Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Sanjay Dutt to file review petition at Supreme Court
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| Sanjay Dutt |
The Delhi based legal team of actor Sanjay Dutt is all set
to file its review petition to the Supreme Court within the coming one or two
days. This petition is against the judgment handed down by the court on March
21st this year.
A case was filed against Dutt stating that he had in his
possession an automatic rifle, an AK-56 in a notified area during the infamous
Mumbai blasts on March 12, 1993. Action was taken against him under the TADA
(Terrorist and disruptive activities prevention Act) as well as the Arms Act. The
charges against him under the TADA Act were dismissed, but he was held guilty
under the Arms Act. He had appealed against this decision. On March 21 of this
year, Supreme Court upheld his conviction under the Arms Act and has imposed a
five year sentence on him.
The legal team of Dutt contends that since the charges
under TADA were dismissed, they cannot be treated as the main evidence of
offense committed under another act – in this case the Arms Act. The TADA
court had imposed a sentence of six years on the actor under the Arms Act.
According to Dutt’s lawyers, the petition aims at pointing out "a binding
decision of the SC based on an apparent error in a judgment."
The Supreme Court in its final judgment upheld the verdict
though the term of imprisonment was reduced to five years. The judgment was
handed down on March 21 and Dutt was given 30 days to surrender or file a plea.
The new plea submits that the judgment given by a three
judge bench in the Rajiv Gandhi killer case must be reviewed. According to this
judgment, confessions given under TADA will be valid elsewhere. The 1993 blast
case against Dutt relies heavily on this judgment. If the new review petition
gets considered, this judgment will have to be reconsidered.
Dutt has already served a sentence of eighteen months. If
the sentence holds, he will have to serve for another three and a half years.
In case the plea is dismissed, a curative petition can
then be filed in order to ensure that proper justice is carried out.
The latest film under Dutt’s production banner is all set
to release on April 12 – barely days before his deadline to surrender ends.
Hyderabad International Airport likely to get new CEO soon
Kishore S. Gopalakrishnan, now CEO of commercial properties development at the airport, is likely to succeed Jaisinghani. Gopalakrishnan had also worked as chief operating officer of the SEZ division of GMR Group.
"Vikram is leaving the organisation on personal grounds. He wanted to move back to Mumbai where his family resides. He is an excellent person and his contribution to the airport development is incalculable.
Jaisinghani could not be contacted for his comments. It could not be independently verified with GMR as its officials were not available for comments. Sources indicated that Jaisinghani's tenure with GMR Hyderabad International Airport will end by April 18 and the new CEO is expected to take charge since then.
Jaisinghani took over as CEO of airport after his predecessor Sripathy was transferred as CEO international airports (GMR) in 2009. During Jaisinghani's tenure, the airport got the Best Cargo Airport in India and Best Cargo Terminal in India award by Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) in 2012.
The passenger traffic has grown to 8.6 million in 2011-12 from 6.5 million in 2009-10 and cargo traffic increased to 81,487 tons from 66,482 tons during the same period. While net revenues have grown to Rs 574 crore during 2011-12 from Rs 403 crore in 2009-10.
Rajiv Gandhi was 'middleman' for Swedish jet deal: US cable
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi has been named as an
"entrepreneur" for Swedish firm Saab-Scania, when it was trying to sell
its Viggen fighter aircraft to India in the 1970s by the US diplomatic
cables obtained by WikiLeaks.
"Swedish emboff has informed us that main Indian negotiator with
Swedes on Viggen at New Delhi end has been Mrs. Gandhi's oler (sic) son,
Rajiv Gandhi. Latter's only association with aircraft industry (to our
knowledge) has been as pilot for Indian Airlines and this is first time
we have heard his name as entrepreneur," the October 21, 1975 cable from the New Delhi.
The Hindu published its findings of the Kissinger cables in collaboration with Wikileaks.
Although the cable mentions Rajiv Gandhi as an “entrepreneur”, but it
also states that the US officials have “no additional information to
either refute or confirm the above information.
Later, Saab-Scania lost out on the deal and was forced to withdraw
from the “fighter sweepstakes” by the US as the deal was eventually
secured the British SEPECAT Jaguar.
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi later became embroiled in scandal
relating to another Swedish arms manufacturer in the Bofors howtizer gun
deal.
Need to look into dimensions on diesel deregulation
"The government has to take into account several dimensions of issue before decision can be taken," is their ant possibility of deregulating diesel prices.
The issues concerning diesel are not unidimensional, adding while some argue for deregulation, few say that it would fuel inflation.
"On one column (of a newspaper) deregulate diesel price and on another column you will say inflation (will rise). These are not unidimensional issues, cannot approach a issue from one dimension,"
Overall inflation in November stood at 7.24 per cent, much above the Reserve Bank's comfort level of 5-6 per cent.
The government had in 2010 taken an "in-principle" decision to deregulate diesel prices, but could not implement it because of political pressure. The decision was based on the recommendations made by Kirit Parikh committee.
