Wedding wows 120 year old man marries 60 year old women

Silchar (Assam), Oct 28 (IANS) If their respective ages were to be added up, they'll date back to India's first war of independence in 1857. So, when 120-year-old Hazi Abdul Noor tied the knot with 60-year-old Samoi Bibi, the 500 guests at the wedding ceremony were bound to be left gaping.

A former contractor, Noor of Assam's Satghori village Sunday married Bibi, a resident of North Foolbari village in adjoining northern Tripura.

Over 500 guests, including religious heads, gathered at the sleepy Satghori village in Karimganj district, around 400 km from Assam's main city of Guwahati, to witness the rare marriage ceremony.

'Homemade sweets were passed around when Maulana Khairuzzaman, a senior Madrasa teacher, asked for a 'Kubool' (agreeing to marry) and a smiling Noor replied in confirmatory by nodding his head,' said Saiful Ahmed, a local government school teacher who was one of the guests at the ceremony.

'Noor might very well be the oldest person to get married in this part of India as far as my memory goes,' Ahmed told IANS.

Displaying his documents, Noor said: 'My age in the electoral list of the election commission is 116 years, but I am 120.'

In fact, this is not his first marriage.

Salima Khatun, Noor's first wife, died in 2005. 'I married Salima when I was 40,' he said.

Today, he heads a family of 122 members, including two sons, three daughters and numerous grandchildren, most of whom are married. Noor's eldest daughter is 79.

The centenarian used to work as a contractor in southern Assam during the British regime. He met with a deadly accident in his 50s, the pain of which he still carries in his back.

'Soon after my mother's death, my father asked us to find him another wife who would look after him as he needs full-time support,' said Noor's eldest son Hazi Azir Uddin, a retired teacher.

'With the help of one Abdul Hamid of Tripura, we found a new mother, though she's half his age. She was married once. Long back her husband died and she has no children,' the son said.

Hamid, the match-maker and also a relative of Noor, has interesting stories of his own to tell.

'So far, I have arranged 14 such marriages in which the ages of all the 28 brides and bridegrooms were 60 or above. The first such marriage was in 1984 in northern Tripura in which the ages of the brides and bridegrooms were 65 and 90,' he claimed.

'For arranging such marriages, I've never sought any money or any favour. This way, I acquire happiness,' said Hamid, who works at a government office in Tripura.

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Live: Anna breaks fast after 288 hours, nation relieved

Anna Hazare ended his 12-day fast Sunday morning before tens of thousands of cheering supporters at Ramlila Maidan by sipping a glass of coconut water with honey offered to him by two girls.

The nation, particularly the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, heaved a collective sigh of relief at the resolution of a major national crisis as the 74-year-old activist ended his fast at around 10.20 a.m. He began his fast Aug 16 morning and completed 288 hours of fasting. Refresh this page for live updates

8: 30 pm: Omar hails ending of Anna's fast

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the ending of fast by veteran social activist Anna Hazare was a victory for people's power and showed the resilience of parliamentary democracy.

"This is a victory of people's power, but it also shows the resilience of the parliamentary democracy system, both worked together to end Anna's fast," Abdullah told reporters. More

8: 00 pm: BJP will continue to support Anna's fight against corruption: Advani

LK Advani said that his party will continue to support veteran social activist Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption. He added that Hazare has thanked the BJP for its contribution during the campaign in a letter.

"Anna wrote a letter to thank my party for the contribution it made. The fight will continue," Advani told media persons.

"An important episode in the battle against corruption has been completed. The battle will continue because it is country's battle. People are very happy," he added. More

7: 30 pm: Anti-politician act helped solve impasse, says Kiran Bedi

Defending her much-talked about speech at the Ramlila grounds where she called politicians 'double-faced', former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi claimed her act got the attention of opposition and helped resolve the issue.

Talking to a NDTV news channel, Bedi said her act Friday attracted the attention of LK Advani who called her that evening and this led to a breakthrough in the impasse.

'When I wrote only a miracle could change this, that miracle came through Mr. Advani, through the crowd that booed at some MPs, who had come to meet Anna, leaving. I think that booing went up to Mr. Advani,' Bedi said. Full story

6: 50 pm: Free kitchens in Jammu on Anna victory

People in this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir took out processions and set up free kitchens at various places to celebrate the end of Anna Hazare's fast.

With the Indian tricolour forming the backdrop, free kitchens in Jammu city offered food to all those who thronged there.

'It is our way of celebrating the victory of Anna. He has broken his fast today and it is time to feed the people,' Darshan Kumar, one of the activists involved in organising the 'langar' or free kitchen, told IANS. More

6: 30 pm: Lokpal bill may come up in parliament in November

A redrafted Lokpal bill may be brought in parliament during its winter session, that usually starts mid-November, after the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice deliberates over various drafts of the proposed anti-graft law, government sources said Sunday.

The sources said that, at that stage, amendments or changes in the legislation would be possible with the approval of both houses of parliament. After being passed by both the houses, it would go to President Pratibha Patil for approval before becoming a law. More

6: 10 pm: Thousands arrive at India Gate for the victory March

Thousands of Anna Hazare supporters have made their way to the India Gate to participate in the victory march called by him. Those who're not in Delhi have come out in droves in their respective cities to celebrate.

6: 00 pm: Rs.70 lakh and counting, donations still pour in for Anna

Donations have been pouring in from across the country to support social activist Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement. India Against Corruption (IAC), the NGO spearheading it, has so far received more than Rs.70 lakh in cash donations and more is still coming in an activist said.

The donation collection desk at Ramlila ground since Aug 19 - the day Hazare moved there from Tihar Jail - has received cash donations of more than Rs. 70 lakh, Vikas Tyagi, a coordinator at the donation department, told IANS. More

5: 45 pm: Security personnel relieved as Hazare ends fast

It was a daunting task for the hundreds of paramilitary and Delhi Police personnel guarding the Ramlila ground with many of them admitting that it was an 'overwhelming' experience. With Anna breaking his fast for a strong anti-graft bill after 288 hours, most of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Many of the security personnel admitted that they had not seen such large crowds ever and it was a tough challenge to manage them and keeping their cool despite a few untoward incidents including one where policemen were attacked by some drunkards. More

5: 30 pm: Unifying people an achievement: Bhushan

Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan said that the biggest achievement of the anti-corruption movement was that it united people cutting across all divides.

'We are relieved. We can now relax and reflect on the nature of the movement and decide the future course,' Bhushan said.

'It was a roller coaster ride. We felt pessimistic at times. But we always felt that whatever happens in parliament, the movement engaged people across classes and barriers. Young people shed their cynicism and felt empowered. This was an achievement.' More

5: 00 pm: Anna dehydrated and exhausted: Trehan

Anna Hazare is fine and doing well despite his 288-hour-long fast. However, his heart beat is above normal, the principal doctor attending on him said Sunday.

