Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 30-6-2010

Indian Latest News Headlines

1)Lashkar behind Kashmir trouble: Chidambaram :Read in Detail
2)Kashmir remains tense, curfew clamped in more areas :Read in Detail
3)Nepal PM quits amid pressure from Maoists :Read in Detail
4)Nepal peace broker Girija Prasad Koirala dies :Read in Detail
5)Rathore will get no pension: Home Ministry :Read in Detail
6)Apple hiring antenna engineers :Read in Detail
7)Centre supports Omar's govt; LeT linked to protesters :Read in Detail
8)Hunt for Naxals after attack; CRPF toll rises to 27 :Read in Detail
9)Cheating case hits aviation minister Praful Patel: Read in Detail

Business News

10)Sensex ends 167 points higher in volatile trade :Read in Detail
11)No overwriting on cheques after Dec 1: RBI :Read in Detail
12)Fuel price hike justified: Deora :Read in Detail
13)Interest rates may rise .50%: Parekh :Read in Detail
14)TRAI raises FDI limit for DTH, FM radio :Read in Detail

Sports News

15)Berdych ends Federer's reign as Wimbledon champ :Read in Detail
16)Oz, Kiwis slam Howard's rejection by India, others :Read in Detail
17)DDCA shocked at Kotla ban report :Read in Detail
18)Williams sisters knocked out of doubles quarterfinals :Read in Detail
19)Saina Nehwal not worried about ranking :Read in Detail

Latest News of india Headlines and News in Detail of 29-6-2010

Latest News of india

1)15 CRPF personnel killed in Maoists attack in Chhattisgarh :Read in Detail
2)J&K CM Omar Abdullah appeals for peace in Kashmir :Read in Detail
3)Raman govt offers 1200 acres for anti-Naxal centre:Read in Detail
4)Trust but verify, says PM on ties with Pakistan :Read in Detail
5)Nuke deal with Pak needs NSG nod, US tells China:Read in Detail
6)Google 'licensing compromise' in China :Read in Detail
7)Kandhamal riots: BJP MLA sentenced to 7 years RI :Read in Detail
8)Kashmir on boil; two killed in Anantnag firing:Read in Detail
9)Bhopal case: India to seek extradition of Anderson :Read in Detail
10)Fuel price hike: Oppn calls 'Bharat Bandh' on July 5 :Read in Detail

Business News

11)Govt to lift diesel price subsidies :Read in Detail
12)Fuel price hike to spur inflation; RBI to intervene :Read in Detail
13)SBI sets base rate at 7.5 per cent :Read in Detail
14)Maytas Infra loss at Rs 528.79 cr :Read in Detail
15)HDFC sees base rate in 6.75-8 pct range :Read in Detail

Sports News

16)Pironkova stuns Venus Williams at Wimbledon :Read in Detail
17)FIFA apologises for refereeing errors :Read in Detail
18)Saina confident of becoming No. 1 :Read in Detail
19)BCCI scraps IPL media rights deal with WSG:Read in Detail

Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 28-6-2010

Indian Latest News Headlines

1)CRPF refutes allegations of high-handedness in J&K :Read in Detail
2)Two killed in J&K protests, situation tense :Read in Detail
3)Fuel price hike was necessary, says Pranab : Read in Detail
4)India's views matter, don't care about the world: Rajapaksa :Read in Detail
5)US, India leery of Pak's Haqqani card in Afghanistan :Read in Detail
6)UK migration cap 'unworkable', say Indian professionals :Read in Detail
7)Rein in people like Hafiz Saeed: India to Pak :Read in Detail
8)Rahul Gandhi's mobile phone stolen at IGI airport :Read in Detail

Business News

9)Govt to up stake in PSBs: Gopalan :Read in Detail
10)India ranks 13 in housing sector, China tops :Read in Detail
11)Free pricing turns pvt refiners homeward :Read in Detail
12)India has its way on bank tax at G-20 :Read in Detail
13)Infrastructure output up 5% in May :Read in Detail
14)Gold recovers on firming global trend, silver remains up :Read in Detail
15)Sensex closes 196 points up; ADAG, oil stocks gain:Read in Detail


Sports News

16)Holland beat Slovakia 2-1 to reach quarters:Read in Detail
17)We are better equipped to tackle Mendis: Dravid :Read in Detail
18)Bangladesh sack Shakib, appoint Mortaza as captain :Read in Detail
19)Federer eases past Melzer into Wimbledon quarters :Read in Detail
20)Venus overcomes gritty Groth to enter Wimbledon quarters: Read in Detail

Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 27-6-2010

Indian Latest News Headlines

1)Superb Saina does it again, clinches Indonesia Open title :Read in Detail
2)Unfair to say Pakistan has not done enough: Qureshi :Read in Detail
3)Caught in caste tangle, lovers 'commit suicide' in Haryana :Read in Detail
4)IITs say no to common engineering entrance test :Read in Detail
5)All eyes on Raj Thackeray son's medium of study :Read in Detail
6)Pranab resigns as Bengal Cong party head :Read in Detail
7)As prices shoot up, Parliamentary panel recommends salary hike for MPs :Read in Detail
8)Pak rules out barring Hafiz Saeed from giving hate speeches :Read in Detail
9)PIL alleges malpractices by CM, politicians; seeks CBI probe:Read in Detail

Business News

10)R-Infratel, GTL approve 50k-cr deal; RCom to cut debt :Read in Detail
11)Jindal Power seeks clearance restoration for Rs 13k-cr project :Read in Detail
12)Sensex ends flat after hitting 10-week high :Read in Detail
13)UK to cap migration on non-EU workers :Read in Detail
14)Infosys may top revenue growth in next three fiscals: Report :Read in Detail
15)Greece will tame debt with reforms: IMF official :Read in Detail

Sports News

16)Saina hattrick! Wins Indonesian Open, third Super Series:Read in Detail
17)Old foes in new battle :Read in Detail
18)Mexico eye revenge against imperious Argentina :Read in Detail
19)Vettori, McCullum to miss Sri Lanka, India ODIs :Read in Detail
20)Nadal survives another scare to reach fourth round :Read in Detail
21)Rossi targets Czech race for MotoGP return :Read in Detail

Breaking News of India- 24-6-2010

Breaking News of India

1)'India-Pak meeting cordial, constructive and meaningful':Read in Detail
2)Honour killing: 3 held from Ghaziabad, confess to killing couple, say cops :Read in Detail
3)Saina Nehwal breaks into top-3 of world rankings :Read in Detail
4)Italy trail Slovakia 1-2 after 80 minutes :Read in Detail
5)K-word tops Pak agenda as India talks cross-border terror:Read in Detail
6)Lokayukta quits, alleges corruption in BJP ruled K'taka :Read in Detail
7)Gold slips to Rs 18,747 per ten gram :Read in Detail

Latest News of India of 24-6-2010

Latest News of India

1)Nothing dramatic expected from Indo-Pak talks: Krishna :Read in Detail
2)Indo-Pak talks: Rao to meet Bashir today :Read in Detail
3)Obama to meet PM at G20 summit :Read in Detail
4)Never intended to belittle BCCI: Modi's lawyer : Read in Detail
5)Canadian PM apologizes for Kanishka :Read in Detail
6)Alagiri, Didi top list of absentee Cabinet ministers : Read in Detail
7)India highest consumer of heroin in South Asia: UN :Read in Detail
8)Vivek Oberoi in Swayamvar, Season 3! :Read in Detail
9)Govt's mind made up on fuel hikes : Read in Detail
10)Anderson extradition on Cabinet agenda today :Read in Detail
11)Moily warns against ‘motivated’ PILs :Read in Detail
12) Jnaneswari probe: CBI seizes railway tools :Read in Detail

Business News

13)RIL to acquire 45% stake in US firm PNR :Read in Detail
14)Sensex up 0.2 pct on strong Asia :Read in Detail
15)ING selling $110 mn stake in Kotak Bank :Read in Detail

Sports News

16)Italy must find goals, spark :Read in Detail
17)History in the making when Paraguay play NZ :Read in Detail
18)For Japan, match against Denmark is ‘first final’ :Read in Detail
19)India all set for final assault: Read in Detail
20)Federer squeezes into third round :Read in Detail
21)Longest ever match suspended at 59-59 in final set :Read in Detail

Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 22-6-2010

Indian Latest News Headlines

1)Nitish hasn't sought ban on Modi, Varun to keep ties: BJP :Read in Detail
2)Keep Modi, Varun away from Bihar campaign: Nitish :Read in Detail
3)Mecca Masjid blast case: CBI announces reward of Rs 10 lakh :Read in Detail
4)Pak PM ignores US warning on Iran gas deal, to go ahead with gas import :Read in Detail
5)Two Indians among Forbes billionaire heiresses to watch:Read in Detail
6)BJP's edifice standing on support of allies: Thackeray :Read in Detail
7)Rlys' recruitment scam:'Traitor' Sharma blamed :Read in Detail

Business News

8)RIL to pay $1.35 bn for Pioneer stake :Read in Detail
9)'UK-India bilateral trade declining' :Read in Detail
10)ICICI shareholders approve BoR merger :Read in Detail
11)Ratan Tata conferred with Honorary degree by Cambridge : Read in Detail
12)Eurozone crisis poses great danger: FM :Read in Detail

Sports News

13)Sri Lanka down India by 7 wickets :Read in Detail
14)Troubled France face challenge from focused hosts :Read in Detail
15)Asian teams face crunch World Cup games :Read in Detail
16)Sania crashes out of Wimbledon singles :Read in Detail
17)Khawaja named in Aussie squad for Pakistan Tests :Read in Detail
18)Serena saunters through at sunny Wimbledon: Read in Detail

Latest News of india Headlines and News in Detail of 21-6-2010

Latest News of India Headlines

1)JD(U) all set to sever ties with 'communal' BJP in Bihar :Read in Detail
2)GoM finalises Rs1500cr package for Bhopal gas victims :Read in Detail
3)Pakistan 10th most failed state of the world: Foreign Policy magazine:Read in Detail
4)David Davidar had consensual relationship with Lisa Rundle, says counsel :Read in Detail
5)IndiGo flight suffers tyre burst while landing in Srinagar : Read in Detail
6)Majority of govt officials are corrupt: HC :Read in Detail
7)CBI gets nod to probe Mumbai RRB chief's role in job scam :Read in Detail

Business News

8)RBS close to selling Indian biz to HSBC :Read in Detail
9)India oil min tells states to cut fuel taxes :Read in Detail
10)Gold slips to Rs 18,743 per 10 gms :Read in Detail
11)GMR eyeing partners' stake in airports :Read in Detail


Sports News

12)Portugal thrash N Korea with 7-0 win :Read in Detail
13)Dhoni reclaims No. 1 ranking, India No. 2 ODI side again :Read in Detail
14)Virender Sehwag ruled out of Asia Cup :Read in Detail
15)Clijsters cruises through first test at Wimbledon :Read in Detail
16)Steve Waugh may coach Kochi IPL team :Read in Detail

Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 20-6-2010

Indian Latest News Headlines

1)Sushil Modi cancels programme with Nitish Kumar :Read in Detail
2)Centre may amend AFSPA, Army could lose cover :Read in Detail
3)Saina Nehwal wins second Super Series title :Read in Detail
4)India to ‘expose’ China-Pakistan N-deal: Read in Detail
5)Pak wants good relations with India: Gilani :Read in Detail
6)IAF: Recall UN mission choppers for Anti-Naxal ops :Read in Detail
7)One killed in CRPF firing in Srinagar :Read in Detail

Business News

8)Govt ends regulators' turf war; IRDA to administer ULIPs :Read in Detail
9)Reliance groups' m-cap surges Rs 48K crore since truce :Read in Detail
10)Wanted: CMDs, MDs & directors for PSEs :Read in Detail

Sports News
11) Paraguay, Slovakia meet a test of determination :Read in Detail
12)Shaky Italy eye solid showing :Read in Detail
13)India knock Pakistan out of Asia Cup :Read in Detail
14)Fan incident blown out of proportion: Beckham :Read in Detail

Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 19-6-2010

Indian Latest News Headlines and News in Detail of 19-6-2010

1)Satyam banned from offshoring work with World Bank:Read in Detail
2)Bin Ladin group to become Maytas Infra co-promoter: Read in Detail
3)Manohar recuses from disciplinary proceedings against Modi:Read in Detail
4)Nitish snubs Narendra Modi, returns Gujarat's flood relief money :Read in Detail
5)Anderson 'safe passage': Arjun lobs ball in Centre's court :Read in Detail
6)GoM on Bhopal tragedy discusses legal options :Read in Detail
7)Railways postpone exam after recruitment scam :Read in Detail
8)Kisenji injured, hiding in West Midnapore: Police :Read in Detail

Business News

9)Toyota's compact car set to hit roads:Read in Detail
10)10 pct GDP growth aimed in 12th Plan :Read in Detail
11)Agri growth rate should be 4 pct: PM:Read in Detail
12)Gold prices hit all-time high: Read in Detail
13)Bill tabled in US Congress to stop buying Chinese goods :Read in Detail

Sports News

14)Saina in line for second Super Series title in Singapore :Read in Detail
15)Torres confident World Cup favorite Spain won't fall :Read in Detail
16)It should be fun to face Federer again: Nadal :Read in Detail
17)KXIP promoters apply to BCCI for sale of stakes :Read in Detail
18)Sneijder strike gives Dutch 1-0 win over Japan :Read in Detail
19)FIFA condemn England security breach :Read in Detail

Breaking News of India of 18-6-2010

Breaking News of India

1)Bhopal GoM to finalise recommendations on Monday :Read in Detail
2)La Martiniere bans corporal punishment after student's suicide :Read in Detail
3)CBI unearths Railway recruitment scam, RRB chief's son held : Read in Detail
4)Indo-Pak foreign secretaries to meet on June 24 :Read in Detail

Business News
5)RIL sets out new agenda for growth :Read in Detail
6)US Inc slammed for not preferring India :Read in Detail
7)Mukesh seeks constructive ties with Anil :Read in Detail

Sports News
8)Germany stunned by Serbia's 1-0 victory :Read in Detail
9)'BCCI whip improved Team India attitude' :Read in Detail
10)Ball, girlfriends give keepers the jeepers creepers :Read in Detail

Indian Latest News of 18-6-2010

Indian Latest News headlines and News in Details

1)Ready to supply gas to Anil's ADAG: Mukesh Ambani: Read in Detail
2)Prithvi-II successfully test-fired off Orissa coast: Read in Detail
3)Second Australian teen charged over Nitin Garg's murder:Read in Detail
4)Cops parade deranged man as Maoist: Read in Detail
5)N-deal with Pak could hit ties, India cautions China: Read in Detail

Business News

6) Sensex at 1-month high; Reliance rallies: Read in Detail
7)Facebook earnings near $800 mn in '09 :Read in Detail
8)RIL to supply gas to ADAG plants when ready : Read in Detail

Sports News

9)Rooney, England aiming to make a mark :Read in Detail
10)Germany wary of Serbia despite big opening win : Read in Detail
11)In shorts or suit, Maradona still Argentina's star :Read in Detail
12)Lanka set sights on final as they take on Bangladesh :Read in Detail

Indian Latest News of 16-6-2010

Indian Latest News

1)Anderson's exit from Bhopal systemic failure, says Cong :Read Detail
2)Cong's new excuse: Anderson could have been murdered by Bhopal mob :Read Detail
3)Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy gets bail in conspiracy case : Read Detail
4)IAF to give permanent commission to women officers:Read in Detail
5)Pakistan still financing Mumbai attack mastermind :Read in Detail
6)Church backs principal in La Mart boy's suicide case :Read in Detail

Business News
7)'Indian firms created 60,000 jobs in US': Read in Detail
8)Food inflation seen rising further: Montek:Read in Detail
9)Sensex ends up 50 pts on better earnings : Read in Detail

Sports News

10)Chile beat Honduras, record first WC win in 48 years :Read in Detail
11)Swiss shock favourites Spain in Durban :Read in Detail
12)India beat Bangladesh by 6 wickets in Asia Cup :Read in Detail

