Indian-Panorama ::: A Kaleidoscopic Snapshot of INDIA !!!

reBlog from bricks-n-mortar: Delhi Metro (DMRC) bridge collapse accident | Corrective Actions on Column Piers with faulty Cantilever Overhangs | BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com

2010-03-26T00:32:00.001+05:30

Sharing with guys in my network...

The initial fact-finding study reports and subsequent testing of samples and engineering design checks pointed fingers at the design flaws which had been found as the prime reason of failure in the design details of the cantilever pier-caps (the one-side overhung column caps to support the pre-cast rail bridge pieces), together with ill-quality material and workmanship standards followed for the fast-tracked construction activities that were being pushed to the limit to meet the target of making the Delhi Metro rail network functional in all desired stretches of Delhi and suburbs like Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad that comprise of the National Capital Region (NCR).bricks-n-mortar, Delhi Metro (DMRC) bridge collapse accident | Corrective Actions on Column Piers with faulty Cantilever Overhangs | BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com, Feb 2010

[...Read the whole article]

Indian public analyzes and ask how come Manu Sharma be let out of Jail despite hardcore criminal history

2009-11-12T16:26:00.002+05:30

Reference article:

Manu got parole despite objection by Delhi Police (despite) Cops (having) Found All Reasons Flawed
Rahul Tripathi | TNN

Excerpt from TOI's article:

(Entire India now knows that) Siddharth Vashisht alias Manu Sharma had sought parole in September 2009 to
1) participate in religious rites for his late grandmother,
2) attend to his ‘ageing’ mother and
3) take care of biz interests

Delhi Police found Manu’s grandmother had died in April 2008 and there was no immediate reason for him to attend any rituals
They did not find any doctor’s advise concerning any ailments suffered by Manu’s mother
His business was also not affected by his absence.

Within a week of Delhi Police opposing parole for Manu, he was granted parole by Delhi Government's home department following a report by Chandigarh police.

We, the common-but-sensible Indian public, analyze this and ask:

WHY A SERIAL LAW-OFFENDER LIKE MANU SHARMA BE LET-OFF LIKE THIS IN GENERAL PUBLIC EVEN WHEN HIS HISTORY PROVES HE IS A COLD-BLOODED CRIMINAL?

WHY THE GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE IN POWER OFTEN ARE LET TO BREAK, TWEAK AND CHANGE RULES FOR THEMSELVES, WHILE EVEN NOT COMING IN THE PURVIEW OF COMMON JUSTICE AND RULES?

HOW COME DELHI GOVERNMENT NOT ASCERTAIN THE WHOLESOME FACTS FROM ALL SPHERES OF LIFE BEFORE HANDING OVER PAROLE TO A SERIAL OFFENDER?

WHY PEOPLE WITH POLITICAL HIGH-LINKS AND POWER-WRENCHING DEEDS BE THEMSELVES NOT TERMED AS DEEP-ROOTED HARDCORE CRIMINALS AND THROWN AWAY OUT OF POWER?

WHY CRIES OF COMMON PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED IN HANDS OF PEOPLE LIKE MANU SHARMA NOT GENERALLY HEARD BY THE POWER CIRCLES AND INHUMAN POLITICIANS / BUREAUCRATS / BABUS?

These questions are not new to the ears of common men and women. The need of the hour actually is that the junta must wake up and stand united, being highly vocal at the same time, against all such game-plans of the power-corridors.

Image source: IBNlive.com, Picasa/Blogger

The Ugly face of politics has a new avatar in the shape of Raj Thackray's party- MNS

2009-11-10T13:58:00.000+05:30

[TIMESNOW Debate Topic]: Did MNS go to far in attacking Azmi?

Excerpt..
MNS MLAs on Monday (November 9) created a ruckus in the Maharashtra Assembly after SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi took oath in Hindi despite their call that all legislators take the pledge in Marathi with one of the members from Raj Thackeray's party slapping him. Soon after Azmi began taking oath in Hindi, the 13 member-strong MNS contingent rushed towards Azmi, snatching the mike placed for taking oath at the podium. MNS members shouted slogans, demanding that Azmi should take oath in Marathi. The House was adjourned for 30 minutes as the pandemonium continued and soon after that MNS MLA Ram Kadam slapped Azmi.

Now what does this signify?
ONE... Raj Thackray and his MNS party are gaining grounds the very planned way by snatching attention no matter if its coming by means of notorious ways. TV channels are discussing about him and his doings; people are either hating him... or abhoring him... or some may be liking his deeds; yet he is successful in being the most sought after topic of discussion all over. What else would a maverick like him desire?

SECOND... Politics as well as the politicians are scaling new lows. Even much lower than what ethics would have allowed them to. The common people whom they represent in the Houses are not going to benefit even a little bit by such tantrums of their leaders. Yet, no one thinks about this. People vote hooligans into power.. sometimes from this party and sometimes from some other party and sometimes sans any party. Who'll suffer ultimately??.. Simple... Common man himself, who else?!!

THIRD... Is there some hope in getting rid of such people and politics?.... The seemingly truth is a BIG "NO" considering the fact that the Janta do not learn from mistakes or innuendos of such events. Until and unless firm corrective and preventive actions are enforced on such incidences as well as upon the personnel abetting such heinous activities, there is no hope for betterment of the mankind.

PERIOD...!!

Snapshots of the famous Ridge at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (India)

2009-07-07T20:46:00.000+05:30

The famous Ridge at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (India)

The Ridge is a large open space, carved and finished out of the apex of one of the major hills making part of the historically and mythologically famous Jakhu Hills. It is located in the heart of Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, India, and is unarguably the hubspot of this 'Queen of Hill tations' besides the even more famous 'Mall Road'.

The Ridge has witnessed inumerous historical gatherings, eminent VVIPs and VIPs, elitest of elite, and also the common men through thick and thin. It has also played a major part in the defining of the statehood for Himachal, which once was part of the larger Punjab province even in post-independence era.

The snow-clad plains of the Ridge look most beautiful of all with the tourists and the residents alike enjoying the white-snowy-blanket. The horse ride in every season is another delite all want to have at least once in his/her lifetime.

The Ridge is also the venue for state's summer festival, government functions and other local celebrations. It is marked by the landmarks like a neo-Gothic structure of Church from 1844 and a tudorbethan styled library building built in 1910. The Scandal Point ends the stretches of the Ridge towards the West, while the Lakkar Bazaar and the US Club marks the end of it towards the East.

The Ridge is that lively place of the beautiful hill station Shimla (earlier also called, Simla) which no one can miss out while visiting here.

Do share your pictures, stories, anecdotes, etc of your Shimla visit too for letting others share your feelings.

TATA Nano, the World's cheapest car, launched in India on 23-Mar-09

2009-03-25T01:17:00.000+05:30

(This is a reproduction of a sister network post on Indian-Graffiti)
******************************************************************************

‘nano’ – the Rs. 1 lac (approx. $2000) car and the much-much hyped and awaited peoples’ car from the house of TATA MOTORS has finally been officially and formally launched here in

India

today, the 23rd day of March, 2009 --- the day that will perhaps be bookmarked as a landmark day in the history of the automobile industry at least.

Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of the flagship TATA Group formally launched the ‘TATA nano’ today in India. The booking for the ‘nano’ will start from April 9 to April 25, 2009 with the forms being made available at an upfront nominal cost of Rs. 300 (about $6)State Bank of India branches spread across the length and breadth of the country, TATA’s own franchisee stores (Titan, Chroma, Westside), besides other likely outlets that may be announced in the days to come assuming the high numbers of people looking to lay their hands on the booking form.

The ‘nano’ – arguably the world’s cheapest full version car till date - may also be booked directly on the newly launched dedicated website for the car --- http://tatanano.com

(A quick note: the website, a screenshot of which is presented hereunder, is already reporting enormous traffic and reporting error message due to more-than-expected internet traffic!)

Here are a few salient features of the NANO :

The ‘nano’ is to be launched in three petrol engine versions initially - the base version (costing about Rs. 1.12 lakh), the executive version (costing about Rs. 1.55 lakh) and the fully loaded luxury version (costing about Rs. 1.73 lakh).
The CX and LX higher end versions of the petrol engine version cars will have air conditioning (AC) features besides having power steering and/or power windows depending upon the respective models.
The booking of the Nano will begin on April 9 and remain open till April 25.
The delivery of the first lot of Nano cars are expected to begin in early July, while the applications for booking of the car will be available in 30,000 locations in 1,000 cities across India.
State Bank of India will be the qualified banker for collection of bookings in 850 cities, he said.
The car can be booked by just paying Rs. 3,000 (some report it as Rs. 2,999) upfront while the rest can be secured by way of loan, he said.
There will be 15 preferred financiers for the booking whose names will be disclosed in three days.

Nano’s dimensions : (length = 3.1 meters, width = 1.5 meters, height = 1.6 meters)
Reasonably high ground clearance of 180mm
Weighs only about 600 kg (on an average), which makes it about 50 kg lighter than the present day nearest competitor, Maruti 800.
The company cites an average of about 20 km per litre, which is one of the highest in its class. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide.
The car is about 8% smaller in size but about 21% higher in inside space volume when compared to the yesteryear small wonder from the house of Maruti Suzuki – the Maruti 800
All four tyres will be tubeless tyres but the front two ones will be smaller than the two rear ones, thereby requiring two steepeneyes.
The people’s car’s tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory requirements, the company boasts.
The nano is designed driving a family in mind; has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. It can comfortably seat four persons. Four doors with high seating position make ingress and egress easy
Sports a rear-wheel drive and an all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 or 624 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine
It has an all sheet-metal body, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body.
The fuel tank capacity is about 15 liters

Colour Variants available:

Comparison of Nano with Maruti 800 (dimensionwise)
Comparison of Nano with Maruti 800 (overall specifications)

Pakistani map... as projected by some of their fanatic & mindless sections of media (Daily Express)

2009-01-08T20:16:00.002+05:30

Wake-up India... Wake-up World!
Come into action... Its high time now to push the rogues to corner.

This had reportedly been posted in one of the Pakistani newspapers where the section of jerks among themselves are depicted dreaming to engulf entire India as a Pakistan controlled region by the year 2012 and 2020.

PAKISTAN MAP IN 2012

PAKISTAN MAP IN 2020

Well, unfortunately that's Pakistan... A rogue entity of the past, present and perhaps of forever!!!

Will the eccentric people there ever civilize?? Will ever the rational minded people out there be able to outnumber the blindfolded people to be able to stand at par and meet the eyeballs of the citizens of the world ??

[Food4Thought]: A nice article on Kashmir's options in The Times of India (TOI)

2008-08-25T18:57:00.002+05:30

[Food4Thought]

A nice article on Kashmir's people's options in the Delhi edition of The Times of India (TOI) dated 24/Aug/08

MEN AND IDEAS

Kashmiri choice

-GURCHARAN DAS

A Kashmiri Muslim student came to see me last week and it was not long before our conversation turned to the current azadi wave in the valley. He did not think that an independent Kashmir was viable, and its only choice was either to be with India or with Pakistan. After a pause he asked guilelessly, why was India a democracy and Pakistan an autocracy? This set me thinking. I told him that Pakistan was more the norm — Third World countries do not generally become stable democracies. India is an exception.

India’s democracy and Pakistan’s autocracy have deep roots in history. India’s nationalist movement was older and more widespread. Millions of ordinary Indians were drawn in by Mahatma Gandhi. Muslim nationalism emerged later and did not become a mass movement — Jinnah was more comfortable in the drawing room rather than the ‘dusty road’. While Indians prepared for democracy over three generations, Pakistanis-to-be got the itch only a couple of years before independence. After independence, Pakistan’s politicians performed abysmally. The Muslim League Party disintegrated; there were nine governments in 10 years and the army under Ayub Khan seized power in 1958.

