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Upendra, Shiv Shanker join Praja Rajyam
Hyderabad, Nov 15 (PTI) The Chiranjeevi led Praja Rajyam got a boost today with two former Union ministers Parvathaneni Upendra and P Shiv Shanker joining the newly formed party.
While Upendra, who at one time was second-in-command of the N T Rama Rao led Telugu Desam Party, will join as the "political advisor" of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP).
He has been in Congress for the last more than a decade and his son-in-law Lagadapati Rajagopal is currently a Congress MP from Vijayawada.
80-year-old Shiv Shanker who had quit the Congress sometime back was made the head of Praja Rajyam's legal cell as well as the election manifesto committee by Chiranjeevi while admitting him into the party.
A legal luminary, Shiv Shanker was a close aide of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and served as a minister in her Cabinet. He also was a member of the Cabinets under Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao.
Subsequently, he served as the governor of Kerala.
Upendra has worked as the Information and Broadcasting minister in the National Front government headed by V P Singh.
He was one of the key advisors of Telugu Desam Party founder-president N T Rama Rao. But, he quit the party along with five other TDP MPs in 1992 following a controversy over the voting on Union Budget.
Upendra, who will be the first major leader from the 'kamma' community to take up a key post in Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party, said that he will not contest elections.
73-year-old Upendra has wide-ranging contacts in all the major political parties at the national level which will be helpful to the Praja Rajyam Party in working its strategies for a role at the national level. PTI
Chandrayaan-I shows India means business in space: ISRO chief
Ramnath Shenoy
Bangalore, Nov 15 (PTI) The successful landing of the Moon Impact Probe on the lunar surface has not only boosted the confidence of ISRO to undertake inter-planetary travel in future, but also conveyed a firm message to the world that India means business in the field of space, ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair said here today.
"It (the landing of the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) and the Chandrayaan-I mission) has validated many of our assumptions and many of the principles involved in interplanetary travel. It's really a big boon (for ISRO). We can now take up travel to any other planet with confidence," a jubilant Nair told PTI in an interview, a day after the historic event.
Last night, the Indian space programme achieved a unique feat with the placing of the Indian tricolour on the Moon's surface. The Indian flag was painted on the sides of MIP, one of 11 payloads of Chandrayaan-I spacecraft that successfully hit the lunar surface at 20:31 hrs. This is the first Indian built object to reach the surface of the Moon.
"I am extremely happy that the nation has responded very positively to this event (MIP landing and Chandrayaan-I)", Nair, also the Secretary in the Department of Space, said.
Nair said Chandrayaan-I was a coup of sorts in the branding stakes and ISRO's brand has skyrocketed with India's first unmanned Moon mission.
"ISRO's name has been high all the time. This is another significant event. I am sure in the global community, we will have much more respect than what was (there) in the past", he said.
The Chandrayaan-I mission has sent a clear signal internationally that India is really a space power and it means business. "That message has been given to everybody," Nair said. PTI
Dravid can consider taking a short break: former players
New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) A woefully out-of-form Rahul Dravid can consider taking a short break from the game to rediscover his touch, according to former India cricketers who insisted that the batting stalwart needs just one good knock to turn things around.
The former players made it clear that Dravid should be given 'rest' only if he wants it and national selectors should not put undue pressure by axing him for the upcoming two-Test series against England.
While Anshuman Gaekwad and Abbas Ali Baig were not averse to the idea of giving Dravid a break if required, former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani felt such a step would be unfair for a batsman of his stature and class.
"He is a great player and it is just a matter of one good innings. It does not take them long to come back. Since the Tests against England will start in December, he can play in domestic matches. If he still does not get runs, he can think of taking a break and come back fresh. But then, it should be his decision", Gaekwad told PTI.
Dravid has been in miserable form for the last few months which has prompted his detractors to question his place in the Test team.
With Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble retiring recently, there has been intense speculation that the 35-year-old Dravid could be next in the line.
Although the Karnataka batsman has aggregated 10,366 runs in 129 Tests at an impressive average of 52.61, the last two series against Sri Lanka and Australia have been extremely disappointing. PTI
Indians continue with winning ways in Chess Olympiad
From Our Chess Correspondent
Dresden (Germany), Nov 15 (PTI) Grandmasters Krishnan Sasikiran and G N Gopal showed the way as Indian men cruised to an emphatic 3-1 victory over Sweden in the second round of the 38th Chess Olympiad here.
With their second victory in as many rounds, the Indian men remained in joint lead on four points along with 19 other teams including top seeds Russia.
The second round was devoid of upsets and most of the higher seeds sailed through defeating lower ranked teams. Russia, yet again, had to sweat hard to beat Poland and in the end it was again a marginal 2.5-1.5 victory for the most fancied team of the Olympiad.
