India launches Screening device to detect cervical cancer in early stages

In a major stride in fight against cancer, India has launched indigenously developed screening device ‘AV Magni-Visualizer’ for detecting cervical cancer in early stages.

India has launched indigenously developed screening device ‘AV Magni-Visualizer’ for detecting cervical cancer in early stages.

The screening device, which was launched by Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, has been designed and developed at Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology (ICPO), NOIDA, which is involved in epidemiology and development of indigenous HPV vaccine.

Officials said accuracy and efficacy of the Screening device has been evaluated through tests in five regions during the past two years. “Magnivisualizer has been found to pick up 1.5 times more High grade pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions than the ordinary tungsten light,” they said.

‘Scientists congratulated for developing cost-effective screening device’

While speaking on the occasion, Indian Health minister congratulated the scientists for designing and developing the cost-effective and affordable device for screening cervical cancer in its early stages.

“The cervical cancer is still the number one killer cancer in several parts of rural and semi-urban India. It has been estimated that about 0.132 milion cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed every year and 74,000 deaths occur due to annually,” he said.

Azad said cervical cancer accounted for 9% of total deaths due to cancer in 2010. “Many of the cases may still be going unreported in many rural areas taking the number even higher.”

‘AV Magni-Visualiser can easily screen, detect cervical cancer’

Referring to screening device ‘AV Magni-Visualiser’, Indian Health Minister said said it will be easy to screen and detect cervical cancer in its early stages, thus making treatment more effective.

“At present screening for cervical cancer is available only in the regional cancer institutes and medical colleges in India. The equipment presently being used is expensive, as a result of which not many medical colleges can afford this equipment. But ‘AV Magni-Visualizer’ device is cost effective and will be first rolled out in the district and sub-district community health centres and subsequently in the primary health centres,” Azad said adding doctors and other staff will form an important part of roll out plan.

More: http://www.nationalturk.com/en/india-launches-screening-device-to-detect-cervical-cancer-in-early-stages-45805

Study unlocks mysteries about Alzheimer's

Scientists have shed light on the three essential puzzles regarding Alzheimer's, a science journal reported.

Using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have clarified three fundamental issues about Alzheimer's: where it starts, why it starts there, and how it spreads.

The findings could improve early detection of the disease, when drugs may be most effective. The study was published in the online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience, reports Science Daily.

"It has been known for years that Alzheimer's starts in a brain region known as the entorhinal cortex," said senior co-author Scott A. Small, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

"But this study is the first to show in living patients that it begins specifically in the lateral entorhinal cortex, or LEC," he said.

"The LEC is considered to be a gateway to the hippocampus, which plays a key role in the consolidation of long-term memory, among other functions. If the LEC is affected, other aspects of the hippocampus will also be affected," Small added.

The study also shows that, over the time, Alzheimer's spreads from the LEC directly to other areas of the cerebral cortex, in particular the parietal cortex, a brain region involved in various functions, including spatial orientation and navigation.

More: http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/diseases/study-unlocks-mysteries-about-alzheimer-s_25737.html

Successful Mars mission helps ISRO end 2013 on high note

ISRO is likely to open 2014 by flying the aborted GSLV rocket, powered by India's own cryogenic engine, to put into orbit communication satellite GSAT-14.

The successful launch of India's first inter-planetary Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), the sending up of India's first navigation satellite midnight, the launch of the Indo-French satellite SARAL, and signing up a couple of satellite launch contracts - all these put the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2013 amongst the select group of space-faring nations on a couple of counts.

The year also saw ISRO deciding to embrace social media like Facebook and Twitter in a major way after tasting success during MOM, and the DMK party making a forceful demand to set up the second rocket launch site in Tamil Nadu.

Fate was kind to ISRO as it was able to avoid a launch disaster by aborting the flight of its heavier rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) hours before the blastoff as one of its fuel tanks started leaking in August.

ISRO is likely to open 2014 by flying the aborted GSLV rocket, powered by India's own cryogenic engine, to put into orbit communication satellite GSAT-14.

The high point for ISRO came towards the fag end of the year with the successful launch of its Rs.450-crore MOM in November in a copybook style, using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL)/rocket.

Subsequently, ISRO also successfully placed the 1,337-kg orbiter in the Mars Transfer Trajectory. The spacecraft carries five scientific instruments - Mars Colour Camera, Methane Sensor, Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer, Lyman Alpha Photometer, and Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser.

India's Mars mission has a two-fold objective - technological and scientific.

The technological objectives include design and realisation of Mars orbiter with a capability to survive and perform Earth-bound manoeuvres, cruise phase of 300 days, Mars orbit insertion/capture, and on-orbit phase around Mars.

It will also enable deep space communication, navigation, mission planning and management and incorporate autonomous features to handle contingency situations.

The scientific mission will be to explore the Mars surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere by indigenous scientific instruments.

India became the first Asian country and the fourth nation in the world to leap into the inter-planetary space with its mission to Mars, about 400 million km (250 million miles) from earth.

So far, only Russia, the US and the European Space Agency (ESA) have undertaken such missions to Mars.

One of the notable aspects of India's Mars mission is that the idea was conceived and executed in 15 months on a shoe-string budget.

Interestingly, the US also launched another Mars mission MAVEN after India.

ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan told IANS the American Atlas V rocket has a payload capacity of 13 tonnes (13,000 kg) to GTO (geo-transfer orbit) while the PSLV-XL capacity is only around 1,300 kg.

"The American satellite, weighing around 2,500 kg, carries around 65 kg payload and about 1,600 kg fuel. Our Orbiter weighing around 1,350 kg has a payload of just 15 kg and fuel of around 850 kg," he added.

What he did not compare is the cost incurred in both the missions. While India will be spending around $72 million, the US budget is $671 million.

In 2013, ISRO launched satellites comprising its own and also others for a fee.

ISRO began its rocket-satellite launches in February placing in orbit seven satellites - the Indo-French satellite SARAL, the world's first smart phone-operated nano satellite, a space telescope satellite and four other foreign satellites.

In July, ISRO launched the first of the seven satellites planned under the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) - a regional navigational system developed by India designed to provide accurate position information service to users within the country and up to 1,500 km from the nation's boundary line.

The system is similar to the global positioning system (GPS) of the US, Glonass of Russia, Galileo of Europe, China's Beidou or the Japanese Quasi Zenith Satellite System.

July saw the launch of weather satellite INSAT-3D by Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana.

