Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Suicide car bomb near mosque kills 10 in Pakistan

A suicide car bomber attacked people in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday as they were heading home after morning prayers at the start of an Eid. The blast killed 10 people, officials said.

The attack occurred in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Baluchistan is believed to be home to many Taliban militants who have targeted Shiites in the past. Extremist Sunni Muslim groups like the Taliban view Shiites as heretics.

The bomber was apparently targeting a Shiite mosque but could not get close enough because the road was blocked, said Quetta police chief Ahsan Mahboob.

Instead, he detonated his explosives in a parking lot nearby, Mahboob said.

It is unclear how many of the 10 people killed were Shiite worshippers or others who were hit by the blast as they were passing by, said Mahboob. The blast also wounded at least 17 people and damaged nearby vehicles and buildings, he said.

The attack was a somber beginning to Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday that comes at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. In Pakistan, the three-day holiday started Wednesday while in many other parts of the Muslim world it began on Tuesday.

Many analysts believe Baluchistan is home to Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and fighters have used the province as a convenient gateway to attack foreign troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government has also fought a decades-long insurgency in Baluchistan waged by nationalists who demand a greater share of the province's natural resources.

US Open: Sania loses, Paes-Bhupathi, Bopanna-Qureshi advance

India's Sania Mirza lost a thrilling women's singles first round match while compatriots Leander Peas and Mahesh Bhupathi along with Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistan partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi entered the second round of the men's doubles in the US Open Tennis Championships.

Playing in a packed court 17, Sania and her former doubles partner Shahar Peer engaged themselves in a fierce baseline exchange before the 23rd-seeded Israeli prevailed. Peer wen on to win the match 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 after more than a two-hour see-saw battle on Tuesday. It was Peer's second win over Sania in their six meetings.

The Israeli was quick to take a 3-1 lead in the first set but Sania, with her blistering returns of serve, broke back to enforce a tie-breaker.

The 64th-ranked Indian again trailed in the tie-breaker but soon levelled the scores at 5-5 with a down-the-line-forehand shot. Two points later, a forehand error from Peer gave Sania the opening set.

The Indian, however, slumped to errors and her first-serve percentage, too, dropped drastically. She hit five double faults and 19 unforced errors in the second set. A missed forehand passing shot gave Peer a 4-2 lead and even though Sania did well to fend off two set points at 5-2 and 5-3, she could not stop Peer from making it a set all.

The Indian then fizzled out in the decider and Peer sprinted to a 4-0 lead before closing out the set and the match.

In the men's doubles, fourth-seeded Paes and Bhupathi saw off a stiff fight from Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine and Albert Ramos of Spain to prevail 7-6(8), 6-4 in the first round. They now await the winner of the match between Florian Mayer of Germany and Rogier Wassen of the Netherlands and Frenchmen Marc Gicquel and Gael Monfils.

The fifth-seeded and last year's finalists Bopanna and Qureshi, too, survived a few anxious moments before pulling off a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Americans Robby Ginepri and Rhyne Williams in the opening round.

They now play the winner of the match between Americans Travis Parrott and Bobby Reynolds and James Cerretani of the US and Philipp Marx of Germany.

Julian Assange's WikiLeaks says website was target of cyber attack

WikiLeaks said its website had been the target of a cyber attack late on Tuesday as it proceeded with the release of thousands of previously unpublished US diplomatic cables, some still classified.

"WikiLeaks.org is presently under attack," said a message on WikiLeaks' Twitter page, which is believed to be controlled by Julian Assange, the controversial Australian-born founder and chief of the whistle-blowing organization.

WikiLeaks later described the problem as "a cyber attack". In a subsequent message on its Twitter feed, it said the website was back up though some users were having problems accessing it.

The U.S. cables which the website said it is dumping onto the public record appear to be from a cache of more than 250,000 State Department reports leaked to the group. WikiLeaks began releasing the cables in smaller batches late last year, but until now had made them public in piecemeal fashion.

Several news organizations around the world, including Reuters, have had complete sets of the cables for months. But for the most part, media outlets have only cited or published cables when publishing specific news or investigative stories based on them.

A person in contact with Assange's inner circle told Reuters recently that dismay among WikiLeaks activists over media organizations lost interest in publishing stories based on the material was the rationale for the mass release of documents.

The source described Assange and his associates as "frustrated" at the lack of media interest.

Last year WikiLeaks and Assange were celebrated after their release of State Department cables, tens of thousands of other secret U.S. files, and a classified video of a contested American military operation in Iraq.

Since then public interest in WikiLeaks has waned. It may have suffered from publicity related to Assange's flight to Britain after sexual misconduct allegations were made against him in Sweden and a subsequent protracted extradition fight.

Assange, who has denied any wrongdoing, has also publicly feuded with former collaborators.

A person close to Assange said a British appeals court is due to rule early next month on his appeal against Sweden's extradition request. The source was unaware of any link between the latest document dump and the anticipated court decision.

Latest James Bond film to be shot in India

After shooting in exotic locales across the globe, the world's most famous spy has taken a fancy to desi destinations like the humble Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi and relatively unknown Navagam town near Ahmedabad. Other possible locations that the latest James Bond flick could be shot in include the sun-kissed beaches of Goa and business hub Mumbai.

The I&B ministry has given permission to India Take One Productions to shoot the latest Bond film. 'Bond 23' is likely to be shot at the cheek-by-jowl streets of Daryaganj, Sarojini Nagar market and Ansari Road in Delhi. The film, to be directed by Sam Mendes, will be released in 2012. This also marks the 50th anniversary of the successful 'Dr No' and the Bond franchise.

The producers have been given permission to shoot in North Goa with the exception of the tunnel at Dudhsagar (south-eastern railway) and Zuari rail bridge over Zuari river (Konkan railways) due to security concerns. Sources said talks with the railway ministry were on regarding these particular locales.

In Ahmedabad, the producers had sought permission to shoot near the Navagam area that is close to installations like Torrent Power limited, ONGC and IOC. The ministry has asked them to ensure that permissions are taken from the railway ministry and the state government. "We have suggested that these vital installations be avoided during the shoot in this area,'' a source said.

The Bond film will join an increasing number of foreign films that are being given permission to shoot in India. At last count, 22 films including big ticket productions like the Tom Cruise-starrer 'Mission Impossible', 'Life of Pi', 'Singularity' and 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' had been given permission. Among reality shows that have been cleared include the World's Strictest Parents' Australia and New Zealand productions.

Rs 6 lakh for a night of dance, booze and sex in Mumbai

Its security befitted a spy agency, its charges were more than a starred hotel's, and the operations were straight out of a James Bond thriller. The Sun-n-Sheel, an inconspicuous hotel in Andheri, was busted last month for running a prostitution racket and dance bars. It was not, however, the catch that left the raiding party astonished but the management's sophisticated functioning.

The establishment charged Rs 6 lakh per patron per visit and allowed them in only with a reference. It also had all the safeguards normally expected from a secret agency's operation: intimidatingly thick-set guards, seemingly defunct elevators that came alive on signal, electronic doors, hidden escape shafts with mattresses below to break the fall, even a separate room stocked with a change of clothes for the dancers for emergencies.

Located on Andheri-Kurla Road in JB Nagar, the hotel, indeed, has a facade as innocuous as any in the city. On the front is a dhaba, on the side other stores, and on the third-floor terrace a restaurant. Day long, these businesses conducted their trade; and late at night, after others had pulled their shutters, the hotel would come to life and stay abuzz till 6am. Most of its customers were businessmen, who needed a reference to gain entry.

Hotel Sun-n-Sheel had a perfectly thought-out operation that would have never given an outsider any clue about the happenings inside. "There was also a strong contingency plan for the girls and customers to escape," said an MIDC police officer.

Forty-five men, including the hotel's owner, Lalji Singh alias Vinod Singh, and 6 women were arrested under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act in the raid on July 24. Singh, it was later found out, is also wanted by the Interpol for a cheating case in Dubai.