Price of diesel, which currently costs Rs 47.15 per litre in Delhi, was last revised on September 14 when it was hiked by a steep Rs 5.63 per litre.
The government has promised a cash support of Rs 30,000 crore to the oil marketing companies to cover a part of the Rs 85,586 crore revenue loss on fuel sales during April- September.
Internet celebrates its 30th birthday
The computer network officially began its technological revolution when
it fully substituted previous networking systems on January 1 1983.
“flag day”, it was the first time the US Department of Defence
(DoD)-commissioned Arpanet network fully switched to use of the Internet
protocol suite (IPS) communications system.
Using data “packet-switching”, the new method of linking computers paved the way for the arrival of the World Wide Web.
“ without the internet and the World Wide Web the day may not begin or the day may not end ".
Based on designs by Welsh scientist Donald Davies, the Arpanet network began as a military project in the late 1960s.
It was developed at prestigious American universities and research
laboratories, such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
and the Stanford Research Institute.
Starting in 1973, work on the powerful and flexible IPS and Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) technology which would change mass
communications got under way.
The new systems were designed to replace the more vulnerable Network
Control Program (NCP) used previously, making sure the network was not
exposed to a single point of failure.
This meant a single attack could not bring it down, making it safer and more reliable.
By January 1 1983, the substitution of the older system for the new
Internet protocol had been completed and the Internet was born.
British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee was then able to use it to
host the system of interlinked hypertext documents he invented in 1989,
known as the World Wide Web.
Nokia Lumia 920 Hands On
Visually, the Lumia 920 looks almost identical to the Lumia 800 and
the Lumia 900. Although Nokia has been recycling this design for some
time now, it still looks beautiful. Nokia has once again used
polycarbonate plastic for the unibody design, which has a glossy finish
that looks and feels great.
Much has been said about the weight of the Lumia 920. There is no
doubt that the phone is heavier than many of the current high-end
smartphones out there on the market today. But is that really a bad
thing? Not really. It takes a while to adjust to the weight if you're
moving from a lighter device but after a couple of hours you hardly
notice it. It's also not that big an issue when it comes to carrying it
around in your pocket. The solid polycarbonate body and the heft also
means the phone feels built to last like few devices out there.
Moving on, the Lumia 920 uses a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 768 resolution,
PureMotion HD+ LCD with ClearBlack technology. That sounds like a lot of
jargon but what's important is that the display looks fantastic. The
colors are vivid yet natural and Nokia's PureMotion tech ensures no
motion blur while scrolling. The sunlight visibility is also excellent,
thanks to the ClearBlack technology. Compared side by side to a Galaxy S
III directly under the sun, the Lumia 920's display was a lot clearer
and less washed out. Also, you can use the touchscreen on the Lumia 920
even through gloves.
In terms of software, the Lumia 920 is running Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system. Compared to other devices on the market, Nokia's Lumia series gets the benefit of Nokia's superior apps and services (Maps, Music, etc.) and also some exclusive games and apps from third party developers that you won't find on devices from, say, HTC.
Unfortunately, at the end of the day, this is still Windows Phone 8, which means the app ecosystem is still in its infancy. Although Microsoft does like to boast of increasing app numbers at every event, the reality is that Windows Phone still lacks most of the major apps and games that you can get on iOS or Android, making a switch a rather difficult decision. In our short time with the Lumia 920, this was the only thing that bothered us the most, with everything else being very impressive.
Nokia is yet to announce when the Lumia 920 goes on sale in India and at what price. It is expected to go on sale some time in January and we hope Nokia does not overprice it at launch, unlike some of their recent high-end devices. The hardware is good enough to go head to head with the best smartphones out there but the software is still lacking, which is something both Nokia and the buyers need to keep in mind.
Egypt unrest: Anti-Mursi protests intensify
Opponents of Egyptian
President Mohammed Mursi have set up camp in central Cairo to protest
against a new decree granting him sweeping powers.
A defiant Mr Mursi defended the move, saying he was leading Egypt on a path to "freedom and democracy".
The Obama administration has voiced concern about developments.Tear gas in Tahrir
Overnight, some 20 white tents were pitched in the middle of Cairo's totemic Tahrir Square, where Egyptians celebrated the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak last year.
Protest organisers said more than 20 different groups had joined the week-long sit-in against Mr Mursi's reforms. Numbers of protesters have ranged from a few hundred to a few thousand.Organisers have called for a huge protest on Tuesday.
22 November declaration
- All investigations into the killing of protesters or the use of violence against them will be re-conducted; trials of those accused will be re-held
- All constitutional declarations, laws and decrees made since Mr Mursi assumed power cannot be appealed or cancelled by any individual, or political or governmental body
- The public prosecutor will be appointed by the president for a fixed term of four years, and must be aged at least 40
- The constituent assembly's timeline for drafting the new constitution has been extended by two months
- No judicial authority can dissolve the constituent assembly or the upper house of parliament (Shura Council)
- The president is authorised to take any measures he sees fit in order to preserve the revolution, to preserve national unity or to safeguard national security
- Egypt: Who holds the power?