Indian Latest News of 15-6-2010

Top Latest News Headlines of India in Detail

1) Kyrgyz violence: All Indian nationals safely evacuated:Read in Detail
2)9 months after expulsion, Jaswant returns to BJP: Read in Detail
3)Pune German Bakery blast: Abdul Bhatkal granted bail: Read in Detail
4)Bhopal gas case: Complaint filed against Arjun Singh: Read in Detail
5)I am sorry for caning Rouvanjit: La Martiniere principal:Read in Detail
6)Govt withdraws crucial amendment to N-Liability Bill:Read in Detail
7)Pune blast accused gets bail; Cops red faced: Read in Detail

Business News

8)Forget India, Brazil, luxury targets Gulf:Read in Detail
9)RCom pushes Sensex up by 74 points: Read in Detail
10)Govt to divest 10% stake in CIL, HCL: Read in Detail

Sports News
11)Last gasp goal sees NZ draw with Slovakia: Read in Detail
12)Dunga’s boys look beyond Joga Bonito: Read in Detail
13)Tendulkar targets World Cup for India: Read in Detail

14)Yuvraj vows to come back fitter:Read in Detail

Indian Latest News Headlines of 14-6-2010

Top Indian Latest News Headlines

1)Bhopal gas tragedy victims appeal to Obama for action: Read in Detail
2)Naga students to call off Manipur blockade:Read in Detail
3)China on verge of signing nuke deal with Pakistan: Expert :Read in Detail
4)Govt plans to airlift Indians out of riot-hit Kyrgyzstan: Read in Detail
5)UK to inquiry into misuse of India education aid:Read in Detail
6)Modi ad row hijacks BJP meet agenda:Read in Detail
7)China on verge of signing nuke deal with Pakistan: Expert:Read in Detail

Business News

8)Sensex surges to four-week high :Read in Detail
9)Montek for RBI action to arrest inflation :Read in Detail
10)India must free fuel prices: Basu :Read in Detail
11)Maran offers to buy 20 pct more stake in Spice Jet :Read in Detail

Sports News

12)Netherlands defeat Denmark 2-0 :Read in Detail
13)Lippi calm before Italy's World Cup opener:Read in Detail
14)Dhoni expects senior players to shine in Asia Cup:Read in Detail

Indian Latest News of 14-6-2010

Pranab comes to Arjun's aid on Anderson

NEW DELHI: In what could be a move to cap the acrimonious debate over who was to blame for former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson's "escape" from India, Congress's chief troubleshooter Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh had taken the decision due to law and order concerns.

Mukherjee quoted from a recent TOI report of a statement made by Arjun Singh in December 1984, in which the former CM pointed to the raw nerves and the agitation in the public mind, to explain why Anderson had to be flown out soon after he had been detained and placed under "house arrest".

The veteran leader, who has maintained a stoic silence since the controversy broke out afresh, had also said there was no pressure from the Centre to release Anderson. Congress leaders, particularly from Madhya Pradesh, have been egging on Singh to own up to what he said even as fingers pointed at Rajiv Gandhi's PMO.

Mukherjee's remarks are the closest Congress has come to explain the authority behind Anderson's release and appear to be carefully calibrated as they could be intended to accept Arjun Singh's 1984 version as the official history while also offering him a way out. The Congress brass would also hope this would end the chatter within the party which has aggravated the situation and turned the focus on the GoM that has been reconstituted to look into the issues surrounding the tragedy.

Speaking to the media in Kolkata, Mukherjee clarified, "The statement by Singh five days after the Bhopal disaster had been published in a newspaper... it is very clear from the statement of Arjun Singh, which was published in The Times of India on December 8, 1984, that the law and order situation in Bhopal would have deteriorated and people's frenzy and tempers were running high. Therefore, it was thought necessary to send him (Anderson) out of Bhopal."

Congress has already begun to look at other means to take the heat off itself, with law minister Veerappa Moily attacking the judiciary for treating the Bhopal deaths as a "truck or car accident".

550 biggies on Rs 25cr tax defaulters' list

NEW DELHI: The Income Tax department has circulated dossiers of at least 550 high net worth individuals and entities — who have wilfully defaulted or have unpaid tax of Rs 25 crore and above — to field officers for recovery as tax arrears have doubled in the last two years to a worrisome Rs 2.5 lakh crore, almost 66% of the total direct tax collection of 2009-10.

The dossiers include information on recently acquired properties of these entities, their bank transactions and details of investments made by them in shares and mutual funds. Joint director and additional commissioner rank officers who have been armed with these dossiers have been asked to supervise the cases and, if necessary, initiate attachment proceedings, sources said.

Till March 31, the total arrears were Rs 2.30 lakh crore and with the start of the new fiscal, another Rs 20,000 crore has been added to this figure. Last year, the department had managed to recover nearly Rs 12,000 crore. The target for this year has been fixed at Rs 14,000 crore.

I-T officers have been armed with an important tool, the Individual Transaction Statement (ITS) of the assesses which enables field authorities to view their current assets and an access to information like assessee's recent investment in mutual funds, shares and other expenditure made available through annual information report from banks. Considered an effective strategy for collection of arrears, the ITS empowers officers with relevant information regarding movable and immovable assets of the assesses. The modes used by assessing officers are to identify the current assets and take necessary action for attachment and recovery for the same.

In 2009, I-T's directorate of recovery had analysed the dossiers having outstanding demands of above Rs 25 crore. Out of total of 551 such dossiers, only 258 cases were found to be having wholly actionable demands, that is demand not covered by any write-off proposal, BIFR proceedings, settlement commission proceedings, etc.

Further analysis of these 258 cases showed that 227 of them were concentrated in nine major cities. Each of these cases was listed and the demands pertaining to each of them was detailed. The zone-wise lists of such cases were handed over to respective zonal members for their information and supervision of recovery.

A list was also handed over to each chief commissioner of I-T at the time of annual general conference held in the capital last year in August. A senior officer said in-depth monitoring was done in each of these cases. The supervisory authorities were asked to call for records and latest balance sheets with a view to detect current assets from which recoveries could be made from a defaulter.

Over 60% Orissa mines don't have clearances

NEW DELHI: Is it possible to operate hundreds of illegal mines in India for years on end without being detected or prosecuted? And can their illegal operations be legitimised in one stroke and turned into "legit" business without anyone being booked for the stealthy extraction of millions of tonnes of precious ore?

If the questions pertain to Orissa, the answer to both questions is yes. The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has found that 215 out of 341 working mines — or more than 60% — in Orissa are operating without statutory central government clearances. Even more shockingly, some mines have been in business for years without even submitting a statutory mining plan to authorities.

Fifteen of these mines have been operating without clearances for more than 20 years while 17 operators have done so for 15-20 years. Another 38 mines have existed illegally for 10-15 years and 65 for 5-10 years. The other "illegal" 80 mines have operated for one-five years without proper clearances.

What is even more shocking is that the state government and officials seem to have been aware of the mines in question, winking at the flagrant state-wide violation of laws by hiding behind a loophole in the Mines and Minerals (development and regulation) Act 1957.

This is how the scheme works: If a mine operator applies for renewal of a lease within prescribed time, then under Rule 24A(6) of the Minerals Concession Rules 1960 — introduced in 1994 — the lease is automatically 'deemed' to have been extended till the state government actually deals with the applications.

Modi to Sonia: Who's Bhopal's maut ka saudagar?

NEW DELHI: The defining punchline of 2007 Gujarat polls, 'maut ka saudagar', was back in circulation on Sunday when Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi hurled it back at its author, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to scale up the controversy over Bhopal gas leak. Modi, at a rally in Patna, questioned Sonia's silence over Bhopal gas leak and asked her "who was Bhopal's maut ka saudagar", eliciting strong words from Congress which said he had no moral right to question their party chief.

The comment threatens to revive the 'Modi vs Sonia' clash. The Congress president had called the Hindutva strongman "merchant of death" for his role in the 2002 riots. The barb had stirred an otherwise placid assembly poll campaign with Modi seizing on the appellation to turn it into an issue of 'Gujarati pride'. The ensuing polarization is said to have turned the tide in favour of BJP. The two leaders have hurled bitter barbs at each other since Modi's comments in 2002 assembly elections.

