Kanchi Sankaracharya, 22 others acquitted in 2004 temple murder case

The Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi and 22 others accused of murder in Tamil Nadu have been acquitted of all charges against them in the 2004 murder of a Kanchi temple employee.

The trial was shifted from a Chengalpet court in Tamil Nadu to Puducherry by the Supreme Court in 2005 based on a plea by Jayendra Saraswathi, who alleged that the atmosphere in Tamil Nadu was not conducive for a free and fair trial.

A Sankararaman, manager of the Varadarajaperumal temple at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu, was allegedly murdered on September 3, 2004, in the temple premises.

Another manager of Kanchi Mutt, Sundaresan, and Jayendra Saraswathi's brother Raghu were charged as co-conspirators.

During the trial, 189 witnesses were examined between 2009 and 2012, of which 83 turned hostile.

More: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/kanchi-shankaracharya-acquitted-in-2004-temple-murder-case-451433

After 9 years, verdict in Sankararaman case today

More than nine years after the manager of the Varadharajaswamy temple in Kancheepuram was murdered, a Puducherry court will deliver on Wednesday the judgment in the sensational case, in which Kanchi seers Jayendra Saraswathi, 78, and Vijayendra Saraswathi, 44, are the prime accused.

Police have proposed elaborate security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident after principal district and sessions judge C S Murugan pronounces the verdict.

The murder case that grabbed nationwide attention took several twists and turns, including prosecution witnesses turning hostile during the course of examination and reexamination.

A Sankarararaman, manager of the Sri Varadharajaswamy temple, who levelled charges of financial mismanagement against the Kanchi seers, was found murdered on September 3, 2004. He was believed to have been murdered by an armed gang.The Kanchi seers are charged with criminal conspiracy, misleading the court by giving false information, criminal trespass and supply of funds to carry out the criminal activity.

The Tamil Nadu police arrested the senior seer on November 11, 2004, from Mehboobnagar in Andhra Pradesh. The junior seer was arrested on January 10, 2005. The arrests evoked widespread uproar from pro-Hindu parties and outfits.

The murder and arrests happened during the previous tenure of J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK.Police arrested 22 others, including junior seer's brother and the mutt manager. However, the senior seer was granted bail on January 10, 2005.

The junior seer got bail on February 10 the same year. One of the accused, M Kathiravan, was murdered in March this year.The Supreme Court in October, 2005, transferred the case from a Chengalpet court to the Puducherry court following a special leave petition, which claimed that the atmosphere in the state was not conducive for a fair and free trial. The apex court also ordered appointment of a special prosecutor from Puducherry to conduct the trial to replace prosecutors from Tamil Nadu.The Puducherry principal district and sessions court began the trail in November, 2005.

Four judges - M Chinapandi, D Krishnaraja, T Ramasamy and C S Murugan - heard the trial that had lasted for eight years.The Madras high court stayed the trial from August, 2011, to February, 2012, following a petition alleging that the key accused had attempted to influence the judgment. The court directed a district judge to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. The judge submitted the inquiry report to the registrar general (vigilance), who in turn submitted the report to the administrative committee comprising of seven judges. The court lifted the stay on the trial in the Puducherry court based on the inquiry findings and later transferred the then principal district sessions judge, T Ramasamy, who was trying the case, to Perambalur and posted Murugan in his place.

As many as 187 witnesses were examined and re-examined by the prosecution and defence counsels. Eighty-two witnesses and a lone approver, Ravi Subramanian, turned hostile.

More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/After-9-years-verdict-in-Sankararaman-case-today/articleshow/26438222.cms

First dedicated TB drug store in Mumbai opens at Sewri hospital

Rs10lakh facility will cut delay in getting medicines for patients

Mayor Sunil Prabhu is shown around the new facility on Tuesday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has opened the first dedicated store for tuberculosis (TB) drugs in the city.

The medicine shop has been set up at a cost of about Rs10 lakh at the tuberculosis hospital in Sewri.

The facility will ease the availability of critical TB drugs, which were hitherto sourced from Pune and Nagpur. The step is part of the central government’s Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) through which patients get treatment free of cost.

“The Centre purchases TB drugs in bulk from pharma companies. This procurement process takes between six to 12 months. Drug packs for patients would make their way to the western region drug store in Ahmedabad, from where they were supplied to Pune and Nagpur. Now, we will get them directly from Delhi,” said a senior official in the BMC’s health department.

The shelf life of some injections like cyclocyrine and pyridoxine is barely six months. Direct procurement will eliminate delays that often result in expiry of such drugs. The cost of the drugs amounts to between Rs1 lakh and Rs2 lakh a year per patient.

The rising trend of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases has been a huge bother for health authorities in Mumbai. The number of cases has shot up from 64 in 2010 to over 2,500 this year.

In addition there are 64 extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) cases.

“An increasing number of patients are registering for the standardised treatment regimen for MDR. This has happened due to the awareness among private practitioners, who now advise patients to avail of the Directly Observed Therapy short course (DOTS),” said Dr Minni Khetarpal, officer in charge of the civic body’s TB campaign.

Mumbai has been accorded state-level status after the scare that resulted from extremely drug-resistant (XXDR) strains which had been identified in January last year. In this scheme, each civic ward will be a district that will have a separate official for TB.

Khetarpal explained that the air-conditioned drug store is equipped with vector control mechanisms to prevent infestation. Most of the drugs require to be preserved at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. The stocks are sufficient to meet the requirements of patients for at least two months.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-first-dedicated-tb-drug-store-in-mumbai-opens-at-sewri-hospital-1925472

Fifteen bird species are 'critically endangered'

The unbridled destruction of forests and wetlands for commercial and industrial growth seem to be taking a toll on birds in India.

A recent report on birds released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) show that 15 bird species, including the migratory Siberian crane and the grasslands species Bengal Florican, are critically endangered. Three other species-river lapwing, river tern and long-tailed duck-that were classified under the "least concern" category last year have moved to the "vulnerable" category this year.