They say the new president is becoming as much of a dictator as long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak.
The protesters have two demands: to reverse the president's
constitutional declaration, and to dissolve the constituent assembly
that is currently drafting Egypt's new constitution.Separately another set of anti-Mursi protesters clashed with police near the interior ministry off Tahrir Square. Police fired tear gas and demonstrators threw petrol bombs. Chants of "Mursi is Mubarak... revolution everywhere" rang out.
Almost 100 people were injured in violence as offices of the president's Muslim Brotherhood party were reportedly attacked in the cities, Suez and Ismailia, while clashes between rival demonstrations took place in Alexandria.
Defending his decision at a rally at Cairo's, Mr Mursi was the guardian of political, economic and social stability, but that he wanted to see a "genuine opposition, a strong opposition".
Key opposition figures have accused the president of "monopolising all three branches of government" and overseeing "the total execution of the independence of the judiciary".
US state department, the decree had "raised concerns" in the international community.
Egypt's revolution had aimed "to ensure that power would not be overly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution".The US wanted democratic dialogue within Egypt to solve constitutional issues.
The rapid turn of events may have caught Washington by surprise.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Mr Mursi in Cairo and praised him for his efforts in brokering the ceasefire in Gaza.
Constitution rewrite, The new decree bans challenges to Mr Mursi's laws and decisions, and says no court can dissolve the constituent assembly, which is drawing up a new constitution.
It also opens the way for a retrial of people convicted of killings during Egypt's 2011 uprising which toppled Mubarak.
The declaration also gives the 100-member constituent assembly two additional months to draft a new constitution, to replace the one suspended after Mubarak was overthrown.
The rewrite of the constitution, which was meant to be finished by December, has been plagued by legal complaints questioning the make-up of the constituent assembly. Once completed, the document is due to be put to a referendum. If it is approved, legislative elections will be held two months later.
Barack Obama on historic Myanmar visit
Obama is due to meet Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before flying to Cambodia later Monday.
On way to Burma from Thailand on Monday morning, President Barack Obama said he was visiting the nation to "extend the hand of friendship" to a nation moving from persecution to peace.
The President said, "Instead of being repressed, the right of people to assemble together must now be fully respected.. Instead of being stifled, the veil of media censorship must continue to be lifted. As you take these steps, you can draw on your progress."
Justifying his visit to the once-shunned nation, Obama said , "This is not an endorsement of the Burmese government. This is an acknowledgement that there is a process underway inside that country that even a year and a half, two years ago, nobody foresaw."
Obama also said his decision had been guided by talks with Myanmar democracy advocate Aung Sung Suu Kyi, who visited him at the White House in September.
"I'm not somebody who thinks the US should stand on the sidelines and not get its hands dirty when there's an opportunity for us to encourage the better impulses inside a country," Obama said.
Obama’s visit marks a significant shift in the relations between Myanmar and the US.
The president's Asia tour also marks his formal return to the world stage after months mired in a bruising re-election campaign.
Myanmar's rapid adoption of democratic reforms has been rewarded by the US lifting of some economic sanctions.
Obama has appointed a permanent ambassador to the country, and pledged greater investment if Myanmar continues to progress following a half-century of military rule.
Some human rights groups say Myanmar's government, which continues to hold hundreds of political prisoners and is struggling to contain ethnic violence, hasn't done enough to earn a personal visit from Obama.
. The White House says Obama will express his concern for the ongoing ethnic tensions in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, where more than 110,000 people — the vast majority of them Muslims known as Rohingya — have been displaced.
The UN has called the Rohingya — who are widely reviled by the Buddhist majority in Myanmar — among the world's most persecuted people.
The White House says Obama will press the matter Monday with Thein Sein, along with demands to free remaining political prisoners as the nation transitions to democracy.
The president will cap his trip to Myanmar with a speech at Rangoon University, the center of the country's struggle for independence against Britain and the launching point for many pro-democracy protests.
Will reveal stand on FDI in retail when the bill is brought in Parliament
The DMK chief’s remarks assume significance as it came a day after Finance Minister P Chidambaram met and reportedly sought the DMK’s support during the winter session, when a few important bills are slated to be introduced.
DMK, the second largest ally with 18 Lok Sabha MPs after the exit of Trinamool Congress, had earlier urged the Centre to reconsider its decision to allow FDI in retail sector, taking into consideration objections to the move from various quarters.
Karunanidhi would support if the Opposition moved a resolution in Parliament against FDI in multi-brand retail sector. While Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has threatened a no-confidence motion, the left parties have decided to move motions under voting rules in both Houses of Parliament to reject government’s decision on the issue.
Obama campaign says it won Florida
"On behalf of Florida Democrats, I wish President Barack Obama congratulations on his re-election and on winning Florida's 29 electoral college votes," Florida Democrats chair Rod Smith said in a statement.
Mitt Romney's senior campaign adviser in Florida hinted earlier that the Republican presidential challenger lost the state, where a result is still to be announced more than two days after the election.