Jinnah’s great error was to impose Urdu as the national language when only 8% of Pakistanis spoke Urdu and 55% spoke Bengali. Thus, he sowed the seeds of Bangladesh. Sri Lanka made the same tragic mistake. India did not succumb to this anti-democratic temptation by imposing Hindi. This is how India gave space for subidentities to flourish, allowed the rise of peoples’ leaders from linguistic states, and deepened democracy.

Although his slogan in the 1945-46 elections in undivided India was ‘Islam is in danger’, Jinnah wanted to build a modern nation. Even though General Zia-ul-Haq reinforced theological priority, i do not believe Islam prevents Pakistan from being democratic. The rise of Islamism does tear the ordinary Pakistani’s loyalty between the brotherhood and the state, but the maulvi is not Pakistan’s natural leader as in Iran. The chief obstacle to democracy is the army. Hence, i am relieved that Musharraf is gone. It does create a vacuum that might be filled by extremists, but in the longer term the best thing for India is to have a democratic Pakistan.

For a brief moment in the mid-1970s the two nations seemed to converge. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto began to steer Pakistan towards genuine democracy while Indira Gandhi took India on the path of dictatorship. The paths diverged after 1977 as Mrs Gandhi called an election and Bhutto was executed by Zia in 1979. India returned to the path of democracy, whose binding glue is the liberal notion that all Indians are equal citizens before the law, owing loyalty to the Constitution. This is a British legacy. Before that we were a collection of communities and kingdoms. Although we still feel loyal to our caste or community, we are different from the tragic Pakistanis whose land has been hijacked by the military. Once there is military rule you get a state within a state. You are powerless to stop your secret service from creating monsters like the Taliban and before you know it your country has become the world’s top university for terrorists. I then turned to my young Kashmiri friend. He wished more Kashmiris could come and see India’s vibrant democracy, its confident economy and the rise of the lowborn. ‘‘There is a simple choice before all Kashmiris,’’ he said. ‘‘If you want to be a citizen of a modern democracy with unparalleled opportunities, you will choose self-assured India. If you believe that Islam is in danger and you want the army’s protection, you will choose tragic Pakistan.’’

[Source web location: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMDgvMDgvMjQjQXIwMjIwNQ==&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom]

Disclaimer: Article shared just for the purpose of thought-sharing only. No personal contribution in terms of writing or propaganda, or any monetary aspect attached of whatsoever kind.

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[Olympics 2008]: 20/Aug/08... What a day for India!!

2008-08-20T23:44:00.000+05:30

What a day for India!!

Two of India's sporting heroes, Susheel Kumar and Vijender Kumar have made India proud. One medal already bagged by Susheel, and another ensured by Vijender.

Kudos to you guys!! Keep this high spirit flying

[I-Tax India]: Know your PAN and Jurisdiction details --- All by yourself in a minute!

2008-08-01T19:05:00.001+05:30

NOTHING MUCH TO DO. JUST A FEW SIMPLE STEPS...

Simply click the link
Reach to India Govt's IT website
Fill in three details
Get to know your PAN as well as Jurisdiction (Ward and Circle)

WEB LINK
https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/knowpan/knowpan.jsp

[I-Tax India]: Some Useful Tips and References for Filing Income Tax Return (India)

2008-07-31T14:01:00.001+05:30

1	HRA exemption = minimum of (40% (50% for metros) of Basic+DA or HRA or rent paid - 10% of Basic+DA)
2	Transport allowance is exempt upto Rs.800/- per month provided the person is in India during the month. For people having permanent physical disability, the exemption is Rs.1,600/- per month
3	Vehicle maintenance exemption can be claimed if you use a car for travel to the workplace. In such case, exemption can be claimed for the petrol and vehicle maintenance amounts. The exemption is available to the tune of Rs.1,200/- per month if the engine capacity is less than 1600cc and Rs.1,600/- per month if the engine capacity is more than 1600cc. In case the amount includes driver's salary, there is an additional exemption of Rs.600/- per month. When this exemption is claimed, transport allowance exemption is not available.
4	Medical bills are exempt for self and dependent family, upto Rs.15,000/- per annum
5	LTA is exempt to the tune of ecomony class airfare for the family to any destination in India, by the shortest route. LTA can be claimed twice in a block of 4 calendar years. The current block is from 2006 to 2009
6	Gratuity, VRS and some such amounts are exempt up to certain limits. If you get any such payment, please find out the exact limit for you from a tax consultant.
7	Children's Education allowance is exempt upto Rs.100/- per child per month plus Rs.300/- per child per month for hostel expenses (max of 2 children only)
8	There is an exemption for interest on housing loan. If the loan was taken before Apr 1, 1999 exemption is limited to Rs.30,000/- per year. If the loan was taken after Apr 1, 1999 exemption is limited to Rs.1,50,000/- per year if the house is self-occupied; there is no limit if the house is rented out This exemption is available on accrual basis, which means if interest has accrued, you can claim exemption, irrespective of whether you've paid it or not. If the loan is taken jointly by two individuals both can claim this exemption
9	If you have rented out your house, consider the total income/loss from the house (after deducting property tax and standard maintenance expenses)
10	Medical Insurance (such as Mediclaim) premium is exempt upto Rs.15,000/- per year for self, spouse & dependent children. An additional Rs.15,000/- is exempt towards premium for parents (even if they are not dependent). If the parent(s) are above 65 years of age, an extra Rs.5,000/- can be claimed
11	Deduction in respect of medical treatment of handicapped dependents is limited to Rs.50,000/- per year if the disability is less than 80% and Rs.75,000/- per year if the disability is more than 80%
12	Deduction in respect of medical treatment for specified ailments or diseases for the assesse or dependent can be claimed upto Rs.40,000/- per year. If the person being treated is a senior citizen, the exemption can go up to Rs.60,000/-
13	Interest repayment on education loan (taken for higher education from a university of self & dependents) is completely tax exempt
14	Donations given for certain charities are tax exempt. Some are exempt to the tune of 50%, whereas others are 100%. (Please cross check the applicable category)
15	If you do not get HRA, but have rented a house, an exemption is available. This will be calculated as minimum of (25% of total income or rent paid - 10% of total income or Rs.24,000/- per year)
16	Donations for certain scientific research and rural development are also exempt.
17	Interest earned from all sources is to be included in income. All interest income is fully taxable (except interest from Savings account)
18	If you have a permanent physical disability (including blindness), you can take an exemption of Rs.50,000/- per year
19	Investments up to 1 lac in PF, VFP, PPF, Insurance Premium, Housing loan principal repayment, NSC, ELSS, long term bank Fixed Deposit, Post Office Term Deposit, etc. are deductible from the taxable income under sec 80C. There is no limit on individual items, so all of the 1 lac may be invested in a particular single instrument also. The only exception is PPF where the maximum investment is limited to Rs.70,000/-
20	Surcharge on Income tax is applied at 10% of the tax amount, if the taxable income is more than Rs.10,00,000/-
21	Education cess is calculated at 3% on total tax payable
22	For the current year, Govt. prescribed rate of interest for PF is 8.5%. If the employer pays interest higher than this, the differential interest earned is treated as perquisites
23	Residents of Sikkim are exempt from Income Tax for the current year (Please confirm though; This is not 100% sure)

[Source: Reference material received through email from one Nithyanand Yeswanth]

Disclaimer: Correctness of the matter to be cross verified from other sources too. This is only a sourced presentation and should not be taken without necessary verification.

[I-Tax India]: Web address to know your Assessing Officer (Ward / Circle)

2008-07-30T17:24:00.000+05:30

Web address to know your Assessing Officer (Ward / Circle)

http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ao/Firstlevel.asp

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE for IT Return e-Filing online for Indian Citizens (online filing of the IT Return Forms]

2008-02-29T13:01:00.002+05:30

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE for IT Return e-Filing (online filing on the internet) for Indian Citizens / Taxpayers

(Courtesy: Admin & the core moderators' team @ http://Indian-Panorama.blogspot.com)

Its 29th February 2008 today, the last date for filing the IT returns for all those who could not file their returns earlier, or who did not file their returns for the ASSESSMENT YEAR 2007-2008 in the requisite ITR forms (and instead had filed in older version forms, like Saral form, etc.).

The Indian Government's Indian Income Tax department had notified all such personnel to submit original / revised Returns in the new ITR forms on or before 29th February 2008.

For all those, who have not filed their original / revised Returns yet, and are wondering how to go about it, here are the easy STEP-by-STEP guidelines that may help as a ready reference.

=====================================================================================

STEP-1

Visit http://incometaxindia.gov.in/eFiling/Main.asp and read the instructions therein for e-filing of IT return.

STEP-2

Register & get a User ID for necessary Login thereafter [Usually one's PAN is generated as the user ID]

STEP-3

Choose appropriate IT Return Form as applicable to oneself [Web address~~~ http://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/html/downloads.jsp]

STEP-4

Fill the form in PDF or MS Excel utility, as per instructions therein in the downloaded form following the steps there.

STEP-5

Save file as .XML file from the auto-utility therein the form

STEP-6

Upload the .XML file after logging-in at http://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.jsp

STEP-7

Take print-outs of the generated ITR & acknowledgment form; and submit the physical hard copies to the nearest designated post office and/or IT ward office. Keep a copy for your records.

=====================================================================================

Hope these guidelines will help our dear readers, visitors, subscribers and everybody who find this article useful.

For any other clarification/ information, please feel to ask. We would try assist you in our best capacity.

[Shoot your queries here directly in the 'COMMENTS' field or directly to admin.blogs4cause@gmail.com ]

Save Energy & Help your nation progress

2008-02-20T14:31:00.002+05:30

While surfing the net today, came across this site of "Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)" which aims to educate people to use energy efficient appliances so as to save the precious energy.

The website, if one wishes to visit, is:
http://www.bee-india.nic.in/Implementation/Standards%20&%20Labellings.html

To reproduce part of the content, the mission & broad objectives of 'BEE' are :

Quote...

"The mission of Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to 'institutionalize' energy efficiency services, enable delivery mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to energy efficiency in all sectors of the country. The primary objective would be to reduce energy intensity in the economy.

The broad objectives of BEE are as under:

To exert leadership and provide policy framework and direction to national energy conservation and efficiency efforts and programs.
To coordinate energy efficiency and conservation policies and programs and take it to the stakeholders
To establish systems and procedures to measure, monitor and verify energy efficiency results in individual sectors as well as at a macro level.
To leverage multi-lateral and bi-lateral and private sector support in implementation of Energy Conservation Act and efficient use of energy and its conservation programs.
To demonstrate delivery of energy efficiency services as mandated in the EC bill through private-public partnerships.
To interpret, plan and manage energy conservation programs as envisaged in the Energy Conservation Act.

...Unquote

LETS ALL FOLLOW THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS AND SAVE THE PRECIOUS ENERGY.
IT WOULD BE A BIG HELP TO OUR MOTHER NATION.

(Guest post by P. Sood --- http://sood13545.blogspot.com)

[CRICKET] RICKY PONTING - "The Undisputed Cricketer of SHAME"

2008-01-08T15:16:00.000+05:30

[CRICKET]
RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER of INTEGRITY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET"--- BULLSHIT

WE TRIED TO SEARCH THIS TAINTED PLAYER'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO LET HIM KNOW THE COMMON MAN'S VIEWS, BUT COULDN'T FIND ANY EXCEPT THIS ONE FAN-SITE OF HIS.

www.RICKYPONTING.NET

THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO VOICE YOUR OPINION CAN HAVE HIS ADDRESS FROM THIS SITE.