The report, called the Red List of Birds, shows that migratory birds and wetland birds, such as spoon-billed sandpiper; non-migratory species, such as the white-bellied heron and forest owlet; and scavengers, such as the Indian vulture, red-headed vulture, white-backed vulture and slender-billed vulture; are "highly" endangered. Birds like the Himalayan quail and the pink-headed duck have almost disappeared.

The three bird species that have moved from being of "least concern" to being "vulnerable" this year.

"Destruction of wetlands and riverine habitats has been the cause for the decline of these species," stated a release by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), which helped in researching and collating the list.

Conservationists concurred that these bird species are under danger tdue to the destruction of forests across the country. "Be it big cities or small towns, commercial and industrial growth is eating into animal and bird habitats, which should ideally be protected," said a city-based bird enthusiast. "If wetlands and forests are cleared to create buildings, where will the birds stay?"

The study also found that around 200 bird species are critically endangered across the world, which is an all-time high. "There is an urgent need to conserve the remaining habitats and species dependent on them. Policies that ensure this through sustainable development should be framed and implemented urgently," said Asad Rahmani, BNHS-India director.

More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Fifteen-bird-species-are-critically-endangered/articleshow/26441195.cms

Esha Deol lauds Sunny bhaiyya the great

Actress Esha Deol is "glad" to see her elder step-brother Sunny Deol back in action with Singh Saab The Great.
"Saw Singh Saab The Great! Glad to see Sunny bhaiyya back in action," tweeted the actress.

While Sunny, 57, is veteran actor Dharmendra's son from first wife

Prakash Kaur, Esha is Dharmendra and his second wife and actress Hema Malini's daughter. 

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/esha-deol-lauds-sunny-bhaiyya-the-great/article1-1155930.aspx#sthash.zJATlKoj.dpuf

First look: Dhoom 3's Rs. 5 crore song

Here's looking at one of the most expensive songs ever created in Bollywood.

The track titled Malang is a high-energy number and reportedly has a whopping budget of over Rs. 5 crore. The track features Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif.

"The song features 200 professional gymnasts who were specially flown in from the US. And yes, the budget is roughly Rs. 5 crore," says a source. The cost includes the fees of the gymnasts, their costumes and the elaborate sets.

"The 200 artistes stayed in the city for 20 days as they were training. The humongous set took nearly two months to be created," adds the source.


Aamir and Katrina in a still from Dhoom:3 song Malang

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/first-look-dhoom-3-s-rs-5-crore-song/article1-1155893.aspx#sthash.idLy6swg.dpuf

Sony launches three high-end cameras, priced Rs 84,990 onwards

Strangely, Sony has been the most innovative camera manufacturer over the past year, not Canon, not Nikon. After the stupendous success of its RX100 premium compact camera in India, the company has now launched a 'bridge-style' Cyber-shot RX10 promsing great picture quality in a compacy body. It has also announced two high-end full frame mirrorless cameras, the Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R.

The Cyber-shot RX10 will have a fixed Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm F2.8 lens which will cover almost all the needs of the average user from macro to the telephoto. The F2.8 maximum aperture means the camera will do well in low light, but not as good as the F1.8 lens on the RX100 series.

Like in the DSC-RX100 II, the 20.2 effective megapixels (approximate) 1.0-type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor is around four times bigger than those in standard compact cameras.

The camera also has Full HD video in 50p or cinematic 25p frame rates. To assist in video recording there will be a audio level meter with adjustable levels.

Plus, on-board Wi-Fi allows easy one-touch connection with an Xperia or any other NFC-compatible Android smartphone or tablet. The Cyber-shot RX10 can also connect to an iOS device over the air.

The camera will be available by the end of December and will cost Rs 84,990.

While the Alpha 7 has 24.3 effective megapixels, the 7R has a stupendous 36.4 effective megapixels. The camera will also usher in six new full-frame lenses in this range. The 35mm full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor in both cameras incorporates light concentration and photo diode expansion technologies, while the Alpha 7R also features a new 'gapless' on-chip lens design that eliminates gaps between adjacent pixels. These advances increase light collection efficiency, achieving outstanding resolution, sensitivity and low noise while circumventing the challenge of decreased pixel size due to the extremely high pixel count.These cameras too have Wi-Fi and NFC.

While the Alpha 7 is priced at Rs 94,990, the 7R will cost Rs 1,24,990.

HTC launches its highest price phone 'One Max' for Rs 61,490

Smartphone maker HTC today launched its highest price handset for Indian market, HTC One Max, for maximum retail price of Rs 61,490.

"HTC One max has largest display from HTC's stable. This is phone comes with stylus, insurance for theft, liquid damage and option to be be purchased in monthly instalments," HTC India Country head Faisal Siddiqui told reporters.


The phone will be available at market offered price of Rs 56,490.

HTC has jumped to 5.9 inch display screen with HTC One Max from 4.7 inch screen size phone model.

Siddiqui said that the company is providing six month installment schemes.

"The customer will have to not bear processing and interest charges. We will take care of it," he said.

In this new phone, the company has introduced a scanner below rear camera which save finger print of user and allows secured access of phone to its owner only.

HTC One Max comes with 16GB or 32GB onboard memory that can be expanded using a microSD card slot. It also has a 50 GB of additional storage option for free on Google Drive.

The phone has 3300mAh embedded battery. A normal 4 inch screen size smartphone generally comes with 1800 to 2000 mAH battery size.

More: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-11-23/news/44389874_1_htc-one-max-phone-screen

Inventory piles up in Mumbai residential realty on muted demand

Mumbai’s residential real estate market is perhaps going through its worst phase. Almost 45% of MMR's (Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s) ready and under-construction projects are lying unsold due to weak demand and high prices, according to a report by international property consultant Knight Frank.

There are nearly 2.9 lakh under-construction residential units in the Mumbai market while unsold inventory is close to 1.3 lakh units. Last year, Knight Frank said in a similar report that unsold inventory in Mumbai was 80,000 units.

