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Basu says he wants to step down from party politburo
Kolkata, Feb 22 (PTI) Ahead of the crucial party Congress next month, Marxist veteran Jyoti Basu has again offered to quit as a member of CPI(M) politburo, a post he has held since the formation of the party after the break up of the undivided Communist Party 44 years ago.
The 94-year-old leader, hamstrung by age, an incurable stomach ailment and a growing inability to travel, told newsmen today that he had written to the party leadership expressing his desire to resign from the top policy-making body of the party.
The CPI(M) patriarch said he had verbally communicated this to the leadership and written to the party General Secretary Prakash Karat that he would not be able to attend the party Congress at Coimbatore from March 29.
"I do not wish to continue and I have communicated this to the party leadership. I have written to Prakash Karat that I will not be attending the party congress," Basu said. PTI
No danger to internal security: Jaiswal
Bijnor (UP), Feb 22 (PTI) Dismissing opposition charges that India was facing threat from terrorist outfits, the Centre has said there was no danger to internal security of the country.
"In Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism is at fag-end after 20 years. The naxal-affected Andhra Pradesh is quite calm. There is no danger to internal security of the country," Union Minister of State for Home Shriprakash Jaiswal told reporters here yesterday.
He charged the opposition parties with misleading people about the danger of terrorist outfits.
"The opposition parties are making a noise and misleading the country on this. But during their regime the terrorists attacked Parliament and other religious places," he said.
Jaiswal said the Centre was providing all possible help, including paramilitary forces, helicopters and other resources to naxal-affected states to fight the maoists..
Claiming that there was no problem of terrorism in Uttar Pradesh, he blamed the CRPF authorities and the state government for the terrorist attack on a CRPF camp in Rampur recently.
Asked about the alleged delay in hanging of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, Jaiswal said normally it took six years for reaching any decision on such cases.
Why the opposition is making such a hue and cry on this issue in just two years when a decision on assassins of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was taken only after eight years, he said. PTI
Kidney racket: Amit Kumar sent to judicial custody till Mar.7
Ambala, Feb 22 (PTI) Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin in the multi-crore kidney transplant racket, was today sent to judicial custody till March seven by a CBI court here.
Kumar was produced in the court of CBI Duty Magistrate Sunita Grover amidst tight security. Media persons were not allowed inside the court premises.
CBI's Public Prosecutor A K Singh did not seek police custody of Kumar, who would now be lodged in the central jail here.
Defence counsel Pradeep Batra made an oral submission on behalf the accused seeking permission to allow him to speak to his family on telephone. The court just took note of the submission and issued no direction.
The case was registered against Kumar and others by the CBI on February eight relating to sections 420 (cheating), 342 (illegal confinement), 326 (causing grievous hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and section 18 and 19 of Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1994. PTI
Lanka lose rain-affected game as Aussies confirm final berth
Melbourne, Feb 22 (PTI) Sri Lanka's survival in the cricket tri-series hung by a slender thread after they lost to world champions Australia by 24 runs in a rain-curtailed encounter here today.
Chasing Australia's modest score of 184 for seven, the islanders were 77 for four in 29.3 overs when rain forced a premature end to the proceedings with Sri Lanka well behind under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The two on-field umpires, Simon Taufel and Rudi Koertzen, waited for the rain to stop till the cut-off of 10.20 pm local time before calling off play. Since a minimum of 20 overs are required to constitute a game, Australia were declared winners and also got a bonus point.
The result of the rain-affected game dealt a huge blow to Sri Lanka's quest for a berth in the best-of-three finals as they now need to win their remaining two matches to have a chance. They would also need India to lose to Australia in Sydney on Sunday.
With this victory, Australia confirmed their place in the finals and maintained their position atop the points table with 22 points from six games. India are second with 12 points from the same number of matches while Sri Lanka are at the bottom with six points from as many matches.
Sri Lanka did well to restrict the powerful Australian line-up to a moderate total but their batsmen once again let them down. PTI
North beat West to retain Duleep Trophy; pocket Rs 30 lakh
Mumbai, Feb 22 (PTI) Holders North Zone needed just one session today, the fourth day of the five-day Duleep Trophy final, to whip West Zone by six wickets and retain the inter-zonal championship for the second year running.
North, set to get 166 for a victory by West and starting the day at 74 for three, lost only one more wicket before coasting home on the strength of an unbeaten knock of 94 by opener Shikhar Dhawan.