[CRICKET] Pls help in this EYE DONATION campaign BEFORE 16TH JAN !!!

2008-01-08T10:40:00.000+05:30

India's 3rd Test against Australia begins on 16th Jan' 08.
Can someone help arranging an able pair of eyes for this blind man before that ???

=================================================================================================

NEWS EXCERPT:-
The Indians, BCCI and the Indian media Monday lambasted umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson for their incompetence and erroneous umpiring that cost India the second Test match against Australia in Sydney Sunday. The three-match ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh and the un-sportsmanlike behavior of the Australian cricketers were also criticized sharply.

USEFUL LINKS:-
Get a PayPal Account for Free ~~~ The World's preferred way of online Money Transfer across the globle.

=================================================================================================

ANOTHER MAIL SHARING THE NEW PROBABLE INSIGHTFUL RULES:-

Quote...

After watching the test match, it has been felt that some rules should be incorporated by International Cricket Council (ICC) to enable other teams having a perfect vision

(1) RICKY PONTING ~~ (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, the FOURTH UMPIRE's decision will be final and will overrule any decision taken by other on-field umpires. The ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.

(2) While the AUSTRALIAN TEAM bowls, if the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER (i.e., within 5 meter distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be sought from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This rule is important so as to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTSMAN SPIRIT by all the teams.

(3) While BATTING, the AUSTRALIAN players will have to wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE's decision to raise his ominous finger even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP (this 'coz the batsman may be optimistic enough to think that the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be bowled out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of "THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY", this figure can be higher and would be decided by the said player HIMSELF.

(4) UMPIRES should anticipate huge bonuses if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they accept to be paid huge sums in addition to receiving the ominous backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and Cricket Australia board.

(5) The AUSTRALIAN players are patently eligible to keep commenting, sledging, misbehaving, etc.etc.etc. with opposition players on the field, WHEREAS the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment/ react back SINCE this will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team as well as CRICKET's ethics. Any comment/reaction/reply/and the likes made by opposition team players in their mother tongues or national language(s) will be considered as ACTS OF RACISM.

(6) MATCH REFREE's decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM's advice. Other players' views will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES may be expecting huge sums after all, and its only human on their part.

(7) NO VISITING TEAM should even think to win in AUSTRALIA since this is a serious offense in AUSTRALIAN CRICKET LAWS. (CRICKET AUSTRALIA, in their statement, have already said today that they have been taught playing like this, and that they don't see anything wrong whatsoever in what their team, or in that matter of fact, their captain has done).

(8) THE 8th & THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE: If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES if not for the REST OF THAT PLAYERS LIFE.

...Unquote
=================================================================================================

Disclaimer:- Sourced from emails doing rounds on the web. No rights reserved. No personal attack of any nature towards the man in subject; but only for his recent mis-doings.

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

2008-01-08T10:31:00.000+05:30

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Karuna group quits anti-LTTE alliance in Batticaloa

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 11:00 PM CST

The recently forged anti-Tamil Tiger political alliance in the eastern Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking district of Batticaloa has split.

Shahnaz Hussain's son dies mysteriously in Patna

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 02:30 AM CST

Renowned beautician Shahnaz Hussain's only son Sameer died in a Patna hospital Monday of serious injuries sustained after a fall from his sixth floor apartment, police said, expressing the suspicion that he had either been pushed or had committed suicide.

ICC to suspend Harbhajan ban, Australia tour to go on

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 01:31 AM CST

India's tour of Australia will continue as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has agreed to suspend the three-Test ban imposed on off-spinner Harbhajan Singh pending the Indian board's appeal against it, senior board officials said Monday.

Ceasefire abrogation to benefit LTTE: Sri Lanka opposition

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 03:30 AM CST

Sri Lankan opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has said the only beneficiaries of the government's abrogation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement would be the Tamil Tigers.

Bipasha, Koena celebrate their birthday

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 02:31 AM CST

Two Bengali beauties in Bollywood turned a year older Monday.

Aussie Brand Ambassadors may be a problem for Indian firms

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 05:30 AM CST

Brett Lee stares at you from the hoarding and tells you the time; Ricky Ponting stands up for an engine oil's reliability while Adam Gilchrist has in the past told Indians why they should buy a certain washing machine or refrigerator. Add to them, Michael Clarke, recently signed up by an Indian event management company.

Zardari: the skeletons are coming to haunt him

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 10:30 PM CST

Once viewed by many as a liability, Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of the slain Benazir Bhutto, has in a tragic turn of events taken control of her popular Pakistan People's Party (PPP). But despite his sudden rise in status, the skeletons in his closet have once again come to haunt him.

India developing ballistic missiles to destroy IRBMs, ICBMs

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 05:33 AM CST

By 2010 India will have an indigenous ballistic missile defence system to intercept and destroy intermediate ballistic missiles (IRBMs) and inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), a top defence official said here Monday.

Case against Sania for insulting national flag admitted

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 07:31 AM CST

The court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here admitted a case against tennis star Sania Mirza for allegedly dishonouring the national flag during Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia.

North India shivers, south offers warmth of linen

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 10:30 PM CST

As a cold wave sweeps through northern India, faraway in the south a few villages are working overtime to supply thick linen that promises warmth and comfort.

Rising oil prices cause for concern: PM

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 07:00 AM CST

Expressing concern over the steep rise in global crude oil prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that the government will examine Jan 17 all options to cushion losses by oil marketing companies.New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Expressing concern over the steep rise in global crude oil prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that the government will examine Jan 17 all options to cushion losses by oil marketing companies.

Rajnikanth to star in Shankar's 'Robot'

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 11:30 AM CST

Following the huge box-office success of 'Sivaji-The Boss', director Shankar has again roped in Rajnikanth for his next film, the Rs.1 billion-sci-fi film 'Robot'.

High prices make gold sales dip in Kerala

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 11:00 PM CST

The surge in gold prices is impacting the sales of Kerala jewellers even as the wedding season is around for the state's Christians.

Indian media condemn umpires, Australian cricketers

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 12:31 AM CST

The Indian media Monday lambasted umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson for their incompetence and erroneous umpiring that cost India the second Test match against Australia in Sydney Sunday. The three-match ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh and the un-sportsmanlike behaviour of the Australian cricketers were also criticised sharply.

Nanoscience will overtake all present forms of technology

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

All forms of technology, including information technology and biotechnology, will become passe with the advent of nanoscience, says Nobel laureate Robert Curl Junior.

Suzlon to supply wind power turbines to Spain

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 03:31 AM CST

Suzlon Wind Energy A/S, an overseas arm of private wind power equipment firm Suzlon Energy Ltd, will supply wind power turbines to Spain, the company said Monday.

Maharashtra agrees to withdraw fee on ethanol

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 09:30 AM CST

The Maharashtra government has agreed to withdraw a fee of Rs.1.5 per litre imposed on supply of ethanol to other states after a meeting between Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and the state's chief minister in Mumbai Monday.

Defence products major draw at science expo

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 11:00 PM CST

New technologies and products displayed by various defence organisations in the science exposition here have been a major draw for delegates participating in the 95th Indian Science Congress.

Power shortage hits Rajasthan

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 04:31 AM CST

In the grip of a power crisis, Rajasthan government has decided Monday to impose power cuts in the state.

Global healthcare majors give approval to GVK BIO unit

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 11:30 AM CST

World's major healthcare product regulatory authorities have accorded their approvals to the Clinical Pharmacology Unit (CPU) of GVK Biosciences, India's premier contract research organisation.

Text of BCCI statement on racism row

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 10:32 AM CST

Following is the text of the statement issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Monday after its emergency meeting discussed the three-Test ban on Harbhajan Singh on charges of racial abuse:

India take on Australia over racism row, team still at Sydney

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 10:31 AM CST

Battle lines were drawn Monday as India sought the axing of the three-Test ban slapped on off spinner Harbhajan Singh after his alleged racist abuse against Australian Andrew Symonds and asked the Indians not to leave Sydney for Canberra for the next match.

Former police chief is Nagaland governor advisor

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 07:31 AM CST

A former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, S.C. Tripathi, was Monday appointed advisor to K. Sankaranarayanan, the Governor of Nagaland, which was brought under president's rule last week.

Now S and amp;P warns Tata Motors of ratings downgrade

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 09:02 AM CST

After Moody's, it was the turn of another ratings agency, Standard and Poor's (S and amp;P), to warn Tata Motors Ltd of a ratings downgrade following talks with Ford to buy two iconic British auto brands Jaguar and Land Rover.

Reliance Power to invest $28 billion in 13 projects

Posted: 07 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

Reliance Power Ltd, part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG), will generate over 28,000 MW of electricity by building 13 projects in the next 6-7 years with an investment of $28 billion.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Manmohan Singh declines Sri Lanka's invitation, says he's too busy

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 02:00 AM CST

India has officially told Sri Lanka that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is unable to accept the invitation to attend the island's 60th independence day celebrations Feb 4, because of prior commitments.

Anil Ambani group to foray into power equipment

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 04:32 AM CST

As it readies for India's largest public offering next week, the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has decided to foray into power equipment manufacture in ties with a global major, chairman Anil Ambani said here Sunday.

Dozens injured in anti-Jindal violence in Chhattisgarh

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

Heavy police deployment has been made Sunday in tension-hit rural areas of Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district following Saturday's clash between the police and people during a public hearing for Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL).

Reliance to manufacture power equipment

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 02:00 AM CST

The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) will soon make a major foray into manufacturing of power equipment in cooperation with a global major, chairman Anil Dhirubhai Ambani said here Sunday.

Hyderabad's 'numaish' has something for everyone

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 02:02 AM CST

It is a New Year gift that this city awaits every year. Popularly known as 'numaish' - the Urdu word for exhibition - the fair has come a long way since it was first organised in 1937 during the reign of the Nizam.

Film stars can only sing and dance: Mayawati

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 07:30 AM CST

Launching the Bahujan Samaj Party's foray into Andhra Pradesh politics, its leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Sunday made it clear that there was no place for film stars in her BSP.

Hamid Ansari - a man for all occasions!

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 11:30 PM CST

Be it book launches, speeches or promotion of a website, Vice President Hamid Ansari - with 50 public appearances in just under five months - is a man for all occasions.

2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games' logo unveiled

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 12:00 PM CST

The official logo for the 19th Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi in 2010, was unveiled Sunday at a glittering event in the backdrop of the India Gate.

Muslims gather to discuss Islamic investments

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 07:01 AM CST

Muslims from the city and nearby areas attended a conference here Sunday to figure out ways to invest that did not violate their religious tenets.

Get ready for more of foreign, yet familiar cinema

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 07:02 AM CST

The not-so-rosy results from the first major Hollywood Hindi film co-produced by Sony Pictures notwithstanding, international investors continue to be upbeat about entering India's film trade.

'Mozart of Madras' A.R. Rahman turns 43

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 09:30 AM CST

Few of his fans may be aware that music maestro Allah Rakha Rahman, or A.R. Rahman as he is better known, started his career composing jingles for advertising films.

Central rule could derail Naga peace talks, says Rio

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 12:32 AM CST

Former Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has termed the imposition of central rule in the northeastern state as 'nothing but a murder of democracy and unconstitutional' and said it could hamper the ongoing peace talks.

