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Fri, 28 September 2012
Security Council has failed in Syria: Diplomat

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23:48   Diplomat to UN: Security Council has failed in Syria
Top diplomats at the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting Friday used the spotlight and worked the sidelines to deal with the Syrian crisis.

Germany's top diplomat slammed the U.N. Security Council for falling short in efforts to end the crisis, and the U.S. secretary of state planned a meeting with other nations to focus on humanitarian aid and transition issues.

World leaders working for robust action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime have hit a brick wall at the Security Council after Russia and China blocked tough resolutions. But German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told the assembly the "deadlock" in the body "must not continue.

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23:11   Clinton unveils USD 45 million in new aid for Syria
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today unveiled a total of USD 45 million in new funding for humanitarian aid and to help the civilian opposition in Syria. 

Some USD 30 million will go towards aid, bumping up the total US funding for humanitarian relief to USD 130 million with a further USD 15 million for the civilian Syrian opposition, she told a meeting of the Friends of Syria.
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23:11   Brajesh Mishra on India's nuclear tests: On the Rediff Chat
A few weeks after the 1998 nuclear tests, Mr Mishra appeared on tne Rediff Chat and explained why the Vajpayee government had taken that decision: http://www.rediff.com/chat/braj.htm
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23:07   'India cannot trust China'
Brajesh Mishra was among the first diplomats posted in Beijing after the 1962 debacle. He was wary of China's intentions towards India as he made clear in this lecture that Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt listened to: http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/23/india-cannot-trust-china-former-nsa.htm
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23:04   'India will have to fight in its own way'
A fortnight after the Mumbai attacks this is what he told Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/15mumterror-india-will-have-to-fight-in-its-own-way.htm
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23:00   Five dead in Minnesota shooting rampage: Police
A gunman opened fire at a small business in the northern US state of Minnesota, killing four people before turning the gun on himself and dying of a self-inflicted gunshot, police said today. 

Four other people were taken to hospital, three of whom were in critical condition. The shooting took place just after 4:30 pm yesterday inside Accent Signage Systems, a company employing about 25 people which makes signs for companies. 

"When officers arrived and entered the business to assist with the evacuation of employees, give aid to the victims and to search for the suspect, they found four victims dead from apparent gunshot wounds," police said in a statement.
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22:59   'China thinks there's no question of anyone being superior'
In March, Mr Mishra spoke at the release of Non Alignment 2.0. As an old China hand, his views were always taken seriously. Please read what he said: http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-china-most-strategic-challenge-us-a-difficult-partner/20120301.htm
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22:56   'India is a soft State. Nobody is bothered about us'
Another of Mr Mishra's eloquent interviews with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt. He believed talks with Pakistan were a waste of time: http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/feb/18/slide-show-1-brajesh-mishra-on-india-pak-talks.htm
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22:54   Only on Rediff: Brajesh Mishra on India's nuclear programme
Mr Mishra gave Rediff's Sheeka Bhatt some memorable interviews like this one on the Indua-US nuclear deal, which he supported: http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/21sld01.htm
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22:54   Amit Shah returns to Gujarat
A day after the Supreme Court allowed him to enter Gujarat after a gap of two years, former Minister and Narendra Modi aide Amit Shah, who is an accused in Soharabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, today visited Somnath temple amid a warm reception by BJP. 

After visiting the temple, Shah came to his residence in Ahmedabad, where he was welcomed by BJP workers. Shah, who was arrested in July in 2010 and was granted bail by Gujarat High Court in October that year, arrived at Diu airport from Delhi from where he went straight to Somnath temple and offered prayers with his wife and son.
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22:37   India sets free 46 Pakistani fishermen
In a goodwill gesture, India this evening repatriated 46 Pakistani fishermen after their release from jails in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The fishermen were arrested for illegal fishing in India's territorial waters. 

All the released fishermen crossed over to Pakistan through the land transit route of Attari/Wagha border on the basis of 'Emergency Travel Certificate' issued by Delhi-based Pakistan High Commission. The fishermen said they were happy to return to their country. 

They said Indian jail authorities had provided them food, cloths, medication besides caring for their other basic needs during their detention.
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22:18   Former NSA Brajesh Mishra passes away
Brajesh Chandra Mishra, who was the first National Security Advisor and principal secretary to the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away in a hospital in New Delhi. 
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21:55   Keshubhai to contest Guj polls from Visavadar

Former Gujarat chief minister and founder president of the Gujarat Parivartan Party Keshubhai Patel today announced to contest the upcoming assembly polls from Visavadar town of Junagadh district.        

 

"Visavadar town would become an epicentre of Saurashtra region to bring about a change in the political atmosphere of the state," Patel said adding that he would contest the polls from Visavadar, from where, he had contested the state polls in the past and become the chief minister.        

 

83-year-old Patel, who had worked with BJP for decades, had quit the party to form his own last month.