Dhawan, overnight 44, did all the scoring in the first hour when his partner Yashpal Singh spent an unproductive hour at the crease at the Wankhede Stadium without adding any run before getting out to the 42nd ball he faced today.
Dhawan, who struck 13 fours and a six in his 274-minute stay in which he faced 160 balls, and Rajat Bhatia (33 not out in 68 balls with five fours) put on 53 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to see North home to a record 17th title triumph just on the stroke of lunch.
Ashraf Makda was the only successful bowler today when he had the strokeless and runless Yashpal caught by Ajinkya Rahane after which North, who last won back-to-back titles in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, surged along to a comfortable victory.
North's first innings lead of 66 runs put them in the driver's seat from which they did not climb down.
The champions received Rs 30 lakh and the runners-up Rs 15 lakh.
Scores: West Zone 274 and 231 lost to North Zone 340 and 166 for four (S Dhawan not out 94, R Bhatia not out 33; Sidharth Trivedi 2 for 42, Ashraf Makda 2 for 59). PTI
I am a trouble-shooter in BCCI: Pawar
Shillong, Feb 22 (PTI) BCCI President Sharad Pawar today said he avoided poking his nose into each and everything in the cricket administration.
"I have appointed proper experts to handle the affairs of the BCCI. The experts in the field of cricket are more equipped to handle such matters," Pawar said.
"I have set guidelines for them. I have confidence that they can deliver. And in case of any problem, I am always there as a trouble-shooter," he said in reply to a query at a press conference here on his absence at the much-hyped auctioning of cricketers in Mumbai on Wednesday during the Indian Premier League's bidding process.
Referring to IPL chairman Lalit Modi and other cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar who are in the IPL panel, Pawar said, "I had no work in the IPL bidding. There are also eminent businessmen in the IPL panel to assist the cricketing experts in the exercise.
He said "my working style is different. I believe in decentralisation. I head many organisations, but the actual executers are the experts in the particular field that I have appointed in the bodies".
He said after returning to Mumbai this evening, he will be briefed by the IPL functionaries about the developments. PTI
Ponting blames ICC for IPL revolution
Melbourne, Feb 22 (PTI) Concerned over long-term effects of Indian Premier League's money power, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has blamed the International Cricket Council for not acting in time to develop the Twenty20 format to its potential and trying to put lid on it.
Ponting said the luring private Twenty20 revolution in India was threatening to spoil the composition of national sides.
"The amount of money being bandied around here and the amount of money and power the Indian board, the BCCI, has, who knows how cricket administration worldwide is going to pan out," Ponting said.
"Twenty20 cricket has been big at domestic level for most of this decade in England, then South Africa and now Australia.
"It was obvious by the crowds at that level that it was going to be big. If the ICC had jumped on it then and developed Twenty20 cricket to its potential instead of trying to keep a lid on it then there might not have been any need for an IPL to counter the rebel Indian Cricket League," he wrote in his column for 'The Australian'.
The Aussies skipper warned various cricket boards to be careful about the implications of the private leagues -- IPL and ICL.
"If the ICC is saying it can't find a window for the IPL, then those running the game will have to be careful how they handle this Twenty20 phenomenon," Ponting said. PTI
Musharraf vows to work with new parliament
Washington, Feb 22 (PTI) As opposition parties took steps to form a coalition government in Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf pledged to work with the new Parliament saying it is time for government leaders to "work together." "I stand ready to work with the newly elected Parliament," Musharraf said in an opinion piece in the influential "Washington Post", a day after the two main opposition groups, Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, agreed to join hands.
Musharraf's remarks came two days after the White House said it hoped the new Parliament would continue to work with Musharraf, giving its backing to the embattled fomer general.
Stating that "Pakistan's transition to democracy is essential to achieving reconciliation among our people", Musharraf said "The people of Pakistan on Monday demonstrated that willingness; now it is time for government leaders to work together and do our part." "As history has shown, a peaceful transition to democracy requires the leadership of government and the willingness of the population to embrace democratic ideals," he said.
Musharraf, a key ally in the US-led "war on terror", wrote that Pakistan required continued American support to defeat terrorism, forge a stable government and create the foundation for economic growth.
"We will continue to work closely with our longtime American allies in our common struggle to rid Pakistan and the world of militant extremism," he stressed. However, he reminded the US that "building democracy is difficult in the best of conditions".
PPP and PML-N crushed Musharraf's allies in Monday's parliamentary elections.PTI
Australia to wait for final report on climate change
Melbourne, Feb 22 (PTI) Australia will wait for a final report on climate change policy before setting any mid- term carbon emissions reduction targets, the country's environment minister has said.
