Sunday, April 29, 2012

John Abraham set to marry banker friend Priya Runchal soon

Mumbai, April 29, 2012



Bollywood star John Abraham is all set to bid goodbye to his bachelorhood as he would soon tie the knot with his girlfriend for a year, Priya Runchal.



John first met Priya in April last year and the duo has been going strong since then. Now, after making a successful start as a producer with Vicky Donor, John has decided to make a new beginning at the personal front as well.



Priya is an investment banker based in Los Angeles and rumours have it that she used to go to the same gym as John and his ex-girlfriend Bipasha Basu.



Rubbishing talks of already marrying Priya, John has denied rumours of a secret marriage. In a recent interview he had said that he would be tying the knot soon.








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Look back and forward in anger…

Mumbai, April 29, 2012

Thirty-nine years after it turned Amitabh Bachchan into Bollywood's angry young man, Zanjeer is getting ready to make a comeback, with Apoorva 'Shootout' Lakhia directing a remake for Prakash Mehra's son Amit and Ram Charan Teja stepping into B's Big shoes. Arjun Rampal will do a Sher Khan, a la

Pran, and Prakash Raj has been roped in to bring Ajeet's 'Lion' back to reel life, with Mahie Gill as his 'Mona Darrrling'. Now if only he can get his knife into Priyanka Chopra, Apu can look back… or maybe forward…in anger.



Zanjeer was Bachchan's 13th release, and it broke the jinx of 12 consecutive debacles. It premiered in Kolkata on May 20, 1973. A huge crowd had gathered outside the theatre waiting for the 'star' to arrive. The tall, dark and brooding Vijay stepped out with Mehra…There was barely any flutter. It was Pran they wanted and when they realised that he wasn't coming, the angry fans hollered, "Where is our hero?"



Quietly, Bachchan entered and exited the theatre. But in the two hours in between, something had changed. Years later, Pran put what that was into words, when he told me without a trace of envy, "Never again did anyone ask, 'Where's our hero?' when Amitabh was around."



The City of Joy welcomed Zanjeer but elsewhere in the country, the reception was muted. And convinced he had delivered another dud, Bachchan took to bed with fever. On the fourth day, Mehra, driving by a suburban theatre screening his film was surprised to see serpentine queues outside the advance booking window and blackmarketers doing brisk business. He rushed with the good news to his hero. With his temperature soaring to 104 degrees, Bachchan thought it was a delusion. It wasn't, Vijay and Mala really scored big with this film!



Interestingly, neither Bachchan nor his demure lady love, Jaya Bhaduri, were the first choices for the film. Zanjeer had been announced with Dharmendra and Mumtaz in the lead. The former in fact was to co-produce the film with Mehra but by an unlucky coincidence, his brother launched his film at the same time that Zanjeer was to roll. Since the star had no dates to spare, Mehra had no choice but to take his film to Dev Anand.



Dharamendra was upset, Dev Anand was unimpressed with the offer. Reportedly, the evergreen star agreed to do the film only if he was allowed to wear his trademark snazzy scarves, sing three-four songs and make Zanjeer under the Navketan banner. But when I quizzed him on this, Dev saab insisted that he had only turned down the film because he didn't "know" Mehra.



Gossip has it that Raaj Kumar who was approached next rejected Zanjeer because he didn't like Mehra's face. But apparently the real story is that he was busy with another Mumtaz starrer down South. And the only way he could accommodate Zanjeer was if Mehra shot his film on an adjoining floor in the same studio where the other film was being shot. Since Prakashji couldn't imagine transporting Mumbai to Chennai, it was goodbye to Jaani.



It was Pran who then recommended an actor-friend of his son. And after seeing him in the just-released Bombay To Goa, Mehra was keen to give Bachchan a narration. The actor who was a no-no after a dozen debacles, immediately hopped on board, no conditions attached. But his entry resulted in Mumtaz's exit.



Mehra's financiers were threatening to back out too when Jaya Bhaduri bailed him out by agreeing to partner Bachchan on screen. The reason was emotional: She was dating him! Two weeks after Zanjeer released, on June 3, Vijay and Mala tied the knot for real.

Mehra had once discussed a sequel to Zanjeer with me… He had hoped to bring Mr and Mrs Bachchan back on screen as grown old Vijay and Mala, along with their actor-son Abhishek. Zanjeer 2 remained a dream but Zanjeer could return 40 years later with Chiranjeevi's son!
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Rumours about Salman Khan don\'t bother me: Katrina Kaif

Sunday, Apr 29, 2012

Katrina Kaif DNA Actress Katrina Kaif, who is teaming up with Salman Khan again in Ek Tha Tiger, says she is not bothered about the gossip that goes around regarding her and the actor.



Katrina reportedly dated Salman when she started off her career in Bollywood but later separated. And their new movie has got the rumour mills spinning again. She was last seen with the Dabangg star in 2008 movie Yuvraaj.



\"When we start working for a movie we go in as professionals. I am here to do my job and if people want to highlight baseless stories then it\'s up to them. I don\'t think that these stories will have any affect on my work and the film.



\"I am never bothered about such stories. Why should I? I think it\'s what every actor goes through. When you start working in the industry, people taking about you becomes a part of your life. Why analyse it so much?\" Katrina told PTI.



The 27-year-old actress, who first starred alongside Salman in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, said she is excited to work with him again.



\"I am excited about the film, it\'s shaping up good. Salman is working with Yash Raj for the first time and it\'s my second film with them. It\'s always fun working with Salman, he makes everything very comfortable on the sets,\" she said.



Katrina is also working in another Yash Raj film opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The untitled film will mark the comeback of veteran director Yash Chopra after a gap of eight years.



\"I am enjoying working with Shah Rukh and Yashji. Yashji is a living legend in Indian cinema and working with him has been a learning experience for me. I am very fortunate to have got an oppurtunity to work with him. Working with him is magical.



\"And Shah Rukh is a wonderful co-star. I have learnt so much from him,\" she said.



With hits like Singh Is Kinng, Raajneeti, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Namastey London to her credit, Katrina has always been experimental with her choice of roles.



The actress says she likes exploring herself and does not think there is any definite formula to success.



\"I like experimenting with my roles... If you stick to one thing you can easily get bored. Everything in life is a risk, there is no definite way to success.



\"Today if I do a role which I have done before there is no guarantee that the audience will like it. The higher the risk the greater will be the outcome. You won\'t be able to work if you fear taking risk. I just try to give my best,\" Katrina said.



The actress, who has made heads turn with her seductive act in a recent Slice ad, said, \"It is a very different campaign. The new ad is very rustic and ethnic. I think it is the best one. I love the rapport which I share with the brand.\"


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1 injured as security guard opens fire in Ludhiana

Ludhiana:29/2012

One person was critically injured when the security guard of a marriage hall opened fire on protesting villagers whose entire standing crop was burnt due to a cracker burst at the wedding.



Police and eye witnesses said that late Wednesday night a big fire broke out in an agricultural field and burnt the standing crop and the entire stock of wheat lying there.



The villagers alleged that one of the crackers which were being displayed at the reception of the marriage party fell into the field and caused the fire.



In no time the villagers gathered there and marched towards the marriage place where the function was in progress.



They damaged more than one hundred vehicles parked outside the marriage place. Several companies of police rushed to the spot. Farmers have also blocked the traffic on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur road, officials said.




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PM stresses need for fuel price rejig

Bhatinda, April 29:2012

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said prices of petroleum products in the country needed to be rationalised as spiralling global crude prices were putting pressure on the oil import bill of the country.



"With imports accounting for about 80 per cent of our oil supplies, the spiralling prices of crude in the international market have put a severe strain on our import bill. We need to rationalise prices and at the same time ensure that the poor are shielded from the effects of such a rationalisation," he said at the inauguration of a refinery here.



The Guru Gobind Singh Refinery at Phulkori, Bhatinda, has been built at a cost of $4 billion. The refinery has been built by HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd.



Though the government had decontrolled petrol price in June 2010, PSU oil firms did not get a free hand in tweaking rates because of political pressure. For example, the current petrol price of Rs 65.64 a litre in Delhi is about Rs 9 short of its cost.



The government controls rates of diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene. Oil retailers sell diesel at a discount of Rs 16.16 a litre, while they lose Rs 32.59 on every litre of kerosene. A 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder costs Rs 570.50 less than its actual cost.



"In order to insulate the common man from the impact of rising oil prices, the government shoulders a sizeable portion of the burden by pricing diesel, kerosene and domestic LPG below their market prices," he said.



State-owned oil companies have not raised diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene for almost a year despite cost of raw material rising by a quarter.



The three state-owned firms have lost around Rs 138,800 crore in revenues on selling diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene below cost in 2011-12, which is estimated to increase to Rs 208,000 crore in the current fiscal.



The Prime Minister said the country faced formidable challenges on the energy front and needed adequate supplies at affordable prices. Domestic sources of crude oil and gas are inadequate to meet the growing demands of the country's rapidly expanding economy.



He said the 9-million-tonne-a-year Guru Gobind Singh Refinery was built at a total investment of Rs 21,000 crore and was an example of what the public and the private sectors could achieve in partnership with each other.



"We have sufficient refining capacity to enable us to export petroleum products," the Prime Minister said.



The refinery in Bhatinda is likely to further boost the petroleum exports from the country, including Pakistan.



Pakistan has allowed the import of fuels, including petrol and diesel, from India after removing non-tariff barriers on November 2. The distance between Bhatinda and Lahore is about 100 miles.