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21:53   'CRPF men who killed Kishenji to get out-of-turn promotions'

Four CRPF personnel who undertook an operation last year in West Bengal leading to the killing of top Naxal commander Kishenji will be given out-of-turn promotions.    

 

Their promotion has been cleared by the Union Home Ministry, CRPF Director General K Vijay Kumar told reporters in Kolkata today.     In a huge setback to Maoists, their top leader Kishenji alias Koteshwar Rao (58) was killed in November last year in a gun-battle with security forces in a forest in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.    

 

Two young CRPF officers -- Assistant Commandants Vinoj P Joseph and Nagendra Singh, both officers of CRPF's CoBRA battalion, -- have been awarded the highest peace time gallantry medal, Shaurya Chakra, for undertaking the operation.    

 

Shaurya Chakra is usually awarded to army personnel but for the last few years CRPF personnel have also been given the military honour for their daredevilry in anti-Naxal and jungle warfare duties.

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21:30   Politics has split anti-graft movement: Hazare

In a veiled attack on Arvind Kejriwal, Anna Hazare today said "politics has split" the anti-corruption movement and the pro-party group has gone against his will.        

 

Hazare also decried efforts to link him with some parties and "communal" outfits, in an apparent reference to allegations that he is closing ranks with RSS through yoga guru Ramdev to run the anti-corruption movement after the split with the Kejriwal-led group.        

 

"Those who favour party has been saying that if Anna says, then they will not form a party. But despite that, they have decided to go ahead with the plan against my decision. Sometimes, it is also said they were forming the party because Anna has decided so. This is not right," he said.        

 

In a new blog posting, the 75-year-old activist also said the movement was not divided in the past two years despite efforts by UPA government. But, he added, now it has split even without the government putting in any effort as one group wanted to take the electoral route.        

 

Expressing confidence that Lokpal Bill will be passed before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he said "unfortunately, the movement has split even before we got the bill. One wants to go political and the other wants to keep the movement alive."  

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20:35   After Modi taunt, Sibal sends him 2 Aakash tablets

Stung by Narendra Modi's remarks on delay in delivery of Aakash tablets, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has asked the Gujarat chief minister to keep education away from politics and sent him a couple of these low-cost devices.        

 

"... Your statement has disappointed me. Education is a collaborative venture beyond the pale of politics and we need to work together in the best interest of the children of the country," Sibal said in his letter to Modi sent along with the devices on September 26.        

 

"We have sent the devices to the chief minister. He lives in netherworld, I have shown him on land that Aakash is in your hand," he told reporters in New Delhi today.        

 

Modi had said that the much-hyped Aakash tablets have not come down to earth yet. "Kash (If only) this Aakash tablet could land on earth, then the lie (promise of free laptops by state Congress) they (Congress) are spreading now would hold some weight," Modi had said.

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20:12   'No impact of Ajit's resignation on Cong-NCP ties'

Maharashtra unit of Congress today said there would not be any adverse impact of NCP leader Ajit Pawar's resignation as deputy chief minister on the 13-year old Congress-NCP alliance in the state.   

 

"Ajit Pawar had said while resigning that he won't accept any post till charges against him are cleared," said state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre in Mumbai this evening.  

 

"It was for the NCP to take decision. The issue was being discussed for the last two-three days. Talks were on and today they have come to end." "Congress-NCP alliance would continue and there would not be any adverse impact," he said.

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19:49   Why does PM 'turn Singham' for US: Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "acting" in the interest of United States first in getting the nuclear deal through and then allowing FDI in multi-brand retail and questioned why he did not "turn active in India's interest".

Addressing a rally in Faridabad at the conclusion of the Natiion Council meet, Modi also raised questions if the FDI decision was linked to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's visit to the United States, as it came through a day after Gandhi returned from her tour there.

He also sought to know if there was a connect between the decisions taken by him and the elections in the US. 

"There are many questions that the nation wants to ask from the Prime Minister. We want to know why you became 'singham' (turned active) twice during the last eight years -- once for getting the nuclear deal through and the other time now while taking the FDI decision.

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19:40   No service tax on train tickets bought before Oct 1
Service tax on AC class train fare will not be realised on tickets purchased before October 1 as railways modified its earlier decision on it. 

Fares of AC First Class, Executive Class, AC-2 tier, AC-3 tier, AC Chair Car will go up by 3.708 per cent from October 1 with the service tax coming into force on these services. 

"However, service tax is not leviable on tickets issued prior to October 1, and it would not be collected on board and railways have modified its earlier order on it," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

"Since service tax is leviable from October 1, it will be collected on the tickets issued on or after that date," he said.

The earlier order stated that the service tax will apply to tickets issued in advance for journeys to commence on or after the date of its implementation. "In case of tickets already issued excluding service tax, it will be ensured that the same is recovered either by TTEs in the train or by the booking offices before commencement of journey," as per the earlier notification issued by railways.
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19:05   Narayana Murthy to exit HSBC board
UK-based global banking giant HSBC Holdings Plc on Friday said N R Narayana Murthy, co-founder of IT giant Infosys and the only Indian on its board, would retire as its director at the end of 2012. 