Hotel sources say Sun-n-Sheel's shadowy and intricate operations began right at the building's entrance. There, an electronic switch was installed, which, when pressed, caused the lights in the dance bars to flicker to warn of approaching policemen.

On the ground floor too were posted 12 brawny guards manning an iron gate. Their brief was simply to keep out unwanted visitors and collect the Rs 1-lakh entrance fee in cash from trusted patrons.

Once past the first test, the patrons had to take the stairs to the first floor, where two elevators existed: one went straight to the third floor restaurant and the other seemingly remained dead. "The second lift provided access to the second floor. It started only if instructions were provided over phone to the staff on the fourth floor to fix the fuse," said a police officer. On the second floor were two dance bars and rooms for prostitution.

Any patron entering the establishment had to shell out another Rs 5 lakh to the staff. In return, he was given a smaller amount on "a steel plate" in various denominations for the sole purpose of showering the cash on the girls. "The plate would be replenished until the entire Rs 5 lakh was exhausted. This, though, was the lower limit. When two customers fell for the same girl, there was no ceiling," said a source in the hotel.

Put together, the Rs 6 lakh covered the dance, food, alcohol and girls, most of whom who were in the age group of 18-20, some Bollywood aspirants. "For sex, the customers could shift to the rooms that are separated from the dance bars by an electronically operated door fitted to the common wall," said a police officer.

Apart from the switch at the entrance, the establishment had made many arrangements for contingencies like police raids. "Near the bars, there was a room that stocked a change of clothes-like jeans and T-shirts-for the girls," said the officer. On getting out of their dancing clothes, the girls would climb up to the third floor restaurant and blend in with the crowds.

Also, there was a 4ft by 6ft opening to a shaft that patrons and the girls leaped into to escape. At the bottom of the shaft were left piles of mattresses to break the fall. Once on the ground floor, people could flee to a public road behind the hotel through a gate.

When the hotel was raided last month, some girls fled to the third floor restaurant and therefore avoided arrest. Those who tried escaping through the rear, though, were caught. True to the operations, the staff at the dance bars even removed the chairs and dropped mud over the floor to make it appear unused. "But we found the bulbs too hot, which exposed them," an officer said.

Singh, who also owns hotels in Dubai and Mauritius, reportedly boasted to the police about his clout on arrest. "He told us that he supplied models for a late Mumbai-based corporate giant in Dubai," the officer said. The police say they will hand over Singh to the Interpol once the formalities are over. Singh, who is currently out on bail, did not reply to TOI's several attempts to contact him.

Rajiv killers: Should they hang?


For 20 years, these three men have lived behind bars, hoping to be forgiven one day. But that hasn't happened. Now forced to knock on the high court's doors, Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan - the three men condemned to the gallows in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case - have managed to get a stay of eight weeks on their execution.

Valerian may help menopausal sleep problems`

The popular herbal sleep aid valerian, which has been used since ancient Greek and Roman times for various health problems, may also help ease some of the sleep problems that can come with menopause, a study said.

Modern science, though, is split on whether the herb works. Some studies have indicated that it can ease insomnia, but few rigorous clinical trials have put valerian to the test.

For the most recent study, reported in the journal Menopause, researchers in Iran randomly assigned 100 postmenopausal women with insomnia to take either two valerian capsules or inactive placebo capsules every day for a month.

"Valerian improves the quality of sleep in women with menopause who are experiencing insomnia," wrote Simin Taavoni and colleagues at Tehran University.

"Findings from this study add support to the reported effectiveness of valerian in the clinical management of insomnia."

Overall, their study found, 30 percent of the women assigned to valerian reported an improvement in their sleep quality, which includes factors such as how long it takes to fall asleep at night and how often a person wakes up overnight.

In contrast, only four percent of women taking the placebo reported better sleep.

Sleep problems tend to become more common as people age, with studies suggesting that about half of older adults have insomnia symptoms, such as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. For women, menopausal hot flashes and night sweats can add to their sleep problems.

Women in the study reported no side effects, Taavoni`s team said. General studies suggest that any side effects from the herb are mild, such as a headache or upset stomach.
The current findings are "encouraging" said Jerome Sarris of the University of Melbourne in Australia, who was not involved in the study but has researched herbal approaches to treating insomnia, anxiety and depression.

"There is no harm in trying it," he added.

But there is currently no research on the safety of long-term use of valerian, according to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Despite the positive findings in the current study, there are still questions about valerian`s effectiveness. In a recent review of clinical trials on alternative remedies for insomnia, Sarris and his colleagues found only weak evidence that valerian -- or other herbs -- work.

There was better evidence in support of yoga, tai chi and acupressure.

Sarris said that future studies should look at valerian`s effects on other measures of sleep, such as the total amount of time that people taking the herb are able to stay asleep, and their daytime functioning.

35 Indian cos in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under a Billion' list

Thirty-five Indian companies are ranked among the top 200 Asia-Pacific corporations in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under a Billion' list for this year. The number of Indian companies was second only to the 65 firms from both China and Hong Kong that found a place in the list. Among the Indian companies that made the grade are SRF, which manufactures chemical-based industrial intermediates;

Polyplex, which makes polyester film; and Glodyne Technoserve, an IT services company, Forbes Asia said today.

However, India's largest storage-battery producer, Exide Industries -- which was present in the list last year  grew too big to be included in the 200-company list for 2011, having breached the $1 billion sales mark in the past 12 months.

The Asia-Pacific list ranks public companies in the Asia-Pacific region with annual revenues between $5 million and $1 billion. The companies were also evaluated in terms of return on equity, said Forbes Asia.

Tim Ferguson, the Editor of Forbes Asia, said: "Essentially, these are our picks of the companies that have
best managed through the economic volatility that began in 2008. Most navigated the global credit crunch with little to no debt on their balance sheets. On average, the companies on the list have a 13% debt-to-equity ratio and 67 of these companies carry no debt at all."

Pakistan has two companies on the list, namely Millat Tractors, which builds agricultural tractors, and software company Netsol Technologies.

Sri Lanka has four companies on the list -- Asian Alliance Insurance, Ceylon Investment, Renuka Holdings and chicken processing company Bairaha Farm.

Yuvraj dating Salman Khan’s sister Arpita?

Chandigarh boy Yuvraj Singh, who chose to shift his base to Mumbai a couple of years back, has been successful in bowling over maidens from the Tinsel Town. And the latest to share the headlines with him is none other than Salman Khan’s kid sister Arpita.

The flamboyant star was spotted at a Delhi 5 star restaurant with Arpita a few days back.

Narrating how comfortable the two were in each other’s company, a source revealed to a tabloid, "Yuvraj and Arpita were seen together at a five star hotel in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on Sunday evening. The hotel has a new club, which opened recently. Yuvraj and Arpita spent a lot of time in the club that day. They were not accompanied by others."

Apparently, Singh has close associations with the Khan family and he happens to be a regular feature in all their private celebrations.
A close friend of sister Khan said, "Arpita knows Yuvraj for some time now. They are very close friends. Yes, they were together at the five star hotel in south Delhi on Sunday. They were there for quite sometime, actually."

However, Yuvraj had a very different story to tell. Denying this news, Yuvraj said, “This is absolutely baseless and I request everyone to stop spreading rumours about me. Arpita is a friend and I know her for many years now. As a matter of fact, I wasn`t at the hotel at all lately. There is not an iota of truth in what you are trying to write."

Looks like Yuvraj fears turning Salman’s Jeeja for he knows its not a good idea to mess with this DabanggKhan

Nation celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr

India is celebrating Eid on today after the moon was sighted, marking the end of the month of fasting during Ramzan.

As per tradition, the morning of the Eid would see the faithful engaged in prayers, and giving alms to the poor. After the feast in the noon, many would spend the day visiting relatives or attending prayers in mosques in the evening.

Wishing all 'Eid Mubarak', President Patil said the festival "brings joy and happiness on the culmination of the month of Holy Ramzan, a period of fasting, prayer and charity."