Lakshmi N. Mittal said the capacity of his first downstream oil venture here would be doubled to 18 million tonnes in the future.



He said the 9-million-tonne-a-year unit would help in energy security of the country and make Punjab a petrochemical hub.



HPCL chairman S. Roy Choudhury said the company had not yet finalised an agreement on fuel exports to Pakistan.



He said the firm was in talks with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for a long-term fuel supply contract for the refinery.



HPCL and Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, Singapore, a Lakshmi Mittal Group company, hold 49 per cent stake each in HEML, while 2 per cent is held by financial institutions.


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Badal urges PM to set up expert body to revive Punjab growth

Bathinda: 29 Apr 2012

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday sought from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, constitution of an expert committee to put the state back on growth track.



\"I want that a committee comprising 3 to 4 members should be constituted which will give recommendations to put Punjab again on growth trajectory. This committee should also look into whether any discrimination was committed with the state,\" Badal said while addressing a gathering in which the Prime Minister was also sharing the dais.



Badal was speaking during the the inaugural ceremony of HPCL-Mittal Energy promoted 9 million tonne per annum oil refinery here.



Making the request before the PM who inaugurated the Rs 21,500 crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, Badal pitched for an economic package for Punjab on the lines given to hilly areas.



He also sought fixation of Minimum Support Price for food grain crops based on the recommendation of agri- scientist M S Swaminathan, besides a moratorium on state debt repayments.



\"The situation of our farmers, who have been feeding the country, is such that they have been reeling under Rs 30,000 crore of debt. Now farming is no longer a profitable venture for the farmers as the agriculture has reached its plateau,\" he said.



Emphasising on the need to raise the income of farmers, Badal warned if farmers of Punjab were not protected, it would result in a big loss to the nation.



\"We just want that the income (MSP) of farmers should be fixed as suggested by M S Swaminathan,\" he said.



The Swaminathan committee has recommended that 50 per cent of input costs should be added to the MSP.

KSRBadal also pointed out that state industry had been hit hard because of economic packages given to neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh as several big industries from the state shifted to other states.



\"I request you to give concession (economic incentives) to industry located in bordering areas of Punjab in order to provide impetus to state industry,\" he said.



Referring to the staggering debt, the Punjab Chief Minister said the moratorium on debt repayment should also be given to his state.



The 13th Finance Commission has identified three debt-stressed states including Punjab and a committee has been constituted to give suggestions to tackle their mounting debt problem.



Badal said Punjab was facing difficulty in getting funds from the Centre for development projects.



Among other demands, Badal also sought from the Prime Minister a centrally sponsored medical care facility for Punjab.



He also favoured an increase in the number of trade items that pass through Attari-Wagah land route.



\"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh always took keen interest in removing any sort of bottleneck in the setting up of the refinery,\" he said.



The Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal also thanked former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee who had approved the setting up of the oil refinery here.



Badal said the commissioning of ambitious oil refinery would give a big boost to the state economy, besides providing direct employment to 20,000 people.



\"Now with setting up of Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, petroleum products like diesel and petrol can be supplied from Punjab to other states like the way wheat and rice are being moved from the state to other states,\" he added.




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PM inaugurates Bathinda refinery; hints at fuel price hike

Phulokhari (Bathinda)/New Delhi , April 29,

Brace up for a hike in fuel prices, likely to be announced anytime soon.

In a clear indication that a hike in prices of petroleum products was round the corner, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said India needs to rationalise the prices of petroleum products while insulating

related storiesIndia faces formidable challenges on energy front: PM

Badal urges for expert body

Bathinda refinery capacity to be doubled: LN Mittal

the common man from its effects.



The Prime Minister, who dedicated the country\'s 24th oil refinery - the Rs. 21,500-crore Guru Gobind Singh refinery in Punjab\'s Bathinda district - to the nation on Saturday, said: \"We need to rationalise prices and at the same time ensure that the poor and needy are shielded from the effects of such a rationalisation.\"



He said with imports accounting for about 80% of India\'s crude oil requirements, spiralling oil prices in the international markets had put a serious strain on the country\'s import bill.



He said in order to insulate the common man from the impact of rising oil prices, the government has been shouldering a sizeable portion of the burden by pricing diesel, kerosene and domestic LPG below their market prices.



State-owned oil companies have not raised diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene rates for almost a year despite a steep increase in the cost of raw material - crude oil.



Even in case of petrol, where the government had in June 2010 freed prices from its control, state-owned oil companies have not been able to raise prices because of political pressure.

Petrol, priced at Rs. 65.64 a litre in Delhi, is about Rs. 9 short of its cost.





\'Refinery will boost growth\'



Unveiling the plaque to formally inaugurate the 9 million-metric tonne capacity Guru Gobind Singh oil refinery in Bathinda district\'s Phulokhari village, the prime minister said it would propel Punjab\'s economic growth.



Spread across 2,400 acres, the refinery is located some 40 km from Bathdina city.



The PM said the project was a leap forward in Punjab\'s industrial development.\"Right from the beginning of the joint venture of the Rs. 21, 500 crore refinery, between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Mittal Energy Investment Limited (MEL), the Congress-led UPA government has been closely monitoring the progress of the mega project,\" he said, in chaste Punjabi.



\"After our government came to power at the Centre in 2004, we have been making all possible efforts to ensure the competition of the project well in time. I am happy to share that the central government kept all its promises to make the joint venture of the HPCL and MEL a success.\"





\'Punjab has fallen behind\'



Expressing concern over Punjab\'s development curve, the prime minister said the state was the architect of the green revolution in the country. The state\'s hard-working farmers made it possible for it to achieve excellence in agriculture, he said.



Even in the small-scale industrial sector such as cycles and hosiery in Ludhiana, machine parts in Batala and sports goods in Jalandhar, Punjab used to excel, \"but not any more\", he said.

In the last two decades, the state had \"lagged behind\" in various fields. It is no more the number one state, he said.



Spelling out the problems Punjab faced, Manmohan Singh said there was lot of unemployment among the educated youth.



The state needs to do a lot in providing \"skill development courses\" to the young and educated, and vocational courses to students. Punjab has already \"lagged far behind\" in the information technology sector, which has seriously hampered the state\'s growth, he said.




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Three detained in Denmark as part of terror probe

COPENHAGEN, April 29, 2012

Danish police says three men arrested in connection with an ongoing terror probe will be held for four weeks pending an investigation.



The men appeared in a Copenhagen court on Saturday on suspicion of illegally dealing with firearms by acquiring two automatic weapons and ammunition. They were arrested in the Danish capital on Friday.



The country's intelligence service, PET, says the arrests are linked to a terror probe and that the men were "suspected of having been in the process of preparing a terrorist act". Preliminary charges for terrorism have not been filed.



The suspects are a 22-year-old citizen of Jordan, a 23-year-old Turkish man living in Denmark, and a 21-year-old Danish national who lives in Egypt.


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EU opens Myanmar office in wake of reforms

Yangon, Myanmar, April 29, 2012

The European Union opened an office in Yangon on Saturday in recognition of the democratic progress made in Myanmar and to offer support for further reforms.



Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, presided over the inauguration of the office with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Yangon Chief Minister Myint Swe.



Ms. Ashton said the new office will help the EU "engage and support Myanmar's political process." The EU, already the leading provider of humanitarian aid to Myanmar, has pledged 150 million euros in aid for 2012-13, mainly in long-term rural development programmes.



Suu Kyi, who assisted the ribbon-cutting ceremony, said: "The more transparent the better. I hope the opening of this office in Burma will enhance the relationship between the EU and Burma." Suu Kyi still refers to Myanmar by its old name, Burma. It was changed to Myanmar by former junta leader Saw Maung in 1992.



The EU earlier this week announced the suspension of sanctions imposed on Myanmar for the past two decades. But an arms embargo remains in place.



The decision to ease sanctions followed the changes that have taken place under President Thein Sein, who took office in March 2011.



The reform-minded former army general has freed hundreds of political prisoners, signed ceasefire agreements with a dozen ethnic insurgent groups and paved the way for Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi to return to mainstream politics.



Ashton was to meet Thein Sein in Naypyitaw, the capital, on Sunday.



"We know changes take time, they need to be well embedded and they need to be guaranteed so that people can feel confident in their own future," Ashton said. "And we hope that we can work alongside you to help that be a lasting achievement." Suu Kyi and 42 members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won 43 of 45 contested seats in a by-election on April 1.



Although they were scheduled to take their parliamentary seats on Monday, the party boycotted the event over an objection to the swearing-in oath.



The oath would have required them to "safeguard" the country's pro-military constitution. Myanmar was under military rule between 1962 and 2010, and the military still controls 25 per cent of the seats in parliament.



Suu Kyi has downplayed the issue as a "technical matter", which should not develop into a political crisis.



The previous junta kept Suu Kyi, 66, under house arrest for 15 years between 1989 to 2010.



Ms. Ashton will visit the NLD headquarters before departing Monday.


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Norway Muslims question focus on Breivik\'s sanity

OSLO, April 29, 2012

Muslim leaders in Norway say they are concerned that the anti-Islamic ideology of Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right fanatic now on trial for killing 77 people, is being overshadowed by questions about his mental state.



The self-described anti-Muslim militant shocked Norway on July 22 with a bombing and shooting rampage targeting the government headquarters and the Labor Party's annual youth camp. Since he has admitted to the attacks, the key issue for the trial is to determine whether Breivik is sane enough to be held criminally responsible.