'The heart rate is 94 which is more than a normal (around 80). He is very dehydrated and exhausted,' said Naresh Trehan who closely monitored the 74-year-old Hazare's health during the fast. 'He is being given coconut water and honey as he can easily absorb it. However, this would be increased slowly and gradually in a manner that his body can tolerate it,' he added. More

4: 30 pm: The day India's MPs created history

It was a rare show of unanimity and purposefulness, going beyond party lines. At the special parliament debate on Saturday, MPs transcended their usual acrimonious and disorderly behaviour to demonstrate that when it matters, India's lawmakers can deliver.

They also managed to assert the supremacy of parliament in framing legislations for the nation.

The Lokpal discussion -- stretching over nine hours in the Lok Sabha and eight hours in the Rajya Sabha -- saw a sober tone echoing in both the houses though MPs did criticise each others' viewpoints. More

4: 00 pm: How they kept Ramlila Maidan clean -- only for Anna!

From collecting mounds of garbage, removing slush caused by rains to cleaning toilets, a group of volunteers -- mostly students from premier medical and engineering colleges -- kept Ramlila Maidan, the nerve centre of Anna Hazare's movement, clean at a time when it saw unprecedented footfall on all the 13 days of his fast.

Initially, most of these students came to lend support to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, but swayed by the electric atmosphere they ended up being part of it. More

3: 30 pm: Bollywood hails Anna Hazare's victory; terms it a new dawn

From Amitabh Bachchan to social activist-actress Shabana Azmi -- expressed their, happiness calling it 'a moment of greatest pride' and 'a new beginning'.

Hazare, who began his fast Aug 16 morning, agreed to break his fast after parliament Saturday broadly agreed to three key demands of his civil society group to battle corruption.

The celebrities took to Twitter to express their feelings. More

3: 00 pm: Team Anna calls for grand celebrations at India Gate

Arvind Kejriwal has called for grand celebrations at ndia Gate on Sunday evening.

Addressing thousands of people at Ram Lila Maidan before Hazare broke his 12-day fast, Kejriwal said: "We appeal to all the people present here to come to India Gate in the evening where we will celebrate the grand victory of the people." More

2: 30 pm: A fasting activist turns a national icon

He drove a truck for the army during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, but when Anna Hazare broke his fast on day 13 Sunday after the Indian parliament agreed to his three demands for a stronger anti-graft legislation the school dropout had won for the people a war against the powerful establishment.

It was a civic-government standoff, broadcast live to the nation by the incessantly chattering 24x7 TV news channels, and at the centre of this spectacular reality show was a frail and fasting 74-year-old man who became a veritable nightmare for the ruling political class, but a hero of the urban middle class reeling under pervasive corruption and an unresponsive system. More here

2: 15 pm: Anna wins first round, but some worrying signs remain

All's well that ends well. Parliament's acceptance of Anna Hazare's three major demands - bringing the lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal, setting up Lokayuktas in the states and introducing the concept of citizen's charters to deal with public grievances - has led to the septuagenarian crusader to call off his 12-day fast even as he was entering the 'danger zone' in medical terms.

However, a few worrying signs remain because, even in their moment of victory, the conduct of the civil activists left a great deal to be desired. For a start, the fact that the resolution was accepted with the thumping of desks by the MPs and not through a voice vote, as was earlier expected, persuaded Medha Patkar, a prominent community worker, to describe what took place in parliament as 'part betrayal'. Her grouse was that the assurance given to her and her colleagues about a voice vote was not kept. Full story here

1:45 pm: At Ramlila, a mini India watched Anna break fast

Hours before Anna Hazare broke a 13-day hunger strike that shook the nation, all roads led to the Ramlila ground. And as he sipped coconut water, tens of thousands gave him a standing, boisterous ovation that would make any politician go green with envy.

It was a mini India out there. A saffron robed swami. A tall Nihang Sikh in bright blue. Mahatma Gandhi lookalikes. Men with Rajasthani head gears. Retired employees. The jobless. Traders. Vendors. Bus drivers. Farmers.

Like in any movement, the middle class did dominate.

1:30 pm: Team Anna reaches out to Dalits, remembers Ambedkar

Facing criticism from Dalit groups for not having representation from backward and minority classes, Team Anna Sunday remembered B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of Indian constitution, and said they respect the statute.

Activist Anna Hazare broke his 13-day-long fast after drinking a mixture of coconut water and honey offered to him by a Dalit and a Muslim girl.

'The condition of farmers is bad. We have to give them justice. Ambedkar put all this in the constitution but it not being implemented in the parliament,' Hazare told the cheering crowds at Ramlila Maidan.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal turned down allegations that their movement was against the constitution. 'Some Dalits have said that we are against constitution. I want to tell that we respect the constitution and Ambedkar-ji,' he said.

1:15 pm: Anna, his team thank media

The media got a big thank you from Anna Hazare and his team Sunday for their support to the anti-corruption campaign with the 24X7 coverage of the protest.

The 74-year-old activist who broke his fast on the 13th day said: 'I want to thank the media for spreading our message to all my countrymen for the past 12 days...this is a success for them as well.'

Arvind Kejriwal, a member of Team Anna, was also effusive in his thanks to the media.

'We want to thank the media for working around the clock with their cameras, in heat and rain. This was not just their job, they worked 24 hours a day and were a part of the movement too,' Kejriwal said.

Kiran Bedi, another member of Team Anna, described the media as the backbone of the movement.

'Real backbone of this movement was the passionate media. They were willing to forgo their advertisement revenues and allow themselves to become the people's voice,' Bedi tweeted.

1:00 pm: Anna Hazare: A fasting activist turns a national icon

He drove a truck for the army during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, but when Anna Hazare broke his fast on day 13 Sunday after the Indian parliament agreed to his three demands for a stronger anti-graft legislation the school dropout had won for the people a war against the powerful establishment.

It was a civic-government standoff, broadcast live to the nation by the incessantly chattering 24x7 TV news channels, and at the centre of this spectacular reality show was a frail and fasting 74-year-old man who became a veritable nightmare for the ruling political class, but a hero of the urban middle class reeling under pervasive corruption and an unresponsive system. Read more

12:45 pm: Volunteers, backbone of the movement: Kejriwal

Describing them as the backbone of the agitation, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal Sunday had a special word of praise for the over 300 volunteers who worked round the clock for 13 days to the keep the movement against corruption going.

Minutes before Hazare broke his fast Sunday morning, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal said: 'The backbone of the protest is our volunteers who were insulted, scolded, treated in a bad way but still they worked efficiently for hours.'