Electoral officials have said all vote returns must be completed no later than Saturday, but the statement from Romney's campaign published in the Miami Herald suggested his team had already accepted defeat.
"The numbers in Florida show this was winnable. We thought based on our polling and range of organization that we had done what we needed to win,"
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said he was confident the president would be declared the victor.
The campaign's voter model continues to show that Obama "will hold that lead and end with 332 electoral votes,"
In the state-by-state electoral college system, 270 votes were needed for victory and Obama already has 303 with Florida's 29 still outstanding.
Votes are still being counted in three of Florida's 67 counties, a spokesman from the state government. "Counties are required to report their results to us by Saturday at noon," .
Rahul Gandhi threatens legal action against Subramanian Swamy Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rahul-gandhi-threatens-legal-action-against-subramanian-swamy
In a terse response, Rahul Gandhi's office has shot off a letter to the
Janata Party president, terming his allegations "as utterly false,
baseless and defamatory."
Terming Swamy's accusations as "scandalous abuse" and "defamatory" Gandhi has also questioned Swamy's motivations , "His action of calling a press conference is a motivated attempt for reasons which one can easily discern".
"They shall pursue all proceedings that are available in law to ensure that an individual and an organisation like yours do not abuse the freedom to speak and write in utter violation of the equally important need in a civilised society to maintain the dignity of individuals and organisations and to abide by the law of the country."
Swamy claimed that the mother-son duo held 76 per cent shares in Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which took over Associated Journal Publisher of the National Herald group. Alleged that Rahul did not mention his shares in his nomination paper filed before the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress general secretary wrote "nil" in the column where he was supposed to mention his shares and debentures in the nomination paper.
Swamy alleged that a Passport Seva Kendra was opened on two floors of the building even as then external affairs minister S.M. Krishna inaugurated the office. The huge amount was being collected by Young Indian as rent for the Passport Seva Kendra.
They questioned how Young Indian's general body meeting (GBM) was conducted at Sonia Gandhi's government residence, alleging that it was illegal to have business meetings on such premises because the company was earning money from it.
Swamy said he has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the ECI complaining about the alleged wrongdoings by the mother-son duo of Congress top brass. He said he was confident that the prime minister would not even acknowledge receiving the letter, so he would move court against it sometime in December.
Terming Swamy's accusations as "scandalous abuse" and "defamatory" Gandhi has also questioned Swamy's motivations , "His action of calling a press conference is a motivated attempt for reasons which one can easily discern".
"They shall pursue all proceedings that are available in law to ensure that an individual and an organisation like yours do not abuse the freedom to speak and write in utter violation of the equally important need in a civilised society to maintain the dignity of individuals and organisations and to abide by the law of the country."
Swamy claimed that the mother-son duo held 76 per cent shares in Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which took over Associated Journal Publisher of the National Herald group. Alleged that Rahul did not mention his shares in his nomination paper filed before the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress general secretary wrote "nil" in the column where he was supposed to mention his shares and debentures in the nomination paper.
Swamy alleged that a Passport Seva Kendra was opened on two floors of the building even as then external affairs minister S.M. Krishna inaugurated the office. The huge amount was being collected by Young Indian as rent for the Passport Seva Kendra.
They questioned how Young Indian's general body meeting (GBM) was conducted at Sonia Gandhi's government residence, alleging that it was illegal to have business meetings on such premises because the company was earning money from it.
Swamy said he has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the ECI complaining about the alleged wrongdoings by the mother-son duo of Congress top brass. He said he was confident that the prime minister would not even acknowledge receiving the letter, so he would move court against it sometime in December.
Sensex up in morning trade on sustained buying by funds
At 10.17 am, Sensex was up 143.66 at 18705.36. Similarly, Nifty was up 49.55 points at 5694.60 during the same time.
The 30-share barometer added 160.74 points, or 0.87 per cent, to 18,722.44 with stocks of realty, auto, banking and healthcare sectors leading the rise. The index had gained over 130 points in the previous two sessions.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 44.85 points, or 0.79 per cent, to 5,689.90.
Brokers trading sentiment remained firm on continued buying by funds and retail investors largely on encouraging earnings and a firming trend in the Asian region, tracking Wall Street's gains on strong US economic data.
Stocks of Wipro shot up by 1.44 per cent to Rs 366.60 after the company reported a jump of 23.8 per cent in consolidated net profit for the second quarter.
In the Asian region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose by 1.02 per cent, while the Japan's Nikkei by 1.31 per cent in early trade on Friday. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1.04 per cent higher on Thursday.
Sandy death toll climbs, millions without power
The misery of superstorm Sandy’s devastation grew
Tuesday as millions along the U.S. East Coast faced life without power
or mass transit for days, and huge swaths of New York City remained
eerily quiet. The U.S. death toll climbed to at least 48, many of the
victims killed by falling trees, and rescue work continued.
The
storm that made landfall in New Jersey on Monday evening with hurricane
force cut power to more than 8.2 million across the East and put the
presidential campaign on hold just one week before Election Day.
