Facebook in talks to buy messaging app Whatsapp: Report

NEW YORK: Social networking Facebook Inc is in talks to acquire popular messaging app Whatsapp, a move that will beef-up its mobile services business, says a media report.

"Whatsapp, the multiplatform mobile messaging app that has been one of the runaway success stories for ad-free, paid services, has been in talks to be acquired by Facebook, " a technology blog said citing sources close to the matter.

"We are still digging around on potential price and other details...," the report said citing sources.

Whatsapp, which was founded in 2009, has 1,000 million daily active users globally and delivers about one billion messages per day.

The social networking firm, which was founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students, at present has around one billion users across the world.

Facebook has been making efforts to improve its mobile service business and made buyouts including the purchase of photo-sharing mobile app Instagram.

Earlier in July, Facebook acquired the team behind start-up firm Spool, in an aim to beef up its mobile business. Besides, the social networking firrm also purchased Israeli facial recognition firm Face.com in June. 

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As Bhopal remembers 1984 disaster, activists decry government apathy

 BHOPAL: As the city today marked 28th anniversary of Union Carbide gas leak disaster, which claimed at least over 3,000 lives in its immediate aftermath, activists alleged the victims have got a raw deal from both the Centre and BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.

Even after 28 years, no one had been punished for this man-made disaster and victims got only inadequate compensation, `Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sanghthan' convenor Abdul Jabbar said here.

Rallies were held in the city by the organisations working for the victims, to protest the government's "perennial inaction".

Jabbar said state and the Centre were trying to protect multi-national companies. "It is because of this attitude that the then Chief Executive Officer of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, has not been brought to India so far to face trial."

The programmes to mark the anniversary of the worst industrial disaster in the world started with an all-religion prayer meeting to remember the victims, an annual tradition.

Members of the Sangthan marched to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence to submit a memorandum about long-pending demands, including adequate compensation and speedy trials. They were stopped by police near Kamla Park.

On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, deadly methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, killing over 3,000 people and maiming many others.

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Social security agreement with Sweden will help Indian workers

 NEW DELHI: The social security agreement, which was signed between Sweden and India recently, will greatly benefit Swedish companies operating in India; Indian companies in Sweden and professionals in both directions, Ulf Kristersson, Sweden's minister for social security, has told ET.

"While there are a larger number of Indians working in Sweden, the scheme, which ensures the export of social security benefits, will also help the smaller but growing number of Swedish workers in India and the large number of Swedish companies in India," minister Kristersson told ET. He was in New Delhi to ink the agreement along with Indian minister of overseas Vayalar Ravi.

For foreign workers from either country under short term contracts of up to two years, the SSA will ensure that they don't have to pay social security contribution in the guest country as long as they make the payment in their home country. Further, workers will be entitled to export social security benefits when they relocate back to their home country after the completion of service in the guest country.

"The number of highly skilled Indian professionals and self employed people are growing in numbers in Sweden. The IT industry employs a large number of Indians and the numbers are going up. This year, 3000 new professionals from India will have received work permits in Sweden," Mr Kristersson said. There are around 18,000 overseas Indians in the kingdom of Sweden, most of who are employed in IT and IT services, healthcare and hospitality.

"We have social security agreements with Scandinavian countries and within Europe. But India is the first Asian country where we have signed a SSA. Removing obstacles in the welfare system and implementing pension reforms for international workers will boost business ties between India and Sweden and we are likely to see more companies from either side increasing business links," the Swedish minister said.

The Indian government has already inked similar social security agreements with 14 countries including France, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Japan and Canada. Sweden has a big labour supply gap and there is a huge potential for Indian workers to move there.

"In Sweden, there's still a large requirement for skilled workers especially in the technology sector. We are a high-end IT hub in Europe and employers welcome workers from India. Now this SSA will now make it even more attractive for them to hire Indians," Kristersson said.

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Supreme Court stays TDSAT's order that removed cap on number of SMSes

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today stayed telecom tribunal TDSAT's order, which had quashed the sector regulator TRAI's circular limiting the number of SMSes to 200 per day per SIM.

In a brief hearing, a bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi stayed the tribunal's order and issued notice to late Bal Thackeray's grandson Aditya on whose plea TDSAT had passed the order.

The apexBSE 0.00 % court passed the order on an appeal filed by TRAI challenging tribunal's order and asked Thackeray to respond to regulator's plea within six weeks.

With today's stay order, the sector regulator can enforce the circular till the apex court vacates its stay on the verdict by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

TDSAT had on July 17 termed the ceiling on SMSes as "arbitrary" and against the right of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution and had set aside the sector regulator TRAI's circular.

Uddhav Thackeray's son Aditya had submitted that the restriction on SMSes was just a "non-application of mind" by TRAI and the circular fixing ceiling "has not explained why and how the figure of 100/200 SMS(s) per day was arrived at."

He had further contended that no consultation process was adopted by TRAI before incorporating the clause in this regard in the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference (8th Amendment) Regulation, 2011.

TRAI had permitted sending only 100 SMSes per day per SIM except on blackout days or days specially notified by it.

However, on November 1, 2011, it had increased the limit to 200 SMSes per day, per SIM. 

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Kareena's pelvic thrust, Sonakshi's Kathakali moves steal Salman's thunder in Dabangg 2

 It seems that female Bollywood actors are striving hard nowadays to experiment with something new in their every film. In the much-talked about upcoming movie "Dabangg 2" of Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha recently challenged herself with some Kathakali steps on the set of the movie.

Kareena Kapoor too canned an item number for "Dabangg 2" and said it was great fun shooting for the song as she tried something new for it.