Congress has since captured power in New Delhi twice in succession but Sonia'spolitical objective of unseating Modi from Gandhinagar has remained a sort of elusive final frontier. AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said the CM had no moral right to question her as he preached a divisive brand of politics.

Coming in the backdrop of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar angrily calling off a dinner for BJP brass on Saturday over advertisements placed in media showing him in Modi's company, Congress tried to rub it in to turn the provocation into a political advantage. Natarajan said, "Modi practises a divisive and bankrupt brand of politics to the extent that BJP's alliance partner Nitish Kumar has refused to share a platform with him."

AICC secretary Rajiv Shukla said Modi was 'jhoot ka saudagar' and his lies had been caught by Nitish.

Army warning on networking sites, officials posting info to face action

New Delhi: The Army has told its officers to keep off social networking sites and refrain from posting sensitive information like their rank, unit or posting location on the Internet. The instructions follow a spate of cyber attacks targeting military personnel and fears that foreign agencies could be tracking networking sites like Orkut and Facebook to home in on Army officers.

The instructions ask officers and soldiers to immediately delete all existing information, including their employment in the Army, which they may have already uploaded.

While similar orders have been issued earlier, the Army has decided to crack down on “defaulters” after recent cases of officers being targeted by cyber spy rings. Enforcers, however, have their task cut out for them given that hundreds of “defaulters” exist on various networking portals.

The most common “offences” that have been identified are Armymen posting details like ranks, postings, units, locations and training courses:

A Colonel of the Corps of Engineers posted his name, rank and location on a networking forum;

A young Lt not only posted photographs with his AK 47 in full combat uniform, revealing his unit name, but also posted his personal phone number;

An officer of the Signals regiment gave out his location as Secunderabad and photographs posted on his profile gave out his rank as that of a Major;

A Lt from the Guards regiment gave out his name, rank, unit and location on a networking portal;

A Lt Col of the Armed Forces Medical Corps revealed that he was posted as a Joint Director at Army HQ in the Capital.

Some personnel who had bypassed earlier rules by posting just photographs in uniform, without mentioning their ranks or posting, have been warned that this too constitutes a breach in security. Counter-espionage agencies have been tasked with monitoring social networking portals strictly and initiating action against erring personnel.

Under the strict provisions of the Army Act, personnel can be dismissed from service and even face imprisonment for sharing sensitive information that can be accessed by outside agencies.

BJP message: As Nitish sits out, stands tall, lets Modi take a bow

Patna: The BJP today made it loud and clear to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that it was no pushover. At the end of its two-day national executive — which was overshadowed by tension with its ally JD(U) — NDA chairman L K Advani signalled that the BJP would like to continue its association with the JD(U), a friend of 15 years, but it should not be taken for granted.

The party came out in strong support of Narendra Modi. While Advani subtly reminded Nitish that he should not have made a big issue out of the advertisement that appeared in newspapers featuring him and Modi, the Gujarat Chief Minister made a conscious attempt to drive home the point that Bihar and Gujarat have historical linkages, rebutting Nitish’s contention that he was unwanted in Bihar.

And notwithstanding Nitish’s outburst, Sunday again dawned to full-page advertisements in Patna newspapers projecting the “all-round development of Gujarat”.

While Nitish himself kept quiet, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, sensing the BJP mood, struck a reconciliatory note. Speaking to The Indian Express in Delhi to repair the “damage” caused to the ruling alliance in Bihar, he said: “The issue is over. What was there yesterday has passed.”

“Ours is a very old alliance,”

Yadav emphasised, while seeking to put to rest speculation that the JD(U) may break away from the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls to woo the 16 per cent Muslims of the state. However, he added that the “objectionable” Nitish-Modi ad had caused “a lot of resentment within the JD(U)”. “It ran counter to the maryada (norms) of the Bihar alliance... It was ill-timed,” he regretted.

Addressing a rally at the end of the BJP national executive meet, Advani too recalled the BJP’s 15-year-old association with Nitish — starting with a chance meeting in 1995 in Mumbai — and stressed that the latter had been a minister in the A B Vajpayee government for six years. “It would have been nice had he attended and addressed this rally,” he said. “The friendship should not be allowed to disintegrate because of some minor reasons.”

While noting that the BJP-JD(U) coalition government had come to power ending years of misrule and performed well, Advani said Nitish could not have done it without the support of the BJP. “This fact should never be forgotten,” he said. There can be minor disagreements in a coalition but not differences, he added.

Disapproving Nitish’s reaction over the advertisement featuring him with Modi — following which the Bihar CM even cancelled a dinner he was to host for the visiting BJP leaders — Advani said: “I don’t know how holding hands can lead to differences. Holding hands can bring love.”

Sources in the BJP said there is a strong sense of anger in the party over Nitish’s reaction. The feeling was palpable as none of the leaders who addressed Sunday’s rally mentioned the CM even once and chose to shower praises on Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP for the developmental initiatives taken by the Bihar government.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said: “We are a mature party which has a mature leadership with resilience... We are showing maturity. For us, our self-respect is most important. We are not going to compromise on it.”

A BJP minister from Bihar lashed out at Nitish, questioning how he had “suddenly discovered that Modi was communal”. “How come he treats BJP as his friend but finds its icon Modi unacceptable?” state Cooperative Minister Giriraj Singh told reporters. “Kumar had never expressed his antipathy for Modi when he was a minister in the NDA government at the Centre.”

Modi was at his subtlest best. Without directly referring to the controversy or taking Nitish’s name, he said Gujarat and Bihar shared a historical bond — from Mahatma Gandhi, a Gujarati, launching his non-cooperation movement from Bihar to Jai Prakash Narain coming up with his “total revolution” slogan after a visit to Gujarat. He even read out a sentence in Bhojpuri and mentioned the help given by Bihar to Gujarat during the 2001 earthquake.

The message — that he had every right to be in Bihar — was not lost.

Business News

Mkts likely to remain positive: Analysts

New Delhi: Dalal Street is likely to carry forward the upward movement this week as risk appetite is returning to the markets on the back of a strong domestic economic scenario and strengthening global cues.

"In the past few sessions, the market has shown good performance and it seems the confidence level among investors is returning as sentiment across the globe is positive for now. The domestic market is likely to start with a positive bias this week," SMC Capital's equity head J Thunuguntla said.

During the last three trading sessions, the 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex rallied 448 points, or 2.6 per cent, thus trimming the losses for the past week to just 0.3 per cent.

"After being beaten heavily on European debt worries, the market is now cheering positive news coming in from all fronts and on Monday, the Dalal Street is likely to trade in the green," Bonanza Portfolio AVP for equity research Avinash Gupta said.

The market sentiment is positive due to many factors. The country's industrial output for May expanded much faster than expected at a full 17.6 per cent, the second best ever.

On the global front, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England left their benchmark rates unchanged again to support the fledgling economic recovery, China's exports jumped to a 48 per cent in May and Japan's gross domestic product rose at an annualised 5 per cent in the first quarter.

"But,investors are cautious and it is unlikely that they will miss any chance to book profit at higher level, which may bring more volatility into the street," Thunuguntla added.

FIIs, which offloaded shares worth USD 2 billion in May, were net buyers last week and so far in June they have made a net investment of Rs 1,576 crore in the market.

Investors will eye the first installment of the corporate advance tax payment (which falls due on June 15) which will give some clue about the June quarter corporate results. They will also consider the May inflation data due on Monday.

However, global risk appetite holds key for the domestic equities in near term. "At the current levels, though the market valuations do not look very expensive, with lack of fresh triggers except IIP, the upside seems to be limited," Indiabulls Securities said in a note.

Analysts also said movement in the market heavyweight RIL that acquired Infotel on Friday, will be key. Also, SpiceJet would be another scrip, which investors will be watching on Monday. On Saturday, media baron Kalanidhi Maran of Sun Network, announced acquisition of 37.75 percent stake in the low-cost airline. He will make an open offer for 20 per cent additional stake on Monday. "But if the open offer is made at Friday's rate, stock is unlikely to move up," said a broker.

On the oil sector, Unicon Financial said, "reports suggest that the EGoM on oil will meet on June 17 and that could bring interest into oil companies again."

