Ayodhya verdict: Nearly 3000 troublemakers held in Mumbai

The Mumbai Police has rounded up nearly 3000 troublemakers in the city since last night, taking the total number of preventive arrests in view of the Ayodhya verdict to 7000.
Till yesterday, over 4000 troublemakers were apprehended under preventive measures to avert any eventuality in the aftermath of the Allahabad High Court verdict, police said. "Since last night, nearly 3000 more were picked up. We are leaving no stone unturned to maintain peace and harmony. All those picked up were categorised as troublemakers who may have caused law and order problem after the verdict," Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) Rajkumar Vhatkar said.
The city had witnessed large-scale riots post-Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made here with security personnel equipped with guns, lathis and riot control equipment keeping a strict vigil across the city. Besides city police force, State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Riot Control Force will be on the job to control the situation in case of any untoward incident, he said, adding elite forces such as the state's terror response teams Force One and Quick Response Teams have been kept on standby.
Notices have been served to nearly 1200 persons, some of them associated with political parties, under section CrPC 149 warning against indulging in any activity that causes law and order problem in the city. Prohibitory orders were also issued under section 144 of CrPC, putting restrictions on the assembly of people and preventing people from carrying out any activity that hurts religious sentiments of a community, police said.
"One should not do anything such as bursting fire crackers and organising processions in favour or against the judgement," Vhatkar said.

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AYODHYA VERDICT: Disputed site trifurcated, Ram idol to stay

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has dismissed the petition of the Sunni Waqf Board and said that the disputed site was the birth of Lord Ram and holds immense importance for Hindus.

Bringing to an end the suspense over the 60-year-old Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday pronounced its verdict. he 2.7 acre area in Ayodhya has been divided into three parts. One area would go to the Nirmohi Akhara, one to Hindus and third to Muslims’ Waqf Board.

But the three-judge Bench comprising Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice DV Sharma unanimously agreed that the particular area where the idols are installed is the birthplace of Lord Ram and would remain with the Hindus.

This means that the idols will not be removed from the site and the Hindus are free to build a temple there.

The parties have three months to appeal against the verdict.

Today’s judgment came after the last hurdle in its pronouncement was cleared by the Supreme Court Tuesday when it dismissed the petition by a retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi for deferment of the keenly-awaited verdict.

The Ayodhya dispute, which has been an emotive issue for decades and mired in a slew of legal suits involving Hindu and Muslim religious groups, dates back to the year 1528 when a mosque was built on the site by Mughal emperor Babar, which Hindus claim to be a birth place of Lord Ram and believe to be the spot where a Hindu temple existed since 11th Century.

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Ayodhya land to be divided into three parts: HC

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered that the disputed holy site in Ayodhya be divided into three parts: one-third for Hindu Mahasabha, one-third for Sunni Waqf Board and one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara.

The three-member bench of the Allahabad High Court,

comprising justices SU Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and DV Sharma today delivered a split verdict in 60-year old Ayodhya title suit.

The majority ruled that the disputed land in Ayodhya was a joint property, held by all the three claimants namely Hindu Mahasabha , Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Central Waqf Board. Justice SU Khan said that the mosque was built by Babar, not by demolishing a temple , but on the ruins of a temple.

According to Chief Standing Counsel of the UP Government, Devendra Upadhaya, the two judges namely Justices Khan and Agarwal ruled that the disputed property should be equally divided ( One third each) among the three parties. Justice DV Sharma has been categorical that the land belongs to Hindus and has rejected the claim of the Sunni Waqf Board.

However, the entire bench is of the view that the central dome of the disputed structure goes to Hindu Mahasabha, where the idols were installed in 1949 and again in 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Mosque. The sita rasoi and ram chabootara have been given to Nirmohi Akhara.

The bench has also directed maintenance of status quo for three months and invited suggestions from all the parties for demarcation of the land.

In view of the verdict, the nation has been put on high alert. Uttar Pradesh has turned into a fortress with thousands of paramilitary personnel patrolling the streets.

The intelligence network is on high alert throughout the state to monitor movement and activities of anti-social elements.
Aerial surveys of "sensitive places", including the Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, police sources said.

All the security personnel deployed in Ayodhya and Faizabad have been equipped with tear gas shells and rubber bullets and the gazetted officers of various government departments have been asked to assist in policing. They have also been provided with rubber bullets and tear gas shells.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court paved the way for the Ayodhya verdict to be delivered by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

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Live TV facility for train passengers soon

PATNA: While Railways has been focusing more on its modernization plan for safety reasons, it has also decided to provide entertainment to passengers on running trains.

It recently held talks with a renowned service provider to install live television facilities on a few select trains.

Depending on its successful implementation, railways could provide this facility in more premier trains.

According to a railway board official, earlier the music system was introduced in a few select trains including Rajdhani Express on several routes. But it was later withdrawn for one reason or the other. Now railways is keen to provide Live TV services on running trains for the entertainment of passengers during their long journey, the official said.

The board official told TOI that the railways has decided to launch Live TV services on the most luxurious trains Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels first on trial basis. These two luxurious trains are already fitted with flat screen LCD televisions. Thus it would not be a problem for railways to introduce TV channels on running trains, he said adding it would facilitate passengers of these two trains to get in touch with latest news.

According to the Board official, railways is chalking out a comprehensive plan to provide more amenities to passengers on running trains on the pattern of trains in European countries. While safety has been the main priority of the railways, improved amenity for the passengers on the running trains is now other concern of the railways. Indian Railways is still the cheapest means of communication compared to railway services in foreign countries, he said.

Meanwhile, railways has started the process to install close circuit cameras (CCTV) in all super fast trains across the country to step up security measures on running trains. This decision has been taken in the wake of repeated attacks on railway property and passenger trains, the Board official added.

According to him, the new system will also help railway security personnel to keep a tab on the activities of criminals or terrorists. Under the new plan, railways intends to install master computers at different places in various zones to keep under watch running trains through CCTV. Railway vigilance staff are working to prepare a foolproof security system on running trains, the official said.

Besides, railways is likely to introduce a new system in the Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express trains under which doors would remain locked throughout the journey. In any emergency, passengers could press the button provided in coaches and then a security staff would be available to them for assistance, sources said.

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India braced for violence ahead of Muslim v Hindu Ayodhya verdict

The ruling will bring a legal settlement to the property dispute which spans more than 60 years of Indian independence and caused riots throughout India in 1992 when extremists destroyed the site's 16th Century Babri Mosque to build a temple to the Hindu God Ram. More than 2,000 were killed in the violence which spread throughout India.

The government banned bulk text message sending to stop militant groups spreading false information and inciting violence amid fears the clashes could be repeated following today's (THURS) High Court decision ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday. 
The country is already on alert for a potential terrorist attack on the Games in the capital and its security personnel will be stretched even further by the threat of riots.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a former senior official on Tuesday to delay the verdict until after the Commonwealth Games.
Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, yesterday published a direct appeal in all popular newspapers, pleading with Hindus and Muslims to respect the court's verdict and challenge it through legal channels if they cannot accept it.
"It goes without saying that the judgment needs to be treated with the utmost respect. At the same time, we must remember the fact that the judgment, at this stage, is just one step in the judicial process. The determination of the issues need not necessarily end with this judgement unless it is accepted by all parties," he said.
"It is necessary for all sections of the people of India to maintain equanimity and tranquillity in the aftermath of the judgment. There should be no attempt by any section of the people to provoke any other section or to indulge in any expression of emotion that would hurt the feelings of other people."
Mr Singh pleaded for Indian tradition of respect for all religions be observed and warned that any could harm the country's rapid economic growth.
His appeal however heightened anxiety over the possibility of violence along with firm security measures. In Ayodya itself, in the heart of India's most populous state, police were issued with riot gear, including rubber bullets and tear gas, to quell any violence. Helicopters have been put on standby.
Twenty companies of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force have been drafted to protect the site itself, while 44 districts in the state have been declared as either sensitive or 'hypersensitive.'
The dispute focuses on who owns the site in Ayodhya - 83 miles from the state capital Lucknow - Muslims who have worshipped at the Babri Masjid since its construction in the 16th Century, or Hindus who believe it is the site of an ancient temple to their God, Ram. The property title has been held by the Sunni Central Waqf Board, which protects historic Muslim buildings and land.
In 1992, an estimated 150,000 Hindu fundamentalists, led by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including L.K Advani, converged on the Babri Masjid site where many destroyed the mosque. In the riots which followed in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad more than 2000 were killed. Ten years later, the dispute claimed fresh victims when Muslims attacked and killed 58 Hindu passengers on a train rumoured to be returning from Ayodhya. The massacre sparked riots throughout Gujarat ion which an estimated 1000 are believed to have died.
Leading commentator M.J Akbar, who reported the riots at the time, said he believed Indians had matured since 1992 and would not allow communal feelings threaten the country's growth.
"I think we're going to surprise everyone and shock ourselves by actually keeping the peace. This time around, after 18 years, we're going to show we can handle it through the Supreme Court. Not because we've become Gandhians but because people have realised violence is suicide. Whatever people want, it's not violence," he said.

