditure data will continue to reflect poor capital formation, consumption data will be focus to shed light on private consumption.
　
In a lecture at Cornell University , Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Tuesday that the battle against inflation was not over and growth sacrifice was inevitable while reducing price pressure. The central bank is facing scathing criticism for its status quo stance on interest rates.

At the last policy review, Subbarao raised the year-end inflation forecast to 7 per cent from 6.5 per cent on the deficient monsoon and soaring global crude prices, and reduced the GDP forecast to 6.5 per cent from 7.3 per cent.

India is staring at the possibility of a ratings downgrade to ‘junk’ by global rating agencies should its GDP growth come in at sub 5 per cent levels, even as foreign investors remain wary of the investment environment in the country.

In the absence of any policy movement, India remains vulnerable to the global economy.

The US economy performed marginally better than expected in the second quarter, but the rate of growth was weak. Gross domestic product expanded at 1.7 per cent, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday as stronger export growth offset a pull-back in restocking by businesses wary of sluggish domestic demand.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will speak at the Jackson Hole gathering on Friday amid growing hopes for a new asset purchase programme that could push up emerging market currencies at the expense of the dollar.

Hopes for further Fed action rose last week when the central bank released minutes of its July 31-Aug. 1 meeting. It showed that officials spoke with increased urgency about the need to provide more help for the U.S. economy.

The estimates were made by Kotak Securities (5.2 per cent), ICRA (5.1 per cent), Axis Bank (5 per cent), Barclays (5.3 per cent), BofA Merrill Lynch (5.4 per cent), CARE (5.2 per cent), CLSA (5.3 per cent), Credit Suisse (5.8 per cent), Deutsche Bank (5.5 per cent), HDFC (5.3 per cent), HSBC (5.3 per cent), ING Vysya (5.1 per cent), Nomura (5.4 per cent), RBS (5.2 per cent), UBS (5 per cent), and Yes Bank (5.3 per cent).

Naroda case: Quantum of sentence to be pronounced today

Ahmedabad: A special court will pronounce the quantum of punishment for 32 convicts in the 2002 post-Godhra Naroda Patiya riots case today.

BJP MLA and former minister in the Narendra Modi government Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi are among the 32 people convicted by a special court in the Naroda Patiya riots case on Wednesday, in which, 97 people belonging to the minority community were killed.

Special court judge Jyotsana Yagnik convicted them on charges of conspiracy and murder in the case, even as 29 other accused were acquitted.

 Ms Kodnani, a three-time MLA from Naroda area, who was considered to be close to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, is the first woman and first MLA to be convicted in a post-Godhra riots case.

Ms Kodnani and Mr Bajrangi were held guilty under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and the prosecution sought the maximum punishment of death sentence for all the convicts.

During the arguments on the quantum of sentence, lawyers of Ms Kodnani and other convicts had sought leniency from the court.

Among the 2002 riots cases probed by the Special Investigation Team or SIT, in which rulings have come, Naroda is the only case, where convicts (32) outnumber those acquitted (29).

In the Godhra train carnage case, court had convicted 31 and acquitted 63. In Sardarpura case, court had convicted 31 and acquitted 42, while in Dipda Darwaja case 22 had been convicted and 61 acquitted.

From: NDTV

St Stephen's won't let Unmukt Chand take his exams; MS Dhoni tweets support

New Delhi: India's latest cricket sensation 19-year-old Unmukt Chand, denied permission to appear for first year BA examinations by his college St Stephens, has found support in Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"Marks for sports takes back seat attendance for now takes centrestage. This shows how much importance sports has in INDIA. Sad to hear," Dhoni wrote on his Twitter page.
Unmukt too had a say on the issue and talking to NDTV he said,"I think it's really important for the institution to promote sports and those specially who are sports people should be allowed to sit for the exams or should be helped by their teachers and attendance is a very important part because sports people, they have to go for their competitions and everything so that's why they won't be coming to school or colleges regularly. It's really important for the colleges and schools to support these children so that by this way even the children will want to study and they might have a liking for study if the college supports."

He also said that Indian skipper's support was much welcome and that his voice would lend much wanted weight.

The under-19 hero said,"Definitely, Dhoni's support will help because he's a big guy, and obviously an influential guy and if he says that then he definitely means it I also feel that if schools and colleges do support sports people and probably their interests also increase in studying and they'll would also want to study more."

Unmukt, who played a crucial knock of 111 not out in the final against Australia last Sunday to lead India Under-19 team to the World Cup glory, has been barred from taking the second semester exams because of low attendance.

The college demands a minimum of 33.33 per cent of annual attendance under sports quota.

Meanwhile, St. Stephen's Principal Valson Thampu while talking to NDTV has categorically said that rules are rules and they must be abided by.

He said,"Rules have to be applied. This isn't the answer to promote sports culture. It's a question of working within the system."

He also said that the college was more than happy to help candidates like Unmukt Chand.

Thampu said,"The college will be happy to help Unmukt but the fact of the matter is he never brought up this problem before it was too late. All my colleagues are only too happy to help any sports candidate."

Responding to a question on the laws that exist, Thampu was in favour of flexibility but he also said that India must become a law-abiding nation first.

He responded saying,"Laws are not written in stone; must respond to emerging situation. One important aspect of education in India must be abiding by the law; we must become a law abiding nation."
While some of the former alumni, including a breakaway alumni association, slammed the college for failing to look after the interests of sportspersons, the St Stephen's College Alumni Trust jumped to the defence of the Principal.