'On days when I used to sleep here and sometimes get up at 3 a.m., I used to see several volunteers hushing up at the stairs near the dais. When I used to ask them to sleep, they would say - 'No, we want to protect our Anna', that was their spirit,' he said.

12:30 pm: The men and the woman behind Team Anna

Anna Hazare has become a powerful brand for people-driven change. But a brand is not built in isolation. It took, amongst others, the father-son due of a former law minister and an activist lawyer, a former police officer and an income tax officer-turned RTI activist to power the 24x7 Anna Hazare show that fired the nation's imagination like no other. These five people were part of his 'inner circle' of advisers: Who are they?

12:20 pm: Anna Hazare confident of building 'a corruption-free society'

Anna Hazare today thanked the people of the country and the media for extending their support to his campaign against corruption. Addressing thousands of supporters after breaking his 12-day fast at New Delhi's Ram Lila Ground, Hazare said he wants the passing of the Jan Lokpal Bill for a corruption-free society.

"Thanks to all of you. This is your victory. This also the victory of media, thanks to media for awakening people across India. Thanks to the members of civil society. We have shown a new way to the world that anything can be achieved through 'ahimsa'," Hazare said.

"I'm thankful to the youth power for their massive support. This has established that 'Jan Sansad' is more powerful than 'Sansad'. Now, our belief is firm that we can build a corruption-free society. Whatever changes we want, would be done in accordance with the Constitution," he added.

12:10 pm: Anna Hazare wants introduction of "Right to Recall" to change political system

Anna Hazare said that the people of the country must have the "Right to Recall" to change the country's political system.

Addressing thousands of supporters after breaking his 12-day fast at New Delhi's Ram Lila Ground, Hazare said: "Corruption is due to the non-decentralization of power. We have to strengthen our 'Gram Sabha' and change the present election system. We need the 'Right to Recall'." The anti-corruption crusader had told supporters on Saturday evening that he would the end his campaign as the Congress-led UPA government had agreed to his demands to legislate tougher laws against rampant graft.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had announced in the Lok Sabha that the civil society's version of the Lokpal Bill would now rest with the Standing Committee. The Jan Lokpal Bill, the anti-graft legislation that Hazare is agitating for, is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.

12:00 noon: Anna Hazare taken to Gurgaon hospital for medical check-up

Anna Hazare, who ended his 12-day long hunger strike today, has been taken to Gurgaon's Medanta hospital for a medical check-up.

Hazare has reportedly lost eight kilograms since he began the campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill on August 16. A medical team from Medanta hospital has been monitoring the 74-year-old's condition closely. full story

11:30 am: PM's letter to Anna Hazare

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Anna Hazare after Parliament on Saturday passed a resolution agreeing to the three demands put forth by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare. Vilasrao Deshmukh personally went to Ramlila Maidan to hand over the letter and a copy of the resolution to
Team Anna. Read the letter on Hindustan Times

Anna Hazare Calls Off his FastAnna Hazare finally called off his hunger strike, which entered 13th day today. Two five-year old girls from Delhi offered coconut water and honey to Anna Hazare.

11:00 am: Team Anna calls for grand celebrations at India Gate

Team Anna has called for 'grand celebrations' at India Gate Sunday evening to celebrate 'people's victory' as Anna Hazare broke his 12-day fast after parliament broadly agreed to meet three key demands of his civil society group to battle corruption.

'We appeal to all the people present here to come to India Gate in the evening where we will celebrate our republic,' Hazare's close confidant Arvind Kejriwal told the cheering crowds at Ramlila Maidan.

Tens of thousands of people celebrated as Hazare took a sip of coconut water and honey mixture offered by two girls to end his over 288-hour fast in the morning. more

10:45 am: Chronology of an epochal fast

Chronology of a fast that forced Indian parliament to acknowledge people's power and established civil society's primacy in a democracy:

Jan 30: Marches in over 60 cities to demand anti-corruption Lokpal bill. Social reformer Anna Hazare, former top cop Kiran Bedi, activist Swami Agnivesh and lawyer Prashant Bhushan participate in Delhi rally.

Feb 26: Hazare announces fast unto death from April 5 if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not decide on civil society's inclusion in drafting the bill.

April 5: Hazare starts fast at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Here's the complete chronology

10:30 am: Only suspended my fast, not ended it: Anna: Anna said he had only 'suspended' his fast and not ended it, adding that his campaign for a strong Lokpal institution would continue till parliament passed the anti-graft bill. 'I have just suspended the fast.. did not end it. The fight will go on till parliament passes the Lokpal bill.' more

10.20 am: Hazare broke his fast at 10.20 a.m. by taking coconut water mixed with honey offered by two little girls. The anti-corruption crusader had told supporters on Saturday evening that he would the end his campaign as the Congress-led UPA government had agreed to his demands to legislate tougher laws against rampant graft.


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Hurricane Irene dumps foot of rain; 2M powerless

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  One of two people rescued from a sailboat, right, uses a line to make their way onto …

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  A stranded sailboat founders in the surf along the Willoughby Spit area of Norfolk, …

NEW YORK (AP) — A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene shut down New York and menaced other cities more accustomed to snowstorms than tropical storms as it steamed up the East Coast on Saturday, unloading a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia and knocking out power to 2 million homes and businesses. At least eight people were killed.

New York emptied its streets and subways and waited with an eerie quiet. Washington braced for the onslaught, too, as did Philadelphia, the New Jersey shore and the Boston metropolitan area. Packing wind gusts of 115 mph, the hurricane had an enormous wingspan — 500 miles — and threatened a swath of the nation inhabited by 65 million people.

The hurricane stirred up seven-foot waves, and forecasters warned of storm-surge danger on the coasts of Virginia and Delaware, along the Jersey Shore and in New York Harbor and Long Island Sound. Across the Northeast, drenched by rain this summer, the ground is already saturated, raising the risk of flooding as well as the danger of trees falling onto homes and power lines.

Irene made its official landfall just after first light near Cape Lookout, N.C., at the southern end of the Outer Banks, the ribbon of land that bows out into the Atlantic Ocean. While it was too early to assess the full extent of damage, shorefront hotels and houses were lashed with waves, two piers were destroyed and at least one hospital was forced to run on generator power.

"Things are banging against the house," Leon Reasor said as he rode out the storm in the town of Buxton, N.C. "I just hate hurricanes."

Eastern North Carolina got 10 to 14 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Virginia's Hampton Roads area was drenched with at least nine inches, with 16 reported in some spots.

By late Saturday night, the storm had sustained winds of 80 mph, down from 100 mph on Friday. That made it a Category 1, the least threatening on a 1-to-5 scale, and barely stronger than a tropical storm.

Nevertheless, it was still considered highly dangerous, capable of causing ruinous flooding across much of the East Coast with a combination of storm surge, high tides and 6 to 12 inches of rain.