"May this festival strengthen mutual goodwill and inspire each one of us to follow the path of love, friendship and harmony," she said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the festival of Eid highlights the spirit of sacrifice and the joy of sharing. "The celebrations marking the end of the Ramzan fasting foster peace and harmony and reflect the true spirit of our composite culture."

"May the festival spread peace, tolerance and harmony among all," Manmohan Singh said. Vice President Ansari said the festival is celebrated with traditional gaiety, expression of brotherhood and understanding across the country.

"The fasting observed during Ramzan reaffirms the spirit of charity and generosity and highlights the feelings of empathy." "May the noble ideals of EId-ul-Fitr enrich our lives with peace, prosperity and harmony and unite us all in the spirit of universal brotherhood of all humanity," he added.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted, "Eid Mubarrak to all brothers and sisters, young and old, near and dear...!! Happy greetings for EID ! May there be peace and love among all... and may all your wishes come true."

"Eid Mubarak to all," actress Bipasha Basu wrote on the micro-blogging site. Akshay Kumar tweeted, "Eid Mubarak to all regardless of those celebrating it today or tomorrow. May all your fasting, prayers and duaa's be accepted. And don't forget my Eidi, your never ending love."

"Eid Mubarak to all who are celebrating today! May the blessings of Allah fill your life with joy and prosperity!," wrote Vivek Oberoi. Actor Boman Irani and singer Sunidhi Chauhan also wished 'Eid Mubarak', while actress Shriya Saran said, "Excited for EID. Wanna eat haleem and biryani."

Parliament will have a two-day holiday from today on account of Eid-ul-Fitr and Ganesh Chaturthi. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will now meet on Friday.

Lalu, Tiwari, Amar will be left out from Lokpal panel?

The Parliamentary Standing Committee that is looking into the Lokpal Bill is all set to be reconstituted, reports said on today.

According to sources, the changes could take place very soon as the panel's term expires today. It is expected that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former SP general secretary Amar Singh and Congress’ Manish Tiwari will be left out of the new-look committee.

It may be noted that Amar Singh and Lalu Yadav had come under attack from Team Anna during their recent Lokpal campaign. Team Anna had questioned their anti-corruption credentials, as the two themselves are facing court cases involving corruption.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari, on the other hand, had launched a personal attack on Anna Hazare, and the UPA government would not like him to be part of future discussions that the Standing Committee would have with Team Anna members over the Lokpal Bill.

Meanwhile, another Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi is likely to continue as the chairman of the 31-member Standing Committee on law and justice.

Sharmila : 'One day, my fight will also be recognised’

Irom Sharmila, on a hunger strike for the past 11 years, Tuesday said a day would come when her fight against rights violations by security forces would be acknowledged by New Delhi like the way parliament had recognised Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption.

"The central government recognised Anna Hazare as a true Indian citizen and hence accepted his demands. I am sure one day the government would recognise me and my fight against rights violations," Sharmila told journalists outside a local court where she was being presented for a routine hearing.

"I would like to urge Anna to visit Manipur and see for himself what is happening here," Sharmila said as she was shoved inside a police van from the court premises.

Dubbed as the Iron Lady of Manipur, Sharmila began her fast Nov 2, 2000, after witnessing the killing of 10 people by the army at a bus stop near her home.

Now around 40, she was arrested shortly after beginning her protest on charges of attempted suicide. She was sent to a prison hospital where she began a daily routine of being force-fed via a nasal drip.

Sharmila is frequently set free by local courts, but once outside, she resumes her hunger-strike and is rearrested.

She is campaigning for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that enables security forces to shoot on sight and arrest anybody without a warrant.

Civil rights campaigners in Manipur are upset with the mainstream media for the disparity in coverage by comparing Anna Hazare's anti-graft fast and ignoring the over decade-long hunger strike by Irom Chanu Sharmila.

"There is a general sense of feeling that we, the people of the northeast, have always been neglected, discriminated, and looked down upon by the rest of India, including the mainstream media. See how Anna's fast has hogged media headlines and see our very own Irom fasting for nearly 11 years," Singhajit Singh, a civil rights campaigner and Sharmila's elder brother, said.

"The attitude of the Indian public is sad in the sense that something happening in the northeast is seldom recognized by the mainstream media. The whole attitude is discriminatory," said Babloo Loitongbam from a local human rights group.

AFSPA was passed in 1990 to grant security forces special powers and immunity from prosecution to deal with raging insurgencies in the northeastern states and in Jammu and Kashmir.

The act is a target for local human rights groups and international campaigners such as Amnesty International, which say the law has been an excuse for extra-judicial killings.

Amnesty has campaigned vociferously against the legislation, which it sees as a stain on India's democratic credentials and a violation of international human rights laws.

Sharmila is currently being held in an isolated room at the Jawarharlal Nehru Hospital here.

"If Anna was born in Manipur and Sharmila born in New Delhi, things would have been just the reverse. For the mainstream media, northeast or things happening in the northeast hardly excite them," Singh said.

Earlier in the day, former union home secretary G.K. Pillai said that Sharmila must "reach out to people across the country" like Hazare to make her cause known.

"It is a question of how you reach out to people. AFSPA is applicable only in Jammu and Kashmir and in the northeastern states. Corruption is pricking people everywhere and that's why Anna Hazare had a high moral ground," Pillai told IANS Monday.

"She has to reach out to the people across the country. She has to say why she is on fast," said Pillai.

Manipur is home to 2.4 million people and about 19 separatist groups which have demands ranging from autonomy to independence. An estimated 10,000 people have been killed during the past two decades of violence.

Football player Lionel Messi arrives Kolkata

 Lionel Messi kept his date with the football crazy city as he landed in the wee hours of Wednesday but by giving miss to the thousands of hysteric fans who gathered at the airport in the unearthly hours.

The Barca duo, who were held back for their La Liga match against Villareal late yesterday, came via Qatar as their flight landed sharp at 3.15 am.

But more than a thousand Messi supporters many wearing his No 10 jersey started pouring in from 2 am onwards.

Braving few spells of rain, the supporters danced, shouted slogans of `Three Cheers for Messi`, held lifesize Messi banners as delirious scenes were witnessed outside the main gate of the International terminal.

But nobody had a clue from which gate Messi was being brought out.

No one including the hordes of media men gathered at the airport could get an information about Messi`s movement as the Argentine superstar and his Barca teammate Javier Mascherano along with three other Venezuelans were taken out discreetly under high security cover.

Confirming Messi`s arrival, organisers of the Argentina vs Venezuela match here on September 2, Celebrity Management Group said Messi was taken out in a total hush-hush manner.

"Yes Messi has finally arrived along with Mascherano and three from Venezuela. Nobody had an idea through which gate he would be taken out," Bhaswar Goswami, executive director of CMG, told media persons.

Accompanied by Mascherano, Messi was sporting a white T-shirt as he completed the formalities with the Custom before being taken out of Gate No 5.

More than 30 members of the Argentine delegation including coach Alejandro Sabella have already checked in.

Venezuela team members too have come in batches for their match on Friday.

Chinese ship caught spying on India’

New Delhi: In a worrying development, a Chinese spy ship disguised as a fishing trawler was tracked in the Indian Ocean recently, a report claimed on today.

The ship was detected near the coast of Little Anadaman.

It is believed that the ship had spent more than 20 days in the sensitive location before Indian radars could locate it.

While the Navy dispatched a ship as soon as the presence of the Chinese spy ship was confirmed, no action could be taken as the vessel was in international waters.

However, the Indian Navy ship did tail the Chinese vessel till it move towards Sri Lankan waters. The ship is reported to have docked at Colombo.

It is believed that the ship had as many as 22 laboratories on board.

Government sources say the Chinese ship had specific aims to map the Indian Ocean and collect Bathymetric data, which helps in submarine and aircraft carrier based operations.

The labs on board the ship are also believed to have been used to collect data on Ocean currents, the temperature at various depths and also underwater obstructions and obstacles. This information becomes crucial if one has to use torpedoes.

It is an open secret that both India and China are engaged in a race to assert their supremacy over the Indian Ocean region.

