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Five crew members of MT Stolt Valor land in Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) After spending nearly two months in captivity, five sailors from hijacked vessel MV Stolt Valor arrived in the city today.
Five members of the 18 Indian crew arrived at the city's International Airport from Muscat at about 0500 hours, where they were greeted by relatives and friends.
The ship was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 15 and the crew of 22 was kept hostage at the port of Eyl in Somalia for nearly two months until an undisclosed ransom was paid by the owners of the vessel.
The five sailors who arrived today in the city are Naveed Burondkar, Isidore Fernandes, Alistair Fernandes, Omprakash Shukla and Santosh Patil. The others are expected to fly to their respective destinations from Muscat in the coming days, officials said.
"It was a tense time on board the ship and we had to manage somehow. I managed to speak to my family about four times during the captivity," said Isidore, who was the head cook aboard the ship.
"I have sailed on five ships and even in the Gulf of Aden many times in the past, but this was the first time I had such a bad experience," he said.
"All we had to do was to sit on the bridge of the ship the whole day. After we were hijacked I had to cook for the pirates for nine days but after that there was some food arranged," Isidore said.
The crew survived on a diet of lentils and meat while being held hostage and there was just enough for all the crew, he said.
Alistair said they spent 24 hours of the day at gunpoint on the bridge of the ship and could not do anything without the permission of the captors. PTI
Indian men, women bounce back with victories
By Our Chess Correspondent
Dresden (Germany), Nov 24 (PTI) The Indian men and women's team registered identical 3-1 victories over Czech Republic and Slovenia respectively, in the 10th and penultimate round of the 32nd Chess Olympiad here today.
The women's team, with 14 points, improved to joint seventh while the men's team move to joint ninth position. ` In the absence of Koneru Humpy, this is turning out to be an excellent campaign for the women's team who will face higher-ranked Armenia in the final round.
Swati Ghate and Mary Ann Gomes won their respective matches after D Harika and Tania Sachdev played out draws on the top two boards.
In the men's section, national champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly and GN Gopal came good in the last two boards while Krishnan Sasikiran and P Harikrishna were held on the top boards.
Meanwhile, there was another twist at the top of the men's section with Ukraine defeating overnight leaders Israel 2.5-1.5 to emerge as joint leader with Armenia on 17 points.
With just one more round to go, Israel and China are now joint third on 16 points while there's a four-way tie for the fifth spot that includes Russia. PTI
Royals, Super Kings hold edge in Champions League: Gibbs
New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) All set to begin a new innings as a commentator, maverick South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs said barring miracles, either Rajasthan Royals or Chennai Super Kings would clinch next month's Champions League Twenty20.
Gibbs, who represented Deccan Chargers in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL), said each of the eight teams would do whatever it takes to win the title but in the end, home advantage might tilt the scale in favour of the two Indian outfits.
"It's very difficult to predict the winners, for there are quite a few teams which look really formidable. But I think the Indian teams would have a great advantage because they would be playing in familiar conditions," Gibbs told PTI from Cape Town.
"For teams from Australia or South Africa, they would be playing in foreign conditions whereas Rajasthan and Chennai will have better knowledge of things in the middle," he explained.
Though his IPL franchise could not make the cut for the League, Gibbs would be there, swapping the willow for microphone.
"Well, I'm looking forward to it. I got another 10-11 days to prepare," said Gibbs, who would be part of the ESPN-STAR Sports commentary panel during the League.
Asked if he was preparing for the new role just like he, as a player, would prepare for a match, Gibbs said, "Of course. I have played against some players who are commentators now. Besides, I'm banking on my knowledge of the game to stand me in good stead." PTI
We are on course to becoming top team in world: Srikkanth
Chennai, Nov 24 (PTI) Basking in the glory of India's Test triumph over Australia and one-day series victory over England, chief national selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth said MS Dhoni and his boys are now well on course to becoming the top team in the world in both formats of the game.