In September, ISRO launched the country's first "military"/communication satellite GSAT-7 by Ariance-5 rocket to improve maritime communications among the Indian Navy's warships.

On the contracts for launch of foreign satellites, Radhakrishnan said the space agency would soon launch German, French, British and Canadian satellites.

He said ISRO would launch EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Programme) satellite belonging to Germany. This apart, ISRO will be launching French satellite SPOT-7 during the first quarter of 2014.

According to him, there will be four more small foreign satellites that would piggy back on SPOT-7.

Radhakrishnan said discussions were held with British agencies for launching three satellites each weighing around 300 kg and also to launch a set of Canadian satellites.

On augmenting ISRO's launch infrastructure, Radhakrishnan said a study is being undertaken on constructing a third launch pad at Sriharikota capable of launching upgraded GSLV Mark III.

ISRO has decided to construct a new rocket assembly building in order to increase the frequency of rocket/satellite launches and use the existing two launch pads effectively.

At present, ISRO has two rocket assembly facilities and two launch pads at its Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

It needs over a month's time to ready a launch pad after each rocket blast-off.

During the 12th Plan Period (2012-17), the Indian space agency has planned 58 missions for realisation -- 33 satellite missions and 25 launch vehicle missions (17 PSLV, six GSLV Mark II missions and two GSLV Mark III, including the experimental one).

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-successful-mars-mission-helps-isro-end-2013-on-high-note-1940021

Isro to decide on GSLV-D5 launch on 27 December

After three continuous failures, GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) is getting ready for another new mission.

This time, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which successfully recently concluded crucial stages of the Mars mission, is confident the launch would not fail.

GSLV-D5 is expected to be launched at the Sriharikota space-port, near Chennai, on January 5 at 4.18 pm.

The spacecraft is supposed to carry the GSAT-14 advanced communication satellite into orbit, to be used for telecasting, amomg other things. Its mission life is 12 years.

Speaking to Business Standard, K Radhakrishnan, chairman, Isro, said: "This will be a very major technological milestone."

Isro has completed integration of the second stage and the cryogenic stage of the launch vehicle.

The Mission Readiness Review team will meet on Friday and next day, the vehicle will be moved to the launch pad, said Radhakrishnan.

The vehicle will carry an indigenous cryogenic engine, to be used for the second time in GSLV. It was developed by Isro's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri, near Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu.

The first flight that used Indian cryogenic stage failed in April 2010.

This would be GSLV's eighth flight and second with the indigenous cryogenic upper stage developed by LPSC.

GSLV-D5 was scheduled for launch at 4.50 pm on August 19 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota but the launch called off at the last minute after a leak was found during the pre-launch pressurisation process in the fuel system of the liquid second stage.

GSLV was first launched with GSAT-1 on April 18, 2001, a successful mission.

Out of the seven GSLV launches earlier, three were unsuccessful: GSLV-F02 launched with INSAT-4C on July 10, 2006; GSLV-D3 with GSAT-4 on April 15, 2010; and GSLV-F06 launched with GSAT-5P on December 25, 2010, according to Isro.

In the first mission, GSLV-D1, a Russian cryo, underperformed and in 2007, in the GSLV-F04 mission, one strap-on control failed though both the missions were successful.

More: http://www.authintmail.com/article/science-environment/isro-decide-gslv-d5-launch-27-december

Bigg Boss 7: Gauahar, Tanishaa's confession and fight

The final five contestants – Gauahar, Ajaz, Sangram, Andy and Tanishaa – of controversial celebrity game show 'Bigg Boss 7' were in for a night of confessions.

This time instead of the confession room of Bigg Boss' house the contestants came out with their confessions in the open. The housemates openly spoke their heart out, revealing good, bad and ugly.



Bigg Boss asked the housemates to indulge in a tête-à-tête and confess whatever they have spoken about their fellow-contestants behind their backs.


In the evening, Gauahar, Ajaz, Sangram, Andy and Tanishaa gather in the living area and spill the beans about each other. Andy is the first one to go and he tells Gauahar that he has never liked Kushal and has always doubted their future. He also tells Tanishaa that he did not appreciate her picking a fight with him and blowing things out of proportion. Ajaz tells Tanishaa that he did not appreciate Tanishaa's cold behaviour and always complained about it to Sangram.



Making most of this opportunity, Ajaz tries to mend his friendship with Gauahar and tells her that he considers her to be a dear friend. Sangram Singh being at his diplomatic best tells Gauahar that he did talk about her being a player and influencing people but has never had hard feelings for her.



Gauahar and Tanishaa's confessions, however leads to a fight between the two where they accuse each other of holding back a lot of things that they have spoken about each other.

With a lot of dark secrets being revealed in this session, what new twists will it bring in the finale week of Bigg Boss?

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bigg-boss-7-gauahar-tanishaa-s-confession-and-fight/1211183/

Dhoom 3 races ahead with more box-office records broken

Dhoom 3 continued its record run at the box office, creating more benchmarks for Bollywood. The Aamir Khan-starrer action thriller pulled in a recordRs. 202.50 crore in just four days of its release, according to estimates.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh in a tweet said, "So here's Fri to Mon total of Dhoom3... India Rs. 129.32 cr + Overseas Rs. 73.17 cr. Worldwide total: Rs. 202.49 cr. MIND-BOGGLING!"

Dhoom 3's record collection has enthused multiplex owners. Pramod Arora, president & CEO of PVR, said, "Movies like Dhoom 3, if we have even 2 or 3 such movies in a year it can really turn fortunes of multiplex owners across the country."

Analysts estimate Dhoom 3 to gross over Rs. 300 crore at the box office. Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, Dhoom 3 is expected to continue its strong performance this week, thanks to Christmas and New Year holidays.

The third instalment of Dhoom franchise has also performed very strongly in overseas markets. In New Zealand, it has crossed the lifetime business of 3 Idiots, Chennai Express and Housefull 2 in just four days, according to estimates. In Australia too, Dhoom 3 is expected to become the highest grosser for any Bollywood movie.

"Dhoom3 does LIFETIME biz of 3I, ChennaiExpress and Housefull2 in just 4 DAYS in New Zealand. Creates HISTORY!" Taran Adarsh tweeted.

Dhoom 3, which features Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra and Katrina Kaif, was also released in dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions.

More: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/industries/article-dhoom-3-races-ahead-with-more-box-office-records-broken-375803

Amitabh Bachchan: Never imagined Abhishek would be in Rs 100 cr club film

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is over the top with the success of his son Abhishek Bachchan's action thriller 'Dhoom: 3'.

