|
-: Advertisement :-
Save on your taxes while donating to a good cause!
Donate to the 'Bombay Leprosy Project'
Visit http://www.bomlep.org for details.
|
-: Advertisement :-
Headlines
|
News:
India extends ceasefire in J&K
Qureshi regrets hijacking; favours extension of J&K ceasefire
CBI completes interrogation of Hinduja group chairman
Mauritius supports India for permanent Security Council Seat
Vajpayee to visit Japan in February
Bharat Mobile launch on Jan 26
US ambassador meets Maha CM to discuss Enron crisis
Sanjay Bhatnagar quits Enron
Crowe also set to refuse to testify to ICC
South Africa win by an innings
|
Markets:
Sensex: 4296.69, +29.58
Sensex breaks 4274-resistance
|
Forex, Metals and
Weather below
|
News
|
India extends ceasefire in J&K
New Delhi,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: The centre today extended by another month the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.
The ceasefire was to end on January 26. The decision to extend the ceasefire was taken at a three-hour long meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security presided over by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Announcing the decision, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said that Pakistan should rein in militant outfits like Lashkar-e-toiba which were not observing the truce. He said that the centre also regretted the killing of innocent people by terrorists and targeting of security forces.
Top
Qureshi regrets hijacking; favours extension of J&K ceasefire
Srinagar,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: While the Centre announced extension of Ceasefire in Delhi, surrendered hijacker of Indian Airlines plane, Hashim Qureshi, regretted the hijacking the fokker friendship "Ganga" in 1971 to which he was a party to.
Qureshi, who returned to India last month after years of self exile in the Netherlands and is facing charges against the hijacking in Srinagar, said "I am against violence of all kinds and I regret that as a violent incident".
Qureshi told this to reporters outside the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, Mohammad Nazir Fida, who sent him for 15 days judicial custody today.
He also pleaded for extension of the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Prime Minister. "Though people were killed in custody during the ceasefire but it should be extended so that common Kashmiri is relieved of the tension", he said.
He parried questions about the presence of foreign militants and "fidayeen attacks" on security installations by them saying "I am against violence of all types".
Qureshi requested those who were carrying out attacks in civilian areas to stop it as innocent people were getting killed.
He disagreed with a remark that political struggle in Jammu and Kashmir had borne no fruits and youth have taken to arms saying "there has been no political struggle in Kashmir. People here had surrendered all rights to former Chief Minister, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah".
Top
CBI completes interrogation of Hinduja group chairman
New Delhi,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: CBI today completed questioning of eldest of the three Hinduja brothers, S.P. Hinduja, lasting four days, in connection with his alleged role in the Bofors payoff case but said if required he would be called for further interrogation.
CBI spokesman said the agency would question Geneva-based P.P.Hinduja tomorrow and after completing his questioning they would interrogate G.P. Hinduja.
The Hinduja group Chairman S.P.Hinduja, who had been questioned everyday from Saturday afternoon, was interrogated for over three hours by the Special Investigation Group at the agency headquarters here.
The agency was investigating the payments received by The Hinduja Group from A B Bofors immediately after the Rs 1437 crore contract for supply of 400 Howitzer Guns was signed between Indian Government and Swedish firm in 1986.
Hindujas have all along maintained that they were innocent and were falsely implicated in the case saying the money received by them from AB Bofors was not linked to the gun deal.
Asked whether Srichand Hinduja could move an application before the court to leave the country as his interrogation has been completed, the spokesman, S M Khan, said "We would answer this question in the court but if certain issues figure during interrogation of the other brothers, We will have to summon him (Srichand) again".
Top
Mauritius supports India for permanent Security Council Seat
Mumbai,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: Mauritian Prime minister Aneerood Jugnauth today reiterated his country's support to India's candidature for a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council.
Addressing media persons here, Jugnauth said this was necessary since the current composition of the council "did not reflect the truth nor was it the real representation of the world".
Describing his brief visit to India as successful, Jugnauth said he had met various dignitaries in India and a follow-up action on all the issues discussed with them would be ensured by his government.