Srikkanth said a new face of Indian cricket has emerged with the team oozing confidence after notching up victories against top nations.
"The entire approach of the players has changed. They have been consistently aggressive and the approach has been positive. The most important thing is they are playing as a well-knit team. Everybody has done his job well and contributed for the success of the team. We are looking at building a team that will become world number one in both Test and one-day formats. That is the first goal," he told PTI.
"The aggressive attitude reflected in the increased run rate in Test matches. There were times even in Nagpur and Mohali when things were not going our away but our boys fought their way. The fighting spirit and the adaptability is commendable. Even in the Indore one-dayer, we were 29 for three and from there to score 290 plus shows that they have adjusted to the situations well," he added.
The former India opener said what was heartening for the country's cricket was that the team was doing well collectively though there have been outstanding performers.
"If you see overall, everybody is contributing to the success of the team. It is not one individual or two. Opening batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have found their moorings and give us solid base in Test and one-dayers. Similarly Zaheer (Khan) and Ishant Sharma have been getting us early wickets in both Test and one-dayers." PTI
147 die in Lanka clashes, 27 soldiers killed
T V Sriram
Colombo, Nov 24 (PTI) At least 120 Tiger rebels and 27 soldiers were killed as Sri Lankan troops intensified their operations to capture the tiger bastion of Kilinochchi, officials said today.
Pitched battles raged as government troops closed in on Kilinochchi from two sides overcoming stiff LTTE resistance to battle their way to the outskirts of the city--known to be the nerve centre of the rebels.
"Twenty-seven soldiers have made ultimate sacrifice of their lives for their motherland. While 70 others suffered injuries during the battle," the defence ministry said.
They claimed that "LTTE had marshalled their final reserves to the battlefront to save their symbolically important stronghold Kilinochchi." It said that wireless-intercepts of the LTTE indicated that 120 Tigers had been killed and 80 wounded in heavy fighting going on around Kilinochchi for the past thirty-six hours.
Heavy clashes are continuing along the Kilinochchi outskirts since last morning as the Army infantrymen are steadily advancing on to the remaining LTTE defences in the area, defence sources said.
According to reports, Sri Lankan troops are advancing on the Tiger bastion from the South as well as from the North, where they have recently made spectacular gains in wresting two major Tiger towns.
Earlier the pro-LTTE website Tamilnet had reported that Tiger cadres had beaten back a Lankan attack on the Naloor town, which straddles the highway linking Jaffna with Kilinochchi killing 43 soldiers.
The website also claimed that LTTE were in possession of nine slain soldiers, a report which was corroborated by a military spokesman. PTI
Pak to release 101 Indian prisoners
Islamabad, Nov 24 (PTI) Pakistan will release 101 Indian prisoners, a majority of them fishermen, as a goodwill gesture ahead of a meeting between the interior secretaries of the two countries later this week.
Interior ministry chief Rehman Malik said 99 Indian fishermen and two other prisoners would be freed before the meeting of Pakistan's interior secretary and India's home secretary here on November 25.
Asking India to reciprocate the gesture, Malik said hundreds of Pakistanis languishing in Indian prisons should be freed at the earliest.
Leading Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney told PTI that he had been informed by officials that the Indian prisoners were likely to be freed tomorrow or the day after. He said the two Indian prisoners being released had completed their prison terms.
"There are many other Indian prisoners who have completed their sentences but are still in jail. I have also taken up their case with the authorities," he said.
Meanwhile, official sources said the 99 fishermen who are to be released were arrested between two and six years ago. The two other Indian prisoners had been in jail for a longer period, they said.
India recently freed 29 Pakistani prisoners who had completed their jail terms.
During their meeting, Pakistan's interior secretary and India's home secretary are expected to discuss measures for countering terrorism and drug trafficking and liberalising the visa regime between the two countries among other things.
The talks will be part of the fifth round of composite dialogue launched by India and Pakistan four years ago. PTI
Rupee ends weaker by seven paise at 50.09/10 a dlr
Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) The Indian rupee today ended weaker by seven paise at 50.09/10 against the US currency on a sluggish equity market and consistent capital outflows.