The proud father posted on his Facebook page: "#Dhoom3 collects 100 + cr in first weekend .. that is incredible and just out of the park !! Nearest to this number was 80 cr for CE ! And this little fellow Abhishek is now in it .. never imagined this would be so…"



Amitabh Bachchan praising Abhishek Bachchan for his success at the box office tweeted: "'Dhoom 3' weekend collection all India is Rs 107 crore. This is going beyond all records ever !! And going beyond berserk," Bachchan, 71, posted on Twitter.

Also starring Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan in a negative role, 'Dhoom: 3' entered the exclusive Rs. 100 crore club within three days of its release. Earlier SRK's 'Chennai Express' was the fastest to enter the Rs 100 crore club in four days of its release.

The third installment in Yash Raj Film's 'Dhoom' franchise had collected Rs. 107.61 crore by Sunday. With such massive collections, 'Dhoom: 3' has also toppled Hrithik Roshan's 'Krrish 3' to emerge as the new record holder.

'Chennai Express' and 'Krissh 3' reached the Rs 100 crore mark within 4 days of their release. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela' entered the exclusive Rs 100 cr club in 10 days.

On its opening day itself, 'Dhoom: 3' had beaten the records of 'Chennai Express' and 'Krrish 3' by collecting over Rs 36 crore.

Also starring Katrina Kaif and Uday Chopra, the film released worldwide on December 20.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/amitabh-bachchan-never-imagined-abhishek-would-be-in-rs-100-cr-club-film/1211140

Amitabh Bachchan sharing dais with Raj Thackeray an insult to north Indians: SP leader

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi today said that mega star Amitabh Bachchan sharing the dais with MNS chief Raj Thackeray was an "insult" to north Indians.

"Amitabhji sharing the stage with Raj Thackeray is an insult to millions of north Indians," Azmi told reporters here.

Sinking their five-year-old differences, Bachchan yesterday shared dais with Thackeray, who said whatever appened between him and the actor was a thing of the past.

They had come together at the seventh anniversary of his party's movie industry wing Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (MNCKS) at the Shanmukhanand Hall in Central Mumbai.

Azmi, who is also the state chief of Samajwadi Party, added that he was "pained" to see the iconic actor with the politician, who had launched a tirade against the north Indians.

"It was painful for us to see Amitabh Bachchan sharing stage with Raj yesterday," Azmi said.

He said the actor should now clarify whether Thackeray has accepted only him or all the people from north India.

"Amitabhji should have asked the MNS chief to let go the hatred he has towards north Indians and also asked him to apologise to the north Indians," the SP leader said.

"Raj has been playing politics and has been fooling the Marathi-speakers dividing the country on regional lines," he alleged.

Meanwhile, the Congress also criticised the MNS leader over his "double standards".

"Finally Raj Thackeray realised his mistake. He has adopted double standard approach to win votes," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Sachin Sawant said here today.

Relations between the MNS chief and the Bollywood icon were strained for the past five years after Thackeray had criticised the actor for becoming the brand ambassador of Uttar Pradesh.

Later, the MNS had also targetted Jaya Bachchan after she had said at a public function that being from Uttar Pradesh, she would prefer to speak in Hindi instead of Marathi.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/amitabh-bachchan-sharing-dais-with-raj-thackeray-an-insult-to-north-indians-sp-leader/1211497/0

Anil Kapoor doesn't want to play Sonam's dad

Sonam Kapoor’s doting dad, actor Anil Kapoor, has often openly admired his daughter’s acting skills. Now the 57-year-old wants to share the screen space with Sonam, however, not as her father. “We keep getting a lot of offers but nothing great has come our way. We really want to work together in a film but I don’t want to play her dad... I mean, won’t that be really boring?” asks the actor, adding, that he’s looking for something more interesting.

“It should be something very dramatic. If I end up playing the obvious role (of her dad), then what new are we offering to the audience?” he says.

The actor is also co-producing the remake of the 1980 Hrishikesh Mukherjee hit, Khoobsoorat, with Sonam in the lead. “I think Sonam would do a great job with that role. I am really looking forward to seeing her in that role. she is a brilliant actor,” says Anil, who has acted in over 100 films, including Hollywood flicks such as the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionnaire (2009), and Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011).

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/anil-kapoor-doesn-t-want-to-play-sonam-s-dad/article1-1166002.aspx#sthash.HoXsFSo9.dpuf

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 to be available in first week of Jan, price under Rs 25,000

Samsung which is learnt to be planning more investment in India has launched Galaxy Grand 2 phablet, the successor of Galaxy Grand at a price expected to be below Rs 25,000.

Galaxy Grand 2 was globally unveiled in November. Though the company has not revealed the exact price of the device, according to the sources it could be priced between Rs 22,000 and Rs 25,000. The will hit the Indian market in the first week of January.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 will be available in Black, Pink and White colour variants in select regions.

The dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 features a 5.2-inch HD TFT display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels and runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor alongside 1.5GB of RAM. It measures 146.8x75.3x8.9mm and weighs about 163 grams.

It comes with an 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. It has 8GB inbuilt storage, which can be expanded up to 64GB through microSD card. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB and 3G (HSPA+) as connectivity options. The Galaxy Grand 2 comes with a 2600mAh battery which according to company’s claims can offer up to 17 hours of talktime.

Samsung has popular apps like Story Album, which can organise pictures by timelines; S Translator, company's proprietary translation service. It also comes preloaded with S Travel, for travel details; Samsung Hub, its content service for music, videos and games.

Samsung launched Club Samsung for its Indian infotainment content. It is digital entertainment store featuring 400,000 songs, 5,000 movies, 500 gigs and live TV with around 90 channels.

More: http://www.telecomtiger.com/mobile_tabs_fullstory.aspx?passfrom=handsets&storyid=19426&section=S182

Galaxy Gear updated with Twitter, Facebook and Gmail messages

Samsung's Galaxy Gear just got a little smarter, as it can now display partial messages from Twitter, Facebook and Gmail.

An update that enables the new features is hitting now, slowly rolling out to the Samsung smart watch.

Galaxy Gear users will now be able to see tweet activity, Gmail emails, and Facebook notifications they receive on the smart watch's 1.63-inch display.

The rub is that these messages will only be displayed in part, but Gear users will at least get a preview before deciding whether to whip out their smartphones.

