|
-: Advertisement :-
Surprise your loved ones with a gift!
Wide variety of chocolates, flowers and cakes available with FREE home delivery.
Visit http://www.wish2gift.com/?g and send your wishes...
|
-: Advertisement :-
Headlines
|
News:
45 killed, over 150 injured in explosions in Mumbai
Mayawati recommends dissolution of UP assembly, fresh polls
Evidence of temple found during excavation in Ayodhya
Army help sought for probing blasts
Pakistan condemns Mumbai blasts
Advani to visit Mumbai tomorrow
Iran favours UN undertaking leadership task in Iraq
BJP demands President's rule in state
CAS deferred in Delhi
IMF warns India of high deficit, but pegs GDP growth at 5.5%
Health ministry seeks apology from Pepsi
OSOA asks Govt to differ privatisation of HPCL by 2 yrs
Market dives by 166 points due to serial bomb explosions
India take top honours in Asian chess championships
Bagan pays fine to FIFA, requests withdrawal of punishment
|
Markets:
Sensex: 4004.63, -120.49
Sensex plunges by over 180 points
|
Forex, Metals and
Weather below
|
News
|
45 killed, over 150 injured in explosions in Mumbai
Mumbai,Monday, August 25, 2003: Two car bombs exploded in the crowded areas of the metropolis in quick succession today killing 45 people and injuring over 150, in the first such incident after the March 1993 serial blasts which had claimed 257 lives.
The bombs hidden in the boots of two taxis went off in five minutes interval at Zaveri Bazar, famous jewellery market in South Mumbai at 1300 IST and at the parking lot of Gateway of India in the heart of the city during the lunch hour rush trigerring tension in the commercial hub of the country.
Immediately after the epxlosions, the sixth since last December, security forces in Maharashtra and neighbouring Gujarat were put on high alert
Eye-witness accounts said the powerful blast at Gateway of India shattered the glass panes of Taj Mahal hotel and Anushakti Bhavan, housing the office of department of Atomic Energy, located nearby.
Maharashtra Health Minister Digvijay Singh said 28 bodies were brought to J.J hospital, 14 in St. George's and three in G.T hospital. About 85 people were admitted with serious injuries in J J hospital, 38 in G.T and 28 in St. George's. J J hospital witnessed a gory sight with mutiliated bodies and blood splattered all around. The seriously injured were admitted with splinters all over their bodies.
City police commissioner R S Sharma said the explosions appeared to be the handiwork of terrorists but so far no one has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
Top
Mayawati recommends dissolution of UP assembly, fresh polls
Lucknow,Monday, August 25, 2003: Uttar Pradesh was today plunged into a political crisis with the BSP-BJP coalition collapsing after Chief Minister Mayawati recommended dissolution of the state assembly and holding of fresh elections with which the BJP does not not agree.
Springing a surprise on her junior partner BJP, with whom she has been having troubled relations ever since the Taj Heritage Corridor controversy broke out, Mayawati called a cabinet meeting where she is reported to have offered to step down. She also severed BSP's ties with BJP.
Taken aback by her move, the BJP sought to preempt her by going to Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri. Leader of the BJP Legislature party and Urban Development Minister Lalji Tandon handed over a letter to him withdrawing the party's support to the coaltion government formed in April last year.
Shortly afterwards Mayawati rushed to the Governor and gave him a letter claiming to contain the cabinet's recommedations for dissolution of the assembly add holding of polls at the earliest.
Top
Evidence of temple found during excavation in Ayodhya
Lucknow,Monday, August 25, 2003: In what could be a turning point in the Ayodhya dispute, the Archaeological Survey of India has reported to the High Court here that its excavations found distinctive features of a 10th century temple beneath the Babri Mosque site even as the Sunni Central Waqf Board termed the report as "vague and self-contradictory".
The 574-page ASI report consisting of written opinions and maps and drawings was opened before the Full Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court this morning.
The report said there was archaeological evidence of a massive structure just below the disputed structure and evidence of continuity in structural activities from the 10th century onwards upto the construction of the disputed structure (Babri Mosque).
Among the excavation yields it mentioned were stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of divine couple and carved architectural members including, foliage patterns, amalaka, kapotapali, doorjamb with semi-circular shrine pilaster, broke octagonal shaft of black schist pillar, lotus motif, circular shrine having pranjala (watershute) in the north and 50 pillar bases in asscoiation with a huge structure.
The archaeological evidence and other discoveries from the site were indicative of remains which are distnctive features found associated with the temples of north India, the ASI report said.
Top
Army help sought for probing blasts
New Delhi,Monday, August 25, 2003: Army experts have been called to help in the investigations into the explosions that rocked Mumbai today with possibility of use of RDX explosives not being ruled out.
