Jagan gets 3 choices: DyCM, mantri, PCC

NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD: The Congress high command is said to have offered three choices to YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy as an alternative to chief
ministership.

Sources said the choices are the post of deputy CM, a position in the Union cabinet or a post in the state party. YSR aide and chief of ‘Jagan-for-CM' campaign KVP Ramachandra Rao is scheduled to return to Hyderabad on Friday and discuss the choices with Jagan, the sources added.

It became clear on Thursday that the high command is not ready to give the CM's post to Jagan at this juncture. KVP was also told that Jagan group or anyone else should not pose any obstacles to CM K Rosaiah as he has been appointed by Sonia Gandhi. On Thursday evening, KVP met Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel along with former PCC president K Keshava Rao and apprised him of the developments in the state.

"I am going to Hyderabad to attend the all-party condolence meeting there on Friday. I will be returning to the national capital on Saturday. I met Ahmed Patel to convey this," he told the media after emerging from Patel's residence on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, the Jagan chorus continued in the same pitch. Eleven Congress MPs led by Union minister A Sai Pratap met finance minister Pranab Mukherjee for 20 minutes on Thursday and pitched for Jagan as CM. The MPs included P Prabakhar, Nandi Yelliah, M Rajmohan Reddy, K Bapiraju and A Venkatram Reddy. Meanwhile, former Union minister Renuka Chowdhary also met Pranab on Thursday but denied having broached the subject to him.

The Congress core committee also met here on Thursday evening and took stock of the AP issue apart from discussing the Maharashtra election issue. The core committee comprises Sonia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Pranab, Ahmed Patel and A K Antony. "The members discussed the AP developments," a party source said and added that it was a routine weekly meeting meant to take stock of topical issues concerning the party.
Source::TimesOfIndia

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White’s hundred earns Australia a 3-0 lead

Southampton (England), Sept. 10: Cameron White’s maiden one-day international century was the cornerstone of Australia’s six-wicket win against England here on Wednesday as they went 3-0 up in the seven-match series.
Australia, chasing 229 for victory under the Rose Bowl floodlights, finished on 230 for four with nine balls to spare as regular captain Ricky Ponting, back from his post-Ashes break, watched from the pavilion.
White, whose previous best of 53 came in Friday’s series-opening four-run win at the Oval, made 105 before he hit Luke Wright to Ryan Sidebottom at mid-off with Australia needing nine runs off 16 balls for victory.
Together with stand-in skipper Michael Clarke (52), White shared a stand of 143 after Australia had been 52 for two. Callum Ferguson and Michael Hussey completed the win. Having survived two run-out chances, White should have been out for 92 only for Tim Bresnan at long-on to drop a routine chance off James Anderson. Instead he went on to complete a 116-ball century with a six and nine fours in his 32nd match at this level. “Hopefully it’s a significant innings for me,” said White, promoted up the order to fill Ponting’s number three berth.
“I’m glad I could get an opportunity to make the most of it,” White said.
Australia’s bowlers had restricted England to 228 for nine, with medium-pacer Shane Watson taking three wickets for 36 runs as the hosts top-order again failed to fire. — AFP
Brief scores: England 228 for 9 (A. Strauss 63; S. Watson 3/36) lost to Australia 230 for 6 (C. White 105).
Source::DC

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Never hit cameraman, says Bhajji

New Delhi, Sept. 10: Harbhajan Singh on Thursday sought to downplay the incident at the Bengaluru International Airport, saying he, at no stage, had hit or jabbed a cameraman before leaving for the tri-series in Sri Lanka.
Harbhajan jabbed at a cameraman on Wednesday after his camera had hit him on the head while he was taking his luggage out from a car before entering the airport. The feisty off-spinner wrote in his personal blog that he had just pushed the object which hit his head and turban hard without knowing that it was a camera. “I am facing the car, I have no clue what is behind me. The camera man is seen running towards me and the intensity and pace with which his camera clearly hits my head and it was not like just a touch, it hit me hard on my head and patka,” Harbhajan wrote in his bigadda blog.
“I am very particular of being touched and hit at my head or my patka. As a prompt reflex, not even knowing what hit my head I pushed the object, realising it after I pushed it that it was a camera,” he wrote.

