Chidambaram hopeful of 9 p.c. growth

Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram after presenting the Economic Survey 2007-08 in Parliament on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: With the country’s economic fundamentals strong and investment climate full of optimism, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday exuded confidence on achieving an average GDP growth of nine per cent during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-08 to 2011-12) while reining in inflation alongside.

As for the outlook for 2008-09, Mr. Chidambaram said: “Optimism, but with caution, is the watchword” while commenting on the policy prescriptions of the Economic Survey 2007-08 which projected a lower GDP growth of 8.7 per cent for the current fiscal and, in that light, viewed sustenance of a high growth as a daunting task.

Speaking to newspersons immediately after tabling the Survey in Parliament, Mr. Chidambaram pointed out that the country was required to respond to the evolving global economic situation so as to ensure that its growth was not affected and this, he said, could be achieved by capitalising on the opportunity arising from the “favourable” conditions.

“I am optimistic about growth and containment of inflation in the coming year [2008-09],” he said, while noting that his priority was to provide a conducive investment climate and manage the macro economy to facilitate non-inflationary growth.

Reading out from a prepared statement which was later released to the press, Mr. Chidambaram said: “Keeping inflation under control in an uncertain global environment will be one of the major challenges in 2008-09.” He noted that the current slowdown and possible recession in the global economy posed risks to growth.

On the rise in domestic savings and investment, the Finance Minister said: “We are confident of meeting the 11th Plan target of 9 per cent average growth.”

The high GDP growth, he said, had benefited the common man as well, as this was reflected by a near doubling of the annual growth rate of per capita consumption to 5.1 per cent in 2007-08 compared to 2.6 per cent for the previous 11 years. “If the rate of growth of per capita GDP continues at the five-year average of 7.2 per cent per year, the average income would now double in a decade instead of a generation or more, earlier,” he said.

Expressing concern over the slow pace of growth in the farm sector and bottlenecks in infrastructure development, he stressed the need for mobilising public and private resources for “inclusive” growth.

In a note of confidence, the Finance Minister said: “I am optimistic about growth and containment of inflation in the coming year. It will be my priority to continue to provide a conducive investment climate and manage the macro economy to facilitate non-inflationary growth. We have to ensure that the benefits of this growth percolate to the most marginal and vulnerable segments of society.”

Sustaining 9 p.c. growth will be tough: Survey

NEW DELHI: Holding out a warning that the current slowdown in the U.S. would have an effect on the Indian economy, the Economic Survey 2007-08 maintained that sustaining a high GDP growth of nine per cent while reining in inflation would be a tough challenge.

Tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday, the Government’s pre-Budget annual economic progress report said that in the current uncertain scenario, an increase in the overall growth to double digits would entail additional reforms and came out with a policy prescription.

Among the various measures suggested to sustain the high growth momentum, the Survey favoured partial sale of the identified profit-making non-navaratna public sector undertakings (PSUs), phasing out control on sugar, fertilizer and drugs, sale of old oilfields to the private sector, a higher share for foreign equity in retail trade and further opening up of the banking and insurance sectors to foreign direct investment (FDI).

With the economy projected to grow at 8.7 per cent during the current fiscal, the Survey pointed out that the lower growth represented a deceleration from the unexpectedly high growth of 9.4 and 9.6 per cent in the preceding two years.

“Maintaining growth rate at nine per cent will be a challenge and raising it to two digits will be an even greater one,” the Survey said.

Linking the huge accumulation of foreign capital inflows as the reason for the pressure building up on prices, the Survey said that inflationary impulses from global commodity prices must be tackled through use of fiscal and trade policy instruments. Inflation this fiscal is projected to return to the earlier level of 4.4 per cent, down from 5.4 per cent in 2006-07.

Deceleration in growth this fiscal appears to have spread across all sectors except electricity, community service and services such as trade, hotels, transport and communications. More significantly, the slowdown in the farm sector growth is attributed to the sluggish trend witnessed in rabi crops.

Also, other sectors like manufacturing and construction which grew at 12 per cent in 2006-07 dropped by 2.5 percentage points in the current year. “The slower growth of consumer durables was the most important factor in the slowdown of manufacturing,” the Survey said.

As for the external sector, the U.S. economy is expected to slow down in 2008 as a fall-out of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. In fact, most projections of global economies anticipate a moderate and not severe slowdown.

“This will impact all countries including India, depending on the importance of the slowdown in different countries and importance of the country in our exports,” the Survey concluded, while pointing out that a further fall in exports to the U.S. might be unavoidable but would be relatively modest.

On the flip side, the Survey viewed that one of the implications of the U.S. sub-prime crises would be increased capital inflows into India and other emerging markets. “Thus the situation of excess inflows is likely to remain, though the pressure on reserve accumulation and exchange rate appreciation is likely to ease. Any reduction in excess capital flows from the high levels in 2007 may affect the equity markets in the short-term, but will make the task of monetary management easier,” it said.

Holding Karnataka elections by due date is mandatory

Chennai: The Election Commission of India’s resolve to go all out to conduct Assembly elections in Karnataka in May 2008, within six months of the premature dissolution of the House notwithstanding delimitation, is based on two key factors – Rule 24 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and a strong and unambiguous 2002 Supreme Court decision. Any political attempt to have the Karnataka contest put off by several months, possibly to November when elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, on the argument that delimitation has made it impossible to prepare the electoral rolls by the due date, will come up against these two strong factors.

President’s Rule was promulgated in Karnataka on November 20, 2007 and the Assembly was dissolved on November 28. Interestingly, the Delimitation Commission’s order redefining parliamentary and Assembly constituencies was issued in July 2007 but was given effect to only on February 19, 2008 through a presidential order. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Jharkhand were exempted from the scope of the notification but Karnataka was not.

