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Indian High Commission seeks consular access to Sarabjit Singh
New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) Indian High Commission in Islamabad has sought consular access to Sarabjit Singh, whose death sentence has been upheld by the Pakistan Supreme Court in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
Sarabjit Singh, who Pakistan claimed to be Manjeet Singh, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for allegedly being a RAW agent and his involvement in bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan in 1990. The death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court last week.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said here today that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has sought consular access to Sarabjit Singh. PTI
Lalu appeals to UPA allies to join forces in Bihar
Patna, Aug 23 (PTI) LJP leader Ramvilas Paswan's obduracy on having no truck with his party notwithstanding, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today renewed his appeal to all UPA allies to put up a united show in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.
"We want all UPA allies and other like-minded parties to come together to take on the communal and fascist forces represented by the NDA. But this should not be seen as a sign of our weakness.... We are ready to take on the communal forces on our own," Prasad said while apparently referring to the reluctance of the LJP and CPI to have an electoral pact with the RJD.
Launching a frontal attack on Paswan for his intransigence over aligning with the RJD, Prasad reminded him of the "devastation" the LJP had faced with most of its MLAs in the dissolved assembly breaking away and joining the JD-U.
"The LJP MLAs went away due to Paswan's recalcitrance on the issue of government formation. Paswan and his partymen who had during the last assembly poll stated that Rabri Devi would be locked in the bunglow (the LJP's election symbol) and immersed into the river Ganga seemed to have boomeranged," he said adding now Paswan's 'Bunglow' had been burnt and the key (to governent formation) which Paswan claimed to be having was also lost".
Prasad was addressing his party workers at the state council meeting of his party here.
He termed as 'blatant lie' Paswan's charge that his proposal for making a Muslim as Chief Minister was rejected by the RJD. "It is absolutely false. In fact, Paswan made this offer to us when his house was devastated and his MLAs had deserted him," he clarified. PTI
New Zealand toying with Super Sup options ahead of opener
Ashish Shukla
Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), Aug 23 (PTI) Even against an opposition as weak as Zimbabwe, New Zealand were worrying about their options for Super Sub ahead of the opening match of the triangular cricket series here tomorrow.
"If we bat first and collapse, we would consider pulling a bowler out and introducing an extra batsman," said New Zealand coach John Bracewell, but given the present state of Zimbabwe cricket, the statement seemed generous to the extreme.
New Zealand took just five days to thrash the hosts by an innings margin in the two Tests preceding the one-day series and a practice game on Monday did not go beyond 25 overs.
Still, the new ODI rules and the planning it requires has kept New Zealand well occupied.
The new rules allow 20 of 50 stipulated overs to be played in a restricted field and a team could replace any of its playing 11 with a Super Substitute at any stage of the match.
New Zealand's top order has been wobbly on this tour and Bracewell's remarks imply that all-rounders Scott Syris, Jacob Oram and Chris Cairns can expect to play a full part, leaving Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent to vie for the sub's position.
"It just doesn't make any sense for us to nominate any of our all-rounders as the sub because they're our best one-day players and we want them in the game as much as possible.
"So we're looking at the idea of crisis management; naming a batsman to guard against the consequences of being put in on a green seamer," said Bracewell. PTI
Indian cricket team leaves for Zimbabwe
Mumbai, Aug 23 (PTI) The Indian cricket team led by Sourav Ganguly left here in the wee hours today for Zimbabwe to take part in the triangular series commencing tomorrow.
The team was accompanied by coach Greg Chappell and other support staff.
The 15-member squad will also take part in a two test series -- against host Zimbabwe -- to be held after the conclusion of the tri-nation one day international series on September six. PTI
Tendulkar, Dravid to be vice-captains of World XI teams
Dubai, Aug 23 (PTI) India's Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar were today named as vice captains of the World Test and one-day teams respectively in the Super Series against Australia in October.
Tendulkar, who will make his comeback after long injury lay-off, has find a place in both the teams while Dravid has made it to the Test squad, the International Cricket Council announced in Melbourne.
Dashing opener Virender Sehwag, who is in both the squads, is the other Indian to make the grade.
Two South Africans -- Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock -- will lead the Test and the ODI teams respectively, an ICC statement said.
Smith will lead the 13-member ICC World XI in the six-day Test against the Australians at the Sydney Cricket Ground from October 14 to 19, while Pollock will skipper the 14-member team for three one-dayers against the world champions at Melbourne's Docklands stadium on October 5, 7 and 9.
Test squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (vc), Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Andrew Flintoff, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Steve Harmison, Shoaib Akhtar, Muttiah Muralitharan, Daniel Vettori.
