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India raises ceasefire violations, Kabul attack at NSA talks
New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) India today conveyed its concern to Pakistan over the recent spurt in border ceasefire violations and the attack on its embassy in Kabul for which ISI has been blamed.
The concerns were voiced during the talks between National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and his Pakistani counterpart Mahmud Ali Durrani here.
During the meeting, the Indian side is understood to have emphasised that such incidents do not augur well for the ongoing peace process and composite dialogue.
The two sides are believed to have looked at ways by which ceasefire violations could be ended.
Ahead of the talks, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said all issues that concern India would be discussed.
"We will discuss all the issues that concern us. Naturally, that includes what happened in Kabul, that includes the situation in terms of maintaining the ceasefire. We will do that," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function.
India has been perturbed by increasing incidents of cross-LoC firing by Pakistani army, many a times to provide cover to infiltrating militants.
New Delhi has also been angry at the suicide attack on its embassy in Kabul on July 7, for which Afghanistan, India and the US have blamed Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised this issue with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani in Colombo on the sidelines of SAARC in August. Gilani had promised to hold an internal inquiry to ascertain whether or not ISI was involved.
These incidents had forced India to say that the dialogue process was under "strain" and warn that its future could be in difficulty if such acts continued. PTI
Amar Singh says he never called the Delhi encounter "fake"
New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) After sparking a furore by demanding a judicial inquiry into the killing of militants in Delhi's Batla House, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today said he had never called the encounter "fake" but felt that the issue of insecurity among minorities should be addressed.
"I am not saying Batla Nagar encounter was fake and the martyrdom of the police officer was fake but I feel minorities are feeling insecure," Singh, whose inclusion in the National Integration Council by the UPA government drew flak from BJP, said on the sidelines of the NIC meet.
Minorities were feeling a sense of insecurity in Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country, he told reporters.
Asked about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's criticism over non-inclusion of "terrorism" on the agenda for the NIC meet, Singh said "extremism was included in the agenda. I am not bothered about articulation. I am bothered about hard facts and apprehension in the mind of minorities need to be addressed." When asked to comment on Modi's charge that the UPA government was indulging in vote-bank politics, Singh said "Modi has polarised Gujarat for winning elections there.
"Politics of hatred and contempt against one community is not good," the SP general secretary said. On the series of bomb blasts that rocked the country, Singh said "this is the failure of the intelligence." Asked about National Security Adviser M K Narayanan's remark on Bajrang Dal and SIMI, Singh said "Narayanan is an officer and not a public figure." "He does not have to face the public. That is why he has said these things. I have regard for Narayanan," he said.
Narayanan has suggested a ban on Bajrang Dal may not be sustainable and refused to term the Sangh Parivar outfit and SIMI as two sides of the same coin. PTI
India hold nerves to draw the first Test against Australia
Sutram Suresh
Bangalore, Oct 13 (PTI) India overcame some anxious moments early in the innings but their famed batsmen survived long enough on a tricky fifth day track to ensure that the first cricket Test against Australia ended in a draw here today.
Set an improbable victory target of 299, the Indians were in doldrums at 24 for two at one stage but recovered to reach 177 for four before play was called off with 10 overs still remaining to be bowled.
After four days of ding-dong battle, the weather played spoil sport to some extent on the final day though the match seemed headed for a draw as the Australians still had a difficult task of wrapping up six wickets in the last 25 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
The last session turned out to be a little farcical as bad light forced two interruptions which robbed the visitors of valuable time to push for victory.
Sachin Tendulkar (49) played a big part to keep the the opposition at bay on a dual-paced Chinnaswamy track which made batting difficult but not impossible.
Tendulkar, who seemed to be in good touch, held the innings together with his gritty knock after the early loss of Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5) but a momentary loss of concentration meant that he would have to wait for another day to break Brian Lara's record of the highest Test aggregate. PTI
Scot athlete wants to emulate parents in Pune
Tapan Mohanta
Pune, Oct 13 (PTI) For Scottish 800m runner Lynsey Sharp, the Commonwealth Youth Games means a lot -- not just for her national pride but to take the legacy of her parents forward.
