The Mumbai Grapevine
Connecting Mumbaikars with Mumbai
(Published by Mumbai-Central.com)
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.
Measles vaccine was procured by Centre: TN
Chennai, Apr 26 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government today said AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa's charge that it procured inferior quality measles vaccine was false as the vaccine stocks were provided by the Central government.
"It is the Central government which procures the vaccines and supplies it to state governments. The Centre had procured the medicine from the Human Biological Institute, Hyderabad. The vaccine was manufactured in February 2008 and its expiry date is January 2010. Hence her remarks that the state administered outdated vaccines to the infants is not true," an official press release said today.
It also denied that the cold chain was broken due to frequent power cuts. All Primary Health Centres had been provided generators for back up in case of power cuts. The temperature under which the vaccines were kept was also, continuously monitored, it said.
The Central team, which visited primary health centres from which the vaccine was administered had said that the medicine was maintained properly, the release said.
Jayalalithaa had yesterday charged the DMK government with procuring inferior quality vaccines at a cheaper rate.
Five infants, four in Tiruvallur district and another in Dharmapuri district died after being administered measles vaccination, leading to the suspension of the measles vaccination programme in the state. PTI
Five killed in police-naxal encounter
Dumka (Jharkhand), Apr 26 (PTI) Three policemen and two naxalites were killed in an encounter near Makra Pahari in Jharkhand's Dumka district early this morning.
"The officer-incharge of Shikaripara police station, Samshad Ansari and two constables were killed in the encounter," Superintendent of Police Sidho Hembrom told PTI.
Two naxalites were killed in the encounter.
A naxalite was arrested and two rifles seized from his possession. PTI
Chennai restrict Kolkata to 147 for nine
Chennai, Apr 26 (PTI) An all-round bowling display allowed Chennai Super Kings restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to a modest 147 for nine in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 encounter here today.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team seized the initiative with a double blow and the Kolkata team never really recovered in the clash between two of the unbeaten sides in the competition.
New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram (3-32) was the wrecker-in-chief as the Knight Riders' big guns - Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, David Hussey and skipper Sourav Ganguly - fell to indiscreet shots.
Only Laxmi Ratan Shukla held the innings together with a crucial innings of 42.
Oram started the slide dismissing McCullum and Ponting off successive balls.
McCullum was the lone Kolkata batsman to show some aggression in his 24-run effort off 12 balls. The opening stand of 32 (15 balls) between him and Ganguly remained the brightest patch of their innings.
Ganguly seemed be determined to carry his bat through while wickets fell at the other end. But he too made an exit trying to clear Joginder Sharma over the covers. His 12 off 19 balls had just one four.
Kolkata's first fifty came off 30 balls but as wickets fell at regular intervals, the next 50 runs took 57 deliveries.
While Muthiah Muralitharan remained the most economical bowler with 4-0-12-0, P Amarnath claimed two wickets in four overs conceding 29 runs.
He ended the tenure David Hussey, who spooned a catch to S Badrinath at point. PTI
ICC will not interfere in Bhajji-Sreesanth row
New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) The International Cricket Council (ICC) today made it clear that it will not interfere in the row involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, saying it was for the BCCI to take appropriate action on the matter.
The ICC said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a domestic tournament organist by the BCCI and it was the supreme authority.
"The IPL is BCCI's domestic tournament and it is the supreme authority to take appropriate action in this regard," an ICC spokesman told PTI over phone from Dubai.
Harbhajan, who is captaining the Mumbai Indians team in the absence of an injured Sachin Tendulkar, allegedly slapped King XI Punjab's S Sreesanth after a match in Mohali.
Harbhajan has been served with a show cause notice by the BCCI asking why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for his conduct. He has been given time till Monday to respond to the notice Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth tried to downplay the incident. The off-spinner said the issue has been "sorted out" and the pacer remarked that Harbhajan is like his "elder brother". PTI
Sreesanth has no complaint against Bhajji the "elder bother"
Mohali, Apr 26 (PTI) Despite being allegedly slapped by Harbhajan Singh, Kings XI Punjab paceman S Sreesanth has "no complaint" against the off-spinner, whom he regards as his "elder brother".