Also, China is currently building an aircraft carrier which could become operational by 2017. This data would then come handy for the Chinese Navy. While China may claim to use the carrier to secure shipping lanes, its presence in the Indian Ocean would be a serious military threat for India. With China already having an upper hand in the borders along the Himalayas, a reinforced Chinese Navy presence in the Indian Ocean would be a headache for New Delhi.

There are already concerns of Chinese vessels monitoring India’s missile programme.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Now read on e-books with sound effects, songs

E-books are now being given background noises and music in the hope to spark young people's interest in literature.

The concept is already in use in the US, where the classics of Charlotte Bronte, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Shakesphere come with added sound effects.

In one example, a description of rain lashing against a window in a Sherlock Holmes story will be 'enhanced' with matching noises.

The Booktrack releases are available to iPad users, with other tablet computer versions to follow.

A story by Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie will be released later in the year with a specially crafted orchestral score.

The concept has been developed by Booktrack which synchronises music to each novel. It is funded by Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal.

It works by timing the speed of each reader and the software measures the 'turning' of a page and moves the music or sounds along accordingly.

"It's always exciting to witness the creation of a new form of media. The technology promises to captivate readers in a way that will seem intuitive in hindsight," the Daily Mail quoted Thiel as saying.

However they have been greeted with horror by traditionalists, who say that the technology takes away the pleasure of having one's imagination stimulated by a story.

They also raise the prospect of having to ask an overly eager reader to turn their book down.

David Nicholls, whose bestseller One Day was recently turned into a film starring Anne Hathaway, said: "This sounds like the opposite of reading. It would be a distraction."

Landslide blocks Konkan Railway, thousands stranded

A major landslide blocked tracks in a section of the Konkan Railway Tuesday, hitting services between Mumbai and the southern states and leaving thousands of people who were going home for the Ganeshotsav festival stranded. There were no casualties.

A retaining wall, around 20 metres long, came crashing on the railway tracks near Pomendi, Ratnagiri district, around 225 km south of Mumbai, at 8.15 a.m., a Konkan Railway spokesperson said.

All trains from Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and beyond to Gujarat and New Delhi have been held up at various points on the route till the tracks are cleared at Pomendi and the adjoining sections.

"Our team of engineers has rushed there with the required equipment. Work has started on a war-footing to restore services," the official told.

Despite torrential rains which continued for the fifth consecutive day in the coastal Konkan region and the Western Ghats, he expressed optimism that services would be restored by afternoon.

Thousands of Mumbaikars rushing to their native villages and towns in the Konkan districts have been stranded due to the train disruptions.

Many preferred to choose the road to ensure they reach on time for the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival starting Thursday.

This is the third time in the current monsoon that landslides have disrupted services on the Konkan Railway network in the Pomendi ghat section.

The official attributed it to heavy rains, loose soil conditions, falling rocks and stones which damaged or blocked the railway tracks.

He said the Konkan Railway is implementing remedial measures in a phased manner to arrest the problems by next monsoon.

Meanwhile, intermittent showers and heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai and its surrounding areas throughout Monday night. But there were no reports of waterlogging from any part of the city.

Missing govt employee found hanging from tree

A missing Uttar Pradesh government employee was found hanging from a tree in Khurramnagar area here, police said on Tuesday.

40-year-old Arvind alias Rajkamal, who was working as a contractual employee in Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), was found hanging yesterday, they said.

Rajkamal was missing since August 17 and an FIR was lodged in this regard at Ghazipur Police Station on August 28.

Like the Dirty Picture trailer? Vote it!

Holy cleavage, Batman! If there was any doubt that Milan Luthria's upcoming Silk Smitha biopic was an unabashed celebration of decotellage, well, prepare to goggle. Vidya Balan shows off her, um, 'girls' with immense flair in this retro trailer, one that definitely captures attention.

Emraan Hashmi calls women rainbow-like as Balan exhales smoke and is surrounded by a throng as the music BappiLahiristically ah-ahs.

Naseeruddin Shah, rocking a pencil moustache, is introduced as a particularly sleazy admirer, while Vidya continues dhak-dhakking her way through various cheesy but bosomy scenarios.

Tushhar Kapoor, hiding behind a Burt Reynolds moustache, also falls for Silk, but is clearly out of his depth as he looks to have swallowed his tongue.

And then we see Hashmi, looking like he stepped out of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, looking at Balan appraisingly, apparently "the man who hated her."

Then comes more oomph: Balan in purple sizzling against a blackboard, rolling in green filmi grounds with Naseer, making out in a car, raising a foam-covered leg from a bathtub to pose for an excited photographer, and finally letting Naseer unravel a wet scarlet sari with the December 2 date superimposed on it.

It's a simple, fun trailer but Balan looks jawdropping enough to make sure we remember the release date very well indeed.

Syrian forces 'kill seven' on Eid al-Fitr

Syrian forces killed seven people on the first day of the Eid al-Fitr feast on Tuesday, activists said, a day after the EU moved to ban oil imports from Syria over its brutal crackdown on dissent.

The Local Coordination Committees said in a statement that "seven people were killed on the first day of Eid al-Fitr in Syria, including four in the town of Al-Harra and two in Inkhil, in the Daraa province, and one in the (central) city of Homs."

Daraa is a flashpoint province in southern Syria where pro-democracy protests that have rattled the autocratic regime of President Bashar al-Assad first erupted in mid-March.

The Committees said protesters rallied against the regime after the early morning prayers, that are traditionally held on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, with protests reported in Nawa, Dael and other districts of Daraa.

It said a "huge" protest was formed as worshippers emerged from the Al-Omari mosque in Daraa and marched to the town's cemetery. Muslims traditionally visit their dead on the first day of the feast.

The Committees also reported massive security deployments in the central flashpoint province of Homs, and that gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the citadel of the city of Homs, where communications were largely cut.

On the last day of Ramadan Monday, 17 people were killed by Syrian forces and dozens wounded as troops and security forces conducted raids in several areas across the country, according to the Britain-based Observatory.

More than 2,200 people have been killed in the Syrian regime's crackdown on pro-democracy protests since mid-March, according to United Nations' figures.

The European Union reached an agreement in principle on Monday to ban oil imports from Syria to punish the regime for its crackdown on protesters, diplomats said.

"There is a political consensus on a European embargo of imports of Syrian petroleum products," a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The new sanctions were backed by all representatives at a meeting of experts from the 27-nation bloc in Brussels, another diplomat said.

Individual EU governments are expected to give their final approval by the end of the week, the diplomat said.

The Syrian regime, which insists it is confronting "armed terrorist gangs," came under harsh criticism at the weekend from the Arab League, of which it is a member, and from its neighbour Turkey.

On Sunday, the League announced plans to send its chief Nabil al-Arabi to Damascus to help solve the crisis, urging Syria to "follow the way of reason before it is too late."

Washington said Assad is "increasingly isolated" internationally, as a result of the toughening Arab and Turkish positions.

Haren Pandya murder: How CBI botched up probe

The high court bench, which on Monday acquitted all the 12 people who were convicted in the Haren Pandya murder case by the trial court, severely criticised the investigation in the case done by the CBI.

Criticising the investigating officers of the probe agency, the court raised several questions about the lack of effort shown by the officers to collect proper evidence. The bench said that the investigating officer had failed to collect vital evidence from the spot and had not examined Pandya's call records to know his last location and the details of his last phone calls.

The court also said that Pandya's shoes had mysteriously disappeared from the hospital. The shoes were important as they could have indicated whether he had actually gone for a morning walk on the fateful day, the court observed.

Raising serious questions about the spot where Pandya body was found, the court observed that no blood was found in Pandya's car except a negligible stain on the seat beside the driver's seat. On the other hand, his clothes bore tell-tale signs of profuse bleeding from injuries on the neck and forearm.

"His mobile phone and the keys which were lying on the floor of the car below the seat had stains of blood," the bench said.