In the women's section too, the Indians came good for the second day running and defeated Latvia 3-1 to move ahead. The Indian ladies, like their men counterpart, have four points from two outings thanks to fine performances on the second and fourth board by Asian women's champion Tania Sachdev and Asian junior girls' champion Mary Ann Gomes.
Fourteen teams share the lead with a perfect score in this section and Indian eves will next clash with top seeded Russian ladies.
The second round witnessed Russian Vladimir Kramnik and Norwegian Magnus Carlsen in action but both the stalwarts failed to make a real impact and played out draws with Miton Kamil of Poland and Georg Meier of Germany '2'. Norway scored an easy victory over Germany '2' in the end with a 3-1 margin. PTI
Pooneryn falls to Lankan forces
T V Sriram
Colombo, Nov 15 (PTI) Sri Lankan security forces today captured the strategic northern town of Pooneryn, the last LTTE bastion in the west coast, giving the forces vital land link to Jaffna.
Government troops entered the main town after pitched battles with the Tiger rebels lasting over weeks, thus ending the LTTE domination of the town for nearly two decades.
"Troops of Army Task Force 1 have entered LTTE bastion at Ponneryn this morning, scoring the greatest feat against terrorist in their courageous march along the northwestern coast of the Island," the defence ministry said.
It also said that troops were closing in on the LTTE stronghold of Kilionochchi, described as political capital of the Tigers.
Infantrymen successfully negotiated the great marshlands south of Pooneryn last night and cut off the Pooneryn- Paranthan road close to Nallur before dawn today.
Troops then marched about 10 kms along the highway and entered the Pooneryn town, where the LTTE have their last bastion on the West coast, the military said.
According to the defence sources, the rebel fighters are putting up a stiff resistance and pitched battles were still going on in the area, as the Tigers were on retreat.
Meanwhile, troops completed mop up operations in the strategically located Devils Point area in Kilinochchi and declared the area fully liberated.
"With this the prominent Sea Tiger strongholds at Kiranchi, Vallaipadu and Palavi have fallen to the Army," the officials said. PTI
Two TMVP workers shot dead near Colombo
T V Sriram
Colombo, Nov 15 (PTI) Unknown gunmen shot dead Secretary of the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and his driver near here fueling fears that the tiger rebels could have infiltrated into the LTTEs breakaway TMVP party.
Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthans (alias Pillayan) Co-ordinating Secretary Kumara-swamy Nandagopan alias Ragu and his driver S T M Nazeer were gunned down in Thurugiriya, about 15 km east of Colombo yesterday.
With this over 20 prominent members of the breakaway TMVP party have been killed in the past several months. TMVP swept into power in elections held recently, after the Sri Lankan troops cleared Eastern provinces of LTTE domination.
The vehicle in which the duo had been assassinated was reportedly blocked by the assailants and forced to the side of the road before the two were shot dead.
A 33-year-old distraught Pillayan, himself a former armed fighter of the LTTE, drove in alongside his convoy of pilot vehicles to the scene.
Nandagopan had contested the Eastern Provincial election as the main TMVP candidate for the Eastern Trincomalee district.
Meanwhile, two other TMVP members were shot dead at their office in Pangudaweli, in Eastern Batticaloa on Thursday night, SSP Gunasekera said.
They were shot dead by suspected LTTE gunmen near their camp, the officials said adding around seven LTTE cadres carried out the attack and fled the area. PTI
Reddy appointed to UN panel on financial crisis
United Nations, Nov 15 (PTI) Former RBI Governor Y V Reddy is among members of a high-level panel of economists appointed by UN General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto to suggest measures to deal with the current economic crisis, including possible reform of global financial institutions.
Joseph Stiglitz, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001 and is a former chief economist of the World Bank, will chair the panel which will suggest steps that member states can take to secure a more stable global economic order.
Reddy and other members of the panel are also expected to suggest possible reform of the international financial institutions.
Jomo Kwame Sundaram, the current Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and Jose Antonio Ocampo of Colombia, who is a former Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, were also named to the panel.
Other members include Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the Governor of Malaysia's Central Bank, Jean-Paul Fitoussi, Professor of Economics at Institute d'Etudes Politiques de Paris in France, Avinash Persaud of Barbados, who is Chairman of Intelligence Capital Limited, Japan's Eisuke Sakakibara, Professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Nigeria's Central Bank and China's Yu Yongding, Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics.