Over the past week, major global markets edged higher on short covering and some easing concerns over the European markets. Dow and Nasdaq gained over 2 per cent, while European markets gained marginally during the week.

40% growth in debit card payments: RBI

Mumbai: Reflecting buoyant economic activities, payments made through debit cards zoomed over 40 per cent to Rs 2,508 crore in April, 2010, compared to the same month last year, according to the RBI.

In April this year, debit card payments increased to Rs 2,508 crore from Rs 1,778 crore in the corresponding month last year, according to the central bank's monthly bulletin.

"The rise in debit card payments is due to the rise in economic activities. These are on expected lines as there are signs of recovery," said an economist with a leading bank on condition of anonymity.

In the last fiscal, payments made through debit cards stood at Rs 26,418 crore.

On the other hand, credit card transactions increased by 10 per cent in April this year.

Transactions made through these cards in the country rose to Rs 5,473 crore from Rs 4,932 crore in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal.

The amount involved in credit card transactions stood at Rs 62,874 crore in 2009-10.

Economic activities are on the rise, with industrial output rising 17.6 per cent in April. It grew in double digits for the seventh straight month, on a good showing by the manufacturing sector, particularly capital and consumer goods.

The credit growth of banks has also increased. It stood at 17.96 per cent during the one-year period ending May 21, up from 15.20 per cent a year ago.

RIM shifts focus from execs to teens!

New Delhi: Long considered a device catering to corporate executives wanting to do business-on-the-move, Research-In-Motion's (RIM) Blackberry smartphone has now got a new category of users -- teenagers.

Playing catalyst to the creation of a new landscape for Blackberry in India is the obsessive interest shown by the country's teens in social networking sites like Facebook and applications like chatting.

"We are witnessing a large number of teenagers using Blackberrys and applications like Blackberry Messenger, which helps them send messages for free, instantly, to any other Blackberry user in the world," RIM Global Chief Marketing Officer Keith Pardy told PTI on the sidelines of an event.

Pardy refused to give any empirical data supporting the trend, but maintained that the company has got to a position where sales to corporates and retail subscribers were in a 50:50 ratio.

A senior RIM official indicated that in the December, 2009-February, 2010, quarter, the company witnessed a never-before trend where the share of retail customers shot up to 80 per cent of total sales.

"Many of them have to be youngsters," the official said.

Business consultant Harish Bijoor called it a change which RIM would have observed in hindsight through sales data of last year, when telecom infrastructure in India strengthened. Accordingly, it has now started targeting the newer set of users.

"According to a proprietary study done by us, 28 per cent of people under 25 years use smartphones for social networking, thus augmenting the telecom company's revenue per user (RPU)," Bijoor said.

RIM surely realises that it makes little business sense to associate itself as a phone purely for businessmen and executives, hence they are changing their positioning in a concerted way by introducing newer applications, he added.

Pardy said the Canada-headquartered company is very serious about the Indian market and in a first for any market globally, has launched an India-specific video in their "Love What You Do" campaign, which Bijoor says is aimed at youngsters.

"India is young and the phones will have to be young. Focus on relevance to the youth, originality and innovation to bring better applications are the key," Bijoor said.

Sports News

Germany spits fire, dismantles Australia

Durban: Three-time champions Germany fired out a warning to World Cup challengers with a comprehensive 4-0 dismantling of Australia in their opening Group D match.

The Germans totally dominated the Socceroos, with captain Philipp Lahm and rising stars Mesut Oezil and Thomas Mueller running Australian veterans Scott Chipperfield and Craig Moore ragged down the right wing.

Goals from Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, Mueller and Brazil-born striker Cacau were just rewards for a team which also had a hatful of other scoring opportunities.

The victory leaves Germany atop of Group D, Ghana having beaten Serbia 1-0 in the day's other game.

Podolski opened the scoring in the ninth minute, the happy recipient of a text-book training ground move executed to clinical perfection.

After Oezil had played in Mueller, the Bayern Munich right winger cut the ball back across the face of the goal for Podolski to hammer home left-footed, with Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer getting a hand on it.

Klose, top scorer in the 2006 World Cup, made it 2-0 in the 27th minute with a well-taken goal - and his 11th in World Cup finals - rising between Australian captain Lucas Neill and Schwarzer to head powerfully home from a Lahm cross from the right.

The Socceroos then paid a heavy price for the dismissal of Tim Cahill, shown a straight red card in the 56th minute by Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez for a very clumsy challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Two goals in a matter of minutes from Mueller (67) and Cacau (70), on as a replacement for Klose, sealed Australia's dismal start to their third World Cup campaign.

Mueller, who started the season in Bayern Munich's reserves, looked like he'd overrun a Podolski through-ball it but he dragged it back and shot accurately past Schwarzer, in off the post.

With the Australian defence in disarray, Caucau then had a simple tuck-in from another inch-perfect pass into the box by the 21-year-old Oezil.

It was Australia who had the first real chance of the game, Lahm clearing a close-range effort by Richard Garcia in the fourth minute.

And for all their fine attacking instincts, Germany did at times look slow to close down at the back, allowing time and space for both Garcia and replacement Brett Holman to have shots on target.

Slovenia beat Algeria 1-0

Captain Robert Karen's curling right-footer fashioned Slovenia's 1-0 win over a 10-man Algeria in a Group C match of the FIFA World Cup at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

In presence of the iconic Zinedine Zidane – whose parents hail from Algeria -- the Algerians, at times, seemed to have a faint edge over Slovenia before misfortune struck the Desert Foxes twice in eight minutes towards the end.

First their substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal, having spent just 14 minutes on the pitch, picked up his second yellow card of the match for his deliberate handling of the ball inside the Slovenian box with 18 minutes to hooter.

Reduced to 10 men, the Algerian defence was working overtime when Karen made a curling effort from top of the box even though custodian Fawzi Chaouchi seemed well in position.

Chaouchi, however, made a fatal error in judging the bounce and allowed the ball to brush off his arm en route to the goal.

Karen's goal not only earned Slovenia their first ever victory in World Cup but also put them right on top of Group C which also includes England and USA, who played out a 1-1 draw yesterday.

Desperate for the equaliser with time running out fast, Algeria mounted waves of attack but could not unlock Slovenia's defence which withstood the pressure to ensure a historic win.

This is Slovenia's only second appearance in World Cup, having lost all three matches in 2002.

Slovenia now take on United States on June 18 in Johannesburg, while Algeria move to Cape Town to meet England the next day.

In a by and large evenly contested first half, Algeria twice had the opportunity to open their account but both went abegging.

They in fact could have taken the lead inside three minutes but an airborne Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic palmed Nadir Belhadj's 25-meter freekick over the crossbar, much to his teammates' relief.

Algeria came close to scoring again in the 36th minute but central defender Rafik Halliche's head missed the mark by a whisker.

Couple of chances came Slovenia's way as well but they too failed to make them count.

Midfielder Valter Birsa's piledriver from top of the box seemed heading for the net when Fawzi Chaouchi stretched himself to tip it over the bar.

Chaouchi, however, was not destined to finish on the winning side and the goal he conceded after the match is sure to haunt him for a while.

India beat Zim by 7 wickets

Harare: HARARE: Skipper Suresh Raina led from the front with a blistering 72 as India signed off their Zimbabwe tour with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over the hosts in the second and final Twenty20 International on Sunday.

Chasing 141, India made 144 for three in 18 overs at the Harare Sports Club ground with Raina dispatching Chris Mpofu to boundary for the winning runs.

Tatenda Taibu earlier top-scored with 45 and shared a 43-run stand for the fourth wicket with Charles Coventry (28 off 13) to steer Zimbabwe to 140 for five.

Raina stepped on to the field after the fall of Naman Ojha (10) in fifth over and stayed till the job was done.

Along with Murali Vijay (46), Raina shared a 79-run stand for the second wicket, which set up the second comfortable Indian win in as many days.

Raina's 44-ball knock had six fours and two sixes in it. After an ordinary show in the three-week tour, Vijay finally got some runs under his belt and the Chennai batsman would be relived after playing a good hand in the Indian win.

Vijay and skipper Suresh Raina batted with ease and were hardly troubled by the host bowlers.