Born to sprinter Cameron and 800m runner Carol, Lynsey has athletics in her genes but it was not so easy as it seems. A road accident way back in 1991 had paralysed her father, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
With doctors giving up all hopes, Cameron, with determination and grit, came up against all odds even though he remained confined to a wheelchair. Lynsey, by the way, was not born then. Having seen and been inspired by her parents, Lynsey chose athletics, though she studies law as well.
Now the 18-year-old wants to win a medal not only for Scotland but for parents, who had represented the country in the Commonwealth Games over a two decades ago.
"I know it has been tough for me and my parents. But I've no complains. I feel lucky to have inherited it. I have inherited the speed from my dad and the endurance from my mom," she told PTI.
A success in Pune will be a tribute to her parents, feels Lynsey.
"I am glad to be here for the CYG as I want to win a medal for my parents. The Youth Games mean a lot since it's the stepping stone for the big events like Commonwealth Games in 2010." PTI
HOA to take legal action if IOA does not grant it affiliation
Chandigarh, Oct 13 (PTI) Haryana Olympic Association led by P V Rathee today said it would take legal actions against the Indian Olympic Association if they don't recognise and grant affiliation to the "genuine" HOA immediately.
Rathee said that the body's "former head" Abhey Singh Chautala was trying to create a wrong impression that he was still at the helm of affairs.
"Abhey Chautala is trying to create this wrong impression that he is still HOA chief which is not true. Though we have been assured by IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi that affiliation to our body is just a matter of time, we are giving them two months time from now to complete the process, failing which we will take legal action against them," Rathee said addressing a press meet here.
Rathee said that on October 8, a Court in Panchkula had restrained Abhey Singh Chautala and MS Malik from acting as office bearers of the Haryana Olympic Association and also barred them from taking part in the elections to the Governing Body of the IOA held in Pune on October 10.
Asked as how Chautala was still elected as Vice President of the IOA at the Pune meeting, Rathee said that he had managed to do so by virtue of his being the chief of Indian Boxing Federation.
Rathee led HOA is recognised by the present Congress government in Haryana while opposition INLD leader Chautala claims they are the real HOA as they have got IOA's recognition and in this political tussle the players seem to be the suffer.
However, Rathee, who took over as HOA chief three weeks back assured that the players interest would be protected. PTI
Pak National Assembly session deferred until tomorrow
Islamabad, Oct 13 (PTI) The crucial session of Pakistan's National Assembly to formulate a new national anti-terror policy was today deferred until tomorrow following the death of a PML-Q member.
The National Assembly member from Jackobabad, Nasrullah Khan Bijarani, died today following a cardiac arrest.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman was supposed to brief the lawmakers today on the government's anti-terror policy with the country witnessing frequent attacks.
Speaker of National Assembly Fehmida Mirza consulted leaders of political parties and decided to defer the session until tomorrow morning as a mark of respect to the leader.
The joint session of the National Assembly and Senate began on Wednesday last with an in-camera briefing by Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the Director General-designate of the Inter-Services Intelligence, on the operations against the Taliban and the overall security scenario. This was followed by a question-and-answer session by top security officials.
However, the main opposition PML-N and other parties have expressed their dissatisfaction with the briefing, saying the government had not provided any details about its policy for the war on terror.
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has called for former President Pervez Musharraf to be summoned to parliament to give details of agreements he had forged with the US for the anti-terror campaign.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, which is part of the ruling Pakistan People's Party-led coalition, has even called for halting the military operations against the Taliban. PTI
Terror attacks in Pak handiwork of insiders: Govt
Islamabad, Oct 12 (PTI) Rattled by a wave of suicide bombings, Pakistan government has said that such attacks were perpetrated by people from within the country and not by Indians or Americans, a rare candid statement from authorities here.
Those carrying out terrorist attacks in Pakistan are neither Indians nor Americans, Interior Ministry chief Advisor Rehman Malik told a seminar organised in Lahore yesterday by a society affiliated to the influential 'Jang Group of Newspapers'.
"Rather, they are our own brethren while those who were urging them to do so were also our own people," Malik was quoted as saying by newspapers. The war on terror would continue "till the last terrorist was eliminated" as it was a war for the survival of the country, he said.
"Our own people are involved in terrorism. However, the arms and rocket launchers seized in tribal areas are coming from across the border (with Afghanistan)," Malik said in an obvious reference to the missile attacks by the US-led forces coalition forces.