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Indian flair versus Kiwi resilience

Colombo
Sept. 10: It’s a series that is as fortuitous as they come. What was supposed to be a bilateral series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was changed into a tri-series with India as the third team. And the reward at stake for Team India is huge.
After a two-month break, when Dhoni and Co. take on New Zealand in the second match of the tri-series, they will be in with a chance to create history. Having set off on a stupendous run in limited overs cricket over the last one year, the Men in Blue are within striking range of top-ranked South Africa in the ICC ODI rankings and a win in all the three matches (including the final) in this tri-series will put them on top.
“It is only an incentive. But our first priority is to do well and win the series. If we do well consistently we will be number one. So, we are taking it as the first tournament of the season,” said Dhoni on the eve of their tri-series opener against the Kiwis. With the return of Rahul Dravid, Dhoni said that he would move down the order. “Rahul is an ideal batsman at No. 3. Under lights if the ball is moving he is the right person. There may be a change according to the situations, but in normal conditions Rahul will be batting at No. 3.”
The Indian skipper also agreed that the team batting first at the Premadasa stadium always had an advantage. “If I win the toss I would like to bat first. The toss has been crucial and if you bat first, disregard of the score, you have always been able to defend it. It starts to turn under the lights, as we have seen during the past series,” he said.

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Centre brings in new venture to attract FDI

New Delhi

Sept. 10: The government is setting up a non-profit company “Invest India” for the promotion of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country.
The Union commerce minister, Mr Anand Sharma, said on Thursday that the proposed company will be a joint venture between the Centre, the industry chamber Ficci and state governments. He said that the company will be responsible for promoting foreign investments into the country in a more focused, comprehensive and structured manner.
“It will assist the government in its efforts towards projecting India as an attractive investment destination for foreign investors and facilitating them in identifying and realising investment opportunities in India,” said the minister.
He said that the unique feature of this company is the partnership between the private sector organisation, the Centre and state governments. “This is no where el-se in the world and seeks both to leverage the synergies of all three as well as address their investment priorities,” he added.
The company’s management structure will comprise of a board of directors, with six members each from the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) and the FICCI. The secretary DIPP will be its non-executive chairman. “The board of directors will appoint a managing director. The FICCI will provide the administrative, personnel and management support for day to day functioning,” said Mr Sharma.
The authorised capital of the firm will be Rs 10 crore and the initial paid up capital Rs 1 crore. While, the Ficci will have 51 per cent share in the equity, the DIPP will have 49 per cent share to begin with. The DIPP’s share will be red-uced overtime to 35 per cent of the paid up capital with induction of fresh eq-uity by the state governme-nts (around 28 per cent) which will get 0.5 per cent share each in the equity. The financial implication of the proposal for DIPP is Rs 49 lakhs only.
The company will act as the first reference point for any investor interested in India and will also facilitate in setting up businesses within the country, by making available sector-wise consultants and coordinating with the state government on feasible measures.
Source::DC

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RBI to track financial stability

Mumbai

Sept. 10: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a multi-disciplinary financial stability unit and is planning to put out a regular financial stability report to keep track of the economic crisis.
Dr D. Subbarao, the Reserve Bank governor, said the first report would be released in the next few months.
Speaking at a seminar in Mumbai on Thursday he said: “We are yet not able to decide the exit strategy with respect to the re-winding of the monetary measures we took earlier. But we would take it at an appropriate time.”
Mentioning that the tensions between fiscal and monetary policies could potentially militate against financial stability, Dr Subbarao said: “If governments continue to incur large fiscal deficits, it will be much more difficult for the central bank to maintain the price stability. Higher inflation could also push the yields upwards.”
He further added, “This could result in significant mark to market losses for the fixed income instruments with potentially adverse implications for banks’ profitability. This could again impair financial stability.”
Dr Subbarao further said: “The government has asked the finance commission to indicate a road map for returning to the path of fiscal consolidation. It is imperative that both the centre and states in India return to a path of fiscal consolidation for many reasons. These includes the need to preserve financial stability.”
Source:: DC

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Malik: Pak gates open for Musharraf