First, as a leader published in this newspaper on February 26 pointed out, the special provision of Rule 24 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 enables ’cut and paste’ from the existing rolls to the new situation, thus ensuring that the process of revision of the electoral rolls (with January 1, 2008 as the qualifying date) can be completed in time.

It turns out that such a course will not be anything new. In 1973-74, Rule 24 was used in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous State, and Orissa under comparable circumstances – and in a pre-computerised age, when all the hard work had to be manually done. The delimitation order for both States came in December 1973 and the Commission ensured, quite remarkably, that the electoral rolls for the newly delimited constituencies were ready in time for the electoral process to begin in January 1974. With the process going like clockwork, Assembly elections were held in both States in February and the results declared so that the target dates in March could be adhered to.

While the first factor is an enabling provision, the second is a mandate.

The 2002 ruling by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India came on an Article 143 reference by the President of India in the context of the premature dissolution of the Gujarat Assembly on the advice of the Chief Minister, and delay in holding fresh elections.

The key aspect of the Supreme Court decision applicable to the present situation in Karnataka is that, under Article 324, which makes the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral roll and conduct of elections to the Assembly "the exclusive domain" of the Election Commission, “it is the duty of the…Commission to hold free and fair elections at the earliest…no efforts should be spared by the…Commission to hold timely elections…and it would be the duty and responsibility of all concerned to render all assistance, cooperation and aid to the…Commission for holding free and fair elections.”

“Free and fair election,” the Supreme Court held emphatically in its 2002 ruling, “is the sine qua non of democracy…The Election Commissioner is a high constitutional authority charged with the duty of ensuring free and fair elections and the purity of electoral process. To effectuate the constitutional objective and purpose it is to draw upon all incidental and ancillary powers. Six months’ period applicable to elections held on expiry of the prescribed term would be imperatively applicable to elections held after pre-mature dissolution. This of course would be subject to such rare exceptional cases occasioned on account of facts situation (like acts of God) which make holding of elections impossible. But [a] man made situation intended to defer [the] holding of elections should be sternly dealt with and should not normally be a ground for deferring elections beyond six months period, starting point of which would be the date of dissolution…Any man-made attempt to obstruct free and fair election is [the] antithesis to democratic norms and should be overcome by garnering resources from the intended sources and by holding the elections within the six months’ period.”

What this means in simple English is that Karnataka’s administration under President’s Rule has no choice but to gear up and deliver.

Many dead in Sri Lanka bus attack

The bus bore the full force of the blast Enlarge Image

At least 13 people are believed to have died in a bomb attack on a civilian bus in northern Sri Lanka, the army says.

They say that the bomb went off near the town of Anuradhapura.

A large military parade was earlier held under tight security in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, to mark the 60th anniversary of independence.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the parade the military were inflicting "unprecedented" defeats in their campaign against the Tamil Tigers.

Security forces had been placed on high alert after a weekend of violence.

At least 11 people were killed in a suicide attack at Colombo's main railway station on Sunday.

And on Saturday, 18 people died in another bus blast in the central town of Dambulla.

Both were blamed by the government on the Tamil Tigers rebels, though the rebels have denied involvement.

Attack fears

News of Monday's attack near Anuradhapura - which officials say killed at least five soldiers - came just after President Rajapaksa addressed a military parade in Colombo 60 years after it gained independence.

Health officials say that at least 16 people injured in the blast are being treated at Anuradhapura hospital.

The authorities have blamed Tamil Tiger rebels for that attack and another bomb blast in the south of the country which killed a soldier and injured five others.

The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says that Monday's parade was a show of strength by Sri Lanka's armed forces - once again, officially at war with the Tamil Tigers.

Violence has escalated recenty in Sri Lanka (Pic: Athula Bandara)

"Our security forces are today achieving victories against terrorism unprecedented in history. Terrorism is receiving an unprecedented defeat," he said.

"In less than two years we have liberated the large Eastern Province that was under the clutches of the terrorists and confined them to two districts, only."

The president said that "the defeat of the most ruthless terrorists of the world in Sri Lanka is also a victory of the developed world".

"We are also fully committed to carry on this battle while safeguarding human rights. This is the reality," he said.

"In short, two years ago, no one believed that terrorists could be defeated. But, during the last two years we made it a reality in our motherland."

The Tigers have marked independence day by once again saying they will fight on for a separate state for the Tamil minority in the north and east.

"This is not a day of independence nor is it a day of celebration for our people," rebel spokesman B Nadesan said.

"The Sri Lankan government are still continuing its ethnic cleansing and mass killings among the Tamil people."

Sea fears

Ranks of soldiers, sailors and airmen were drawn up on grounds overlooking the Indian Ocean for Monday's parade.

Tanks and trucks carrying multi-barrelled rocket launchers rumbled past. Heavy guns fired a salute sending smoke drifting out over the blue water, our correspondent says.

Mr Rajapaksa said terrorism and poverty were holding Sri Lanka back

Much of the centre of Colombo was been sealed off by military checkpoints.

Thousands of police and troops were deployed on the streets and the navy stepped up coastal patrols to combat a possible sea-borne attack.

Last month, the government pulled out of the 2002 ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers, arguing the rebels had used it to re-group and re-arm.

Since then, fighting has intensified on the frontlines that surround Tiger-held territory in the north.

Sri Lanka's army commander Lt-Gen Sarath Fonseka has said he now aims to defeat the rebels by the end of the year.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in the north and east since 1983.

Suicide blast hits Pakistan bus

Several vehicles were damaged in the blast Enlarge Image

At least six people have died in a blast which hit a military bus in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi.

A military spokesman told the BBC that a suicide bomber riding a motorbike had rammed into the bus.

Over 20 people are reported to have been injured in the attack, which took place during the morning rush hour.

A series of suicide bomb attacks have hit Rawalpindi in the last year. In December opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed at a rally there.

Authorities have blamed Taleban militants based near the border with Afghanistan for the attacks.

