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Headlines
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News:
Official Death Toll in Cyclone-Hit Orissa Put at 904
Vatican Sends Hindus Goodwill Note Before Pope Trip
Truth about HIV/AIDS Coming Soon to Indian Cinemas
Cabinet clears I.T Bill
Tariff proposed by MTNL needs to be examined: TRAI
PM to inaugurate Science Congress
Desmukh assures to rehabilitate sacked ministers
India look for a more authoritative show
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Markets:
BSE Sensex gains 29.74 points
Freedom on classification suggested
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Forex, Metals and
Weather below
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News
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Official Death Toll in Cyclone-Hit Orissa Put at 904
Six days after the super cyclone hit the eastern state of Orissa, the state government Thursday said 904 people were
killed and 104 others still missing while 9 million more were yet to get any relief
in the 10 coastal districts.
However, initial reports from doctors in the cyclone-devastated area reaching
here on the same day put the death toll at 960.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported from Bhubaneswar that 7.5 million people remained marooned with most of their
houses ravaged by the killer storm or flood water.
While reports about damage and destruction of houses from most of the districts
were yet to be received, PTI said, 250,000 houses had been devastated in
Jagatsinghpur district alone.
Standing paddy crops over an area of 313,713 hectares were affected while
non-paddy crops in 8,668 hectares had been damaged, Padhi said.
New Delhi has appealed to international agencies and non-governmental
organizations to coordinate relief and rehabilitation efforts with health authorities
in the state and the center and to pool in their resources including manpower and
relief material.
The Indian Armed Forces launched operations Thursday on a war-footing to
prevent the outbreak of epidemic in the cyclone-hit area amidst reports of an
alarming increase in the number of patients in different hospitals.
Several countries and the U.N. organizations have announced assistance of
some 5 million U.S. dollars to support relief and humanitarian activities in Orissa.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided Wednesday that all BJP
ministers at the center and states and members of parliament and state
assemblies donate one month's salary toward the relief fund for victims of the
super cyclone.
Top
Vatican Sends Hindus Goodwill Note Before Pope Trip
VATICAN CITY: The Vatican Wednesday sent a message to India's Hindus, some of whom oppose Pope John Paul II's visit to New Delhi
next week, urging cooperation between the two faiths to meet the challenges of
the new millennium.
The letter, written by Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue, was timed to coincide with both the papal visit and
the Hindu religious festival of Diwali on Nov. 7.
The pope leaves Friday for a four-day visit to New Delhi and will be present in
India during the Hindu festival.
Arinze acknowledged that "profound differences" existed between Christianity
and the Hindu religion but said the two faiths also held much in common that
would be useful in helping them meet the challenges facing humanity.
"It is necessary to become more and more aware of our shared responsibilities in
this world so that together we may embark upon the new millennium in a way
that provides greater hope for the coming generations," the Nigerian cardinal
said in the open letter made available to the media by the Vatican.
Perhaps sensing the hostility from some parts of the Hindu community, Arinze
stressed in his message much that the two religions had in common.
"Drawing on the spiritual themes we have in common and opening our hearts to
the divine reality beyond us, our collaboration can do much to alleviate suffering
in the world," he said.
Top
Truth about HIV/AIDS Coming Soon to Indian Cinemas
Indian social activists have long used documentary films to make a political statement, but only rarely have they
attempted the same in mainstream cinema.
Now, activist-cum-documentary filmmaker K.P. Sasi is directing India's first
feature film on HIV/AIDS -- a love story about two HIV-positive people
scheduled for release next March.
It is not an easy film to make in India. Here, myths are not only used to create
history but also to shape the present, and those infected with HIV have to cope
with both their disease and the stigma that surrounds it.
The subject is a political mine-field as it relates to sexuality, observes scriptwriter
Mahesh Dattani, because the voices of those infected offer a minority point of
view.
The film's hero and heroine, as they are called in Hindi cinema, know they are
HIV-positive, but the couple -- played by Nandita Das and Rajit Kapoor --
decides to get married anyway.