The Trust said in a statement that Unmukt's attendance was a matter beyond the discretion of the college principal and the matter rested with the Vice Chancellor.

"Unmukt's attendance is beyond the discretion vested in the Principal of the College to condone, and such condonation can only be given by the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University," they said.

However, the body also advised the University and colleges to "revisit" their guidelines to offer better support to sportsperson to enable them pursue competitive sports.

"It is also an opportune time for the University to consider further delegation of powers to College Principals and/or otherwise provide for liberal use of such discretionary powers without compromising minimum educational requirements in exceptional cases," they said.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken too talked to NDTV on the matter and was quite obviously in favour of sportsperson in general and Unmukt in particular.

He said,"On one hand take sportsperson of international repute and then on the other make them choose between sports and studies. Cannot put students of sports who have excelled in sports in same bracket as others. Need separate norms for such sports persons. Will take up matter with both St Stephen's and Delhi University VC."

Responding to Maken's statements, Thampu told NDTV that studies must be given some importance regardless of what field one eventually chooses.

Thampu retorted saying,"We have many examples in the college where outstanding sportspeople have 85% attendance. Spurious culture is emerging where it is believed if you are good in sports, it is OK to neglect to studies. Principals must be give discretionary powers to help such candidates; that doesn't exist at this point in time."

Former Indian cricketer and alumni of St Stephens college Kirti Azad said it was unfair to punish a player who was representing the country.

"When I was representing my country, I used to get special attention for all of that. Unmukt has won the World Cup for us. He is a good young man, he has secured good marks. Penalising him is really unfair on the part of the college," Azad said.

The university mandates that a student should pass 50 per cent of all exams in both semesters combined to be promoted. Support for Unmukt came from Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni who lamented that attendance takes centrestage and sports takes back seat.

"This shows how much importance sports has in India. Sad to hear," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Indian Premier League commissioner, Rajeev Shukla put the ball in Unmukt's court by stating that the BCCI can't interfere in the varsity's rules of attendance.

"It's purely their own decision, their own procedures and they go by that. We can't interfere in that. BCCI can only request the college authorities," Shukla told reporters outside Parliament.
(With PTI Inputs)

Rs 26 cr spent on Kasab so far; execution may take years

Mumbai: While the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence awarded to lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 gunman’s march to the gallows may still take a while. Kasab has the right to appeal before the President in the form of a mercy petition. However, President Pranab Mukherjee already has at least 11 mercy petitions pending with him, including that of Afzal Guru, who was convicted in the Parliament attack case.

Many believe that Kasab’s case should be given priority as Rs. 26 crore of public money has already been spent to arrange for his security, and other necessities.

Securing 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab has so far cost the Maharashtra government more than Rs. 26 crore. The terrorist is imprisoned at central Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail since November 2008.
According to home department official, who did not wish to be named, Rs. 5.25 crore was spent on construction costs towards building bulletproof anda cell (the egg-shaped solitary confinement cell] for him in the jail.

The authorities felt that securing Kasab was crucial to the case because he was the only piece of solid evidence that could confirm the involvement of terrorist groups based in Pakistan in the gruesome attacks.

The biggest amount -- Rs. 19.28 crore – was charged by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that deputed its men to secure Kasab.

The state has asked ITBP to waive the charges but the security agency has not decided on it yet. ITBP continues to safeguard Kasab even now.

As per official records till June 2012, Rs. 38,879 was spent on his Kasab’s food, while his medical treatment and medicine cost more than Rs. 28,264.

The official said that in the past two months the state could have spent another Rs. 2000 on Kasab’s food and medicine.

The Public Works Department reinforced the cell in which Kasab was kept and also constructed a 20-ft-long bomb-and-bullet-proof tunnel on the jail premises to connect Kasab’s cell to the special court where the court trial was held.

The plan came in to force because authorities felt that the terrorist could be vulnerable to a grenade, artillery or chemical attack. PWD also installed CCTV cameras to monitor the place 24/7.

It is believed that Kasab may join the mercy queue to delay his execution. However, the question that arises now is whether Mukherjee will give in to public sentiment and give priority to his plea.

Sudeep Pasbola, criminal lawyer and president of sessions bar association, said the President could consider decide to fast-track the petition if he wanted to. “The President being head of the execution system, can decide on the plea as he feels fit,” he explained.

However, noted criminal advocate IP Bagaria feels that with the petition of so many still pending, a terrorist shouldn’t be given priority. “Everyone should be seen equally and one has to wait for their turn for justice,” Bagaria said.

According to criminal lawyer Wahab Khan, who has represented many accused in terrorist attack cases, even if Kasab’s mercy petition was given priority and a decision was taken, he might not be executed as there were hardly any executors left.

“Also, since Abu Jundal’s trial is pending, it may be years before the execution of the death sentence,” he said.

“The state should not wait for the trial of the others to finish. It is not mandatory and it will serve no purpose. If they wait, there are many accused who are absconding and the process will never end,” a few of them opined.

From: HT

Coal-gate: 8 blocks allotted to Sriprakash Jaiswal's relatives, alleges BJP

New Delhi: In a fresh salvo, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has targeted Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal alleging that eight of his relatives are among the beneficiaries of the 34 coal blocks which were allotted since he took charge of the ministry.