'Gigantic blast'

Several vehicles were reported to have been badly damaged and the bus destroyed in Monday's blast, which went off near the army headquarters.

Officials said the military had cordoned off the area.

The blast took place early on Monday in a crowded market area.

One witness, Haji Shaukat Khan, told the AFP news agency that he heard a "gigantic explosion".

"There was a big ball of fire and smoke. Some pellets from the bomb hit the wall of my shop and I dived down, because I was injured in the arm in another blast that happened at this spot last year," he said.

Rawalpindi has seen several such attacks in the past six months, which have claimed dozens of lives.

Almost all have been blamed by the government on pro-Taleban militants operating out of Pakistan's tribal region of Waziristan.

Mirza boycotts Indian tournaments

Mirza is the most successful female Indian player ever

India's Sania Mirza says she will stop appearing in tennis competitions in her native country to avoid any further controversial incidents.

The 21-year-old has been at the centre of disputes involving her dress and disrespecting India's national flag.

"Every time I have played in India there has been some kind of problem," said world number 29 Mirza, who will miss next month's WTA Bangalore Open.

"At this moment, I have been advised by my manager not to play."

Mirza revealed she had come close to quitting the game after she was accused of disrespecting India's flag during the Hopman Cup in Australia last month.

She was pictured sitting with her feet resting on a table next to an Indian flag.

Although Mirza said the pose was accidental, a private citizen filed a complaint with a court in the central Indian city of Bhopal under the Prevention of Insult to the National Honour Act.

"I don't think it (withdrawing from the Bangalore Open) was an extreme reaction at all," Mirza told India's NDTV channel. "There is something or the other happening.

"It is not easy to be dealing with stuff like that. I felt great lows in the last few weeks."

Police in her hometown of Hyderabad [in southern India] have also registered a case against her for trespass for filming an advertisement in a mosque.

And Mirza has also angered sections of India's Muslims because of her "indecent" choice of dressing in shorts and sleeveless t-shirts on court.

12 killed in Colombo suicide attack

Government blames Tigers for Fort Railway Station explosion


The aftermath: Military personnel examining the site of the suicide attack at the Fort Railway Station in Colombo on Sunday.

COLOMBO: At least 12 civilians were killed and 100 injured as a suspected woman cadre of the LTTE blew herself up in the crowded Fort Railway Station here on Sunday afternoon.

The blast, coming on the eve of the 60th Independence Day, is the fourth in a series targeting civilians since the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the government and the Tigers ended on January 16.
Vigil stepped up

The security forces have stepped up deployment and vigil in the national capital in the wake of the explosion and a sense of anxiety and fear has gripped the citizens. The government has blamed the Tigers for the blast and said these were acts of desperation to divert attention from the setbacks they received on the battlefield in recent days. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has not responded to the allegation.

The police said the explosion was carried out by a female suicide-bomber who got down from a train in the station minutes before 2 p.m. The impact of the blast was so powerful that the main platform of the station was strewn with limbs of those killed.

According to the authorities in the Colombo National Hospital, where most of the injured are being treated, 10 persons are in critical condition.

Quoting ‘defence observers’, the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry said the recent attacks by the LTTE in the south bore “clear indications of the outfit’s desperation over the ignominious defeats” that it was encountering on the northern battlefronts. It also highlighted the need for national solidarity to bring an end to “this brutal terrorism,” a statement said.

In a report on the blast, the pro-LTTE TamilNet said: “The blast comes a day before Sri Lanka’s 60th Independence Day celebrations amid speculation of Colombo embarking on a full-fledged war on Vanni, stepping up aerial bombardment and artillery barrage.”

Earlier in the day, at least seven civilians were injured in a low intensity grenade explosion inside the Dehiwala Zoo on the outskirts of Colombo.

Seven persons, including two children, received minor injuries and were rushed to the general hospital at Kalubowila when a hand-grenade exploded inside the zoo at 10.35 a.m.

In the north, the security forces claimed to have killed scores of Tiger cadres.

Xinhua, PTI report:

An exhibition organised by the government to mark the independence anniversary has been postponed for three days .

However, other celebrations, including the parade, would go on.

6 killed in hotel building collapse

Manas Dasgupta

Rescue operations in progress in Ahmedabad; death toll could go up

— Photo: AP

To the rescue: Fire brigade personnel rescue a victim from the rubble of a collapsed building in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

AHMEDABAD: Six persons were killed and 14 injured, seven of them seriously, when a hotel building at Kalupur, just opposite the Ahmedabad’s main railway station, collapsed on Sunday morning.

Rescue operations are on and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation authorities apprehend that the death toll could go up.

While the hotel owner is reportedly absconding, knowledgeable sources said a couple of hotel staff on duty on Saturday night were missing and could possibly be under the debris.

Sniffer dogs have been pressed into service. The authorities fear that the chances of rescuing those trapped are remote.

The basement plus three-storey building, in which Hotel Shakun held three floors and the basement housed a Bank of India branch, was constructed in 1985.

Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner I.P. Gautam said faulty excavation in the adjacent plot caused serious damage to the foundation of the building. He said the hotel owner and the bank were cautioned about the state of the building just three days ago and asked to vacate it immediately. While the bank was in the process of shifting, the hotel owner reopened it only on Saturday night.

The government has declared Rs.1 lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased.

At the time of the collapse, there were about 22 people in the building, including the hotel staff.

A police complaint has been lodged against the hotel owner and the owner of the adjacent plot for negligence.

About 200 Ahmedabad fire brigade personnel and State disaster management officials launched rescue and relief operations with help from about 125 volunteers of the non-government organisations.

While two bodies were recovered on the spot, the injured were shifted to the nearby government civil and Shardaben hospitals, where the condition of the seven injured was stated to be critical.

At least two of the victims were believed to have from Jhalore and Udaipur in Rajasthan and one from Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

Speaker Ashok Bhatt, Minister of State for Home Amit Shah and Minister of State for Women’s Welfare Maya Kodnani supervised rescue operations. Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas visited the injured at the civil and Shardaben hospitals.