New
York was among the hardest hit, with its financial heart closed for a
second day. The storm caused the worst damage in the 108-year history of
the city’s subway system, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
said it could be four or five days before the biggest U.S. transit
system was running again.
“This was a devastating storm, maybe the worst that have ever experienced,”
But
the full extent of the damage in New Jersey was being revealed as
morning arrived. Emergency crews fanned out to rescue hundreds.
A
hoarse-voiced New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave bleak news at a
morning news conference: seaside rail lines washed away. No safe place
on the state’s barrier islands for him to land. Parts of the coast still
under water.
18 killed in New York
The
death toll from Sandy in the U.S. included several killed by falling
trees. Sandy killed 18 people in New York City. It also killed 69 people
in the Caribbean before making its way up the Eastern Seaboard.
Airlines cancelled more than 15,000 flights. New York City’s three major airports remained closed.
Some
bridges into the city reopened at midday, but most major tunnels and
bridges remained closed, as were schools and Broadway theatres.
The
storm sent a nearly 14-foot (4.27-metre) surge of seawater, a record,
coursing over Lower Manhattan’s seawalls and highways and into low-lying
streets. The water inundated tunnels, subway stations and the
electrical system that powers Wall Street and sent hospital patients and
tourists scrambling for safety. Skyscrapers swayed and creaked in winds
that partially toppled a crane 74 stories above Midtown. A large tanker
ship ran aground on the city’s Staten Island.
Around
midday, Sandy was about 120 miles (190 kilometres) east of Pittsburgh
in Pennsylvania, pushing westward with winds of 45 mph (72 kph), and was
expected to make a turn into New York State on Tuesday night. Although
weakening as it goes, the storm will continue to bring heavy rain and
flooding,
Sandy also brought blizzard conditions to West Virginia and neighbouring
Appalachian states, with more than 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snow
expected in some places.
$20 billion property damage
Sandy
will end up causing about $20 billion in property damage and $10
billion to $30 billion more in lost business, making it one of the
costliest natural disasters on record in the U.S., according to IHS
Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
Superstorm not yet over: Obama
President
Barack Obama declared a major disaster in New York and Long Island,
making federal funding available to residents of the area. He suspended
campaigning for a third day Wednesday, and planned to join Christie in
viewing the damage in New Jersey.
Mr. Obama,
speaking during a stop Tuesday at Red Cross headquarters, warned the
public that the massive storm that struck the East Coast “is not yet
over.” He said there were still risks of flooding and downed power
lines. He called the storm “heartbreaking for the nation.”
The
President offered his thoughts and prayers to those affected and told
them “America is with you.” He said he also told government officials
coordinating the response that there was “no excuse for inaction.” And
he said he told governors in affected areas that if they get no for an
answer, “they can call me personally at the White House.”
Romney resumes campaign
Republican
challenger Mitt Romney resumed his campaign, but with plans to turn a
political rally in Ohio into a “storm relief event.”
Water
cascaded into the gaping, unfinished construction pit at the World
Trade Center, and the New York Stock Exchange was closed for a second
day, the first time that has happened because of weather since the
Blizzard of 1888. The NYSE said it will reopen on Wednesday.
A
fire raged in a neighbourhood Tuesday morning in the borough of Queens,
near the Atlantic Ocean, with 80 to 100 homes destroyed but no deaths
reported.
‘Houses swept from foundations’
In
New Jersey, where the superstorm came ashore, Sandy cut off barrier
islands, swept houses from their foundations and washed amusement pier
rides into the ocean. It also wrecked several boardwalks up and down the
coast, tearing away a section of Atlantic City’s world-famous
promenade. Atlantic City’s 12 waterfront casinos came through largely
unscathed.
A huge swell of water swept over the
small town of Moonachie, and authorities struggled to rescue about 800
people, some of them living in a trailer park. Police and fire officials
used boats to try to reach the stranded.
The
massive storm reached well into the Midwest with heavy rain and snow.
Chicago officials warned residents to stay away from the Lake Michigan
shore as the city prepared for winds of up to 60 mph (96 kph) and waves
exceeding 24 feet (7.2 meters) well into Wednesday.
New York in darkness
Curiosity
turned to concern overnight as New York City residents watched whole
neighbourhoods disappear into darkness as power was cut. The World Trade
Center site was a glowing ghost near the tip of Lower Manhattan.
Residents reported seeing no lights but the strobes of emergency
vehicles and the glimpses of flashlights in nearby apartments. Lobbies
were flooded, cars floated and people started to worry about food.
As
Hurricane Sandy closed in on the Northeast, it converged with a
cold-weather system that turned it into a monstrous hybrid of rain and
high winds even bringing snow in West Virginia and other mountainous
areas inland.
Just before it made landfall,
forecasters stripped Sandy of hurricane status, but the distinction was
purely technical, based on its shape and internal temperature. It still
packed hurricane-force winds.
While the hurricane’s
90 mph (144 kph) winds registered as only a Category 1 on a scale of
five, it packed “astoundingly low” barometric pressure, giving it
terrific energy to push water inland, said Kerry Emanuel, a professor of
meteorology at MIT.