Last year, the country's Supreme Court took away the right of an HIV-positive
person to get married.
Dattani said Sasi and he were aware of the ruling, but decided to go ahead with
the story. "It is a human rights issue and the courts have no right to interfere in
the decisions that individuals make -- if they are aware that the person they are
going to marry is HIV-positive," he declared.
The man in the film is infected by a truck driver, who had contracted the virus
through a blood transfusion. While in the film, Das contracts HIV from her
husband who succumbs to AIDS.
Das, whose most recent film, Deepa Mehta's "Earth -- 1947," an account of
India's bloody partition in 1947 through the eyes of a child -- which is India's
official entry to the Oscars -- is euphoric about her new film.
Although initially skeptical, she changed her mind, she said, on visiting the
Bangalore-based "Freedom Foundation," a counselling center and shelter for
HIV/AIDS survivors. There, she met a 28-year-old engineer who discovered he
was infected in a routine medical test two years ago, and now works as a
volunteer at the Foundation.
The Foundation is funded by Action Aid, which is also bankrolling the film.
She said his commitment convinced her to do the film, which she calls a "love
story."
Shot at locations in Idukki, in the highlands of southern Kerala state, the film is
only 25 percent finished. The lyrics for the film will be written by the frail Kaifi
Azmi, one of India's best-loved living poets in Urdu.
Even though the shooting of Sasi's film has hardly begun, it has already become
major news -- at least in film circles and among people working on
AIDS-related issues, especially those desperately trying to generate public
awareness of how to control the spread of the HIV virus.
When asked if Indian audiences are ready for such a film, Dattani said: "I think
Indian audiences will look forward to such a film, because its been nearly 20
years since the virus first appeared in India, and people want to know the truth."
Top
Cabinet clears I.T Bill
The Cabinet today cleared the much-awaited Information Technology Bill to provide a legal framework for electronic communication, trade and commerce and prevent computer crimes.
The bill, to be taken up in the winter session of Parliament, envisages a secure regulatory environment for E-commerce by providing legal validity for internet and other electronic transactions.
It will also permit computer data as an evidence in the court, official sources said.
Top
Tariff proposed by MTNL needs to be examined: TRAI
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today said that tariff proposed by the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) for its cellular services needs to be examined for cross subsidisation and other related issues.
The cost-based tariffs that were specified by TRAI were based on costs submitted by service providers using a different technology - Group Speciale Mobile (GSM), TRAI Chairman Justice S S Sodhi said.
"With a change in policy that now allows provision of cellular services using CDMA technology (being offerred by MTNL), there is a need to re-examine the cost basis to consider whether there is a major difference with respect to the previous situation," Sodhi said.
Addressing an open house on MTNL's tariff proposal for cellular mobile services, Sodhi said consumers' interests were supreme but at the same time if a particular tariff was found to be below cost and thus not sustainable, consumer benefits from the low tariff were likely to be short lived.
Private cellular operators said that tariff fixed by MTNL for the mobile services was likely to create undue financial pressure on the existing service providers.
The Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI), however demanded that MTNL should not be allowed to retain the local call component of Rs 1.20 a call made from the cellular system.
Top
PM to inaugurate Science Congress
Pune: The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee will inaugurate the
87th Indian Science Congress at Pune in January 2000. The Congress
will unveil a blueprint for the country's progress and a five-point
agenda for the new millennium. Nobel laureates Richard Ernst and Jean
Marie Lehn and top Indian scientists, including chief designer of
Pokhran II A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Atomic Energy Commission chairman R.
Chidambaram and space scientist K. Kasturirangan will address the
meet.
Top
Desmukh assures to rehabilitate sacked ministers
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, assured on
Tuesday that the six sacked ministers in his Democratic Front (DF)
Government would be rehabilitated with "dignity." The sacked Ministers
will be rehabilitated with dignity." Chaturvedi was among the six
Ministers who faced the axe when the 61-member jumbo Ministry was
pruned. He was vehemently critical of the Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) president, Sharad Pawar, for allegedly trying to stall the
functioning of the fledging DF Government in the State.