Vijay missed out on his half-century when he attempted a big shot but off Chamu Chibhabha and his checked shot landed in the hands of Graeme Cremer in the 15th over.

Raina continued the good work and carried the team home just after losing another partner in Yusuf Pathan (4).

India's consecutive win, after a lacklustre show in the ODI tri-series, would do a world of good to the confidence of its youngsters just ahead of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

Earlier, confident of chasing down whatever the hosts would put on board, Raina yet again invited the hosts to bat but despite having them in clutches they leaked too many runs in the second half to allow them a come back in the match.

While in the first 10 overs India conceded just 47 runs including a mere five boundaries, spinners struggled to keep the run flow in check and the last over cost India 93 runs.

The slow bowlers could not weave the same magic they had created in the first Twenty20 and leaked 95 runs in the 12 overs shared by Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra and R Ashwin.

Ashwin bled most runs as he ended up giving away 48 runs in his four overs.

Taibu, whose 45 came off 40 balls with just two fours, shaped the hosts innings well and along with Charles Coventry (28 off 13) rescued the side with a defiant 43-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Before that stand opener Brendan Taylor played a patient 33-ball 27 to help the side overcome the early jolts of losing Hamilton Masakadza (2) and Chamu Chibhabha (7).

Indian pacers, especially Ashok Dinda, were exceptional and did a tremendous job. The Bengal medium fast bowler gave away just 15 runs in his four-over quota and took two wickets.

Things were set beautifully for India but gritty batting by Taibu and Coventry made it a contest for the visitors.

Saina fights back to win India Open Grand Prix title

CHENNAI: Top seed Saina Nehwal, looking a tad rusty following a long break, bounced back in style to beat Malaysia's Mew Choo Wong 20-22, 21-14, 21-12 in the women's final of the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Grand Prix badminton tournament on Sunday.

World No.6 Saina's victory compensated for the disappointing show by seventh seeded RMV Guru Sai Dutt who went down 13-21, 18-21, to unheralded Indonesian Yunus Alamsyah in the men's singles final, with the visitor clinching his first major international title.

Both the singles winners picked up 7,000 points that should see them move up the world rankings.

Saina, playing her first tournament in two months, was rather patchy as she blew a 20-18 lead in the first game, but kept her nerves to take the next two games, capitalising on a desperate Mew's errors.

It was not the best of matches and the conditions inside the hall were tricky. The raucous crowd that kept up a din even when a rally was in progress, irritating flies, and the sideways air drift due to air-conditioning, put a premium on concentration and judgment.

However, Saina took these irritants in her stride and after the initial tentative approach, changed her stance in the second game when she turned aggressive and maintained the momentum in the decider when she opened up a 10-point lead early on to seal the match.

"I was nervous at the start and committed too many errors. In the normal course, I should have won in two games, but this being my first tournament in two months, I was nervous. In the second and third games, I played aggressively," said Saina after the 56-minute match.

"I am happy winning the tournament and that too at home, and yes, it's a good preparation for the two Super Series events (Singapore and Indonesia) I am participating in this month. In fact, I am playing Mew in the first round at Singapore!" she added.

On her part, Mew admitted that Saina was just too good for her. "I have played her before and I tried my best, but today, she was too good for me, especially in the second and third games," Mew, ranked No.22, said through an interpreter.

In contrast, Sai Dutt hardly got going against the highly defensive Alamsyah, who benefitted largely on the mistakes committed by the 20-year old Indian rather than doing anything out of the ordinary.

Undoubtedly, Alamsyah is one of the better retrievers around, but there is little else in his game besides a fairly sharp smash that surprisingly he uses sparingly. Under the circumstances, Gurusaidutt needed to be patient and await a clear opening before going for the kill, something he failed to.

"I was anxious to finish off the rallies quickly and made mistakes. I will now have to work harder on my game and fitness to reach the next level," said Guru who is currently ranked 66 as against 125 of the Indonesian, who Saturday night took out top seeded Indian Chetan Anand.

Quite the best thing about Alamsyah was his creativity at the net, marked by wristy dribbles some of which sent Guru Sai Dutt the wrong way. The Indian would have been better off to keep Alamsyah in the backcourt rather than match him at the net.

In both the games, the 23-year old Alamsyah took early leads and then kept Guru Sai Dutt, playing in his maiden international final, under pressure that eventually cracked his defense wide open.

Top Headlines of India and world of 13-6-2010

Top Headlines of the Day

1)Nitish-Modi advertisement: Police raid office of ad agency
2)Pakistan govt, ISI still supporting Taliban: Report
3)Azhar backs out, Verma re-elected BAI president
4)'India can't support Iran against UN sanctions'
5)Brief tsunami watch issued after major quake off Nicobar
6)I viewed Dantewada killings as tragic: Arundhati
7)PC: Bill to prevent communal violence soon
8)Govt should lessons from Bhopal gas tragedy: Jabbar

Business Headlines

9)RBI directs BoR to sack Deputy MD
10)Mukesh back in telecoms with Infotel
11)India may attract more capital flows: RBI
12)Mercedes-Benz to expand bus biz in India
13)Gold recovers by Rs 95 on global cues

Sports Headlines

14)1st T20I: India beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
15)Indian team heads for Asia Cup in Colombo
16)We will miss Yuvraj in Asia Cup: Dhoni
17)Messi's performance delights Maradona
18)Green blunder pegs England back
19)Heinze gives Argentina nervous win over Nigeria

Indian Latest News of 13-6-2010

Major 7.5-quake strikes off Nicobar Islands

NEW DELHI: A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck under the Indian Ocean on Sunday, triggering a tsunami watch for nearby islands and causing tremors reportedly felt along India's eastern seaboard.

The quake hit at 1:26 am local time (1926 GMT) at a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles) with the epicentre around 160 kilometres west of India's Nicobar Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, initially issued a warning for the entire Indian Ocean region. This was downgraded to a warning for India only, when the magnitude of the quake was revised to 7.5 from 7.7, and later the centre cancelled the alert altogether.

India's ocean information centre issued a "tsunami watch" for 10-15 islands, but said it was expecting only a mild surge in sea levels of about 50 centimetres (20 inches).

"This is nothing alarming, but just a watch," Sriniwas Kumar, a spokesman from the state-run Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services said by telephone from the agency's headquarters in Hyderabad.

The tremors were felt more than 1,000 kilometres from the epicentre on mainland India, where many were shaken awake in the dead of night, causing some to flee their homes in panic, the Press Trust of India reported.

Moderate tremors were felt in the southeastern coastal city of Chennai, but there were no reports of casualties or damage to property, according to police.

The US Geological Survey initially gave the magnitude of the quake as 7.7 before revising it down to 7.5.

Indian Ocean islands were badly hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami which was triggered by an earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra and sent giant waves crashing across the region.

The 2004 tsunami killed more than 220,000 people, most of them in the northern Indonesian province of Aceh. Thousands of people were also killed in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and India.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are some of India's most easterly territories and more than 350,000 people live on the 572 islands flanked by the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

The Andaman Sea area witnesses frequent earthquakes caused by the meeting of the Indian tectonic plate with the Burmese microplate along an area known as the Andaman trench.

'India can't support Iran against UN sanctions'

NEW DELHI: India may not have any option but to implement the latest set of restrictions approved by the UNSC against Iran despite New Delhi’s constant assertions that it will not support any sanctions on that country which impact the common people.

Highly placed officials said that Tehran hasn’t answered questions raised by the IAEA over its nuclear programme and that it will not be possible for New Delhi to ignore the fresh sanctions.

‘‘We are still looking at how these sanctions are going to impact the people. We remain a responsible member of the UN and know our legal obligations,’’ said a senior government official. So far, there has been no official reaction from the government.

To many though, this would appear to be making a virtue out of necessity. Foreign minister S M Krishna had earlier described the Tehran Declaration, under which Iran had agreed to send enriched uranium to Turkey, as constructive. The declaration failed to convince the US and other P5 countries.

According to former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, even though there is no way India can avoid implementing these sanctions, New Delhi has nothing to be defensive about. ‘‘Since these sanctions are imposed under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, I can’t see how we can avoid them. Also, as a responsible member of the UN and keeping in mind our aspirations for a permanent seat in the UNSC, we should not be seen as going against UNSC resolutions,’’ Sibal told this paper.

