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kidney racket kingpin Amit Kumar deported to India
Kathmandu, Feb 9 (PTI) Dr Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin of the multi-crore rupees kidney racket, was today deported to India.
Forty-year-old Kumar, who was arrested from a jungle resort in Chitwan in southern Nepal on Thursday, was handed over to a two-member CBI team this evening.
He is being to flown to New Delhi by IC-814 and is expected to reach later this evening.
CBI had registered a case against Kumar and others last night on a request from the Haryana government under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Human Organ Transplant Act of 1994. PTI
It is now or never to get such deal: Mulford
New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) Pressing for conclusion of the civil nuclear agreement during the Bush administration, the US has suggested that it was almost now or never for India to get such a deal as non-proliferation groups may force additional conditionalities in it.
US Ambassador David Mulford said the deal was good for India and would make the country the centre of a civil nuclear industry in the world.
"If this is not processed in the present Congress, it is unlikely that this deal will be offered again to India. It certainly would not be revived and offered by any administration, Democratic or Republican, before the year 2010, which is after the life of this administration," he said in Karan Thapar's 'Devil's Advocate' programme for CNN-IBN.
He added that if the deal were to be revived, it would have to go through the (US Congress) Committee process "and I think the non-proliferation groups would insist on changes in many of the terms or additional conditions." Noting that the "atmosphere is changing", Mulford said "I believe and I know both Republicans and Democrats believe in the United States this is the time to finish this deal." Asked if he was saying it is "now or may be never" for the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, Mulford said "That's pretty close to it." PTI
Gandhian Baba Amte dead
Joseph Rao
Nagpur, Feb 9 (PTI) Baba Amte, noted social activist and Gandhian, revered as a saint and messiah by leprosy-affected people, died at his 'Anandvan' ashram in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra early today. He was 94.
Baba Amte, who passed away at 4:15 am, was suffering from blood cancer. He is survived by two sons.
One of the country's most respected social leaders, Amte devoted his life to the care and rehabilitation of leprosy patients.
At a time when society shunned people affected by leprosy, Amte opened Anandvan Ashram in Warora and some social welfare projects in Somnath and Hemalkasa in nearby Chandrapur district.
A committed Gandhian who lived a simple and spartan life, he also lent his voice to popular struggles like the one against the Narmada project that was carried out by Medha Patkar.
He led an active life despite a severe back problem that made it difficult for him to sit. For almost two decades either he walked or was seen lying on a cot even in public functions. PTI
PM calls for investment, reforms in education system
Pune, Feb 9 (PTI) Asserting that the country's education system urgently required investment and reforms, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the XI Five-Year Plan would be dubbed the National Education Plan.
"Our education system is in urgent need of both investment and reform at every level of the learning pyramid. We have launched a five-year plan that we have dubbed as the National Education Plan because of the public investment we are making in it," Singh said.
Singh was inaugurating the Van Vihar Biodiversity Park & Reserve at Mahindra United World College of India (MUWCI) Campus, here.
"We need a modern education system for the 21st century that would prepare our children for the challenges of the future and not make them prisoners of the past," he said, adding "we need a system that is both compassionate and demanding." "No child should ever feel left out for no fault of his or her. No child should nurse a grievance that his creativity has been suppressed. No child should ever feel compelled to do things that she or he may not be best equipped to do," Singh said.
Stressing the country needed a humane education system, Singh said there was also a need for a creative and forward-looking system. PTI
Atwal, Chowrasia rise to tied fifth; Jacquelin grabs lead
Amlan Chakraborty
New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) Arjun Atwal remained on course to end a prolonged title drought while an upwardly mobile SSP Chowrasia joined the US-based Indian at tied fifth spot after the penultimate round of the Indian Masters here today.
On a day when sub-par rounds were rare, Raphael Jacquelin's second successive eagle on the 14th hole helped the Frenchman soar to the lead after a level-par effort of 72.
Breathing down his neck, just one shot behind, was the trio of Jose Manuel Lara (71), Graeme McDowell (73) and overnight leader Damien McGrane (75) who totalled 211.
A further shot behind was the Indian duo who have spent many a day playing together at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club.