Authorities had arrested at least 14 would-be suicide bombers due to effective and improved security measures. Out of 10,000 foreigners who came to Pakistan after the end of the Afghan war against the Soviet Union, 3,000 had married local women in the tribal areas and were "now living as sons-in-law of the tribal people", he said. PTI
Markets surge, Sensex regains 11K level
Mumbai, Oct 13 (PTI) Stock markets today opened on a strong note, never looked back in the day and at close the benchmark Sensex was up by an impressive over 780 rpt 780 points and had regained the 11,000 level, leaving behind losses suffered last week, the toughest ever for the bourses.
Asian and European markets also snapped their losing spree with key indices in the regions gaining nearly in the range of 5-10 per cent.
The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share Sensex settled the day higher by 781.24 rpt 781.24 points, or 7.42 rpt 7.42 per cent, at 11,309.09 rpt 11,309.09 points.
Similarly, National Stock Exchange's index also gained 210.75 points, or 6.43 per cent, at 3,490.70 and most of the index participants traded higher.
Marketmen credited the surge to Finance Minister P Chidambaram's statement that more measures are expected to be announced to improve liquidity in the system. They said announcements by G-20 nations of plans to tide over the crisis also helped boost investor sentiment.
With governments worldwide assuring of steps to address the liquidity concerns, banking index surged the most at 12.51 per cent at 5985.16 points.
ICICI Bank spurted 25 per cent at Rs 453.05 during intra-day before ending the day little lower at Rs 424.95. Its shares were battered in the recent past on rumours that cast doubts over its financial strengths. PTI
Global financial crisis may hit FDI inflows: Kamal Nath
New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Downplaying the impact of the global meltdown, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today exuded confidence that exports would continue to grow by 30 per cent even this month, though the financial crisis may slow down FDI inflows.
"Because of the liquidity crunch globally, some investments in the future may be affected," he told reporters here.
He was, however, quick to add that the effect would be minimal and "at least for this year we will achieve our (FDI) target." During the current year he estimated that FDI inflows would surpass the target of USD 35 billion.
Nath said exports continue to be robust, witnessing a 30 per cent growth. "Exports have gone up by 30 per cent and even this month I feel the exports will go up by that much," he said.
The minister said rupee was depreciating against the dollar due to continuous outflow of the currency. "I do not think it is permanent." Rupee is trading closer to 49 mark now against the US dollar.
Echoing Finance Minister P Chidambaram's views, Nath said the government does not believe in calibrating the rupee.
"In India, we do not calibrate rupee... The government should not intervene unless there are extraordinary and unnatural situations arising," he said.
On the downslide in stock markets, he said external reasons were responsible for the slide. "Our stock markets are going down because of external reasons...Their (the US and EU) liquidity crunch is causing problems in our stock markets." "The most liquid assets are on the Indian stock markets," Nath said, adding that this speaks well of the Indian stock market. PTI
Michelle Yoeh wants to work with Shah Rukh
Bedika
New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Actress Michelle Yoeh, best known for acting in multiple-Oscar winning film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and Bond film 'Die Another Day,' loves to deliver punches on screen but her ultimate desire is to pair with India's romantic idol King Khan.
Yoeh, whose science-thriller 'Babylon A D' released in Indian theatres recently is also hoping that the film would be liked in India.
"I know Shah Rukh Khan is quite famous in India and I would love to star opposite him. But unfortunately no calls yet. But, yes I wish I could get to work with him as a lead actress, be it a Hollywood or Indian film," says Yoeh.
This Asian actress is a Bollywood fan too.
"I am an Asian and I like Indian films a lot. Have seen a couple of them in subtitles," Yoeh told PTI in an email interview.
Michelle Yoeh stars opposite Vin Diesel in 'Babylon A D,' which is set against the backdrop of not-too-distant future where much of the planet is in a war zone left by nuclear meltdowns.
In the film, Diesel is playing the character of an mercenary, who is assigned to smuggle a young woman Aurora (Melanie Thierry) from a convent in Kazakhstan to New York City with Sister Rebeka (Michell Yoeh) as Aurora's guardian.
"Kassovitz wanted a nun who could fight, so I was roped to play a feisty French nun, someone who could stand up to Vin, physically and mentally," Yoeh describes her character in the film. PTI
Film projects worth Rs 100 cr riding on Big B
Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) Film projects worth at least Rs 100 crore are riding on megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who was admitted to a hospital here after he complained of severe abdominal pain.