BSP launches war on UPA over terror attacks

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 03:00 AM CST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has declared war on the Congress-led central government over the increasing terror attacks in her sprawling state.

Junagadh braces for mountain climbing contest

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 10:30 PM CST

The Girnar hill, home to several shrines held sacred by Hindus and Jains, will host an annual competition next month that will see school and college students scurry up and down 2,200 steps on its slopes.

After Jodhpur, Madonna enjoys Udaipur

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 07:00 AM CST

After spending seven days in and around historic city of Jodhpur, Madonna Sunday landed in Udaipur, a city of majestic palaces and beautiful lakes in Rajasthan.

India to host badminton grand prix in April

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 09:30 AM CST

India will stage its first grand prix tournament, carrying qualification points for the Beijing Olympics, at Hyderabad in April, Badminton Association of India (BAI) president V.K. Verma announced here Sunday.

Taslima should apologise to Muslims: Dasmunsi

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 04:31 AM CST

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi Sunday said controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen should apologise with 'folded hands' for hurting the sentiments of Muslims of the country, and hinted that her book 'Dwikhandito' could be banned.

LTTE 'agent' nabbed in Rameswaram

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 10:30 PM CST

Security has been stepped up along the Tamil Nadu coast following the arrest of an LTTE 'agent' in this temple town late Saturday night.

Thai brothers win doubles title at Chennai Open

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 09:30 AM CST

The Ratiwatana brothers from Thailand - Sonchal and Sanchai - won the doubles title in the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament here Saturday.

Benazir, politics and India's oil economy

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 12:30 AM CST

The turmoil in Pakistan following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had an unexpected fallout on the world economy. The fears of political repercussions in the Islamic world made oil markets react nervously and pushed the already high crude prices to a record peak of 100 dollars per barrel on Jan 2. While this may have been a one-day wonder, the very fact that oil prices reached these dizzying heights is worrying governments in both developed and developing economies.

Youzhny crushes Nadal to win Chennai Open

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 08:30 AM CST

Fourth seed Mihail Youzhny of Russia beat a hobbling world No.2 Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-1, in the final of the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament for his fourth career title here Sunday.

Bihar's jailed legislator slapped with fresh charge

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 07:30 AM CST

Sunil Pandey, a controversial legislator of Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) who has been lodged in Sasaram Jail, was Sunday slapped with the charge of attacking Maoist inmates.

Kumble one short of 600 Test wickets

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

Indian skipper Anil Kumble is now just one wicket short of becoming only the third bowler in the world to take 600 Test wickets. Kumble, who had figures of four for 148, now has 599 wickets.

Jalandhar college principal, three staff murdered

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 09:30 AM CST

The principal of the Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (KMV), the oldest college for women in this Punjab region, was Sunday morning found murdered along with three other employees.

Badminton teams for Thomas and Uber Cup

Posted: 06 Jan 2008 09:30 AM CST

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) Sunday announced a nine-member men's team and eight-member women's team for the World Team championship - Thomas and Uber Cups - to be held in Vietnam Feb 19-24.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Truce saved 10,000 Sri Lankan lives, say Nordic ministers

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:01 PM CST

Foreign ministers of five Nordic countries, which had contributed truce monitors to Sri Lanka, have claimed that the ceasefire agreement (CFA), which the Sri Lankan government abrogated earlier this week, had saved an estimated 10,000 lives in the first three years of its existence.

Jet becomes first Indian private carrier to launch Gulf operations

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 01:01 AM CST

Jet Airways Saturday became the first Indian private carrier to operate in the Gulf sector, launching four daily direct flights from India to Kuwait and Bahrain.

Superstardom eludes Akshay Kumar even after four hits

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:00 PM CST

He churned out the maximum hits last year and is now charging more than Rs. 200 million (Rs. 20 crore) for a film. However, trade analysts feel despite his achievements and consistency, Akshay Kumar is far behind Shah Rukh Khan in the race for superstardom.

French fries sizzle in banana chip country

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:00 PM CST

As fast urbanising Kerala develops new food habits, new businesses are capitalising on the trend. And French fries sure seem to have caught the fancy of urban Keralites who have otherwise been brought up on generous helpings of banana chips and tapioca wafers.

Robust start for Indian equities in New Year

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 03:00 AM CST

Trading in Indian equities began on a positive note in the New Year with a key market index closing on a record high during the week ended Friday, backed by strong purchases by foreign funds and the buzz created by Reliance Power's upcoming $2.75 billion public offer.

Former Kerala minister P.P. George dead

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 02:30 AM CST

Congress leader and former Kerala minister P.P. George died at his residence at Puthukkad near here Saturday morning. He was 73. He was ailing for sometime.

US varsity assures support to dead Indian student's parents

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 12:00 AM CST

Four days after a Kolkata girl was apparently killed in a road mishap in Chicago, the authorities of Ohio's Bowling Green State University where she was studying contacted her parents assuring all possible assistance in sending the body back home.

Why is the Congress stumbling?

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:00 PM CST

Just as the Indian cricket team often faces a back-to-the-wall 'must win' situation in order to retrieve its honour, the Congress too has to emerge victorious in a majority of the state assembly elections this year if it is to have any hope of winning the next general election in 2009.

Worried over Kerala, CPI-M reaches out to Church

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:30 PM CST

Worried over the loss of precious Christian votes in Kerala, the Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) national leadership is asking its state unit not to confront the Catholic Church.

Rani, Saif bonds over Kareena in Bangkok

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 12:30 AM CST

This is a friendship that is 'special.' Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan have bonded since they were paired opposite each other in 'Hum Tum' and 'Ta Ra Rum Pum'.

National Consumer panel upholds Ahmedabad consumer body plea

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi, in a landmark judgment, has directed New India Assurance Co. Ltd. to pay Durga Dalal Rs 10,000 with an interest of 10 per cent per annum from January 1, 2003 till payment in a complaint filed by a power of attorney (POA) holder. The order should be complied with within six weeks from the date it was issued, the commission said.

Ex-Congress leader joins Mayawati's BSP

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

Former senior Congress leader in Maharashtra Sudhir Sawant threw his lot in with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Saturday, nearly one and a half months after he quit his old party.

Haryana to mark out houses of people below poverty line

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 09:32 AM CST

The Haryana government Saturday announced the decision to paint a yellow strip inscribed 'BPL parivar' (below poverty line family) at a conspicuous place on the main gate of each poor household to ensure their identity.

VLSI conference begins in Hyderabad

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 11:00 AM CST

The 21st International Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) conference and the 7th international embedded systems conference began here Saturday with researchers and scientists debating 'Challenges in the New Nano Technology Era'.

Over satellite, women farmers demand policy changes

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 05:00 AM CST

The power of technology was on display at the 95th National Science Congress in Vishakhapatnam Saturday when satellite links helped women from across India voice their demand for new policies to promote women farmers.

Andhra MP's remark creates uproar in Congress

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 08:31 AM CST

The prediction of senior leader and Congress MP Chegundi Harirama Jogaiah that Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi would become the next chief minister of Andhra Pradesh has sparked a row within the ruling party with its leadership seeking an explanation from him.

Police cane charge Sabarimala pilgrims

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 05:30 AM CST

Problems continue to besiege the famed Sabarimala shrine since the festival season began Nov 17 last year. In the latest instance, policemen cane charged devotees to control the surging crowd at the shrine Friday night.

Nobel laureate ignites youth with insights into biology

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 01:00 AM CST

Nobel laureate and Rockefeller University president Sir Paul M. Nurse went down memory lane at the Indian Science Congress here to kindle young Indians with insights into the fascinating world of biology and living forms.

Youzhny throws Malisse out of Chennai Open

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

Fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny defeated defending champion Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-4, to enter the semi-finals of the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament, that stretched into early Saturday morning.

'The Golden Compass' is a fine looking mess

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 02:30 AM CST

Film: 'The Golden Compass'; Cast: Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Sam Elliot; Director: Chris Weitz; Rating: **

Himachal residents can SMS an FIR

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

Residents of Himachal Pradesh will be able to file first information reports (FIRs) by using the short messaging service (SMS) from April, police officials said Saturday.

Voters list mess in poll-bound Karnataka

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:30 PM CST

A family with 90 voters and a town with 30,000 voters in a population of 36,500! These are just some of the glitches in the voters list in poll-bound Karnataka.

Punjab to set up NRI police stations, fast track court

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 09:32 AM CST

The Punjab government is setting up six police stations for NRIs and a fast track court to deal with issues related to them.

R.D. Burman was made of music: Anu Malik

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 12:30 AM CST

The legendary R.D. Burman, who revolutionised Hindi film music since he debuted as composer with comedian Mehmood's 1961 movie 'Chote Nawab', is almost a forgotten man today.

BJP, Congress gear up for Feb 4 Chhattisgarh by-poll

Posted: 05 Jan 2008 02:00 AM CST

In what can be seen as a dress rehearsal for the Chhattisgarh assembly polls scheduled later this year, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress will test their popularity in the Feb 4 by-poll to the Keshkal assembly segment.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Only military might will correct situation, says LTTE

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 01:02 AM CST

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has indicated that only a demonstration of its military might will change the present international climate in its favour.

Sri Lanka not looking at February for Indian PM's visit

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 04:01 AM CST

Sri Lanka said Friday that it was not expecting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the country in February, to be the chief guest at the 6oth independence day celebrations.

Mumbai not safe any more: Bollywood actresses

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

The film fraternity has condemned the molestation of two women in Mumbai by a mob on New Year's Eve.

No military solution to Sri Lanka conflict: India

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 08:31 AM CST

In an oblique critique of the Sri Lankan government's move to call off the six-year-old, tottering ceasefire agreement with the Tamil Tigers, India Friday said it continued to believe there is no military solution to the ethnic conflict dogging the island nation.

Actress Koena Mitra attacked on New Year's Eve

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 04:02 AM CST

Model-turned-actress Koena Mitra was attacked by a stalker inside the Sahara Star Hotel here on New Year's Eve after she had performed there.

City of millionaires has billions stashed in banks

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 01:03 AM CST

Chandigarh, the city with the highest per capita income in India, is on another high. Its banks are full to the brim with deposits of nearly Rs.242 billion ($6.15 billion).

Bharti to invest Rs.1 billion to help Indian football

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

Indian football received a major boost Friday with Bharti Enterprises announcing that it would spend Rs.1 billion to improve the sport at the grassroots level. The plan included opening a world-class academy.

2008 state polls may decide who will rule India

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 12:02 AM CST

Ten Indian states go to the polls this year in a mammoth political exercise that will be the last popularity test before the country plunges into the 2009 parliamentary elections.

Tendulkar creates a plethora of records at the SCG

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 06:31 AM CST

Sachin Tendulkar, with his masterly unbeaten 154 in the second Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Friday created a plethora of records, the most important being his 38th Test century. He now has four more centuries than any other cricketer.

India invests $208 million in northeast education infrastructure

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 02:00 AM CST

The central government has launched an ambitious Rs.8.17-billion ($208 million) scheme to develop educational infrastructure in India's eight northeastern states, according to an official report.

Bollywood concert at Trafalgar Square, for the cause of widows

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

He's had global personalities, businessmen and humanitarians from across the world standing with him in his fight for the cause of poor widows and their children. The latest to join Britain-based social entrepreneur Raj Loomba's fraternity is the glitterati of Bollywood, who will be coming together for a Bollywood concert at the Trafalgar Square in London June 23.