Keep holding your breath

The Galaxy Gear was unveiled and launched in 2013 to a lukewarm reception.

The Samsung smart watch seems to have potential - or at least the ideas behind it do. But ultimately it doesn't do very much, it supports a limited number of smartphones, and it's bulky besides.

This update helps a bit, but Smart Watch hopefuls are still waiting for the futuristic device of their dreams.

The current Galaxy Gear update also tweaks Smart Relay, making it easier to jump between the smart watch and your phone, and an improved lift-and-pause gesture to activate the clock.

However Pocket-lint reported that there are some kinks to work out, including a bug that somehow combines Gmail messages when you get three at the same time.

More: http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/other-devices/galaxy-gear-updated-with-twitter-facebook-and-gmail-messages-1210841?src=rss&attr=all

All foreign investors to get same tax treatment

Three classes of foreign investors — foreign institutional investors (FIIs), qualified foreign investors (QFIs) and FII sub-accounts — may soon be subjected to similar tax treatment under the new foreign portfolio investment (FPI) category.

Sebi on Tuesday said it received a note from the department of economic affairs in the finance ministry, suggesting that FPIs be treated akin to FIIs for tax purposes.

The proposal was originally made by the KM Chandrashekhar panel that reviewed various classes of foreign investors. QFIs are foreign individuals, groups or associations.

Currently, long-term capital gains on listed equities are not taxed in the case of both FIIs and QFIs. But FIIs and their sub accounts enjoy a more attractive tax regime than QFIs for short-term capital gains. With the new rule, all these investors, now categorised as FPIs, will be treated alike.

. “Another area where FIIs have a more favourable tax treatment over QFIs at present is that FIIs are not required to deduct tax at source on capital gains made on every transaction. They only need to pay advance tax on estimated income, which enables set off of capital loss, if any, on a transaction against capital gains on another,” said Vipul Jhaveri , partner, financial services taxation, Deloitte. Under the new regime, QFI are also likely to have the same treatment as FIIs.

Currently, FIIs (and sub-accounts) are taxed at 30% on short-term capital gains on sale of unlisted equity or non-equity oriented fund, compared to 40% plus for QFIs. On long-term capital gains on non-equity oriented funds, the rate for FIIs is 10%, compared to 20% plus for QFIs. Hence, once the tax treatment notification for FPIs comes in, QFIs stand to benefit the most.

FIIs and sub-accounts are taxed at 15% on short-term capital gains, while interest earned on bonds are taxed at 20%. The interest on government bonds and certain prescribed corporate debt, however, attract tax of only 5% instead of 20%.Sources said the main change in the new regime is that the existing tax treatment on FIIs will be applicable on FPIs. “As regards FPI Regulations, the communication from the department of economic affairs to the CBDT and Sebi, conveying the decision that all three categories of FPIs would be given similar tax treatment as available to FIIs presently, was noted (at the board meeting).”

The Central Board of Direct Taxes, however, is yet to notify the changes in the tax treatment for QFIs as it believes these require amending the Income Tax Act.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/all-foreign-investors-to-get-same-tax-treatment/1211345/0

Rural markets main plank of growth for auto industry: Maruti Suzuki

With over 18% growth this year, car market leader Maruti Suzuki said on Tuesday that the rural market has turned out to be the saviour for the auto industry at a time when sales in urban and semi-urban regions are facing stress from slowing economic growth, high fuel prices and rising interest rates.

Between April and November this year, Maruti sold about 2 lakh, or 30%, of its total volume in rural markets, as compared to 26% last year.

The company, which covered about 49,000 villages till last year, has already covered 60,000 this year and hopes to touch one lakh by March.

“This shows the changing economy of India. The rural markets are our main plank of growth,” said Maruti Suzuki India chairman RC Bhargava.

At present, MSI has a total of 700 rural outlets, which are accompanied by workshops that are authorised to carry out repairs under warranty. In addition, it has 650 mobile vans that has helped in servicing even at the customers’ home.

Added Maruti Suzuki India COO (marketing and sales) Mayank Pareek, “A lot of myths have been broken. Originally we thought only entry-level cars will sell in rural markets, but that’s not true. Though the Alto and Wagon R are the highest volumes, the Ertiga, Swift and Dzire are also doing well.”

The company also said that the share of diesel cars in overall industry sales has declined this year to 54%, from 58% last year (peak was 62%).

“The worry is that the first-time buyers have really dropped from 70% to 64%. This is a result of lower growth in new job offers,” Pareek said.

Maruti, however, has put its proposed mega-facility in Gujarat in “cold storage” because of slowing overall demand — the country’s passenger vehicle market has dipped 5% to 16.41 lakh units in April-November FY14. “Capacity creation has to be linked to capacity to sell the products and there is no market today. We have land, but it is foolish to put capacity and keep it idle,” Bhargava said.

When completed at an investment of over R20,000 crore (with suppliers) around six plants in Gujarat will have the capacity to manufacture over 1.5 million units, and will likely be higher than the company’s current output across six plants in Haryana.

Maruti is currently offering average discounts of R17,000 across its range. Buyers of the Maruti Swift diesel can expect R15,000 off, while those looking for the Estilo can get as much as R60,000 off on the price.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/rural-markets-main-plank-of-growth-for-auto-industry-maruti-suzuki/1211333/0

12 dead after blast rocks Egypt police station

A powerful explosion believed to be caused by a car bomb ripped through a police headquarters in a Nile Delta city north of Cairo early on Tuesday, killing 12 people and wounding more than 100, leaving scores buried under the rubble.

The country's interim government accused the Muslim Brotherhood of orchestrating the attack, branding it a "terrorist organization."

It was the first major bombing in the Nile Delta, spreading the carnage that has marked Egypt's turmoil over the past months to a new area and bringing it closer to Cairo. Previous deadly violence has mostly taken place in the volatile Sinai Peninsula and in Suez Canal-area cities east of the Egyptian capital.

The 1:10 a.m. blast struck at the security headquarters in the city of Mansoura, 70 miles north of Cairo in the Nile Delta province of Daqahliya, collapsing an entire section and side wall of the five-floor building, incinerating dozens of cars outside and damaging several nearby buildings.

The state news agency MENA said 12 people were killed, including eight police officers, and that 134 were wounded, among them the city's security chief and his assistant. Most of the victims were policemen, many of whom were buried beneath the debris.