In fairly active trade at the Interbank foreign exchange (forex) market, the domestic currency resumed weak at 50.04/05 a dollar against its previous close of 50.02/03 a dollar, before moving in a range of 49.96-50.25 during the day.
Dealers said there was little demand from oil refiners but the main cause of concern was sliding stocks, causing fears that foreign funds will continue to pull out from equity markets.
They said the rupee attempted a smart recovery at the day's high in sync with local stocks after the US government announce a USD 20 billion bail out package for the troubled banking giant Citigroup.
The rupee was strained by unstoppable outflow of portfolio investments from the country in the current calendar year, analysts observed.
Oil refiners bought dollars, albeit in small quantity, for their monthly import payments, a dealer with foreign bank commented.
The rupee premiums on forward dollar ended remarkably higher due to fresh paying pressure from banks and corporates.
The benchmark six-month forward dollar premium payable in April ended at 67 - 69 paise, up from 62 - 64 paise on Friday and the far-forwards maturing in October also closed higher at 95 - 97 paise from 85-1/2 - 87-1/2 previously. PTI
Sensex ends flat after a roller-coaster ride
Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today closed flat after a highly volatile trade which saw profit booking at every surge, diluting the positive impact of a rescue package by US administration for global financial giant Citigroup.
The BSE bellwether index settled the day at 8,903.12 point, a moderate loss of 12.09 points from its last close.
National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 14.80 points at 2708.25.
The BSE index fluctuated between between 9,042.02 and 8,701.93 points, mirroring the volatility in trade.
Marketmen said US government decision to bail out Citigroup eased the gloomy outlook but investors were unwilling to build fresh positions as other indications from global financial markets were weak.
They said the rescue plan for the global financial giant did not realy elevate the sentiment as investors remained nervous as the US bank has large portfolio holdings in many Indian companies. Investors feared Citi may have to liquidate them if problems get worsened.
A steep fall in realty segment index by 3.78 per cent at 1583.30 mainly pulled down the market. It was followed by banking sector index by losing 3.14 per cent at 4454.68.
Consumer Durable index fell by 2.33 per cent at 1751.90 followed by metal sector index by 1.55 per cent at 4309.73 and capital goods index lost 0.03 per cent at 6554.72. PTI
Motherhood made Jolie appreciate her looks better
London, Nov 24 (PTI) Angelina Jolie, who is back with an Oscar-worthy performance of a mother searching for her missing son in 'Changeling', says becoming a mother in real life made her value her looks better.
"I know this is going to sound corny, but I first became happy with the way I looked when I became a mother. There's this idea that beauty is when someone does your hair and puts lot of make-up on you and sticks your face on the cover of a magazine. Is that beauty?" she told Daily Mail in an interview.
Jolie is content to be the mother of her six children -- Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh and twins and twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline.
"I can't stand being away from them for too long. They're part of me and I'm part of them," she says.
The actress is not worried about getting old.
"As you get older you see more character in your face. Now, when I look at myself, I see somebody at peace and I see a mom and that's a kind of beauty." The actress says aging has brought her nearer to her own mother.
"You know what is beautiful? My mom. She was beautiful to me, and I look more like my mom as I get older. Something else comes out of you when you become a parent and, as you get older, you start to see more character in your face.
"Now, when I look at myself, I just see somebody at peace, and I see a mom, and I see my own relatives in my face And that's a kind of beauty that exists for everybody and doesn'tt disappear." The star would be seen playing the role of Christine Collins, a single mother whose nine-year-old son goes missing while she is out at work. PTI
Arunachal film heads for French festival
New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) "Sonam" (The Fortunate One), the first feature film made in a little-known dialect of Arunachal Pradesh, has been selected for the prestigious Autrans International Mountain Film Festival from November 26 in the French Alps.