"No effort was made to investigate the recent calls from
and to the phone, even to find out the time of [the murder] since Pandya had ceased to answer or open SMS messages," the court said.

The bench further observed that no fingerprints were lifted either from the car or from the weapon recovered afterwards.

"The shoes worn by Pandya on the fateful day could have provided some clue as to whether he had already walked in the garden. They were mysteriously missing from the hospital and it could not be known whether they had bloodstains on them. No proper map of the scene of offence was made, and the position of the eyewitnesses was not ascertained," the court said as it gave an account of the lapses in the CBI's investigation.

Criticising the lack of effort made by the probe agency, the court observed: "The investigation clearly appears to have been misdirected and blinkered and has left a lot to be desired."

Madras HC gives lease of life to Rajiv killers

The Madras high court on Tuesday stayed for eight weeks the hanging of the three convicts sentenced to death for conspiring to assassinate former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Hearing the petitions filed by Murugan alias Sriharan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan and AG Perarivalan
alias Arivu that their death sentence be commuted, the high court ordered an interim stay on the hanging pending disposal of the case.

The court has ordered notice to the union government returnable in eight weeks.

On Aug 11, President Pratibha Patil rejected the mercy petitions of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan - all linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - and sentenced them to death for their involvement in Gandhi's 1991 assassination.

Rajiv Gandhi, who was prime minister 1984-89, was killed by a suicide bomber called Dhanu at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near Chennai May 21.

Fourteen other people also lost their lives in the blast.

The three condemned prisoners, who were due to hang September 9, had on Monday moved the high court to commute their sentence to life imprisonment.

Arguing for Perarivalan, senior counsel Ram Jethmalani said the clemency petition was rejected by the President after 11 years and the delay is prima facie wrong.

He said a notice seeking explanation for the delay should be sent.

Urging speedy disposal of mercy petitions, Jethmalani had said earlier that if there was a delay of two years, then the death sentence would be commuted to life imprisonment. This provision was later changed.

Strong 6.8 quake hits near East Timor

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck deep beneath the seabed near East Timor on Tuesday but no tsunami warning was issued, a local geophysics agency said.

The quake hit at 13:57 pm (0657 GMT) at a depth of 469 kilometre (291 miles), about 271 kilometre northeast of the capital, Dili, according to Indonesia's geophysics agency.

"We did not issue a tsunami warning. There are no reports of damage so far," said Novita, an official at Indonesia's national quake centre.

"The quake was felt by the people in Timor island, but not strongly," she said.

East Timor sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the meeting of continental plates causes high seismic activity.

Watching funny movie best for heart

Ha-ha-ha! Laughter really seems to be the best medicine, for a new study has found that watching a funny flick that makes you giggle is good for your heart. Researchers have claimed that watching a movie or even a programme that produces laughter indeed has a positive effect on vascular function and is opposite to that observed after watching a war or horror film that causes mental stress.

 In the study, volunteers watched segments of a funny film-- such as 'There's Something About Mary' -- on one day and on another day watched the opening segment of the stressful war film 'Saving Private Ryan'.

 Lead researcher Dr Michael Miller of the University of Maryland said that when the volunteers watched the stressful film, their blood vessel lining developed a potentially unhealthy response, vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow. The researchers said that this finding confirms previous studies which suggested there was a link between mental stress and the narrowing of blood vessels. However, after watching the funny movie, the blood vessel lining expanded.

  Overall, more than 300 measurements were made with a 30 to 50 per cent difference in blood vessel diameter between the laughter and mental stress phases. Dr Miller said: "The take-home message here is  that laughter is great for your heart. The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium after laughing was consistent and similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic exercise of statin use."

Bresnan looking to pile on the pain for Indians in one-day series

England all-rounder Tim Bresnan believes the Indians could be ripe for the picking during next month's one-day series, especially in conditions far removed from their World Cup win back at home.

India will be without five of their World Cup heroes, and Bresnan believes England will be a handful for the relatively new visitors squad.

"India might be favourites because they won the World Cup only a few months ago. But we're quite difficult to beat at home in one-day cricket as we showed against Sri Lanka," the Daily Mail quoted Bresnan, a saying.

"I wouldn't say any team can feel too confident against us in one-day cricket. We're improving all the time and each series is a chance for us to keep doing so," he added.

"If we hit our straps against India we should get the result we're after. We hit them hard in the Test matches and we'll be looking to do the same in the one-dayers," Bresnan said.

"India are a top side and we have to respect them in all forms, especially the shorter ones. But we're out to win every game, that's our mentality," he added.

BCCI against any government ‘control’

he BCCI seems to have drawn swords with the government as it says the move to bring the board under its control is unacceptable and only organizations receiving funds from the government can come under the RTI Act.

“Only organizations taking grant from the government can come under RTI so only federations while BCCI doesn`t” BCCI spokesperson Rajeev Shukla said in an interview without speaking anything on the specifics of the proposed Sports Bill.

BCCI has termed it as a backward move when cricket is at its zenith.

However, several MPs and former cricketers have backed the move saying that the BCCI should be more transparent and should set an example for others to follow.

Former cricketers Arun Lal and Kapil Dev supported the Bill, saying there was absolutely nothing wrong in BCCI coming under RTI.

Lok Sabha MP Sharad Yadav asked for more transparency in the functioning of the cricket board while BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad and RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav expressed similar views putting their weight behind the proposal.

The sports bill to be discussed by the cabinet on Tuesday would introduce a regulatory regime on all national sports federations and BCCI will have to adhere to the norms and regulations of the bill.

Also, if the bill is approved, it will make it mandatory for the cricketers to undergo random doping tests as it makes National Anti Doping Agency the sole body for all anti-doping measures. This has so far being opposed by the Indian cricket team and the board.

India-South Africa trade to touch $15 b before 2014

Stating that growth and investment relations between India and South Africa were in the upward trajectory, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma on Monday exuded confidence that trade between the two countries would touch the $15 billion mark much before the 2014 deadline.

Interacting with the South African Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, during the meeting of the India-South Africa CEO Forum here, Mr. Sharma said: “We hope to achieve the target of $15 billion set for 2014 in trade much before than the proposed deadline”.

The CEOs Forum, the second meeting, of the two countries led by its two chairpersons Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, and Patrice Motsepe, Executive Chairman, African Rainbow Minerals, met here. The first meeting of the Forum was held in Johannesburg last year. The CEOs met with the objective to give a boost to the growing bilateral economic relations between the two nations and find ways and means to promote bilateral trade and investment. The meeting also addressed the challenges and constraints hampering the growing economic partnership.

The sectoral groups on financial services, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and mining came out with a set of comprehensive recommendations which focussed on the constraints and issues that confronted businesses on both sides.

The two ministers took cognisance of the commendations that were brought to their attention and assured the CEOs that they would seriously look into their suggestions and recommendations. The ministers also expressed the desire to expedite PTA negotiations. Both the ministers agreed to work towards putting in place a friendly visa regime for business people.

In 2010-11, provisional figures show 37.64 per cent increase in bilateral trade which stood at $10.64 billion. Investments from and into South Africa have also seen substantial rise.

Official figures put the cumulative value of Indian investment in South Africa at $6.7 billion. Principal commodities of exports from India to South Africa include transport equipment, petroleum products, drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, machinery and instruments, electronic goods, manufactures of metals, plastic and linoleum products, primary and semi-finished iron and steel gems and jewellery.


Rajasthan BJP MLA suspended for 'slipper missile'

In the shoe-for-a-shoe saga, a Rajasthan BJP MLA has got the boot.

BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat has been suspended for a whole year after a study of video footage from Assembly proceedings yesterday showed that it was he who flung a woman MLAs slipper at the Treasury benches.

During a heated debate on corruption on Monday, BJP MLA Pramila Kundara accused Congress MLA Raghu Sharma of land-grabbing. Other women MLAs of the BJP raised slogans and Mr Sharma made the sexist remark, "This is the Vidhan Sabha, not a ramp for modeling."