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SBI raises deposit rates by 75 bps; base rate unchanged

MUMBAI: State Bank of India (SBI) has said that it will raise deposit rates by 25-75 basis points with effect from October 1, but the bank has kept the minimum rate of interest on loans unchanged at 7.5 per cent.
“The bank revises upwards the deposit rates by 25-75 bps in various maturities, effective October 1, 2010,” SBI said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The deposit rates of SBI are in the range of 4 per cent to 7.75 per cent. The bank said that it reviewed the base rate — the minimum lending rate below which bank cannot offer loans — at the existing level of 7.5 per cent. Thus, the base rate will contin ue to remain at 7.5 per cent per annum for the present.

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UP turns into a fortress ahead of Ayodhya verdict

Lucknow: A thick security blanket has been thrown in UP with paramilitary forces keeping an aerial vigil of sensitive places, including the disputed site in Ayodhya, even as the High Court, which would be pronouncing the verdict, has been declared a "no-access zone" restricting the entry to only those connected with the case listed today.
The intelligence network is on high alert throughout the state to monitor movement and activities of anti-social elements.

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Will HC succeed in settling Ayodhya dispute?

Lucknow: Will the Allahabad High Court succeed in settling the dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid, which has remained unresolved for decades?
This is the question on top of several minds as the nation awaits with bated breath the verdict in the six-decade- old legal dispute over the ownership of the land where the 1528-built Babri Masjid once stood.
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, comprising Justices D V Sharma, Sudhir Agarwal and S U Khan, is slated to pronounce the verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit at 3:30 PM.

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22 Uttar Pradesh areas under air surveillance

Lucknow: At least 22 places in Uttar Pradesh have been put under air surveillance with effect from Thursday morning, hours ahead of the much awaited Ayodhya verdict by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.
'The sensitive areas have been divided into three air zones - to be controlled from Lucknow, Varanasi and Meerut, where the state government has posted its own helicopters to remain in readiness,' a top government official said.

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Heavy security in India amid appeals for peace

New Delhi: Tens of thousands of security personnel were posted across India ahead of the Ayodhya verdict on Thursday afternoon. From Kashmir to Kerala, many states were on "extra vigil" fearing trouble in the aftermath of the judgement.

"We are monitoring the situation minute-by-minute," an official in the home ministry said. "So far satisfactory. We hope the situation will remain peaceful after the judgment too."

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When it was our turn, they filmed us, says alleged rapist

Mandla:  Six months after she was raped repeatedly by six young men, the victim has been identified because of an MMS that details her attack.

The victim, who is a Dalit and was 13 when she was raped, lives near Mandla in Madhya Pradesh.

Her rapists - all college students between the ages of 19 and 21 - include the sons of a policeman and a government official. Three of them, including the policeman's son, have been arrested. One, whose father is the Deputy Collector of Mandla, is missing.

"We did not want to defame her. She had come with us to the jungle. Three of the boys forced themselves on her. When it was our turn, they filmed us on their phone". That's the grizzly confession of one of the men arrested.
The victim's parents say that they were scared about filing a police case because of the powerful connections of the men who attacked their daughter.

The police are now investigating the case on the basis of the MMS. The accused have been charged with rape, intimidation, and illegally making and selling pornography.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/minor-gangraped-accused-include-son-of-bureaucrat-55620?cp

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/minor-gangraped-accused-include-son-of-bureaucrat-55620?cp

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I dream of being married, says Katrina Kaif

Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif reveals how important marriage is for her in the latest issue of the popular magazine Cosmopolitan.

In an interview, she said: "I belong to the mindset where having a husband and children are very important. I dream of being married and having kids and living happily ever after. That's me."

But may we remind her that the first step towards realising her dream is admitting she is in a relationship.

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Debut on small screen was against family’s advice: Amitabh

Amitabh Bachchan, who returns as the host of the fourth season of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), says his debut on small screen a decade ago was against the advice of family, friends and well-wishers.

“In the year 2000, I was not doing well personally. There was no money and I had no films to work and an offer for television changed all when I decided to anchor ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’,” Bachchan recalled.

Talking to reporters here last night, the Bollywood legend said even though he had liked the concept, initially he was apprehensive and hence he was taken to Britain at a studio where the original show ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ was being recorded.

“I liked the concept and the show and told the KBC producers that if they gave me similar format in India, I would readily do it,” he said.

When asked what was the new addition to the show from his side from the time he first hosted the show, the Big B said the only addition was his spectacles.

Bachchan pointed out that in real life, he would never get a chance to ask questions to the people whereas on the show, he could do it.

To a question if he would ever consider occupying the hotseat, Bachchan said it was for the producers to take a call on the issue, but he would prefer quitting the show as his “general knowledge” was not good.

“Occupying the hotseat is very difficult,” he added.

Bachchan said that he felt “honoured” that the Sony Television officials had decided to start the broadcast on KBC-4 from his birthday on October 11.

“Birthdays come and go, but starting the telecast of the show on that day is a rare occasion,” he said.

To a query, if KBC season three hosts Shah Rukh Khan will be the first celebrity guest on the hotseat, Bachchan said, “I have also read about it in the press.”

When asked if his family members would participate in the new variant of the show ‘Hotseat version’ where celebrity guests will play as a team for charity, Bachchan said if the channel invites them, the invitation would be considered.

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Share the Rajni madness with us!

Rajnikanth's new film Endhiran/ Robot is up for release this week and fans all over India are super-excited!
People are queuing up outside theatres at dawn just to get a first day, first show ticket. And the lines are endless! Don't believe us? Check out this video taken in Chennai!
Like all Rajni films, Endhiran will see poojas in some theatres to ensure its success -- a sight we never see for other film releases.
If you happen to see the Rajni madness, or even are part of it yourself, shoot videos of the excitement and mail it to us. We will publish them right here. You can send us pictures as well. Don't forget to send in your names and location!

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Nato raid 'kills Pakistan troops'

Three Pakistani soldiers have been killed in an attack by Nato helicopters during a cross-border attack, Pakistani officials say.

An unnamed Pakistani security official told the AFP news agency that the soldiers were killed in an "unprovoked attack" on a Pakistani checkpoint.
The Nato helicopters crossed up to 5km (three miles) into Pakistan, he said.
The strike was the third Nato raid across the border into Pakistan over the past week.

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Maintain peace whatever the verdict: Sonia

NEW DELHI: Keeping in view the air of apprehension and looming uncertainty over Thursday's judgment on the status of the disputed Ayodhya site, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi made an appeal to people to maintain peace irrespective of the what is the verdict on the "sensitive" issue.

"In keeping with our great liberal tradition and strength of the social mosaic, accept with equanimity the judgment whichever way it goes," she said in an appeal to people. Recalling India's credo of unity in diversity and the rich Ganga-Yamuna culture, Sonia said people should once again repose their faith in the judiciary. "Let us promote peace, goodwill and amity by all means," she said.

The Congress chief added that the entire country had agreed to abide by the court's decision in keeping with the judiciary's objectivity and unbiased character. "While on the one hand this rich tradition of the judiciary is a matter of pride for us, at the same time it symbolises the humane and conscientious ideology of Indian society," she said.