Sonakshi, who matched tough dance steps with ace choreographer Prabhu Deva in "Oh My God!", tried some steps of the classical dance form while shooting for the song "Dagabaaz re" from the movie.

"There is a sequence in the song where there are Kathakali dancers and when Sonakshi came to know about this, she got really excited! She is an actor who loves learning new things and, in fact, has even learnt some Kathakali and requested the dancers to teach her a few more steps," said a source.

Kareena, who who did item number "Halkat jawani" in her film "Heroine", said: "It was great fun. I loved the song... for the first time I have done a pelvic thrust. I have never done that before and Farah Khan has shot it amazingly. I am looking forward to it because it's a fun song. I hope people love it."

Designer Manish Malhotra has styled Kareena's costumes for the item song and Farah has choreographed her moves.

There were reports that her sister Karisma was on the sets while she was giving shots for the song and Kareena said: "She came to meet Salman, Arbaaz, Malaika and all and that's it. She was not there to give any takes."

In "Dabangg", Malaika featured in the item song "Munni badnaam".

"Dabangg 2", also starring Sonakshi Sinha and Prakash Raj, is slated for release Dec 21.

Arbaaz Khan is making his directorial debut with "Dabangg 2", which stars his big brother Salman in the lead role. Sonakshi plays his wife.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dabangg-2-sonakshi-sinha-kareena-kapor-salman-khan-fevikol-se/1/234687.html

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India vs England, second Test, Day Four: England turn the tables on Dhoni to win 2nd Test by 10 wickets, level series

Special mention: Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. On conditions tailormade for Indian spinners, Panesar and Swann managed to take, between them, 19 of the 20 Indian wickets to fall. The Indian spinners, on the other hand, took nine between the three of them. If ever there was a case of beating someone at their own game, this would be it.
Let's accept it. This was a far more comprehensive win than the one for India at Ahmedabad in the first Test. Why? Not becaue India only managed a nine-wicket win there but because they had everything going their way, and still the match went into Day Five. Here, England were playing in completely alien conditions, on a rank turner (as wished for by MS Dhoni), having lost the toss and without their frontline seamer (Steve Finn) and a key batsman (Ian Bell). And they did it in less than four days. Cook would be really, really proud of his team here. And with reason.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-england-test-match-cricket-mumbai-ms-dhoni-alastair-cook-wankhede-stadium/1/234726.html

England win by 10 wickets 
Over 9.4: England 58/0; Cook 18, Compton 30That's it. It started the way it began, with four byes from Ashwin to end the chase, and England have won comprehensively. A wayward delivery down the leg side races to the boundary and Cook and COmpton let out a roar together. This win would do a world of good to this England team, coming as it did on a rank turner.
Over 6: England 38/0; Cook 11, Compton 22England really want to get this over before lunch. Compton drills a flat six over mid on, coming down the wicket to Ojha, and England need less than 20 to win now.
Over 3: England 21/0; Cook 4, Compton 13England are not taking any prisoners here. Ashwin goes for two boundarie,s eight off that over, and the target is now under 40. There's still an hour to lunch, will England finish it by then? If they continue this aggressive, they well might.
Over 1: England 8/0 (target: 57); Cook 4, Compton 0England make a solid start here, two boundaries off that first over from Ashwin. The first were byes, the second a shortish delivery cut by Cook for four runs. The English are not in a hurry here, but they are all out aggressive and positive about this match.
Cook and COmpton are walking out and would be hoping to get this wrapped up quickly. That looks the likely scenario, but will there be a final twist from the Indian spinners here?

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-england-test-match-cricket-mumbai-ms-dhoni-alastair-cook-wankhede-stadium/1/234726.html

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Bipasha Basu to catwalk in Goa

 Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu will take to the runway at the India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW) here. She will flaunt a creation by designer duo Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor.

She will be seen at their show Friday night. The theme of Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor's collection is the Mughal Opera. It comprises ruffled tops and high-waist skirts in nude and metallic colours as well as a lot of colourful hues. They have used fabrics like silk jersey, chiffons and metal embellishment for the collection.

The IRFW begins Nov 28, and will end Dec 1. It will also witness veteran actress Zeenat Aman doing the catwalk for designer Riyaz Gangji.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bipasha-basu-to-catwalk-in-goa/1/235010.html

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BCCI selection committee retains squad for third Test against England

Despite widespread criticism over the Indian team's all-round failure in the second Test against England in Mumbai, the selector have retained the same squad for the next game.
India lost the Mumbai Test by 10 wickets in just over three days,  play ending before lunch on the fourth day on Monday, on a turning wicket tailormade for Indian conditions, as per the wishes of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The BCCI selection committee has retained 15 of the 16 players, who were part of the squad for the first two Tests, for the third Test beginning in Kolkata on December 5.
Fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who did not play the second Test because of a back injury, is still not fit and has been left out by the committee, headed by former India player Sandeep Patil, that met in Mumbai on Tuesday. Yadav is doubtful for the fourth Test as well.
Though the Indian selectors -- including Roger Binny, Rajinder Singh Hans, Vikram Rathour and Saba Karim, besides Patil -- were supposed to select the team for both the remaining two Tests and the two Twenty20 Internationals against England in their meeting, they have only named the squad for the third Test so far.
The squad for the fourth Test, to be played in Nagpur, and the two T20s will be picked later, a board release said. England return home on December 23 for Christmas before returning for the five-match ODI series on January 3.
There had been speculation that veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was completely unimpressive in the Mumbai Test, could face thw axe but apparently Dhoni prevailed in the meeting to retain him. There have been calls to take a decision on Sachin Tendulkar as well, given his continued poor run of form, but the Master Blaster remains part of the team.
Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Murali Vijay, Zaheer Khan.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-england-cricket-test-match-kolkata-eden-gardens-dhoni/1/234947.html

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Gold swings between gains and losses as deal reached for Greek

 Gold on Tuesday swung between gains and losses as a pact on Greece's debt burden weakened the dollar and physical demand from India, last year's biggest buyer, remained slack, reported PTI.

