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Digvijay Singh not contesting MP assembly elections
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh is not contesting the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
This became clear with the AICC announcing the list of 117 candidates for the assembly elections next month which includes several former ministers and senior leaders including the Leader of Opposition in the state Jamuna Devi and former deputy chief minister Subhash Yadav.
Raghogarh, which is being represented by Digvijay Singh, is being given to his close associate Mool Singh. Digvijay has created a record in the state for a tenure of ten years as CM till 2003.
While Jamuna Devi has been renominated from Kukshi, Yadav will fight from Kasrawad. Ajay Singh, son of Union Minister Arjun Singh who is also chairman of the state campaign committee, has been renominated from Churhat. Former assembly speaker Sninivas Tiwari is the party nominee from Sirmour. Hazarilal Raghuvanshi, who is the deputy speaker, has been nominated from Seoni-Malwa.
Among former ministers who have been given ticket include Satyadev Katare, Mahindra Bodh, Raghavendra Singh, Parvatlal Ahirwar and Radnesh Soloman, brother-in-law of former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi. PTI
Youth sends threatening e-mail to Sonia Gandhi
Kochi, Oct 31 (PTI) A youth, who has allegedly sent an e-mail threatening the life of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is being questioned by police here.
The mail was sent to Rashtrapathi Bhavan office about four days ago from an internet cafe at nearby Palarivattom, police sources said.
The mail also stated that bombs would go off in Delhi, Kochi and two other places, they said.
Initially the sources had said that the youth has sent a similar e-mail threat to President Pratiba Patil also, but later clarified that the mail only threatened the life of Gandhi and was sent to the Rashtrapathi Bhavan office. PTI
SP rules out withdrawing support to UPA on Maha issue
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Mounting further pressure on the UPA coalition at the Centre, outside ally Samajwadi Party today said it would go to any extent to ensure safety of north Indians in Maharashtra but ruled out withdrawing support to the government.
Blaming Congress and NCP for the current situation in Maharashtra, it said the coalition government in the state was "soft pedalling" MNS leader Raj Thackeray to counter Shiv Sena's Bal Thackeray.
"In the interest of people from north India, we can go to any extent if such a situation develops. But even now there is time. We still have some hopes on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi," SP general secretary Amar Singh told a press conference here.
He was asked whether his party MPs would resign from Parliament over the issue.
On whether the party will withdraw support to the UPA government on the issue, he said there is no question of withdrawing support to the government. The SP leader described the Prime Minister as "helpless" and state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as "useless".
Despite Prime Minister's repeated intervention, he said Maharashtra government had failed to curb violence against north Indians there.
Maintaining that the SP has been asking the Centre to check the volatile situation in Maharashtra, Singh said, "I am not here to celebrate the Prime Minister's helplessness in public".
He was replying to a question on the Prime Minister's reported remarks that what more could he do after writing a strongly worded letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Singh said the party was not "satisfied with the UPA government" and demanded that "the Prime Minister should convene an all party meeting to discuss the issue". PTI
Jeev tied 27th after first round in Volvo Masters
Sotogrande (Spain), Oct 31 (PTI) A disastrous back-nine spoilt Jeev Milkha Singh's card as the ace Indian golfer turned in an erratic three-over 74 to stand tied 27th after the opening round of the Volvo Masters here.
Jeev found the going tough in the difficult windy conditions at the Club de Golf Valderrama and sank only a couple of birdies against three bogeys and a double bogey.
After a flawless front nine which saw him take the turn one-under, courtesy a birdie at the sixth, Jeev faltered on his back-nine, dropping as many as three bogeys -- on the 11th, 13th and 15th holes.
Worst was waiting for the Indian as Jeev dropped a double bogey on the 16th before making amends on the last hole with a birdie.
At the top, Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark blasted a 6-under 65 to grab a three strokes lead over Sergio Garcia of Spain.
Anthony Wall and David Lynn of England carded an identical two-under 69 to lie tied third after the first round. PTI
Dogged batsmen keep Australia afloat
Amlan Chakraborty
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Undaunted by India's mammoth first innings total, Australia's obstinate top-order came up with useful contributions to keep themselves afloat in the third cricket Test here today.
Pushed to the brink in the potentially series-deciding tie, Australia's otherwise incendiary phalanx of willow-wielders came up with a strong, if not spectacular, reply to finish day three at a comforting 338 for four wickets at Ferozshah Kotla ground.
Virender Sehwag's three-wicket haul did peg the visitors back but it was still a disciplined show by the Australians, who still trail India by 275 runs.
The job, however, is far from over for the Aussies and Michael Clarke (21) and Shane Watson (4) would return tomorrow, needing another 76 runs to avoid the ignominy of follow on.