Nuclear deal: India may face “isolation”

Pranab Mukherjee

KOLKATA: India might have to face isolation in the global community “and possibly isolation in sanctions too” if the country did not see the civilian nuclear deal with the United States through, Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister, said here on Sunday.

“After finalising the agreed draft text we will come back to the Left leaders and the United Progressive Alliance-Left Committee, discuss and then proceed,” as per the “political arrangements made with our Left supporters,” he added, referring to the India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), crucial to operationalising the nuclear deal.

A PTI report quoted Mr. Mukherjee as saying that India and the IAEA were yet to find a common ground on the issue and discussions were still on.

Mr. Mukherjee was addressing the annual general meeting of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here.

NSG exemption

On the process of granting exemption to India by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Mr. Mukherjee said: “after the clearances there will come amendments to the NSG guidelines to facilitate nuclear trade that will open us up; then we can go to various countries including the United States, Russia and France.”

Mr. Mukherjee said the arguments being made against the deal were reminiscent of those made against computers and automation in the 1970s and the 1980s.

“All problems on the energy front will be resolved” through talks with those opposed to the deal, he said.

Energy needs

“We cannot depend upon coal reserves alone for our energy security. In view of environmental concerns, we must think of future generations,” he said, adding that the country’s energy needs would increase if it were to race ahead to realise the projected growth.

Once problems on the energy front were resolved there would not be any problem in achieving the projected sustainable growth rate of 10 to 11 per cent, given the fundamental strengths of the domestic economy.

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Harbhajan is free to play for the rest of India's tour

The Indian cricket board has told its players to behave themselves following the row involving Harbhajan Singh.

On Tuesday, Harbhajan had a charge of racially abusing Australia's Andrew Symonds downgraded to abusive language by the International Cricket Council.

"We have told the players not to get into altercations," said Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah.

India play Australia in a Twenty20 match on Friday ahead of a one-day series, which also includes Sri Lanka.

Spinner Harbhajan had been found guilty of calling Symonds, Australia's only mixed-race player, a "monkey" during the second Test in Sydney this month.

However, Tuesday's appeal hearing ruled there was not enough evidence to convict Harbhajan of racial abuse, but instead charged him with using abusive language.

Harbhajan pleaded guilty and consequently escaped a three-match suspension but he was fined half his match fee.

New Zealand judge Justice John Hansen, who considered the appeal, indicated that even if Harbhajan's accusers had proved he had made the racist remark, a ban would not have been upheld.

Hansen felt Symonds' sledging of Harbhajan had effectively removed his right to be offended.

Shah now expects the matter to be finished and is confident the controversy will not affect future India-Australia cricketing ties.

"I don't think this will have any repercussions for the future," he said.

"So many such incidents have happened in the past, there have been heated exchanges in the middle and teams have gone on from there."

PM Singh announces $2bn projects

Mr Singh's visit to the state is the first prime ministerial visit to the region in a decade

India PM Manmohan Singh has announced development projects worth over $2bn for the remote north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh during a rare visit.

It is the first prime ministerial visit to the mountainous state in more than 10 years.

It is a particularly sensitive trip because neighbouring China, which borders the state, refuses to recognise India's sovereignty there.

Mr Singh was in Beijing recently as a guest of the Chinese leaders.

Ties between the countries have warmed.

Mr Singh announced a slew of projects for Arunachal Pradesh including a four-lane highway, India's biggest hydroelectricity project, railroad links and water supply projects, among other things.

He also said a new airport would be built in the state capital, Itanagar.

"Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost state of the country and the sun kisses the country here first. That is why for the country it is the land of the rising sun," Mr Singh said.

Correspondents say the timing of Mr Singh's visit to the remote Indian state probably isn't a coincidence.

Concern

Indian officials have been concerned by recent Chinese statements about the border dispute, which has festered for more than four decades since the two countries fought a brief war in 1962.

Now Mr Singh is signalling the Indian intention to speed up the development of Arunachal Pradesh.

Economic relations between India and China are booming, but other issues are holding back the strengthening of relations between the two rising powers of Asia.

Negotiations have been proceeding quietly for some years now on how to resolve disagreements all along their shared border.

But there are not that many signs of real progress.

Compensation for escalator death

The incident highlighted the shabby infrastructure of Indian airports

India's Supreme Court has asked the country's airport authorities to compensate the family of a girl who was crushed to death in a faulty escalator.

Seven-year-old Jyotsna Jethani was killed when an escalator in Delhi international airport ripped open in December 1999.

Her parents will receive more than 1.5m rupees ($40,000), after judges upheld a lower court verdict.

The incident has highlighted the poor state of repair of India's airports.

"I am satisfied that justice has been done, although delayed," the girl's grandfather Parmanand Jethani told Hindustan Times newspaper.

Jyotsna Jethani was killed when an escalator in the arrival lounge ripped open after a passenger's bag got stuck in it.

Eyewitnesses said panic-stricken passengers jostled each other in a minor stampede.

In the confusion, Jyotsna fell into a gaping hole at the base of the moving stairs.

The Jethanis had arrived in Delhi from Dubai.

The girl's parents have already rejected one offer of compensation.

Delhi seeks new check on bird flu

Poultry farmers have been badly affected

The federal authorities in India's capital, Delhi, have asked a neighbouring state to submit samples of a dead chicken for bird flu tests.

The move follows reports that hundreds of chicken in Haryana state have died over the last few days.

The Haryana government had said the birds were dying because of intense cold and intestinal infections.

The eastern West Bengal state is already hit by a bird flu epidemic and culling of poultry birds is underway.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu is regarded as highly pathogenic and can also cause disease and death in humans.

The news of chicken deaths in Haryana has raised concerns in Delhi as the state is the biggest supplier of chicken to the national capital.