NRI to launch India's largest online luxury lingerie portal

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 03:09 AM CST

California-based woman entrepreneur launches shopimagine.in, India's largest and only online luxury lingerie portal

TV channels were 'all wrong' about car accident: Nisha Kothari

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

Actress Nisha Kothari, who played 'Basanti' in Ram Gopal Varma's remake of the hit movie 'Sholay', says television channels have beamed 'incorrect information' about the Jan 3 car accident she was involved in. The channels reported that the actress was drunk too.

US stops military supplies to Sri Lanka after truce abrogation

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 11:01 PM CST

The US has stopped the supply of military equipment and services to Sri Lanka, as key countries rapped the Mahinda Rajapaksa government for unilaterally abrogating the 2002 Norway-brokered truce with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Film producer enters Guinness book

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 01:03 AM CST

Hyderabad-based filmmaker D. Rama Naidu has made it to the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records for having produced movies in nine languages.

Gujarat gets 18-member ministry

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 11:02 AM CST

An 18-member ministry was sworn in Friday in Gujarat, where Chief Minister Narendra Modi led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a dazzling electoral victory about a fortnight ago.

Global chipmaker opens second facility in Hyderabad

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 08:31 AM CST

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), an US-based global supplier of integrated circuits and processing solutions for computing, strengthened its India operations by opening its second research and design (R and amp;D) facility here.

Superstar Chiranjeevi still coy about joining politics

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 02:00 AM CST

Continuing the suspense over his entry into Andhra Pradesh politics, Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi has said that he needs more time to take a decision while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which is gearing up to make a foray into state politics, claimed that his younger brother Pavan Kalyan held talks with party leaders.

Rajasthan film city project runs into rough weather

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 02:30 AM CST

An ambitious film city project proposed in the Pink City has been stalled due to differences between the Rajasthan government and an Australian firm that had shown interest in setting it up.

Kerala animation firm produces BBC cartoon series

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

Two BBC channels, CBBC and BBC One, will from this week air 'Freefonix', an animated cartoon series co-produced by Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd, based at the Technopark here.

Indian power firm to supply transformers to Azerbaijan

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 09:00 AM CST

State-owned power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) will supply to Azerbaijan transformers worth Rs.400 million ($10 million), the company said Friday.

India needs special agricultural zones: Swaminathan

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 10:30 PM CST

If special export zones or special economic zones (SEZs) can be set up for promoting manufacturing and services sectors, why not special agricultural zones (SAZs) for the crisis-ridden farm sector to boost food production, asks renowned scientist M.S. Swaminathan.

Jet Airways to launch flights to the Middle East

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

Jet Airways will Saturday launch its services to the Middle East from Kochi, New Delhi and Mumbai, the company announced here Friday.

Reliance Power to list February after $2.75 bn issue

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 08:30 AM CST

Reliance Power, which goes for the country's largest public offering of over $2.75 billion Jan 15, will list on the bourses early February, chairman Anil Dhirubhai Ambani said here Friday.

Facilitation centre for overseas Indians gaining popularity

Posted: 04 Jan 2008 12:02 AM CST

A facilitation centre for non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin wanting to invest in India is becoming more popular by the day, and is considering expansion of its services, as the government gets ready to host this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas next week.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Spiking Sri Lanka peace pact will have 'consequences': Norway

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 01:00 AM CST

Sri Lanka's decision to scrap its ceasefire agreement (CFA) with the Tamil Tigers will have 'negative consequences' and only spark more violence, warned a Norwegian minister who helped broker the truce in 2002.

15 nabbed for molesting NRI girls on New Year

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 12:30 PM CST

Fifteen youths were arrested here late Thursday night in connection with the alleged molestation of two NRI girls from California on New Year.

Truce will end Jan 16, Sri Lanka tells Norway

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 12:01 PM CST

Sri Lanka Thursday formally told peace facilitator Norway and the Nordic truce monitors that it would withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from Jan 16.

Marathi film sets box office record

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 11:30 PM CST

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil has a reason to rejoice. A Marathi film, 'Saade, Maade, Teen', has created a record by running to packed houses in theatres for the past five weeks.

Rani Mukherjee loses out in Shirdi land case

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 06:30 AM CST

Bollywood star Rani Mukherjee's dream of owning a house in the temple town of Shirdi in Maharashtra was dashed Thursday with a court refusing to give her the title of the land she had been duped into buying.

Mahindra launches special edition Bolero

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 07:02 AM CST

Leading automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd Wednesday launched a special edition of its sports utility vehicle Bolero here. The company will sell only 1,000 units of this edition in the country.

Salman Khan to unveil statue at Madam Tussauds

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 05:00 AM CST

Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who has been sentenced to five years in jail for poaching, has been given permission by the Jodhpur High Court to travel to London for the unveiling of his statue at Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, his lawyer said Thursday.

Orissa violence part of RSS strategy: CPI-M

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 07:02 AM CST

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has alleged that the communal violence in Orissa was not 'an isolated breakdown of law and order' but a part of an 'overall strategy' by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to subvert republican principles.

ASUS India with IDLDPL Offers ASUS P526 - the Best PDA Phone of the Year

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 05:14 AM CST

Windows Live Functions for User-Friendly Mobile Enjoyment - 2 mega pixel resolutions

Gulf returnees plan retail foray in Kerala

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 10:31 PM CST

ISMA Farms Ltd, a collective venture by Keralites who have returned from the Gulf, plans to enter into organised retail in a major way with an investment of Rs.100 million ($2.5 million).

Oil major earns carbon credits

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 08:01 AM CST

State-owned petroleum firm Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) gas flare recovery project in Uran in Maharashtra is now entitled to an annual carbon credit of Rs.93 million ($2.4 million), the company said Thursday.

Insurance watchdog's latest move will ensure informed decisions

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 02:31 AM CST

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority's (IRDA) recent move to make life insurers disclose the charges levied on their unit-linked policies (Ulips) would enable policyholders to make informed decisions, said a top official.

Mano Murthy protests 'plagiarisation' of his music

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 03:01 AM CST

Popular Kannada music director Mano Murthy is contemplating legal action against the producer and the music director of 'Vaana' for 'unabashed plagiarisation of original tunes' and denial of credit to the original composer.

No decision yet on letting airlines fly abroad

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 09:32 AM CST

A crucial meeting of the high-powered ministerial panel on aviation, led by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, failed to take a decision on changing the norms for Indian carriers to fly overseas.

Chhattisgarh makes a disputed power supply claim

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) said Thursday it has been supplying electricity round the clock to all 18 districts of the state from Jan 1, but opposition Congress party called it a 'totally fake claim'.

Pact for new international airport at Mohali Friday

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 04:00 AM CST

A new international airport will soon come up at Mohali in Punjab for which a formal pact is being signed between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority Friday.

Musharraf denies that Pakistan government killed Bhutto

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 12:30 PM CST

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Thursday angrily denied allegations that his government orchestrated the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, saying she was repeatedly warned about threats from Islamic militants.

Wipro starts centre in the Philippines

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 07:01 AM CST

Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Ltd, Thursday opened a business process outsourcing centre in Cebu in the Philippines as part of its strategy to build global delivery capabilities.

Markets decline on heavy selling

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 07:03 AM CST

A key Indian stock market index shed 120 points on the back of profit booking and weak global cues.

Army out in Assam district, death toll mounts to eight

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 12:00 AM CST

The army Thursday continued marching through Assam's Goalpara district as the death toll from the police firing on protesters demanding rural polls mounted to eight with four more people succumbing to their injuries.

'Centre can review permission to special economic zones'

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 09:32 AM CST

The central government can review permission granted to all special economic zones (SEZs) and it does not want to impose these projects on states, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said here Thursday, in sharp variance to comments made by his secretary a day earlier.

Sheer determination drives shuttler on one leg

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 02:30 AM CST

He is India's no.1 badminton player, but for him winning is not everything as in every loss he gets the opportunity to learn something new about the game. Girish Sharma is the country's top and world's No. 2 badminton player in L1 (physically-challenged, in sports parlance) category.

BJP denies differences between Rajnath, Advani

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 08:01 AM CST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday scotched rumours of any differences between party chief Rajnath Singh and senior leader L.K. Advani, especially in the aftermath of the appointment of the new Rajasthan state unit president, Om Mathur.

Immediate goal is ticket to Beijing says Sridhar

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 01:31 AM CST

India's No. 1 badminton player Anup Sridhar has said although he is not a planner, his immediate goal is to hold on to his No.1 ranking in the country to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in August.

Sania Mirza accused of insulting tricolour

Posted: 03 Jan 2008 12:00 PM CST

A lawyer in Madhya Pradesh has filed a case here against tennis star Sania Mirza for allegedly dishonouring the national flag during her visit to Australia.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

IIT starts live telecast of lectures

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

In a major initiative, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) Wednesday started telecasting its lectures free of cost to engineering colleges around the country.

Sri Lanka decides to pull out of ceasefire with LTTE

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 12:30 PM CST

The Sri Lankan government Wednesday decided to withdraw from the Norway-brokered 2002 ceasefire agreement it had signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) citing failure to bring peace to the country.

Bollywood films to watch out for in 2008

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 12:00 AM CST

The year 2007 gave Bollywood a parting hit in 'Taare Zameen Par', Aamir Khan's directorial debut about a child with learning disability. The golden run is likely to continue in 2008 too with the New Year releases promising a bouquet of romance, thrillers and period dramas.

Trade body urges immediate fuel price hike

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 04:30 AM CST

The government must bite the bullet on fuel price hike as further delay can worsen the situation for oil marketing companies, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said here Wednesday.

BAE Systems buys Indian American's firm for $450 mn

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 12:02 AM CST

A major US military support provider company set up by an Ohio-based Indian American and his wife in 1984 has been acquired by leading British defence firm BAE Systems for some $450 million.

Kerala to increase stake in Roots-Norka

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 06:30 AM CST

The Kerala government has decided to increase its stake in Roots-Norka, a company floated by the government's department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (Norka), to more than 50 percent from 26 percent that it currently holds.

Marathi film circles question rape charge against actor

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 12:00 AM CST

The shock in the Marathi film industry following reports of actor Ramesh Bhatkar's alleged complicity in a rape case in Pune has now turned to indignation.

Markets open on a bullish note

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

Indian stock markets opened on a bullish note Wednesday but investors were cautious as Asian markets were trading in the red.

Patil meets chief minister, governor of riot hit Orissa

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 03:00 AM CST

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is on a one day visit to Orissa Wednesday, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare to discuss the situation in the state's riot hit Kandhamal district.

Anand Jon's sister seeks India's help

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 10:00 AM CST

Indian designer Anand Jon, who faces a slew of charges related to sexual assault and molestation in the US, is a victim of racism and jealousy, his sister alleged Wednesday.

Musharraf calls for peace in Pakistan

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 11:00 AM CST

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf called on his people Wednesday to maintain peace and stability in the country.

New sops to attract $254-million investment in solar power

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 03:00 AM CST

The government announced incentives Wednesday to promote solar power generation, which it expects will attract private investments worth Rs.10 billion ($254 million) in the next five years.

Pradeep Kumar new defence production secretary

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 08:32 AM CST

Pradeep Kumar has taken over as secretary (defence production) in the defence ministry.

Malisse crushes sixth seeded Melzer in Chennai Open

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 11:01 AM CST

Defending champion Xavier Malisse made mockery of rankings and scored a crushing 7-6 (3), 6-2 win against sixth seed Jurgen Melzer to set up an intriguing quarter-final contest with fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny in the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament here Wednesday.

JD-U retains Bikramganj seat in parliament

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) retained the Bikramganj Lok Sabha seat Wednesday defeating opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes in a by-poll.