Hayden (83) and Katich (64) walked out this morning with a definite purpose and that showed throughout their stay in the middle.
Initially, Hayden looked clearly ill at ease against his nemesis Zaheer Khan who twice hit the left-hander -- first on his helmet and then on his shoulder -- in the very first over.
The towering opener, however, soon regained his confidence even though his was a predominantly cautious knock with occasional outbursts of the familiar aggression -- like when he pulled Amit Mishra for a flat six. PTI
Australia 338 for 4 at stumps on day three
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Australia were 338 for 4 in their first innings at stumps on day three of the third cricket Test against India here today.
Michael Clarke (21) and Shane Watson (4) will resume the Australian innings tomorrow.
Brief Scores: India 1st Innings: 613 for 7 declared.
Australia 1st Innings: 338 for 4 in 105 overs. (Matthew Hayden 83, Ricky Ponting 87, Simon Katich 64, Mike Hussey 53; Virender Sehwag 3/66, Amit Mishra 1/95). PTI
Eight killed in Pak suicide blast
Islamabad, Oct 31 (PTI) A suicide bomber blew himself up near the convoy of a top police officer in northwestern Pakistan today, killing at least eight people and injuring over 20 others.
The blast occurred around 1.30 pm local time near the motorcade of Deputy Inspector General of Police Akhtar Ali Shah in a high-security area in Mardan city of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), where the circuit house, police offices and a passport office are located.
Four policemen and as many civilians died in the attack, district police chief Muhammad Iqbal Khan said.
Shah, who was on his way to his office after addressing a news conference, escaped unhurt. He said he believed he was the target of the suicide bombing.
Doctors said 20 injured people were brought to the local hospital for treatment. The critically injured were taken to Peshawar, the capital of NWFP.
The head and a leg of the suicide bomber had been found at the site of the blast, Shah said. He said security measures had recently been improved for all top police officers as they could be targeted in attacks.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Police rushed to the site and sealed the area to traffic and public. A large number of people reached the local hospital to donate blood and to inquire if their kin were among the victims.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack and ordered an immediate inquiry.
The bombing was the latest in a series of suicide blasts that have rocked Pakistan. In recent weeks, hundreds of people were killed when suicide bombers struck at high-value targets like the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital and an ordnance factory complex in Wah cantonment. PTI
Violation of Pak territory adversely impacts war on terror: PM
Islamabad, Oct 31 (PTI) The US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan must stop violating Pakistan's airspace as it adversely impacts the country's efforts in the war on terrorism, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today.
Gilani made the remark during a meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Guelt on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Istanbul. They discussed matters of mutual interest and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.
They discussed regional and global issues, particularly the problem of terrorism and extremism faced by Pakistan and Afghanistan.
NATO forces in Afghanistan "must stop violating Pakistan's airspace as it is counter-productive and negatively impacts the country's efforts in the war against terrorism", Gilani was quoted as saying in an official statement.
In the past few months, US drones operating from Afghanistan have carried out dozens of strikes in Pakistan's restive tribal areas, described by Western nations as a safe haven for the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Pakistan has angrily protested against the attacks, calling them a violation of its sovereignty.
Pakistan, being a "frontline state in the war against terror", is paying a heavy price, Gilani said. Pakistan is also facing socio-economic and law and order problems due to providing shelter to over two million Afghan refugees in its territory, he added.
Gilani called on the world community to fully cooperate with Pakistan in its efforts in the war on terrorism. He said a prosperous Pakistan is "a must for the peace and prosperity of the world".
De Guelt extended condolences to Gilani over the loss of lives and damage to property by the devastating earthquake in Balochistan. PTI
IMF might approve rescue package for Pakistan by Nov 15
Islamabad, Oct 31 (PTI) The IMF might approve a rescue package for financially crunched Pakistan by November 15, two days before a meeting of the 'Friends of Pakistan' group to help the country overcome the economic crisis.
International Monetary Fund and Pakistani officials yesterday concluded negotiations in Dubai on a proposed macro-economic stabilisation programme for the country. The talks, which began on October 21, focused on a policy framework for a possible rescue package for Pakistan.
Pakistan will now send a letter of intent and a memorandum of an economic and financial programme technical jargon for a formal request for help to the IMF in a week, the Dawn Newspaper reported today.
After the request is received, the IMF will put it before its executive board, which is expected to take another week to reach a decision.
The IMF might approve the rescue package by November 15, two days before the meeting of the Friends of Pakistan forum, the report said.