Islamabad

Sept. 10: Amid reports that former President Pervez Musharraf was unlikely to return to Pakistan any time soon, interior minister Rehman Malik has said “gates were open for him” and there were no restrictions on his coming back to the country.
Mr Malik’s comments came in wake of reports that Mr Musharraf, currently in the UK, will embark on a 40-day visit to the US from September 14 and was unlikely to return soon to Pakistan where there is a clamour for putting him on trial.
There are no restrictions on Mr Musharraf’s return to Pakistan and the “gates were open for him,” Mr Malik said, while dismissing speculation surrounding back-to-back visits by himself and Mr Musharraf to Saudi Arabia.
Mr Rehman Malik said he had not conveyed any message about the former military ruler to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.
Mr Malik said in an interview with the News daily that he had not held any discussions on Mr Pervez Musharraf’s fate with the king and that Mr Musharraf was free to return to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has demanded of the Supreme Court to reopen all
the cases against Mr Musharraf. A PML(N) spokesman said the forced exile of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was a violation of the Constitution and human rights, and was liable to contempt of the Supreme Court
Source::DC

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Obama first prez to be called a liar in Senate

Washington, Sept. 10: US President Barack Obama became the first President to be called ‘a liar’ in front of a joint session of Congress by a Republican senator.
Mr Obama’s high-stakes health care speech on Wednesday seemed to fuel rather than douse an overheated political debate, with one lawmaker shouting: “You lie!” Republican Representative Joe Wilson’s yelled accusation, rare in the formal setting of a presidential speech to a joint session of the US Congress, pointed to no let-up after weeks and months of take-no-prisoners partisan fighting.
The South Carolina lawmaker later apologised by telephone to White House chief of staff, Mr Rahm Emanuel, and in a written statement declaring “I let my emotions get the best of me.” “While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility,” he said. Mr Wilson’s outburst was not the only open show of Republican opposition to Obama’s ambitious push to remake US health care, as colleagues coffed and rolled their eyes as the President defended his embattled campaign.
The shouted accusation came after a month-long August stretch that saw some of the loudest critics of the Democratic plan call Mr Obama a Nazi bent on seeing government kommissars put elderly Americans to death. When Mr Obama, seeking to put an end to that rumor, denied that providing coverage for end-of-life care meant “panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens,” a handful of Republicans called out “read the bill!”
Republicans made their disapproval clear at other points, responding with quiet but unmistakably scornful laughter when Mr Obama said his plan would not require people happy with their health insurance to change their plan.

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Zardari claims Osama dead

Islamabad
Sept. 10: Pakistan President Asif Zardari has said that Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is dead.
“Osama bin Laden has died,” President Zardari said in an interview after competition of his one year in office.
He told the BBC, “Osama bin Laden has died and the Pakistani nation is with us (the government) against terrorists.”
Mr Zardari demanded investigation into killings in Kunduz attack, in which 70 civilian had been killed.
The President said democracy is working and we have got political responsibility. Defending the one-year performance of his government, he said Pakistani military, government and democracy could give better results and therefore, the world should extend support to Pakistan.
In reply to a question regarding “British police action” in Pakistan, Mr Zardari said he would accept the proposal “if the British police were better than Pakistan police, but our big problem is resources and if world provides us with resources then we can extend the war against Taliban to other areas.”
According to Mr Zardari, the United Nations and other international organisations are present in Afghanistan and they had in the past conducted investigations in such events.
Regarding rigging allegations in Afghan elections, he said the allegations are being reviewed, however, he supported Hamid Karzai and hoped to attend his oath-taking ceremony.
In a separate interview with the Financial Times, President Zardari rejected the Obama administration’s strategy of linking policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to end a Taliban insurgency.