The latest report further says that the unsold inventory level in the MMR (almost 45%) is way higher than that in the NCR (National Capital Region) at 26%, given that the NCR market has nearly twice the number of under-construction units compared to Mumbai.

With the significant tapering in demand, Knight Frank says developers are keeping new launches in check to bridge the supply and demand gap, as is evident by the slowdown in new launch momentum in MMR for the last three years.

Approximately 47,488 units were launched during January-September 2013, a 28% year-on-year drop. The difference is even greater, at 42% and 46%, when compared with the same period during 2011 and 2010, respectively, says the report.

At the same time, absorption levels for the January-September 2013 period have dropped to around 39,000 units, a 26% drop y-o-y and more than 43% off the 2010 highs. The unsold inventory levels are as high as 52% for units launched in the premimum segment of R2 crore price bracket.

However, despite there being no takers for apartments at current price levels, research shows that prices of residential units have not corrected as sharply as the fall in absorption has been. Price correction, though, is on the anvil.

"Unsold inventory pressure in Mumbai is the highest among all other cities and is depicting a growing trend. We expect a more pronounced price correction which may drive the market to a better equilibrium," says Samantak Das, chief economist, (director-research & advisory services), Knight Frank India.

Prices in some south and central Mumbai locations, like Parel, Lower Parel and Mahalaxmi, have declined close to just 10% over the previous three quarters. However, in a bid to liquidate their higher priced inventory, developers have been reducing prices by up to 25% in favour of a sizeable up-front payment, in the premium segment.

"In the last few quarters, there has been huge pressure in terms of excess unsold inventory coupled with lower demand from clients due to the economic uncertainty. This will put pressure on prices in the medium term and the scenario will last till the general elections of 2014," says Mudassir Zaidi, national director, residential agency, Knight Frank India.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/inventory-piles-up-in-mumbai-residential-realty-on-muted-demand/1199906/0

Tax evaders can be traced, warns Chidambaram

Cautioning tax evaders, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday said the central government was in a position to trace defaulters by constructing their full profile and possessed dossiers on them.

No tax evader could escape the government, he asserted.

"All financial transactions can be traced once you are identified as a tax evader. We can construct a 360 degree profile them," Chidambaram said at a programme.

Delivering the inaugural speech at an interaction with representatives of trade and industry on the Service Tax Voluntary Compliance Enforcement Scheme (VCES), the minister said: "In fact we have such profiles. We have dossiers on them."

He asserted that the government had the option to arrest and prosecute habitual offenders. Already, 13 such peoples have been taken into custody from various parts of the country.

Calling upon traders to utilise the VCES, the minister said it would enable them to come clean.

He mentioned several sectors - construction, couriers, telecom and security services - for failing to deposit with the government the service tax they collected.

He said the service sector comprised 55 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product, while "a healthy number - 17 lakh - had registered for service tax.

"But of them, only seven lakh pay service tax, and the rest have forgotten. While some are no-filers, some others are stop-filers."

The VCES, in force since May 10, would continue upto Dec 31.

More: http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/tax-evaders-can-be-traced-warns-chidambaram/1/200907.html

Veerappa Moily woos oil investors for 10th Nelp auction

Owing to aversion to the revenue-sharing model, Multinational companies may skip auction though.

Having failed to woo multinational companies to invest in the country’s oil and gas sector in last two auctions under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp), the government was back trying to convince investors to re-look at the huge untapped potential in exploration.

Oil minister Veerappa Moily (pictured) met up with investors and the media ahead of 10th auction, scheduled in January. Moily stressed that since the beginning of 2013, the oil ministry has been trying to resolve several pricing, disputes and production related issues by policy changes.

He pointed out that the ministry was aware of several delays and other hurdles currently being faced by the explorers and was committed to improve the environment through actions like rapid clearance of upstream projects, deregulation of diesel, increase in gas price, shale gas policy, policy for integrated development and other initiatives.

Moily said 86 oil and gas blocks will be offered under the 10th Nelp auctions, of which around 53-55 blocks have been cleared by various agencies, while remaining would get approval before auction takes place in January. Moily also claimed that all major oil and gas companies including global giants had participated in the discussion ministry had on 10th Nelp auction on Monday. However, the names of parties that have shown interest to participate in the auction could not be fetched immediately from the ministry.

“India’s potential of conventional oil exploration is 406 million barrel a day and so far only 70 million barrel is exploited which is just 37% of the actual potential. There is a big scope for exploitation of 63%, we want investors, we want technology,” Moily said. He added that the government’s target of making India energy independent by 2030 was achievable.

Most analysts believe that like earlier Nelp auctions the next one may also get a tepid response from global giants like BP and Shell. While Indian public sector units and some private players are likely to participate, multinational would chose to keep away.

“The move towards revenue sharing model will make 10th Nelp auction less attractive and more riskier for explorer. They may not participate in the auction as revenue sharing model will not allow them to recover their risk capital,” an analyst from domestic brokerage said.

Under the current cost sharing model of production sharing contracts (PSC), through a specific formula explorers are first allowed to recover the capital and operating expenditure oil and gas revenues before sharing profits with the government. The move to revenue sharing model in oil and gas exploration contracts was proposed by finance minister P Chidambaram in his 2013 Budget speech.

“Investors have some reservation on revenue sharing. We want to have discussion with investors, we don’t want to impose it without consensus, we are seriously examining it,” Moily had said in an earlier conference with analysts and investors.

Moily also seemed determined to resolve certain other issues like its ministry’s on-going tussle with Reliance Industries (RIL) and exit of global giants like BHP Billiton. Moily stressed that government was confident of resolving the issue of bank guarantee with Reliance Industry within a fortnight. The bank guarantee was sought from RIL after it failed to deliver KG-D6 output as promised in PSC.

Moily also hinted that BHP Billiton has been convinced to not give up its nine exploration blocks and sort out issues with the help of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Moily also declared that RIL will be able to take advantage of gas price hike as the ministry was determined to raising natural gas price from April 1.