As both sides argued loudly, a woman's slipper came flying from the Opposition benches towards the Congress benches. Not to be outdone, Mr Sharma took off his sneaker and waved it at the BJP MLAs, though he did not throw it.

Mr Sharma was sure it was Mr Rajawat. Video footage proved him right - it was the BJP MLA who borrowed a colleague's slipper as ammunition.

The Congress MLA took away his find with him. "This is the slipper that was thrown. It was flung by BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat at me inside the House,'' Mr Sharma said, holding aloft the footwear that started it all.

The House was adjourned several times over the incident.







Rajiv assassination: TN Assembly calls for clemency for convicts

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution for commuting the death sentence of the three convicts - A.G.Perarivalan alias Arivu, V.Sriharan alias Murugan and T.Suthendraraja alias Santhan - in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to life sentence.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa moved the resolution in this regard and the House unanimously adopted it. She said the resolution took into consideration the overwhelming sentiment of the people of Tamil Nadu who wanted her government to commute the death sentence. The resolution also requested the President of India to reconsider the mercy petitions filed by the three convicts and to commute the death sentence to life.

Samsung launch three new Wave series smartphones

Global handset maker Samsung Electronics Co Ltd today announced the launch of three new smartphones- Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y.

All three devices are powered by Samsung’s own new bada 2.0 platform, said an official press release from the company. In pictures: Samsung Tab 10.1 released in India

Samsung Wave 3 comes with a 4” Super AMOLED display, a 1.4GHz processor and HSPA + connectivity packed into a 9.9mm brushed-metal case. The phone has a slim unibody design and is constructed of anodized aluminium.

The phone includes Samsung’s integrated Social Hub and Music Hub, which allows the purchase and download of tracks and albums over-the-air.

Samsung Wave M has a 3.65” HVGA screen made from tempered glass and a metallic body.

The phone allows streamlined messaging feeds, enhanced on-the-go web browsing and Wi-Fi applications. Read: Cheaper iPhone 4 to be released within weeks

Samsung Wave Y, touted as the smartphone for beginners, has a metallic hairline body, a 3.2” and an HVGA screen. It comes with Music Hub, a portable music manager, which gives ‘users a jukebox in their pocket’.

Both Wave M and Wave Y allow mobile social networking with Social Hub and ChatON.
(ChatON is Samsung’s global cross-platform communication service that instantly links users with all friends and contacts, and allows setting up of micro-communities through group chat and sharing of content and conversations between mobile and PC.)

All three phones allow multi-tasking, Wi-Fi Direct, voice recognition and Near Field Communication (optional). They also offer advanced services such as photo and file sharing without internet networking, mobile payment and transport pass-card recharge.

 JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications business said,“Smartphones are gaining popularity by the day. The new additions to the Wave portfolio are the first to benefit from the power of our bada 2.0 platform; the full extent of our commitment is clear to see in each device. We’ve produced easy-to-use smartphones that will inspire the market.”

Chocolate may lower heart disease risk, study finds

Eating chocolate regularly may lower risk for heart disease, a new study suggests in the British Medical Journal Monday.

The study by researchers at the University of Cambridge found that regular consumption of chocolate may slash the risk of developing heart disease by a third.

The researchers looked into seven studies of nearly 114,000 people and found that people who consumed the most chocolate were 37 percent less likely to develop heart disease and 29 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those that ate less chocolate.

Chocolate might be beneficial but people should not consume it with the hope that it will reduce their risk of heart disease, given the high sugar and fat content in most chocolate, said lead researcher Dr. Oscar H. Franco.

“Chocolate may be beneficial, but it should be eaten in a moderate way, not in large quantities and not in binges,” he said. “If it is consumed in large quantities, any beneficial effect is going to disappear.”

The benefits probably stem from chocolate's high content in polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that boost the body's production of nitric oxide, which helps reduce blood pressure, the researchers said.

Japan's Parliament Confirms Noda as Prime Minister

Japan's parliament voted Tuesday to confirm Yoshihiko Noda as the nation's sixth prime minister in five years.

Mr. Noda, who as finance minister has steered the nation's economy through one of its most difficult periods, was approved in both the lower house, where his Democratic Party of Japan has a solid majority, and in the opposition-controlled upper house.

Outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet resigned earlier Tuesday, making way for Mr. Noda to name his own team later this week.

LDP lawmakers on Monday elected Mr. Noda as party leader to replace Mr. Kan, who stepped down amid widespread criticism of his handling of the crisis caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March.

After his election, Mr. Noda made an immediate plea for unity in his divided party. Addressing party lawmakers from both chambers at a Tokyo hotel, he called on the Democrats to close ranks and stop bickering as they face tough challenges. 

Mr. Noda stressed the importance of cooperation in addressing the nation's troubled economy, recovery from the March disasters, and ending the nuclear crisis from the damaged Fukushima power plant.  

As an ally of the outgoing Mr. Kan, Mr. Noda is likely to continue many of his predecessor's policies. He is also considered a staunch supporter of the Japan-U.S. security alliance.

In Washington, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, Victoria Nuland, said the United States is looking forward to continuing close cooperation with Japan and its next prime minister across a broad range of issues.

Mr. Noda will have to deal with a deeply divided parliament.  While the ruling party has a solid majority in the lower house, the upper house is in the hands of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party and in a position to block any legislation.

Mr. Noda is expected to seek a coalition with the Liberal Democrats and a third party, but it is not clear whether the LDP will be willing to cooperate.

More than 20,000 people are dead or missing from March's earthquake and tsunami, and thousands more have been displaced from homes near the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Across Japan, homes and factories are operating on reduced power as the government conducts safety tests on all of the country's nuclear reactors.

Iran to launch Bushehr nuclear power plant at year end

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi said Monday his country is planning for the official inauguration of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran in mid-November or in December.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant is currently nearing its pre- operation phase which means that initial tests for its reactor and turbine are in the final stages, Abbasi was quoted as saying.

He said that the steam which had already been produced in the plant is currently injected to the turbine and electricity is generated which is tentatively and in intervals connected to the electricity grid for the tests required.

Abbasi said that the first phase of Bushehr nuclear power plant will be commissioned by the end of August if the tests underway are completed.

If the tests are completed, the first stage of the Bushehr nuclear power plant will surely become operational by the end of Ramadan (August), said Abbasi.

He added that the nuclear power plant will join the national grid at the first phase and can consequently generate 40 percent of its total power generation.

Construction of the Bushehr plant began in 1975 by several German companies. However, work was halted when the United States imposed an embargo of hi-tech supplies on Iran after the 1979 revolution. Russia signed a contract with Iran to complete the construction in 1998.

Completion of the plant's construction has been postponed several times due to technical and financial challenges and pressure from the United States.

Gaddafi Son Killed In Clash

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son Khamis has been killed in a clash with the rebel forces near Tripoli, media reports said.

Khamis, born in 1983, had commanded the 32nd Brigade of Gaddafi's forces. His death could not be independently verified immediately, Xinhua said.

Meanwhile, Gaddafi's wife Safia, daughter Aisha, and sons Hannibal and Mohammed, accompanied by their children, entered Algeria around 8.30 am through the Algerian-Libyan border, the Algerian foreign ministry said in a statement

Tape controversy: Bedi advices Agnivesh to file FIR


Service tax coming on healthcare, rail tickets?

If the government has its way, you could soon be paying service tax on your hospital bill, rail tickets, several government services, capitation fee and hiring a marriage hall from the municipal agency.

A concept note floated by the finance ministry has proposed to exclude only a handful of services - education, funeral and farming activities from the tax net. The list of 27 segments that would be excluded from service tax also includes interest and dividend earned, religious services and betting and gambling.

In case of health, the finance ministry has given two options. One option is to exclude all services provided by clinical establishments with turnover under Rs 4 crore from the tax net. This means that apart from your medical bill at a large private hospital you will also have to pay service tax, which could be 10% of the total amount.

The second option is to keep hospitals, medical care, diagnostic and para-medical services out of the tax net. The only exception will be in case of health check-up and cosmetic or plastic surgery. After the last budget, the government had decided to defer a tax on most healthcare facilities in the wake of public protests led by hospital chains.