Sultans down Warriors to enter semi-final of PHL

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 10:01 AM CST

Hyderabad Sultans put paid to the aspirations of Maratha Warriors, edging them out 1-0 to enter the semi-finals of the Premier Hockey League (PHL) at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here Wednesday.

Karunanidhi threatens to nationalise cement industry

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 11:00 AM CST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi threatened Wednesday to nationalise all cement factories in the state unless manufacturers drastically reduced prices.

India clears proposals for 28 special economic zones

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 08:31 AM CST

The union government Wednesday cleared 28 proposals to set up special economic zones (SEZs) in the country.

Over a million expected at Jain trade fair

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

A galaxy of dignitaries, including ruler of Dubai Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, IT wizard Sam Pitroda, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be among the million visitors expected at the second four-day Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) fair, which opens here Thursday.

Europe to buy groundnut oil from India

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 03:00 AM CST

Year 2008 has dawned on a cheerful note for Gujarat's edible oil industry, with Europe again importing groundnut oil from India.

Madonna enjoying royal Rajasthan

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 06:30 AM CST

After a day at Rohet Garh, the tallest sand dune in a pan-flat desert land 30 km from here, American pop star Madonna Wednesday night is expected to party with erstwhile Jodhpur ruler Gaj Singh at Sardarsamand, 60 km from here.

Modi's cabinet to take oath Friday

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 02:00 AM CST

Ministers in the new Gujarat cabinet will take their oath at 9 a.m. Friday. The cabinet will have 12 ministers, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources said Wednesday.

Patil assures protection to riot victims in Orissa

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 07:09 AM CST

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil Wednesday visited Orissa's riot-hit Kandhamal district and assured the victims of last week's communal clashes of government protection and security.

Maruti's exports up 75 percent in December

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 04:00 AM CST

Indo-Japanese auto major Maruti Suzuki has registered a 51.5-percent jump in exports during the first nine months of this fiscal, though its overall sales grew by just 18.5 percent during the period.

India's key index climbs to new record

Posted: 02 Jan 2008 04:00 AM CST

India's key market index, the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) scaled a new peak above the 20,500-point level during intra-day trade Wednesday.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Dance floor collapse leaves one dead in Chennai

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 08:00 AM CST

The New Year started on a tragic note in the metropolis Tuesday when a makeshift dance stage erected over a swimming pool at a city hotel collapsed, killing a young reveller and leaving three others seriously injured.

Tamil MP shot dead at Colombo Hindu temple

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 05:03 AM CST

T. Maheswaran, an outspoken Tamil member of the Sri Lankan parliament, was shot dead along with a bodyguard when he was praying at a Hindu temple here to usher in the New Year.

Three Congress leaders join Jammu and Kashmir ministry

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 05:02 AM CST

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has selected three of his party colleagues for induction into the council of ministers Tuesday.

Madonna holidaying in Jodhpur, dodging shutter-bugs

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 06:01 AM CST

The paparazzi are trying to locate her, but American pop star Madonna has been successfully dodging their prying cameras while holidaying in this city and going sightseeing.

Sultans down Veerans 5-3 to keep semi-final hopes alive

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 10:00 AM CST

Champions of the inaugural Premier Hockey League, Hyderabad Sultans, kept their semi-final chances alive with a convincing 5-3 victory over Chennai Veerans in the fourth edition of the championship at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here Tuesday.

India's exports up 22 percent in 8 months

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 06:00 AM CST

India's merchandise exports were up 22.08 percent in the first eight months of fiscal 2007-08 at $98.386 billion, but grew by a shade over eight percent in rupee terms due to the rising value of its currency.

Five killed in Mumbai car crash after party

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 01:01 AM CST

Four young people returning home from a New Year's Eve party were killed when the car they were driving hit a stationary earth-moving truck near Marine Drive in South Mumbai early Tuesday, the traffic police said. The truck driver was also killed, and another occupant of the car seriously injured.

Real Estate Destinations 2008 - The show goes on...

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:56 PM CST

Anuj Puri, Chairman & Country Head, Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj, looks at the year 2008 for Indian real estate

Chidambaram hints at moderating tax rates

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 08:00 AM CST

As he gets ready to present his seventh national budget next month, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday said fiscal deficit targets for this year will be met and held out an assurance of moderation of taxes rates, if compliance was met.

Pakistan retracts 'lever killed Bhutto' theory

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 01:30 AM CST

The Pakistan government has retracted its contention that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto died after striking her head against the sunroof lever of her SUV and has 'apologised' for floating the theory.

Spain's king pays surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:30 PM CST

Spain's King Juan Carlos made an unannounced visit to Spanish troops serving in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, EFE news agency reported Tuesday.

Basu rules out possibility of Third Front

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 10:30 AM CST

Veteran leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Jyoti Basu Tuesday ruled out the immediate possibility of formation of a Third Front as an alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

Dhumal's New Year gift to Himachal's poor

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 09:01 AM CST

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Tuesday announced New Year sops for the poor of the Himalayan state.

Bengal minister injured in accident

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:01 PM CST

West Bengal School Education Minister Partha Dey was injured when a trailer coming from the opposite direction rammed into his car on Kona expressway near Kolkata.

Unresolved issues dog Tamil Nadu into 2008

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 06:01 AM CST

The year 2008 has begun for Tamil Nadu with a lot of political baggage that is bound to influence the growth and economy of one of India's biggest states.

BITS Pilani Rajasthan MS Science Communication program Graduation Day at NCSM Kolkata

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:28 PM CST

The great Rabindranath Tagore way back in 1917 had said that the highest education is that which does not merely gives us information but makes our life in harmony with our existence. In his conversation with Einstein, the great poet Tagore had said that in Science, we go through the discipline of eliminating the personal limitations of our minds and thus reach the comprehension of truth which is in the minds of the universal man.

Sonia Gandhi in hospital with chest infection

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:02 PM CST

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi was early Tuesday admitted to a hospital here after complaining of chest pain.

City of Taj Mahal to get a facelift

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:31 PM CST

What will the city of Taj Mahal get as a New Year's gift? A long awaited makeover.

BioEnable Technologies Pvt Ltd Wins Frost & Sullivan 2007 Building Technologies Excellence Awards

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:33 PM CST

BioEnable Emerging Company Of The Year

Uttar Pradesh ushers in VAT regime amid protests

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 10:00 AM CST

The New Year ushered in the value-added tax (VAT) regime in Uttar Pradesh amid protests by traders, while the government ordered sharp cuts in VAT on as many as 91 items.

Nadal scores easy win in Chennai Open

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 01:02 PM CST

World No.2 and top seed Rafael Nadal of Spain powered his way to a 6-2, 6-4, win against unheralded Frenchman Mathieu Montcourt and advanced to the second round of the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament, here Tuesday.

Independent Research Firm Names Satyam a Global SAP Implementation Leader

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:31 PM CST

Report rates Satyam as No. 1 in current offerings amongst Indian organizations

Former union minister P.C. Chunder dead

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 09:01 AM CST

Eminent academician, Congress leader and former union education minister Pratap Chandra Chunder died in a city hospital Tuesday afternoon. He was 88.

Shivraj Patil to visit riot-hit Orissa district

Posted: 01 Jan 2008 10:00 AM CST

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will Wednesday tour Orissa's Kandhamal district to assess the situation in the wake of the communal clashes there and also meet the state governor and the chief minister.

Indian Real Estate Roundup - 2007

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:55 PM CST

Anuj Puri, Chairman & Country Head, Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj, looks back on the year 2007 in Indian real estate

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

India to have 22 world-class train stations

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 07:03 AM CST

The government has hired Hong Kong-based Terry Ferrell as the architects and technical consultants to upgrade the railway station here to world-class level as part of similar plans for 21 other stations.

South Asian girls sizzle in Desiclub's swimsuit calendar 2008

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 08:05 AM CST

Ten Indian American models, including last year's Miss India America, sizzle in Desiclub.com's Swimsuit Calendar 2008 released recently.

Schedule of Tuesday's matches at Chennai Open

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 09:35 AM CST

The following is the schedule of second day, Tuesday, of the ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament:

No move to raise staff retirement age: Centre

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 07:02 AM CST

The government Monday denied that it was considering a proposal to raise the retirement age of employees from 60 to 62 years.

India's key market index closes 47 percent up

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 07:01 AM CST

Fuelled by a robust performance of Indian stock markets in 2007, which sent a key stock index soaring over 47 percent, Indian companies mobilised a record amount from public offerings during the year, estimated at $8.3 billion.

NDTV founders offer to buy $140 mn worth shares

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 09:35 AM CST

Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy, promoters of the media house New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV), Monday made an open offer to acquire 20 percent equity in the company for Rs.438.98 per share, which is worth some Rs.5.5 billion ($140 million).

Reliance oil block in East Timor to get new investors

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 08:03 AM CST

State-owned petroleum firms Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) will together pick up 12.5 percent equity in an oil and gas block in East Timor that is operated by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

Shah Rukh emerges undisputed box office king in 2007

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 03:00 AM CST

As 2007 comes to an end, Shah Rukh Khan is the undisputed king of box office and Kareena Kapoor is the 'actress number 1'.

Indian markets end 2007 in the green

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 08:04 AM CST

Indian markets ended the last trading session of 2007 in the green as bulls overcame their traditional yearend weakness.

Madonna spends New Year Eve in Rajasthan

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:00 AM CST

Top American pop singer Madonna, accompanied by her son and some family friends, flew down here Monday to spend New Year Eve at a resort near Jodhpur amid the sand dunes.

Congress leader injured, guard killed in bomb attack

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 04:00 AM CST

One person was killed and four people, including former Congress legislator C.K. Jayachandra Reddy alias C.K. Babu, were injured Monday when a bomb exploded in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district.

Goodies and instability for IT hub in New Year

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 11:02 PM CST

Improved infrastructure, including a new international airport, is something people in India's IT hub can look forward to in the new year. But the prospect of renewed political instability also stares them in the face.

NTPC plans major investments to bid for power projects

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 02:00 AM CST

State-owned power utility NTPC Ltd is planning a major investment by bidding for seven thermal power projects with a total capacity of over 10,000 MW, entailing equity investment of Rs.16-18 billion ($400-450 million) for each project, said a top company official.

A wave of change in Indian contemporary art

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 04:30 AM CST

Meet India's first artist duo of Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, aged 30 and 28 respectively. The communication designers with black spectacles, nerdish faces and little goatees paint the angst and aspirations of Punjabi youth hooked to fake designer labels and a passage to 'Amreeca'.

Gurgaon-Delhi expressway misses deadline

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 07:03 AM CST

For thousands of commuters between Delhi and Gurgaon, hope of respite from traffic woes receded as the opening of the 27 km expressway - scheduled for Monday - has been put on hold.

Youzhny advances to second round of ATP Chennai Open

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 11:00 AM CST

Fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny survived an early scare to post a fluent 6-3, 6-2, win against unfancied Jiri Vanek and advance to the second round of the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament here Monday.

Production resumes at India's deepest oilfield

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 03:01 AM CST

Crude oil production from India's deepest oilfield in the Cauvery offshore basin in the Bay of Bengal has resumed after being suspended Dec 18 due to technical problems, field contractors said Monday.

Shabana keen to play Benazir Bhutto

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 04:30 AM CST

Not too many people know that Shabana Azmi was once supposed to play Benazir Bhutto in a film to be directed by noted British-Pakistani author-playwright and filmmaker Tariq Ali.

Four ULFA men killed in Assam

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 08:06 AM CST

Four alleged militants of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed Monday in separate clashes with the army and police in Assam, officials said.