Announcing the changes in its board and board-committees, HSBC Holdings Plc said in a regulatory filing here that Renato Fassbind, former Chief Financial Officer of Credit Suisse Group, has been appointed a Director with effect from January 1, 2013.

Besides, Fassbind would also become a member of the Group Audit Committee and the Group Remuneration Committee with effect from March 1, 2013. He will be an independent non-executive Director.

Murthy will retire as a Director of HSBC Holdings plc on December 31, 2012 and will be succeeded as Chairman of the Corporate Sustainability Committee by Laura Cha. While Cha is already a director, Murthy had joined the board in 2008. 
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18:54   Prime minister sets up the architecture for cash transfers
In a move to cut down wastage, duplication and leakages and enhance efficiency, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given a major push to transfer individual benefits from the government directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. This is to be done in a fast-track, accelerated mode to be achieved in a time bound manner. The idea is to move to a completely electronic cash transfer system for the entire population.  

 With the rapid rollout of Aadhaar, now covering 20 crore people and rapidly growing to 60 crores, and with the National Population Register covering the other half, it is possible to move to a system of transferring cash benefits directly to the poor.

A Cash Transfer System can be used for transferring cash benefits such as NREGA Wages, Scholarships, Pensions, Income support of other types and Health Benefits. Electronic transfer of benefits is a simple change as the transfers are already taking place and the only modification that would be involved is a movement from a paper based, cash driven system to an electronic direct transfer system.

The Cash Transfer System would improve targeting, reduce corruption, eliminate waste, control expenditure and facilitate reforms, a press release from the PMO stated.
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18:51   ISRO trespasser remanded in custody till Oct 12
A Bengaluru court has remanded in judicial custody till October 12 the woman who was arrested for trespassing into ISRO premises.

Buela N Sam was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sadanand M Kanal and remanded in judicial custody, police said. 

Meanwhile, she has moved court for bail and it directed the jurisdictional police to file objections by Saturday.

Buela, who managed to stay at the ISRO guest house using fake ID card since September 19, also gained entry into the Antariksh Bhavan, ISRO headquarters, on September 21, leading to her arrest by police for security breach.

Police produced Buela before the court after her four-day police custody expired.
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18:40   Rupee at 5-mth high, ends at 52.85 against dollar
The rupee on Friday rose to over five-month high of 52.49 against the dollar on strong capital inflows, advances in stock markets and hopes of more policy reforms. 

The local currency, however, ended the day at 52.85 after poor core sector numbers dampened the sentiment. 

Forex dealers said heavy dollar selling by exporters and banks amid weak dollar overseas helped the rupee to rally for the second day in a row. 

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the domestic unit resumed remarkably higher at 52.73 a dollar from previous close of 53.02. 

Tracking stock market movements, the rupee touched a high of 52.49 in late morning deals, a gain of 53 paise from its last close.

However, sudden emergence of dollar demand from importers, mainly oil refiners, pulled down the rupee to 52.85, still showing a rise of 17 paise.
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18:27   BJP tries to woo Muslims with 'NDA Plus' agenda
Keen to win more allies, BJP, which has been identified with the Hindutva tag, today decided to strive for an "imaginative re-projection" of its "commitment to secularism" and reassured minority community that it does not support discrimination on basis of religion. 

L K Advani, while delivering the valedictory address at the party National Council Meet, insisted that as the anti-Congress constituency is rapidly expanding, the NDA should gain from it and transform itself into "NDA Plus". 

"This involves reassuring our potential allies that they have nothing to be apprehensive about partnering with the BJP. This requires an imaginative re-projection of our commitment to secularism," Advani said.

In his written text of his valedictory speech, Advani maintained that BJP needs to reassure the minority community that "we brook no discrimination or injustice in dealing with different sections of our diverse society".

Interestingly, Advani in his speech condemned the controversial film deemed offensive to Islam which has sparkd protests but did not read out this part of the written text like BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who skipped it in his inaugural address at the National Council.

"I would like to refer to an important issue that is agitating the minds of Muslims in India and elsewhere. A controversial film on Islam, which is highly derogatory to Prophet Mohammed, is circulating on the Internet. I strongly condemn it. It is against our ethos to accept defamation of prophets and saints, who are revered by any faith," Advani said.
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18:07   Sensex rises to 14-month high on rupee gains
The BSE benchmark Sensex today jumped by 183 points to close at a 14-month high of 18,762.74 points after profit booking erased some of the early gains notched up on surging rupee, strong global cues and hopes on more reforms. 

Brokers said the Supreme Court opinion on natural resources also made the overall sentiment buoyant. The 30-share barometer jumped by 290 points intra-day, tracking positive global trends. 