ODI squad: Shaun Pollock (capt), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar (vc), Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Flintoff, Kumar Sangakkara, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Makhaya Ntini, Muttiah Muralitharan, Daniel Vettori. PTI
Sensex crashes by 135 pts on heavy selling
Mumbai, Aug 23 (PTI) After a promising start, the stocks market went into a tailspin today and ended 135 points down at 7615.99, extending its losses to fourth straight session, due to heavy selling pressure from operators and institutional investors ahead of expiry of August contract.
The BSE Benchmark 30-share Index opened better at 7764.86 but later turned weak and dropped to the day's low of 7601.34 before ending the day at 7615.99 against yesterday's close of 7750.60, a net fall of 134.61 points or 1.74 per cent.
The market is expected to consolidate at current level with a couple of leading Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) reportedly putting India on sales considering the inflated outstanding positions, brokers said.
FIIs as well as domestic mutual funds were believed to be heavy sellers in a number of counters while operators confined their activity to unwinding of long outstanding positions in derivatives ahead of expiry of August contract.
The sentiment was adversely affected on indications that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) were taking steps to check sustained upsurge in the sensex.
FIIs reported net sales of Rs 77.10 crore on August 19. FIIs have pumped in about US dollar 7.4 billion (approx Rs 32,000 crore) in Indian equity in 2005 so far.
Fresh sell-off was also attributed to another likely hike in petrol and diesel prices.
Heavyweights like RIL, Infosys Tech, ICICI Bank, Ranbaxy, SBI, ONGC, Tata Steel, HDFC Bank, BHEL, Satyam Computer, L&T and Dr Reddy's recorded sharp falls. PTI
Rupee slides to two-month low against USD
Mumbai, Aug 23 (PTI) The rupee slide gathered further momentum today after sustained dollar demand on the back of a robust dollar overseas drove it to two-month lows with sentiments turning weak due to rising crude oil prices and a slow down in FIIs inflows.
Nervousness gripped the Interbank Foreign Exchange market here this morning after a flurry of dollar demand pushed down the rupee to Rs 43.6750/6825 per dollar following a weak opening slot of Rs 43.63/64 per dollar, a forex dealer said.
A resurgent dollar overseas continued to generate heavy local dollar demand amid rising global crude oil prices.
An acute cash dollar shortage in the system on the back of a slowdown in FIIs inflows also weighed heavily on the rupee value, a dealer said.
World crude oil prices were hovering around USD 65.45 a barrel in early Asian trade today due to lingering supply concerns.
SEBI data showed that on August 19, net Foreign Institutional Investment (FIIs) outflows were USD 18 million (Rs 780 mn).
Waning FIIs fund flows is the biggest concern for the currency market amid flaring crude oil prices, another dealer said.
Turning to cross currency trade, the Euro was quoted at Rs 53.32/34, Pound Sterling at Rs 78.58/60 and the Japanese Yen (100) at Rs 39.73/76. PTI
NSE stops trading in F&O segment
Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) The National Stock Exchange has stopped trading in its F&O (Future and Option) segment until further orders due to the slow pace of trade confirmation today.
Trading in F&O was stopped at 11.25 am after request by members as they were facing problem due to slowing down of the confirmation process, NSE sources said.
It (trading) will be started shortly with a pre-open period. PTI
Aiyar hints at petro-price hike, duty cuts
New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today indicated that the government would increase petrol, diesel and LPG prices, but also cut duties in a bid to contain the impact of surge in international oil prices.
"Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia have used the words which I have been avoiding," he told reporters here, after flagging of a bikers expedition to the Himalayas.
Chidambaram and Ahluwalia had yesterday stated that fuel price hike was inevitable.
Aiyar said a decision on raising fuel prices would be taken in consultation with the allies including Left parties. "The Left has been suggesting cut in duties proportionate to the increase in revenues resulting from crude prices touching historic highs. We have put all these before the Cabinet and I do not know what the Cabinet will decide." Petroleum Ministry has suggested an increase of Rs 2-3 per litre in petrol and diesel prices and a Rs 20 per cylinder hike in LPG prices. The hike suggested in lower than the Rs 7.42 per litre hike in petrol and Rs 5.86 a litre increase in diesel prices warranted due to crude climbing to over 66 US dollars a barrel.
On LPG, the hike suggested is just one-fifth of the required increase while consumers are being completely spared from any of the Rs 11.21 a litre increase warranted in kerosene prices, officials said.
It has also suggested excise duty reduction on petrol from 8 per cent plus Rs 13 a litre to 8 per cent plus Rs 12 a litre and that on diesel from 8 per cent plus Rs 3.25 a litre to 8 per cent plus Rs 2.25 per litre, officials said. PTI
India, Japan to ink MoUs on IT, telecom
New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) India will sign three agreements with Japan, aimed at enhancing ties between institutions and industries of the two countries in the IT and telecom sector, in the first meeting of ministerial forum on ICT starting tomorrow.
The ICT forum will also witness the signing of three separate MoUs by National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NICT), Japan with C-DAC, C-DOT and IIT Guwahati, to undertake joint programmes in research and development and HRD in the ICT sector, an official statement said.