Irene was moving north-northeast at 16 mph, slightly faster than it had been earlier in the day, giving it somewhat less opportunity to dump on any particular area. But a typical hurricane would be moving much faster, 25 to 30 mph, said senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart of the National Hurricane Center.

Moving slowly over the relatively colder water could weaken the storm, but Stewart said Irene will still likely be a hurricane when it makes landfall in the New York area around noon Sunday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett warned that the state will not necessarily be out of danger once the storm has passed: "The rivers may not crest until Tuesday or Wednesday. This isn't just a 24-hour event."

As of Saturday evening, Irene was hugging the U.S. coastline on a path that could scrape every state along the Eastern Seaboard. Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center in Florida, said it would be a "low-end hurricane, high-end tropical storm" by the time it crossed the New York City area late Sunday morning.

The storm is so large that areas far from Irene's center are going to be feeling strong winds and getting large amounts of rain, he said.

"It is a big, windy, rainy event," he said.

The deaths blamed on Irene included two children, an 11-year-old boy in Virginia killed when a tree crashed through his roof and a North Carolina child who died in a crash at an intersection where traffic lights were out. Four other people were killed by falling trees or tree limbs — two in separate Virginia incidents, one in North Carolina and one in Maryland. A surfer and another beachgoer in Florida were killed in heavy waves.

Power outages were concentrated in Virginia and North Carolina.

Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States since 2008, and came almost six years to the day after Katrina ravaged New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005. Experts guessed that no other hurricane in American history had threatened as many people.

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue said Irene inflicted significant damage along her state's coast, but that some areas were unreachable because of high water or downed power lines. "Folks are cut off in parts of North Carolina, and obviously we're not going to get anybody to do an assessment until it's safe," she said.

At least 2.3 million people were under orders to move to somewhere safer, though it was unclear how many obeyed or, in some cases, how they could.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told 6,500 troops from all branches of the military to get ready to pitch in on relief work, and President Barack Obama visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency's command center in Washington and offered moral support.

"It's going to be a long 72 hours," he said, "and obviously a lot of families are going to be affected."

In New York, authorities undertook the herculean job of bringing the city to a halt. The subway began shutting down at noon, the first time the system was closed because of a natural disaster.

On Wall Street, sandbags were placed around subway grates near the East River because of fear of flooding. Tarps were spread over other grates. Construction stopped throughout the city, and workers at the site of the World Trade Center dismantled a crane and secured equipment.

The city was far quieter than on an average Saturday. In some of the busiest parts of Manhattan, it was possible to cross a major avenue without looking, and the waters of New York Harbor, which might normally be churning from boat traffic, were quiet. About 370,000 people living in low-lying areas of the city, mostly in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, were under orders to clear out.

"The time to leave is right now," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at an outdoor news conference at Coney Island, his shirt soaked from rain.

The New York area's major airports — LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark — waved in their last arriving flights around noon. The Giants and Jets postponed their preseason NFL game, the Mets postponed two baseball games, and Broadway theaters were dark.

New York has seen only a few hurricanes in the past 200 years. The Northeast is much more used to snowstorms — including the blizzard last December, when Bloomberg was criticized for a slow response.

Airlines said 9,000 flights were canceled, including 3,000 on Saturday. The number of passengers affected could easily be millions because so many flights make connections on the East Coast.

Greyhound suspended bus service between Richmond, Va., and Boston. Amtrak canceled trains in the Northeast for Sunday.

In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter declared a state of emergency, the first for the city since 1986, when racial tensions were running high. "We are trying to save lives and don't have time for silliness," he said.

The storm arrived in Washington just days after an earthquake damaged some of the capital's most famous structures, including the Washington Monument. Irene could test Washington's ability to protect its national treasures and its poor.

In New Jersey, the Oyster Creek nuclear plant, just a few miles from the coast, shut down as a precaution as Irene closed in. And Boston's transit authority said all bus, subway and commuter rail service would be suspended all day Sunday.

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Mitch Weiss reported from Nags Head, N.C. Associated Press writers contributing to this report were Tim Reynolds and Christine Armario in Miami; Bruce Shipkowski in Surf City, N.J.; Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton, N.J.; Wayne Parry in Atlantic City, N.J.; Eric Tucker in Washington; Martha Waggoner and Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, N.C.; Jessica Gresko in Ocean City, Md.; Mitch Weiss in Nags Head, N.C.; Alex Dominguez in Baltimore; Brock Vergakis in Virginia Beach, Va.; Samantha Bomkamp and Jonathan Fahey in New York; and Seth Borenstein in Washington.

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Kannada industry celebrates Shivanna's 100th film

Kannada industry which is looking forward to Shivarajkumar's 100th film, Jogayya, wishes the actor all the luck and success on the day of its release .

They have been friends for 25 years and met for the first time when Ramesh was shooting for Sundara Swapnagalu and Shivanna for Anand in the same studio. "What's humbling is that Shivu hasn't changed in all these years. Despite coming from the great actor Rajkumar's family and enjoying so much success, he has stayed grounded," says Ramesh.

Another thing about Shivanna that appeals to Ramesh is his versatility. "As an actor, his range of roles is impressive. He has played lover, ruffian and brother with great ease. His best performance according to me was Madesha in Jogi. Anyone would have overacted in the climax of the film, which shows the hero's mother dated. But Shivu was very understated. Om is my other favourite.

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When it comes to our films together, Namoora Mandare Hoove was a cherished experience. Our combination was a success because our acting styles were different and people liked this contrast."

We wanted to see the man who took on the govt'

Anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare surprised everybody at the Ramlila Grounds when he landed at the place at 2 pm even while a couple of India Against Corruption speakers kept telling his followers that he would be at Rajghat at 2 pm. Prasanna Zore reports.

As soon as he climbed the dais, he addressed his supporters with Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad.

He then addressed the gathering, telling them how his movement and fast that began on August 16 has passed off peacefully. He congratulated the gathering for their peaceful conduct that has proved his detractors who claimed that his movement might turn violent and arrested him on August 16.

Interestingly, he told the assembly that he has been feeling weak, but then made a spirited speech. "India's second freedom struggle begun on August 16," he said to a thunderous applause from more than 30,000 people who had assembled at the grounds at 2.20 pm.

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There is scope for give and take on Lokpal: PM of India said

Affirming that there was a "lot of scope for give and take" on the Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the government was open to "discussion and dialogue" on the issue.

Calling for a broad national consensus on the controversial issue, Dr Singh expressed the hope that the government can enlist the cooperation of "all thinking segments of Indian public opinion to ensure that the end product is a strong and effective Lokpal which all sections of our community want".