The state government has sought their assistance keeping in view the large scale devastation caused by these blasts. Though sources were tight lipped, it is feared that the vast area of the impact of the blast could have been due to the explosives like RDX or Semtex which are used by terrorists in recent bomb blasts in other parts of the country.
Top
Pakistan condemns Mumbai blasts
Islamabad,Monday, August 25, 2003: Pakistan today condemned the twin bomb blasts in Mumbai, which left 42 dead and 150 others injured.
"We deplore the attack and sympathise with the victims and their families," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman told reporters at a weekly briefing.
"Civilians have been targeted in the blasts. We condemn all such attacks. All attacks targeting civilians should be condemned," the spokesman said.
Explosives concealed in two taxis went off in quick succession in the vicinity of Mumbadevi and the Gateway of India.
Top
Advani to visit Mumbai tomorrow
New Delhi: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani will visit Mumbai tomorrow for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation following the twin bomb blasts.
He is scheduled to go to the two spots where the blasts occurred and also visit the injured people in hospitals, informed sources said.
Advani will leave for Mumbai immediately after attending the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting here.
>>From Mumbai, he will go to Aurangabad where he will address a public meeting and return to Delhi tomorrow night.
Top
Iran favours UN undertaking leadership task in Iraq
New Delhi,Monday, August 25, 2003: Iran has conveyed to India that it favoured the United Nations undertaking the leadership task in Iraq and withdrawal of occupying forces from that country to prepare the ground for cooperation of other countries.
Official sources said Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, who left Sunday night for Beijing after a brief visit, stressed during talks with his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha that stability and security in Iraq were important for Iran's security and that Tehran's approach towards Iraq was "peaceful and constructive".
Kharrazi, who was accompanied by a business delegation, called on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during which the two sides underpinned the importance of further consolidating their partnership.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress in bilateral relations, Kharrazi termed as important cooperation in energy and transport of Iranian gas to India. Tehran has offered to supply gas through the overland route via Pakistan.
Observing that all these cooperation ventures opened a new chapter in bilateral relations, Kharrazi said more areas had to be explored in line with the interest of the entire region.
Sinha said India was keen on stepping up cooperation with Iran in the energy and information technology sectors.
During parleys with Sinha, Kharrazi also said stability and security in Afghanistan was an important factor to stop trafficking of illicit drugs and terrorism. He expressed satisfaction between India and Iran in dealing with these issues, the sources said.
Top
BJP demands President's rule in state
Citing constitutional breakdown in Maharashtra in view of bomb blasts in Mumbai, the BJP today demanded imposition of President's rule in the state.
"The law and order situation has collapsed. The constitutional machinery seems helpless before criminal and anti-national forces and the BJP demands imposition of President's rule in the state," BJP spokesman Muktar Abbas Naqvi said.
Asked whether the state unit of BJP will seek dismissal of the Maharashtra government, Naqvi said "BJP state unit will put forth its views at an appropriate forum."
Top
CAS deferred in Delhi
New Delhi,Monday, August 25, 2003: The implementation of Conditional Access System (CAS) in Delhi has been deferred till after the assembly elections, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.
However, it will be implemented in the other three metro cities as scheduled, he said.
Top
IMF warns India of high deficit, but pegs GDP growth at 5.5%
New Delhi,Monday, August 25, 2003: International Monetary Fund has warned that large fiscal deficit and public debt was hampering India's economic growth, which is slated to go up by 1.0 per cent to 5.5 per cent this fiscal in the face of good monsoon.
"India's large fiscal deficits and public debt are exacting an economic cost in term of foregone growth," IMF said, but projected GDP growth of 5.5 per cent for 2003-04 in the face of recovery in agriculture.
"The projection for 2003-04, which was broadly in line with the consensus forecast, incorporates a recovery in agriculture. But there is a potential for even a stronger rebound in this sector," the fund said in its latest country report after consultation with Indian government.
IMF said inflation was expected to be "moderate" at around 4.5 per cent by end of this fiscal.
"The external current account situation is expected to remain in surplus," it said.
IMF acknowledged the "resilience" of the Indian economy in warding off recessionary trends worldwide, which was a testimony to the benefits of reforms.
But the apparent ease with which the fiscal deficit has been financed, IMF said "there would be detrimental effects on growth through crowding-out of critically needed spending on fiscal and social capital and through the pre-emption of resources for private investments."
"Large fiscal imbalances leave little room for manoeuver in the face of shocks and have tended to result in ad hoc policy changes, which increase investment uncertainties," IMF cautioned.
Top
Health ministry seeks apology from Pepsi
Taking serious note of a "misleading" advertisement saying the Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj had given a clean chit to soft drink Pepsi, the ministry on Monday sought "unconditional apology" from the company and also withdrawal of the advertisement.
Questioning motives behind the advertisement in the newspapers on August 22, the ministry told the company "your advertisement is misleading as only a part of one sentence given in the statement of the Minister before the Lok Sabha has been used in the advertisement".