Despite fears that bird flu could get out of control in West Bengal, no cases of human infection have yet been reported.

India MP held over rival's death

Mr Ahmad was expelled by his party

Police in the Indian capital, Delhi, say they have arrested a member of the Uttar Pradesh state assembly who is charged with murder.

Atiq Ahmad, formerly with the Samajwadi Party, was expelled by his party after he was charged with killing a rival politician, Raju Pal.

Police had been looking for Mr Ahmad for the past six months.

Mr Ahmad has denied the charges. He is expected to be handed over to Uttar Pradesh police soon.

Mr Pal belonged to the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Twenty20 international, Melbourne: Australia v India

Match scorecard

India beat Australia in the World Twenty20 semi-final in September

Mahendra Dhoni is looking for a new start to India's tour of Australia as he takes over as captain for the limited-overs matches.

With Anil Kumble at the helm, India lost a Test series littered with on-field arguments 2-1.

India and Australia play a Twenty20 international in Melbourne on Friday before the 50-over series.

"We don't really care about whatever has happened so far. It's a fresh start," said wicket-keeper Dhoni.

"There's always chit-chat going on between the players.

"If nothing controversial is said, I think both the teams will be happy with it."

India won the toss and elected to bat first against a team resting Ricky Ponting. Michael Clarke was named captain.

Google Disappoin Indian Market.

Google profits disappoint market

Google shares fell sharply in after hours trading

There were signs of a slowdown at Google after it reported disappointing profits in its most recent quarter.

Google's profits were up 17% to $1.21bn (£608m) for the three months to the end of December.

Some analysts had been hoping for stronger profit growth and its shares fell sharply in after hours trading.

Google's shares have fallen more than 18% so far this year on concerns that the slowing US economy will cause advertisers to cut back on spending.

"Disappointing"

Investors have become used to Google reporting extremely strong profit growth.

Analysts say the latest quarter shows that even Google is not immune to an economic slowdown in the US.

"I think its essentially an in-line quarter for Google which, given the history of beating expectations is disappointing Wall Street.

"There was a slight softness in revenue which perhaps portends softness going forward due to the US economy," said Clayton Moran, senior vice president of the Stanford Group.

Google's sales for the quarter were $3.39bn, up 52% but not as much as analysts were hoping.

Homemaker Eva

Eva Longoria is a domestic goddess and loves coming up with culinary treats for her basketball player hubby Tony Parker. Eva says the writer’s strike has left her with plenty of time on her hands - so she has turned to cooking to amuse herself. “I just like to eat and be at home, I’m really ‘homey’, and it’s funny how domestic we are,” she says. “Because Desperate Housewives works ten months out of the year, and then I usually do a movie in the hiatus, I’m always working all year round, so for this strike to come around, it was kind of nice for someone to go, ‘You have to stop working.’ For TV people it was like, ‘Oh, okay, we get a break.’ But now I feel like I really need to get back to work!

Jack’s getting shy

Jack Nicholson’s way with the ladies is not what it was because he’s getting shy in his old age. The 70-year-old movie legend insists he hasn’t slowed up in his pursuit of the opposite sex, he just struggles to hold it together when he catches them. “I never thought I would be uncomfortable to make a pass at a woman in public but aging has had an effect,” says Nicholson. “It doesn’t feel right. I feel exposed in a way I never did before. That’s a fear I still have to overcome.”

Dogg cleans up his act

Snoop Dogg has gone against his gangster rap image by revealing how he loves playing housewife. The controversial star says he’s happiest doing household chores and he particularly enjoys vacuuming. Snoop says he likes to make sure his house is spick and span before he goes out. “I like to clean up,” he says. “That’s how my mother raised me, she was strict on that. You couldn’t go out until you’d cleaned up.”

‘Buffy will stay with me’

Sarah Michelle Gellar still cannot get away from her "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" past - even if she goes to the ends of the earth. The sexy blonde starlet says she still gets called Buffy instead of Sarah when she walks down the street. “I was i n Bali, and no kidding, my cab driver called me Buffy as we were driving through a rice field. I think nearly everyone on the planet must know Buffy.”

One-Minute-Review

Mad Money Genre Comedy Director Callie Khouri Cast Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes Storyline Three women get addicted to regularly robbing their bank of money about to be destroyed. Ups The casting (Keaton’s charming, Katie’s cute and the Queen’s really fine), the writing (with gems scattered through the screenplay Sample: Do you know what it is when you trade sex for money? Advertising? Marriage?) and the sheer hilarity of the plot. Quite a few laughs all through. Don’t be surprised to see this remade in Hindi. Downs Very few actually. It’s a little implausible and way too conveniently resolved but then it’s hard not to like this housewife-heist executed in a way that would make Danny Ocean and Co blush and Spike Lee wonder if the Inside Man was way too complex a modus operandi. Bottomline By all means, go mad, put your money on it

The politics of killing

out-of-the-ordinary From The Kingdom Whoa! Here’s an action thriller set in the modern day context of the U.S. and the Islamic World that does not simplify the plot into a good-versus-evil tale. The Kingdom could’ve easily ended up becoming one of those ji ngoistic Black Hawk Downs where a handful of Americans shoot the hell out of hundreds of terrorists by going Rambo in their neighbourhood, and emerge as war heroes. The kind of films where we’re supposed to feel sorry for the injured Americans instead of the large number of dead rebels.

For a large part of the film, The Kingdom seems like one of these movies. Until the last scene, that is. The final scene juxtaposition puts the politics of hate and revenge in perspective and absolves The Kingdom of the guilt of hero-worshipping Americans to a great degree.

As the opening credits roll out, Peter Berg quickly illustrates the equations between America, Saudi Arabia and the relationship as defined by oil more than religion. That done, it’s time to show an American facility bombed by meticulous planning.

Special agents know they need to get to the spot to investigate the attack and the team of four led by Fleury (Foxx) flies down to the kingdom to get cracking within the five days extracted out of diplomatic arm-twisting.