New York University’s Tisch
Hospital was forced to evacuate 200 patients after its backup generator
failed. NYU Medical Dean Robert Grossman said patients among them 20
babies from the neonatal intensive care unit who were on battery-powered
respirators had to be carried down staircases and to dozens of
ambulances waiting to take them to other hospitals.
A
construction crane atop a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise overlooking
Central Park collapsed in high winds and dangled precariously. Thousands
of people were ordered to leave several nearby buildings as a
precaution.
Mr. Bloomberg told reporters that the
storm deaths were tragic but said the city pulled through better than
some people expected, considering the magnitude of the storm.
The
mayor said, “We will get through the days ahead by doing what we always
do in tough times by standing together, shoulder to shoulder, ready to
help a neighbor, comfort a stranger and get the city we love back on its
feet.”
Finance ministry miffed with RBI not cutting rates
The Sensex erased initial gains and fell 195 points on Tuesday after RBI kept key interest rate unchanged and lowered economic growth estimate to 5.8 per cent for 2012-13, from 6.5 per cent projected earlier.
A fall in interest-linked banking, realty and auto stocks mainly influenced the trading sentiment.
Marketmen investors ignored RBI move to reduce the cash reserve ratio - the percentage of deposits banks keep with the Reserve Bank - by 0.25 per cent to infuse additional liquidity that will inject Rs 17,500 crore into the financial system.
CRR now stands at 4.25 per cent.
The Sensex, which had opened with gains on investor hopes of interest rate cuts, fell following the policy announcement to trade at 18,441.26 -- showing a decline of 194.56, or 1.04 per cent at 1151 hrs. The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty was down by 68.15 points to 5,597.45.
"Growth is as much a challenge as inflation. If government has to walk alone to face the challenge of growth then we will walk alone," Finance minister P Chidambaram said after the monetary policy.
Chidambaram's five-year plan to repair government finances
"Government is doing its best to send the clear message that we are on the path of fiscal consolidation. It is govt. hope that everyone will read and understand the government commitment to path of fiscal consolidation.
Deputy chairman of the planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia was also disappointed that the central bank had not cut rates.
Keeping the peace in Europe
The Nobel peace prize awarded to the European Union is recognition of
the historic triumph of democratic solidarity over ideologies based on
narrow nationalism, jingoism and militarism. Small wonder that Friday’s
announcement has been received with derision and scorn by Eurosceptic
and far-right forces that have stoked popular fears over the bloc’s
enlargement into Eastern Europe. In the face of record unemployment and
crippling austerity, the honour must be read no less as an appeal to the
EU’s current leadership to live up to the original promise of promoting
peace and prosperity among its people. The EU deserves credit for
helping keep the peace in a continent that has been responsible for more
death and bloodshed than any other in the world. But its current
policies are responsible for an austerity drive so intense that it
threatens the disintegration of the European project. Europe’s statesmen
of the post-war generation endeavoured to institutionalise the
principles of democratic reconciliation, respect for human rights and
the rule of law within and between nations. These values form the
bedrock of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and
the EU. Few would dispute that a response to today’s resurgent
nationalist extremism and religious fundamentalism globally must
ultimately draw upon and build on these principles. 
Europe’s visionaries were also shrewd enough to recognise that
solidarity among countries could not be sustained without material
prosperity for their people. This understanding led to the pooling of
Franco-German coal and steel resources and the steady removal of trade
and customs tariffs between France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux
countries. These visionary steps were precursors to the single market,
the Schengen borderless area and the single currency. Whether they say
so or not, most regional trading blocs around the world are attempts to
replicate more or less the European model. To be sure, the EU’s record
in the defence and promotion of human rights and democracy has been less
than creditable since 9/11. Key EU states refused to endorse the
illegal American invasion of Iraq but the willingness of many European
countries to assist in the kidnapping and ‘rendition’ of terror suspects
by the United States has exposed them to the charge of double standards
and hypocrisy. A more scrupulous adherence to norms would be no less in
the bloc’s own interest considering its enlargement into the Balkans
where democratic institution-building remains a challenge. The EU has
much work to do still to be truly worthy of the Nobel prize for peace.
It should not sit on its laurels. For a globalised world has much at
stake in the success of European integration.
Growth to turn around in six months
India's industrial output rose modestly in August, but not enough to
end a long slump in Asia's third-largest economy, while inflation
slowed, improving the case for a cut in interest rates that both
businessmen and politicians have been pleading for.
India's gross domestic product is likely to grow around 6% in the
second half of the current fiscal year amid signs that the local
slowdown has ended, " that for the first six months of the current year, the
GDP growth is around 5.5%. in the second half of the
year, which has begun just now, many of the measures taken by the
government to revive investor confidence will lead to a turn around
setting in, India's fiscal year runs from April 1 through March 31.