Congress chief's remarks confirmed the perception in the political circles that the government is laying great store by the promise of all political parties and those who are parties to the dispute to abide by the verdict. Pointing out that the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court would deliver its judgment on a "sensitive" issue, Sonia said accepting it dispassionately would be a test for the maturity and liberal culture of the country.

Read more: Maintain peace whatever the verdict: Sonia - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maintain-peace-whatever-the-verdict-Sonia/articleshow/6654613.cms#ixzz10wscufZv

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AUDI R8 V10 to cost INR 1.23 crore a piece

AUDI has launched its latest supercar R8 with the more powerful 5.2L V10 engine in India. The car was awarded the world performance car of the year award earlier this year for its mind numbing speed and superior handling thanks to AUDI’s quattro system.

R8 V10 uses a 5.2-litre Lamborghini-sourced V10 engine that produces 518bhp and 54.1kgm of torque.  0-100kph comes up in just 4.1 seconds with a top speed of 317kph. The V10 weighs 60kg heavier than its V8 sibling.

AUDI has priced its supercar competitively at just 1.23 crore, which way less than its direct rival Porsche 911 turbo in India. The car is also a mere INR 18 lakh more as compared to the V8 version.

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RIM plays catch-up with PlayBook – but with a new ally

In the smart phone war, RIM (RIM-T48.40-1.27-2.56%)had several years' head start on. In the tablet war, RIM is already almost a year behind.

With the announcement that RIM will launch the PlayBook tablet computer early 

next year, attention now shifts to RIM's ability to catch up with the success of the .

Part of the difficulty in figuring out that question is that, by the time RIM launches its product, some time around the iPad's one-year anniversary, Apple may also launch the second generation of its tablet.

“Not only do we not know what RIM’s device will look like, we also don’t know what [the new version of the iPad] will look like,” said Deloitte technology analyst Duncan Stewart.

Working in RIM's favour, however, is the fact that no company other than Apple has yet to make a splash in the tablet market, leaving the field still relatively open.

In large part, however, RIM's ability to provide the first real challenge to Apple in the tablet market will depend on the software powering its device.

The PlayBook runs on an operating system that's entirely different from that of any other BlackBerry product, designed by a software firm called QNX that RIM recently purchased.

Quietly, QNX is becoming the most important piece of RIM's future.

“Everyone expects the QNX software to migrate across the BlackBerry platform,” Mr. Stewart said.

“In the short term, a new operating system is a barrier for developers. In the long term, developers go where the customers are.”

When RIM first bought QNX, the smart phone maker saw the company as an entryway to the car market. QNX specialized in building niche operating systems for various industries, and the original RIM strategy had them designing such software for car entertainment and communication systems – the thinking was that many of the owners of high-end cars also own BlackBerrys.

Today, QNX is at the heart of RIM's boldest business decision. The company's operating system is expected to not only run the PlayBook tablet, but one day also all new BlackBerry smart phones. That alone makes learning the system vital for BlackBerry developers.

The PlayBook runs on a QNX operating system called Neutrino, which QNX executive Dan Dodge describes as “pretty damn advanced.” Indeed, the software is designed to work on much larger combinations of processor all working at once. Variations of the software are currently running everywhere from medical devices to nuclear reactors.

When the PlayBook launches, it will come with two preloaded “identities” – a corporate one and a consumer one. For example, if a user stops using the device for a while and their password login session times out, all the active corporate apps will lock down, whereas the consumer ones won't.

That balance of work and play is present in virtually every aspect of the new RIM tablet, including the choice of name.

“A playbook is how you succeed, but that word “play” is not forgotten,” Mr. Dodge said.

For RIM, the PlayBook introduction comes at a time when the tablet is starting to become a business staple. Technology giant and RIM partner SAP, for example, recently equipped many of its top executives with iPads. Other companies are starting to do the same.

There are still plenty of unanswered questions about the PlayBook – its price, its battery life, whether it's compatible with BlackBerry smart phone apps. However, it's clear RIM is positioning the device as a must-have for consumers and businesses.

“In 2010, any device that's expected to sell tens of millions of units must cater to consumer and enterprise,” Mr. Stewart said.

“Everything now bridges that divide, and it's partially BlackBerry's fault – that's the device that first said your business life is your personal life.”

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జయలలితకు బెదిరింపులు..సీబీఐ విచారణ

చెన్నై: అన్నాడీఎంకే అధ్యక్షురాలు జయలలితకు వచ్చిన బెదిరింపు లేఖలపై సీబీఐ విచారణ జరుపనుంది. జయలలితను హతమారుస్తామని వచ్చిన బెదిరింపు లేఖలపై ఆ పార్టీ ఒత్తిడి మేరకు ఐదు కేసులపై విచారణను సీబీఐకి అప్పగించేందుకు తమిళనాడు ప్రభుత్వం నిర్ణయించుకుంది. తమ పార్టీ అధ్యక్షురాలికి వచ్చిన బెదిరింపు లేఖలపై సీబీఐ విచారణ చేపట్టాలని అన్నాడీఎంకే నేతలు డిమాండ్ చేసిన నేపథ్యంలో ప్రభుత్వం ఇందుకు అంగీకరించింది. వచ్చేనెలలో జయలలిత మధురైలో పర్యటించనున్న సందర్భంగా ఆమెను హతమారుస్తామని పలు బెదిరింపు లేఖలు జయ ఛానల్‌కు రావడంతో ఫిర్యాదు మేరకు పోలీసులు చర్యలు తీసుకుంటున్నారు. జయకు వచ్చిన బెదిరింపు లేఖలను ఫోరెన్సిక్ పరీక్షలకు పంపారు.

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భూమిని దుర్వినియోగిస్తే వెనక్కి తీసుకుంటాం: కోమటిరెడ్డి

హైదరాబాద్: ప్రభుత్వం ఐటి కంపెనీలకు కేటాయించిన భూములను ఐటీ అభివృద్ధికి కాకుండా వేరే ఇతరత్రా అవసరాలకు వినియోగిస్తే వాటిని పరిశీలించి ఆ భూములను ప్రభుత్వం వెనక్కి తీసుకుంటుందని మంత్రి కోమటిరెడ్డి వెంకటరెడ్డి అన్నారు. వారికి ముందుగానే నోటీసులు ఇస్తామన్నారు. ముఖ్యమంత్రి రోశయ్య ఐటి అభివృద్ధి కోసం పాటుపడుతున్నారన్నారు. రాష్ట్రంలో ఇప్పటికే పలు ఐటి పార్కులు ఉన్నాయని, కొత్తగా వరంగల్, నల్గొండ జిల్లాల్లో ఐటి పార్కుల అభివృద్ధికి ముఖ్యమంత్రి ఆమోదం తెలిపారని ఆయన అన్నారు. అయోధ్య తీర్పు నేపథ్యంలో అందరూ శాంతియుతంగా ఉండాలని కోమటిరెడ్డి ప్రజలకు పిలుపునిచ్చారు. మత సామరస్యం కాపాడుకోవడానికి అందరూ సహకరించాలని, అందరూ అన్నదమ్ముల్లా మెలగాలని కోరారు. శాంతిభద్రతల విషయంలో ప్రజలు పోలీసులకు సహకరించాలని విజ్ఝప్తి చేశారు.

