nitya007's
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
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SPECIAL NEWS
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Drought-affected farmers from Jarad village in Jharkhand have written a letter to the President of India and the Governor requesting them to grant permission to commit suicide. The region has been facing an acute drought-like situation for the past two years. In the letter, 2,000 farmers from the region have demanded ration, immigration and irrigational facilities. The farmers are desperate as this is the second year of drought that they are facing, as Jharkhand grapples a 42% rainfall deficit this year. All districts have been declared drought-hit. Meanwhile, the Governor of Jharkhand, MOH Farooq, has assured farmers across the state that the government is taking steps to help them in their trying times.
nitya007's
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
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Entetainment
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Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan feels that the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, which will be celebrated this Tuesday, is the most stressful time for all brothers.
With elder sister Shweta, who is based in Delhi, busy giving finishing touches to the handmade Rakhi for her ''baby brother'', Abhishek is wondering what he should give his doting didi in return.
"Rakhi is just round the corner. Most stressful time for all brothers! What do we get our sisters? Is there anything in the material world... that represents our love for them?," he wonders.
In his tweets, the 34 year old actor said, "Only if we could get away with.... I love you very much didi. The world would be such a wonderful place, stress free....but then comes the guilt trip.. 'I hand made this Rakhi just for you' and that's it! you are finished!!! Am pretty sure my sister is going to do just that very soon."
Shweta, in her tweets, had recently said that she makes hand made Rakhi every year and her brother wears it for an entire year.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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Movie Review
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Star cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak
Plot: Paul Rudd is a rising executive who succeeds in finding the perfect guest, IRS employee Steve Carell, for his boss’s monthly event, a so-called ‘dinner for idiots’, which offers certain advantages to the exec who shows up with the biggest buffoon. The movie is based on the French play, &The Dinner Game’, just like our desiBheja Fry.
What to expect: Steve Carell might have a few city fans, but the promotions of Dinner For Schmucks have been very low-key.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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Career News
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IF you finish your assignments in time, generate multiple solutions where one would suffice, put in that extra effort for perfection, and are popular with your friends, then you are not just a model student - you will be a great employee as well!
Amit Bansal CEO, urpleLeap,
a firm focusing on mployability
Most top executives evaluate job applicants on some basic qualities. how they think, act, and interact with others. If you wonder I am a degree holder, so why don't companies just evaluate me upon my course subjects,then try to understand how companies function.Companies operate under a very dynamic, unpredictable environment.They solve new problems at every step, manage racing deadlines and interact with several stakeholders.Operating in such an environment requires skills beyond the knowledge of a subject.Let's understand what these skills are & how they help employees succeed at work.
THINK In business, there are problems at every step. Problems can be small or large, complex or simple, easy or difficult to fix. No matter what the problems are, a key part of every employee's role is to find ways to solve them. And organisations are interested in knowing whether you have the ability to solve such problems or not.People who are not good at solving problems tend to do one of three things when faced with them:They curse the problem, wish that it would go away and keep sitting on it.
They look for someone on whom to pin the blame for the problem. They feel they should know the answer to the problem and not necessarily solve the problem.
For such people, being faced with a problem becomes a problem. And that surely is a problem! Needless to say, companies will always have difficult situations that have to be overcome. Hence avoid hiring such problematic employees!
The thinking process behind solving problems is a complex one and involves various skills such as comprehension and creativity and critical thinking. While all of us possess these skills to some degree, one may need to upgrade considerably to match the corporate expectation. The good news is one can improve through structured skilling programmes.
ACT
Some people call it attitude or behavioural traits, others call it mindset. Call it what you will, this is the single factor that differentiates successful people from the rest. People with the right attitude get tasks accomplished no matter what the circumstances are. And it is so very important for an organisation that it wants to make sure you have that right attitude. The three most important factors behind a good attitude at the workplace are:
Ownership: Successful people take personal responsibility for the work.You know what needs to be done, and can be counted on to do it right and on time, without constant reminders or supervision. Such employees always find ways to reduce costs or generate extra revenue for their employer.
Strive for Constant Improvement: Good employees always strive for constant improvement. In the words of Alvin Toffler, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn".One needs to learn new skills to replace less effective work methods on an ongoing basis.
Passion: Employees who are passionate about their work are always an asset. So, companies need to figure out whether you are enthusiastic about the job you are applying for. Successful companies always put the right people in the right seat.
INTERACT
Businesses are complex interaction systems. One has to interact across functional teams. Businesses have to ensure that its employees have the ability to work with people. There are two important facets of interaction:
Communication The way you communicate is a reflection of how you perceive and perform your job. Just speaking up is not necessarily contributing. Listening and getting an instruction right contributes more than speaking.
Managing interpersonal relationships Your output will often have some critical inputs from people around you. How well you get along with people of different temperaments and personalities largely determines how effective you are. Get out of your comfort zone to figure out your gaps against the key attributes that matter and put a plan in place to get yourself ready.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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National News
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the creation of an expert panel on Tuesday that would seek ways to create jobs in disputed Kashmir, hit by weeks of violent separatist protests against New Delhi.
The PM also said that the government would consider the demand for autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir if there were unanimity among political parties on the issue.
The Prime Minister said this after meeting an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. It lasted nearly four hours.
Singh has been criticised for failing to respond to violence that has killed some 50 people in the past two months, one of the worst outbreaks of unrest since a separatist revolt against New Delhi broke out in Kashmir in 1989.
The deaths have hurt hopes of peace in the region, once home to a vibrant tourism industry, which is seen as key to the stability of a broad zone ranging from India to Afghanistan.
"I assure the youth of Jammu and Kashmir that their genuine empowerment will be accorded the highest priority in our Jammu and Kashmir policy," Singh said in his speech.
The panel will include C. Rangarajan, a former central bank chief and head of Singh's economic advisory panel, and N.R. Narayana Murthy, chairman of Indian outsourcer Infosys Technologies.
For the past two months, Kashmir has become a hot bed of violence, and protesters have defied curfews to attack the police with stones and set police stations on fire. India's home minister hinted last week the protests could have been incited by Pakistan.
The meeting was held to appraise the Prime Minister with the volatile situation in the Kashmir Valley.