Orlando-based Atwal had a birdie start to his round and he picked up a shot each on the fifth, 10th and 11th as well.
But in between, he double bogeyed the seventh and dropped shots on 15th and 16th to eventually settle for an even-par round.
"That double (bogey) on the seventh hurt me a lot. I just did not need that. I think I made silly mistakes today and I'm still relying on my caddy to read the line for me," said Atwal.
"Overall, I guess it was a boring round, no chip-in, no long putts, nothing spectacular. But two-three shots off the lead is okay with me. I just need to make a few more putts tomorrow," Atwal said.
In contrast, playing partner Chowrasia's round of 71 had more drama as he found the bush on quite a few occasions and still conjured up ways to bail himself out.
His spectacular birdie chip on the third hole was the highlight of his round. PTI
Bhupathi defends Amritraj, Paes blames it on media
New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi today lashed out at the media for blowing out of proportion and misrepresenting Prakash Amritraj's reported disciplinary transgressions before the ongoing Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan.
Amritraj has been nursing a stomach ailment, which has kept him out of action on the first two days of the Asia/Oceania Zone group I tie.
Media reports suggested that Amritraj picked up the ailment during a late night party before the tie but Bhupathi said it was unfair to criticise the US-based player for going to a birthday bash.
"What I know, it was merely a birthday party where I was also invited but did not go. No alcohol was involved. We are all professionals and know where to draw the line," Bhupathi said after he and Rohan Bopanna took India's lead to 2-1 with their doubles win today.
There were reports that Amritraj was unhappy at being left out of the team despite being "fit". But Bhupathi said it was nothing more than a case of media putting words into his mouth.
"How can we blame Prakash? He was inundated with calls from the media and was asked all sorts of ridiculous questions on drinking and partying. You try to ignore it but have to react at some point," Bhupathi said. PTI
India feeling the absence of Dravid, Ganguly: Lee
Melbourne, Feb 9 (PTI) Australian speedster Brett Lee reckons that the young Indian cricket team was struggling to find its feet in the absence of experienced batsmen like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
"It's always tougher for younger guys to come through immediately. (Rahul) Dravid and (Sourav) Ganguly played a lot of cricket this summer and were there since the start. The new guys would take some time to find their feet," Lee said.
"Though they are quality players, they have their work cut out," he said referring to India's none-too-impressive show in the previous two one-day matches.
The Australian speedster singled out his side's bowling as a key factor in tomorrow's match against India.
"We are bowling collectively good. I took a fiver in Brisbane, Nathan (Bracken) did it in Sydney. Johnson is proving to be a good back up. (James) Hopes, (Brad) Hogg, (Andrew) Symonds and (Michael) Clarke, we think we have good options in this area," Lee said.
Lee also said that he stood as good a chance of picking wickets in one-dayers as he did in Tests.
"In ODIs, the batsmen look to score and it generally means more chances of picking up wickets. In Tests, you got to be more patient.
"Variations is the key word. You bowl slower, bouncer, seam, try new things basically all the time," he added. PTI
Akhtar has lost confidence of PCB: Ashraf
Karachi, Feb 9 (PTI) PCB Chairman Naseem Ashraf today lashed out at fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar saying he has lost the confidence of the entire board.
Reacting to Akhtar's statement that the Board had adopted double standards while awarding the new central contracts, Ashraf said the paceman needed to regain the confidence of the Board.
"The decision not to award him a central contract was unanimous. They were doubts over his fitness and focus for the national team. He didn't accumulate the minimum points needed to get a central contract," Ashraf said.
Akhtar came at the bottom of the list in the new points system adopted by the Board to give central contracts to 15 players.
He has also refused to sign the special retainer announced for him and few other senior players who did not get central contracts.
Akhtar told reporters yesterday that PCB had a dual policy dealing with players and he could not understand their methods.
He also asked Board officials to watch him bowl in the Pentangular tournament starting tomorrow if they thought he was not fit. PTI
Two killed in blast in Pakistan election rally
Islamabad, Feb 9 (PTI) At least two persons were killed and five others injured when a bomb went off at an election rally in northwestern Pakistan today.