A high-level delegation, headed by the Mauritian Minister of Information Technology, would be interacting with their Indian counterparts while a delegation from India was expected to visit Mauritius by the third week of February, led by the Minister for communications, he said.
"A number of Indian bussinessmen have also shown keen interest to come to Mauritius shortly to discuss the modalities for the implementation of several projects", he added.
He said several national and bilateral issues were raised during his discussions but the main focus was on working out a strategic alliance between the two countries on promotion and development of Information Technology in Mauritius and setting up a cybercity as well as implementation of an "E-governance" in Mauritius.
Top
Vajpayee to visit Japan in February
Tokyo,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is to pay an official visit to Japan in February to strengthen ties between the two countries, Japanese foreign ministry announced today.
Vajpayee will arrive in Osaka, western Japan, on February 10, but this official programme, including a meeting with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and an audience with Emperor Akihito, is confined to two days from February 13, according to a schedule issued by the ministry.
The visit would "further strengthen the friendly relations existing between Japan and India," the ministry said in a statement.
Vajpayee is scheduled to leave Japan on February 14, it said.
Top
Bharat Mobile launch on Jan 26
Patna,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will commercially launch its mobile service, Bharat Mobile, for the first time in the country on January 26 in Patna and Hajipur, the Lok Sabha Constituency of Union Communication Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan.
The Chief General Manager, Bihar Telecom Circle, BSNL, R K Bhatia said here today that registration would begin on January 24 and the allotments would be made on a first-come-first-serve basis.
To start with, BSNL would provide the service to 1,000 customers in Patna and 500 in Hajipur.
The security deposit for BSNL mobile connection, Bhatia said, would be Rs 3,000 (refundable), besides Rs 50 each for registration and activation charges, Rs 400 as monthly rental and Rs 25 as monthly clip charges.
Reliance in Patna charges Rs 3000 as security deposit (refundable), besides Rs 1,200 as activation charges, Rs 500 as monthly rental and Rs 35 as clip charges, the total cost to the consumer, excluding air-time charges, comes to be higher than what BSNL plans to charge.
Intially, a post-paid service would be launched and other services to match the tariff structure of Reliance Telecom's Smart Card and Oxygen, would be announced next month, Bhatia said.
He said BSNL would charge Rs 3.50 for both outgoing and incoming calls during peak hours and Rs 3 per unit at a pulse of 30 seconds during off-peak hours.
Top
US ambassador meets Maha CM to discuss Enron crisis
Mumbai,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: The outgoing US ambassador to India Richard Celeste today met Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and discussed the status of controversial Enron power project in the state.
During the meeting which lasted for 45 minutes, chief minister explained to Celeste the financial burden cast on the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) on account of purchase of power from the Dabhol Power Company (DPC), the subsidiary of Enron set up in coastal Konkan, offical sources told PTI.
Celeste described Maharshtra government's decision to set up a committee of experts to review the project as a "positive" step and hoped that it would lead to a favourable outcome as the issue involved foreign investment in India.
Deshmukh told Celeste that the state government would be approaching Centre to +lighten its heavy financial burden+ after the review committee came out with "concrete proposals."
Celeste said the issue was an important one and hmped it would be sorted out soon. "Every crisis is an opportunity", he was quoted as saying. Dashmukh said the review committee was expected to be set up within "a day or two".
The MSEB officials present at the meeting explained the financial burden suffered by the board owing to power purchase agreement reached with DPC for the first phase of the project.
MSEB's current dues to DPC are to the tune of Rs 2.40 billion for November and December 2000.
Top
Sanjay Bhatnagar quits Enron
Mumbai,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: Former Chairman and CEO of Enron India Sanjay Bhatnagar, who was moved to Singapore to head the mulitnational's broadband services in Asia, has resigned.
Bhatnagar, who was involved with the 2,014 Mw Dabhol Power project and now in the thick of controversy, put in his papers last week and his resignation has since been accepted.
Bhatnagar, who is presently in US, was last month posted as CEO of Enron Broadband Service in Asia based at Singpaore with effect from January one this year.