The Friends of Pakistan, which includes the US, UN, European Union, UAE and China, was formed last month during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to New York.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, currently in Turkey on an official visit, told reporters that Pakistan is discussing terms and conditions for an IMF package but he was hopeful that the country would not have to turn to the world body if it received aid from the Friends of Pakistan.
With its foreign exchange reserves dwindling rapidly, Pakistan needs to raise billions of dollars to meet foreign debt payments and to pay for imports. Pakistan has been reluctant to go to the IMF but experts now believe the country may have no other option.PTI
Chambers, firms hail govt decision on FDI in insurance
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The government's decision to table a bill in Parliament to hike FDI cap in private insurance firms was today hailed by industry chambers and insurers as a move to bring in much needed capital in the sector.
"The insurance sector being a capital intensive sector requires huge investments over a prolonged period of time, and therefore, there is constant need for capital infusion.
"A hike in the sectoral FDI cap to 49 per cent would further grow the insurance sector and bring in much needed FDI to the country," MetLife India Insurance's Managing Director Rajesh Relan said in a statement.
Confederation of Indian Industries, termed the bill as a much-awaited one, and said, that this bill "would further help in development of the insurance sector".
The industry body, which had played an active role in preparing the draft bill, hoped that it would find a quick and easy passage in Parliament.
MetLife's Relan said allowing more FDI would help achieve "increased coverage to the rural and social sectors, thereby providing protection and peace of mind to the people... Also increase employment, develop tertiary sectors such as IT/ITeS and provide long-term investments for developing infrastructure..." Ficci said, "We now hope that the bill would be cleared in Parliament and thereby provide an impetus for further growth of the insurance sector in the country." The Union Cabinet, at a meeting yesterday, approved to table a comprehensive insurance bill, which among others, proposes to increase FDI cap in the sector to 49 per cent from 26 per cent now. PTI
Markets buoyant, Sensex up 744 points
Mumbai, Oct 31 (PTI) Extending gains for the third day in a row, stock markets today staged an impressive come back rally with the benchmark Sensex closing the day higher by nearly 750 points on brisk buying by funds.
Marketmen said slew of favourable factors boosted investor sentiment which was at its lowest ebb after sustained heavy selling in bourses across the world for about a month.
The 30-share index settled the day higher by 743.55 points at 9,788.06, after opening strong and even posted a gain of over 825 points during intra-day.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty also rose by 188.55 points at 2885.60.
Brokers said besides a fall in inflation to below 11 per cent, anticipation of rate cut by the central bank revived invesotrs's interest in buying as they feel that both lower lending and inflation rates bode well economic growth.
Inflation has come down to 10.68 per cent for mid-October. Besides, US central bank Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan have massively cut rates, prompting many to believe that RBI will follow suit.
Rating agency Standard & Poor's reaffirming stable outlook for India also intensified buying support, they said.
Analysts said the bellwether index still recovering from the 23 per cent massive drop it has seen this month, the most on record, which saw the Sensex pluning below 8,000 level.
IMG decision to almost double borrowing limits for emerging markets and waive demands for economic austerity measures also helped turn around the sentiments on bourses.
The rally came after a day's break, when the MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 9 per cent, after the US Federal Reserve cut interest rate by 0.50 basic points and agreed to provide 30 billion dollar each to central banks in Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. PTI
PNB slashes PLR by 50 bps to 13.50 pc
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Country's second largest public sector lender Punjab National Bank today announced slashing benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to 13.50 per cent, effective from tomorrow.
"We have reduced prime lending rate (PLR) by 50 basis points and the revised rate shall be applicable to existing as well as new borrowers," PNB Chairman and Managing Director K C Chakrabarty told reporters here.
At present, the prime lending rate of the bank stands at 14 per cent. PNB is the first public sector lender to cut PLR following a series of monetary measures taken by the Reserve Bank to ease money supply in the system.
The bank also proposes to cut its peak deposit rate by 50 basis points beginning December, Chakrabarty said.
The peak rate would come down to 10 per cent from the existing 10.50 per cent. PTI
Slumdog Millionaire, smash hit at the London Film Festival
London, Oct 31 (PTI) A film based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's award winning novel Q & A, has become a smash hit at the London Film Festival which closed here last night.
In its review, The Daily Telegraph today said, "The London Film Festival could hardly have ended in more rousing style. Its closing film, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, was one of a kind liable to send audiences happily skipping out into the cold London night.
Yet on paper this British production, partly subtitled and with no stars known in the West, looked an unlikely prospect." In the two-hour long film, Bollywood superstar Anil Kapoor is splendid as Prem, the TV show's quiz master, a man who also knows something about re-inventing himself.