The blast occurred at a rally near the town of Charsadda that was being addressed by Awami National Party leader Afrasiab Khattak, who escaped without injury.
"I am safe but many others are injured," Khattak told reporters. ANP is an ethnic Pashtun party.
The blast sparked panic at the rally. It was not immediately known if a bomb had been planted at the venue or the blast was triggered by a suicide attacker, officials said.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.
In December last year, 54 people were killed and over 100 injured when a suicide attacker blew himself up in a packed mosque in Charsadda in a bid to target former minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao. PTI
52 killed in Sri Lanka unrest
T V Sriram
Colombo, Feb 9 (PTI) At least 49 Tamil Tigers and three soldiers were killed in fierce clashes between the rebels and the security forces in the embattled northern Sri Lanka, the military said today.
While three Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were killed at northern Kokkuthudawai, five Tigers were gunned down in clashes at Muhamalai and Nagarkovil in Jaffna peninsula yesterday, it said.
Meanwhile, a security personnel was killed and ten others were wounded in Nagarkovil during clashes yesterday, the Defence Ministry said.
Separately, in the Vavuniya front, troops surged into LTTE-controlled territory killing 12 rebels, including eight during a gun battle in Sinnapanddichurichchan area, the government's Media Centre for National Security said.
In Mannar, eight rebels were killed and a soldier was wounded in clashes at Sirikulam, Nedunkulam, Kallikulam, Adampan and Karapiddimoddai areas yesterday, it said.
Two LTTE rebels were killed in Vilathikulam area of Vavuniya on Friday, while another was gunned down in Kathirathan in Jaffna yesterday, the army said. PTI
Bill Clinton says he made mistakes while campaigning for wife
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, Feb 9 (PTI) Former President Bill Clinton has said he learned a lesson from the verbal duel between his wife Hillary and her main Democratic rival which erupted after comments he made during Presidential campaigning, while maintaining that he never personally attacked Barack Obama.
"I think the mistake that I made is to think that I was a spouse like any other spouse who could defend his candidate. I I think I can promote Hillary but not defend her because I was president," Clinton said.
Clinton's comments while campaigning for his wife, including comparing Obama's bid to the unsuccessful campaign of an earlier black presidential hopeful, Jesse Jackson, resulted in a bitter war of words between the two top Democratic contenders.
But Clinton said yesterday that a lot of the media reports were "factually inaccurate".
"I did not ever criticise Senator Obama personally in South Carolina. I never criticised him personally," he said.
"But I think whenever I defend her, I, A, risk being misquoted and, B, risk being the story. I don't want to be the story," he added.
"I need to promote her but not defend her. And I learned a very valuable lesson from all that dust-up." Clinton also ruled out keeping away from Hillary's campaign, rejecting a suggestion from some quarters.
"I think that I have a lot of insight into what it takes to be president and what the challenges of the present day are. I would be campaigning for her if we were not married. She's the best qualified person to be president I've ever had a chance to support, and I feel strongly about it. And I think there's nothing wrong with me saying that," he said. PTI
Resolution in US Senate seeks review of US aid to Pak
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, Feb 9 (PTI) A group of powerful Democrats has introduced a resolution in US Senate, seeking suspension to Pakistan the transfer of weapon systems, primarily designed for combat against India, if it is found that the American aid is not being used to promote democracy and fight violent radicalism.
Sponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, the resolution urged President George W Bush to review the existing aid to Islamabad "to ensure that all assistance furthers the common goals shared by the people of Pakistan and the United States, with specific reference to combating violent radicalism and promoting a free and democratic Pakistan." Significantly for the first time, the Senate Resolution explicitly tells Bush that if the review concludes that the conditions described in the above have not been met then he should "suspend (until such time as such conditions can be met) the transfer to Pakistan of weapons systems primarily designed and manufactured for combat against a rival state", meaning India, "rather than counter-terrorism or counter-insurgency." The resolution also condemned in the "strongest possible terms" the murder of former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto on December 27 last year and the "slaughter" of at least 165 other Pakistani citizens in this attack and the prior attempt on her life in Karachi on October 18.