Leaders of the main opposition party in the state, the People's Democratic Party had boycotted the meeting. After the meeting, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said the meeting was good and that the Prime Minister heard all the views of delegation members.
Sources say that at the meeting, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was pulled up for failing to handle the violence in the Valley in which over 50 protestors were killed in police action since June 11.
However, Omar defended his government's handling of the situation. He also told the Prime Minister that most parties in the state were not in favour of Governor's rule.
It is also learnt that the National Conference put forward the demand for autonomy for Kashmir while the Panthers Party demanded delimitation of constituencies.
Meanwhile, the PDP has dismissed as a "joke with the people of Kashmir" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s fresh initiative to end the unrest in the Valley.
"The Prime Minister's statement (at the meeting with an all-party delegation from the state) is a joke with the people of Kashmir", PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed said.
Sayeed described as a "futile exercise" the meeting the PM had with the delegation alleging "nothing will come out of it".
Earlier in the evening, the Prime Minister issued an appeal to the youth and said they should go back to their schools and colleges and resume studies.
"Key to the problem in Kashmir is a political solution that addresses the alienation and emotional needs of the people," Singh said.
Singh added that a political solution could only be achieved through a sustained internal and external dialogue.
"We are ready for this and are willing to discuss all issues within the bounds of democratic process," he said.
In a televised speech in Urdu, he said he could understand the "dard aur mayusi" of the people.
Calling for a new beginning, the Prime Minister said there had been very little development ("bahut kam tarakki") in Jammu and Kashmir.
Singh also spoke on the role of security forces in the Valley and urged the state government to take action to protect policemen and their families.
"Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security forces are performing an extremely challenging task in difficult circumstances... we should not do anything to demoralise the security forces," he added.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and both the nations seek claim of the region. They have fought two of their three wars over it. Kashmiri separatists in India want to carve out an independent homeland or merge with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.
Militant violence has fallen dramatically in recent years but popular protests have continued over a conflict that has so far officially killed about 47,000 people, mostly civilians. Rights groups put the death toll at 100,000.
Despite Singh's conciliatory tone, senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani rejected the initiative.
"A reign of terror has been let loose by Indian security forces against a people who peacefully demand freedom from slavery and Indian imperialism," Geelani said.
So far, the latest violence in Kashmir appears to have little impact on efforts between India and Pakistan to improve ties that nose-dived after the 2008 attacks on India's commercial hub Mumbai, in which 166 people
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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Movie Review
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Several of the Superstar's fans are upset with him! Not because he has not joined politics as yet... that is an old and ongoing issue. This time, it is because of something that he said at the Enthiran (also known as Endhiran) music launch in Malaysia.
Enthiran, produced by Kalanithi Maran under the Sun Pictures banner and directed by Shankar, is one of the biggest and most awaited movies not just for Tamil audiences, but for movie enthusiasts all over India and even all over the world.
At the music launch, when Rajinikanth came on stage to talk about the movie and his experience working in it, he said the real stars of the movie are Kalanithi Maran, Shankar, A.R. Rahman and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. This humble comment has upset his fans who felt that their Thalaivar was underestimating his position as the Superstar.
We all know that Rajni has always been very humble; maybe his humility and sometimes over-humility has made his fans feel that he is letting them down. What can we say, except that irrespective of what the Superstar says, it cannot be denied that Enthiran is such a huge film not because it is one of the most expensive movies in India or it will be have the widest release ever for an Indian film or it brings together some of the biggest names in Indian cinema.
None of this would have happened unless Rajni was the captain... So Enthiran is huge beacuse it has Thalaivar Superstar Rajni in the lead role! So Rajni sir on behalf of all your fans, we at Galatta have only one thing to say... we respect your humility, but our admiration for you is so high that we are unhappy even if you hide your talents and strengths.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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National News
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Gwalior: The police on Tuesday arrested three members of the dreaded Uttam Gadaria gang from the Huravali road. The gang was involved in the kidnap of Gaurav Gupta, an engineering student. The arrests on Tuesday took the number of those taken into custody in connection with the abduction to eight, as the police had earlier arrested five accused. Morar police station in-charge KD Sonakia said that the arrests were made following a tip-off received by Gwalior SP A Sai Manohar. Acting on the information a police party under the leadership of DSP flying squad Neeraj Pandey arrested Ratan Lal Krishna and Ramu alias Ramendra Baghel from the Huravali road. The police had been on the trail of the Uttam Gadaria gang, since it allegedly supplied food to members of the Gatta gang on July 22. In a separate incident, Manya, a student, was on her way to a coaching institute near Phool Bagh under Padav police station, when she was followed and allegedly kidnapped by Ravi Chouhan. Manya managed to free herself from the clutches of the abductor and returned home, following which her mother Anita Agarwal brought her to the police station and registered a case against the accused.
GMC to start online info on building permissions
Gwalior: The Gwalior Municipal Corporation will commence a service enabling residents to seek building permissions online. The service will help citizens save time and also steer clear of touts and agents. The service would be launched as soon as the software for the facility is ready. While the Indore Municipal Corporation is expected to launch a similar service on August 15, the GMC facility is expected to commence by the end of the year. GMC, PRO Pradeep Shrivastava said that the civic body will provide the facility and added that the development of the software, required for the service, is currently underway.
Quota seats to be filled up
Bhopal: A new and tight schedule to fill up the vacant backlog posts of SCs, STs and OBs has been prepared. The new strategy to fill up these posts will be completed in three stages. The vacant posts will be checked from State-level to district level and accordingly the pace of recruitment will be speeded up. Minister of State for Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare Harishankar Khatik will take the responsibility to fill up these posts. The first stage has already been started from this month and asked all departments to send report of vacant posts latest by August 31. The total number of vacant backlog posts to be filled up is 18 thousand 66. Chouhan has once again extended the period to fill up the backlog vacant posts. As per this decision, for the first time, it has been decided to fill up these posts at any rate. The purpose is to ensure that the Government will not to extend the period once again.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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National News
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The Directorate of technical Education (DTE) has released the schedule for online counseling for MBA, BArch, Hotel Management and Catering Technology (HMCT), M Phm and ME/Mtech courses. It would get underway from August 12, with the verification of documents. The DTE has specified that only the candidates, who have submitted their applications till August 4, would be allowed to participate in the online counseling process.