Associated Press video from the scene showed bulldozers clearing the rubble outside the security headquarters, as charred and wrecked cars littered the street.

Egypt's Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim toured the scene of the explosion at daybreak, pledging that the police will "continue their battle against the dark terrorist forces that tried to tamper with the country's security," then went to hospital to visit the wounded.

MENA quoted Cabinet spokesman Sherif Shawki as saying that the Brotherhood showed its "ugly face as a terrorist organization, shedding blood and messing with Egypt's security."

Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi described the attack as a "terrorist incident," expressed condolences to the families of the victims and vowed that the perpetrators "will not escape justice."

A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the preliminary investigation indicated a car bomb caused the explosion, which also damaged a nearby bank and a theater.

Security forces cordoned off the whole area around the bombing site, closed major entrances and exits to Mansoura and set up checkpoints to search for perpetrators. State TV called on residents to rush to hospitals to donate blood.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which came a day after an al-Qaeda-inspired group called on police and army personnel to desert or face death at the hands of its fighters.

The militant group based in Sinai and several others have claimed responsibility for a surge of attacks on security forces since a popularly-backed coup in July toppled the country's former Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood.

In response, Egypt's armed forces launched an offensive against militants in the northern part of Sinai in August. Coupled with the offensive and with Morsi ousted and imprisoned, Egyptian investigators have moved to put him on trial for links to militants, accusing him and the Brotherhood of being behind the wave of violence in Sinai.

Tuesday's bombing was not the first time that the security headquarters in Mansoura was targeted. Weeks ago, an explosion went off in front of the building but caused no casualties. Since the summer coup that ousted Morsi, militant Islamists have attacked several security headquarters with car bombs or by suicide bombers.

The Mansoura attack came shortly after the Islamic militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, or the Champions of Jerusalem, threatened more attacks on the military and police, saying it considers Egyptian troops to be infidels because they answer to the secular-leaning military-backed government.

The group — which gained notoriety after expanding its operations outside of the restive northern Sinai province — has claimed responsibility for a number of suicide car bombings and deadly attacks, including a failed assassination attempt on Egypt's Interior Minister in September. The minister escaped unharmed.

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis is believed to have ties with Palestinian militants in the neighboring Gaza Strip, and officials have said other foreign militants have found refuge in Sinai during the ongoing turmoil.

In its message, which appeared on militant websites Monday, the group said it "will be more determined to fight" the military and police if its warning is ignored. It urged them to "repent" from participating in "this infidel bastion that is at war with God and his Prophet, and stop serving in its ranks."

But MENA quoted Shawki, the Cabinet spokesman as saying that "such terrorist operations will not prevent us from moving forward with the road map."

He was referring to the upcoming referendum on a draft constitution Jan. 14-15, a key step in a military-backed transition plan aimed at holding presidential and parliamentarian elections later next year.

More: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/23/egypt-explosion-police-station/4183027/

UK grants posthumous pardon to World War II code-breaker Alan Turing

Britain Tuesday granted a posthumous royal pardon to computer pioneer and World War II code-breaker Alan Turing, who committed suicide after his conviction in 1952 for homosexuality.

Often hailed as the "father of modern computing", Turing played a key role in breaking Germany's naval messages encrypted in the "Enigma" code, an effort that some historians say ensured the early end of World War II.

He died in 1954 after eating an apple laced with cyanide, two years after he was sentenced to chemical castration for the "gross indecency" of homosexuality, a crime in Britain at the time.

Turing lost his job at Britain's GCHQ after his conviction. A GCHQ spokesperson Tuesday said the agency was "delighted about the pardon" granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy after a request by Justice Minister Chris Grayling.Queen Elizabeth II has pardoned Turing for "a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory", Grayling said.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/uk-grants-posthumous-pardon-to-world-war-ii-codebreaker-alan-turing/1211378/

Greenpeace activist gets amnesty

One of the activists detained in Russia’s Arctic has been granted amnesty, Greenpeace said on Tuesday.

The 30 crew members aboard a Greenpeace ship were detained at a Russian oil rig in September and were held for two months before they were released last month.

But the 26 non-Russian crew members have not been allowed to leave Russia because of the pending case. An amnesty law passed last week is expected to clear them of the charges.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Violetta Ryabko said that investigators notified one of the 30 crewmembers that their criminal case had been closed, and several more were summoned to receive similar notifications.

Greenpeace lawyers are now preparing to file for permission for them to leave Russia, the spokeswoman said. Ryabko refused to name the activist.

The crew members were originally accused of piracy, a charge that was later changed to hooliganism.


More: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-222289-Greenpeace-activist-gets-amnesty

Pope ushers in his first Christmas at Vatican

Pope Francis has ushered in his first Christmas as pontiff, likening Jesus' birth to a burst of light on the sometimes dark moments of human history, marked by pride and ambition.

The 77-year-old Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass late Tuesday in St. Peter's Basilica, returning to rest in his Vatican lodgings barely 12 hours before he was due to return to the basilica.

At noon (1100 GMT) Wednesday, Francis was scheduled to deliver a traditional Christmas day message meant for a worldwide audience. Tens of thousands of tourists and Romans are expected to gather in St. Peter's Square for his speech and blessing delivered from the central balcony of the basilica.

At the Tuesday night Christmas service, Francis drew on the humility theme of his nine-month-old papacy as he cited Jesus' humble beginning as a poor and vulnerable baby. "You are immense, and you made yourself small; you are rich, and you made yourself poor; you are all-powerful and you made yourself vulnerable," Francis said of Jesus as he delivered his homily in the basilica, packed with the faithful.

He noted that the first to receive news of Jesus' birth were shepherds, who in society were considered "among the last, the outcast."

The Argentine-born pope, who has also encouraged his flock to be a joyful church, called Jesus "the light who brightens the darkness."

In the world's history and our own personal history, Francis said, "there are both bright and dark moments, lights and shadows." He added "if our heart is closed, if we are dominated by pride, deceit, self-seeking, then darkness falls within us and around us."

Francis has applied this same vision to the heart of the Vatican's own working, saying in past remarks there is no place for personal ambition in the clerical hierarchy. Rather, he has insisted, the Catholic church must be one of service to those in need.

He quoted the Apostle John, saying "whoever hates his brother is in the darkness'" and "'does not know the way to go, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.'"

Earlier on Tuesday, in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouard Twal, also promoted the cause of brotherhood.

As thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world packed the West Bank town, the patriarch described the message of Christmas as a "a message of peace, love and brotherhood. We have to be brothers with each other," he said.