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Farm loan gets dearer, sops for house buyers

New Delhi
Sept. 10: The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to reduce the subsidy given to farmers on short-term crop loans by one percentage point to two per cent for this fiscal year (2009-10). The move is expected to reduce the liability of the Central exchequer by Rs 311 crore. But, for housing loans up to Rs 10 lakh for houses that cost no more than Rs 20 lakh, the government has decided to provide a one per cent interest subsidy.
The government will pay two per cent interest subsidy to banks against three per cent in the last fiscal for granting short-term crop loans at a concessional rate of seven per cent, the I&B minister, Ms Ambika Soni, said.
The one per cent subsidy will benefit home loan seekers in Tier-1 and -II cities, who will be able to save up to Rs 10,000 on monthly repayments for one year on their loans.
The government also cleared a proposal to give five per cent additional dearness allowance to its more than eight lakh employees and pensioners. The additional DA will be given with effect from July 1, 2009.
Source::DC

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US backs India stand on Pak

Washington, Sept. 10: Ahead of a crucial meeting between Mr Chidambaram and secretary of state, Ms Hillary Clinton, the Obama Administration came out in support of India's stand on pre-conditions for talks with Pakistan. Assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Mr Robert Blake, said the progress made by Pakistan in bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice and stopping cross border infiltration would lay the basis of resumption of talks between the two south Asian neighbours.
Enhanced co-operation between India and US on tackling terrorism particularly in South Asia and Pakistan’s role in the region, dominated the deliberations of the Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, with top officials of Obama Administration on Thursday.
Pakistan’s role regarding its action against the perpetrators of 26/11 is believed to have come up prominently when Mr Chidambaram met the National Security Adviser General James Jones at the White House.
General Jones was recently in India and has been in favour of enhanced cooperation between the two countries in counter-terrorism operations and measures. Mr Chidambaram also met the Homeland Security secretary, Ms Janet Napolitano and the US attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr early on Thursday morning.
He also had a meeting with Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

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Rahul skips meeting Karuna, DMK miffed

Chennai

Sept. 10: In the midst of his whirlwind tour of Tamil Nadu, the AICC general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday called on the Governor, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, at the Raj Bhavan.
Nothing unusual about it, but then the “courtesy call” only ended up irritating further the ruling DMK camp, already nursing the grouse that the Congress general secretary did not observe the usual AICC “protocol” of visiting Mr Karunanidhi, even though he spent three days in the state.
Announcing Mr Gandhi’s “courtesy call” on Mr Barnala, his secretary said in a statement that the Governor presented the Congress leader with a shawl and a copy of his books My Tryst With Freedom and My Other Two Daughters.
To those DMK functionaries sulking that Mr Gandhi did not personally pay his respects to their Thalaivar, the statement and the shawl-pictures from the Raj Bhavan caused further aggravation. Some could even see “a design, a clear message,” in what the Congress prince did on his TN trip.
“He met the Governor only to clear doubts in the public mind that he skipped meeting Thalaivar only because he was too busy and hard-pressed for time. We must take this insult as a challenge thrown at us,” said a DMK functionary.
Source:: DECCAN CHRONICLE

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11 more fall to flu, toll reaches 156

NEW DELHI
: Eleven more swine flu deaths were reported from across the country on Thursday one in Delhi and five each from Maharashtra and
Karnataka raising the H1N1 toll to 156.

The national capital reported the maximum 68 cases followed by Karnataka (32), Maharashtra (26), Tamil Nadu (19) and Haryana (14). So far, samples from 27,070 people have been tested for swine flu, out of which 5,611 have tested positive .

The prestigious Doon School in Dehradun suspended its classes on Thursday till September 21 in the wake of five students testing positive for H1N1 virus on Tuesday. We are monitoring the situation on the campus continuously and our doctor is keeping the authorities fully informed, a school spokesperson said.

Delhi reported its fifth swine flu death when a 12-year-old girl undergoing treatment succumbed to the viral infection. The condition of a 35-year-old man has been described as critical.

Source:: TimesOfIndia

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Bank executive recalls 26/11 nightmare

MUMBAI: A private bank chairman who was taken hostage at Taj Hotel during the 26/11 terror attack narrated his experience before a special court
on Thursday. The witness, who cannot be named for security reasons, told Judge M L Tahaliyani that his captors had `whipped' and `interrogated' him.

"The gunmen asked me whether I was an architect or a scientist, but I told them I was a teacher. On hearing this, one of the terrorists, who was speaking on a cellphone, got angry and asked me how could a teacher with salary of Rs 25,000 stay at the Taj,'' said the witness, who was a guest at the hotel.