The preference of colleges could be given and choices could be locked for first two courses by August 12 and for the deadline for M Phm course is Aigust 18 and deadline for ME/Mtech is August 26. BArch and HMCT courses students could secure admission by August 30, while the deadline of admission is September 1 for M Phm and September 8 for ME/MTech courses.
The counseling for MBA course would get underway with the verification of documents on August 13 and online registration would start on the same day. The submission of option of colleges would be done between August 23 to 28 and students could secure admission in the allotted colleges by August 28. As earlier process of counseling, the students could participate in the counseling through Internet from anywhere.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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National News
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Apparently holding the Bandhavgarh national park administration responsible for the recent death of a tiger cub, Union Minister of Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying that the incident could have been ‘avoided’.
Ramesh in the letter has mentioned that a resident male tiger has reportedly killed the cub and the incident was unfortunate. He has reminded the Chief Minister that as he (Chouhan) must be aware that the Centre had alerted the park management and had advised on May 31 to protect the cub by putting up an in-situ enclosure but this did not happen, claimed the Minister in the letter.
Though he appreciated the efforts of the park officials but requested Chouhan to direct the officials to urgently cordon off some area in the park till a regular enclosure was erected for safeguarding the remaining two tiger cubs.
The slackness on the part of the park administration is quite evident in the death of a tiger cub in the attack of a male adult, as claimed by the park administration. The park management had decided to keep three cubs after the death of their mother in an accident in May, in their original habitat in the Chorbaira area of Tala range, despite the fact that the area was full with hills and gorges. This was the reason why fencing was not done around the entire enclosure and few locals even claim that the contractor deputed for the job had not completed the task and the park administration also did not pay any attention on the remiss.
Interestingly, CK Patil, Field Director of the park, is in New Delhi on Tuesday for learning ways of conserving wildlife. Volunteer activist Shehla Masood informed the she met Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday and the former claimed that the remaining two siblings of the dead cub were safe and assured to upload their pictures on the department website on Wednesday.
On the other hand, Patil’s deputy KS Alawa claimed that the enclosure was incomplete due to the difficult terrain of the area but added that now the area has been fenced properly. Alawa also informed that the two siblings of the dead cub have been spotted inside the enclosure.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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National News
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The State Cabinet on Tuesday decided to strengthen rural transport system as per Transport Policy 2010, which divides the routes into two categories - general routes and rural routes.
General routes will be those connecting tehsil headquarters or administered by municipal corporation, municipality or nagar panchayat. Even part of a general route will be identified as general route.
Rural routes will be those connecting one village with another in which inclusion of general route is less than 5 km. With a view to increase the capacity of buses running on rural routes, it has been decided that buses plying on general routes should have more than 21 seats and those plying on rural routes will have less than 22 seats capacity, excluding the driver and conductor.
Only buses with these capacities will be given permits in a bid to ensure that only suitable buses plied on rural routes and chances of misusing concessions were minimised.
‘Rural Bus Service’ will also be defined and notified. Medium size vehicles, whose capacity is between 6 and 21 seats, will be in the category of Rural Bus Service and such vehicles will be permitted to run in rural areas only.
‘Rural Bus Service’ will be written on a white ribbon of 10 cm width and in blue colour on the top of the windscreen and on both sides of the body of such buses.
For rural routes and buses plying on these routes, tax on concessional rate will be implemented so that bus services on these routes do not run on loss.
The buses plying on these routes will have to pay Rs 60 per seat per three months as taxes. At present the rate per seat per month for 100 km is Rs 120 on rural routes.
The three-tier tax system was notified on May 15 2008. The situation prevailed before the notification will be reinstated. As a result of this prime route and far-flung route system will have no difference.
The tax rate for general routes has been fixed at Rs 160 per seat for 100 kms and above this the rate will be Rs 10 per seat per 10 kms.
The Cabinet has also decided to increase the retirement age of medico-legal officers working in Madhya Pradesh Medico Legal Institutions from 60 years to 65 years.
The Cabinet has also decided to give five years time to pass Hindi typing examination to Class IV employees who were promoted as Assistant Grade III.
Defers request to mortgage land for medical college
SR: A proposal to allow a Jain organisation to mortgage a 25 acre plot of land for setting up a medical college on the outskirts of Bhopal was deferred by the State Cabinet here on Tuesday. The organisation wanted to mortgage the land with a bank to raise funds for the construction of the college building.
The State Government had allotted the land to Digambar Jain Sarvodaya Gyanpeeth in Badwai village in September 2008 on a lease rent of only Re 1 per square feet. Sources said as soon as the proposal was brought before the Cabinet, Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur objected to it, saying if the Government land was mortgaged, what the organisation would do.
Gaur said that two years ago, when the land was allotted to the organisation, the rules and regulations had clearly mentioned that the Government land cannot be mortgaged.
Following the objection, the Cabinet deferred the proposal to a later date.
nitya007's
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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SPECIAL NEWS
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Home, auto and education loans from a host of banks have become costlier for existing borrowers by up to 75 basis points, after lenders hiked interest rates in line with the RBI's hawkish policy stance.
While the country's second largest public sector lender, Punjab National Bank (PNB), raised its benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) by 75 basis points to 11.75% , Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce increased it by 50 basis points each to 12.50 per cent.
In addition, Union Bank and IDBI upped their BPLR by 50 basis points each to 12.25% and 13.25%, respectively.
However, the country's largest lender, SBI, has so far not hiked its BPLR.
"The borrowers linked to BPLR will see a hike in interest rates... home, auto and education loans will get costlier," PNB chairman and managing director K R Kamath said.
He, however, said the existing borrowers have the option to switch over to the base rate, below which the banks cannot lend. PNB has fixed its base rate at 8%.
Other bank officials also echoed similar views. From July, bankers moved to a new system of benchmarking their lending rates, namely the base rate, which has replaced the BPLR. As such, while fresh loans will be linked to the base rate, existing borrowing from banks are on the basis of the BPLR. Existing borrowers can also shift to the base rate system.
The RBI, in its monetary review on July 27, raised the short-term borrowing (reverse repo) rate by 50 basis points and lending (repo) rate by 25 basis points.