The concept note is the first attempt by the government to provide clarity on which services would be taxed and the ones that would be excluded. The move is part of the preparation being made for implementing a comprehensive Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime, which will shift the entire indirect tax levy to 16%. At present, the Centre levies 10% service tax but under the new dispensation the states will levy 8% tax, and the Union government will match it.

While releasing the concept note, the finance ministry said this is a preliminary exercice. "(The) negative list is formulated keeping in view a variety of considerations, for example, administrative, contractual obligations, difficulties to tax certain activities for want of ascertainable taxable value of each transaction or a number of socio-economic considerations as well as in the case of Indian constitutional limits," the paper said.

Along with the negative list the government has also sought to define 'service' for the first time. So, anything that is not classified as goods, money or immovable property will be treated as a service. The idea is to tax everything that is not on the negative list. Under GST, when the rates for taxing goods and services are the same, it would be much simpler to levy tax and also avoid disputes.

Over the years the government has been trying to bring more services under the tax net as this segment, including construction, accounts for 63% of India's economy. The services economy is estimated at nearly Rs 50 lakh crore, but service tax is expected to generate Rs 82,000 crore this fiscal - 8.8% of the budgeted tax receipts for 2011-12.

Monday, August 29, 2011

UN : Chance of bird flu resurgence

The United Nations has warned of a possible resurgence of the deadly bird flu virus, saying wild bird migrations had brought it back to previously virus-free countries and that a mutant strain was spreading in Asia.

A strain of H5N1 which can apparently sidestep defences of existing vaccines, is spreading in China and Vietnam, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a statement. It urged greater surveillance to ensure any outbreaks are contained.

Last week, the World Health Organisation reported that a six-year-old Cambodian girl had died on August 14 from bird flu, the eighth person to die from H5N1 avian influenza this year in Cambodia.

Vietnam suspended its spring-time poultry vaccination this year, the FAO said. Most of the northern and central parts of the country where the virus is endemic have been invaded by the new strain.

Elsewhere, the FAO says bird migrations over the past two years have brought H5N1 to countries that had been virus-free for several years, including Israel, the Palestinian territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.

"Wild birds may introduce the virus, but people's actions in poultry production and marketing spread it," said the FAO's chief veterinary officer Juan Lubroth.

WHO says globally there have been 331 human deaths from 565 confirmed bird flu cases since 2003 when it was first detected.

The virus was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006, but it remained endemic in six countries: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The number of outbreaks in poultry and wild bird populations shrank from a high of 4,000 to 302 in mid-2008, but outbreaks have risen progressively since, with almost 800 cases reported in 2010-11, the FAO said.

"The general departure from the progressive decline in 2004-08 could mean that there will be a flare-up of H5N1 this autumn and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their back yard," Mr Lubroth.

India-Japan ties to become stronger

Neemrana in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan is India's first exclusive Japanese Investment Zone, where 24 Japanese companies have already set up units. Rajasthan is inviting more business alliances between Japanese and Indian companies, as 45 per cent of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) will pass through its territory. Following Rajasthan, many other Indian states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh are looking to attract Japanese investment. They will be taking business delegations to Tokyo where India-Japan Global Partnership Summit will be held from September 5-7. The Summit is an initiative of India Center Foundation, a non-profitable organization working for India Japan Global Partnership sine last 15 years.

Hurricane Irene kills 18, impacts millions in US

ne Irene petered out leaving 18 dead across seven states and impacting millions with strong winds and drenching rains, authorities prepared to fight dangerous, damaging flood waters along the East Coast.

By 8 p.m., Tropical Storm Irene had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was nearing the US-Canadian border, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

The cost from wind damage alone is expected to top $1 billion, with downed power lines leaving more than four million people without electricity, according to US government estimates.

'I want people to understand that this is not over,' President Barack Obama said Sunday evening from Washington. 'The impacts of this storm will be felt for some time, and the recovery effort will last for weeks or longer.'

Flood warnings and watches were in effect Sunday night for much of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, eastern New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Also hard-hit was New Jersey, where initial fears about coastal flooding -- which had prompted the evacuation of more than 1 million people from the shore -- had given way to fresh concerns about inland flooding.

In New York City, officials worked Sunday night to return the city to normal. Hours earlier, the Hudson River overflowed in lower Manhattan, receding only after massive amounts of water spilled over jogging paths and into at least one nearby apartment building.

Area's three major airports -- Newark Liberty in northern New Jersey and LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy in the New York City boroughs of Queens -- will reopen Monday, two days after they shut down.

New Jersey Transit rail service is suspended 'until further notice,' except for the Atlantic City rail line, but light rail and bus service will resume Monday.

World stock markets rise after Fed chief's speech

World stock markets rose Monday, with buying appetite getting a boost from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke's prediction that the U.S. economy will eventually return to full health.

Oil prices lingered above $85 a barrel in Asia after Hurricane Irene did little damage to refineries along the U.S. East Coast. The dollar was lower against the yen and the euro.

European shares were mostly higher in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 was little changed at 5,129.92 and Germany's DAX was up 1.4 percent at 5,615.56. France's CAC-40 rose 1.3 percent to 3,128.85.

Stocks on Wall Street were set to move higher, with Dow futures up 0.8 percent to 11,365 while S&P 500 futures were 0.9 percent higher at 1,186.50.

Market optimism was fueled after a highly anticipated speech by Bernanke at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. While he announced no new economic stimulus measures — as some investors had hoped — he did leave open the possibility of more action if another recession looks likely. He also emphasized the strengths of the U.S. economy and said the job market will recover in the long run.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.6 percent to close at 8,851.35 amid news that the country's ruling party elected Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda its new chief, paving the way for him to be the next prime minister. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.5 percent to 4,263.30 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.4 percent to 19,865.11.

Hong Kong-listed Sinopec, Asia's largest refiner by capacity, jumped 6.7 percent after announcing that first-half profit rose 12 percent as higher oil, gas and chemicals revenues helped offset a loss in its refining business. The results for the company, also known as China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., were better than analysts had forecast.

South Korea's Kopsi index jumped 2.8 percent to 1,829.50. Leading shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. soared 9.1 percent. Hynix Semiconductor, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, jumped 8.4 percent on brighter chip price forecasts, Yonhap News agency said. Refinery SK Innovation rose 7.1 percent.

Gold shares rose after prices of the precious metal rebounded Friday after a volatile week. Newcrest Mining Ltd., Australia's largest gold miner, rose 1.5 percent. Hong Kong-listed Zijin, China's top gold miner, was 1.2 percent higher. Hong Kong jewelry chain Chow Sang Sang Holdings gained 4.7 percent.

Other Australian metals shares rose on the back of higher commodities prices. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest mining company, rose 1.3 percent. Rio Tinto Ltd. gained 2.1 percent.

Mainland Chinese shares lost ground, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index falling 1.4 percent to 2,576.41. T he Shenzhen Composite Index slipped 0.9 percent, to 1,159.52. Shares in food and traveling related companies advanced on expectations upcoming holidays will boost demand, while shares in financial companies weakened.

"Property shares were sold on speculation the government might impose a windfall profits tax levy which could lead to a quite serious funds shortage," said Peng Yunliang, an analyst based in Shanghai.

Poly Real Estate dropped 3.5 percent while industry leader China Vanke fell 2.5 percent. China International Travel Service Corp. Ltd. gained 3.7 percent.

On Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 1.2 percent to close at 11,284.54. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.5 percent to 1,176.80. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 2.5 percent to 2,479.85.

The Fed has said it plans to keep short-term interest rates low until mid-2013. Low rates on investments like bonds make higher-risk bets such as stocks more attractive.

The U.S. economy is still hobbled by a depressed housing market, high oil prices and fears that the European debt crisis will deteriorate into a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.

Benchmark oil for October delivery was up 18 cents to $85.55 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude rose 7 cents to settle at $85.37 on Friday.