The Prime Minister was answering questions from the media at the conclusion of the full meeting of the Planning Commission at his residence to approve the Approach Paper of the 12th Five Year Plan.

Dr Singh said the government has presented a Lokpal Bill, which was the demand of all political parties when he had convened an all party conference on the issue.

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How Pakistan became THE capital of suicide attacks

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Tahir Ali looks back at the disturbing history that has made suicide attacks a nightmarish part of Pakistan's present reality

Fidayeen or suicide attackers have become a lethal weapon for the Pakistani Taliban. According to a recent report, Pakistan has witnessed more suicide attacks than any other country in the world.

The last decade of the country's history has witnessed the worst bloodshed thanks to a spate of suicide bombings across the country.

Though suicide attacks are undoubtedly an alarming sign for Pakistan, it is the emergence of female suicide bombers that has worried security agencies. It is easier for burqa-clad women to reach their targets as they can't be searched by male security guards.

Between 2001 and 2011, Pakistani militants carried out 130 suicide attacks that resulted in the deaths of 1,883 people while 3,819 people sustained injuries.

Pakistani terrorists learnt the deadly skill of suicide bombing from their Afghan counterparts.

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Summary of All scams of India : Rs. 910603234300000/-how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians, Circulate it to create awareness

Summary of All scams of India

Summary of All scams of India : Rs. 910603234300000/-

See how Lokpal Bill can curb the politicians, Circulate it to create awareness

Existing System	System Proposed by civil society
No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated.	Lokpal at centre andLokayukta at state level will be independent bodies.ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyones permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail.
No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented.	Lokpal andLokayukta will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer.CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged intoLokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta.
No action is taken against corrupt judges because permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges.	Lokpal &Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate and prosecute any judge without needing anyones permission.
Nowhere to go - People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints.	Lokpal &Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear every complaint.
There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies.	All investigations inLokpal &Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff ofLokpal &Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months.
Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads of anti-corruption agencies.	Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections of Chairperson and members ofLokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process.
Citizens face harassment in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut.	Lokpal &Lokayukta will get public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty ofRs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen.
Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money.	Loss caused to the government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused.
Small punishment for corruption- Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years.	Enhanced punishment - The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

Dear All, Please go through the details carefully & try to be part of this mission against corruption. Things to know about AnnaHazare andLok pal Bill-:

1.Whois Anna Hazare?

An ex-army man(Unmarried). Fought 1965 Indo-Pak war.

2.What'sso special about him?

He built a villageRalegaonSiddhi inAhamad Nagar district, Maharashtra.

3.Thisvillage is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power,biofuel and wind mills. In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village.

4. This guy, AnnaHazare was awardedPadmaBhushan and is a known figure for his social activities.

5. He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India.

6. How that can be possible?

He is advocating for a Bill, TheLok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill), that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), bureaucrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.

7. It's an entirely new thing right..?

In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr.Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit their theft (corruption).

8. Oh.. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time? The first thing he is asking for is: thegovt should come forward and announce that the bill is going to be passed. Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT theLOK PAL BILL. 50% government participation and 50% public participation.Bcoz u can't trust the government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit them.

9.Whatwill happen when this bill is passed?

ALokPal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state,Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished.

Pass this on n showur support..

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What if UK riots were happening in Africa?

Posted by:
CNN Correspondent, Robyn Curnow

Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) Many South Africans have been smug watching the images of lawlessness, anarchy and violence on London’s streets.

As hooded youths burnt and trashed the streets of London, there has been a sense of self-satisfied bemusement from the country that hosted last year’s World Cup football. So much so, the spokesperson of the opposition party, the DA, mentioned on Twitter that she was “perturbed” by the tone of tweets posted by South Africans and asked if “the chips on our shoulders are really that deep?”

In the years leading up to the 2010 tournament, the British tabloid press in particular irritated many South Africans with constant assessments of how “unsafe” South Africa is. Proud locals felt that many English football fans were dissuaded from attending the World Cup because of the fear campaign generated by the British media.

Now that the South African government has issued a travel warning to citizens travelling to the United Kingdom some have been questioning the double standards. Had this happened in South Africa - a year before the World Cup - many suggest that the world’s media would have been pressuring the football governing body, FIFA, to move the tournament someplace safer. FIFA would often hint at a Plan B location, such as “safe” Australia, if South Africa became too dangerous or unpleasant to host the World Cup.

However, now that the Olympic Games are to take place in a year’s time in London, some Africans are asking why more people aren’t debating whether England can pull off the world’s oldest sports tournament. After all, they say, the streets are burning! The mobs are in control! The politicians are on the beach! Call in the army! Is there a Plan B for the Olympics, some ask jokingly? How about South Africa?

Africans are generally ultra-sensitive to comparisons between themselves and Westerners, particularly old colonial bosses. This time around the debate is less rooted in reality - no one really suggests that London is too dangerous to host the Olympics - but in the perceptions that many Africans believe still exist.

If that was happening in Africa … they mumble as they watch the TV.

That said, there is also a reverse smugness about the level of rioting seen in England and the British police’s inability to challenge it. In some cases rioters are dismissed as just a bunch of gormless “hoodies” on the rampage. One South African newspaper headline read: “London riots are tame by SA’s protest standards.”

In many ways, the UK riots, while shocking to many, are relatively meek compared to the violent protests experienced in South Africa for decades.

As a reporter, I have lost track of the number of times we have watched groups of angry South Africans march, protest and then trash the streets. Just last year, I filmed as police fired rubber bullets and water canons at violently protesting doctors, nurses and teachers on one of Johannesburg’s main roads.

In fact, it happens so often that mobs of people gather to slash, burn and intimidate that South Africans are quite used to these unacceptably high levels of public violence.

When it happens in the land of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and The Ivy - well, that’s different.

It is vastly different. South Africa has a history of public protest that is deeply-rooted in the anti-apartheid struggle. The legacy of police brutality in those pre-democratic days also left many South Africans with a rather jaundiced view of law and order. The simmering anger felt by many is also said to fuel the ugly violence that inevitably emerges during a protest in South Africa.

These are uniquely South African reasons, social and historical experiences, that continue to scar this nation.

However, there is one similarity between South Africa’s rampaging mobs and those in England. It is a theme that has emerged as Tunisians and Egyptians took to the streets. Again and again, we are seeing the effects of a global problem that will continue to define this century - youth who are dislocated, disenfranchised, poor and, crucially, have no prospects for the future.