The banker said he was whipped with what seemed to be a rope. "I could not do anything as I was lying on the ground face down,'' he said in reply to queries posed by special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

The witness, who was in his room at the time of the attack, said he had been alerted by the hotel reception about the events that were unfolding. He also saw reports of it on television. So, when he heard someone knocking on the door around 11pm, saying `room service', he stayed put. "Suddenly I heard gunshots outside the door, and the door was flung open,'' he said. The banker was then taken outside and made to knock on the doors of adjoining rooms, but no one responded.

"All this while, one of the terrorists kept speaking on a mobile phone and seeking instructions from the other end,'' the witness said. The gunmen even noticed a sacred thread around his torso, and asked whether he was a Brahmin. After some time, four employees of the hotel were also brought in as hostages and all of them were tied up and ordered to lie down.

The banker said around 3am they heard a blast. By then the gunmen had left their room. He managed to free himself and the four hotel employees -- who had tied blankets together to form a makeshift rope -- climbed down from a window. The banker said he was nervous and went down to the third floor. "Around 6am on November 27, I was rescued by fire brigade officials,'' he said.

On Thursday, the court also questioned a man who had translated notes found on the bombs planted by the terrorists behind the Taj. The notes were believed to be in Urdu, but the witness said he was not a professional translator. He had relied on a dictionary and a friend while translating the notes.

Source:: TimesOfIndia

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Hindu students take to madrassa education

PATNA: Are madrassas meant only for Muslim students? Far from it, if results of Bihar State Madrassa Examination Board are anything to go by.
Pooja Kumari, Preetam Kumari, Priyanka Kumari and Surya Narayan Sah all students of Madrassa Islamia, Sandalpur in Araria district are among 100 Hindu girls and boys who have passed different grade exams conducted by BSMEB this year.

The results of the madrassa board for Maulvi, Fauqania and Wastania grade exams, declared on Monday, showed that about a hundred non-Muslim students have passed these exams.

Board authorities, who could provide list of non-Muslim candidates of only Fauqania exam, said 37 of them have passed. They include Sanjay Kumar of Madrassa Islamia, Khardaur, Sanam Kumari and Sandhya Kumari of Madrassa Rahmania, Joktia (both in West Champaran), Rupa Bharti of Madrassa Munamia, Balia (Begusarai) and Anita Kumari of Madrassa Faiyazul Uloom (Chhapra).

"All non-Muslim examinees were regular students of madrassas,'' board chairman Maulana Ejaz Ahmad told TOI on Wednesday. He said he spoke to parents of many such students who said education at madrassas was better and their wards were more disciplined. In fact, the second generation of a former legislator is getting madrassa education, he added.

This year Muslim girls both outnumbered and outshone boys in madrassa exam in Fauqania (equivalent to matric) and Wastania (equivalent to middle). "That more girls are joining madrassa and persuing education is an encouraging trend,'' Ahmad said. He said enrolment of Muslim girls in all districts, including Muslim-dominated Kishangunj district which has the lowest literacy among women, has increased.

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Cabinet puts off discussion on gay ruling

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday deferred a decision on the suggestion of a three-member ministerial group which went into the Delhi High
Court order decriminalising homosexuality among consenting adults.

The home minister (P Chidambaram) was not present so it was not discussed, information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said when asked whether the Cabinet discussed the ministerial teams report which is understood to have recommended not to contest the HC judgment.

Asked how the government proposed to go ahead in the matter which is coming up for hearing before the Supreme Court on Monday, Soni said, The law ministry will look into it. The Cabinet note is understood to have said that the three ministries home, health and law have agreed to the document circulated by the law ministry suggesting that the HC judgment should not be opposed in the Supreme Court. The matter would be left to the apex court to decide as it was hearing several petitions including those by religious groups.

Before finalising the note for the Cabinet, home minister Chidambaram, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and law minister M Veerappa Moily had held a series of meetings to arrive at a conclusion on the issue.

The SC had on August 17 sought a response from the government on petitions filed by a Christian body and a disciple of yoga guru Ramdev seeking a stay on the Delhi HC verdict on the ground that it will have a catastrophic effect on societys moral fabric.

Source:: TimesOfIndia

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