Other well known actor in the film is Irfan Khan, who plays the role of an Inspector. The film is set in Mumbai, where Jamal (Dev Patel, from Channel 4's Skins), an 18-year-old orphan from the slums, has reached the final question on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Astonishingly, he is about to win USD 20 million: but how can a poor uneducated boy have known the answer to 15 tough questions? That's a loaded question in caste-conscious India. Cheating is the obvious answer, which is why in early scenes Jamal is interrogated brutally by the police.
Yet in an ingenious series of flashbacks pinpointing pivotal events in Jamal's short life, the audience learn how Jamal came by the knowledge to answer those highly specific questions. PTI
New Bond girl is strong and determined: Olga Kurylenko
Bedika New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The new Bond girl is not only bold and beautiful but also comes across as a strong and determined woman with a mission of her own, says Ukrainian- born actress Olga Kurylenko, who plays the female lead in 'Quantum of Solace' the latest film on the secret agent.
"The new Bond girl is a very strong and very determined character. She is an independent and very feisty woman. She is almost like a female version of Bond," Kurykenko told PTI in an email interview.
In 'Quantum of Solace,' which is the sequel of 2006's Casino Royale", Kurylenko is playing the character of Camille. In a case of mistaken identity Bond is introduced to Camille, who is not only beautiful and feisty but also a woman seeking her own vendetta.
"Camille is basically after revenge. She was a really a great character to play," Kurylenko describes her character in the film.
She is the woman, who leads Bond to Dominic Green (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless businessman and a major force within the mysterious organisation. On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources.
Talking about her experiences as the new Bond girl, the Ukraine born actress says though she was excited to play the female companion of Bond, it also left her a little frightened initially. PTI
Rural market in India still in shackles, book
New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Although liberalization of theIndian economy began in 1991 and allowed Indian industry tobe governed and led by market forces, there remain manyrestrictions that throttle rural development, says a newbook.
The rural market still remains regulated andcontrolled by the government to a great extent. There aregovernment dictates that allow the sale of some varieties offarm produce only through government-owned mandis (markets)and there are crops that cannot move borders of the state theyare grown in says a paper in 'ICTs and Indian SocialChange', published by Sage Publications. These measures may have come into place to safeguardthe interests of the farmers.
However, they are now passe andnot in sync with current realities. Thus archaic regulationsand half-hearted, hastily planned measures stifle the growthof the rural economy and need to be done away with, theauthors say. There are compelling reasons to reach out to the ruralmarket for companies. The fast saturation of urban marketpresents the need to explore newer markets. The rural markets,however, remain unexplored because of high cost of telecominfrastructure, diverse terrain, low affordability of therural masses, the book says.
Edited by Ashwani Saith, M.Vijaybaskar and V.Gayathri,the book brings together a set of papers on the relationshipbetween new technologies and socio-economic divides,deployment of new technologies in governance and other publicpolicy initiatives to overcome such divisions.
The book says that the services sector has arguablybeen the driver of India's growth process in recent years. Thecontribution of IT related services to this phenomenon iswidely acknowledged and well documented. PTI
Cake, bread or ice cream? Delectable poll symbols up for grabs
Archana Jyoti
New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI) Seeking an election symbol to fight the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi? You can be a 'whistle' blower or 'hammer' the minds of voters with poll symbols like 'iron', 'coconut' or 'bat'.
One of the possible symbols can be a 'carrot' to be dangled before the voters to woo them or opt for the 'kite' symbol which would ensure voters' dreams are kept soaring high, of course till the results are out.
Then there are 'pressure cooker', 'railway engine', 'walking stick', and 'sewing machine' too on the platter offered by the Election Commission to the candidates keen to contest the polls scheduled for November 29 in the national capital.
For that matter, if you are keen to stand apart in the crowd of independent candidates there is a 'hat' to wear this polls or just carry 'candles' if you think elections are the means to dispel darkness around you.
"There are over 59 free symbols that one can choose from for the ensuing polls in Delhi," Deputy Chief Electoral Officer JK Sharma told PTI.
'Glass tumbler', 'cup and saucer,' 'cake,' 'ice cream' 'jug' and 'kettle' are also available as election symbols available to candidates or political parties to use as an identity at the electoral ballot when the voters cast their franchise on the D-day.
Among eatables 'bread', and 'banana' also figure as choices. Animals are no longer used as poll symbols due to a new order following protests by animal activists after the BSP had managed to bag the 'elephant' symbol. PTI
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Sensex: 9788.06, +743.55
The sensex closed at 9788.06, up 743.55
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 49.275 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.5048 INR
1 British Pound = 79.670 INR
1 Canadian $ = 40.208 INR
1 Singapore $ = 33.193 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 13.414 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 13.136 INR
1 Euro = 62.665 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 13.535 INR
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