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అయోధ్యపై అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టుకు సుప్రీం గ్రీన్‌ సిగ్నల్‌ 30న 3:30 కు తీర్పు

న్యూఢిల్లీ, లక్నో: అయోధ్యలో రామజన్మభూమి, బాబ్రీ మసీదు స్థల వివాదంపై అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టు లక్నో బెంచ్‌ గురువారం (30వ తేదీన) మధ్యాహ్నం 3 గంటల 30 నిమిషాలకు తీర్పును వెలువరించనున్నట్టు ప్రకటించింది. ఆరు దశాబ్దాలుగా రెండు వర్గాల ప్రజల మధ్య కొనసాగుతున్న వివాదానికి సంబంధించి అత్యంత కీలకమైన ఈ తీర్పు కోసం దేశ వ్యాప్తంగా అన్ని వర్గాల ప్రజలు ఎడతెగని ఉత్కంఠతో ఎదురు చూస్తున్నారు. అయితే, ఈ తీర్పును వాయిదా వేయాలని కోరుతూ రిటైర్డ్‌ అధికారి రమేష్‌ చంద్ర త్రిపాఠీ దాఖలు చేసిన పిటిషన్‌పై ఈనెల 23వ తేదీన ఇచ్చిన స్టేని ప్రధాన న్యాయమూర్తి ఎస్‌హెచ్‌ కపాడియా నేతృత్వంలోని ధర్మాసనం ఈరోజు తొలగించింది.అయితే,ఆ రోజు పిటిషనర్‌కి హైకోర్టు విధించిన జరిమానాను రద్దు చేయలేదు. స్టే తొలగించడంతో అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టు అయోధ్యపై తీర్పు వెలువరించేందుకు అడ్డంకులన్నీ తొలగిపోయాయి. ఈ బెంచ్‌లో జస్టిస్‌ అఫ్తాబ్‌ ఆలం, జస్టిస్‌ కెఎస్‌ రాథాకృష్ణన్‌లు సభ్యులుగా ఉన్నారు. అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టు లక్నో బెంచ్‌ ఈనెల 24వ తేదీన అయోధ్యపై తీర్పును వెలువరించవలసి ఉండగా,23వ తేదీన సుప్రీంకోర్టు స్టే ఇచ్చిన సంగతి తెలిసిందే. ఇప్పుడు ఆ స్టేను సుప్రీంకోర్టు తొలగించింది.
ఈ తీర్పు వాయిదా కోసం దాఖలైన పిటిషన్‌ మీద వాదోపవాదాల సందర్భంగా అటార్నీ జనరల్‌ జిఇ వహనవతి ఈ వివాదం సాధ్యమైనంత త్వరలో పరిష్కారం కావాలని కేంద్రం కోరుకుంటున్నదని చెప్పారు. తీర్పు వెలువడే వరకూ ఉత్కంఠ కొనసాగడంతో పాటు శాంతిభద్రతల పరిరక్షణ సమస్యగా పరిణమిస్తుందనీ, అందువల్ల ఈ కేసు తీర్పు త్వరగా వెలవడాలన్నదే కేంద్రం అభిమతమని ఆయన చెప్పారు. ఈ వివాదాన్ని కోర్టు వెలుపల పరిష్కరించుకోవడానికి 3 నెలల పాటు ఈ కేసు తీర్పును అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టు తీర్పు వాయిదా వేసేట్టు ఆదేశించాలంటూ పిటిషన్‌ చేసిన విజ్ఞప్తితో వహనావతి అంగీకరించలేదు. పిటిషనర్‌ తరఫున సీనియర్‌ న్యాయవాది ముకుల్‌ రొహతగి వాదిస్తూ, హైకోర్టు తీర్పు వెలువడిన వెంటనే శాంతిభద్రతల సమస్యలు తలెత్తగలవన్న భయాన్ని వ్యక్తం చేశారు. 1992 డిసెంబర్‌ 6వ తేదీన బాబ్రీ మసీదు కూల్చివేత అనంతరం సంభవించిన పరిణామాలు పునరావృతం కాగలవన్న భయ సందేహాలను కూడా ఆయన వ్యక్తం చేశారు.
కాగా, ఇరువైపులా వాదనలను విన్న సుప్రీంకోర్టు బెంచ్‌ ఈ పిటిషన్‌ని తోసిపుచ్చుతున్నట్టు ప్రకటించింది.ఈ పిటిషన్‌ తోసిపుచ్చవలసిందేనన్నది తమ నిశ్చితాభిప్రాయమనీ, అందుకే తోసిపుచ్చుతున్నామని బెంచ్‌ పేర్కొంది. ఈనెల 23వ తేదీన జస్టిస్‌ రవీంద్రన్‌, హెచ్‌ఎల్‌ గోఖ్లేలతో కూడిన సుప్రీంకోర్టు బెంచ్‌ అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టు తీర్పు వాయిదాకు దాఖలైన పిటిషన్‌ని పురస్కరించుకుని తీర్పుపై స్టే ఇచ్చింది. అయితే, ఈ ఇద్దరు న్యాయమూర్తుల్లో జస్టిస్‌ రవీంద్రన్‌ ఆరోజే త్రిపాఠీ పిటిషన్‌ని తిరస్కరించాలని అన్నారు. ఇరువురు న్యాయమూర్తుల మధ్య భిన్నాభిప్రాయాల కారణంగా నేటికి వాయిదా వేశారు. నేడు సుప్రీంకోర్టు ప్రధాన న్యాయమూర్తి నేతృత్వంలోని విస్తృత బెంచ్‌ ఈ పిటిషన్‌ని పరిశీలించి తిరస్కరించింది. కొంతమంది హిందూ నాయకుల తరఫున న్యాయశాస్త్ర కోవిదుడు సోలీ సోరాబ్జీ వాదిస్తూ అలహాబాద్‌ హైకోర్టు తీర్పు వాయిదా వల్ల ఉత్కంఠ పెరిగిపోతోందనీ, అందువల్ల వెంటనే తీర్పు వెలువరించేందుకు అనుమతించాలని కోరారు. కాగా,కోర్టు వెలుపల పరిష్కారానికి గతంలో చాలా ప్రయత్నాలు జరిగాయనీ, అవేమీ ఫలించలేదనీ, అందువల్ల కోర్టు తీర్పే శరణ్యమని చాలా మంది కక్షిదారులు సుప్రీంకోర్టుకు
తెలియజేశారు. అయోధ్య తీర్పునకు ఆటంకాలను సుప్రీంకోర్టు తొలగించడం పట్ల కాంగ్రెస్‌, బిజెపి, సమాజ్‌వాదీ పార్టీ లతో సహా పలు పార్టీలు హర్షం వ్యక్తం చేశాయి. కోర్టు తీర్పునకు అంతా కట్టుబడి ఉండాలని అన్ని వర్గాల ప్రజలకు విడివిడిగా విజ్ఞప్తి చేశాయి. అయోధ్య తీర్పు గురువారం వెలువడనున్న నేపధ్యంలో అయోధ్య, లక్నోలతో సహా ఉత్తరప్రదేశ్‌ నగరాలు,పట్టణాల్లోనే కాక,ముంబై,ఢిల్లీ,హైదరాబాద్‌,అహ్మదాబాద్‌, జైపూర్‌ తదితర ముఖ్య నగరాల్లో బందోబస్తును పటిష్ఠం చేశారు. కీలకమైన ప్రాంతాల్లో అప్పుడే అదనపు దళాలను మోహరించారు.
భ ద్రతా దళాలను, విమానాలను సిద్ధం చేసిన కేంద్రం: అయోధ్య అంశంపై తీర్పు సందర్భంగా దేశంలోని ఏ ప్రాంతంలో పెద్ద ఎత్తున అల్లర్లు చెలరేగినా అక్కడకు సత్వరం భద్రతా దళాలను విమానాలు, హెలికాప్టర్లు ద్వారా తరలించేందుకు వీ లుగా 16 వ్యూహాత్మక ప్రాంతాల్లో కేంద్రం భద్రతా దళాల ను మోహరించింది. అన్ని రాష్ట్రాలు, ముఖ్యంగా ఉత్తరప్రదేశ్‌ మరింత 'ఎలర్ట్‌'ఆ ఉండాలని కోరింది. హోమ్‌ మంత్రి చిదంబరం దేశంలోని భద్రతా వాతావరణాన్ని సమీక్షించి అయోధ్య కేసులో తీర్పు అనంతరం శాంతిని కాపాడాలని అన్ని వర్గాల వారికి పిలుపునిచ్చారు. ఆయన తమ శాఖకు చెందిన కంట్రోల్‌ రూమ్‌ను, ఇంటిగ్రేటెడ్‌ ఆపరేషన్స్‌ సెంటర్‌ను సందర్శించి వాటి పనితీరును సమీక్షించారు. దేశ వ్యాప్త్తంగా ఉద్రిక్తతలు, తీవ్రమైన ప్రతిస్పందన వ్యక్తం కాగల 32 ప్రాంతాలను హోమ్‌ మంత్రిత్వ శాఖ గుర్తించింది. వాటిలో 4 ప్రాంతాలు ఉత్తరప్రదేశ్‌లో ఉన్నాయి. ఆ రాష్ట్రాలను అప్రమత్తంగా ఉండాలని కోరింది.