When D'Escoto announced the formation of the panel last month, he noted that "there is growing recognition that the current turmoil in the financial system cannot be solved through piecemeal responses at the national and regional levels but requires a coordinated effort at the global level" which only the United Nations can provide. PTI
Daniel Craig says no to swimming trunks
London, Nov 15 (PTI) Daniel Craig, whose famous beach shot in Bond film 'Casino Royale' won him many fans across the globe, has no desire to repeat something similar in the upcoming Bond films.
In 'Casino Royale', his debut as Bond, Craig had sent female fans' hearts fluttering when he strode along a beach wearing a costume that showed off his muscular physique.
The actor says he is sick of talking about the shot and he is even more determined to avoid a repeat performance, Contactmusic reported.
Craig says, "I never want to put those things on again. There's an element of nudity in this one, but no swimming trunks." PTI
Digest of domestic news for the week Nov 8- Nov 14, 2008
Saturday New Delhi, Nov 8(PTI) NDA's Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani turns 81 and the occasion was used for the launch of his website and the BJP stalwart hoped to do an Obama seizing the US President-elect's campaign for change.
Bangalore: India's first unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 enters the lunar orbit after ISRO scientists successfully carried out a highly complex and tricky manoeuvre crossing another historic milestone in the country's space programme.
Sunday Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh): China is "fully aware" that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee says.
Mumbai: (PTI) As they uncover a wide network of those involved in the Malegaon blast with linkages to an earlier explosion at Nanded too, investigators look for 54 people suspected to have been given arms training at a military school in Nagpur.
Monday Nashik/Mumbai: A high profile Uttar Pradesh leader is to be interrogated in connection with the Malegaon blast probe in which a Hawala angle also emerges besides suggesting that accused Lt Col P S Purohit allegedly siphoned off Military Intelligence funds for terror acts.
Hyderabad: With the Muslim community under attack from Hidutva forces, clerics belonging to the moderate Deoband school of Islam resolve to fight terrorism and distance themselves from all kinds of terror activities.
Tuesday New Delhi: Congress general secretary Margaret Alva resigns her post after the party's Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) apparently threatened action against her for her allegation that tickets were sold during Karnataka assembly polls early this year.
New Delhi: As a tribute to first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the country celebrates his birthday as the first National Education Day with President Pratibha Patil pitching for infusing "dynamism" in the education sector to adjust to the rapid changes.
Wednesday Balasore: India successfully test fired 'Shaurya', a medium-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, to be used by its Army.
New Delhi: With the role of NDFB and ULFA coming to the fore in last month's serial blasts in Assam, the Centre extends the ban on the two militant groups as also on a Meghalaya-based group for two years.
Thursday New Delhi: Amid continued concerns in Tamil Nadu over the condition of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asks President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure safety and welfare of the community at all costs and received an assurance in this regard.
New Delhi: India and six other countries of South and East Asia decide to put in place a joint mechanism to combat terrorism and vowed to step up cooperation to deal with the challenges posed by global financial crisis and food and energy security.
New Delhi: The Centre decides to extend the ban on NDFB and ULFA and a Meghalay -based group whose role came into fore in last month's serial blasts in Assam, to two years. Friday Bangalore: India's national tricolour on the Moon marks the country's physical presence after Chandrayaan-1's Impact Probe landed on the lunar surface when the unmanned spacecraft successfully ejected the instrument in a giant leap for the country's space programme.
Raipur: A Flight Engineer sis killed when an IAF helicopter on poll duty was attacked by Naxals who guns down a CRPF personnel as violence marred the first phase of Assembly elections in Chattisgarh where two landmine blasts were also triggered injuring four security men and over a dozen Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) looted.
Delhi students for rural education
New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Four Delhi collegiate have come together in their attempt to brighten the future of underprivileged children in rural areas through education.
The NGO 'Milaan-Be the Change' set up by them a year ago has already three projects in its kitty. The first project 'Swarachna' that has set up a learning centre near Sitapur on the Delhi-Lucknow Highway where three teachers provide education to 48 children.
"We started with money we had pooled together. Around 1.5 acres of land was donated by the community. We did request some corporates to help us out but got no response. The Indian Railways donated Rs 75,000 and an equal amount was given by SMILE foundation," says Dhirendra Pratap Singh, President of Milaan and a science graduate from Delhi University.
Singh now works as a business development manager in a Delhi based firm. Irengbam Debashish Singh, the Vice President and student of Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University, Sharadindu Goswami, the General Secretary and a software engineer and Annie Gupta, the treasurer and an arts graduate together constitute 'Milaan'.
A vocational training centre at Indore 'Swayam' which works along with the SMILE Twin e-Learning aims to impart skills in English proficiency, basic computer education and other soft skills to youths from economically backward families for enhancing their employment prospects. PTI
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