New secretaries for telecom, defence production

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 05:00 AM CST

Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Siddharth Behuria has been named the new secretary at the department of telecommunications, it was announced Monday.

Jet Airways set to fly to Gulf from Jan 5

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 07:00 AM CST

With the government easing controls on private carriers wanting to fly to the Gulf region, Jet Airways is set to launch daily flights to Kuwait and Bahrain from Jan 5, airline officials said Monday.

Woman serial killer nabbed in Bangalore

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 09:32 AM CST

A 43-year-old woman, who poisoned to death at least six women in the city and nearby areas after robbing them, was arrested here Monday.

Militants kill CPI-M leader in Tripura

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 09:33 AM CST

A senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader in Tripura was gunned down by the militants, the police said here Monday.

Modi as PM? Winner will take all

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 11:01 PM CST

The world loves a winner, and the impressive electoral victory of Narendra Modi could persuade most National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners to support him as a prime ministerial candidate - though for now they have endorsed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decision to have party leader L.K. Advani lead them into the next general election.

Record year for public offers as Indian equities soar

Posted: 31 Dec 2007 01:01 AM CST

Fuelled by a robust performance of Indian stock markets in 2007, which sent a key stock index soaring over 45 percent, Indian companies mobilised a record amount from public offerings during the year, estimated at $8.3 billion.

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Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

India a major factor in Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 04:03 AM CST

India is 'a major factor' in any resolution of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict and Sri Lankans must realise this, says Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Dozens killed in heavy fighting in Sri Lanka

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 05:33 AM CST

Sri Lankan troops moved into a rebel-controlled area in the island's northwest over the weekend as both the military and Tamil rebels claimed to have inflicted heavy casualties.

Shemaroo inks $6.6-million satellite deal with Zee

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 04:02 AM CST

Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt Ltd, one of India's largest aggregators of movies for broadcast, has entered into a 10-movie deal with Zee TV worth Rs.260 million ($6.6 million) for satellite broadcast.

Massive rally in Delhi to protect Ram Setu

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 08:34 AM CST

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) along with their affiliate organisations staged a massive rally here Sunday to protect the controversial Ram Setu off the coast of Tamil Nadu.

Schedule of Monday's matches at Chennai Open

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 07:00 AM CST

The following is the schedule of the opening day, Monday, of the ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament:

Tickets sold out for Chennai Open

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 12:00 AM CST

For the first time since 1998, the ATP Chennai Open has a 'sold out' tag to it well before action gets underway at the well-appointed SDAT Stadium here Monday.

NRI brings specialty hospital to Haryana in memory of father

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 11:30 PM CST

For nearly a million residents of this backward area of Haryana, it is a blessing indeed. A multi-speciality hospital has opened here, thanks to a US-based non-resident Indian (NRI).

On back of robust growth, India Inc spreads wings overseas

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 03:02 AM CST

India's economy is set to turn this year on the wings of an enviable 9 percent growth with the government keeping its faith with reforms despite leftwing opposition and a takeover-hungry corporate India distinguishing itself with record mergers and acquisitions valued at over $65 billion.

2007 fades out on buoyant note for entertainment

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 04:00 AM CST

Detours from convention, digitisation and a ringing till! Bollywood never had it so good.

PepsiCo to set up seaweed processing plant in Tamil Nadu

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 12:01 AM CST

Beverage and snack food major PepsiCo India Holdings Private Ltd has plans to set up a Carrageenan biopolymer plant in Tamil Nadu, mainly for the overseas market.

Mumbai's Sindhis miss their last link with Larkana

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 01:00 AM CST

The brutal assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto has stunned the 52,000 migrants from her home district of Larkana in Sind, who have made Mumbai their home.

Bihar's famous Madhubani painting to be patented

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 01:30 AM CST

The famous Madhubani painting of Bihar is now an exclusive brand as it has been registered under the provisions of Global Indications (GI) Act for patenting.

Bollywood 2007: Few exceptions, no feats

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 03:03 AM CST

I'll be honest. Apart from a few exceptions, I don't think 2007 delivered any outstanding films. I mean, I really liked Sriram Raghavan's noire film 'Johnny Gaddar', but finally it wasn't that one piece de resistance I was looking for, until the yearend when Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' wrote poetry on the screen with the calm controlling measured paces of historical engravings.

Nadal ready for third assault on Chennai Open

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 12:00 AM CST

World No.2 and top seed Rafael Nadal would be making his third assault on the $436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament beginning here Monday, and the reigning French Open champion appears primed to win this title here.

Decoding Modi's victory and secular politics

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 01:30 AM CST

Narendra Modi's repeat landslide victory in Gujarat against the spectacular odds stacked against him - anti-incumbency, the odious hangover of the 2002 riots, an unforgiving Muslim minority, BJP spoilers and a hostile media - has exposed the fragility and speciousness of secular politics practised in the country by those who are quick to seize on the secularism mantra as the sole rallying point.

Judges of reality shows now on big screen

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 05:32 AM CST

Lyricist Javed Akhtar, music director Lalit Pandit (of erstwhile Jatin-Lalit duo) and singer Alka Yagnik, often seen as judges on reality shows of various TV channels, have now donned the grease paint.

Kerala to have mobile crematorium

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 05:34 AM CST

Finding a piece of land for cremation has always been a problem in Kerala. Proposing a solution to this, the High Tech Seals Pvt Ltd, which also produces automotive parts, plans to introduce a mobile crematorium fuelled by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) here on the outskirts of Kochi.

Saffron brigade organises save Ram Setu rally in Delhi

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 09:32 AM CST

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) along with their organisations staged a massive rally here Sunday to protect the controversial Ram Setu off the coast of Tamil Nadu.

Nadal eyeing a Beijing medal

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 07:03 AM CST

World No.2 Rafael Nadal has his sights firmly on a medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Sri Lankan government carts away Chandrika Kumaratunga's office

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 10:30 PM CST

The year is ending on a sombre note for former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumratunga. All office equipment in her fortified house has been carted away by government workers following a Supreme Court ruling that former presidents were not entitled to residence and office at government expense.

Dhumal sworn in as Himachal chief minister

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 03:03 AM CST

Prem Kumar Dhumal took oath as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh for the second time here Sunday in the presence of top leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Tussar weavers hit by raw material crunch

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 12:02 AM CST

Tussar, the crisp, shining fabric that goes into making saris, jackets and all kinds of apparel for the well heeled, is facing a rough patch on its home turf in eastern India.

Chandigarh, Bangalore enter PHL semi-finals

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 09:31 AM CST

Local favourites Chandigarh Dynamos and defending champion Bangalore Hi-Fliers Sunday entered the semi-finals of the fourth Premier Hockey League (PHL) here.

Baichung header sinks East Bengal

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 08:31 AM CST

Baichung Bhutia scored the winner for Mohun Bagan in Sunday's derby match against East Bengal in the crucial eighth round of the I-league football tournament here.

In 2007, Bollywood took to children films in a big way

Posted: 30 Dec 2007 06:32 AM CST

Children are calling the shots at the box office.

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

2007-12-30T10:31:00.001+05:30

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Tamil MP alleges 'threat to life', may flee Sri Lanka

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 08:31 AM CST

A Tamil human rights activist and member of Sri Lankan parliament Mano Ganeshan said Saturday he was planning to flee the country in a couple of days because of the ever present threat to his life.

Simi Garewal was smitten by Benazir's personality

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 01:30 AM CST

'I'm shattered. I cannot accept her going away. As I talk to you, I haven't come to terms with her not being alive. She was strong and vivacious... That something so ghastly could happen...,' said actress and television host Simi Garewal reacting to the assassination of the Pakistan Peoples Party chief Benazir Bhutto.

Whistleblowers help Haryana nab power thieves

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 12:01 AM CST

Stealing power is no longer easy in Haryana. A theft informer scheme introduced earlier this year by a power distribution agency is leading to a spurt in information about theft.

India added 9,050 MW power capacity this year

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 03:32 AM CST

India added a total of 9,050 MW power generation capacity this year between Jan 1 and Dec 14 - eight percent below the country's electricity requirement, the power ministry said.

Nadal meets Montcourt in opening round of Chennai Open tennis

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 06:31 AM CST

World No.2 and top seed Rafael Nadal of Spain will take on Mathieu Montcourt of France in the first round of the $ 436,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament commencing here Monday.

Gujaratis had affinity with Benazir: Modi

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 06:33 AM CST

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, on his first visit here Saturday after the electoral triumph in his state, said Gujaratis had a special relationship with former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her assassination would give a fillip to the 'Jiye Sind' movement.

Government offers to exhume Benazir's body

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 09:33 AM CST

As the war of words over what actually caused Benazir's Bhutto's death gets bitter, the Pakistan government Saturday said it was ready to exhume the slain former prime minister's body and conduct a post mortem examination to clear doubts over whether she had bullet or shrapnel injuries.

Jayalalitha accuses DMK of fiscal profligacy

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 08:32 AM CST

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK Saturday for 'splurging money on freebies instead of concentrating on real development activity in Tamil Nadu'.

Taare..., Chak De top directors' pick in 2007

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 04:00 AM CST

Fifteen Bollywood directors list their favourites movies in 2007.

Indian armed forces have 6,180 HIV/AIDS patients

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 06:34 AM CST

Every day at least one member of the Indian armed forces is being detected with HIV/AIDS.

Kerala's Wayanad district brims with tourists

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 10:31 PM CST

With the New Year round the corner, Wayanad district, an emerging tourist destination in Kerala, is brimming with tourists.

Narendra Modi: dubious politics, good economics

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 11:30 PM CST

Narendra Modi's victory has been ascribed to two factors - an unsubtle exploitation of Hindu communal sentiments and an admirable record of economic development.

Steel plant supporters stop Communist leader's protest march

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 08:30 AM CST

Supporters of the proposed Tata Steel plant in Chhattisgarh forcibly stopped Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta Saturday from leading a protest rally near the plant site.

Shammi Kapoor's charisma undiminished despite age

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 11:30 PM CST

The boisterous star of the '60s, Shammi Kapoor, created a mini riot during the launch of veteran director Lekh Tandon's latest TV serial, 'Bikhari Aas, Nikhari Preet' in Mumbai early this week.

Key Indian index up on global cues

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 03:31 AM CST

Indian equities made some handsome gains during the week ended Friday aided by some strong cues from world markets, good reports ahead of the third quarter corporate results and the government's decision to allow all non-profit trusts to invest in securities.

Finance minister bats for consolidation in banking sector

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 08:30 AM CST

Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday favoured consolidation in the Indian banking sector to accelerate the pace of growth.

Financial sector reforms key to higher GDP: Chidambaram

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 12:00 PM CST

Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday expressed concern over the lack of consensus on carrying out more financial reforms to ensure and sustain high GDP growth.

Thousands pay last respects to Janardhan Reddy

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 02:30 AM CST

Crying inconsolably and some beating their chests in grief, thousands of people, including women, paid their last respects to senior Congress leader and former minister P. Janardhan Reddy, who died of cardiac arrest here Friday.

PHL points table after Saturday's matches

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 10:30 AM CST

Bangalore Hi-Fliers continue to lead the points table of the Premier Hockey League after Saturday's matches. Following is the points table:

Sporting Clube notch first win in I-League football

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 09:33 AM CST

Sporting Clube de Goa grabbed their first win in the I-League football Saturday, but their 1-0 win over Air India was not entirely convincing.

Bangalore, Orissa win, inch closer to PHL semi-finals

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 10:30 AM CST

Former winners Bangalore Hi-Fliers enhanced their chances of making the semi-finals while defending champions Orissa Steelers came back into the reckoning with wins in the fourth Premier Hockey League (PHL) here Saturday.