Yes, apparently the Americans are cleverer and are better equipped to handle investigations than the Saudi police. And the three men-one woman army is enough for an entire hub of terrorists. Such Hollywood clichés later, all hell breaks loose.

What’s commendable though is the streak of humour running through the narrative especially in the bond between Foxx and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom). Genuinely funny and heart-warming.

Berg builds up the tension quite nicely and saves up all the explosive blowing-up-the-bad-guys-in-their-own-backyard action for the very end.

A truly out-of-the-ordinary action flick.

The Kingdom Genre Thriller Director Peter Berg Cast Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper Storyline A team of special agents head to Saudi Arabia to investigate the bombing of an American facility Bottomline Explosive. Dynamite action

Rambo goes home

angst and frustration From Rambo First things first. John Rambo aint John McLane (the guy used to Die Hard at the wrong time at the wrong place). And he sure aint Rocky Balboa (the underdog who has to train hard for the fight). John Rambo is a mentally-disturbed, scarred-for-life, g eared-for-death Vietnam War veteran who has made his peace with what he really is: the best war combat killing machine the world has ever seen, ready to “Live for nothin. Die for somethin.”

A lion, no matter how old, will not eat grass, right? Rambo is a beast; he has never exhibited traits of being human or humane to those who intimidate him. To expect him to suddenly develop a vulnerability to the changing world in the face of technology and competition like John McLane or Rocky Balboa would be to shake the very foundation of this no-holds-barred shoot-em-up, blow-em-to-bits franchise.

It is not only unimaginable but also would’ve been extremely tragic to see Rambo worry about calcium deposits in his joints, fight loneliness by talking to a mangy old dog called Punchy, complain about technology, cry over the pangs of parenting and fade into a shadow of the man he used to be. Besides, that’s already been done by Balboa and John McLane. Thankfully, director-writer Stallone hasn’t done any of that here.

Rambo and vulnerable? You’ve got to be kidding me.

The world really hasn’t changed in the savage jungles on the Thailand-Burma border. There was killing and injustice then. So there is now.

If Rocky was always about getting up no matter how many times you’ve been knocked down, Rambo has always been about blowing their brains out before they get a chance to think. He’s not an optimist. He is a man who lacks faith or reason to live. He’s seen the system fail, he’s had governments lie to him, he’s had his share of betrayals and things dear to him snatched away (right from the first scene of the Rambo franchise). He’s a drifter who’s never been able to go home and sleep after the trauma war and killing have caused him.

The only reason he knows to live is to kill for what he believes in. Not for the country, but for himself. The Rambo franchise is the manifestation of this angst of cynicism and release of rage. It’s not about fighting for right; it’s about giving the devil his due.

The philosophy of Rambo movies really is about getting all the frustration out and blowing it up to smithereens by pumping heavy-duty doses of ammunition into all that’s threatening to take away things that matter in life: Freedom (Part One), Love (Part Two), Friends (Part Three) and now Faith.

When a group of Christian missionaries who are about to instil the faith again in the killing machine is taken hostage, it’s back to the mercenary in him to set things right again because genocide-causing-evil fears no God.

There’s a lyrical quality to this release of angst, even if graphic. Bad guys are blown into pieces of flesh and splatter all around the screen like fruit pulp in a mixer. Violent, no doubt, but trust Sly Stallone to give it an emotional core; a lost soul searching for peace, only to be constantly reminded about the brutality of the world and the truth about who he really is.

Yes, people who aren’t used to Rambo might find the lines extremely corny but seriously, they are not half as corny as the long exchanges between Rambo and Trautman or Trautman and the power-hungry officers in the first three.

This is nirvana for hardcore Rambo fans. The rest enter at the risk of having their brains blown away.

Rambo Genre Action Director Sylvester Stallone Cast Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden Storyline Rambo leads a bunch of mercenaries to rescue missionaries taken captive by the Burmese Army Bottomline Bloody good as ever!

Why I like... Nayakan

Actor Narain

It was for purely personal reasons that I first watched it in the Eighties. I am an ardent Kamal fan and this is the film that aroused in me the desire to be an actor. Later on, after watching it many times, I realised how well made it was. Recently, it was screened on TV and I felt that I could still watch it. The team was great — one of my favourite directors Mani Ratnam, one of the best cinematographers P.C. Sreeram and excellent music by Raja Sir. From an actor’s point of view, it’s a role any actor would love to perform. The character comes a full circle, the rise and fall. How an ordinary man comes out of extraordinary circumstances. Notice the beautiful nuances such as the use of the temple bell as the background score when Kamal gets married to Saranya. It’s one of Mani Ratnam’s best works till date. Even Godfather took three parts to do justice to the whole saga. Here, the character goes through all the ups and downs in one film. Given a chance I would love to do a Nayakan. If I can mention Malayalam, I would list John Abraham’s Amma Ariyaan. It’s one of my favourite films. AS TOLD TO SUDHISH KAMATH

I’m more the ordinary man you come across in life

Cheran doesn’t mince words. Ask the actor-director about the National Award his Thavamai Thavamirundhu bagged for the Best Family Film, or the Best Regional Film honour Malayalam maker T.V. Chandran’s Tamil attempt Aadum Koothu (in which he played hero opposite Navya Nair) received, he is piqued. “Nobody here even acknowledged the achievements. It was Amitabh Bachchan’s pictures that were flashed everywhere. When Sreesanth captures three wickets in an innings, entire Kerala is in raptures. Photos of the cricketer are splashed in newspapers and magazines there! They take pride in their newsmakers. But Aadum Koothu wasn’t even considered for recognition at the State level.” (Aadum…, which is still to see the light of day, is Cheran’s fourth film as an actor.) Cheran looks completely at home in the Chettinad household in his recent release, Pirivom Sandhipom. “Naturally,” he laughs. “I belong to Melur, which is near Karaikudi. So I’m familiar with the lifestyle of the folks there.” The positive public response to the family drama isn’t a total surprise to him. “The narration appealed to me. Director Karu Pazhaniappan was confident that the story would sell, and so was I. We felt it would touch men and women above 30. When films are being made mainly for youth, why not a family-oriented subject for the next age group?” The team’s confidence is reaping dividends.