Top
India look for a more authoritative show
Rajkot,Thursday, November 04, 1999: Fresh from winning the three-match Test series by a modest 1-0 margin, India will aim to be more authoritative when they take on a determined New Zealand in the first tie of the five-game limited overs Pepsi cricket series to be played here tomorrow.
Skipper Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the last two one-day tourneys India figured in to tend to his troublesome back, has struck ominous form on return to action with an unbeaten 126 in the first Test and 217 in the final match in Ahmedabad.Tendulkar's touch, and his return alongwith seasoned bowlers Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath - all three had missed the Toronto and Nairobi tournaments - will give the hosts the chance to avenge the five-wicket defeat they suffered in the World Cup superleague against the Kiwis in their last meeting.New Zealand have always been tough for India in limited overs with their sprightly fielding clearly a notch above what the hosts have been able to produce.India had to be satisfied with a 2-all draw in the one-day series in New Zealand in January this year and, with a firm track laid out at the Municipal Corporation ground here, they will have to be very consistent to overcome the Kiwis in their fifth tournament since World Cup.
New Zealand, who have won the hearts of many fans through their resilience despite losing the series, have a good one-day squad to bolster whose batting left-hander Roger Twose has arrived.
Top
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Markets
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To get today's complete NIFTY (the NSE index) listing send an e-mail to
get-nse@mumbai-central.com
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BSE Sensex gains 29.74 points
The BSE Sensex closed at 4485.92, gaining 29.74 points.
Top
Freedom on classification suggested
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) working group on valuation
of banks' investment portfolio has suggested that each bank should be given the
freedom to classify its investment portfolio into current and permanent category in
accordance with the international norms. The group has pointed out that at present
financial institutions such as Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) treats the
entire portfolio as permanent, while ICICI Ltd treats it entirely as current. In case of
insurance companies, government securities are basically valued at cost. Though
estimates as to market price are made, appreciation if any is ignored. While in the
case of depreciation, the auditors set it off against the appreciation in equities portfolio.
If appreciation in the equity portfolio is not enough to adjust the depreciation, the
difference is ignored and the securities are valued at cost. The group has said that with
capital adequacy measures and comprehensive instructions from RBI on income
recognition asset classification and provisioning in place, government securities
market has come a long way and the turnover in the secondary market has grown
many fold thus there is no need for continuance of such bifurcation with a view to
promote trading in government securities in secondary market.
Top
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Forex
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1 DMark = 23.22853 INR
1 FFranc = 6.925791 INR
1 U.K. Pound = 71.14848 INR
1 US $ = 43.37000 INR
1 Yen = 0.414112 INR
1 Singapore $ = 26.02 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 11.81 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 11.56 INR |
Metals
| Gold
Mumbai (Rs/10 gm) 4595.00 5.00
London ($/Oz) 292.25 -0.50
Silver
Mumbai (Rs/kg) 8210.00 25.00
London ($/oz) 5.23 0.00 |
Weather
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Temperature: 81 F / 27 C
HeatIndex: 88 F / 31 C
Humidity: 89%
Dewpoint: 77 F / 25 C
Wind
Calm
Pressure: 29.83 in / 1010 hPa
Conditions
Smoke
Tonight: Low: 69 F / 21 C Scattered Clouds
Friday: High: 89 F / 32 C Scattered Clouds
Friday Night: Low: 77 F / 25 C Partly Cloudy
Saturday: High: 98 F / 37 C Scattered Clouds
Saturday Night: Low: 77 F / 25 C Partly Cloudy
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Features
Nov:
A first-hand account
of the devastation in the recent super-cyclone:
via nukkad
Everything you ever wanted to
know about XML :
via nukkad
Oct:
Ninad attends the Bombay Times
Party and gets a crick in the neck (from all the celeb-spotting)
How to survive a heart attack when
alone: via nukkad
Detailed election results from Mumbai
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