More: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Pope-ushers-in-his-first-Christmas-at-Vatican-5091981.php

Woman kills infant to 'appease god'

A five-month-old baby boy was set ablaze alive by his mother allegedly to appease god at Sonari in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar district bordering Nagaland late Monday night.

Ranju Devi (30) committed the crime when others in the family were asleep, the police said.

Ranju Devi’s brothers – Sunil Shah and Vijay Shah – are both daily wage earners who have been staying at a rented house in Sonari. She had come to visit them from Darbhanga in Bihar about four days ago along with her husband Chote Shah and three children – a three-year-old daughter and two sons, who are twins and aged five months. The locals claimed that a tantric (witch doctor) visited Ranju Devi at least twice in the past three days and advised her to perform a puja and sacrifice one of her sons to god. She was purportedly upset after a dream that if she did not sacrifice one, both will die.

“She has confessed her crime. After being tipped off by the locals, we retrieved the body from a nearby jungle where it was buried after the incident,” inspector Durlav Das of Sonari police station told dna. The police have arrested Ranju Devi, Chote Shah and Sunil Shah. Vijay Shah has absconded.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-woman-kills-infant-to-appease-god-1940342

Fog, cold wave conditions disrupt normal life in North India

Cold wave and dense fog disrupted normal life across India with plummeting temperatures and low visibility, forcing the people to stay within the confines of their houses.

In Delhi, fog disrupted operations at IGI Airport where over a dozen flights were delayed yesterday. A thick blanket of fog across Punjab and Haryana affected vehicular traffic.

Fog also created adverse conditions in Uttar Pradesh. In Lucknow, district administration has ordered closure of all schools up to Class VIII till January 10 in view of the cold wave.

In Rajasthan, the mercury dropped further in some areas with Mount Abu recording the coldest temperature in the state at 2.4 degrees.

Intermittent snowfall continued in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, while rain lashed the lower areas, including Srinagar.

Piercing cold wave conditions persisted in Himachal Pradesh with the mercury hovering around freezing point at many places.

More: http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/fog-cold-wave-conditions-disrupt-normal-life-in-north-india_899234.html

Snooping row continues to spell trouble for Modi as more tapes emerge

The snoopgate row is continuing to haunt the Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as news portal Gulail.com has released a fresh set of tapes alleging that the matter was not limited to just Gujarat. According to the web portal, the Gujarat Police had tried to put the girl under surveillance in Karnataka, too, but that request was turned down by the latter as it did not fulfill the requirements of the Indian Telegraph Act.

The website has claimed that the junior level officers of the Gujarat home department in fact wrote to the government of Karnataka to put the girl under surveillance in the state.

In the new tapes top policemen of Gujarat are heard discussing the necessity to tab the phone calls of the girl at various locations.

In the new tapes top policemen of Gujarat are heard discussing the necessity to tab the phone calls of the girl at various locations.

The recent allegations by the news website has raised some serious questions:

- Why did the girl's father's alleged letter to the NCW claim she knew she was under surveillance?

- If it was to provide protection to the girl then why didn't the Gujarat Police meet her instead of tailing her?

- What kind of security threat did the girl have that such an elaborate security cover was provided to her?

- Whose orders were the under secretaries of Gujarat following in writing to the Home Secretary of Karnataka?

Earlier, dismissing the probe ordered by Gujarat government into the snoopgate as 'Modi Bachao Commission', the Congress had alleged that it is a concerted attempt to hoodwink the people.

Party spokesman Randip Singh Surjewala and Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza insisted that the Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Modi administration was a "shoddy cover up job".

The new twist in the snoopgate controversy comes at a time when Narendra Modi is hitting the top gear of his election campaign. The allegations of illegally surveilling a girl continues to embarrass Modi, but the only thing working in his favour is a reluctant Congress which is unsure of how to convert the latest snoopgate allegations into a political talking point.

More: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/snooping-row-continues-to-spell-trouble-for-modi-as-more-tapes-emerge/441473-37-64.html

DGMOs discuss tension on border

Military commanders of India, Pak meet for first time after Kargil war.

Indian Army DGMO Lt Gen Vinodh Bhatia with his Pakistani counterparty Maj Gen Aamer Riaz at the Wagah-Attari border on Tuesday. - PTI

For the first time since the 1999 Kargil War, a senior military commander from India crossed over to the Pakistani side of the Wagah border to discuss the simmering tension along the Line of Control (LoC). Though both sides reiterated their resolve and commitment to continue efforts for ensuring ceasefire and peace on the line of control, but India raised issues of continued firing by the Pakistan army on the Indian forward posts. This year has been the worst when it comes to ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army, as about 250 incidents of ceasefire violations at the LoC.

According to the joint statement issued after the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting in which consensus was developed to make hotline contacts between the two directors general military operations more effective and result oriented. DGMOs of both countries normally talk on hotline every Tuesday. “It was also decided to inform each other if any innocent civilian inadvertently crossed the Line of control, in order ensure his/her early return,” the joint statement reads.

Moreover, the both sides have also agreed to enhance the military level talks. It was decided to hold flag meeting between the two military by brigade commanders at the LoC.

India’s director general military operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia met his counterpart Major General Amir Riaz from Pakistan army. In Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir government said the infiltration continues to remain a worry for the people of the restive state.
“Infiltration is always a worry and it is continuing. Jammu and Kashmir can do nothing. We have to fight it out and we should not lower the guard at all,” Taj Mohidin, J&K minister for medical education told dna.

Main opposition People’s Democratic Party welcomed the agreement hoping that the two countries would now take the peace process to the next level. “We want two governments to take the peace process to next level so that cease fire becomes foundation for political and economic cooperation and the resolution of Kashmir,” said Naem Akthar, chief spokesman of PDP.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-dgmos-discuss-tension-on-border-1940338

Christmas being celebrated across country today

Christmas is being celebrated with religious zeal and enthusiasm throughout the country Wednesday.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh have greeted the nation on this auspicious occasion.

President Mukherjee in his message said: "As the world celebrates Christmas this year, may the higher purpose which Jesus Christ held out before mankind prevail. And may the Star that shone over Bethlehem sparkle once again and beckon us onto the path of peace on earth and goodwill amongst men."

"Let us recall on this auspicious day the teachings of love and kindness of Jesus Christ who for centuries has been an inspiration to mankind. May the Almighty shower his bounteous blessings on all the people of the world on this festive occasion," he added.