"The statement Jaiswal has given on this matter is not convincing. This issue is not about minority or majority but about propriety," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Mr Jaiswal, however, denied these allegations saying none of his family members are in the trade.

The BJP also stuck to its demand for cancellation of the 142 coal blocks allocated during UPA rule and asked the government to clarify whether any "comparative appraisal" of applicants was done and what was the criteria for making these allotments.

Heaping praise on the media for exposing "more wrongdoings" in coal block allocations, Mr Javadekar alleged the Screening Committee formed by the Centre for making these allotments was only a "facade".

"The coal block allocation process was twisted and manipulated. While the Committee had ten representatives from the Central government, there was only one from the state concerned. It appears that these bunglings were pre-planned and the motive was to make profits not as a nation but as a party," Mr Javadekar said.

He reiterated the BJP demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation and cancellation of coal blocks allotments, alleging the process was "vitiated".

The BJP will launch a three-day nation-wide protest against corruption in UPA government, including in the coal scam, starting from August 31.

"We demand an explanation from the government on how it did comparative appraisal of the 1400 applications for 140 coal blocks. Please provide us details of the comparative appraisal. How and on what basis was this comparative assessment made?" Mr Javadekar said.

He also alleged that allocations were made arbitrarily and there is a lack of clarity in the criteria adopted. "How come 17 coal blocks were allotted in one day without any presentation being made by the applicants?" Mr Javadekar said.

Demanding that the government come clean on the facts of allotments and the criteria, Mr Javadekar said if the UPA dispensation refuses it will have to share the details in future under the Right to Information (RTI).

He also posed some questions to Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, who was the Food Processing Minister in 2008, whether he has any relation with Sudhir Kant Sahay, Director of SKS Ispat and Power Ltd. The minister had allegedly written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting his personal intervention for allocation of two coal blocks to SKS Ispat and Power Ltd.

Mr Javadekar asked if Sudhir Kant Sahay was present at the meeting of the screening committee held on February 7, 2008, where the coal block was allotted to SKS Ispat Ltd.

The BJP leader also alleged since mining has not yet started in these 142 mines, it shows the purpose of the block allocations was just to grab and pocket the coal blocks.

"The allottees wanted to pocket these mines for a secure future. This case has proved that the Prime Minister's growth story is not true. No coal has been dug from these mines nor any power generated or steel or cement made," Mr Javadekar said.

He also criticised the Prime Minister for questioning the CAG who holds a "constitutional post".

From: NDTV

Uttar Pradesh health scam: After being pulled up by court, CBI files new cases

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has has also filed new cases of alleged irregularities and misappropriation in the National Rural Health Mission scam. It has also conducted search operations at four places across Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

The CBI sources said the new cases registered are against unknown employees of Director General of Family Welfare office of Uttar Pradesh and other health officials related to alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines.

They said searches are being conducted in Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Vapi in Gujarat.

On Wednesday, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court had expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation into the multi-crore scam and the murder of two Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in Lucknow.

In one of the cases, the CBI has alleged that officials purchased medicines from a Rajasthan-based company allegedly at exorbitant prices using funds allocated under the National Rural Health Mission.

With the new cases, the CBI has now registered a total of 17 cases in connection with alleged swindling of Central funds worth over Rs. 10,000 crore allocated under NRHM to Uttar Pradesh.

The investigating agency has named former Family Welfare Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and Secretary Pradeep Shukla as accused in several of the cases. However, sources said, their names do not figure in the new cases filed by the agency. 

From: NDTV

Iran's connection to India's Sikhs

Tehran: It could simply be lore now, but if the story Jugal Kishore, the principal of Tehran's new Kendriya Vidyalaya told us is true, Iran's province of Zahedan was named for the Sikh gentlemen, called Zaheds- the pious- by the Shah at the time.

It was called Dozdab before being rechristened. Dozd for bandit, Ab for water. So in Persian it literally meant -a town of bandits by the water. When the Shah visited, he found Sikh gentlemen in white robes, and flowing beards and asked what they were doing among the thieves. And that's how Zahedan got its name.

Zahedan was also the place where Narender Kaur Sahni was born, 74 years ago. Her parents had arrived from the Punjab in their youth, beckoned by the promise of a better life in the transport business. For the Sikhs, Iran is sacred ground, in their "Taqdeer" as the priest in the local Gurudwara says, while addressing the sangat and its special guest, Mrs Gursharan Kaur.  They believe that Guru Nanak crossed through Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq on his way to Mecca, and that's why Sikh populations, dwindling as they may be, go back centuries.

Things were good in her youth, Narender Kaur tells us. "Shah agar khaata tha, khilaata bhi tha" If the Shah ate himself, he made sure we got food on our table as well. When her parents arranged her marriage to Santok Singh Saini, 55 years ago, she could never have imagined considering any place other than Iran home. With runaway inflation, a devaluation of the Iranian Riyal and an Islamic code of conduct in place they've had to adapt to extremely trying circumstances.

Although their religious freedom wasn't curbed by the Islamic Republic, things changed after the revolution. Restrictions on women- their clothes and movement, the difficulty in owning property or getting business licenses meant that several of Tehran's nearly 3500 strong Sikh community began to leave. Today their numbers have fallen to about 50 or 60 families, and they still make up the bulk of the Indian diaspora in Iran.

Narender Kaur's is one of them.

Her husband has a small business, but her three children have long left the country for greener pastures. One is in England, the others in America. They are unlikely to come back. As much as it breaks her heart to leave the only home she has ever known, she and her husband are considering moving to one of them. For women like her the empty nest syndrome takes on an added heaviness in the current social and economic environment.