Bachchan, who was admitted to Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra yesterday on his 66th birthday, would be under observation for another 48-72 hours.
Megastar's son Abhishek had yesterday said that his father was responding well to medication.
Bollywood was stunned to hear of Bachchan's sudden illness, who was shooting for Leena Yadav's 'Teen Patti', a Rs 25-25 crore film, at different locations in Mumbai till Friday.
Bachchan has completed shooting for Sujoy Ghosh's 'Aladdin', a Rs 35 crore film starring Ritiesh Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt in which he plays the role of a genie.
The actor was also shooting recently for Sujit Sarkar's 'Shoebite', which has a budget of Rs 20 crore.
Besides, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Chenab Gandhi' and Chandraprakash Dwivedi's 'Kunal' were to go on floors soon.
Trade sources said Bachchan's illness would affect shooting schedules of these films.
Trade analyst Amod Mehra said that more than a monetary loss, Bachchan's illness is a major setback to the industry as "he is an institute.... A living legend".
The industry prays for his speedy recovery, he said. PTI
Big B is 66 years young!
Mumbai, Oct 11 (PTI) The legendary thespian of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, whose deep baritone is synonymous with his success and fame, turned 66 today.
The Shahenshah of Bollywood, who continues to dominate the Hindi film industry even in his sixties, took a break from shooting to spend the day here with his grandchildren who have come over from Delhi for their Dussehra-Diwali vacation.
After completing work in 'Alladin' and 'Shoebite', Big B, as Bachchan is popularly called, is currently shooting for 'Teen Patti', a flick directed by Leena Yadav.
Eager to catch a glimpse of their matinee idol, hordes of fans from all over the country stationed themselves outside his bungalow 'Jalsa' in suburban Mumbai while the television media was also present in the area for sound bite and stories.
Over the years on his birthday, the Bollywood legend has been coming out of his house to greet the fans. This year has been an eventful one for the Big B. He had releases like 'Sarkar Raj', 'God Tussi Great Ho', 'Bhootnath' and 'The Last Lear'.
Besides, 'The Unforgettable Tour' was his biggest world concert in several years in which he was accompanied by his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya. The tour, spanning over a month, covered the US and Europe.
But, the highlight was that the Big B turned blogger. His blog has been the most visited and read with keen interest by the media and fans.
Controversies and criticism had their fair share in Bachchan's life. He was accused of illegally acquiring agro land in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, by claiming to be a farmer. He, however, later got a clean chit from the Allahabad High Court. Bachchan was also embroiled in another land row in Maharashtra. PTI
A first for auctions in India: Gemstones go under hammer
Annie Samson
New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) After paintings, sculptures and installations it is now the turn of gemstone sculptures to go the auction way.
Mumbai-based art and jewellery house Ma Passion is gearing up to hold an auction of sculptures of precious and semiprecious stones with the hope of reviving the ancient craft of gemstone carving said to have been handed down from the Mughals to the traditional Kumawat community in Jaipur.
"The auction of these miniatures would be treated as conventional art," says Dinesh Poddar, Managing Director of MaPassion, a listed company.
Curated by art expert and author Nisha Janmwal the auction later this month would include 55 lots of hand carved statues including among others an emerald Ganesha with 1,000 mice, a crystal Buddha under the Bodhi tree and several nature based themes such as fishes and a group of flying horses.
"The intricate and painstakingly handcrafted ancient craft of India of gemstone carving is on its way to become extinct. The craftsmen are now a dying breed due to a lack of patronage," Jamwal told PTI just before a preview of select auction pieces in the capital.
Traditionally the market for gemstone carvings has been famous in the US and Germany, says Poddar. "Collecting is a niche market and has been famous in the US but is fast catching on in India too. The collectors have always been either royalty or high net worth individuals," he says. PTI
Digest of national stories for the week Oct 4- Oct 11
Saturday Udalguri (Assam): Fourteen more people are killed, two of them in police firing, as clashes between Bodos and illegal Bangladeshi migrants continues in Udalguri district where the army staged a flag march.
New Delhi: The Congress-ruled Delhi government faces a major embarrassment when a group of farmers disturbed the address of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in a rally organised by it.