The Vice President in his message called upon citizens to celebrate this happy occasion by dedicating ourselves to Christ's eternal message of love, compassion and forgiveness for all.

"I extend my greetings and best wishes to all our citizens on the joyous occasion of Christmas, commemorating the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate this happy occasion by dedicating ourselves to Christ's eternal message of love, compassion and forgiveness for all," he said.

The Prime Minister in his message said that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ's teachings of selflessness, tolerance and brotherhood. It is an occasion to strengthen the bonds of love and friendship amongst us.

"May the spirit of Christmas encourage people to think about those less fortunate," he added.

Streets of the national capital are decorated, while shops are all wrapped in Christmas colours to attract the customers.

From clothes to accessories and from wines to gifts, Christmas has given the locals a reason to shop.

Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus and is celebrated by millions of people around the world.

More: http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/christmas-being-celebrated-across-country-today_899233.html

Astronauts wrap up successful spacewalk to fix station

Two NASA astronauts wrapped up successful repairs at the International Space Station on Tuesday after a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk to fix an equipment cooling system.

Americans Rick Mastracchio, 53, and Mike Hopkins, 44, floated outside the orbiting lab for seven and a half hours to replace an ammonia pump whose internal control valve failed on December 11.

"We have a pump that is alive and well," said NASA commentator Rob Navias on the US space agency's live television feed ..


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Mass grave of 34 found in South Sudan: UN

UN investigators discovered a mass grave in a rebel-held city in South Sudan, theUnited Nations said on Tuesday, as a possible opening occurred for negotiations to avert civil war in the world's newest country where ethnic violence has erupted.

In New York, the UN security council voted unanimously to beef up its peacekeeping force in South Sudan. It condemned targeted violence against civilians and ethnic communities and called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities and the immediate opening of a dialogue".

The government, meanwhile, announced that its military forces had taken back another key city, Bor, from the rebels who held it over the last week.

The bodies were found in the town of Bentiu in oil-rich Unity state: one grave with 14 bodies and a site nearby with 20 bodies, said UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.

The government minister of information, Michael Makuei Lueth, said Bentiu is under the control of rebels loyal to the country's former vice president, Riek Machar, indicating they were responsible for the killings.

The dead in Bentiu reportedly were ethnic Dinka who belonged to the Sudan People's Liberation Army, said Shamdasani, referring to government military forces.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir is Dinka, the country's largest ethnic group, while Machar is Nuer, the second-largest ethnic group.

US secretary of state John Kerry spoke on the phone on Tuesday with Machar, who said he told Kerry he is ready for talks with Kiir, likely to take place in Ethiopia.

"I will form a high-level delegation, to which I will give full power to negotiate an accord," Machar told Radio France Internationale. "We want Salva Kiir to quit power. We want a democratic nation and free and fair elections."

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, reiterating his call for Kiir and opposition leaders to end the crisis, said: "Whatever the differences, nothing can justify the violence that has engulfed their young nation."

"There is no military solution to this crisis," Ban stressed. "This is a political crisis which requires a peaceful political solution."

Violence began spreading across South Sudan after a fight among Kiir's presidential guards late December 15, pitting Nuer against Dinka.

Some 20,000 people seeking safety have crowded round the UN base in Juba, the capital, where at least two other mass graves are reported to have been found, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said.

The UN humanitarian office said 45,000 people have taken refuge in and around UN bases in the country and 81,000 people have fled their homes as a result of the fighting.

The security council voted to temporarily increase the number of UN military personnel in South Sudan from 7,000 to 12,500, and the UN's international police contingent from 900 to 1,323.

To reach the new levels, the resolution authorizes the temporary transfer of troops, police and equipment from the UN missions in Congo, Darfur, Abyei, Ivory Coast and Liberia.

Ban recommended in a letter to the council on Monday that the peacekeeping mission be beefed up and asked for three attack helicopters, three utility helicopters, and a C-130 military transport plane as well as other needed equipment.

After the vote, the secretary-general said the resolution "will help boost security, reinforce peacekeeping bases and provide critical assets".

But he cautioned that strengthening the UN mission "will not happen overnight" — and even with additional manpower and equipment "we will not be able to protect every civilian in need in South Sudan".

"The parties are responsible to end the conflict," Ban stressed.

The US has moved extra forces to the region to provide embassy security and help with evacuations from South Sudan upon the state department's request. There are now about 150 troops in the region, with 10 aircraft, including Osprey helicopters and C-130 transport planes.

On Tuesday evening, US Africa Command moved a platoon-sized Marine crisis response team and a KC-130J transport plane from the US base in Djibouti to Entebbe, Uganda, to be able "to more quickly respond, if required, to help protect US personnel and facilities" in neighbouring South Sudan, said a Pentagon spokesman, Army Colonel Steve Warren.

UN staff visited the mass grave in Bentiu on Monday. Originally the UN said 75 bodies had been seen but later corrected that statement to 34 bodies seen and 75 people missing and feared dead.

Adama Dieng, special adviser to the secretary-general on the prevention of genocide, and Jennifer Welsh, special adviser on the responsibility to protect, warned on Tuesday that "targeted attacks against civilians and against United Nations personnel, such as those that have occurred in Juba and Jonglei, could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity".

The United States, Norway and Ethiopia are leading efforts to open peace talks on the 10-day-old crisis. Officials say Kiir and Machar have agreed to meet but specifics, including the status of Machar's imprisoned compatriots, are holding up talks.

South Sudan's UN ambassador Francis Deng assured the security council after the vote that the government "is doing as much as it can, under very difficult circumstances, to restore calm and stability to the affected areas in the country".

"South Sudanese do not want to fall back into the abyss of war from which they have suffered for over half a century," he said.

Deng repeated a statement from Kiir on Tuesday calling for an end to violence and ethnic targeting, and calling on Machar and the forces supporting him "to rise to the challenge of peace, unity and nation building".

South Sudanese troops, meanwhile, advanced on Bor on Tuesday, said military spokesman Colonel Philip Aguer. The government said on Twitter later that it was clearing out remaining rebel forces.

The UN has staff in the country investigating mass killings, said Pillay, the UN rights chief. It is unclear who is responsible for the deaths, she said. Two other mass graves were reportedly found in Jebel-Kujur and Newside, near Eden, she said.

The country's top UN humanitarian official, Toby Lanzer, said on Monday that he believes the death toll from 10 days of violence has surpassed 1,000 but added that there are no firm counts.