Gold added 77 cents to USD 1,749.42 an ounce.

The US Dollar Index, a measure against six major trading partners, fell to near a three-week low after euro-area finance chiefs and the International Monetary Fund agreed to cut Greece's interest rates and gave it more time to pay back rescue loans, the PTI report said.

The gauge pared some losses after Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Richard W. Fisher said accommodative policies can't be left in place forever.

Holdings in gold-backed exchange-traded products rose 0.7 tonnes to a record 2,607 tonnes. The US Mint sold 75,500 ounces of American Eagle gold coins so far this month, the most since January.

Ministers from the 17-nation euro bloc started their meeting in Brussels on Monday, less than a week after an all- night gathering failed to yield agreement and days after an EU summit broke up without a proposed seven-year budget.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gold-swings-between-gains-and-losses-as-deal-reached-for-greek/1/234996.html

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Poll ready Congress brings up the big cannon: No middlemen, direct subsidy to beneficiaries' account Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/finance-minister-chidambaram-direct-cash-transfer-scheme/1/234984.html

Poll ready Congress brings up the big cannon: No middlemen, direct subsidy to beneficiaries' account

 Benefits under 29 welfare schemes being operated by different ministries would be transferred through Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts in 51 districts spread over 16 states from January 1 next year, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The scheme of cash transfer into bank accounts, the minister said, would enable the government to extend benefits to the needy at the click of a button without any fear of misuse or duplication.

"... roughly about 29 schemes are ready to start from the January 1. It is possible that one or two schemes may start a few days or a couple of weeks late. But ultimately we want to load all these schemes on the system. Out of the 42, we think about 29, give or take one or two, will be ready," Chidambaram said while addressing a press conference at Congress office.

At present, government operates about 42 schemes, of which 29 would be covered by the cash transfer scheme that is to be launched from January 1, 2013 in 51 districts. The second roll-out to cover more districts would be launched in April 2013, he said.

The schemes which would come under the purview of the cash transfer scheme would include those of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Human Resources Development (HRD) Minority Welfare, Women and Child Development, Health and Family and Labour and Employment.

With the introduction of the direct cash transfer scheme, Chidambaram said, "falsification and duplication will be practically eliminated and I believe that (it) would result in considerable savings to the exchequer."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday had directed all the ministries concerned to work in close coordination to ensure success of the scheme.

Chidambaram said in the later phase the benefits of the direct cash transfer would be made available for subsidies which are given for food, fertiliser and petroleum products.

The cash subsidy, he said, would be given to the beneficiaries having Aadhaar-enabled account number through the bank branches or banking correspondents.

Aadhaar, a 12-digit number, serves as a proof of identity and address anywhere in the country. The UIDAI has already issued 21 crore Aadhaar cards.

"To start with there will be Banking Correspondents with miniature ATMs... they will act as the bank account operator with a handheld ATM to enable the beneficiary to withdraw the cash benefit.

"But in course of time other distributors can also join the system. Self Help Groups, primary Cooperative society, any other body which can operate a hand-held ATM can be a distributor. We expect multiple distributors to open as many distribution points as possible over a period of time," he added.

Chidambaram said he expects that in the 51 districts Aadhar penetration would be 80 per cent and the list of digitised beneficiaries for the schemes would be loaded on to the system.

"If the Aadhaar penetration is 80 per cent and more, then it is a fair assumption that the beneficiary penetration of Aadhaar will be close to 95 per cent. We hope to be able to do that by December 31... The infrastructure is in place," he said.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/finance-minister-chidambaram-direct-cash-transfer-scheme/1/234984.html

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NBE Diplomate National Board (DNB) CET from Nov 17 to 20, 2012

New Delhi: DNB CET is the eligibility-cum-ranking examination for entry to various Post-Graduate courses in modern medicine under the National Board of Examinations (NBE). NBE shall be conducting DNB CET as a Computer Based Test (CBT) from 17th to 20th November 2012 at test centres across the country.
Candidates who are in possession of MBBS degree/Provisional MBBS Pass Certificate from an Institute recognized as per the provisions of the Indian Medical Council Act and possess permanent or provisional registration certificate of MBBS qualification issued by the Medical Council of India / State Medical Council and have completed one year of compulsory internship or likely to complete on or before 31st January 2013 may apply DNB CET through online application system at www.natboard.edu.in/CET
For further details as instructions, scheme of examination, syllabus, list of seats available, Counseling etc. please refers to information bulletin for DNB CET Jan 2013 at website www.natboard.edu.in/CET. Composite examination fee and information bulletin voucher (required for online application system) can be obtained from selected branches of Axis Bank on payment of Rs 4250.