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Petrol hike fuels anger, another hike soon, India Petrol price high

Click to play video

New Delhi: The State-owned oil companies increased petrol price by a steep Rs 5 per litre with effect from midnight on Saturday. Hike has been affected to make domestic rates at par with international crude prices which are now at a two and a half year high.The steep hike in petrol price is likely to be followed by a Rs 4 per litre increase in diesel rates and Rs 20-25 per cylinder increase in domestic LPG price later this month.This is the steepest climb in prices announced by state-owned oil companies. The last revision in petrol prices was in January this year. News agency PTI quoted an industry official saying that another hike is on the cards while this latest one has fuelled anger among the commuters.Petrol in Delhi will cost Rs 63.37 per litre at Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) outlets in the national capital from Sunday as against Rs 58.37 a litre currently, an official said.

Even after Saturday's hike, oil companies will continue to lose Rs 5.50 per litre and another increase in price is on cards soon, he said.

Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) on Saturday hiked price by Rs 4.99 per litre and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) by Rs 5.01 a litre.

Petrol at BPCL outlets currently costs Rs 58.39 per litre and at HPCL pumps Rs 58.38 a litre.

The increase in petrol price, which the oil firms had been holding since January even though crude oil had touched a two-and-a-half-year high, came a day after election results of five state assemblies were announced.

The government had in June last year freed petrol price from its control but oil companies continued to follow 'informal' advice from the oil ministry on rate revision.

The three firms had not raised prices since January in view of assembly elections in states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

"The hike needed to make domestic rates at par with international prices was Rs 10.50 per litre but oil companies choose to hike rates by less than half of that," the official said. "Another hike in petrol price is on cards soon," he said.

This is the eighth hike in petrol price since the June 2010 decision. Petrol in Delhi cost Rs 51.43 after the June 26 decision of the government deregulating its price.

The official said hike in petrol price was made necessary because of rising borrowing of oil companies who faced severe working capital shortage in view of losses incurred on fuel sales.

IOC has seen its borrowing rise by Rs 15,000 crore in last 45-days as it loses Rs 296 crore per day on fuel sales.

Besides petrol, it loses Rs 18.19 per litre on diesel, Rs 29.69 a litre on kerosene and Rs 329.73 per 14.2-kg LPG cylinder.

Reacting to the price hike, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Sonia and her government is to be blamed for such frequent oil price hike. She doesn't realise the pain of the common man. It's a failure of our economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."

CPM leader Nilotpal Basu said, "This rise has come immediately after the elections. I am sure the common man is going to protest against this rise in the oil prices and we are going to support this protest against the government."

Cities	Earlier	Now
Delhi	Rs 58.37	Rs 63.37
Kolkata	Rs 62.5	Rs 67.5
Mumbai	Rs 63.08	Rs 68.08
Chennai	Rs 63.36	Rs 68.36

(With additional information from PTI)

Ref site- http://ibnlive.in.com/news/petrol-hike-fuels-anger-another-hike-soon/152394-3.html

Petrol hike fuels anger, another hike soon, India Petrol price high

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Jammu: Pak troops fire on Indian posts, Latest World News

Jammu: Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged sustained cross-border fire on Sunday, security officials said, a day after an Indian soldier was killed by Pakistani troops while patrolling one of the world's most heavily guarded borders.

In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on Indian positions in Nikowal forward belt along the International Border (IB) in Jammu sector on Sunday morning.

The two sides exchanged small arms fire for 30 minutes early on Sunday at a border post 30 km (18 miles) from Jammu.

"Pakistani soldiers opened unprovoked firing on our Umra Wali post," said a spokesman for the paramilitary Indian Border Security Force. "We responded to their fire effectively."

A Pakistani border security official confirmed the clash, but denied starting it. Three Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were wounded, he said.

An Indian soldier died in hospital late on Saturday from bullet wounds sustained after Pakistani soldiers opened fire on a routine patrol in the same area, the Indian side said.

He was the first Indian soldier killed by Pakistani troops in a year.

The two nuclear-armed rivals agreed a ceasefire in Kashmir in 2003 and while it has largely held, short exchanges of fire occur almost every month.

The neighbours have fought three wars since 1947, but have been making tentative moves to revive a sluggish peace process that was broken off by India after the 2008 militant assault on the city of Mumbai.

India says Pakistani-backed militants were responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

India accuses its neighbour of funding militant attacks in Kashmir, which both sides claim in full, and has looked to use the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan this month to ratchet up pressure on Pakistan to do more to tackle militancy.

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Ref site - http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jammu-pak-troops-fire-on-indian-posts/152453-3.html

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Jammu: Pak troops fire on Indian posts, Latest World News

Attacks kill 6 in Iraq

Baghdad (CNN) -- Six Iraqi security forces were killed and eight others were wounded in two separate attacks on police and army on Saturday morning, police and health officials tell CNN.

One attack was in Kubessa, about 160 kilometers west of the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi.

Gunmen attacked a joint checkpoint of Iraqi army and police with small arms fire on Saturday early morning. Four Iraqi soldiers and a police officer were killed and four soldiers and a police officer were wounded.

In Baghdad, an Iraqi soldier was killed and four people, including three soldiers, were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near an army patrol.

Overall violence in Iraq has dropped dramatically since the peak of the sectarian violence between 2005 and 2007 but car bombs, suicides bombers, and assassinations still occur.

Government figures show the death toll in Iraqi violence has been rising. In March, 247 Iraqis were killed and in February, 197 people died.

At least three Iraqi soldiers were killed Friday in a suicide bombing in the Anbar city of Falluja. In Tikrit, 57 people were killed and 125 others were wounded when gunmen stormed the provincial council building.

There has been unrest in Iraq over corruption, lack of basic services, unemployment and restriction on freedom of expression -- grievances now being aired in other countries across the Arab world.

Iraqi security forces from the army and police force increased their presence in Baghdad and in a number of the provinces because of planned protests.

Nearly 1,500 Kurdish demonstrators had gathered in the central square of the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya on Friday to continue their demands for political reforms and to protest corruption, a lack of basic services and unemployment, security officials said.

But the peaceful protest turned violence.

Security officials said angry protesters stormed shops, threw stones at Kurdish riot police and wielded sticks when police pushed back. At least 50 people were wounded, including 37 members of the riot police, police and health officials in Sulaimaniya said.

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Champions - World Cup 2011, Team India Shows World why They are Champions

Champions - World Cup 2011, Team India Shows World why They are Champions

The final show looking back at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and India's thrilling six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a closely-fought final in Mumbai.

28 years after Kapil Dev lifted the Prudential World Cup, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did the honours in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This after he led the chase for 275 runs as India won the 2011 Cricket World Cup final by six wickets.



India Win The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

SATURDAY, 02 APRIL 2011 22:49

Source: ISPORT BUREAU (www.sport.in)

Brilliant performances by Gautam Gambhir(97) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni(91*) helped India chase 274 set by Sri Lanka to win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Indian needed 4 runs from the last 11 balls when Dhoni hit a six to win the match and end a 28 year wait for a second World Cup becoming the only third team after West Indies and Australia to win more than 1 World Cup. In the end India scored 277 for 4 wickets and won the match with 10 balls to spare.