A top European Union official, Catherine Ashton, said political dialogue must include all groups, including those whose leaders are currently imprisoned. The use of force, she said, will achieve nothing.

"I am extremely concerned that South Sudan risks spiraling into a disaster for both its own people and the region. Such a situation can, and must, be avoided," Ashton said.

Hilde F Johnson, head of the UN mission in South Sudan, called the scale of the crisis "unprecedented" for the mission, and urged more resources to help people in UN camps across the country.

She also called on all those in South Sudan to refrain from "any community motivated violence".

The security council condemned "reported human rights violations by all parties, including armed groups and national security forces" and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

South Sudan, the world's newest country, peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 following a 2005 peace deal. Before that, the south fought decades of war with Sudan. The country, one of the world's least developed, still has pockets of rebel resistance and sees cyclical, tribal clashes that result in hundreds of deaths.

More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Mass-grave-of-34-found-in-South-Sudan-UN/articleshow/27889103.cms

Govt can remove AK Ganguly without Supreme Court probe: Officials

The government has an option to remove AK Ganguly as head of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission without seeking a Supreme Court inquiry against him, senior officials said. But, it is unlikely to use this option so as to give the retired judge another chance to explain to the court his side over the allegation of sexual misconduct against him by a law intern.

The home ministry has started preparing a Cabinet note with the Attorney General giving his go-ahead to seek the Cabinet's approval to take action against Justice Ganguly on a demand from Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, an official at the ministry said.

According to the official, the government can proceed against him under Section 23(1) and 23(2) of the Human Rights Act as the letters from Banerjee to the President carry multiple allegations against him for sexual misconduct, carrying out paid arbitration work and travelling to Pakistan without the government's approval.

Under Section 23(1), the President can remove Justice Ganguly on the ground of "proven misbehaviour" if a Supreme Court inquiry recommends the same. But Section 23(2) allows the President to remove him straightaway if it is found that he had "engaged during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office," the official said.

Banerjee had accused Ganguly of allegedly involving in arbitration related to the All India Football Federation and travelling to Pakistan for a seminar with a NGO paying the airfare. "Both options, Section 23(1) and 23(2), are under consideration. The Cabinet will take the call," a Law Ministry official said.

The government, however, could play it safe by opting for Section 23(1), first seeking a Supreme Court-constituted inquiry. Justice Ganguly had complained to the CJI that he was being "targeted by powerful interests" for his judgments passed against them.

More: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/govt-can-remove-ak-ganguly-without-supreme-court-probe-officials/articleshow/27873118.cms

Devyani arrest case fallout: India withdraws ID cards of US Consulates

India on Tuesday withdrew all ID cards provided to US Consular officials as a reciprocal measure taken by the New Delhi government in retaliation against the alleged harsh treatment of its deputy consul-general Devyani Khobragade in New York following her arrest in the alleged visa fraud case involving a maid she had taken from India.

The firm reciprocal step by the Indian government came following the end of Monday deadline for surrendering the identity cards provided to US Consular Staff in India.

The new ID cards will only be given to the Consular officials and not to their family members.

Acting reciprocally, US consular staff will now only be permitted to import their requirements during the first six months on assuming office.

According to reports, the data including salaries paid to staff in US schools has been received and is being analysed.

Notably, disturbed by the alleged 'indignities' its diplomat underwent after her arrest in the visa fraud case, India moved on multiple fronts to squeeze American diplomats in the country.

US consulate staff and their families were asked to return their diplomatic ID cards; details were sought of Indians employed in the consulates, along with their bank accounts and PAN numbers, as also names and salaries of teachers employed at US embassy schools; import duty waivers, including permits to bring in liquor, were withdrawn.

The government also got the Delhi Police to remove the special barricading outside the US Embassy in New Delhi that had closed a part of Nyaya Marg to the public.

India had strongly conveyed to the US that the manner of Khobragade's arrest was unacceptable.

Besides being handcuffed in public, Khobragade, 39, was also allegedly strip-searched and forced to undergo repeated body cavity searches before she was freed on a $250,000 bail bond.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/devyani-arrest-case-fallout-india-withdraws-id-cards-of-us-consulates/1211257/

Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party weathers rebellion storm, says not concentrating on support

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday put up a united front quashing reports that one of the its MLAs was upset that his name was removed from the list of probable ministers.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is greeted by supporters as he arrives at a public meeting in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal denied any rift within the party over naming of the cabinet which was overshadowed by anger over the exclusion of Vinod Kumar Binny's name.

"Vinod Binny has told the media he has no problem," Kejriwal told reporters.

Binny, who had walked out of a meeting convened at chief minister-designate Kejriwal's house on Tuesday, also said that he is not upset with the party.

"There is no rift between me and party. I am not here to become a minister, but to serve the people. (I) will fulfill the responsibility the party give me," Vinod Kumar Binny told PTI.

He added, "I haven't spoken to Arvind (Kejriwal) as there was no occasion to talk, but will go to him when it is needed."

Binny, who had defeated former Congress health minister AK Walia, had said on Tuesday that he would hold a press conference on Wednesday to make "certain revelations".

Sources said Binny was offered the post of parliamentary secretary to the chief minister, but he wanted a key department.

Senior party leaders Sanjay Singh and Kumar Vishwas went to the residence of Laxmi Nagar MLA Vinod Kumar Binny late on Tuesday night to pacify him.

Kejriwal insisted that his party does not have an alliance or tie-up with any party.

"We are concentrating on issues, not support. Whoever supports our 18-point agenda supports us," he said reacting to reports of a Congress rethink over extending support to the AAP.

The Congress on Tuesday had said that the opinion was divided within the party on extending support to the AAP over government formation in the Capital, but ruled out any change of stand, for now.

Some leaders felt that the decision to offer support to AAP without the rookie party asking for it was unwarranted, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

There is also a view that the party miscalculated in assuming that AAP leader and now Kejriwal would turn down the Congress and opt not to form the government.

Kejriwal also added that the swearing-in ceremony is unlikely to be held on Thursday.

"The date for the swearing-in ceremony hasn't been decided and once the date is decided only then can I send Anna an invitation," said Kejriwal.

More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/myindia-myvote/chunk-ht-ui-myindiamyvote-delhi/kejriwal-s-aam-aadmi-party-weathers-rebellion-storm-says-not-concentrating-on-support/sp-article10-1166202.aspx