"I'm not a psychiatrist, but what is important is what he has done. That should be the focus, not how crazy he is," said Mehtab Afsar, head of the Islamic Council in Norway, an umbrella organisation of Muslim groups in the country.



"He wants to get rid of Muslims and Islam from Europe. That is his main message. So I don't see the point of using so much energy on is he normal, is he insane?" Mr. Afsar told The Associated Press.



Breivik has told the court his victims had betrayed Norway by opening the country to immigration. He called for a "patriotic" revolution aimed at deporting Muslims from Europe.



In a 1,500-page manifesto he posted online before the attacks, Breivik frequently cited anti-Islamic bloggers who say Muslims are gradually colonising Europe. But so far, much of the trial has focussed on his mental health, rather than his ideology.



Some Muslims question the validity of pathologising Breivik, saying the Norwegian is easily comparable to Islamic terrorists.



"Nobody questioned Osama bin Laden's sanity," said Usman Rana, a doctor and newspaper columnist, following Friday prayers at one of Oslo's largest mosques, the Sufi-inspired World Islamic Mission.



The mosque, richly decorated inside and out with blue and white tiles and Arabic calligraphy, is open to passers-by, and a reporter was allowed free access as long as shoes were removed.



A few hundred men and boys of all ages attended prayers, many arriving in a rush to make it in time for the call to prayer. Switching easily between greeting friends in Urdu and in Oslo-dialect Norwegian, Rana questioned the excessive focus on Breivik's mental state.



"I believe he is sane, definitely. Those who think he is insane don't know anything about terrorism," Rana said.



The first of two psychiatric reports concluded that Breivik is psychotic and suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, the second report deemed him sane enough to go to prison for his crimes, which he has admitted.



The 33-year-old Norwegian has admitted to all his actions and freely explained to prosecutors the planning and execution of his terror attack, only refusing to explain anything concerning other members of Knights Templar, his alleged anti-Islamic militant network. Prosecutors believe the network does not exist.



Emotionless Breivik



Breivik's emotionless appearance in court as witnesses give gruesome testimony and bereaved families sob audibly has left many baffled at his state of mind, wondering if he is exercising superhuman self-control or simply feels no emotions.



"The reason we are focussing on him as a crazy person is because we have difficulties accepting that 'one of us' could do such a thing. In many ways a natural reaction, but still wrong," said Shoaib Sultan, an adviser on extremism at the Norwegian Centre against Racism.



Norway is becoming increasingly diverse. According to official statistics, 13 per cent of the 5 million population are either born abroad or children of immigrants. Most of them have European backgrounds, but large groups have also come from Asia and Africa. The government does not register people by faith, but just over 100,000 people, or 2 per cent of the population, are members of Islamic communities in Norway.



A report by the government-run Central Statistics Bureau showed attitudes toward immigrants became more positive following the July 22 attacks. Those disagreeing with the statement that "immigrants are a source of insecurity in society" jumped from 48 per cent to 70 per cent, the agency said.



But just after the bombing, before the perpetrator was known, many Muslims say they were harassed by Norwegians who thought Islamist terrorists were behind the attack.



When it became clear that an ethnic Norwegian was to blame, questions were raised about whether the threat of right-wing extremist violence had been underestimated.



"There's nothing new in the hatred of Behring Breivik, except for his gruesome actions," Sultan said.


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Biggest marijuana haul seized in Thailand

BANGKOK, April 29, 2012

Police have seized Thailand's biggest-ever haul of marijuana, weighing about 3.45 tonnes, in central Thailand's Saraburi province.



The drugs were packaged in boxes labelled with a British address as destination. Nipon "Yap" Mopad, 43, was arrested for possessing the drugs, a police spokesman told a press conference on Friday. Saraburi provincial police chief Maj-General Chalit Preechaharn said Nipon confessed that he had been paid 100,000 baht (3,300 U.S. dollars) to deliver the drugs to Bangkok Port, from where they were to be sent to an overseas destination. He said further investigation is underway.


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Dubai spends $250m to get full control of Atlantis

DUBAI, April 29, 2012

Dubai says it now has full control of the Atlantis resort hotel perched atop its palm-shaped island.



State-run investment firm Istithmar World said late on Friday that it paid $250 million to buy out financially troubled business partner Kerzner International Holdings Ltd., which had held a 50 per cent stake in the coral-coloured hotel. Istithmar already owned half of the property.



Kerzner will continue to operate the resort, which includes a waterpark and 18 restaurants, Istithmar said.



It agreed to give up its stake in the Dubai property and a similar resort in the Bahamas after struggling to restructure $2.6 billion in debt. Canada's Brookfield Asset Management acquired the Bahamas property in a previously announced deal by agreeing to waive $175 million in debt owed by Kerzner.



Kerzner said it plans to use proceeds from the Dubai sale to reduce its debt load.



Istithmar is part of Dubai state conglomerate Dubai World, which has struggled with high-profile debt troubles of its own. It owns upscale retailer Barneys New York and has a stake in performance company Cirque du Soleil.



"This acquisition is in line with our strategy of managing our assets for value and investing selectively where growth opportunities exist," Dubai World's chairman, Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said in a statement.



Istithmar's parent Dubai World was at the heart of Dubai's financial meltdown in 2009. It signed an agreement to restructure some $25 billion in debt last March.



The Atlantis is one of Dubai's better-known tourist destinations. It is a mainstay of city tours, vying for attention with the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, and more traditional offerings such as the old gold and spice markets. Advertisements for the hotel greet Dubai airport passengers on arrival.



Atlantis opened for business in September 2008, shortly after a construction fire damaged part of the brightly painted lobby.



A lavish coming-out party for the resort two months later cost $20 million and featured a celebrity guest list that included Robert DeNiro and Lindsay Lohan. Australian pop star Kylie Minogue provided the entertainment.



The 1,537-room hotel is at the top of the Palm Jumeirah, the first of Dubai's palm-shaped manmade islands and the only one that is developed. Visitors arrive by monorail or by travelling through an underwater tunnel.


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Gunmen kill two during attempted attack on Afghan governor

KANDAHAR, April 29, 2012

Two Taliban militants hiding small guns in their shoes slipped into a provincial governor's compound in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, setting off a fierce gunbattle that left two security guards and both attackers dead.



Also, a roadside bomb killed 10 Afghan security forces in eastern Wardak province, officials said.



In the attack on the governor of Kandahar province, the assailants made it through a pair of security checks without their weapons being detected before a guard at the last check in the reception room for the governor's office noticed something suspicious and stopped them, said Gov. Tooryalai Wesa.



The militants then pulled out the guns hidden in their shoes, shot the guards and took their weapons, Gov. Wesa said.



That sparked a gunbattle with security forces that lasted about 30 minutes and left both attackers dead, said Parwiz Najib, a spokesman for the governor. One guard was wounded in the fighting.



Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack.



The assault is another reminder of the insurgents' ability to strike in even some of the most secure areas of the country. Earlier this month, militants launched a large-scale coordinated attack on the diplomatic centre of the capital, Kabul, and three other cities in which 36 insurgents and 11 others were killed.



Gov. Wesa said he was in his office meeting with constituents when he heard shooting out in the reception room.



"There was an explosion," Gov. Wesa said, but he did not know whether the blast was caused by grenades or something else.



He said the assailants came under the pretext of asking for him to intercede on behalf of relatives that had been detained a common request. "The insurgents are not stupid. They had hidden very small guns in their shoes and at two checkpoints they didn't catch them," he said.



Gov. Wesa's office said in a statement that it was the ninth attack targeting the governor in the past three years.



Police also discovered two cars parked outside the compound that had been rigged with explosives, apparently ready to be set off if there was a surge of people out into the street, Gov. Wesa said. The police defused those bombs, he said.



The roadside bomb in Wardak province's Chak district killed 10 members of the Afghan security forces driving in a pickup truck, officials said, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to release the information.



The dead were members of the Afghan Local Police, a government-sponsored militia that works alongside the Afghan army and the national police.


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Ukraine\'s President goes to city hit by blasts

KIEV, Ukraine, April 29, 2012

President Viktor Yanukovych says investigators have not yet determined who was responsible for four explosions in an eastern Ukrainian city and are offering a 2 million hryvna ($250,000) reward for information leading to an arrest.



A total of 27 people were injured on Friday when bombs blew up in garbage bins in Dnipropetrovsk.



Many Ukrainian officials have called the blasts terrorist attacks. The opposition, however, claims they could be part of a government plot to divert attention from the imprisonment of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.



Top law enforcement officials rushed to Dnipropetrovsk to investigate and Yanukovych joined them in the city on Saturday. He says the investigators had made some progress in reducing the number of possible scenarios, but gave no details.


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Syria accuses U.N. chief of encouraging \'terrorists\'

BEIRUT, April 29, 2012

A Syrian state-run newspaper accused U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday of encouraging "terrorist" rebel attacks by focussing his criticism on the government, while other government media reported that the navy foiled an infiltration attempt by gunmen who tried to land on the Syrian coast in rubber boats.



The editorial in Tishrin daily came a day after Mr. Ban said Syrian President Bashar Assad's continued crackdown on protests has reached an "intolerable stage". It also followed what the state media said was a suicide attack in Damascus that left 10 dead.



Ban said the U.N. will try to speed up the deployment of up to 300 monitors to Syria. Only 15 are there now.