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ఆయేషా హత్య కేసు.. తుది తీర్పు నేడే..

విజయవాడ: సంచలనం సృష్టించిన ఆయేషా మీరా హత్య కేసు తుది తీర్పు బుధవారం వెలువడనుంది. కేసులో నిందితుడిగా సత్యంబాబును పోలీసులు పట్టుకొని విచారణ చేసిన విషయం తెలిసిందే. రెండున్నర సంవత్సరాల క్రితం జరిగిన ఆయేషా హత్యకు ఈ రోజు విజయవాడ కోర్టులో తుది తీర్పు రానున్నప్పటికీ ఈ కేసులో సత్యంబాబును నిర్దోషి అంటూ ఇటు బాధితులు, అటు సత్యంబాబు తల్లి అంటున్నారు. కాగా కేసులో ప్రత్యక్ష సాక్షులు లేకున్నప్పటీకీ సాంకేతిక ఆధారాల కారణంగా విచారణ చేపట్టనున్నారు. అయితే సత్యంబాబే అసలు సాక్షి అనడానికి ఉన్న ప్రత్యక్ష సాక్షి ఆధారం మాత్రం ధనరాజు. ఆయేషా హత్య జరిగిన రోజు ఆమె ఉంటున్న దుర్గ హాస్టల్ ఎదురుగా ఉన్న టీ కొట్టులో టీ తాగుతూ హాస్టల్ వద్దనే సత్యంబాబు తచ్చాడుతున్న విషయాన్ని చూశాడు. ధనరాజు ‘చక్రం’ చిత్రం చూడటానికి వచ్చి సత్యంబాబును చూశాడు. అంతకుమించిన ప్రత్యక్ష ఆధారాలు సత్యంబాబుపైన లేవు. సత్యంబాబు తల్లి కూడా తన కొడుకు అమాయకుడని, పెద్దవాళ్ళను రక్షించటం కోసం పోలీసులు తన కొడుకును బలి చేస్తున్నారని ఆరోపిస్తున్నారు. నా కొడుకును రక్షించుకోవడానికి రెండున్నరేళ్లుగా పోరాడుతున్నానని, ఇంకా ఎన్నాళ్లయినా పోరాడుతానని ఆమె అంటున్నారు.

తన కూతురు హత్య కేసులో అనవసరంగా ఓ అమాయకుడిని బలి చేస్తున్నారని, ఈ కేసులో సత్యంబాబుకు ఎలాంటి సంబంధం లేదని హతురాలు ఆయేషా తల్లి శంషాద్ బేగం అంటున్నారు. ఈ హత్యలో అసలు సూత్రదారులు అయిన కోనేరు రంగారావు బంధువులు, కవిత సౌమ్య కుటుంబం వారిని వదిలి సత్యంబాబును పోలీసులు పట్టుకెళ్లి అనవసరంగా పెద్దవారిని వదిలేస్తున్నారన్నారు. రాజకీయ నాయకులు మధ్యలో మేము, సత్యంబాబు వంటి మధ్యతరగతి వాళ్లమే బలి అవుతున్నామన్నారు. కాని కేసులో ప్రధాన నిందితులు అయిన పెద్దవాళ్లు మాత్రం తప్పించుకుంటున్నారు. సత్యంబాబును కాకుండా అసలు హంతకులను పట్టుకొని కఠినంగా శిక్షించాలని, అయితే వారికి మరణశిక్ష కన్నా మరెవరూ ఆడవారిపై దాడులు చేయటానికి భయపడేలా కాలో, చెయ్యో తీసేయాలని ఆమె అభిప్రాయపడ్డారు. ఇక్కడి కోర్టులో తీర్పు పెద్దవాళ్లకు అనుకూలంగా ఉంటే పై కోర్టుకు అప్పీలు చేసుకుంటామని శంషాద్ అంటున్నారు. అయితే మహిళా సంఘాలు తప్పు ఎవరు చేశారనే దానితో సంబంధం లేకుండా తప్పు చేసిన వారిని కఠినంగా శిక్షించాలని వారు కోరుతున్నారు.

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‘మోసం చేసినందుకే పండును హత్య చేశా’

హైదరాబాద్ : విశాఖలోని స్థల వివాదంలోతనను మోసం చేసినందుకే చలసాని పండును హత్య చేసినట్లు మహేందర్‌రెడ్డి పోలీసుల విచారణలో వెల్లడించాడు. హైదరాబాద్‌లోని మధురానగర్‌లో దారుణ హత్యకు గురైన చలసాని పండు హత్యకేసులో నిందితుడిగా భావిస్తున్న మహేందర్‌రెడ్డిని ఈ రోజు తెల్లవారుజామున గుల్బర్గాలో పోలీసులు అదుపులోకి తీసుకున్నారు. ఈరోజు సాయంత్రం అయిదు గంటలకు వెస్ట్‌జోన్ డీసీపీ కార్యాలయంలో అతన్ని మీడియా ముందు హాజరు పరచనున్నారు.

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Ayodhya verdict on Thursday

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Shah Mehmood Qureshi is 'most welcome' during the Games: SM Krishna

Their talks in New York might not have materialised, but external affairs minister SM Krishna has invited his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to visit India to witness the Commonwealth Games.

Krishna said the Pakistani minister was "most welcome" during the Games that are about to take off in New Delhi.

"Foreign minister Qureshi is most welcome to come to witness some of the games, it gives us a chance to continue the dialogue," he told NDTV.

Delhi is hosting the Games from October 3 to October 14, and the Pakistani sports delegation has already arrived in the capital.

Krishna and Qureshi were both in New York for over a week to attend the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly and a bilateral meeting was widely anticipated.

The meeting, however, did not take place, apparently because India was put off by Qureshi raising the Kashmir issue at several forums there, including the United Nations.

Krishna, finally, told journalists yesterday that a bilateral with Qureshi is not on the cards.

Qureshi, on his part, hinted that it appeared India had changed its mind on the meeting after initially showing interest.

Despite talks in New York not working out, both ministers have also expressed optimism about Qureshi's visit to New Delhi for another round of bilateral talks, which will pick up the threads from Krishna's last visit to Islamabad.

The dates for the next round of talks have not yet been decided.

"I have said in my speech that I have invited foreign minister Qureshi to come to India and he has very graciously accepted my invitation," Krishna said.

"I am looking forward to his visit to India so that we can take up from where he left in Islamabad," Krishna said earlier.

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UPA-2's ambitious UID project launched in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday distributed first Unique Identification Numbers (UID) to ten adivasis from the tribal hamlet of Tembhli in Maharashtra.

During the occasion, the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said this would help the poor get the benefits of various welfare schemes run by the government.

The project is seen as a showcase initiative of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which was in 2009 handed over to Nandan Nilekani. The function was attended by Maharashtra Governor K Shankaranarayanan, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Alhuwalia and UIDAI chief Nandan Nilekani.

Addressing the function, the Prime Minister said the issuing of unique identity cards is a beginning of a big effort for the welfare of the common man.

"The poor did not have any identity proof. Due to this shortcoming, they could not open bank accounts or get ration cards. They could not avail the benefits of government welfare programmes because of this and many times, these benefits were pocketed by others," Singh said.

He said those who are economically and socially backward will be the biggest beneficiaries of this programme.

"We will give every opportunity to live a dignified life to our poor, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes people," he said.

Singh also said the rolling out of the unique numbers displayed a symbol of a new and modern India. "We are moving fast in the field of technology. Nowhere in the world, technology has been used in such a big way. I hope every citizen will get this number very soon," he said.

Gandhi also echoed similar views saying the unique identification numbers will help plug the loopholes in the Public Distribution System (PDS). "The problem of fake ration cards will be over now," she said.

The real peepli live in Maharashtra

Tembhali, with a population of 1,098, became the first 'Aadhar' village in the country.

The tribal Nandurbar district got a makeover for launch of the UID project. Roads were freshly laid, buildings now have a fresh coat of paint, and water pumps are suddenly working. All of this in just ten days.

The launch from this tribal district is a signal that the scheme is meant for India's poorest.