But profit booking emerged at existing high levels, erasing some of the gains. The Sensex finally ended at 18,762.74, a gain of 183.24 points.
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18:02   Sharad Pawar accepts Ajit Pawar's resignation
"I will ask Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to accept Ajit Pawar's resignation as deputy chief minister," NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said. 

"The resignations of all other NCP ministers have been rejected. They will resume official duty from Saturday," he said.
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17:49   Our family stands united: Sharad Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said, "Ajit will not continue as deputy chief minister till he gets a clean chit. He wants his name cleared".

Pawar also demanded that a White Paper on the irrigation scam should be tabled in the Maharashtra Assembly immediately. 

He dismissed reports of a rift between members of his family, saying, "Our family stands united, there are no differences between our family members".

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17:37   Sharad Pawar accepts Ajit Pawar's resignation
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was "sticking to his decision to resign".

He added that Ajit Pawar's resignation had been accepted, but he will not support the resignation of any other NCP MLA.



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17:13   I will listen to Sharad Pawar: Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who had triggered a political crisis after resigning from his post, on Friday said he will listen to his party chief Sharad Pawar's decision on the issue.

He made the comments after the completion of a meeting between Sharad Pawar and NCP MLAs in Mumbai.

But he also seemed reluctant to withdraw his resignation, saying, "I stand by my decision".

Pawar had resigned in the wake of allegations about his involvement in multi-crore irrigation scams.  
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16:32   UPA not interested in green or white revolution: Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi also claimed that the decision on FDI was taken only after Congress president Sonia Gandhi "had returned from the US".

"The UPA is not interested in green or white revolution," he said.
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16:29   Mr PM, why are you not Singham for India: Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that the ruling UPA at the Centre was "anti-farmer".

The PM, he alleged, was only committed to protecting foreign interests.

'The PM was adamant on the nuclear deal and now he is firm on FDI," he said.

"Mr PM, why can't you become Singham for India," said the Gujarat CM.

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16:14   Release 9,000 cusecs of water to TN: SC to K'taka
The Supreme Court directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusec of water from the Cauvery River daily to Tamil Nadu till October 20.

It is unfortunate that the Karnataka government is not following the orders of the committee headed by the prime minister, said the SC.

"Prime Minister is the highest authority... you don't want to comply with this order... we are sorry to say this," said the SC today, adding that Karnataka has to follow Dr Manmohan Singh's directive.

On Tuesday, the Cauvery River Authority, headed by the PM, asked Karnataka to release 9000 cusecs of water everyday to its neighbour till October 15. Karnataka refused.

Karnataka, which is governed by the BJP, has accused the Centre of favouring Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu says it needs the water urgently, but Karnataka says it cannot oblige because it has been hit hard by a drought .

More details are awaited. 
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15:24   Non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray
Fresh non-bailable warrants were issued on Friday against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray by a Delhi court as he failed to appear before it to respond to two complaints accusing him of making hate speeches against north Indians, particularly Bihar natives, in 2008.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Yaduvanshi ordered issuance of NBWs, returnable by November 17, against Thackeray after he failed to appear before the court in response to summons issued on August 31 and sought exemption from personal appearance.

The court noted that the NBWs were issued against the MNS chief by courts in Jamshedpur and Muzaffarpur on December 16, 2008 and November 11, 2009 respectively.
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15:21   All about the Freddie Mercury you did not know...
Twenty-one years after his death, Queens singer Freddie Mercury continues to be a legend.

Just before he announced that he was suffering from AIDS, he wondered how he should be remembered. "You can do what you want with my music," he said, "but don't make me boring."

And he got his wish! There is a Hollywood biopic starring Sacha Baron Cohen in the works, and next month a new BBC documentary, The Great Pretender, tells the story of the last five years of his life, according to a report in The Guardian.

Also, Mercury's final solo album, Barcelona has just been re-released.

Read more about the Queen's star here
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15:07   China embassy receives bullet from ' Japanese PM'
The Chinese embassy in Tokyo has received a bullet in the post, with the sender giving their name as the Japanese prime minister, police and reports said today, amid a festering territorial row.

An envelope containing the rifle bullet arrived at the embassy yesterday, reports said.

A spokeswoman at the prime minister's office said only that the premier had not sent the bullet, without elaborating on any action it might take. Noting that the sender's name written on the envelope was "Yoshihiko Noda", embassy officials took it to police, Jiji said, citing investigative sources.

There was no letter included.
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15:04   Govt may fall in a year's time: Advani at BJP meet
LK Advani today said the UPA government may fall before 2014 and asked his party to think of finalising its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at the concluding function of the BJP's national council meet, Advani said some allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance were willing to bring the government down.