Though the adept technician is steadily turning into a hero who can deliver, he doesn’t believe in rigorous workouts or a robust physique. It is yoga which he practises. “I understand what suits me best. Flexing muscles isn’t my line. I’m more the ordinary man you come across in life. When a person is investing money in me, it’s only fair that I stick to characters that are a safe bet. Of course, within the parameters I try to lend variety. My next film, Raman Thediya Seethai will be in the same league.”

Then why did he try to be different and burn his fingers in Maya Kannaadi? “Mark my words, 10 years from now, the film will be well received. Yes, commercially it was a disappointment. People couldn’t accept me as a hairstylist. We’d worked hard … When it bombed I was shocked. Till then I hadn’t realised I have an image, and even after the first week of release I was sure it would pick up. The sad part is the media too didn’t understand the film properly. Maya … was a costly eye-opener.”

Cheran’s endeavours as a filmmaker, such as Bharati Kannamma, Vetri Kodi Kattu and Autograph, which he had written, produced, directed and acted, are proofs of his potential. Yet these days he seems satisfied with playing hero. “Financial and family commitments stalled matters on the production and creative fronts. But things are back on track and I’m already working on my next script.”

“Meena has acted in three films under my direction. Her talent amazes me. She lives the roles and brings in admirable nuances to her portrayal. Next it’s Navya Nair. The genuineness of her emotions in Maya … left me dumbstruck! Sneha, of course, was the Divya I had visualised for Autograph. She lived the role, and now, with more experience, she has scored again in Pirivom … The entire story revolves around her and she has done justice. Again Rajkiran is a fine actor. Sad that he’s so under-utilised …”

Cheran’s association with filmmaker-actor Thankar Pachan is intriguing. One moment you hear about their verbal attack against each other and the next moment you see them working together! In fact, it was in Pachan’s Solla Marandha Kadhai that Cheran first played hero. “Thankar is like a child, always impulsive. True, I don’t like certain things about him and vice versa. But he’s also a friend,” he laughs, as you gape at the response, because it’s just a few months since the two almost went to war in print! “But that’s how I really feel,” he smiles.

What answer to our woes?

Allow us to live: Family members, including children, of Punjab farmers who committed suicide, protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Thursday against the “anti-farmer” policies of the Central and Punjab governments. The farmers ended their lives owing to mounting debts and harassment from moneylenders.

Cristiano Ronaldo strikes twice

MAN U’s HERO: Cristiano Ronaldo scored both his team’s goals against Portsmouth.

LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo scored both goals and Manchester United beat Portsmouth 2-0 to return to the top of the English Premier League on Wednesday. Ronaldo scored in the 10th and 13th minutes to take his season tally to 27, and lift the defending champion ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.

Third-place Chelsea stretched its record unbeaten streak at home in the league to 75 games with a 1-0 win over Reading, Tottenham drew 0-0 at fourth-place Everton, Manchester City drew 1-1 at bottom club Derby, and Liverpool lost 1-0 at West Ham.

United and Arsenal, which beat Newcastle 3-0 on Tuesday, are tied on 57 points, four more than Chelsea and 14 more than Everton.

Manchester City joined fifth-place Aston Villa on 41 points, and record 18-time English champion Liverpool fell back to sixth, 17 points off the pace.

“Always to lose is a bad thing for us, but especially this type of game,” Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. “We started really well and also the second half we were creating clear chances.

Dominating show

Ronaldo opened the scoring at Old Trafford from a pass by fellow Portugal winger Nani, then curled in a free kick past goalkeeper David James, who was making his 500th career appearance in the Premier League.

United dominated the match, with defender Rio Ferdinand regularly breaking forward in an attempt to bolster the attack, and Nani almost scoring late with a long-range shot. Chelsea stayed in strong contention for the title after Germany midfielder Michael Ballack scored at Stamford Bridge when he headed in a cross from Paulo Ferreira in the 33rd.

Chelsea equalled its club record of nine straight wins in all competitions.

The previous record was set under Jose Mourinho two years ago when Chelsea was on its way to a second straight Premier League title.

Liverpool seemed set for a fifth straight league draw until Jamie Carragher fouled West Ham midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg in the area, giving away a 90th-minute penalty.

Midfielder Mark Noble hit the ball in to make the result even more damaging to Liverpool’s season and Benitez’s hopes of being in charge for the next.

“Today we deserved to win but you cannot change the result,” Benitez said.

Everton moved just three points clear of local rival Liverpool when it was held to a scoreless draw by Tottenham, which had not drawn 0-0 in its last 64 matches.

Spurs’ defence was marshalled by England international Jonathan Woodgate on debut, while Andrew Johnson missed the home side’s best chance with a shot that Tottenham goalkeeper Radek Cerny saved.

The results:

Chelsea 1 (Ballack 32) bt Reading 0; Derby 1 (Jihai 47-og) drew with Manchester City 1 (Sturridge 63); Everton 0 drew with Tottenham 0; Manchester United 2 (Ronaldo 10, 13) bt Portsmouth 0; West Ham 1 (Noble 90-pen) bt Liverpool 0.

Harbhajan issue continues to make news

CAPTAINSPEAK: Mahendra Singh Dhoni says it is time to forget the past and make a fresh beginning.

Melbourne: The Harbhajan case might be closed but the issue continues to make news. Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland said on Thursday that he was disappointed with ICC’s failure to inform Appeals Commissioner John Hansen with certain earlier breaches of the Code of Conduct by Harbhajan.