For younger families, who still have strong business ties here, many have made their peace with the changing situation. Their children go to the school Jugal Kishore runs. He tells us, the Sikh community approached the Indian government after the Islamic revolution in 1979 to help run the school, as the community that had started and paid for its upkeep and resources was beginning to leave. He came here 6 years ago from Punjab, on a posting from Kendriya Vidyalaya, and says he's had no trouble adapting to a country that's looked upon with apprehension at best by the rest of the world.

During this visit to Tehran, as the Prime minister met with representatives of the Indian community, his wife, Mrs Gursharan Kaur gave grants of 2 crore rupees for the upkeep of the school and 20 lakh rupees to the Gurudwara for its running. Beaming children and their parents, weathered old faces like those of Narender Kaur and her husband Santok who've seen it all, were out in all their glory to receive the first Indian leader to visit Iran. The small community, many of whom continue to be Indian citizens continues to looks towards Delhi to safeguard its interests in a country where their own stories are but a reflection of a greater crisis for everyone who calls Iran home.

From: NDTV

Asaram Bapu's helicopter crash lands in Gujarat

Godhra: Spiritual guru Asaram Bapu and four others had a miraculous escape when their helicopter crashed just ahead of landing at a local college today, police officials said.

They sustained minor injuries in the incident, police said.

"The chartered helicopter Asaram Bapu and his followers were travelling in developed a technical snag prior to landing at Godhra Science College and fell from a considerable height," police officials said.

It fell on the ground after losing balance and the impact was so powerful that it lay tilted on the ground, they said.

Asaram Bapu and the pilot had to be taken out after breaking the glass. They were rushed for treatment to a nearby Ashram hospital, officials said.

The guru was scheduled to address a two-day satsang (religious) function organised here, they said.

From: NDTV

MS Dhoni, Unmukt Chand bag top honours at Cricket Awards

Bangalore: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was conferred with the Castrol Cricketer of 2011 for his outstanding contribution to the game and winning the 50-over World Cup last year.

The Indian cricketers in the running for the cricketer of the year included the likes of Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The current India under-19 captain Unmukt Chand has been honoured with Castrol Junior Cricketer of the Year for 2011.

Test Cricketer of the year was bagged by Rahul Dravid for scoring 1,145 runs in 12 Tests with five centuries against his name.

The ODI cricketer of the year was won by Suresh Raina and Batsman of the year was hogged by Sachin Tendulkar. Bowler of the year was conferred on Ravichandran Ashwin for his outstanding bowling performance.

Besides the above categories, the organisers who instituted two new awards this year -- the Castrol Performance Under Pressure Award and the Castrol stand out Performance Under Pressure Award were won by Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli respectively.

Tendulkar and Sehwag were honoured with Special Awards for reaching hundredth ton and scoring a one-day double ton against Sri Lanka respectively.

Former skipper Ajit Wadekar, under whose leadership India won the historical Test series against the West Indies in 1971, was conferred the Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the sport.

Apart from his onfield genius, Wadekar has also been the coach, manager and chairman of the national selection committee. I Initiated in 1997-98, the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence recognizes outstanding performances by Indian cricketers -- past, present and future.

Secret Service agent's gun found in Romney's plane bathroom

Tampa, Florida: A Secret Service agent on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign plane accidentally left a gun in the plane's bathroom.

The gun was discovered in the restroom by a reporter traveling with Romney shortly before he departed the Republican convention in Florida to address the American Legion convention in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said on Wednesday that the "matter will be handled internally."

"We're aware of the incident," Donovan said. "We take the care and custody of our equipment, especially firearms, very seriously."

Romney never appeared to be in any danger as he travelled with a small group of staff, Secret Service agents and journalists.

© Thomson Reuters 2012

Ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik hospitalised

Mumbai: Former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik has been admitted to Jaslok hospital in South Mumbai after he reportedly complained of chest pain.

Mr Patnaik was the Commissioner of Mumbai Police till as recent as last week. He was transferred and promoted to Director General, Security Corporation, after being criticised by some parties for his handling of the August 11 riots in the city. Mr Patnaik was succeeded by Satyapal Singh as the new Police Commissioner.

On August 11, a riot took place at Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Thousands had gathered to protest against the killings of Muslims in ethnic violence in Assam and Myanmar. An armed mob infiltrated the crowd, and went berserk. Two people were killed and more than 40 injured, many of them policeman. Some policewomen were molested.

Mr Patnaik told NDTV earlier this week that though he has been accused of not acting strongly to curb the riot, he is convinced that he did the right thing, and that he accepts that the buck stops with him. He said that if he had not asked the police to show restraint and had they opened fire, 200-300 people could have been killed. The idea, he said, was to prevent the situation from worsening. From the stage, he ordered that any of the protestors at the rally who dispersed peacefully, would not be arrested.

From: NDTV

Assam: Militant violence, not ethnic clashes?

Kokrajhar: 20 minutes from Kokrajhar town through lush green fields and a forest is Pakritol village. Not a recent habitat but a very old settlement with neat rows of houses. We hesitate to enter knowing that people there must be agitated. An Army convoy with red flags overtake us to go into the village and we follow them. A crowd waiting at the bend and a family mourning. But this is not from Monday's violence. We learn that someone keeping unwell has passed away. We are then led to the scene of destruction.