"Ten days back if someone would have asked me whether the government will fall, I would say, government is in ICU, on ventilator and the ventilator was not likely to be removed before 2014. But now, some of the allies are feeling that sooner the government falls it's better. Today, it seems almost certain.., it may happen that the government will fall in a year's time," he said.
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14:59   Hamilton to replace Schumi at Mercedes
Mercedes has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton has signed a three-year deal to drive for the German squad from next year, says autosport.com

The Briton, whose move was expected after McLaren announced Sergio Perez for 2013 earlier on Friday morning, will drive alongside Nico Rosberg, replacing seven-time champion Michael Schumacher at the team. Mercedes did not specify what Schumacher's plans were, the web site reports, here.
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14:51   Wal-Mart is no panacea, surely?
/We are being told that Wal-Mart, Tesco, Sainsbury, Carrefour and a host of other big retail players are expected to increase farm income. In the US, where Wal-Mart has completed 50 years, if farmers were getting a better income, there was no reason why the farming population should plummet to less than one per cent of the population. Farmers in US survive on the farm not because of Wal-Mart but the massive subsidy support, which includes direct farm income. Between 1997 and 2008, Rs 12.60 lakh crore was provided as income support to farmers. A UNCTAD-India study shows that if these subsidies, classified as Green Box in WTO parlance, are removed, the American agriculture collapses,' writes Devinder Sharma on his blog, here.
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14:44   Can India and China's economic dream slip on an oil patch?
Not long ago, when oil was $20 a barrel, the U.S. was the locomotive of global economic growth; the federal government was running budget surpluses; the jobless rate at the beginning of the last decade was at a 40-year low. Now, growth is stalled, the deficit is more than $1 trillion and almost 13 million Americans are unemployed, writes Jeff Rubin on Bloomberg.com.

He adds: Triple-digit oil prices will end the lofty economic hopes of India and China, which are looking to achieve the same sort of sustained growth that North America and Europe enjoyed in the postwar era. There is an unavoidable obstacle that puts such ambitions out of reach: Today's oil isn't flowing from the same places it did yesterday. More importantly, it's not flowing at the same cost.

Read his sobering prognosis here.
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14:36   Coming soon: Volkswagen 1.5 diesel for Polo
Volkswagen has officially confirmed that it will introduce a 1.5-litre diesel engine in the Polo in 2014. This engine is a  a downsized version of the Ventos current 1.6 diesel (EA 189), reports Autocar India.

The new 1.5 diesel has been specifically developed keeping the Indian market in mind says Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, chief of product development at Volkswagen. It will have a different bore and stroke, he adds.

The downsizing project includes the development of new pistons, rings and connecting rods and a stringent validation process that has taken the better part of two years.

VW also hopes to reduce the cost of the engine by assembling it in India. The current 1.6 diesel is imported from South Africa.

Read the full report here


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14:32   Will refund Rs 24,000 cr to investors in 3 mths: Sahara to SC
Sahara Group today assured the Supreme Court that its two companies which had raised Rs 24,000 crore through Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures  from their investors will refund the amount within three months.

"We will refund the amount. There is no question of going back," senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the company, told a bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan.

He also pleaded with the bench to grant the firms some time to sort out the "disagreement" with SEBI which has alleged that the company is not supplying all the documents pertaining to the investors to it as per the apex court's previous order.

The bench was hearing an application by SEBI, which has alleged that the Sahara Group has not furnished all documents in its custody to the market regulator as was directed by the apex court to do by September 10.
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14:24   Bank van carrying Rs 5 cr cash looted in New Delhi
An armoured bank van carrying Rs 5 crore was looted at the Defence Colony in New Delhi. The robbers shot at the guard and drove away with the van.

The van belonged to the ICICI bank.

More details are awaited.      
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14:24   Utterly bitterly Amul no more?
For nearly half a century, ads for Amul brand butter have stuck the knife into Indian politicians for all manner of blunders, scams and gaffes, writes Amol Sharma in the Wall Street Journal, but these days the satire, delivered in cartoons featuring a girl in a polka-dot frock and a ponytail, is toned down. And Rahul daCunha, who produces the iconic ad campaign, explains why, here.
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14:07   Sharad Pawar meets nephew Ajit
Sharad Pawar met this afternoon in Mumbai with nephew Ajit, who resigned earlier this week as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, over allegations of his role in the irrigation scam. Also, present at the meeting was Pwara's daughter Supriya Sule and senior NCP leader Praful Patel. 
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13:38   No toll at Delhi-Gurgaon plaza during peak hrs
No toll will be charged during rush hour for cars entering or leaving Gurgaon on the Delhi-Gurgaon highway, the Delhi High Court has ruled. The new rules will be effective tonight.

The court had suspended for a few weeks the collection of any money at the Gurgaon toll plaza because of the massive traffic jams caused, partly because there weren't enough booths to handle the collection of the tax.

No toll will be charged during 8:30-10:00 am and 5:30- 7:00 pm.
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13:25   Yeddy's revolt continues, praises Sonia yet again
Speaking about his absence from the Bharatiya Janata Party national meeting, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Friday, said that it was the first time in 40 years that he skipped a national meeting of the party.