Enron in a statement said Bhatnagar had quit to +pursue other interests and we wish him well in his endeavours+.
A spokesman said he had been transferred over to another of Enron's businesses several months ago, so the transition at Enron India has already been accomplished.
+We have a strong management team at Enron India and have every confidence in their continuing ability to manage the business effectively+.
Bhatnagar is the third high official to quit Enron within the last six months. The first to quit was Rebecca Mark, former CEO and Chairman of Enron International, followed by Joseph Sutton, who took over from her.
Top
Crowe also set to refuse to testify to ICC
Wellington,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe won't talk to the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit unless allegations against him are substantiated, his lawyer said today.
Crowe is taking the same line as Australian test batsman Mark Waugh who said on monday that he would refuse to be interviewed by the inquiry team, reports AP. Crowe's Wellington-based lawyer David Howman said Crowe had no intention of talking to anti-corruption director Sir Paul Condon when he makes his mid-February visit to New Zealand, unless allegations that Crowe took money for match information during the 1991 World Cup were substantiated. Howman said he could understand where Waugh was coming from. "Otherwise he's going to end up responding to allegations all his life," he said. "Martin Crowe is not going to open his mouth either. We have cooperated all along and will continue to do so if the allegations come to anything but at the moment there is nothing to answer to." New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Christopher Doig said he would be disappointed if Crowe declined to be interviewed. "Martin Crowe and David Howman have indicated to New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand inquiry team that they would cooperate fully," Doig said. "I'm unaware of Sir Paul Condon making a request to speak to Martin Crowe but if he did so I think it would be unwise to refuse".
Top
South Africa win by an innings
Centurion (South Africa),Tuesday, January 23, 2001: South Africa completed their second successive innings victory over Sri Lanka when they won the third and final Test by an innings and seven runs on the third afternoon at Centurion yesterday, an international news agency reported.
South Africa won the series 2-0. Their victory by an innings and 229 runs in the second Test in Cape Town earlier this month was also achieved in three days.
Kumar Sangakkara, promoted to open the batting in place of out-of-form captain Sanath Jayasuriya, was Sri Lanka's lone hero. He was last man out for 98 and was unlucky not to score his first Test century when he was adjudged leg before wicket to Makhaya Ntini.
The ball pitched outside leg stump but English umpire Peter Willey raised his finger to signal the end of the match.
Sri Lanka, who had been forced to follow on 259 runs behind on the first innings, were bowled out for 252, adding just 68 runs for the loss of seven wickets.
The slide started with the 11th ball of the day when Aravinda de Silva was caught at third slip by South African captain Shaun Pollock when he edged an outswinger from Jacques Kallis.
Pollock flung himself forward and to his right to take the ball with both hands. De Silva walked as Pollock claimed the catch but slow motion replays indicated the ball bounced as Pollock caught it.
Top
|
Markets
|
To get today's complete NIFTY (the NSE index) listing send an e-mail to
get-nse@mumbai-central.com
(updated multiple times a day)
|
To get today's BSE index listing send an e-mail to
get-bse@mumbai-central.com
(updated multiple times a day)
|
To get today's NAVs for mutual funds send an e-mail to
get-mf@mumbai-central.com
(updated once a day)
|
Sensex: 4296.69, +29.58
The sensex closed at 4296.69, up 29.58
Top
Sensex breaks 4274-resistance
Mumbai,Tuesday, January 23, 2001: A smart rally in key heavyweight counters like Zee Telefilms, RIL, RPL, SBI, L&T and MTNL provided the sensex required strength to break the strong 4274-resistance in divergent trends on the Bombay Stock Exchange today on hectic buying by speculators as also selective purchases by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).
The focussed price rally was so impressive that the sensex could score the marked gains in spite of a noticeable setback in BHEL, Grasim, Hindalco, Infosys Tech, ITC and Satyam Computer, that have fairly good contribution in the BSE barometer.
Speculators were good buyers in old economy stocks on the back of fresh purchases by FIIs in L&T, RPL and few others. Fresh buying by operators was attributed to short-covering on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) which had the last day of current settlement.