It, however, kept the cash reserve ratio -- the portion of deposits banks are required to park with the central bank in cash -- unchanged, due to the difficult liquidity position in the markets.
When asked if there could be a further BPLR hike, Kamath said, "It would depend on the RBI policy measures."
Analysts expect the RBI to further up its short-term rates at its mid-quarterly monetary review on September 16, if inflationary pressures exist.
Inflation stood at 10.55% in June. Food inflation was 9.53% during the week ended July 24.
nitya007's
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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National News
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Mumbai: In a big relief, two days after two ships collided off the coast of Mumbai, Coast Guard authorities have said the oil leak from the MSC Chitra has now been plugged. But the oil already in the sea along the Mumbai coast line will take a month to clear, according to environmental authorities and is still a serious worry. Meanwhile, the government is trying its best to contain the damage already done.
India is fighting to stave off an environmental disaster because of the leak. Sources say grave lapses led to the ships colliding.
Maharashtra Environment Minister Suresh Shetty has said there is a vessel traffic monitoring system which tracks ships and there seems to have been a miscommunication between the control and the captains of the ships because of a frequency problem.
Shetty said both these companies to which these ships belonged would have to bear the cost of the clean-up. That could take some doing as, in a double whammy, there is an oil slick that is spreading fast with about three to four tones of oil spilling every hour and drums filled with pesticide have detached from the MSC Chitra - one of the ships that collided and is tilting precariously - and are now floating dangerously in the sea, also becoming a navigation hazard.
When the MSC Chitra collided with the Khalijia on Saturday, it had a cargo of 1,219 containers holding 2662 tonnes of fuel, 283 tonnes of diesel and 88040 litres of lubricant oil. Thirty-one containers had pesticide in them. The Chitra tilted sharply under the impact of the collision, resulting in the oil spill and now, containers of pesticide bobbing off on the sea.
Some of the containers have drifted near the Gateway of India.
Worse, about 400 tonnes of oil have been spilt, spreading over two to three kilometers already and will take about a month to clear, the government has said.
The oil is now spreading because of high tide. The slick has reached the beaches of Alibaug, Marva and the Elephanta caves in Mumbai and is also threatening the mangrove belt along the coastline. Efforts are on to ensure it does not.
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has been alerted as the slick has also reached the Sewree area where it is located.
Water samples are being tested in the sea from the Mumbai coast to Raigad and six coast guard ships have been deployed to neutralise fuel and pollution.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has said that the oil spill is a serious concern. "The oil slick off the Mumbai coast is a serious worry and the government is trying its best to contain the damage," Chavan told NDTV.
The government has sounded an alert for fisherman and others along the coast asking them not to venture out at sea and has asked people to avoid eating fish.
Concerned over the oil spill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday called for a report from the Shipping Ministry on the incident. "The Prime Minister has called for a preliminary report from the Shipping Ministry on the oil spill," PMO sources said.
The issue was also raised in the Rajya Sabha where Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said legal action has been initiated against owners of the two vessels.
"Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board has already initiated legal action against the owners of the ships," Ramesh said.
The worry also is that there can be a bigger disaster waiting to happen if the MSC Chitra cannot be refloated. A ship that size can change the fish habitat, alter the topography of land nearby and poison the sea in the area for decades once it floods.
The key questions that need to be answered fast now are, does India have the technology to deal with this sort of marine disaster? Can the ship, which is broken, be welded where it's leaking? Can the cargo be lifted off the ship and placed on barges to make the ship lighter and perhaps easier to refloat?
And the big question: Who will pay for the clean-up?
The MSC Chitra and Khalijia had collided on Saturday at the mouth of the Mumbai harbour. The Khalijia had been at the harbour for over a fortnight for repair work when the collision took place.
A case has been registered against the captains and crews of both ships. The Director General of Shipping has also ordered an inquiry. (With PTI inputs)
nitya007's
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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National News
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Salman Khan is angry and this time it has nothing to do with Vivek Oberoi. The Bollywood superstar, famous for being politically incorrect, is irked by the current state of affairs in the country.
The 44-year-old star, who plays a corrupt cop in Abhinav Singh Kashyap's upcoming film Dabanng expressed his displeasure on the micro-blogging website Twitter.
"Whts India? Nation whr Pizza rchs home Faster thn Ambulance & Police...Whr u get Car Loan @ 5 percent bt Edu Loan @12 percent(sic!). Whr Rice is Rs 40 bt Sim card is free...Whr ppl worship Goddess Durga bt wnt to kill their girl child," Salman wrote in a post.
"Olympic shooter wins gold, govt gives 3crore. Another shooter dies fighting with terrorist, govt pays 1 lakh. Really, Incredible India," he added.
However, the actor later clarified that the views expressed are messages he has recived which he forwarded through tweets.
"The earlier twts r sms thtve been floating ard. I thot I shud shar it wit u guys!(sic)'," Salman wrote on his page.
nitya007's
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Sunday, August 08, 2010
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SPECIAL NEWS
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Photo: iheartapple
Shark attacks are a fairly rare occurrence. Sharks generally don't enjoy eating people, much preferring fattier nautical fare like delicious blubbery seals. Most attacks are a case of mistaken identity, occurring in low visibility situations where a shark is more likely to mistake a flailing human for a tasty sea lion. Still, attacks do happen, and when they do they're often terrifying and horrific. Here are the 15 worst shark attacks ever.
15. French surfer's arm ripped off when attacked by several sharks
Photo: iheartapple
On March 6, 2009 a 19-year-old French student was surfing with friends at a popular surf spot in the French Pacific territory island of New Caledonia, when he was attacked by a group of sharks. As the attack began, the student flailed his way back to the boat where his friend was waiting, but the group of sharks began biting at his leg, and eventually succeeded in ripping his arm off entirely. The student managed to reach the boat, but by the time his friend was able to get him to shore he had already died from the shark-inflicted wounds. Several sharks versus one Frenchman really doesn't seem like a very fair fight, but sharks really don't like to play fair when it comes to making a meal out of someone. The attack was the first fatal shark attack in the area since 2007, when a shark attack killed a nurse, which seems to point to sharks in the New Caledonia area being real picky about the social value of the humans they decide to snack on.