The village is a Congress bastion and the party has not lost a single parliamentary election here since Independence. It was from Nandurbar that Sonia Gandhi held her first political rally in 1998.

Read more at: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/upa-2-s-ambitious-uid-project-launched-in-maharashtra-102646?cp

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'Terror plot linked to Al-Qaeda targeting Europe foiled'

An al-Qaeda-linked plot to launch a Mumbai-style terror attack simultaneously on London and major cities in France and Germany was disrupted by intelligence agencies, a report has said.

The plan for suicidal onslaughts similar to the 2008 atrocity in Mumbai, where 166 people were killed in a series of gun and grenade assaults was uncovered after a combined operation involving United States, United Kingdom, France and German intelligence agencies, The Guardian reported today quoting officials.

British security and intelligence sources, who have been concerned for some time about the possibility of a Mumbai—style attack in Europe, confirmed that they believed a plot was being hatched by militants based in Pakistan.

The increased rate of U.S. coordinated drone raids along the border with Afghanistan is believed to be a response to intelligence gathered about the plot.

Quoting sources, Sky News reported that “militants based in Pakistan were planning simultaneous strikes on London and major cities in France and Germany.”

The plan was in an advanced but not imminent stage and the plotters had been tracked by spy agencies “for some time“.

Intelligence sources told Sky the planned attacks would have been similar to the commando-style raids carried out in Mumbai.

The report said the European plot had been “severely disrupted” following intelligence sharing between Britain, France, Germany and the US. It is not known whether the attackers are already in Europe.

News of the planned strikes came as the Eiffel tower in Paris was evacuated because of a bomb scare for the second time in two weeks.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean it was a target, but it shows how nervous the French are,” the report said.

When the terror plan came to light, US military began helping its European allies by trying to kill the leaders behind the plot in Pakistan’s Waziristan region.

There have been a record 20 missile attacks using drone aircraft there in the past 30 days.

“I am led to believe a number of these attacks were designed against the leadership of this particular plot, which had an al Qaeda and possibly some sort of Taliban connection projecting into Europe,” Sky News foreign editor Tim Marshall said.

Britain’s terror threat level remains at “severe” following the underpants bomber’s attempted attack on Detroit airport last Christmas.

In the aftermath of the attack western intelligence agencies gained access to computers seized from the Islamist group which listed other potential targets outside the Indian subcontinent for commando—style terror strikes.

Nine of the gunmen were killed — but a lone survivor gave Indian investigators a full confession that the assault was planned in Pakistan by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group that originally began an armed campaign against the Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir.

US military briefings suggested the latest missile attacks in Pakistan had been coordinated by the CIA and were an unusual example of using drones to pre-empt possible terror plots.

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For Smokers

London: Seems the boss is right! Smokers work an hour a day less than non-smoking colleagues – wasting over a year of their lives on office cigarette breaks, a study has revealed.

The study of 2,500 adults by UK-based market research company 'OnePoll.com' found that an average smoker takes four 15-minute breaks daily, amounting to nearly 445 days out of a working life.

Moreover, four in five smokers didn't cut down on their breaks during the recession and that women spent longer outside than men, according to the findings.

Surprisingly, only one in 10 smokers admitted going outside for a chat without lighting up.

"These stats are bound to be annoying for employers. It will also irritate non-smokers, who wouldn't get away with taking four 15-minute coffee breaks," a spokesman was quoted by the 'Fox 26' online as saying.

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Top sportspersons to donate memorablia

On October 29, at a one-of-its-kind event, Equation 2010—An Auction for Charity, Mallika Advani will invite bids for iconic memorabilia pledged by 25 world champions to raise a corpus of funds for The Foundation. The NGO, founded by actor Rahul Bose in 2006, supports the education of nine children from the Andaman Islands, provides counsel to victims of child sexual abuse and is aiming to create a world without discrimination.


The auction, followed by a black-tie sit-down dinner, will be attended by top names from business, sport, cinema and politics at the Hotel Oberoi. The gala will be hosted by Harsha Bhogle and Cyrus Brocha who have not charged any fees.

Four of the 25 pieces will be unveiled at the Art India Fine Art Gallery in Tardeo tomorrow, September 23. These include the racquet with which tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi won the Australian Grand Slam and Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand’s World Chess Championship gold medal after he beat Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. There’s also the rifle Olympian Abhinav Bindra used to hit bull’s eye during the World Championship in Zagreb in July 2006, broke the world record and bagged 25 medals.
“We have lots of opportunity to celebrate Bollywood in our country. So I came up with the idea of an evening that enshrined the best in sports. I’ve been playing rugby for 10 years, and I’m a sportsperson too. I was delighted that the champions I approached contributed or didn’t make me run around,” says Bose.

The first donor he met was Viswanathan Anand, since his wife Aruna was instrumental in putting the event together. When he offered to donate his gold medal, Bose was awed by the gesture. He says, “Kapil Dev's bat signed by the 1983 World Cup-winning squad and Ricky Ponting’s World Cup gold medal contributed by my friend Dhiraj Malhotra are going under the hammer, among others.”

He plans to make the sports night an annual affair. The date could change. “October 29 was appropriate this year because it’s between the Commonwealth and Asian Games, and the Indo-Australia and Indo-New Zealand cricket series,” he points out, promising to get archers, wrestlers, boxers, soccer players and Formula 1 drivers on board by 2011. “Equations is a great property to build on, more so because it’s for a cause.” The donors
Mahesh Bhupathi (Tennis)
Sania Mirza (Tennis)
Kapil Dev (Cricket)
Saina Nehwal (Badminton)
Leander Paes (Tennis)
Viswanathan Anand (Chess)
Pankaj Advani (Billiards)
Vijay Amritraj (Tennis)
Baichung Bhutia (Football)
Abhinav Bindra (Shooting)
Prakash Padukone (Badminton)
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (Cricket)
Viren Rasquinha (Hockey)
Geet Sethi (Billiards)
Virender Sehwag (Cricket)
Ajit Pal Singh (Hockey)
Sachin Tendulkar (Cricket)
Rahul Dravid (Cricket)
Sourav Ganguly (Cricket)
Sunil Gavaskar (Cricket)
Roger Federer  (Tennis courtesy Globosport)
Diego Forlan (Football courtesy Mahua TV)
Ricky Ponting (Cricket courtesy Dhiraj Malhotra)
Maria Sharapova (Tennis courtesy Akshay Kulkarni)
Shane Warne (cricket courtesy Rahul Bose)

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“Social Network” to Kick Off Huge Lineup at Mumbai Film Festival

After kicking off this year’s New York Film Festival last week, David Fincher’s critically lauded “The Social Network,” will open the 12th annual Mumbai Film Festival (MFF), which this year boasts a crop of a whopping 200 films from 58 countries.

A number of films on this year’s lineup have found great success at other festivals. These include Golden Lion winner “Somewhere” from director Sofia Coppola;  Semih Kaplanoglu’s “Honey” (Bal) which was awarded with the Gold Bear at this year’s Berlinale; Abbas Kiarostami’s Cannes winner “Certified Copy”; and Lee Chang-dong’s “Poetry,” also a winner at Cannes.
This year’s edition is divided into nine sections, including Above the Cut, which will present 14 first feature films from first time directors. Cash awards totaling in $150,000 will be awarded in this series. Other sections at MFF include World Cinema; Indian Frame, which will showcase a selection of Indian cinema made within the past year; New Faces in Indian Cinema, a brand new initiative which will screen first and second feature films from Indian filmmakers; Celebrate Age, a new competition section in which short fiction films, documentaries and features all concern the journey of growing older; and Celebration of Japanese Cinema, a collection of 35MM prints of 43 classic and contemporary Japanese films.
In addition to the films on the docket, MIFF will honor Oliver Stone with an International Lifetime Achievement Award, and noted Indian film-actor-director-screenwriter-producer Manoj Kumar with the Indian Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jury members at MFF, on the fest’s all-woman jury, include director Jane Campion (“Bright Star”), BAFTA Award-winning producer Tanya Seghatchian (“My Summer of Love”), Iranian filmmaker Samira Maknmalbaf, star of “Poetry” Yoon Jeong-Hee, and National Film Award-winning Indian actor Suhasini Maniratnam.