Yeddyurappa went on to say that "from Jawaharlal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi, the Congress has never let down its leaders."

He took a pot shot at BJP president Nitin Gadkari, saying that he hadn't kept his promise of making him the Karnataka BJP chief.
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13:12   Online petition launched to free Jeetan Marandi
Jeetan Marandi, secretary in the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, was arrested in 2008 for his alleged involvement in the murder of the son of former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi in 2007. He was sentenced to death in June 2011 by a lower court in Jharkhand, but the high court in December that year acquitted him of the charge. He also managed to get bail in other cases the state government had lodged against him.

However, Marandi, a cultural activist who raised his voice against the atrocities against tribals for which he has been dealt with by the administration in a manner common to those accused of being Maoists, continues to languish in jail, having been booked under the draconian Jharkhand Crime Control Act (2002) soon after his acquittal.

Marandi's supporters have now launched an online petition to have him freed. Sign the petition here, if you feel that he is being singled out for his political beliefs.
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13:11   Plastic debris reach 'pristine' Southern Ocean
The first traces of plastic debris have been found in the 'pristine environment' of the Southern Ocean, according to a study released by the French scientific research vessel Tara.

The finding comes following a two-and-a-half-year, 70,000-mile voyage by the schooner across the Atlantic, Pacific, Antarctic and Indian Oceans, to investigate marine ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change, according to a report in The Guardian.

Read the full report here
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13:00   Rupee rises to near 5-mth high of 52.55 against dollar
Moving in line with the strong equity market, the rupee shot up to five-month high of 52.55 a dollar this morning due to fresh selling of the American currency by banks and exporters.    

Sustained foreign capital inflows coupled with weak dollar overseas bolstered the rupee, which resumed higher at52.73 per dollar, from 53.02 yesterday, at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market.    

It firmed up further to a five-month high of 52.55 per dollar, before quoting at 52.68 at 1100 hrs. The rupee last traded at 52.55 on May 2, 2012.
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12:53   UP deputy CMO death: CBI report points to suicide
The CBI today filed a closure report in the death of Uttar Pradesh deputy chief medical officer Dr YS Sanchan. The CBI calls Sanchan's death a suicide based on the forensic report submitted by a doctor at AIIMS.

He was found dead in June 2011 inside Lucknow jail toilet.

Sanchan was accused of role in the murder of two CMOs. All three deaths were related to the NRHM scam in Utttar Pradesh.

More details are awaited.      
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12:24   Growth of 8 core industries slows to 2.1pc in August
Growth of eight core industries slowed to 2.1 per cent in August as against 3.8 percent in the same month last year, government data showed on Friday.

The eight core industries have a combined weight of 37.90 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production.

The combined Index was 143.1 in August 2012 with a growth rate of 2.1 per cent compared to their 3.8 per cent growth in August 2011.
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12:18   Nitin Gadkari set for 2nd term as BJP president
The last hurdle for Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari for second consecutive term has been cleared after Rajnath Singh today proposed for a change in the party's constitution  to allow a political leader to hold the top office for two consecutive terms at the BJP national executive meet in New Delhi.

The BJP amended its constitution today to allow a second term for Gadkari.

This is the first time that BJP will allow any of its leaders to hold the post for two consecutive terms. Although most of the senior leaders of the party, including LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, are not in favour of the move but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is adamant to give Gadkari a second term, reports Business Standard.

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12:12   Imaginery battle with Rahul, tweets Omar on panchayat issue
Amid reports of a tiff between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi over the panchayat issue in the state, the former tweeted, "Have to love the media's priorities when my imaginary battle with Rahul is more important than what the President says in Kashmir."

Panchayat leaders from Jammu and Kashmir met Gandhi yesterday to demand safety and empowerment while the Youth Congress launched an agitation in the state to highlight their cause.

As Rahul played host to the beleaguered panchayat representatives who are being targeted by terrorists, Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar that MLAs belonging to all political parties were opposed to ceding more powers to panchayat representatives. 

After a recent killing on 3 sarpanchs, 51 panchayat members have tendered their resignations in the state. 
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11:47   Another fire at Sivakasi, 3 killed
A fire broke out in a house making crackers at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu today. Three people were killed in the accident.

The fire is now under control.

The incident comes days after a huge blaze at a firecracker factory in Sivakasi claimed 39 lives and left over 50 injured.

Read: A tragedy called Sivakasi
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11:07   In response to jibe, Sibal sends Aakash tablet to Modi
Following Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's dig at Aakash tablet for being elusive, HRD minister Kapil Sibal has sent him two pieces of the improved Aakash-2. He also requested that education be kept outside the pale of politics, according to a report in the Times of India.   

In a letter to Modi, Sibal said he was "disappointed" to hear the chief minister's statement about Aakash tablet. "Education is a collaborative venture beyond the pale of politics and we need to work together in the best interests of the children of the country," Sibal said.