A father sits on the roadside unable to speak. His 16-year-old daughter was hit by a bullet on Monday evening. His world seems to have slipped beneath. Four persons were hit by bullets the same evening.

The villagers narrate the nightmare blow-by-blow but we know that we can't stay here for long. Emotions are running high and a lone media crew can easily become a target for their anger and frustration.

We are shown evidences of Monday evening's attack. Objects meant to torch houses; the attackers spilled some inflammable fluid, probably Mobil, to set fire. They also left behind a pair of sneakers and sandals and while running away they shot at a girl who is now battling for life in a Guwahati hospital.

Though they haven't been able to torch houses, they set some haystacks on fire and then they moved across the village firing several rounds of which we have been able to collect evidence. A villager takes me aside to show a dozen bullet shells. All AK-47 bullets. They claim they collected 3000 of them.

Everybody wanted us visit their home and inspect the bullet marks. In one house the wall next to the bed was shot at. The family then preparing to sleep escaped unhurt.

Every single house in this village was fired at. People fled and that is how the casualty is low. But the bullets were flying and hit domestic animals. Several cows were bleeding. This has been a pattern elsewhere in the state as well. The attackers don't spare even the livestock.

Mutiur Rahman, a young man calmly explains that, "We are not blaming the Bodos, we are accusing the government here." His anger shows and the pitch of his voice rises, "Yes it is definitely work of militants, the weapons used look at how they have fired at... the government here, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), is responsible for this... we want Army rule here... we want security, if we don't get security we will block the railway and let police fire at us or kill us, we are ready to commit suicide."

Not just bullets to kill and mashals to torch the village. They came armed with bows and arrows as well. We found an arrow which came and hit a television screen while people were watching the evening soap.

The Chief Minister had sent six of his senior ministers to tour the area. All India Congress Committee (AICC) had also sent a team. Both admitted that the Bodo autonomous council members who are former militants must be reined in. While rushing out to visit another site, Parvez Hashmi, a Member of Parliament, is in agreement that the Bodo legislators running the autonomous council must own up this time. "If before 2011 they were voters and have voted and elected BTC MLAs then they are residents of this place and after 2011 whatever people have entered this place we will decide their fate accordingly."

There is enough evidence with the government now that the violence continuing for the last five weeks was also militant violence and not just ethnic violence. It is political violence propped up and backed by militant bodies. The chief minister is fast running out of options but the first step could be to start disarming the population using guns to prove their point. 

From: NDTV

Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit opens today

Tehran: Amidst Western efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear programme, the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement will open in Tehran on Thursday with issues like Syrian crisis and Palestine statehood set to dominate the agenda.

The Summit of the 120-nations grouping will open with Iran assuming the Chair from Egypt for the next three years.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is leading the Indian delegation to the two-day Summit which is being attended by over 30 Heads of State/Governments.

While the US has asked countries not to attend the NAM Summit due to its venue, Iran is projecting the presence of world's leaders as a big diplomatic win.

Asked about crucial issues, including Syria on which the members have differing views, government sources said: "We don't expect any fireworks on Syria... the attempt is to have a successful outcome of the Summit."

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon also arrived in Tehran as an invited observer to the summit. The United States and Israel have criticised his presence in Iran.

Leaders already reported to have arrived in Tehran include Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment.

Also, the US and its allies have imposed severe sanctions on Tehran hoping to force it to a negotiating table.

From: NDTV

Naroda Patiya riots case: Former BJP minister Maya Kodnani among 32 convicted

Ahmedabad: Ten years after a mob killed 95 people in Naroda Patiya, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad during the 2002 riots, a special court today convicted 32 people, including former BJP minister Mayaben Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, for the carnage. The special court in Ahmedabad also acquitted 29 people. The quantum of sentence will be announced on Friday.

Ms Kodnani and Mr Bajrangi have been held guilty of murder under Section 302, and of criminal conspiracy under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The maximum sentence under these sections is the death penalty. This is the first time that a former minister has been convicted in a Gujarat riots case.

"It's a great verdict, we would have liked many more convicted but let's hope that truth and justice will finally prevail," said one of the victims.

 Public prosecutor Akhil Desai said the charge of criminal conspiracy has been proved and no leniency should be shown to the guilty. Mr Desai told reporters that the guilty were charged for rioting, murder, arson and attack on a religious structure, adding that he would argue for "imprisonment for life" for the guilty.

Welcoming the verdict, Law Minister Salman Khurshid today said the judgement enhances faith of the people in the legal system. "Every time this kind of inhuman act is made accountable, people who are responsible should feel a sense of reprimand. Those who wait for justice want to hear that the scales of justice have finally shown that rule of law prevails in the country," Mr Khurshid  told reporters in New Delhi.

"It has been proved now that BJP's minister and officials were involved in the Gujarat riots. Everything that happened was at the behest of Narendra Modi," said Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.

The conviction of Ms Kodnani, believed to be close to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, has left the state's BJP government on the defensive, just months ahead of assembly elections.  "An MLA is not a state government functionary as you are trying to say. Maya was not a minister when this incident took place. We don't have the judgement before us, so won't be able to say anything. She is a party functionary. The moment she was summoned for interrogations, she ceased to be a minister. And at the time it took place, she was not a minister," said Gujarat Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas.