“Absolutely, there is no question of reversing the decision to hike natural gas prices, as proposed by the Rangarajan panel report, or going back on the decision. All players will be included under the policy,” he said.

Keeping the pound, Queen and Dr. Who: Scotland tries to have it both ways in plan for separation from U.K.

Raising the stakes in its struggle for independence in advance of a referendum next year, the Scottish government Tuesday unveiled a voluminous prospectus for a new state with its own embassies and identity, but retaining significant bonds to Britain including a common currency — the pound — and allegiance to Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

The document said Scotland would also keep the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), although it would be named the Scottish Broadcasting Service, as well as popular television shows such as Dr. Who, Strictly Come Dancing and Eastenders.

An independent Scotland would also remain in the European Union and join the NATO military alliance.

However, Alistair Darling, former U.K. Treasury minister and leader of the Better Together campaign which is in favour of Scotland remaining in the U.K., called the report a “work of fiction.”

He said independence advocates “ducked the opportunity” to answer key questions about Scotland’s future.

“We have waited months for this and it has failed to give credible answers on fundamentally important questions,” he said.

Scots were being asked to “take a one-way ticket to a deeply uncertain destination” he said.

Politicians in England and Wales have warned that an independent Scotland would not be allowed to keep the pound currency and other critics wondered how Scotland would convince organizations like Europe, NATO, the BBC and Buckingham Palace to just accept the new country.

The prospectus released by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond says independence will create a more democratic Scotland and a more prosperous country.

The governing Scottish National Party supports independence, while the opposition Labour and Conservative parties both oppose it.

“This is the most comprehensive blueprint for an independent country ever published, not just for Scotland but for any prospective independent nation” Mr. Salmond said at the launch of the 670-page document setting out the terms of separation.

On foreign policy, Mr. Salmond said that negotiations with the European Commission to join the EU were being blocked by the U.K. government in London and added: “We believe Scotland will be a welcome member of the EU.”

The U.K.’s nuclear deterrent is based in Scotland but would be withdrawn during the first parliament of a newly independent nation, the report states.

Mr. Salmond said Scotland would also be welcomed into the NATO alliance.

“Our assurance about NATO membership is that 25 out of 28 members are not nuclear powers and 20 members have no nuclear weapons on their soil so we ask for no special arrangements for Scotland,” he said.

Independence would mean that “the most important decisions about our economy and society will be taken by the people who care most about Scotland, that is by the people of Scotland.

“The door will open to a new era for our nation. Scotland’s future will be in Scotland’s hands,” said the document.

Political battles in the run-up to the referendum could come down to straightforward pocketbook politics.

The independence movement is strongly opposed by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The British government argues that people living in Scotland would pay an extra £1,000 ($1,600) a year in tax, while Mr. Salmond said Scots would actually pay less than they are paying now.

Scotland has already had its own Parliament since 1999 and its own set of laws. In a referendum on Sept. 18, 2014, Scots will be asked whether they want Scotland to become independent.

Mr. Salmond called for the historic referendum after his Scottish National Party in 2011 won a one-seat majority in the Scottish Parliament.

Polls have consistently put support for independence at between 25-30%.

More: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/26/scotland-lays-out-blueprint-for-separation-from-u-k-saying-it-would-keep-pound-queen-and-stay-in-nato/

Thailand slips into worst political crisis since 2010’s bloody protests

There is a partial government shutdown in Thailandfollowing the closure of several ministries faced with the crowds of protesters determined to bring down the Yingluck Shinawatra government.

Defying a tough security law passed on Monday, the protesters surrounded the Interior, Finance, Agriculture, Tourism and Transport ministries.

“It’s not violent to surround a government building. It is the peoples’ constitutional right to express our feelings,” said one young man in the crowd.

Shinawatra is in the thick of a two-day confidence debate in parliament fighting off accusations of corruption and trying to pass laws to exonerate her brother, Thaksin. The former prime minister was toppled by the army in 2006 and fled Thailand in 2008 into exile. He was given two years jail in absentia for attempting to undermine the monarchy. She is expected to win the vote, scheduled for Thursday.

The Shinawatras are popular with the poor, and their party has won every election since 2001, but they are reviled by many in the Thai elite, middle, and business classes, who accuse the family of dynastic ambitions, abuse of power, and corruption.

More: http://www.euronews.com/2013/11/26/thailand-slips-into-worst-political-crisis-since-2010-s-bloody-protests/

Philippines typhoon death toll soars to 5,500

The death toll from typhoon Haiyann in central Philippines soared to 5,500 by on Wednesday with 1,757 missing and 26,136 injured, the state media said.

As another 260 bodies were retrieved from typhoon affected areas, the toll rose from 5,240 to 5,500, reported Xinhua citing the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council announced early on Wednesday.

The latest bodies comprise 207 from Tacloban city, 46 from other parts of Leyte province and seven from neighbouring Samar province.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-philippines-typhoon-death-toll-soars-to-5500-1925497

Judge says case can deal with alleged drug use by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson

A judge has ruled that an upcoming court case can deal with allegations that celebrity chef Nigella Lawson used drugs.

The case involves two personal assistants to Lawson and ex-husband Charles Saatchi who are set to go on trial for fraud.

The assistants' lawyers want to introduce allegations that Lawson used drugs at the time. The assistants deny wrongdoing.

Judge Robin Johnson told a pre-trial hearing Tuesday that Lawson and other witnesses could be questioned about drug use during the trial.

The judge also read an email from Saatchi in which he said his wife abused drugs extensively.

Saatchi and Lawson divorced earlier this year after a newspaper published photos of Saatchi grasping his wife's throat during an argument at a London restaurant.

A spokesman for Lawson declined to comment.

More: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Judge+says+case+deal+with+alleged+drug+celebrity+chef/9215324/story.html

AP: No end to the weather woes, cyclone Lehar to hit state on Thursday

No end to the weather woes in Andhra Pradesh, after cyclone Phailin and cyclone Helen, the state now braces for cyclone Lehar which will make landfall on Thursday. Costal Odisha has also been put on high alert.