In London, Brent crude for October delivery was down 6 cents at $111.30 on the ICE Futures exchange.

In currencies, the euro was up at $1.4521 from $1.4484 in late trading in New York. The dollar fell to 76.63 yen from 76.66 yen.

Om Puri, Kiran Bedi face lawmakers' fury

While Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike is over, his aide's troubles seem to be beginning. The Gandhian's key aide, Kiran Bedi, would face a privilege motion in Parliament along with actor Om Puri for their remarks taunting the MPs.

The motion would be taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Om Puri had launched a no holds barred attack on politicians from the stage at Ramlila Maidan on Friday. He had called politicians crass and uneducated during his address to the crowd at Ramlila Maidan, where Hazare's anti-corruption movement was on last week.

The character actor had to be escorted off the stage by a volunteer as his speech got more and more personal and controversial.

"I feel ashamed when an IAS or IPS officer salutes a ganwar (illiterate) who is a neta (leader). We have more than 50 per cent ganwar leaders. Don't vote for them," Om Puri had said.

Bedi too took potshots at the members of Parliament accusing them of playing double standards. She mocked politicians and even slammed the BJP, which of late came round to support Hazare's Lokpal movement.

In her remarks against the MPs, Bedi had said, "Our politicians are hiding behind a mask. They think and speak. There has been no lathi-charge till now because of Anna. We don't know what will happen after he goes. Till now, Delhi Police is with us, but if they get any demands, we don't know what will happen. We have been tolerating for the past 60 years, how much more do we tolerate?"

Rajya Sabha Members Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Mohammed Adeeb (Independent) had moved the privilege motion against the duo for attacking parliamentarians on Saturday.

Salman to head to the US today

The actor, who travels to America for treatment, will miss the festivities for the first time in years

It's undoubtedly the most important time of the year for Bollywood's Dabangg Khan. It's the end of Ramzan, the beginning of Ganeshotsav and the release of his much-awaited film Bodyguard. But unfortunately, for the first time in years, Salman will not be around to celebrate the festivals or his film release with friends and family.

Contrary to reports that Khan has cancelled his trip to America, he is definitely travelling abroad for his treatment today. "He was initially landing via New York, but since the airport there is shut, he is now taking an alternative route," confirms brother-in-law and Bodyguard producer Atul Agnihotri.

The actor, who has been diagnosed with a facial nerve disorder, has been in pain for the past six months. While he continued shooting for Bodyguard despite the illness, the last few days have been very tough on him. Adds the film's director Siddiqque, "Salman is very good at concealing his pain. There were times when we wouldn't even realise that something's wrong with him. He'd continue working as if everything is normal."

Of course, no one can deny that Eid has been the most auspicious time for a Salman film since the past four years. Despite all efforts, unfortunately, Sallu won't be around to witness the release of his film on August 31, and also to bring home the Ganpati idol on September 1.  "We are going to really miss him, but we cannot take any chances. Health comes first and the doctors have strictly asked him to complete treatment as soon as possible. So he is going to be there for as long as required. Everything else can wait," says Atul.

His absence most definitely will slow down the publicity of the film as well, but we guess a Salman Khan release on Eid doesn't need too much of it, anyway

British media welcomes Hazare's achievement

Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption has attracted a great deal of attention in the British media and among the NRI community which welcomed the end of his fast.

British parliamentarian Lord Swraj Paul said he was relieved that the 74-year-old Gandhian has called of his 12- day-old fast after setting the agenda for the eradication of corruption in the country.

"Anna Hazare has awakened India as no one else to the evil of corruption and deserves full admiration," he said.  The NRI industrialist said that he had watched with admiration the intense debate in the Indian parliament yesterday which showed the strength of Indian democracy.

"The speeches of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the leaders of opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were of the highest caliber," he said.

 "All in all, the success of people's power is a great milestone for Indian democracy. I hope the promises made in parliament to deal with corruption are followed through," Paul said.

 "Mr Hazare does not have, or aspire to, anything like Gandhi's stature," prominent British the Guardian said. "He does not confront, as Gandhi did, his followers' complicity in social evils, an aspect of his career underlined by subtitle - His Struggle With India - of a recent book on Gandhi. But Mr Hazare has found an issue - and is exerting a leverage which on balance must be good for India," the paper wrote.

 "A fast unto death is a touchy subject in India because of the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, who used the tactic against the British. One thing successive viceroys and prime ministers particularily feared was the popular uprising that would quickly follow if he died on their watch..," leading author Patrick French noted in his piece on Hazare in the Daily Telegraph.


Hazare has hundreds of supporters in Britain, many of whom took to the streets to voice their support to his crusade against corruption.


A Bomb Blast in Baghdad's largest Sunni mosque

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside Baghdad's largest Sunni mosque on Sunday night, killing 29 people during prayers, a shocking strike on a place of worship similar to the one that brought Iraq to the brink of civil war five years ago.

Iraqi security officials said parliament lawmaker Khalid al-Fahdawi, a Sunni, was among the dead in the 9:40 p.m attack.

Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, a spokesman for Baghdad's military operations command, confirmed the bombing happened inside the Um al-Qura mosque during prayers in the western Baghdad neighbourhood of al-Jamiaah. The blue-domed building is the largest Sunni mosque in Baghdad.

That the bomber detonated his explosives vest inside the mosque is particularly alarming, as it is reminiscent of a 2006 attack on a Shia shrine in the Sunni city of Samarra that fueled widespread sectarian violence and nearly ignited a nationwide civil war. In that strike, Sunni militants planted bombs around the Samarra shrine, destroying its signature gold dome and badly damaging the rest of the structure.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, but suicide attacks generally are a hallmark of al-Qaeda, which is dominated by Sunnis. Intelligence officials have speculated that al-Qaeda will do almost anything to re-ignite sectarian violence, but the group recently had focused on attacking Iraqi security forces and the government to prove how unstable Iraq remains.

Two security officials and medics at two Baghdad hospitals put the casualty toll at 29 dead and 38 wounded. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Al-Moussawi put the death toll at only six and said there was no significant damage to the mosque. Conflicting death tolls are common immediately after attacks in Iraq.

In a statement early Monday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on Iraqis to stand strong against terrorists and "pursue them wherever they are."

"Solidarity and unity, and standing as one line behind the army and the police, are the only way to eliminate this danger, which does not differentiate between the Iraqis and targets all of us," al-Maliki said.

The attack hit Sunnis who were praying in a special service during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which ends Tuesday. It demonstrates anew that security measures to protect Iraqis as U.S. forces prepare to leave remain riddled with gaps, and shows the extent to which militants want to extend violence even as the eight-year U.S. presence winds down.

Beyonce Reveals Pregnancy On VMA Stage

fter performing at the 2011 VMAs, Beyoncé Knowles unbuttoned her sparkly jacket and rubbed her belly -- announcing her pregnancy to the world. The camera then cut to Jay-Z and Kanye West in the audience and their over-the-top jubilant reaction.

Married to Jay for three years, the star has said time and time again that she planned on having a baby by the time she was 30; well, B turns 30 early next month.

The power couple tied the knot back in 2008 in a private ceremony at Jay-Z's New York apartment, and since then, there have been years of pregnancy rumors that they've shot down.

In June, the singer told that she wanted to get pregnant.

"I feel like a woman. I feel like I'm very aware of who I am. I feel great and I feel like 30 is the ideal age to start a family, because you're mature enough to know who you are and to have your boundaries and your standards, and not be afraid, too polite -- but you're young enough to be a young woman," she said. "I'm so looking forward to it."

The singer added, "I always said I'd have a baby at 30. But I also said I'm going to retire at 30. ... Only God knows."

In the interview, Beyoncé talked about her husband.

"Jay and I have kind of made a decision that we want to be known for our music and not our relationships or scandals. But he is amazing," she said. "I definitely had a very natural friendship and connection with him. We've been together for a very long time and I'm very happy. Love is the foundation of everything, everything I do. My music is inspired by love -- from my family, my husband, my sister."