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"She has left a message for the party and she has left a will and we will make it public tomorrow," Zardari told BBC radio.
"We have called for a meeting and her will will be read out there and the instructions she has left will be read out there," he said.
Zardari said his son Bilawal would read out the message from the PPP chief and two time Prime Minister, who was assassinated on Thursday in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
According to Zardari, his wife had made detailed plans for her burial, including changing the location of the plot from his family's ancestral tomb to her family's mausoleum following another recent suicide bomb attack.
Asked if he would succeed her as party leader, Zardari said: "It depends on the party and depends on the will".
In the interview, Zardari also spoke of his personal sense of loss following the death of his wife who he said meant "much more than life" to him.
"I have seen many tragedies in my life... But nothing has devastated me more than this has," Zardari said.
"We were always aware of the dangers she faced but somehow we were hoping that we would succeed and they would not - the terrorists and the people who back the terrorists," he said. PTI
Vimal Soni appointed Indian manager for ODI tri-series
Mumbai, Dec 29 (PTI) Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) vice president Dr Vimal Soni will replace Chetan Chauhan as the Indian team's manager at the conclusion of the ongoing four-Test series in Australia.
"Dr Vimal Soni will be the manager for the ODI tri-series for which the Indian team will be chosen after the conclusion of the third Test against Australia (to be held at Perth from January 16-20, 2008)," said BCCI's Chief Administrative Manager Ratnakar Shetty here today.
"He will replace Chetan Chauhan. Both these appointments were done at the BCCI's Working Committee when it met in Mumbai (on December 16). Chauhan will return after the end of the Test series," Shetty added.
The Test rubber is scheduled to end on January 28 with the fourth Test at Adelaide.
The tri-series features India, Sri Lanka and hosts Australia and is set to start on February 3 and conclude on March 7.
India are also slated to play a one-off T20 international against the hosts on February 1 at Melbourne before the triangular ODI series in Brisbane. PTI
Kumble blames it on batsmen, expects better show in Sydney
Melbourne, Dec 29 (PTI) Smarting from his first defeat as India captain, Anil Kumble today blamed the batsmen for failing to capitalise on the bowlers' good work and meekly surrendering to Australia in the Boxing Day Test.
Despite the Indian bowlers restricting the hosts to 343 in the first innings, the batsmen came a cropper in the match, in which the visitors were shot out for 196 in the first essay and bundled out for 161 in the second.
Kumble did not make any effort to defend his batsmen, who, he felt, did not perform to their potential.
"Yes (it's disappointing), especially after we fought back on the first day after lunch. The first innings was crucial. After we restricted them for less than 350, getting out for less than 200 was disappointing," Kumble said after the match.
The Indian captain said the team should have batted session-wise and tried to hang around to build big scores.
"We should have batted in sessions. We lost one wicket before lunch and then lost wickets in a hurry," he rued.
The veteran leg-spinner, however, was satisfied with the performance of his bowlers who grabbed 17 Australian wickets in the match.
Kumble, however, was confident that the batsmen would make amends when India meet the hosts for the second Test starting on January 2 at Sydney.
"The MCG wicket was difficult to bat on and play your shots. I hope Sydney would be better where ball would come onto the bat." PTI
IPOs set the Indian market sizzling in 2007
Malvika Bhatnagar & Barun Jha
New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) As early as 1553, a British explorer asked the public to fund his voyage to the East, including India, in the world's first 'IPO' - 454 years later the word has turned hottest in the great Indian stock bazaar.
The IPO of "The Mysterie and Compagnie of the Merchant Adventurers for the Discoverie of Regions, Dominions, Islands and Places Unknown" the company formed by London-based Sir Richard Willoughby was fully subscribed within days and so were over hundred public issues launched on Indian bourses in 2007.
However, the name of the companies coming out with IPOs are no more that intriguing and the year 2007 was dominated by names like DLF, Idea, Mundra, PFC and PGCIL.
While the names have gone shorter in size, it is not the case with the size of capital raised through IPOs. Realty giant DLF came out with the India's biggest ever IPO and raised over Rs 9,000 crore (more than 2 billion dollars), while all together the proceeds from 101 public issues during the year stood at over Rs 34,000 crore.
And the trend is set to get even stronger in the new year. There are some 170-175 public issues lined up for the new year estimated to raise about Rs 60,000 crore (15 billion dollars) and as the year progresses more firms might join in the rally to raise funds from the market.
The soaring interest in IPOs is justified given their impressive returns, just like the case was with the voyage IPO of 1553. The shares were then offered to a small group of merchants, who lapped up the issue and reaped huge returns after the explorer returned from his journey with riches collected from the Eastern part of the world. PTI
Gold sets new peak at Rs 10,780 per ten gram
New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) Gold prices zoomed to a new peak of Rs 10,780 per ten gram in the Delhi Bullion Market today on frantic buying by stockists and jewellery fabricators, sparked by firming overseas trend.