According to weather officials, Leher is about 700-800 kms from the coast and landfall is expected by Thursday noon. Heavy rains can be expected in the coastal districts from wednesday evening with the cyclonic system inching towards the coast.

The cyclone intensity would gradually increase with rainfall being witnessed at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places. Isolated extremely heavy falls would occur over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on November 28.

Squally winds, with speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph, would commence along and off Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts from November 27 evening. The very severe cyclonic storm is expected to cause extensive damage to agriculture crops, kutcha houses and disrupt power and communication lines and also disrupt rail and road traffic.

The official bulletin has advised total suspension of fishing operations and fishermen out at sea along and off Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts have been advised to return to coast. It also advised evacuation from coastal areas and judicious regulation of rail and road traffic. People in affected areas have been advised to remain indoors.

The government has already put the Collectors of coastal districts on high alert and announced a number of measures to deal with the situation. The East Godavari district has announced holiday for educational institutions on Wednesday and Thursday and also asked the owners of small shops not to operate.

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to deploy 30 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for rescue and relief operations in the coastal districts. While 15 NDRF teams have already been positioned in Visakhapatnam (4), East Godavari (5), West Godavari (2) and Krishna (4) districts, the state government today requested the Centre to rush in another 15 teams as moderate to very heavy rainfall is expected from tomorrow, according to an official press release.

The Union Defence Secretary has been requested to station four helicopters at Visakhapatnam for emergency operations wherever required. Special officers have been appointed in nine coastal districts to oversee precautionary measures as well as rescue and relief operations.

Coast Guard, Coastal Security wing, Marine Police and Superintendents of Police of the districts concerned were put on alert in view of the cyclone and assist the district administration. Army and railway authorities have also been put on alert in view of Lehar's threat, the release added.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy discussed the situation with Chief Secretary PK Mohanty and wanted the administration to remain on high alert and take all steps to prevent loss of life due to cyclone. Mohanty is in constant touch with the Collectors of coastal districts and monitoring the preparedness.

Meanwhile, an official release informed that newly-formed State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) consisting of 450 personnel drawn from police, fire services etc., is also being deployed for rescue operations. The evacuation will begin on Wednesday, the release said.

The government has also decided to requisition four columns of Army, each comprising 100 men, which will be deployed at Eluru, Kakinada, Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam.

Meanwhile, a release from South Central Railway (SCR) said that an action plan was being finalised to face the situation arising out of the cyclone 'Lehar'. SCR General Manager P K Srivastava met the state chief secretary and held discussions on the approaching cyclone and its likely impact on railways.

Meanwhile, West Godavari district collector Siddharth Jain said in a statement on Tuesday that 500 Army jawans and four National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are on standby to face any eventualities which may result due to cyclone 'Lehar'.

"One NDRF team will be in Eluru while the other three teams will be stationed in those areas of the district which are likely to be hit by the cyclone," he said. Jain said a helicopter was waiting at Visakhapatnam to speed up relief and rescue operations if the need for it arose.

"Besides, 30 wireless sets are in place to strengthen communications," he added. Also, motor boats, rescue personnel and ambulances have been kept on standby.

Jain said people in 37 villages had been shifted to relief camps as a precautionary measure.

More: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ap-no-end-to-the-weather-woes-cyclone-lehar-to-hit-state-on-thursday/436349-62-127.html

Kiran’s lonely anti-Telangana battle

When asked recently about the fact that in spite of his stiff opposition, the Congress was going ahead with bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, an avid cricketer, said that a match is not over till the last ball is bowled.

Nearly four months after the Congress Working Committee's (CWC) resolution to create Telangana state, the Andhra CM appears to be the last man standing against the bifurcation. Others around him who made lots of noise before and just after the CWC announcement have either reconciled or diluted their stand but Reddy has stood steadfast. He has, in fact, become more vocal and defiant in criticising his party for, what he sees as, creating a bigger problem to solve a smaller one.

Early this year, as things were coming to a boil on Telangana statehood, Reddy had maintained a wait and watch policy. He did not make menacing statements like other Congress MPs, MLAs and leaders, but conveyed his concerns to the party high command quietly. When Congress MLAs threatened to resign, it was the CM who persuaded them to stay put, assuring them that he would lead the fight.

The switch from this defensive posture to an outright offensive came following the CWC's "alacrity" in passing the resolution to create Telangana without discussing about or presenting a solution to vexing issues like water and power sharing, and education and employment opportunities.

With the high command refusing to entertain his opposition, Reddy has become more defiant and vociferous in airing his views. Despite the Telangana Bill looking set to be tabled in Parliament, he remains determined to fight it tooth and nail till the last. Last week, he made an exhaustive power-point presentation before the Group of Ministers on Telangana, emphasising why the state benefits by remaining united and what Telangana and Seemandhra stand to lose if divided.

The Congress high command should ponder over the fact that it is its own CM who is leading the opposition to Telangana now. While the main opposition party, the Telugu Desam Party, is reluctant to do anything out of concern about surviving politically in Telangana as well as Seemandhra, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was expected to put up a fight but can't do much because of court-imposed constraints. The BJP is showing it has developed second thoughts.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kiran-s-lonely-antitelangana-battle/1200029/0

CBI opposes move to appoint amicus

Fighting for its autonomy, CBI turned over a new leaf Tuesday when it firmly opposed even the Supreme Court's proposal to appoint a lawyer as amicus curiae to assist the court in analysing the agency's probe reports in the coal blocks allocation case.

CBI's battle for independence in its investigation process witnessed an intriguing courtroom drama as it vehemently argued that since the apex court was only monitoring the coal scam probe, all it had to examine was the agency's "fairness and pace" and not allow an outsider to pass judgments on CBI's actions.