The Syrian comments were the harshest against the U.N. since a plan brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan proposed an April 12 cease-fire to be followed by peace talks. Since that date, the U.N. has said the regime has broken many of its truce promises, such as withdrawing forces from towns and cities. Rebel fighters have also kept up attacks on Syrian security forces.



Mr. Annan's plan aims to end the country's 13-month crisis that has so far killed more than 9,000 people according to the U.N..



Tishrin said Mr. Ban has avoided discussing rebel violence in favour of "outrageous" attacks on the Syrian government. "The continued disregard of the international community and its cover for armed groups' crimes and terrorist acts ... is considered as direct participation in facilitating and carrying out the terrorism to which Syria is subjected," the editorial said.



"Such a stance seemingly encourages those groups to go on committing more crimes and terrorist acts," Tishrin said.



The Syrian capital was hit by four explosions on Friday that left at least 11 people dead and dozens wounded. President Assad's government blamed the blasts on "terrorists", the term the government uses to describe opposition forces that it says are carrying out a foreign conspiracy.



Infiltration attempt



On Saturday, the country's state-run news agency said military units stationed off the Mediterranean foiled an infiltration attempt by "armed groups" from the sea in the early hours of the day. SANA said the navy forced the boats to flee, but a Syrian service member was killed and several others wounded.



Saturday's attempt was the first reported rebel infiltration from the sea. Syrian authorities have said in the past that they clashed with infiltrators trying to cross from neighbouring Lebanon or Turkey.



In Lebanon, military prosecutor Saqr Saqr told The Associated Press that the army confiscated weapons that were found aboard a ship off the Lebanese coast. Prosecutor Saqr added that an investigation is under way, adding that the 11 crew members are being questioned by the Lebanese military police.



On Friday Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Lebanese authorities intercepted a ship off the coast near the northern city of Tripoli called "Lutfallah II" suspected of carrying the weapons.



The ship was coming from Libya, via Egypt and then to the port of Tripoli apparently on its way to Syria, NNA said.



The ship was taken to the port of Selaata, north of Beirut, where three containers where the weapons were believed to be hidden were seen being placed on Lebanese army flatbed trucks and taken away Saturday morning.


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Maruti Suzuki profit dips 28%

NEW DELHI, April 29, 2012

Hit by high commodity prices, sluggish sales and labour issues, car maker Maruti Suzuki India, on Saturday, reported 28.55 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs. 1,635.1 crore for the year ended March 31, 2012, the steepest decline in three years.



The company had posted a net profit of Rs. 2,288.7 crore in the previous financial year.



Commenting on the results, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi told reporters here that 2011-12 was a very challenging year for the auto industry. High inflation and interest rates along with high petrol prices impacted sales.



The small car segment was particularly hit as the customers are very cost sensitive, Mr. Nakanishi added.



He said the company suffered majorly due to its inability to supply more diesel cars and the market has shifted away from petrol cars, which is the main stay of Maruti Suzuki.



The biggest fall in profit before this was 29.6 per cent decline to Rs.1,218 crore in 2008-09.



"We also had labour unrest in Manesar which impacted sales," Mr. Nakanishi said.



On the cost side, a steep rise in yen along with fall in rupee also had an impact on performance, Mr. Nakanishi added.



The company sold 11.34 lakh units during the year, down 10.8 per cent from 12.71 lakh units in 2010-11.



With the company struggling to sell petrol cars, last year it gave discount on an average of about Rs. 13,250 on each model. And for its best selling model Alto, it was between Rs. 22,000 and Rs. 25,000.



"There is a huge pressure to sell petrol cars and we had increased discount by about 12 per cent in the fourth quarter of this fiscal compared to the third," Managing Executive Officer (marketing and sales) Mayank Pareek said.



The company\'s board recommended a dividend of 150 per cent (Rs. 7.5 per share of face value Rs. 5) for 2011-12.


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Piaggio\'s new Vespa plant to make other vehicles

BARAMATI (MAHARASHTRA), April 29, 2012

Italian automobile major Piaggio will produce a passenger three-wheeler and a light commercial vehicle (LCVs) from its Baramati plant near Pune.



Speaking to mediapersons after inaugurating the Piaggio\'s plant to make Vespa LX 125 scooters here, Roberto Colanninno, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Piaggio Group, said that over the next two years, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (PVPL), its fully-owned Indian subsidiary, would roll out three new vehicles, including a passenger three-wheeler, by September, 2012, and a four-wheeler LCV thereafter.



Ravi Chopra, Chairman and Managing Director, PVPL, said the company would make other products from the new plant. "Our 1.50 lakh-unit annual capacity will double next year with an additional investment of euro 20 million (around Rs.140 crore) but we will definitely not depend on a single product. As we consolidate our position with Vespa, we will certainly have more products. These could be Vespa variants, another scooter, motorcycle or LCV. We will evolve a road map soon."



As of December 2011, Piaggio had invested over Rs.1,000 crore in India. Mr. Colaninno told reporters that the Piaggio Group had recently drawn up a financial plan for the next three years with half its investments concentrated in Europe.



Piaggio was also making two diesel engines at Baramati — a 1 litre and a 1.2 litre model — for the Indian and European markets, Mr. Colaninno said. The company has invested 30 million euro (around Rs.210 crore) in Baramati.


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Manmohan hints at fuel price hike

Bhatinda, April 29, 2012

Hinting that a hike could be imminent, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Saturday, favoured a rationalisation in fuel prices while pointing out that there was a need to ensure that the poor and needy were shielded from the effects of such an exercise.



Dr. Singh voiced his opinion while addressing a function to dedicate to the nation the Rs.21,500-crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Singapore-based Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, which is a subsidiary of the Lakshmi N. Mittal group.



The Prime Minister said that the challenges faced on the energy front were formidable as the country needed adequate supplies of energy at affordable prices. "Domestic sources of crude oil and gas are inadequate to meet the growing demand of our rapidly expanding economy. With imports accounting for about 80 per cent of our crude supplies, the spiralling prices of crude in the international market have put a severe strain on our import bill," Dr. Singh said adding that to insulate the common man from the impact of rising oil prices, the government shouldered a sizable portion of the burden by pricing diesel, kerosene and domestic LPG below their market prices.



As he sounded a caution that there was no room for inefficient and wasteful usage of fuel, Dr. Singh advocated the need for rationalising fuel prices and emphasised the need to adopt better technology for ensuring efficient conservation of resources.



Speaking earlier, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, S. Jaipal Reddy, said that the crude oil import bill had crossed the Rs.10,000 crore-mark in 2010-11. Minister of State, RPN Singh, pointed out that public sector companies were shouldering combined losses of Rs.1.40 lakh-crore by providing diesel at Rs.15 less for every litre than the market price, Rs.32 less per litre of kerosene and Rs.515 less on every cylinder of LPG.



The effort by the Prime Minister and his colleagues to build a case in favour of a fuel price hike is interesting as Punjab\'s ruling Akali Dal, had already announced its decision to oppose any hike in prices of diesel arguing that it would adversely impact the farm and transport sectors. There was an interesting verbal duel between Dr. Singh and Mr. Badal, with the latter sparing no accolades like "desh de mahan neta" to influence the Prime Minister to make some announcements, while he continued his anti-Centre rhetoric. On his part, Dr. Singh defended that the UPA had always stood by Punjab\'s side, which had been the torch-bearer of the Green Revolution that contributed to the nation\'s food security. He pointed out that the Guru Gobind Singh refinery could come up in a record 42 months due to the support from the Union Government. He said that with such projects and dedicated freight corridors to provide Punjab with rapid connectivity to the Eastern and Western ports, the State could once again become a hub of industry and reclaim the traditional role it played for centuries.



The Chairman of the Mittal group, Lakshmi N. Mittal, said that the capacity of the refinery would be increased from 9 million metric tonnes to 18 million metric tonnes per annum within the next five months. He said that apart from meeting the energy needs of the country, the project would ensure that Punjab became a petrochemical hub, especially in the northern region initiating major trade, commercial and ancillary industrialisation activity.



Those present on the occasion included Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal, leader of BJP\'s legislature party Chunni Lal Bhagat, Union Minister of State Ashwani Kumar, and Bathinda\'s MP Harsimrat Kaur.


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Defence Ministry had looked into Tatra issue 7 years ago

New Delhi, April 29, 2012

Seven years before the issue rocked the country, the Defence Ministry had gone into the procurement of Tatra trucks through an intermediary company and not original manufacturers and had closed the matter.



With Army Chief Gen V.K. Singh raking up the issue of alleged bribes in procurement of Tatra trucks, the CBI is probing alleged irregularities in the procurement of trucks.



It is probing into alleged irregularities in assigning of supply from Czech Republic-based Tatra, with which the agreement was originally signed in 1986, to the Tatra Sipox U.K. owned by Ravi Rishi in 1997, showing it as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and the fully-owned subsidiary of the Czech company.



There were allegations in 2005 that Tatra family of trucks were being procured from an agent and not directly from OEM and that BEML was at best an assembler of such vehicles without absorbing technology.



In the wake of these allegations, the Defence Ministry had gone into the matter and apparently found that there was nothing wrong in procuring components from the intermediary company.



Before coming to this conclusion, the Ministry got a letter from the Indian ambassador in Slovakia about the ownership of the Tatra Sipox U.K. company.



According to official documents accessed by PTI after a recent review of the issue, the Ambassador had reported in 2005 that Tatra Sipox company was set up to resolve coordination issues arising out of division of the country Czechoslovakia into Czech and Slovak republics resulting in the division of the company producing these trucks.