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Happy Birthday to Ranbir Kapoor!

Mumbai: Happy Birthday to Ranbir Kapoor! Chocolate boy Ranbir Kapoor turns 28. Son of veteran actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, the blue eyed hunk has the perfect looks, the attitude, the style and the performance skills.
He is a complete star package. He made his debut in Bollywood in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Saawariya” opposite newbie Sonam Kapoor.
He won the Best Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. He made a name for himself at the box office with films like “Bachna Ae Haseeno”, “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” and “Rajneeti”.
His upcoming flick is “Anjaana Anjaani” opposite Priyanka Chopra. The film is slated to hit theatres on 1st October.
Wish Happy Birthday to Ranbir Kapoor!

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Lata Mangeshkar defends A R Rahman over CWG theme song

New Delhi: Defending the music maestro A R Rahman over the Commonwealth Games theme song fiasco, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar has said that people should not expect every song of this genius composer to be a rocking hit.

"I have not heard the song. What I am hearing is continuous criticism, which I don't like at all. Rahman is an extremely dedicated composer and people are getting too harsh because of just one failure," Lata Mangeshkar said .

"It's just like people should not expect century from Sachin (Tendulkar) in every match. It happens in music also.

Even the veterans do mistakes sometimes. I cannot say that every song of mine is perfect. Many a times I am not satisfied with what I have sung," said the Bharat Ratna awardee.

The CWG theme song "Oh Yaaro, Ye India bula liya" has got a lukewarm response. People have been saying that it lacks lustre and was either a result of a hurried job or the composer's powers were no longer as potent as before.

Although Rahman charged a whopping Rs. 5 crore as fee for the theme song, but it desperately lacks the verve or pace of Shakira's "Waka, Waka", which became a global hit during this year's football World Cup. It also falls well short of the composer's own rousing hits of the past.

Lata Mangeshkar, who turned 82 on Tuesday, however, applauded the dedication and devotion of the Oscar winning music director.

"Whatever Rahman has created, must be a result of a lot of hard work. Sometimes audience do not like what we feel is our best. It happens and one cannot avoid it. In this case neither Rahman is wrong nor the audience," said the legendary singer.

The Indian nightingale, who has rendered her voice in some of the gems from Rahman like 'Jiya Jale' (Dil se), 'O Paalan haare' (Lagaan) and 'Luka Chhipi' (Rang de Basanti), felt that music is a passion for the Mozart from Madras and he wants to bring something new every time.

"I remember when he was working on his album "Vandemataram", one day at midnight he went to the Tamil director Bharat Bala and told him that he was ready with the song and wanted to record it then.

"They did the recording at night and then Bala made the video. It shows how sincere Rahman is towards his work," she added.

Bala, incidentally, is also the creative head of the ceremonies committee for the Delhi Games 2010. The video of CWG theme song is conceptualised and produced by Bharat Bala productions.

Read more at: http://cwg.ndtv.com/commonwealth/article/id/spoen20100154702/type/offtrack/Lata-Mangeshkar-defends-A-R-Rahman-over-CWG-theme-song-55428.html?cp

Read more at: http://cwg.ndtv.com/commonwealth/article/id/spoen20100154702/type/offtrack/Lata-Mangeshkar-defends-A-R-Rahman-over-CWG-theme-song-55428.html?cp

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Win a chance to lunch with Big B

As a part of the celebrations of 'The Joy of Giving Week' (Sept 26- Oct 2), various B-town celebrities are coming forward to do their bit for charity. The latest is Amitabh Bachchan who has planned his first ever lunch auction in association with Give India (a charitable organisation) to raise money for charity.

The online auction is live on ebay India and continues till Oct 2, after which the highest bidder will get a chance to lunch with Big B while the bid amount collected will be donated towards a charitable cause.

The Joy of Giving Week, organized by Give India, last year raised 1.2 million rupees by auctioning an opportunity to participate in a cricket coaching camp with the sport's leading run-scorer Sachin Tendulkar.

This year too, celebs such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and now Amitabh Bachchan are actively involved in charity auctions as a part of 'The Joy of Giving Week'.

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Dimpy Mahajan, Rajesh Khanna on Bigg Boss 4?

Sources claim that this year, there is a slight change in the format. By now, everyone is aware of the fact that, the popular show, after being 'shifted' from Sony TV to Colors channel (which took place last year), will see a brand new host this year - Salman Khan, who has taken over from the legendary Amitabh Bachchan to be the host of 'Bigg Boss 4'.

The haunting voice that ordered the 13 inmates saying "Bigg Boss chahte hain ..." is back and how! We are indeed referring to the reality show Bigg Boss, which is back with its fourth season.

While Big B has his style of hosting in suits and blazers, Salman will be reportedly seen in a very casual avatar, with his signature language that will connect instantly with the common man as well as the inmates!

One has to give it to the channel for safe guarding the names of the 13 contestants as national treasures. Sources claim that they 'tried their best to get the cat out of the bag', and this is what they have told us; The most probable 13 contestants this year could be: Dimpy Mahajan, Sneha Ullal, Chunky Pandey, Sangeeta Bijlani, Avika Gor, Rajesh Khanna, Jackie Shroff, Manoj Tiwari, Sara Khan, Shaan, Shiney Ahuja, Shweta Tiwary, Simone Singh and Vinod Khanna. The toss is surely between Rajesh Khanna and Jackie Shroff.

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Indian millionaires zoom by 42,800

India added more than 42,800 US dollar millionaires last year, taking the total number in the country to more than 127,000 — and the phenomenon is only going to grow further as high economic growth is sustained.

What’s more, India, China and other Asia-Pacific regional economies are collectively set to outpace developed countries in spawning high net-worth individuals (HNIs), wealth manager Merrill Lynch and consulting firm Capgemini said in a report released on Tuesday.
“Moving forward, China and India will lead the way in the region with economic expansion and HNI growth likely to keep outpacing more developed economies” it said.
The Asia-Pacific Wealth Report 2010 noted that the total amount held in assets by Indian millionaires accounted for more than $477 billion last year, up 53.6 per cent on the year. That is R21.5 lakh crore.
“The increasing confidence by Indian HNIs facilitated by the strength of the underlying economy which grew 6.8 per cent in 2009 has resulted in a surge in HNI wealth in the region,” said Pradeep Dokania, chairman, Merrill Lynch, Wealth Management, India.
Asia-Pacific as a whole outpaced Europe in the amount of wealth on play as the invested/investible corpus totalled $9.7 trillion, compared with Europe’s $9.3 trillion, it added.
“Asia-Pacific’s HNI population matching Europe’s for the first time highlights the region’s growth potential, with China and India at the forefront and Japan remaining an important market,” said Dokania.
The share of real estate dropped in 2009, while fixed-income investments went up. Equities and cash assets remained stable.

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Tatas in expansion mode in Karnataka

Tata Group is on an expansion spree in Karnataka, with new projects of its companies at various stages, including the proposed 100-acre Tata Consultancy  Service campus here.
Senior Tata Group officials, including the Vice-Chairman of Tata Steel B Muthuraman, met the state Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and reviewed a number of projects here on Tuesday.

Industry and Commerce Secretary V P Baligar told PTI later that TCS has approached the Government to allot 100 acres to set up a campus at IT park in Deveanahalli on the outskirts of the city.
He said the Chief Minister has assured the Group about the land allotment. "It will be one of the biggest campuses of TCS in India [ ", he said.
Baligar said land acquisition for Tata Metaliks is Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion), three million tonne annual capacity plant in Haveri is progressing smoothly. Tata Consulting Engineers would be allotted five acres of land for its project, while the Group's hotel business plans to set up two "Ginger" brand hotels in Belgaum and Hubli.
Tata Housing has approached the Government with proposals and it has been assured that land would be given to it in any of the industrial areas. Tata Power has participated in the bidding process of Bidadi power project.
Tata Realty is one of the bidders for the proposed mono- rail and high-speed rail link projects in the city, besides development of national highway and state highway, he said.
Talking about various Tata Group projects, Muthuraman said "we have already submitted proposals. We came just for a review. Tatas are into many projects in Karnataka".
Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani, Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief Secretary S V Ranganath were also among the ones present here.