"How can we share our reports with an outsider (amicus) when the court itself had restrained a constitutional functionary like the Attorney General to see the report? I have an apprehension that the moment we are asked to show it to an outsider, it will take the colour of supervising the probe and not just monitoring it," senior advocate Amarendra Sharan argued for CBI.

A Bench led by Justice R M Lodha questioned Sharan as to how appointing an amicus to assist them will prejudice CBI's case and that the court was clear in its mind that it was not going to supervise the investigation. "But the function of the amicus will be to examine the report and comment upon its merits. That will mean giving the power of the trial court to someone else. Only because this court is monitoring the case, we are submitting our status reports. Otherwise, we are not bound to share our reports with anyone. An investigating agency has to work independently," Sharan asserted.

While PIL petitioners, advocates M L Sharma and Prashant Bhushan, contended that CBI cannot oppose the court's will, Sharan held the ground, arguing "purity of the investigation goes" if the reports are shared with an outsider and there will also be possibilities of leakage of information. He added that such a step was bound to take some form of interference in the investigation.

Sharan also said that the lawyers, who had on the last date of hearing stood up in favour of appointing an amicus in the case and argued "vociferously," were likely to appear for the accused in the coal blocks allocation cases. Senior advocates Harish Salve and Abhishek Manu Singhvi had favoured the court's suggestion to appoint an amicus. "Somewhere there is an effort to see that investigation moves in a particular direction," he claimed. Sharan's strong objection compelled the Bench to put off the idea of appointing an amicus at this stage.

On the persistent face-off between the government and CBI over grant of a secretary-level status to the agency's Director, the Bench suggested that both should try to find out a "meeting point" and resolve the issue amicably. The Centre has refused to grant secretary-level rank to CBI Director while the agency has pleaded for it to ensure functional and administrative independence. The court will now hear the matter on December 5.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cbi-opposes-move-to-appoint-amicus/1199942/0

BJP manifesto before and after the release: Spot the difference

It was a close call for the Delhi BJP, which on Tuesday, released its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

In what would have been a major gaffe, the party nearly distributed manifestoes sans the photographs of its most prominent leaders on the cover.

The covers of the manifesto printed initially had photographs of national president Rajnath Singh, Delhi poll in-charge Nitin Gadkari, Delhi unit chief Vijay Goel, leader of opposition V K Malhotra, Delhi CM candidate Dr Harsh Vardhan and PM candidate Narendra Modi. But, missing from the cover were faces of its top brass — former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.

And, no one realised what, or rather, who were missing from the manifesto, till 5,000 printed copies were sent to the party headquarters late last night, just prior to distribution.

As soon as the goof-up was noticed, the senior leaders were apprised of the situation. No one engaged in a blame-game — there was simply no time — and orders were given to rectify the error immediately, before the situation went out of control.

Fortunately, when the manifestoes were distributed this morning, the covers featured everyone from the top leadership.

When contacted, Harsh Vardhan said the 'error' was rectified as soon it was brought to his notice. However, he did try to shift the blame on "young members" of the party.

"We believe that the team handling the printing of manifesto has young members. They probably did not think of everyone who should feature on the cover page. The mistake was amended and all have got manifestoes with top brass featured on the cover page," Harsh Vardhan said.

Asked about clearance given to the draft manifesto before it went in for printing, Harsh Vardhan told Newsline, "This is a non-issue. We have been busy with campaigning and did not get time to pay attention to the manifesto cover page. What matters is that the final product has not missed out on any of the significant leaders associated with the campaigning."

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-manifesto-before-and-after-the-release-spot-the-difference/1200051/0

Uphold people's trust in justice delivery system, CJI tells courts

It is the solemn duty of the courts to uphold and preserve the trust and confidence of the people in the justice delivery system as the loss of same could spell doom for the rule of law, Chief Justice of India Justice P. Sathasivam said Tuesday.

"I am deeply gratified by the faith and confidence that the people of this country repose in our judicial system. It is our solemn duty to ensure that we live up to their expectations, which are growing day-by-day," he said in his inaugural address at the National Law Day function held in Supreme Court.

"We have to preserve the trust and confidence reposed by our people since it is our greatest asset," he said, adding that the "loss of confidence in the judiciary may be the end of the Rule of Law."

He said that every effort would be made to rectify those defects and infirmities in the judicial system and to improve them so that it more responsive to the needs of the people.

The Law Day, Chief Justice Sathasivam said, reminds us of the fundamental truth that "our lives, liberty and rights to pursue our individual destinies are dependent upon our system of law and independent courts."

It is the obedience to the laws that protects these rights, which forms the core of existence of democracy, he said urging media that "reporting may be done considering the institution and not the individual by balancing equities".

He exhorted the media to be cautious in reporting a "any casual carefree remark" which may have the tendency of causing irreparable damage to the institution may have the impact not only at the national level but also internationally.

Describing as to grossly unequal the proportionality of courts with the pending number of cases, the Chief Justice also urged Law Minister Kapil Sibal to take steps for setting up of additional courts at district and sub-district levels as this would immensely aid in reduction of pendency and provide relief to the poorest of the poor.

More: http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=203845

The body willing, Zaheer Khan is back where he belongs

At the routine drill sessions of Mumbai's Ranji team at the Wankhede Stadium, Zaheer Khan stayed monkishly focused on his stretching, whereas his Mumbai teammates went about their run-ups and bowling in the adjoining nets a few yards away. The news of Zaheer making a comeback for the South African tour was on expected lines and the pacer hardly seemed surprised after selectors gave him the nod, while he concentrated on the next task at hand.

Zaheer later admitted he was expecting the call-up, after the 35-year-old returned rejuvenated and looked sharp. The effort to look his fittest had taken him to France and then South Africa seeking expertise enroute his second comeback.

"Since last year, I'd been thinking about how to go about this process. The first question was whether I wanted to stage a comeback. When the answer was yes, I chalked out a strategy. I did everything possible to make sure that I am there. Obviously the physical aspect was the big thing. I had to tackle that in consultation with lot of trainers and physios. So far it has worked," Zaheer said after the Mumbai Ranji session here.