This 'workaholic' prime minister does not take a holiday

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 01:30 AM CST

His countrymen get 52 official holidays a year, his predecessors brought some of India's not-so-famous holiday spots on the world tourist map by vacationing there. But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not seem to believe in holidays and is not known to take a single day off from his tight work schedule.

Government offers to exhume Benazir's body, defers poll in burning Pakistan

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 10:30 AM CST

Two days after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, Pakistan remained in flames as the government offered to exhume her body to clear doubts over how she died.

Prabha Rau takes a dig at Rane, Pawar

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 02:31 AM CST

Congress state unit chief Prabha Rau has stoked afresh the recent controversies over Revenue Minister Narayan Rane's public criticism of Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar's meeting with Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray.

Nine more armed forces hospitals coming up

Posted: 29 Dec 2007 05:01 AM CST

The Army Medical Corps will set up nine more armed forces hospitals and induct 10,590 health professionals to meet growing health demands and reduce the doctors-patients ratio in the defence service.

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

2007-12-29T10:31:00.001+05:30

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

India does not favour unitary system in Sri Lanka

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 01:30 AM CST

India has told a group of Tamil politicians from Sri Lanka that it hopes Colombo will not go for a unitary system of governance when it unveils a power sharing formula to end the ethnic conflict.

Love and longing in blood soaked Sri Lanka

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:02 PM CST

Book: 'Serpent in Paradise'; Author: Julian West; Publishers: Atlantic Books, London; Price: 7.99 pounds

Congress leader P. Janardhan Reddy dies of cardiac arrest

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 05:06 AM CST

Senior Congress party leader and Andhra legislator P. Janardhan Reddy, a bitter critic of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, died here Friday. He was 59.

UN reports 'pervasive fear' among Sri Lankan war refugees

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 12:30 AM CST

While stressing that there is a 'pervasive sense of fear' among the thousands displaced by the war between the army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka, a top UN official has urged parties concerned to find peaceful solutions and prevent fresh displacement of people.

Senior Congress leader P. Janardhan Reddy passes away

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 06:01 AM CST

Senior Congress party leader and Andhra legislator P. Janardhan Reddy, a bitter critic of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, died here Friday. He was 59.

Benazir offered a Bollywood role in 1972

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 05:02 AM CST

Years ago, when a shy, 18-year-old Benazir visited India for the first time, she was bowled over by an unusual proposal. Well-known Bollywood comedian, the late I.S. Johar, offered her the lead role in a Hindi movie.

Animated film 'Return of Hanuman' hits theatres

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 02:00 AM CST

Technopark-based Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd Friday released their first Indian 2D animated feature film entitled 'Return of Hanuman'.

BJP poised to win in Himachal

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:02 PM CST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was Friday poised to win power in Himachal Pradesh, with counting of votes polled in assembly elections putting it in the clear lead in most seats, officials said.

Sonam, Abhishek in Jaipur after bereavement

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 02:00 AM CST

It's been a trying time for the lead pair of 'Dilli 6'. First Abhishek Bachchan lost his grandmother and had to rush back from Jaipur to Mumbai.

Sections of PPP try to get Sanam, Zardari to head party

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 05:05 AM CST

Some sections of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are trying to convince former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's sister Sanam to take over the reins of the party while others favour her husband Asif Zardari instead.

No official representation at Bhutto funeral: India

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 01:01 AM CST

There would be no official delegation from India to attend former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto's funeral in her Sindh village as it would be a 'personal affair', Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said Friday.

Vote count begins in Himachal

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:02 PM CST

The counting of votes polled in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections began at 8 a.m. Friday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) widely tipped to unseat the ruling Congress.

Power utility to raise $500 million loan

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 09:03 AM CST

State-owned power utility NTPC Ltd will borrow Rs.20 billion ($508 million) from public sector Life Insurance Corp of India (LIC) to meet its capital investment requirements.

Bhutto's death not to affect Australia's Pakistan tour

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 01:32 AM CST

Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination will not affect Australia's tour of that country next year, the Australian cricket board has said.

Jaipur jewellers turn to 60s and 70s for inspiration

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 12:01 AM CST

The new year will see the revival of 60s and 70s style jewellery. At least that's what jewellers in Jaipur are putting their money on.

Airtel to sell $1 billion stake in tower business

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 09:02 AM CST

Bharti Airtel, Indian's largest mobile services operator, Friday said as many as seven global investors have expressed interest in buying about 9 percent stake in its tower business, Bharti Infratel, for $1 billion.

President Pervez Musharraf must resign: Imran Khan

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 10:00 AM CST

Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan Friday demanded the immediate resignation of President Pervez Musharraf in the wake of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination yesterday.

Premier Hockey League points table

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 10:30 AM CST

Following is the Premier Hockey League points table after Chandigarh Dynamos' 2-1 win over Sher-e-Jallandhar that took them atop the points table:

Brand Bangalore survives terror link, instability

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 01:03 AM CST

People in Karnataka and India's IT hub Bangalore are only too happy to see the back of 2007. They have good reasons.

'Industry not rolling back investments in Bengal'

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 08:01 AM CST

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said Friday that no investors have rolled back their proposals after a series of unsavoury incidents in Singur and Nandigram over land acquisition.

Tiger urine to keep away wild elephants

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:03 PM CST

The problem: pachyderms wandering into Jharkhand villages attracted by the scent of an intoxicating brew and then going on the rampage. The solution? Tiger urine!

Indian markets end in the red

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 09:02 AM CST

A key stock market index closed in the negative territory Friday following heavy selling pressure in blue-chip stocks.

BJP set to sweep Himachal polls

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 12:33 AM CST

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was racing towards a landslide electoral victory in Himachal Pradesh Friday, just five days after it retained power in Gujarat.

Seema Biswas loosens up for 'Stella'

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 01:03 AM CST

Finally, Seema Biswas of 'Bandit Queen' fame lets her hair down for NRI filmmaker Deepa Mehta's comedy 'Stella'.

Board adopts 'wait and watch' policy over tours to Pakistan in 2008

Posted: 28 Dec 2007 06:00 AM CST

The Indian cricket Board is adopting a 'wait and watch' policy about the situation in Pakistan following the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Thursday.

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

2007-12-28T10:30:00.001+05:30

Today's Top Headlines - IndiaeNews.com

Bhutto assassinated: Geo TV

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 08:01 AM CST

Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday, Geo TV reported.

Husband, three children survive Benazir

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:33 AM CST

Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated Thurday, is survived by her husband Asif Ali Zardari and her three children - Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Assefa.

Mother, sister, husband, three children survive Benazir

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:30 AM CST

Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated Thurday, is survived by her mother Nusrat, sister Sanam, husband Asif Ali Zardari and her three children - Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Assefa.

LTTE says it has destroyed two Sri Lankan naval craft

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 01:02 AM CST

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Wednesday claimed that they had completely destroyed one Sri Lankan naval Fast Attack Craft (FAC) and disabled 'beyond repair' a second FAC in more than four hours of fighting off Delft island in north western Sri Lanka.

Karat blasts Congress over Gujarat

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 03:30 AM CST

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat has attacked the Congress party for not raising anti-communal issues during the Gujarat election campaign.

Teji Bachchan's ashes immersed at Prayag

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 10:31 AM CST

Actor Amitabh Bachchan Thursday immersed the ashes of his mother Teji Bachchan at the holy confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna here.

Don't allocate spectrum before court verdict: cell operators

Posted: 26 Dec 2007 11:30 PM CST

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Wednesday said it has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) not to allocate radio frequencies to operators until the case is heard by the Delhi High Court.

Hrithik turns item boy with 'Krazzy 4'

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 02:05 AM CST

Hrithik Roshan, who is recuperating from a knee surgery, is all set to appear in the comedy 'Krazzy 4', his father's first production without him as a hero.

Taiwan firm to outsource electronics repairs to India

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 06:31 AM CST

Sequel Technology Inc, a Taiwan-based provider of after-market services (AMS) in consumer electronics and communication products, is setting up a joint venture here to outsource electronics repairs to its Indian partner.

'Milana' continues to top Kannada film charts

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 02:06 AM CST

'Milana', which has crossed the 100-day mark, is the topper among Kannada films of the fortnight.

Zardari blames Musharraf government

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:31 AM CST

Asif Zardari, husband of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief, has blamed the Pervez Musharraf government for her assassination. Zardari left for Pakistan from Dubai with their three children after hearing of the assassination Thursday evening.

Bhutto's body being flown to Sindh

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 01:30 PM CST

The body of assassinated former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was taken to an air force base in Rawalpindi Thursday night to be flown to her hometown in Sindh for burial.

Reliance Communications criticises spectrum allocation

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 01:35 AM CST

Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Communications (RCOM) Wednesday lambasted the department of telecommunications (DoT) for its decision to follow the regulator's method for allotting spectrum or airwaves to operators.

Milestones in oil and gas sector during 2007

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 03:04 AM CST

Following are some notable highlights of India's oil and gas sector during 2007, as the global oil prices soared and the country sought to secure its energy needs.

India's first serial for mobiles next month

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 02:31 AM CST

Digital technology has changed the economics of India's Rs.440 billion ($11 billion) entertainment industry and entrepreneur Rajat Barjatya, the scion of one of Bollywood's biggest film banners, is set to tap it in a big way.

CPI-M urges protection of Christians

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 12:05 AM CST

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday asked the Orissa government to protect the Christian community and its institutions that have come under attack in the state on Christmas day and its eve.

Akali Dal raises stink over Amarinder's Pakistani guest

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 01:06 AM CST

The ruling Akali Dal in Punjab Wednesday asked the central government to probe the credentials of controversial Pakistani journalist and writer Aroosa Alam as an 'agent of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)' and her relationship with former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

Indian car designer to rock Auto Expo 2008

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 02:35 AM CST

One of India's most famous car design gurus, Dilip Chhabria, is all set to rock Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi next month with two of his really wild creations.

Bhutto assassination a tragedy for subcontinent: president

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 11:36 AM CST

President Pratibha Patil Thursday said the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was a tragedy not just for that country but for the entire subcontinent.

Congress, BJP hope for victory in Himachal

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 03:33 AM CST

Four days after the Gujarat verdict, Himachal Pradesh prepared to count Friday votes cast in assembly polls with the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both claiming they will win.

Nurse from Kerala killed in Melbourne accident

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 12:30 AM CST

Robin Sarah Paul, a 26-year-old nurse who had moved from India to Australia a year ago, was knocked down by a speeding car and died on her birthday in Melbourne Wednesday.

'Chak de India' returns to Australia

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 03:32 AM CST

Successful blockbuster 'Chak de India', shot partly in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and based on the story of a hockey coach, is making its presence felt even at the ongoing first Test between India and Australia here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

'India's energy sector needs $150-billion investment'

Posted: 26 Dec 2007 11:34 PM CST

India's energy sector requires investment to the tune of $120-150 billion over the next five years to build increased capabilities and upgrade technology, says an industry report.

Bollywood producer keen to set up studio in Ajmer

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 03:30 AM CST

Bollywood film producer and director K C Bokadia has shown interest in setting up of a film studio and an acting school in Ajmer.

India's quest for energy security sees decisive steps forward

Posted: 27 Dec 2007 02:34 AM CST

The volatility in global crude market continued to pose a major threat to India's energy security and eroded the bottomlines of many oil companies in 2007, even as several new hydrocarbon discoveries were made and oil assets acquired overseas to secure the country's fuel needs.