"It is up to the BCCI or IPL to look into this. I am focusing on the next game. Whatever has happened is part of the game. I regard him as my elder brother and have no complaints against him," Sreesanth told reporters here.
Sreesanth spoke minutes after his team issued a media statement, saying no team member would speak on the issue as the BCCI was looking into the whole matter.
The paceman, who plays for Kerala Ranji team, insisted there was no bad blood between him and Harbhajan "He has all the right for what he has done. No complaints," he said.
On being asked why he cried after the match, he said, "I play my game with lot of passion. I put my life in it." Kings XI Punjab's win over Mumbai Indians was marred by the shocking incident in which Harbhajan was alleged to have slapped Sreesanth after the match.
Sreesanth was seen crying on the ground and team owner Preity Zinta and his teammates were seen consoling the paceman. PTI
Silver recovers, gold steady
Mumbai, Apr 26 (PTI) Silver prices recovered on the bullion market here today on renewed industrial demand coupled with mild stockists buying on the back of strong global cues.
Gold, however, ruled steady in the absence of market moving factors.
In New York, comex July silver rose by 19 cents to 16.9580 dollar an ounce. Gold futures ended flat after spending much of Friday's trading session modestly higher on support from rising oil prices.
June gold rose 30 cents to 889.70 dollar after an intra day high of 899 dollar an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The metal managed to hang on to positive territory after erasing much of "a very unenthusiastic rally," a dealer said.
The rising oil prices renewed inflation concerns, which supported gold, the dealer added.
Turning to the local market, silver ready (.999 fineness) firmed up by Rs 70 per kilo to 22,845 from Rs 22,775.
Standard gold (99.5 purity) and pure gold (99.9 purity) both closed unaltered at Rs 11,550 and Rs 11,610 respectively. PTI
PM dedicates hydel plant to nation; promises help to J&K
Anil Bhat
Dulhasti (J&K), Apr 26 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today dedicated the 390 MW Dulhasti hydel power project in Jammu and Kashmir to the nation and promised "maximum help" from the Centre for multifarious development of the state.
Built on river Chenab in the newly created Kishtwar district, the project was termed by Singh as another milestone in tapping the vast hydro power potential in the state.
The foundation stone for it was laid 25 years ago by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
"We will not leave any stone unturned in lending maximum help and support to the people of the state...I promise you that the state and centre will pay maximum attention to the development of the state on multiple fronts," he said at a public rally.
Observing that 90 per cent of the hydel power potential remained untapped, Singh said industrial development required uninterrupted power supply. "When there will be an industrial boom, it will generate employment for the youth force in the state" which would result in an economic development.
Advocating timely completion of all projects, the Prime Minister said: "Our several projects are not getting completed in time which result in escalation of cost...If we continue with this, we cannot continue the progress on economic" and never reach the "desired heights" on developmental front.
When Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the project on April 19, 1983, its cost was estimated at Rs 183 crores, but was finally completed last year at an investment of Rs 5,228 crores. PTI
Markets recapture important levels, Sensex above 17K
Mumbai, Apr 26 (PTI) Stocks: Shrugging off concerns over rising inflation and a hike in the Cash Reserve Ratio, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex gained 4.0 per cent to recapture the psychologically important 17K peak in the week, largely driven by robust earnings by frontline stocks.
In the week to April 26, the BSE barometer advanced by another 644.78 points or 3.91 per cent to end the week at 17,125.98 from its last weekend's close of 16,481.20.
The broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also spurted by 153.30 points or 3.09 per cent to close the week at 5,111.70 from its last weekend's close.