It called upon the Pakistan government to do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, and permit investigators to follow their inquiries in whatever direction they may lead; as also to support and facilitate an independent inquiry into the assassination of Bhutto. PTI
Nepal police to lodge three cases against Kumar
Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, Feb 8 (PTI) Nepalese police today said they would lodge three cases against Dr Amit Kumar, the alleged mastermind of the illegal kidney transplant racket who was arrested from a jungle resort in the Himalayan country.
The first case against the tainted doctor would be for possession of illegal foreign currency as police recovered from him Euro 145,000, USD 18,900 and an Indian bank draft of Rs 936,000 when he was arrested yesterday, Kathmandu SSP Upendra Kanta Aryal said at a crowded press conference.
The other two cases are related to the Red Corner Notice issued against him by the Interpol and illegal human organ transplants under the Nepalese Act 2055, police said, adding they were also investigating whether Kumar carried out any kidney transplants in Nepal.
Under the human organs transplant case, he can get a maximum sentence of five years or Rs 5 lakh as fine, or both, if convicted, police said, adding he faces up to four years in jail over the foreign currency possession.
He had arrived in Nepal in connection with a project to build a hospital, according to police. His accomplices in Nepal were identified as Ramesh Thapa, Bishnu Khatri, Giri Dai, Heera Pun, Baburam, Sher Bahadur and Pankaj Jha. PTI
Gold regains peak of Rs 11,920
New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) Gold prices today rose by Rs 150 per 10 gram to regain its peak of Rs 11,920 in the bullion market here on aggressive buying by jewelers, sparked by reports of firming trend in the international market.
The record level was first reached on January 29.
Market sentiment turned bullish after reports that gold futures rose on the New York Mercantile Exchange as crude oil rallied boosting demand for the metal as a safe-haven, traders said.
They said even general investors parked their funds in bullion in view of some uncertainty in other financial markets.
April gold rose by 12.30 dollar to 922.30 dollars an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
In the bullion market here, standard gold and ornaments maintained its rising trend for the third consecutive day by gaining Rs 150 each at Rs 11,920 and Rs 11,770 per ten grams respectively. Sovereign gained Rs 25 at Rs 9,450 per piece of eight gram.
A similar rising trend was seen in silver prices, as silver ready rallied by Rs 300 to set a new peak of Rs 21,300 per kg and silver weekly-based delivery by Rs 315 at Rs 21,910 per kg.
Silver coins also traded higher by Rs 100 at Rs 25,800 for buying and Rs 25,900 for selling of 100 coins. PTI
British youths should acquire new training to get top jobs: Brown
H S Rao
London, Feb 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Gordon Brown has asked the British youths to acquire "new training" to head off challenges from fast-growing economies like India and China for the world's leading jobs.
"Good global jobs are going to be created, the opportunities for social mobility are there in a greater way than at any time since 1945," he said addressing British and German academics at the International Institute for Strategic Studies here yesterday.
"But the young people needed new training if Britain is to head off the challenge from China, India and other fast-growing economies for the world's leading jobs." The UK's big challenges include security, climate change and dealing with the power of the internet, but helping everyone to "unlock their potential to the full" is key, he said.
The Prime Minister called on Britons to seize a larger share of the world's top jobs, promising a surge in employment training and education.
"We used to talk about national economies in terms of there being limited room at the top and therefore the opportunity for social mobility was itself limited. In a global economy there's no limit to the national room at the top.
"We can build in our countries a higher aspiration culture. The opportunity revolution is one that is unlocking all of the potential of all of the people," Brown said.
His speech and question and answer session coincided with the publication of a major new report into the key long-term strategic challenges for the country. PTI
Sri Lanka unlikely to be affected by rice export ban by India
T V Sriram
Colombo, Feb 9 (PTI) Sri Lanka, which imported 70,000 tons of rice from India during 2007, is likely to remain unaffected by a ban on exports of non-basmati rice imposed by New Delhi.
This is due to the domestic crop that will hit the Sri Lankan market from this month end, according to traders here.
"We are hopeful for being in a comfortable position on rice as the new domestic crop will start arriving from the end of this month and therefore, restrictions by India at this moment will not cause any problem," a spokesperson of an importers body said.