New Delhi: India and the US unable to ink the pathbreaking civil nuclear agreement with New Delhi making it clear that it would do so only after President George W Bush signs it into a law, an occasion when it expects certain misgivings to be cleared.
Sunday Hoshiarpur: Two days after Tatas pull out from Singur, Punjab and Haryana governments say they would soon invite the corporate giant to set up the much-touted Rs one-lakh Nano car project in their states.
Bhubaneswar: Maoists claim responsibility for the murder of VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati that unleashed violence against Christians in Orissa district but the state government does not give credence to the claim.
Monday New Delhi: Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in the thick of a controversy over his remarks that the Delhi police encounter in Jamia Nagar recently could be fake as the family of slain inspector Mohan Chand Sharma rejected his offer of Rs 10 lakh.
New Delhi: With ethnic violence spreading to new areas in Assam, the Centre despatches 1,400 para-military force personnel to the strife-torn state where bloody clashes between Bodo tribes and immigrant Muslims claimed at least 40 lives. New Delhi: With a desire to see India play an active role in the West Asia peace process, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrives here on a four-day visit that is expected to give a boost to New Delhi's engagement with Palestine.
Tuesday Gandhinagar: Ending suspense after its controversial exit from West Bengal, Tatas announce relocation of the Rs one-lakh Nano car project to Gujarat with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.
New Delhi: Expelled BJP member H T Sangliana and rebel JD(U) leader Ramswaroop Prasad, who vote in favour of the UPA government in the July 22 confidence motion, are disqualified from the Lok Sabha under anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.
Srinagar: Normal life resumes in Kashmir after authorities lifted the two-day-old curfew from all 10 districts of the Valley as the situation remained peaceful during the restriction period, official sources said.
Wednesday Bhubaneswar: The prime accused in the alleged rape of a young nun during Kandhamal violence in Orissa has been arrested, police say as the Orissa government made fresh attempts to locate the victim to help in investigations.
New Delhi: In a move that is likely to raise the hackles of the media, the Government decide to restrict telecast and publication of exit polls during elections till the conclusion of the final phase of voting so that it does not "influence" the voters. Bhopal: Joining the chorus to ban Bajrang Dal in the wake of attacks on Christians in Orissa and Karnataka, senior Congress leader and Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh say the activities of the right-wing group have "justified" the demand.
Thursday New Delhi: Putting behind memories of grisly bomb blasts, the faithful celebrate Dussehra, symbolising the triumph of good over evil, with fanfare and traditional bonhomie across the country.
Agra: A two-year-old boy falls into a 150-ft bore well in a village near here and authorities launch a massive effort to rescue him but there were apprehensions that water might permeate into the narrow bore from a nearby pond.
Friday Mumbai: Armed Somalian pirates release unharmed three Indians and 26 other members of the crew on board a hijacked cargo ship after keeping them in captivity for more than one and half months.
Srinagar: In a fresh attempt to reach out to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offers to hold talks with all sections of people including those who have stayed out of the political process.
Srinagar: In the face of a bloodbath in the global markets, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh puts up a brave face stating there is no question of Indian economy slipping into recession. PTI
My country has given me three Oscars: Bhandarkar
New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) For director Madhur Bhandarkar, three-time national awardee, whose ambitious film 'Fashion' is releasing this month end, winning an Oscar matters little.
"I don't believe in running after Oscars. India has given me three National Awards. They are my Oscars," Bhandarkar told PTI.
The director, however, says he has no objection if his films are selected by the jury for Oscars but he is not ready to be part of the hype and attention that surrounds these awards in India.
"Recognition of Indian people matters the most as they are the main viewers of my films," says Bhandarkar.
Bhandarkar's National Award winning films like "Chandni Bar (2001)", "Page 3 (2005)" and "Traffic Signal (2007) are famous for their strong story-lines and often have a female protagonists as lead characters.
"My latest film is about the emotional journey of a model played by Priyanka Chopra. This film is going to be a landmark in Priyanka's acting career. She has never before played a character with such substance," he says.
So, how did the idea to make a film on fashion industry come? "I have attended several fashion shows as a guest but it never attracted my attention much but when I saw that media was taking such interest and devoting special shows, I became curious.
"I decided to decipher the mystery of fashion to the common public. It is not about pretty faces doing catwalk. I wanted to go behind the screens and bring back other aspects of the industry to the viewers," says the director known for his well researched movies. PTI
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