The ICC admitted its mistake. “It’s very unfortunate that a human error led to Justice Hansen not having the full history of Harbhajan’s previous Code of Conduct breaches and the ICC accepts responsibility for the mistake,” ICC CEO Malcolm Speed said.

The one Harbhajan offence, which Justice Hansen said could have altered his eventual verdict, pertained to the controversial second Test at Port Elizabeth in 2001. It was a match where Sachin Tendulkar was pulled up by Match Referee Mike Denness for “acting on the cricket ball.” And five other Indian cricketers, including Harbhajan, were strongly disciplined by Denness.

Topic of debate

Harbhajan was fined 75 per cent of his match fee and handed a suspended one Test ban for excessive appealing. The punishments were considered too harsh and there was a furore in India. India’s tour of South Africa came under a threat and the third match was played as an unofficial ‘Test.’ Denness’ verdicts are still a topic of debate in India.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Ricky Ponting focussed on ICC’s act of omission. “The judge made it pretty clear that he was disappointed at the severity or the non-severity of his findings because he was not handed some pretty vital and important information. There is no doubt that there would be a few players in the Australian dressing room who would be disappointed....We all gave our evidence,” said.

The Australian captain expected Cricket Australia to take up the matter seriously with the ICC to ensure against such omissions occurring again. He added it was a learning experience for everyone in such situations.

On Andrew Symonds, Ponting said, “He is a very honest man. This was the second time he had to go through this sort of stuff after the tour of India. He should be able to put the incident behind him and play his best cricket again.” The Australian captain said any attempt to cast doubts over Symonds’ character would be wrong.

He, however, saw the closure of the case as “a great opportunity to move on and enjoy our cricket during the rest of the summer. We have to let this stuff go.”

Emotionally draining

Ponting confessed the weeks after the Sydney incident had been hard and emotionally draining. He maintained that apart from the incident in the second Test, the relationship between the sides had been generally good.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said it was time to forget the past and make a fresh beginning in the limited overs contests.

He maintained though that cricket could not be played in silence. “There will always be some chit-chat between the players. As long as it is not controversial, it should be all right,” the skipper said.

Like the Indians, the Australians too would have plenty to reflect upon on what transpired in Sydney. Sutherland said he would talk to Symonds and the players as a group about “some of the circumstances and some of the things that are reported in the judgment.”

19 paid parking lots for four-wheelers

IN SESSION: A view of the Chennai Corporation Council meeting at the Ripon Building on Monday.

CHENNAI: Nineteen new paid parking lots for four-wheelers were approved by the Corporation Council on Thursday. They would be operated by the Tamil Nadu Ex-Servicemen Association.

The association had sent a list of 26 proposed locations. After zonal officials pointed out that seven of them could contribute to traffic congestion, the list was whittled down to 19.

The area near the Marina swimming pool alone allows parking of buses and vans as well.

MUC Ground, the stretch between Rattan Bazaar and the MMC Hostel Gate, and parts of Wallajah Road, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Greams Lane and Wallace Garden 2nd street are earmarked for parking. In Anna Nagar, stretches adjacent to Santhosh Super Market, Hotel Saravana Bhavan, Anna Plaza, and between Sugsagar Restaurant and Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank are the places that have been chosen.

Stretches near Citi Bank on Anna Salai, between the Whites Road-Anna Salai junction and the TVK Salai junction, under the overbridge on Peter’s Road near Hotel Saravana Bhavan, near the Indian Oil Petrol Bunk on Venkatanarayana Road and MS Salai in T. Nagar, near 11th Cross Street and Hotel Planet on the beach in Besant Nagar and a part of the Pattinapakkam South Canal Bank Road are the other proposed locations.

Chennai Corporation bans spitting in public places

Chennai, (PTI): In a move to keep the metropolis clean, the city Corporation on Thursday announced a ban on spitting, urinating and dumping garbages in public places.

The decision, taken at the council meeting, would come into effect from April 1.

A fine of Rs 50 each would be imposed on those who spit or urinate on roads, pavements, parks, play grounds, water sources, bridges, commercial establishments and government premises, according to a council resolution.

While those who burn garbages in public places had to cough up Rs 500, a fine of Rs 1000 wold be imposed on those who keep their surroundings untidy, the resolution said.

The corporation had also banned washing clothes and dishes, cleaning vehicles and taking bath in public places. Those who fail to segregate medical wastes as per prescribed forms would also be fined, it said.

I don’t like being told what to do: Shah Rukh

Shahrukh Khan

New Delhi: Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has taken another dig at Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss for the latter’s quit-smoking-on-screen appeal to him, saying he does not like anyone telling him what to do and what not to.

“I do not endorse smoking and I do not like anyone telling me what to do and what not to do,” Mr. Khan said in an interview to NDTV.

“You cannot tell me how to earn a packet, you cannot tell me what to eat and what to wear, what not to say to my wife, these are personal things. So, I guard that very jealously,” he said.

Earlier, Mr. Anbumani had said Mr. Khan should not have smoked in the stands while watching a cricket match in Mumbai and that he and Amitabh Bachchan can learn a thing or two from superstar Rajinikant regarding smoking onscreen

But Mr. Khan had this piece of advice for everyone. “I tell children all the time, please do not smoke because it is the worst. If I do not smoke, I would be a big movie star for many, many years to come or maybe I won’t be because I smoke that is such a bad thing to do. Do not do it,” he pleaded.

Mr. Khan (42) has earned the ire of anti-smoking groups on different occasions for lighting up in public in violation of a 2004 ban.

Entering politics

On rumours of his entry into politics, Mr. Khan said despite having a good relationship with the young scions of the Gandhi family, there is no question of joining politics. “Half of the people think that I am very close to the Congress and am going to join politics. I am very close to Priyanka, Robert and Rahul. I tell everyone, I say this whenever I meet them. Why don’t you ask them, are you going to join films,” the actor said in the interview to be telecast on Saturday. — PTI