India had yesterday withdrew concessions given to rice exporters, by announcing prohibition on export of non-basmati rice to strengthen supplies in the domestic market.
The country had imposed the ban on export of non-basmati rice on October 10 last year, but later eased the restrictions to allow exports undertaken against valid irrevocable commercial letters of credit. The latest notification prohibits rice exports even against letters of credit.
Sri Lanka imported 30,000 tons of rice from India last month to fight double digit inflation due to rise in cost of essential commodities. PTI
Sensex declines by 62 points on inflation concerns
Mumbai, Feb 8 (PTI) The markets continued its losing streak for the third day in a row with the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex losing over 60 points to end at 17,464.89, its third lowest closing level in 2008, on reports of inflation rate rising to above 4 per cent.
Today's trading was marked by selective buying and selling by investors with IT and FMCG counters attracting good buying support, while consumer durable, banking, metal, realty and capital goods suffering a sharp setback on heavy selling.
Mirroring a firm trend on the Wall Street last night, the 30-share BSE barometer resumed higher at 17,610.07 and touched a high of 17,688.73.
But the emergence of heavy selling pulled the Sensex down to a low of 17,203.06 before recovering some ground on positive opening in European markets.
The index closed the day at 17,464.89, a fall of 62.04 points, or 0.35 per cent over from its last close.
While the BSE barometer had lost more than 1,100 points in the last two trading sessions, today close at 17,464.89 points marks its third lowest closing level in this year.
Earlier on January 22, the Sensex had tumbled to 16,729.94 by more than 1400 points on weak global cues. It recorded its another lowest level on two days later on January 24 at 17,221.74.
The broad-based S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also declined by 12.90 points, or 0.25 per cent, to finish the day at 5,120.35 from previous close of 5,133.25.
Brokers said projection of a moderation in GDP growth from 9.6 per cent last fiscal to 8.7 per cent this year compelled operators and retail investors to book profits even today at the current lower levels. PTI
Rising prices push inflation to six-month high of 4.11 pc
New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) Rising prices of salt, cereals and bakery products have pushed up the inflation rate to a six- month high of 4.11 per cent.
The annual inflation rate, based on movement in Wholesale Price Index (WPI), pierced the 4 per cent mark after a gap of six months, justifying the cautious approach adopted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its quarterly review of the monetary policy last month.
The inflation rate, according to an official release, moved up to 4.11 per cent for the week ended January 26 from 3.93 per cent in the previous week. The annual rate of inflation a year ago was 6.69 per cent.
The previous high at 4.4 per cent was recorded for the week ended July 28, 2007.
Among the items of common consumption, the wholesale price of salt moved by 5 per cent during the week. In addition, maize, moong, wheat, bajra and bakery products too became expensive.
Although the index that reflects the prices of fuel remained static because the government refrained from increasing prices of diesel and petrol, the manufactured items and minerals became dearer during the week.
Price hike was witnessed in case of toilet soaps and industrial inputs like caustic soda, synthetic rubber, lime stone and iron ore.
The inflation data justified RBI's cautious approach of not changing the key interest rates in its quarterly review of the monetary policy on January 29, despite lobbying by the industry for a cut in benchmark rates. PTI
Digest of domestic news for the week Feb 2-Feb 8, 2008
Saturday Karnal (Haryana): Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is at loggerheads with the Sikh clergy, escapes unhurt in a blast in his motorcade near here which leaves 11 persons, including six security men injured, two of them seriously.
Mumbai: Spearheading a campaign against north Indians, breakaway Shiv Sena group launches a scathing attack on Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan accusing him of being more loyal to Uttar Pradesh and disrupt a press conference held by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.
Sunday Mumbai: Raj Thackeray's outbursts against North Indians take a violent turn in central Mumbai as his supporters and Samajwadi party activists clash while a couple of theatres staging Bhojpuri films outside the metropolis are attacked.
Kolkata: In the wake of stiff Left opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal, the government cautions if the pact is derailed the country could face international "isolation".