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Textbook sparks controversy, alleges non-vegetarians lie, cheat, commit sex crimesTextbook sparks controversy, alleges non-vegetarians lie, cheat, commit sex crimes

Textbook sparks controversy, alleges non-vegetarians lie, cheat, commit sex crimes

New Delhi: Yet another textbook in a CBSE school has sparked a controversy by allegedly insinuating that non-vegetarians lie, cheat and commit crimes, with the Government terming it as "unfortunate" and asking state bodies to remain alert about such content and monitor them.
"Sensitivities of communities have to be kept in mind. I think it’s unfortunate, an occasional aberration happens. But what I would request is that the state body should always be on alert just like how NCERT is on alert and monitor the content... that is what we can advocate from this Ministry," HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju told reporters while replying to queries on the Class VI textbook.
CBSE on the other hand said they prescribe textbook only from class IX onwards and it is the school which decides on which books to prescribe for students in other classes. The Minister's reaction came after media reports highlighted the content of the textbook of a CBSE school.
The book titled New Healthway: Health, Hygiene, Physiology, Safety, Sex Education, Games and Exercises reportedly said that non-vegetarians "easily cheat, tell lies, they forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes."
The development came close on the heels of the Ministry asking NCERT to present a report about some "objectionable" references in a CBSE textbook about Nadar community in Tamil Nadu. State Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday demanded removal of "objectionable" references in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Ministry officials, however, said that Raju, who had earlier received representations in this regard, has already asked NCERT for a report soon. The NCERT textbook committee is currently examining the issue.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Chief Minister said the "incorrect" details in the textbook of class IX were "very misleading and may leave a wrong impression in the minds of the students" about the community.
"The Nadars are said to be descendants of those who ruled the Cheran, Cholan and Pandyan Kingdoms... the Nadar Community is not a lower caste as mentioned in the CBSE book. Rather, they have been rulers of South India at one point of time", the Chief Minister said.

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Court issues production warrant against LeT terrorist Abu Jundal 

New Delhi: The Tihar Jail authorities were on Monday asked by a Delhi court to produce LeT terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack key handler Abu Jundal before it in a case lodged by the NIA against him for allegedly conspiring to launch terror strikes across the country.
District Judge IS Mehta, who had on November 3 ordered for Jundal's production before it for Monday, issued production warrant against him for Tuesday after he could not appear before it, the court sources said.
Jundal was in judicial custody in connection with an FIR lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following unearthing of a Lashkar-e-Toiba's (LeT) conspiracy for terror strikes across the country.

Gujarat ATS had earlier taken Jundal's custody for questioning on his alleged role in the 2006 Karanawati Express train blast at Ahmedabad station. Jundal is alleged to be one of the main conspirators of the blast.
The court on October 20 had remanded Jundal to judicial custody after the NIA had said he was not required for further custodial interrogation in connection with the case. Prior to that Jundal had been handed over to the ATS Mumbai after the Delhi Police had said he was no longer required to be interrogated by it in the Jama Masjid attack case.
Mumbai ATS had secured his custody in connection with the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, the 26/11 Mumbai mayhem, the 2010 German bakery blast and the Nasik Academy attack. He was brought back to Delhi by the Mumbai ATS which had produced him before a magisterial court here on October 4.
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Facebook not so fun with a click from boss or momFacebook not so fun with a click from boss or mom

Facebook not so fun with a click from boss or mom

London: Posting pictures of yourself plastered at a party and talking trash online with your Facebook friends may be more stress than it's worth now that your boss and mum want to see it all.
A survey from Edinburgh Business School released on Monday showed Facebook users are anxious that all those self-published sins may be coming home to roost with more than half of employers claiming to have used Facebook to weed out job candidates.
"Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends where you can dance, drink and flirt," said Ben Marder, author of the report and fellow in marketing at the Business School. "But now with your Mum, Dad and boss there, the party becomes an anxious event full of potential social landmines."
On average, people are Facebook friends with seven different social circles, the report found, with real friends known to the user offline the most common. More than four-fifths of users add extended family on Facebook, a similar number add siblings. Less than 70 percent are connected to friends of friends while more than 60 percent added their colleagues online, despite the anxiety this may cause.
Facebook has settings to control the information seen by different types of friends, but only one third use them, the report said. "I'm not worried at all because all the really messy pics - me, drunken or worse - I detag straight away," said Chris from London, aged 30. People were more commonly friends with former boyfriends or girlfriends than with current ones, the report also found.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)

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China to run high-speed rail line through rough terrain 

 

Beijing: The world's first long high-speed rail line running through high-latitude regions with extremely low temperatures is set to begin operations in China next month.
  
The high-speed rail line linking northeastern Chinese city of Harbin and port city of Dalian will start service from next month and will see speed of around 350 kmph.
  
The 921-kilometre railway line is the world's first long high-speed line running through high-latitude regions with extremely low temperatures during the winter season, state-run news agency quoted railway officials as saying.
  
It is expected to cut travelling time between the two cities to about four hours from nine hours.
  
The line will go through the country's three northeastern provinces -- Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning. There will be 23 stops along the route, including that at the renowned industrial base Shenyang city, according to the ministry.
  
Due to safety concerns related to the climate, railway authorities have decided to adopt two different schedules. The speed during the winter season (December 1 to March 31) will be 200 kmph, while during the the summer period (April 1 to November 30) it will be about 300 kmph.
  
The ministry said ticket prices will also vary depending on the schedule.
  
Harbin West, the line's originating station, has been designed with a combined passenger capacity of 7,000 passengers per hour at peak time.
(Agencies)
Latest News from World News Desk

Tags: High speed rail line in China, rough terrain, transport services in China, Harbin city in China

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China’s repression encouraging Tibetan self-immolations: Group

Beijing: China called for an intensified crackdown on separatism in its Tibetan-inhabited regions, as an advocacy group said repression was encouraging self-immolations in protest of Chinese rule.
  
Three people have set themselves ablaze since Thursday, two in China's northwestern province of Qinghai and one in neighbouring Gansu, the International Campaign for Tibet said.
  