Giving details of the ownership pattern of the company, the Ambassador's report concluded that "... as the vehicles were being supplied by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) through its own subsidiary, there appeared to be no other channels to purchase Tatra vehicles."



The Ministry had sought clarification and received a reply from Tatra Sipox Director Josef Majsky also who said Tatra Sipox UK was authorised to represent the parent company and was responsible for sale of trucks to India and a number of other countries including Israel, Indonesia and Taiwan.



The Ministry report said there was no option but to buy components from Tatra Sipox UK as the vehicles in question can be produced only if components manufactured by Tatra of Czech Republic and Tatra Sipox of Slovak Republic are both available for making the complete vehicle.



The Department of Defence Production said it concluded that the issue regarding BEML working through an agent and not through the OEM was examined.



"It was concluded that there is no option but to buy components from Tatra Sipox (UK) as the vehicles in question can be produced only if components produced by Tatra AS of the Czech Republic and Tatra Sipox/Tanax of the Slovak Republic are both available for the manufacture of the complete vehicle," the Department said.



The report stated that in view of the "peculiar situation" created as a result of the division of the original company, dealing with the OEM would entail dealing with not one but two OEMs in two countries not having best of relationships."



It said the incorporation of Tatra Sipox (UK) Limited, it appears, was essentially to resolve the coordination issues arising out of the division and was authorised by the OEMs to sell to India components required for production of trucks by BEML.



The Ministry subsequently "closed" the issue, the documents suggest.


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President embarks on visit to Seychelles, South Africa

New Delhi, April 29, 2012

President Pratibha Patil on Sunday left on an official tour to Seychelles and South Africa, a visit expected to further boost India's friendly ties with the two African countries.



The President was given a warm send off by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Secretary R.K. Singh, Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, representatives from South Africa and Seychelles Embassies and others.



Ms. Patil, possibly on her last foreign visit before she retires on July 25, will reach Seychelles in the first leg of her tour. She would be in South Africa from May 1 to 7.



India's ties with South Africa are enjoined by a strategic partnership.



This will be the second Presidential visit to Seychelles, the strategically located island in Indian Ocean, after that of President R. Venkataraman way back in 1989.



In Seychelles, Ms. Patil will have a meeting with her counterpart James Alix Michel during which various aspects of bilateral relations and regional and international issues are expected to be discussed.



A highlight of the Seychelles visit is that the President will address the Special Session of the National Assembly.



Ms. Patil's visit to South Africa is another indication of New Delhi's growing ties with Pretoria. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited the country in October last year for the IBSA Summit.



South Africa President Jacob Zuma was in New Delhi last month for the BRICS Summit and had paid a state visit to India in June 2010 in what was then his first bilateral visit to any Asian country.



A business delegation is also accompanying Ms. Patil that will address the India-South Africa Business Forum meet.



Trade between India and South Africa was pegged at over USD 11 billion in 2010-11, of which imports were more than seven billion and exports around four billion.



The trade turnover target has been revised to USD 15 billion by 2014.



The main items of exports from India to South Africa are mineral fuel, mineral oil, engineering goods, textiles, gems and jewellery, chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals among others. Gold forms an important part of India's import.



In South Africa, the President will visit places associated with Mahatma Gandhi, including Pietermaritzburg Station where he had been thrown out of a first class compartment of a train during the apartheid regime.



Ms. Patil will also meet representatives of Gandhi Communities in South Africa.



In Johannesburg, she will visit the Number Four Prison where the Mahatma had been incarcerated by the apartheid regime. She will also unveil a bust of the Father of the Nation at the Constitution Hill.



In Durban, Patil will visit the Phoenix Settlement and offer floral tributes at the bust of Gandhi.



The President is expected to visit Robben Island where South African anti-apartheid struggle hero Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned in Cell Number Five.



Ms. Patil will meet President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria and hold discussions with him on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interests.



Substantial scope for trade growth exists in potential areas of cooperation such as mining, manufacturing, petroleum sector, drugs and pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, automobiles sector, food processing and information technology.



The members of the delegation accompanying the President are Union Minister Sachin Pilot and MPs Prabha Thakur and Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre


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Niece, friend of Adviser to Manmohan got land largesse from BEML co-op.

BANGALORE, April 29, 2012

A cooperative society of employees of BEML, a public sector defence undertaking, made at least two irregular allotments of housing sites to a niece and to a friend of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh\'s Adviser, T.K.A. Nair, in December 2008, documents available with The Hindu show.



The allotment of plots in South Bangalore at throwaway prices was made at a time when complaints by company whistle-blowers about the role of BEML Chairman and Managing Director V.R.S. Natarajan in the controversial Tatra truck deal — first made in 2005 — were pending with the Central Vigilance Commission, the Ministry of Defence and the Prime Minister\'s Office.



The plots were allotted to Mr. Nair\'s niece, A. Preethy Prabha, and family friend, Uma Devi Nambiar, by the BEML Employees Cooperative Society. A third plot was allotted to another person, who, the whistle-blowers claim, is also related to Mr. Nair, who was the Prime Minister\'s Principal Secretary when the allotments were made, and still has Minister of State rank. Her identity is being withheld by The Hindu as her relationship to the senior official could not be independently verified. Interestingly, the three sale deeds show that a senior official in Mr. Natarajan\'s office put his signature to the land transaction as a witness.



Violation



All three transactions violated section 10 (b) of the BEML society\'s by-laws, which stipulate that allotments of land — which had been given to the society by the State government at significantly subsidised rates — be restricted to employees of the company.



When contacted on Thursday, Ms. Prabha conceded that her connection to BEML is through Mr. Natarajan, whom she described as "a close family friend," referring to him as "uncle." Ms. Prabha confirmed that she is indeed T.K.A. Nair\'s niece (his sister\'s daughter) and that Ms. Uma Devi Nambiar is "a family friend" who "is very close" to Mr. Nair.



She said: "The plots were not allotted because of our connections [with Mr. Nair and Mr. Natarajan]." When asked about the third allottee, Ms. Prabha\'s mother abruptly terminated the interview.



Despite repeated efforts to reach Mr. Nair by telephone, The Hindu was unable to obtain his response to a set of questions sent on Friday to the Prime Minister\'s Communications Adviser and PMO spokesman, Pankaj Pachauri.



The three plots at Channasandra in South Bangalore, each measuring 2,400 sq ft, were all sold in December 2008 for Rs. 10.80 lakh, or Rs. 450 per sq ft. A real estate broker told The Hindu the prevailing market price in the area at that time was Rs. 2,500-Rs. 3,000 per sq ft.



In a letter to the President and the Prime Minister on August 7, 2010, K.S. Periyaswamy, a shareholder and former employee of BEML, complained about the allotments made to the three persons. Alleging that the cooperative society\'s office-bearers were under pressure from Mr. Natarajan, he said the allotments were made purely because the beneficiaries were connected to Mr. Nair. He also alleged in his letters that the allotments were made to secure the PMO\'s silence on the Tatra scam.



Although Mr. Periyaswamy got no reply from the Prime Minister\'s Office or the office of the President, Ms. Umadevi Nambiar and Ms. Preethy Prabha returned the plots to the society without any explanation in December 2010. Asked why the sites were returned, Ms. Prabha said: "We wanted to avoid a controversy."



On his part, Mr. Natarajan termed Mr. Periyaswamy\'s allegations "bogus and false" and said that "disgruntled elements" were behind such "conspiracy theories." He said: "Beyond that I suggest you speak to the president of the housing society."



Asked how Mr. Nair\'s relative and friend were allotted sites, the president of the BEML Employees Cooperative Society, N. Munikappa, said: "I don\'t know. I was not the president then."



The documents show the sites allotted to Mr. Nair\'s relatives are part of a list of 173 sites approved by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). Strangely, this list, procured under RTI, only has the site numbers and not the names of the allottees. However, all other approvals by the BDA in the BEML layouts have the full names and details of the allottees. The procedure at the time of allotment is that all short-listed applicants submit an affidavit to the society stating that they are bona fide employees of BEML.



These affidavits are then scrutinised by the BDA before approving the allotments made by a housing society. "In this case, the allottees did not submit these affidavits, in order to escape scrutiny by the BDA," said Mr. Periyaswamy.



The allotment to Mr. Nair\'s relative and friend also violated a 1995 Supreme Court order in the HMT House Building Cooperative Society vs. Syed Khader case upholding a High Court ruling which said: "In case of House Building societies formed in respect of employees of any organisation or industry, the membership should be confined only to the employees who may continue as members even after retirement and the Societies should be prohibited from enrolling outsiders as members. Even if a provision is made for enrolling nominal or associate members in the bye-laws of a housing Society, they should also be bona fide residents within the territorial limits of the Society concerned and they should be rendered ineligible for allotment of sites."


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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Syria accuses U.N. chief of encouraging \'terrorists\'

BEIRUT, April 28, 2012

A Syrian state-run newspaper accused U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday of encouraging "terrorist" rebel attacks by focussing his criticism on the government, while other government media reported that the navy foiled an infiltration attempt by gunmen who tried to land on the Syrian coast in rubber boats.



The editorial in Tishrin daily came a day after Mr. Ban said Syrian President Bashar Assad's continued crackdown on protests has reached an "intolerable stage". It also followed what the state media said was a suicide attack in Damascus that left 10 dead.



Ban said the U.N. will try to speed up the deployment of up to 300 monitors to Syria. Only 15 are there now.