The MoU between NICT and C-DAC envisages cooperation of the two organisations on information and telecommunications research through the exchange of scientists and information, fellowship programmes, and the conduct of joint research projects in all fields of mutual interest to strengthen mutual cooperation on technology management and long time cooperative research.
The forum will also constitute Working Groups, to be primarily led by the industry on areas of Broadband, Mobile Communications, E-governance, Information Security, R&D and Ubiquitous Computing. The groups will evolve a detailed action plan for implementation of the Joint Statement.
In order to review and monitor the activities of the Working Groups and the implementing agencies, a Joint Task Force will be set up under the ICT forum.
The ministerial level meeting will witness the signing of a joint statement for bilateral cooperation in communications and information technology, wherein both sides will seek to develop joint proposals in R&D, HRD in ICT sector, E-Governance and IT enabled services, among others. PTI
ONGC to go ahead with petro-chemical project in Karnataka
Bangalore, Aug 23 (PTI) Karnataka today said all hurdles in the way of implemention of the ONGC's Rs 22,000 crore mega petro-chemicals project in Mangalore have been removed, following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh giving his approval for it.
The Prime Minister in a letter to Chief Minister N Dharam Singh has assured that the project would be implemented in line with an agreement signed between ONGC, Karnataka Area Industrial Development Board and Canara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, indicating there would be no alterations, Minister for Industries and Finance P G R Sindhia told reporters here.
The agreement, which was signed last year, could not be implemented following objections raised by the petroleum ministry. It had contended that ONGC had not sought the approval of the government or the Company's Board before signing the agreement.
The Prime Minister, in a letter dated July 27, said that Mangalore Refineres and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) had been nominated as the implementing agency for the project.
ONGC would provide finance and other guidelines required by MRPL and contract for importing LNG and the state government would play the role of a co-promoter of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The ONGC can float equity and also induct non competing financial partners but it should maintain a minimum equity of 26 per cent and excluive management control. PTI
Sept 11 ringleader was identified before strikes: Navy officer
New York, Aug 23 (PTI) A secret US Defence intelligence programme had identified Mohammed Atta as a possible terrorist more than a year before he masterminded the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a US Navy captain had said.
The programme codenamed "Able Danger" had identified Atta in early 2000, said Navy Captain Scott Philpott, the second military officer to publicly state that the Defence Department had prior information about the Egyptian terror ringleader.
"My story is consistent. Atta was identified by Able Danger by January-February of 2000," Phillpott, who managed the programme for Pentagon's Special Operations Command, said, the New York Times reported.
Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer, an Army Intelligence veteran, had last week said that Atta and three other Sept. 11 hijackers were identified as early as mid-2000 through the data-mining programme.
Phillpott's comments, however, was not in tune with Pentagon's stand on the issue.
Pentagon chief spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told reporters yesterday that the Defence Department had been unable to validate the assertions made earlier by Shaffer that Atta was a member of a US-based Al-Qaeda cell before the attacks.
Shaffer had claimed that analysts in the intelligence project had been overruled by military lawyers when they tried to share the programme's findings with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2000 in hope of tracking down terror suspects tied to al-Qaeda.
Di Rita said while the department continued to probe the assertions, there was no evidence so far that the intelligence unit had come up with such specific information about Atta and any of the other hijackers. PTI
Nepal King vows to eliminate terrorism
Kathmandu, Aug 23 (PTI) Vowing to eliminate terrorism in the Himalayan kingdom, Nepal King Gyanendra has emphasised the need to fight the menace with concerted efforts.
"We should eliminate terrorism with concerted efforts of all and focus on bringing those who deviated to the correct path," the King said addressing the nominated chiefs of District Development Committees in Mahakali zone during his visit to the conflict-hit western Nepal region.
He, howeverr, said "the foremost agenda" was restoring peace in Nepal and "every one should unite for the same," government-run 'The Rising Nepal' daily reported today.
The King, who was on his first visit to western Nepal region after the Maoists killed 55 soldiers and abducted an equal number in Kalikot district, also claimed that his seizure of power in February was aimed at ending terrorism.
His remarks came after Nepali Congress central member Ramchandra Poudyal alleged that violence in Nepal has increased during the King's direct rule with the number of people being killed daily rising to seven from three.
Since Maoists launched insurgency in 1996 aiming to establish a Communist republic overthrowing constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy, over 12,500 people have been killed in the Himalayan Kingdom. PTI
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Sensex: 7615.99, -134.61
The sensex closed at 7615.99, down 134.61
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 43.5800 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3960 INR
1 British Pound = 78.4222 INR
1 Canadian $ = 36.3257 INR
1 Singapore $ = 26.1036 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 11.8617 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 11.6189 INR
1 Euro = 53.3376 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 11.9689 INR
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