On September 5, Modi had said too much hype was being created around Aakash tablets but it was yet to come down to earth. "Eleven months have passed, but no Aakash tablet has come down to earth ... Now I realise why this gizmo is named 'Aakash,'" Modi had said.

Read the full report here
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10:43   Body of missing Indian-American student found
The body of missing Indian-American Northwestern University student Harsha Maddula has been found, reports abcnews.com.

A fisherman found the body floating near some boats in Wilmette Harbour Thursday night, the report said.

Maddula's wallet, Northwestern ID card and his cell phone were found on the body, according to Northwestern University spokesman Alan Cubbage.

The cause of death is under investigation.

Eighteen-year-old Maddula disappeared on Saturday after attending an off-campus party with friends. Friends from his dorm said they last saw him while leaving the off-campus party.

"They realised that he wasn't with them while they were walking to another party," said a friend of Maddula, who was with him at the party.

Read full story here

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10:34   Jayant Patil to be new Maharashtra FM
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is likely to announce today that his nephew Ajit Pawar's resignation has been accepted. According to a close aide of Sharad Pawar, rural development minister Jayant Patil will be the new finance minister and Rajesh Tope will take over the energy ministry, once Ajit Pawar is relieved of his duties, according to a report in The Economic Times.

Patil currently holds the charge of the rural development ministry and was finance minister once earlier. Tope is in charge of the technical education department and is a technocrat.

Union minister Praful Patel said, "The party has decided not to nominate anybody as deputy chief minister, after Ajit Pawar's exit from the cabinet. Ajit Pawar will remain the leader of NCP legislature party in the Maharashtra assembly."

Read full story here
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10:01   Chidambaram to attend IMF, World Bank meet in Tokyo
Finance Minister P Chidambaram will be visiting Tokyo next month, to attend the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, reports our correspondent in New Delhi.

This is his first official visit abroad since he resumed charge as the finance minister.

Chidambaram will be accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India Nandan Nilekani.

United States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will be visiting India on October 9-10 and is also scheduled to attend the Tokyo meeting from October 11 to 13.

More on Chidambaram's Tokyo visit here

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09:56   Sharad Pawar to take final call on Ajit today
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar will meet MLAs from his party in Mumbai today; they have asked him to take a final call on whether or not his nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar should go ahead with his resignation as deputy chief minister in the Congress-NCP state government, reports NDTV.

Ahead of that meeting, the NCP chief will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Tension has been brewing between the Congress and the NCP ever since the CM announced his intent to bring in a white paper on the alleged 72,000 crore irrigation scam that led to the resignation of Ajit Pawar.

Read the full story here
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09:27   US military chief cancels Pak visit over anti-Islam film stir
Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey has cancelled his trip to Islamabad, where he was to hold a private meeting with Pakistani counterpart General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, due to continued wave of anti-US protests.

"I originally planned to go to Pakistan to meet with General Kayani, and because of some of the issues related to that film, he and I discussed postponing that visit, mostly so that I would give him the time to deal with the issues he was dealing with internally," Dempsey told the media.

As a result of which, he did not go to Islamabad and instead spent time in Afghanistan, he said in response to a question. "With the available time, I decided to extend my trip in Afghanistan," he said.
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08:53   Anti-Islam filmmaker arrested in Los Angeles
The alleged filmmaker of the controversial video that sparked protests across the Muslim world has been arrested in Los Angeles, reported BBC.

Nakoula Besseley Nakoula is in custody and is scheduled to make a court appearance in a federal court in Los Angeles.

The alleged director or producer of Innocence of Muslims was ordered to appear in court reportedly for a probation violation.

"I can confirm he's in custody, scheduled to make a court appearance as we speak, in federal court in downtown LA," Thom Mrozek of the US Attorney's Office said, giving no further details.
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08:30   Did not discuss India with China, says Panetta
The United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said that he did not discuss specifically the Indo-American ties with China, during his recent visit to that country.

"We didn't discuss that specific assistance that we're working on with India," Panetta told reporters.

"But just in general the discussions that I had with the Chinese, it was that the purpose of our effort to rebalance to the Pacific is aimed at the prosperity and security of the Pacific region, and that a key to that strategy is a strong bilateral relationship between the United States and China\ because we share concerns in the Pacific," he said.

"We share concerns with regards to terrorism, with regards to issues like nuclear proliferation, with regards to humanitarian assistance, maritime rights, et cetera, and that it's important for us to work to develop the capabilities of countries in that region so that they could help secure themselves," Panetta said.
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08:16   19 killed in air crash in Nepal
A passenger aircraft crashed on the outskirts of Katmandu killing all 19 on board. Sixteen passengers and three crewmembers were killed in the accident. The plane, which was heading for the Everest region, crashed minutes after take-off.

The mishap reportedly took place at 6.30 am (local time) as the twin-engine prop plane belonging to the domestic Sita Air plunged into the Manohara River on the southwest edge of Katmandu.