14. 22ft shark heroically defends innocent abalone by devouring a diver
Photo: iheartapple
June 1959: Robert Pamperin was diving for abalone in La Jolla Cove, California, when suddenly he began screaming for help. His diving partner, Gerald Lehrer, turned to see his friend rising unusually high in the water. Swimming over quickly to help his friend, Lehrer watched as he was slowly dragged down into the now crimson waters. Lehrer took a breath, and dove below only to see his friend waist deep into the sharks mouth, legs first. Lehrer estimated that the shark was 22ft long, and based on the teeth, most likely a Great White. Lehrer surfaced to get more air into his lungs, then dove down again in an attempt to scare the shark off. Lehrer swam down and flailed his arms and legs in a futile attempt to startle the creature, but the shark was not about to let go of his meal. Lehrer surfaced again, and swam to the beach to alert the coast guard. Scuba divers spent hours searching the sea floor for any signs of Pamperin, but their search only yielded a single swim fin. The single swim fin being the only remains unearthed would go on to become a popular cliche of shark attacks for years to come.
13. 10-year-old boy attacked and killed by a shark in only 4ft of water
Photo: iheartapple
We like to imagine that fatal shark attacks can be avoided if we just stick to shallow waters, but that's sadly not the case. A 10-year-old boy died of injuries inflicted by a shark while playing on a sandbar 50ft from shore at Virginia Beach, where the water was only 4ft deep. When the shark attacked, the boy's father, who had accompanied him out to the sandbar, attempted to beat the shark over the head, trying to get it to release his helpless son. The boy suffered multiple bites on his legs and thigh, resulting in a large loss of blood. He was rushed to a hospital, but he died in the intensive care unit. This was the first fatal shark attack in the history of Virginia, with only five non-fatal attacks having been previously reported. The type of shark that attacked the boy was unknown, though it was most likely a smaller species like the sandbar or sand tiger.
12. Abalone have obviously struck some sort of deal with Great White sharks, so be careful!
Photo: iheartapple
Randy Fry and his friend Cliff Zimmerman were free diving for abalone off the coast of Mendocino County in California in 2004 when, in an instant, Fry became the 10th victim of a Great White shark attack in California history. Fry had just taken a deep breath and had dove back into the water to make his descent to the sea floor when he was suddenly charged by a Great White shark and killed instantly. Zimmerman, who had momentarily turned away from his friend, heard a great "whooshing" sound and reported that the water felt as if "a boat had gone by." He quickly spun around to see a fin momentarily surface before it disappeared into the now bloody waters. "It was the most dramatic thing I ever saw in my life," Zimmerman said. "It's just not real. This monster came so fast, it happened so fast and was over so fast you think, 'How can this happen?'" Days later Fry's remains were discovered, his severed head and torso recovered separately. Based on this incident and the Robert Pamperin attack, it's obvious that the abalone population has struck some sort of nefarious aquatic deal with Great White sharks in exchange for protection; it's probably best to steer clear of them from now on.
11. Man in Cape Town devoured by a Great White shark
Photo: iheartapple
Lloyd Skinner, 37, tried to escape the 95'F heat in Cape Town, South Africa by taking a stroll to one of Cape Town's most popular beaches. Skinner waded into the cool waters, blissfully unaware of the behemoth creeping up on him. A Great White pummeled towards Skinner at 25mph, enveloping the man's entire body in its enormous mouth. Skinner somehow managed to struggle his way back to the surface, the waters around him turning blood red. Moments later the shark made it's second attack, knocking Skinner into the air before pulling him back into the crimson waters. Nobody was able to find a trace of Lloyd Skinner after the attack, leading authorities to believe that the shark consumed the man whole. Witnesses described the shark as "dinosaur huge." Experts believe that the increased popularity of shark baiting in the area has contributed to an increase on shark attacks, with the smell of chum used being spread through the oceans, leading Great Whites to be attracted closer and closer to shores in search of a meal.
10. More proof that abalone and Great White sharks are in collusion
Photo: iheartapple
On September 15, 1984, Omar Conger and his diving partner Chris Rehm were off the coast of Santa Cruz, California, diving for abalone, when once again a shark appeared in the defense of his abalone allies. The two men had managed to capture about 3 abalone after 30 or so minutes of work. Conger was taking a break, floating lazily in the water and looking out to sea while Rehm rested on the surf-mat the two were sharing, when suddenly a huge Great White surfaced behind Conger, grabbed him, and while shaking him violently pulled him below the surface of the water. Seconds later, the shark resurfaced, and with it's back fully out of the water and Conger still in its mouth, it began swimming full speed at Rehm. When it reached only a few meters away from Rehm's surf-mat, the shark inexplicably let go of Conger, and swam off. Rehm immediately swam over to help his friend, but on their way to the shore it was clear that Conger was already dead. His wound marks suggested that the shark had grabbed him by both thighs before dragging him under water, and that the shark was likely around 16 ft in length. Three more shark attacks occurred over the next 15 day period, though fortunately Conger remained the only casualty.
9. Look, if you don't want to get killed by a Great White shark then just don't dive for abalone, okay?
Photo: iheartapple
In the autumn of 1974, Terry Manuel was diving for abalone off Cape Catastrophe, South Australia (yeah, sounds like a REALLY good place for not getting eaten by sharks, Terry). Manuel had just finished his collection, and was returning to the surface when a 15ft Great White ascended below him at nearly 25mph and struck him with such force that he was lifted to the surface and all the way out of the water. On the boat, Manuel's diving partner John Talbot saw what had happened and began dragging Manuel over by his air hose. Once he was close enough, Talbot grabbed Manuel by his arms and struggled to wrench his legs from the shark's powerful jaws. Eventually, Talbot succeeded, but the shark had completely severed one of Manuel's legs. Manuel bled to death shortly afterwards.