However, domestic mutual funds reportedly were busy in booking profits in several scrips, more particularly in IT sector, stocks of which had been in the limelight earlier.
The BSE Sensitive Index opened moderately up at 4277.83 and rallied past the 4300-mark to the day's high of 4321.75 before closing at 4296.69 as against yesterday's close of 4267.11, netting a gain of 29.58 points.
The BSE-100 Index, however, eased by 2.01 points to 2196.24 from previous close of 2198.25.
Market sources forsee a strong upsurge that could push sensex further up by about 180 points if it remained above the level of 4270 in the next couple of days.
Top
|
Forex
|
1 DMark = 22.29160 INR
1 FFranc = 6.646587 INR
1 U.K. Pound = 68.13664 INR
1 US $ = 46.34200 INR
1 Yen = 0.395207 INR
1 Canadian $ = 30.76 INR
1 Singapore $ = 26.60 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 12.62 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 12.36 INR
1 Euro = 43.61 INR
|
Metals
|
23 January
Gold Std. (10g): Rs 4445
Silver (1 Kg) : Rs 7895
|
Weather
|
Temperature: 73 F / 23 C
HeatIndex: 77 F / 25 C
Humidity: 41%
Dewpoint: 48 F / 9 C
Wind
Calm
Pressure: 29.85 in / 1011 hPa
Conditions
Smoke
Clouds
Clear (SKC)
Sunrise : 07:14 AM (IST)
Sunset : 06:25 PM (IST)
Moon Rise : 06:15 AM (IST)
Moon Set : 05:30 PM (IST)
Tonight : Low: 68 F / 20 C Clear
Wednesday : High: 87 F / 31 C Clear
Wednesday Night : Low: 68 F / 20 C Clear
Thursday : High: 87 F / 31 C Clear
Thursday Night : Low: 68 F / 20 C Clear
|
-: Advertisement :-
Save on your taxes while donating to a good cause!
Donate to the 'Bombay Leprosy Project'
Visit http://www.bomlep.org for details.
|
-: Advertisement :-
|
Admin Message
Features
Do you own an Internet cafe or provide internet access for web surfing?
If so, please contact us.
new!
Today in history
Rajan Malhotra explains the significance of Sankranti/Pongal/Lohari/Kicheri/Sukarat...
in different parts of the country - via nukkad
The Republic Blast Concert
new!
Events in Jan 2001
This week's Bollywood news
new!
Watery Groves - a poem by
Rajababu
Disconnected - a poem by
Sanjeev Naik
Our interactive bus guide
Refuse, Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle plastics
List of places to see in Mumbai (with pics). Any corrections/additions/suggestions? Send them in.
Have a suggestion for new features?. Let us know!.
25 things that prove you're a Bombayite...... - via nukkad
Make Mumbai Central your start page! Step-by-step instructions here.
Message boards
Events: Events in January 2001
Transportation: Buying a Motorcycle in Mumbai
Education: SSC timetable
News and Media: information for cable internet services
Transportation: Re: Borivali people travelling in Virar Trains
nukkad
Re: 'Ville Parle' is French !!!
Fwd: [Internet ScamBusters #41]
From the desk of Rajababu-Leadership style
Re: Thus Spake The Mango Tree
The Dec '00 meeting
From the desk of Rajababu-Nukkadites meet at Mumbai
(More info on the 'nukkad' mailing list, including subscription info is at:
http://www.mumbai-central.com/nukkad/)
About the Mumbai Grapevine
The Mumbai Grapevine is a daily newsletter with news and info
from the city of Mumbai, formerly Bombay. The newsletter also
has weekly editions of international news.
To express your opinion about a particular story or news item,
write to:
news-editor@mumbai-central.com
These opinions may be published on the newsletter. If you do
not want your name/address to be published along with your
letter, please indicate clearly.
Instructions to unsubscribe are at the end of the newsletter.
Please feel free to forward this message to your friends and co-workers
who might be interested in it. The instructions to join the Mumbai
Grapevine are at the end of the message.
|