Investors looked optimistic over the prospect of capital inflows into Indian equity markets after key corporates came out with encouraging fourth quarter financial results and global markets showed signs of recovery, providing bourses a major trigger.
The marketwide rollover of nearly 82 per cent to May series is also seen as a bullish factor by marketmen.
Global stocks are expected to move upwards as world's largest economy showed signs of resilence after an ecnouraging US jobs and manufacturing data this week.
Analysts said the outlook for the market is good as some some frontline companies such as Reliance Communications, Hindustan Unilever, Reliance Energy and ICICI Bank will unveil financial results next week.
The Reserve Bank of India's annual monetary policy review on April 29 and the US Federal Reserve meeting at month-end also is expected to play a crucial role in determining the market direction, they added. PTI
Return of normalcy imperative before talks: Rinpoche
Dharamsala, Apr 26 (PTI) Welcoming Beijing's offer to hold talks with Dalai Lama's envoy, the Tibetan government-in- exile today said there was a need for return of normalcy in Chinese-ruled Tibet before formal resumption of talks.
"There is a need for return of normalcy in Tibet before formal resumption of talks," Samdhong Rinpoche, Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, said.
"We are ready to take all steps for this (to bring normalcy)," he said in a statement here.
"For any meeting to be productive, it is important the Chinese leadership should acknowledge the positive role of Tibetan spiritual leader (Dalai Lama) rather than indulging in vilification campaign against him," Rinpoche said.
Welcoming Chinese government's offer to hold talks with Dalai Lama's envoy, he said the spiritual leader wanted to reach out to the Chinese people and the leadership to resolve the Tibet issue.
Dalai Lama even sent a communication to the Chinese President on March 19 offering to send his representatives to help calm the situation in Tibet, the exiled Premier said. PTI
Former US teacher gets 15-yr jail for links with LeT
Sridhar Krishnaswami
Washington, Apr 26 (PTI) A District Court in the US has sentenced a former schoolteacher for the second time to 15 years in prison after an appeals court directed it to reconsider the original conviction for providing material aid to anti-India terrorist outfit Lashkar e-Toiba (LeT).
The District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, yesterday handed down the sentence for Ali Asad Chandia, a former teacher at a Muslim school who was a part of the "Virginia jihad network" and convicted of providing material aid to the LeT, which has been active in anti-India terrorist activities in India.
Chandia was convicted in 2006 of providing military support to the militant organisation and was one of a dozen men convicted by the US government for training for a "holy war" around the world.
The former school teacher was found guilty of acting as an assistant to LeT leader Mohammed Ajmal Khan on his visits to the US in 2002 and 2003 and helping Khan transfer 50,000 paintball pellets to Pakistan.
Chandia's lawyer, according to a report in The Washington Times, has said he will again appeal against the sentence. PTI
Hasina was main target of grenade attack: arrested HuJI member
Dhaka, Apr 26 (PTI) An operative of the banned Harkat ul Jihad Islami (HuJI) has said the detained ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina was the main target of their grenade attack that had left 24 dead on August 21, 2004, officials and reports said today.
The attempt failed because of "too much hurry" by the assailants during the attack, court sources quoted HuJI operative Arif Hasan Sumon, who was arrested on April 12, as telling before a magistrate in a confessional statement.
Sumon, they said, told the magistrate that 12 people took part in the attack on the Awami League rally with 15 grenades while he himself threw two grenades and one of them exploded.
He also told the court that now detained HuJI chief Mufti Hannan rebuked them later for the failure of the mission led by Abu Zandal, who too was arrested earlier this year.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on April 12 arrested Sumon from his Mohammadpur residence in Dhaka after months of manhunt in line with confessional statements of earlier arrested HuJI leaders.
CID officials said he had planned to flee to South Africa where one of the masterminds of the attack Maulana Tajuddin was believed to be hiding.
Hasina narrowly escaped the attack but her ears were badly injured while doctors have said she now needed immediate follow up treatment abroad to avoid permanent hearing impairment.