More details are awaited.
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05:37   Where the Internet is under threat
Foreign Policy magazine lists 7 countries where the Internet is under threat. Is India among them? Read this report and find out: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/27/requested_page_could_not_be_found
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05:16   Aakash for Modi
Education Minister Kapil Sibal has sent Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi two Aakash Tablets after Modi complained that the Indian-made Tablet was unavailable. Will Mr Swadeshi now give up his iPad for the Aakash? Read the Times of India report: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/hardware/Kapil-Sibal-sends-new-improved-Aakash-tablet-to-Narendra-Modi/articleshow/16582372.cms
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05:10   Finally! Anti-Islam filmmaker arrested
The man who made Innocence of the Muslims, the film which triggered off riots worldwide, has been arrested. For violating his parole conditions!
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05:05   Afghan women take on the Taliban
If the Taliban ever returned to power in Kabul, Afghan women would be its first victims. Which is why we salute these women who dare to take on the Taliban: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/27/afghan-women-taking-on-taliban
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05:02   The World's 10 Most Educated Countries
Canada heads the list, followed by Israel and Japan. Read on: http://247wallst.com/2012/09/21/the-most-educated-countries-in-the-world/
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04:59   Is Vijay Mallya India's worst businessman?
First Post makes its case against the 'King of Good Times' here: http://www.firstpost.com/business/is-vijay-mallya-indias-worst-businessman-470358.html
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04:56   678 crores!!
Rs 6.78 billion, that's what the UPA ministers's foreign visits cost the tax payer. Mail Today has the story: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/upa-ministers-have-blown-rs-678-crore-in-travelling-2011-2012/1/222380.html
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04:51   Nissan to launch 10 models in India
In the next four years Nissan will introduce ten of its cars in the India market including the Datsun: http://www.indiandrives.com/nissan-to-roll-out-10-models-in-india-including-its-datsun-brand-by-2016.html
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04:48   The curse of the IPL
Does owning an IPL team bring with it risks? This piece makes the case: http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/beware-the-curse-of-the-ipl/
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04:41   Aim Higher: The Economist tells India
A special report on India In The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/21563414
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04:39   What attacking Iran will cost
The Wilson Center, the Washington, DC think-tank, assesses what it will involve: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/IranReport_091112_FINAL.pdf SCARY!!! Hope diplomacy works and better sense prevails!
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04:36   What India's Mars Mission looks like
A sneak preview of Mangalayan, the Indian Space Research Organisation's mission to the fourth rock from the sun :) See it here: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2012/09271011-mangalyaan-update.html
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01:47   Abbas accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing'
AP reports: Palestinian President MahmoudAbbas accused Israel of ethnic cleansing today for buildingsettlements in east Jerusalem.

"It is a campaign of ethnic cleansing against thePalestinian people via the demolition of their homes," Abbassaid in his speech to the UN General Assembly.

Shortly after, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahurebuked Abbas in his own address to the assembly. "We won't solve our conflict with libellous speeches atthe UN," Netanyahu said.
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00:49   How the Taliban targets US soldiers
A revealing report in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper about how the Taliban trains Afghan soldiers to target American troops: http://dawn.com/2012/09/27/us-soldiers-death-reveals-how-taliban-linked-afghan-soldiers-plan-attacks/
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00:47   Ahmedinejad concedes he may have been wrong
The Iranian president in an interesting interview: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2012/al-monitor/politics-and-controversy-follow.html Mahmoud Ahmedinejad came close to regretting his controversial comments on the Holocaust.
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00:40   The New Wave: Indian Fiction in America
http://www.themillions.com/2012/09/the-new-wave-on-the-state-of-indian-fiction-in-america.html: Rajesh Parmeswaran and Tania James star in this feature about Indian fiction coming out of America. Both Rajesh and Tania are AWESOME and their short story collections have been much applauded.
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00:19   The Rise of the Vernacular
An interesting piece on Kannada in all places, Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper by filmmaker Prakash Belwadi: http://tribune.com.pk/story/443479/rise-of-the-vernacular/
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00:15   Ratan Tata tweets about the new Jaguar
"@RNTata2000: Memorable day today. Launch of Jaguar's new F-type sports car and new Range Rover. Gr8 +ve response. Gr8 sense of pride for all at JLR!".... In exactly three months Mr Tata will step down from his perch at Bombay House, the home of the Tata empire. He will retire to a spartan three-storied bungalow he has built close to his current home in Colaba, south Mumbai.
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00:10   Netanyahu says Israel will destroy iran's nuclear programme
A day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad made his final speech to the United Nations General Assembly (his term ends next June) Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu brandished a diagram of a bomb and said Tehran will have a nuclear bomb in a year. Unless Iran pulled back on its nuclear programme, he warned Tehran that Israel would destroy it. You can see Netanyahu and his diagram here: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/israeli-prime-minister-uses-bomb-diagram-in-un

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