A practising doctor, Ms Kodnani was the Minister for Women and Child Development in the Narendra Modi-government between 2007 and 2009 when she was arrested by  the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

On February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning incident, a rioting mob had attacked Naroda Patiya with guns, bombs and machettes, killing 95 Muslims. The incident took place during a bandh call given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

The case was first investigated by the Gujarat Police, but in 2009, the Supreme Court appointed a SIT to probe ten cases, including the Naroda Patiya incident. The SIT registered cases against many of the accused, including the then Minister of Women and Child Development Mayaben Kodnani. Witnesses in Naroda Patiya have made statements alleging that Ms Kodnani had incited mobs.  Babu Bajrangi, the Bajrang Dal leader, was accused of leading the mob that attacked the Naroda Patiya victims.

As many as 327 witnesses were examined by the court. Of the 64 people accused in the case, three died during trial. The remaining 61 accused were tried for murder, arson and rioting. Most of them were out on bail.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Narendra Modi rules out apology for 2002 Gujarat riots

Washington: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has refused to apologise for the 2002 riots in the state.

"One only has to ask for forgiveness if one is guilty of a crime. If you think it's such a big crime, why should the culprit be forgiven?

"Just because Modi is a chief minister, why should he be forgiven. I think Modi should get the biggest punishment possible if he is guilty. And the world should know that there isn't any tolerance for such political leaders," he told The Wall Street Journal.

Mr Modi parried a question whether he sees himself as a future prime minister, saying he was concentrating on Gujarat.

"I can't think beyond that," he said.

The paper also said that the Gujarat Chief Minister attributed malnutrition problems in his state partly to Gujaratis being largely vegetarian and partly to body, image issues among young women.

"The middle class is more beauty conscious than health conscious - that is a challenge," he said.

"If a mother tells her daughter to have milk, they'll have a fight- she'll tell her mother 'I won't drink milk. I'll get fat," Mr Modi added.

From: NDTV

Samsung unveils new Series 5, 7 touchscreen PCs

Samsung has started this year's consumer electronics fair IFA in style, launching three new All-in-One (AiO) PCs that feature innovative touch-screen technology. The AiO PCs feature touch screens with resolutions of 1920 x 1800 and are designed to run Windows 8. The AiOs also responded to what Samsung call, "hand gesture recognition features," meaning that users can "swipe" the screen without touching it from a distance of up to 90cm away.

The Series 5 boasts a 21.5 inch screen while the Series 7 clocks in at 23 and 27 inches respectively. The larger Series 7, designed for use in the family room, boasts Intel Core i5, 6GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 memory, a 1TB hard-disk drive and an Intel HD Graphics 4000 processor.

All three versions include DVD +/-RW Super Multi Dual Layer optical drives, HD audio, 1.3-megapixel cameras for the hand-gesture-recognition features, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and USB 2.0 and 3.0 slots, and wireless keyboards and mice.

The  new devices are slated to arrive in stores on October 26 -- the Series 5 starting at $749 and the Series 7 ranging from $1,099 to $1,699. 

From: AFP

Naroda Patiya riot: Death penalty sought for convicts

BJP MLA and former minister in the Narendra Modi government Maya Kodnani and a Bajrang Dal leader were among 32 people convicted by a special court today in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case in which 97 people belonging to the minority community were killed.

Additional principal judge

Jyotsna Yagnik held Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi guilty under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of IPC in the post-Godhra riots case, while acquitting 29 others.
The quantum of sentence is likely to be announced on August 31. The prosecution has demanded death sentence for all the accused convicted in the Naroda Patiya case.
The massacre had taken place a day after the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002.
On February 28, 2002 when a bandh call was given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a large crowd gathered in the Naroda Patiya area and attacked people belonging to minority community that resulted in the death of 97 people while 33 others were injured in the violence.
The trial began in August 2009 and charges were framed against 62 accused, one of the accused, Vijay Shetty, died during the course of trial.
As many as 327 witnesses, comprising eye witnesses, victims, doctors, police personnel, government officials, forensic experts and journalists including Ashish Khetan, who conducted a TV sting operation on the accused, have been examined by the court.
Initially, 46 people were arrested by the Gujarat Police, whereas 24 more people were apprehended after the probe was handed over to the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2008. In all, 70 people were arrested in the case.
Six persons died before the charges could be framed and trial started, while two others identified as Mohan Nepali and Tejas Pathak jumped bail and are still absconding.
Kodnani was arrested by the SIT when she was a minister of state for women and child development in Modi government in March 2009. She was an MLA at the time of the incident.
The Naroda Patiya case was probed by eight investigating officers over the last decade with the latest being Himanshu Shukla on behalf of the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The Naroda Patiya case was one of the nine cases of Gujarat riots being probed by the SIT, including the Godhra train burning case.

Naroda Patiya resident Naimuddin Ibrahim Sheikh lost his mother and a sister among other members of the family in the riots.

The other cases probed by SIT where judgements have been pronounced include the case in Ode village of Anand where 18 persons were sentenced to life imprisonment and five others to seven years in prison by a special court last month, for the killing of 23 persons on March 1, 2002.
Last year, a special court had awarded death sentence to 11 and life imprisonment to 20 others in the Godhra train burning case where 59 persons were burnt alive in S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express train near Godhra railway station.
Also, 31 persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by another designated court of Mehsana district in connection with Sardarpura riot case where 33 persons were killed during post-Godhra riots.
On July 30, 21 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in another case of Dipda Darwaja area of Mehsana, where 11 persons were killed during 2002 riots.