The South Asian nation's economy has been growing at its slowest pace
in nearly a decade in recent quarters, amid falling investments and
external economic turmoil mainly in Europe and the U.S. Its budget and
current-account deficits have widened, and inflation has remained
stubbornly high.
Since mid-September, New Delhi has taken some bold measures to
attract capital inflows and boost growth, such as increasing the
state-set price of diesel and allowing higher foreign investment in
sectors such as retail, aviation and broadcasting.
It is also pushing for more foreign money in insurance and has
decided to open up the pensions sector for similar funds for the first
time. "It's reasonable to say that the slowdown has ended," he said,
referring to the data released the industrial output for
August rose 2.7% from a year earlier, helped by an improvement in
manufacturing output.
This increase, though still weak, came after the July industrial output data contracted 0.2% from a year earlier.
Kejriwal to produce fresh evidence against Khurshid
India Against Corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal on Monday is expected
to produce fresh evidence against law minister Salman Khurshid, whom he
has accused of forgery and embezzlement of funds through an NGO with
which he and his wife are associated.
"We will produce fresh evidence against Salman Khurshid at 11am on Monday," Kejriwal said on Sunday hours after
Khurshid produced pictures and documents to prove camps were held for
the disabled in Uttar Pradesh, for which the funds were utilised.
The minister also rebutted allegations of forgery and embezzlement of
funds against an NGO with which he and his wife are associated.However, Kejriwal dismissed Khurshid's defence.
"Till Khurshid remains the law minister, he can destroy each and
every evidence against him. There will be no fair inquiry into it,"
Kejriwal also questioned why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is silent on the episode.
"Why is prime minister silent over the issue? Does he think Khurshid need to resign?"
Law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday admitted the need for probing
"forgery" of signatures of an Uttar Pradesh government official but
denied allegations of embezzlement by his NGO.
Addressing a crowded press conference at his residence, Khurshid produced documents and pictures to prove that camps were held in Uttar Pradesh to provide hearing aids and tricycles to the disabled. He said he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "share his experiences".
Khurshid denied any wrongdoing by the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, of which he is president and wife Louise is project director, he would pursue legal action against a TV news channel which first aired allegations of financial misappropriation in the running of the trust.
Kejriwal also questioned why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is silent on the episode.
"Why is prime minister silent over the issue? Does he think Khurshid need to resign?"
Addressing a crowded press conference at his residence, Khurshid produced documents and pictures to prove that camps were held in Uttar Pradesh to provide hearing aids and tricycles to the disabled. He said he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "share his experiences".
Khurshid denied any wrongdoing by the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, of which he is president and wife Louise is project director, he would pursue legal action against a TV news channel which first aired allegations of financial misappropriation in the running of the trust.
The minister lost his cool during the press conference after arguments with correspondents of the TV news channel, and at one point, even stood up to end the interaction and asked a journalist from the channel to shut up and leave.
An agitated Khurshid will see the media group in the court. Referring to a "draft" Comptroller and Auditor General report (CAG) which pointed to irregularities in the running of the trust, Khurshid had not been given documents but would factor them in in the future.
"Documents were given to the ministry. Why (they) did not get to CAG, don't know,". Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a probe into the allegations of forgery while Khurshid earlier told a TV channel in an interview that he would resign if allegations of his involvement in any forgery were proved to be true and leave politics.
While Salman Khurshid was holding a press conference to answer questions on allegations against him at his residence, Arvind Kejriwal watched the entire proceedings closely on television.
After Khurshid's conference, Kejriwal took almost an hour to prepare his speech. The anti-graft activist pointed out that Khurshid was "bluffing".
The minister showed a picture dated July 17, 2010, to prove that the UP government official J.B. Singh was present at one of the camps held by his family-run Zakir Hussain Trust. But the pictures actually put the NGO in a spot as the events the minister was referring to took place between April 2009 and March 2010. "Khurshid is deliberately misleading the nation,"
Addressing the crowd, Kejriwal said Khurshid had skirted the five questions raised by them in regard to the alleged misappropriation of funds by the NGO run by him and his wife.
The first question was about Ram Raj Singh's signature on a letter presented by the UP government which was used to get funds sanctioned for 'Khurshid is deliber ately misleading the nation' the trust in the year 2009-10. Kejriwal claimed that according to a media report, Ram Raj Singh had never signed the letter.
Kejriwal also raised questions on the trust's claims that they conducted camps in some particular areas. He mentioned about disabled persons who are registered with the trust but did not get any benefit.
"These are not our allegations. These are the allegations of Akhilesh Yadav government. The matter was probed by the state government and a report was submitted on June 12 and sent to the central government which issued a showcause notice,"
He added that the IAC will field a differently abled person against the law minister in the next election if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh feels that Khurshid need not resign.
Sunday was the third consecutive day when Kejriwal and his team protested against the alleged irregularities in the functioning of the NGO run by the Khurshids. Earlier in the day, while some activists followed his car on his way back from IGI airport, others waited for his arrival in front of his residence at 4, Kushak Road. Fourteen activists were detained while trying to gherao Khurshid. All detainees were later released.