India started off badly losing Virendra Sehwag for a nought on the second ball of the innings with no runs on the board, Sachin soon departed on 18 runs leaving India at 31-2. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli led the fightback and further by Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka made a slow start but finished with a flourish boosted by a century by Mahela Jayawardena who was 103 not out from 88 balls, helped by the captain Kumar Sangakkara and Kulasekara who made 48 and 32 runs respectively.

Full Scoreboard

Sri Lanka 274/6 (50 ov)

India 277/4 (48.2 ov)

India won by 6 wickets (with 10 balls remaining)

* ICC Cricket World Cup - Final
* Played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
* 2 April 2011 – day/night (50-over match)


Sri Lanka innings (50 overs maximum) R M B 4s 6s SR
WU Tharanga c Sehwag b Khan 2 30 20 0 0 10.00
TM Dilshan b Harbhajan Singh 33 87 49 3 0 67.34
KC Sangakkara*† c †Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 48 102 67 5 0 71.64
DPMD Jayawardene not out 103 159 88 13 0 117.04
TT Samaraweera lbw b Yuvraj Singh 21 53 34 2 0 61.76
CK Kapugedera c Raina b Khan 1 6 5 0 0 20.00
KMDN Kulasekara run out (†Dhoni) 32 41 30 1 1 106.66
NLTC Perera not out 22 10 9 3 1 244.44
Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 6, nb 2) 12

Total (6 wickets; 50 overs; 246 mins) 274 (5.48 runs per over)
Did not bat SL Malinga, S Randiv, M Muralitharan
Fall of wickets1-17 (Tharanga, 6.1 ov), 2-60 (Dilshan, 16.3 ov), 3-122 (Sangakkara, 27.5 ov),4-179 (Samaraweera, 38.1 ov), 5-182 (Kapugedera, 39.5 ov), 6-248 (Kulasekara, 47.6 ov)


Bowling O M R W Econ
Z Khan 10 3 60 2 6.00 (1w)
S Sreesanth 8 0 52 0 6.50 (2nb)
MM Patel 9 0 41 0 4.55 (1w)
Harbhajan Singh 10 0 50 1 5.00 (1w)
Yuvraj Singh 10 0 49 2 4.90
SR Tendulkar 2 0 12 0 6.00 (3w)
V Kohli 1 0 6 0 6.00


India innings (target: 275 runs from 50 overs) R B 4s 6s SR
V Sehwag lbw b Malinga 0 2 0 0 0.00
SR Tendulkar c †Sangakkara b Malinga 18 14 2 0 128.57
G Gambhir b Perera 97 122 9 0 79.50
V Kohli c & b Dilshan 35 49 4 0 71.42
MS Dhoni*† not out 91 79 8 2 115.18
Yuvraj Singh not out 21 24 2 0 87.50
Extras (b 1, lb 6, W 8) 15
Total (4 wickets; 48.2 overs) 277 (5.73 runs per over)
Did not bat SK Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, MM Patel, S Sreesanth
Fall of wickets1-0 (Sehwag, 0.2 ov), 2-31 (Tendulkar, 6.1 ov), 3-114 (Kohli, 21.4 ov), 4-223 (Gambhir, 41.2 ov)


Bowling O M R W Econ
SL Malinga 9 0 42 2 4.66 (2w)
KMDN Kulasekara 8.2 0 64 0 7.68
NLTC Perera 9 0 55 1 6.11 (2w)
S Randiv 9 0 43 0 4.77
TM Dilshan 5 0 27 1 5.40 (1w)
M Muralitharan 8 0 39 0 4.87 (1w)
Match details
Toss Sri Lanka, who chose to bat
Player of the match Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Umpires Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and SJA Taufel (Australia)
TV umpire IJ Gould (England)
Match referee JJ Crowe (New Zealand)
Reserve umpire SJ Davis (Australia)

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ITS India Deserve To be Winner of 2011 Cricket World Cup, Beat Srilanka in Final World Cup 2011

3 Apr, 2011, 06.41AM IST,PTI
India win World Cup 2011: India deserve World Cup glory: Imran Khan, Allan Border.

World Cup-winning legends Imran Khan , Allan Border and Vivian Richards today said that India deserved to taste World Cup glory as the team has been the team to beat in the last few years.

Imran, who led Pakistan to 1992 World Cup triumph, said India's triumph after a gap of 28 years was a no fluke.

"It is not that India suddenly came up to win the World Cup. There is a reason why they won it. They have been on the rise in the last few years. They have the all-round depth. India's World Cup victory was a no fluke," said Imran.

He said India's semifinal win over arch-rivals Pakistan had done a world of good to the confidence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men.

"They went through a high pressure game against Pakistan. Today, there did not show any pressure. They were completely confident," he said.

Australia's 1987 World Cup-winning captain Allan Border agreed with Imran that India's victory was "no flash in the pan".

"It was not a flash in the pan. They have been preparing well. They played some tough games against South Africa and Australia," said Border.

"There is self confidence in the group. They are well-coached and they have a very intelligent captain. There is the blend of experience and youth.

Richards said for Sachin Tendulkar, who won the World Cup in his sixth appearance, it much be the icing on the cake in his illustrious career.

"It would be the icing on the cake for him as he has dedicated 21 years to cricket. I am proud of him," said Richards, who was in both the World Cup-winning squads of West Indies in 1975 and 1979.

"But India will have to begin from the scratch when they tour England later in the year. They have to do all over again and they will have to work harder to live to the expectations of being the top team and world champions," he said.

Richards praised Player of the World Cup Yuvraj Singh for resurrecting himself after being dropped from the Indian side.

"He was dropped but I remember he went back to the basics, play for Rest of India and came back to the Indian side. A player who hit six sixes (in Twenty20 World Cup) is an enormously talented player. I am happy for him," Richards said in a CNN-IBN programme.

ITS India Deserve To be Winner of 2011 Cricket World Cup, Beat Srilanka in Final World Cup 2011
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World cannot ignore India and China any more: Anil Ambani

WASHINGTON: World, in particular the developed world in the West, can no longer afford to ignore India and China at least in terms of their economic power, ADAG chief Anil Ambani has said.

Achieving a growth of 8-9 per cent per annum at a sustained pace on a long-term basis is a real possibility, Ambani said at a panel discussion on "The Shifting Global Economy and Implications for Trade" being held on the sidelines of the annual conference of the US Exim Bank here.

Achieving such a growth rate -- a reality in India and China -- is "impossible" in the United States and other developed countries of the world, Ambani said. At the same time, he said there are challenges which India has to address on a priority basis.

There is need of creating infrastructure, intellectual, physical and social, which would be the prime movers of India's growth.