"It is obvious that the remaining part of the sentence has been willfully concealed with questionable motives," Deepak Gupta, joint secretary in the ministry said.
Stating that the minister's statement noted that pesticide residues had been found in all the samples tested, and in nine of these samples the pesticides residues were found to be above the prescribed EU norms, he said, "thus, your claim that your product is conforming to EU norms is not true".
"Using the minister's name for promoting sale of your product is extremely unethical and also violative of established norms of advertisements," he said seeking withdrawal of the advertisement and an unconditional apology from the company.
"This is without prejudice to any further action which the Government may propose to take in this matter," he warned.
Top
OSOA asks Govt to differ privatisation of HPCL by 2 yrs
New Delhi,Monday, August 25, 2003: Government is unlikely to go ahead with the due diligence for Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) till the Supreme Court hears a petition challenging the decision to privatise the oil refiner without Parliament approval, on September one.
"Data room for due diligence by bidders for Government's 34.01 per cent stake will be ready by next week, by when the Supreme Court will also decide on the petition," a senior Government official told PTI after an hour long meeting with office bearers of Oil Sector Officers Association, which had threatened to block the exercise unless the Government decision was ratified by the Parliament.
HPCL due diligence was to begin this week with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) beginning the scrutiny.
OSOA convenor Ashoke Singh said they have asked Government to differ privatisation of HPCL for atleast two years for the company to realise its true potential.
"We have asked Government to set benchmarks and targets for sales and profits for the next two years, by when HPCL's valuation will leap to Rs 44,000 crore," he said claiming that last year's doubling of net profit to Rs 15,00 crore and surge in scrip has seen the company valuation increasing from Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 22,000 crore.
He said HPCL unions will not allow any bidders to carry out due diligence which includes scrutiny of company books and inspection of company's refineries at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam and select marketing terminals, unless Parliament approval was sought to privatise the refiner which was nationalised through an act of Parliament.
Today's meeting with OSOA was attended by Disinvestment Secretary Dhirendra Singh and Petroleum Secretary B K Chaturvedi.
Top
Market dives by 166 points due to serial bomb explosions
Mumbai,Monday, August 25, 2003: After a strong start, equities came crashing down like a pack of cards and the sensex dived by 165.95 from the intra-day high in extremely volatile activity on Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) on sudden panic sell-off fuelled by two bomb explosions in the metropolis.
Initially, the BSE barometer rallied smartly to the day's high at 4170.58 in response to the 50 basis point cut in the repurchase rate by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last Saturday, a move aimed at stimulating economic growth.
However, speculators and foreign funds later resorted to panic sell-off in a bid to dilute their holdings after the bomb explosions rocked the commercial capital during mid-session sending stocks reeling down unprecedently.
As a result, the BSE Benchmark 30-share Index snapped the five-session gains streak and spiralled down to the intra-day low at 3943.66 but later attempted a noticeable rally as stocks saw a marked recovery on purchases by Indian Financial Institutions at lower levels before ending at 4004.63 as against last Friday's close of 4125.12, a net fall of 120.49 points or 2.92 per cent, highest fall in terms of points in the year.
The broad-based BSE-100 Index tumbled by 69.15 points to 2069.53 from previous close of 2138.68.
The market was on a strong footing with not only positive developments from economic and political front but also sustained flow of foreign investments, brokers said adding that now the situation is changed and hedge funds might take advantage of it by pressing sales during the week.
Top
India take top honours in Asian chess championships
Kozhikode,Monday, August 25, 2003: Ending the Chinese domination, India's Koneru Humpy and D Harika grabbed the gold and silver medals respectively in the 10th Asian Women's Chess Championship which concluded here today.
Grandmaster Humpy established her supremacy by claiming the gold with 7 points. Tournament sensation Harika took the silver pushing back Vietnam's Hoang Thanh Trang to the third spot on better average rating.
WGM Vijayalakshmi, who was in contention for the title until she drew her eighth round game with Zhang Jilin (CHN) yesterday, lost to Trang Xu Yuanyuan (CHN) who drew with compatriot Gu Xiaobing to move up to six points and finish fourth in the championship where the Chinese held sway for several years.
Defending Champion Li Ruofan (CHN) finished a poor ninth after splitting points with Tania Sachdev.
Agreeing for a draw against Le Kieu Thien Kim (VIE), Humpy ensured the top position to justify her top billing in the tournament, although the Vijayawada girl had virtually won the title yesterday itself by virtue of her better average rating.
"I am very happy to win unopposed as the tournament is the toughest I have played so far," Humpy told PTI.
Harika, who created a few upsets in the initial rounds to hog the limelight, convincingly beat Wang Yu (CHN) to finish second with 6.5 points after recording a better average compared to Trang.