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Camilla's Indian tonic: En route to Commonwealth Games squalor, Duchess relaxes in £1,140-a-night wellness spa

Filthy rooms, floods and a failing infrastructure may have deterred athletes and spectators from the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
But the Duchess of Cornwall has found the perfect way to prepare herself for the ordeal.
On Saturday she travels to Delhi for a four-day tour with Prince Charles, who is opening the Games on behalf of the Queen.

Well being: Soukya alternative health spa near Bangalore, India, where Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is believed to be staying while her husband Prince Charles opens the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on Saturday

Pool with a view: The spa costs £1,410 a night and is 1,000 miles from the athletes' village in Delhi

Detox: Camilla, pictured at the Battle of Britain service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London, earlier this month

In the meantime, she will be pampered at a £1,140-a-night alternative health spa more than 1,000 miles from the tournament village.
Shading herself from the squalor and poverty of parts of India, Camilla is holed up with 15 friends and family in a luxury ‘wellness centre’ which offers leech therapy, nasal cleaning and anti-ageing ‘life management’ treatments.
Her 2,500 square foot presidential suite has three bedrooms, a private garden, a lotus pond and an open-air shower.
The Duchess, 63, flew to Bangalore, in South India, on a British Airways flight without her husband yesterday for four days at the Soukya Holistic Health Centre.
She is now purging the toxins from her body by eating ‘ovo-vegetarian’ food – with no dairy products except eggs – as part of a ‘sattvic’ diet, which means chewing small portions slowly in order to clear the mind. She is not allowed too much salt or spice.
One form of treatment, called panchakarma, sees guests at the centre use drugs to make them vomit, powders and oils to clear the nasal passages and leeches to get rid of toxins – although a royal source said Camilla was steering clear of the creatures.
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A labourer works in flood-water at the construction site of the hockey training stadium last week

Other treatments on offer include yoga, acupuncture and naturopathy – using fruit, vegetables and magnets to heal the body.

Indian newspapers reported that security officers from Scotland Yard flew to the exclusive spa to carry out checks last week. They are now said to be stationed on the site.

One is amused: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Charles and Camilla, have a laugh at the Mey Highland games in Caithness last month

No one from the Soukya Centre, which welcomed the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson in 1997, was available to comment last night.
But a spokesman told Indian reporters: ‘She is impressed by our facilities, including the holistic treatment for toning up her health.’

Wash and go? The bathrooms at the Commonwealth Games athletes' village have been exposed as being in a particularly poor state

Danger: Exposed cables and huge holes in the building work can be seen in these pictures

Prince Charles, 61, is renowned for his belief in alternative therapies. He is patron of the British Medical Holistic Association and founded the Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health.
A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘The Duchess is spending time privately with friends and family before joining the Prince of Wales for their official engagements. The trip is funded privately.’
Charles and Camilla will meet the athletes and visit schools, environmental projects, business chiefs and army officials in the cities of Chandigarh and Jodhpur on the taxpayer-funded leg of their trip.

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RBI permits corporations to work as rural agents of banks

New Delhi/Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday allowed firms to play the role of an intermediary to spread banking in rural areas, in a move aimed at making banking services available to the unbanked.
RBI, in its guidelines for business correspondents (BCs), allowed individuals, non-governmental organizations, cooperative societies, post offices and companies with “large and widespread retail outlets” to become BCs, but kept non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) out of it.
One reason behind the move, according to people familiar with how NBFCs work, could be that these firms, including microfinance institutions, lend money in rural India. If they are allowed to mobilize deposits on behalf of banks and at the same time continue with their business of lending money, there could be a conflict of interest.
Telecom companies, fertilizers and oil marketing companies, and fast moving consumer goods makers with exposure to rural markets are likely to take the plunge following RBI’s move.
According to the guidelines, BCs will raise deposits; disburse tiny loans; recover bad loans; sell micro insurance, mutual funds, pension products and other third-party products; and receive and deliver small value remittances.
Their activities will be “within the normal course of banking business”, but conducted at places other than the bank premises and automated teller machines.
The distance between the BC and the base bank branch should not exceed 30km in rural, semi urban and urban areas, and 5km in metropolitan areas, RBI said.
RBI’s guidelines did not specify the fee structure, but noted the banks may pay “reasonable commission, which may be reviewed periodically”.
“Commission structure, or incentive mechanism, should be devised in a manner that mere increase in the number of clients served or the transaction volume does not drive the commission,” it said, adding that the remuneration should combine fixed and variable parts.
Experts familiar with BC activities are not very excited about the model as yet.
Bindu Ananth, president of IFMR Trust, a non-profit organization promoted by ICICI Bank Ltd, said the big challenge for BCs in India is to find a product mix that makes business sense.
“I think it will move the needle only if NBFCs and people who specialize in this business are allowed. Manufacturing companies have long stopped taking public deposits and will continue to concentrate on their core business,” said D. Muthukumaran, head (group corporate finance) at Aditya Birla Management Corp. Pvt. Ltd.
Abhishek Sinha, chief executive officer (CEO) of Eko India Financial Services Pvt. Ltd, a BC for the country’s top two banks—State Bank of India and ICICI Bank—said this move will bring in investments and expand scale of operations of BCs.
Currently, about 36,000 BCs are being employed by banks, besides less than a dozen institutions such Eko India and Financial Inclusion Network and Operations Ltd (Fino). Banks manage the individual BCs on their own. Once corporations are allowed to enter this space, they will be able to organize them better and take care of the security aspects as the job involves collection and disbursement of money.
The banks will, however, continue to be “fully responsible for the actions of the BCs and their retail outlets/sub agents”, the RBI guidelines said.
Access Development Services, a not-for profit organization that provides technical assistance to microfinance firms, had some time back carried a survey on viability of BCs and found them struggling.
“It was because of high operating costs,” Vipin Sharma, CEO of Access, said.
“Banks also need to look at ways to make the whole BC model more viable. The recent move to free up lending rates for small ticket sizes can serve as a catalyst to make the BC model more viable by allowing correspondents to cover costs,” he added.
About 50% of India’s population does not have bank accounts. In rural India, the coverage among the adult population is 39% against 60% in urban India. This doesn’t necessarily mean that 60 out of every 100 Indian adults in cities have bank accounts as many people operate multiple accounts.
Only 5.2% of the country’s 650,000 villages have bank branches even though 39.7% of the overall branch network of Indian banks, or 31,727, are in rural India.
Only 34% of people with annual earnings less than Rs. 50,000 in urban India had a bank account in 2007. The comparative figure in rural India is even lower, 26.8%.
To handle this, banks have been aggressively opening “no-frill accounts”, that require very low or zero minimum balance.
However, a 2009 study by Skoch Development Foundation, a strategy and management consultancy, says only 11% of 25.1 million such basic banking accounts, opened between April 2007 and May 2009, are operational.

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Centre says no to night safari in Bangalore biological park

The proposed night safari in Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) which has sowed seeds of discord in the BS Yeddyurappa ministry, has raised the hackles of the Centre as well.

A day after tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy went public with his opposition to forest minister CH Vijayashankar’s decision to spike the night safari proposal, Union minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday categorically said that the Centre was also against such an idea.
Stating that he was against any safari in forest areas after 7 pm, Ramesh said on the sidelines of a lecture that several states had been trying in vain to get the central clearance for night safari. The states’ explanation that most professionals did not get time to visit safari during day time had failed to make the Centre change its stand, he added.
Ramesh said he would take up the issue with the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) officials. He doubted whether the Karnataka government had obtained the clearance from either the CZA or the Centre for the night safari.
The Karnataka high court is hearing a petition against the Bannerghatta night safari. However, Janardhana Reddy recently announced work would begin soon on the night safari.
On tiger deaths in BBP due to salmonella bacteria infection, Ramesh said that he was told that the deaths occurred because animals were fed contaminated meat. It happened as hygiene standards were not being enforced.
He referred to the death of a black cuck and a giraffe in a Delhi zoo after the animals drank contaminated water, he said a downpour and resultant fracturing of sewerage lines had caused the contamination.
Ramesh admitted that his impression that Bannerghatta was better managed had been shattered by the developments. He said a CZA team had been rushed to the BBP.

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