Ambani said there is great opportunity for US companies to India. With nearly 100,000 Indian students coming to the US every year, Ambani said, in the years to come, a large number of Indian would think and live like Americans.

"Indian savings would go down and credit card economy would boom," he said, adding, in a globalised economy, Asia, in particular countries such as India and China huge business opportunities to US companies.

Arvind Subramanian, senior fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, agreed and said the world can no longer ignore India and China, which by 2030 would be among the top three largest economies of the world.

"China is already the biggest economy, trader and net banker in the world. It's a world where the US can no longer take its economic preeminence for granted," Subramanian argued.

Ambani praised the Chinese effort of increasing its business and economic relationship with India. India, he said, is the largest trading partner of China, a place, which was earlier occupied by the US.

India is a young country as compared to China. In less than a decade from now, more than half a billion people would be less than 30 years of age, he said.

On Thursday Ambani met the Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke, during which they discussed the new momentum in economic relationship of the two countries, following the November visit of the US President Barack Obama to India.

Locke and Ambani expressed their desire to work together to accelerate the development of the bilateral relationship, sources told PTI.

It is believed that during the meeting Locke spoke to the momentum of the US-India economic relationship coming off of Obama's historic visit to India last November.

Both expressed desire to work together to accelerate the development of the bilateral relationship, sources said.

Ref Site- http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/world-cannot-ignore-india-and-china-any-more-anil-ambani/articleshow/7850217.cms

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Indian stock markets to give 15 pc return in 2011: Mark Mobius

NEW DELHI: Bullish on Indian stock markets, global investment guru Mark Mobius today said the market would give about 15 per cent return to investors this year as well.

"The Indian stock market will probably perform as good if not better than last year," Mark Mobius, Executive Chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group, said here.

The benchmark indices of the domestic stock markets, Sensex and Nifty, appreciated by about 15 per cent last year.

When it came to big names, Tata Group's Tata Motors turned out to be one of the best performers in 2010, by registering the highest rise of 75 per cent among the 50 stocks that make up the Nifty index.

Mobius said there was a change in perception of risks of investing in emerging markets, as "emerging markets like India are in a bullish phase ."

As far as long term investment outlook is concerned, Mobius believes India, because of its large youth population, has an edge over China.

"If you look at investment from a longer term point of view, the prospects in India are better as compared to China", he said.

Moreover, the trend of FII (Foreign Institutional Investor) money into emerging markets like India will continue this fiscal (2011-12), he said.

Foreign fund flows. including debt, into Indian capital market was to the tune of USD 39.4 billion, while equities alone attracted investment of USD 29.3 billion during 2010.

During the current year so far, foreign investors have parked USD 1.6 billion in both equities and debt market.

When asked about the sectors that one should invest in to get good returns from the stock market in India, Mobius said sectors like consumer and commodities were the best bet.

The consumer sector includes industries such as food producers, auto manufacturers, clothing companies, packaging producers and retailers.

On the performance of the greenback against other currencies, Mobius said the US dollar is "not a safe haven" as currencies have gotten strong against the USD.

While he was slightly overweight on Indian equities, Mobius said that "the Return on Assets (RoA) could actually get better".

However, he said there was a short term risk attached to investment in Indian market, as "there could be a slowdown in policy initiatives by the government", on various corruption cases (like 2G spectrum) coming to light.

Ref site - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/analysis/indian-stock-markets-to-give-15-pc-return-in-2011-mark-mobius/articleshow/7844905.cms

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Americans spending more time with news

Americans are spending more time consuming news than a decade ago, adding online news to a diet of traditional media such as print newspapers, radio and television, according to a new survey.

The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that Americans spend an average of 57 minutes a day getting news from print newspapers, radio and television, the same amount of time as in 2000.

“But today, they also spend an additional 13 minutes getting news online, increasing the total time spent with the news to 70 minutes,” Pew said.

“In short, instead of replacing traditional news platforms, Americans are increasingly integrating new technologies into their news consumption habits,” Pew said.

Pew said the news consumption totals did not include Americans who get news on cellphones so the likely average amount of time exceeds 70 minutes.

Pew said 83 percent of Americans get news in one form or another on a daily basis while 17 percent reported consuming no news at all.

Thirty-six percent of the 3,006 adults surveyed by Pew said they got news from digital and traditional sources the previous day while 39 percent said they relied solely on traditional sources.

Only nine percent of those surveyed said they got news through the Internet or mobile devices without also using traditional sources.

Twenty-six percent of those surveyed said they read a print newspaper the previous day, down from 30 percent two years ago and 38 percent in 2006.

Online newspaper readership is growing, the survey found, with 17 percent of Americans saying they visited a newspaper website the previous day, up from 13 percent in 2008 and nine percent in 2006.

The survey also found that more Americans are using Internet search engines to track down news on topics of interest. Thirty-three percent said they regularly use search engines to find news, up from 19 percent in 2008.

Thirty-one percent of those surveyed said they access the Web with their mobile phone but just eight percent said they regularly use the device to get news.

The survey was conducted between June 8 and June 28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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New reactor failure heightens fears of a nuclear meltdown in quake-hit

COOLING systems failed at another nuclear reactor on Japan's devastated coast today, hours after an explosion at a nearby unit made leaking radiation, or even outrigh.

The Christian Science Monitor At least 11 of Japan's 52 nuclear power reactors are shut down and three of those may pose a danger to the public after a massive magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit the island nation Friday. One plant, 150 miles north of Tokyo, is reported to be in a state of emergency. It is relying on limited battery power to cool the three problematic reactors, and officials say they plan to release some radioactive

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Tatas may renew Singur lease for another year Udit Prasanna Mukherji, TNN | Mar 11, 2011, 05.01am IST

KOLKATA: The CPM may rake up the Nano exit from the state to corner Mamata Banerjee during the election campaign, but Tata Motors, which drove into a storm of protests in Singur and was eventually forced to leave, may be driving away from the past.

According to an official of a top Nano ancillary unit, the automobile major is "ready" to renew the land lease in Singur for another year. While Tata Motors wasn't willing to comment, the land lease, if renewed, will mean it will have to negotiate with a new government.

"The decision has already been taken to renew the lease. We will now formally issue the cheque to West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). This decision has been taken after discussion with Tata Motors," a top official of a Delhi-based ancillary supplying body components for the Nano told TOI on Thursday.

An official of a Pune-based automobile engineering component manufacturer that had come with the Tatas to Singur indicated it would take a final call once the new regime was in place. "We can negotiate with the new government about compensation. Some units have also prepared alternative projects that too can be discussed," the official said.

WBIDC managing director Subrata Gupta wasn't available for comment. However, sources in WBIDC said some ancillary units have already paid for lease renewal.

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