Sibal said that India did not have to fear any repercussion in its relations with Iran because the latest sanctions did not necessarily seem aimed at the common people. ‘‘Also, as for any impact on relations with Iran, the fact is that countries like China and Russia have gone ahead and voted in favour of these sanctions. This has now led Iran to accuse China of maintaining double standards,’’ said Sibal.

Don't do deals with Iran: US to India, Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States is "encouraging" India and Pakistan to not conduct transactions like their gas pipeline with Iran at a time when it's engaged in sensitive negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme.

The US "has encouraged our friends in the government of Pakistan to try to seek alternatives," assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs Robert Blake said on Thursday in a briefing about his recent trip to India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Asked if the issue of Pakistan signing a contract with Iran about a gas pipeline had come up for discussion in Islamabad, Blake said he had told Pakistanis that "people have been talking about this pipeline for a long time, but I think there continue to be many challenges, and to actually building the pipeline."

"So nonetheless we have encouraged our friends in the government of Pakistan to try to seek alternatives," Blake said noting, "Our concerns about the government of Iran are very well known."

"And given its current unwillingness to address its international obligations and international concerns about its nuclear programme, we don't think that this is the time for such transactions to be taking place with Iran."

Same goes for India, he said when asked to comment on India planning to resume talks with Tehran on the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline after three years.

"This is a very sensitive time in negotiations with Iran, and we would prefer that all countries not conduct such transactions with Iran at this time,for the reasons that I already outlined," Blake added.

Under Siege: 20 yrs of AFSPA in J&K

No Army likes to wage war against its own people. Worse, if the fight drags on 20 years. The 1.13-million strong Indian Army is no exception. It would jump at the chance to leave the Valley and return to barracks, but only if policy-makers delivered their end of the bargain. Is the time right for this? Militancy in Jammu and Kashmir is at its lowest ebb since it erupted in 1989-1990. But there are two hurdles. First, will Pakistan’s real power centre, its army, turn off the terror tap? Second, can the paramilitary forces and J&K police take over from the Army? On both counts, the answer seems to be ‘no’.

“We are trapped in the ‘hold’ part of the ‘shape, clear, hold and build’ strategy,” says a lieutenant-general, with extensive experience in J&K, speaking on condition of anonymity. He adds gloomily, “We will be stuck there for the foreseeable future. With so much money being pumped in, vested interests have developed all around. A political solution, with economic development, is needed.”

It has been an arduous task for the Army to ‘shape, clear and hold’ the internal security environment in J&K. Protracted counter-insurgency operations in J&K and the North-East have blunted its operational readiness for external enemies” and corroded its discipline and moral fabric. Last week’s suspension of a major and the removal of a colonel from command for an alleged fake encounter on April 30 is just the latest example of this. The Army has slowly moved away from using “kills” as the benchmark for evaluating a battalion’s performance for awards and citations, but the pressure to deliver results remains.

Consider cold statistics. More than 1,500 cases of human rights violations have been filed against the Army in the last two decades. Granted that a majority of them — the Army puts the figure at 97% — were found to be “fake or motivated” but what of the rest? The Army takes recourse to the iron-fisted Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to refuse to hand the accused to civilian authorities. It says it has its own “internal mechanisms” to deal with “aberrations” under the Army Act, 1950.

“We have punished 104 personnel, including 40 officers, in the cases found true. We have made human rights a top-priority in last five-six years. But we cannot allow soldiers battling terrorists, which cannot be equated with normal law and order duties, to get no legal protection and be left to civilian courts in the event of something going wrong. It will hit troop morale,” says a senior officer.

General V K Singh, who took over as Army chief in April, has declared that “any dilution” in AFSPA will “impinge adversely on the manner in which armed forces operate” in counter-insurgency duties. Consequently, the Centre consistently refuses to give permission to the J&K government to prosecute soldiers accused of human rights violations. During 2007-2009, there were 23 such requests but the ministry of defence did not permit any one of them to go ahead.

This does not, of course, detract from the Army’s success in controlling militancy in J&K. Militancy is not quite dead. Pakistan may be acting against the Taliban on account of US pressure but it has let the anti-India terror factory remain active. There are at least 32 terrorist training camps, with an estimated 2,200 militants, operational in Pakistan and PoK. Unsurprisingly, the Army contends no one should rush to assume all is well in J&K.

According to estimates, there are just about 500-600 hardcore terrorists — half of them of “foreign origin” — in J&K at present. They still pose a threat, but it is marked reduction on the numbers — more than 2,500 — bandied about in the 1990s.

“With the CRPF (which has around 70,000 troops in J&K) and police forces still not really trained or equipped for the swift operations required, coupled with their poor leadership, any large-scale de-induction of Army troops will only weaken the counter-insurgency grid,” says a Rashtriya Rifles officer. “Whenever the Army has been removed from an area the militants and their over-ground workers begin to dominate there.”

Defence minister A K Antony also believes that the terrorist threat remains very real. “The quantum of troops deployed in J&K is continuously assessed and reviewed by the Army based on the changing threat perception,” he says. The Army has moved two mountain divisions of around 35,000 men from the state in the last few years but further reduction can only happen when conflict management turns to conflict resolution.

Stop death by hanging, go for lethal injection: most states to Centre

New Delhi: At a time when the Centre and President are still to take a final call on the mercy petition of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and others like him who have appealed against death sentences, the Ministry of Affairs (MHA) is set to put in motion a plan to provide an alternate mode of death to those on death row.

Sources said the MHA move draws strength from the unequivocal support from state governments to a suggestion that death by hanging be replaced by execution through lethal injection.

According to data compiled by MHA and accessed by The Sunday Express, barring a few states that didn’t respond to the query on whether a “humane mode” of execution of death sentence such as lethal injection should be adopted in place of the existing system of hanging, almost all states have come out strongly in its favour.

Most states which responded to the MHA query have also recommended that when cases involving death penalty come up before the Supreme Court, they should be decided by a bench comprising at least five judges. For this, the states want the Supreme Court rules suitably amended.

“We will take the matter (for changing manner in which death penalty is executed) to the Cabinet for approval as the same involves amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973,” said senior MHA functionary.

Under Section 354(5) of the CrPC Act, the mode of execution of death sentence now is “hanging till death”.

In fact, Tamil Nadu has gone a step further, saying capital punishment should be completely done away with as is the case in many countries worldwide. The government of Kerala, while supporting the proposal, has also suggested that cyanide could also be administered to put the convict to death.

Among the states that have supported a shift from the present system of hanging to death by lethal injection are Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Delhi.

Former Union Law Secretary and Adviser to Law Minister T K Vishwanathan feels while it is not possible currently in view of terror-related cases to completely do away with death penalty as has been done by many countries, replacing the mode of inflicting death would be a welcome step.

“When the matter was being discussed by the Commission, women organisations were opposed to any move to do away with death penalty, holding if this were to happen, rapists and murderers would get emboldened,” recalled Vishwanathan who has remained Member-Secretary of the Law Commission.

In 1982, the Supreme Court, ruling in the case of Bachan Singh versus State of Punjab, observed that physical pain and suffering which the execution of the sentence of death entails was also no less cruel and inhuman. The Law Commission in October 2003 also recommended that the law be amended to provide for an alternative mode of execution of death sentence by lethal injection until the accused is dead.

In its 187th report, the Commission also recommended that it should be the judge’s discretion to pass an appropriate order regarding the mode of execution of death sentence after hearing the convict.

The Commission also recommended that all death sentence cases be compulsorily heard by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court by way of a statutory right of appeal against the judgment of the High Court confirming or awarding the death sentence. It also favoured amendments to the Army Act, 1950, Navy Act, 1957 and Air Force Act, 1950 to allow appeal to the Supreme Court against the order of death sentence passed by a court martial.

BJP seeks JPC probe into CBI ‘misuse’

Patna: Looking to capitalise on the ruling front’s discomfiture over the Warren Anderson controversy, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Saturday demanded a joint parliamentary committee probe into the functioning of the CBI.