Kolkata/New Delhi: A birdflu alert is sounded in Uttarakhand following the death of some chicken even as authorities in Bihar and Orissa "object" to culling operations in their states saying there is no trace of the deadly virus.
Monday Mumbai/New Delhi: Activists of breakaway Shiv Sena group clash with Samajwadi Party workers and attack taxi drivers in Mumbai as Raj Thackeray-led party's campaign against North Indians spark protests in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Kolkata: Fears of bird flu spreading to humans springs up when two persons are admitted to hospital after they showed signs of suspected avian influenza infection in West Bengal, where fresh chicken deaths were reported even as the Centre claims the "worst was over" in the state. Tuesday Patiala: Eight years after the hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft that resulted in release of Jaish-e- Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar and two other dreaded terrorists, a court here sentences to life imprisonment three persons who had provided the hijackers with logistic support.
New Delhi: India is unlikely to attend a meet called by Iran next week to finalise the long-delayed IPI gas pipeline as it wants to settle the transit fee issue with Islamabad before signing the multi-billion dollar deal.
Kolkata/New Delhi: West Bengal government bans poultry trade in the state for three months while people in Uttar Pradesh were relieved as some bird samples were tested negative for the deadly bird flu disease.
Wednesday New Delhi: If men can vote at 18, they can also marry at that age, the Law Commission has suggested reducing the limit by three years from 21 and declaring marriage below 16 as illegal.
Kolkata: Normal life across West Bengal is hit as Forward Bloc, a constituent of the state's Left Front government, today enforces a 12-hour general strike protesting the killing of its five activists in police firing.
Thursday New Delhi: Delhi's Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna sets off a storm with remarks that the people of North India take pride in violating laws, drawing sharp reactions from political parties and Chief Ministers including Mayawati who demanded his removal.
New Delhi: With an aim of improving irrigation and enhancing power generation capacity, the Centre decides to declare 14 river projects as national assets for which it would provide as much as 90 per cent funds.
New Delhi: The government decides to reimpose the ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for two years for its alleged links with certain Pakistan- based terrorist outfits.
Friday New Delhi: Amidst warming of ties, China has taken exception to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh and his assertion that the state belongs to India, evoking a strong reaction from New Delhi.
Jammu/Srinagar: Sixteen persons are buried in avalanches that hit villages along the national highway in Jammu and Kashmir while security forces rescue 46 people, including a small girl, amid blizzards and heavy snow. PTI
Digest of international stories for the Week Feb 2-8, 08
Saturday Houston: India and the US agrees to cooperate in the exploration and use of space for peaceful purposes, including in human space flight, under an agreement signed between their space agencies.
Beijing: Facing its worst winter in five decades, China warns the ordeal is not over yet as troops and authorities work overtime to restore a semblance of normalcy after severe snowstorms claimed at least 60 lives.
Paris: French President Nicolas Sarkozy married former model Carla Bruni in a small ceremony, the couple announces.
Sunday London: In a posthumous autobiography, former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto names the 16-year-old son of Osama Bin Laden as the leader of one of the four gangs of "designated assassins" who wanted to kill her in suicide attacks.
Colombo: At least 11 people are killed and nearly 100 wounded when an LTTE woman suicide bomber blew herself up at a railway station here on the eve of Sri Lanka's 60th Independence Day, overshadowed by escalated violence following the scrapping of a 2002 ceasefire.
Monday Tehran: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurates the country's first home-built space centre which will serve as a base for the launch of research satellites, state media reports.
Tuesday London: Britain is planning to come up with an etiquette guideline for new immigrants, who will be told not to spit in the streets, grope women, or litter and learn how to stand in queues.
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Election Commission ask the military-backed interim government to lift or relax emergency rules for holding civic polls in major cities in April, amid building international pressure on Dhaka to restore democracy.
Wednesday Washington: Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are in a neck-and-neck race and are set for a long haul fight for their party nomination for the presidential contest with a slight edge for the former first lady as results of 'Super Tuesday' showdown in primaries came out.
London: Indian spiritual guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who introduced "transcendental meditation" to the West, including the Beatles in 1960s, passes away "peacefully" at his home in the Netherlands. He was thought to be 91.