"The Tibetans who are self-immolating -- now in more rapid succession -- have clearly not been dissuaded by the security buildup or other means of official intimidation," ICT head Mary Beth Markey said in a statement.
  
"Unless and until there is some initiative that can break through the cycle of repression and protest, I think we all acknowledge that more Tibetans will be prepared to take the agonising action of self-immolation."
  
At least 81 Tibetans have set themselves alight in China's Tibetan-inhabited regions since 2009, with most cases occurring in the last year and the majority ending in death, according to the group.
  
Many Tibetans accuse China of religious repression and eroding their culture, as the country's majority Han ethnic group increasingly moves into historically Tibetan areas.
  
China says Tibetans enjoy religious freedom, and points to huge and ongoing investment which it says have brought modernisation and a better standard of living.
  
Most of the self-immolations occurred near Kirti monastery, a historic centre of Tibetan Buddhist learning in Aba prefecture of Sichuan province, which borders Qinghai and Gansu.
  
The monastery has been the focus of a crackdown on separatism since anti-Chinese riots rocked the Tibetan plateau in 2008. The crackdown has intensified with the increase of self-immolations.
  
On Friday, Sichuan Communist Party head Wang Dongming called for a further intensification of the crackdown in a speech in Aba, the provincial government said on its website.
  
"Our struggle with the Dalai (Lama) splittist clique is long-term, arduous and complicated. In fighting separatism and upholding stability we can never relax our work in the slightest," Wang said.
  
"We must strengthen and be innovative in accordance with law in our management of the monasteries and unite the people in the common task to fight separatism and maintain stability."
  
The Tibetan government-in-exile in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala has expressed "deep concern over the alarming escalation in self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet".
(Agencies)
Latest News from World News Desk
Tags: Tibet-in-exile, China rule on Tibet, Tibet self-immolation ac

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Dhoni pitches for spinning track in Eden Gardens

Mumbai: India's ploy to prepare a spinning track might have backfired as England registered a 10-wicket win in the second Test, but host captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he would like to have a similar pitch for the third game, starting at Kolkata on December 5.
   
"Of course, we want a similar track as that's where our speciality is. What's the point playing on flat tracks and trying to win the toss and just batting for 3 or 4 days," said Dhoni after England inflicted a humiliating defeat on India in the second Test here to level the four-Test series 1-1.
   
"You want to face challenges in Test cricket and these are the sort of wickets that push you towards that, so definitely all the wickets should be like that," he added.
   
Insisting that he would like a typical sub-continental wicket in Kolkata as well, Dhoni said, "I would like a typical sub-continental wicket, which should turn from the first day as I have been saying, so that there is no importance of toss and whichever team plays better cricket wins the game.
   
"You feel a bit disappointed (at losing) but the good thing about these wickets is no side is guaranteed to win and have to play well to win. That's why I call for a track that starts to turn early."
   
Dhoni had asked for a turning track despite India winning the first Test by nine wickets on a low and slow pitch at Ahmedabad's Motera stadium to go 1-0 up in the series.
   
Though his demand was met by the Wankhede curator, the hosts slumped to a huge defeat, unable to cope up with the left-arm spin of Monty Panesar and off spinner Graeme Swann.
   
Heaping praise on Panesar, who grabbed 11 wickets in the match, Dhoni said, "Monty bowled exceptionally well. Spinners from both sides bowled well but it was different to what Monty bowled. He was drawing the batsman to come on to the front foot more and was getting some turn too."
(Agencies)
Latest News from Sports News Desk

Tags: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, England defeat India, India England match in Mumbai, Kolkata Test match

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Government looks to bend on its LPG subsidy decision

New Delhi: Under pressure from senior Congress leaders, the government is mulling to raise the cap on subsidized LPG cylinders from 6 to 9 every year. It is believed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi have agreed to the suggestions and the decision now rests on petroleum minister Veerappa Moily.
According to sources, petroleum companies will make an announcement in this regard after the completion of Know Your Customer (KYC) procedure.
After client verification, Oil companies are expecting to terminate 3 crore LPG connections which will also put a check on black marketing. As a result Oil companies would gain a profit of Rs. 5,000 crore every year.
(Agencies)

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Gujarat Congress at the Centre of row over ad campaign

Gujarat Congress at the Centre of row over ad campaign

Ahmedabad: Congress's Gujarat unit was at the centre of a row on Monday over a picture it used for a poll advertisement on malnutrition in the state amid allegations it was 'lifted' from a website of a Christian organisation depicting a Sri Lankan child.

Gujarat Congress party's "Join hands for change" advertisements which appeared in some newspapers and posted on its website claims that 45 percent of children in the state were malnourished. A photograph in the ad also showed a malnourished child in the arms of a woman.

The social media, however, went abuzz with claims that the picture of the skinny and malnourished baby was, in fact, a victim of flood in Sri Lanka which was lifted from the web site of a Christan organisation called Amyand Park Chaple (amyand.com) with one pro-BJP website even providing 'Link' to view the original picture.

Finding itself in an awkward situation, the Congress in an effort to counter the BJP charge, alleged that the ruling party was deflecting the main issue of malnutrition.

"The photograph is symbolic and rather than focussing on the picture, the BJP should counter the figures given in the advertisement," said Siddharth Patel, in-charge of Gujarat state Congress' poll campaign while talking to newsmen.

"Around 45 percent of children in Gujarat are malnourished. Can BJP deny this fact?", Patel asked.

The advertisement says: "visit any community health centre or primary health centre, it is the same picture where staff is missing, be it specialist, doctors or support staff".