Twenty-four people, mostly her party activists, were killed and some 400 others injured and scores of them eventually were crippled for life after the attack while Hasina was addressing the rally in front of the downtown Bangabandhu Avenue office of her Awami League party. PTI
Pak movie featuring Nandita Das to be screened at Tribeca fest
Islamabad, Apr 26 (PTI) A movie starring Indian actress Nandita Das and based on the real-life story of a seven-year- old Pakistani Hindu boy and his father who accidentally cross the border and are jailed will be screened at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
"Ramchand Pakistani", which hopes to bring the two nations closer by showcasing the emotional turmoil that ordinary people on both sides of the border experience because of the strained political relations, has an apt tagline -- "Two nations Poised for War. One Family Torn Apart".
The film will be screened along with 79 other films from 41 countries at the festival, which began today and will be on till May 4. The film is likely to be released in India and Pakistan soon.
The movie by first-time Pakistani feature filmmaker Mehreen Jabbar stars Nandita Das as the woman whose husband and son are jailed for being "spies". Das plays Champa, the woman whose seven-year-old son Ramchand and husband disappear from their village near Nagarparkar, located along the border with India.
The film revolves around Ramchand, who grows up in an Indian prison with his father, but with no memory of his mother.
"The story is deeply rooted in the complex relationships that characterise interactions between Pakistan and India, and Muslims and Hindus," Jabbar said.
"Ramchand Pakistani" was recently awarded the Global Film Initiative Grant, an initiative to support films that promote "cross-cultural understanding". (More)
Jackie Chan keen on working with Kamal Haasan
Chennai, Apr 25 (PTI) Hollywood action hero Jackie Chan is keen on working with Indian great Kamal Haasan.
Chan, who was here at the audio release of Haasan's magnum opus "Dasavathaaram" today, said India has been one of his favourite places.
It was nothing less than a dream line-up at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor stadiun here with Chan, Amitabh Bachchan, Haasan and Mammootty coming together.
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was also present on the occasion, which was electrified with the presence of Bollywood heartthrob Mallika Sherawat, 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini, Jayapradha and south Indian actors Asin and Vijay.
Cheering up the audience, who had turned up in large numbers to see their favourite stars, Chan said "I have seen some scenes of the movie ('Dasavathaaram'). The acting is excellent. I do not act but do action in the movie," he said.
Bachchan said he has a deep emotional connection with the city as he received his first award from Karunanidhi here years ago. PTI
I trust Indian doctors: Amitabh Bachchan
Chennai, Apr 25 (PTI) Terming Indian doctors as more talented than their western counterparts, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan today said he would prefer them treating him whenever he fell ill.
"I trust Indian doctors and always prefer them treating me. The Indian doctors are doing wonders in the medical field and they are more talented compared to western doctors," Bachchan said here today, while spending time with a group of poor children, who had undergone free cardiac surgery at a private hospital.
Lauding the hospital for performing the surgery free of cost, Bachchan donated Rs 11 lakh as a goodwill gesture.
Bachchan is in the city to participate in the audio release of Tamil actor Kamal Haasan's new movie "Dasavathaaram". PTI
Digest of domestic news for the week Apr 19-25, 2008
Saturday
New Delhi: Left and UNPA parties join hands against Congress-led UPA government on the issue of inflation and threatened to intensify their agitation in the coming days.
Amarkantak (MP): The foundation stone for the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), the first of its kind in the country, is laid by HRD Minister Arjun Singh here.
Sunday Aurangabad/New Delhi: Reflecting factional fued in BJP, its senior leader Gopinath Munde resigns from all organizational posts, upset over appointment of Madhu Chavan as the head of Mumbai unit of the party alleging the party was not functioning democratically.
New Delhi: The government directs all the Centrally-funded elite educational institutions including IIMs and IITs to implement the OBC reservation from this year sans creamy layer.