2002 Gujarat riots: Verdict in Naroda Patiya case likely today

Ahmedabad: Almost a decade after 95 people were killed in one of the worst 2002 Gujarat riots cases, a special court in Ahmedabad is expected to deliver its verdict today in the Naroda Patiya case against the 61 accused, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani and former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi.

On February 28, 2002 during the bandh call given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a rioting mob had attacked Naroda Patiya, killing 95 Muslims.

"What was the fault of people of Naroda Patiya? What wrong had small children done that they were killed mercilessly?" questions Shakeela Bano, a Naroda Patiya riot victim, who is still haunted by images of her children being brutally murdered.

With communal riots were fast spreading across Gujarat, a day after a coach of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire, Shakeela, her husband, her mother, two children and others were praying the mayhem would not reach Naroda Patiya in Ahmedabad.

Then, during the VHP sponsored bandh, a murderous mob attacked the area. For almost the entire day they tried escaping the mob's fury, pleading for mercy. But they weren't spared; eight members of her family were killed.

"We only want those who have committed this heinous act should be punished. Imagine how innocent people were killed mercilessly. What was their fault? Punish those who were responsible for Godhra, be it Muslims or Hindus," said Shakeela.

95 innocent lives were lost in the carnage. Many were burnt alive.

Shopkeeper Nazeer Mohammad was lucky, but he is still trying to piece his life together. His family managed to escape the rioters, but their home, business and all their savings were gone in the anarchy that followed.

"They first took away whatever they could lay their hands on. My wife used to sell bangles from home... that was also looted... all valuables were taken away before they set the house afire," recalls Nazeer.

The case was first investigated by the Gujarat Police, but in 2009, the Supreme Court appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe ten cases including this incident.

The SIT registered cases against many accused including the then minister Mayaben Kodnani and arrested her. This was the first time a minister was arrested in a riot case. The Naroda Patiya victims had given statements stating that Ms Kodnani had incited mobs.

Of the 64 people accused, three died during trial. The remaining 61 accused were tried for murder, arson and rioting - most of them are out on bail.

Now, 10 years on, it's judgement day. And the victims of Naroda Patiya are hoping, justice will bring some closure.

From: NDTV

Delhi rains: Roads to avoid

New Delhi: The Delhi Traffic Police has been updating their Facebook and Twitter page with latest traffic snarls due to rain in the city.

According to them, these are the roads to avoid

• Due to heavy water logging under railway bridge Pul Pahladpur at Badarpur border, traffic has been diverted from Lal kuan to Maa Anand Mayee Marg on MB road. Motorist can take Suraj kund road and Karni singh shooting range also.
• Traffic movement is slow at Wazirpur industrial area, central market, Ashok vihar due to pot holes.
• Traffic movement is slow at D.C office Mehrauli- Badarpur road and Saidulabad village due to water logging.
• Traffic movement is slow from Ashram Chowk to Hari Nagar, CRRI to Ashram,Pul Pahladpur, D.C office M.B. road, IIT crossing to Adhchini, Yusuf Sarai market, outer ring road under Munirka flyover due to water logging. 
  
• Traffic is badly affected due to wide & deep potholes under Apollo & Sarita Vihar metro station on Mathura road & its service road in the carriageway going from Badarpur to Ashram.
• Traffic movement is slow at Andrews Ganj ring road, under Lodhi flyover Lala Lajpat Rai marg, Mahipalpur chowk, Rao Tula Ram marg in front of Shani Mandir due to water logging.

Death sentence for Ajmal Kasab? Supreme Court to decide today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab's plea against his death sentence today. Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, had pleaded the Supreme Court to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment on February 14.

A trial court had sentenced the 25-year-old to death on May 6, 2010, an order which was later upheld by the Bombay High Court on October 10 last year.

Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who had been appointed amicus curiae by the Supreme Court to defend Kasab, had told the bench that he was not a part of the larger conspiracy for waging war against the nation. However, on behalf of the Maharashtra government, Gopal Subramanium had argued that Kasab should be hanged as he was a part of a conspiracy to wage war against India.

Even as Kasab's trial continues in the Supreme Court, the cost of keeping him alive is a huge burden on the state exchequer. While the Government has spent over Rs. 5 crores on his high security cell at Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, his security entrusted to the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has cost the state over Rs. 19 crores.

166 people were killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks when 10 Pakistani terrorists sailed from Karachi to Mumbai 11 to show India a side of terror it had never dreamt possible. While Kasab was captured, all the other terrorists who had sailed with him and attacked Mumbai were killed during counter-terror operations. 

From: NDTV

NAM summit: Iran will try to prove it's a global power

Tehran: In the biggest public relations initiative undertaken in the 33-year-old history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the country hopes to shed its status of international pariah, as it gets set to host the 16th summit of the 120 member Non Aligned Movement.

Over 30 heads of state are expected in Tehran between the 29th and 31st of August. Driving from the Imam Khomeini airport to the city, it is clear the Ahmadinejad government has spared no effort to welcome the leaders, nor in the message it is sending out to the West by hosting this summit. Massive hoardings along the highway welcome NAM leaders to the homeland of culture, as one puts it. Others talk about the need to avoid being enslaved, sending out messages of lasting peace through joint global governance. But one screams out at America: "nuclear energy is an undeniable right for Iran."