The precious metal surged by Rs 170 to Rs 10,780 per ten gram against Rs 10,610 in the previous session. It surpassed previous record of Rs 10,710 per ten gram set on May 12 last year.
Gold recorded a hefty gain of Rs 370 in the last four trading sessions on emergence of buying by stockists to meet the ensuing marriage and festival demand.
The metal also boosted on reports of a steep rise in prices in the overseas market last night, where it reached the biggest annual gain since 1979, as a decline in the dollar boosted the appeal of the precious metal as an alternative investment option.
The domestic markets normally take guidance from the global bullion trend.
Gold has jumped 32 per cent this year as a weaker US currency, record energy costs and continuing conflict in the Middle East sparked demand for the metal. Investment in the StreetTracks Gold Trust, an exchange-traded fund backed by bullion, surged 39 per cent to a record 628 metric tons.
Gold futures for February delivery rose 10.90 dollars to 842.70 dollar an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The metal gained 3.3 per cent this week. PTI
Indo-Russia economic ties on upswing in 2007
Vinay Shukla
Moscow, Dec 29 (PTI) India and Russia, old partners in political and defence arena, saw business affairs taking the front seat in 2007 as corporate leaders showed interest in opportunities offered by their trillion-dollar economies.
Earlier last year, the two governments had decided to set up an Indo-Russian Joint Study Group to suggest ways to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion by 2010. During his Moscow visit in November, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the approval of JSG report and decision to set up a Joint Task Force to implement its recommendations.
"If Russia's trade with China is USD 35 billion and with the European Union more than 200 billion euros. I see no reason why India-Russia trade should languish at the level of USD 4 billion," Singh stated.
He stressed that governments could only play the role of facilitators and there was 'no substitute' for a vigorous two-way engagement between the business communities.
In line with his intent, the two countries expanded ties in a number of economic areas. While Indian bulk commodities are unable to compete in Russia due to high transportation costs, trade in value added items found many takers.
In a major breakthrough, Russia allowed Indian traders to pick rough diamonds directly from the country. Russia is the second-largest producer of rough diamonds in the world, while India is the largest processor. According to Indian Embassy's economic wing, every month several million dollars of rough diamonds go to India for cutting and polishing. PTI
100 years of Urdu literature in Indian subcontinent in English
Wasfia Jalali
New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) As part of its programme of translating Indian literature in order to make it available to a larger section of society, Oxford University Press (OUP) in India has released an Anthology of Modern Urdu Literature covering over a period of 100 years of literary production in the subcontinent.
Edited by Mehr Afshan Farooqi -- a scholar of South Asian literature, the two volumes spanning from the late nineteenth century to as late as the early twenty- first century, include in their pages translations of 130 selections in English from the works of as many as 90 authors.
"The programme undertaken by us was important in our literary quest, which in many ways changed the thrust of our translation programme", says Manzar Khan, Managing Director, OUP, India.
All major genres of Urdu writings -- poetry, drama, fiction and also the 'much- ignored' essays, autobiographies and letters have been included in the volumes making it one of the most comprehensive anthologies available in Urdu literature.
"While involved in the business of translations, we realised that Urdu language which has touched many hearts did not have enough contemporary translations. Moreover, while works of fiction and poetry have been touched by translators, non-fiction has been altogether ignored", says Khan.
Further, the publishers have made it a point to ensure that the writings included in the volumes were the ones that were hitherto not easily available in translation.
"While the focus of selection is on literary excellence, translatability and relevance, an effort has been made to avoid writings easily available in translation and to include one piece per author,"says Farooqi,who is Professor of South Asian Literature at the University of Virginia. PTI
Make more women friends, live better and long: Study
Sruthi Paruthikad
New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) A woman without confidants and friends from the same sex risk early death and are often found to take longer periods to recover from bereavement and other trauma compared to those who have a bigger group of friends.
A study from the University of California says female bonding activities serve as very important stress management strategies; and they have qualifiable health benefits.
The study indicates women who turn to other women for friendship lower the risk of early death, they also heal faster in times of bereavement or other trauma.
Woman-to-woman friendship bonding or 'hanging out with friends' serve the purpose of filling the emotional gaps. Besides, says the study published in 'Psychological review' when women are under stress, the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the response to stress.
This encourages them to seek the company of other women, and when they are engaged, more oxytocin is released, which counters stress and has a calming effect, it says.
"Women are more loyal and appreciative in their relationship so they possess a tendency to be bonded with each other," says Dr Aruna Broota, a well known psychiatrist and professor, University of Delhi.
She says the relationship between women will be more deep and intense than that of between women and men because they are always ready to understand and value each other. PTI
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