Top
Bagan pays fine to FIFA, requests withdrawal of punishment
Kolkata,Monday, August 25, 2003: Mohun Bagan, slapped with a FIFA punishment for not clearing dues of Nigerian Isha Musah last year, has made payment of Rs 5.29 lakh to the world soccer governing body as fine while requesting it to withdraw the ban imposed on recruiting foreign players till April next.
Bagan assistant secretary Balaram Chowdhury, who took the intiative to settle the matter, paid the amount equivalent to 11,000 dollars to the Players' Status Committee of FIFA through the Indian Football Association.
"We had to make payment of the fine imposed by FIFA. Now we look forward for withdrawal of the ban on recruitment, which is important for us to strengthen the squad before the National Football League," Chowdhury told PTI here today.
Besides Chowdhury, the court-appointed three special officers in charge of the soccer affairs of the club, have requested FIFA in a separate letter to withdraw the ban on fresh induction of foreign players.
FIFA had slapped the punishment after Musah, who turned out for the club last year, moved the FIFA Players' Status Committee earlier this year claiming that Bagan had failed to pay his contractual dues.
Subsequently FIFA opened a case on the issue and sought clarification from the city club, which suspended Musa and fellow Nigerian Geroge Ekeh for six months on grounds of "indiscipline".
Top
|
Markets
|
To get automatic, regular NIFTY (NSE index) updates by email,
subscribe to the NSEData mailing list. Send an email to
NSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
(updated multiple times a day)
|
To get automatic, regular BSE updates by email, subscribe to the BSEData
mailing list. Send an email to
BSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
(updated multiple times a day)
|
Sensex: 4004.63, -120.49
The sensex closed at 4004.63, down 120.49
Top
Sensex plunges by over 180 points
The benchmark of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) crashed by over 180 points in the wake of two blasts that rocked south Mumbai today.
The sensex, which has been on the roll in the recent past, lost a whopping 180 points after going past 4150 levels early in the day.
The Nifty also tumbled by 48.90 points to around 1261.05 after nervousness gripped the local bourses here.
Top
|
Forex
|
1 U.S. $ = 45.8300 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3900 INR
1 British Pound = 72.2556 INR
1 Canadian $ = 32.6774 INR
1 Singapore $ = 26.2456 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 12.4772 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 12.2191 INR
1 Euro = 49.9318 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 12.5872 INR
|
Metals
|
|
Weather
| Temperature : 84 F / 29 C
HeatIndex : 89 F / 32 C
Humidity : 66%
Dew Point : 72 F / 22 C
Wind : SW at 9 mph / 14.5 km/h
Wind Gust -
Pressure : N/A in / -
Conditions : Haze
Visibility -
|
-: Advertisement :-
Surprise your loved ones with a gift!
Wide variety of chocolates, flowers and cakes available with FREE home delivery.
Visit http://www.wish2gift.com/?g and send your wishes...
|
-: Advertisement :-
|
Admin Message
Some photos from today's bomb blasts are at:
http://www.mumbai-central.com/specials/2003blasts/
- Harshal
Features
Do you own an Internet cafe or provide internet access for web surfing?
If so, please contact us.
Recent items of interest:
Return tickets on Mumbai local trains not valid for next day (via the Grapevine newsletter)
Pankaj is cheesed off at cheese.
Gurunath posts an article on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar titled 'Sudarshan Kriya - as I experienced it'
Arya muses on the best way to compute your age
Akshay awards the whammy awards to the current musical sensations
Classics
74 images with descriptive text showcasing the
Mumbai Ganesh festival 2001
WTC Plane 'bombings' and me - a graphic first-hand account of a 'nukkad' subscriber
Irani Chai Wala - an evocative
description of a typical Irani restaurant in Bombay
Online hotel reservations for all
the major Indian cities.
Easier procedure for non-immigrant U.S. visas - via the Mumbai Grapevine
Puraani
yaadein - lyrics of old Films Division cartoons (via nukkad).
The wonder that is the Mumbai
tiffinwalla
Mumbai Us Zamaney Ka
- a walk down memory lane (via nukkad)
Refuse, Reduce, Re-use, Re-cycle plastics
List of places to see in Mumbai (with pics). Any corrections/additions/suggestions? Send them in.
Make Mumbai Central your start page! Step-by-step instructions here.
Message boards
Open forum: hsc exams 2003
Bollywood Masala: An Emerging Hindi Script/Screen Writer wants job
Business and Money: any thing for money
Education: Re: ssc 2003 march time table
Community events: awards
Open forum (Archive): Re: dosti
Twentysomething: Re: Hi People
nukkad
10th century AD structure found at Ayodhya: ASI
RE: Update
RE: COOKIES
Re: Re: Aarti... declares...
Fours blasts rock Mumbai
Re: Fours blasts rock 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.
|