The Syrian comments were the harshest against the U.N. since a plan brokered by special envoy Kofi Annan proposed an April 12 cease-fire to be followed by peace talks. Since that date, the U.N. has said the regime has broken many of its truce promises, such as withdrawing forces from towns and cities. Rebel fighters have also kept up attacks on Syrian security forces.



Mr. Annan's plan aims to end the country's 13-month crisis that has so far killed more than 9,000 people according to the U.N..



Tishrin said Mr. Ban has avoided discussing rebel violence in favour of "outrageous" attacks on the Syrian government. "The continued disregard of the international community and its cover for armed groups' crimes and terrorist acts ... is considered as direct participation in facilitating and carrying out the terrorism to which Syria is subjected," the editorial said.



"Such a stance seemingly encourages those groups to go on committing more crimes and terrorist acts," Tishrin said.



The Syrian capital was hit by four explosions on Friday that left at least 11 people dead and dozens wounded. President Assad's government blamed the blasts on "terrorists", the term the government uses to describe opposition forces that it says are carrying out a foreign conspiracy.



Infiltration attempt



On Saturday, the country's state-run news agency said military units stationed off the Mediterranean foiled an infiltration attempt by "armed groups" from the sea in the early hours of the day. SANA said the navy forced the boats to flee, but a Syrian service member was killed and several others wounded.



Saturday's attempt was the first reported rebel infiltration from the sea. Syrian authorities have said in the past that they clashed with infiltrators trying to cross from neighbouring Lebanon or Turkey.



In Lebanon, military prosecutor Saqr Saqr told The Associated Press that the army confiscated weapons that were found aboard a ship off the Lebanese coast. Prosecutor Saqr added that an investigation is under way, adding that the 11 crew members are being questioned by the Lebanese military police.



On Friday Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Lebanese authorities intercepted a ship off the coast near the northern city of Tripoli called "Lutfallah II" suspected of carrying the weapons.



The ship was coming from Libya, via Egypt and then to the port of Tripoli apparently on its way to Syria, NNA said.



The ship was taken to the port of Selaata, north of Beirut, where three containers where the weapons were believed to be hidden were seen being placed on Lebanese army flatbed trucks and taken away Saturday morning.


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Combative Gilani says he will not quit

Islamabad, April 28, 2012

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday made it amply clear that he would not quit over his conviction by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case. Only Parliament had a right to decide and "if this House decides to de-notify me, I will be honoured and I will leave that very moment", he said.



In a combative mode a day after his conviction and 37-second-long arrest, he said this in the National Assembly in reaction to the opposition\'s refusal to accept him as Premier any longer. Asking the opposition to respect the mandate of the people, he challenged his detractors to bring a motion of no-confidence against him.



Evidently buoyed by the victory of his party in the by-election to the Multan Provincial Assembly seat — for which polling took place on Thursday when news of his conviction ruled the headlines — Mr. Gilani added: "But if they want to conspire and get rid of me through the backdoor, then they have been told what is in store for them in Multan yesterday." The Pakistan People\'s Party won the seat for the first time since 1988.



According to him, those who are demanding his resignation are doing so in the hope that it would lead to the dissolution of the National Assembly. Then they would say electoral rolls were not ready and make out a case for a technocrat government, he said. "This is unacceptable," he said, adding that he had not been convicted of financial corruption or moral turpitude but for protecting the Constitution.



Further, he disclosed that he was getting congratulatory messages from across the country on his "principled stance". "I did not get so many congratulations when I became Prime Minister as I did for this conviction because it is for protecting the Constitution."



About his refusal to abide by the Supreme Court\'s directive to write to the Swiss courts seeking reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, he maintained that the head of the state enjoyed immunity as was the case in most countries. He also pointed out that presidential immunity was guaranteed under the Constitution and all parties were involved in the Constitution review that was completed just two years ago.



Even as the government dug its heels in, the two main opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Imran Khan\'s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf — said they would step up pressure on the government to force the resignation of Mr. Gilani. Both parties have separately threatened to take the battle to the streets.


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Combative Gilani says he will not quit

Islamabad, April 28, 2012

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday made it amply clear that he would not quit over his conviction by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case. Only Parliament had a right to decide and "if this House decides to de-notify me, I will be honoured and I will leave that very moment", he said.



In a combative mode a day after his conviction and 37-second-long arrest, he said this in the National Assembly in reaction to the opposition\'s refusal to accept him as Premier any longer. Asking the opposition to respect the mandate of the people, he challenged his detractors to bring a motion of no-confidence against him.



Evidently buoyed by the victory of his party in the by-election to the Multan Provincial Assembly seat — for which polling took place on Thursday when news of his conviction ruled the headlines — Mr. Gilani added: "But if they want to conspire and get rid of me through the backdoor, then they have been told what is in store for them in Multan yesterday." The Pakistan People\'s Party won the seat for the first time since 1988.



According to him, those who are demanding his resignation are doing so in the hope that it would lead to the dissolution of the National Assembly. Then they would say electoral rolls were not ready and make out a case for a technocrat government, he said. "This is unacceptable," he said, adding that he had not been convicted of financial corruption or moral turpitude but for protecting the Constitution.



Further, he disclosed that he was getting congratulatory messages from across the country on his "principled stance". "I did not get so many congratulations when I became Prime Minister as I did for this conviction because it is for protecting the Constitution."



About his refusal to abide by the Supreme Court\'s directive to write to the Swiss courts seeking reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, he maintained that the head of the state enjoyed immunity as was the case in most countries. He also pointed out that presidential immunity was guaranteed under the Constitution and all parties were involved in the Constitution review that was completed just two years ago.



Even as the government dug its heels in, the two main opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Imran Khan\'s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf — said they would step up pressure on the government to force the resignation of Mr. Gilani. Both parties have separately threatened to take the battle to the streets.


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Bangaru Laxman gets 4 years jail term

New Delhi, April 28, 2012

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Bangaru Laxman was sentenced today to four years in jail by a Delhi court for taking a bribe of Rs. one lakh in a fictitious arms deal case 11 years ago.



Additional Sessions Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora sentenced 72-year-old Laxman, also a former Union minister, holding him guilty of taking the bribe from fake arms dealers to recommend to the Defence Ministry to award them a contract to supply thermal binoculars to the Army.



The court awarded him the prison term, rejecting his plea for leniency and ordered that he be taken in custody to serve the sentence.



The court also imposed a fine of Rs. one lakh on Mr. Laxman, who had been caught on camera accepting the money in his chamber in the party headquarters and had to quit as its president shortly after the sting expose which had created a huge political storm.



"Balancing the twin interest of society and that of the convict, I am of the opinion that interest of justice would be met, if the convict is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a term of four years and to pay a fine of Rs. one lakh for the offence under Section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act," the judge said.



"It is often said that the accomplice of the crime of corruption is generally our own indifference. 'Sab chalta hai' syndrome has led us to the present situation, where we are, where nothing moves without an illegal consideration. People are forced to pay for getting even the right things done at right time," he added.



To move HC against conviction



"We will challenge the decision in the High Court. We will definitely appeal in the higher court," Mr. Laxman's counsel Ajay Digpaul told reporters.



He said "this was a 'framed case' and some media personnel were behind it."



He added that they will go through the entire 155-page verdict pronounced by the trial court and "formulate an opinion" before challenging it.



Mr. Digpaul said the observations made by the court were general in nature and has no relevance with the case which happened 11 years ago.



"The court gave a general observation on corruption. This case pertains to an incident of 11 years ago and is different from the situation prevailing today," he said, adding that what happened in 2001 cannot be equated with today's situation.



The court has observed that the importance of law is being damaged by large-scale and rampant corruption which has also weakened the political system.


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Clamour in Lok Sabha for Chidambaram\'s resignation

New Delhi, April 28, 2012

The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice on Friday, with the Opposition demanding the dismissal of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram following allegations relating to his son\'s dealings in a telecom company.



The proceedings were disrupted as the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Janata Dal(United) and the AIADMK stormed the well.



Yashwant Sinha of the BJP, who gave notice for a discussion on Mr. Chidambaram\'s alleged role in the transaction, said: "Mr. Chidambaram has indulged in massive corruption. He should be dismissed as Home Minister immediately."



Noisy scenes



Speaker Meira Kumar rejected the notice, a decision that led to noisy scenes and the subsequent adjournment. When the House reassembled, similar scenes reoccurred, with the AIADMK and JD(U) members raising slogans, demanding that Mr. Chidambaram step down, or the government dismiss him.



As the members were unrelenting, Ms. Kumar adjourned the House till 2 p.m.



On Thursday, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy accused Mr. Chidambaram of delaying permission for the sale of Aircel to the Malaysia-based Maxis in 2006, when he was Finance Minister, for the benefit of his son Karti.



Farmers\' issue



The BJP members were also protesting against the government\'s alleged anti-farmer policies. Demanding a better deal for farmers in the Minimum Support Price for wheat, they wanted the government to realise their plight. "This anti-farmer government will not continue," they shouted, with the JD(U) members joining the chorus.



When the House met at 2 p.m., NDA convener Sharad Yadav pointed out that despite repeated demands, the Opposition members were not allowed to highlight the plight of farmers.



"Several issues were raised, but this… was not allowed to be taken up," he said, leading the NDA members out. Samajwadi Party members spoke on the issue, but they did not walk out


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India’s long-term growth potential is 8-9 p.c.: Montek

London, April 28, 2012

Notwithstanding global credit rating agency S&P's lowering India's outlook to 'negative', the country remains bullish and its long-term economic growth potential is 8-9 per cent, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said.