Wearing his trademark cap of 'Main aam admi hun', Kejriwal addressed a crowd of around 500 activists at Jantar Mantar in the afternoon. During his address, he spoke about financial irregularities in the NGO. He also alleged that the UP government that had come up with a report exposing the irregularities was now colluding with Khurshid to bail him out.
Bill Gates nominated for alternative Chinese peace prize
Former UN chief Kofi Annan, Thailand’s prime minister and Microsoft
founder Bill Gates are among those nominated for a Chinese alternative
“peace prize.”
Organizers of the Confucius Peace Prize announced the nominees
Sunday. Last year, the accolade went to Russia’s Vladimir Putin for
crushing anti-government forces in Chechnya.
The award’s sponsors are professors and academics who say they are independent of the Chinese government.
The nominees are former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, his
successor Ban Ki-moon, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Bill
Gates, Chinese social activist Wang Dingguo, Peking University Prof.
Tang Yijie, Chinese scientist Yuan Longping and the 11th Panchen Lama.
The Panchen Lama is the second-highest religious leader for Tibetans
after the Dalai Lama. Most Tibetans don’t accept him because Beijing
appointed him.
Official centre taps 10000 phones
Various government agencies are learnt to have legally tapped around 10000 phones across the country.
As per data collected by the agencies for the meeting of a high-level commitee comprising cabinet secretary, telecom secretary,and law secretary, sources said around 4,500 phones were tapped in August in addition to more thn 5000 phones that were already being tapped.
Sources added that the interception is ordered by various intelligence agencies, police forces and the Army. It is also learnt that nearly 1,200 wmail addresses were monitored under the Indian Telegraph Act.
The committee has also cleared a fresh request for monitoring around 500 email,s sources added. The panel rejected 17 request and demanded clarification on the issue of public emergency for fresh interception.
INTELLIGENCE BUREAU MONITORS ABOUT 6K PHONES
The Intelligence Bureau monitors nearly 6000 phones as per data collected by government agencies. Over 2000 requests by the IB were made in August alone. The Arm's Signal Intelligences is tapping over 1100 phones of which 577 requests were made in August while 527 were already being intercepted by it, sources said.
"Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which had over 160 phones under its scanner, has made a request for intercepting 350 phones during the month,' sources said.
Bill Gates, Kofi Annan sentencing support for Rajat Gupta
Gupta, 63, the most influential and best-known corporate figure to be caught in a broad insider trading crackdown of the last four years, moved in elite business and philanthropic circles for decades. He is also a former head of the McKinsey & Co management consultancy.
A jury convicted Gupta in June of tipping his friend and business associate, Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam, about Goldman's boardroom secrets during the financial crisis. He was found not guilty of divulging the quarterly earnings in January 2009 of Procter & Gamble Co , where he also served as a board member.
Microsoft Corp co-founder Gates, in one letter among about 200 written to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, wrote that he wanted to help "round out Rajat's profile as you consider the appropriate sentence for him."
Gates worked with Gupta when Gupta was chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Gates wrote that "many millions of people are leading better lives - or are alive at all - thanks to the efforts he so ably supported."
The judge released the letters on Friday night ahead of the Oct. 24 sentencing in Manhattan federal court at the request of a reporter from the Wall Street Journal. Prosecutors and Gupta's lawyers gave their consent,
The letters came from company heads, academics, friends and family, including his wife and four adult daughters.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his letter, said: "I urge you to recognize Rajat for the good he has done in the world, to give him the credit that he deserves for helping others and to take into account his efforts to improve the lives of millions of people."
One of the themes running through many of the letters was that not enough of Gupta's humanitarian work came out at his trial. The judge had puts limits on what the jury could hear about Gupta's philanthropy.
His wife, Anita Gupta, wrote, "I know I have to accept the decision of the jury but I cannot but feel that who my husband is and what he stands for did not fully come out at the trial."
The maximum sentence for securities fraud is 20 years and the maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years, although it seems unlikely that Gupta would receive such a heavy punishment following his conviction on those charges.
Rajaratnam was convicted of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy last year and is serving an 11-year prison term.
Gupta, who lives in Westport, Connecticut, is also a former director at American Airlines Corp and had ties to a prominent business school in his native India.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his letter, said: "I urge you to recognize Rajat for the good he has done in the world, to give him the credit that he deserves for helping others and to take into account his efforts to improve the lives of millions of people."
One of the themes running through many of the letters was that not enough of Gupta's humanitarian work came out at his trial. The judge had puts limits on what the jury could hear about Gupta's philanthropy.
His wife, Anita Gupta, wrote, "I know I have to accept the decision of the jury but I cannot but feel that who my husband is and what he stands for did not fully come out at the trial."
The maximum sentence for securities fraud is 20 years and the maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years, although it seems unlikely that Gupta would receive such a heavy punishment following his conviction on those charges.
Rajaratnam was convicted of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy last year and is serving an 11-year prison term.
Gupta, who lives in Westport, Connecticut, is also a former director at American Airlines Corp and had ties to a prominent business school in his native India.
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