Environment Minister Penny Wong was reacting to the interim report by leading Economist Ross Garnaut, which suggested that a 2020 greenhouse-gas reduction target should be set this year and consideration be given to a tougher 2050 target, presently 60 per cent under 2000 levels.
The report released yesterday calls on the federal government to set an interim 2020 target similar to those accepted by other developed nations, such as the European Union's 20 per cent.
"We will set a mid-term target after we receive Professor Garnaut's final report and Treasury modelling and a range of other contributions, because we understand we have to have a mid-term target as well," Senator Wong told a local radio channel here.
"At the same time we have to ensure we have a very clear eye to the impact on the Australian economy. That is why we have said we will try and reduce emissions at least cost through a market mechanism which is the emissions trading scheme," she said.
Wong said the government "absolutely respected" Professor Garnaut's contribution despite not backing his recommendation for a higher 2050 reduction target.
"As everyone would expect, ultimately, it is the government that will make the decision ... That is our job. That (60 per cent) is the commitment the government has made. We believe it is an appropriate commitment, it was a commitment made that was informed by the science and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report," she said.
Wong said that shifting the nation to a lower carbon path is an "economic transformation". PTI
Renault, Nissan sign MoU with Tamil Nadu for Chennai plant
New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) French carmaker Renault and Japan's Nissan today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tamil Nadu government for setting up their proposed greenfield automobile manufacturing unit in Oragadam, near Chennai, at an investment of Rs 4,500 crore.
Both Renault and Nissan would have 50 per cent stake in the plant which would have a capacity to roll out four lakh units per annum over the next seven years, Renault-Nissan said in a statement.
Renault holds 44.4 per cent stake in Nissan.
Renault Executive Vice-President, Products, Plan and Programs, Patrick Pelata and Nissan Executive Vice-President, Corporate and Product Planning, Carlos Tavares signed the MoU with the Tamil Nadu government.
Renault and Nissan had initially entered into a tripartite joint venture with India's Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) for the proposed plant. Later M&M decided to pull out of the JV and these two companies decided to go on their own.
The Indian firm had said that it did not require the additional capacity being planned at Chennai and would instead expand its existing facility in Chakan near Pune to meet its projected requirements.
As per the initial agreement, Mahindra would have held a majority 50 per cent stake in the plant while Renault and Nissan would have held an equal 25 per cent stake each.
Mahindra manufactures and markets its mid-size sedan Logan through a joint venture with Renault.
The proposed Renault-Nissan manufacturing facility would come up in an area of 670 acre and is expected to go on stream in early 2010. PTI
Sensex plunges over 385 points as banking stocks take a hit
Mumbai, Feb 22 (PTI) The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today plunged by over 385 points as banking stocks came under selling pressure on concerns that the recent cut in lending rates might hit their earnings.
Marketmen said rising inflation rate, which saw a six-month high of 4.35 per cent for the week ended February 9, also dampened the sentiments.
The Sensex, which had recorded a gain of 117 points in the previous day's trading, declined by 385.61 points to 17,349.07, with banking heavyweights SBI, ICICI Bank and HDFC taking a hit.
The key index touched the day's low of 17,294.73 and a high of 17,526.80 points.
National Stock Exchange index Nifty also dropped by 81.05 points to 5,110.75, after touching the day's low of 5,092.80 and a high of 5,184.00 points.
Banking index on the BSE fell 328.72 points at 10,150.22, followed by oil and gas index by 239.26 points at 10,673.00 Major PSU banks like SBI, Canara Bank and Bank of India have cut lending rates in the past few days.
Besides banking stocks, other leading scrips which lost significantly included Bajaj Auto, Reliance Industries, Tata Steel, Larsen and Toubro, Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys Technologies.
The market also remained under pressure as major Asian indices traded lower on renewed fear of the US entering into a recession. PTI
Allow FM radio channels to broadcast news; increase FDI: TRAI
New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) Broadcast regulator TRAI today recommended that FM radio operators should be allowed to broadcast news and suggested increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to up to 49 per cent.
At present, there is a 20 per cent ceiling on FDI in FM radio space and TRAI recommended that 26 per cent foreign investment can be allowed in radio channels that want to broadcast news and 49 per cent in non-news FM stations.
The FDI cap will also include funds received from Foreign Institutional Investors, TRAI said in its recommendation.