8. Sharks find tuba players especially tasty
Photo: iheartapple
No matter how appealingly named the place you are swimming in is, you must remember that cute names are no guarantee that you won't die a gruesome shark-related death. Just ask Barry Wilson (just kidding, you can't because he's dead), a 17-year-old tuba player who holds the dubious distinction of being the first recorded shark attack victim in the history of California. Wilson was swimming about 40ft from shore with a friend at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove, CA when he suddenly began violently shaking from side-to-side. Wilson began to scream for help, but the shark quickly made his second pass, attacking Wilson from the front, lifting his body completely out of the water before dragging him into the murky depths. A few moments later, Wilson reappeared and continued screaming. Witnesses swam to his aid, struggling to get Wilson back to shore, but the rocky current made the task difficult and slow; Wilson bled to death on the trip. Wilson's right hamstring and buttocks had been almost completely severed in the attack, and his right leg had severe bite marks.
7. 13-year-old phenom surfer loses entire arm to a tiger shark
Photo: iheartapple
Bethany Hamilton was surfing off the coast of Kauai on Halloween morning in 2003 when she lost her entire left arm to a 15ft tiger shark. Hamilton was paddling out to catch a wave, her left arm dangling in the water, when a "gray blur" suddenly attacked her. The shark began tugging her arm back and forth and the next thing Hamilton knew, her left arm (from the shoulder down) was floating in the water, while she held on to her surfboard for dear life with her right. She began paddling furiously back to the beach with her right arm, and with the aid of her friends, made it to the beach where she passed out. A friend's father fashioned a tourniquet for Hamilton's arm out of a surf leash, but even that wasn't enough to stop Hamilton from losing 70 percent of her blood. Miraculously, Hamilton survived, with the doctors attributing her excellent physical condition to playing a huge role in her recovery. A month later, Hamilton was surfing again competitively.
6. Man captures the loss of his leg to a Great White on film
Henri Bource and two other divers were playing with seals off the coast of Australia when a Great White shark came up under him and grabbed onto his leg with its powerful jaws. Bource tried to fight back by attempting to gauge out the shark's eyes and shoving his arm down the shark's throat in order to free his leg. Bource's efforts were not enough to stop the beast, and the shark eventually succeeded in ripping Bource's leg clean off. His screams alerted his fellow divers, who managed to drag him back onto the boat. Once aboard the ship, Bource was able to tell the other divers his blood type, which they radioed to shore. He survived the attack, and used the footage he shot of it later in his documentary "Savage Shadows."
5. Tiger sharks devour scuba diver in the Bahamas
Photo: iheartapple
On May 30, 2008, a power boat capsized near Memory Rock in the Bahamas, a popular shark baiting site (shark baiting is the practice of lowering divers into shark cages and then throwing out bait to attract sharks). Four scuba divers floated helplessly as they were encircled and harassed by a group of hungry tiger sharks. Two men and one woman drowned after the boat capsized, but Captain Jonathan Rose, whose boat was in the area, witnessed the sharks devour the entire body of at least one man. Rose was able to rescue the three bodies from the sharks, but he had to stand helplessly by as the voracious animals shredded and consumed the fourth. Since there were no survivors, it's unknown if there were potentially more divers eaten by the sharks before Rose arrived on the scene. "It was a pretty horrible sight," Rose said. "It's just not something you can get out of your brain."
4. Sharks terrorize the Jersey Shore, unfortunately 94 years too early to eat Snooki
Photo: iheartapple
Four people were killed in shark attacks along the Jersey Shore during the deadly heat wave of 1916. Charles Vansant, 25, was the first victim. While Vansant was enjoying an early evening swim, sharks came and attacked, stripping the flesh from his thigh, causing Vansant to bleed to death. Five days later, the second victim, Charles Bruder, was killed when a shark ripped into his abdomen and severed both his legs. The last attacks occurred 6 days later on July 12. Lester Stillwell, 12, was dragged underwater while he and some friends played at Matawan Creek. Watson Fisher splashed in to rescue the boy, but the shark fought back and dragged Fisher underwater with him. A half mile downstream, teenager Joseph Dunn was attacked and bitten on the leg by a shark, but his friends managed to drag him away from the beast and rush him to a local hospital where his leg was saved. Two days after these final attacks, a Great White shark was caught in Raritan Bay. When the shark's stomach was cut open, fisherman discovered 15 pounds of human flesh. It's still unknown whether these attacks were all the work of one shark, or if the shark community had somehow banded together to wage war on the residents of New Jersey.
3. 13-year-old mutilated by a shark, miraculously survives
Photo: iheartapple
Photo: iheartapple
Rodney Fox was defending his Australian spear-fishing title on December 8, 1953, when a Great White shark grabbed him by the middle of his torso. The shark gripped Fox in his powerful jaws, while the 13-year-old desperately tried to use his spear to gouge the shark's eyes. Finally, one of his attacks met it's mark and the shark released him, but quickly circled around and came back for more. At this point Fox jammed his arm down the sharks mouth, and when he pulled it out the flesh was stripped away by the shark's razor-like teeth. The shark then returned for a third attack, grabbing Fox and dragging him along the ocean floor where the boy nearly drowned. Miraculously, he was suddenly released and pulled up by rescuers into a nearby boat. The bones were visible on Fox's right hand, arm, and rib cage. His lungs and upper stomach had also been exposed by the attack. By keeping Fox's wetsuit on him, his rescuers prevented his organs from spilling out of his body. Fox was rushed to a hospital, and after four hours of surgery and 360 stitches, the boy went on to develop the shark cage so that he and other's could better study sharks in their environment and filmed the live shark footage used in the film Jaws.
2. Woman ripped in half, devoured by Great White
Photo: iheartapple
On March 3, 1985, Shirley Ann Durdin, 33 and mother of four, was scanning the bay floor for scallops in Port Lincoln, Australia. Although she was 150 yards out, the water was only 6ft deep. As her husband and children watched in horror from the shore, a Great White shark, which witnesses estimated was about 19-20 ft in length, seemingly came out of nowhere and attacked Mrs Durdin, ripping her in two. The shark circled around to make another pass, at which point the beast devoured her corpse whole. Mrs Durdin's husband Barry had to be held down by friends to keep from jumping into the water to rescue his wife, while he frantically repeated, "She's gone, she's gone." Authorities that in the day's after the attack searched for any remains found only a solitary swim fin.