The BJP has seized the opportunity to take on the Congress, calling the poll ad a "dishonest campaign". "The Congress campaign in Gujarat has not been based on facts at all. It has been based on absolute fictitious facts," BJP leader Balbir Punj said in New Delhi.

In Ahmedabad, BJP spokesperson Jagdish Bhavsar demanded an apology from the Congress.

"This is one of the proofs of Congress party's character which has resorted to malign Gujarat by spreading lies for the past so many months. They should apologise to the people of the state for showing wrong photographs," he said.
(Agencies)
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Tags: Gujarat Congress, Congress ad campaign, Gujarat polls, Congress ad, Congress campaign, malnutrition in Gujarat

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Parties should reconsider their stand on voting over FDI issue: Govt

New Delhi: With a consensus eluding the all-party meeting on the FDI issue, government on Monday appealed to political parties who want discussion on it with a vote to reconsider their stand and hoped that a solution will be found.

"I have appealed to those who want a discussion under Rule 184 (in Lok Sabha) to reconsider their views. I have heard everybody's view. I will discuss the matter with the presiding officers of both Houses to see how Parliament gets to work. We will find a way out," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters after the meeting here.

The meeting attended by BJP leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, RJD leader Lalu Prasad, TMC leader Sudeep Bandyopadhayay, DMK leader T R Baalu, BJD leader Arjun Charan Sethi, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati among others lasted almost two hours.

Describing the meeting as "very useful", Nath said, "All political parties have given their views that the House must run. Political parties are unanimous that the House should run."

On differences of opinions at the meeting, he said, "Some political parties expressed their opinion that they want discussion with voting. Many others have said they want discussion and it does not matter under which rule...it should be left to presiding officers of both Houses."

Asked whether the government is shying away from voting, Nath replied in negative.

"We are not shying away from a vote but we have to respect the feelings of other political parties also," he said.

BJD leader B Mahatab said his party has already given notice for a discussion under Rule 184 in Lok Sabha which entails voting. He made it clear that his party is opposed to FDI in multi-brand retail, saying it will ruin the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
(Agencies)
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Tags: Kamal Nath, voting on FDI, UPA government, debate on FDI, Winter Session, Parliament

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Ram Jethmalani writes another letter to Gadkari

New Delhi: Ram Jethmalani on Monday said he has written a letter to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, whose resignation the veteran lawyer had demanded after Gadkari's name surfaced in the financial dealings of a company linked to him. But the Rajya Sabha member declined to reveal the contents of his letter.

"I have written a letter to the party (Bharatiya Janata Party) president. (But) I am not in a position to reveal its content," he told reporters here. "You can get it (the content) from them... I have told them (the BJP) that you are entitled to release it to the press. I am under the oath of secrecy until the letter reaches the BJP president," he added.

The BJP on Sunday suspended Jethmalani from the party for gross violation of party dicipline and speaking against Gadkari.

The party was also left red-faced when the octogenarian leader contradicted the party's stand on the appointment of Ranjit Sinha as the new Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director.
(Agencies)
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India's peak demand and power needs rising continuously

NEW DELHI: The demand for electricity in India when its consumption is at the maximum - the peak demand - as well as the country's energy requirement have been rising continuously.

There was a 6.3 percent jump in the peak demand in the country in 2011-12 over the previous year. The increase in energy requirement in 2011-12 over the previous fiscal year was even higher at 8.8 percent.

For October 2012, for instance, there was provisionally a deficit of 9.1 percent between requirement and availability of power equivalent to 7,654 MU (million units), the new Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed parliament this week.

Against an all-India requirement of 84,094 MU of power during the month, the availability was 76,440 MU.

For the six-month period between April-Oct 2012, which also witnessed India's worst power blackout in end-July, the peak power shortage, defined as shortfall in generation capacity during the time of the peak demand was 9 percent or the equivalent of 12,159 MW.

A Central Electricity Authority (CEA) report last month said that the country is estimated to face a peak power shortage of 10.6 percent in the current fiscal.

According to the CEA data, total electricity demand of the country during the year is 140,090 MW, of which 125,234 MW is expected to be met, leaving a gap of 14,856 MW.

The peaking shortage would prevail in all the regions varying from 3.2 percent in the western region and 26.3 percent in the southern region.

"A capacity addition of 17,956 MW during the year 2012-13 comprising 15,154 MW of thermal, 802 MW of hydro and 2000 MW of nuclear power stations has been considered," the CEA said.

As per the 18th Electric Power Survey (EPS), eletricity requirement by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan period (2016-17) is estimated to be 1,354 BU (billion units).

Million or billion unit (MU, BU) indicate the amount of power or energy produced, while megawatt (MW) is used to refer to generation capacity.

In response to a separate query on coal supply to power plants, the power minister informed parliament that power utilities had reported a generation loss of 11.63 BU during 2011-12 owing to shortage of coal.

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Cellphones reshape prostitution in India, complicate efforts to prevent AIDS

 

MUMBAI: Millions once bought sex in the narrow alleys of Kamathipura, a vast red-light district here. However, sex workers with inexpensive mobile phones are luring customers elsewhere, and that is endangering the astonishing progress India has made against AIDS.

Indeed, the recent closings of hundreds of ancient brothels, while something of an economic victory for sex workers, may one day cost them, and many others, their lives.

"The place where sex happens turns out to be an important HIV prevention point," said Saggurti Niranjan, programme associate of the Population Council. "And when we don't know where that is, we can't help stop the transmission."

Cellphones, those tiny gateways to modernity, have recently allowed sex workers to shed the shackles of brothel madams and strike out on their own. However, that independence has made sex workers far harder for government and safe-sex counselors to trace. And without the advice and free condoms those counselors provide, sex workers and their customers are returning to dangerous ways.