It suggested that FM radio broadcasters may be permitted to broadcast news using content from AIR, Doordarshan, authorised news channels, PTI, UNI and any other authorised news agency, the recommendation on third phase of private FM radio broadcasting said.
With this move, a large section of the population, which hitherto lack access to information, would be able to keep themselves abreast without any costs that are attached to internet and TV services, it said.
It also recommended lowering of annual fees by 50 per cent from the existing permission holders for private FM radio broadcasters in North East and Jammu and Kashmir region for an initial period of three years. PTI
Gold softens on reduced buying, weak global cues
New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) After moving upward for the last four days, gold prices today receded marginally by Rs 5 to Rs 12,210 per 10 gram in the bullion market here on reduced offtake.
However, silver continued to rise on increased industrial offtake along with strong overseas advices.
Marketmen said fresh resistance in demand due to record high levels and report of a weak trend in global markets mainly pulled down gold prices.
Gold declined by 2.24 dollar to 943.86 dollar an ounce in London. Prices were up 4.6 per cent this week, heading for the biggest weekly advance since November 23.
Standard gold and ornaments lacked necessary buying support and shed Rs 5 each at Rs 12,210 and Rs 12,060 per 10 grams respectively. However, sovereign, remained in demand and advanced further by Rs 100 at Rs 9800 per piece of eight gram.
On the other side, silver ready maintained its rising trend on increased offtake by industrial units and added another Rs 100 to Rs 22,100 per kg, while weekly-based delivery gained Rs 10 at Rs 22,850 per kg.
Silver coins remained steady at Rs 26,200 for buying and Rs 26,300 for selling of 100 coins in limited deals. PTI
Coolie? Why not call us porters instead?
Ashish Jha
New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) The demand is feeble, not even listed in the charter of demands that they would present to the Railway Minister. But they plan to broach the issue at an appropriate time- why call us 'coolie'? "It is one of our several demands including a forth grade employee status to coolies and a pension scheme for those coolies attaining age of 60," says Mangat Ram Saini, Chairman, All India Railway Coolie Organisation.
Coolies, the inseparable entity of one of the world's biggest Railway network and the biggest non-governmental structure supporting the Indian railways have come up with these demands during their "Sansad Ghero Abhiyan" in the capital.
"This name, 'coolie' smacks of the British Raj and still gives us a sense of 'slavery'," says Saini adding a better calling name was much required to uplift their social status.
"Being called as 'Coolie' is a little degradation of the kind of service, we provide to the millions of passengers everyday," he says.
After a long gap of 25 years when 'Coolies' were heard and their role was recognised in the society with the Bollywood 'Icon' Amitabh Bachhan giving a voice to their plight through the hit film 'Coolie,' the coolie fraternity has decided to voice its demands on their own.
"We are going to put our demand before the government for not only changing this name but also to consider us as the fourth grade employee under Indian Railways and providing pension scheme for our colleagues who cross 60 years of age" says Charan Singh, who has worked as a coolie on the New Delhi Railway Station for last 35 years. PTI
US co. Forced to recall a batch, Bindi in India goes unchecked
Amit Kumar Srivastava and Diganta Biswas
New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) The 'bindi', the ubiquitous mark on the forehead of Indian women is facing a problem in the distant United States where a manufacturer has been forced to withdraw a batch along with other cosmetics products from the market owing to its high lead content.
In the land of its birth, the bindi, however, continues to be manufactured unchecked as there is no agency to monitor the usage and harmful effects of spurious products.
"The cosmetics industry is not at all regulated in India. There's no apex body to control this in India", says Dr Deepak Vohra, a cosmetologist.
"What's worse is the fact that most of the branded products in the market do not carry the mandatory label of ingredients, colouring agent (chemicals used) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark and no declaration whatsoever that that the products are manufactured from any carcinogenic or any harmful ingredients", Dr Vohra says.
According to experts, 'sindoor' or 'kumkum' readily available in market often contains high amount of lead, which heightens the risk of poisoning. Lead exposure can result in a wide range of biological effects, depending upon the level and duration of exposure.
Synthetic sindoor can cause serious dermatological disorders like irritation, skin toxicity, eczema, leucoderma. Long-term exposure to even low levels of lead can cause irreversible learning difficulties, mental retardation, and delayed neurological and physical development, doctors say. PTI
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Sensex: 17349.07, -385.61
The sensex closed at 17349.07, down 385.61
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______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 39.955 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3735 INR
1 British Pound = 78.579 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.577 INR
1 Singapore $ = 28.417 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.880 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.669 INR
1 Euro = 59.267 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.992 INR
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