In his inaugural speech at the two-day National Executive meeting here, the BJP president linked the Bhopal gas tragedy verdict to the disproportionate assets cases against Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Lalu Prasad Yadav, claiming that the CBI is being used as a political tool by the Congress. He added the Ottavio Quattrocchi and the CBI probe into the encounter cases in Gujarat to the list of instances to show the “mishandling of the agency”.

“While the nation is facing innumerable threats to its internal security, the government is forcing the CBI to work for its political designs. The CBI has become a tool of intimidation,” Gadkari said, demanding a JPC probe into the misuse of the agency. He made it clear that the party is going to launch a nationwide campaign on the Bhopal issue and target Rajiv Gandhi in the coming days.

“Why Arjun Singh is silent? There was a long discussion between Rajiv Gandhi and Arjun Singh. The Congress governments at the Centre and the state helped Anderson escape. The Congress must apologise to the nation,” BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The BJP is using the National Executive session to find ways to corner the Congress-led government on three fronts — price rise, Maoist situation and corruption. Gadkari said the political leadership of the UPA has no moral courage to seek answers from any of its partner ministers, be it Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel or Telecom Minister A Raja.

Gadkari talked about the Maoist situation and the party later passed a resolution, asking the Government to go for a three-pronged strategy to take on the ultras — involving coordinated and strong action, initiating developmental activities and waging an ideological battle. It once again pledged its total support to the government on this count.

Yashwant, Hema skip meet

The internal discord in the BJP came to the fore on Saturday with some senior leaders skipping the first meeting of the newly-formed National Executive here. Yashwant Sinha and Hema Malini were among the prominent missing leaders, reflecting the discontent in the party, a challenge to party chief Nitin Gadkari’s authority.

The selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha election has proved to be a source of discord in the party. Sinha is apparently miffed at not being consulted while deciding the BJP nominee for the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand while Hema Malini lost out in the race to the Upper House. While sources close to Sinha said he was unwell and could not make it to Patna, the party chose to play down his absence. Hema Malini, who was earlier tipped to be renominated to the Upper House from Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, was said to be away on a shoot.

Sources said that former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was also missing from the closed-door two-day conclave.

Business News

RBI directs BoR to sack Deputy MD

Mumbai:The Reserve Bank asked troubled lender, Bank of Rajasthan--set to be acquired by ICICI Bank--to remove its Deputy Managing Director, Deepak Saruparia, charging him with violation of norms in certain property transactions related to the bank.

"Reserve Bank of India....has directed that Deepak Saruparia shall stand removed from the post of Deputy Managing Director in Bank of Rajasthan with immediate effect," BoR said in a communique to BSE.

The RBI also directed that Saruparia "shall not in any way either directly or indirectly be concerned with or take part in the management of any Banking Company for a period of 5 years from June 12, 2010."

The apex bank, which had issued a showcause notice to Saruparia a few months back, is understood to have charged Saruparia with irregularities in property transactions during 2002-2004 including that of an office building at Lower Parel.

The RBI is also understood to have found irregularities in the handling of certain corporate accounts during Saruparia's tenure. Saruparia, who joined BoR in August 2004 was elevated to the post of DMD in 2007.

When contacted, Saruparia told PTI that imposing charges only against him was not proper as the decisions were not taken by him individually but collectively as they were approved by BoR's board. He added that the alleged transactions were executed prior to his taking over as the DMD of the bank.

India may attract more capital flows: RBI

Mumbai: India is likely to witness a surge in capital inflows as investors may find the country an attractive bet in the backdrop of an uncertain global environment, a top Reserve Bank official said.

"Money tries to come to places where it gets better returns. So from the point of view of capital flows, you do have the likelihood of more uncertainty in the rest of the world and therefore more money coming to India," RBI Deputy Governor Usha Thorat said.

Foreign Institutional Investors have, so far, invested around USD 5 billion in the domestic share market against a total investment of USD 17.45 billion in 2009.

Policymakers, worldwide, are watching the developments associated with the euro zone crisis, which broke out after Greece nearly defaulted on public debts.

To avert the deepening crisis, euro zone countries and the International Monetary Fund formed a USD one trillion rescue package to bail-out Greece.

The Reserve Bank, which has started withdrawing emergency monetary stimulus measures of the crisis period, is in a dilemma about hiking policy rates next month to facilitate the exit while the recovery is still nascent.

Sports News

Green blunder pegs England back

Rustenburg: England's hopes of a winning start to their World Cup campaign were shattered by an extraordinary blunder by goalkeeper Robert Green that gifted the United States their equaliser in a 1-1 draw here today.

England captain Steven Gerrard gave his side a dream start to their Group C campaign with a fourth minute strike at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

But Fabio Capello's men were sent back to square one when Green let in Clint Dempsey's tame, 25-yard shot five minutes from half-time.

England had gone ahead from their first foray into opposition territory.

Picking up a Glen Johnson throw-in from the right, Frank Lampard threaded a pass that was flicked on by Wayne Rooney to Emile Heskey on the edge of the area.

The Aston Villa striker got in front of Jay DeMerit and his first-time ball anticipated an untracked run by Gerrard, who prodded the ball past Tim Howard with the outside of his boot.

That might have precipitated a collapse from less resilient sides but the Americans were soon creating problems, particularly down the right.

England had a significant let-off when Jozy Altidore headed Landon Donovan's chip wide after outjumping Ledley King but they generally looked in control of the match until Green's 40th-minute blunder.

Gerrard was partly culpable, having allowed Dempsey to twist away from him on the edge of the area but still there seemed no danger as the West Ham goalkeeper knelt to gather a shot directed straight at him.

Somehow the man Capello had selected ahead of the more experienced David James allowed the ball to spin off his right glove and over the line.

England hit back through Glen Johnson, who tested Tim Howard after a mazy run to the edge of the area, but they were unable to restore their advantage before the interval.

Heskey should have done so soon after the restart, when Aaron Lennon's first-time pass sent him clear of a flat-footed American defence. But the striker's shot was unleashed too early and straight at Howard.

England's frustration was clear as Jamie Carragher, on as a second half substitute for King, and Gerrard picked up bookings in quick succession for late challenges.

Lampard made his presence felt with a left-foot drive that Howard had to touch over at full stretch.

But it was the Americans who enjoyed the clearest chance of a winner, Donovan releasing Altidore whose close range strike was touched on to the post by Green.

England's best chance of the second period fell to Shaun Wright-Phillips, but Howard was able to comfortably beat away the Manchester City winger's poorly directed shot from the left of the goalmouth and it was the Americans who finished the match pressing for a winner.

Messi's performance delights Maradona

Johannesburg: If Lionel Messi is enjoying himself, then so are the rest of us. That's how Argentina coach Diego Maradona put it on Saturday after Messi produced a mesmerizing performance in a 1-0 win over Nigeria in Group B at the World Cup that was unlucky not to have been rewarded with a goal.

Maradona's tactics for the 22-year-old forward were simple. "I want Messi to be very close to the ball. As long as he has fun, then we are all going to have fun," Maradona said.

"Football wouldn't be beautiful unless Messi is touching the ball all the time. He performed magic today on the pitch."

Messi made a string of trademark weaving runs and curled two left-footed shots that were brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who almost single-handedly kept the FIFA world player of the year at bay. Enyeama said he had done his homework on Argentina's leading man.

"I've been watching his games in the Spanish league. I got some inside information," Enyeama said. "But he's still the best I've faced in my career."

And it's not just the opposition who are in awe of Messi. "Incredible. Messi is fantastic. Unbelievable," said Argentina right back Jonas Gutierrez.

Heinze gives Argentina nervous win over Nigeria

Johannesburg: Argentina opened its World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Nigeria on Saturday, clinging nervously to an early goal from Gabriel Heinze after failing to convert a number of clear opportunities.

Heinze scored with a diving header in the sixth minute after taking advantage of slack marking to power in a header from 12 meters (yards) from Juan Sebastian Veron's corner.

The Nigerians boasted a clear height advantage, but struggled for much of the match to contain diminutive Argentina forward Lionel Messi, who tormented them with his piercing movement.

Striker Gonzalo Higuain failed to convert three good chances, including what seemed a certain goal in the fourth minute. Messi, too, came agonizingly close on several occasions.