At the entrance to the convention hall where the summit will take place, it is hard to miss the wreckage of three cars, driven by Iranian nuclear scientists who were either killed or hurt in Bomb attacks. Tehran has insisted they were attacked by Israeli intelligence agents.

Both Israel and the United States have expressed their displeasure over the willingness of NAM leaders to attend the summit in Tehran and hand over the presidency of NAM for the next three years to it.

Sanctions against Iran and their impact

As the West is increasingly convinced Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons rather than nuclear energy, the country's foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi opened the meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday with a plea to Non Aligned nations to oppose US-backed sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme. With currency devaluation and runaway inflation, the exchange rate on the black market today is about 21,00,000 riyal to a 100 US dollars. With food prices going up by the day, and growing youth unemployment, the sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy, hitting the ordinary middle classes the worst. As recently as July, the European Union's ban on Iranian oil imports came into full effect, denying the country a market that was buying 18 per cent of its oil annually.

Given the squeeze from the West, Tehran is hoping to counter the damage of sanctions by wooing energy hungry countries like India and China. While India's oil imports from Iran have fallen since the EU sanctions in July, they are still high enough to give the Iranian government a revenue cushion as the crisis plays out.

Iran is also hoping India will commit to investing nearly 100 million dollars in the Chahbahar port, that could help Delhi bypass Pakistan completely as a transit route for trade with key markets in Afghanistan. For India, trying to get Iran to move on this project going for nearly a decade, Ahmedinajad's sudden willingness to push it forward means a diplomatic tightrope walk and the need to balance its own energy requirements and national interests in the face of concerns from America. As it courts Washington's ire over the NAM summit, Delhi is hoping to bring Afghan president Hamid Karzai on board for a trilateral agreement, in order to take the agreement forward.

Iran's public relations exercise

With the opportunity to host a summit as large as this one, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will use the event to prove Iran's legitimacy as a global power as America tries to isolate it on the world stage.

The event is so big, it has warranted a call for a three day government and school holiday. But if the sheer presence of these leaders is a PR victory for the Iranian president, he'll have to tread carefully on several other fronts - most notably the concerns over the denial of higher education to women who have been banned from pursuing 77 courses at the graduate level in the country in the coming year. These include engineering, accounting, and chemistry among others.

Freedom of the press is another obstacle that Ahmadinejad will have to cross, especially as international media gathers in Tehran to cover the proceedings of the summit and the state of the country freely. Social networking sites are banned, as they have been since the beginning. A large media presence is being restricted from filming in public areas, even personal photography is restricted, although to a lesser extent.

Syria

The summit officially kicks off on August 30th, with several bilateral meetings scheduled for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with the Iranian leadership, Pakistan President Asif Zardari, and possibly Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi, whose presence will be perhaps the most closely watched as an estranged Egypt reaches out to Iran to use its influence with Syria's Alwaite president Bash'ar Assad to find a way to end the conflict. While India sees an opportunity in Iran's proximity to Assad's regime to do so, there is likely to be some tension over whether to include specifics of a resolution on Syria in the final declaration of the NAM document.

Everyone's eye is on Iran, this time perhaps, for the right reasons. It is now up to the Iranian leadership to grasp the opportunity, and prove that it not only has the legitimacy of being of one of the grandest cultures of the world but that it also has a willingness to move forward on resolving conflicts that have plagued its relationship with the international community, for decades.  

From: NDTV

No Khel Ratna for Rahul Dravid: Is it a problem of backlogs?

New Delhi: Twenty Seven athletes across various sporting disciplines will be given the National sports awards on Thursday. While the number of awardees has gone-up this year, there are some who've been in the queue for long, and have missed out again. The question then is, are the parameters for these prestigious awards good enough? And how do you deal with the problem of backlogs?

Not just one of the finest Indian batsmen, but Rahul Dravid is one of the best players to have ever played the game of cricket. But 'The Wall' who protected India on the cricket pitch for 15 long years, has still not been awarded the country's highest sporting honour - the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.

Dravid finished as the highest run scorer in Tests for the year 2011, add to that his retirement from the sport early this year and many believe this was the perfect time to give the wall the honour he so richly deserves.

Instead, it's being given to Olympic medalists, shooter Vijay Kumar and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt.

"There is some lack of communication. Rahul Dravid doesn't need to prove his credentials by having that particular award, he is the greatest we've known," former India cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi said.

The BCCI has now recommended Dravid's name for the Padma Bhushan. Interestingly, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the chairperson of the Khel Ratna committee, himself got the award in 2005, a year after his Olympic silver in Athens. Surely then, Vijay and Yogeshwar could've waited as well?

"This time there was great deal of emphasis on Olympic sport. It is unfortunate, yes he (Dravid) deserves each and every award that any sportsman can get in this country," said Randhir Singh, General Secretary of Indian Olympic Association.

And then there are those who have given up after waiting for so long. Like 13-time Grand Slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi.

Or even Boniface Prabhu, the face of wheelchair tennis in India, who has won more than 15 international titles, including one Grand Slam title. "Awards are being given to two disabled athletes but I have been ignored again," Boniface Prabhu said.

While it's great that 25 athletes are getting the Arjuna this time instead of 15, and 2 are getting Khel Ratna instead of 1, the bigger problem is, how to deal with the problem of backlogs. The idea one gets is of the federations not pushing enough. It is then upto the athlete, to use all kinds of sources to get the job done, like squash player Dipika Pallikal had to do this time around, to assure herself of an Arjuna Award.

From: NDTV