1. Sharks massacre US soldiers in the Pacific
Photo: iheartapple
On July 30, 1945, a Japanese submarine fired two torpedos at the USS Indianapolis, splitting the ship in half. 900 members of the ship's crew - most lacking life rafts - abandoned ship, jumping into the Pacific waters to await rescue. The first night passed without incident, but during sunrise the next day, sharks arrived on the scene. The sharks bit and killed several of the weakened soldiers, and the smell of their blood spilling into the water only served to attract more sharks. Four days passed before a rescue ship arrived on the site, only to discover the most horrific shark attack in history: 579 men were dead, some rent to pieces by the ravenous sharks. Of the 900 crew members who survived the torpedo attack, only 321 were pulled from the waters alive, and eventually 4 of those rescued would not survive, putting the casualty total for the attack at 583 shark-related deaths. One of the survivors, Woody James, recounted his experience, "The sharks were around, hundreds of them... Everything would be quiet and then you'd hear somebody scream and you knew a shark had got him."
nitya007's
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Sunday, August 08, 2010
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Billionaires
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg In this picture: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to supporters after his election win in New York.
Images of the billionaires who have pledged to give at least 50 pc of their wealth to charity. Here are some excerpts from letters written by billionaires taking the pledge:
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: "If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing -- by far -- is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children. And by giving, we inspire others to give of themselves, whether their money or their time."
Microsoft founder Bill Gates and wife Melinda In this picture: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and wife Melinda watch the swimming finals at the National Aquatic Centre during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Microsoft founder Bill and Melinda Gates: "We have been blessed with good fortune beyond our wildest expectations, and we are profoundly grateful. But just as these gifts are great, so we feel a great responsibility to use them well. That is why we are so pleased to join in making an explicit commitment to the Giving Pledge."
Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett In this picture: Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett talks with a reporter at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha.
Gates and Buffett launched "The Giving Pledge" in June to convince hundreds of US billionaires to give away most of their fortune during their lifetimes or after their deaths and to publicly state their intention with a letter of explanation.
Media magnate Ted Turner In this picture: Turner Enterprises Inc. Chairman Ted Turner participates in the "Ted Turner and T Boone Pickens on America's Energy Future" panel at the 2010 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California.
Media magnate Ted Turner: "I'm particularly thankful for my father's advice to set goals so high that they can't possibly be achieved during a lifetime and to give help where help is needed most. That inspiration keeps me energized and eager to keep working hard every day on giving back and making the world a better place for generations to come."
Philanthropist Eli Broad In this picture: Philanthropist Eli Broad speaks during the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) New 30th anniversary gala in Los Angeles.
Philanthropist Eli and Edythe Broad: "Those who have been blessed with extraordinary wealth have an opportunity, some would say a responsibility -- we consider it a privilege -- to give back to their communities, be they local, national or global."
Director George Lucas In this picture: Director George Lucas arrives on the red carpet for the screening of the film Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps during the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in Cannes.
Moviemaker George Lucas: "My pledge is to the process; as long as I have the resources at my disposal, I will seek to raise the bar for future generations of students of all ages. I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education."
David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, gives an interview after speaking at the Newseum in Washington.
EBay founder and chairman Pierre Omidyar EBay founder and chairman Pierre Omidyar enters the courthouse to testify in the eBay versus Craigslist trial at the Chancery Court in Georgetown.
Peter Peterson, founder of Blackstone firm In this picture: Peter Peterson, Senior Chairman of the Blackstone Group, talks before US President George W Bush's speech at the Economic Club of New York.
Peter Peterson, founder of Blackstone Group equity firm: "As I watched and learned from my father's example, I noticed how much pleasure his giving to others gave him. Indeed, today, I get much more pleasure giving money to what I consider worthwhile causes than making the money in the first place."
Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder
Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder and the world's fourth richest man according to Forbes Magazine, speaks to the media after he announced plans to build a $ 20 million science fiction museum adjacent to his Experience Music Project, in Seattle, Washington.
Business magnate David Rockefeller In this picture: Business magnate David Rockefeller listens to a question at a press conference attended by South African President Nelson Mandela following a meeting with Uniited States business leaders at Rockefeller Center in New York.
David Rockefeller, patriarch of the Rockefeller family: "Our family continues to be united in the belief that those who have benefited the most from our nation's economic system have a special responsibility to give back to our society in meaningful ways."
Jeff Skoll, former eBay executive In this picture: Former eBay President and film producer Jeff Skoll arrives at the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa.
Jeff Skoll, former eBay executive: "The world is a vast and complicated place and it needs each of us doing all we can to ensure a brighter tomorrow for future generations."
Barry Diller Barry Diller, chairman and CEO of IAC/InterActivecorp, and his wife Diana von Furstenberg arrive at the Sun Valley Inn in Sun Valley, Idaho.
nitya007's
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Saturday, August 07, 2010
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SPECIAL NEWS
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London: Swapping two glasses of red a night for a pint of beer can help people lose weight, according to a new study.
Research by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has shown that drinking beer rather than wine could mean losing almost 10lb in a year. And by ditching alcopops for beer, people could end up 19lb lighter.
Beer contains fewer calories than wine - although around a third of people mistakenly believe beer has more calories than other drinks, says the study.
A glass of white wine contains an average 131 calories - 46 more than a half of bitter, with 85.
Changing drinks for just a week would burn off more calories than an hour's jogging.
"For years beer has been blighted by a reputation for being more fattening," the Sun quoted brewing expert Prof Charlie Bamforth as saying.
"The major source of calories in any alcoholic drink is the alcohol itself, and because beer is the drinks category with the lowest average alcohol content, it's also lowest in calories," Bamforth added.
nitya007's
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Saturday, August 07, 2010
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Moneycontrol
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The insurance giant AIG on Friday reported a $538 million loss in the second quarter due to charges related to selling assets to repay the federal government bailout it received during the financial meltdown.
AIG's adjusted results excluding the charges beat Wall Street expectations as its insurance business improved. Its CEO also said discussions are under way regarding a government exit from its huge stake in the company. Its shares rose in midday trading.
American International Group Inc. said its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $3.96 per share. It had a profit of $311 million, or $2.30 per share, a year ago.
The net loss attributable to AIG was a larger $2.66 billion. That is much bigger than the $538 million loss attributed to its shareholders, because it includes the portion that the government is shouldering. The government owns 80 percent of AIG.