The Ahsan Muzid's film, which deals with polyandry among yak shepherds in Arunachal Pradesh, is the first one to be made in Monpa, a dialect of the Indo-Tibetan branch of languages, with English sub-titles.
Organisers of the festival, held at the Vercors village, have subtitled the film in French. But Muzid said he won't be able to attend the festival due to some obligations.
"Autrans is one of the most prestigious mountain film festivals in Europe and is unique in France. The festival has become the major important event of the genre for mountain life and culture. But unfortunately I will not be able to attend it. Still, it's an honour that my film will be there," Muzid told PTI.
Based on a popular Assamese novel of the same name, written by Sahitya Akademi winner Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, "Sonam" has represented the country in various festivals across the globe including National Geographic's 'All Roads Film Project' and Himalay Archie Nederland Film Festival in Amsterdam.
It also won the Rajat Kamal in 2005 for the best feature film for "picturesque and effective portrayal of the contemporary tribal life".
It took Muzid and his crew 45 days of gruelling trekking and travelling at heights of 8,000 feet to 15,000 feet to complete the film. PTI
In bearish market, anti-depressants demand turn bullish
Anurag Sharma
New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) As crisis gripping the stock markets world over show no sign of easing with rising fears of job cuts sales of anti depressants have a shown a sharp increase say psychiatrists.
More and more people are resorting to the medicine resulting in a noticeable rise in the sale volume, especially in Mumbai, the financial capital, according to experts.
"Yes the sales of anti-anxiety and anti-depression drugs have gone up in the last few months," says a chemist in the capital.
According to ORG-IMS, a market research agency, the country has recorded growth in the sale of anti-depressants drugs in the last 12 months ended August, especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
While Maharashtra recorded the highest growth of 29 per cent in sales of drugs used to treat depression and stimulate moods, Gujarat, a state which has a lot of retail investors, has witnessed a 10 per cent growth in the sales of these drugs.
Mumbai tops the list of cities with the highest sales of anti-depression drugs with Rs 26 crore closely followed by Kolkata with Rs 24 crore and Delhi 22 crore.
"After all these retrenchment and loss of hard earned money there is a belief of loneliness and helplessness amongst investors and employees which prompts them to take extreme steps. A report also says that sale of anti-depressant drugs has increased in the last one year," says Samir Parikh, a psychiatrist.
"One should not blame oneself for the loss as it was not in one's hands. It's happening worldwide so you can do nothing about it." His advice is don't stop spending time with friends and family, never live in isolation and plan better ways to deal with the stress. PTI
Children join Peta call for ban on deadly kite strings
New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) Planning to celebrate Makar Sankrati festival which is round the corner by flying kites using razor-sharp threads? Just spare a thought for your innocent feathered friends like cuckoos, pigeons, parrots and eagles for whom the glass-coated string brings doom.
In fact your thoughtful gesture can save many winged birds as is being done by school children across the country who have vowed not to use 'deadly strings' for flying the kites locally known as 'patangs.' Taking up a cudgel to save the innocent birds, these 2,400 students from public and private schools have joined hands with Peta, an animal rights NGO and petitioned the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra to ensure ban on the use of deadly thread.
"Kite flying is popular in these states during Makar Sankranti. The children from various schools have urged the leaders to ban the sale and production of glass coated 'manja' (strings).
"This is a part of an ongoing campaign to save hundreds and thousands of birds who are killed every year during Makar Sankranthi due to flying kites with manja coated with glass. These kids have also pledged not to use glass coated Manjas," says Anuradha Sawhney, Chief Functionary of Peta India.
She said strings used in kite-flying competitions are often gummed and coated with powdered and finely crushed glass. PTI
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Sensex: 8903.12, -12.09
The sensex closed at 8903.12, down 12.09
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 49.545 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.5173 INR
1 British Pound = 74.243 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.197 INR
1 Singapore $ = 32.649 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 13.489 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 13.230 INR
1 Euro = 63.274 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 13.609 INR
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