"My view of India is that it is bullish. India's long-term growth potential is 8 to 9 per cent. In order to achieve this, we have to get our Macro-economic right," said Mr. Ahluwalia, briefing media at the third Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting which concluded on Thursday evening.



He added, "India achieved a growth rate of 6.9 per cent last year. The question is whether India's growth in 2012-13 will go up or not. Growth is taking place in Asia -- China and India."



Standard & Poor's on Wednesday downgraded India's credit outlook to 'negative' and warned of a downgrade if there is no improvement in the fiscal situation and political climate.



Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee termed S&P's move as a "wake-up call" and said the government would work towards achieving higher economic growth.



"The Finance Minister has already commented on the Standard and Poor's decision to change the outlook on India from stable to negative. I have nothing to add to it," Mr. Ahluwalia said.



Yesterday, the Reserve Bank of India said the country's financial system is strong and sometimes these ratings are discounted by markets.



RBI Deputy Governor K.C. Chakrabarty has said, "Indian financial system is strong. That is our internal assessment.



That our financial stability report always gives. Again, RBI's financial stability report will come in June. Then you can see what the position is."


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Bhatinda refinery capacity will be doubled: Mittal

Bhatinda, April 28, 2012

Billionaire Lakshmi N. Mittal on Saturday said capacity of his first downstream oil venture here will be doubled to 18 million tonne in future.



Speaking at the formal opening of the Rs. 21,500 crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery here, Mr. Mittal said the 9 million tonne a year unit will help in energy security of the country and make Punjab a petrochemical hub.



"The capacity of the refinery can be increased to 18 million tonne per annum in future," he said at the function where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formally dedicated the unit to the nation.



The refinery is the first investment in downstream oil sector by Mittal, Chairman of ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker. Mittal Energy has a venture with state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), which has offshore oil exploration blocks in Nigeria.



Mr. Mittal said the refinery will feed fuel into deficit markets of northern India.



HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd, a joint venture of Mittal's Mittal Energy Investments and state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) was built in 42 months.



HPCL and Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, Singapore — a Lakshmi Mittal Group company, hold 49 per cent stake each in HEML, while 2 per cent is held by financial institutions.



The refinery has high Nelson Complexity Index which will enable maximising value-added products even from heavy/sour crudes. Crude oil to the refinery is to be ferried through a 1,014 km pipeline from Mundra in Gujarat where the oil is imported from abroad.



The new unit has raised the total oil refining capacity in the country to 213 million tonne per annum, from 198.886 million tonne.



Start-up of Bhatinda refinery will help boost India's exports and may open fuel sales to Pakistan.



Pakistan allows imports of fuels including petrol and diesel from India, after removing non—tariff barriers on November 2. The distance between Bathinda and Lahore is about 100 miles.


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Leela Samson to quit as Kalakshetra director

CHENNAI, April 28, 2012

Bharatanatyam exponent Leela Samson will relinquish charge as director of Kal akshetra on April 30, it is reliably learnt. Until the Ministry of Culture appoints a new director, Karunaker K. Menon, deputy director, will be in charge of the administration of the institution.



Confirming that Ms. Samson was relinquishing charge, Kalakshetra Foundation\'s chairman Gopalkrishna Gandhi said if at all anyone should comment on the reason for her decision, it should be her.



However, Ms. Samson, who is on a performance tour, was not reachable for comment.



The news has shocked many in the artist fraternity. Bharatanatyam exponent Alarmel Valli said she was very distressed and dismayed to know about it. "I do not know what the situation is, or why she decided to resign, but it is a great loss to an institution which so many look up to the world over. Leela breathed a fresh, new perspective into Kalakshetra."



'Visionary approach\'



Ms. Samson had a progressive visionary approach, Ms. Valli said.



This, combined with her loyalty and commitment to the ideals of her alma mater, made her an outstanding leader of Kalakshetra. "She is also known as much for her creative energy as for her remarkable integrity and dignity."



'A great artist\'

Bharatanatyam exponent Malavika Sarukkai said it was a pity that Ms. Samson would not be heading Kalakshetra anymore. "One felt great that an artist like her, who has contributed so extensively to solo in classical dance, was heading the institution. She spearheaded several new initiatives at a time when classical arts need a lot of promotion and support. I am sure she had valid reasons to relinquish her charge, but still, it is a pity."


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Tear gas used as 25,000 rally for Malaysia reforms

Kuala Lumpur, April 28, 2012

Malaysian police fired tear gas and chemical-laced water on Saturday at thousands of demonstrators demanding an overhaul in electoral policies they call biased ahead of national polls expected soon.



At least 25,000 demonstrators had swamped Malaysia's largest city in one of the Southeast Asian nation's biggest street rallies in the past decade.



The demonstration reflected concerns that Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition which has held power for more than 50 years will have an unfair upper hand in elections that could be called as early as June.



Activists have alleged that the Election Commission is biased and claimed that voter registration lists are tainted with fraudulent voters.



Demonstrators wearing yellow T-shirts poured into downtown Kuala Lumpur, massing near a public square that police had sealed off with barbed wire and barricades.



"I'm here because I'm a Malaysian and I love my country," said information technology manager Burrd Lim. "There's no election that's perfect, but I want one that's fair enough."



Authorities said an opposition-backed pressure group that organized the rally has no right to use Independence Square, a symbolically important venue that hosts parades and high-profile celebrations.



The demonstration remained peaceful for several hours but turned chaotic when some people apparently breached the barriers, prompting police to fire tear gas and water laced with stinging chemicals at portions of the crowd. Witnesses saw police detaining several people.



Federal police spokesman Rasdi Ramli estimated there were about 25,000 demonstrators, but many witnesses and some Malaysian news organizations said there were far more. Independent news website Malaysiakini said there was 100,000, while The Sun newspaper estimated 80,000.



The rally's organizers also want longer election campaigning periods and changes to ensure citizens living abroad can cast ballots, as well as international observers for the polls and fairer access for all political parties to the government—linked media.



Government officials and electoral authorities insist the activists' concerns are overblown.



"We accept that there are issues," Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said late Friday. "We have worked very hard to address them, introducing a raft of reforms to ensure that our country's next election is the freest and fairest ever."



After an estimated 20,000 demonstrators staged a similar rally in Kuala Lumpur last July, authorities established a panel to study electoral regulations and agreed for voters to have their fingers stained with indelible ink while casting ballots to curb fraud and multiple voting.



Authorities used tear gas and water cannons to break up July's rally and briefly arrested about 1,600 demonstrators.



"Today is a major test case for basic freedoms in Malaysia, starting with the right to peacefully march and assemble," said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy director for Asia.



Thousands of Malaysians living abroad and rights activists in dozens of major cities in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States are expected to also stage demonstrations Saturday in solidarity with those in Kuala Lumpur.



Speculation has intensified that Najib might dissolve Parliament next month and seek a new mandate in June, even though polls do not need to be held until mid—2013.



The National Front, which has governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, suffered its worst performance in 2008 elections, when it lost more than a third of Parliament's seats amid public discontent over problems such as corruption and racial discrimination.



Keywords: Malaysia protest, electoral reforms


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Collector’s abduction: mediators leave for Tarmetla

Raipur, April 28, 2012



As the hostage crisis involving abducted Sukma Collector Alex Paul Menon entered the eighth day today, mediators from the rebel side left for Tarmetla forests apparently to brief Maoists on talks they had with Chhattisgarh Government on their demands for releasing the IAS officer.



N. Baijendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Raman Singh, told PTI that the mediators, who have held two rounds of talks with the Government-appointed interlocutors to resolve the crisis, expressed their desire to visit Tarmetla, a Naxal stronghold, in Sukma district.



Accordingly, the Government made necessary arrangements for their visit and assured them of adequate security, he said.



Additional Director General of Police (anti-Maoist operation) Ramnivas said B. D. Sharma and Professor G. Hargopal, who was holding talks on behalf of the Maoists, have reached Chintanlar by a helicopter.



He said from there, they will leave for Tarmetla, a dense forested area which can be reached only on two-wheelers.



About three days ago, CPI leader Manish Kunjam had gone to Tarmetla on a motorcycle to handover medicines for Mr. Menon (32), who was kidnapped by Maoists on April 21.



Earlier, talking to reporters, Mr. Sharma, a former IAS officer, said he may return to Raipur by the evening. He expressed confidence that the crisis will be resolved soon.



Mr. Sharma and Mr. Hargopal have held two rounds of talks with Government interlocutors Nirmala Buch and S.K.Mishra, but no breakthrough has been achieved yet.



In exchange for the 2006 IAS officer, Maoists have demanded release of 17 of their jailed leaders, halt to the anti-Maoist offensive "Operation Green Hunt" and sending security forces in Bastar to barracks.



The Chief Minister said yesterday that the demands of Maoists would be considered only "within the legal framework".


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India faces formidable challenges on energy front: PM

Bhatinda, April 28, 2012

Stating that India faces "formidable" challenges on the energy front, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said spiralling international oil prices have put a strain on the country's import bill and domestic prices need to be rationalised.



"With imports accounting for about 80 per cent of our crude supplies, the spiralling prices of crude in the international market have put a severe strain on our import bill," he said formally opening a USD 4 billion refinery here.



State-owned oil companies haven't raised diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene for almost a year despite cost of raw material rising by a quarter.