Studies show that sex workers who rely on cellphones are more susceptible to HIV because they are far less likely than their brothel-based peers to require their clients to wear condoms.

In interviews, sex workers said they had surrendered some control in the bedroom in exchange for far more control over their incomes.

"Now, I get the full cash in my hand before we start," said Neelan, a sex worker with four children whose side business in sex work is unknown to her husband and neighbors. (Neelan is a professional name, not her real one.)

"Earlier, if the customer got scared and didn't go all the way, the madam might not charge the full amount," she explained. "But if they back out now, I say that I have removed all my clothes and am going to keep the money."

India has been the world's most surprising AIDS success story. Though infections did not appear in India until 1986, many predicted the nation would soon become the epidemic's focal point. In 2002, the CIA's National Intelligence Council predicted that India would have as many as 25 million AIDS cases by 2010. Instead, India now has about 1.5 million.

An important reason the disease never took extensive hold in India is that most women here have fewer sexual partners than in many other developing countries. Just as important was an intensive effort underwritten by the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to target high-risk groups like sex workers, gay men and intravenous drug users.

However, the Gates Foundation is now largely ending its oversight and support for AIDS prevention in India, just as efforts directed at sex workers are becoming much more difficult. Experts say it is too early to identify how much HIV infections might rise.

"Nowadays, the mobility of sex workers is huge, and contacting them is very difficult," said Ashok Alexander, the former director in India of the Gates Foundation. "It's a totally different challenge, and the strategies will also have to change."

An example of the strategies that had been working can be found in Delhi's red-light district on Garstin Bastion Road near the old Delhi railway station, where brothels have thrived since the 16th century. A walk through dark alleys, past blind beggars and up narrow, steep and deeply worn stone staircases brings customers into brightly lighted rooms teeming with scores of women brushing each other's hair, trying on new dresses, eating snacks, performing the latest Bollywood dances, tending small children and disappearing into tiny bedrooms with nervous men who come out moments later buttoning their trousers.

A 2009 government survey found 2,000 sex workers at Garstin Bastion (also known as GB) Road who served about 8,000 men a day. The government estimated that if it could deliver as many as 320,000 free condoms each month and train dozens of sex workers to counsel safe-sex practices to their peers, AIDS infections could be significantly reduced. Instead of broadcasting safe-sex messages across the country — an expensive and inefficient strategy commonly employed in much of the world — it encircled Garstin Bastion with a firebreak of posters with messages like "Don't take a risk, use a condom" and "When a condom is in, risk is out."

Surprising many international AIDS experts, these and related tactics worked. Studies showed that condom use among clients of sex workers soared.

"To the credit of the Indian strategists, their focus on these high-risk groups paid off," said Dr Peter Piot, the former executive director of U.N.AIDS and now director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. A number of other countries, following India's example, have achieved impressive results over the past decade as well, according to the latest United Nations report, which was released last week.

However, now that mobile phones are untethering prostitution from brothels, those targeted measures are threatened. At the same time, the advent of cellphones seems to be expanding the sex marketplace — luring more women into part-time sex work and persuading more men to pay for sex. Cellphone-based massage and escort services are mushrooming across India.

"There may now be clients who may not have otherwise availed themselves of the services but do so now because it is easier and more private," said Suneeta Krishnan, a senior epidemiologist with Research Triangle Institute of North Carolina.

The changes have led to a steep drop in business on Delhi's Garstin Bastion Road and have nearly destroyed Mumbai's Kamathipura district, where brothels had thrived since the 18th century.

Champa, a wrinkled madam with silver toe rings, bangles on her wrists and henna-dyed hair, has for 50 years owned a brothel in a narrow lane here. But like many other industries where information technology has undermined the role of middlemen between buyers and sellers, Champa's business is withering.

"It's the end of Kamathipura," Champa said with a resigned wave as she squatted on the floor of her entryway.

She once had as many as 20 sex workers living in her nine-bedroom brothel; she now has three, she said. Worse, at least from her point of view, the women working for her collect their own fees and offer her just $2 a day to rent one of her tiny bedrooms. As recently as five years ago, Champa — she has just one name — collected $2 for every client served.

As Champa spoke, several garishly dressed young women walked through the brothel's tiny foyer to sweep and water the hard dirt floor just outside. The lane was teeming with laborers, uniformed schoolchildren, and veiled matrons. The sex workers soon settled onto benches and teased the men getting haircuts at a nearby outdoor barbershop.

There were once 75 brothels on this lane; now there are eight. Kamathipura had as many as 50,000 sex workers in the 1990s but now has fewer than 5,000, according to city officials and nongovernmental organizations.

Kamathipura's destruction is partly a tale of urban renewal. India's rapid development has turned former slums into sought-after addresses, and rising land values led many brothel owners to sell out.

But just as important has been the spread of cellphones into the hands of nearly three out of four Indians. Five years ago, cellphones were still a middle-class accouterment. Fierce competition led prices to plunge, and now even trash pickers and rickshaw drivers answer pocket phones.

But not all has changed. Vicious madams still exist, human trafficking is still rampant, village girls are still duped into the trade, and some brothels still thrive. Most sex workers are illiterate, come from lower castes and are poor. But cellphones have given them a measure of power they did not have before.

"I'm happy that mobile phones are so popular and that I have this opportunity," said Kushi, a mother who got into secret, part-time prostitution after she left her abusive and alcoholic husband. (Kushi is her work name.) She has three to four clients a week and charges each about $20, she said, compared with a typical price of $4 in cheap brothels.