Karachi: In a sudden turnaround, slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari says he had "no intention" of becoming prime minister and that his Pakistan People's Party would decide on a candidate for the post.
Thursday Washington: India and the US have signed a billion-dollar (about Rs 3,900 crore) deal for purchase of six Super Hercules military transport planes from Lockheed Martin which Pentagon feels breaks the "psychological barrier" in bilateral defence cooperation.
London: Doctors from India and other Commonwealth countries will be barred from coming to the UK for training and subsequent recruitment in the National Health Service under the new immigration rules coming into force from February 29, a move welcomed by physicians in Britain.
Kathmandu: Dr Amit Kumar, the alleged mastermind of India's biggest kidney transplant racket, is arrested from a jungle resort, 60 km from Indo-Nepal border ending a fortnight long man-hunt for the doctor who is believed to have conducted over 500 illegal operations in a decade.
Friday Islamabad: Former premier Benazir Bhutto was killed by the impact of a suicide blast and not by a gunshot, Britain's Scotland Yard says in its probe report, backing the Pakistan government's version of the assassination.
Moscow: President Vladimir Putin declares that Russia was ready to face the challenge of a fresh round of arms race initiated by the West, which is using its technological advantages to develop new weapon systems. PTI
School kids take journalism lessons at World Book Fair
Bishal Das & Sabi Hussain
New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) Armed with notebooks and pens an army of 'reporters' mingling with the crowds of book lovers at the ongoing World Book Fair is furiously at work.
The scribes, all children aged between ten and fifteen years, are busy in the task of chronicling the daily activities at the Fair, flooding many visitors with their questions.
The 'reporters' race to meet deadlines for the 'Akkad Bakkad Times,' a tabloid covering all the major events and happenings occurring on the sidelines of the mega event.
The paper, conceived by the National Book Trust (NBT) is an unique initiative in collaboration with National Bal Bhavan, to encourage children with a creative bent of mind.
Apart from covering the routine daily activities, 'Akkad-Bakkad Times' also includes interviews of eminent personalities visiting the Fair, a collection of humorous cartoons titled 'Natkhat-Soojhboojh', a variety of poems as well as editorials, all produced by children.
"It is a great pleasure that even the editorial is penned by these children. And to edit a copy written by a school-going child needs a lot of patience but at the end it is really exciting," says Manas Ranjan Mahapatra, editor, NBT.
The 12 'journalists', were chosen from different schools in Delhi by the National Bal Bhawan in its endeavor to explore their latent journalistic skills.
The tabloid is printed daily and distributed at all the stalls at the Fair apart from being dispatched to the NBT headquarters at the capital and the Bal Bhawan. PTI
Ratan Tata has done a first-class job: Russi Mody
New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) He once likened Ratan Tata to a circus performer, but Russi Mody, the former statesman-like head of Tata Steel, now admits that the Tata Group Chairman is a class act.
"I have not been in charge for the last fourteen years, but I think Ratan Tata and (Tata Steel Managing Director) B Muthuraman have done a first-class job in terms of performance of a steel company," Mody, 90, is quoted as saying in a biography 'Russi Mody: The Man Who Also Made Steel' written by Partha Mukherjee and Jyoti Sabharwal.
His admission, admiration and praise for Tata comes forth in the book that also tells his side of the story on the conflict between him and Ratan Tata over the issue of retirement of Tata Group officials and their present bonhomie.
Mody is said to have felt slighted by Tata, who, he sensed, had a hand in his ouster from TISCO (now Tata Steel) in the 1990s, but has since gotten over the episode. The two appear to have made peace and as recent as August 2007, Mody hosted Ratan Tata at his business suite in Taj Bengal, Kolkata.
The thirty-minute meeting was their first in public gaze, although they are reportedly known to have met privately twice earlier. PTI
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Sensex: 17464.89, -62.04
The sensex closed at 17464.89, down 62.04
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This is the Mumbai Grapevine
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 39.605 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3690 INR
1 British Pound = 77.051 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.629 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.948 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.786 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.562 INR
1 Euro = 57.457 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.885 INR
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This is the Mumbai Grapevine
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