"We also need to rationalise prices and at the same time ensure that the poor and needy are shielded from the effects of such a rationalisation," he said.



The government had in June 2010 freed petrol prices from its control but PSU oil companies haven't been able to raise prices because of political pressure. Petrol price of Rs 65.64 a litre in Delhi is about Rs 9 short of its cost.



The government controls rates of diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene. Oil companies sell diesel at a discount of Rs 16.16 a litre, while they lose Rs 32.59 on sale of every litre of kerosene. A 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder costs Rs 570.50 less than its actual cost.



"In order to insulate the common man from the impact of rising oil prices, the Government shoulders a sizeable portion of the burden by pricing diesel, Kerosene and domestic LPG below their market prices," he said.



Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum lost about Rs 138,800 crore in revenues on selling diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene below cost in 2011-12. This fiscal, the revenue loss is estimated at Rs 208,000 crore.



"The challenges we face on the energy front are formidable. We need adequate supplies of energy at affordable prices. Domestic sources of crude oil and gas are inadequate to meet the growing demands of our rapidly expanding economy," Dr. Singh said.



The Prime Minister said the 9 million tonne a year Guru Gobind Singh Refinery was built at a total investment of Rs 20,000 crore and is an example of what the public and the private sectors can achieve in partnership with each other.



"Ever since the project was initiated in the year 2004, our government has been monitoring its progress regularly and I am happy that our long standing commitment to the people of Punjab has finally been fulfilled," he said.



HMEL, a joint venture of steel czar Lakshmi N Mittal's Mittal Energy Investments and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), built the refinery in 42 months.



The refinery will produce fuel meeting Euro-III and IV standards and "reiterates our commitment to safeguarding our environment while pushing ahead with growth," Dr. Singh said. "The products from this refinery will especially help in bridging the gap between demand and supply in the northern region of the country."



Stating that the refinery sector in India has grown phenomenally, he said the nation has emerged as a refining hub with capacity increasing from 62 million tonne per annum in 1998 to 213 million tonne.



"We have sufficient refining capacity to enable us to export petroleum products," the Prime Minister said.



Start-up of Bhatinda refinery will help boost India's exports and may open fuel sales to Pakistan.



Pakistan allows imports of fuels including petrol and diesel from India, after removing non-tariff barriers on November 2. The distance between Bathinda and Lahore is about 100 miles.



Dr. Singh said, "We need to take steps to conserve our scarce energy resources. There is no room for inefficient and wasteful usage of fuel, be it petrol, diesel, kerosene or gas."



He added, "We need to adopt better technology and consumers should be made aware of the benefits of fuel conservation."


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Bangaru Laxman gets 4 years jail term

New Delhi, April 28, 2012

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Bangaru Laxman was sentenced today to four years in jail by a Delhi court for taking a bribe of Rs. one lakh in a fictitious arms deal case 11 years ago.



Additional Sessions Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora sentenced 72-year-old Laxman, also a former Union minister, holding him guilty of taking the bribe from fake arms dealers to recommend to the Defence Ministry to award them a contract to supply thermal binoculars to the Army.



The court awarded him the prison term, rejecting his plea for leniency and ordered that he be taken in custody to serve the sentence.



The court also imposed a fine of Rs. one lakh on Mr. Laxman, who had been caught on camera accepting the money in his chamber in the party headquarters and had to quit as its president shortly after the sting expose which had created a huge political storm.



"Balancing the twin interest of society and that of the convict, I am of the opinion that interest of justice would be met, if the convict is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a term of four years and to pay a fine of Rs. one lakh for the offence under Section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act," the judge said.



"It is often said that the accomplice of the crime of corruption is generally our own indifference. 'Sab chalta hai' syndrome has led us to the present situation, where we are, where nothing moves without an illegal consideration. People are forced to pay for getting even the right things done at right time," he added.


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Friday, April 27, 2012

PAU MAKES SALE OF PADDY SEED TO FARMERS FROM MONDAY TO SATURDAY

LUDHIANA, APRIL 27:--



In view of frequent inquiries by farmers of the state about getting good seeds of improved varieties of paddy, the Director of Extension Education of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Dr. M. S. Gill informed that PAU has developed and released several improved varieties of rice for cultivation in the Punjab state. The farmers can purchase the seeds of paddy varieties from PAU Farmers' Service Centre (FSC) from Monday to Saturday between 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The seeds of recommended paddy varieties including PR-118, PR-116, PR-111, PR-115 and PR-113, will be available at the sale counter, said Dr. Gill. The arrangement for seed sale on all six days of the week has been made keeping in view the convenience of farmers. He added that besides, the farmers can also seek technical guidance from the PAU experts of different fields in the Plant Clinic at FSC. They will be providing tips about seed treatment, sowing and production technology not only of paddy but of other crops also. Farmers can also get similar guidance from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Regional Research Stations (RRS) of the PAU. Advising the farmers to sow PAU recommended paddy varieties he said that varieties have been released after thorough research, evaluation and testing. The recommended varieties are not only high yielding but are also resistant to various types of disease, said Dr Gill.



Dr Gill urged the farmers to discourage going in for sowing of varieties which are not recommended by PAU. He said that the farmers should shun the varieties HKR 47, HKR 127 and Pusa 44, which are being promoted by private agencies, as these varieties do not possess resistance to the prevailing pathotypes of bacterial blight disease.
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Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD)

Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD)139-E, Kitchlu Nagar, Ludhiana – 141001



Date: 24th April 2012



Sub: Request to cover press conference by Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD)

Dear Madam/Sir,

Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) has since long being campaigning for complete elimination of nuclear weapons as these could annihilate not only the man kind but whole the flora and fauna on earth. Even a limited use of these weapons could put crores of peoples at risk. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) has carried out a study in this regard which is being released internationally at one time.

We are organizing a press conference to release this study in India as under :

Date: 25th April (Wednesday) 2012Time: 3.00pm Place: IMA House, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana

We request you to kindly cover the press conference so that the message is spread through your esteemed media.

Yours truly,




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delegation to china cycle show under the leadership

27/04/2012

The delegation to china cycle show under the leadership of Sh. Gurmeet Singh Kular President of United Cycle & Parts Manufactures Association was flagged off by Sh. Om Parkash Munjal and S. Hira Singh Gabria former minster Punjab Govt. Delegation consisting of 64 MSME manufacturers of Bicycle & Parts. In the Photo S. Manjit Singh Khalsa Chirman United Cycle & Parts Mfrs. Association & Director Punjab Industrial Development Corporation Ltd, Sh. S.S Dhillon Director MSME, Sh. Mahesh Khanna General Manager District Industries Centre, S. Surinder Singh Chuhan General Sect., S. Charanjit Singh Vishivkarma, S. Manjinder Singh Sachedeva, along with Sh. Om Parkash Munjal & S. Hira Singh Gabria former Minster
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Vet Varsity celebrates Parkash purb of Guru Angad dev ji

Ludhiana 27- Apr, 2012

Bhog of Sri Akhand path of Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji was solmenised at Guru Anagd Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University In connection with the Parkash Purb of Guru Angad Dev ji. Community langar was served after the bhog. It is pertinent to mention that the veterinary university was established in year 2006 on the name of second guru, Guru Angad Dev Ji. Guru ji was the thorough animal lover and a number of sick and injured animals got treatment in his personal care. Parkash purb of guru ji's was on 18th April. In this context akhand path was started on 23rd April. Dr. Darshan singh Bari welfare officer of varsity revealed that Bhai Maninder Singh ji Srinagar wale recited the heart toching kirtan of holy Shabads. A year calendar dedicated to Guru Angad Dev Ji was also released by Dr. V.K.Taneja Vice Chancellor of University.On this occasion a large number of devotees from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, PAU and outsiders from campus paid their respect. Employees, teachers and students of university contributed their service with tan man and dhan in the akhand path.


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Technical Seminar by Canadian Expert for Pig Farmers at GADVASU

Ludhiana, 24th April 2012

Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, GADVASU, Ludhiana has organized for pig farmers of Punjab State on 24th April 2012 in Lecture Hall, Silver Jubliee Block. Dr.R.S.Sahota, Director of Extension Education was the Chief Guest of the occasion. He said that there is a need for increase production and productivity of swine and pork. As the population grows, more food is needed overall, as more consumers move into the middle income sector, they will demand more meat in their diet, compare to starch. Mr. Gregory Levowa, Pig expert, Polar Genetics, Canada, delivered a lecture on Artificial insemination in swine at Canada. He discussed in detail about semen collection, semen evaluation, semen handling and artificial insemination technique in swine. He stressed that by adopting artificial insemination, there can be maximum utilization of excellent germplasm as well as fast multiplication of the same and additionally the spread of various diseases such as Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome , Pseudorabies, Swine fever, Foot and mouth disease and many more can be checked. Dr Harish Verma of Vety and Animal Husbandry Extension Department delivered his lecture on status of pig farming in Punjab: constraints and opportunities. Dr Jaspal Singh Deputy Director State Animal Husbandry Department also discussed the role of State department and Government in development of pig farming in Punjab. Dr Jaspal Singh Hundal was the technical coordinator of the seminar. S. Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, President, Progressive Pig farmers Association, presented vote of thanks. This seminar was sponsored by Polar Genetics, Alberta (Canada). Approximate 100 farmers of Progressive Pig Farmers Association, Punjab and doctors form state department of Animal Husbandry attend the meeting and interact with experts regarding new technologies and superior germplasm.


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