Zaheer's issues were never mental. His battle had always been as much with his body as with his opponents. With such a vast experience and as leader of the Indian attack for several years, Zaheer has reached the level where bowlers know how to get wickets, if only the body can be summoned. He throws more light on how he planned his comeback which comprised rigorous training miles away from the limelight in India.

India's bowling scape has changed drastically in the last one year. The Indian pace attack is led by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed while even Ishant Sharma has been pushed to fourth-choice.

Zaheer will easily slide into any Starting XI, moreover, the young crop of pacers will be happy to have him at mid-on, helping them plot South African dismissals. Zaheer says working with and encouraging young bowlers comes naturally to him and he never hesitates to part with his wisdom. "Being a bowler from the sub continent is never easy. You have to keep encouraging them and give them confidence. It's about backing yourself and the thought process is very important," he added.

Ranji Trophy has helped him get back on track slowly. In the last five first class games for Mumbai and India A, Zaheer has scalped 20 wickets. He explained that things began to fall in place with four wickets against West Indies A in Shimoga two months ago. "When I went there I knew that I needed some overs under my belt to progress gradually. I did not want anything to happen suddenly and I was progressing slowly, but surely. I have always believed that match practice is the best practice. Things started picking up slowly. It was the spell I bowled towards the end at Shimoga that gave me a lot of confidence, and from there I just picked up," he pointed out.

Zaheer took four wickets against Haryana and later finished with 5 for 88 against a strong Delhi side. It was all about entering that zone where Zaheer feels comfortable. "It was trying out different things. Once I had overs under my belt, I was feeling comfortable in the field. I was bowling in the right spots. I was able to recover between spells. Those were the things I was looking at. In Test match matches, it's not only important to bowl well on the first day, but come back and start bowling from ball one of a new spell," he explained.

A fit Zaheer is certainly what India needed the most and he will certainly want to make a strong comeback. The paceman, meanwhile, is equally excited about what he plans to do beyond this comeback. Zaheer's seen far too many Indian pacers drift cluelessly after injuries that are common to his ilk. Post injury or after getting dropped, they tend to follow a fixed cycle, but rarely think out of the box. Zaheer and Yuvraj Singh, though, trained under Tim Exeter to build strength.

Future plans

The pacer has been a torch bearer of Indian pace attack and now wants such facilities to be readily available for bowlers back home. "I have plans for starting something like what I did abroad. I could afford to go abroad (France) and benefit from what I did. But you need a set up like that in India for fitness and physiotherapy. So instead of giving a lowdown on what I did abroad, I will give the real thing to Indian bowlers. I have just put in the work and ironed out things that I felt were pulling me back and I am ready to take on the challenge of teaching others that. It's going to be great accepting the challenge," he said.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-body-willing-zaheer-khan-is-back-where-he-belongs/1200062/0

Snoopgate: Panel set up to buy time?

The Congress Opposition in Gujarat on Tuesday termed the inquiry commission instituted into the ‘snoopgate’ controversy by the Gujarat government as a Modi Bachao Commission (‘Save Modi panel’).

The two-member commission headed by retired High Court Judge Sugna Bhatt was announced late Monday evening.

Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modvadia said that the panel was a smokescreen to extricate the chief minister from the mess he has landed himself in and ‘’save his image.”

He further alleged that both the members of the commission have been beneficiaries of post retirement benefits from the current regime and hence would only do the bidding of the state government.

“Retired Justice Sugnya Bhatt was earlier heading a commission which probed the mismanagement of resources leading to Surat floods in 2006 and she had given a clean chit to the state government,” Modvadia said. “How can one expect the outcome to be any different this time?”

In the national capital a Congress spokesperson described the belated move to institute an inquiry as eyewash and an attempt to deflect the allegations. ‘’Modi is the prime accused in this case, and the matter should be inquired by a Supreme Court judge,” said party spokesperson P C Chacko.

‘’The appointment of the committee makes it clear that he is on the defensive and is feeling the heat. He (Modi) has given the committee a three-month time frame to complete its probe, which gives him a breather till the elections are over.’’

Chacko further claimed that the charges were serious as 93,000 phones had been tapped within a period of seven months.

Modi has been in the centre of controversy ever since a website put out details of telephonic conversations between IPS officer G L Singhal and the former minister Amit Shah that give graphic details of the surveillance of a woman architect by the anti-terrorism squad. A senior IAS officer Pradeep Sharma has leveled the same allegations in a petition pending before the Supreme Court.

On Monday, a group of women activists had met President Pranab Mukherjee to demand an inquiry by a Supreme Court judge.

‘’Normally, Modi is quite a loud mouth and he speaks on every issue. But why is he keeping quiet on this matter? Why is Amit Shah keeping quiet? Is their silence some kind of acceptance of guilt,” observed Chacko.

‘’For us there is no difference between Narendra Modi and Tarun Tejpal. Both are guilty of violating the dignity of a woman,” noted Chacko, when asked as to why the Congress was going soft on the Tehelka editor who is facing charges of sexual harassment of a woman journalist.

The Congress ire is also directed at the terms of reference of the panel, which has been directed to look into “the authenticity and veracity of the said tapes”

Interestingly, the terms of reference of the commission also mandate it to probe “whether circumstances leading to the release of the audio tapes after a long gap of four years reveal any conspiracy.”

More: http://freepressjournal.in/snoopgate-panel-set-up-to-buy-time/

Berlusconi faces expulsion from Parliament over tax fraud sentence

Italian centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi faces one of the heaviest blows of his 20-year political career on Wednesday when the Senate votes on stripping him of his seat in Parliament over a conviction for tax fraud.

The vote will be the culmination of months of political wrangling and is almost certain to lead to Berlusconi's expulsion from the upper house, opening an uncertain new phase for one of Italy's most divisive political figures.

The 77-year-old media billionaire, who has dominated politics for two decades, has already pulled his party out of Prime Minister Enrico Letta's ruling coalition after seven months in government, accusing leftwing opponents of mounting a "coup d'etat" to eliminate him.