Removing the charges, AIG earned $1.99 per share, up from $1.71 per share last year. That reflected improved performance in its insurance business, despite heavy claims related to the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion and subsequent spill, storms and flooding in the U.S. during the quarter and the Icelandic volcano.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, on average, expected profit of 99 cents per share.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Cliff Gallant said the results were confusing because the company is undergoing so many changes. But he saw positive signs in the results, most notably that the insurance operations continue to be profitable.
"There has certainly been enough damage to the reputation that there was a risk that insurance operations would start to fall apart, and there's no sign of that," Gallant said.
The company's overall loss included $3.42 billion in charges related to the sale of its American Life Insurance Co. unit, or Alico, and its Nan Shan Life Insurance Co. Both are in the process of being sold to help pay back some of the $180 billion in federal bailout funds received in late 2008. The Alico sale to MetLife Inc. should close by the end of the year.
The company said in July it will conduct an initial public offering of AIA, its Asian life insurance unit, on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, after the sale of the company to Britain's Prudential PLC fell through.
AIG also reported $755 million in interest and other charges on its emergency line of credit from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That was down from $1.4 billion last year, due mainly to a reduction in the balance of the loan, which stood at $26.5 billion on June 30.
When the sale of Alico and the AIA IPO are completed, President and CEO Bob Benmosche said in a recorded statement, "We believe we will be well within striking distance of completing our repayment of the Fed.The total amount of outstanding government assistance fell slightly during the second quarter to $132.1 billion, not including the emergency line of the credit. Benmosche said in the recording that, over time, the company expects to fully repay taxpayers.
The value of the two units that hold investment assets pledged to the government rose during the quarter.
KBW's Gallant said the talk about a government exit is ahead of his expectations. There's still a lot of uncertainty about how the government will sell off its holdings, but once it's resolved, the value of the company to investors will rise, he said. "I think that's critical to the stock."
AIG no longer holds a conference call to discuss quarterly results. Benmosche said in the recording that the company's insurance businesses were "solid," posting income of $2.2 billion for the quarter.
When the restructuring is complete, the CEO said, the company will have two main businesses, Chartis, its main general insurance unit, and SunAmerica Financial Group, its U.S. life insurance and retirement unit.
Chartis posted operating income of $955 million. Chartis incurred about $287 million in catastrophe losses during the quarter, with claims related to floods in the southeastern U.S., Hurricane Alex and other storms, the Icelandic volcano and $23 million related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Net written premiums declined 1.6 percent to $7.8 billion.
SunAmerica posted operating income of $1.1 billion, up from $254 million last year.
Lower delinquency rates on mortgages backed by United Guaranty Corp. helped that unit post income of $225 million, reversing a loss of $488 million last year. Benmosche pointed to this unit's second straight quarterly profit as a sign of the company's turnaround.
AIG shares rose $1.03, or 2.6 percent, to close at $40.93 Friday, after earlier bouncing as high as $42.19. The stock has changed hands between $21.30 and $55.90 in the past 52 weeks.
New Delhi: Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, on Friday refused to resign over allegations of corruption in the preparation for Games while addressing the media in New Delhi.
"I will quit only if the Prime Minister asks me to. Everything is on schedule and we will deliver the Games," said Kalmadi.
"We are doing a great job. A probe is going on and Jayachandran (officer of special duty for revenue and sponsorship who was sacked on Thursday) was questioned today," he said.
Earlier Kalmadi unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medal for the Games saying the Organising Committee has ordered a total of 1408 medals costing over Rs 81 lakh.
After unveiling the medals, Kalmadi hoped that Indian would better its performance at the Games and win over 70 medals.
The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee had on Thursday suspended TS Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo following the report of the three-member panel which was probing the financial irregularities related to the Queen's Baton Relay.
The names of Darbari, who was the joint director in the organising committee, and Mahendroo, who was deputy director general, figured in the investigations into alleged irregularities into services provided during the Queen's Baton Relay in London.
Jayachandran, Officer of Special Duty for revenue and sponsorship, was also removed.
In another step, RK Mattoo was made the new treasurer of the Organising Committee. Matto's appointment followed the resignation of Anil Khanna. Khanna quit as treasurer in wake of allegations that his son's firm secured contract for laying synthetic courts at RK Khanna Tennis Stadium, one of the venues of the October 3-14 Games.
The year 2010 has been a good year for Kajol: her film My Name Is Khan did well in theatres and her performance got rave reviews. The beautiful actress is also expecting her second baby in October. Kajol turns 35 today, on the 5th of August 2010, and is planning to spend a quiet evening with her family.
Kajol is also gearing up for her second release this year with Karan Johar’s We Are Family. The actress was busy shooting for the movie with Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in Australia. While Kajol plays a mother to three kids in the movie, the hazel-eyed actress is already mother to seven-year-old Nysa. Hubby Ajay Devgan is taking a sabbatical from work to be with her for the coming months. The couple has teamed up again for the 3D film Toonpur Ka Superhero.
nitya007's
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Thursday, August 05, 2010
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National News
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Amid allegation of large-scale irregularities regarding Commonwealth Games, Indian Railways, the lead partner in the event, on Wednesday made it clear that it would release the sponsorship fund only after getting certain clarifications from the CWG Organising Committee (OC).
Railways have pledged Rs 100 crore for the Games and an MoU is expected to be signed between the PSU behemoth and the Organising Committee shortly.
Railways have reportedly asked the OC whether any part of its pledged fund would be used as commission.
"Railways are concerned that the money is utilised properly and no part of it should be given to outsider or go as commission to any consultant," said a senior Railway official. The OC and railways are currently negotiating the MoU for the Railway sponsorship.
The official said the Rs 100 crore sponsorship amount would not be paid in cash entirely as part of it would be paid in kind.
Indian Railways is the biggest employer of sportsperson. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in her Budget speech has announced that Indian Railways would be a lead partner in the Commonwealth Games and Railways are committed to fulfil the announcement, the official said.
Besides Railways, NTPC, Air India and Central Bank are other public sector units who have promised to pay Rs 50 crore each to OC as sponsorship money.
NTPC is also believed to have sought some clarification before releasing its fund taking a cue from Railways.
Drought-affected farmers from Jarad village in Jharkhand have written a letter to the President of India and the Governor requesting them to grant permission to commit suicide. 
THINK