Monday New Delhi: UP Chief Minister Mayawati can go ahead with construction activities in the Ambedkar Park in Lucknow as the Supreme Court lifts curbs imposed by the Allahabad High Court.
New Delhi: Allaying apprehensions among government servants over the Pay Commission recommendations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says he favoured proper remuneration for the civil and defence services.
Tuesday New Delhi: The special aircraft carrying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes through a mid-air scare while preparing to land in the Capital after the Air Traffic Control(ATC) detects an unidentified blip on its flight path on the radar screen.
New Delhi/Mumbai: The BJP climbs down buying peace with a sulking Gopinath Munde by removing a functionary in its Mumbai unit in a pact in which the Maharashtra strongman of the party also withdrew his resignation from all party posts. Bhopal/Bhubaneshwar: A suspected killer of Biranchi Das, coach of child marathon runner Budhia, is arrested in Bhopal after which Orissa police say this could lead to apprehension of the prime suspect who has remained elusive since the murder nine days ago.
Wednesday New Delhi: India rules out the need to import wheat this year, as it appears poised to surpass the 15 million tons procurement target.
New Delhi: Sending a clear message to the US, India says it was for the IAEA to decide on the nature of Iran's nuclear programme and not for Washington to take a call on it.
New Delhi: The CPI(M) comes down heavily on the government for not banning futures and forward trading in essential commodities, saying speculation is the prime cause of price rise.
Thursday New Delhi/Chennai: Alarmed by the death of four children in Tamil Nadu due to suspected contaminated measle vaccines, the Centre orders halt to use of the product supplied by a Hyderabad-based company across the country even as the state government suspends the vaccination drive.
Mumbai: The spectacle of scantily dressed cheeerleaders gyrating at IPL cricket contests has outraged some politicians with Maharashtra government saying "vulgar" shows will not be permitted at the Mumbai match. Friday New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes under scathing attack from friends and foes alike over the issue of price rise with the Left parties dubbing as "insulting" government's statement against politicising the issue.
New Delhi: A Delhi traffic police constable accused of raping a minor girl is dismissed from service and the national capital's Police chief Y S Dadwal summoned by a Parliamentary Committee to discuss the safety of women. PTI
India, through the lens of sexuality
New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) Sexuality can be an interesting lens to examine changes happening in India -- the economic surge, the higher political profile, the cultural explosion on the world stage and a new and assertive confidence in its own capability as a major world power, says a new book.
In 'Gay Bombay,' venture capitalist Parmesh Shahani, chooses Gay Bombay -- an online-offline community in Mumbai --to describe what it means to be a gay man in India's financial and entertainment capital.
"The timely emergence of pop culture homogeneity, pan-Indianness have enabled gay-identified Indian individuals to imagine a distinctively Indian gay identity," the Mumbai-based Shahani, who also works as research affiliate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Convergence Culture Consortium, writes.
He says the present gay scene would not have been possible but for the economic reforms of the 1990s.
"Closely connected to this is the political landscape of the time," he writes. According to Shahani, the queer activist movement in India is broad and diverse, pursuing several legal and health agendas.
"The history, the legal challenges and the medical interventions have enabled an ideoscape of gayness to be formulated and to circulate within the Indian society. There is an awareness of certain issues, an acknowledgment that gayness is something that exists in India," Shahani writes. PTI
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________
______Market_______
To get regularly updated NIFTY (NSE) quotes by email, join the NSEData
mailing list by sending an email to NSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To get regularly updated BSE quotes by email, join the BSEData mailing
list by sending an email to BSEData-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Sensex: 17125.98, +404.90
The sensex closed at 17125.98, up 404.90
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________
______Forex_______
1 U.S. $ = 40.125 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3839 INR
1 British Pound = 79.610 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.563 INR
1 Singapore $ = 29.465 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.926 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.698 INR
1 Euro = 62.665 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 11.021 INR
___________________________________________________________
This is the Mumbai Grapevine
___________________________________________________________