The Senate is due to vote at around 7.00 pm (1800 GMT) to declare Berlusconi ineligible for Parliament after he was convicted of masterminding a complex system of illegally inflated invoices to cut the tax bill for his Mediaset television empire.

The court sentenced him to four years in jail, commuted to a year likely to be spent performing community service, and he was also banned from holding public office for two years, preventing any immediate return to government.

Under a law passed with Berlusconi's support last year, politicians convicted of serious criminal offences are ineligible for Parliament, but his expulsion must first be confirmed by a full vote in the Senate.

Both Letta's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and former comedian Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement have declared they will vote against Berlusconi, making it virtually certain that he will be expelled.

His removal will have little immediate impact on Letta's government, which survived a confidence vote on the 2014 budget on Tuesday with the help of a group of some 30 centre-right senators who broke away from Berlusconi's party this month.

But it will heighten the political tensions that have hampered any serious reforms to Italy's stagnant economy, struggling with youth unemployment of more than 40 percent and stuck in a recession that has lasted more than two years.

More: http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/berlusconi-faces-expulsion-from-parliament-over-tax-fraud-sentence_892643.html

Why the Aarushi Talwar case was the end of middle class innocence

Two people were murdered on the night of May 15, 2008 in the Noida suburb of India’s national capital. But let’s face it, we the middle class, were always more agitated by the killing of 14-year old Aarushi Talwar than by the killing of 45-year old Hemraj Banjade. After all death (even if it’s murder) would be par for the course in the poverty-stricken Nepalese village that Hemraj, the servant, called home. But brutal murders like Aarushi’s just didn’t happen in middle class homes in the national capital region. 

Even in the rare occasions they did, the perpetrators came from the underclass (domestic helps, street dwellers, Nepalese immigrants).Educated middle class professionals, by definition, could not be murderers. Rajesh Talwar in court: AFP Five years on, as dentists Rajesh and Nupur Talwar are sentenced to life in prison for the murder of their daughter and domestic help, some of us are outraged by the ‘shoddy’ investigations of the Noida police and CBI and the judgment of a Sessions Court. Or are we merely in denial that people like us can do evil things? Let’s be honest, this case has agitated us from the start, at least from the moment UP Inspector General of Police Gurdarshan Singh suggested in a press conference on May 24, 2008, that the Talwars may have killed their daughter.

 His statement drove a dagger through the heart of the middle class. It was the end of innocence for India’s most prosperous, vocal and influential citizens. By 2008 – 17 years after liberalization– India’s middle class had swelled in its ranks and in its level of prosperity. A majority of us were self-made professionals (some self-employed entrepreneurs) who had broken the shackles of old India. We were the new elite, distinct from the politico-bureaucratic-crony capitalist elite of the pre-liberalisation years. Characterised by immense self-confidence and an edgy impatience, we the new middle class were eager to change India, for the better. And we, the relatively flawless (compared to the corrupt old elite and the undereducated underclass) would deliver India from its perennial under-achiever status. The Talwars showed us a mirror to ourselves and to our flaws. 

The Aarushi-Hemraj murder case (over the last five and half years) was as much an ongoing police investigation as a continuous introspection by the middle class. We were divided in our views, but that did not stop us from expressing our opinions loudly. Of course, some of us believed that the Talwars could never have killed their daughter, not even in an accident that followed a fit of rage. Some of us believed that the Talwars did it and that they should receive exemplary punishment; be made an example of so that the middle class never again has to go through the trauma. (Note how we rarely have such strong views (either way) on the several other murder cases that are pending in courts and where police investigations can be equally suspect.) The fact is that our deep involvement in the case – let’s not blame the media alone – meant that that this would be a case like no other. It would have been so much easier for us, on either side of the opinion divide, had the police and CBI pinned the blame on Dr. Talwar’s compounder and other domestic helps.

 But the evidence, such as it was, did not nail them, just as it did not exonerate the Talwars. What we the middle class believe, is that the truth is irrelevant in the process of law. The police had enough reasons to make the Talwars suspects in the investigation. And the Sessions Court found enough evidence to convict. Another, higher, court will no doubt reexamine the evidence. The best hope for the Talwars is that a higher court will find ‘technical’ flaws with the investigation and thus strike down the conviction. That will still not answer the moot question: who killed Aarushi? We may never know. But whoever did it murdered our innocence.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/why-the-aarushi-talwar-case-was-the-end-of-middle-class-innocence-1252385.html?utm_source=ref_article

Goa CM wants Tejpal case fast tracked

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wants the sexual assault case against Tehelka editor-in-chief to be fast-tracked. He also rejected Tarun Tejpal’s claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was pressuring police to act against him.

“Such high profile cases should not be dragged on. They are basically a shocker to public faith,” Mr. Parrikar said, suggesting that fast tracking the case was a possibility.

“I don’t come under pressure from anyone. My only instruction to them (police) is to not get pressurised due to the position of the accused. Do it without fear and favour. That’s all,” Mr. Parrikar said.

Mr. Tejpal in his anticipatory bail application filed before the Delhi High Court Tuesday had said that Tehelka’s crusading journalism and his opposing ideology was the reason why the BJP was using police to nail him.

“Instant investigation being carried out by the Goa Police is patently tainted, unfair and is being used as an opportunity to satisfy the long standing grudge of the political executive against the works and ideological stand of the present applicant,” Mr. Tejpal’s application had said.

The anticipatory bail hearing is expected to be held Wednesday.

Mr. Parrikar also said that the charge made against him about taking a keen interest in the Tejpal case and seeking hourly briefings from police was false.

“If anything like that can ever be proved, I will quit politics. I believe that law should be followed in letter and principle,” Mr. Parrikar said.

Mr. Tejpal is accused of sexually assaulting a colleague journalist.

More: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/goa-cm-wants-tejpal-case-fast-tracked/article5396515.ece