"Cellphones allow the women to keep much more of their money," Niranjan of the Population Council said. "But they make HIV prevention programmes more challenging."


(Sruthi Gottipati contributed reporting in Mumbai and New Delhi.)

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Factory fire, flyover collapse kill 137 in Bangladesh

DHAKA: At least 137 people were killed and scores injured when a major fire engulfed a multi-storey garment factory on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and an under-construction flyover collapsed in the southeastern port city of Chittagong, officials said today.

In one of the worst fire tragedies in the country, a blaze broke out at Tazrin Fashion factory in suburban Ashulia Savar, 30km from Dhaka, last night and quickly spread to the ground and first floors of the six-storey building.

"We have so far retrieved 124 bodies (and) rescue campaign is still underway," Major Mahbub Hossain, a senior fire service official, told PTI over phone, adding that most of the bodies were found severely charred.

General officer commanding of nearby Savar Cantonment Maj Gen Syed Hassan Suhrawardy, who is overseeing the rescue campaign, said the bodies would be kept at a nearby primary school premises from where relatives could take them for burial.

Many workers jumped from the factory's upper floors to escape the flames before firefighters arrived to put the blaze out.

The cause was not immediately known but such fires are usually blamed on short circuits.

Authorities called out extra police force at the scene as angry relatives and fellow workers damaged a fire engine, protesting the delay in dousing the blaze.

He said the toll could rise.

Flyover collapse

In another incident, an under-construction flyover collapsed in Chittagong, leaving 13 people dead and over 50 injured.

At around 8pm last night, three concrete girders of the flyover fell on some people, mostly vegetable vendors, local media reported.

A 5-member probe panel has been formed to investigate the incident. It was asked to submit its report within three days.

Mohd Abdul Mannan, assistant director of fire service and civil defence, was quoted as saying by Daily Star that 13 people died in the accident.

President Zillur Rahman expressed his deep shock and sorrow at loss of lives in the two tragic incidents.

In a condolence message, he conveyed his deep sympathies to members of the bereaved families.

The President asked the concerned authorities to put in their highest efforts for ensuring proper treatment of the injured people

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Atrocities Against the Idea of India

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Two terror accused who have languished in jail for 16 years have been acquitted by the Delhi High Court. A group of teachers at Jamia Milia Islamia had brought out a report in September that listed 16 people whom the Delhi police had arrested for terror and put behind bars, only to release them later after the courts acquitted them.

All these are young Muslim men, many of them from Kashmir. Delhi is not alone when it comes to putting young lives, ever so slowly, through the wringer of the law enforcement machinery.

Terrorists have struck in many parts of India. In all those places, the police have caught the perpetrators, their associates and conspirators, most of whom confess to their sins, persuaded by the tender loving care they are administered. They spend years in jail, some are acquitted by the trial court itself, some others by higher courts.

A few are convicted and, even after a protracted processof appeal, some of these convictions stand. But some of the founding convictions of the Republic fall in the process, felling many things they uphold.

India is supposed to be a liberal democracy, whose Constitution guarantees citizens certain fundamental rights. When the police themselves flout these rights with apparent abandon, the Constitution stands undermined, our democracy turns illiberal. The issue goes beyond abstract principles and the tragedy of maimed individual lives.

India is not a homogeneous country. It is a union of multiple identities— of language, religion, region, caste, ethnicity. Each one of these multiple identities is an articulation of the richness and variety of humankind’s evolution on this planet.

A pre-requisite for India’s unity as a nation is shared confidence among members of any and every one of the groups constituting these different identities that they can live with dignity and security and prosper, within a shared framework of rights and duties, mediated by a state that does not discriminate against anyone.

That confidence is sabotaged, whenever the police carry out wilful wrong arrests, kill people in so-called encounters and oppress members of minority communities.

The police might engage in such behaviour because of communal bias or, often enough, sheer expedience — they are under pressure to apprehend the perpetrators of some heinous crime against society and, to save their own skins, pick up convenient victims and frame charges against them.

This might seem sweeping and unfair to the police, an under-staffed, underpaid and overworked body of public servants whose vigilance and action are still summoned to protect the citizens from all threats to normalcy. But the fact remains that the police have failed, dismally, to change their culture from when the British set up the force to subjugate the subjects of an unruly colony.

They have to evolve into an agency that serves citizens and are accountable to them and not just to their own internal hierarchy.The police will not do it out of the goodness of their hearts. It is the job of politics to make them.

Political failure on this crucial count mutilates young, promising lives and creates alienation and schism, instead of unity in diversity. This must stop.

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Indian Air Force to replace Avro aircraft soon: Official

 

NAGPUR: The Indian Air Force will soon be phasing out the old Avro aircraft and have sought a request for proposal, a senior IAF official said today.

The Avro aircraft will be replaced with modern ones. A request for proposal (RFP) has been sought by the authorities, Air Marshal Jagdish Chandra, Air Officer in-Commanding in-Chief of IAF Maintenance Command here, told reporters on the sidelines of an air show at Sonegaon Airbase today.

Similarly, the Sukhoi-30 aircraft, which is overhauled by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) exclusively, will be joined by the IAF's Base Repair Depot (BRD), Nashik in the work, the Air Marshal said.

Henceforth, the life extension overhaul will be carried out jointly the public sector company HAL and IAF's own BRD, Nashik, he said.

Meanwhile, an air show was organised on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of IAF here.

The para-jumpers from Agra performed at the event while three Sukhoi-30 aircraft flew past while jumpers and air warriors drilling team displayed a combination of accuracy.

The para-dropping team was led by JWO A K Singh and S Sherawat led the drill team.

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